《Wizard: I Can Refine Everything》 Chapter 1 - Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Spiritual Power Test Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Spiritual Power Test Heisen Ridge was particularly cold in winter, the snow blowing in from the Northern Barbarian Mountains like a bucket of white paint, transforming the filthy Heisen Territory into a pristine expanse. In a dilapidated wooden hut on the outskirts of Heisen Territory, Richard wrapped himself tightly in his thin clothes, curling up in the straw to minimize heat loss. ¡°Hiss¡­ It¡¯s so cold. Being a transmigrator, I¡¯m really living a disgraceful life.¡± A month ago, Richard came to this world due to a traffic accident and became the son of Old Richard, a peasant under the rule of the Baron of Heisen. Old Richard was a real drunkard. Under the care of his drunken father, Richard¡¯s days were filled with starvation and beatings. Moreover, due to long-term malnutrition, Richard¡¯s frail body was incapable of fighting back. Fortunately, that drunkard was now dead. But the bad news was that the drunkard had exchanged all the valuable things in the house for inferior liquor, and Richard had finished the last grain of food at home a day ago. Cold and hungry, coupled with some injuries inflicted by a drunkard who froze to death in the snow three days ago, Richard huddled in the pile of straw, feeling like he was about to ascend to Heaven at any moment. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, absolutely cannot sleep! You are a transmigrator with a golden finger, how can you die in such a place!¡± Richard forced his eyes open, continuously encouraging himself. Indeed, the transmigrated Richard actually did have a golden finger. When he transmigrated into this body of young Richard, he found a Melter deep within his soul. But what this Melter could do, Richard had always been unaware. However, no matter what its function was, at this time it gave Richard a glimmer of hope. To a person about to drown, a straw was a lifesaving glimmer of dawn. Thump, thump, thump! In a daze, Richard thought he heard someone knocking on the door. Who would visit on such a cold day? Bang! When there was no response, the person outside kicked the door open. ¡°Old Richard, are you still alive?¡± Richard¡¯s consciousness snapped awake, and he struggled from the straw, standing up. He recognized the voice, the visitor was the steward of the territory, Mr. Ellison from Heisen Territory. ¡°Steward Sir, my father froze to death two days ago, but I am still alive. Whatever you need, just tell me.¡± The steward was a big shot and he would definitely not visit a peasant¡¯s house without a good reason. This was an opportunity! ¡°Oh, so you are young Richard.¡± Mr. Ellison frowned as he examined Richard, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket to cover his nose. But Richard couldn¡¯t really blame him for that, considering his own situation was quite poor. With long hair that hadn¡¯t been groomed in a long while matted atop his head, a dirty face, clothes covered in filth, and wounds that remained untreated and were turning black, rotting. Compared to Richard, even a homeless person looked handsome, clean, and tidy. ¡°I am young Richard, Steward Sir.¡± Richard supported his frail body and made a half-bow. Rumor had it that Mr. Ellison was a person who greatly valued manners; even if facing the most witless rural farmer, he would insist on correct etiquette. Now Richard hoped this rumor was true. Observing Richard¡¯s bow, a trace of surprise flashed in the steward¡¯s eyes. Accustomed to the disrespect of the lower classes, although he often corrected their manners, he had become desensitized to these etiquette issues. Commoners naturally had trouble remembering noble etiquette. However, the child before him still performed the courtesy while close to freezing to death, which undoubtedly touched him. Even in death, nobles should not lose their manners, and he saw a hint of noble spirit in Richard. ¡°Good boy, good that you¡¯re alive. Come with me, and do whatever I need you to do,¡± Mr. Ellison said gently. ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Walking out of the wooden hut, the dense clouds covered the entire sky, like curtains blocking the sun¡ªthe poorest source of warmth for the poor. A gust of cold wind blew, causing Richard to shiver uncontrollably. Richard was clad only in his thin clothes, which were practically as good as none in the face of this chilling wind. ¡°Damn it, guard! Take off your coat! Hurry!¡± Seeing Richard¡¯s condition, Mr. Ellison frowned, then turned and ordered the soldier following him to take off his coat. The commanded soldier¡¯s face stiffened; it seemed unreasonable to him to give his warm clothes to a foul-smelling commoner in such cold weather. ¡°Sir, if one is missing, then it¡¯s just missing, the territory is so large, and who knows how many children the Wizard has?¡± the ordered soldier muttered. ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t try to guess the Wizard¡¯s wisdom with your little smarts!¡± Hearing the mention of the Wizard, Mr. Ellison immediately changed his expression and sharply rebuked the soldier. ¡°If I hear you say such things again, be prepared to be hanged! Take off your clothes now and give them to this child!¡± But unintentionally said words might be deliberately heard. Richard, standing aside, felt a jolt in his heart as he heard the mention of the Wizard. Wizard! This world had magic! When Richard had arrived in this world, he had asked about transcendent powers, but unfortunately, the Heisen Territory was remote, and his identity was lowly, garnering him nothing but folk spook stories after all his inquiries. But now, it seemed that transcendent powers indeed existed in this world. Once Richard donned the cotton coat warmed by the soldier¡¯s body, he felt considerably more comfortable. The lack of restraint in the soldier¡¯s speech caused the officer to lose his good mood obtained from Richard¡ªhis face darkened as he shouted at Richard. ¡°Put on your clothes and get moving! The Wizard is growing impatient, and we¡¯re all going to die!¡± Following the officer onto a carriage, Richard soon arrived at the Baron Castle located in the center of the territory. The castle hall was dimly lit, with torches mounted on the walls and a central hearth providing the only illumination. In the middle of the hall, children of all statuses, both rich and poor, gathered together, quietly waiting for the Wizard deep within the hall to speak. ¡°Wizard, Baron, all children from twelve to fifteen years in the territory are here.¡± The officer reported to the depths of the hall, where a figure in a black robe and a triangular hat slowly stood up. ¡°Hehehe! There seem to be fewer children in Heisen Territory, Delis.¡± Beside him, Richard saw the corpulent Baron Heisen wiping sweat from his forehead with a servile look. ¡°Yes, my lord, the harvests have been poor the last two years, indeed a lot of the commoners have starved.¡± ¡°This will not do,¡± the Wizard patted Baron Heisen, causing him to shudder. ¡°The Academy needs school-age children, and if I can¡¯t gather enough children, the Academy will punish me.¡± ¡°But I do not wish to be punished.¡± ¡°So if I come to Heisen Territory next time and you have prepared so few children¡­ you¡¯ll be waiting to become a maggot eating shit in a toilet for the rest of your life!¡± The Wizard¡¯s tone grew heavier with each word, and by the end, his almost beast-like roar silenced the entire hall. ¡°Good,¡± the Wizard turned to look at the children in the hall, ¡°The hall has quieted down.¡± ¡°Now, line up one by one, come before me for testing. Do not make me repeat myself.¡± Upon hearing the Wizard¡¯s words, the children in the hall immediately formed a long line. They might not know how powerful the Wizard was, but after seeing Baron Heisen¡¯s pale face not even disguised with powder, every child knew what to do next. Richard stood in the middle of the group of children, positioned perfectly at the bend of the line, giving him a clear view of the Wizard in the depths of the hall. Richard saw the Wizard pull a crystal ball from beneath his robe, then beckoned a child to place their hand upon it. The crystal ball glowed faintly, and the Wizard announced the test results. ¡°Spiritual power nine points, not qualified, next.¡± ¡°Spiritual power eight points, not qualified.¡± ¡°Spiritual power seven points, not qualified.¡± ¡°Spiritual power ten points, barely passing. Stand behind me.¡± ¡°Spiritual power nine points, not qualified.¡± ¡­ The testing proceeded swiftly, and soon it was Richard¡¯s turn. ¡°Not qualified, next.¡± The child before Richard stepped aside, and Richard, somewhat nervously, approached the Wizard. After getting closer, Richard could finally see the face obscured by the triangular hat¡¯s shadow. Unexpectedly, the Wizard¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t fearsome¡ªwhite-streaked hair, a face full of wrinkles, and deep eye sockets with monocle perched on them. Overall, his appearance even looked somewhat kindly. But for some reason, Richard found his body involuntarily trembling as he stood before him. The sensation was like prey facing a predator! ¡°Place your hand on the crystal ball.¡± ¡°Yes, Wizard.¡± Richard placed his hand on the crystal ball nervously and silently awaited his fate. Whether freeze to death in a broken house or follow the Wizard, it all hinged on this moment. Light gradually emanated from the crystal ball, and a current-like force entered Richard¡¯s body from the ball, traveling through his arm. This force circulated through Richard¡¯s body for a full cycle before finally entering his brain. Simultaneously, it seemed as though a force had awakened a furnace deep within Richard¡¯s soul. A message transmitted from the furnace. [Miracle Furnace activated] At the same moment, the Wizard in the black robe announced Richard¡¯s test result. ¡°Spiritual power fifteen points, qualified!¡± Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Miracle Furnace Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Miracle Furnace Miracle Furnace, an object whose name alone commanded awe. Standing behind the wizard, Richard cautiously made mental contact with the furnace that had till now shown no reaction. He needed to figure out what this thing was for, and quickly. Fortunately, the process was not complicated. The moment Richard¡¯s mind touched the furnace, the functionality of the Miracle Furnace automatically transferred into his brain. In simple terms, the Miracle Furnace could extract from the ¡®raw materials¡¯ anything that the host could utilize, whether it was some substance from the materials themselves or some information contained within them. When refining with the Miracle Furnace, the host needed to continuously provide ¡®fuel¡¯, and the amount of fuel consumed varied depending on what was being extracted. Extracting information required spiritual power, while extracting material required energy. ¡­ The test proceeded swiftly; in less than an hour, over a hundred children had been tested, but only seven had passed the spiritual power test. ¡°Alright. Let these children go back,¡± the wizard in the black robe ordered the officer after the last child was tested. ¡°Yes, Wizard Sir,¡± the officer bowed. Watching the other children leave one after the other, the remaining seven looked at each other in bewilderment. Among these seven children, there were a farmer¡¯s son, a baker¡¯s daughter, a blacksmith¡¯s adopted child, a merchant¡¯s youngest son¡­ They almost encompassed all the classes of the entire territory, but now they stood together, awaiting the proclamation of the wizard in the black robe. ¡°Alright, children. As the qualified ones, you are far superior to the others. You all will now become the four hundred and thirty-second batch of Wizard Apprentices of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, embarking on the path to seek truth at the Academy.¡± The wizard sounded very pleased, apparently satisfied with the seven qualified children from the Heisen Territory. He beckoned with his hand, signaling Baron Delis to come over. ¡°Delis, take these children for a bath and get them changed into fresh clothes.¡± ¡°And this child,¡± the wizard pointed at Richard, ¡°tend to his wounds. Should he encounter any issues on our journey due to his injuries¡­ hmm.¡± The wizard didn¡¯t complete his sentence, but the threat in his words was clear to all. ¡°I understand, Sir,¡± Baron replied with definitive resolve. With that, Baron Delis arranged for the castle¡¯s attendants to lead the other children to the lower levels of the castle. There was a large bathhouse on the lower level of the castle, where a hot spring from beneath the ground had been ingeniously converted into bathing pools by Baron Heisen. In the bath, Richard¡¯s wounds shifted from numbness to pain. A hot water bath, such a luxurious thing was almost criminal for commoners, for the wood used to heat it could make so many meals. Let alone a natural hot spring, a luxury only Nobles could afford. After staying in the water for a while and scrubbing off the mud and dust, Richard quickly got out. He had less time than the others; he needed to tend to his wounds. ¡­ After leaving the bathhouse, Richard put on the new clothes prepared by the Maid. Made of cotton, they were a bit large but comfortably warm. Standing in front of the mirror, Richard carefully examined his appearance. With shoulder-length black hair, deep-set eyes, a prominent nose, and a thin, pale-lipped mouth, he looked less like a commoner and more like a noble in distress. ¡°Sir, you must have Noble blood in you,¡± the maid beside him commented with admiration. ¡°Do I?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow and then followed the maid to the second floor of the castle. The castle¡¯s second-floor corridor was lined with portraits, likely of previous Heisen Barons. At the end, Richard saw the portrait of the first Baron Heisen, depicted in armor, holding a two-handed greatsword. Beside the portrait, a broken Great Sword hung on the wall. ¡°Hmm.¡± As Richard laid eyes on the broken sword, his Miracle Furnace pulsed within him. ¡°Is this the first Heisen Baron¡¯s sword?¡± Richard felt stirred. The broken sword was recognized as ¡®raw material¡¯ by the furnace. ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± the maid responded. Richard stepped forward and gently touched the broken sword. [Raw Material: The Count of Heisen¡¯s Broken Sword] [Skill Extractable: Wind Crow Swordsmanship] [Extraction Cost: 5 Spiritual Power] [Proceed with Extraction?] Wind Crow Swordsmanship! Richard¡¯s heart quivered. That was the famous sword technique that the Count of Heisen had used to claim victory on the battlefields of old. The fame of this sword technique was such that even Richard, a lowly peasant, had heard wandering bards speak of it. But it was said that the technique had been lost three hundred years ago. This was also the reason for the decline of the Heisen lineage. Faced with such a treasure, Richard naturally didn¡¯t hesitate to choose to extract it. This was an opportunity not to be missed! As soon as Richard chose to extract it, he instantly felt tired, as if he had been attending a morning¡¯s worth of advanced mathematics classes, his head heavy and groggy. But before Richard could succumb to drowsiness, the scene before him jolted him fully awake. The broken sword had vanished! Standing by, the maid was suddenly startled. Where had the large sword gone? But in the blink of an eye, the maid saw the broken sword reappear. Was she seeing things? The maid rubbed her eyes, assuring herself that the broken sword was still in its original place, while the young wizard looked at her quizzically. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, sir, let¡¯s hurry to the doctor,¡± the maid quickly said. ¡­ Seeing that he had fooled her, Richard breathed a sigh of relief internally. He had not expected that the Miracle Furnace needed to consume the physical form as well in order to absorb the information. The moment he saw the broken sword disappear, Richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, the Miracle Furnace completed the refinement in an instant, and the broken sword had only disappeared for a moment before returning to its original place. His gaze returned to the Melter. Above the Miracle Furnace, a white light was undulating. When Richard touched the ball of light with his spiritual power, fleeting memories like flashing lights passed through his mind. He found himself on one dangerous battlefield after another, swinging the sword in his hand to slay one enemy after another. ¡°Sir? Sir? We¡¯re at the doctor¡¯s now.¡± The maid¡¯s voice brought Richard back from his daze, his spiritual power was still too weak, and just accepting the battle memories left behind by past warriors could send him into a trance. ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Richard came back to his senses and quickly entered the doctor¡¯s room. Half an hour later, Richard, leaning on the wall, walked out of the room weakly. Having undergone external injury surgery, the doctor did not have any anesthetic, only strong liquor to alleviate the pain. Fortunately, the doctor was quick with his hands, finishing the removal of the rotten flesh from the wound, stitching it up, and applying ointment in less than half an hour. It was at that time Baron Delis also arrived on the second floor. ¡°Wizard Apprentice, the Wizard is ready to depart.¡± ¡­ Stepping outside the castle, Richard was now dressed in brand new cotton clothes; though his face still showed some signs of malnourishment, his demeanor was completely different from before. ¡°Hmm, you look good,¡± the black-robed wizard said, looking at Richard with satisfaction and nodding his head. Then with a wave of his large sleeve, a mysterious force enveloped the seven of them, then floated beside the wizard like bubbles. ¡°This is Levitation Skill, you¡¯ll be able to learn it at the Academy too.¡± After briefly explaining, the black-robed wizard shot a fireball into the sky. Bang! The fireball exploded. A beam of light pierced through the leaden clouds, shooting through the burst fireball straight down to the earth. ¡°What is that?¡± Richard looked up at the sky, through the thick clouds, a huge grey outline was becoming gradually clearer. ¡°What in the world is this?¡± Richard¡¯s voice trembled, he could hardly believe what he was seeing in the sky. Before him, a Flying Airship stretching hundreds of meters long like a blue whale emerged from the clouds, and the beam that had pierced the clouds was the eye of this immense craft. For a moment, Richard vividly recalled a legend he had heard while seeking information on transcendents. The legend told that every ten years, a Giant Beast of the clouds would come roaming from the Northern Barbarian Mountains. Its shape was as large as a mountain, its gaze as dazzling as lightning. Now, the legend had shed its cover! The black-robed wizard spread his arms, carrying everyone towards the column of light to ascend the sky, as if Saints flying to heaven in glory. Richard saw that the wizard¡¯s mouth was moving, and a grand voice filled with joy reached the ears of all the qualifiers. ¡°Fellow juniors, welcome aboard the Zeppelin Type Magic Airship.¡± Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: Chapter 3 On the Flying Airship Chapter 3: Chapter 3 On the Flying Airship ¡°Junior brothers and sisters?¡± Richard looked at the black-robed Wizard, his heart stirring with tumultuous waves. Was a Wizard like this also an apprentice like them? But before he could ponder further, a hole appeared at the bottom of the Floating Airship. The black-robed Wizard led them inside, and as soon as Richard landed, he heard a robust female voice. ¡°Seven apprentices! Taylor, you¡¯re quite lucky.¡± Richard focused his gaze and saw a fierce woman as tall as two meters and built like a bear standing inside the cabin, holding a nearly two-meter-long door panel-sized Great Sword, its blade engraved with dense, mysterious symbols, looking very fantastical. Beside her, Richard also noticed a black-robed skeleton with blue flames flickering in its eye sockets. Upon seeing all of them enter, the skeleton waved its hand and the hole in the bottom of the cabin closed automatically. ¡°Seven apprentices, you¡¯ll all have to treat me to a meal when we get back; nothing less than a hundred Magic Stones will do.¡± The black-robed Wizard¡¯s tone, once brutal towards the Nobles, was now filled with joyful banter as he joked with the other Wizards inside the cabin. ¡°Go to hell, fifty Magic Stones, take it or leave it.¡± The skeleton Wizard came up to the apprentices with a Crystal Ball, starting to tally their names along with their spiritual power. After the count was done, the skeleton Wizard seemed to perform magic as he pulled out bags one after another from under his cloak, each containing a quill pen, a bottle of ink, a roll of white paper, a number plate, and three books. Without explanation, without conversation, the skeleton Wizard¡¯s actions were entirely different from the other two Wizards who were chatting leisurely. He had abandoned the emotions of the living, embracing both tranquility and rationality with his body and soul. ¡°These are your entrance materials, inside you¡¯ll find the introductory courses of the Wizard Academy, and the enrolment regulations. That number plate is your room number, stay in your rooms unless necessary during the time the Airship is flying.¡± Seeing the skeleton Wizard say nothing at all, the Wizard Taylor who had led them aboard felt he had to explain. ¡°Now hurry up and find your own rooms. A bit of roughhousing is fine during the flight of the Airship, but don¡¯t kill anyone.¡± ¡­ The passenger cabin of the Airship had only one corridor with neatly arranged rooms on both sides, each room meant for four people. Richard counted, and if the Airship had fifty rooms, it could, at full capacity, carry around two hundred people if need be. Fifty rooms, two hundred people. ¡°The fantasy world really is fantastic; even an Airship is so impressive.¡± Following the corridor to the end, Richard opened the door to room number 225, which temporarily belonged to him. ¡°Hey, friend, I¡¯m Ali from Golden Banner.¡± Upon entering, Richard saw a girl greeting him. The girl had light golden hair and pale blue eyes, and although her face had some freckles, they only added a youthful charm to her appearance. ¡°Huh? Is this room allocated incorrectly?¡± Richard was a bit bewildered and turned to go back to ask the skeleton Wizard. ¡°Don¡¯t bother asking, friend, someone already did. Wizard Aisen said there was no mistake.¡± Richard stopped in his tracks, ¡°Wizard Aisen? Is that the one who looks like¡­ a skeleton?¡± Ali nodded, ¡°Yes, him. He said the room numbers are completely random, and not to bother him for exchanges. Many people have been trying to swap rooms these past few days, annoying him to the point where he almost threw those apprentices off the ship.¡± Hearing this, Richard massaged his temples with a bit of a headache. This was going to be troublesome, living with a woman was always bound to have many inconveniences. But since the Wizard had already said room exchanges weren¡¯t allowed, he would have to comply. ¡°Alright then.¡± Richard sighed, ¡°Nice to meet you, Ali. I¡¯m Richard from Heisen Territory.¡± ¡­ In fact, Ali had lied. Room swapping on the Airship was possible, just that the means of swapping rooms was somewhat rough. As long as you could convince someone to agree to switch rooms without causing a fatality, the recruiting Wizards wouldn¡¯t intervene in your actions. During the days Ali had been aboard the Airship, there had been several violent conflicts already. And these violent conflicts often accompanied a particular occurrence¡­ That was rape. The Wizards would not stop these crimes; in their eyes, it was just minor trouble. A Wizard who bore a striking resemblance to an ape even watched with great interest. This only fueled the malevolent thoughts of some aboard the Airship. Fortunately, for most of the time, the Airship was in high-speed flight, during which nobody was allowed out of their rooms. This is what allowed Ali to avoid those beasts in this corner room. But Richard¡¯s arrival brought her danger. If those beasts knew there was still such tempting prey in a corner of the Airship, the next time the Airship slowed down, it would be Ali¡¯s day of suffering. Therefore, she had to prevent Richard from changing rooms. Moreover, Richard was good-looking, very handsome, and also very weak. Chronic malnutrition caused Richard¡¯s complexion to appear extremely frail, and even clothed, his thin figure seemed as if a gust of wind could blow him down. Ali was confident she could resist any assault from Richard. ¡­ Time returned to the present, and after entering the room, Richard casually shut the door. The room was not large, just about eleven or twelve square meters, with a small compartment that was probably a restroom. The furnishings were simple: two bunk beds, a table about two meters long, a couple of chairs, and a Magic Light on the ceiling made up all the room¡¯s decorations. In the small room, there were now just the two of them, Richard and Ali. A young boy and a young girl at the ages when hearts begin to stir, confined to a small room. The young boy was clear-eyed and handsome; the young girl was petite and cute. Their eyes met, then immediately averted. It seems this scene should be somewhat ambiguous¡­ Bullshit. Richard may look like a teenager, but inside, he¡¯s an adult. His XP is that of a gentle and intelligent big sister! ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the top bunk, just let me know if you¡¯re changing clothes, so I can look away.¡± After saying this indifferently, Richard turned and climbed up to the upper bunk without his shoes. Flirting with a young girl was far less important to him; he had more significant things to handle. Sitting on the top bunk, Richard opened each of the three books from the bag. He couldn¡¯t understand any of them; as a farmer, being able to write one¡¯s name was considered well-educated. However, Richard was able to guess that one of the thicker books must be a dictionary. [Material: ¡°Wizard Language Dictionary¡±] [Possible Information Extraction: Wizard Language] [Extraction Cost: 10 Spiritual Power] [Extract?] Richard put the dictionary into his pocket and then made a decision. ¡°Extract.¡± In an instant, Richard felt as though his head had been struck by a sledgehammer, his vision going dark. After an unknown period, Richard woke from his deep slumber. The room was pitch-dark, seemingly late into the night. ¡°Ugh, can¡¯t be so reckless next time with the extraction.¡± Richard rubbed his head, thankful that this time he was on an airship, surrounded by safety. If he had been anywhere else, he would have been putting himself in grave danger. Entering the Soul Space, a floating white light had been waiting for quite some time above the Miracle Furnace. As he blended with the white light, Richard didn¡¯t experience the illusions that accompanied the Wind Crow Sword Skill. He simply felt as if he had memorized a lot of things. Richard tried it out and found that he had indeed learned Wizard Language, but it was more like he had memorized the dictionary. If Richard were to read Wizard Language, he would sound just like a beginner, with inaccurate intonation. ¡°It seems there¡¯s a big difference between ¡®skill¡¯ and ¡®information¡¯. Absorbing information is more like having knowledge poured directly into the brain, where practical application still requires plenty of practice. On the other hand, with skills, there¡¯s no issue with the application; however, it¡¯s difficult to condense the skills into text.¡± Gurgle! A tremendous hunger pulled Richard back from his thoughts. He had gone nearly two days without food. ¡°Ali, Ali,¡± Richard called out softly. ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re awake?¡± From the darkness below, Ali¡¯s voice reached him, seeming as though she hadn¡¯t slept. ¡°Ali, what time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s 4:32 in the morning.¡± Hearing the time, Richard simply estimated the duration of his stupor. He had been unconscious for about fourteen hours. ¡°Did anyone bring food during this time?¡± ¡°Your food is on the table. Come down and eat if you want.¡± Richard sensed something off in Ali¡¯s tone. Although he had just met her, it wasn¡¯t common for someone to be so awake at four in the morning. ¡°Have you been awake all night?¡± Richard asked softly. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Missing home?¡± ¡°A little.¡± It seemed she was a girl not accustomed to being far from home. Gurgle! Richard wanted to comfort her a bit more, but the loud rumblings of his stomach convinced him to eat first. Turning out of the bed, his dinner was laid out on the room¡¯s table. Two palm-sized pieces of black bread, some burnt beef, and a bowl of beet porridge. Although the meal couldn¡¯t compare to the Chinese food in Richard¡¯s memory, it was far better than the sawdust-blackened bread he ate in the Heisen Territory. ¡°Phew, that¡¯s a bit better now.¡± After eating, Richard sat back in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. While the meal hadn¡¯t filled him up, at least there was something in his stomach. ¡°Richard, are you a knight?¡± Ali was lying in her bed, looking at Richard from her side. Richard could sense something was amiss in her voice. Was Ali¡­ crying? ¡°I¡¯m not, why do you suddenly ask?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re doomed.¡± Richard¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Richard,¡± Ali¡¯s voice was choked with sobs, ¡°do you know what our entrance examination for the academy is, according to the handbook?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s killing!¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 4 - Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The 3 Elements of a Wizard Apprentice Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The 3 Elements of a Wizard Apprentice Murder, entrance examination. These two seemingly unrelated terms put together made Richard feel that this world was truly wondrous. ¡°Do I need to murder someone to pass an entrance examination? On which page did you see that?¡± Richard suspected this to be a prank; what kind of academy would want a bunch of murderers as students? Ali, sobbing, handed the enrolment rules to Richard. Just then, the magic light in the room happened to turn on, and Richard, who had already learned the Wizard Language, opened the dog-eared page of Ali¡¯s book in the light. The page read as follows: Before entering the Wizard Academy, prospective Wizard Apprentices must undergo an entrance examination called the Life and Death Race, the details of which are as follows: At the start of the exam, each prospective Wizard Apprentice will receive a crystal ball and seven nutritional potions that can substitute for a day¡¯s food. The Wizard Apprentices must reach a designated location set by the academy within fourteen days, carrying at least two crystal balls. Those who do not have the required number of crystal balls, or fail to arrive on time within fourteen days, will lose their qualification to enter. Note: The academy does not provide return services. If one loses the qualification to enroll, the apprentice must return to their place of origin on their own. Having read that, Richard tossed the enrolment rules back to Ali, climbed onto his bed, and pulled out his own copy of the rules, turning to the same page. The content was exactly the same. This was no joke. ¡°This is going to be somewhat troublesome.¡± Richard closed the rules. He didn¡¯t know why the academy did this, going through great lengths to bring them, these apprentices, to the academy just to filter out half of them through an entrance examination. But he was clear about one thing, that concern was pointless now; he was already on the airship. So now he must find a method to pass the entrance examination as soon as possible. Among these prospective Wizard Apprentices, there were those from the lower peasant class as well as those from the higher-class nobles. The commoners, much like Richard, were malnourished and slender of build. In contrast, those nobles possessed strong bodies, along with martial skills they had learned from a young age. Every noble is a knight; this saying was widely circulated in the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom and regarded as the foundation of the rule by the nobility. In the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom, a knight was not just a title, but a symbol of personal strength. Every knight was a muscular man who could move swiftly even when wearing plate armor and wielding a two-handed greatsword in one hand. Moreover, in the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom, a noble¡¯s title had to be inherited by a knight. Hence, these noble offspring, even if morally questionable and not too bright, had bodies that, due to their training from an early age, were far superior to the common folk even if they slacked off. Competing with such a group, Richard and his fellow commoners had virtually no hope of survival. ¡°It¡¯s impossible; the academy wouldn¡¯t recruit commoner students only to give them no chance at all to resist.¡± Richard¡¯s mind was racing as he immediately took out the three books issued by the academy. The Wizard Academy wouldn¡¯t specifically spend energy designing a test that a commoner couldn¡¯t pass; they must have left something behind that could bridge the gap between the students. Richard spread the three books out on his bed; one of them was a Wizard Language Dictionary, another was the enrolment rules, and the last one had a more direct name called¡ª ¡°How to Become a Wizard Apprentice¡± [Material: ¡°How to Become a Wizard Apprentice¡±] [Extractable Information: Basic Meditation Method, Magic Rebound construction, Basic Magic Rules] [Extraction Cost: 7 spiritual power] [Extract?] ¡°Extract.¡± ¡­ At one end of the flying airship, the exclusive resting cabin for wizards. ¡°Aireli, how many of these apprentices do you think will survive this time?¡± Taylor looked out at the sea of clouds through the window. The flying altitude of the airship was around two thousand meters; at this height, it seemed as if the sea of clouds was the actual ground. ¡°Maybe over four thousand. This class cancelled the exchange of crystal balls for magic stones, so it¡¯s unlikely anyone will go out of their way to hunt others.¡± The muscle-bound woman who had before held a door-sized greatsword, now leaning against the cabin wall, responded casually. ¡°I heard the dean took a big loss in the Plane Wars and needs to replenish wizard numbers as much as possible. The students these last few terms are lucky indeed!¡± Taylor¡¯s tone carried a hint of exclamation¡ªhe too had once been a tough character who fought his way through a crowd of apprentices. But after a failed promotion, he was doomed never to become a Wizard. Now he could only work for the Academy to make ends meet. Looking at the current batch of prospective apprentices, Taylor, who was already over a hundred years old, couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about his younger self. ¡°Speaking of which, why haven¡¯t I seen Ma Lou around?¡± Taylor asked. ¡°This group has a few quick-witted kids; they pooled together some Magic Stones to have him go over the Meditation Method.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Taylor was somewhat surprised, ¡°Isn¡¯t that against the rules?¡± Aireli shrugged, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell and I don¡¯t tell, how would those Big Shots at the Academy know? Moreover, those kids spent Magic Stones, which conforms to the principle of equivalent exchange. Even if the Academy found out, they would probably praise them for being smart.¡± But Taylor shook his head. ¡°The textbooks written by the principal are simple enough. If they can¡¯t learn from materials of this level, even if they did get in, they would just be waiting to die. The path to truth must ultimately be walked by oneself. If they succeed by taking shortcuts now, can they take shortcuts for the rest of their life?¡± ¡­ Room 225. Richard sat cross-legged on the bed, striving to still his mind. After refining the knowledge from ¡°How to Become a Wizard Apprentice,¡± Richard had fully mastered the theoretical knowledge of the Meditation Method. The Meditation Method is the Cultivation Technique of Wizards. Its main purpose is to help Wizards increase and recover their spiritual power. ¡°The three key elements to becoming a Wizard Apprentice are linking to the Sea of Souls, constructing a Magic Rebound, and engraving Magic Marks. And among these, the most difficult is linking to the Sea of Souls.¡± Richard adjusted his state according to the information in the book. According to the book, the stronger one¡¯s spiritual power, the easier it is to connect to the Sea of Souls. As long as he connected to the Sea of Souls, his meditation would be half-successful. As Richard¡¯s inner peace grew, he began engraving Runes in his spiritual world. There are three Runes in the Basic Meditation Method, and when Richard finished engraving the Runes, his spirit suddenly felt as if it had left his body and plunged into a bottomless abyss. Within the abyss, there was an eerie silence; time and space seemed non-existent. Richard¡¯s spirit didn¡¯t know how long it stayed in this abyss¡ªboredom, loneliness, and fear surged in his mind like a tide. But he endured it all. Because this was the necessary path to linking with the Sea of Souls. Finally, after an unknowable duration of falling, Richard¡¯s spirit at last touched the Sea of Souls. In an instant, Richard saw an endless astral sea. ¡°The Sea of Souls reflects the Material World, and every Plane in the Material World is a star in the Sea of Souls. This magnificent sight has influenced every Wizard who has seen it, and it is why Wizards later referred to the Material World as¡ªthe Star Realm.¡± As records from the book flashed in Richard¡¯s mind, at that moment, his thoughts seemed to overlap with those of countless Wizards through the millennia. ¡°This is truly beautiful.¡± With a sigh of admiration, Richard then began to leave his own mark in the Sea of Souls. With this mark, he would be able to connect to the Sea of Souls more easily. ¡°What kind of mark should I leave?¡± Richard, gazing at the endless stars, suddenly felt a wave of solitude wash over him. Alone in an Otherworld as a stranger, looking at the stars only deepens the longing for home. Using his spiritual power as a pen, Richard drew a five-pointed star in the Sea of Souls. After all this, Richard¡¯s spirit began to feel somewhat faint. The Basic Meditation Method only allowed him to stay in the Sea of Souls for this long. If he wanted to stay longer, he would need to find a more advanced Meditation Method. A few seconds later, his spirit returned to the Material World. At this moment, he had completed the most difficult and important step of becoming a Wizard Apprentice. COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Magic Rebound Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Magic Rebound ¡°Ali, what time is it now?¡± ¡°Eight o¡¯clock, breakfast will be soon.¡± It was eight o¡¯clock, and Richard had started his meditation around five o¡¯clock. This meant that although Richard felt he had only been in the Sea of Souls for a short while, he had actually meditated for three hours. ¡°It seems meditation distorts my sense of time.¡± Richard thought to himself, as his stomach rumbled again. ¡°Richard, aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Ali¡¯s voice came from the lower bunk, her tone now steady. ¡°Scared?¡± Richard was lying on his bed, curling up to alleviate his hunger, and his experiences over the past month began to replay in his mind. Each day of that month had been spent in fear: his frail body, meager food supplies, and temperamental drunkards around. Every morning Richard woke up hoping it was all just a dream. The current situation was countless times better than the previous month. ¡°I¡¯ve been through worse, there¡¯s nothing to be scared of.¡± ¡­ The room fell silent. Before being chosen, Ali was a merchant¡¯s daughter, where survival pressure was like a cloud in the sky to her. Visible, but almost untouchable. She could hardly imagine what Richard had endured to stay so calm facing a skirmish. He was so frail a gust of wind could blow him over. ¡°So what do you plan to do? We can¡¯t beat those nobles.¡± Ali remembered the knights she had seen, those armored monsters on the battlefield who, with just a few knight attendants, could break through armies of hundreds. She couldn¡¯t imagine how she would deal with such people. ¡°Ali, who do you think is stronger, a Wizard Apprentice or a Knight?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± Ali instinctively wanted to answer Wizard Apprentice, for even as apprentices, wizards wielded wondrous magic that knights couldn¡¯t possibly withstand. But before she could speak, she thought of the book in her bag¡ª¡±How to Become a Wizard Apprentice.¡± Blinded by fear, she had forgotten that the Academy had already given them means to resist. ¡°Richard, you¡¯re a genius!¡± Excited, Ali jumped out of bed, grabbed the Wizard Language Dictionary and ¡°How to Become a Wizard Apprentice,¡± and ran to the desk. Although she hadn¡¯t trained in combat like those nobles from childhood, she surpassed them in her reading. Richard ignored Ali¡¯s reaction; all he wanted was to hurry up and have breakfast. After a while, someone knocked on the door. Hearing this, Richard immediately rolled out of bed. Breakfast was here! Opening the door, Richard saw a puppet-like creature pushing a cart filled with neatly arranged breakfasts. ¡°Room 225, breakfast for two.¡± A strange, shrill voice emanated from the puppet¡¯s body. Richard took two plates into the room, then handed the previous night¡¯s plates to the puppet. The puppet took the plates and then shakily moved on to the next room. ¡°That¡¯s magic.¡± Richard watched the puppet, a spark of excitement in his eyes. Inside the room, Ali was tirelessly translating with one hand on the dictionary and the other on the book. ¡°Ali, your breakfast.¡± ¡°Keep it.¡± Ali replied without lifting her head, now immersed in the sea of knowledge with no thought for food. Richard scratched his head, thinking it must be nice to be young, full of energy even without eating. But then, his body wasn¡¯t much older than Ali¡¯s at the moment. ¡­ Richard sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes tightly closed. In this moment, his spiritual power was replacing his eyes to observe the world. This was his seventh day linked to the Sea of Souls. Over these seven days, the airship had been stable. Richard, following the process outlined in the book, methodically built his Magic Rebound. Although this process wasn¡¯t as swift as linking to the Sea of Souls, it was almost effortless. During these seven days, Ali, who shared a room with Richard, was immersed in translating ¡°How to Become a Wizard Apprentice¡±. Her dedication was so profound that it even surprised Richard. Indeed, in life-threatening crises, everyone can unleash their inner potential. Linking to the Sea of Souls liberated the spiritual power from the souls of Wizard Apprentices, allowing them to sense the magic power that floated freely in the world by means of their spiritual power. In Richard¡¯s perception, the magic power drifting between heaven and earth appeared like fireflies, flickering with bright yet faint light. Richard¡¯s spiritual power transformed into tendrils, which attracted every point of magic power they touched. Then the tendrils withdrew, and all the points of magic power were absorbed into Richard¡¯s body. If linking to the Sea of Souls was the foundation for becoming a Wizard Apprentice, building the Magic Rebound was like building the walls and roof. Wizards needed spiritual power to manipulate magic power, and using spiritual power to temporarily control the magic power freely available in the world was not only time-consuming and strenuous, but also very inefficient. However, the Magic Rebound stored magic power in advance within a wizard¡¯s body and stabilized it with spiritual power so that the wizard didn¡¯t need to rely on the external world¡¯s magic power at critical moments. Yet, the magic power stored in the Magic Rebound wasn¡¯t infinite. A wizard¡¯s capacity depended on his limit of spiritual power. If a spell required more magic power than the Magic Rebound¡¯s limit, a wizard had no choice but to revert to the basics or find another solution. With the entry of the last magic power point, the long-accumulated magic power inside Richard finally triggered a qualitative change and transformed into a stream that started at his heart, flowed through his organs, and returned to his heart, forming a complete circulation. ¡°I did it.¡± Richard opened his eyes, his face brimming with excitement. The construction of the Magic Rebound meant he could now quickly unleash the Zero Ring Spells recorded in the book. Zero Ring Spells referred to those lower-level spells that didn¡¯t need the establishment of Magic Marks in the soul and could be used directly. Some wizards didn¡¯t even consider them true magic, just techniques of magic power application. At the end of ¡°How to Become a Wizard Apprentice,¡± the author considerately prepared four Zero Ring Spells for Apprentices who had completed the Magic Rebound. These were: Magic Missile, Force Field Barrier, Light Body Skill, and Silence Technique. These four Zero Ring Spells covered offense, defense, escape, and stealth, making them extremely versatile. And now, Richard was no longer powerless! While Richard was reveling in joy, Ali, who had been tirelessly translating these past days, suddenly slammed the dictionary down. ¡°Tired of translating again?¡± Richard thought. ¡°Ha-ha, Richard, come down and see. I¡¯ve finished translating!¡± Ali stood up and stretched, her body making cracking sounds. After seven days of relentless work, she had finally finished translating ¡°How to Become a Wizard Apprentice¡±. In the process, she had also nearly mastered the Wizard Language. ¡°Congratulations, congratulations. It looks like you¡¯ve practically passed the exam already.¡± Richard rolled out of bed and congratulated her with a bow. ¡°Hehe.¡± Ali walked over to Richard and gave him a solid pat on the back. Over these days, Ali and Richard had become much closer. Richard knew that Ali was the cherished daughter of a wealthy merchant. Ali knew that Richard was a farmer with a deceased alcoholic father. Their attitudes toward the future were vastly different. Richard¡¯s calm and longing for the future fascinated Ali. Whenever she thought of giving up, Richard always managed to dissuade her with a few words. Now it was her turn to repay the favor. ¡°In the next few days, learn some Wizard Language with me, so you can also become a Wizard Apprentice.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard was taken aback, but then he felt a warmth in his heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wizard Language is easy to learn. Many of its words are very similar to our own. If you study diligently, you can understand ¡®How to Become a Wizard Apprentice¡¯ during this period¡­¡± ¡°Ali.¡± Richard cut her off, his expression a mix of amusement and seriousness. ¡°Have you ever considered that if I become a Wizard Apprentice, you¡¯ll have one more competitor in the exams? One more competitor means more danger. Aren¡¯t you afraid I might stab you in the back?¡± Richard¡¯s voice was calm, but his words made Ali a bit fearful. More Wizard Apprentices meant more competitors in this deadly exam. Every competitor was a lethal threat. Was she really going to teach Richard? ¡°Well¡­¡± Ali¡¯s voice grew from soft to firm, as if she had found a flaw in Richard¡¯s words. ¡°Richard, you wouldn¡¯t do that. If you were, you wouldn¡¯t be telling me about it now.¡± Richard stroked his chin, ¡°Generally speaking, I wouldn¡¯t stab someone in the back. But there¡¯s always that one chance¡­¡± ¡°But besides that one chance, there are also 9,999 out of 10,000 where I wouldn¡¯t.¡± Ali then suddenly punched Richard hard with her left hand. ¡°You¡¯re such a strange person. I¡¯m trying to help you, and you¡¯re still making excuses. If you keep this up, watch out, I might really stop teaching you.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Airship Maintenance Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Airship Maintenance After the conversation, Richard and Ali grew much closer. After that, Richard would practice Wizard Language with Ali during the day and meditate at night. Although Richard had memorized Wizard Language due to refining, he still needed practice to apply it efficiently. In this way, the time had come to the fifteenth day of Richard entering the Flying Airship. The Flying Airship occasionally decelerated during flight, and the wizards on board would take this time to inspect and maintain the airship. During this time, the apprentices on the flying airship could move freely. ¡°Richard! I connected to the Sea of Souls last night.¡± Early in the morning, Ali excitedly shared her progress, patting Richard¡¯s bed. Ali¡¯s talent was not considered good, her spiritual power only being twelve points. What Richard had managed in a short while took her seven full days to complete. But this was still worthy of praise. According to the books, many preparatory apprentices needed meditation incense and Magic Potion to aid their first connection to the Sea of Souls. Ali¡¯s achievement of connecting in seven days was considered average at the Academy. Whereas apprentices like Richard, who connected on their first meditation, were rated excellent at the Academy. Above him was another level, those born connected to the Sea of Souls, inherently having a spiritual power of twenty points¡ªborn Wizard Apprentices. However, such apprentices were few and far between in the history of the Academy, most often appearing among the Wizard Descendants. ¡°Congratulations, congratulations! Big Sister Ali has finally become a Wizard Apprentice.¡± Richard, yawning, sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes to express his congratulations. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to rely on Big Sister Ali for this exam.¡± Hearing this, Ali was exceedingly proud. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Big Sister has got you covered for this exam.¡± Knock, knock, knock. There was a knock on the door and when Ali opened it, for some reason, the puppet that delivered breakfast had come earlier today. ¡°Room 225, breakfast for two. Today the airship is undergoing maintenance, and the apprentices may move freely.¡± The puppet¡¯s voice remained odd, but the message it brought made Ali¡¯s smile vanish abruptly. ¡°Free movement?¡± Ali asked. The puppet didn¡¯t respond and mechanically pushed its cart to the next room. Ali closed the door, her face turning quite grim as if she were about to cry. ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over, it¡¯s over. I just connected to the Sea of Souls, and my Magic Rebound hasn¡¯t been established yet, this this this¡­¡± Ali paced anxiously around the room, and Richard was curious about her reaction. ¡°Isn¡¯t free movement a good thing? After being in the room for so many days, don¡¯t you want to go out for a walk?¡± He had been on the airship for half a month now, staying in one room the whole time, feeling as if his joints were going to rust. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, if we can move freely, those bastards will be able to come out.¡± Ali¡¯s expression looked like she was about to cry, frantically telling Richard about the events on the airship before he had boarded. ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡± Richard, stroking his chin, looked somewhat intrigued. Did he really appear this weak when he boarded the airship? ¡°You better stay in your room then. I¡¯ll go out for a walk.¡± Richard swung out of bed and quickly finished his breakfast. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was an illusion, but he felt a lot stronger after connecting to the Sea of Souls. His thin body, long malnourished, seemed to have gained some muscles. Could it be that the wizard¡¯s food contained supplements? ¡°Hey! I¡¯ve been teaching you Wizard Language these days, can¡¯t you help out and not go out?¡± Seeing Richard about to leave, Ali looked like a cat whose fur had been ruffled. Richard casually waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going out there shouting about having a beautiful female roommate. You stay quiet, and those bastards can¡¯t just barge in, can they?¡± ¡­ The space on the airship was not small. Besides the cabins where they lived, the rear end of the airship had an observation deck spanning dozens of square meters. This cabin was usually reserved for wizards, but since the airship was undergoing maintenance today, apprentices could also enter to enjoy the scenery. Richard stood by the window, staring at the boundless sea of clouds, feeling exhilarated. The walls of the observation cabin, made of a glass-like material, allowed an unobstructed view of the clouds outside the airship. Soon, the observation cabin was full of apprentices, some nobles, and some commoners, each forming their own circles. Though no one was forcibly separated, the distinction between the groups was clear. Except for Richard. Beside Richard, a group of nobles secretly exchanged their private information. To prevent the commoners from eavesdropping, they even spoke in Wizard Language. ¡°Are you sure, Emily? Did your brother really connect to the Sea of Souls?¡± a blond Noble asked. ¡°Of course, would my brother lie to me?¡± Across from the blond Noble, a girl with the same hair color and a face full of freckles retorted with spirit. Emily¡¯s words caused a stir among the Nobles, all of whom were studying ¡°How to Become a Wizard Apprentice,¡± but very few had actually succeeded. For the vast majority, without the aid of meditation incense and Magic Potions, connecting to the Sea of Souls was as difficult as climbing to heaven. ¡°Speaking of which, didn¡¯t the Medici hire a Wizard to teach them? How are they doing? That¡¯s ten Magic Stones.¡± ¡°Ten Magic Stones?¡± Some Nobles, unaware of the news, were shocked. ¡°The Medici family really is wealthy, those Magic Stones if converted to Gold Coins would probably be worth a hundred thousand Gold Coins.¡± ¡°The Kingdom¡¯s annual tax revenue is only five hundred thousand Gold Coins, the Medici family is truly as rich as a nation.¡± ¡°But I heard they didn¡¯t make it. Although the Wizard taught them, there was no meditation incense or Magic Potion on the Flying Airship. Without those aids, they are just like us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just wonderful.¡± someone said, delighting in the misfortune of others. The gap between a Knight and a Wizard Apprentice is no less than that between the unarmed and the armed. Having one less Wizard Apprentice is like having one less Predator, which is great news. Richard listened on the side, pretending not to understand anything. These arrogant Nobles believed that people like him, the lowly ones, couldn¡¯t possibly understand Wizard Language and spoke without any restraint. This was a delight for Richard to overhear. But just then, a scream echoed from a nearby cabin. ¡°Tsk tsk, the Black Bear Gang is at it again,¡± a Noble clicked his tongue. ¡°The pretty low-borns on board have probably all been toyed with by now,¡± another Noble joined in. ¡°These low-borns are really beasts, can¡¯t even keep it in their pants.¡± The freckled girl named Emily covered her nose and mouth as if she could smell the foul stench of the Black Bear Gang members. Nevertheless, despite all the talk, none of the Nobles moved to act, to administer some justice. Dog eats dog among the low-borns, what does it have to do with them, the Nobles. ¡°Ah!¡± The woman¡¯s scream came again, but this time the voice sounded eerily familiar. Richard realized something was wrong and quickly left the viewing cabin. That seemed to be Ali¡¯s voice. The viewing cabin was not far from room 225, so as soon as he exited, Richard saw a man with a muscular body and a scar on his face banging on room 225¡¯s door. Beside him were a few loafers cheering him on, who, although not as strong as the scar-faced man, were considered burly among the commoners. ¡°Woman, you better open up quickly! Or else you¡¯ll have it coming.¡± ¡°Yeah, this time we might be gentle, but once the boss breaks down the door, you¡¯ll be struggling to close your legs.¡± The loafers yelled loudly outside the door, while inside, Ali desperately blocked the door with a table. The rooms on the Flying Airship had only a simple latch, and without blocking the door, a strong man could break in with just a couple of hits. ¡°Ali, you fool, what were you thinking looking outside?¡± Ali gritted her teeth as she blocked the door, berating herself. Shortly after Richard left, Ali couldn¡¯t bear staying inside any longer. Being young, who would want to stay locked in a room? So she opened the door slightly to peek outside, thinking to quickly check the viewing cabin if no one was around. But as soon as she opened the door, she encountered the members of the Black Bear Gang looking for women to vent their desire. The Black Bear Gang members, desperate for a woman, saw such a beauty peering out from her room and instinctively reacted, rushing towards Ali. This led to the scene just witnessed. Crack. Along with the sound of wood breaking, the latch of room 225 was completely knocked open. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Ali¡¯s heart sank with the sound, without a latch, she couldn¡¯t possibly hold those men back. But oddly, after a while, she didn¡¯t hear anyone enter. Instead, she heard several screams and groans of pain. Could it be that a Wizard had intervened? Ali stepped out from behind the table and peered through the crack of the door. She saw members of the Black Bear Gang lying on the floor, while a thin figure was stepping on the face of the Black Bear Gang¡¯s leader. All the while cursing, ¡°Fucking fag, fucking fag, banging on my door, harassing my roommate and daring to hit on me!¡± COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Spell Shows Power Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Spell Shows Power Time rewound to moments before the cap was smashed. Richard stepped out of the observation cabin and immediately spotted the leader of the Black Bear Gang who was pounding at the door. This leader, named Riley, had been a ganglord¡¯s son in Zijing Territory of the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom before he was selected as a prospective Apprentice. From a young age, Riley possessed a strong physique, which gave him a natural advantage, allowing him to become a knight attendant at just twelve and graze the edge of knighthood by fifteen. Had he continued training, in less than five years, Riley would have become a Knight. And with another decade or so of rigorous discipline, it was very likely that he would rise to the rank of a senior Knight in his thirties. A senior Knight of such a young age would certainly be a prodigy even in the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom. By then, the King would bestow a title upon him, and Nobles would wear out the carpets in Riley¡¯s home seeking alliances through marriage. However, Riley was chosen. A Wizard¡¯s will could not be denied. It mattered not whether Riley was a ganglord¡¯s son, or even a Crown Prince¡ªhe would dutifully become a Wizard Apprentice. Riley¡¯s father lamented this fate, but Riley himself felt differently. When he witnessed the King and the assembly of Nobles bowing their heads to Wizards during the testing ceremony, a flame was lit within him. A flame named ambition. He aspired to become a Wizard, to wield that transcendent power. Once aboard the airship, Riley quickly realized that as the son of a ganglord, the Wizards did not care what he did, as long as the Apprentice survived until the examination. Having realized this, he quickly subdued a gang of followers and began his ruthless rule. Anything he eyed would end up in his hands; anyone he desired would end up in his bed. Many Nobles detested his actions, yet none stepped forward to stop him. Besides the fact that Riley didn¡¯t provoke the Nobles, the most significant reason was that he was a knight attendant. No Noble would cause a conflict with a knight attendant over common folk. ¡­ Bang! Bang! Riley was sneering as he slammed against the door, inside was a woman he had not yet seen, who he presumed to be a virgin. The thought of breaking down the door and indulging in such a delectable treat made his blood boil with excitement. But as he continued his assault, a shadow flickered at the corner of his vision. The person looked somewhat frail and wasn¡¯t tall, beneath black hair was a face handsome yet with a tinge of weakness. Gurgle. Ridley suddenly stopped banging. ¡°You lot, take over,¡± he ordered, turning to some of his lackeys. Richard watched as Riley abruptly stopped, feeling an inexplicable chill in his heart. It seemed as though something vile was about to happen. ¡°Little beauty, were you in the last group to board?¡± Riley¡¯s eyes lecherously scrutinized Richard, his blood-red tongue subconsciously licking his lips. He was not only lecherous but also indiscriminate in his sexual desires. And Richard was just to his taste. Richard looked back, seeing no one else. It seemed the comment was indeed about him. There was nothing more to say. Richard turned around woodenly, his expression dark and dismal. A surge of rage mixed with disgust rose in his heart. ¡°Die!¡± Richard lifted his hand indifferently as Magic Power gathered at his fingertips, turning into a pale blue light that shot out like a meteor, striking Riley in the chest. Zero Ring Spell: Magic Missile In an instant, Riley felt as if he had been smacked in the chest by a Knight wielding a Warhammer, his body flying backward in an agonizing and fierce expression. ¡°Wizard! Wizard!¡± The lackeys, terrified by this spectacle, hastily retreated, but Richard was not about to let them off. ¡°You¡¯re no different!¡± Richard¡¯s face was cold as streaks of pale blue light flew from his fingertips, precisely hitting the lackeys. These lackeys, being weaker than Riley, naturally couldn¡¯t dodge the missiles; they dropped to the ground, wailing in pain. Fortunately, Richard wasn¡¯t blinded by rage¡ªthe missiles aimed at the lackeys¡¯ legs. As long as there were no deaths, all could be made right. Richard advanced slowly, the blue glow at his fingertips flickering in and out. In that moment, Richard seemed like a Hell Judge walking among mortals, about to use those pale blue missiles to judge the sins of the world. One step, two steps, three steps. ¡°` Finally, Ridley, who had been flung backwards, stopped pretending to be dead and started crawling and rolling toward the other end of the airship. ¡°Wizard! Lord Wizard! Someone is trying to¡­¡± His words were cut short as a Magic Missile landed between his legs. In that moment, it was as if the sound of an egg cracking echoed in the air. Under such intense pain, Ridley¡¯s eyes rolled back, and he instantly passed out. But Richard was still not satisfied; the disgusting feeling, as if he had swallowed a fly, persisted in his mind. So, he quickly walked over and stomped viciously on Ridley¡¯s feet with his shoe. ¡°Damn faggot, damn faggot, crashing into my door, bullying my roommate, and even daring to come after me¡­¡± ¡°Richard!¡± Richard turned around, only to see Ali staring at him blankly. ¡°Oh, Ali, are you okay?¡± Richard greeted her casually, then rubbed the blood off the bottom of his shoe on Ridley¡¯s body. ¡°Did you do all of this?¡± Ali looked at everything in front of her; the devilish Ridley had actually been defeated. And it was all done by the Richard who had been with her these past few days. A sense of absurdity overwhelmed Ali, making her feel like she was in a dream. When had he set up the Magic Rebound? The wizard who was supposed to be inspecting the airship arrived late, and at the same time, the nobles in the viewing cabin, attracted by the screams of the Black Bear gangsters, came out to watch the commotion. ¡°My God, that commoner actually defeated Ridley.¡± ¡°Ridley is a knight attendant; even among us, he¡¯s considered a formidable figure!¡± ¡°Does that commoner have Magic Tools? But without a Magic Stone, Magic Tools can¡¯t be used, right?¡± ¡°Could it be that he has established Magic Rebound, becoming an official Wizard Apprentice?¡± ¡°How is that possible! How could a commoner do it so quickly!¡± The nobles¡¯ private whispers reached Richard¡¯s ears. Apart from the demeaning and shock, the use of Magic Stones to activate Magic Tools instantly caught Richard¡¯s attention. Magic Tools? Richard made a mental note of this key piece of information which could be crucial for his entrance exam; he had to handle it carefully. Before long, a wizard appeared from the other end of the airship and arrived late at the scene. She was a witch, who looked to be about thirty years old, with quite ordinary looks and no apparent mutations¡­ except that the palms of both her hands grew a mouth full of sharp teeth. After a brief inspection, the witch threw a few people onto the spot and walked straight up to Richard. ¡°I am Billiana; who did this?¡± Ali, standing beside, immediately wanted to speak up for Richard: ¡°Lord Wizard, it was these people who tried to break into the room, so¡­¡± But her words were cut off by Richard. ¡°Lord Wizard, I don¡¯t know who did this. When I got here, they were already lying here.¡± Richard spoke to Billiana with a calm composure, as if these injured people had nothing to do with him. Billiana gave him a deep look, a slight smile forming at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Very well, it seems a kind ghost has taken the liberty to tidy up these little brats for me. Though it was a bit heavy-handed; if caught, I guess there will be a penalty.¡± With that, Billiana patted Richard and used the Levitation Skill to move the bodies off the ground and away from the scene. Ali stood by, shocked at everything she witnessed, ¡°Richard, how could you dare¡­¡± Ali clutched at her chest; she could feel her heart pounding. Deceiving a wizard was such a brazen act¡ªand Richard had not only done it but done it so clumsily. But why did the wizard believe him? Ali¡¯s mind was in turmoil until Richard pulled her back into the room, bringing her back to her senses. ¡°Richard, what was that all about just now?¡± Richard sat on the stool, a glint of wisdom flashing in his eyes. ¡°Ali, these are the rules of the game for wizards. On this airship, the rules of the wizards represent an insurmountable red line for us but for the wizards, those might just be rules set on a whim during a meal. Although I breached the rules, the inspecting wizard, Billiana, thought I did well. She didn¡¯t want to punish me. That¡¯s why she asked that question.¡± Ali muttered in disbelief, ¡°Who did all this? She could hardly fail to see who did it, yet if the rules are mere scraps of paper to her, why would she even ask?¡± Richard smiled, a flash of self-mockery passing over his face. ¡°Because there isn¡¯t just one wizard on the airship; she needed an excuse for the other wizards. Even if that excuse is ridiculous.¡± To the wizards, an injured apprentice only deserves a ridiculous excuse.¡± ¡°` COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Nobles Recruitment Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Nobles Recruitment The Black Bear Gang¡¯s encounter quickly spread throughout the entire airship. After hearing this news, the apprentices discussed it animatedly, mostly pleased that Ridley had been dealt with. The girls who had been harassed by Ridley cheered even louder upon hearing the news. But all of this was irrelevant to Richard. At that moment, Richard was sitting in room 225, recovering his magic power while leisurely observing the several nobles before him. ¡°Would you gentlemen care to introduce yourselves?¡± Richard sat on a stool with Ali nervously standing beside him. Although Richard did not know the nobles due to his lowly status, Ali was well-acquainted with them. The nobles before him were the offspring of the major families of the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom. Ordinarily, even Ali¡¯s father would have to pay a hefty sum for an audience with them. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± A tall, handsome blond man took a seat opposite Richard. ¡°I am Kevin Medici. I have come to invite you, Richard, to join our alliance.¡± ¡°The Medici Family!¡± Ali exclaimed. The Medici Family was one of the most prominent noble families in the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom, with direct dominion and vassal territories amounting to a quarter of the kingdom¡¯s land. Among the people, the Medici family¡¯s history of rising from small traders to great nobility was admired and aspired to by countless merchants. Richard, with his chin propped on his hand, said calmly, ¡°It seems we have a big shot here.¡± The Medici Family might be influential, but only within the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom. On this airship, there were no distinctions between high and low, only the strong and the weak, life and death. Pass the test and you live; fail it and you die. Kevin was not surprised by Ali¡¯s reaction, but Richard¡¯s indifference did startle him. From Richard¡¯s response, it seemed that his noble identity, along with his illustrious family, mattered little. This gave Kevin a bit of a headache, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but admire Richard more. Not everyone could swiftly change the perspective they had held for over a decade. Those who could so easily become wizard apprentices truly possessed something extraordinary. After a moment of thought, Kevin decided to play the weaker role. ¡°But compared to wizards, the Medici Family is nothing more than a group of mortals with a bit of strength.¡± Richard smiled. It seemed that young master Kevin was a sensible man. ¡°So, Master Kevin, what is the strength of your organization? What position could I hold within it? What benefits could I obtain?¡± Richard was not interested in verbal sparring with nobles. His questions went straight to the heart of the collaboration. This left Kevin, accustomed to noble negotiations, momentarily at a loss for how to answer. ¡°Well¡­¡± Kevin hemmed and hawed, his brain spinning rapidly trying to articulate a structured response. But his hesitation was enough for someone else to answer for him. ¡°Scum¡­ Richard, I think you should take a longer view.¡± A red-haired noble from behind Kevin suddenly spoke up. This red-haired noble was corpulent with a greasy face. Although he tried to sound conciliatory, he could not hide the stench of his noble arrogance¡ªhe looked down on Richard from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Joining us would be an opportunity for you. Our organization consists of nobles,¡± said the fat, red-haired man with pride. ¡°As long as you join us, you too can be part of that nobility.¡± As soon as the fat man spoke, Kevin knew the situation had taken a turn for the worse. A man who cared not even for the prestigious Medici Family, would he care for that obsolete noble status? Offer him the position of a duke and he would surely reject it without hesitation. Sure enough, Richard erupted in laughter at the fat man¡¯s words. ¡°Hahahaha, Kevin, did you hear that? What a rich offer your lackey is making me.¡± Richard¡¯s sarcastic gaze swept over the group of nobles behind Kevin. Although they tried to appear amiable, their disdain for him was palpable. In contrast, Kevin, of high pedigree, genuinely set his status aside and sought to recruit him. ¡°I must say this: I come from the great Birmingham family, and the Medici Family doesn¡¯t warrant me to be a follower of Kevin.¡± The red-haired hefty man¡¯s demeanor turned serious as he explained, as if it were a matter of great importance. He couldn¡¯t understand Richard¡¯s laughter ¨C becoming a noble, an opportunity countless in the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom would pay for and never find. Here this lowly commoner received such a grace and yet felt no gratitude, instead mocking him with laughter. This was utterly illogical. A commoner was always a commoner; even if one miraculously became a wizard, that dull mind couldn¡¯t comprehend profound matters. Kevin took a deep breath. He feared not a divine opponent but dreaded a swinish ally. The fat man¡¯s words had almost rendered this recruitment pointless, but Kevin still wanted to salvage the situation. Richard, as wizard apprentice, would not only add considerable strength to their alliance but also reduce a threat. ¡°I swear on my family name! Boli, if you speak one more word, even a single letter, I will kick you out!¡± Kevin¡¯s voice trembled with uncontainable fury, his blunt words inflating Boli¡¯s face with rage. He opened his mouth as if to speak further, but upon seeing Kevin¡¯s icy glare, he ultimately closed it. ¡°Richard, you don¡¯t need to mind Boli¡¯s words. He¡¯s a new noble, and thus prideful about his status. Not all members of our organization are like that,¡± Kevin turned back to Richard, his face instantly wearing a proper smile. ¡°In our alliance, we have one knight, two apprentice wizards about to connect with the Sea of Souls, and five knight attendants. Although I don¡¯t know the situation with other airships, I can say that the strength of our alliance is definitely sufficient to pass this exam,¡± ¡°And in our alliance, we also have a descendant of a legendary knight.¡± Saying this, Kevin leaned in close to Richard with a mysterious air, ¡°Richard, have you heard of that legend? The legendary knights who founded the seven great kingdoms came from the realm of the gods, and their descendants carry the blood of gods.¡± Kevin¡¯s words piqued Richard¡¯s interest. He had indeed heard the legends of the legendary knights, how in ancient times, seven knights came from the realm of the gods to the human world and founded what are now the seven great kingdoms amidst a wilderness teeming with magic beasts. According to legend, some of these knights possessed immense strength, others could spew flames, some could transform into beasts, while others were impervious to blades and spears. But from the way Kevin spoke, it seemed these legendary knights had some connection to wizards. ¡°What do you mean? Are you suggesting these legendary knights are also the ancestors of wizards?¡± Richard guessed. ¡°Not exactly, but it¡¯s pretty close,¡± Kevin¡¯s eyes shifted, coyly holding back. ¡°It seems this is classified information I¡¯ll need to join to discover.¡± Richard pondered, his gaze shifting from Kevin to the group of nobles behind him and then back to Kevin. ¡°I have a question, and if you answer it for me, I¡¯ll join your alliance,¡± Richard sat up straight, his expression turning serious. ¡°Please, ask.¡± ¡°Why would that knight and the two prospective apprentices form an alliance with you?¡± Kevin¡¯s alliance seemed quite odd to Richard. Members of an alliance should each have a purpose, or at least the majority of them should. Apart from the knight and wizard apprentices, the others in Kevin¡¯s alliance seemed not to be burdens per se, but at least they were not of much use. Such a misshapen alliance, by all logic, should not exist. Yet its existence implied there was some inner support unknown to Richard. Richard speculated that this support might be the ¡°Magic Tools¡± spoken of by the nobles. ¡°That question is simple,¡± Kevin said, as if relieved, ¡°Because most of us possess¡­¡± ¡°Kevin!¡± A short shout interrupted Kevin. It was a woman from the nobility, clad in purple. In the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom, purple signified nobility, and to wear such attire, one¡¯s family must at least have produced a duke. Seeing this, Richard shook his head in resignation, chiding himself for entertaining any illusions about nobles. ¡°It seems our cooperation will not be possible after all. Please take your leave.¡± Richard rose to see his guests out, not giving Kevin a chance to explain further. If those nobles could show Richard even half, or even a third, of the respect Kevin did, he would have considered joining their organization. Amongst so many apprentices, Kevin was certainly not the only one forming an alliance. If they were to enter the exam, these alliances would primarily prey upon individual apprentices. But the attitude of these nobles was such that Richard didn¡¯t dare trust them with his back. Moreover, Ali had also become an apprentice. Why would teaming up with Ali, someone he knew well and trusted, not be better than teaming up with these nobles? Seeing Richard¡¯s resolute demeanor, Kevin said nothing more and, following etiquette, shook hands with Richard and departed. After they left, Richard opened the palm of the hand he had used to shake with Kevin. A piece of paper filled with Wizard Language suddenly appeared in his palm. ¡°This Kevin is quite interesting,¡± Richard smiled and casually tucked the note into his pocket. Half an hour later, after maintenance, the airship resumed high-speed flight, and all the apprentices returned to their cramped rooms. Richard sat on his bed, replaying the fight in his mind. He had cast Magic Missile eight times, using up about half of his magic power. This meant that if he were to use all his magic power, he could cast Magic Missile a total of fifteen times. Although described in books as feeble and weak, to the point that no one except novice wizard apprentices would waste magic power so, the potency equivalent to that of bullets surprised Richard when actually used. Fifteen Magic Missiles amounted to fifteen bullets. With such power, Richard was confident that as long as he wasn¡¯t ambushed or attacked by a group, he could definitely pass the exam. Having replayed the battle in his mind, Richard took the note out of his pocket. The message inside was simple: Kevin proposed to hire Richard not to kill him during the entrance exam for the price of one Magic Stone. The payment, a Magic Stone, would be settled after admission. ¡°The mind of a noble who started in trade is much better than that of those idiots,¡± Richard remarked as he stuffed the note back into his pocket. For Richard, this deal meant gaining a Magic Stone without needing to do anything. And for Kevin, getting what he wanted¡ªan assurance of safety in the exam from a Wizard Apprentice who was essentially a predator¡ªseemed undoubtedly worthwhile. It was a win-win trade. ¡­ After its maintenance, the airship did not slow down at any point during the journey. For ten continuous days, the airship flew non-stop to its designated location. As the leader of the recruiting wizards and wielding a massive sword the size of a door, Aireli beheld the towering black spire piercing the clouds and issued an order. ¡°Prepare to land!¡± They had arrived at Black Tower Wizard Academy. COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Deputy Dean Alex Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Deputy Dean Alex ¡°The Airship is preparing to land! All Apprentices, indoor activities are prohibited.¡± ¡°Repeat.¡± ¡°The Airship is preparing to land! All Apprentices, indoor activities are prohibited.¡± The eerie voice of the food-delivery automaton echoed throughout the Flying Airship. After nearly a month of flight, this group of Apprentices had finally arrived at their destination¡ªthe Black Tower Wizard Academy. Richard sat quietly on his bed. After ten days of recovery, his Magic Power had long since been fully restored. Ali, too, had completed the construction of her Magic Rebound and learned all the Zero Ring Spells during these ten days. Kevin¡¯s recruitment made them realize that if they were to fight alone, they would still be at a considerable disadvantage in this examination. Thus, the two had formed an offensive and defensive alliance as soon as Ali completed her Magic Rebound. ¡°Richard, what should we do when we get there?¡± Ali sat on her bed, clutching the bag issued by the Wizard in her hands, her knuckles turning somewhat pale. The upcoming life-and-death struggle filled the girl, who had never even killed a chicken, with dread. Even though she was now a Wizard Apprentice. ¡°What else can we do, just kill people.¡± Richard¡¯s voice was very relaxed, as if the imminent slaughter was no more than going out for a meal. Boom! As soon as Richard finished speaking, the two of them felt the room shake. The loud sound of the Airship landing instantly transmitted over. ¡°The Airship has landed, all Apprentices take your personal belongings, and leave the Airship in order.¡± Richard and Ali picked up their things and walked out the door, forming a line according to the recruitment Wizard¡¯s arrangement and, one by one, disembarked. As they exited the Airship, the skeleton Wizard distributing the Apprentices¡¯ pouches also handed each person a strap filled with tubes, each containing mostly a tube of emerald liquid. ¡°It seems this is the Nutritional Potion,¡± Richard thought to himself. Outside the Airship was an open area; the lighting was a bit dim, with dozens of Magic Airships arranged neatly in the sky, their huge bodies covering the sun. In their shadows, tens of thousands of Apprentices stood in a large square formation. Richard followed the line into the square, and floating above the formation was a Wizard in a black robe with glasses and a white beard, standing quietly in the air. ¡°Zeppelin Type Airship Number 050 has arrived, with 198 prospective Apprentices.¡± The leader, Taylor, reported to the sky with a respectful bow. Only after the floating Wizard nodded slightly did Taylor quietly depart. ¡°Silence.¡± The floating Wizard¡¯s voice was not loud, but it reached every Apprentice¡¯s ears. Richard looked at the Wizard, and a fear from the depths of his soul suddenly surged in his heart. This Wizard was not exhibiting any aura, but to him, he seemed like a completely different being from the recruitment Wizards. Could this be what a real Wizard looks like? ¡°Welcome to Black Tower Wizard Academy¡¯s 432nd entrance examination. I am your Deputy Dean, Alex, and the examiner for your test. There will be ten examination venues in total, with one thousand people in each. Each venue will contain ten Magic Beasts, and these beasts will have Magic Tools prepared by the Academy. Apprentice with sufficient strength may hunt them at will. Details about other exam rules can be found on page thirty-two of the entrance regulations. Those who haven¡¯t reviewed them may do so at their leisure. Now, begin the examination.¡± With that, Deputy Dean Alex waved his hand, and radiant beams of light arose beneath the Apprentice formation. These lights intertwined with each other, seemingly forming a complex geometric pattern. Watching the light beneath his feet, a flash of panic suddenly struck Richard¡¯s heart. Could this examination scramble all the Apprentices? Hum! A buzzing sounded in Richard¡¯s ears, and the scene before him turned into an abstract painting made up of numerous color blocks, causing dizziness and vertigo. ¡°Is this teleportation?¡± Richard muttered to himself, feeling a wave of nausea surging to the back of his throat. After about three or four seconds, Richard¡¯s vision began to clear, revealing a lush primeval forest before his eyes. Richard leaned against a tree and vomited bile, finding the sensation of teleportation truly unpleasant. ¡°Led astray by those damned Nobles¡ªthose fools have no clue about the specifics of the exam. Now, I can only hope that Ali toughens up.¡± After spitting out the bile, Richard grumbled to himself, then immediately saw beams of light shooting up into the sky. The dazzling light was clearly visible even in the daytime. The location of these beams of light was where Apprentices needed to arrive within fourteen days. Richard strapped a belt filled with vials around his waist, then immediately headed in the direction of the light beams without wasting any time. The rule of the Academy was that Apprentices must reach a certain destination within fourteen days, which meant that arriving early was presumably allowed. And finishing the exam earlier meant safety sooner, which was common sense that Richard understood without thinking. ¡­ With the end of the teleportation, the silent primeval forest began to bustle with activity as the exam commenced. Tens of thousands of Apprentices began to move almost instantly after the teleportation had ended. There were strong and weak among these Apprentices, including Knights and official Wizard Apprentices; they each performed Divine Skills, all heading towards the towering beams of light. Riley struggled to move through the dense woods. As a Knight Attendant with exceptional talent, his robust physique, coupled with Wizards¡¯ Magic Potions, allowed him to be up and about shortly after sustaining injuries. But tragically, as the effects of the Magic Potions wore off, his groin began to suffer continuous, unending pain. The pain seemed to remind him, ¡°You¡¯re not a man anymore!¡± ¡°Damn it, bastard, wait till I master magic, I¡¯ll rape you then kill you, tear you into a million pieces.¡± A fatigued Riley leaned against a large tree, cursing loudly. His eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched; hatred acted like Hallucinogens, numbing his nerves, causing him also to have illusions. For instance, he thought he saw the figure that had emasculated him emerge from the forest. ¡°Oh, look who it is. Now the Crystal Ball has a destination.¡± This figure seemed pleasantly surprised to see him, and with a raise of the arm, Riley once again saw that blue glow. The blue glow that had castrated him! It wasn¡¯t an illusion! He had really encountered that mongrel! A surge of intense fear welled up inside Riley, and he turned to run. Although he constantly cursed Richard, every night after his injury, Riley would wake up startled by visions of Richard and his blue glow. Richard had nearly become his nightmare. Now, the nightmare had come to life. Bang! Having left the Flying Airship, Richard held nothing back. A Magic Missile flew from his fingertip, drawing a straight line through the air, then precisely landing on the back of Riley¡¯s head. Then Richard saw Riley¡¯s entire occiput cave in, red and white matter spattering all around. ¡°Ugh!¡± Watching the corpse, Richard couldn¡¯t help but retch. Those who kill often know that the first time you kill and retch, is due to the intense fear and shock of bloodshed¡ªa normal reaction. Though Richard didn¡¯t feel fear, as someone who had never even slaughtered a chicken, the pungent smell of blood was quite suffocating. After heaving for a while, Richard approached and took down Riley¡¯s Crystal Ball and the Nutritional Potions he was carrying. With these things, he could focus on making his way. After collecting the items, Richard searched through Riley¡¯s pockets and, feeling around, he found a black, diamond-shaped crystal. Inside it, Richard sensed an extremely rich Magic Power. ¡°Could this be¡­ a Magic Stone?¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 10 - Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Magic Stone and Magic Tools Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Magic Stone and Magic Tools Magic Stones had been mentioned by the nobles aboard the airship, but this was the first time Richard actually laid eyes on one. This Magic Stone was about the size of a thumb pad, jet black, and diamond-shaped; it resembled a black gemstone under the sunlight. Richard used his spiritual power to sense the Magic Stone and found that the Magic Power stored within it not only exceeded his Magic Rebound but was also effortless to absorb. This was undoubtedly great news for Richard. A Wizard Apprentice¡¯s Magic Rebound had a limited storage for Magic Power. Once the Magic Power from the Rebound was exhausted, even a Wizard would need to absorb Magic Power anew. However, the efficiency of recovering Magic Rebound by absorbing Magic Power directly from nature was very low. It took Richard two full days on the airship to recover only half of the Magic Power he had used up. But with this Magic Stone, the time it would take for Richard to recover his Magic Power could be reduced from two days to two minutes. ¡°No wonder a Magic Stone can fetch a hundred thousand gold coins in the Golden Bird Flower market; if someone carried two of them, they could walk sideways in an exam as long as they were a Wizard Apprentice,¡± Richard exclaimed, holding the Magic Stone. ¡°By that logic, if Wizards don¡¯t have any special methods, the battles between Wizards could also turn into a competition of personal wealth.¡± With these thoughts, Richard¡¯s eyes glowed with even more fervor when he looked at the Magic Stone. The Magic Stone was not just wealth, but also a part of a Wizard¡¯s strength. Pocketing the Magic Stone, Richard continued on his journey. But this time was different; before moving, a sudden flash of light swept over his body. Zero-Ring Spell: Light Body Skill. With the Magic Stone as a backup source of Magic Power, Richard was no longer frugal with his spells. As the effects of the Light Body Skill took effect, Richard immediately felt lighter. His steps quickened, and the pocket at his waist felt lighter too. Maintaining the Light Body Skill for half an hour, Richard managed to cover nearly twice the distance he would have without the spell in that time. If he kept this up, he would only need about three days to reach the location of the light column. But as Richard pressed on with all his might, a whistling sound came from within the woods. Whoosh! Instinctively, Richard ducked; he saw an Ice Cone fly out from the woods, whisking past the top of his head. ¡°That was close!¡± Peering at the Ice Cone that had bored a hole in the tree trunk, Richard felt a wave of relief. If he had ducked a second later, the Ice Cone could have shattered his skull. ¡°I can¡¯t be so reckless. As important as it is to hurry, I cannot lose sight of the bigger picture,¡± Richard reminded himself. With a raise of his hand, he launched a Magic Missile in the direction of the Ice Cone. Since someone had made a move against him, it was only natural for him to return the favor. A blue glow shot forth. Without waiting to see the outcome, Richard immediately cast another Light Body Skill on himself and, crouching low, he zigzagged toward the source of the Ice Cone. Whoosh! Another Ice Cone followed. But this Ice Cone was far off the mark from Richard. ¡°It seems this person has panicked,¡± Richard thought to himself. ¡°Their ambush failed to kill with a single hit, and they lost their composure once they faced resistance.¡± Do they even deserve to kill me? Richard scoffed at the thought and soon caught sight of the attacker. The ambusher was a petite figure dressed in lavish attire, a beautiful noble girl with panic written all over her face. Her hand, adorned with a ring, shook as she attempted to launch another Ice Cone Skill to finish off Richard. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer! Stay away! Don¡¯t you dare come closer!¡± As Richard drew ever closer, the girl suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and let out a piercing scream, firing another Ice Cone. But the gods did not pity her; this Ice Cone was as far from Richard as before. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Richard stood a short distance from the young girl, his expression cold and indifferent, as a hint of blue light flashed from the tip of his raised arm. He harbored no sympathy for the fairer sex. Bang Red and white splattered. Approaching the girl¡¯s corpse with indifference, Richard noticed two bags beside her, indicating that another unfortunate soul had already fallen victim to a stealthy attack. He pulled the ring off the girl¡¯s finger. This ring, made of gray metal, had an old look to it, with a metal setting designed to hold a Magic Stone. ¡°So this is what the Nobles refer to as Magic Tools, the underlying reason why Kevin¡¯s alliance was able to be established.¡± Racked by inspiration, Richard wanted to refine it using the Miracle Furnace to see if he could acquire the method for crafting such a ring. However, the Miracle Furnace didn¡¯t react to it at all, as if the quality of the ring was too low to catch its interest. After removing the ring, Richard searched the girl¡¯s body further. Ultimately, he found three Magic Stones and a Magic Dagger. Similarly, the Miracle Furnace showed no reaction to the dagger either. ¡°The Nobles are really loaded. If all Nobles are such idiots, it makes me want to hunt them down.¡± Examining the dagger in his hand, which had an indent similar to that of a Magic Stone at the base of the handle, Richard placed a Magic Stone into it and immediately, a line of Runes appeared on the blade that was previously plain. Swinging the dagger a couple of times, Richard found it easily plunged into the trunk of a nearby tree that was likely over a hundred years old. ¡°What a sharp dagger!¡± Richard exclaimed in surprise, immediately recalling the Wind Crow Sword Skill he had acquired from the sword of the first Baron of Heisen. Although he was now a Wizard Apprentice, if someone got too close, he would instantly revert to being the vulnerable son of a farmer. Although the dagger wasn¡¯t long, it was still a formidable weapon, capable of employing a fraction of the Wind Crow Sword Skill. With a third of his Wind Crow Sword Skill and this dagger which could slice through metal as if it were mud, not only did he compensate for his weakness at close range, but his strength also rose a notch. Suppressing the urge to laugh out loud, Richard removed the Magic Stone from the dagger¡¯s handle. Good steel should be reserved for the blade edge; he wasn¡¯t affluent enough to waste Magic Stones recklessly. After securing the Magic Stone, Richard wore the ice cone ring on his finger, tucked the Magic Dagger at his waist, and continued on his journey. The rest of the items on the corpse were of no use to Richard, and bringing them along would only be a burden, so he just left them behind for whoever might be fortunate enough to find them. Learning from his experiences, Richard set out with caution, alert and vigilant as he made his way through the forest. Although this slowed him down, it was safer. In this manner, Richard survived the first day of the test. In the evening, the forest was alive with the sound of insects, as Richard piled up a heap of fallen leaves beneath a large tree to serve as his bed for the night. The temperature in this primeval forest wasn¡¯t particularly high, but it was a vast improvement over the cold winter months of the Heisen Territory. Even at night, Richard was merely cold, not shivering uncontrollably. Opening a bottle of Nutritional Potion, Richard took a sip. The Potion tasted strange, reminiscent of diluted, fermented vinegar mixed with grass juice sealed away for a month. But despite the off-putting flavor, the effect of the potion was genuinely remarkable. A tube of Nutritional Potion warmed Richard¡¯s belly instantly, eliminating the sensation of hunger from his stomach. After his drink, Richard lay under the tree, exhaustion from the day washing over him like a tide. However, he did not choose to sleep; instead, he opted for meditation. While aboard the Airship, Richard had discovered that the Meditation Method could alleviate mental fatigue, and two hours of meditation was even more beneficial than eight hours of sleep. In this treacherous primeval forest, spending more time awake was undeniably advantageous. Moreover, meditation also had the effect of enhancing spiritual power, making it a perfect solution. But as he began to meditate, a strange animal roar echoed through the forest. COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Load failed, please RETRY 1 Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Magic Beast: 7 Magic Sheep Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Magic Beast: 7 Magic Sheep ¡°Roar!¡± A few kilometers away from Richard, a bizarre-looking Magic Beast was chasing a group of Wizard Apprentices. ¡°What on earth is this!¡± an Apprentice cried out in panic. He had been resting comfortably in the woods when suddenly he saw a crowd of people coming toward him, with a monster following behind them. ¡°Are you an idiot? This is the Magic Beast the Academy placed in the examination arena!¡± another Apprentice retorted angrily. Before becoming Apprentices, the term ¡°Magic Beast¡± was merely a myth. According to the legends, various Magic Beasts committed many atrocities, killed people like flies, but would all eventually be slain by Knights, becoming the spoils of heroic battles. However, when these creatures stepped out of the realm of legend, people realized just how laughable those stories were. This flesh monster, over two meters tall at the shoulder, over four meters long, with seven heads and eight legs, could trample a squad of Knights to death merely with its weight and speed. What was even more terrifying was that among its seven heads, aside from the central goat head, the other six were stitched together by man. It was a synthetic monster. The stitched heads on the adjacent bodies roared wildly, spitting acid and flames, occasionally bending down their heads to swallow Apprentices who came too close. Apprentices sporadically cast Spells, but either they missed due to panic, or the spells were too weak and left only fleeting scars on the body of the Magic Beast. Limbs, blood, screams, roars. The whole woods seemed like hell on earth. ¡­ Inside the Central Black Tower of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, two Wizards were staring at a Crystal Ball in front of them. The Crystal Ball was livestreaming the scene of the seven-headed Magic Sheep¡¯s rampage. ¡°Deputy Dean, the Magic Beasts we released this time are quite effective, aren¡¯t they? I personally created these, and their quality is guaranteed.¡± a Wizard bragged. Beside the Crystal Ball, Eric, serving as the entrance exam invigilator, looked up and adjusted his glasses: ¡°Jolod, did you really make this thing yourself? You lazybones, did you really bother to craft this trinket?¡± The Wizard referred to as Jolod stiffened. ¡°Not saying anything now?¡± Eric smiled at Jolod, ¡°Just bring evidence to prove that this isn¡¯t your Apprentice¡¯s work, and next Plane War, I¡¯ll make you a pawn.¡± ¡°A Three Rings Wizard as your pawn, guaranteeing you earn loads in the next war.¡± ¡°Cough cough, Deputy Dean, let¡¯s just watch the Magic Beast.¡± Jolod coughed and steered the conversation away. ¡°Speaking of which, why did the Dean suddenly decide to change the exams this year? Although we took a loss last time, we made enough to not be in such a rush to replenish Wizards.¡± Deputy Dean Eric shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Although he was the Dean¡¯s assistant, he also disagreed with the Dean on this matter. The elite standard for graduating Wizards from the Black Tower Wizard Academy, an institution established less than an epoch ago, was a fundamental strategy that allowed it to quickly stabilize and develop. ¡°But since the Dean made such a decision, he must have his reasons. He¡¯s a Four Rings Great Wizard who can directly receive messages from the Truth Council. All we lesser Wizards need to do is quietly follow his will.¡± ¡­ As the roars of the beast grew closer, Richard¡¯s meditation plans were completely ruined. He climbed a large tree, trying to see what was happening in the distance by the moonlight. But before he could get a good look, a dazzling burst of flames erupted from the nearby woods. Boom! The sound, almost like thunder, made even Richard, several hundred meters away, feel deafened. ¡°It seems someone has used a powerful Magic Tool; that Magic Beast must have been dealt with.¡± Richard jumped down from the tree, intending to continue meditating. But it seemed as though fate was against him today, for shortly after he jumped down, that hellish beastly roar resounded once again. And it sounded even closer this time. ¡°I just can¡¯t get any peace.¡± Richard furrowed his brows and immediately cast Light Body Skill and Silence Technique on himself. Silence Technique wasn¡¯t very useful to Richard during the day, but in the dimly lit night, this Zero Ring Spell was almost like invisibility. Once the spell was cast, Richard found a bush to hide in. He had no intention of picking up leftovers. Though the Magic Beast was injured by a Magic Tool, a crippled ship still has three pounds of nails; he just needed to stay lower, play safe, and he would definitely pass the entrance exam without risking it for a Magic Tool. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The voice of the Magic Beast grew closer, its heavy footsteps further convincing Richard to stay hidden. This sounded like a big guy, and if it wasn¡¯t killed with one strike, he was in for serious trouble. ¡°Roar!¡± A seven-headed Magic Beast burst out from the forest with originally seven heads, now only three remained intact. The spots of the other four heads looked like they had been bombed, charred around the wound. ¡°Is this the Magic Beast? It looks like an experimental subject.¡± Richard looked at the thick stitches under the head of the seven-headed Magic Beast and a speculation flashed through his mind. This Magic Beast might just be some Wizard¡¯s experiment, or even an experiment conducted by a Wizard Apprentice! If this thing was created by someone, then could he extract the process of making Magic Beasts using the Miracle Furnace? If he could, then could he also create such a Magic Beast? A fiery greed flickered through Richard¡¯s heart, but his rationality immediately stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to create more trouble, let¡¯s pass the examination first.¡± Richard suppressed his greed and wanted to wait for the Magic Beast to leave. But at that moment, one of the remaining three heads, a wolf head, suddenly twitched a couple of times. A wolf¡¯s sense of smell is tens of thousands of times better than that of a human, even in the mixed scents of the primeval forest, the human scent on Richard was as clear as the sun. ¡°Awooo.¡± The wolf head let out a howl, its head striving to turn in Richard¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯ve been spotted!¡± Richard¡¯s heart tightened, and he immediately took out a complete Magic Stone to replace the one on his ice cone ring. The Magic Stone on the ring had been worn down to one-fifth by its previous owner, and this Magic Beast didn¡¯t seem like it could be dealt with just one Ice Cone. Thud, thud, thud, thud! The seven-headed Magic Beast that had detected human traces immediately charged towards Richard; human flesh was the most delicious food for it and the most effective medicine for its wounds. The Magic Beast surged forward. Its hooves were as big as bowls, its roar as loud as thunder, dirt and grass splattered under its hooves, and dead branches and leaves danced under its roar. It was like the mythological eight-legged steed, unstoppable and unmatched. But with a loud ¡°boom¡± the Magic Beast suddenly lost balance and plummeted to the ground. Its massive body plowed the ground like a bulldozer. Two ice cones, each as thick as an arm and about a meter long, had brutally broken its two front legs. Thump, thump, thump, thump¡­ Richard clutched his chest. Under the influence of adrenaline, his heart pounded like a drum, blood surging through his veins like tidal waves. If he had been a second slower, even just one second, he would have died in the jaws of the Magic Beast. Even this was a heavily injured Magic Beast; had it been uninjured, Richard didn¡¯t dare imagine how terrifying it would have been. Richard steadied himself, and again shot an Ice Cone at the only head without stitches of the trying-to-stand Magic Beast, effectively splitting it open. The Magic Beast convulsed for a while before finally returning to stillness. ¡°It¡¯s finally dead.¡± Richard cautiously approached, and after confirming that the Magic Beast was thoroughly dead, he placed his hand on its body. But the outcome was deeply disappointing. The Miracle Furnace showed absolutely no response to the Magic Beast. ¡°Did I think wrong?¡± Richard¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, contemplating for a moment before pulling out the Magic Dagger from his waist and began disemboweling the Magic Beast. With the enhancement of Magic Power, the dagger could cut through iron as if it were mud, and Richard felt no resistance while gutting. As soon as the belly of the Magic Beast was opened, a foul-smelling pool of blood immediately flowed out. The organs inside the Magic Beast were rotting at a visible rate. Richard, looking at the thick, foul-smelling blood, steeled his heart and reached indiscriminately inside the belly of the Magic Beast. When he touched something that was still pulsating, the Miracle Furnace finally trembled slightly. [Material: Low-Grade Synthetic Beast Core] [Extractable Craft: Low-Grade Synthetic Beast Core Creation] [Extraction Cost: 15 Spiritual Power] [Extract now?] COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Take My Fireball Technique Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Take My Fireball Technique The Synthetic Beast Core looked like an enlarged neuron, with several thick blood vessels extending outward from the core. When the Magic Beast was alive, a massive amount of blood was transported to every part of the body through these vessels, delivering a constant stream of energy to every corner of the Magic Beast¡¯s body. But now, the Magic Beast was rapidly decaying, while the core still pulsated healthily. Richard held the Synthetic Beast Core, its outward-extending blood vessels now sealed off, with the remaining blood beginning a tiny circulation inside it. It felt to Richard not so much like an organ, but more like a type of parasitic creature. ¡°No.¡± Richard made a decision. After having fainted during the last extraction, he had learned from the painful experience and decided that he would absolutely perform extractions only in safe places from now on. Moreover, creating the Synthetic Beast Core at this critical time was useless, and there was no loss in waiting to extract it later. It had only been a few minutes since the Magic Beast had died before it turned into a pile of white bones. Richard searched in the sewage and a Magic Wand wrapped in a bag caught his eye. ¡°It seems this is the Magic Tool prepared by the Academy.¡± Richard got his hands on the Magic Wand; it was about half a meter long and weighed around one catty. The body of the wand was pitch black with a spherical Crystal embedded at the top, the size of a baby¡¯s fist. After Richard explored it with his spiritual power, a message that seemed to be left by the maker immediately became clear in his mind. [This Magic Wand is engraved with the Lesser Fireball Technique, with a recharge time of three minutes, and does not possess a self-charging circuit. Each use consumes one-third of a standard Magic Stone.] Richard was amazed at the method of information transfer, a method he had never encountered before, it felt incredibly curious. ¡°Lesser Fireball Technique, each use costs one-third of a Magic Stone, plus the charging time.¡± Richard waved the Magic Wand a couple of times, ¡°The cost-effectiveness seems a bit low compared to the Ice Cone Ring in this exam.¡± The power of the Lesser Fireball Technique should be higher than that of the Ice Cone, but the enemies he was facing now, besides Magic Beasts, were almost all high-offense low-defense types. The Ice Cone Skill, which had virtually no charging time and low consumption, was perfectly suited to the current environment. The Lesser Fireball Technique seemed like overkill. ¡°But having it is better than nothing; who knows, I might encounter a Magic Beast later.¡± Richard shook his head, feeling he was being a bit too greedy. After securing the Synthetic Beast Core, Richard cast the Silence Technique on himself. It was the middle of the night, but the commotion caused by the Magic Beast was not small, and there might be people looking to take advantage of it. It was always better to be safe. Shortly after Richard left, a few Apprentices looking to scavenge arrived beside the carcass of the Magic Beast. ¡°We¡¯re late. Someone got here first.¡± ¡°What do we do now, a wasted trip?¡± The Apprentices exchanged glances, then turned to look at the bald Apprentice who was leading them. After a moment of contemplation, the bald Apprentice was about to make a decision when suddenly a tall figure leaped out from the woods. This person was two meters tall, with a burly figure clad in Chain Armor, carrying seven or eight bags around his waist, wielding a two-handed greatsword in one hand, and holding a half-dead Wizard Apprentice in the other. ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about what to do, because you¡¯re all going to die here.¡± ¡­ The next day, the sun rose as usual. Richard stood up from a pile of dry leaves. After meditating, his spirit was as refreshed as if he had slept for a night, but a good spirit didn¡¯t mean his body was fine. After a day of travel and a night of pursuit, ache coursed through Richard¡¯s entire body. But the road still had to be traveled. Dragging his sore body, Richard set out again. The havoc wrought by last night¡¯s Magic Beast was not without benefit; apart from the Magic Tool on its body, the forest was also trampled into several small paths by the creatures. This saved Richard quite a bit of effort. With the Light Body Skill¡¯s blessing, Richard easily covered half the distance on the second day. And as he got closer to the meeting point, the density of Apprentices also grew higher. These Apprentices had at least two or three bags each, and upon meeting each other, except for a few with odd temperaments, the vast majority would display their Crystal Balls and then turn away. The ones who made it halfway weren¡¯t easy targets¡ªmost had blood on their hands. With the risks outweighing the benefits, few were willing to gamble with their lives. At night, Richard, as usual, hid among dry leaves for meditation. Although those who reached this area had mostly completed the examination conditions, it¡¯s always better to be safe than sorry. During the day, Richard always felt like someone was trailing him. This sensation made him feel as if he were on pins and needles, and he struggled to enter a Meditative State. Not far from Richard, a tall figure with a dozen bags strapped around his waist crouched in a tree, silently observing Richard¡¯s hiding spot. ¡°Followed him for a day, and this kid did nothing but travel, avoiding others whenever possible. Such a coward, and he¡¯s the one who killed that Magic Beast?¡± He had initially thought that an Apprentice capable of killing a Magic Beast would at least be a Knight¡ªa worthy opponent. But after a day of observation, this person was no different from a straw bag. Could he be hiding his true strength? ¡­ Engrossed in meditation, Richard¡¯s heart suddenly tightened, and the piercing sound of something slicing through the air made him instinctively duck. With a ¡®thud,¡¯ Richard saw a wooden spear as thick as an arm appear beside him. The spear, probably longer than a meter with one end sharpened, quivered continuously at the tail end after embedding itself in a tree trunk. Someone had attacked¡ªa skilled one at that. Richard¡¯s heart sank, and he immediately gripped the Fireball Magic Wand he¡¯d acquired the day before. To do something like that with a piece of wood, the attacker must either have a very powerful Magic Tool or be a Genius Knight. Richard hoped for the former, because the latter could possess both Magic Tools and a Knight¡¯s prowess. ¡°You dodged. Seems like you do have some skill,¡± A voice came from not far away, and Richard turned to see a large figure wielding a two-handed greatsword, stepping out from the woods with a dozen bags tied around his waist. ¡°A dozen bags¡­ looks like I¡¯ve run into a madman.¡± Richard¡¯s hold on his Magic Wand tightened unconsciously. In this exam where killing one person was enough to pass, this man wore the bags of over a dozen slain Apprentices as trophies at his waist. The man was clearly mad, and a powerful one at that. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself,¡± the large figure shouted. ¡°I am Saban Chavez of the Norton Empire. May I ask for your name?¡± Using the moonlight filtering through the trees, Richard made out the newcomer¡¯s features: red hair, slanted eyes, high nose bridge, and a scar stretching from his nose bridge to the corners of his eyes. The Great Sword rested on his shoulder, his Chain Armor bore many tears, yet his body showed no injuries. ¡°This is a master, possibly a Knight,¡± Richard concluded. ¡°No reply?¡± After waiting in vain for Richard to divulge his name, Saban shrugged with resignation and, a second later, charged toward Richard with the Great Sword. ¡°If you won¡¯t even give your name, then you can go to hell.¡± Richard watched Saban coldly, as a red gleam flickered from the Magic Wand in his hand. ¡°Idiot. Take this Fireball Technique.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Legendary Bloodline Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Legendary Bloodline Saban Chavez, the genius knight of the Norton Empire, became a knight at the supreme young age of fourteen. Within the Norton Empire, countless youths saw him as an idol, and countless girls went mad for him. But aside from his opponents, no one knew that this promising knight was actually a madman. Saban loved to fight, adored the kill; the sensation of his blade slicing through muscle and skin intoxicated him, and the stronger the enemy, the more intense the pleasure derived from his blade. When Saban was chosen to become a Wizard Apprentice, the King of the Norton Empire himself hoped to plead for him, wanting the wizards to keep this genius knight. But Saban refused it all. To him, the power of a wizard was fascinating. If he could use his blade to kill a wizard, he reckoned that kind of pleasure could elevate him to Heaven. So Saban became a Wizard Apprentice, participating in this entrance exam. Powerful opponents, lawful killing ¨C all of this was simply Heaven to him. Therefore, when he saw an Apprentice capable of slaying a Magic Beast, his heart was incredibly excited. This was what he was after. Until a dazzling blaze of light appeared before him. An orange-red meteor shot out from Richard¡¯s hand, flying directly towards Saban. Saban felt an unprecedented fear in the presence of this Fireball, a fear even greater than when he faced a Magic Beast. ¡°What kind of magic is this?¡± Saban didn¡¯t have time to think; he instinctively wanted to dodge, but as he brushed past the fireball¡ª The fireball exploded. Boom! The violent flames turned all of Saban¡¯s clothing to ashes, and the chain armor, meant for defense, became like red-hot branding irons, leaving behind trails of charred marks on Saban¡¯s body. The shockwave instantly blasted him away; he didn¡¯t even have time to react before he was flung like a cannonball, his great sword slipping from his grasp. On the other side of the Fireball Technique, Richard watched all this quietly. Before him, a transparent barrier blocked all the remnants of the explosion. Zero Ring Spell: Force Field Barrier ¡°Huh! This is Lesser Fireball Technique? Is the gap between One Ring magic and Zero Ring magic this big?¡± Richard looked at the three-meter diameter, half-meter deep crater next to Saban and felt a flicker of shock. This Spell¡¯s power was almost comparable to a cannonball. ¡°To take a hit from such a spell, that man ought to be dead.¡± Richard looked toward the woods, and suddenly he heard an angry roar coming from the forest. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m going to chop you to pieces!¡± A black figure burst out from the woods, a large body with charred skin ¡ª it was Saban who had just been blasted away. He had taken a hit from a Lesser Fireball Technique and yet, he hadn¡¯t died. Richard took a few steps back and shot out two Magic Missiles from his hand, trying to stop Saban, but Saban, after rushing from the woods, did not continue the chase; he sidestepped and dodged Richard¡¯s Magic Missiles. Without time to think further, Richard immediately tried to use the Ice Cone Skill to give Saban a wide-open chest, but before he could release the Ice Cone, Saban¡¯s transformation shocked Richard. White breath continuously billowed from Saban¡¯s nose and mouth, and a layer of golden fur began to grow on his previously charred skin. The golden fur grew thicker and longer, and Saban¡¯s body also inflated, growing larger. ¡°Man, is this Beastification?¡± Seeing Saban¡¯s transformation, Richard instantly thought of the Legendary Knight from the Golden Bird Flower legend. Could this madman be a descendant of the Legendary Knight? Richard raised his hand to finish Saban with an Ice Cone Skill, but Saban slapped his hand and deflected the trajectory of the Ice Cone beside him. ¡°This is going to be troublesome. One hit didn¡¯t finish it.¡± Richard discreetly grasped the Magic Dagger in his hand; from the performance just now, this madman was definitely a close combat type. ¡°You¡¯re the first to make me use my Legendary Bloodline!¡± Saban moved his body, the charred skin peeling off, and new skin grew a layer of golden fur under the influence of the Legendary Bloodline. Richard silently checked the charging time of the Fireball Magic Wand. Two more minutes to recharge. This was becoming troublesome. Saban, having completed his transformation, tore off his chain armor, leaving only the arm bracelets on both arms. His muscles were visibly swelling, and the armor that had fitted well before now became a restraint. ¡°Legendary Bloodline? Are you, sir, a descendant of the Legendary Knight?¡± Richard wanted to delay time with some taunting words. As long as he waited for the Fireball Technique to recharge, this Beastified madman, even if he were the Legendary Knight, would turn to char. Richard wasn¡¯t deceived by his appearance; having been blasted at point-blank range by a Lesser Fireball Technique comparable to a cannonball, this madman had definitely sustained serious internal injuries. Internal injuries were much harder to recover from than external ones. Just one more Fireball, and this madman was sure to die on the spot. But Saban wouldn¡¯t have it as he wished. Opening his Legendary Bloodline, Saban felt an inexhaustible power surging within his body. Although he knew it was an illusion, Saban still reveled in it a bit. As Richard had predicted, Saban¡¯s internal injury was not as easily healed as external wounds, and activating his Legendary Bloodline even tended to aggravate it. He had to decide quickly. Bang! With a step, Saban¡¯s speed skyrocketed, and in the blink of an eye, he had crossed tens of meters to appear right in front of Richard. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Saban threw a punch, and the strong wind from it even made Richard¡¯s hair fly. If that punch had connected, Richard¡¯s fate wouldn¡¯t have been much better than Riley¡¯s. But only a ¡®buzz¡¯ was heard, and the air in front of Richard rippled like the surface of water. Saban¡¯s fist stopped in front of Richard¡¯s face, unable to advance any further. Force Field Barrier, kid! With a sneer, Richard drew his Dagger in a dangerous arc, aiming straight for Saban¡¯s chest. Ice Cone Skill requires acceleration distance, and thus isn¡¯t very powerful at close range, but the Dagger was just right for this distance. Seeing that his strike didn¡¯t succeed, Saban¡¯s heart sank, and he turned his arm to block the Dagger with his arm bracelet. The two clanged against each other, producing a grating sound that was harsh on the ears, and when they parted, a shallow scratch had appeared on Saban¡¯s arm bracelet. ¡°What a powerful Dagger.¡± ¡°Such a hard arm bracelet.¡± The two separated, Richard had already abandoned the thought of attacking again. His last strike had the advantage of surprise, and still, it didn¡¯t succeed. Now that Saban was on guard, a reckless attack would certainly expose a fatal flaw. After Saban parted, he retrieved his two-handed greatsword, which, even after the baptism of the Fireball Technique, remained straight and shiny¡ªa remarkable item like the arm bracelet, possibly even the very sword once worn by the Legendary Knight. Great Sword in hand, Saban¡¯s presence soared instantly, his golden fur standing on end without any wind. There¡¯s a high wall between unarmed and armed combat. ¡°I have decided to make your head my trophy and place it with my most cherished hunted beasts.¡± Saban, gripping the Great Sword, spouted his wild claim. The next instant, the Great Sword collided with the Dagger. The Force Field Barrier was breached! Ding! Richard struggled to fend off the Great Sword. Even with the Force Field Barrier¡¯s weakening, the power behind the blade made it difficult for Richard to withstand. ¡°This is just possessing a Legendary Bloodline; how strong must the Legendary Knight of old have been.¡± After failing to make the cut, Saban twisted his wrist, and in an instant, the two-handed greatsword was slashing toward Richard¡¯s other side. But to Richard, skilled in the Wind Crow Sword Skill, Saban¡¯s technique was like a child¡¯s scribble. Ding. Seeing both slashes thwarted, a glint of thought flashed across Saban¡¯s eyes. ¡°This kid¡¯s skillful but lacks strength; even if my sword is weakened by that barrier, he can hardly fend it off. So if I just rely on strength, this kid will definitely not be able to resist.¡± With a change of strategy, Saban¡¯s moves also changed, striking right at Richard¡¯s weakness. In a flash, Richard was retreating step by step, struggling to fend off the attacks, despite his skill in the Wind Crow Sword Skill, in face of the weapon and power disadvantage. ¡°Ha ha ha ha! Where are your spells now!¡± Saban laughed wildly, his momentum growing with every blow, each movement grand and entirely offensive, intent on taking his opponent¡¯s life. Richard used his spiritual power to check the Magic Wand, but in that split second of distraction, Saban found an opening. Suddenly, the Great Sword pierced through the Force Field Barrier, leaving a wound an inch deep in Richard¡¯s chest. ¡°Hisss!¡± The intense pain made Richard suck in a breath of cold air, and his mind started to dull. Subsequent strikes continued, and Richard was marred after each. Luckily, all his injuries were merely superficial, and under the effect of adrenaline, he gradually adjusted until his mind was clear again. ¡°Just ten seconds left, I need to create distance now.¡± Richard¡¯s expression remained calm, knowing full well that spell collisions have no ability to discern friend from foe¡ªhe would be just as affected by the Fireball Technique if too close. Richard silently counted down the time, then suddenly unleashed his spells. Magic Missile mixed with Ice Cone Skill halted Saban¡¯s movement, allowing Richard to widen the gap between them. ¡°Damn, he¡¯s going to use that Spell.¡± Seeing Richard create distance, Saban felt a sense of dread welling up in him, the fear of being blasted by a Fireball urging him to instinctively flee. But though he was fast, the spells were faster. Richard waved his Magic Wand, and an orange Fireball burst forth from his hands, striking Saban like a meteor. In a thunderous explosion, the Genius Knight of the Norton Empire became fertilizer for the forest, just as countless others had over the past four thousand years. COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Black Tower Wizard Academy Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Black Tower Wizard Academy ¡°Finally solved.¡± Richard wiped the sweat from his forehead. This battle was the most perilous moment since he had arrived in this world. If not for the Fireball Magic Wand, this powerful weapon, ten of him wouldn¡¯t have been enough to stand against that madman. After searching through the forest, Richard collected Saban¡¯s arm bracelet and Great Sword. To Richard¡¯s surprise, the pair of arm bracelets turned out to be Magic Tools, and they even had the ability to recharge themselves with Magic Power. The Great Sword, however, was simply made of extraordinary material and was not a Magic Tool itself. Richard tried refining the arm bracelet with the Miracle Furnace, but the furnace remained unresponsive. ¡°What exactly is the pattern to this refining skill? I can refine Heisen Baron¡¯s Great Sword and the Synthetic Beast Core, but why can¡¯t these Magic Tools be refined?¡± Richard was clueless for the moment and had to put the issue aside. He began to study the function of the arm bracelet. He put the arm bracelet on his arms, and in an instant, a cool surge of Energy flowed from his arms throughout his body. The wounds on Richard¡¯s body began to clot and heal at a visible rate under the influence of this energy. ¡°No wonder that madman couldn¡¯t be killed by a barrage of minor Fireballs; he was wearing such a treasure.¡± Richard marveled for a moment, then suddenly felt some scratches inside the arm bracelet. After taking it off, he discovered an inscription on the inside. ¡°What is this?¡± Richard read it once and found that it detailed a method of breathing. This seemed very familiar to Richard, as if the Heisen Baron from his past life knew something similar. ¡°Forget it, I should leave first. Once I¡¯m at the Academy, I¡¯ll have plenty of time to figure it out.¡± Richard shook his head, put the arm bracelet back on, and once again started on his way. ¡­ On the fourth day after the exam began, some of the more powerful Apprentices had already started arriving at the rendezvous point. Kevin Medici staggered out from the woods. After four days of traveling and battling, this young lord, who was neither a Knight nor a formal Wizard Apprentice, was completely exhausted. Fighting, traveling, being on guard, escaping, and finally reaching the rendezvous point. Having completed all this, Kevin felt as if he had transcended, confident that no hardship in this world could defeat him. ¡°Griffith, we¡¯ve arrived,¡± Kevin called back. Behind him, a blond, brawny man carrying a Great Sword was slowly advancing. He was Kevin¡¯s teammate and the main reason he had survived being pursued by Magic Beasts. This man named Griffith had single-handedly slain a Magic Beast as powerful as a Demon. ¡°Mm.¡± Griffith nodded. Griffith hadn¡¯t revealed his identity, but judging by his temperament and his formidable strength, Kevin guessed he must be a Cultivator from some monastery. Entering the rendezvous point, Kevin collapsed on the ground, his entire body relaxing at once. The rendezvous point was a safe zone; reaching it meant he was safe. ¡°Kevin?¡± At the sound, Kevin looked up and saw a slender figure carrying a Great Sword and holding a Magic Wand emerge from the crowd of Apprentices. ¡°Richard!?¡± On recognizing the person, Kevin was shocked. Compared to his own disheveled appearance, Richard, despite looking a bit ragged, was brimming with vitality. In contrast, Richard hardly seemed like he had just been through a life-or-death exam. ¡°It really is you.¡± Richard walked over to Kevin, smiling, and pulled him up. After all, Kevin still owed him a Magic Stone. ¡°It seems my decision wasn¡¯t wrong, aligning myself with you was the right choice. Too bad we never got to use it,¡± Kevin said, smiling wryly to Richard. The alliance he had worked so hard to build had been turned into a joke by a single statement from a Wizard. ¡°Isn¡¯t being alive all that matters? Go and register with the Wizard quickly. There¡¯s a Transmission Array at the rendezvous point. It activates for every hundred people; counting your friend, we¡¯re about to reach a hundred.¡± With that, Richard squinted at the brawny blond man behind Kevin. This blond giant had been watching him ever since he appeared. ¡°Friend, why are you staring at me?¡± Griffith bowed slightly to Richard, ¡°It seems Saban died at your hand.¡± ¡°You recognize the owner of this sword?¡± Richard looked up into the eyes of the brawny man, who was at least a Knight. Moreover, judging by his aura, the man had established a Magic Power circuit; he was a Dual Cultivation Warrior. ¡°Let me introduce you, this is Griffith, a genius knight from another continent.¡± Kevin stepped between the two, acutely sensing that the atmosphere was a bit off. ¡°I know him. Back in the Norton Empire, he always wanted to kill me,¡± Griffith sighed, ¡°He had great talent, what a shame.¡± Seeing that this was not about seeking vengeance, Richard didn¡¯t say more. After Kevin and Griffith had registered, the wizard issued the teleportation command. ¡°Prepare for teleportation. Apprentices who experience dizziness from the Transmission Array, close your eyes. Three, two, one, teleport!¡± In an instant, the meeting point flashed with light, and Richard¡¯s vision was once again filled with the chaotic colors unique to teleportation. When his vision returned to normal, he saw a scene he would never forget in his life. ¡°This is¡­¡± Richard murmured. Before him stood a colossal tower that could only be described as majestic. It reached towards the heavens as if connecting the earth with the divine abode of the gods. The myriad carvings on the tower were so lifelike, they seemed to have souls sealed within them. At the tower¡¯s corners, the gargoyle statues with their snarling faces and claws looked as if they might come to life at any moment. ¡°This is the Central Black Tower. Originally, it was the Wizard Tower of the dean, only accessible to wizards. After the academy was established, the dean opened up the first fifty floors for educational purposes.¡± Richard looked toward the source of the voice, which belonged to an owl twice the normal size. The owl spoke human language, clutching a large sack in its talons. ¡°Little fellow, I am the Academy Inspector and your guide. I am responsible for monitoring whether you all adhere to the school¡¯s rules,¡± said the owl before throwing the sack to the ground, which was filled with smaller pouches. ¡°Now get your stuff and follow me. I¡¯ll show you around the academy.¡± ¡­ The composition of Black Tower Wizard Academy was quite straightforward. Apart from the Central Black Tower, where classes were normally held, it was divided into three areas: the Experimental Zone, the Living District, and the Commercial Area. The Experimental Zone was for wizards and Wizard Apprentices to conduct hazardous experiments and was the largest of the three areas. The Commercial Area, on the other hand, was used for selling experimental materials, casting ingredients, and Magic Tools. In addition to shops run by wizards from the academy, external Wizard Commerce companies and Wizard Apprentices from within the academy also set up their businesses there. The common currency of the Commercial Area was the Academy Coin, issued by the academy, but it also accepted Magic Stones. The value of one Magic Stone was pegged at one hundred Academy Coins. Lastly, the Living District catered to the apprentices¡¯ daily needs of clothing, food, shelter, and transportation. Ready-to-wear shops, restaurants, and even carriage services could be found in the Living District. Numerous black towers dotted the landscape, where every Wizard Apprentice had their own private room with no rent required. Richard followed the owl for a whole day and finally completed a full tour of the academy. At the end, he caught sight of Ali among the newly arrived apprentices. ¡°Hey! Richard! You really made it through!¡± Ali looked a bit disheveled, her originally beautiful blond hair had been singed quite a bit by flames, and there was a charred scar on her forehead. Her clothes were somewhat tattered, but Richard was no better off in that aspect. It was quite normal to have your clothes torn by branches and thorns while walking through the forest. ¡°I was a bit luckier, got here before you.¡± Even though it had only been a few days since they last saw each other, seeing a familiar face in this strange academy was somehow comforting. As the sky darkened, plants resembling dandelions began sprouting beside the academy¡¯s pathways. The dandelions emitted a bright yet soft glow, illuminating the path like street lamps. ¡°Night Light Dandelions, a trophy from the dean¡¯s conquest of another Plane. They are used as street lamps in the academy during the night.¡± As Richard walked, he introduced the general situation of the academy to Ali. Her group of apprentices had arrived right at dusk, and the owl, thinking that the new students needed rest, handed out items and left on its own. ¡°So beautiful.¡± Ali, looking at the dandelions, had a look of surprise and fascination in her eyes, overwhelmed by the scenery of the academy. Was this really the academy that seemed so murderous during the entrance exam? Shouldn¡¯t the grounds be filled with crosses, debris everywhere, students sitting on coffins in class, and teachers each as ferocious as demons? ¡°But remember not to touch them. If provoked, they will use their seeds as weapons. The blast from the seeds is not any weaker than the low-level Fireball Technique.¡± Richard¡¯s words abruptly shattered Ali¡¯s illusions. Richard pointed to a tower not far away, ¡°Over there is the Living District, new apprentices have their own tower. Don¡¯t worry about not finding a room.¡± The academy had a special area for newcomers to serve as a buffer. After the newcomers had been in the academy for three years, they would move out of the newcomer area to find new accommodation. As Richard headed toward the tower, he suddenly felt someone pulling at the hem of his clothes. ¡°Oh, then¡­ let¡¯s be neighbors from now on.¡± Ali was tugging on Richard¡¯s clothes, her hair falling to the side, covering her expression. ¡°Be neighbors?¡± Richard didn¡¯t pay much attention to Ali¡¯s reaction. The minds of young girls were like the summer¡¯s clouds and rain, unpredictable. ¡°Sure, the academy doesn¡¯t specifically separate male and female students.¡± ¡°Really! That¡¯s great.¡± Ali looked up suddenly, a hint of surprise in her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Richard, pointing to the tower in the distance, ¡°Arriving early has its perks: no one to fight over rooms with. It¡¯s already so late, let¡¯s find a room we like and settle down for now.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: Chapter 15: The Fine Apprentice Wizard Robe Chapter 15: Chapter 15: The Fine Apprentice Wizard Robe The Academy seemed even busier at night than during the day; on his way to the dormitory, Richard spotted seven or eight apprentices flying by. ¡°Could it be that the Wizard Academy also has classes at night?¡± Richard wondered. When they arrived at the tower, two large door knockers were embedded in the thick door, with a metal lion-head sculpture above it. Richard gently knocked on the door. Bang, bang, bang. ¡°Are they recruiting new students again?¡± Above the door, the metal-carved lion¡¯s head suddenly began to speak. ¡°Ah, the statue is talking!¡± Ali exclaimed. The lion¡¯s head paid no attention to Ali¡¯s reaction. ¡°Little fellows, take out your crystal balls.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard and Ali did as instructed, taking out a fist-sized crystal ball from the pocket provided by the owl. The quality of this crystal ball was much better than those used for the exam, with the entire sphere free of any impurities, smooth and translucent. As soon as Richard and Ali took out their crystal balls, the lion¡¯s head shot a red light into them, confirming their identities, and the door beneath it swung open. ¡°Apprentice Richard, Apprentice Ali, welcome to Life Tower room number 012.¡± Entering the tower, the first floor was empty, seemingly a large hall. A thick layer of dust had settled on the ground, indicating that this tower had not been entered for a long time. Following the stairs up, the second floor was quite different from the first, with a corridor spanning the floor, dividing it into two parts. Richard chose a sunny room, and Ali, as agreed, moved into the one next to his. ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Good night, Richard.¡± The room wasn¡¯t small, about thirty square meters in size, with an en-suite bathroom, and all sorts of furniture were already in place. After cleaning the room and ensuring no furniture was termite-infested, Richard started to unpack his belongings. He hung the Great Sword on the wall and neatly arranged the Synthetic Beast heart and an array of Magic Tools on the table. Lastly, he took out everything given by the owl; besides the crystal ball, there was also a black robe, a rule book, a book on the Basic Meditation Method, and ten Magic Stones. Richard held the robe in his hands, and the long-inactive Miracle Furnace suddenly trembled. ¡°Hm? This robe could be used as a material?¡± Richard looked over the robe in surprise; it resembled silk and faintly pulsed with Magic Power. Richard probed with his spiritual power, and a rush of information entered his brain. ¡°Lucky Apprentice, you have received a masterwork Apprentice Wizard Robe handcrafted by Alchemy Master Jolod. This Wizard Robe is inscribed with a Force Field Protection Spell, Breath Concealment, and Purifying Filth Spells, and it comes with auto-recharging circuits¡ªan excellent choice for low-level apprentices to guard against assassination attempts.¡± A twitch tugged at the corner of Richard¡¯s eyes; this Alchemy Master named Jolod seemed somewhat unorthodox. Yet, the message left behind brought Richard one piece of information: this Wizard Robe appeared to be a ¡®masterpiece,¡¯ and perhaps the selection standard for the Miracle Furnace¡¯s materials was ¡®masterwork¡¯ Magic Tools. Although this was his guess, with only this one example, Richard couldn¡¯t be sure. But the ability to refine was undoubtedly a good thing. ¡°Material: Apprentice Wizard Robe¡± ¡°Refinable Skills: Magic Engraving (incomplete)¡± ¡°Refining Cost: 15 spiritual power¡± ¡°Refinable Information: Force Field Protection Spell Model, Breath Concealing Spell Model, Purifying Filth Magic Model¡± ¡°Refining Cost: 5 spiritual power¡± The information from the Miracle Furnace gave Richard a jolt. He hadn¡¯t expected a single Wizard Robe to potentially refine both skills and information. ¡°A Magic Engraving skill requires fifteen spiritual power, while the three Magic Models only need five¡ªthese spells must be Zero Ring Spells.¡± Richard eyed the Wizard Robe, hesitant to refine it. The three Zero Ring Spells were of little use to him, and the cost of refining the skill seemed likely to knock him unconscious. ¡°There¡¯s still some time before the entrance exams end, and there¡¯s nothing else to do right now.¡± After some contemplation, Richard decided to refine the skill. Everything went dark, just as before, and Richard collapsed into unconsciousness on the spot. ¡°` When he awoke again, it was already noon the following day. ¡°Was I out for that long?¡± Richard looked at the glaring sunlight outside the bed window and slowly stood up. A white light jumped up and down above the Miracle Furnace, and as Richard absorbed it, he seemed to transform into a wizard. Magic power flowed through his hands like threads, combining with materials of unknown origin to inscribe spells upon his Wizard Robe. ¡°Phew!¡± Richard suddenly came to his senses, then stared blankly at his own hands. The faint blue glow of magic power flickered at his fingertips, followed by the magic power turning into a thread that continuously extended from Richard¡¯s fingertips, forming a line of words in the air. [Is this the skill of a wizard?] Richard retracted the magic power. This skill seemed to open the door to a new world; he had never imagined that magic power could become a part of his body, as natural as moving an arm. ¡°It¡¯s incredible; this is still an incomplete skill. How powerful would it be if it was complete?¡± In an instant, Richard felt the terrifying potential of a wizard. This was merely a part of one skill among the many that a wizard could master. If one possessed all the skills of a wizard, Richard dared not imagine how formidable such a wizard would be. Could he become a wizard like them? Richard dared not ponder any further. After washing up, he opened the Academy regulations. The experience of the entrance exam had taught him that the books provided by the Academy were definitely of use. After reading through the regulations from beginning to end, Richard¡¯s expression changed from relief to seriousness. The regulations of the Academy were not strict; in fact, they could even be considered lenient. Many rules even served to prevent conflicts between Apprentices. This contrasted greatly with its entrance exam. But all gifts were subtly marked with a price. Although the Academy prevented conflicts among Apprentices on a regular basis, every ten years during the Apprentice examinations, the Apprentices would once again face the life-threatening challenges of the entrance exam. An Apprentice who wanted to survive until the graduation exams had to endure at least two bloody tests. And if an Apprentice made it to the graduation exams, they faced two choices, either to take part in the equally bloody graduation exams and compete for the qualification to become a wizard, or to graduate directly. After paying off thirty years of tuition fees, an Apprentice could leave on their own. Yes, the Wizard Academy actually charged tuition. The cost of tuition was very high. If one did not become a wizard, an advanced wizard apprentice would have to work for the Academy for at least a hundred years to pay it off. ¡°Did the headmaster of this Wizard Academy come back from studying in Myanmar?¡± Richard¡¯s face was grave as his earlier sense of relief vanished completely. The content of the regulations made him feel like a fishbone was stuck in his throat, uneasy, and on tenterhooks. Richard somewhat failed to understand what exactly the Wizard Academy was training? A killing machine? Putting down the regulations, Richard went downstairs and talked briefly with the lion-head door-knocker, inquiring about various matters of the Academy. As part of the Academy, the lion-head door-knocker was well-versed in many rules and gave Richard a lot of constructive advice. For instance, the library of the Academy was open to all Apprentices, and many books were available for borrowing free of charge. The Academy Inspectors were fond of nuts and gemstones, and getting along with them could avoid punishment for minor infractions. Even a magic stone with residual magic power could be exchanged for Academy Coins, albeit one had to haggle and so on¡­ These things seemed trivial, but if Richard had to discover them on his own, who knows how much time it would take. ¡°Thank you for your advice. I¡¯ll go to the commercial district and buy some Alchemy ointment for you later.¡± Richard gave a slight bow to the lion-head door-knocker and then turned towards the commercial district. The lion-head door-knocker¡¯s body was made of metal and, although it had been rust-proofed by the wizard who made it, years of exposure to wind and rain caused some rust to form. This was quite uncomfortable for the lion-head door-knocker. A bit of Alchemy ointment for rust removal would easily alleviate this discomfort. The Alchemy ointment was not expensive. Richard got a large bottle of rust-removing ointment for twenty-five Academy Coins. On his way back, he also picked up a few sets of clothes and a couple of pairs of leather shoes. After applying the ointment to the lion-head door-knocker, Richard returned to his room, took a bath, drank a bottle of Nutritional Potion, changed into new clothes, and then prepared to head to the library. Wizards pursue knowledge and respect it, so the library became the most sacred place in the Academy. The librarian could ask any borrowing Apprentice to leave if they showed disrespect to knowledge, and a good outfit could undoubtedly reduce a lot of trouble. Richard now had too many questions that needed answers. ¡°` COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Wizard World Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Wizard World The library was located on the fiftieth floor of the Central Black Tower. Without the Levitation Skill, Richard had to walk all the way up from the first floor, and by the time he reached the fiftieth, his legs were so tired they were wobbling. Standing in front of the library door, Richard straightened his appearance, then strode in. The library was vast; countless shelves that soared ten meters high spread out from before Richard¡¯s eyes to the horizon of his sight. Suddenly, a palm-sized, winged sprite appeared out of thin air in front of Richard. The sprite was very beautiful, and aside from the wings on its back, it looked like a proportionally shrunken beauty. The sprite fluttered around Richard in a circle. ¡°You¡¯re a new student, aren¡¯t you? Quickly, take out your crystal ball.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard took the crystal ball out from his bag. The sprite lightly touched the crystal ball, making it flash a faint glow. Armed with Richard¡¯s information, the sprite floated in front of him with an expression that was cute yet solemn. ¡°New student Richard, I am Fenna, the library administrator. If you want to borrow books, then touch your crystal ball to the book number, and I will record your borrowings. Additionally, the library prohibits quarreling, loud noises, and the use of all spells other than the Levitation Skill. If you violate the rules, I will have you removed. If the situation is serious, I will prohibit you from entering the library.¡± ¡°Got it. So how do I find the books I want?¡± The library¡¯s collection was vast as smoke; without something like an index, Richard would have exhausted himself to death trying to find what he wanted. The sprite pointed at Richard¡¯s crystal ball. ¡°I have already loaded all the books you¡¯re allowed to borrow into that. If you want more books, then increase your strength. Each time an Apprentice advances a level, they can access more books. Once you become a Wizard, you can borrow any book from the library.¡± Richard probed the crystal ball with his spiritual power and the information of one book after another instantly appeared before his eyes. ¡°Any more questions?¡± Fenna asked. Richard snapped out of it, ¡°Oh, no more, thank you.¡± ¡°If there are no more questions, then I¡¯ll be going.¡± Having said that, Fenna drew a glowing portal made of luminous powder in the air with her arm and then flew into it. ¡°Magical spell.¡± Richard sighed, then began searching through the vast sea of books for the ones he wanted. Following the guidance of the information, Richard quickly located the book he was seeking¡ªthe ¡°Wizard World Almanac.¡± Unlike the spell books that required magic stones to borrow, this book that introduced the Wizard World could be borrowed without magic stones, and what Richard needed most now was to understand the Wizard World. Finding a corner in the library, Richard sat down and began to lift the veil on the Wizard World. The Wizard World was much larger than Earth in his previous life, with nearly a thousand Wizard Academies dotting the vast continents, each led by a wizard dean of at least fourth-level Great Wizard status. The Gale Zone in the Extreme East region, the Great Desert to the southwest, the Magnetic Island at the center of the continent, the Sky-reaching Ice Wall at the edge of the world¡­ As he flipped through the pages, a resplendent and magnificent Wizard World gradually unfolded before Richard. However, as he read, Richard noticed that on the map of the Wizard Continent, there were areas of varying sizes marked as uninhabited. According to the map¡¯s legends, these places had no Wizard Academies¡ªit did not even have ordinary people. ¡°What is going on here?¡± Richard began searching the book for answers. Eventually, in the section that introduced the history of the Wizard World, Richard found the answer. The history of the Wizard World was divided into three stages: the Dark Age, the Age of Enlightenment, and the current Age of Exploration. During the Dark Age, wizards were lone warriors, carving out territories in the wilderness of knowledge on their own. In this period, wizards had not yet become the dominators of the Wizard World, as both the colossal creatures of the sea and the giant dragons that soared the skies were far stronger than the wizards. The second stage was the Age of Enlightenment. Wizards began to unite during this phase, with wizards of similar research directions forming connections that eventually led to the creation of institutions and Schools. Wizard Families also rose during this period, with wizards intermarrying and solidifying their relationships through bloodlines and pacts. Also, during this period, wizards replaced the giant dragons as dominators of the land in the Wizard World and reached an agreement with the giant beasts of the sea. At the end of the Age of Enlightenment, the Wizard World had been fully explored by wizards, except for the seabed filled with magic power undercurrents and the Elemental Poles wreathed in elemental storms; the entire Wizard World had been divided up by the wizards. The world was limited, but the number of wizards kept increasing. Under this nearly unsolvable problem, the wizard wars began. Wizards from various Schools used all their lifelong knowledge to grind opposing wizards into dust. The Shape-shifting School¡¯s Elemental Torrents disintegrated Wizard Towers, the Undead School¡¯s multitude of undead was as numerous as grains of sand, the Soul School summoned Soul Sea Giant Beasts one after another, the Demon Statue Army of the Alchemy School poured out continuously from the forges, and the curses of the Mysterious School created countless invisible killers. This war turned a third of the Wizard Continent into wasteland, simultaneously creating an archipelago surrounding the continent. In the end, the leaders of the Five Major Schools reached an agreement to end the war and formed the Truth Council to manage the entire Wizard World. These five leaders were subsequently referred to as the Truth Wizards. Thus, the Wizard World entered its third phase, the Expansion Era. War led to the loss of countless pieces of knowledge but also birthed many unprecedented new technologies. The maturity of Star Realm navigation technology allowed wizards to embark on interplanetary expeditions aboard Floating Cities, while the Plane Wars required a continuous influx of wizards to join the fray. The traditional family model produced wizards too slowly, often yielding only a few dozen over the course of centuries, which fell far short of the needs of the Plane Wars. Consequently, the Wizard Academy was established. Richard closed the book, now understanding the purpose behind the academy¡¯s ruthless rules. ¡°So, essentially, all Wizard Academies are military institutions, and all the academy wizards are born for the Plane Wars.¡± Plane Wars, Star Realm voyages¡ªthese notions electrified Richard¡¯s innermost being. In his previous life, Richard had been obsessed with stars, fantasizing about humanity coexisting in harmony and exploring the endless cosmos. Ironically, what he hadn¡¯t witnessed in his past life, he saw after transmigrating. ¡°I must become a wizard.¡± Richard¡¯s gaze was resolute; before, he had been living merely to survive. But now, he had a dream! When he left the library, night had already fallen. At the door of his dormitory, he encountered Ali, whose hair and burns had fully recovered, and she was donned in a new, form-fitting dress. The academy had a hospital. From minor colds and fevers to severe mutilations, the Academy Hospital could heal them all. They could even summon an Undead Wizard from the Undead School to transform you into an undead wizard¡ªprovided you had enough Magic Stones. ¡°Hey, Richard. Where have you been, want to try some freshly baked bread?¡± Ali greeted Richard with a bag of hot, fragrant baguettes, handing one to him. Richard accepted the bread, and the rich aroma instantly awakened his appetite. Gurgling! There seemed to be quite a few restaurants and bakeries in the living area ¡°I was at the library just now. You should go too, there¡¯s a ¡®Wizard World Almanac¡¯ that¡¯s quite interesting,¡± Richard mumbled as he ate his bread. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll check it out tomorrow.¡± Ali looked at Richard, her cheeks reddening inexplicably. As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and Richard, now in new attire and having recovered from previous malnourishment, exuded a scholarly charm with his long black hair, handsome features, and slightly lean figure. All of this fell right into Ali¡¯s perfect picture. Moreover, Richard had played the hero for her aboard the Airship. Recalling the silhouette she glimpsed through the door crack, Ali¡¯s cheeks couldn¡¯t help but feel hot. ¡°Mhm, make sure to look at the historical section,¡± Richard instructed after swallowing his bite of bread, patting Ali with a determined look. Ali¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°Okay! I will definitely read it.¡± Back in his room, Richard couldn¡¯t wait to pick up the book on the Basic Meditation Method. One indispensable condition to become a wizard was spiritual power, and the Meditation Method was the most common and widely used means to enhance it. [Ingredient: Basic Meditation Method] [Information that can be refined: Basic Meditation Method] [Refining cost: 10 spiritual power] [Proceed with refining?] ¡°Yes!¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Chapter 17 What Is a Wizard Chapter 17: Chapter 17 What Is a Wizard Richard, after distilling the Basic Meditation Method, nearly fainted on the spot, but he managed to persist, using the Basic Meditation Method to meditate. After his spiritual power had recovered, Richard began practicing the Basic Meditation Method. Compared to the Basic Meditation Method, the Basic Meditation Method had seven additional spiritual runes, which although allowed Richard to stay in the Sea of Souls for longer, also made the meditation twice as difficult. Richard failed many times but eventually, with a bit of luck, succeeded in constructing the ten spiritual runes. The Basic Meditation Method enabled Richard to linger in the Sea of Souls for four hours, twice the time afforded by the Basic Meditation Method. But that extra time was not to be underestimated; the longer the soul stayed in the Sea of Souls, the more benefits it gained. Although it was only two additional hours, the increase in spiritual power was more than six hours of meditation with the Basic Meditation Method. Meditation couldn¡¯t be done frequently in a short period; otherwise, the soul would risk becoming lost in the Sea of Souls, unable to return. Thus, after meditating, Richard chose to visit the library again. The Academy¡¯s library was open day and night, and even at night, many apprentices could still be seen heading to the library. There was much for Richard to learn, and what he did not lack now was time. The entrance exam soon came to an end. In just ten days¡¯ time, over half of the nearly ten thousand apprentices who came for the exam had perished, and the rest had all entered the Academy. During this time, Richard, through the library¡¯s free books, had gained a general understanding of the Wizard World¡¯s structure and various etiquettes. Under the effect of the Basic Meditation Method, his spiritual power had successfully increased from 15 to 15.1. With the end of the entrance exams, the Academy¡¯s free courses were also made available. Each student was entitled to four free lessons a month. After the four free lessons, the remaining classes required a Magic Stone to attend. Each month for the first three years, the Academy would give out one Magic Stone but to get more, apprentices had to complete campus tasks issued by the Academy or trade with other apprentices. New apprentices had a three-year novitiate period during which the Academy wouldn¡¯t force tasks upon them. After the novitiate ended, the Academy would assess the apprentices. To stay in the Academy, an apprentice had to have inscribed at least one Magic Mark and reached a spiritual power of 20 points, thereby becoming a junior apprentice. ¡­ Dong¡ª¡ªDong¡ª¡ªDong! The heavy sound of the bell echoed inside the Academy, signaling that it was now eight o¡¯clock in the morning. Even in this otherworld, Richard could not escape the fate of early morning classes. This class was an Introduction to Alchemy, Richard¡¯s first lesson. He was currently sitting in a tiered classroom on the third floor of the Central Black Tower, with Ali at his side, the entire classroom packed full. ¡°Richard, why hasn¡¯t the teacher arrived yet?¡± Ali glanced at Richard¡¯s profile, her mind filled with myriad thoughts. It had been six days since they entered the Academy, and Richard was still indifferent to her, spending all day either in the library or meditating. The only time he went to the dining hall was when she had invited him. Did she really lack appeal? ¡°Maybe something has held them up,¡± Richard answered absently as he flipped through the Introduction to Magic he had borrowed from the library. He was not concerned with Ali¡¯s emotions; he was immersed in the ocean of knowledge. The discussion of Wizard spells in this Introduction to Magic captivated him¡ªElemental Magic, Soul Magic, Undead Magic, and even Curse Magic; each had its own characteristics and uses. The book also introduced a concept called the Combat System. A powerful Wizard inevitably had their own Combat System, relying on their core spells and supplementing them with minor spells suited to various situations to build their combat strategy, ensuring they could face any foe with calmness and confidence during Plane Wars and Wizard duels. If he were to construct a Combat System, it would surely need to¡­ Thump, thump, thump, thump¡­ A series of footsteps approached from outside the classroom, growing nearer. The previously somewhat noisy room instantly fell silent. Bang. The classroom door was flung open, and in walked a tall, curvy beauty clad in a wizard robe with long hair and black leather boots. Her stunningly cold beauty was complemented by a pair of slender eyes that added a touch of mystery to her demeanor. A mysterious black cat. That was Richard¡¯s first impression of her. Stepping up to the podium, she quickly scrawled a line of large characters on the blackboard. What is a wizard. ¡°Good day to all, I am Anna Dosi. I am an apprentice of Wizard Jolod from the Alchemy School. This class was originally supposed to be taught by my mentor, but as he is currently engaged in a critically important alchemy experiment at its crucial stage, I will be taking over the lesson,¡± Anna said, her voice calm yet carrying an authority that demanded compliance. ¡°So, can any of you tell me what a wizard is?¡± Anna, holding a pointer, scanned the entire classroom. Despite standing in a position lower than the students, everyone who looked at her felt as though she was looking down on them. ¡°You, tell me,¡± Anna pointed the pointer at an apprentice. ¡°Um¡­ I think a wizard is someone who can use magic,¡± the called-up apprentice obviously hadn¡¯t prepared and gave a rather casual answer. ¡°Very good, that is indeed a characteristic of a wizard. Any other opinions?¡± Anna waved her pointer, signaling him to sit down, then pointed at another pupil. ¡°I think wizards are those who use magic power to change the world.¡± Anna nodded, ¡°That¡¯s also good, but it¡¯s still just surface level.¡± Anna then pointed at several other apprentices in succession, but their answers clearly all satisfied her. Finally, Anna¡¯s pointer rested on Richard. ¡°Apprentice, what do you think a wizard is?¡± Richard met Anna¡¯s eyes, this woman who had been full of confidence since the beginning of class was now watching him, her gaze so sharp it seemed to bore a hole right through him. Before him, all other apprentices had avoided her gaze, but Richard decided to meet it squarely. Richard took a deep breath and, looking directly at Anna, said slowly: ¡°I believe wizards are a group of lunatics in pursuit of knowledge. Spells and magic power are essentially just by-products of that pursuit.¡± After Richard finished speaking, the classroom was deadly silent, with all students staring at him. His answer was a bit too outrageous; magic power and spells were the hallmarks of a wizard, their vital means of livelihood. How could they possibly be mere by-products? ¡°Very good.¡± Anna motioned for Richard to sit down, then wrote his statement on the blackboard. ¡°Wizards are a group of lunatics in pursuit of knowledge. This statement is key to whether you can become wizards or not. My mentor told me this at the beginning, and now I am passing it on to you all.¡± Anna¡¯s words sent a shock through all the students in the classroom, wasn¡¯t the purpose of entering the Wizard Academy to become wizards? But how were they to understand this statement? Each apprentice had their own interpretation. Richard, watching Anna on the podium, knew that the statement he had made was not his own invention, but came from the ruler of the Wizard World, the chairperson of the Truth Council. When he first encountered this statement, Richard just thought the chairperson was somewhat pretentious. I¡¯m just pursuing knowledge, magic power and spells are just things I created along the way, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning. But hearing Anna say it today gave Richard a new understanding of the statement. ¡°Lunatics in pursuit of knowledge, if it¡¯s just about seeking knowledge, then why become a lunatic?¡± Richard stared at the blackboard and raised his hand to write a sentence in his notes. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s not that lunatics pursue knowledge, but that one must become a lunatic in the pursuit of knowledge.¡± COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: Chapter 18 The Pile of Treasured Scrap Paper Chapter 18: Chapter 18 The Pile of Treasured Scrap Paper Anna¡¯s class was fascinating, delving into the ancient art of Alchemy with clarity and simplicity. The two-hour session ended in the blink of an eye, and as soon as the time was up, Anna bustled out of the classroom just as hurriedly as she had arrived. ¡°Alchemy¡­ This really goes well with the Miracle Furnace,¡± Richard touched his chin, pondering over the chalkboard. Alchemy encompassed a wide range, with Magic Potions and Magic Equipment being the most well-known aspects. For these, formulas and a plethora of practice were required, and both were substantial Magic Stone burners. Magic Equipment, commonly referred to by Apprentices as Magic Tools, followed the same principle. Magic Models and practice materials weren¡¯t significantly cheaper than the formulas and ingredients for the Potions. But this wasn¡¯t a problem for Richard. Extensive practice could be compensated for through refining skills, and both Potion formulas and Magic Models could be directly refined too. Moreover, according to Anna¡¯s account, although Alchemy was costly, it could also be profitable. Her Alchemy store in the Academy¡¯s commercial district brought her nearly a hundred Magic Stones in profit each month. And that was when she hardly had the time to manage it. ¡°There should be books on Alchemy in the library, I¡¯ll check them out later.¡± As they left the classroom, Ali seemed eager to drag Richard to the commercial district, its prosperity seemingly igniting her inborn shopping enthusiasm. ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m heading to the library.¡± Richard waved goodbye to Ali, who watched his retreating figure with a somewhat sullen stomp of her foot. Back in the library, the librarian Fenna was nowhere to be seen this time. Richard searched the Crystal Ball for books on Alchemy and suddenly, a batch of books listed as ¡°unknown¡± caught his attention. ¡°Unknown? That¡¯s interesting.¡± He found the section holding the ¡°unknown¡± books and noticed several Apprentices picking through them. ¡°Excuse me, senior, what are these ¡®unknown¡¯ books about?¡± Richard asked a young-looking Apprentice. ¡°Oh, a freshman?¡± the Apprentice seemed surprised, ¡°These books are the notes of Wizards who died during the Wizard War. They¡¯re written in code, indecipherable to anyone but their authors. The Dean has placed these notes here to see if any Apprentices might chance to decode them.¡± As she spoke, she gestured to the surrounding Apprentices. ¡°We¡¯re all trying our luck.¡± ¡°I see. Sorry to have disturbed you.¡± Having gotten the answer, Richard¡¯s heart pounded excitedly. A bold idea struck him. He picked up a notebook, the symbols within completely different from the Wizard Language, but Richard didn¡¯t attempt to decipher it. Instead, he tried using the Miracle Furnace. [Raw Material: Unknown Wizard¡¯s Notes] [Extractable Information: Physique Enhancement Potion Formula] [Extraction Cost: 25 Spiritual Power] [Insufficient Spiritual Power] ¡°As expected, even this secret text can be extracted,¡± Richard thought, suppressing the excitement within him, his gaze towards the bookshelf was like seeing a gold mine. He put the notebook back in its place and noted down the number; the Spiritual Power needed to extract from this particular notebook was currently beyond his reach, and he had to set it aside for the time being. But with so many notes, Richard believed there had to be at least one that he could refine right now. [Raw Material: Unknown Wizard¡¯s Notes] [Extractable Information: One Hundred Thirty-Two Failed Cases] [Raw Material: Unknown Wizard¡¯s Notes] [Extractable Information: Three Hundred Forty-Two Diary Entries] [Material: Notes of an unknown Wizard] [Extractable Information: Experiences from mating with thirty-two Otherworld creatures] ¡­ As Richard continued his exploration with the Miracle Furnace, his expression shifted from wild joy to a somewhat bemused resignation. What is it with these Wizards and noting down everything! Richard rather angrily put the notes on mating experiences back in their place and then took note of their identification number. Ahem, don¡¯t overthink it. Richard was simply interested in the anatomical structure of Otherworld creatures. After searching the bookshelf for quite a while, Richard finally found a set of notes he could extract information from. [Material: Notes of an unknown Wizard] [Extractable Part: Bloodline Alchemy recipe] [Extraction Cost: 15 spiritual power] [Proceed with extraction?] ¡°No.¡± Richard pressed the Crystal Ball against the book¡¯s identification tag, and with a flash of white light, a line of text appeared within the Crystal Ball. [Wizard Apprentice Richard has borrowed book number n7891, borrow time three days, please return to the library to renew the loan after expiration. This book is free and allowed to be recorded.] ¡°Free books can be recorded, so books that need Magic Stones definitely can¡¯t be,¡± Richard stroked his chin, ¡°I wonder what method the Academy uses to prevent paid books from leaking out, could it be a Curse?¡± However, Richard didn¡¯t dwell on it, as he was someone who abided by the rules. Returning to his dormitory with the notes, Richard chose to extract from them. Another familiar blackout ensued, and by the time Richard awoke, the sky had already darkened. ¡°Let¡¯s see what this Bloodline Alchemy is about.¡± Richard absorbed the white light, thereby learning the reality of Bloodline Alchemy. ¡°To fuse the Bloodline of other creatures into one¡¯s own body, to be used at crucial moments to gain abilities or strength. And it¡¯s not just one type of creature; the Bloodline Alchemy can actually combine multiple creature¡¯s Bloodlines together, achieving an effect where one plus one exceeds two.¡± Richard glanced at the notes before him and suddenly thought of Saban, whom he had killed. Saban¡¯s case seemed somewhat similar to Bloodline Alchemy. Could it be that the Legendary Knights from the legends were Wizards or even Wizard Apprentices who used Bloodline Alchemy? With this in mind, Richard hastily retrieved Saban¡¯s arm bracelet. Comparing the content on the arm bracelet with the information in the notes, the rhythm of breathing recorded on the arm bracelet was very similar to that in the notes, where such rhythm was referred as the Breathing Technique, a method used in the first stage of Bloodline Alchemy to stimulate the Bloodline. Recalling Saban exhaling white Qi from his mouth and nose, Richard slapped his thigh: ¡°Exactly! The essence of Legendary Knights is Bloodline Alchemy. The legendary Knights depicted as enormously strong with various special abilities are nothing but Wizards or even Wizard Apprentices who have used Bloodline Alchemy.¡± This discovery made Richard¡¯s pulse race; he became impatient and took the notes straight to the Academy library. Introduction to Alchemy, Ancient Alchemy, On the Strengths and Weaknesses of Bloodline Alchemy¡­ book after book about Alchemy was found by Richard, who now had a concept forming in his mind. He wanted to construct a comprehensive Combat System centered around Alchemy. A Wizard¡¯s means are ever-changing. If these means were imagined as a deck of cards, then each card would have a corresponding counter. Richard¡¯s idea was to rely on Alchemy as the core card to build his own deck. What he was doing now was determining whether Alchemy was up to this significant task. As he flipped through each book, various information about Alchemy was absorbed by Richard, and his understanding of Alchemy became increasingly comprehensive. His idea of constructing a Combat System based around Alchemy also solidified. Magic Equipment, Magic Potions, Bloodline Alchemy, Magic Arrays¡­ Alchemy covered a vast array of subjects, both broad and deep enough to serve as the core of a Combat System. After going through all the borrowed books, Richard let out a sigh. A Combat System outline, centralized on Alchemy and supplemented by various Spells, began taking shape in his mind. What he needed to do now was expand his knowledge to fill in the details of this outline. But before that, there was something else he needed to complete. That was to find a mentor from whom he could learn Alchemy. COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 19 - Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Mentor Tasks Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Mentor Tasks Wizard Academy had no strict requirements for apprentices in choosing mentors, or rather, many wizards simply didn¡¯t want to take on apprentices. For the majority of wizards, an apprentice would only distract them. Richard had spent a long time in the mentor section of the Central Black Tower, filtering out all the mentors renowned for their alchemy. After eliminating the wizards who hadn¡¯t taken apprentices for many years and those with extremely demanding conditions, a wizard named Jolod caught his attention. ¡°Alchemy School Jolod, Second Level Wizard, main research focus on alchemy, has taken in thirteen hundred apprentices over the past hundred years.¡± Richard looked at Jolod¡¯s information and felt the name seemed familiar. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Anna¡¯s mentor and the wizard who made my Wizard Robe?¡± Recalling Anna¡¯s commanding presence on the podium and the techniques he had extracted from his Wizard Robe, Richard was certain that this Wizard Jolod must be a Master. ¡°Let me see what the conditions for apprentices are, strength to be at the lower apprentice level, and at least complete one task he has posted.¡± Richard stroked his chin, ¡°These conditions do seem easy, no wonder he manages to take on over a hundred apprentices each session.¡± But as easy as they were, Richard hadn¡¯t met either condition. ¡°Becoming a lower-level apprentice would probably take a year. Let¡¯s first see the tasks he has posted.¡± Arriving on the twenty-fifth floor of the Central Black Tower, this was the Academy task hall where apprentices could freely take on tasks posted by the Academy. Richard walked into the hall. The vast hall was divided into three parts. On the far left were the Academy¡¯s daily tasks, which mainly involved maintaining Academy equipment and patrolling corners of the Academy and cities and mountains within the Academy¡¯s sphere of influence. These were tasks with extremely low difficulty and likewise low benefits. On the far right side of the hall, the posted tasks were trial tasks, primarily involving hunting Magic Beasts and investigating dangerous incidents within the Academy¡¯s sphere of influence. These tasks were extremely dangerous but also offered great benefits. In between these two, which was the area most populated by apprentices, were tasks posted by the Academy¡¯s wizards. These tasks ranged from collecting herbs to concocting Magic Potions and could be described as having moderate difficulty, some inherent risk, but equally substantial rewards. Richard approached the middle area and suddenly noticed that his Crystal Ball lit up by itself; using his spiritual power to probe, he found that he could see all the tasks posted by wizards on his Crystal Ball. ¡°Impressive.¡± Richard exclaimed softly, starting to look for a task posted by Wizard Jolod. After searching for a while, a task for refining fifty grams of Red Mercury appeared in front of him. ¡°Red Mercury, a volatile liquid metal, apprentices are advised to carefully consider their own strength before taking on this task. If extraction is completed, please submit it to the fiftieth floor of the Central Black Tower. Reward: one hundred Magic Stones.¡± Richard looked at the task description, equating this item with nitroglycerin in his mind. ¡°But this task has no time limit. I¡¯ll take it first and see. Besides, the Miracle Furnace can also refine materials; this time is a good opportunity to test its efficacy.¡± Richard walked up to the counter, and a Medusa-like witch with serpentine hair greeted him. Richard glanced at the silver pentagram symbol on the witch¡¯s Wizard Robe. At Black Tower Wizard Academy, the silver pentagram was the mark of an apprentice. ¡°Miss, I would like to take on task 1205.¡± The witch glanced at him, ¡°Young man, a newcomer, aren¡¯t you? Jolod¡¯s tasks aren¡¯t so easily taken.¡± ¡°Hmm? Miss, what do you mean by that? Are Master Jolod¡¯s tasks always very difficult?¡± Richard smiled, trying to leverage his looks to his advantage. The Medusa-like witch gave Richard a cursory glance, the corners of her mouth hinting at an amused smile, ¡°Don¡¯t try to butter me up.¡± But even though she said so, the Medusa-like witch still told Richard about Jolod. ¡°Jolod¡¯s tasks are notoriously thankless and strenuous. Don¡¯t be fooled by his recruitment of over a hundred apprentices each session; very few actually receive his personal guidance.¡± ¡°This I didn¡¯t expect,¡± Richard was taken aback, ¡°Then why does he recruit so many apprentices?¡± ¡°What else, to work for him,¡± the Medusa-like witch twiddled her fingers, ¡°He owns an Alchemy Workshop, and most of the apprentices he recruits end up working there. I advise you, unless you have considerable talent in alchemy, to avoid working under Jolod.¡± After considering for a moment, Richard thought about how few wizards specialized in alchemy at the Academy and how every other Alchemy Wizard had extremely stringent conditions for their apprentices. If he gave up on Jolod, he might never be able to pursue the path of an Alchemy Wizard. Moreover, since the task had no time limit and offered a rich reward, even if he didn¡¯t choose Jolod as his mentor, just earning some Magic Stones would be worthwhile. ¡°Thank you for the advice, miss, but I think I have a bit of talent in alchemy. I¡¯ll take this task.¡± The Medusa-like witch was not at all surprised by Richard¡¯s response; over the years, she had seen too many wizards like Richard. Every one of them believed they were extraordinarily talented and thought they could win the favor of a wizard. But in the end, only a handful truly succeeded. ¡°Another who won¡¯t take advice, such a waste of a handsome face. Give me your Crystal Ball, I¡¯ll register your information.¡± ¡­ After leaving the task hall, Richard immediately headed towards the commercial district. To refine Red Mercury, a material known as Sunstone was required. This material was quite rare, so much so that Richard had a hard time finding it in the shops of the commercial district. Eventually, Richard learned about aAlchemy shop named Anna¡¯s Hut that sold this material. ¡°Anna¡¯s Hut, it can¡¯t be that Anna owns it, can it?¡± Richard smirked twitchingly as he looked at the shop name. A mentor¡¯s task, and the materials had to be bought from his apprentice¡¯s store. This Wizard Jolod truly was a shrewd businessman. It seemed that Anna¡¯s Hut often dealt with apprentices taking on Jolod¡¯s tasks. When Richard explained his purpose, the shopkeeper immediately handed him a bag. ¡°Two kilograms of Sunstone, sufficient to extract fifty grams of Red Mercury. The price is five hundred Academy Coins.¡± The price startled Richard¡ªit was too cheap compared to the reward. This kind of business, aside from being a scam, made Richard think that the extraction of Red Mercury was very likely to fail, necessitating repeated purchases of Sunstone. ¡°Alright, here are the Magic Stones.¡± Richard took the bag, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted. Magic Stones minus five, he had five left. Back in his room, Richard reviewed the information in the Crystal Ball about the extraction of Red Mercury. After confirming that refining Red Mercury did not require Sunstone to be mixed with other materials, Richard took a deep breath and took out a piece of Sunstone. ¡°[Material: Sunstone (one kilogram)]¡± ¡°[Refinable substance: Red Mercury]¡± ¡°[Refining cost: 100 Magic Power]¡± ¡°[Proceed with refining?]¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 20 - Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Bloodline Alchemy (Seeking Followers) Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Bloodline Alchemy (Seeking Followers) ¡°Haha, this kind of thing that doesn¡¯t involve synthesis and only requires impurity removal can indeed be done using the Miracle Furnace.¡± Richard slapped his thigh, the whole person becoming excited. For a long time, Richard had been using the Miracle Furnace to refine various pieces of information, and he hadn¡¯t used its function to refine materials. Now, having accepted the task of extracting red mercury, he was keen to see the capability of the Miracle Furnace in extracting materials. ¡°No.¡± But Richard didn¡¯t rush to refine; he remembered the explosive nature of red mercury. ¡°Red mercury is prone to explosion; it must be kept away from light after refining, and be safe from bumps and shakes. I need to buy a colored glass bottle.¡± No sooner said than done, Richard immediately went to the business district and bought a brown glass bottle. Once back in his room, Richard took a fist-sized sunstone into his hands and chose to refine. The next moment, Richard felt his magic power flowing towards a place he could not detect. Refining consumed two-thirds of Richard¡¯s magic power, which meant that one unit of spiritual power was equivalent to ten units of magic power. As the magic power dwindled, the sunstone in Richard¡¯s hand instantly appeared in the Melter, shrinking rapidly before his eyes, turning into a lump of golden, red liquid that appeared in Richard¡¯s hand. Wrapped in magic power, the red mercury floated motionless in the air. Richard opened the newly purchased brown glass bottle and carefully guided the red mercury into the bottle with his magic power. After all of it had entered the glass bottle, Richard brought over a large balance to weigh it. A kilogram of sunstone had actually yielded fifty grams of red mercury. ¡°Have I been duped?¡± Richard was somewhat angry, but then he thought that thanks to the Miracle Furnace extraction, there was almost no loss. Ordinary apprentices could not use the materials as completely as he did. So, it was understandable that one kilogram of sunstone could be refined into fifty grams of red mercury. ¡°Regardless, the task is completed. Even if I don¡¯t join Jolod, a hundred Magic Stones is a significant sum.¡± After refining the red mercury, Richard¡¯s life returned to normal. Central Black Tower, library, dormitory ¨C these three points made a straight line. Occasionally, he would join Ali for a meal and stroll through the commercial district; that was the entirety of Richard¡¯s life. As for the task, Richard didn¡¯t go to submit it. According to his experiments with the remaining sunstone, it would take at least a month for an ordinary apprentice to refine red mercury, and that was if everything went well and without mistakes. If there was a failure, the time could double or even more. The tree that stands out in the forest is the one that gets cut down. Moreover, Richard was not just excellent; he had an ¡°external help.¡± Under these circumstances, Richard had to conceal his true power and set the time for submitting the task to three months after accepting it. Apart from the task, during this time, Richard had been seeking materials for Bloodline Alchemy rather than exchanging for Magic Models to inscribe Magic Marks. There are three essentials for a Wizard Apprentice: connecting to the Sea of Souls, establishing magic rebound, and inscribing Magic Marks. Inscribing Magic Marks allows a wizard to cast spells quickly, but as a low-level apprentice, Richard had very few spells he could exchange for now. Bloodline Alchemy was different. The formula Richard had extracted from those notes was called Black Knight, the first three stages of which could be undertaken during the apprenticeship phase, and the required bloodlines were not rare. The simplest first stage only needed a bloodline from a low-level Magic Beast called Black Iron Beast. The fight with Saban had shown him how powerful a knight could become with the help of spells. And the purpose of Bloodline Alchemy was to enhance his physique. Richard was clear that their current peaceful life was merely because they had just entered the Academy and were unfamiliar with many things. As time passed, conflicts were sure to erupt among this group who had blood on their hands. ¡­ Three months later, in the Apprentice Self-Assessment Room. [Spiritual Power 16.2, Physique 10, Magic Power 162, Rating: Entry-Level Apprentice.] Looking at the data displayed in the crystal ball, Richard nodded in satisfaction. After three months of grueling meditation, his spiritual power had finally broken through sixteen points. ¡°Three months to increase by one point, with this speed, I¡¯ll reach the standard of a low-level apprentice in a year. And this is the speed without changing the Meditation Method; if I can replace it with an Intermediate Meditation Method, this pace will be even faster!¡± He also noticed his physique, according to the Academy¡¯s records, a knight attendant¡¯s physique ranges between ten to fifteen points, with fifteen being a formal knight, and surpassing twenty being a senior knight. Richard had managed to elevate his physique to the level of a knight attendant, without any physical training whatsoever. This was simply inconceivable. If Ali from next door hadn¡¯t experienced the same thing, he would have doubted whether he had some Legendary Bloodline. After leaving the testing room, Richard headed to the street of market stalls in the commercial district. On this street, there were market stalls set up by apprentices who couldn¡¯t afford a shop. Richard had no particular reason for his visit, purely because the prices here were cheap, suitable for finding bargains. Looking left and right, Richard strolled around and actually spotted something he needed. ¡°Friend, how much for this claw?¡± Richard squatted in front of a market stall, looking at a claw on the stall that had a few Black Scales attached. After many days of searching, Richard had finally found someone selling a Black Iron Beast. The stall owner glanced at Richard, his brand-new wizard robe, his youthful face¡ªit seemed he was a new apprentice, perfect for a good rip-off. ¡°Five hundred Academy Coins,¡± the stall owner quoted the price. ¡°Hmm? With such poor quality, how dare you ask for the price of five Magic Stones?¡± Richard pointed at the claw and raised his voice in surprise. ¡°This is at most two hundred Academy Coins, no more.¡± ¡°Two hundred?¡± The stall owner nearly jumped up from the ground upon hearing Richard¡¯s offer. He was here to rip off some clueless person, not to be the clueless one. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go rob someone? Do you know how hard it is to kill a Black Iron Beast? At least four Magic Stones!¡± ¡°Four Magic Stones? Why don¡¯t you go rob someone?¡± Richard argued stubbornly, pointing out the defects on the claw and raising his voice, ¡°The claws of this Black Iron Beast are all broken, and half of the metal scales on the skin have fallen off. Two hundred fifty at most, no more.¡± ¡°Three hundred and fifty! That¡¯s the lowest I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Three hundred! Any higher and I¡¯ll look somewhere else!¡± Richard, feigning to leave, saw the stall owner¡¯s resolute attitude and bit the bullet, agreeing to Richard¡¯s price. The claw had been laid out for three days now, and if it was not sold soon, it would rot, and the stall owner would be the one left holding the bag. Seeing the stall owner gritting his teeth, Richard chuckled merrily, tossed down three Magic Stones, picked up the item, and left with a flourish. Humming a tune, Richard carried the claw of the Black Iron Beast back to his dorm. Although the claw of the Black Iron Beast was poor in appearance, it was intended to be used as alchemy materials. Richard didn¡¯t buy it to make props. ¡°With this claw of the Black Iron Beast, the first part of the Bloodline Alchemy in my notes can be completed.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Slight Improvement (Seeking Follow-Up Reads) Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Slight Improvement (Seeking Follow-Up Reads) Richard pressed down on the Black Iron Beast¡¯s paw, and the Miracle Furnace within his soul instantly evaluated it. ¡°Ingredient: Black Iron Beast¡¯s Forepaw¡± ¡°Extractable material: Pure Black Iron Beast Bloodline¡± ¡°Extraction cost: 100 Magic Power¡± ¡°Proceed with consumption?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Black Iron Beast¡¯s forepaw instantaneously appeared in the Miracle Furnace, streams of magic power were absorbed by the furnace, transforming into the driving force for the extraction. In mere seconds, a globule of blood, wrapped in magic power and shining like a ruby, appeared in Richard¡¯s hand. Bloodline Alchemy, as a widely known alchemy among wizards, could merge the bloodlines of other creatures with the alchemist¡¯s own bloodline, ultimately granting certain abilities or enhancing one¡¯s physique. In Bloodline Alchemy, the purity of the bloodline was of utmost importance. If the blood used in Bloodline Alchemy were mixed with the bloodline of another creature, the end result would not be ideal, and could even greatly deviate from the original intent. Placing the blood into a test tube, Richard took out a bottle of deep black ink from a drawer. According to the records, in addition to purifying the bloodline, Bloodline Alchemy also required the special ink to draw an Alchemy Array on the heart area. With the power of the Array, Richard¡¯s body would convert the bloodline into a Bloodline Seed buried deep within the heart, to be activated when needed. This was indeed one of the most well-known paths in Bloodline Alchemy ¡ª the Bloodline Seed. The greatest advantage of this path was that it caused minimal physical alteration, and the bloodline was easily interchangeable. However, the downside was that using the bloodline required constant maintenance with magic power. Apart from this path, Bloodline Alchemy had other routes such as direct transplant of organ glands, transformative paths of mutating one¡¯s own organs, and the most popular amongst wizard communities, the direct blending of bloodlines. The notebook attentively recorded the formula for the ink, but after Richard made some inquiries, he discovered that Bloodline Alchemy ink was now available for direct purchase in stores, and the price was not particularly expensive, just five Magic Stones per bottle. Upon learning this, Richard could only sigh that the times were advancing, and technology was progressing. With the conquest of planes, the number of mergeable bloodlines had vastly increased, allowing wizards from various Schools to find bloodlines that were suitable for their own and to engage in Bloodline Alchemy. The wizard who died during the Wizard Wars could have never imagined in his wildest dreams that the Bloodline Alchemy he researched would become a common technique among the wizard community. Holding a feather pen, Richard took off his shirt and found a mirror to draw the Array on his chest. The Alchemy Array needed for Bloodline Alchemy was relatively simple, and Richard finished it in just ten minutes. After completing the preparations, Richard took a deep breath and lay flat on the bed. The Alchemy Array lit up with a ghostly blue glow under the influence of Magic Power, and Richard poured the blood from the test tube into the center of the Array. The next second, a sensation like being scorched by a red-hot iron branded his chest, and scalding blood pumped from his heart, coursing through his veins and throughout his body. ¡°Ugh!¡± Richard clenched his teeth hard, striving to remain conscious. He now needed to ensure a constant supply of Magic Power into the Alchemy Array. After an indeterminate amount of time, Richard felt the burning sensation in his chest subside. He relaxed his body, lying on the bed as limp as mud, his clothing completely soaked with sweat. ¡°This thing is practically torture.¡± After resting for a while and regaining some strength, Richard got up from the bed, casually stripped off his clothes, and decided to take a bath. Sssst. A ripping sound ensued. Richard looked at his torn trousers, his expression somewhat puzzled. ¡°` He hadn¡¯t exerted much strength at all. He carefully tugged at his trousers and saw that the previously sturdy fabric tore as easily as paper in his hands. Richard finally realized what had happened. His strength had increased. He carefully removed his trousers to check on his body. A single punch thrown into the air produced an instant dull thud, and a light hop easily brought his head into contact with the ceiling. ¡°The notes mentioned that the first phase of Bloodline Alchemy would slightly enhance one¡¯s physique¡­¡± Richard turned and lifted the bed behind him; it must have weighed several hundred pounds, yet he felt it was only slightly heavy. ¡°Is this what the Wizard calls a slight enhancement of physique?¡± Richard set down the bed, at a loss for words. Although he had anticipated that the Wizard¡¯s idea of ¡®slight¡¯ might differ from his, the current gap between Wizard and Apprentice seemed to be greater than that between heaven and earth. Adapting to his new body, Richard began to breathe according to the Breathing Technique outlined in the notes. Each Bloodline Alchemy came with its matching Breathing Technique, which not only temporarily increased combat strength but, most importantly, stimulated the body to awaken the Bloodline. According to the notes, he should now have a protective layer of Scale Armor. Inhale¡ªExhale¡ªInhale¡ªExhale¡­ After breathing rhythmically for a few seconds, Richard felt a scorching hot stream originate at his heart and rapidly spread throughout his body. At the same time, an itchy sensation emerged from all over his body. Looking down at himself, he saw black scales with a metallic sheen breaking through his skin, looking just like those of a Black Iron Beast. Richard fetched a Dagger and tentatively prodded his scales. The dagger, which could usually slice through iron like mud, required a significant effort to penetrate his scales. ¡°Heh, slight protection.¡± Richard put away the Dagger; even when imbued with Magic Power, it could pierce Plate Armor, but now it took effort to pierce his Scale Armor. This meant he now wore Armor better than Plate Armor. Black scales combined with the Wizard Robe¡¯s Force Field Barrier¡ªthis level of defense was definitely top-tier among the new Apprentices. ¡°With my current state, I could easily defeat that magic sheep if I faced it head-on.¡± The black scales undulated like flowing water with the movement of his muscles, casting an eerie charm under the light. ¡°How beautiful,¡± Richard commented somewhat narcissistically. However, not long after, a horrifying hunger suddenly surged from within him. ¡°Damn it, Bloodline Alchemy drained my Magic Power, and now using my Bloodline is consuming my Life Energy.¡± Richard quickly suppressed his Bloodline; the black scales began to recede from the tips of his limbs until they converged on his chest, forming a black imprint. Following the retreat of his Bloodline, a wave of weakness immediately overtook him. Staggering to a table, Richard grabbed a leftover Nutritional Potion from the entrance exam and gulped it down. One bottle was not enough, then another, and after downing three bottles, the ghastly hunger finally subsided. Walking into the washroom, Richard looked at his gaunt reflection in the mirror and thought about how his recent weight gain had been for naught. ¡°This consumption from Bloodline Alchemy is too terrifying. Unless absolutely necessary, it should never be used when Magic Power is depleted,¡± Richard concluded. After cleaning the blood caused by his emerging scales and changing into fresh clothes, Richard acknowledged that three months had passed¡ªit was time to collect those one hundred Magic Stones. ¡°` COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 22 - Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Purity, Extremely High Purity (Seeking for Follow-Up Reads) Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Purity, Extremely High Purity (Seeking for Follow-Up Reads) After tidying up his clothes, Richard cautiously took out the red mercury he had refined a few months ago and placed it into a box stuffed with balls of paper and straw. If this thing exploded, Richard could lose half his life. Carrying the box, he made his way to the Central Black Tower, and while passing the Apprentice Self-Test Room, Richard decided to test his physique on the way. [Spiritual Power? Physique 22, Magic Power 176, Rating: Novice Apprentice.] ¡°Huh? Why is the spiritual power a question mark? Is the crystal ball broken?¡± Richard tapped the crystal ball and, besides the spiritual power, his magic power also seemed off. However, since the bloodline in Bloodline Alchemy was from a Magic Beast, and the bloodline included some magic power, it wasn¡¯t a problem for the magic power to be a bit higher. By the time he reached the fifty-sixth floor, Richard was already sweating profusely. Carrying what was essentially a bomb, he would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t nervous. Knock, knock, knock! Richard knocked on the nearest door. Click. ¡°What do you want?¡± An apprentice opened the door¡ªa portly figure, seemingly middle-aged, with slit eyes, a hooked nose, and a glossy forehead that shone under the magic light. ¡°Senior, I¡¯m here to submit a task.¡± Richard, holding the box, carefully handed it over to the middle-aged apprentice before him. ¡°Submitting a task? Which task?¡± The middle-aged apprentice reached out to take it, but then, seeing Richard¡¯s sweat-drenched face and his cautious handling, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. It couldn¡¯t be red mercury. There really was a brash youth who had refined it! ¡°Please come in, quickly. Be careful with that box, the power of red mercury is not insignificant.¡± The middle-aged apprentice kept retreating, then opened the door behind him as far as possible, making no move to take the box. Only after Richard had securely placed the red mercury did he breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Junior brother, you¡¯re quite bold. Carrying red mercury all by yourself up here.¡± The middle-aged apprentice sat down on a chair, wiping the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Senior, how may I address you?¡± ¡°Chax. And your name?¡± ¡°Richard.¡± After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chax walked over to the window and called out twice. In seconds, a regular-sized owl flew into the room. ¡°Sister, someone has brought the red mercury you asked for,¡± Chax said to the owl. Richard watched with curiosity, ¡°Senior, what is this?¡± Chax waved his hand dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s just a small trick. I¡¯m simply using animals to send messages.¡± After saying this, he let the owl fly away and returned to his chair. ¡°Senior Chax, you just mentioned a ¡®sister¡¯. Isn¡¯t Master Jolod the one who wants the red mercury?¡± Richard remembered Chax¡¯s words, realizing that perhaps the task for the red mercury wasn¡¯t directly set by Jolod himself. ¡°Ah, the teacher researches Synthetic Beasts, he doesn¡¯t need this stuff.¡± Chax wiped his forehead again, ¡°The task for red mercury was posted in his name by Senior Sister Anna.¡± ¡°So does this task count or¡­?¡± ¡°It counts. If you want to become a disciple of the teacher, this task definitely counts.¡± Seeing Richard¡¯s somewhat bewildered face, Chax had a ridiculous thought cross his mind. He didn¡¯t refine red mercury without failing, did he? How could the refining of red mercury be fail-proof? ¡°Um¡­ Richard, how long did it take you to extract this stuff?¡± Chax ventured to ask. ¡°Uh, about three months. Refining red mercury is quite dangerous; I failed a few times, so it took me a little longer,¡± Richard lied convincingly. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Given your strength, you must be a rookie who has just started school. I almost thought I had encountered a legendary alchemy prodigy,¡± Chax said with a relieved laugh, ¡°Even the teacher sometimes fails when refining red mercury, the difficulty is off the charts.¡± After hearing this, Richard immediately felt that his decision to submit the task after three months was absolutely correct. If a Wizard has problems refining red mercury, what about an apprentice? The two chatted casually for a bit longer, and though Chax appeared greasy like a middle-aged man, his abilities were approaching an Advanced Apprentice, making him a formal student of Jolod. After getting to know each other better, Richard began to ask about becoming Jolod¡¯s disciple. ¡°Senior brother, I heard that most of those who join Master Jolod¡¯s tutelage end up in the Alchemy Workshop,¡± Richard probed. Hearing this, Chax disdainfully waved his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the nonsense outside, that all the teacher¡¯s apprentices end up working in the Alchemy Workshop and don¡¯t learn anything real.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the treatment Wizard gives to his Apprentices is counted among the best in the entire Academy. As long as you join Wizard as a disciple, you¡¯ll get a subsidy of at least five Magic Stones every month.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s on top of your workshop salary.¡± ¡°If you work in the workshop, it¡¯s normal to make ten or twenty Magic Stones a month after you get skilled.¡± ¡°For you newcomers, isn¡¯t that much better than doing Academy tasks?¡± After speaking, Chax reached into the table beside him and pulled out a metal flask, taking a couple of sips. ¡°Besides, just look at how other Masters treat their Apprentices. Using them to test medicines, to experiment with Magic, I have personally seen all this.¡± ¡°Our Mentor doesn¡¯t even talk about experimenting on you, and he even gives you Magic Stones, where else are you going to find such a good deal?¡± The more Richard listened the more he felt something was off, as Chax¡¯s words sounded suspiciously like some kind of scam. If Jolod was that good, Apprentices would be breaking down the doors to join him. But before Richard could speak, the door to the room banged open. ¡°Chax, where¡¯s the stuff you brought?¡± Richard looked up to see that the person who entered was Anna, the one who had lectured him the other day. Seeing Anna, Chax immediately hid his flask, then jumped to his feet and scurried over to her, fawningly saying, ¡°Sister, Sister, the red mercury is over there. Don¡¯t make such a fuss, red mercury can¡¯t withstand you treating it that roughly.¡± Anna glanced at Chax and then turned to look at the box before looking over at Richard. ¡°Did you refine this?¡± ¡°I refined it.¡± After confirming it was the Apprentice¡¯s work, Anna walked briskly over to the box where the red mercury was kept and gently opened it. ¡°Hmm?¡± Upon opening the box, she was greeted by the sight of a brown glass bottle. Although many Apprentices knew red mercury needed to be kept away from light, using a brown glass bottle for its storage was a detail she had only thought of after her Mentor¡¯s guidance. She had never seen anyone else use it before. ¡°A brown glass bottle, good attention to detail,¡± Anna praised. Chax overheard Anna¡¯s words and nearly popped his eyeballs out in excitement. Sister Anna was praising someone! Anna was Jolod¡¯s most prized disciple over the last thousand years. Normally, instead of praise, it was good enough if she didn¡¯t scold her fellow disciples and siblings. As for praise, that was unheard of. ¡°They should be kept away from light, so I found a brown bottle,¡± Richard muttered vaguely. When he opened the bottle, a peculiar scent of evaporating red mercury instantly spread through the room. Richard instinctively covered his mouth and nose, but saw Anna wave her hand, and a breeze cleared the smell from the room through the window. ¡°Chax, as a disciple of the Mentor, even an outsider knows to cover their nose and mouth, and you¡¯re still standing there dumbfounded,¡± Anna said, her glance making Chax shiver. After addressing Chax, Anna¡¯s fingertips sparked with a pale blue light, and a thread of Magic Power emanated from her fingertip, deftly entering the bottle. After a moment, a droplet of red mercury with a strange color was drawn out by her. ¡°This color¡­¡± Anna looked at the color of the red mercury, her eyes flickering uncertainly. This color¡­ this shimmer¡­ this was indeed red mercury, and it was red mercury of extremely high purity. Unable to resist, Anna stimulated the red mercury, and with a bang, the red mercury exploded upon the stimulus of Magic, creating a gust of air in the room. ¡°Did you refine this?¡± Anna turned and asked. ¡°I refined it,¡± Richard replied. ¡°What¡¯s your name, do you have a Mentor?¡± ¡°I am Richard, and I currently do not have a Mentor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± After listening, Anna capped the bottle and walked over to Richard. Richard was somewhat confused. Had the Miracle Furnace not refined red mercury? Did this woman think he was a fraud? Her question about having a Mentor, was it asking if he had any backing? Suddenly, Richard remembered that the fifty floors above in the Central Black Tower were the domains of Wizards, where there were no Academy Inspectors. That is, if Anna killed him here, nobody would know. For a moment, Richard¡¯s mind was in disarray, and he kept stepping back. ¡°Look, Sister Anna¡­¡± Corned with no escape, Richard, having no other choice, braced himself and said, ¡°Just say what you want to do.¡± Anna, towering nearly six feet tall, was able to look down at Richard. She patted his shoulders with both hands, her voice firm as she said, ¡°If you don¡¯t have a Mentor yet, then join our Alchemy School.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 23 - Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Jolods Test (Please Follow) Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Jolod¡¯s Test (Please Follow) Anna¡¯s words left Richard somewhat at a loss. ¡°I came here to submit a task, why are you trying to rope me in?¡± ¡°Join the Alchemy School, you have a strong talent in alchemy. This bottle of red mercury, even my mentor would struggle to achieve your level of purity, you¡¯re definitely a talent in alchemy.¡± Anna spoke with a righteous tone, and Richard almost believed her. ¡°But senior, I¡¯m still a beginner apprentice and the minimum requirement for Master Jolod¡¯s disciples is an intermediate apprentice.¡± ¡°Beginner apprentice?¡± Anna looked at Richard and suddenly frowned, a strong surge of spiritual power swept over him momentarily. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, you¡¯ve already reached the standard of an intermediate apprentice.¡± ¡°What?¡± When Richard heard Anna¡¯s words, he was momentarily stunned. He had only recently reached a spiritual power of 16, still four points shy of the requirement for an intermediate apprentice. How could he have possibly become one overnight? Seeing Richard¡¯s perplexed expression, Anna shook her head, ¡°Maybe you did something that stimulated the growth of your spiritual power?¡± ¡°Did something?¡± Richard pondered for a while; the only special thing he had done recently was Bloodline Alchemy. Could Bloodline Alchemy also enhance spiritual power? While Richard was pondering, Chax suddenly spoke up from the side. ¡°It¡¯s probably the Rebound Effect. Richard, have you been practicing Bloodline Alchemy recently?¡± Hearing Chax¡¯s words, Anna also noticed the incongruity in Richard¡¯s physiology; although he had adapted to his rapidly advancing physique, there were still some minor discrepancies due to such a short adaptation period. ¡°That¡¯s indeed the case.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s not surprising,¡± Chax said with a knowing look. ¡°Senior Chax, what is this Rebound Effect?¡± ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t attended the Soul School¡¯s classes yet.¡± Chax smiled, a flash of wisdom glinting across his shiny forehead. ¡°According to the research of the Soul School, our soul and body are not completely separated; there exists a covert connection between them. This connection can balance the disparity between the body and the spirit. When a creature¡¯s physique surges, its spiritual power increases as well, allowing its soul to utilize the body. The same goes the other way around; when spiritual power surges, the creature¡¯s physique also increases, enabling the body to accommodate a stronger soul.¡± Though Chax usually appeared like a greasy middle-aged man, when he discussed theories, his entire demeanor changed, and his previously somewhat comical shiny forehead now became a symbol of maturity and reliability. ¡°Simply put, if either spiritual power or the body is too strong, it will promote the growth of the other. After you practiced Bloodline Alchemy, your physique reached the level of an intermediate apprentice, but there was a significant disparity with your spiritual power, so your spiritual power also increased.¡± Having heard this, Richard suddenly understood, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Then, wouldn¡¯t it be possible for a knight¡¯s spiritual power to be enhanced if their physique is powerful enough?¡± ¡°In theory, yes,¡± Chax nodded, ¡°but the physiological limit of human beings is too low; even if they reach the so-called peak to become a high-level Knight, it¡¯s merely twenty-nine points of physique. Compared to a wizard¡¯s meditation, this method of enhancing strength is far too inefficient. Apprentice, how long did your session of Bloodline Alchemy take? Just an hour or two, and you achieved what some knights take decades to accomplish. Moreover, spiritual power must connect to the Sea of Souls to be completely liberated; if a knight does not reach high level, the spiritual power gained through the Rebound Effect would merely be potential.¡± Richard thought about it, and indeed, what Chax had said was true. ¡°Apprentice, don¡¯t think about relying on physique to boost spiritual power; the Rebound Effect requires a significant difference between spiritual power and physique, such as your current situation where your spiritual power is at an intermediate apprentice, but your physique has reached the standard of an intermediate apprentice. Only in such situations will the Rebound Effect occur. If you become a wizard, this effect would change between a One Ring Wizard and a Second Ring Wizard.¡± As he spoke, Chax suddenly walked up to Richard and patted his shoulder. ¡°Our mentor has connections with many Alchemy Wizards, as long as you can become the mentor¡¯s formal disciple, later transforming your current bloodline to a more perfect bloodline formula is not impossible.¡± Obviously, Chax had mistaken Richard for an apprentice who conducted Bloodline Alchemy recklessly. Richard forced a smile upon hearing this, silently vowing to himself that he would definitely add a twist to the materials refined in the Miracle Furnace in the future. ¡°Alright, Chax, step aside for now, whether you enter the Alchemy School depends on what Richard wants.¡± Anna pulled Chax aside, leaving Richard alone to ponder quietly. Choosing a mentor was a serious matter, with the Academy having strict rules about switching mentors. If an apprentice rashly changed mentors, it could lead to a situation where no mentors in the Academy were willing to accept them. Minutes later, Richard took a deep breath and looked steadfastly at Anna. ¡°Whew, I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± ¡°I want to join the Alchemy School and become a disciple under Master Jolod.¡± ¡°Good, I will take you to meet the mentor right now.¡± Anna clapped her hands, immediately dragging Richard up to the upper levels of the Black Tower. On the ninety-ninth floor of the Central Black Tower, the Alchemy Wizard Jolod was busily engaged in his Synthetic Beast experiment. As the Black Tower Wizard Academy¡¯s wizard with the highest Alchemy Skill, he possessed the best-protected laboratory in the entire Central Black Tower. In this laboratory, unless the Central Black Tower collapsed, his experiments would not be disturbed at all. ¡°Roar! Roar!¡± Watching the Synthetic Beast in front of him gradually disintegrate, Jolod, who had been failing continuously for a month, rubbed his temples and casually summoned a flame to reduce the beast¡¯s remains to ashes. ¡°Where exactly is the problem? What exactly is missing from the notes my mentor gave me?¡± Jolod walked to his desk, somewhat headache-stricken as he looked at his own experimental notes. Knock knock knock. ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened, and Anna brought Richard into the laboratory. Upon entering the laboratory, Richard instantly felt a strong sense of shackles as though something was suppressing his magic power. He looked around; the entire laboratory was made of black bricks engraved with runes, and though there were several Magic Lights on the ceiling, the laboratory remained very dim. At the center of the laboratory was a black stone carved table, which divided the laboratory into two parts. On the right side of the laboratory, there were iron racks filled with glass containers of varying shapes, all containing a yellow liquid, within which various types of glands and organs were soaked. On the other side, the left side of the laboratory, the walls were adorned with various anatomical atlases, and between these atlases stood a huge bookshelf filled with books, notes, and even manuscripts, which looked very cluttered. Before the bookshelf stood a table where an old man with white hair was now deep in thought. ¡°Mentor, I¡¯ve discovered an alchemy prodigy.¡± Anna, leading Richard over to the old man, placed a vial of red mercury onto the experiment table. Wizard Jolod, the Alchemy Wizard widely recognized for accepting numerous apprentices, looked just like any ordinary old man with his graying hair, large beard, and full face of wrinkles. But this was just the surface. Richard noticed something unusual about Jolod¡¯s eyes; deep within his eyeballs was something strange¡ªa myriad of tiny compound eyes! Jolod opened the bottle and drew out a droplet of red mercury with a strand of magic power. ¡°Hmm? This purity¡­ quite impressive.¡± After activating the red mercury to verify its potency, he fixed his gaze upon Richard. In a moment, it felt like Richard was completely seen through as the eyes seemed to penetrate his clothes, skin, muscle, bones, all the way to his soul. ¡°Bloodline Alchemy, just became a low-level apprentice. To refine this purity of red mercury, he truly can be called a genius.¡± Jolod withdrew his gaze, commenting in a flat tone. ¡°Anna, you brought him here presumably for him to become your disciple, I trust your judgment, but we still have to go through the necessary procedures.¡± Having said that, Jolod pulled open a drawer of the table and, without looking, took out a crystal ball. ¡°Make this, and you¡¯re qualified.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 24 - Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Magic Equipment: Pale Mask (Please Follow) Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Magic Equipment: Pale Mask (Please Follow) Richard took the crystal ball, and after probing it with his spiritual power, he discovered a design diagram inside. This was a magic equipment design diagram named ¡°Pale Mask.¡± Jolod, looking at the notes in his hand, spoke in an indifferent tone, ¡°Make this thing, and then hand it over to me. I¡¯ll give you three months. If you can¡¯t make it in three months, it would mean that your talent isn¡¯t as good as I thought.¡± After speaking, Jolod glanced at Richard. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°I understand, Master Jolod.¡± ¡°Then go back. I still have experiments to conduct.¡± Jolod waved his hand, and Richard and Anna left without making a sound. Once outside, Richard patted his chest. ¡°So that¡¯s a wizard? When he looked at me, I felt like he saw right through me.¡± Anna rolled her eyes at him, ¡°It¡¯s not that scary. The mentor saw you as a low-level apprentice, even the life radiation was restrained. Go back and properly make the magic equipment; the mask isn¡¯t hard to craft. I¡¯ll await your news in three months.¡± With that, Anna strode ahead and directly leaped over the stair banister, falling freely. ¡°Whew, having Levitation Skill is impressive. But why do I feel like something¡¯s missing?¡± Richard stroked his chin, then suddenly went to the edge of the banister to shout at Anna. ¡°Senior sister, you haven¡¯t given me the money yet!¡± ¡­ Once he found Anna and settled his debt with magic stones, due to the high purity of his red mercury and the possibility of them being fellow apprentices in the future, Anna gave him an additional ten magic stones and hoped that after Richard finished crafting the magic equipment, he could refine another batch of red mercury for her. To this, Richard could only express his willingness to collaborate in the future. Seeing his pocket filled with a full one hundred and ten magic stones, Richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh, Anna was truly wealthy. She gave away over a hundred magic stones without even blinking. ¡°I¡¯m rich now; time to pay back Ali¡¯s money first,¡± Richard counted the magic stones in his pouch. He had been so absorbed in the library recently that he spent every last magic stone he had, and even the money he used to buy bloodline alchemy materials was borrowed from Ali. ¡°After changing the money, I¡¯ll take a stroll through the commercial district to gather the materials for crafting the magic equipment, and get started as soon as possible!¡± Richard pumped his fist, full of determination. Returning to his dormitory, Richard knocked on the door of the next room. Knock knock knock. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Click. Ali, wearing a thin nightgown, sleepily opened the door, her eyes half-closed. ¡°Richard, what is it?¡± As Ali rubbed her eyes, her slight movements caused her nightgown to reveal quite a bit. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯ve just come to return the magic stones.¡± Richard averted his gaze, handing a bag of magic stones to Ali. ¡°Five magic stones, please check.¡± Ali casually tossed the bag behind her, not even bothering to look. ¡°What for? You wouldn¡¯t cheat me. Come in and sit, I recently bought a can of Green¡¯s red tea from the commercial district.¡± ¡°No need to sit, I just found a mentor, and he¡¯s assigned me a task.¡± Richard mumbled a few words and turned to leave. ¡°Did you run into that woman named Anna?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Richard turned around, ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°The scent, she had this smell on her in class that day,¡± Ali said nonchalantly. Richard sniffed himself and indeed detected a faint aroma very similar to that of red mercury. ¡°Amazing, you could even smell that.¡± Richard gave a thumbs up, then waved his hand and briskly walked away. Ali watched Richard¡¯s retreating figure and slammed the door shut with a bang. Standing behind the door, her cheeks were flushed with annoyance. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even come in! Is his heart made of stone?¡± The somewhat irritated Ali stamped her feet fiercely before languidly lying down on the bed and picking up the ¡°Wizard World Almanac¡± she had borrowed from the library. ¡°Ah, knowledge, knowledge, you are the real enchantress. How many people have you bewitched, toiling their entire lives away just for a glimpse of the tip of your iceberg. Compared to you, such an adversary, how could I ever win?¡± Arriving at the commercial district, Richard began searching for suitable materials according to the design diagram. ¡°Inferior Wind Pattern Stone, sticky mushrooms, Black Mercury, Poison Rhododendron Ink, ten-year-old Demonized Wood¡­¡± After wandering around the commercial district for a long time, Richard finally gathered most of the materials needed to make the Pale Mask, spending a total of 3,500 Academy Coins, equivalent to thirty-five Magic Stones. ¡°There¡¯s still one missing, the skull of a Black Striped Water Python.¡± Richard looked at the last item on the materials list; he had visited over a dozen shops and hadn¡¯t found it. ¡°We don¡¯t have the skull of a Black Striped Water Python here,¡± said the clerk, shaking his head. Richard sighed upon hearing this. This was the last alchemy shop in the commercial district. ¡°Where should I obtain this item, then?¡± Richard asked, smiling as he slipped ten Academy Coins into the clerk¡¯s hand. Once the clerk made sure no one was watching, his smile became much more genuine. ¡°Black Striped Water Pythons have a habitat in the Black Stone Mountain Range. If you¡¯re in a hurry, you could go there and hunt one yourself. This Magic Beast isn¡¯t hard to kill for a low-level Apprentice. Also, if you really intend to go there, you might want to check at the Academy¡¯s Task Hall to see if there are tasks for patrolling the Black Stone Mountain Range. Academy tasks allow you to ride the Academy¡¯s airship for free, which could save you an airship ticket.¡± ¡°The Black Stone Mountain Range, huh? Thanks for the tip.¡± Richard pondered for a moment and decided to follow the clerk¡¯s suggestion to check the Task Hall. The Task Hall was bustling with people. After searching through the list of tasks for a while, Richard found one in the Academy tasks that involved scouting the conditions of White Crystals Deer in the Black Stone Mountain Range. Richard approached the counter to take on the task. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but due to the danger of the task, low-level and beginner Apprentices need to form a team of two or more to accept it,¡± said the Wizard Apprentice behind the counter, looking into the Crystal Ball. ¡°Do I need to form a team? That could be troublesome,¡± Richard frowned. Since coming to the Academy, Richard¡¯s life could even be described as reclusive. Besides frequenting the library and dormitory, he hardly had any social interactions except with Ali. Richard massaged his temples with a slight headache. ¡°Should I ask Ali to team up?¡± As he was pondering, suddenly a voice came from behind him. ¡°Hey, friend. Are you looking to form a team?¡± Richard turned around to see a plump man in a Wizard Robe looking at him. The chubby man seemed honest and sincere. ¡°Friend, want to team up? I¡¯m Loken, looking for someone to join me heading to the Black Stone Mountain Range.¡± Richard turned to look at the clerk; he had just inquired about taking on the task, and now someone was asking to team up. This was too much of a coincidence. The clerk gave Richard a glance: ¡°For low-level Apprentices, forming a temporary team in the hall is very common, nothing to make a fuss about.¡± ¡°Sorry, I already have a teammate.¡± Richard gave Loken an apologetic smile and turned to leave. Teaming up with a stranger for a mission in the wild seemed too dangerous to Richard. Returning to the dormitory, Richard once again knocked on Ali¡¯s door. ¡°Richard, what is it this time?¡± Ali opened the door with a subtle expression. Has this blockhead finally come to his senses? ¡°Uh¡­¡± Richard hesitated for a moment before speaking to Ali, ¡°I saw a task in the Task Hall that requires a team. Are you free lately?¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh, oh!¡± Ali cheered inwardly but kept a calm expression. ¡°I¡¯m free. How¡¯s the reward divided?¡± ¡°Three hundred Academy Coins, split evenly,¡± Richard answered. His main task was to hunt the Black Striped Water Python. To him now, the reward from the Academy task seemed trivial. ¡°Okay, I agree. Let me change my clothes.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Black Stone Mountain Range (Please Follow) Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Black Stone Mountain Range (Please Follow) When Ali had finished changing her clothes, half an hour had already passed. Looking at the youthful and cute girl in front of him, Richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh that the best cosmetic for women was youth. When they arrived at the mission hall, Richard noticed that a fat man named Loken seemed to have already found a team. ¡°It seems common for low-level apprentices to form teams, but aren¡¯t these people worried about betraying each other?¡± Richard thought to himself. Although the Black Stone Mountain Range was within the Academy¡¯s radius, there were no Academy Inspectors inside, and the apprentices were no longer restricted by school regulations. Moreover, every apprentice who had successfully entered the Academy had blood on their hands. In the wilderness, if his companions weren¡¯t well-known to him, Richard wouldn¡¯t dare to sleep peacefully. Richard and Ali walked up to the counter to accept a mission, and after confirming their team-up, the clerk briskly assigned them the mission. ¡°Let¡¯s go, pack up, tonight we¡¯ll take the flying airship.¡± On their way, Richard felt that Ali kept glancing at him, but whenever he looked back at her, she quickly averted her gaze. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Um¡­ no.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep looking at me?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s looking at you, don¡¯t flatter yourself. I was¡­ I was looking at the street lights.¡± Richard shook his head, unable to understand the girl¡¯s thoughts. Next time, he would record her with a Recording Crystal and see if she still denied it. Back at the dorm, besides packing clothes, Richard also armed himself thoroughly. He carried a great sword on his back, wore an arm bracelet, an ice cone ring on his finger, a magic dagger at his waist, and finally picked up the fireball magic wand. Richard¡¯s gear was now complete. After packing, Richard and Ali headed to the airship field located outside the Academy. There were many apprentices at the airship field, and Richard, with his sharp eyes, saw the team joined by the fat man Loken. Boarding a Zeppelin-type magic airship, Richard was exempted from the airship ticket after showing the mission proof, earning envious glances from the surrounding apprentices. The price of an airship ticket was not cheap, starting at one magic stone and going up to five or six for farther places. Ali looked at the ticket price on the airship, ¡°Richard, how did you know that taking academy missions could get us free tickets?¡± If they really had to pay for the tickets, the two of them would need four magic stones to go to the Black Stone Mountain Range, which would cost more than the reward itself. And the airship ticket seller didn¡¯t give any hints about this rule. ¡°Hehe, secret.¡± This passenger airship was different from the recruitment airships; instead of individual compartments, it had rows of wooden seats. Richard and Ali¡¯s seats were by the window. Sitting down, Ali, who was accustomed to sleeping, yawned and leaned against Richard, closing her eyes. Looking at Ali, who fell asleep instantly, Richard helplessly took a piece of clothing from their luggage and draped it over her. The moonlight outside the window was bright and when it shone through the window onto Ali¡¯s face, it seemed to veil her face with a layer of gauze. ¡°Sleeping like this is such a waste. The efficiency¡­ doesn¡¯t feel as good as meditation.¡± ¡­ The flying airship was fast, and they reached the distant Black Stone Mountain Range in half a night. When the morning sun shone into the airship, Richard moved his shoulders and woke Ali up. ¡°Wake up, we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Hm? So soon?¡± Ali yawned and stretched languidly, then followed Richard off the airship. The airship docked near a small town inhabited by quite a few ordinary humans. Loken¡¯s team also disembarked with Richard, but they seemed very familiar with the Black Stone Mountain Range and headed straight for it. As soon as they entered the small town, several people immediately approached Richard and Ali. ¡°Wizard sir, do you need a guide? I am very familiar with the Black Stone Mountain Range.¡± ¡°Wizard sir, I know the Black Stone Mountain Range the best, just a quarter of a magic stone, and I guarantee your mission will be completed quickly and smoothly.¡± ¡°Master Wizard, don¡¯t listen to them, I¡­¡± Seeing the guides crowded together, Richard coughed. ¡°Quiet down, everyone. We¡¯re here to survey the survival status of the White Crystal Deer, as well as to hunt a Magic Beast known as the Black Striped Water Python. Which of you are familiar with these two creatures?¡± Richard¡¯s words made the guides fall silent. They were indifferent to the White Crystal Deer, but very few among them had ever seen the Black Striped Water Python. ¡°Master Wizard, I¡¯m familiar with the White Crystal Deer, but I¡¯ve only seen the Black Striped Water Python once in the past six months, and I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s still around that area.¡± An old guide with a head of white hair but full of energy stood out among the guides, and none of the others dared to steal his business. Helplessly, the assignments under a wizard were lucrative but risky, and if they felt they were being fooled, even the City Lord couldn¡¯t protect them. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s you then. How many Magic Stones?¡± ¡°Half a Magic Stone is enough, Master Wizard.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°You can just call me Old John, Master Wizard.¡± The transaction completed, Old John didn¡¯t waste any time and immediately led the two towards Black Stone Mountain Range. In the morning, the Black Stone Mountain Range was covered in mist, and from afar it appeared as if a dark beast lurked within the white fog. Old John led the two along a mountain path deep into the Black Stone Mountain Range. Along the way, various uniquely shaped plants and insects kept Richard and his companion from turning away. ¡°Master Wizard, is this your first visit to Black Stone Mountain Range?¡± Richard, who had just finished collecting some plants, turned and looked towards Old John. ¡°Indeed it is.¡± ¡°Ha ha, I could tell you two were first-timers from the way you act,¡± laughed Old John, reaching into the nearby brush and pulling out a mushroom. ¡°Master Wizard, never mind those little toys, look at this mushroom Old John has.¡± Richard took the mushroom and with a probe of his spiritual power, discovered that it actually contained magic. ¡°What is this!¡± Richard asked in surprise. Old John shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is either, just that I often see other wizards picking this when they come to the mountain.¡± Richard, sensing the hint, carefully pocketed the mushroom and took out a Magic Stone from his belt pocket, which still had one-fifth of its magic power left. ¡°Later, take us to see other things that wizards often pick.¡± Old John with a beaming smile accepted the Magic Stone, ¡°Alright, Old John guarantees you¡¯ll be satisfied, sir.¡± Black Stone Mountain Range was vast, stretching over thousands of kilometers, even extending beyond the Academy¡¯s bounds. As the moon climbed into the sky, after walking in the mountain for a day, Richard and his party started a campfire in the forest. Richard and Ali sat quietly in front of the campfire, watching Old John show off his cooking skills. Having been a guide for decades, Old John mastered his duties, noting that Richard and his companion were first-timers at Black Stone Mountain Range and were unprepared. Along the way, he began preparing game meat for dinner. As Old John smoothed a layer of secret spices over the golden-brown skin of the mountain chicken, a thick fragrance burst forth as the greasy skin sizzled. ¡°It smells so good.¡± Ali sniffed, eagerly watching the roasting chicken. At that moment, Richard felt a bit greedy too; although he had prepared dry rations, who would prefer them over delicious roast meat? Just as the two were indulging their appetites, sudden noises echoed from the woods. The keen-eared Old John looked alertly towards the woods, suddenly thrusting the barbecue into the ground. ¡°Both of you, someone is approaching and we may need to fight. Old John won¡¯t hold you back.¡± With that, Old John¡¯s figure vanished into the woods in an instant. And not long after he disappeared, rustling sounds came from the forest in front of Richard. A figure, covered in blood, emerged from the woods. COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Luring Trouble Eastward (Please Follow) Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Luring Trouble Eastward (Please Follow) ¡°What the hell!¡± Richard drew his great sword, his breathing starting to change rhythm. Behind him, Ali also took a magic wand from her luggage, the flash of magic power shimmering faintly. ¡°Don¡¯t make a move, it¡¯s me! Loken!¡± The blood-colored figure wiped his cheek, revealing a simple and honest chubby face. ¡°Loken? Weren¡¯t you teaming up with others? How did you end up like this?¡± As he spoke, Richard stealthily gave Ali a look, and she, with perfect understanding, moved beside Richard¡¯s luggage and took the Fireball Magic Wand into her hands. Loken¡¯s situation was not right; it seemed as if something was chasing him. Several more noises came from the dense forest, and by the sounds of it, they were likely the noise of Magic Missiles. Loken¡¯s face changed, and a glint of light flashed from his boots. ¡°It¡¯s a long story; we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± Then, the chubby man¡¯s feet moved like the wind, and he quickly disappeared into the woods. In the end, he still shouted to Richard: ¡°I got the stuff, let¡¯s split up and run!¡± Right then, even a fool like Richard knew he¡¯d been played. ¡°Friend, I have nothing to do with that guy!¡± Richard shouted into the forest, while his heart started pumping hot blood through his veins. His magic power was rapidly depleting, replaced by the growing scales on his body. In just one or two breaths, his body was covered with black scales. Several voices came from the forest, not in the Wizard Language, but then Richard heard a sound. Buzz! A buzzing noise reached Richard¡¯s ears, and without thinking, he swung his sword, hitting a blue streak head-on. Behind the streak, several Magic Missiles tore through the protective force field of his wizard robe, hitting Richard¡¯s body squarely. If this had been before his Bloodline Alchemy, the missiles would have been enough to take Richard¡¯s life, but now, he just grunted and turned to shout at Ali. ¡°Do it now!¡± Ali waved her magic wand, magic power passing through the wand and concentrating at the tip, instantly turning into a deadly spell. Orange-red fireballs, like shooting stars, crashed into the dense forest, exploding into skies of flames. Boom! The surging blast, carrying dirt and rocks, rushed towards Richard, but protected by the black scales, these aftereffects meant nothing to him. ¡°Are they all dead?¡± asked Ali, her voice trembling. This was Ali¡¯s first time witnessing the Fireball Technique, the scarlet glow, the thunderous noise; it all seemed like divine punishment out of legend. The gods punished the sinners with thunder and fire. Flames began to rise in the forest, an inevitable consequence of using the Fireball Technique. Richard¡¯s eyes were fixed on the fire, sensing that someone was still alive. Woo! A figure stood up from the fire, bringing with it a gale summoned by magic. The wind fed the fire, and what was once a small blaze expanded rapidly under the strong wind. With one step, Richard charged into the flames. The scorching air traveled through his lungs, as if molten coals were burning his trachea. But Richard paid no attention, his eyes only on the figure summoning the wind. Finally, Richard reached the figure, but what he saw was a charred body, unrecognizable in gender. Intense hatred allowed this person to stand from the fire and release one last spell. ¡°I¡¯ll send that bastard down to join you.¡± Richard swung his sword, decapitating him. The wind from the spell suddenly stopped, but the wildfire had already become uncontrollable. ¡°Loken¡­¡± gritted Richard. The entire ordeal was caused by Loken¡¯s malicious act of diversion before his departure. Back at the camp, Ali was currently covering her mouth and nose, trying to escape the blaze. ¡°Hold on to me,¡± said Richard as he embraced Ali, his voice deep. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Richard carried Ali and charged straight into the flames. With his incredible physique and the protection of the scales, he forcibly made a path through the fire. ¡°Mr. Wizard, come this way!¡± Just as he emerged from the fire, Richard saw Old John waving at him from a distance. The old guide seemed not to have abandoned his client. Coming to Old John¡¯s side, Richard saw a small river. ¡°Wizard sir, let¡¯s hide in this river, and the fire will go out soon,¡± Old John called out. ¡°Go out? How can this fire go out?¡± Richard looked at the fire that kept spreading, thinking to himself that in his previous life, such a scene would probably require digging firebreaks and deploying helicopters to solve. ¡°Heh, seems like the wizard sir is not aware of the Black Stone Mountain Range¡¯s rules,¡± Old John said while looking at the spreading fire, then with a splash, he jumped into the water. ¡°We of the Black Stone Mountain Range have a Guardian God.¡± No sooner had Old John finished his sentence than Richard heard a roar that echoed through the forest. A gigantic figure flew out from deep within the Black Stone Mountain Range, bearing three snake-like heads and broad bat-like wings on its back, with scales covering its entire body. ¡°Is that¡­ a Giant Dragon!?¡± said Richard, his voice trembling. The creature flew over the fire, and with its three heads opening their massive jaws wide, it took a fierce inhale; instantly, the flames of the entire fire turned into three torrents continuously streaming into the creature¡¯s mouth. ¡°What¡­ what is it doing?¡± Old John stroked his beard: ¡°What else could it be doing but putting out the fire? According to what wizards like you might say, the Guardian God is currently absorbing the Fire Element from the fire.¡± ¡°Fire Element?¡± murmured Richard, his eyes glazed over in wonder. In the worldview of wizards, the most primitive state of matter is not atoms, electrons, or quarks, but the Four Elements: earth, wind, water, fire. All matter is composed of the Four Elements. In the worldview of wizards, flames are the concrete representation of the Fire Element, and burning is the release of the Fire Element contained within the material. It took the Giant Beast about fifteen minutes to extinguish all the flames, after which it flapped its wings and returned to the depths of the mountain range. ¡°Alright, wizard sir, let¡¯s go back. If we¡¯re lucky, maybe my roasting could still be edible.¡± Old John walked out from the water, wringing the water from his clothes. ¡°Old John, can you track?¡± Richard put down Ali, eyes burning with flames of vengeance. ¡°Track? Of course, I can,¡± Old John said with some pride, ¡°No one can disappear under Old John¡¯s watch in these woods.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± nodded Richard, then turned to look at Ali. Although Richard protected most of her body when they escaped, some minor burns were unavoidable. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°A bit thirsty,¡± Ali rubbed her head, ¡°Are you going to kill that fat man?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Are you going to stop me?¡± ¡°How could I?¡± Ali rolled her eyes at him, ¡°I¡¯m not crazy. That fat man hurt us so badly, even killing him with one strike would let him off too easily.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Richard internally sighed with relief; if Ali had developed a syndrome of excessive compassion, he might lose a friend in the future. A hint of hatred flashed across Ali¡¯s face as the great fire seemed to have stirred up dark memories from her entrance examination. ¡°Take me with you when you kill him. I just learned a Curse Magic, and it¡¯ll be just right to practice on that fat man.¡± ¡°Curse Magic?¡± Richard was surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand! I¡¯m not planning to curse others!¡± Ali hurriedly explained, ¡°You don¡¯t go out much, so you wouldn¡¯t know, but there have been several curse killings among the new students recently.¡± ¡°I¡¯m learning it for self-defense.¡± Richard remained silent, and Ali became increasingly anxious. ¡°Believe me! I really am learning it for self-defense.¡± ¡°Mhm, I know you don¡¯t want to kill,¡± Richard nodded, then gazed at Ali with a look of amazement. ¡°Ali, do you know, Curse Magic is not chosen by people, but the magic chooses the person. Without what the Curse School calls ¡®Spirituality,¡¯ even if you acquire the model of the magic, you won¡¯t be able to use it.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Ali panicked, ¡°Then my Magic Stones would be wasted!¡± That was fifteen Magic Stones, her entire savings. ¡°I read it in a book,¡± pondered Richard. The Curse School has always been the most mysterious and least populous of the Five Major Schools. Their magic appears absurd and unfettered but can kill without a trace. It is said that the Truth Wizard of the Curse School once cursed an entire world to death with a single spell. ¡°The talent for being a Curse Wizard is rare; I hope you haven¡¯t wasted your Magic Stones,¡± Richard smiled, then called out to Old John. ¡°Old John, let¡¯s go, today I must slaughter that fat man!¡± ¡­ Not far from the fire, at the edge of a valley. ¡°Looking at this commotion, those people should all be dead, right?¡± Loken murmured to himself as he watched the Guardian God fly back into the depths of the mountain range, ¡°Those two were quite powerful; two people causing such a stir made even the Guardian God take action.¡± But then he laughed smugly, rubbed his hands together, and pulled out a notebook with a cover still bearing some dirt from his bosom. ¡°But no matter how powerful, they still ended up as my scapegoats. The notebook of an Advanced Apprentice, written in the Wizard Language. Such a good thing, if I didn¡¯t steal it, it would be against all reason.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Notes (Please follow) Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Notes (Please follow) In the dense forest, Old John crouched low, carefully observing the broken traces of the plants on the ground, as well as the bloodstains. ¡°Let¡¯s go this way.¡± Old John made a judgment and pointed in a direction as he spoke softly. Loken¡¯s escape traces were obvious; even though flames had destroyed many of them, Old John still effortlessly found his tracks. Following these traces, Richard arrived at a valley. The vegetation in the valley was sparse. Richard, lying in a high place, easily spotted Loken, who had lit a campfire. ¡°That fat man seems to be looking at something,¡± Ali whispered softly. Richard also noticed the object in Loken¡¯s hands¡ªit was a notebook. ¡°I¡¯ll approach from the front later, Ali, you stay on the side and use a spell to prevent him from escaping. Old John, you hide first.¡± After arranging the plan, Richard reactivated his bloodline. When Black Scale covered his entire torso, he cast a Silence Technique on himself. Everything ready, Richard suddenly burst out of the woods, swinging his great sword like a black bolt of lightning toward Loken. Under the effect of the Silence Technique, Richard¡¯s movements were almost soundless, while Loken, captivated by the notebook in his hands, failed to notice the abnormality around him. Spurt. Blood splattered. Loken, finally perceiving the danger at the last moment, rolled aside very clumsily. Behind him, a terrible wound across his back continuously oozed fresh blood. ¡°You¡¯re still alive!¡± Loken exclaimed in shock. ¡°Not only am I alive, but now I am also going to take your dog¡¯s life.¡± Richard¡¯s face was cold as he slashed his great sword again horizontally. This time, Loken was prepared, and two invisible barriers appeared instantly in front of the blade. Two Force Field Barriers! Loken looked at Richard somewhat mockingly. ¡°Idiot, lucky to be alive, becoming a Wizard Apprentice but still only knowing how to use a sword!¡± But what met him was Richard¡¯s scornful gaze. If Saban could break through the Force Field Barrier, how could Richard not break through? The gleaming sword tip whistled, and the barrier before Loken was instantaneously shattered. This was Duke Heisen¡¯s famed technique, Wind Crow Slash. In front of the high-speed blade, even Plate Armor could be split in two; often shattering both man and horse on the battlefield. The sword blade swept across, and a head flew up. Loken¡¯s eyes were wide open, baffled even in death. How could his sword break through two layers of Force Field Barriers? Seeing Richard¡¯s action succeeding, Ali and Old John also followed up. Looking at Loken¡¯s headless corpse, words of an incantation flowed from Ali¡¯s mouth as Magic Power surged within her. A stream of dark energy flowed from her fingertips into Loken¡¯s corpse. Moments later, like a deflated balloon, Loken¡¯s corpse quickly withered away, its entire body instantly turning into a skin and bones appearance. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Ali looked nervously at the body. This was her first use of Curse Magic, unsure about the effects. Suddenly, a large bump formed on the shrunken corpse. Within a moment, a white worm about the size of a fist emerged from the bump, breaking out of its cocoon. ¡°I did it!¡± Ali exclaimed excitedly. ¡°What is this?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°This is a Curse Worm, a material used in many Curse Spells,¡± Ali held the worm in her hand, which unlike ordinary worms, stayed motionless without any struggle. ¡°This one is so big, could probably sell for five Magic Stones.¡± ¡°It can be sold?¡± ¡°Of course, it can be sold.¡± Ali rolled her eyes at Richard, carefully placing the worm into a pouch at her waist. ¡°This thing not only serves as a material for casting curses on others but can also be used as a protective material against curses.¡± ¡°That does sound like a good thing.¡± After experimenting with the spell, Richard picked up the notebook Loken had been perusing from the ground. The pages of the notebook were somewhat yellowed, the edges creased due to humidity. It looked as though they had been thrown outside for years. The text inside the notebook was in Wizard Language. Some parts were vague, but most of it was clear and legible. This also saved Richard some spirit power meant for extraction. ¡°Speaking of which, Richard wasn¡¯t sure if he could extract anything from the smudged entries. After casually flipping through a few pages, Richard had understood why that group was after Loken. ¡°Advanced Apprentice¡¯s notes, how could such a thing appear in the Black Stone Mountain Range?¡± Holding his doubts, Richard started to review the notes by the fire. ¡°July 10th, Heavy Rain The weather today is bad, it has been raining incessantly since the day before yesterday, and if this continues, mushrooms might grow in the room. July 15th, Clear Weather The rain finally stopped. The black tower next door opened a massage parlor today, it¡¯s said it can relieve mental fatigue, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true. I¡¯ll check it out tomorrow. July 16th, Clear Weather The massage parlor was effective, they say the special services are even better. I¡¯ll give it a try tomorrow. July 17th, Clear Weather Went to the massage parlor. July 18th, Cloudy Went to the massage parlor. July 19th, Clear Weather Damn it, those bitches actually used aphrodisiac incense as meditation incense! July 20th, Clear Weather Went to the massage parlor.¡± Richard quickly flipped through a few pages and found that they mostly contained evaluations of the massage parlor. ¡°Damn, even a mere commoner shouldn¡¯t frequent that much.¡± Skipping the part about the massage parlor, Richard finally saw something substantive. The owner of the notebook specialized in the Shape-shifting School, and the notes recorded his thoughts on modifying the magic model of the One Ring Spell ¡°Flame Hand¡± and the experimental results after modification. ¡°Power increased by one energy level, consumption reduced by one-tenth, solely based on this modification idea, I didn¡¯t waste my night,¡± said Richard, somewhat excited. Energy level is the basic unit used by the Shape-shifting School to evaluate the power of spells, one energy level is equivalent to the power of a Magic Missile. However, since many spells¡¯ direct power can¡¯t be evaluated, this unit is generally only used by the Shape-shifting School. He continued to review the notes. ¡°May 12th, Clear Weather Only one Magic Stone left, I wonder how many Magic Stones that massage parlor swindled from me. May 13th, Cloudy So many people in the task hall, these new students aren¡¯t focusing on their classes, what are they even doing taking on tasks! May 15th, Clear Weather Finally, a decent task developed¡ªcollect herbs in the Black Stone Mountain Range for twenty Magic Stones, travel expenses also reimbursed. Wizards of the Alchemy School sure are wealthy. May 19th, Light Rain It¡¯s raining again, been in the Black Stone Mountain Range for a day now, haven¡¯t found a single thing. High payment isn¡¯t without reason.¡± The diary ended there, and suddenly there was a blank space in the notes. Richard flipped a few pages backward and discovered a few scribbled lines, the last of which was written in blood. ¡°What is that! What the hell did the mudslide release!¡± ¡°Living Iron Net, how could such a thing appear in the Black Stone Mountain Range.¡± ¡°Guardian Magic Statue! I got it, I¡¯ve broken into a wizard¡¯s laboratory! Those strange things are all protective measures set up by a wizard!¡± A wizard¡¯s laboratory! Richard felt his heart skip a beat. A wizard¡¯s laboratory could be too profitable; various specimens, experimental materials collected by wizards, and even experimental equipment were invaluable treasures to an apprentice. Richard continued to review, and after a long blank, a line written with a finger in blood appeared at the end of the notes in front of him. ¡°The wizard is dead!¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Return (Please Follow) Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Return (Please Follow) ¡°The Wizard is dead? What does that mean?¡± Staring at the last words of the notebook¡¯s owner, Richard plunged deep into thought. If this sentence were taken literally, it meant that the wizard of this laboratory had died. However, to delve deeper, Richard couldn¡¯t help but consider the implied meaning of the statement. The Wizard is dead, but how had he died? Was it an experimental accident, or had he died of old age? If it were an experimental accident, then this laboratory was a dangerous treasure trove; but if he had died of natural causes, then this laboratory had become a tomb of the wizard. Since ancient times, tomb raiding had always been a perilous trade. If it was natural causes, then Richard would have to consider whether he should explore this laboratory. ¡°Richard, haven¡¯t you finished yet?¡± Ali¡¯s voice roused Richard from his thoughts, and he closed the notebook and smiled at her. ¡°This notebook records the modifications of a spell, I¡¯ll copy it for you when we get back to the Academy.¡± ¡°Wow! Richard, you are so kind!¡± Ali lunged at Richard, giving him a big hug. In the Academy, the spell models available for exchange were the most primitive ones. Modern wizards had long extended these spells in various forms based on their research. This was also a hidden test for wizard apprentices from the academy. Using only the primitive spell models from the academy would undoubtedly make such apprentices suffer greatly in apprentice duels. John found quite a few things on Loken, aside from the pair of magic boots on his feet, Loken had also contributed three Magic Stones to Richard. Richard gave the Magic Stone with just a bit of magic power left to Old John as a reward; this old man¡¯s usefulness in the Black Stone Mountain Range was terrifying, from leading the way to tracking, there seemed to be nothing he couldn¡¯t do. ¡°Old John, this is for you.¡± Old John joyfully accepted the Magic Stone, then patted Richard¡¯s chest. ¡°Master Wizard, just command me. I, Old John, will do my utmost.¡± Richard nodded and turned to Ali. ¡°Ali, you take these two Magic Stones.¡± ¡°Ah? For me? I can¡¯t take it!¡± Ali shook her head repeatedly, ¡°You killed him, the Magic Stones should be yours. I can¡¯t take this money.¡± ¡°Then consider it a loan. I¡¯m lending you these two Magic Stones,¡± Richard pushed the stones into Ali¡¯s hands. ¡°I need a long-term, trustworthy teammate, and these stones are my investment in your future.¡± Richard liked Ali¡¯s attitude towards Loken; someone who clearly differentiated between love and hate was undoubtedly the best kind of teammate. Wizards can be lone wolves because they have enough time to build a foundation. However, wizard apprentices have only a maximum of thirty years, which seems long, but if you subtract the time spent earning Magic Stones, meditating, traveling, and resting, there is actually very little time left. This meant that no wizard apprentice could be proficient in everything. A trustworthy teammate was undoubtedly the best way to compensate for one¡¯s shortcomings. Moreover, Ali had also displayed the talent of a Curse Wizard, which, by itself, made her worthy of Richard¡¯s deep association. ¡°This¡­ then I will accept it!¡± Ali bit her lip and accepted the Magic Stones, firmly resolving to quickly enhance her power. After dividing the Magic Stones, Richard examined Loken¡¯s boots. The boots were called Gale Boots, engraved with a Gale Technique on the soles, which when activated, used the Wind Element to speed up movement. This was quite an upgrade for Richard at the moment. If he had had these boots just before, Loken would never have been able to dodge the first strike. After resting in the valley for a night, Richard followed Old John to the habitat of the White Crystal Deer the next morning. The White Crystal Deer was a demonized creature, its scale-like white crystal surface was one of the raw materials for many Crystal Balls. After confirming that the number of White Crystal Deer had not diminished, Richard wanted to collect some White Crystal for alchemy materials. But the next moment, he understood why the Academy required low-level apprentices to form teams. Beams of white light shot from the deer¡¯s antlers, and although each beam wasn¡¯t very strong, Richard was facing a hundred White Crystal Deer. ¡°Ouch¡­ that really hurts.¡± Richard, smoking all over, leaned against a tree. If it weren¡¯t for the protection of Black Scale and the Life Magic of the arm bracelet, he would have almost turned into a roasted piglet. ¡°Who told you not to listen, Old John already said not to get close, but you wouldn¡¯t listen,¡± Ali said with a stifled laugh. ¡°Alright, alright, at least I got something,¡± Richard said, shaking the bag of White Crystals in his hand. Having left the habitat of the White Crystal Deer, Richard followed Old John to several herb gathering spots frequented by wizards. Because of the wrong season and timing, many of the herbs had not fully grown. But Richard, thinking since he was already there, collected a few immature herbs, planning to nurture them when he returned. After all, Magic Potions were also a part of alchemy. After collecting the herbs, Richard followed Old John in the mountains for two days to find traces of the Black Striped Water Python. Eventually, in a swamp, Richard found a juvenile Black Striped Water Python about five meters long. As a low-level Magic Beast, it possessed the ability to control the Water Element, coupled with its strong muscles, it could easily strangle a high-ranked knight in the swamp. For this reason, Old John even used himself as bait to lure the beast out of the swamp into the dense forest. ¡°Master, your Magic Stones were well spent!¡± Old John said to Richard while panting and hiding up a tree. Once out of the swamp, the Black Striped Water Python¡¯s advantage was significantly reduced. Hiding on the side, a flash of blue light from Richard¡¯s foot instantly increased his speed. Taking advantage of a surprise attack, he used Wind Crow Slash to cut the Black Striped Water Python into two. However, Magic Beasts were notoriously tenacious in life, and even though it was cut into two sections, the Black Striped Water Python still struggled relentlessly. The foul-smelling blood freely flowed in the forest, controlled by the Black Striped Water Python, turning into continuous jets of blood assaulting the surrounding dense forest. But by this time, Richard and his group had already hidden far away, letting it struggle in vain. After about ten minutes, the Black Striped Water Python finally stopped moving. Seeing this, Richard approached the snake¡¯s body, severed its head with a sword, and collected a bag of its fresh blood with a water sac. He planned to refine it back home and see if it could be sold. ¡°Ali, try using this stuff for a spell,¡± Richard called out to Ali. Ali cautiously approached the corpse, her fingertips released a black mist that entered into the rear half of the body. Crack, crack, crack¡­ Under the influence of the spell, the Black Striped Water Python¡¯s body continued to dry up, eventually becoming just skin and bones. Soon, a large bump rose at the tail end of the Black Striped Water Python¡¯s body, and a light black-striped, white worm emerged from the bump. ¡°This time it¡¯s different,¡± Ali explained to Richard as she put the worm into her pocket, ¡°Black Striped Worms are a higher grade than Pure White Worms. This one has only one ring of black stripes, but its effect is five times that of the Pure White Worms. The price has also quintupled.¡± Richard, hearing this, got a bit excited, ¡°That¡¯s great news. There¡¯s still half left, try again.¡± Curse Worms were so valuable, they could be a good source of income. But Ali shook her head upon hearing this. ¡°I can¡¯t take more Curse Worms. According to the books, a low-level Apprentice shouldn¡¯t possess more than two Curse Worms, as having more could bring unpredictable bad luck.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t take more¡­ but I can,¡± Richard said with a smile. Saying so, Richard pulled the other half of the body over to Ali. ¡°Don¡¯t waste it; these are Magic Stones.¡± ¡­ Having obtained the head of the Black Striped Water Python, Richard had accomplished his goal for this trip. On the way out of the mountains, Richard casually asked Old John if there had been any mudslides in the Black Stone Mountain Range in recent years. The answer he got was that a major mudslide had occurred twenty years ago, and legends say that monsters appeared in the area where the mudslide occurred; they always avoided that place when leading apprentices. With this answer, Richard also had a base in his mind. If what Old John said was true, then this Wizard¡¯s laboratory might still be undiscovered. He still had a chance. Leaving Black Stone City, Richard and Ali took a Magic Airship back to the Academy. After completing the mission, Richard dove into his dorm to begin crafting Magic Equipment. COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 29 - Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Making Magic Equipment (Please Follow) Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Making Magic Equipment (Please Follow) Alchemy is a craft that can only be described as elaborate; whether it involves Magic Equipment, Magic Potions, Synthetic Beasts, or Magic Arrays, a combination of multiple skills is necessary to achieve the best results. This requires not only sufficient patience and carefulness from the Wizard, but also the ability to think on their feet or even have a stroke of inspiration during the creation process. After purchasing the required tools, Richard promptly hung up a ¡°Do Not Disturb¡± sign at the entrance. The production process of the ¡°Pale Mask¡± seemed simple in his eyes, but he still approached the task with utmost seriousness. Since the skull was not directly purchased, the first thing Richard had to do was to process the head of the Black Striped Water Python. He soaked the python¡¯s skull in a specially prepared Alchemy Solution for twelve hours, after which he was able to remove the flesh attached to the skull almost entirely. Then, using the same Alchemy Solution, he repeated the soaking and the cleaning steps until not a trace of flesh remained visible on the skull. While the skull was soaking, Richard didn¡¯t waste any time. He ground the inferior Wind Pattern Stone into fine dust, mixed it with charcoal powder burned from ten-year-old demonized wood according to a specific ratio, added five hundred grams of clean water, and let it settle for three hours to extract the clear liquid. This was the Soft Bone Water used for softening the skull. Next, he pounded sticky mushrooms into a paste and mixed them with Poison Rhododendron Ink to create the ink for inscribing Alchemy Runes. This step was particularly dangerous. The Poison Rhododendron Ink was prone to evaporation, and its vapors were highly toxic. Furthermore, if the proportions were off when mixing the sticky mushrooms with the Poison Rhododendron Ink, it could generate a tremendous amount of heat. For his own safety and that of his neighbors, Richard had no choice but to rent a test zone for the mixing process. This was an additional expense. After preparing everything, Richard soaked the python¡¯s skull in the Soft Bone Water for an hour to soften it. As the main material for the mask, the skull needed to be softened to facilitate shaping. The softened Black Striped Water Python skull had a texture similar to that of playdough, and Richard easily reshaped it into a pale mask. Then came the most crucial step. In the making of ordinary Magic Equipment, inscribing Spells is often the key step, but the Pale Mask was an exception. The hardest part was drawing the Magic Power conduction circuit. Richard had to use threads of Magic Power laced with Black Mercury to draw the Magic Conduction circuit inside the skull; a single misstep or fluctuation of Magic Power would render the mask a failure. However, thanks to mastering Jolod¡¯s skills, Richard was particularly adept at controlling Magic Power, and this step only took him ten minutes to complete. ¡°Phew, the last part is engraving the Runes,¡± he said. Carefully opening the previously prepared ink, Richard began using a feather pen to inscribe Runes on the back of the mask. The Magic Power reacted with the alchemy ink inside the feather pen, causing the pen to transform. Therefore, after each Rune was engraved, Richard had to switch to a new feather pen. The Spell inscribed onto this mask was the One Ring Spell, Intimidation Technique, an effect that serves to intimidate enemies, and it¡¯s a type of mental assault. A low-level Apprentice suddenly hit by the Intimidation Technique would be momentarily dazed, and if they were faint-hearted, they might even wet themselves or faint on the spot. After inscribing the Spell, Richard wiped the sweat from his brow. Up to this point, he had spent four days creating this mask. The entire process went very smoothly, and the quality of the mask was at least up to the passing standard, if not exquisite. This result should be enough to pass the exam. ¡°But why does it feel so fragile?¡± Richard felt the mask and reckoned that perhaps because the skull¡¯s original owner hadn¡¯t reached adulthood, the resulting mask didn¡¯t have the hardness depicted in the design and instead felt like it would break if bent. ¡°Let¡¯s reinforce the texture with the entire Demonized Array, otherwise a little bump and the mask will be ruined.¡± ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re pretty fast at this,¡± Chax remarked, holding a jug of wine, and looking at Richard with surprise, ¡°It took me two weeks to figure this out back in my day, and I even failed once.¡± ¡°Well, I guess I was just lucky, I got it right the first time,¡± Richard scratched his head and laughed shyly. He hadn¡¯t cheated this time; he had done all the steps by hand. ¡°Remarkable, truly remarkable. Senior Sister was right; you are indeed an Alchemy genius,¡± praised Chax, ¡°From now on, we are brothers in arms, and if you encounter any small issues, feel free to come to your Senior Brother for advice. Although I specialize in a niche field, I do have a solid foundation.¡± Richard nodded, naturally aware of the pitfalls of working in isolation. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, a series of thumping footsteps approached rapidly, reaching Richard¡¯s ears. Bang. Anna pushed the door open and entered. Today, she was not dressed as before. Instead of her Wizard Robe, she wore a set of black, skin-tight clothing that left her curves completely unobstructed. ¡°Are you done?¡± Anna stared intently at Richard with her phoenix eyes. ¡°I am done. This is the finished product.¡± Richard waved the bag containing the mask towards Anna. Feeling the subtle Magic Fluctuations from within the bag, although Anna¡¯s face did not show it, she breathed a sigh of relief inside. She had not misjudged; Richard was indeed a genius. ¡°Let¡¯s go, come with me to see the mentor. Chax, you follow too.¡± Arriving at the ninety-ninth floor of the Central Black Tower, this time Jolod was still sitting in front of the bookshelf, frowning deeply at his notes. ¡°Another failure, what am I missing? Could it be the location of the laboratory is bad, affecting my luck?¡± ¡°Mentor, Richard¡¯s work is complete.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Jolod turned his head to look at his eldest disciple, his gaze filled with a hint of confusion. ¡°Which Richard?¡± Upon hearing this, Anna¡¯s face stiffened. She pulled Richard in front of her and said somewhat helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s the Richard you¡¯ve seen before, teacher.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, right, you did bring an Apprentice here before.¡± Jolod slapped his forehead, suddenly recalling that Anna had once brought an Apprentice. He seemed to have some Talent. Jolod tapped his temple continuously with his index finger, searching through his sprawling memory for that day¡¯s information. He had too much to remember, and someone like Richard wasn¡¯t quite worth the effort. After searching for several minutes, Jolod finally remembered the scene from that day. Anna had introduced an apprentice, whom he also thought might have Talent, so he had given a challenge. But that day, his mood was poor due to a failed experiment, and it seemed¡­ he gave the wrong thing. He should have given the design for the Stealth Mask, not the design for the Pale Mask. Jolod felt somewhat ashamed; how could a low-level Apprentice create a Pale Mask? The Magic Conduction circuit of the Pale Mask must be guided by Magic Power and completed in one go, which required extremely high precision in Magic Power control. If one¡¯s control over Magic Power wasn¡¯t sufficient, then quantity had to make up for it. Generally speaking, only an Advanced Apprentice with ordinary Talent, after studying Magic Power manipulation, could complete the crafting of a Pale Mask. Even his two Disciples, despite their exceptional Talent, only managed to craft it during their Intermediate Apprentice phase. But the Apprentice before him seemed to have succeeded. ¡°It must be a barely functioning defective product.¡± Jolod thought to himself as he looked at the bag Richard was holding. The quality of Magic Equipment was divided into four levels: the highest being ¡®Perfect,¡¯ followed by ¡®Exquisite,¡¯ then ¡®Finished,¡¯ and lastly ¡®Defective.¡¯ Defective products, although capable of casting Spells, had significant drawbacks in terms of Magic Power consumption and Spell efficacy. Compared to Finished products, Defective Magic Equipment had higher Magic Power consumption and weaker Spell effects. Nevertheless, being able to create a Defective product was proof enough of this Apprentice¡¯s Talent. Jolod walked over to Richard, trying to wear a gentle expression; after all, giving the wrong test was somewhat embarrassing. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, give me the mask.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Quality! (Please Follow) Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Quality! (Please Follow) Once the paper was submitted, all that remained was to pray and wait. Richard handed the mask over to Jolod and stood beside him, uneasy and anxious for Jolod¡¯s evaluation. The mask had come together quite smoothly for him, but its very ease cast a shadow of doubt over his heart. Would a wizard really assign such a simple task? As time ticked by, the mere minute or two felt like several hours to Richard. ¡°Not bad,¡± Jolod said, turning the mask over in his hands. The white, bone mask was enveloped in a gentle luster, and against the light, faint gray lines spread through the material like branches. Although the runes etched on the back of the mask were somewhat raw, they were arranged in a reasonable manner, unlikely to influence the casting of spells much. Jolod nodded his head, for an apprentice of a low level, the craftsmanship of this mask was excellent. As long as the magic power circuit within the mask was connected, it would qualify as magic equipment. A stream of magic flowed from Jolod¡¯s fingertips, following the magic conduits within the mask and sequentially illuminating all its runes. When all the runes had been charged with magic, a burst of invisible spiritual shock emanated from the mask instantly. ¡°Hmm?¡± Chax and Anna, feeling the shockwave, uttered sounds of confusion. Something was off with this mask. Why would a Stealth Mask emit a spiritual shock? But more puzzled than the two was Jolod himself, who was currently using the mask. The effects of this mask didn¡¯t seem like those of a mere defective piece. ¡°Anna, Chax, you two have been a little too idle lately,¡± Jolod suddenly said with a stern expression, turning to look at the perplexed pair, ¡°Knowing that I gave the wrong design, why didn¡¯t you come to me to get it replaced?¡± Anna, puzzled, looked at the suddenly angry Jolod; she had been busy with experiments recently, barely touching the ground with her feet. Chax shared the same sentiment; though he often drank on the fifty-fifth floor, he never neglected his experiments and meditation. ¡°Teacher, how come I don¡¯t understand what you are saying?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t understand?¡± Jolod snorted, ¡°You must have put a lot of effort into this fine-grade Pale Mask, haven¡¯t you?¡± Fine-grade? Pale Mask? Anna and Chax looked at each other, baffled by their mentor¡¯s sudden outburst. How could they have crafted a Pale Mask? And shouldn¡¯t the test for the low-level apprentice be a Stealth Mask? How could Richard have produced a Pale Mask? Could it be¡­ the teacher had given the wrong task? Neither of them was foolish, and in an instant, their minds raced. After a glance confirmed neither was at fault, Anna spoke up. ¡°Teacher, I swear by the Sea of Souls that I have no involvement with this piece of magic equipment.¡± Swearing by the Sea of Souls was a wizard¡¯s most solemn oath, rarely invoked except on significant occasions. Chax also quickly followed, ¡°Teacher, I am just like senior sister Anna. This item has nothing to do with me, and you know my level, teacher. I can make a decent product, but a fine-grade piece of magic equipment ¨C even if you kill me, I couldn¡¯t make one.¡± Seeing his two disciples respond in such a way, Jolod¡¯s expression darkened even more. ¡°Boy, did you make this yourself?¡± Swallowing nervously, Richard nodded his head. Hearing the conversation, it seemed he might have created something extraordinary. ¡°You must swear upon the Sea of Souls,¡± Jolod said, staring at Richard, the multitude of eyes within his profound orbs converging as if to become tangible. ¡°Before you take this oath, I must remind you. If you violate your vow after swearing upon the Sea of Souls, your soul will be stained. This stain can cause your spiritual power to regress and will affect your future advancement as a Wizard, even to becoming a Great Wizard. So think carefully before you swear.¡± Jolod¡¯s words were undoubtedly a reminder to Richard not to allow pride to jeopardize his future, but Richard had nothing to fear if he had done nothing wrong. This piece of Magic Equipment was crafted entirely by him. ¡°I swear upon the Sea of Souls that I personally made this Magic Equipment without assistance from anyone else.¡± As the oath was uttered, Richard felt a faint, invisible fluctuation emanating from his soul, reaching out toward a place beyond his knowing. After a while, there was no sign of Magic Fluctuation on Richard¡¯s body, meaning that his spiritual power had not regressed. ¡°This¡­ you truly made this?¡± Jolod¡¯s voice carried a hint of disbelief as he handed the mask to Anna, who, after inspecting it, passed it to Chax with a look of shock. ¡°How is this possible?¡± ¡°Pale Mask, a fine quality Pale Mask, how can the magic conductivity circuit of this mask be so fluid!¡± Jolod exhaled deeply, having thought himself accustomed to geniuses like Anna, Chax, and the hundreds of other Apprentices with remarkable talent he had seen before. But their talents were mere dust compared to this mask. ¡°Richard, do you realize what you¡¯ve accomplished?¡± Jolod praised, ¡°The Pale Mask is meant to be a test for Intermediate Apprentices, yet you, barely promoted to a low-level Apprentice, have not only completed its crafting but also enhanced its quality to a fine standard.¡± ¡°This is something I, even my mentor before me, could not achieve.¡± Chax handed the mask back to Jolod with a complex expression, and Anna beside him shared the sentiment. Both endowed with exceptional talents, they could comprehend the difficulty of this mask. Jolod inspected the mask again, this time discovering something new. The materials used to craft it were significantly inferior. ¡°Can you tell me how you accomplished this?¡± Jolod¡¯s face turned serious, his voice deepening, ¡°The skeletal structure of a Black Striped Water Python is too porous; using Black Mercury as a conductive route would certainly lead to mercury branching within the bone, thus affecting the efficiency of magic conduction. In the past, only the skulls of mutant Black Striped Water Pythons could be used to create fine-quality Pale Masks. But your mask is different; the materials you¡¯ve used are very common, even substandard. I presume it must have come from a juvenile Black Striped Water Python.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°You are correct, it indeed came from a juvenile Black Striped Water Python.¡± ¡°So how did you do it? I am not compelling you to reveal the secret, but by Wizard rules, I will exchange knowledge of equal value for your secret.¡± Saying this, Jolod took out a Crystal Ball from a drawer and handed it to Richard. Equivalent exchange, a cast-iron law passed down from the Dark Age of the Wizard World, is also the cornerstone of Wizard Civilization. ¡°This is the formula for a Concentration Potion, designed to help Wizards physiologically calm down, preventing casting errors caused by severe pain and emotional agitation. This should be very popular among Apprentices; you might want to ask Anna and Chax.¡± ¡°Indeed, the Concentration Potion is always a bestseller in the commercial district,¡± Anna interjected. Richard looked at the Crystal Ball and then back at Jolod, saying: ¡°I didn¡¯t make any improvements. If I really had to name one, I thought the mask material was a bit brittle after I finished crafting it, so I used a Demonized Alchemy Array to demonize the mask.¡± ¡°Demonization?¡± Jolod fell silent for two seconds before handing the Crystal Ball to Richard. As a Wizard with extensive Alchemy experience, he immediately grasped the secret once Richard revealed the answer. The Black Mercury, when charged with magic, contracts and doesn¡¯t form branches, and the Demonized Alchemy Array happens to constantly release magic to the mask. Though not enough to activate a Spell, this magic keeps the Black Mercury contracted and causes an accumulation of magic around the magic conductivity circuit. The accumulated magic demonizes and grows the bone near the conduit so that after the demonization is complete, the Black Mercury has no paths for branching. The method was simple, equivalent to a layer of paper, yet for many years, Jolod had been unable to reach this insight. ¡°This formula is yours now. Additionally, Apprentice Richard, do you consent to become my Disciple, the Apprentice of Jolod Oliva?¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Official Apprentice (Please Follow) Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Official Apprentice (Please Follow) ¡°I certainly agree.¡± Richard took the Crystal Ball and respectfully bowed slightly to Jolod. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let us establish the contract.¡± Jolod pulled out a sheepskin scroll filled with Wizard Language from a drawer. ¡°This is the Soul Contract. Once signed, you will become my official Apprentice. I will impart to you my knowledge, and you will inherit this knowledge and pass it down.¡± The transmission of knowledge is fundamental to the Wizard Apprentice system. In the distant Dark Age, Wizards began to take on Apprentices, passing down the knowledge they had explored throughout their lives. This relationship is even more important than Bloodline for Wizards. Richard took the sheepskin scroll, which contained many writings, but the vast majority was prohibitions against Wizard Apprentices selling the knowledge they inherited without permission. Knowledge is too precious, and Apprentices are too poor. Without restrictions, it would be too easy to tempt an Apprentice into selling their knowledge for a little incentive. After signing the contract, a flame instantly ignited from the place Richard had signed, and then burned the entire contract to ashes. ¡°Following ancient tradition, Apprentice Richard, I shall enlighten you.¡± Jolod placed a hand on Richard¡¯s forehead, then started chanting the ancient odes of Wizards. Though Richard didn¡¯t understand these odes, he felt his spiritual power faintly growing in the haze of the incantation. After a passage of odes, Richard felt his spiritual power had grown by about 0.1 during that time. This efficiency was much higher than that of meditation. ¡°Alright, the enlightenment is complete.¡± Jolod clapped his hands, cheerfully using a Spell to summon several thick tomes from the bookshelf. ¡°These books are your basic course. Go back and remember these things, understand them thoroughly, and then come to buy the next part from me.¡± ¡°Buy?¡± Richard was stunned. Hadn¡¯t he already become an official Apprentice? Reading books seemed just like the library. ¡°Yep, buy.¡± Chax walked over to Richard, patting him on the shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. It was the same for me and Sister Anna; we both had to spend Magic Stones to buy knowledge from the teacher.¡± ¡°This is¡­ Why?¡± Richard asked, perplexed. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Knowledge is precious and should not be passed on lightly. Knowledge that¡¯s too easily obtained is often undervalued,¡± Jolod explained, stroking his beard with a profound look, ¡°Moreover, the craft of Alchemy requires practice, and just book knowledge is far from enough.¡± ¡°If your skills are sufficient, then you can earn enough Magic Stones by selling Magic Equipment and Magic Potions in the commercial district to exchange for more knowledge.¡± Anna also spoke up: ¡°The teacher¡¯s knowledge isn¡¯t priced high, and as long as your skills are proficient, earning enough Magic Stones in the commercial district isn¡¯t difficult. With your current skills, Richard, it probably won¡¯t take two years to exchange for new knowledge.¡± Since such were the rules, Richard didn¡¯t say anything further. Taking the books that Jolod had brought over, Richard left the laboratory with Anna and Chax. ¡°Nice one, junior brother. You really keep your cards close to your chest.¡± Once outside, Chax walked arm in arm with Richard, acting like a supportive big brother. ¡°You really astonished both me and Sister with that trick of yours.¡± Anna felt somewhat complex emotions on the side. Before Richard, she was Jolod¡¯s most talented Apprentice in a thousand years. But now, it was clear this title was going to change hands. However, Anna wasn¡¯t the type to harbor petty thoughts. After feeling frustrated for a while, she put the matter aside. ¡°Alright, Chax, let go of Richard. As a senior apprentice, aren¡¯t you going to give him a welcoming gift?¡± Saying this, Anna took out a medal from her pocket and handed it to Richard. ¡°This is a badge that is inscribed with a Deflection Force Field, capable of deflecting long-range physical spells like the Ice Cone Skill.¡± ¡°Thank you, senior sister!¡± Seeing what Anna did, Chax couldn¡¯t help frowning. He didn¡¯t have any Magic Equipment to give to Richard. ¡°Junior brother, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you something, it¡¯s just that my focus isn¡¯t in Magic Equipment. How about you wait a few days, and I¡¯ll craft a small Synthetic Beast for you?¡± Chax said to Richard with a pained expression. ¡°Synthetic Beast? Senior brother, are you researching Synthetic Beasts?¡± Richard suddenly remembered the Synthetic Beast Core he had obtained during the entrance exam, which he had thrown into the corner and forgotten to refine the information from. ¡°Yeah, like my mentor, I also research Synthetic Beasts,¡± Chax nodded. ¡°So the Magic Beast in the entrance exam was something senior brother¡­¡± Chax scratched his head and said with a smile: ¡°That thing was originally mentor¡¯s task, but he ended up tossing it to me. How about it, the Synthetic Beast I crafted wasn¡¯t bad, right?¡± Indeed it wasn¡¯t. Thinking back, if the Magic Beast hadn¡¯t been gravely injured, and he hadn¡¯t had his Magic Equipment at hand, Richard might not have been able to survive the exam. ¡°Indeed impressive. However, I managed to remove something that looks like a heart from a Magic Beast; I wonder if that would be of any use to you, senior brother.¡± Chax was taken aback, then seemed to understand something. ¡°A heart? You¡¯re probably talking about the core. If you have a core, senior brother will customize a Synthetic Beast for you as a welcoming gift,¡± Chax patted his chest. ¡°There¡¯s not much else I¡¯m good at, but I do have some skill when it comes to Synthetic Beasts.¡± The most tedious part of crafting a Synthetic Beast was cultivating the core; with a core available, Chax was confident that he could piece together a low-level Synthetic Beast within three days using the materials at hand. ¡°Then thank you very much, senior brother.¡± After leaving the Black Tower, Richard headed straight to his dormitory to find the Synthetic Beast Core he had acquired before. This core was still faintly pulsing, despite several months without an external energy source, which was quite an exaggeration to its Life Energy. Holding the core in his hand, Richard expended fifteen points of spiritual power to refine the information from it. Although he could have exchanged for this information from Jolod, saving when possible was preferable. After the refinement was complete, Richard felt as though his head had been struck by a heavy hammer, and he felt groggy. Fortunately, thanks to the Rebound Effect, Richard¡¯s spiritual power had reached twenty points, so he still had the energy to hand over the core to Chax after refining the information. ¡°Junior brother, what kind of Synthetic Beast would you like?¡± Chax examined the core¡¯s Life Energy and, after confirming it was still recoverable, waved his hand grandly, presenting Richard with a long list. The list was filled with the names of hundreds of low-level Synthetic Beasts with varying abilities. Richard looked over the list, which included powerful Magic Beasts like the seven-headed magic sheep, but after some thought, he eventually chose a low-level Synthetic Beast called Death Crow. This Synthetic Beast did not possess formidable combat abilities but had the skills of Dark Vision and seeing through illusions. Like regular Magic Pets, Synthetic Beasts could be connected through the planting of a Soul Seed, allowing for shared senses. If Richard were to link senses with the Death Crow, he would essentially acquire the Death Crow¡¯s abilities. Seeing Richard¡¯s choice, Chax waved his hand magnanimously. ¡°The Death Crow is an easy job; come to senior brother to pick it up in three days.¡± After everything was settled, Richard returned to his room and collapsed on his bed, not wanting to move at all. The exhaustion from refining the spiritual power made him extremely tired. Normally, he should meditate to recover, but today, Richard particularly wanted to sleep. Having become Jolod¡¯s official Apprentice, he had finally secured a foothold at the Academy, bringing him a step closer to becoming a Wizard. Richard closed his eyes, and the magnificent view he saw when he first linked to the Sea of Souls appeared before him, his lips unconsciously curling into a smile of longing. ¡°The Star Realm¡­ I really want to see it.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 32 - Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Reencounter with Kevin (Request for Follow-up Reads) Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Reencounter with Kevin (Request for Follow-up Reads) Three days later. ¡°Magic Pet Breeding Manual, Chax must have been referring to this.¡± In the library, Richard took down the ¡°Magic Pet Breeding Manual¡± from the shelf. This book recorded some basic knowledge about how wizards breed magic pets, and the Wizard Academy¡¯s borrowing price was three magic stones for five days. According to what Chax had told him when he gave him the Death Crow, aside from being unable to grow naturally, this Death Crow was no different from ordinary magic pets. After handing over the Academy Coins to a suddenly appearing sprite, Richard touched the book¡¯s identification number with a crystal ball, and the borrowing was complete. Holding the book, Richard returned to his dormitory room. On his balcony, a Death Crow slightly larger than a common crow, its foot shackled by an iron chain, was staring motionlessly at the distance. This was the Death Crow created by Chax. According to Chax, this Death Crow¡¯s physique was a fifteen, and it could fly freely at an altitude of six thousand meters. Its feathers were extremely tough, able to carry a weight of 200 pounds without breaking. Due to these feathers, the Death Crow could even disregard a ¡°Magic Missile¡±. Its claws and beak had also been enhanced by Chax, with razor-sharp claws that could easily pierce through steel plates. Putting the book down, Richard took out prepared iron pellets from a drawer. Chax had altered the Death Crow¡¯s digestive system to be omnivorous so that it could digest specific metals, maintaining the toughness of its feathers and the sharpness of its claws and beak. Moreover, this Death Crow also needed to consume ten pounds of fresh flesh and blood daily to sustain its daily consumption. ¡°Eat, eat, eat a bit more.¡± Richard opened his hand and let the Death Crow peck at the iron pellets in his palm. Now, he needed to slowly build a relationship with the Death Crow, which would minimize obstacles when implanting the Soul Seed. The Soul Seed was at the heart of the Magic Pet technology and was fundamental for a magic pet to obey the wizard¡¯s commands. Through the Soul Seed, a wizard could command the magic pet to carry out complex activities and share sensory experiences. Among wizards, there were those who controlled a large number of magic pets to construct their own combat systems. However, a Wizard Apprentice like Richard could only distribute two Soul Seeds, and if a magic pet died unexpectedly, the Soul Seed could not be recovered. Therefore, during the apprenticeship phase, magic pets generally took on supportive roles like the one Richard was handling. After feeding the Death Crow, Richard fetched a watering can and started watering. Richard had collected many seeds and plants of magic herbs in the Black Stone Mountain Range, and after returning to the Academy, he had planted them in various pots on his balcony. After watering, Richard returned to his desk, which was covered with many books. Except for the just-borrowed ¡°Magic Pet Breeding Manual,¡± the rest were alchemy books given to him by Jolod. Richard had skimmed through these books. They recorded foundational knowledge of magic equipment, magic potions, synthetic beasts, and magic arrays and were meticulously detailed. If these books were borrowed from the library, a significant amount of magic stones would be needed just to access part of them. But now, Richard had obtained them without spending a penny. This was the benefit of becoming an official apprentice; some knowledge simply couldn¡¯t be acquired just through magic stones. Attending classes, feeding, watering, reading¡ªRichard¡¯s day quickly passed. In the evening, Richard stepped out of his room, called Ali from next door, and they went downstairs together to a newly opened restaurant not far from the tower. Since deciding in the Black Stone Mountain Range to develop Ali into a teammate, Richard had started to focus on cultivating their relationship. Eating meals together daily, attending classes together, visiting the library together, and periodically taking on two tasks, cultivated their tacit understanding in combat. Relationships deepened step by step like this. The restaurant¡¯s d¨¦cor was not complex; it could even be described as simplistic. Simple landscape paintings and a few tapestries hung on the walls, and twelve magic stone lamps hung from the ceiling, illuminating twelve tables. But the simplicity of the decor did not mean the restaurant was simple. The restaurant¡¯s owner had somehow hired a group of mortal waiters who were tall and handsome, each of their movements carried proper etiquette. The waiter handed Richard the menu and arranged the silver utensils on the table. ¡°Charcoal-grilled Magic Patterned Pork Ribs ¡ª regular consumption could enhance physique,¡± Richard read from the menu and smiled, ¡°The owner has real capabilities; the ingredients are all Magic Beasts.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit too expensive?¡± Ali looked at the menu nervously. Each dish on the menu was quite pricey, and just ordering a couple could cost three to four Magic Stones. Converted to Golden Birdcage Coins, this meal would cost the Kingdom¡¯s annual tax revenue. ¡°Let¡¯s splurge ¡ª it¡¯s not like we do this often.¡± Richard checked several items he was interested in on the menu and then passed it back to the waiter. He was very interested in the effect of enhancing the physique. The waiter silently retreated, and Richard sat back, casting bored glances around. The entire restaurant had only twelve tables, and excluding theirs, there were only four other groups of diners. ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard suddenly recognized someone at one of the tables, ¡°Ali, look, isn¡¯t that Kevin, whom we met on the Flying Airship?¡± Ali followed the direction Richard was pointing and nodded. ¡°It is him.¡± ¡°That makes things easy.¡± Richard went up to Kevin with a cheerful air and greeted him familiarly. ¡°Kevin, long time no see, have you missed me?¡± Dining with Kevin was Griffith, who had helped him pass the exam initially. Seeing Richard approach, Griffith also stopped what he was doing. ¡°Richard?¡± Kevin was startled, then immediately understood Richard¡¯s implication. ¡°Long time no se§Ö, how have you been lately, Richard?¡± As he spoke, Kevin pulled out a hundred-Academy Coin note from his jacket pocket. ¡°Doing okay, but not as well as you, young master Kevin.¡± Richard laughed as he took the Academy Coin. The best thing about Kevin was that he knew how to act, both on the airship and now. ¡°I¡¯m not doing well, just made a little something from a small business recently,¡± Kevin said, shaking his head with a smile. ¡°Small business?¡± Richard sniffed subtly; he had smelled a fragrance the moment he approached Kevin. ¡°The scent of Purple Vine Flowers ¡ª useful in crafting Magic Equipment or concocting Magic Potions.¡± Kevin paused and then conceded. As nobles rooted in business, his family, both old and young, harbored a business mind. After arriving at the Wizard Academy, Kevin, with his keen sense of smell, quickly found business opportunities and started to trade in alchemy materials. ¡°Sharp insight, Richard, are you by chance specializing in the Alchemy School?¡± Seeing Kevin admit it, Richard felt more animated. His specialisation was in the Alchemy School, and experimenting was essential in his future life. The materials available in the commercial district were plentiful but finding niche items was challenging. Now that Kevin had started trading in alchemy materials, he would surely frequent the commercial district. As the saying goes, more friends mean more roads; Richard was also contemplating making acquaintances. COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Preparation of Materials (Please Follow) Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Preparation of Materials (Please Follow) ¡°Being specialized in the Alchemy School is certainly not something I dare claim,¡± declared the Wizard Apprentice. ¡°We low-level apprentices know so little about our Schools that we might even switch disciplines in the future.¡± Richard chuckled lightly, tacitly agreeing with Kevin¡¯s statement. ¡°That¡¯s great, Richard. Have you been working on any Magic Equipment lately? I still have some alchemy materials left. How about I sell them to you for cheap?¡± A shrewd glint passed through Kevin¡¯s eyes. Although Richard¡¯s words sounded modest, they came across as boasting to Kevin¡¯s ears. He knew somewhat about the Alchemy School, and those who claimed to specialize in Alchemy at this stage were invariably individuals of extraordinary talent. Although the Alchemy School focused more on practice than on theory, even so, its introductory knowledge required a dozen magic stones to access in the library. For low-level apprentices short on magic stones, this was not only a huge expense but also offered staggeringly poor cost-effectiveness. Because Alchemy could not increase an apprentice¡¯s combat abilities in a short time, a lower combat capability meant a smaller range of quests they could undertake. This resulted in a vicious cycle where magic stone acquisition couldn¡¯t keep up for those apprentices specializing in Alchemy, thus slowing their rate of becoming stronger. And yet here was Richard, exuding a strong aura, somehow managing to support the cost of dining here with a lady. Something that would be impossible for an apprentice not naturally gifted in Alchemy. Suddenly, Kevin remembered a rumor he had recently heard. Master Jolod of the Alchemy School was planning to take on a low-level apprentice as his official Apprentice. Could it be¡­ ¡°Haha, maybe later,¡± Richard laughed it off since he was planning to study the specialty knowledge imparted by Jolod and had no plans to craft Magic Equipment. ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Kevin smiled affably though his heart was pounding, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you my address. Contact me whenever you need materials in the future, I can guarantee prices lower than those in the commercial district.¡± With that, Kevin pulled out a card from his pocket, bearing his name and contact address. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll definitely contact you if needed.¡± Richard took the card and slipped it into his inner pocket. ¡°Richard, the food is here.¡± Ali¡¯s voice came from behind him; Richard gave Kevin an apologetic smile and turned back to his original seat. After he left, Griffith, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke: ¡°Kevin, he is very strong.¡± ¡°How strong? Stronger than you?¡± Kevin elegantly poured himself a glass of red wine, gently swirling the glass. The crimson liquid reflected in his eyes, his mind entirely occupied by his recent guess. Griffith paused for a moment before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but my senses tell me he is very dangerous.¡± Kevin¡¯s wrist trembled, and a drop of red wine spilled from the glass. ¡°That¡¯s excellent,¡± Kevin raised his glass, draining it in one gulp, ¡°He¡¯s not our enemy, and perhaps he could even become our friend.¡± ¡­ Magic Rune Pork Chops tasted better than ordinary pork, tougher and more chewy. The crisply seared fat exploded with fragrance on the tip of the tongue, and the muscle fibers of the Magic Beast rubbed between Richard¡¯s teeth, eventually grinding down into bits of mincemeat before he swallowed them. A plate of pork chops went down, and warmth spread through Richard¡¯s entire body. His cells seemed awakened by something, becoming very active. ¡°So, this is Magic Beast meat? It was money well spent.¡± Richard took a towel offered by a waiter and wiped the sweat from his forehead. It seemed the restaurant owner had anticipated their reactions. ¡°Richard, that python we killed last time, it was really a pity we didn¡¯t bring it back.¡± Ali¡¯s face turned slightly red; fine beads of sweat emerged from her forehead and gathered into droplets that rolled down. She took off her heavy jacket, and the droplets traced a path down her slender neck to the front of her chest and eventually dipped into cleavage. Richard suddenly realized that Ali, whom he had always thought of as a little girl in his mind, actually had a quite impressive figure. ¡°Indeed, next time we should definitely find a way to bring it back.¡± Richard shifted his gaze away, saying somewhat guiltily. The total cost of the meal was two hundred and ten Academy Coins, ten of which were a tip. When paying, Ali insisted on going Dutch. Back in his dormitory, Richard began to meditate as usual. But as soon as he closed his eyes, the image of Ali appeared in front of him. ¡°Sigh.¡± Unsuccessful in his meditation, Richard rose from his bed and moved to his desk to finish the book he hadn¡¯t completed during the day. ¡°In books, there are houses of gold; in books, there are ladies as fair as jade. Richard, oh Richard, knowledge is what a wizard should pursue all his life.¡± ¡­ Days passed and Richard¡¯s life progressed orderly. In one year¡¯s time, Richard increased his spiritual power to twenty-two, although his physique remained unchanged. In the same year, he finished reading the books that Jolod had given him. However, Alchemy is a discipline grounded in practice, and only by applying his theoretical knowledge could he truly master it. ¡°There are twenty Magic Stones left; it looks like it¡¯s time to start making Magic Potions.¡± Richard counted the Magic Stones he had on hand; during this time, he not only read books but also attended various Alchemy Wizard courses. Although Jolod was knowledgeable and highly skilled, wizards specialize in different areas. If there were questions he couldn¡¯t clarify, he would advise Richard to attend a specific wizard¡¯s Magic Stone course. ¡°Ah, did an Alchemy Wizard really write this?¡± Richard copied out the recipe for a Concentration Potion; its inconsistencies and approximations made his head spin. Creating Magic Potions is different from crafting Magic Equipment. In creating Magic Equipment, often only one step is crucial¡ªgetting that right means the other steps can be rough without compromising the quality. Magic Potions, however, require precision at every stage. Many ingredients in Magic Potions, if handled even a second too long or with the wrong equipment, can change in nature, leading to a failed creation. Now Richard had to figure out these details on his own. The commercial district was bustling with activity, filled with Apprentice Wizards of various attire and forms, looking like it was Halloween. Richard¡¯s first stop in the commercial district was at his senior, Anna¡¯s Alchemy shop. Each Alchemy shop had different prices and quality of materials, and testing these would undoubtedly cost him much time and Magic Stones. But asking people was different. ¡°Do you want to buy ingredients for Magic Potions?¡± Anna leaned against the counter, rubbing her temples, ¡°If you want quality materials, then go to the Chalake chamber of commerce to buy. If you¡¯re just practicing and getting familiar with the process, I¡¯d suggest going to the Seven Luminaries Commerce. Their prices are low, and although the quality varies, it¡¯s just good enough.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you for the advice, senior.¡± Anna yawned and looked sideways at her junior brother. ¡°Running low on Magic Stones lately? Want me to lend you some? No interest if returned within six months, five percent annual interest if it¡¯s longer.¡± Richard had been frequently seeking her advice recently, and she appreciated his eagerness to learn¡ªa most valuable trait for a wizard, unlike Chax, who was always lazing around drinking. Moreover, she had heard that Richard was also the son of a farmer, with a similarly troublesome alcoholic father. This sparked a feeling of empathy in her, as well as a sense of closeness. ¡°No, I still have some Magic Stones.¡± Richard smiled and declined Anna¡¯s kind offer. He was not yet at his wit¡¯s end. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Anna gathered her loose hair, revealing her usually flawless neck. ¡°Hm? Senior, how did you get hurt?¡± Richard pointed at a scar on Anna¡¯s neck that looked like a burn. ¡°A minor injury, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Anna waved her hand dismissively, ¡°Wizards¡¯ experiments sometimes go awry. Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve almost used up the red mercury you brought last time,¡± she suddenly smiled at Richard, ¡°Interested in making another batch of Magic Stones from your senior?¡± Richard was momentarily tempted by the prospect of earning a hundred Magic Stones. ¡°Well¡­it depends. I need to research Magic Potions soon, so I don¡¯t have much time,¡± Richard said, feigning some hesitation. ¡°Alright, help your senior refine some when you have the time.¡± Anna nodded, not pressing him. After all, refining red mercury was a tedious task even she found bothersome, and having Richard do it would undoubtedly slow down his daily studies. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go check out the chamber of commerce.¡± Richard waved at Anna and turned to head towards the Seven Luminaries Commerce. COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 34 - Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Wizard Commerce (Please Follow) Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Wizard Commerce (Please Follow) Wizard Commerce was the largest seller in the commercial district, providing more than half of the materials for the entire Academy. Wizards from different regions and families gathered in the commercial area, selling all kinds of magical materials you could or couldn¡¯t imagine, such that most low-level wizards had to rely on the commerce to collect materials. Anna offered Richard two choices, Chalak Commerce and Seven Luminaries Commerce. Chalak guaranteed quality but was expensive; Seven Luminaries had poor quality control but was cheaper. Given the circumstances, Richard naturally chose to go to Seven Luminaries Commerce to purchase materials. The address of Seven Luminaries Commerce was located on the Golden Street of the commercial district, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. The annual rent for each store cost tens of thousands of Magic Stones, and even a rich apprentice like Anna couldn¡¯t afford the rent here, so she had to choose a cheaper place. Richard looked around at the dazzling array of signs, with various colored Magic Stone lamps making him feel as if he had returned to Earth. ¡°Wizards from the Wizard World and ordinary people don¡¯t seem like they belong to the same world,¡± Richard remarked, then looked towards a store not far away. ¡°Seven Luminaries Commerce, this is it.¡± Richard stepped into the store, and his ears were instantly met with silence. ¡°Magic Array for soundproofing.¡± Richard made the judgment. The interior of the shop was not large, consisting of a counter, a few shelves, and a mechanical female shop assistant with exposed metal joints. ¡°Welcome to Seven Luminaries Commerce, dear student. What do you need?¡± The mechanical female assistant bowed slightly to Richard, her voice sweet and charming. ¡°I need to buy some materials, but here¡­¡± Having never seen such a thing before, Richard examined the assistant from head to toe¡ªher delicate skin, lively expressions, and sweet voice. If not for the exposed mechanical joints and the lifeless crystal eyeballs, Richard almost thought she was a real person. ¡°It seems this is your first visit here,¡± the assistant smiled gently at Richard, ¡°all Wizard Commerce goods are stored in a special warehouse. You just need to pay in the store, and we will directly deliver the goods to your room or test zone.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Richard nodded thoughtfully and then handed over a parchment listing his needs. In the parchment, Richard mixed in some unnecessary materials to prevent others from stealing the formula. ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± The assistant took the parchment and then recorded its contents onto a Crystal Ball. ¡°Alright,¡± the Crystal Ball flashed with light, ¡°the total materials you requested amount to five hundred thirty Academy Coins. Would you like to proceed with the purchase?¡± ¡°Five formulas, five hundred thirty Academy Coins, excluding those mixed materials, each formula should be around one hundred Academy Coins.¡± Richard nodded, then took out Academy Coins from his pocket and handed them to the shop assistant. After confirming that there were no counterfeit coins, the assistant handed him a contract that recorded the transaction details. The contract was an indispensable part of transactions in the Wizard World. After signing the contract, Richard also noted down his delivery address. After ensuring all information was correct, Richard did not leave the commerce, but asked the assistant for a list. ¡°Could you give me a list of the bloodlines you sell?¡± ¡°Certainly, please wait a moment.¡± The assistant took a Crystal Ball from beneath the counter and handed it to Richard. After a Spiritual Detection, a vast amount of information appeared in Richard¡¯s mind. ¡°How many worlds have wizards conquered¡­ The number of bloodlines is ridiculously high.¡± Richard roughly counted the information contained the bloodlines of tens of thousands of creatures, ranging from small insects to giant dragons, even including the Elemental Creature Bloodlines from the Four Elements Plane. This quantity was not even on the same scale as during the Wizard Wars. Among the multitude of bloodlines, Richard searched for a long time and finally found the bloodline he needed. For the second step of Black Knight Bloodline Alchemy, he needed the bloodline of a two-headed giant troll. The price at Seven Luminaries Commerce was five hundred Magic Stones. ¡°Five hundred Magic Stones,¡± Richard rubbed his chin; this amount of Magic Stones was a significant number for him at the moment. He feared he would be unable to complete the second stage of Bloodline Alchemy anytime soon. Leaving the commerce, Richard did not choose to head back to the dorm but went to a free, open area in the test zone. In the center of the area, a short-haired beauty was experimenting with a spell. Boom! A cone-shaped flame burst from the girl¡¯s hands, instantly heating her targeted metal target red-hot, and within two seconds, the target melted into a pool of molten iron. Clap, clap, clap. ¡°Ali, you truly have talent in the Shape-shifting School.¡± Richard clapped his hands as he emerged behind Ali. The pretty figure experimenting with spells was indeed Ali, and the spell she had just used was the Flame Hand, more precisely, an improved version of the Flame Hand recorded in the notes Richard had obtained as an Advanced Apprentice. ¡°You¡¯re still far behind compared to you. You¡¯re now officially an apprentice to Master Jolod.¡± Ali made a funny face at Richard and then came over to hug his arm. ¡°Richard, aren¡¯t you usually reading books at this time?¡± Feeling the slight touch from his arm, the accustomed Richard couldn¡¯t bother to pull his arm away. ¡°Not enough Magic Stones recently, I¡¯m planning to earn some.¡± ¡°Going on a mission?¡± Ali¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°My mentor has taught me a lot recently, I think my combat abilities might even surpass yours now.¡± This past year, Richard and Ali had been on a few missions; although they hadn¡¯t earned many Magic Stones, their rapport had indeed grown. ¡°Has your mentor decided to take you on as an official apprentice?¡± Richard was a bit surprised. This past year, Ali had unexpectedly caught the eye of a Wizard studying both the Shape-shifting and Curse Schools, and she was currently being evaluated as an apprentice. ¡°Not yet.¡± Ali¡¯s face fell, but then she perked up, ¡°But she has been treating me a lot nicer lately, not so harsh anymore.¡± ¡°And,¡± Ali suddenly leaned close to Richard¡¯s ear mysteriously, her soft breath tickling his ear, ¡°I heard that my mentor is the student of the academy¡¯s real dean, not the Deputy Dean, but the student of the Great Wizard of the Black Tower Wizard Academy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great news,¡± Richard discreetly moved away. ¡°If you become her disciple, wouldn¡¯t you be the dean¡¯s grand-disciple? In the academy, you could then strut about confidently.¡± ¡°Tsk, why don¡¯t you come over and flatter me,¡± Ali made another funny face at Richard. ¡°If you don¡¯t flatter me soon, watch out, I might run off with that Joseph. He¡¯s also an official apprentice to an Alchemy Wizard and comes from Wizard Descendants too!¡± Richard grinned helplessly. Ali was more popular at the academy than he had imagined; the Wizard Apprentices chasing her could form a battalion. And this Joseph was one of the standout suitors. An official apprentice, Wizard Descendant, and he had also chosen the Alchemy School. Listing these conditions, Richard felt like this person was somewhat targeting him. ¡°Alright, Miss Ali. May I inquire if you are free tonight? I¡¯d like to invite you to dinner, so I can flatter you a bit.¡± Richard extended his hand towards Ali, and she gracefully took it. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m free.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 35 - Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Magic Potion (Please Follow) Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Magic Potion (Please Follow) After leaving the test zone, Richard and Ali drew the attention of many apprentices. Unlike Ali, who was somewhat famous, Richard, a genius who became an official apprentice in less than half a year, was not well known to many. Among the reasons, besides Richard not being sociable, was his deliberate concealment. Pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger and keeping quiet while making a fortune was Richard¡¯s way, but sometimes, being too reserved could also cause trouble. ¡°Ali, long time no see. Are you testing spells again today?¡± A handsome man in a black robe suddenly emerged from the apprentices and approached Ali with a radiant smile. Ali¡¯s smile slightly restrained, and her tone became somewhat cold. ¡°Um, we¡¯ve already finished experimenting.¡± Seeing Ali¡¯s mood was off, Richard whispered in her ear, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°He is that Joseph,¡± Ali said with some disgust. Richard sized up the Wizard Apprentice before him. Joseph was well-built and handsome, with thick blonde hair. Judging by the Magic Fluctuations emanating from him, he was quite powerful. Moreover, he was a Wizard Descendant, an official apprentice of a wizard. Frankly, if this person pursued someone else, he probably would have succeeded long ago. ¡°Ali, won¡¯t you introduce me to this friend?¡± Joseph, seemingly oblivious to Ali¡¯s demeanor, still wore a smile on his face. ¡°Richard, from the Alchemy School.¡± Richard didn¡¯t wait for Ali to speak and introduced himself first. ¡°So, you are Richard. Truly, appearances can be deceiving. Myself, I¡¯m Joseph, a formal apprentice of Master Urich. May I know under which master do you apprentice?¡± Joseph seemed a little surprised, then extended his right hand, apparently wanting a handshake. ¡°Master Jolod,¡± Richard¡¯s expression unchanged, shook his hand. ¡°So you are a high apprentice of Master Jolod.¡± A sneer crossed Joseph¡¯s face, and he thought coldly, ¡°Just one of Jolod¡¯s bunch of nobodies.¡± It was not a secret among Alchemy Wizards that Jolod took many apprentices, but everyone knew that an apprentice is just an apprentice, and an official apprentice is a true teacher of knowledge. Although he had heard rumors recently that Jolod took a low-level apprentice as an official apprentice, Joseph knew that it must be a Wizard Descendant. Only Wizard Descendants, who had contact with wizard knowledge from a young age, could become Wizard Apprentices right after the school started. It was the same for him, and he imagined it was the same for others. As they shook hands, a psychic message ran through to Richard¡¯s mind. ¡°Five hundred Magic Stones to leave Ali.¡± Richard was momentarily stunned, then felt like laughing. Was this a domineering CEO encounter? But five hundred Magic Stones seemed a bit undervaluing for such a CEO. At least five thousand would be considered generous. ¡°Friend, five hundred Magic Stones are not enough.¡± Joseph¡¯s confident smile froze on his face. Richard let go of his hand and laughingly pulled Ali into his arms. ¡°For such a rare treasure, I will need at least fifty thousand Magic Stones to let her go.¡± Ali didn¡¯t know what Richard was talking about, but this sudden embrace made her heart race. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Richard?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Nothing, a friend here wanted to offer five hundred Magic Stones for me to leave you,¡± Richard said animatedly, ¡°I think his price is too low; you should be worth fifty thousand Magic Stones at least.¡± Ali turned to look at Joseph, her voice disdainful, ¡°Joseph, are these your methods?¡± Joseph shook his head, sighed, and said, ¡°You wild apprentices are really troublesome, it would be better if you were more sensible.¡± He looked at Ali, his tone deep, ¡°Empty flattery doesn¡¯t bring real benefits. In the world of wizards, Magic Stones and knowledge are the foundation of progress. You follow the path of Plastic Energy, a school that particularly needs Magic Stones, and you are under Mistress Susanna, whose heritage needs even more Magic Stones. In this Academy, only I and the formal apprentices of Master Jolod can afford you.¡± Having said that, Joseph once again glanced deeply at Richard, his face mixing pity with mockery. ¡°Friend, there¡¯s a world of difference between a formal apprentice and your kind of apprentice. My offer stands still, I hope you recognize reality soon, lest you end up not being able to mix even with Magic Stones.¡± After finishing his words, Joseph strode away. Richard, watching his retreating figure, suddenly looked down, somewhat puzzledly at Ali. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell him that I¡¯m Master Jolod¡¯s formal apprentice?¡± ¡°No, didn¡¯t you tell me not to reveal your information to outsiders?¡± Ali shook her head, sweetly saying. The two looked at each other and suddenly burst into laughter. After laughing, Richard let go of Ali: ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll have dinner now. Tonight, I will study Magic Potions, otherwise, I can¡¯t afford to support you, Master Susanna¡¯s high apprentice.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®support¡¯?¡± Ali grimaced, waving her fists, ¡°I can support myself!¡± Evening, dormitory building. An Academy Inspector clutched a box the size of a person and flapped its wings, hovering in front of Richard¡¯s balcony. ¡°Apprentice Richard, Apprentice Richard, your goods have arrived!¡± ¡°Apprentice Richard, Apprentice Richard, your goods have arrived!¡± ¡°Ga!¡± The Death Crow on the balcony let out a shrill cry, and although the Academy Inspector was far stronger than it, it still issued a warning cry. ¡°Coming, coming.¡± Richard ran to the balcony, opened the window, and took the wooden box. The Wizard Commerce, which could open a store within the Academy, almost always employed Academy Inspectors as couriers. This was not only because there were many Academy Inspectors who patrolled the Academy all day and the Academy had not prohibited it, but also because these owls had very low wages. Employing these owls didn¡¯t require Magic Stones, only a lot of nuts and some pretty but useless gemstones were enough. ¡°Please sign here.¡± The owl held out a piece of parchment, handed it to Richard, and after Richard signed, the parchment instantly caught fire. Transaction complete, contract fulfilled. Carrying the box back to his room, Richard laid out the materials one by one at one end of the table. Also on the table were various oddly shaped glass vessels, all of which were equipment Richard needed to use. Taking out the Crystal Ball that recorded Magic Potion recipes, Richard reviewed the content again. After confirming that the information matched his memory, Richard went outside the door and hung a ¡®Do Not Disturb¡¯ sign. He didn¡¯t have many friends; the sign was mainly for Ali to see. Returning to his room, Richard put most of the materials back in the box, leaving only enough on the table to make one bottle of Magic Potion. Concentration Potion, its effect was to physiologically help Wizards calm down and prevent casting errors caused by severe pain and emotional agitation. Following the recipe, Richard took out a black fruit that looked like a plum. ¡°Gastrodia Fruit, has an anesthetic effect after consumption, the juice needs to be extracted and heated for about ten minutes.¡± Richard placed the fruit in a ceramic mortar and mashed it with a Crystal Pestle, then filtered it using a fine sieve and filter paper before putting it into a beaker to start heating. ¡°Next is the White Rhinoceros Horn, to be ground into powder.¡± As he spoke, Richard took out a cracked horn from the materials. It wasn¡¯t easy to handle, and he had to use a Magic Dagger to chop it up, then slowly grind it into powder. After handling the White Rhinoceros Horn, Richard sequentially processed High Sunlime, Concentration Grass, and other materials as recorded in the recipe. ¡°Materials prepared, now it¡¯s time to synthesize.¡± Richard looked at the array of bottles and jars in front of him. In making Magic Potions, one thing must absolutely not go wrong¡ªthe order in which ingredients were added. The order of some ingredients affected the final product; the wrong sequence could turn a life-saving elixir into a deadly poison. Making Magic Potion required stability in three areas: steady hands, steady heart, steady Magic Power. When making Magic Potion, Magic Power often needed to be steadily outputted, never fluctuating too much. Richard fetched a small pot, made entirely of ceramic, with a few Runes etched on its surface. This was an Alchemy Pot, an essential tool in Alchemy. Following the recipe, Richard began adding the ingredients one by one, using Magic Power as a catalyst to facilitate their fusion. He was very careful during this process, because unlike Magic Equipment, if even one step in making a Magic Potion failed, the entire effort was ruined. ¡°Lastly, add Black Bone Stone powder, and if the material turns into a deep blue transparent liquid, the Magic Potion is complete.¡± Richard cautiously added the White Rhinoceros Horn powder to the pitch-black solution in front of him, and the liquid gradually changed color as the powder entered. ¡°Good, this is promising!¡± Richard¡¯s expression brightened, and he continued adding the powder. But before long, the liquid suddenly ¡°bloop bloop¡± produced a string of bubbles, then abruptly turned pitch black. With a ¡°bang,¡± the liquid in the Alchemy Pot turned into a cloud of black smoke that filled the room. Richard¡¯s face darkened as he silently wiped the black ash from his face. It was clearly a failure. After cleaning the Alchemy Pot, Richard returned to his desk to reflect on his process. Experiments were like this, fail after fail, reflection after reflection, and then after tremendous effort, finding an answer¡ªand sometimes the answer wasn¡¯t even what you wanted. ¡°My steps were correct, Magic Power input was stable; eliminating those two factors, that only leaves material handling and the amount of Magic Power input.¡± The recipe provided by Jolod used many vague words regarding material handling and Magic Power input amount, not because he wasn¡¯t researching Magic Potion or couldn¡¯t be bothered to exert effort, but because precise handling of materials was extremely challenging. The origin of materials, their growing environments, and handling techniques all affected the materials. Conversely, differences in material quality also impacted the amount of Magic Power input required during their fusion. The Wizard¡¯s solution to this problem was simple¡ªpractice makes perfect. As long as there was sufficient quantity, experience would guide the Wizards to make the right choices. An Alchemy Wizard necessarily grows from thousands upon thousands of failures. But now, Richard thought of another solution. ¡°This Potion¡­ it can refine skills too, right?¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Transaction (Request for Follow-up) Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Transaction (Request for Follow-up) Business district, Anna¡¯s cottage ¡°Sure, lending you a hundred Magic Stones is fine, but why do you want to buy a Concentration Potion, and a superior quality one at that?¡± Anna looked at her junior, Wizard Apprentice, in astonishment. ¡°This stuff isn¡¯t cheap. What do you need it for?¡± Richard cleared his throat and presented the excuse he had prepared. ¡°Sister Anna, I¡¯m also studying Concentration Potions. I think that the one master gave me and the ones sold in the business district must have something in common. Buying one might just inspire me.¡± ¡°Inspiration?¡± Anna gave Richard a dismissive look. ¡°We Alchemy Wizards believe in learning through extensive practice, not some elusive inspiration.¡± However, although Anna said this, she went back inside the store and brought out a bottle of pale blue potion, 100 ml in volume. ¡°Here, a superior quality Concentration Potion. The store price is thirty Magic Stones; I bought it second hand and the price doubled.¡± While saying this, Anna shook the potion in front of Richard and smiled mischievously. ¡°Now selling it to you, how many Magic Stones do you think is appropriate?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Richard looked at the potion, feeling torn inside. He didn¡¯t have many Magic Stones on him right now. ¡°You really thought about that,¡± Anna couldn¡¯t help but tap on Richard¡¯s head. ¡°This stuff is priceless at the academy; it¡¯s considered high production if even one bottle emerges per month. You simply can¡¯t buy it with just Magic Stones.¡± ¡°Then¡­ are you giving it to me, Sister Anna?¡± Richard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Nice thinking there,¡± Anna glared at Richard. ¡°Consider this a loan. When you make a superior quality Concentration Potion later on, you owe me two bottles.¡± ¡°Do you accept this condition?¡± ¡°I accept, accept, of course I accept,¡± Richard nodded again and again, adding one last sentence. ¡°Sister Anna, you¡¯re so good to me!¡± Anna¡¯s cheeks slightly reddened. ¡°Go on, hurry up and make your Magic Potion. I kind of regret it now, I should have asked for three bottles of superior quality Magic Potion!¡± ¡­ Back in his dormitory, Richard activated the Miracle Furnace with the potion. [Material: Superior Quality Concentration Potion] [Possible Refinement Skill: Alchemy Operation (incomplete)] [Refinement Cost: 10 spiritual power] [Possible Refinement Information: Concentration Potion Formula] [Refinement Cost: 10 spiritual power] [Initiate Refinement?] ¡°Can it really refine the formula of the potion?¡± Richard looked at the information provided by the furnace and couldn¡¯t help feeling thrilled, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can¡¯t I refine the formula of every potion sold at the academy?¡± This wild idea made Richard tremble slightly, but he quickly suppressed it in his heart. Even if he managed to refine so many formulas, he wouldn¡¯t be able to sell them in the business district. Whether a potion was his own formula, the Wizards would realize at a glance. Stealing knowledge was a serious crime, and Jolod wouldn¡¯t be able to protect him. ¡°But even though I can¡¯t sell them, I can still use them for myself.¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°So many potions are being sold; getting one or two bottles for myself shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Richard chose to refine the skill, and with his substantial base of twenty-three spiritual power points, he only felt a slight dizziness, and then the refinement was complete. After absorbing the Light Ball that recorded the skills, in an instant, Richard felt as though he had transformed back into a Wizard, manipulating materials like clay in his hands. Strange and varied, soft or hard, materials were no issue. Likewise, while preparing Magic Potions, he was adept and could devise countermeasures without even thinking. After the absorption ended, Richard shook his head, stood up, and picked up the materials needed for the Concentration Potion. Crushing, sieving, extracting, grinding ¨C Richard handled the materials, and before his mind even acted, his arms had automatically processed them. ¡°Such is the terrifying skill of a Wizard.¡± Richard let out a sigh, his heart once again filled with reverence for the Wizard. ¡­ With such skills, Richard naturally excelled at making potions, although failure was inevitable. In the midst of it all, Richard didn¡¯t forget to record the data, and he always had some opinions about the vague data in the formulas. Richard believed that the low success rate of the Magic Potions was largely due to these vague data. Just like that, a month quickly went by. ¡°Are these¡­ all made by you?¡± Anna looked at the box of Concentration Potions in front of her, her mind spinning. She felt there must have been a problem with her meditation, otherwise why would she see the hallucination of her junior apprentice brother, who had just been making Magic Potions for a month, coming to her to sell a box of Concentration Potions. This must be a hallucination! ¡°Anna, I¡¯ve placed these potions with you for consignment, do you agree?¡± Richard asked with some dissatisfaction after not getting a reply for a while. After refining his skills, Richard had been solely focused on concocting Magic Potions. After spending all the money he borrowed from Anna, he had produced a total of sixty-five bottles of Concentration Potion, with a success rate close to two-thirds. ¡°Agreed, agreed,¡± Anna came back to her senses and cautiously ventured, ¡°How many times did you fail in total? The Magic Stones I gave you must not have been enough.¡± A shameful thought flashed through Anna¡¯s mind¡ªshe actually hoped Richard had failed more times. But Richard¡¯s response shattered her last illusion. ¡°I failed many times, with about a fifty percent success rate,¡± Richard pretended to be embarrassed as he spoke. Jolod had recorded many of his former apprentice¡¯s results in his books, and a fifty percent success rate was not even comparable to the last one. Such a result, in Richard¡¯s view, fit his identity as a low-level Apprentice. ¡°How many?¡± Anna felt dizzy again, she had never felt as powerless as she did now since she became a Wizard Apprentice. ¡°Fifty percent,¡± Richard repeated word by word, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve just started concocting Magic Potions, isn¡¯t it normal to have a high failure rate?¡± ¡°A fifty percent success rate! Ordinary apprentices starting to make Concentration Potions, reaching a ten percent success rate is considered passing, reaching twenty percent is seen as talented, and someone like you, a low-level Apprentice who just started Alchemy reaching fifty percent success rate, I¡­ I¡­¡± At this moment, Anna felt somewhat defeated facing Richard. She thought Richard had the same talent in Magic Equipment as her, but it seemed now that Richard¡¯s talent was even more exaggerated than she thought. ¡°Ah¡­ really?¡± Richard¡¯s face stiffened, and he squeezed out a faint smile, ¡°I saw in the teacher¡¯s book that my results are not even listed.¡± Anna took a deep breath, trying to keep her tone as even as possible. ¡°Richard, the teacher has taught hundreds of classes at the Academy, and those he takes as students all have exceptional talents, and those apprentices mentioned in his book are the geniuses among geniuses.¡± ¡°Haha, I just said I couldn¡¯t be that bad, not even worse than the last one listed in the book,¡± Richard tried to sound more excited, at this point he decided to go all out. A genius then, he thought, after all, the potions were made by his own hands, and he could replicate them if asked to. With so many talented natives before him, his status as a transmigrator wasn¡¯t so conspicuous. ¡°But don¡¯t be too proud,¡± Anna¡¯s emotion subsided, her expression returning to her usual aloof and glamorous self, ¡°There are many talented apprentices like grains of sand at the sea, but only a few actually become Wizards.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Richard nodded obediently. Anna tapped the potions in the box; a total of forty-six bottles, priced at five Magic Stones each, these potions brought Richard a net profit of nearly one hundred and thirty Magic Stones. This was with Richard intentionally underselling some of his output. If he was willing to sell more, he could earn even more. ¡°For consigning potions, I, as your senior sister, won¡¯t take a cut. Take these one hundred thirty Magic Stones,¡± Anna put the potions into the cabinet and handed Richard a bag of Magic Stones. ¡°Concentration Potions are easy to sell, I¡¯ll just give you the money first. ¡°Go have a good rest, you must be exhausted from this month.¡± Richard felt warmth in his heart, politely bid farewell to Anna, and then headed straight for the Central Black Tower. Rest was unnecessary; now that he had money, it would be improper not to spend it. COMMENT 3 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 3 Chapter 37 - Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Big Purchase (Seeking Follow-up Reads) Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Big Purchase (Seeking Follow-up Reads) The Magic Store was also located on the fiftieth floor of the Central Black Tower, but compared to the library, the Magic Store was much smaller. Upon entering, Richard was immediately faced with a counter, behind which stood a mechanical puppet similar to those of the Seven Luminaries Commerce, yet the puppet here was somewhat crude with many of its mechanical structures exposed, and intricate gears continuously rotating within. Behind the mechanical puppet were shelves for storing Magic Models, which Richard counted to find only three rows similar to the large bookshelves in the library. ¡°What Magic Model would you like to purchase?¡± the mechanical shop assistant asked Richard in a voice that resembled the friction of metal. ¡°Lesser Fireball Technique, Ice Cone Skill,¡± Richard stated the names of the spells he had already decided on. The power of the Lesser Fireball Technique goes without saying¡ªan extremely powerful weapon among the low-level apprentices, and also one of the most expensive among the One Ring spells, costing one hundred Magic Stones. Richard¡¯s decision to buy the Ice Cone Skill was sparked by a vague idea he had¡ªthat there was something amiss with the Ice Cone Skill. Although the name ¡°Ice Cone Skill¡± was quite descriptive, anyone who had actually used it knew that the power of the Ice Cone Skill actually came from the speed of the ice cone; apart from being solid, the ice cone itself did not possess any inherent power. This had caught Richard¡¯s attention. If the Ice Cone Skill¡¯s power derived from its velocity, then it was certain that its Magic Model must contain a part that provided the kinetic energy. And regarding this part, Richard had some intriguing ideas. ¡°Total price, eleven thousand Academy Coins.¡± Richard handed over a bundle of Academy Coins that he had exchanged on the way there. The mechanical shop assistant opened its chest to insert the coins, and after a brief sound of gear friction, confirmed the amount of Academy Coins. ¡°Quantity is correct, please wait a moment.¡± The assistant pressed a button on the shelf twice. A rubbing sound of mechanics came from above the counter, and a metal pneumatic pipeline descended in front of Richard, making a series of noises. Clang! Two scrolls shot out from the pipeline and were swiftly caught by the mechanical shop assistant. ¡°Please receive your goods, Lesser Fireball Technique Magic Model, Ice Cone Skill Magic Model.¡± ¡°Pneumatic pipeline.¡± Richard recognized this system, surprised to see a similar system in the Otherworld. Richard pocketed the scrolls, which unlike the crystal balls, did not transfer information directly through spiritual power but were written as text. This was done to facilitate the application of curses on the scrolls to prevent students from reselling after learning, and also because Inheritance Crystal Balls were expensive, and the Academy did not want to spend that extra money. Back at the dormitory, Richard handed the scroll describing the Ice Cone Skill to Ali. He had not yet opened the scroll, so its curse had not been triggered, meaning the scroll could still be traded at this moment. ¡°Do you want me to extract the part that releases kinetic energy?¡± Ali looked at Richard, somewhat confused. A perfectly good spell¡ªothers were adding to it, so why did Richard want to dissect it? Richard nodded, reaffirming: ¡°Yes, take that part out and give it to me, I have some ideas I¡¯d like to try.¡± He was an Alchemy Wizard whose understanding of the various Rune Systems of Shaping Magic was far inferior to Ali, a Shaping Wizard. This was also one of the downsides for an apprentice, whose time was too short to double major in schools unless they had a mentor to lead the way. ¡°Alright, give me three months, and I guarantee to get it for you,¡± Ali promptly agreed, taking the scroll. Then she casually mentioned, ¡°Oh, by the way, Master Susanna has officially taken me as her apprentice.¡± ¡°Ah? That was quick. Congratulations,¡± Richard congratulated with a bow, pleased as Ali¡¯s becoming an official apprentice of a wizard meant his investment was not in vain. Other wizards were unlike Jolod who needed Magic Stones for purchases, once an apprentice became an official Apprentice, it meant receiving part or even all of the Wizard¡¯s mantle. ¡°Just like that?¡± Ali asked Richard with some dissatisfaction, puffing up her cheeks, ¡°Is that all you want to say?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ what do you want me to do?¡± Richard scratched his head. Was he supposed to invite her for a meal? But logically, shouldn¡¯t Ali be the one treating him to celebrate? ¡°You you you¡­ can¡¯t you just compliment me?¡± Ali puffed up like a blowfish, but then deflated soon after. ¡°Forget about it, you¡¯re just like that. I¡¯ve said it now, hurry up and compliment me!¡± Richard, watching Ali who acted like a child, was somewhat at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. After casually complimenting her for a bit, Ali finally let him go, satisfied. Back in his room, Richard didn¡¯t rush to peruse the scrolls, but rather took a handful of iron beans onto the balcony. ¡°Wuni, come eat the iron beans.¡± As soon as Richard had spoken, he saw a green-eyed crow fly into the room, landing on Richard¡¯s other arm and pecking at the iron beans in his hand. Wuni was the name Richard had given to this Death Crow, and after a year of feeding, it had grown very affectionate towards him. Before long, he would be able to implant a Soul Seed within it without any resistance. After feeding Wuni, Richard returned to his room and opened the scroll that recorded the Lesser Fireball Technique. A Wizard¡¯s soul could not carry an unlimited number of Magic Models, and the more Magic Marks there were, the heavier the burden on the soul. However, an increase in spiritual power would also enhance the soul¡¯s capacity. During the Apprentice stage, an Apprentice could carry a maximum of four Magic Marks. Although a Magic Mark could be removed, the ritual was by no means inexpensive. Thus, each choice of Magic Mark had to be made with great caution. As a Shaping Magic spell in the One Ring, the Lesser Fireball Technique, with its substantial physical and Elemental Damage, was considered one of the highest performing spells available during the Apprentice stage in terms of cost-effectiveness. The scroll detailed a very complex two-dimensional figure, densely filled with Runes. However, from a distance, it would be apparent that the outermost ring of Runes connected to form a circle. This was the origin of the spell¡¯s ¡°Ring¡± grade. But a ring only represented the complexity of a spell, not its power. Wizards often said there is no best spell, only the most suitable one. A spell is just a tool, and a tool only performs best when used in the right situation. Learning a Memory Magic spell was an extremely time-consuming and exhausting process, because inscribing a Magic Mark in the soul offered no opportunities to revisit like flipping through a book, it had to be completed in one go. If interrupted midway, not only would previous efforts be wasted, but sometimes it could also damage the soul, causing a permanent decrease in spiritual power. Fortunately, with the Truth Furnace, Richard spent just five points of spiritual power to solidly memorize the Magic Model of the Lesser Fireball Technique. Once the model was memorized, the rest was easy. Richard sat cross-legged on his bed, entering a Meditation State. Within the Soul Space, he used his spiritual power to form one Rune after another, then arranged these Runes in the air according to the order in the model. Once arranged, he continued to fill the Runes with spiritual power until they merged with his soul. The process was slow, and Richard continued until dawn the next day to complete the integration. When the Magic Model was completely imprinted in his soul, Richard felt an inexplicable sense of weight. This weight did not come from reality, but from the soul. It indicated that his soul had taken on more load, and that he had succeeded. ¡°I¡¯ve finally completed it, just don¡¯t know how powerful this primitive version of the Lesser Fireball Technique will be.¡± Excitement flickered in Richard¡¯s eyes; he now absolutely had to blow something up! COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 38 - Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Spell Test (Please Follow) Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Spell Test (Please Follow) The test zone, being the largest area of the Academy, was predominantly closed off. The closed areas were the fee-based sections of the test zone, where both protection measures and testing facilities were very comprehensive. Although the open areas allowed apprentices free testing, using targets required the payment of target money. Richard went to the test zone¡¯s rental hall, hoping to choose a suitable area for testing the power of the Subsidiary Fireball Technique. The rental hall was in the Roman style, with a huge vaulted ceiling, thick walls, and external buttresses and flying buttresses. Many counters were set up inside the hall, each manned by an apprentice. To more accurately test the power of this primitive version of the Fireball Technique, Richard chose a testing area that charged one Magic Stone per hour and included testing targets with dual physical and elemental damage capabilities. After paying, the apprentice behind the counter handed him a Crystal Card. ¡°Please go to Area 3, Test Chamber Four.¡± Following the internal path of the test zone, Richard quickly found his test chamber. There was a slot at the door into which Richard inserted the Crystal Card, and the door automatically opened. ¡°Quite modern.¡± The interior space of the test chamber was not small, roughly the size of a basketball court. As soon as he entered, Richard saw two humanoid targets at the far end of the area. These targets were made by wizards; the black one on the left could withstand fifty levels of elemental damage, and the white one on the right could withstand fifty levels of physical damage. There was also a white stone platform in the area, on which two Crystal Balls sat, each corresponding to one of the targets. Whenever Richard attacked a target with a spell, the power of the spell would automatically transfer to the Crystal Balls. ¡°This is rather convenient,¡± Richard remarked. Although the Wizard World had followed another path due to magic power, human instincts remained the same, trying to make things as convenient as possible for oneself. Approaching the stone platform, Richard focused his thoughts, and his magic power automatically gathered in his hand, forming a palm-sized red fireball. With a casual wave, the fireball struck the target like a shooting star. Boom! [Elemental Damage: Fire] [Damage Level: 20] Watching the data within the Crystal Ball, Richard felt quite satisfied. This one lesser fireball had used nearly a quarter of his magic power, which was fifty points, but its power had reached the twentieth level. Although this power was much less compared to the wizard-modified lesser fireball technique in the Fireball Magic Wand, it was significantly more powerful than Magic Missile using the same amount of magic power. ¡°No wonder wizards say trickery is just a waste of magic power; the application of this spell on magic power is truly terrifying.¡± Richard then tested the power of the Fireball Magic Wand. Boom! [Elemental Damage: Fire] [Damage Level: 49] Seeing the power of the Fireball Technique Wand, Richard couldn¡¯t help but exclaim that knowledge indeed was power; the same lesser fireball technique, modified by a wizard, had more than doubled in power. ¡°Let¡¯s try the Ice Cone Skill next.¡± Richard pointed his finger at the target, and an ice cone instantly flew out, striking the target. [Elemental Damage: Ice] [Damage Level: 0.1] [Warning: Please do not test physical attacks on an elemental target] Seeing the warning, a knowing smile appeared on Richard¡¯s face. The Ice Cone Skill was essentially a spell cloaked in an elemental guise but relied on kinetic energy for actual damage. Richard shifted his target and shot out another ice cone. [Damage Type: Puncture] [Damage Level: 5] ¡°Puncture damage?¡± Richard¡¯s heart stirred, and he turned to the physical target, striking it with his great sword. When he returned to the stone platform, the type of damage shown within the crystal ball had changed to cutting. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect wizards to classify physical damage so finely; truly a civilization capable of conquering planes.¡± Adhering to the principle of not wasting, Richard continued to test the power of his normal Wind Crow Slash on the physical targets, registering fifth-level cutting damage. He then activated his bloodline for testing and achieved sixth-level results. ¡°An increase of one level, that¡¯s fairly decent,¡± Richard thought, fairly satisfied with the results given that the first phase of his bloodline formula focused more on defense than attack, providing little enhancement to his strength when activated. This situation would change in the second phase. However, the resources needed for the second phase were not available within the Magical Beast Academy¡¯s area of influence; he would have to spend a significant amount of money at the Wizard Commerce. But for now, Richard was in no hurry to proceed with the second phase of Bloodline Alchemy. Firstly, he didn¡¯t need to venture on missions and spent all his time within the academy, so he didn¡¯t have a great need for increased power. Secondly, he was currently more eager to learn from Jolod. Jolod¡¯s knowledge was not merely theoretical; it included Magic Equipment design diagrams, Magic Potion formulas, and even higher-level Meditation Methods. Once learned, these were all convertable into luscious Magic Stones. Exiting the test chamber, the outside was brilliantly sunny. Richard shielded his eyes from the sun, thinking of gathering more materials to make another batch of Concentration Potions. He had many uses for Magic Stones and the market for Concentration Potions was substantial, so being industrious now meant earning more later. But just as he stepped outside, he heard a ¡®swoosh¡¯ of fluttering wings above him. Looking up, he saw an owl flying before him, which seemed to be the one Chax used for sending messages. ¡°Apprentice, come to the Central Black Tower,¡± the owl suddenly spoke in a human voice. It seemed it really was. ¡°I understand, Senior Brother. I¡¯m on my way,¡± Richard told the owl. The owl, having heard him, flapped its wings and flew toward the Black Tower. ¡°It¡¯s odd for Chax to suddenly call me to the Black Tower,¡± Richard pondered, rubbing his chin with slight confusion. Arriving on the fifty-sixth floor of the Central Black Tower, Richard knocked on the door. Thump, thump, thump. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, apprentice,¡± Chax opened the door and welcomed Richard into the room. Besides Chax, there was another person in the room who looked ordinary, but the moment Richard entered, his body tensed with alarm. A highly dangerous individual! Richard mentally tagged the man. ¡°Eric, this is Richard, the newest apprentice my mentor has taken in,¡± Chax introduced to the man. Eric stood up and stretched out his right hand with a friendly smile. ¡°Apprentice Richard, you were hard to find.¡± As Richard shook his hand, he immediately felt the surging life energy within Eric, which was unlike any human¡¯s, more reminiscent of a Magic Beast wearing human skin. ¡°I¡¯m not good at socializing, sorry to have troubled you, Senior,¡± Richard said. ¡°Not good at socializing? That won¡¯t do,¡± Eric patted Richard¡¯s shoulder like an elder brother, ¡°We are all wizards from the same academy, and future comrades shoulder to shoulder on the Plane Battlefield.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not good at socializing, you¡¯ll suffer greatly in battle.¡± Richard¡¯s mind raced, vaguely guessing Eric¡¯s intention¡ªlikely an invitation to some sort of party or salon. Therefore, he nodded in agreement, ¡°You¡¯re right, Senior, but having just arrived at the academy, I barely know a few friends; even if I wanted to socialize, I wouldn¡¯t know how.¡± Hearing this, Eric glanced at Chax and conveniently pulled out an exquisitely embossed invitation from his sleeve. ¡°Finding a channel is not difficult; I¡¯m hosting an Apprentice Exchange Meet tonight. Would you honor us with your presence, Junior?¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 39 - Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Networking Event (Please Follow) Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Networking Event (Please Follow) ¡°An Apprentice Exchange Meeting?¡± Richard accepted the invitation. ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s a gathering for us official apprentices to get to know each other,¡± Eric explained, and then added, ¡°This time, almost all the official apprentices will attend.¡± ¡°I see.¡± After exchanging a few more polite remarks, Eric, who had completed his task, stood up to take his leave, as he still had many more apprentices to invite, not just Richard. After he left, Richard asked, ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the story with this Senior Eric? He seems very powerful.¡± ¡°Powerful is right; he is the apprentice of the Deputy Dean Eric,¡± Chax replied. ¡°By the way, brother, do you have a date for tonight?¡± Chax suddenly winked at Richard, ¡°If not, I can introduce you to a couple.¡± ¡°Guaranteed to make your evening enjoyable.¡± ¡°No thank you, brother,¡± Richard laughed, shaking his head as he declined Chax¡¯s kind offer, ¡°I have a date.¡± ¡°A date?¡± Chax was surprised, his usually reserved disciple actually had a date, but he immediately leaned in, curiosity written all over his face, ¡°You actually have a date? I thought you had long embraced the truth wholeheartedly and only had knowledge on your mind? Tell your brother, which school¡¯s apprentice? Who is the master?¡± ¡°Plastic Energy and Curse dual schools; she¡¯s a disciple of Master Susanna,¡± Richard didn¡¯t hide anything, after all, they were brothers, and they would spend a lot more days together; it was something he couldn¡¯t keep hidden if he wanted to. ¡°Oh! Impressive, brother!¡± Chax gave Richard an enthusiastic thumbs up, ¡°Master Susanna hasn¡¯t taken on any apprentices in years, and this session she took one, and you managed to win her over!¡± Richard just smiled, saying nothing. ¡°Since you have a date, then I won¡¯t try to matchmake for you,¡± Chax said, his smile fading as he became serious, ¡°But before we go, I need to make things clear to you.¡± ¡°The Exchange Meeting is just for fun, don¡¯t take all the boasting and flattery seriously, and don¡¯t waste too much time on so-called relationships. As long as you are strong, you don¡¯t need to maintain relationships; they will come seeking you. Just like today; you just stocked a batch of Concentration Potions at Sister¡¯s shop yesterday, and today Eric personally came waiting for your return. If you hadn¡¯t achieved anything, Eric would have just left an invitation for me to pass to you, instead of personally waiting here for you.¡± Chax spoke with a grave tone, apparently having suffered in this regard in the past. ¡°Yes, brother, I understand,¡± Richard responded seriously. ¡°Good to know, then get ready to go back,¡± Chax stood up, patted Richard, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you dazzle everyone tonight, captivating the crowd.¡± ¡­ That evening, on the seventy-second floor of the Central Black Tower. Richard, arm-in-arm with Ali and holding the invitation, walked up to the entrance of the meeting venue. That night, Richard was dressed in a sharp black suit, a badge pinned on his chest, and his shoes were polished to a shine. Beside him, Ali wore a black long dress, her slim neck adorned with a sapphire necklace. ¡°This should be it.¡± Richard, looking at the two humanoid mechanical guards at the door, thought to himself that Eric¡¯s arrangements were grand, even the mechanical puppets were humanoid. Ordinary wizards couldn¡¯t afford humanoid mechanical puppets. Richard took out the invitation from his pocket and handed it to the guard, who swallowed the invitation. Immediately, a sound of gears grinding came from its body. ¡°Identity confirmed, Master Jolod¡¯s official apprentice Richard, welcome to the Exchange Meeting,¡± the guard bowed slightly towards Richard. Ali, following suit, handed her own invitation to the guard. ¡°Identity confirmed, Master Susanna¡¯s official apprentice Ali, welcome to the Exchange Meeting.¡± As they entered the hall, the entire hall was resplendent, contrasting starkly with the dark, gloomy style of the Central Black Tower. Apprentices, having arrived early, gathered in groups of three to five, casually chatting while holding drinks. Most of the official apprentices were Wizard Descendants, and unless they were like Richard and Ali, who had special talents, most apprentices had to wait until after the first bloody test to potentially be taken as official disciples by a Wizard. Richard glanced around the hall, noting several apprentices in the corners who appeared powerful at first glance. ¡°These must be the people who were taken as official apprentices after the bloody test,¡± Richard thought to himself. As a wild apprentice taken from the common folk, Richard naturally did not recognize those Wizard Descendants. Taking advantage of the time before the exchange meeting started, he found a quiet corner with Ali and sat down. He felt it was better to remain inconspicuous in this exchange meeting, where hidden dragons and crouching tigers abounded. As the time drew near, more and more apprentices filled the hall. Most of these people knew each other, and their relationships were both good and bad. Gathering together, friction was inevitable. An apprentice as sturdy as a gorilla suddenly barked at the apprentice standing in front of him. Judging by his Magic Fluctuations, he had already reached the level of an Intermediate Apprentice. ¡°Kahman, you scum, you¡¯re still alive!¡± As he roared, the apprentice¡¯s Magic Wand swung down toward the apprentice in front of him like thunder. The wand in the apprentice¡¯s hand, rather than a typical wand, was more like a long bone staff. Generally, crystal balls are placed at the top of wands, but this wand was covered with a layer of metal spikes engraved with runes. At that moment, the runes on the spikes were flashing with the brilliance of magic power. ¡°Ha ha ha, Lake, you fool, still as stupid as ever.¡± The struck apprentice cackled, neither defending himself nor dodging, just quietly watching as the wand fell. Bang! ¡°Lake, I remember telling you not to be impulsive in today¡¯s exchange meeting,¡± a figure appeared in front of Lake, catching the thunderous wand with one hand, unmoved no matter how hard Lake tried. ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± A strong wave of magic power emanated from the figure, causing Lake¡¯s body to tremble involuntarily. His instincts continuously warned him that resisting¡­ would lead to death! ¡°Sorry, sorry, sorry¡­ Eric senior. I didn¡¯t mean to, please forgive my foolishness!¡± Lake bowed deeply to Eric, his shaking voice completely different from before. Eric gave Lake a cold glance and casually tossed the wand aside. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, I¡¯m in a good mood today.¡± With that, Eric took a wine glass to the center of the hall and tapped it with a silver spoon. The sound in the hall quieted instantly, and all the apprentices turned their attention to the organizer of the meeting. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I¡¯m delighted that you could attend the Apprentice Exchange Meeting I¡¯ve organized,¡± Eric said with a smile, bowing slightly to everyone, ¡°All of you here are official apprentices of the various masters in the Black Tower, the future pillars of the Academy. The purpose of this meeting is to encourage everyone to interact and foster relationships. So, I hope that you can control your emotions and not disgrace the Masters you represent. Remember, calm and restraint are among a Wizard¡¯s primary traits.¡± Having said that, Eric raised his wine glass, gestured to everyone, and drank it in one go. ¡°Now, the Apprentice Exchange Meeting officially begins!¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 40 - Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Enlightenment (Please Follow) Chapter 40: Chapter 40 Enlightenment (Please Follow) ¡°Such incredible strength, is this what the top apprentices at the Academy are like?¡± Richard watched Eric in the center of the hall and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. As a Wizard Apprentice who practiced Bloodline Alchemy, Richard had gained a clearer understanding of the apprentice wielding the wand during the recent friction. If that strike had hit him, even a graze would be an injury, a direct hit would be death. Yet Eric had caught that strike with such an effortless grace. ¡°My mentor mentioned that this Eric is Deputy Dean Alex¡¯s proud disciple,¡± Ali casually remarked. ¡°It¡¯s said that he¡¯s so strong that the Deputy Dean even wanted him to drop out of the wizard exam and directly return home to inherit the family resources and become a Wizard.¡± ¡°Family?¡± Richard was startled, ¡°Is Senior Eric from a Wizard Family?¡± Wizard Families, once symbols of the enlightenment era in the Wizard World, still exist today. However, compared to their past glory, modern Wizard Families have become even more secretive. Some powerful families would use the Academy as their public symbol, while the weaker ones may join an Academy to become affiliated with a Great Wizard, seeking to gain a share in this age of exploration. Regardless of their strength, Wizard Families are known to foster their offspring far better than ordinary Wizard Descendants. ¡°Yes, but I only heard this from my teacher.¡± As the exchange meeting progressed, the atmosphere in the hall gradually became more lively. Accompanied by music that seemed to appear out of nowhere, acquaintances among the apprentices began to dance in the middle of the hall. ¡°Richard, shall we go for a dance?¡± Ali asked with a hint of boredom. She was very familiar with this scene as the daughter of a wealthy merchant and had often attended balls organized by Nobles. ¡°I¡¯d rather not dance.¡± Richard brushed off several apprentices who had come up to chat. Although he was reclusive, some well-informed apprentices recognized him. ¡°I¡¯m not good at this.¡± He regretted attending this exchange meeting; he¡¯d normally be reading a book in his dorm or brewing Magic Potions during this time. Instead of wasting time chatting awkwardly with a bunch of apprentices with ulterior motives. ¡°Then let¡¯s go back. This exchange meeting doesn¡¯t feel much different from one of those noble gatherings.¡± At the other end of the hall, Joseph was talking animatedly amongst a group of apprentices. Compared to Richard¡¯s insignificant fame, as a formal Apprentice and a Wizard Descendant of Master Urich, Joseph¡¯s reputation was well-known among the apprentices, if not famous. ¡°Brother Joseph, I heard you can now expertly make Concentration Potions?¡± one apprentice fawned. Joseph downed his glass of wine in one gulp, boasting proudly, ¡°You heard right. My teacher has given me the recipe for the Concentration Potion. From now on, Urich¡¯s Shop will have at least fifty bottles available each month!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately shocked the surrounding apprentices. Ulrich¡¯s Alchemy Store did sell Concentration Potions, but the supply was always inconsistent. Some months there¡¯d be thirty to fifty bottles, other times only a few. Hence, although the Concentration Potion was priced at five Magic Stones a bottle at Urich¡¯s Shop, in apprentice trading, it often sold for a third more. And if output was low for several months, the price could easily double or more. Hoarding Concentration Potions had almost become a business. Joseph contentedly observed the reactions of the apprentices around him. His success rate in brewing Magic Potions was approaching one in two, a Talent so remarkable that even his Master praised him, which was why Urich had passed on the recipe to him. While he was basking in his satisfaction, he suddenly saw two apprentices leaving the hall. One of them was particularly familiar to him. ¡°Ali?¡± Joseph¡¯s brain, dulled by alcohol, couldn¡¯t react in time to confirm before the two apprentices disappeared outside the door. ¡°Never mind, what does it matter even if it was her?¡± Joseph shook his head. He wasn¡¯t short of women at the moment. A talented and pretty woman, she could go play with that Wild Apprentice. A short-sighted woman who won¡¯t amount to much; she¡¯ll regret it later. With that, Joseph returned to his merry drinking and conversation, reveling in the feeling of being the center of attention. ¡°` ¡­ The exchange meeting didn¡¯t change Richard¡¯s life, dull, tedious, boring; these were the main themes of life for Wizard Apprentices, and even for Wizards. Over three months, Richard spent most of his time brewing Magic Potions. Throughout the potion brewing process, Richard was doing one thing¡ªrecording data. And as bottle after bottle of Magic Potion was successfully concocted, Richard¡¯s data gradually became more comprehensive. ¡°Hmm¡­still no significant characteristics.¡± After researching all night, Richard looked at his thick notebook full of notes, which recorded the data of all the Potions he had made these days. He had hoped to find some patterns in the data that would increase the success rate of the Magic Potions, and even allow for mass production. But as of now, his hypothesis had failed. ¡°Could it be that brewing Magic Potions really just relies on experience and intuition?¡± Richard looked at the data with some disheartenment. Wizards value empirical evidence; numbers don¡¯t lie¡ªif there¡¯s no significant pattern, then there¡¯s no significant pattern. Richard tossed the notebook aside, beginning to ponder if he had missed something. Otherwise, it didn¡¯t make sense that he had conducted hundreds of experiments without discerning even a hint of a pattern. Just then, a knock came at his door. Ali stood outside, with dark circles under her eyes and yawning, handing Richard a stack of manuscript paper. ¡°Richard, I¡¯ve taken apart what you asked for. This Ice Cone Skill is really amazing. After I deconstructed its Rune structure, I found that most of its Runes are for generating power, with only a very small part focused on condensing the Ice Cone. This is virtually impossible in other Elemental Spells.¡± Richard browsed through the manuscript papers, which recorded Ali¡¯s process of deconstructing the Spell, and at the end, Richard saw a Magic Model with only a circle of Runes. ¡°This is the source of power for the Ice Cone Skill, I hope this is what you needed.¡± Ali yawned, having hardly slept at all in the past few days, dedicating all her time to deconstructing Spells for Richard. ¡°Good, you¡¯ve worked hard. This is very helpful to me.¡± Richard ruffled Ali¡¯s hair, ¡°You go back and rest now, you¡¯ve worked hard these past few days.¡± ¡°Hmm, then I¡¯m going back.¡± With the manuscript papers in hand, Richard returned to his desk and decided to switch gears; he wouldn¡¯t think about the Magic Potions for a while. ¡°Ice Cone Skill¡­ Let me think about what you can do.¡± Richard flipped through Ali¡¯s manuscript papers, which thoughtfully recorded the efficiency of this circle of Runes in converting Magic Power. ¡°Sixty percent, the conversion rate is so high.¡± Richard was surprised by the record on the manuscript papers; a sixty percent conversion rate meant that for every unit of Magic Power he inputted, 0.6 units were converted into the kinetic energy of the Ice Cone. If this conversion efficiency were applied to the internal combustion engine of his previous world, the Nobel Prize would have to be renamed after him. But he immediately realized that this value was theoretical, and it changed with the Rune carrier; the higher the carrier¡¯s Magic Conduction efficiency, the closer it approached fifty percent. ¡°Converting Magic Power, Magic Power¡­¡± Suddenly, Richard froze. He had just realized what he had been overlooking. He had recorded the physical changes of the materials, the chemical changes, and even various trivial data, but he had completely omitted to record the Magic Power changes in the Potions during Alchemy. His experiences from his previous life had blinded him¡ªin this world of Magic Power, Magic Power should be the most important part of a Magic Potion! An epiphany struck Richard, and he dashed out of the room, only to run back into the room. Taking the stairs was too slow! He leaped out of the balcony window, then sprinted toward the commercial district. He needed a little help now. ¡°` COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Mass Production of Magic Potions (Please Follow) Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Mass Production of Magic Potions (Please Follow) ¡°Do you have any tools to detect magic power intensity?¡± Anna yawned, somewhat displeased as she tapped Richard¡¯s head, ¡°You come to find me so early in the morning just to ask this?¡± Though she was tolerant of Richard, being woken up still left her a bit grumpy. ¡°Sorry, Sister Anna. It¡¯s just that I suddenly had an idea and couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Richard scratched his head awkwardly and only realized it was dawn when he saw Anna yawning while opening the shop door. ¡°Forget it, I forgive you. Anna casually took a seat in a chair, ¡°There are indeed tools to detect magic power intensity, and lots of them. What kind of magic power intensity are you trying to detect?¡± ¡°Um¡­alchemy materials, herbs, things like that.¡± ¡°Alchemy materials? Then use a Magic Probe. I¡¯ll go get it for you.¡± Anna turned around and headed into the back of the shop, fetching a bronze needle about a foot long. ¡°You¡¯ve come to your senses,¡± Anna tapped the table and handed the bronze needle to Richard. ¡°Stick this thing into the material you want to test, then watch the runes that light up on it.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Richard took the probe. ¡°But why do you want to test for magic power? The quality of the materials from Seven Luminaries Commerce may vary, but they range from passable to excellent, they would never sell substandard goods.¡± Anna sat back down, resting her chin in her hand as she looked at Richard curiously. Richard scratched his head, ¡°To put it simply, I plan to refine, not really refine, but I intend to make the Master¡¯s formula more precise.¡± ¡°Refine the formula?¡± Anna¡¯s expression changed abruptly, ¡°You¡¯ve only learned alchemy for a few days, and you want to alter the formula?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Richard was startled by Anna¡¯s reaction. ¡°It¡¯s not altering, it¡¯s making precise!¡± Richard felt compelled to emphasize, ¡°The formula given by the teacher is too vague, and there¡¯s no way to improve the success rate of making Magic Potions using that method.¡± ¡°Stop! Richard, listen to me, stop your thoughts!¡± Anna burst forth with magic power, instantly suppressing Richard. Under the overwhelming force of this magic power, Richard couldn¡¯t even move a finger. ¡°Is this the difference between a low-level Apprentice and an Advanced Apprentice?¡± Richard was shocked to think. Though he had witnessed Eric¡¯s strength at the exchange meeting, it was only when he personally faced an Advanced Apprentice that he realized how powerful they really were! ¡°Listen to me, Richard.¡± Anna calmed herself down and then released the suppression. ¡°Richard, I know you¡¯re a genius, an even more brilliant one than me. But you must understand, no matter how talented you are, you¡¯re still just a low-level Apprentice who has just started learning alchemy, your understanding of alchemy doesn¡¯t even compare to me and Chax.¡± Anna tried to make her voice as gentle as possible, knowing that at Richard¡¯s age, it was easy for him to become defiant. ¡°The knowledge the teacher provides us, be it formulas or designs, has all been personally tested by him. If you follow his formulas, you might still fail, but you definitely won¡¯t be facing any danger. Do you understand?¡± Anna¡¯s eyes held a hopeful look, she had done similar foolish things before, and if Jolod hadn¡¯t discovered it in time, she would be nothing but bones now. She didn¡¯t want Richard to repeat her mistakes. ¡°I think you¡¯re being a bit too sensitive, Sister Anna. Let me repeat, I¡¯m not altering, but making precise.¡± Richard explained somewhat helplessly, Anna¡¯s reaction was almost like PTSD. Anna wanted to keep persuading him, but Richard immediately interrupted her. ¡°If you¡¯re worried, Sister Anna, could you come with me? Nothing will happen to me with you protecting me. I¡¯m just mixing a Magic Potion, not playing with mercury.¡± ¡°You¡­ugh!¡± Knowing persuading was futile, Anna said with slight irritation, ¡°Go to the test zone, I¡¯ll pay for the Magic Stone. You won¡¯t learn your lesson until you make a mistake!¡± Richard felt a surge of joy in his heart; he hadn¡¯t expected this unexpected gain. ¡°Alright. Shall we go now?¡± Anna glared fiercely at Richard: ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ Test zone. The laboratory didn¡¯t have many items, aside from the experimental bench; the rest needed to be prepared by the wizard himself. Anna stood in the corner, seemingly having procured a screen from somewhere to shield herself. ¡°I¡¯m only responsible for rescuing you, I won¡¯t watch your experiment, nor will I intervene.¡± Richard shook his head helplessly. In the Wizard World, there was no concept of patents. If knowledge leaked, it could only be resolved with fists against the thieves of knowledge. Before the Wizard Academy, Wild Wizards who accidentally awakened spiritual power but lacked a mentor had to grope for knowledge on their own. Even the Academy only opened up the knowledge of the Apprentice level. To advance further, one had to either find a mentor or explore on their own. Therefore, in the Wizard World, it was extremely common for a wizard to specialize in a particular field. Richard speculated that the reason his potion recipe was so vague might be because Jolod¡¯s main research wasn¡¯t Magic Potions, hence he didn¡¯t bother with precise formulations or perhaps he had simply exchanged the recipe with someone else. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m starting.¡± After three months of formulating Concentration Potions, Richard was already adept at handling the materials, adding ingredients, and channeling magic power. Every step was carried out with systematic order under Richard¡¯s hands. As the experiment progressed, Richard kept meticulous records of the magic values at each step of the Magic Potion¡¯s configuration. Days and nights passed, time flew like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, Richard had spent half a month in the lab. During this half month, aside from meditation and recuperating his magic power, Richard spent all other time on experiments. Anna, appointed to protect him, brought several books from the store to the laboratory, deciding to protect Richard to the very last moment. She was stubbornly holding her breath. She had failed before, could Richard possibly succeed? ¡°The final trial, the ninth step¡¯s magic value is 13.5. If successful, 13.5 will be the minimum threshold; if not, 14 will be.¡± With dark circles under his eyes, Richard recorded the last piece of experimental data in his notebook. The Magic Probe lent to him by Anna could only measure increments of 0.5, and he wasn¡¯t planning to be more precise. As long as he completed this last formulation, he would have a quite accurate Concentration Potion recipe. Richard mechanically processed the materials, then just as mechanically, he added them to the Alchemy Pot. At this moment, he no longer had the passion of the past days, just an endless numbness. Repetitive work is the biggest drain on one¡¯s enthusiasm. The liquid in the Alchemy Pot gradually changed color as materials were added, and Richard measured the magic value at each step. When it came to the last step, a flicker of sensation finally broke through his numbness. Boom! Blue vapor burst forth from the pot, and Richard, staring at the deep blue liquid inside, paused for a moment, then felt an immense relief. ¡°Sister, come out! I did it!¡± Richard laughed heartily, pulling away the screen that concealed Anna. ¡°Successful? How did you succeed?¡± Anna was somewhat puzzled. Hadn¡¯t Richard just been making an ordinary Concentration Potion these past days? Apart from failure, there hadn¡¯t even been a single explosion. ¡°Sister, you don¡¯t understand,¡± Richard shook his head, without offering much of an explanation. This was the first cry of a new era! COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Chapter 42: The Concept of Kinetic Energy Weapons (Please Follow) Chapter 42: Chapter 42: The Concept of Kinetic Energy Weapons (Please Follow) Having perfected the formula, Richard handed over the Concentration Potion he had created over the past half-moon to Anna to offset his debts and ordered a machine from her. The cost of materials for this half-month had all been borrowed from Anna¡¯s money. ¡°The thing you want isn¡¯t difficult to make, just a Magic Energy Probe and a few stable magic power injectors should solve it. But¡­¡± Anna hesitated to finish, harboring a wild guess in her heart about the machine Richard had ordered. Could he be using machinery to produce Magic Potions? ¡°Sister Anna, what do you want to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Anna shook her head, casting aside the crazy thought in her mind. How could Magic Potions possibly be made with machinery? ¡°I happen to be free these days, wait a week, and come find me after a week.¡± Seeing Anna agree, Richard felt assured. Anna¡¯s research focused on Magic Equipment and Alchemy Machines, and as Jolod¡¯s most outstanding student of the millennium, her proficiency in alchemy machinery was definitely the first among apprentices. With her crafting the machine, there was a guarantee in the machine¡¯s quality and precision. After leaving the test zone, Richard followed Anna to the commercial area to settle the Magic Stones for the potions. ¡°You¡¯re practically making a fortune every day now; I can hardly keep up with you,¡± Anna said, handing over the bag full of Magic Stones to Richard, joking. Richard gave a shy smile, ¡°How could I compare with Sister, one piece of your Magic Equipment is worth a month of my Magic Potions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re only so old now, and I¡¯m already an Advanced Apprentice.¡± Anna sighed, feeling like the waves behind are pushing the ones ahead, and those ahead are dying on the shore. Richard had only been involved in Alchemy for so short a time and had already achieved such results. Who knows what kind of monster he would become when he reached her level. Because he hadn¡¯t returned to the dormitory for half a month, Richard bought several dozen pounds of fresh beef and two pounds of iron pellets in the commercial area. He hadn¡¯t fed Wuni for so many days; he hoped it hadn¡¯t starved. Fortunately, when he returned to the dormitory, Wuni seemed unchanged except for its feathers, which appeared somewhat dull and lacked their previous glossy shine. And at the corner of its beak, Richard actually found a trace of flesh. ¡°You little scoundrel, you¡¯ve been sneaking out to snack,¡± Richard stroked Wuni¡¯s feathers, and Wuni affectionately nuzzled him in response. After feeding Wuni, Richard returned to his desk and reviewed the model that Ali had given him once more. The disassembled Rune Array could still be used as a Spell, but now Richard needed to consider how to make this Spell more useful. ¡°The Ice Cone Skill, after being released, undergoes a lengthy acceleration process¡­¡± Richard, holding a feather pen, drew casually on the draft paper, ¡°Continuous acceleration, isn¡¯t that similar to a rocket?¡± The flight of a rocket requires continuous fuel consumption to reach maximum speed, whereas the Ice Cone Skill uses the kinetic energy affixed to the Ice Cone by the Spell to gradually accelerate. So if he were to repeatedly apply an acceleration Spell to the Ice Cone during its acceleration process, wouldn¡¯t the projectile have a longer range and greater power? Richard felt he had found the key point. But an idea was just an idea, realizing it into reality would require considerable effort. If Richard wanted to make this piece of Magic Equipment, he would need to find the right carrier material for the Spell and then design the layout for the Rune positions as well as the Magic Conduction circuit. Next would be to simplify the number of Runes in the Spell as much as possible; the more Runes there are, the more magic power needed, and the greater the heat loss. If he were to inscribe with the current number of Runes, Richard wouldn¡¯t need trial materials but go straight for Mithril. ¡°But Mithril, which Alchemy Wizard doesn¡¯t covet it? How could it be that an Apprentice like himself could get his hands on it? According to Richard¡¯s design, this piece of Magic Equipment should have a long and narrow acceleration channel, with the Kinetic Energy Spell inscribed at different positions along the channel to fully act upon the launched entity. Richard translated his ideas into a rough draft and, after several revisions, a very crude, Wizard-style firearm emerged on the paper. ¡°This really is destiny,¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh as he looked at the draft. With a preliminary design in place, Richard began the manufacturing process. First, he asked Ali next door to reduce the number of runes for the Kinetic Energy Spell as much as possible, and she readily agreed to his request. Then he began to collect the materials he thought might be necessary from the commercial district to conduct experiments. According to Richard¡¯s design, this piece of Magic Equipment should consist of an acceleration tube and a projectile, or in layman¡¯s terms, a gun barrel and bullets. The material for the bullets was especially crucial. A qualified bullet must have sufficient hardness, a lighter density, and enough plasticity. If possible, it would be best to also have Demon-breaking properties. But collecting materials was a tedious affair, and after trying for a while, Richard suddenly remembered he had previously made the acquaintance of an Apprentice who dealt in alchemy materials. ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot of stuff¡­¡± Kevin looked at the list Richard had drawn up. He¡¯d been in the alchemy business for a while, but even after looking at Richard¡¯s materials list, Kevin couldn¡¯t guess what he was up to. ¡°I need to experiment, which inevitably means trying a variety of materials,¡± Richard replied nonchalantly. ¡°I can keep an eye out for these items in the commercial district for you. If the Wizard Commerce or any Apprentice decides to sell them, I¡¯ll snag them for you,¡± Kevin said, folding up the list and tucking it into his pocket, ¡°I hear you¡¯ve become a Big Shot now, Richard.¡± ¡°What Big Shot am I? I¡¯m just riding on my mentor¡¯s coattails,¡± Richard said, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°Eh, too much modesty is pride,¡± Kevin said as he stood up to pour a cup of tea for Richard, ¡°The Concentration Potions from Anna¡¯s cottage have quite a reputation in the commercial district. Every Apprentice who¡¯s tried them says they¡¯re more stable than the Potions from Ulrich¡¯s Alchemy Store.¡± ¡°Ulrich¡¯s Alchemy Store?¡± Richard asked, puzzled. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Kevin looked surprised, ¡°Before you, Concentration Potions were always sold by Master Ulrich¡¯s alchemy store.¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t know that,¡± Richard said, somewhat embarrassed as he touched his chin. He had truly not paid attention to who was selling Concentration Potions in the commercial district. The Academy¡¯s market for Concentration Potions was large; he hadn¡¯t yet reached the point of competing with others. ¡°Now everyone¡¯s saying that you made Concentration Potions to compete with Joseph because he stole your girl¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense,¡± Richard laughed, interrupting, ¡°I¡¯m not that idle.¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t mean it, people think that way,¡± Kevin paused, ¡°And indeed, because of you, the Concentration Potion business at Ulrich¡¯s Alchemy Store has shrunk a bit.¡± ¡°Originally, Concentration Potions were in such high demand that everyone had to put up with them, even if they were poor quality. But since your product appeared, the Apprentices who aren¡¯t in a hurry started to wait.¡± ¡°Wait for what?¡± ¡°Wait for your Potions,¡± Kevin said with a gleam in his eye, ¡°Your Potions are of good quality and consistent, and every month you produce a batch, so naturally, if they¡¯re not in a hurry for a mission, they¡¯ll buy yours.¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t really thought about that,¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°So what¡¯s your point? Just say it.¡± ¡°Ha, Richard, you still have that temper. It was the same on the Airship, and it¡¯s the same now,¡± Kevin laughed before stating his proposal. ¡°I want to be your agent for Magic Potions.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Agents Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Agents ¡°An agent? Why would I need an agent?¡± Richard countered, ¡°I¡¯m doing just fine selling magic potions as is. Why let another person into the share?¡± ¡°No, no, no, you misunderstand me,¡± Kevin hurriedly waved his hands, ¡°I¡¯m not after your magic stones, I just want the sales rights, that¡¯s enough for me. All the profits from the magic potions go to you, I won¡¯t take a penny.¡± ¡°Not take a penny? Then what do you earn?¡± Richard stared into Kevin¡¯s eyes and continued to ask, ¡°And you still haven¡¯t answered the question. Why would I need an agent?¡± ¡°For safety, because you have a grudge with Joseph, you¡¯ve affected his business, you have the woman he wants, because he has enough magic stones to have someone curse you!¡± Kevin¡¯s gaze was fearless. He met Richard¡¯s eyes head-on and presented his reason. ¡°An agent would be a shield before you, a whistle. Any curse coming through the magic potions would have to go through me first.¡± Kevin¡¯s reasons were sound, and this forced Richard to consider the value of the proposal. ¡°I need some time, Kevin,¡± Richard stood up, ¡°I need to verify what you¡¯ve said. If you¡¯ve lied even a tiny bit, this deal is off.¡± ¡°Every word I¡¯ve spoken is true, I swear upon my family name,¡± Kevin swore solemnly. ¡­ Fifty-sixth floor of the Central Black Tower ¡°An agent? Indeed, there is such a role.¡± Chax took a sip of his drink. ¡°Why suddenly ask about this?¡± Anna had gone off the grid to work on Richard¡¯s custom machine, leaving Chax as the only senior able to answer Richard¡¯s questions. ¡°A man came to me, wanting to be my agent, saying he¡¯d ward off curses for me.¡± Richard sat opposite Chax, his fingers tapping incessantly on the table in front of him. ¡°Moreover, he doesn¡¯t want a share of the profits, just the sales rights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s normal, agree to it,¡± Chax said casually. ¡°What he says is true, agents can indeed shield people from curses. With an agent as a whistleblower, you have to worry a little less about curses.¡± ¡°And they do have their advantages.¡± Richard frowned: ¡°What do you mean?¡± A shrewd gleam flashed in Chax¡¯s eyes: ¡°Little brother, concentration potions are hot commodities in the Academy, not just anyone can get them. You give the potions to him, and who he sells it to becomes his right. He just needs to hold back a few bottles and he can trade them for favors and magic stones from those desperately in need of magic potions.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Richard realized. ¡°This is a win-win deal, I suggest you agree to it. Master Susanna might belong to two schools, but as an apprentice, she surely focused on the Shape-shifting School. It¡¯s safer to have an agent as a shield.¡± Richard stood up, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ve taken up enough of your time, senior brother.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no trouble,¡± Chax waved his hand, ¡°Just a bit of experience, stay longer at the Academy and you¡¯ll understand too.¡± Returning to Kevin¡¯s room, Richard and Kevin signed the agent contract. Richard handed over the sales rights of the concentration potions to Kevin, but retained control over the pricing. The contract allowed Kevin to purchase ten percent of the potion production for himself. This ten percent would be sufficient for Kevin to amass substantial favors. After this, Richard began testing materials. All sorts of bizarre ingredients were continuously delivered to him by Kevin, and during this time, the machine custom-ordered from Anna was also completed. It was a strange machine in Anna¡¯s eyes; it was divided into upper and lower parts. The upper half held storage tanks for the ingredients, while the lower half housed an alchemy pot. The storage tanks would deposit ingredients through an opening at the bottom into the alchemy pot, which would activate a stable magic conduction transmitter upon receiving the materials, conducting magic power into the mixture within the pot. A magic probe was installed inside the alchemy pot, and when the liquid¡¯s magic power inside reached the standard, it would stop the magic conduction transmitter and activate the second storage tank for depositing. Once a bottle of concentration potion was ready, the bottom portion of the alchemy pot would automatically open, transferring the potion into a bottle, then starting the next cycle. The entire machine was roughly the size of a wardrobe; each operation used up three magic stones and could complete ten cycles of potion brewing. While the machine couldn¡¯t fully automate the process, it significantly liberated Richard¡¯s energy, allowing him more time for experimentation and study. After acquiring the machine, Richard set the monthly production of concentration potions to one hundred bottles. This quantity was high but not outrageously so. According to the records of prodigious apprentices in Jolod¡¯s books, his output was even less than that of several predecessors. Nonetheless, Richard¡¯s industrial-level standard for magic potions still had a significant impact on the artisan potion makers in the commercial district. ¡­ ¡°Udler, did you manage to get one?¡± In front of Anna¡¯s cottage, an apprentice hailed his companion who had just squeezed out of the store. ¡°I got it!¡± Udler shouted with excitement, holding a bottle of concentration potion. Envious looks from the surrounding apprentices followed, as they continued to push forward. Anna¡¯s cottage¡¯s reputation for high-quality concentration potions had spread widely among the apprentices. Nearly all considered her establishment the top choice for purchasing concentration potions. Before long, a loud shout rang out from inside Anna¡¯s cottage. ¡°The Concentration Potion is sold out, those in need can come back next month!¡± Apprentices who failed to buy the potion dispersed from the shop entrance with their heads hung low. Those in urgent need started to ask around among the apprentices, attempting to buy back the potions at higher prices. However, in front of Ulrich¡¯s Alchemy Store, the old store selling Concentration Potion, you could hear a pin drop. It seemed that the apprentices had already forgotten that this shop used to be the place where they would line up. ¡­ ¡°What did you say?¡± Joseph roared at the apprentice before him, ¡°You¡¯re telling me half of my potions didn¡¯t sell!¡± ¡°The Concentration Potions aren¡¯t selling!¡± Joseph angrily slammed his hands on the table, almost breaking it to pieces. Two years ago, he had boasted at the Apprentice Exchange that Ulrich¡¯s Shop would sell no fewer than fifty bottles of Concentration Potion every month. At that time, all the apprentices who heard the news cheered him on! Because of that statement, he had spent a huge amount of time every month making potions, and his alchemy studies had been seriously delayed. And now, in just a short period of two years, he couldn¡¯t move his Concentration Potions! Faced with Joseph¡¯s rage, the apprentice could only smile bitterly and hang his head low; he was just an employee and didn¡¯t dare talk back to the young owner of the shop. ¡°Sir, the potions are right here. How could I lie to you?¡± ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± Joseph tried to suppress his anger, Concentration Potions, a bestseller, couldn¡¯t possibly be unsellable; there must be some external factor affecting his business. ¡°Sir¡­¡± the apprentice said cautiously, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? It¡¯s not just you selling Concentration Potions in the commercial district; Master Jolod¡¯s apprentice, Richard, is also selling them, and¡­¡± ¡°And what!¡± Joseph¡¯s gaze was intense, his furious glare nearly piercing the apprentice like a sieve. ¡°And his output is higher than yours, and the Concentration Potions are of more¡­ stable quality than yours.¡± After careful consideration, the apprentice decided to replace ¡®better¡¯ with the more acceptable term ¡®stable.¡¯ ¡°Stable? Stable!¡± Joseph was nearly driven insane by those words. He, a descendant of the Wizard, who had been educated by wizards since childhood and most talented in Magic Potions, was now being outdone by a Wild Apprentice who had been picked from among mortals and had only learned alchemy for a few years! Richard stealing his woman was something he didn¡¯t care about. Just as he¡¯d said, knowledge and Magic Stones were the foundation of a wizard¡¯s advancement. But now, Richard was trying to steal his Magic Stones! Damn it, he was trying to steal his Magic Stones! ¡°¡­Sir, is there anything else?¡± the shop apprentice asked in a low voice. Joseph waved his hand, signaling for the apprentice to leave. And the moment the apprentice closed the door, Joseph pounded the table like a madman. He frenziedly destroyed everything in the room, smashing tables, breaking vases, tearing paintings on the walls to shreds¡­ He turned the entire room into a pile of rubble. After venting, Joseph sat on the ruins of the furniture, staring blankly at the wall. Had his rage dissipated? Not at all. He stood up to straighten his attire, then went to a cabinet and took out several rolls of Academy Coins. After counting them and making sure there was enough, he put on a black cloak and went to a restaurant in the residential area named Corner Alley. ¡°Sir, what would you like to order?¡± a waiter came up to ask. Joseph gave the waiter a cold look, ¡°A black stone beef steak, rare.¡± ¡°¡­And who is it for?¡± the waiter took out a notepad. ¡°Richard, the apprentice of Master Jolod.¡± The waiter frowned, hesitating with his writing. ¡°He¡¯s quite an important figure.¡± ¡°Do you not make it?¡± Joseph retorted. ¡°We do,¡± the waiter wrote down Richard¡¯s name and tore off the paper, ¡°but it¡¯s going to cost extra.¡± COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Curse (Please Follow) Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Curse (Please Follow) Curse was an ancient craft, and curse wizards were among the earliest in the Wizard World. In the present day, where wizards were no longer shrouded in mystery, curse wizards remained one of the few that still preserved their enigma. The Turn Corner Alley Restaurant was ostensibly a restaurant, but behind the scenes, it also conducted the business of assassination. Murdering someone within the Wizard Academy was no easy feat; Academy Inspectors within the institution monitored the entire campus round the clock, and any significant elemental disturbance would attract their attention. But curses were different. Curse witchcraft did not require contact or the use of elements; all that was needed was an item belonging to the target and a curse ritual to kill someone imperceptibly. Moreover, because curse magic was extremely difficult to trace, even if the cursed individual was promptly discovered by the Academy Inspectors, they could only isolate the curse, not resolve the wizard who cast it. Of course, part of this was also due to the Academy¡¯s deliberate indulgence. Curse witchcraft was not 100 percent successful: the greater the power disparity between the curse wizard and the cursed individual, the lower the chance of a successful curse. When the cursed individual¡¯s power exceeded the curse wizard by a complete tier, the probability of a successful curse could be regarded as negligible. This was the sword hanging over the heads of many apprentices, compelling them to strive and become stronger. Joseph¡¯s order was swiftly delivered to the curse wizard. Since Richard¡¯s magic potion was not difficult to find, Joseph didn¡¯t even provide a medium for the curse. The curse wizard placed Richard¡¯s crafted magic potion onto a stone altar, which was covered in runes drawn with blood. The moment the potion bottle touched the altar, a chilling howl filled the air. Unperturbed by this, the curse wizard set the potion bottle down and then sliced open his own wrist, using his fresh blood to feed the altar. He continued to feed it while simultaneously mobilizing his magic power and chanting an unknown spell. After the chant was finished, the wizard placed a curse worm on the altar, and in an instant, black flames surged from the worm. At the same time, Kevin, who was reading in his dormitory, suddenly found dark flames erupting from his body. ¡°Fuck, a curse!¡± Without a moment to think, Kevin immediately pulled out a glass vial from the pocket at his waist: inside was a plump white curse worm. Kevin smashed the vial and grabbed the worm; the dark flames instantly transferred onto it. But due to the poor quality of his curse worm and the curse wizard¡¯s overwhelming strength, after the curse transferred, the worm rapidly began carbonizing. Once the curse worm died, the curse would descend upon him again. At this critical juncture, Kevin gulped down a concentration potion from beside him; in moments of urgency, one must not panic. As the effects of the potion took hold, Kevin¡¯s mind quickly calmed. He had two things to do: first, ensure his own survival. Second, warn Richard. Once the curse worm was fully carbonized, the black flames reignited on Kevin¡¯s body, but the concentration potion dramatically reduced his sensation of pain, so much so that he could still move freely. Bang! Kevin ran to the window, leaped out with force, and began shouting into the air. ¡°A curse! There¡¯s a curse!¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Kevin¡¯s commotion to attract the attention of the Academy Inspectors. A huge owl swiftly flew to his location, isolating the curse from him. ¡°Apprentice, you are safe now.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s someone else cursed!¡± Kevin shouted at the Inspector, ¡°In room 215 of building four, there¡¯s another apprentice cursed! He¡¯s a formal apprentice of Master Jolod!¡± Kevin had dealt with these Inspectors before and knew that although they might appear as a group, the souls of each owl were interconnected. By informing one, the rest would receive the message. To prevent the owls from slacking, he had specially emphasized Richard¡¯s status. Simultaneously, as Richard, who was reading in his dorm, found black flames igniting on his body. ¡°A curse?¡± Richard¡¯s brow furrowed. He immediately took out a prepared curse worm to temporarily shift the curse¡¯s effects, then swiftly left his room and burst into Ali¡¯s. ¡°Ali, curse.¡± Richard could only manage to utter those two words before the black flames reignited on his body. Ali hurried to the desk and pulled out a Curse Worm from the drawer to hand to Richard. After temporarily transferring the curse, Ali pressed down on the Curse Worm with one hand while summoning Magic Power and chanting ancient Spells with her mouth. ¡°Hmm?¡± The Curse Wizard furrowed his brows, sensing Ali¡¯s resistance. ¡°Is there a colleague helping out?¡± The Curse Wizard took out a dried toad from his bosom, carefully broke off a small piece, and tossed it onto the body of the Curse Worm. Instantly, the black Flames on the Curse Worm grew more intense. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ali, noticing the change in the curse, turned pale in an instant. ¡°Competing with magic tools?¡± Her face set with determination, she too pulled out a black finger bone from the drawer and swallowed it whole. Competing with magic tools? She was the only Disciple of Master Susanna! Feeling the curse hindered once more, alarms went off in the Curse Wizard¡¯s mind. He almost knew all the Curse Wizards who could withstand his move, and if any of those were challenging him, it would be absolutely impossible to kill Richard before the Academy Inspector arrived. ¡°Damn, really shit out of luck.¡± The Curse Wizard cursed and then decisively killed the Curse Worm, ablaze with black Flames, with the back of his hand, terminating the curse decisively. Curse Magic is difficult to trace but not impossible. After sensing the termination of the curse, Ali let out a slight sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her forehead. The battle between Curse Wizards was extremely dangerous; one mishap could redirect the curse onto oneself. Fortunately, she had a good teacher. Although Susanna hadn¡¯t taught her much about cursing others, she had taught her a lot about defending against curses. ¡°Is it over?¡± Richard asked. ¡°It¡¯s over. That wizard didn¡¯t entangle with me and stopped the curse very decisively.¡± ¡°Can you find him?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Ali shook her head. ¡°If he entangled with me for a while, maybe my teacher could¡¯ve found him, but his cut was too decisive; these traces won¡¯t lead us to him.¡± Richard frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a bit troublesome.¡± If he couldn¡¯t find out who the Curse Wizard was, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to identify who cursed him. There are thieves who might steal for a thousand days, but there¡¯s no defence that can last a thousand days. If he couldn¡¯t find the perpetrator, he would have uneasy days and sleepless nights. ¡°Why not ask your senior brother Chax?¡± Ali suggested. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from friends that Senior Brother Chax has a wide network among Apprentices; maybe he could dig up some information.¡± ¡°That might be the only way¡­¡± Bang! A noise came from next door. Richard heard it; the sound seemed to come from his room. ¡°Apprentice Richard, Apprentice Richard!¡± Hearing the owl¡¯s call, Richard immediately returned to his room. ¡°Apprentice Richard, someone reported that you¡¯ve been cursed.¡± The owl¡¯s round eyes stared at Richard, examining him. ¡°You dealt with it yourself?¡± ¡°Academy Inspector, thank you for coming. I have resolved the curse,¡± Richard said with a slight bow to the Inspector. ¡°Gah, worthy of being Jolod¡¯s Disciple,¡± praised the owl, before flying out of the room. Richard watched the departing Academy Inspector and stroked his chin. ¡°It seems Kevin, the Whistleblower, is somewhat useful after all.¡± The Academy Inspector had arrived in his room just after his curse ordeal had ended. It was clear that it was Kevin, his proxy who bore the curse for him, who informed them. If Ali hadn¡¯t been in the next room, Kevin might have saved his life. ¡°He¡¯s probably not hurt lightly either; I¡¯ll check on him later.¡± Richard was very pleased with Kevin as his proxy. Recently, the materials he had been testing were mostly collected by Kevin in the test zone. Some of the more obscure materials would have taken Richard an unknown amount of time to collect himself. Richard always took great care of his own people. COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The World Has Never Been Two-Dimensional (Please Follow) Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The World Has Never Been Two-Dimensional (Please Follow) Academy Hospital ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Kevin weakly, his body wrapped in bandages from head to toe. As the first to come into contact with the curse, Kevin had sustained severe injuries. In just a few seconds, nearly half his body had turned to char, and most of the skin had peeled off. Through the gaps in the bandages, Richard could even see his bright red muscles still pulsating. ¡°The doctor said my external wounds are easy to handle, but the biggest issue is the loss of life energy. It¡¯ll take a long time to replenish it, and I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to act as your proxy during this time.¡± Richard nodded in silence before adding, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this matter. Just focus on recovering. If you want your proxy position back later on, I¡¯ll keep it open for you.¡± Kevin managed a weak smile: ¡°Okay, hold that position for me.¡± Richard turned and left the patient¡¯s room, with Ali quickly following behind. ¡°Doctor, how much are the medical expenses for patient in room thirty-two?¡± Richard asked in a low voice at the hospital¡¯s reception desk. ¡°Room thirty-two¡­ let me see. Minor Healing Technique, five hundred; Limb Regeneration Technique, one thousand two hundred; Life Energy Supplement, three hundred; the total comes to two thousand Academy Coins. Would you like to pay with paper currency or Magic Stones?¡± Richard took a stack of Academy Coins from his chest, counted out twenty, and handed them to the doctor. Although Kevin¡¯s injuries were a consequence of becoming his proxy, Kevin had been very efficient in collecting materials for him lately. The two had thus developed some rapport. The two thousand Academy Coins were merely the profit from five bottles of Concentration Potion; paying wasn¡¯t an issue, as he and Kevin would have more long-term cooperation. After leaving the hospital, Richard headed straight for Central Black Tower. On the fifty-sixth floor of the Black Tower, Chax was, as usual, lazing around and drinking. But with a loud ¡°bang¡± as the door opened, he quickly sat up straight. ¡°Sister, I was researching¡­ Richard? You scared me.¡± Seeing who it was, Chax¡¯s body instantly relaxed again. ¡°Why such a commotion, little brother? Who has upset you?¡± Then, noticing Ali behind Richard, Chax sat up straight once more. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Ali? Please, have a seat, have a seat,¡± Chax said with a welcoming smile. ¡°Senior brother, I need your help with something,¡± Richard said as he strode up to Chax, the two separated only by a table, yet Chax could clearly sense his anger. Chax¡¯s smile faded. ¡°What happened? You seem very upset.¡± Richard replied with just two words. ¡°Curse.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand,¡± Chax stood up and started walking out of the room. ¡°I¡¯ll ask around with a few friends, but I can¡¯t promise any news will come of it.¡± Richard followed closely and stuffed a stack of Academy Coins into Chax¡¯s hand. ¡°Senior brother, you shouldn¡¯t have to spend on this matter. My Potion business is doing quite well at the moment. Please, take the money.¡± Chax looked deeply at Richard, pocketed the money, and left the room. Several hours passed before Chax, a bit unsteady and reeking of alcohol, returned to the room. ¡°Got a lead in Turn Corner Alley, no idea who specifically,¡± said Chax, shaking his head. A layer of steam suddenly rose from his body, and once the steam had cleared, the whole room was filled with a rich aroma of alcohol. ¡°However, there¡¯s a bit of news you might find useful,¡± Chax said, ¡°Last month, Ulrich¡¯s Alchemy Store didn¡¯t manage to sell all of their Concentration Potions. Their clerks even said that their young master Joseph threw a fit over it. Moreover, someone noticed that shortly after Joseph lost his temper, a person of similar height in black entered the turning alley.¡± The implication of Chax¡¯s words was clear: the person who had acted was likely to be Joseph. ¡°Thanks for the trouble, senior brother.¡± Chax waved his hand dismissively, then stuffed a bundle of Academy Coins back into Richard¡¯s hands. ¡°No big deal, my own apprentice got cursed, how could I, as a senior brother, not help out? This money wasn¡¯t used, take it back.¡± ¡°No, senior brother, there¡¯s another favor I need from you,¡± Richard said, blocking the money. ¡°What is it?¡± Richard pulled a black steel tube with patterns from his waist. The silver-white patterns on the tube shone with the brilliance of magic power. ¡°I¡¯d like you to fit this into Wuni¡ªinto the Death Crow you crafted last time. This end,¡± he pointed to one end of the tube, ¡°should extend out of its mouth. You shouldn¡¯t have a problem with that, should you, senior brother?¡± After imagining the description provided by Richard, Chax replied: ¡°No problem, just a minor operation. Although, senior brother, I must remind you not to act rashly. If you¡¯re caught red-handed within the Academy, it will make things difficult for the teachers, and no one can escape the bloody exam. You can take action during the test, there¡¯s no rush.¡± If a fight were to break out within the campus, mere moments of entanglement would be enough for the Academy Inspectors to intervene. As a Wizard Descendant and a formal Apprentice of an Alchemy Wizard, Joseph would certainly not lack defensive magic equipment. For Richard to achieve a fatal strike was practically impossible. Moreover, even if he managed a fatal strike, Richard could not possibly escape the subsequent pursuit by the Inspectors. Richard responded to Chax with a slight smile, yet a cold gleam flickered deep in his eyes. There were still years until the bloody exam, and he could not wait that long. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, senior brother. I know my limits.¡± Richard handed the steel tube to Chax, then left the room with Ali. On the way back to the dormitory, Ali couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Richard, are you really going to use that thing? Haven¡¯t you not finished your research on it?¡± Ali was referring to the steel tube that Richard had just given to Chax, which was the new magic equipment Richard had been working on¡ªRichard named it the Magic Gun. ¡°It¡¯s almost ready; I¡¯ve just been looking for a sufficiently cheap type of bullet,¡± Richard whispered, ¡°But now, my experiment was interrupted.¡± Recently, Ali had managed to reduce that Kinetic Energy Spell to twelve runes, but the magic power ceiling the spell could handle was also cut down to half of what it originally was. Since Richard intended to craft magic equipment, excessive magic power would melt the materials, so this limitation actually suited his needs perfectly. Richard had inscribed three Kinetic Energy Spells on that segment of steel tube. According to his tests, a bullet empowered by three such spells could easily penetrate a three-centimeter-thick steel plate within five hundred meters. Richard turned and glanced at the woods lining the road, which concealed countless Inspectors. If a fight broke out between apprentices, these Inspectors would appear immediately to intervene. But their surveillance had a massive loophole¡ªtheir endlessly vast sky overhead. Academy Inspectors patrolled within the Academy, usually flying at altitudes between one hundred and two hundred meters. While this wasn¡¯t a great height, academy apprentices usually didn¡¯t fly that high using Levitation Skill. Furthermore, given the limitations on casting range, apprentices flying at that altitude could not pose much of a threat to others on the ground. And this created the biggest blind spot of the Inspectors. The surveillance above two hundred meters was nonexistent, and Richard could easily control Wuni to fly at an altitude of five hundred meters. The world was never two-dimensional. COMMENT 3 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 3 Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Sky Sniping (Please Follow) Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Sky Sniping (Please Follow) Back in his dorm room, Richard set Wuni free, guiding it towards Chax¡¯s laboratory. During this period, Richard had completed the implantation of the Soul Seed. He could now not only see through Wuni¡¯s eyes but also control it to carry out certain operations. Through Wuni¡¯s vision, Richard could clearly see the apprentices on the ground from nearly a kilometer high in the sky at night. This was the source of Richard¡¯s confidence. After handing over Wuni, Richard began the task of making ¡°bullets.¡± The choice of material for the bullets was crucial. Richard knew that Joseph definitely had Magic Equipment on him that served as armor. It was very likely to have full Defense Magic protection, covering both physical and magical attacks. To breach this protection, Richard decided to invest heavily, opting to make bullets out of a Demon-Breaking metal, sold for one Magic Stone per gram. This type of metal had a certain degree of demon-breaking properties. Upon contact with a Magic Barrier, it would ¡°wedge¡± the magic aside, making it the best choice for breaking through Defense Magic. Shaping, grinding, polishing¡­ Richard spent a whole night making the bullets. By the dawn of the next day, four deep grey bullet heads with tapered tails lay on his table. With the bullets ready, the next step was to test their power and how to mitigate strong wind interference. According to Richard¡¯s plan, he would control Wuni to fly at an altitude of five hundred meters to shoot, but this brought up another issue: avoiding wind interference. Given the high speed of the bullets, even a slight gust could send the bullets off course by a significant margin. ¡°Perhaps a spell could counteract it,¡± Richard mused while looking at the bullets. Although the anti-magic properties of the metal might interfere with or even nullify the effects of spells, that weakening process needed time. And he only required the spell to last less than a second to counteract the wind¡¯s interference. This weakening process was of little concern to him. With his idea in mind, Richard added a structure similar to a shell at the end of the bullet. This structure was etched with a spell known as Airflow Barrier, allowing the bullet to fly without disturbance from airflow during its trajectory. ¡°Caaw! Caaw!¡± Suddenly, a series of crow cries came from outside the window. Richard turned to see the modified Wuni return to the balcony. From the outside, Wuni looked unchanged. But when Richard controlled it to open its mouth, a steel pipe startlingly protruded from its throat. A piece of parchment was tied to Wuni¡¯s leg. Richard opened it and found written instructions on feeding Wuni. After the modification, Wuni could no longer eat with its beak, so Chax had installed a mouth on Wuni¡¯s abdomen. The food could be chewed by this abdominal mouth before being sent directly into the digestive system for digestion. Richard enticed Wuni¡¯s abdominal mouth, which was concealed by feathers, to open wide. Instantly, a gaping, sharp-toothed orifice appeared before Richard. He fed flesh into it, and within seconds, the piece of flesh was reduced to minced meat and sent into Wuni¡¯s digestive system. ¡°Curse Wizards¡¯ creature modification¡­ Truly boundless imagination,¡± Richard remarked, then took Wuni to the test zone. After renting a secluded area to avoid surveillance by the Academy Inspector, Richard spent ten Magic Stones to rent a metal target equipped with a Magic Barrier. Controlling Wuni to fly close to five hundred meters in the air, Richard carefully adjusted Wuni¡¯s position; at such a height, a slight deviation could lead to missing the target. ¡°Three, two, one, fire!¡± Richard counted silently, then used magic to activate the Magic Equipment. Magic flowed through the Magic Conduction circuit, activating rune after rune. Shortly thereafter, the Power Spell was activated, and the bullet started moving; Bang! Sparks erupted on the metal target. Its built-in Magic Barrier only slightly reduced the velocity of the anti-magic bullets, but the bullet that passed through the barrier easily penetrated its metallic body, leaving behind a bullet hole with burnt edges. ¡°Good effect.¡± Richard smiled satisfiedly as he looked at the bullet hole. Next, Richard tried targets with double and triple barriers; in the end, he confirmed that the effective lethal number of barriers for the anti-magic bulletheads was three. Beyond three layers, the bullet would lose all potency. ¡°This power is enough. If he can deploy four layers of protection and I still can¡¯t kill him,¡± Richard muttered as he touched the bullet hole, ¡°I¡¯ll accept that.¡± ¡­ The news of the failed curse quickly reached Joseph¡¯s ears. The people from Turn Alley refunded half of the deposit to indicate that they were abandoning the business. The other half that wasn¡¯t given was their payment for the attempt. ¡°A bunch of useless wretches!¡± Joseph slammed his fist onto the table, creating a big dent on the surface of his newly purchased desk. Though he had prepared himself for this outcome, this did not quell his towering rage. He had hired a senior Curse Wizard from Turn Alley. Accordingly, even if Richard had proxies and Curse Wizards to help him, shouldn¡¯t this curse have at least caused him some injury, if not his life? But why hadn¡¯t he heard any news at all? News of an alchemy apprentice, flourishing in the business district, being severely injured by a curse couldn¡¯t possibly stay contained. But now, all was calm. Joseph paced around his room anxiously. If Richard didn¡¯t die, his Magic Potion business wouldn¡¯t possibly recover. He had seen Richard¡¯s Magic Potions; their nearly terrifying consistent quality sent chills down his spine. How could someone produce a hundred bottles of Magic Potion a month and yet maintain almost the same quality? Ultimately, after pacing countless times around the room, Joseph swept up his sleeves, approached a drawer, and took out a Curse Worm and a scarecrow-shaped Magic Equipment. He knew that he couldn¡¯t keep his cursing of Richard a secret. He¡¯d been too sloppy with it, anyone who knew the connections could guess that he was the perpetrator. But fortunately, even if the mission from Turn Alley failed, they wouldn¡¯t disclose the employer¡¯s name; he needn¡¯t worry about the Academy Inspector arresting him. For the short term, he only needed to be wary should Richard seek revenge by the same means. After securing the Magic Equipment and the Curse Worm, Joseph left the Central Black Tower to clear his mind. As he stepped out of the Black Tower, a pair of eyes fixedly watched him. ¡°So, you¡¯ve finally come out?¡± Richard coldly chuckled as he observed Joseph through a sensory link from his room on the fifty-sixth floor of the Central Black Tower. In the pitch-black night sky, the wings fluttered by Wuni merged almost seamlessly with the night. It constantly circled above Joseph¡¯s head, adjusting its position, while Joseph on the ground inexplicably felt a chill running down his spine. He felt as though something was watching him. ¡°Who?¡± Joseph cautiously scanned the surrounding woods, as two layers of pale blue barrier appeared on him. ¡°It¡¯s against the rules to take action within the Academy.¡± There was no response from the woods, but his sense of crisis kept escalating. ¡°Who is watching me?¡± Joseph continued to turn, trying to find what was focusing on him, but he never did see that in the sky above, a crow was glowing with the brilliance of Magic Power. Richard smiled, and a black flash shot out from Wuni¡¯s mouth, traveling at maximum speed aided by the Airflow Barrier, without even touching the air until¡­ Bang! The anti-magic metal collided with the Magic Barrier, producing a loud noise, and a burst of blood mist exploded. In the sky, the Death Crow cawed joyfully. COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Handling (Please Follow) Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Handling (Please Follow) Crack! A silver streak cut through the night sky. Beside the corpse of Joseph, a black-robed Wizard was examining the body, surrounded by dozens of Academy Inspectors perched densely on the branches. ¡°Have you confirmed the identity?¡± the black-robed Wizard asked. ¡°Urich¡¯s official Apprentice, Joseph.¡± ¡°Urich¡¯s Apprentice? That¡¯s troublesome.¡± The black-robed Wizard stood up from beside the corpse, holding a deformed chunk of dark gray metal in his hand. ¡°Did this lad have any enemies?¡± ¡°There were a few, but all have alibis.¡± Alex rubbed the bullet thoughtfully and said, ¡°I should have asked more carefully. Did he have any enemies in the Alchemy School?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one, Jolod¡¯s Apprentice, Richard, had just been cursed; he had business conflicts with this lad.¡± Suddenly, an Inspector shrieked, ¡°So, how did he die, Alex? We couldn¡¯t find a single clue for miles around, not a suspicious Apprentice. But he just died, and it¡¯s unclear!¡± Alex rubbed his ears, signaling the Inspector to be quiet. ¡°It¡¯s normal that you couldn¡¯t find anything on the ground because the attacker didn¡¯t strike from the ground.¡± Alex pointed upwards, ¡°He attacked from up there with this little device.¡± While saying this, he showed the deformed bullet to the Inspectors. ¡°He launched the attack from the sky, using the metal¡¯s repulsion of Magic Power to instantly break through the Magic Barrier and then hit this lad. The velocity of this thing was so high, and its shape so unique, so Joseph just¡ª¡± Alex made an exploding gesture, ¡°¡®boom¡¯ and exploded.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Alex!¡± cried the Inspector. ¡°Wizard Apprentices don¡¯t have that long a casting range, if they had used a Spell from the sky, we definitely would have noticed.¡± ¡°But that is the reality,¡± Alex floated up. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this. Such incidents shouldn¡¯t happen again.¡± With that, he flew toward the Central Black Tower. ¡­ ¡°Come on, a toast with your senior!¡± On the fifty-sixth floor of the Central Black Tower, Richard clinked his glass boldly with Chax. After killing Joseph, Richard hadn¡¯t returned to his dormitory but chose to stay in the Central Black Tower. He wasn¡¯t sure if the Inspectors had found any traces about him. If so, if he had gone back to the dormitory, the Inspectors would have directly apprehended him, and things would have been difficult. Staying in the Central Black Tower was different; this was a Wizard¡¯s territory, and he was currently on his teacher Jolod¡¯s territory. As long as there was no decisive evidence, Jolod would definitely protect him. ¡°Here, let¡¯s drink together, senior.¡± Chax clinked glasses with Richard, then downed the strong liquor in one gulp just as they were drinking merrily, a series of footsteps approaching from afar interrupted them. ¡°Damn, the senior sister is coming.¡± Chax¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly cleared the table of alcohol and dishes. Bang. ¡°Why have you come, senior sister?¡± Chax asked, pretending to be serious. Anna looked at him coldly, then turned to Richard and handed him a bottle of potion. ¡°Richard, drink this, the teacher wants to see you.¡± Richard sniffed the potion, recognized it as a Hangover Remedy, and gulped it down; he then followed Anna to the ninety-ninth floor. In the laboratory, Jolod was having an amicable discussion with Alex. ¡°Jolod, your apprentice is really something else. He had those owls totally bamboozled; they just asked me what on earth happened.¡± Jolod stroked his beard, ¡°Deputy Dean, without decisive evidence, you shouldn¡¯t make assumptions. My student mostly keeps to himself, spending his days immersed in study. He¡¯s not as capable as you suggest.¡± ¡°No evidence, Jolod? Who else in this academy could pull off such a fanciful murder method other than your student?¡± Alex chuckled as he produced a deformed bullet. ¡°Should I take this to the Divination section of the Curse School and see who it points to?¡± Jolod¡¯s expression changed slightly. Thud, thud, thud. ¡°Teacher, Richard is here.¡± ¡°Here he comes.¡± Jolod raised an eyebrow and casually used a magic thread to open the lab door, ¡°Richard, come here. Our deputy dean seems to have some misconceptions about you.¡± Walking into the lab, Richard steadied himself and stood beside Jolod. ¡°Teacher, you wanted to see me.¡± ¡°Yes, Deputy Dean, my student is here,¡± Jolod continued. ¡°He was just drinking with another student of mine. How could he possibly be the murderer you¡¯re talking about?¡± Richard swallowed. It was indeed about Joseph¡¯s matter. Alex squinted, scrutinizing Richard carefully. ¡°You¡¯re Richard, right? Tonight, an apprentice died in the academy. Did you know?¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°Deputy Dean, I was drinking on the fifty-sixth floor all evening; I haven¡¯t heard anything about it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Alex shook his head, ¡°I heard you and Joseph had quite the conflict.¡± ¡°Just a minor disagreement. It¡¯s just that my magic potions clashed with his magic potion business,¡± Richard said nonchalantly. ¡°Oh, it seems I might have the wrong person then,¡± Alex raised an eyebrow and displayed the deformed bullet. ¡°I just don¡¯t know if the Curse School¡¯s divination can find him, and then things won¡¯t be so nonchalant.¡± ¡°Deputy Dean,¡± Richard¡¯s demeanor was unusually firm, ¡°I truly know nothing about this.¡± He had considered the fact that he would leave behind the bullet before the murder, which is why he had given it to Ali beforehand to remove any link to him using curse magic. Even if they brought in a curse wizard to perform divination now, it wouldn¡¯t lead back to him. Alex looked at Richard again and suddenly laughed. ¡°Jolod, you¡¯ve got a good student here. But let¡¯s not have this kind of thing happen within the academy anymore.¡± With that, Alex placed the bullet on the desk nearby, then drifted out of the lab through the window. Shortly after his departure, Jolod grabbed the bullet, and a ghostly blue flame ignited in his hand, instantly burning the bullet to nothing. ¡°Richard, did you hear what the deputy dean said clearly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stir up this kind of trouble again,¡± Jolod said calmly. ¡°Also, you¡¯ll stay in the Black Tower from now on. Urich is a petty old man, and you¡¯ve made quite a mess of his grandson, so I¡¯m a bit concerned he might hold a grudge.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard noticed Jolod¡¯s choice of words. ¡°Joseph isn¡¯t dead?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Jolod chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Urich made him a small Life Box, so when he died, his soul was drawn back into the box. As long as we remake his body, he can be revived.¡± ¡°However, the costs for cloning magic aren¡¯t small, and although that boy is just a low-level apprentice, it would still cost tens of thousands of magic stones. Plus, the body adaptation period is over a dozen years, so you probably won¡¯t see him before you graduate.¡± With that, Jolod sat back down at his desk and resumed reading. ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask. This sort of thing being dragged to their doorstep, Jolod should have at least reproached him a bit. ¡°Mad at you for what?¡± Jolod replied without looking up, ¡°You¡¯re my student. Someone cursed you, you retaliated. It¡¯s perfectly reasonable.¡± ¡°My students should be like that.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Jolod suddenly looked up and winked at Richard in a playful tone, ¡°if you could have waited until the bloody examination to act, that would have been even better.¡± COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The 2nd Bloodline Alchemy (Please Follow) Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The 2nd Bloodline Alchemy (Please Follow) Joseph¡¯s incident, thanks to the Inspector¡¯s timely discovery and Alex¡¯s mediation, did not have much impact, and only a few wizards knew why Joseph had disappeared. Following Jolod¡¯s suggestion, Richard then moved into the fifty-sixth floor of the Central Black Tower and became neighbors with Chax. The curse had a significant impact on Richard. Before this, Richard was always dedicated to learning and exploring knowledge, not in a hurry to enhance his own strength. This was because, aside from knowledge itself being a form of strength, his lifestyle of keeping a low profile made him feel safe. But Joseph shattered that sense of security. ¡­ ¡°Intermediate Meditation Method, priced at two hundred thousand Academy Coins.¡± In the Magic Store, the clerk puppet mechanically announced the price of the goods. ¡°Here is the money.¡± Richard handed over a large bundle of Academy Coins to the clerk puppet. As Richard¡¯s spiritual power gradually increased, the effect of the Basic Meditation Method became weaker and weaker. Before Joseph¡¯s curse, Richard didn¡¯t feel much about this speed. The Academy¡¯s bloody exams were still a long way off. Six to seven years were enough for Richard to advance to an Intermediate Apprentice with the Basic Meditation Method. Richard also preferred to exchange knowledge for Magic Stones from Jolod. For wizards, knowledge is the greatest strength. As long as spiritual power isn¡¯t vastly different, it doesn¡¯t have much of an effect. But now, Richard had changed his mind. Strength, after all, is important. The effect of the Intermediate Meditation Method was several times stronger than the Basic Meditation Method. With its help, within three years, Richard could increase his spiritual power to thirty points. The pneumatic pipeline delivered a scroll, and Richard stored it properly before going to the commercial area to buy materials. It was time to schedule the second Bloodline Alchemy. ¡°Hybrid giant troll Bloodline, five hundred Magic Stones, thank you for your patronage.¡± The hybrid giant troll was a humanoid creature that lived in the eastern plains of the Wizard World, possessing immense strength and regenerative capabilities. According to wizard records, a mature pure-blooded hybrid giant troll could even split in two, and both halves would regenerate into complete bodies¡ªa frightening extent of recovery. Richard looked at the bottle containing the bloodline; in the glass bottle, the blood of the hybrid giant troll seemed alive as it continually climbed the walls of the bottle, trying to escape its prison. ¡°The Life Energy is indeed vigorous. If you were refined into pure blood, wouldn¡¯t you just ascend to the heavens?¡± The hybrid giant troll race had a strong reproductive capability, producing subspecies trolls with many creatures. And these trolls could also produce hybrid giant trolls when mating with pure-blooded trolls. These mixed-blood hybrid giant trolls looked identical to the ordinary ones, with similar regenerative abilities, leading to most hybrid giant troll bloodlines on the market containing impurities from other creatures¡¯ bloodlines. However, this wasn¡¯t an issue for Richard. Returning to the Black Tower with the bloodline in hand, Richard started to prepare the tools for Bloodline Alchemy. The second Bloodline Alchemy wasn¡¯t as crude as the first, which could be done with just an alchemy array and bloodline. This time, he needed a Magic Conduction Container large enough for his body and a specially formulated Alchemy Potion to assist him with Bloodline Alchemy. The container was easy to deal with; Jolod¡¯s Synthetic Beast crafting tools included something suitable. However, when he followed Chax to Jolod¡¯s warehouse, he was still stunned by what he saw. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a coffin?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but comment. Before him was indeed a dark Crystal Coffin, its sides etched with Runes, and at first glance, it looked like a container for sealing some kind of monster. ¡°You asked for the best cultivation chamber,¡± Chax said with a suppressed smile. ¡°This is the teacher¡¯s best one, using it for your Bloodline Alchemy is really overkill.¡± Richard shook his head helplessly but then resigned himself to moving the Crystal Coffin to his room. Richard was a pragmatist; it didn¡¯t matter how strange it looked, as long as it was effective. Back in his room, Richard started drawing an Alchemy Array on his body. The Alchemy Array for the second Bloodline Alchemy was very complex, and he spent a whole afternoon failing twice before completing it. After the array was drawn, Richard took the hybrid giant troll¡¯s blood into his hands. [Ingredient: Hybrid giant troll blood] [Refinable Substance: Pure Blood of a Two-Headed Giant Troll] [Refinement Cost: 150 Magic Power] [Proceed with refinement?] ¡°Yes.¡± After Richard made his choice, the blood in the bottle instantly disappeared, and a portion of his magic power vanished as well. But in just a moment, a vibrant and lively clot of blood, so full of life it resembled a living creature, appeared in Richard¡¯s hand. Having stored the blood safely, Richard began to fill the crystal coffin with alchemy solvent, a pale green liquid with a jelly-like consistency. During this period of Bloodline Alchemy, this pale-green liquid would be responsible for providing his body with nutrients and life energy. Once the liquid was filled, Richard placed twenty magic stones on either side of the crystal coffin. With everything in place, Richard lay in the liquid, wrapped the troll blood with his magic power and brought it to his heart, then closed the coffin lid and fed magic power into the alchemy array to begin the bloodline fusion. Instantly, an extremely clear heartbeat entered Richard¡¯s ears, and blood hot as magma was pumped from his heart, flowing through every corner of his body. Under the influence of this blood, every strand of his muscles quivered incessantly. Tearing, healing, tearing, healing¡­ An indescribable sensation of soreness assaulted him from every part of his body, like an endless torment. If pain were to be classified by levels, with one being the weakest and ten the strongest, this sensation was like ¦Ð: painful yet not quite painful enough, and never ceasing. After an indeterminate period, the soreness began to subside, signifying that his body was starting to adapt to the troll¡¯s bloodline. And Richard passed out. At this moment, if someone were to open the crystal coffin, they would find that the originally pale-green liquid inside was gradually becoming transparent, and Richard¡¯s body was visibly growing more robust at a rate visible to the naked eye. Richard¡¯s physique also continued to increase during this period. Twenty-four, twenty-five¡­ twenty-eight, twenty-nine¡­ After a long time, Richard finally woke up from his deep slumber. Rumble, rumble, rumble. Richard opened the coffin lid and climbed out, the once pale-green liquid now completely clear, and the magic stones he¡¯d placed at the sides of the coffin were depleted. ¡°How long have I slept?¡± Richard shook his head and cautiously went to the washroom to clean off the potion from his body, then changed into a new set of clothes. Having learned from his last experience, Richard knew that his physique must have greatly improved. Looking at the clothes that were now taut and bulging from his muscles, Richard scratched his head. ¡°They¡¯re a bit small.¡± After stepping outside to find Chax, Richard learned that he had slept for a full month during this bout of Bloodline Alchemy. ¡°Little brother, that recipe of yours isn¡¯t bad at all, to look this strong after your second alchemy.¡± Chax patted the bulging muscles on Richard¡¯s body, unable to contain his admiration. Initially, Chax had suggested that Richard wash his bloodline and instead use a formula from Jolod¡¯s School, but now it seemed that the alchemy recipe Richard had concocted himself had an even better effect. ¡°It¡¯s alright, the second iteration of this recipe mainly increased strength and recovery ability.¡± Chax brought out a crystal ball to test Richard¡¯s current physique, and to Richard¡¯s astonishment, he found that his physique had grown from an initial level twenty-three to twenty-nine point nine, barely shy of triggering the Rebound Effect. Looking at the data, Richard lamented, ¡°Just a bit more and I could have triggered the Rebound Effect, saving me so much meditation time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about that good fortune, little brother,¡± Chax laughed as he took back the crystal ball, ¡°That little bit seems small, but it¡¯s as vast as a chasm to actually break through. How many masters who study physique concoct all sorts of secret potions and undergo life-and-death struggles on the battlefield just to break through that one layer of the physique bottleneck. Our usual Meditation Method is slow, but before becoming a wizard, there are no bottlenecks.¡± ¡°Sigh, that¡¯s true.¡± Richard sighed, realizing that if enhancing physique could be faster than meditation, then the mainstream among wizards would be Bloodline Wizards instead of Shaping Wizards who manipulate energy with spiritual power. ¡°By the way, senior brother, I need a small favor from you.¡± Richard stopped Chax who was about to return the crystal ball and showed an apologetic smile on his face. Chax looked at Richard suspiciously; something was definitely off, extremely off. ¡°What do you need help with?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I was hoping to use your Synthetic Beast to help me get accustomed to my new body.¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Combat Training Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Combat Training Central Black Tower, ninety-ninth floor. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, little brother, if you get hurt later, I¡¯m not footing your medical bills.¡± Chax muttered as he opened a long-sealed door. Richard followed him, his back laden with the two-handed greatsword he had received from Saban. Just moments before, he had asked Chax to use his Synthetic Beast to help him adjust to his body, and to train some combat skills. The sudden increase in Physique had left Richard feeling slightly unadapted, but it also sparked a bit of excitement within him. Just what was the extent of his own strength now? The moment the door opened, an ancient aroma rushed forth. Behind the door lay a room about the size of a basketball court, its walls and floors covered with various claw marks and somber bloodstains. On one side of the room was a smaller room partitioned by crystals. Chax walked in as soon as he entered the room and then threw a bag from his waist to the outside. This special Magic Pocket, according to Chax, had three cubic meters of storage space. Moreover, after special processing, the bag could temporarily hold living things. ¡°Roar!¡± A strange roar came from the bag and, soon after, a black wolf¡¯s head poked out of it. ¡°Little brother, close the door. This is the room where the teacher tests combat beasts. You can use your full force here, the house can absolutely take it.¡± Richard closed the door and, loosening his joints, he strode towards the center of the room with his sword. The Synthetic Beast Chax had brought was already out of the bag. This beast was not large, shaped somewhat like an oversized wild wolf, with very sleek black fur. It was panting with its tongue out, staring blankly at Richard, appearing utterly harmless. ¡°Little brother, are you ready?¡± Richard readied his sword, his breath forming white puffs in the air. After undergoing the second Bloodline Alchemy, the transformation triggered by Richard¡¯s bloodline had led to significant changes. First, there were Richard¡¯s muscles. With the activation of his bloodline, the already robust muscles ballooned like air being pumped into them, stretching his height by nearly ten centimeters. Then there were the black scales on his body. Originally just a thin layer, these scales had become substantially thicker with this second Bloodline Alchemy. If Richard had been a Plate Armor Knight before, now he had evolved into an armored vehicle. ¡°Ready, senior brother.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Chax shouted loudly, and the synthetic beast charged towards Richard like lightning. Boom! Richard stumbled back two steps, the arm holding the sword tingling, while two one-inch deep wounds on his chest bled continuously. Looking at the black wolf, not a single hair on it had fallen off. ¡°What kind of strength is this!?¡± Richard looked in shock at the seemingly harmless black wolf before him, its power completely misaligned with its appearance. And this black wolf was not just powerful but also fast, with claws far sharper than Richard could have anticipated. The black scales on his body were like tofu in front of its claws. ¡°Hehe, be careful, little brother.¡± Chax saw Richard faltering and chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by Blake¡¯s small size; it has a solid physique of 39 points.¡± ¡°It may not match you in muscle volume, but it far surpasses you in quality.¡± Richard was startled by this, never expecting such a small creature to possess such impressive physical attributes. The black wolf attacked again, still as fast as lightning. However, this time Richard was prepared. With a slight motion of his great sword in his hands, the blade let out a sharp howl. Wind Crow Slash. Unfazed by the blade, the black wolf twisted its body in the blink of an eye¡ªan electric spark¡ªand the quivering blade grazed past its spine. But Richard was not just a melee fighter knight. A red fireball suddenly appeared beside Richard, then shot toward the black wolf like a meteor. Boom. The fireball exploded, scattering fire elements which instantly blocked Richard¡¯s sight. However, relying on his spiritual power, he still sensed something rapidly approaching him. Clang! Sizzle¡­ The black wolf¡¯s sharp fangs clamped onto the sword blade, emitting a grating sound that set one¡¯s teeth on edge. The recent explosion of the Fireball Technique had only caused its fur to curl slightly. ¡°How could this be?¡± Although Richard was shocked inside, his movements did not stop. His sword flicked, and brilliant sparks flew between the fangs and the blade. Upon closer inspection, a series of bite marks were evident on the blade, inflicted by the black wolf. ¡°Hey hey, Apprentice, my Synthetic Beast has nice protection, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Jolod chuckled again from across the room. This Synthetic Beast was his highest achievement in his craft, with muscles and bones all meticulously cultivated. Its defense was strong enough to ignore elemental damage below thirty energy levels. With Richard¡¯s current state, unless he used a Fireball Magic Wand, there was no spell that could harm the black wolf. ¡°Do you still want to continue, Apprentice? You can¡¯t win this. How about you spend some money, and I¡¯ll customize a training Synthetic Beast for you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s really impressive,¡± praised Richard, but a slight confident smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. ¡°But, Senior, you¡¯re underestimating me a bit too much.¡± Wizards, who rely solely on brute force in combat, could never form a massive force that conquers many worlds. Jolod shook his head; he was a stubborn one. Richard¡¯s strength did not even reach the intermediate apprentice level, and he had only brought a great sword. In this situation, his battle with Blake was totally predictable. ¡°Alright then, I shall continue.¡± Jolod then continued to control the black wolf to attack Richard from different angles. Struggling to adapt to his sudden increase in physique, Richard was forcefully pushed back by the black wolf. Even the simplest lunges were tough for Richard to fend off, and the black wolf¡¯s sharp claws occasionally left several bloody marks on his body. However, Richard¡¯s second integration was with the dual-head giant troll bloodline, renowned for its regenerative capabilities. The bloody marks on Richard¡¯s body disappeared within seconds, visible to the naked eye, even more impressive than his arm bracelets. In the midst of these repeated pounces, Richard began to gradually adapt to his body. Ting. Richard blocked another lunge from the black wolf and simultaneously used his blade to block the wolf¡¯s claws. Within just a few minutes, under the high pressure of combat, Richard had completely adapted to his body. ¡°Apprentice, do you still want to continue?¡± Jolod¡¯s voice came from the other side of the room. Hearing this, Richard smiled slightly, ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time to end this.¡± Right after speaking, two fireballs suddenly appeared beside Richard. Seeing this, Jolod shook his head in disappointment. Damage lower than thirty energy level is useless¡­ Huh? He saw a fireball flying towards him, and it exploded loudly, the scattering Fire Element instantly obscuring Jolod¡¯s vision. ¡°No!¡± Jolod was startled, quickly sharing sensory perception with the black wolf. But as another fireball exploded, the wolf¡¯s vision was also engulfed in red. In the next moment, a great sword landed on the black wolf¡¯s head. Boom! The robust blade slammed the black wolf to the ground. If Richard had used Wind Crow Slash, this strike might have not only chopped off the wolf¡¯s head but at least broken its neck. ¡°Senior, what do you think of my move?¡± Richard came over to Jolod, sword in hand, wearing a proud smile. Wizards do not rely merely on spells and brute strength in combat; wisdom is their greatest weapon. Because Jolod was in a small room, his field of view was extremely limited, and he was controlling the Synthetic Beast to attack, which allowed Richard to find a flaw. If Jolod and the black wolf lost their vision simultaneously and the battle location was outside the range of spiritual power, then Jolod could not determine Richard¡¯s position and subsequently lose the initiative. Although this tactic was hard to use on a real battlefield, no method is universally applicable. ¡°Ah, I was negligent,¡± Jolod, somewhat annoyed, controlled the black wolf to return to the bag. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you, Apprentice, to pull such a stunt.¡± ¡°Haha, how else could I have won?¡± Richard laughed heartily, mentally reviewing the gains from this battle. He had quite a collection from this fight, besides adapting to his body and enhancing some combat skills, he discovered a major flaw¡ª As an apprentice of the Alchemy School, his equipment was terribly inadequate. His body was covered in only a few pieces of Magic Equipment, most of which were obtained during the entrance exams. The great sword in his hand, although made of fine material, bore not a single trace of Alchemy¡ªa pure blank. If word of that got out, people might think Jolod taught nothing to his official apprentices. Richard stroked his chin: ¡°It seems I need to upgrade my gear.¡± COMMENT 2 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 2 Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Equipment Upgrade Chapter 50: Chapter 50 Equipment Upgrade Upgrading equipment was not an easy task, and the Magic Equipment Richard had on hand was mostly substandard, with no room for further improvement. To create new Magic Equipment, he needed Magic Equipment Design Diagrams. Although Jolod had quite a few Magic Equipment Design Diagrams, if Richard wanted to get his hands on them, the cost in Magic Stones would be no small figure. Richard had recently made a large purchase, and his stock of Magic Stones was nearly depleted, making it impossible to upgrade all his equipment in the short term. Fortunately, he was not in a hurry at the moment. Time whizzed by, and in the blink of an eye, Richard¡¯s tenth year at the Academy had arrived. Two years ago, with the help of the Intermediate Meditation Method, Richard¡¯s spiritual power had successfully broken through the barrier of thirty points, making him an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice. Now his spiritual power had reached thirty-two points, and his physique had also improved to thirty due to the Rebound Effect. Although this pace was not fast among the official apprentices, it was already like a dimensional strike against most ordinary ones. After all, the Intermediate Meditation Method worth two thousand Magic Stones was not something just anyone could afford. In addition, during this period, Richard had also not neglected upgrading his own equipment. ¡­ Fifty-sixth floor of the Central Black Tower. With the engraving of the last Rune complete, Richard leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply. On the table before him lay a black Great Sword, pulsating with Magic Fluctuations as dense Runes had been inscribed upon it. ¡°Finally finished,¡± Richard stretched lazily. It had taken him half a year to craft this Great Sword. To acquire its design diagram, he had spent all his accumulated Magic Stones on Jolod in the past two years. But it was all worth it. The design diagram for this Great Sword was called Demon Eater, and its creation was quite complex. As a Wizard Apprentice, it had taken Richard half a year just to complete its first stage of crafting. Even though it was only the first stage, its effects were remarkable. The Core Magic of the Demon Eater Sword¡¯s first stage was named Greedy Demon Flame, which not only possessed an astonishing temperature but also an effect that burned Magic Power. If spells like a Magic Barrier came into contact with Greedy Demon Flame, their Magic Power consumption would instantly multiply several times. For most apprentices who were not wealthy, this was a fatal blow. Because Magic Power meant Magic Stones, and the majority of Wizard Apprentices did not have enough Magic Stones to support using spells recklessly. Once contaminated with Greedy Demon Flame, the withdrawal of spells was inevitable. Of course, using Greedy Demon Flame required Richard to expend quite a bit of Magic Power himself. But Richard¡¯s Magic Stone reserves were quite plentiful. His monthly income of four hundred Magic Stones was considerable within the entire Academy. Apart from the Demon Eater Sword, Richard had also crafted several pieces of Magic Equipment during this time. The Concealer Cloak, which could reduce the presence of the user and hide the Apprentice¡¯s Magic Wave. When used with Breath Concealment and Silence Technique, it could even elude a Wizard¡¯s hasty search. The Guardian Pendant¡¯s effect was to automatically trigger a thirty-second duration Magic Shield capable of withstanding magic of fifty Energy Levels when attacked by a Spell, using up a third of a Magic Stone each time. Besides that, Richard also owned the Vine Ring, capable of summoning a twisted vine to control enemies, the eyeglasses with Eagle Vision Skill, the Magic Gun equipped with Demon-breaking Bullets, the Magic Pocket with two cubic meters of storage space, swift boots, the Mind Protection Ring, and various other small Alchemy tools. Ready these items had cost Richard seven or eight thousand Magic Stones. But the effects were undoubtedly worth it. Now Richard was not only equipped with protection against various attacks, but he also possessed crowd control, acceleration, and a certain degree of long-distance attack capabilities. He could almost be called a moving fortress. Having stored the Great Sword properly, Richard habitually visited Jolod¡¯s laboratory on the ninety-ninth floor of the Black Tower to scavenge. Jolod¡¯s laboratory was full of treasures, with materials he casually tossed aside possibly being rare treasures for Wizard Apprentices, and discarded draft papers potentially solving puzzles that Wizard Apprentices had pondered over for years. But for Richard, these things were secondary. What he valued more were the objects that Jolod frequently used, like the Enchanted Surgical Knife in his hand. ¡°` [Material: Enchanted Surgical Knife] [Extractable Skill: Jolod¡¯s Biological Dissection Technique] [Extraction Cost: 40 Spiritual Power] [Proceed with extraction?] Looking at the message emitted by the Miracle Furnace, Richard silently swallowed and put the surgical knife back in its place. He simply couldn¡¯t extract 40 units of spiritual power at the moment. As Richard was scavenging around in the laboratory, the door suddenly opened and Jolod and Anna walked in, one after the other. ¡°Oh, Richard, haven¡¯t been to the lab in half a year, have you finished your Demon Eater Sword?¡± Jolod looked at Richard with a smile, but his expression changed when he caught sight of the surgical knife behind Richard. A thread of magic power flew out of his hand, instantly seizing the knife. ¡°You can¡¯t have this,¡± Jolod said warily. Richard looked at Jolod guarding his possessions like a thief and felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. As previously mentioned, Richard often came to the laboratory to scrounge, so feathers, draft paper, and other small items would always seem to vanish after his visits. While Jolod was annoyed by Richard¡¯s habit, he generally said nothing about it. Wizards tend to have their odd behavioral quirks. Seeing this unfold, Anna couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself in disbelief. ¡°Cough cough, Teacher, Sister Anna, long time no see,¡± Richard greeted as if nothing was amiss. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time,¡± Anna smiled back and then suddenly walked up to Richard to measure their heights side by side. ¡°Time flies so fast. You were only this tall when you first came to the Academy.¡± Anna indicated a height at her chest, whereas Richard now stood taller than her. Richard picked up on something in Anna¡¯s words. ¡°Sister Anna, are you going to take the Wizard exam?¡± he asked. Anna nodded, ¡°Yes, in a couple of days I¡¯ll go to the Dean¡¯s Secret Realm to take the Wizard exam.¡± The Wizard exam, the final hurdle for a Wizard Apprentice. Passing the Wizard exam allows a Wizard Apprentice the chance to be promoted to Wizard, thus becoming a true member of the Wizard World. ¡°Sister Anna, you¡¯re sure to pass the exam. You¡¯re the most outstanding disciple of Jolod, the Alchemy Master of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, in a thousand years,¡± Richard encouraged her. Anna responded with a warm smile, while Jolod, beside her, stroked his beard with pride. ¡°Richard is right, Anna. You just haven¡¯t fought with people enough and lack understanding of other Apprentices. You don¡¯t know what sorts of oddballs they all are. As my most capable disciple, you will definitely pass the Wizard exam.¡± Anna didn¡¯t say much. In fact, she had never worried about failing the Wizard exam; her real concern was whether she could succeed in getting promoted. The chances of failure in advancing to Wizard were nearly thirty percent. If the promotion failed, a Wizard Apprentice would be forever precluded from becoming a Wizard. For a Wizard Apprentice, there was nothing more terrifying than failing to become promoted. After some more idle chatter, seeing that Anna had business to discuss with Jolod, Richard excused himself from the lab and headed back to his room on the fifty-sixth floor. ¡°The Wizard exam¡­ My own exam is coming up too,¡± Richard mused as he looked at the calendar on the table. The Academy¡¯s bloody exam was only a month away. In a month¡¯s time, over four thousand Apprentices of the Academy would engage in a brutal fight for survival. Those who succeeded would continue on the path of the Wizard, while the failures became nourishment for others. According to the rumors he had heard, each bloody exam would cull at least half of the Apprentices, and during intense competition, terrifying outcomes like three or even four survivors to one combatant can occur. The thought of this always left Richard with an indescribable mix of emotions. He felt there was something wrong with this system of the Wizard Academy, but he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint what it was. However, he quickly cast these thoughts aside. Natural selection, survival of the fittest. Since he couldn¡¯t change the rules now, he would have to adapt to them. ¡°` COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Chapter 51 The Exam Begins Chapter 51: Chapter 51 The Exam Begins Time flashed by, and before long, examination day had arrived. In the same clearing where the entrance exam had taken place, Richard stood cloaked in a Concealer Cloak in the corner, tossing iron beans to Wuni. ¡°Richard, you still like to hide away.¡± A voice suddenly came from beside Richard, who turned to see a Wizard Apprentice with a pointed wizard hat and a long staff, her face marked with dark circles under her eyes, standing beside him. ¡°Ali, long time no see,¡± Richard greeted, casually passing Wuni to her. Over the years, their relationship had evolved from the initial lovey-dovey phase to a more gentlemanly and detached friendship. This was partly because familiarity had dulled the novelty of their feelings and partly due to the teachings of wizards. Under wizardly guidance, they both came to a clear understanding. Without becoming a wizard, everything else was illusory. Even so, there had been some interactions between them that went beyond mere friendship, such as¡­ Exchanging research findings. He and Ali had established a very good cooperative model: he would supply Magic Stones to purchase Magic Models and library materials, which Ali would modify and improve, and then they would share the results. Simply put, he provided the capital, and Ali provided the effort, with both sharing the outcomes. Of course, this sharing was only superficial; Ali would certainly not, and indeed could not, share what she learned from Susanna with Richard. Nonetheless, this arrangement had brought Richard substantial benefits. Beyond that, Ali also commissioned various pieces of Magic Equipment and Alchemy gadgets from Richard, which he sold to her at cost price. Ali stroked Wuni¡¯s feathers, and Wuni affectionately nuzzled Ali¡¯s hand. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s probably going to be random teleportation again. Shall we agree on a time and place to meet up?¡± Richard took out the map that the Academy had distributed beforehand. The exam area was vast, covering a circle with a radius of fifty kilometers. Within this range, all the Apprentices would partake in a month-long survival challenge, and each must obtain at least one Apprentice Mark. The Apprentice Mark was a Curse Mark imbued into the Apprentices by the Academy before the exam began, which would automatically dissipate after the exam. This Curse Mark served two functions: the first was to prevent Apprentices from leaving the exam area, as the Mark would activate and turn into a lethal Curse if an Apprentice attempted to leave. The second was to facilitate the tallying of the Apprentices¡¯ kills; the mark would automatically transfer to the perpetrator upon an Apprentice¡¯s death. Unlike the entrance exam, this time the Academy had established a system for exchanging Apprentice Marks for Magic Stones. Each Apprentice Mark could be traded in for a reward of one hundred Magic Stones, with no limits on the number of exchanges. That meant, if you were strong enough, you could make a fortune from this exam. In addition, the Academy had set up a points leaderboard. Each Apprentice Mark earned by an Apprentice would add one point to the board. At the end of the exam, the top ten on the leaderboard would receive prizes distributed by the Academy, with special prizes from the Dean for the top three. Of course, aside from battling other Apprentices, the Academy had also released ten magical creatures with the strength of Advanced Apprentices into the testing ground, which would indiscriminately hunt Apprentices. While killing these creatures wouldn¡¯t yield Apprentice Marks, successful challengers would be rewarded with a piece of quality Magic Equipment and fifty points. In terms of points, one of these magical creatures was equivalent to fifty Apprentices. For those aspiring to rank in the top ten of the leaderboard, slaying these creatures was essential. ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the central point,¡± Ali said, marking a spot on the map. ¡°With random teleportation, no one knows where they¡¯ll end up. At least the central point has a marker from the Academy.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll meet at the central point then. Just make sure you don¡¯t get ambushed.¡± Ali glared at Richard, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m still the same Ali from ten years ago?¡± The exam time came quickly; once again, Deputy Dean Alex served as the proctor. Alex flew into the sky and instantly silenced the crowd of Wizard Apprentices with his imposing presence. ¡°Apprentices of the four hundred and thirty-second class of Black Tower Wizard Academy, I am Alex, your examiner for this test. We have a total of four thousand one hundred and twenty-one candidates, and all four thousand one hundred and twenty-one are present. The rules of the examination have been distributed in advance, so I will not repeat them. Now, I declare the exam has begun.¡± As usual, the Deputy Dean¡¯s opening remarks were brief. With a grand wave of his hand, white light shone beneat the feet of the numerous Apprentices. Simultaneously, ethereal black chains extended upward from beneath them, leaving a black pentagram mark on each Apprentice¡¯s hand. As the scene before him changed into countless abstract color blocks, Richard¡¯s figure vanished in the midst of the Teleportation Array. As his vision returned to normal, a hill covered with shrubs appeared before him. ¡°Still feels a bit nauseating.¡± Richard frowned. Although he had used his physique to offset most of the nausea brought on by the teleportation array, the discomfort still made him feel like throwing up. Looking around, Richard noticed an apprentice not far away, and that apprentice had also seen him. ¡°Lucky day,¡± laughed the apprentice. Then a fireball came smashing over. ¡°Indeed, lucky day.¡± Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged as a magic barrier instantly appeared in front of him. Boom! The fireball exploded, but not even a ripple appeared on the magic shield. ¡°Too weak. The inferior Fireball Technique used was still the initial version sold by the academy, with no improvements whatsoever.¡± Richard shook his head, stepped forward, and instantly appeared in front of the apprentice, with the great sword on his back now in his hand. ¡°Goodbye.¡± With one swing of his sword, a head the size of a fighting cock¡¯s flew into the air. The apprentice wasn¡¯t even intermediate level and had no chance to resist in front of Richard. After killing him, Richard glanced at the mark on his hand, the originally black pentagram seemed to have deepened in color slightly. And he also sensed a weak magic fluctuation continuously emanating from the mark. ¡°Interesting, this magic wave might be a signal from the Wizard World,¡± Richard mused, guessing in his heart. Looking up at the sky, there was a beam of light reaching to the heavens directly in front of him, a landmark for apprentices to orient themselves, the center point of the entire exam arena. Richard was about to head towards the beam when suddenly he felt a chill down his spine. The Guardian Pendant was triggered, and a magic shield instantly appeared on Richard¡¯s back, blocking an invisible Wind Blade. At the same time, Richard used the Breathing Technique to fully stimulate his bloodline. In an instant, the assailant apprentice saw Richard transform from an average-sized apprentice into a two-meter tall humanoid monster covered in black scales. ¡°Bloodline Alchemy! And at least two enhancements,¡± the apprentice¡¯s eyes bulged, not even thinking before erecting a layer of magic barrier. In the next moment, a great sword wreathed in black flames smashed onto the barrier. The black flames spread rapidly over the barrier, and the apprentice immediately realized his magic power was draining away fast. The flames were consuming his magic power. ¡°Escape!¡± The apprentice had only one thought: this apprentice from the Alchemy School was beyond his ability to defeat. Propping up his barrier, he pulled out a scroll from his bosom and opened it. With a ¡®bang,¡¯ the assailant apprentice¡¯s body exploded into a puff of smoke and disappeared in an instant. ¡°Short-distance spatial fold.¡± Richard recognized the effect of the spell, but a cold sneer soon hung on his lips. ¡°Wuni, see where that guy teleported to.¡± The Death Crow crowed joyfully and immediately flapped its wings into the sky. ¡°Thinking of running? Not so easy.¡± At the same time, similar events were underway in every corner of the exam arena. Apprentices from the Shape-shifting School waved their wands, and a Fire Crow burned their enemies to ashes; the Undead School apprentices simply pointed, and another apprentice fell to the ground, their flesh continuously withering away until they were reduced to skin and bones, a walking corpse; the Soul School apprentices only had to shout, and their Spiritual Shock stunned the surrounding apprentices. Although the Curse School apprentices were not good at direct combat, in unseen corners, Gu Worms carrying curses were spreading incessantly. In this exam, all apprentices brought out the results of their ten years of study, vowing to pave their path to wizardry with the bones of others. COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Undead Wizard Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Undead Wizard Inside the examination hall, Wizard Apprentices were fighting their rivals with all the knowledge they had acquired throughout their lives. Outside the examination hall, a group of Wizards had gathered in the Central Black Tower¡¯s 101st-floor hall, collectively watching the examination. This examination was both a selection and a self-recommendation event. Wizards often discovered some hidden talents during the examination and then took them on as formal apprentices. However, for most Wizards, this examination was simply a form of entertainment. ¡°Luo Fenqi, your disciple is quite something. He¡¯s racked up fifteen points in just two days,¡± a withered, skeletal-looking Wizard said with a smile. In the Crystal Ball in front of him, a Wizard Apprentice was annihilating his opponent with Elemental Magic. On the other side, a Wizard whose half-body was engulfed in flames said, ¡°Your disciple isn¡¯t bad either, although he¡¯s as tough as a rock, that rock is even harder than diamond.¡± ¡°Look at Freud¡¯s student, he¡¯s actually taken the path of ascetic faith. Freud, have you started experimenting with your formal apprentices?¡± a ghostly figure of a Wizard suddenly shouted. A Wizard clad in a white robe, appearing holy and benevolent, got so angry that his beard curled upwards. ¡°That¡¯s the path he chose on his own, it has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡­ Such dialogues continued uninterrupted in the hall. For Wizards with formal apprentices, this examination was an opportunity to showcase their apprentices. For some Wizards who did not get along, this examination served as their proxy war. As long as their own apprentice outperformed the other¡¯s, it was as though they themselves had come out on top. ¡°Jolod, your disciple seems a bit lackluster,¡± a skeletal Wizard taunted. In his Crystal Ball, Richard only had a measly four points, a score that didn¡¯t even surpass that of regular students. Jolod adjusted his glasses and coldly retorted, ¡°Aijoen, not everyone enjoys killing like you do.¡± In Jolod¡¯s Crystal Ball, Aijoen¡¯s apprentice was close to breaking through the twenty-point mark, accompanied by a Corpse Giant beside him, which kept emitting Death Energy that caused vegetation to wither. ¡°Is that so, Jolod?¡± Aijoen mocked, ¡°I heard your student is quite the fighter in the Academy, isn¡¯t he?¡± Jolod shot back, ¡°That¡¯s called tit-for-tat, something a killer like you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± The nearby Wizards watched the two bicker, casting amused glances their way. The feud between Jolod and Aijoen was longstanding and couldn¡¯t be explained in just a few words. But one thing was certain¡ªover the decades, Jolod had the upper hand in the apprentice disputes, with both Anna and Chax having significantly outperformed Aijoen¡¯s disciples. Now that Richard¡¯s performance was not outstanding, it was an opportunity that Aijoen seized. ¡­ In the examination arena, Richard pinched his nose. He had just sneezed several times, as if someone were talking about him. ¡°Who would be mentioning me at this time, could Ali be in trouble?¡± Richard shook his head, carrying his Great Sword as he continued toward the center of the examination arena. But before he took a few steps, a slight tremor caught his attention. ¡°Something is coming.¡± Richard touched the ground and turned his head to the left. Richard shifted his perspective to Wuni, who was flying, and he quickly spotted the source of the tremor¡ªa Corpse Giant, with a small figure in a black robe beside it. ¡°Looks like a strongman.¡± Richard stroked his chin, hesitating whether to approach. He killed so few people not because he didn¡¯t want to compete for a ranking on the points leaderboard, but because he felt that killing them one by one was just too inefficient. In the past two days, all the apprentices he encountered were like slippery eels, starting to run the moment he made a move, which made it challenging for him to get even one mark. After all, killing apprentices at the start and at the end offered completely disproportionate benefits. Although the apprentices who survived into the later stages grew stronger, Richard didn¡¯t consider himself weak. Everyone was an apprentice, he had more Magic Stones, more Magic Equipment, so even if he couldn¡¯t beat others, couldn¡¯t he still run away? While Richard hesitated, Slay, who was far away, noticed him through a spell. ¡°Seeing me and not running away? You have chosen the path of death,¡± Slay cackled weirdly. Since entering the examination field, it had been like paradise for him, the Wizard Apprentices he encountered were all weaklings. Some apprentices hadn¡¯t even reached the intermediate level yet dared to move around in the examination area. To Slay, these people were walking Magic Stones. One apprentice was worth a hundred Magic Stones, ten apprentices were a thousand Magic Stones. And there were over four thousand apprentices in this exam, equivalent to more than four hundred thousand Magic Stones. Even if he killed just one percent of them, four thousand Magic Stones were still a considerable fortune to him. Slay fantasized about that wonderful scenario, waving his Magic Wand, and a Corpse Giant charged toward Richard. ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard sensed something was wrong. Seeing the Corpse Giant charging towards him from afar, he smiled and shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s there to consider?¡± Having said that, white vapor flowed from Richard¡¯s mouth and nose, and his stature and muscles explosively grew, instantly transforming him into a giant over two meters tall covered in Black Scales. Wuni in the sky also seized the opportunity to move. Seeing this, Slay frowned, ¡°An apprentice who studies Bloodline Alchemy, looks like he¡¯s undergone Bloodline Alchemy at least twice.¡± But immediately after, he revealed a frenzied smile. What of Bloodline Alchemy, the apprentices of the Undead School specialized in defeating apprentices who focus on their physiques. If he could assimilate this apprentice into the Corpse Giant, the physique of the Corpse Giant would definitely be tremendously enhanced, possibly breaking the thirty-nine point physique barrier in this exam. Thinking of this, Slay felt even the heavens were aiding him. Boom, boom, boom¡­ On the ground, two colossal beings collided heavily, creating an avalanche-like roar and kicking up a huge cloud of dust. Before the dust settled, a wave of Qi tore it apart, revealing the true form inside. Richard wielded the Demon Eater Sword, its blade creating slight afterimages as he swung. After Richard became an intermediate apprentice, Wind Crow Slash, a legendary martial skill from Duke Heisen, also changed; the original fierce cawing of Wind Crow Slash no longer sounded, replaced by a silence akin to the Death God. And the Corpse Giant, facing the blade, neither dodged nor blocked, its arms thick as pillars, slammed towards Richard¡¯s head. Bang. A gust of wind brushed over Richard¡¯s head, and at the last moment, Richard ducked, avoiding the hit, his blade cutting through the giant like butter. In the next instant, various shades of green and yellow pus poured out from within the giant, a stench like rotting pork from the hottest days of summer burst into Richard¡¯s nostrils. ¡°Ptui.¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but gag slightly, but his body didn¡¯t cease moving. Inside the wound he made, a shriveled heart, like a conjunction of life and death, was still faintly beating. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Mark Fluctuations Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Mark Fluctuations Outside the examination arena, Jolod and Aijoen were both paying attention to this battle. Having been suppressed by Jolod for decades, Aijoen couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud when he saw Richard disembowel the giant, ¡°Jolod, your student is finished.¡± Jolod was stroking his beard, his brows furrowed. Being an old acquaintance of Aijoen, he knew what was going to happen next. On the Plane Battlefield, Aijoen¡¯s favorite opponents were those natives who relied on physical combat. Whenever the natives tore open his Corpse Puppets, the continuously beating heart would surely be their first target of attack. But that was a trap. Once the heart was destroyed, it would trigger the Spell left inside the heart by the Wizard. And the spell Aijoen most liked to leave was one known as the Rotting Blood Mist. Those enveloped by that spell, even those of the Dragon Blood Species, would turn into pools of blood. ¡­ Richard thrust his sword out, the sharp blade severing the connections to the heart in an instant, without damaging the heart in the slightest. As if he would destroy something that obviously seems to be a core, after encountering a Synthetic Beast Core. To store it for extraction, that was the proper course. Although this Corpse Giant had its quirks, knowledge was something that no Wizard would ever have in excess. Richard plucked the heart out, intending to search for the Undead Apprentice. But a strong gust of wind suddenly struck from his front side. He bent down, and a fist as large as a pot whizzed over his head. Judging by the power of that punch, it didn¡¯t seem like it had lost its core. ¡°Hmm? How can it still move?¡± Richard frowned slightly and casually shoved the heart into his Magic Pocket. This made Slay, who had been planning to manually detonate the spell, so angry he nearly spat blood. ¡°How did this guy know that the heart concealed a spell?¡± Slay, leaning on his Magic Wand, was fuming. He had buried three Spells within that heart, waiting for Richard to smash the heart and trigger the spells for a big loss, and then to merge him into the Corpse Giant. But now he had lost both his wife and soldiers; he hadn¡¯t succeeded in his trap, and instead, the Corpse Giant had suffered significant damage. Although the heart was not the vital part of the Corpse Giant, it was still one of its sources of Magic Energy, and now, without the heart, the Magic Energy consumption of the Corpse Giant had more than doubled instantly. ¡°No good, I can¡¯t waste Magic Energy any longer.¡± Slay waved his Magic Wand, controlling the Corpse Giant to retreat. But before it could take two steps, a pitch-black sword blade followed the joints, severing the lower leg of the Corpse Giant. ¡°Turning a combat Puppet into a human shape, I really don¡¯t understand what that Wizard Apprentice was thinking,¡± Richard thought mockingly to himself. In his view, making combat Puppets humanoid was a novice mistake. As an apprentice to Jolod, who was renowned for Synthetic Beasts, he had a deep understanding of Synthetic Beasts. Before Synthetic Beasts became energy-cycling war beasts, humanoid Synthetic Beasts had significant flaws, the most apparent being balance. Humanoids had only two legs. Once one leg was gone, the Synthetic Beast would immediately fall into a state of imbalance. The same principle applied to this Corpse Puppet. Once a leg was removed, the Corpse Puppet immediately fell into a state of imbalance and collapsed to the ground with a thud. ¡°Damn it,¡± Slay muttered through clenched teeth. It wasn¡¯t that he had no way to balance the Corpse Puppet again, but with Richard at his side, his methods were not as fast as Richard¡¯s dismembering. ¡°Never mind, cut off the Magic Energy first.¡± With the Corpse Puppet now suffering from side effects, continuing to provide Magic Energy was a waste. He had some Magic Stones, but that didn¡¯t mean they could be squandered heedlessly. Seeing the Corpse Puppet no longer move, Richard immediately chopped off its head and limbs, and kicked them far away. Slay¡¯s jaw clenched so tightly it could shatter. As Richard fiddled with it, he would have to expend a great deal of Magic Power to repair the Puppet. ¡°Damn brute, I¡¯m going to show you just how formidable our Undead School is.¡± Having said that, Slay pulled out a bottle of Concentration Potion from his Magic Pocket and downed it in one gulp, instantly transforming from raging anger to a cold, still fury. A Wizard could use Spells by inscribing Magic Marks into their soul or by temporarily constructing Magic Models for casting. However, this method of casting wasn¡¯t as safe as using Magic Marks, with temporary constructions running the risk of failure. A failure could result in anything from a soul-quaking dizziness to a Magic Power explosion leading to immediate death. Therefore, a bottle of Concentration Potion that helped one calm down was particularly important at this time. ¡°Hand of Death.¡± With an expressionless face, Slay released the Spell, and a pale purple, ghostly hand instantly rose from beneath Richard¡¯s feet. Once gripped by the Hand of Death, Richard felt a sudden chill in his body, and a slight sense of weakness enveloped him, even his blood seemed to slow under the influence of the Spell. ¡°Next, Death Chains.¡± With a wave of his Magic Wand, black chains shot up from underneath Richard¡¯s feet, quickly making him feel as though he were trapped in a marsh, where every move required enormous effort. Watching Richard struggle, a cold smile crept over Slay¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s over, brute.¡± With that, he took out a Magic Stone and began to channel the Magic Power within it. The next move was certain death for Richard¡­ Boom! Suddenly, a Magic Barrier appeared around Slay, but almost immediately half of his body was torn apart, revealing the corpse-like body under his black robe. ¡°What¡¯s happening!?¡± Slay looked around blankly at the sky, where a black Death Crow circled overhead, seemingly ushering him towards the Netherworld. At the same time, Richard suddenly rallied the Magic Power within his body towards his heart, and the Bloodline Seed there went into a frenzy with the influx of energy. Boom! Accompanied by a powerful heartbeat, the negative effects on Richard instantly dissipated. With frenzied strength and surging Life Energy, he shrugged off the negative effects of Slay¡¯s Spell and was upon him in a flash. The situation reversed instantly! Boom! Without a word, Richard¡¯s fist exploded Slay¡¯s skull, splattering red and white all over the place. Before becoming Wizards, the head was the Achilles¡¯ heel of all School Apprentices. In the sky, Wuni let out a cheerful chirp. And with Slay¡¯s death, the Apprentice Marks he had collected transferred to Richard. Slay had collected nineteen marks before; now, with Richard¡¯s original four, Richard¡¯s count of marks increased to twenty-three in an instant, and his points soared to ninth place on the leaderboard. A tremendously strong Energy signal emanated from the mark on his hand, much like a lighthouse on the night sea. It seemed to be a warning to others that there was a formidable Apprentice here who had killed at least twenty others. ¡°Marks have this effect?¡± Richard scratched his chin. No wonder the Academy had not set a limit on the number of times marks could be exchanged for Magic Stones. Obviously, they had other plans. Such an obvious Energy signal couldn¡¯t even be concealed by Richard, who possessed an Invisibility Cloak, let alone other Apprentices. With this signal, weaker Apprentices would surely avoid them, acting as an indirect deterrent against the slaughter of the weak. For individuals like Richard and Slay, the vast majority of Apprentices stood little chance against them. Without restrictions, in a month¡¯s time, these powerful Apprentices could almost completely annihilate the rest. Although the Academy¡¯s exam was akin to breeding guinea pigs, this was not the way to do it. At the same time, the hall where the exam was being observed fell into an odd silence. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Gathering and Harmony Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Gathering and Harmony ¡°What just happened¡­¡± The Wizard who had been watching the battle spoke with uncertainty. ¡°Was that Magic Equipment?¡± Another Wizard by his side shook his head; he hadn¡¯t seen clearly since the Crystal Ball was only broadcasting, and many details were definitely not as clear as seeing them with their own eyes. The Wizards turned their gaze to Jolod, who was stroking his beard smugly and casting a sidelong glance at Aijoen. ¡°Aijoen, why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡± The Soul Fire in Aijoen¡¯s eyes suddenly flared up, and a strong Magic Fluctuation burst forth from him. However, everyone present was a Wizard, and such a minor Magic Fluctuation only served to inform the other Wizards of Aijoen¡¯s unrest and had no other effect. ¡°Jolod, what exactly was that thing?¡± a Wizard asked. Not being at the scene and merely relying on what was broadcast through the Crystal Ball, the Wizards present, except for those who had modified their eyes, couldn¡¯t clearly see what had really happened. ¡°Cough, that was a piece of Magic Equipment researched by my disciple. You all saw its effect, but I won¡¯t reveal any more information.¡± Jolod¡¯s explanation typified empty talk, prompting a chorus of hisses from the many Wizards. However, everyone was aware that besides those Magic Equipments sold commercially, no Alchemy Wizard would reveal details about the Magic Equipments they used personally. But some Wizards, who knew about the incident involving Joseph years ago, already had some guesses. The perspective returned to the examination site. After killing Slay, Richard¡¯s body emitted an Energy Fluctuation that burst every few seconds. This fluctuation allowed Richard to encounter not a single Apprentice on his way to the center, and even using Wuni¡¯s vision, he could only see other Apprentices running away. ¡°This actually works out well, saves me the hassle.¡± Richard gave a self-deprecating laugh, then used Levitation Skill to quickly head toward the center. Along the way, Richard¡¯s fluctuation not only drove away Apprentices but also attracted some audacious folks looking to rise rapidly. However, these people gathered together and started fighting amongst themselves before even dealing with Richard. Compared to the clearly more powerful Richard, these nameless people with weak Apprentice Marks were obviously easier targets. With the help of Levitation Skill and the Apprentice Mark Fluctuation, Richard covered several dozen kilometers in just an hour and arrived at the central point of the testing ground¡ªthe beam shooting up into the sky. After arriving, Richard began waiting; his speed was clearly faster than Ali, who needed to hunt Apprentices. During the wait, he not only recovered his Magic Power but also made some minor preparations. As an Apprentice of the Alchemy School, he had many little gadgets to aid in combat. ¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± A miserable scream pierced the night sky as an Apprentice trying to use the cover of darkness to ambush Richard was entangled by an unknown thorny plant. The Apprentice¡¯s fresh blood flowed from the wounds pierced by the thorns and was absorbed by them, nourishing their growth. The Apprentice tried to resist, but in the next moment, a black Great Sword ended his life. ¡°Another brainless one,¡± Richard yawned, silently watching the Apprentice¡¯s body being drained into a mummified corpse by the thorns. These thorns were known as Blood-sucking Thorns, a creation from Biological Alchemy. Jolod did not delve deeply into this field of Alchemy, and Richard had only learned the basics. But for a Wizard, knowledge was power, and even a little bit of knowledge could triumph over fools at certain moments. As the Apprentice Mark transferred, the Energy Fluctuation around Richard grew once more. ¡°If this continues, it feels like the entire testing ground will know I¡¯m here.¡± Richard scratched his head and searched the Apprentice¡¯s body. Actually, he wasn¡¯t keen on searching the bodies of these people, as their poverty exceeded his imagination. Even on an apprentice like Slay, Richard found only two hundred magic stones and two pieces of finished magic equipment. Furthermore, one of the pieces of magic equipment was custom-made and only suited for apprentices of the Undead School, rendering it useless for apprentices of other schools. If it weren¡¯t for Richard obtaining some high-quality bones from a corpse puppet in the end, the loot from killing Slay would have been less profitable than what Richard could have made from selling magic potions for a year. This had been all of Slay¡¯s possessions. After looting the apprentice, just as Richard was about to head back to rest, a wave of energy surged from the horizon, its magnitude not the slightest bit inferior to Richard¡¯s own. Richard narrowed his eyes, immediately switching his viewpoint to Wuni. At night, Wuni¡¯s night vision was undoubtedly the best tool for observing enemies. ¡°This person¡­ why do they look familiar?¡± Richard touched his chin, and though the person looked somewhat familiar, he cautiously activated his bloodline, transforming into a muscular giant beast over two meters tall. ¡°Richard, why have you always refused to transform in front of me?¡± the approaching figure asked. ¡°So this is what you look like when you transform.¡± Richard, startled by the approaching figure, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Ali?¡± Ali approached Richard, leaning on her magic wand and curiously touching the scales. ¡°You don¡¯t look very good, but the aura is quite strong.¡± Richard deactivated his bloodline and circled around Ali, somewhat surprised. ¡°Is the Shape-shifting School so powerful, Ali? You¡¯ve actually killed twenty apprentices.¡± Ali glanced at him, ¡°Even if the Shape-shifting School isn¡¯t that great, it¡¯s still better than this brute force bloodline alchemy. You¡¯re a wizard apprentice, can¡¯t you use some spells?¡± Saying so, Ali, somewhat indignant, punched Richard. Her teacher, Susanna, had initially admired Richard when she found out he was Jolod¡¯s disciple, but lost interest immediately upon hearing that Richard followed the path of bloodline alchemy. ¡°All those who follow bloodline alchemy are savages!¡± said Susanna, a disciple of the Black Tower Great Wizard who double specialized in Shape-shifting and Curses. After a bit of good-natured teasing, the two began discussing the real issue. ¡°Your teacher must have told you,¡± Ali said seriously, ¡°the rewards for this scoreboard are extraordinary, and if nothing goes wrong, it should involve entering the dean¡¯s secret realm for exploration.¡± Richard nodded, as a close friend of Alex, Jolod had heard early on that this exam¡¯s rewards were unconventional. ¡°So what are you planning to do next?¡± asked Ali. Richard took out a scroll from his waist that introduced the exam rules. ¡°What do you think about hunting these high-level creatures?¡± Ali furrowed her brows, ¡°My mentor told me that these creatures are slaves captured by the dean from another realm, and their strength is not something that ordinary high-level magic beasts can match.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the best way to earn points.¡± Richard pointed out a rule, ¡°Fifty points per creature, if we want to kill wizard apprentices, we have to kill at least two at our own level.¡± Richard knew the strength of these creatures was extraordinary, but if they didn¡¯t hunt these creatures, their points wouldn¡¯t take a dramatic lead. Having already experienced the slippery nature of wizard apprentices, Richard knew how difficult it would become to kill later when all apprentices displayed their marks¡¯ fluctuations, making it hard to feign weakness and seize the killer advantage. After hesitating for a moment, Ali agreed to Richard¡¯s plan. She didn¡¯t have a better one. After settling on a battle strategy, they rested in place. High-level creatures were not introduced into the examination field from the start, their entry was set for the fifteenth day of the exam. COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Koguk Blood Teeth Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Koguk Blood Teeth ¡°My name is Koguk Blood Teeth, a warrior of the Blood Teeth Tribe. My former homeland was called Barbaric Bone Prairie, where countless tribes like the Blood Teeth Tribe lived. Barbaric Bone Prairie was never peaceful. Tribes wandered in search of grasslands, and battles were common occurrences. Before that war, I thought my fate would be like the warriors of the past, to die bravely in a tribal clash or fighting against a Barbaric Beast. Then my soul would return to the Ancestors¡¯ Plains, to join those great warriors of history, feasting on fine food and drinking exquisite wines. Until that war, that frightful war led by the largest tribe of the Barbaric Bone Prairie, in which all the small tribes partook. The tribe leading the war was called the Blood Axe Tribe. On the migrating Barbaric Bone Prairie, it was one of the few great tribes that did not have to move. Its warriors were as numerous as hairs on a bull, and even Totem Warriors like the Clan Leader were beyond counting. Legend had it that the Clan Leader of the Blood Axe Tribe could even rival the founders. The war led by them was supposed to be one of glory. Until those terrifying creatures who claimed to be wizards descended. Those terrifying magic-wielding monsters came from a tribe forged of steel, each one bizarre in appearance. Not to mention their lack of beautiful manes and shiny toothed smiles; they only had two arms. Besides these differences, these wizards also changed forms during battle; some transformed into beings of fire, others into monsters. They wielded flames and thunder with greater skill than our shaman. In the war, our shamans stood no chance against these wizards. Thus the defeat began. The spirits of nature summoned by the wizards shredded the warriors¡¯ courage; none wanted to die in this dishonorable fight. I fled from a corner of the battlefield, hiding cowardly in a tunnel, praying the wizards wouldn¡¯t find me. But the wizards¡¯ hounds eventually found me. Wizards have no need for warriors, so I was collared and thrown into sunless mines to labor day and night alongside warriors who had once belonged to the Blood Axe Tribe. These wizards cared nothing for our identities; they had come to the Barbaric Bone Prairie with only one purpose¡ªenslavement. Captured warriors were collared, powerful Totem Warriors were taken away, and ordinary warriors like me were left to toil in the mines. The conditions in the mine were horrendous; the warriors beside me died one after another, until at last I was the only healthy slave left. I felt it was the protection of my ancestors, that they had not abandoned me for my cowardice. I still had a chance to return to the Ancestors¡¯ Plains. The wizards found me somewhat special, so they transferred me from the mine to a cell. They told me that I would be fighting a battle next, and if I survived, I would be granted my freedom. I knew it was a lie; these wizards would never let me go. But still, I yearned for that battle. In the past, I fled the battlefield like a coward; now, I will return to it. I must reclaim my honor. My soul will eventually return to the Ancestors¡¯ Plains!¡± ¡­ ¡°0521, prepare for battle.¡± The cold voice of the Wizard woke Koguk from his sleep, marking his fifteenth day in this world. The natural power of the homeworld of the Wizard Monsters was terrifyingly low, which made him uncomfortable and also fearful¡ªwhat had this terrible race done to their own world? The Wizard removed the collar from his neck and then handed him a large chopping blade. The material of the blade was metal, engraved with runes, better than the finest weapons of the Blood Teeth Tribe. ¡°You¡¯ve been told the rules; whether or not you gain your freedom depends on your abilities now.¡± The Wizard looked at Koguk, who cackled strangely, and with a wave of his magic wand, he teleported him to the examination area. At the same time, nine aliens from other worlds were also teleported to the examination area. They had been informed that surviving till the end would grant them freedom. When the teleportation ended, Koguk bent down to grab a handful of soil, lifting it to his face to take a deep breath. The air in the mines was filthy beyond measure, and though the air in the cells was somewhat better, it too was filled with foulness. Yet this fresh air, tinged with the scent of soil, made him feel as if he had returned to his homeland. ¡°Freedom! Glory!¡± Koguk howled to the sky, then charged with his machete towards a seemingly ordinary hillock. Boom! The blade flashed, carving a deep trench in the hillock, and before a hidden Wizard Apprentice could react, he was cleaved in two. A mist of blood rose from Koguk¡¯s body, inflating like a balloon. He grabbed the body from the trench, ¡°Is this a juvenile of the Wizard Monster?¡± Looking at the body of the Wizard Apprentice, Koguk found it hard to associate it with the Wizards who wantonly slaughtered his kin. ¡°He must be a common criminal,¡± Koguk concluded, using the experience of his tribe. In the Blood Teeth Tribe, the vast majority of commoners lacked the talent to become warriors. These people had feeble combat abilities, similar to this juvenile Wizard. Being informed that he could slaughter these juveniles indicated that the Wizard Monster did not care about this group. Thus, the answer became clear. These individuals were criminals guilty of heinous acts; their lives were worthless. No matter how hard Koguk racked his brain, he couldn¡¯t imagine that the Wizard Academy could nurture Wizards using such cruel methods. Even in the Barbaric Bone Prairie, the most savage tribes wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. But Koguk soon tossed these thoughts aside. These juvenile Wizards were both his enemies and his sacrifices. He was here to reclaim his glory. Koguk sniffed. Those subtle scents in the air that Wizard Apprentices could not detect without modifying their noses entered his nostrils. ¡°There are people this way.¡± Koguk pointed and then ran wildly in that direction. Soon another Wizard Apprentice was slaughtered by Koguk, who punched a bloody hole through his body. Just before dying, the Apprentice released a fireball. The burst of Fire Element instantly burned the mane on Koguk¡¯s face and caused extensive burns on his skin. But Koguk didn¡¯t care. He sat down cross-legged on the ground, attuning his mind to the Natural Power in the air. As streams of Magic Power were absorbed, the wounds on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. ¡°Too little.¡± After sitting cross-legged for a while, Koguk stood up. The Natural Power of the Wizard Monster¡¯s mother world was abysmally low. In Barbaric Bone Prairie, even the most hostile environment, the Filthy Swamp, would not have such low Natural Power. Koguk walked to the Apprentice he had just killed, stripped him of his clothes, exposing the pale corpse. ¡°Although somewhat weak, the flesh looks quite good.¡± After assessing the body, Koguk began to devour it with big bites. Without Magic Power, he would compensate with flesh. Meanwhile, as Koguk feasted on the flesh, a black Death Crow circled overhead. ¡°Found the monster, Ali.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Killing Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Killing On the fifteenth day of the exam, ten slave monsters from different worlds were placed into the examination arena. These monsters¡¯ strengths were all at the Advanced Apprentice stage, which to the vast majority of Apprentices, were like insurmountable mountains. They wantonly slaughtered every Wizard Apprentice they saw in the arena, not just for the freedom promised by the Wizards, but also due to the deep-seated blood feud between the two races. ¡°Richard, have you locked onto him?¡± Richard frowned, in Wuni¡¯s field of vision, the four-armed creature was constantly moving. It was unceasingly searching for hidden Wizard Apprentices to massacre and devour. ¡°Head north for one kilometer, the creature is being held up there.¡± Richard issued a command and quickly followed Ali as she used Levitation Skill to fly low, less than a meter off the ground, at high speed. Meanwhile, one kilometer away, Griffith and Kevin were struggling to fend off Koguk¡¯s attacks. ¡°Kevin, heal.¡± Griffith, holding a Great Sword, shone with a holy light as if he were a Holy Knight. Behind him, Kevin exuded an aura of Death, with several walking corpses beside him to assist. ¡°Fine.¡± Kevin¡¯s pale face was dripping with cold sweat as he continuously absorbed Magic Power from Magic Stones, turning them into Spells to support Griffith. Undead Apprentices had another name in the distant past, called Life and Death School. The School of Wizards studied both Life Energy and Death Energy. Later, due to the Wizard Wars, those studying Death Energy became the mainstream, and the name Life and Death School was renamed Undead School. In fact, the Undead School wasn¡¯t just about lethal Death Magic; it also encompassed life-saving Life Magic, and knowledge about the conversion between Life and Death Energy was available in the Academy library. It was only with the help of Kevin¡¯s Life Magic that Griffith was barely able to fend off Koguk¡¯s Great Sword. ¡°Fight! Glory!¡± Koguk shouted loudly, his fervent emotions sending chills down Griffith¡¯s spine. Griffith, who studied the Soul School, could distinctly sense Koguk¡¯s desire for death from his emotions. The clanging of swords and sounds of battle echoed as more wounds appeared on Griffith¡¯s body. Kevin¡¯s Life Magic was gradually falling behind the rate of Griffith¡¯s injuries. His death was only a matter of time. Boom! A Fire Crow flew in from the distance, striking Koguk¡¯s back directly, blasting him away in an instant. Griffith took this opportunity to turn and flee, with no intention of pursuing an attack. Are you kidding? The two Wizard Apprentices who had come were ruthless men marked with symbols. If you didn¡¯t run away at a time like this, it was all over as soon as they treated you like an easy target. Richard made a gesture towards Kevin from a distance; Kevin got the message immediately and quickly took off with Griffith. He was too weak, and in this battle, he would only become cannon fodder and a burden. Koguk got up from the ground, his wounds visibly healing at a rapid rate. ¡°Mighty ones! Are you sinners as well?¡± Koguk shouted at Richard, this Wizard whelp in front of him, nearly the same height and covered in Black Scales, reminded him of that war from the past. In that war, Wizard Monsters like Richard, capable of transforming, tore apart numerous Totem Warriors. Even the Clan Leader of their Blood Teeth Tribe died at the hands of such Wizard Monsters. ¡°What is this creature called?¡± Richard frowned and immediately took out a Magic Gun from his Magic Pocket. He was seven paces away from the creature, within seven paces, the gun is fast; closer than seven paces, the gun is both fast and accurate! Ding! Koguk instinctively blocked with his sword, the bullet from the Magic Gun deflected off the sword¡¯s blade, veering to one side. ¡°Wild Intuition.¡± Richard made a judgment. As a Bloodline Alchemy Wizard, he naturally had some understanding of Physique-related knowledge. Jolod once mentioned in books that these natives, who relied on Physique Evolution, often had extremely sharp intuitions. Jolod was unable to fathom the nature of this intuition, but he found that it often manifested in native warriors who frequently fought in battle. Those pampered noble native monsters often didn¡¯t have this kind of intuition. Jolod thus came to a not very rigorous conclusion, that this intuition was a form of conditioned reflex formed post-natally, and if Wizards also underwent such training, they could also gain this intuition. Koguk¡¯s hair stood on end too late, his body hair instantly spiking like a porcupine. ¡°An ambush is unbecoming of a warrior!¡± But before he could finish his sentence, Ali¡¯s Elemental Magic bombarded him again. Boom! Koguk split the Fire Crow with a swing of his sword, and the surging Fire Element instantly engulfed him. However, after the Element dissipated, Richard saw that Koguk was now covered in a layer of blood armor. Protected by the armor, Koguk was hardly injured. Koguk let out a roar and pounced towards Ali, his imposing aura as vicious as an evil ghost from hell. But on the path of his lunge, a black figure blocked him. ¡°Your opponent is me,¡± Richard said calmly. As everyone knows, the most indispensable role in a team is the tank, which can absorb damage. Unless you can kill your enemy in an extremely short time, a quality tank is an essential part of the team. And according to the plan Richard and Ali had discussed, when hunting monsters, Richard¡¯s role was to act as a tank. As the two exchanged blows, the sound of clashing metal rang incessantly. Behind Richard, Ali, with a calm complexion, drew magic power from the magic stone, organizing her next spell. Koguk¡¯s great sword was extraordinarily powerful, but Richard was no weakling. Although this monster had the advantage in physique, as a wizard, Richard had far more tricks up his sleeve than these alien creatures. Suddenly, Richard¡¯s arm muscles bulged, and he firmly caught Koguk¡¯s great sword with his own Demon Eater Sword. This was a technique known as liberation, and it is well known that the strength of human muscles is not just as it appears; at crucial moments, the human body can burst forth with many times its ordinary strength. Take a familiar example, such as the mother who, at these moments, must lift a car; her muscle strength ordinarily wouldn¡¯t lift the vehicle, but in a moment of crisis, she can unleash astonishing power. And liberation is the technique to release that kind of strength. Koguk was shocked by the strength the wizard whelp before it had exploded with. It could clearly sense that the opponent¡¯s physique was inferior to its own, yet its slashing attack was firmly caught. ¡°A warrior heritage! This wizard whelp possesses the heritage of a warrior,¡± Koguk judged again with the experience of the Barbaric Bone Prairie. As warriors of the tribe, the moment they become fighters, they receive the teachings of their predecessors. Each predecessor has his own secret skills, which form the warrior heritage. It had thought that most wizard monsters were shamans studying the Spirit of Nature, never thinking there would also be warrior-studying warriors. Richard didn¡¯t know what the creature before him was muttering about. Clutching his great sword, he stared doggedly at the four-armed monster in front of him. During that last exchange, he had caught Koguk¡¯s great sword, but one pair of arms beneath his own had delivered a fierce blow to Richard¡¯s abdomen, practically shattering his innards. If it weren¡¯t for Richard¡¯s bloodline being mixed with that of a two-headed giant troll, granting him a recovery ability far exceeding that of an average apprentice. A few more hits, and Richard would¡¯ve been honorably dead. ¡°As a warrior, I shall respond to you with the courtesy of a warrior.¡± Koguk nodded slightly to Richard and then burst into a cloud of blood mist with a powerful aura erupting from within. Secret Skill: Frenzy Richard readied himself as Koguk moved; his great sword cleaved towards Richard¡¯s head. Richard blocked with his sword horizontally, but the strike caused his arms to go numb, almost losing grip on his sword. One strike followed by another, clang! clang! clang¡­ It was like Richard was back in the entrance exam tests, getting beaten back step by step, and if it weren¡¯t for his blood-enhanced regenerative ability, he would probably have lost the ability to resist and been hacked into pieces by Koguk by now. ¡°Richard!¡± Ali yelled, and a terrifying fireball fraught with a fearsome aura hurtled straight towards Koguk. Ali¡¯s long-incubated spell finally erupted. But upon hearing her, Richard, instead of dodging the spell, pressed forward and entangled Koguk. ¡°Are you insane?¡± Koguk yelled at Richard, but seeing Richard¡¯s confident smile, it understood everything. This was a tactic. Koguk revealed a fervent smile, fighting entwined with Richard. Tactics are also part of battle, the ancestors had never looked down on wise warriors. Boom! The thunderous sound of the spell startled many apprentices, who turned to look this way, guessing in their hearts. As the dust from the spell cleared, half of Koguk¡¯s body had been blown apart, and an arm was gone, with a pungent burnt smell pervading the battlefield. ¡°Ancestors, can this be called a battle of honor?¡± Koguk addressed Richard, muttering unclearly in his mouth. Across from him, Richard, firmly protected by a magic barrier, was watching him vigilantly. Compared to Koguk, who took spells head-on with his body, Richard, at the instant of the spell¡¯s strike, had an additional magic shield thanks to the Guardian Pendant; and after the magic shield shattered, Richard¡¯s magic barrier also unfolded. After Ali¡¯s modification, the magic barrier¡¯s protective ability could disregard any elemental damage below energy level twenty, and under conditions of abundant magic supply, the magic barrier could even withstand two hundred energy levels worth of elemental damage. Of course, ¡°abundant supply¡± wasn¡¯t achievable even if Richard was drained dry, and he had to wait until he became a wizard to meet this standard. Koguk struggled to continue fighting, but the severe injuries made it difficult to move at all. It propped itself up to stand straight, eyes calmly gazing at Richard. Richard had never seen someone so calm in the face of death. Koguk said, ¡°This has been an honorable battle; you will gain honor, and I will receive the ancestors¡¯ grace, heading to the lands of lush water and grass.¡± Richard stepped forward and severed his head, but that calm gaze had embedded itself deep into his heart. Thus ended the story of Koguk, the warrior of the Blood Teeth Tribe from the Barbaric Bone Prairie. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Legendary Apprentice Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Legendary Apprentice As Koguk¡¯s head rolled off his shoulders, a black glow emerged from his body and shot into the mark on Richard¡¯s hand. Hum! An enormous wave of astonishing fluctuations spread out, instantly covering the entire combat trial area. All the apprentices taking the exam felt this wave and discerned a piece of information from it. ¡°Monster 0521 has been slain by Apprentice Richard, nine monsters remain.¡± ¡°Someone killed one of the monsters released by the Academy! And it¡¯s only the first day!¡± The apprentices looked incredulously towards the direction of the disturbance, their eyes filled with both awe and fear. Just what sort of strength would a Wizard Apprentice require to slay a monster with the power of an Advanced Apprentice in such a short amount of time? At the same time, all the apprentices in the combat trial area who had planned to hunt monsters turned their gazes towards Richard. An apprentice who was tall and wielding a magic wand looked in Richard¡¯s direction, ¡°Richard, interesting.¡± Next to him, a three-meter-tall Flame Giant exuded a terrifying aura. ¡­ A young apprentice draped in a black robe looked in Richard¡¯s direction and smiled, stroking his chin. In his hand, a battered scarecrow emitted an evil presence. ¡­ ¡°Richard, that name sounds familiar. Is he the one selling magic potions?¡± A blind-eyed apprentice pondered the information, casually pointing, and a student who resembled a zombie came toward him, very much alive but with a vacant gaze as if under some form of control. ¡°Have you heard of Richard?¡± ¡­ ¡°Now you¡¯re famous,¡± Ali teased as she walked up beside Richard, ¡°According to the previous rules of the Academy, you¡¯re now a Legendary Apprentice!¡± Ali naturally received the same information from the wave. ¡°Legend or not, who knew the Academy would resort to such tactics.¡± Richard¡¯s feelings were complex at this moment, unable to tell whether he was happy or annoyed. He had always preferred not to draw attention when going about his affairs, but the Academy¡¯s full server broadcast genuinely vexed him. However, thinking of the fifty points, Richard took some comfort. After killing Koguk, Richard¡¯s points increased by fifty, catapulting him to the top of the leaderboard. Unless something unforeseen happened, Richard had firmly secured the Academy¡¯s reward. ¡°You¡¯ve taken care of this one, so the next is mine,¡± Ali said with a whistle, and Wuni, who was in the sky, landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder in response. ¡°Of course.¡± As he spoke, Richard bent down and took the Great Sword that had belonged to Koguk into his hands. The Great Sword was engraved with magic runes, apparently intended to increase its power. But as an apprentice of the Alchemy School, Richard immediately recognized the real purpose of these runes. Crack, crack, crack¡­ As Richard infused Magic Power into the runes, the Great Sword crumbled to pieces in his hands. The sole purpose of these runes was to make the sword disintegrate, revealing what was hidden inside. Among the fragments, Richard found a ring. The moment he touched it, the Miracle Furnace within his soul quivered slightly. ¡°Raw material: Power Ring¡± ¡°Extraction information available: Power Amplification Technique Magic Model¡± ¡°Extraction cost: 20 spiritual power¡± ¡°Techniques available for extraction: Magic Engraving (incomplete)¡± ¡°Extraction cost: 10 spiritual power¡± ¡°Power Ring?¡± Richard slipped the ring onto his finger and channeled Magic Power into it. In a flash, he felt a special energy flow through his blood and invigorate his entire body. ¡°This energy must be¡­ some kind of Life Energy.¡± Richard touched the ring, now able to discern certain things with the knowledge he had learned as an apprentice no longer just starting out. Richard activated his Bloodline again, and with the aid of the Spell, he swung his sword, the sword wind instantly flattening a swath of grass. ¡°Strength has increased by about thirty percent. If I add the power of liberation, my strength could exceed three times that of my normal state. The only drawback is that the injuries I sustain are likely to be more severe.¡± Using ¡°liberation¡± as a technique wasn¡¯t without cost. The human body didn¡¯t limit power without reason; once liberation was used, muscle strains and tears were the least of one¡¯s worries, severe consequences could even include snapped bones. Having tested the ring, Richard took out a piece of not-so-fresh flesh from his Magic Pocket and fed it to Wuni. It had been fifteen days since Richard arrived at the test site. Even with Magic Pocket¡¯s protection, the flesh he had prepared for Wuni had become slightly stale. Although the corpse of the creature in front of him was fresh flesh, for some reason, Richard shuddered every time he recalled its pre-death gaze. He decided to make the creature¡¯s death worth a little more. Time to do some slicing. Thinking this, Richard took out a set of tools, planning to collect some of Koguk¡¯s flesh and organs for research. Wuni, whose digestive system was modified, didn¡¯t care whether the flesh was fresh or not. After devouring the flesh, it affectionately rubbed against Richard. Richard packed away the slices, and the remaining parts of the corpse were turned to ashes with a spell. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Richard released Wuni, ¡°Eat up, then get to work.¡± With Wuni, this satellite-like helper, Richard¡¯s speed in searching for monsters was far beyond that of other Apprentices. Soon, he found a second monster. ¡°Three kilometers due east, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ At the Central Black Tower, the Wizards were abuzz with discussions, looking at the points board. Less than six hours after releasing the enslaved monsters, the first one had been killed. This speed far exceeded that of normal exams. ¡°Jolod, you¡¯ve taken on a good student,¡± Alex remarked, looking at the top of the points board. Using the Crystal Ball, the hall¡¯s Wizards had seen the entire battle in which Richard and his partner had killed Koguk. Richard and his partner¡¯s tactics weren¡¯t clever, and there was nothing novel about the application of their Magic Pet. But in this exam, these unsophisticated tactics and unremarkable applications combined like a chemical reaction, working surprisingly well. Using the right method in the right place was a manifestation of Wizard wisdom. Jolod accepted the praise without modesty; in his view, Richard¡¯s actions were indeed worthy of it. He looked at the points board and suddenly transmitted his voice through magic, ¡°Alex, the top ten get into the Dean¡¯s Secret Realm¡­ what about the top three?¡± Alex shook his head, ¡°The rewards for the top three are decided by the Dean. Until he announces them, none of us know.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s certain is that the reward will be of considerable value, it might even make you and me envious.¡± ¡­ The second monster Richard found resembled an oversized mosquito, its patterned translucent wings constantly emitting an irritating buzz. Before Richard got to the scene, the mosquito had already drained an Apprentice dry with its slender proboscis. ¡°Kind of disgusting,¡± Richard said, looking at the thick liquid dripping from the Mosquito Monster¡¯s mouthparts, feeling a wave of revulsion. If Koguk had seemed fierce and fervent, then this insect in front of him evoked pure disgust. Such creatures shouldn¡¯t exist in this world. Buzz! Upon noticing Richard, the Mosquito Monster immediately flew towards him. The patterns on its wings dazzled with hypnotic colors under the light, causing dizziness. A layer of black flames ignited on the sword, Richard gripped the Great Sword, instantly transforming into a Black Scale Giant. At the same time, the Power Ring was activated, and energy flowed through his bloodstream, his muscles bulging once more as an unprecedented force roared within Richard¡¯s body. With the Power Ring¡¯s help, Richard¡¯s strength reached a new zenith. Clang In a flash, Richard appeared behind the Mosquito Monster. The Mosquito Monster continued to buzz its wings, seemingly unharmed. Didn¡¯t hit it? The next instant, something fell to the ground. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Enemy Approaches Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Enemy Approaches ¡°Bzzz!¡± The Mosquito Monster flew into a rage in an instant. The item it had dropped was none other than its feeding device¡ªa long, slender proboscis. With the Mosquito Monster¡¯s rage, Richard had successfully achieved his goal¡ªdrawing its ire. ¡°This can¡¯t be used like that anymore.¡± Richard gasped in pain. Although that strike was powerful, it had cost him all the muscles in his arm to break. Now, his sword-wielding arm lacked any strength, and it would take several minutes to recover enough to use it normally. Minutes may sound short, but in a battle, that could be the entire fight. Utilizing the Gale Boots and Levitation Skill, Richard deftly maneuvered through the trees, teasing the mosquito into chasing him. The Mosquito Monster didn¡¯t have any long-range capabilities, and it wasn¡¯t very smart¡ªjust physically robust, with a hard proboscis and wings that cast a mesmerizing effect. Richard almost felt leisurely as he dodged the creature. ¡°Richard!¡± At Ali¡¯s call, Richard began to lead the Mosquito Monster back the way they came. But he hadn¡¯t taken many steps when a surge of a distinct wave pattern suddenly froze him in his tracks. Other people were approaching. In that instant, Richard realized that the arrival of someone with a distinct wave pattern at this moment likely meant trouble. ¡°Let¡¯s test that person¡¯s level with this Mosquito Monster.¡± With that thought, Richard promptly smashed an Alchemy Potion on the ground from his Magic Pocket, and a pungent smoke arose in the woods. Richard squatted in the smoke, invisible under his Invisibility Cloak, as the Mosquito Monster buzzed stonily. With the cloak shielding him, his wave pattern was immediately masked by another. From afar, Ali also sensed someone¡¯s approach. Unlike Richard, she decided to fire her long-held Spell in the direction of the wave. Boom! A violent explosion echoed through the dense woods. Richard, who was hiding, shook his head at this. Ever since following Master Susanna, Ali had grown fond of using the Fireball Technique as a greeting. The explosion¡¯s blast dispersed Richard¡¯s smoke screen, but by then he no longer needed the smoke for cover. A larger target had attracted the Mosquito Monster¡¯s attention. ¡°Cough cough cough¡­ Since when is the Fireball Technique considered a new Wizard¡¯s Salute?¡± On one side of the dense forest, a row of Wizard Apprentices advanced neatly, and behind them, a blind Apprentice with eyes rolled back addressed Richard. ¡°Soul School Apprentice.¡± Richard narrowed his eyes and quietly slipped on two rings from his Magic Pocket. He was already wearing a Mind Protection Ring, but when dealing with Soul School Wizards, it didn¡¯t hurt to take extra precautions. Soul School Wizards excelled in mental manipulations: Slave Seeds, Mind Control, Thought Stamps¡ªall specialties of the Soul Wizards. It could be said that if Curse Wizards had a bad reputation among wizards, then Soul Wizards were infamous, inducing disdain even from the dogs. ¡°Are you Richard?¡± The blind Apprentice greeted Richard. But before Richard could respond, his ring suddenly lit up red, and a sharp pain instantly cleared his mind. ¡°Damn it, trying to mess with my mind right from the start.¡± Richard narrowed his eyes, a hint of murderous intent flashing through his mind. At the same time, Ali also encountered some trouble. An apprentice, standing beside a Flame Giant, gave Ali a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Shape-shifting School, Holder.¡± Ali returned the salute, ¡°Shape-shifting School, Ali.¡± As an apprentice of the same school, Ali could clearly feel the terrifying strength of the apprentice before her. The Flame Giant¡¯s strength was almost that of an Advanced Apprentice; every move it made was equivalent to a Fire Element Spell, and if it exploded, it would flatten hundreds of meters around it. How could such a thing be controlled by an Intermediate Apprentice? ¡°So, you are a disciple of Master Susanna,¡± Holder frowned slightly. If Ali were a disciple of any other Shaping Wizard, he would not have feared her, but unfortunately, she was Susanna¡¯s student. Susanna was one of the few wizards in the Academy who was proficient in both curses and shaping. He had once heard his mentor say that Susanna possessed a Spell called Curse Flame, which, once contracted, was as unshakable as a curse, burning everything from the body to the soul to ashes. It was just unknown whether she had passed this Spell on to Ali before her. ¡­ ¡°Mind Protection, Alchemy Wizards really are rich,¡± the blind apprentice remarked regretfully upon sensing the failure of his mind invasion. If this had succeeded, he would have secured a spot in the top three of the points board. However, he was not too disheartened; it was just a layer of Mind Protection, and he had ways to break through. Richard silently drew out two Magic Stones to extract Magic Power. Anger did not make Richard lose his sanity; he knew even a lion exerts full strength when catching a rabbit, much more so since this blind apprentice was no rabbit. He stared at the blind apprentice, thinking coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll feed you to Wuni later.¡± In the sky, the Mosquito Monster seemed to have encountered an invisible barrier, frantically circling in the air. The blind apprentice looked at the mosquito with a trace of regret on his face. Although the Mosquito Monster was of low intelligence and easily deceived by illusions, due to the Rebound Effect, its spiritual power had reached forty points, which he, with his slightly over thirty points of spiritual power, couldn¡¯t control. If he could control this Mosquito Monster, then in this exam, Holder would be his only enemy. ¡°Don¡¯t be so tense; it was just a joke,¡± said the blind apprentice, waving his hand as if trying to lighten the awkward atmosphere. But coincidentally, Richard¡¯s Mind Protection Ring lit up again, this time twice at once. This time the blind apprentice didn¡¯t display his previous nonchalance. ¡°Two Mind Protection Rings! Just how rich are you!¡± The blind apprentice frowned, as a disciple of the Soul School, he hated encountering rich individuals like Richard, whose one or two pieces of mind-protective Magic Equipment could render his Spell completely ineffective. Spiritual Protection Magic Equipment was considered noble among Magic Equipment, each piece starting from at least three thousand Magic Stones. Even making it oneself would cost around five hundred Magic Stones. And here Richard had two pieces. Alchemy Wizards are indeed wealthy. And with two pieces of Spiritual Protection Magic Equipment, Richard must have many other pieces of protective Magic Equipment on him, and naturally, he would not lack Magic Stones. If he could kill Richard, the loot from this act alone would probably exceed his total gains from the entire exam. Thinking this, the blind apprentice greedily licked his lips. Just two layers of spiritual protection; he had ways to break through. But before that, he had to deal with the Black Scale Giant before him, wielding a Great Sword and intending to kill him. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Wealth Overpowers Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Wealth Overpowers Black Scale Giant was none other than Richard; at this moment, he had restored his magic power to its full extent, and the injuries on his arm had healed enough to be usable. Hiss-slash! The great sword, ablaze with black flames, tore through a Puppet Apprentice¡¯s magic barrier, and the Greedy Demon Flame instantaneously drained the apprentice¡¯s magic power. These mind-controlled apprentices¡¯ magic power was already depleted, and a mere touch of the Greedy Demon Flame was enough to extinguish it completely. While these apprentices did not have much magic power, there were more than a dozen of them. The blind-eyed apprentice saw Richard eliminate one with a single sword strike and immediately commanded all the apprentices to press forward. To him, these apprentices were nothing but cannon fodder, their numbers mattered not to him. As long as he could buy enough time, the marks on these apprentices would ultimately belong to him. Richard swung his great sword horizontally, slicing an apprentice who had activated his Bloodline and transformed into a Great Gorilla clean at the waist. Before he could even retract his sword, another apprentice lunged at him, while spells from other apprentices followed in rapid succession. These apprentices, with their minds completely controlled, attacked recklessly without any fear of death, paying no heed to whether their companions would be caught in the spell¡¯s effects. Buzz! The Guardian Pendant was activated. Spells rippled across the Magic Shield; although the apprentices¡¯ spells had some improvements, they were far from breaking through Richard¡¯s Magic Shield. And Richard, seizing this opportunity, advanced on the group of apprentices amid the barrage of spells. Sizzle¡­ As Richard charged into the midst of the apprentices, it was like a wolf amongst sheep. These low-level, controlled apprentices had no chance to fight back, and the high temperature of the black flames turned their wounds into charred flesh instantly, with a strange, acrid scent filling the air. But just at that moment, the blind-eyed Wizard let out a mad laugh, and a chilling presence suddenly radiated from his body. ¡°Heh heh, it¡¯s done.¡± This was a presence no human could emit, not even someone who had engaged in Bloodline Alchemy would meld with such a bloodline. It was an extremely evil presence, as if harboring the vilest of ill wills toward all life. Richard shuddered. He recognized the transformation in the apprentice before him. ¡°You¡¯ve actually formed a pact with the Mad Wanderers of the Star Realm!¡± Richard said solemnly. ¡°Oh?¡± The blind-eyed apprentice was somewhat surprised; such methods were extremely rare, and even among Wizards few could recognize them. ¡°Some insight, indeed.¡± The Star Realm contained not only worlds but also various creatures within them, such as Star Realm whales as large as mountains and the nomadic Star Realm wanderers who made their homes on ships. Among these creatures, the most terrifying were the Mad Wanderers born from the carcasses of worlds. From the moment of their birth, these Star Realm creatures harbored immense malice towards the living, crazily slaughtering every creature they encountered. These Mad Wanderers varied in strength, and once Wizards discovered them, they coveted the power they possessed. Among these, the Soul Wizards needed the Mad Wanderers¡¯ contamination of spiritual power. Such contamination could swiftly disintegrate mental barriers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the effects of the spell will be swift,¡± the blind-eyed apprentice said with a grotesque smile, as a soul tentacle, filled with extreme malice, streaked towards Richard¡¯s head. Bang bang! Within Richard¡¯s spiritual perception, two barriers from the Mind Protection Ring shattered instantly, amplifying the blind-eyed apprentice¡¯s crazed smile. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over.¡± Richard looked at him coolly, his hand glowing with the light of another ring. He wasn¡¯t equipped with merely two Mind Protection Rings. Bang! The third layer of mental barrier shattered with a resounding sound, a twinge of pain shooting through Richard¡¯s head, but at this moment, the soul tentacle no longer had the strength to shake Richard¡¯s mind. ¡°Three¡­ rings¡­¡± The blind apprentice stared vacantly at the rings on Richard¡¯s hand, a trickle of fresh blood running from the corner of his mouth. Richard pulled the Black Sword out of his chest, and then with a punch, he smashed the apprentice¡¯s head to pieces. ¡°Wuni, come down for food!¡± Out in the world, reputation is everything. If I say I¡¯m going to feed you to Wuni, then you¡¯re going to be fed to Wuni. ¡­ On the other side of the dense forest, two Shaping Wizards were engaged in a fierce duel. The confrontation between Shaping Wizards was straightforward; they competed in two areas, one was Spell power and the other was the amount of Magic Power. If one side held the advantage in both areas, victory was almost certain. If each side dominated one point, then it would come down to their individual performance. A Fire Crow flew towards him, and Holder elegantly waved his Magic Wand, an Ice Cone effortlessly intercepted the crow, and the prematurely detonated Spell was easily blocked by his Magic Barrier without raising a ripple. Compared to Holder¡¯s elegance, Ali found herself in a more desperate state. Besieged by an Advanced Apprentice level Flame Giant, her Magic Armor was showing extensive damage. If not for her plentiful supply of Magic Stones and her extensively modified Magic Barrier, she would have likely become a charred corpse by now. Holder strolled leisurely across the battlefield, unhurried to end the fight. Susanna¡¯s Curse Flame always made Holder wary, so he preferred to take his time and whittle Ali down little by little with the Flame Giant. Boom! Ali launched another Fireball Technique, momentarily forcing the Flame Giant back. She leaned on her Magic Wand, feeling a touch dizzy. Using Spells in quick succession had drained a significant amount of her spiritual power, risking misfires if continued. ¡°I wonder how Richard is doing,¡± Ali worried, but then she scoffed at her own predicament. She should be more concerned about herself at a time like this. Ali stood weakly upright, sweat soaking her back from the intense heat of the Flame Giant. She knew what Holder feared. Her teacher, Susanna, had taught her the Spell known as Curse Flame long ago, but Ali seldom used it unless in dire straits. Because it was not Magic Power but the power of the Soul that the Spell consumed. Each use led to a permanent reduction in her spiritual power. But now, Ali could not afford such concerns. Taking out a Magic Stone, she recited ancient Spells, and Holder, seeing this from a distance, immediately dodged to the side. A pale purple flame appeared on Ali¡¯s fingertips. Though small, it caused the previously fearsome Flame Giant to retreat. No matter how Holder commanded it to advance, it refused to move an inch. Within this flame, it sensed the fear of death. Feeling her Soul¡¯s energy depleting, Ali gave a wry smile and then attempted to bypass the Giant, charging straight towards Holder. Such a powerful move would be wasted on the Flame Giant. But at that moment, a figure burst from the woods, halting Ali. ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, Ali. Things haven¡¯t reached that point yet.¡± Holder turned towards the emerging Black Scale Giant; the giant stood over two meters tall, covered in black scales with robust Magic Fluctuations, clearly an Intermediate Bloodline Alchemy Apprentice. ¡°So, it¡¯s just a savage with Bloodline Alchemy,¡± mocked Holder with a sneer, then commanded the Flame Giant to attack Richard. If he liked hand-to-hand combat, then let him brawl with the Flame Giant. The Flame Giant moved towards Richard, who, far from panicked, simply unhooked his Magic Bag from his waist. He sent a Spiritual Message to the Giant. ¡°Flame Giant, I want to make a deal with you. I offer double the Magic Stones of that apprentice to contract with you!¡± At the same time, Richard turned the bag upside down, and a stream of Magic Stones poured out. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Academy Rewards Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Academy Rewards The magic stones kept accumulating, soon forming a small pile. The Flame Giant halted its steps as a wave of mental fluctuation was sent toward Richard. ¡°A penalty of 10,000 magic stones for breach of contract, 5,000 magic stones to establish the contract, and 100 magic stones each month, with a minimum contract duration of twenty years. Throughout the contract period, all of my magic power consumption is your responsibility, and I may opt not to execute orders that would lead to certain death.¡± 10,000 magic stones? Richard¡¯s expression stiffened, the figure was a bit beyond his acceptance range. But he immediately thought of a method. ¡°I won¡¯t pay you the breach-of-contract penalty, but I can spend a thousand magic stones to hire you to go easy in the upcoming battle, and then use this condition to hire you.¡± The Flame Giant pondered for a few seconds, during which time Holder kept issuing mental commands for it to attack, making it somewhat irritated. Its contract with Holder wasn¡¯t a Slave Contract either, but a Hiring Contract. It was a subject of Flame Lord Field, not a servant of wizards. ¡°Human, I want you to make a contract.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Without another word, Richard pulled out a contract template from his pocket and quickly wrote down the terms. In this contract, Richard would pay a thousand magic stones to the Flame Giant after Holder¡¯s death and employ the Flame Giant for the cost of 5,000 magic stones to establish the contract, 100 magic stones each month, for a duration of twenty years. The contract didn¡¯t explicitly state that the Flame Giant had to go easy, but both sides knew what was to their advantage. ¡°Philster, I command you to attack!¡± Holder issued the command again, but this time, the Flame Giant obeyed the order, albeit¡­ very slowly. Holder¡¯s face turned ashen as he witnessed the scene; he didn¡¯t know what exactly Richard had done to Philster, but the Flame Giant¡¯s current actions were undoubtedly disadvantageous to him. Richard gave him a radiant smile. This was the consequence of trying to outsmart the system. Normally, when wizards contract with elemental creatures, they use Slave Contracts, which require the elemental creatures to execute the wizard¡¯s commands fully; if they disobey, the wizard can end their life with a single thought. But the prerequisite for signing a Slave Contract is that the wizard must be stronger than the elemental creature, capable of making the elemental creature choose between signing the contract or dying immediately. However, Holder, being only an Intermediate Apprentice, didn¡¯t possess the strength to do so. Moreover, if Holder used a wizard¡¯s power to sign a Slave Contract, then the Flame Giant couldn¡¯t be brought into the examination room. The items allowed into the exam must either be made by the Wizard Apprentice themselves or purchased through legitimate means with magic stones. If not for this rule, Richard could easily ask Jolod to give him a wizard-level combat beast to bring into the exam room. But that would defeat the purpose of the exam. Therefore, the only type of contract Holder could sign was a Hiring Contract. As is well known, mercenaries are mostly creatures of opportunity. With a better offer from Richard, there was no reason for the Flame Giant to refuse. Ali was somewhat confused at the moment, but she could still see that the Flame Giant was holding back. Without the Flame Giant¡¯s obstruction, she and Richard would be sufficient to kill Holder. ¡°Richard, the old method.¡± Richard understood instantly and immediately stepped forward to engage Holder while the Flame Giant ¡®swiftly¡¯ pursued behind Richard. Seeing the situation go beyond his expectations, Holder quickly pulled out a scroll from his pocket, deciding¡­ to run away. Better to preserve the green mountains than worry about not having firewood to burn. But before he could activate the scroll, a loud explosion caused his arm to tremble. His magic barrier was nearly cloven by Richard¡¯s Black Sword, and the dark flames spread rapidly along the barrier, his magic power plummeting swiftly. He glanced at Ali and noticed that she too was brewing a spell. As for the Flame Giant, the Flame Giant was still ¡®hastily pursuing¡¯ Richard. Holder clenched his teeth and immediately tore open the scroll in his hands. The next moment, he vanished into a beam of light. ¡°So quick to chicken out.¡± Richard let out a cold laugh, then switched his view to Wuni. ¡°Five hundred meters east, Ali, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ Five days later, Holder watched in despair as a terrifying fireball flew towards him. Without the Flame Giant, he was just a slightly stronger Intermediate Apprentice, not much different from Richard and Ali. As Holder turned to ash, his contract with the Flame Giant also came to an end. Richard, according to the contract, paid the Magic Stone to the Flame Giant and signed a twenty-year Mercenary Contract with him. Thanks to Holder and the blind Apprentice¡¯s suicidal actions, Richard and Ali¡¯s points soared. Richard, having killed the blind Apprentice and Koguk, firmly topped the leaderboard, while Ali, having killed Holder, climbed to seventh. The initial Mosquito Monster, due to their pursuit of Holder, was unknowingly picked off by some Apprentice. If they could have also killed that Mosquito Monster, Ali¡¯s points could have reached the top three. However, Ali had no complaints about this. Getting into the top ten had already fulfilled her goal. The five-day chase left both of them exhausted, both physically and mentally. No apprentice of a Wizard was mediocre, and the Wizards¡¯ methods were manifold and varied. If they couldn¡¯t win a fight, they always had a way to escape. ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a couple of days; it will all be over soon,¡± Richard suggested. Ali, also weary, agreed: ¡°Okay.¡± Nine days later, the examination ended. As the Magic Airship descended onto the center of the exam field, the surviving Apprentices were in tears. It was over; they were still alive. Back at the Academy, the first thing done was to tally the marks. More than four thousand Apprentices participated in the exam, but only over a thousand survived. More than half of the Wizard Apprentices became the stepping stones for other Apprentices and Wizards¡¯ paths. Richard had sixty-two marks, which equated to six thousand two hundred Magic Stones. Including the Magic Stones, materials, and Magic Equipment obtained from killing others, Richard¡¯s earnings from this exam were close to ten thousand Magic Stones. But Richard was quite calm about it. The reward for the leaderboard was soon announced to the top ten Apprentices, as mentioned before, the reward was to explore the Great Wizard¡¯s Secret Realm. However, due to some urgent matters of the Great Wizard, the time to enter the Secret Realm was postponed by two years, which caused Richard some disappointment. ¡­ Ninety-ninth floor of the Central Black Tower. ¡°The Great Wizard¡¯s Secret Realm is really a great place,¡± Jolod handed the Magic Stone reward distributed by the Academy to Richard. ¡°Though the Great Wizard¡¯s Secret Realm is not as vast as those from the old Academies, it is still a Secret Realm that has separated from the Wizard World, and it is definitely a blessing for you.¡± Beside him, Chax, who also finished the exam, looked enviously at Richard. He was just short of points from making the top ten, and thus he missed out on exploring the Secret Realm. ¡°Teacher, what exactly is this Secret Realm?¡± Richard asked in confusion. He had checked many books in the library, but the explanations about the Secret Realm were fragmented and hazy, leaving him puzzled. Jolod cleared his throat and explained: ¡°Richard, the planes we usually talk about can fragment into some Space Fragments at certain moments. Most of these fragments disappear shortly after they split, but a small portion will continue to exist for a long time after the split. These fragments are what we call the Secret Realms. The eras of these fragments often differ from the current era of the plane, the environment likewise. For example, we are now in the Pioneering Age, but inside a Space Fragment that has separated from the Wizard World, it might be the Enlightenment Age, or even the Dark Age of the Wizard World.¡± As he spoke, Jolod¡¯s eyes flashed with fervor. ¡°Can you imagine, in some Great Wizard¡¯s Secret Realm, some creatures that have gone extinct in the current Wizard World might still exist. These creatures went extinct before we were born, but we can still find them in the Secret Realm. To understand their habits, structure, and even their effects. That kind of experience is something you can¡¯t buy with any amount of Magic Stones.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Inheriting Witchcraft Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Inheriting Witchcraft Having heard Jolod¡¯s explanation, Richard now understood the benefits of the Secret Realm. However, such an opportunity seemed more useful for Wizards, whose extensive knowledge allowed them to identify what was valuable and what was not. These Apprentices, who hadn¡¯t even mastered the knowledge taught by their masters, were likely to enter a treasure mountain only to leave empty-handed. ¡°Let¡¯s set the matter of the Secret Realm aside for now, Richard. I¡¯ve called you here for another reason.¡± Jolod gave Chax a meaningful look, who immediately understood and left the laboratory. Richard swallowed nervously, his expression tense. ¡°Richard, you have been my student for ten years. Now that you¡¯ve passed the exam, you¡¯ve proven that you are not just a bookworm who only knows how to read.¡± As Jolod spoke, he took out a Crystal Ball from a drawer. ¡°It¡¯s time to pass on some things to you.¡± Richard nervously accepted the Crystal Ball and, the moment his spiritual power made contact, a complex torrent of information flooded into his brain. ¡°The knowledge I¡¯ve taught before is basic, something all Alchemy Wizards teach their Apprentices. The most that changes are the designs for Magic Equipment. But the knowledge I¡¯m giving you now is different from before.¡± Richard snapped out of his daze. Indeed, the knowledge this time was different. Jolod had given him a complete set of Alchemy Magic. Alchemy Magic was not like Shaping Magic, which could be depicted with just Runes. Alchemy Magic couldn¡¯t even be called Magic; referring to it as surgery or techniques would perhaps be more apt. The Alchemy Magic that Richard had just received was named Adaptation Body. To put it simply, this Spell could enhance the user¡¯s resistance to various types of Elemental Damage, as well as physical damage, and it also unearthed the potential of the body. Jolod stood up and took Richard to another laboratory filled with all sorts of odd-looking equipment. The room contained devices like an Iron Maiden, a cultivation chamber, and pendulums resembling siege hammers¡ªit was quite bizarre to see them in a laboratory. ¡°You follow the path of Bloodline Alchemy. The Spell Adaptation Body happens to suit you well,¡± Jolod pointed at the various tools in the room. ¡°But whether or not you can accept this Spell is up to you.¡± The training for Adaptation Body was straightforward: it involved continuously subjecting the body to external stimuli to obtain corresponding countermeasures. If one desired resistance to Flames, then the body must be continually scorched by flames; for resistance to Ice, one must immerse oneself in extremely cold environments. Richard¡¯s face stiffened. The effects of this technique were astounding. According to the information Jolod put in the Crystal Ball, if one trained Adaptation Body to a certain extent, it could even ignore elemental damage of thousands of Energy Levels, not to mention providing exceptionally strong protection from blunt, piercing, and Cutting physical damage. It was a Spell with tremendous potential. But the training process was¡­ somewhat inhumane. Jolod handed a key to Richard. ¡°This training room is yours from now on. The equipment here is sufficient for you to train the Adaptation Body.¡± With that, Jolod left the laboratory, leaving Richard to contemplate quietly. ¡­ Richard stayed in the training room for a while but eventually decided to begin training the Adaptation Body. Gaining strength was never an easy task. The cultivation of Adaptation Body was a two-step process: destruction and repair. Destruction was straightforward. The devices in the training room could inflict everything from fire burns to ice freezing, from blunt force with pendulums to piercing with the Iron Maiden; all types of damage were available. But repair was a bit more troublesome. According to the records in the Crystal Ball, one must ingest or inject a hundred milliliters of Adaptation Potion before training the Adaptation Body, which was the core of the Spell. After the destruction was complete, one must enter a specially made container to be immersed in a specially formulated Recovery Magic Potion for an hour. It was a cycle. Jolod had prepared a training room for Richard, saving him the trouble of creating training equipment, but the recovery magic potions still needed to be concocted by Richard himself, and moreover, the ingredients weren¡¯t cheap. Given his current income, he could barely afford the expenses, but as the training of his Adaptation Body intensified, the costs would gradually increase. In the later stages, Richard would even need to concoct different recovery magic potions to meet the demands of various trainings. Richard pinched the bridge of his nose, having lived affluently for too long, the sudden increase in expenses was indeed giving him a headache. ¡°Should I increase the output? Or should I launch a new product?¡± Rubbing his head, Richard returned to his own room and started flipping through his notes. He vaguely remembered that there was a magic potion formula he hadn¡¯t acquired. After searching through his notes for a while, Richard finally found his record. ¡°Physique Enhancement Potion, library reference number n7111.¡± Looking at the record in his notes, Richard immediately headed for the library. On the bookshelf where encrypted notes were kept, Richard found the notebook that contained the formula once again. [Ingredient: Unknown wizard¡¯s notes] [Information that can be refined: Physique Enhancement Potion formula] [Refinement cost: 25 spiritual power] [Proceed with refinement?] ¡°A potion to enhance physique, how could I have forgotten about it.¡± Slapping his forehead, Richard then borrowed the notebook. Once back in his room, Richard couldn¡¯t wait to choose to refine it. Twenty-five points of spiritual power was not much of an issue for Richard, who now had thirty-two points. As his head felt the sensation of being struck by a heavy hammer, a ball of white light, containing the formula, appeared above the Miracle Furnace. However, after absorbing it, Richard¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Egla Grass, I remember this stuff has been extinct in the Wizard World.¡± The owner of this note was a wizard from the era of the great wizard war. The formulas he created were based on the materials that were available at the time. After the wizard war, countless creatures had gone extinct in the wizard world. If it were just some auxiliary materials, Richard might have been able to replace them with materials of similar properties, but Egla Grass was the main ingredient of this magic potion, and substituting the main ingredient was akin to inventing a new formula entirely. ¡°Is my only hope the Secret Realm?¡± Richard looked at the formula on the paper, his expression alternating from dark to light. After much thought, Richard eventually burned the formula to ashes. The Secret Realm was too unstable; whether he could find Egla Grass or not was uncertain, and even if he did find it, the current environment in the Wizard World was not suitable for cultivating Egla Grass. ¡°All that excitement for nothing.¡± Leaning back in his chair, Richard started to calculate other options. He needed to check the encrypted notes thoroughly soon, trying to refine all the knowledge possible from them. However, from this experience, Richard estimated that most of the knowledge in these notes would likely only serve as a store of knowledge, with only a small portion being applicable to practical use. Aside from encrypted notes, he also needed to start following up on the knowledge from the Shape-shifting School. His magic potion business was so successful that he had already exchanged all the basic alchemy knowledge available from Jolod, and most of the deeper knowledge concerned synthetic beasts. Richard had tried this direction a few years ago, but unfortunately, he had no talent in it and couldn¡¯t produce anything noteworthy. Even if he tried to pursue it, he wouldn¡¯t make much progress. After much contemplation, Richard finally set two short-term goals. One was the training of his Adaptation Body, and the other was to keep up with the knowledge of shape-shifting. As for the direction of his future, Richard tentatively settled on Bloodline Alchemy, considering the alchemy formula he possessed should suffice until he became a wizard. Once he became a wizard, he would have plenty of time to decide on his future path. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Adaptation Body Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Adaptation Body After receiving the Adaptation Body, Richard immediately began his training. The next morning at eight o¡¯clock, Richard brought the Adaptation Potion to the training room to start his training. According to the records of the Adaptation Body, a newcomer should prioritize Element Resistance during training. There were three types of equipment related to elements in the training room: Fire, Lightning, and Ice. Injecting the Adaptation Potion into his body, Richard stripped off his clothes, took a deep breath, and stepped into a glass chamber. When training Element Resistance, the order of training was also important. Looking at the equipment in the training room now, to achieve the best results, it needed to be in the order of Ice, Lightning, Fire. As the equipment started, the temperature in the glass chamber dropped rapidly. The originally clear glass was instantly covered with frost. The first step of training was to stand naked at minus thirty degrees Celsius for thirty minutes. Inside the freezing chamber, Richard¡¯s teeth continuously chattered, and his body trembled incessantly. Minus thirty degrees Celsius, naked¡ªif it were his previous life, these thirty minutes would have been enough to hold a feast. But since Richard¡¯s physique had reached thirty, far surpassing that of normal humans, staying at this temperature for thirty minutes only resulted in his limbs turning blue-purple and his body suffering numerous frostbites. Next was the electric shock. Trembling, Richard sat on the electric chair and set the current to an energy level, then programmed it for a one-minute duration. As the switch was activated, an indescribable pain swept through Richard¡¯s body, causing him to convulse continuously, and smoke began to rise from his hair. After one minute, Richard sat motionless in the electric chair. At that moment, he was contemplating whether he wanted to obtain this power. Eventually, he stood up and approached another glass chamber. This was the final training, Fire Element Resistance. Immediately, Richard activated the switch. Flames of an energy level intensity instantly filled the chamber, and a strange smell of scorching filled the air. After one minute, Richard struggled to open the chamber door. His body was scorched black, and charred skin fell off with slight movements. Fortunately, Richard had placed the recovery chamber next to the Fire Element training chamber before starting. He took a few steps and fell into it with a splash. At this moment, stimulated by the Magic Potion, Richard¡¯s body continually absorbed nutrients from the outside. From a microscopic perspective, every cell in Richard¡¯s body was active, and the Life Core inside the cells underwent extremely minor changes under this stimulation. This was the essence of the Adaptation Body, causing the Life Core to undergo changes by using extreme environments and Magic Potion. According to Jolod¡¯s theory, life is a very tenacious thing, from the dark Deep Sea to the high temperature of volcanic craters, life is everywhere. Under extreme conditions, life instinctively adapts to the environment. Comparing the Life Cores of life forms before and after adaptation, subtle changes would be evident. Based on this theory, Jolod accelerated the process of life adapting to the environment by a thousand times using Magic Potion and extreme environmental stimulations, thus creating the Alchemy Magic called Adaptation Body. An hour later, Richard crawled out of the recovery chamber, with his injuries fully recovered. Richard moved his body and dressed. ¡°Phew, it¡¯s like walking through Hell.¡± After completing the Adaptation Body training, Richard went to the library to borrow various books about the Shape-shifting School and also picked out a few Encrypted Notes that could be refined. Holding the books, Richard returned to his room and began to study intensely. After completing the Adaptation Body training, Richard suddenly felt that studying was not so dull. A slight change in the runes of Shaping Magic could bring great improvement, much stronger than training the Adaptation Body. He might even be a hidden genius of the Shape-shifting School. Reading until the evening, the Shape-shifting School¡¯s various theoretical formulas made Richard¡¯s head swim as he closed the book. The knowledge of the Shape-shifting School had a mathematical beauty. What you don¡¯t know, you just don¡¯t know. Glancing at the clock, it was eight o¡¯clock at night, and the nightlife at the Wizard Academy was just beginning. Walking out of the Central Black Tower, Richard decided to go to the tavern in the living area for some drinks. Entertainment was scarce at the Wizard Academy, only consisting of the classic four vices: eating, drinking, prostitution, and gambling. Among the four options, Richard had no interest in gambling and given his close relationship with Ali, there was no need for dalliance. Having eliminated those two, what remained was just eating and drinking. Coincidentally, Richard was focused on improving his physique, and eating and drinking helped with that; it was both practice and entertainment for him. As he walked, Richard suddenly realized that the apprentices around him were youthful, looking at him either with caution or admiration. Counting the days, it was time for a new batch of apprentices to enroll. ¡°Time flies,¡± Richard sighed. He recalled how he once looked just like them. Now, looking back, he had become the one being looked at. There were quite a few pubs in the living area, mostly run by Advanced Apprentices serving the Academy. Richard walked into a familiar pub, and as soon as he entered, he saw two familiar figures engaged in a drinking contest. ¡°One more drink!¡± Kevin yelled, putting down his wooden barrel cup. Across from him, Chax slammed down his cup just as boisterously. ¡°One more drink, make it strong!¡± Richard approached them, intrigued by the scene. ¡°Kevin, senior, why have you two started competing in drinking?¡± Seeing Richard, Chax embraced him and handed him a one-liter wooden barrel cup, slurring his words, ¡°Junior, you¡¯ve got good friends. Drinking is so much fun!¡± Kevin also staggered over and clung to Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey! Richard, congratulations, top scorer in points!¡± With that, Kevin took the cup handed to him by the bartender and raised it towards Richard, shouting loudly to the pub, ¡°Friends, see this guy? This is our Legendary Apprentice, the top scorer on the points list, Richard! Let¡¯s drink to him!¡± The apprentices in the pub, hearing Kevin¡¯s shout, all turned to look at Richard. These were all survivors of the exams, looking at Richard with longing and envy. Undoubtedly, they all wanted to be someone like Richard. They raised their cups and bottles to Richard, who also took the strong drink from the bartender and raised it toward the crowd. ¡°To living!¡± The crowd responded in unison: ¡°To living!!!¡± ¡­ Time flowed like water, and soon a year had passed. Early in the morning, Richard went into the training room as usual to train his Adaptation Body. Over the past year, Richard had been diligently training his Adaptation Body, but the results were minimal. Because of this, he specifically asked Jolod if there was something wrong with his training, but the response was that it was a normal phenomenon. The Adaptation Body is slowest at the beginning, and if the Life Core were compared to a rusty machine, then starting it would be the hardest. Entering the cryo chamber as usual, Richard took a deep breath, preparing to silently endure the pain of frostbite. He had been undergoing this training for a year now and had long since grown accustomed to the pain. But today seemed to be different. As the cryo chamber activated and the temperature inside suddenly dropped, Richard also felt some changes in his body. It sounded like a snap, as if some shackles had been broken. The rusty machine seemed to have started moving! COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Black Tower Great Wizard Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Black Tower Great Wizard After the invisible shackles were broken, Richard¡¯s body underwent a startling transformation. A tingling sensation spread throughout his body, as if every cell was trembling. At the same time, the Magic Power inside him began to be consumed, with the vanishing Magic Power being absorbed by the cells as nourishment to support Evolution. The first to transform was his skin, with a layer of keratin visibly forming on the surface. Protected by this layer of keratin, Richard could clearly feel the rate at which his body heat was escaping began to decrease. But the changes weren¡¯t just limited to the epidermis; all of Richard¡¯s cells participated in the Evolution, undergoing transformations. The cells produced heat more fiercely, while the muscles and fat began altering their structures to be more adapted to cold environments. Changes that would have taken thousands of years were completed in mere minutes under the acceleration of the Magic Potion. When it was all over, Richard suddenly vomited a pool of black blood. These were the waste products after the cell renewal. ¡°This¡­ does this count as making it to the threshold?¡± Richard wiped his mouth, the freezing process of the ice capsule had not yet ended, but he no longer felt the cold. As time elapsed, Richard stepped out of the capsule and took out a test Crystal Ball from his Magic Pocket. ¡°Spiritual Power 33.2, Physique 31.9, Magic Power 332, Rating, Intermediate Apprentice.¡± ¡°It actually increased my Physique by nearly two points; this year¡¯s training wasn¡¯t in vain after all.¡± The Adaptation Body had the effect of uncovering the body¡¯s potential, although as a side effect, it seemed that this side effect had, at present, been the biggest help to Richard. After cleaning the ice capsule, Richard took out another vial of Adaptation Potion and injected it into his body. The Evolution just now had used up the previous dose of Adaptation Potion, so now it was time to replenish it. Richard sat on the electric chair, took a deep breath, and flipped the switch. This time, Richard¡¯s body underwent another transformation; the current passing through him no longer brought pain but instead a tingling sensation. Richard¡¯s body was beginning to adapt to the electric shocks. Just as mentioned before, the Life Core is like a rusty machine, the Adaptation Potion is its lubricant, and external stimuli are its source of Energy. Now that the machine was in motion, the rust between components naturally began to wear away, and the machine would only work faster and faster. The cycle ended, and Richard climbed out from the recovery fluid, ready to report his progress to Jolod. Jolod was quite concerned about his progress; ever since Richard had last asked Jolod about the Adaptation Body showing no effects, he would check in every few days, offering encouragement and support. As someone who had been through it, Jolod naturally knew the pain of the initial stages of the Adaptation Body, the daily torture with almost no visible results. To travel a hundred miles is to halve it at ninety. Such days without hope make it easy for one to give up. Arriving at the laboratory, Jolod, in front of the dissection table, was instructing Chax, pointing at the corpse of an Otherworld creature. ¡°This gland is its digestive gland, the digestive fluid enters its digestive cavity through this duct, and then dissolves the food into a nutrient soup¡­¡± Seeing Richard come in, Jolod immediately stopped explaining. ¡°Richard, you¡¯ve come at just the right time, I have something to inform you.¡± ¡°Go ahead, Teacher,¡± Richard found a stool and sat next to Chax. ¡°I have good news for you, the Dean has returned ahead of schedule, and you can enter the Dean¡¯s Secret Realm this afternoon.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Richard was startled and then delighted, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Dean supposed to be away for another year?¡± Jolod set aside the scalpel in his hand and casually summoned a ball of water to wash his hands. ¡°Who knows, but that¡¯s what Alex said. I saw you come in smiling; do you have good news to tell me?¡± Jolod looked at Richard with a smile. Richard grinned sheepishly, ¡°I just came to tell Teacher that my Adaptation Body has started to show effects.¡± ¡°As he spoke, Richard stretched out his arm, and Jolod cast a glance and immediately noticed the change in Richard.¡± ¡°Very good, good, as long as there are effects, that¡¯s good,¡± Jolod sighed. ¡°A year without results, I was afraid you might give up¡­¡± Before he could finish, Jolod suddenly glared at Chax, who was continuously retreating backwards. ¡°Chax, do you think I can¡¯t see you if you hide behind? If you had Richard¡¯s perseverance, you wouldn¡¯t have missed out on even a single Secret Realm exploration!¡± Chax had a bitter smile on his face; the Adaptation Body was practically inhumane to train. He himself had trained for three months, which was already considered extraordinary perseverance. But it¡¯s hard to stand out when there are two freakishly talented individuals beside you. Senior apprentice sister Anna persisted for half a year, and this junior apprentice brother of hers was even more defiant of the heavens, persisting for a whole year without giving up. He was truly a monster. ¡­ In the afternoon, Richard arrived early at the laboratory and went with Jolod to the upper levels of the Central Black Tower. The Central Black Tower was very tall; the lowest fifty floors were the teaching area, floors fifty-one to three hundred were the Wizard¡¯s area, and above that were the living quarters of the Black Tower Great Wizard, the Dean. Not even Wizards could enter at will, except for Deputy Dean Alex as an exception. Upon reaching the three-hundredth floor, all apprentices granted the opportunity to explore were brought here by their mentors. Among these, there were two apprentices who originally had no mentors, but after the examinations, Wizards immediately took them under their wing. ¡°Everyone is here,¡± said Alex as he checked the headcount and looked at his pocket watch. ¡°Follow me up.¡± The way they entered the three hundred and first floor caught Richard off guard; they were expected to take the stairs up. ¡°Could there be a no-fly enchantment in the area above?¡± This question of Richard¡¯s was quickly answered. As the group entered the area of the three hundred and first floor, the environment around them changed abruptly. In an instant, Richard felt the concentration of Magic Power around him soar by more than a notch, and he even doubted his own senses. But when he looked at the other apprentices, he saw they were equally astonished. ¡°The areas above the three hundredth floor of the Central Black Tower have been infused with Secret Realm Fragments by the Dean, so both the space and the concentration of Magic Power are far beyond normal,¡± Alex explained without turning back. The apprentices withdrew their surprised gazes and continued to follow their mentors with bowed heads. They arrived in front of a door, and Alex pulled an oddly shaped key from his sleeve to unlock it. The moment the door opened, Richard and the other apprentices nearly collapsed to the ground. An indescribable terror seeped out from behind the door. Richard was only exposed to a hint of it, but he felt every cell in his body trembling, and even his Life Core began to operate on its own without any Magic Potion. Richard¡¯s vision blurred as his body frantically searched for a way to survive. ¡°Dean, these kids can¡¯t withstand your Life Radiation,¡± Alex said, somewhat helplessly. ¡°Ha ha, I think the youngsters this time are not bad. Look at the one Jolod has brought.¡± As he spoke, a figure approached Richard¡¯s side. It was a middle-aged man with a very handsome appearance, and while his hair and beard were unkempt, it gave him a wild and unrestrained bearing. ¡°Jolod, this Adaptation Body of yours isn¡¯t bad.¡± The man placed a hand on Richard¡¯s skull, channeling a steady flow of Magic Power into Richard¡¯s body to assist his Evolution. In just a few minutes, Richard¡¯s body stabilized. As his vision cleared, Richard saw an unfamiliar middle-aged man in front of him, looking at him with interest. ¡°You are¡­¡± The middle-aged man smiled. ¡°Young fellow, I¡¯m your Dean, the Black Tower Great Wizard.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Exploring the Secret Realm - Part 1 Chapter 64: Chapter 64 Exploring the Secret Realm ¨C Part 1 Hearing the man¡¯s name, Richard jolted to his feet. ¡°Good day, Headmaster!¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard laughed heartily and, with a wave of his hand, awakened all the other apprentices. ¡°These little ones look pretty good this time, Alex, you¡¯ve been diligent these past few years.¡± Alex nodded slightly, ¡°It¡¯s my duty.¡± Following the Black Tower Great Wizard into the room, behind the door was a study. Tall bookshelves filled half the room, while on the other side, all manner of rare and strange objects were displayed on pedestals, protected by a special transparent field, which presumably were the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s collection. The Black Tower Great Wizard wasn¡¯t much for pretense, or perhaps at his level of status, he no longer needed any. The title of Great Wizard in the entire Wizard World was held by just over a thousand individuals, the name itself signifying power and status. In most worlds within the Star Realm, the title of Great Wizard was synonymous with another ¨C World Master. The Black Tower Great Wizard approached a witch whose bloodline seemed to be fused with that of an elemental creature, her hair flaming like fire itself, constantly sparkling with embers. ¡°Little Susanna, we must not have seen each other for two hundred years; have you missed your teacher?¡± Master Susanna¡¯s face was tinged with embarrassment as she nodded lightly. She was over four thousand years old, but in front of the Black Tower Great Wizard, she seemed like a child who had never grown up. ¡°Is this your disciple?¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard glanced at Ali, who paled at the sight. ¡°Yes, teacher.¡± ¡°She seems to possess good aptitude.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard ruffled Ali¡¯s hair and casually handed her a gemstone with a warm aura. ¡°Molten Lava Gem, a trinket from an Otherworld. Take it to an Alchemy Wizard to make into a Magic Wand, it should boost your Fire Element Spell by at least twenty Energy Levels.¡± Hearing this, the other apprentices around cast envious glances at Ali. It¡¯s good to have connections. Ali looked at her mentor and saw her nod slightly with a wry expression before accepting the Molten Lava Gem. ¡°Thank you, Headmaster!¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard led them to a door. ¡°Beyond this door lies the Secret Realm. Most of the Secret Realm¡¯s vast area retains the appearance of the Wizard World during the Enlightenment Period, with a smaller part assembled from secret realms of other worlds. However, you will be transported randomly ¨C your destination is entirely up to luck.¡± After saying this, the Black Tower Great Wizard raised his hand, and bundles of scrolls flew out of his sleeve, landing in front of each apprentice. ¡°Take care of these scrolls. You each have three hours to explore. When the time is up, the scroll will activate and eject you. Remember, the scroll will protect you from any harm by the creatures of the Secret Realm, but if you provoke them, your exploration might end prematurely. ¡°Additionally, the scroll will only prevent intelligent beings from harming you; those without brains are not included. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t die in there.¡± Everyone nodded and then grabbed a scroll to keep on their person. According to the order of the points leaderboard, Richard and another Advanced Apprentice were the first to go in. Stepping through the door, Richard felt a familiar wave of nausea as his vision turned into a swirling mass of colors. Once his vision cleared, a dark and twisted forest came into view. Richard steadied himself and looked around. Even the Secret Realm¡¯s sky had a sun, appearing not much different from the Wizard World ¨C except for the concentration of magic power. The density of magic power surrounding him had surpassed three hundred and one layers, reaching a terrifying level. Under these conditions, Richard¡¯s rate of recovering magic power was almost as rapid as replenishing magic power with a Magic Stone. ¡°Is this the Wizard World of the Enlightenment Period? What on earth have the wizards done to the Wizard World?¡± Richard sighed before starting to explore; three hours for exploration was neither short nor long. Entering the Twisted Forest before him, Richard effortlessly found many demonized plants, many of which were primary ingredients for magic potions, and some had even become extinct in the current Wizard World. ¡°Golden Needle Grass, the main ingredient for Nerve Detoxification Potions.¡± ¡°Brown Bear Mushroom, the main ingredient for low-level strength potions.¡± ¡°Holy shit, White Crystal Flower, these things are extinct out there! A single specimen could sell for hundreds of magic stones, and there¡¯s actually a whole cluster here.¡± As an apprentice of the Alchemy School, Richard felt like a mouse that had entered a rice storage, wishing he could even scrape up the soil to take away. At the same time, the other nineteen wizard apprentices also began their own searches. But compared to Richard, their eyesight was a bit lacking, and they didn¡¯t recognize many things, so they collected everything indiscriminately, waiting to assess the value after getting out. Their actions were also conveyed to their mentors in the room by the Black Tower Great Wizard. Watching the apprentices floundering like headless flies, the Black Tower Great Wizard sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t they teach natural history anymore? When I was an apprentice, natural history was a required course.¡± The wizards looked embarrassed. In today¡¯s Wizard World, there were hardly any wild rare materials left, so courses like natural history that broadened knowledge were only taught a little by the Alchemy School. ¡°Forget it,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you something, the council approved the exchange with the White Wizard Academy that I mentioned earlier¡­¡± ¡­ As Richard delved deeper into the Twisted Forest, the things he encountered began to gradually exceed his knowledge. ¡°What is this?¡± The soft soil ahead of Richard seemed to be moving with something inside. Richard narrowed his eyes and, quick as lightning, yanked a black long worm out of the soil. The worm resembled an earthworm, with a black body, soft flesh, and densely packed segments. However, unlike regular earthworms, this one was as thick as a finger and measured a meter in length, looking more like a snake from a distance. The earthworm had several light-colored stripes on its body, and Richard counted a total of nine stripes. ¡°Nine patterns, an earthworm¡­¡± An epiphany struck Richard, and a record flashed through his mind. ¡°This is a Magic Pattern Worm! The extract from its body fluids can speed up human recovery and also has the effect of developing the body¡¯s potential,¡± Richard exclaimed with delight. This creature had nearly gone extinct in the outside Wizard World, only a small number still lived in the forests at the center of the continent. It was listed in the Wizard World as a Second Level protected species, with all hunting prohibited, but allowed for artificial cultivation. Richard had seen records of this creature in the notes on the Adaptation Body. According to Jolod¡¯s notes, adding the extract from this creature to the Adaptation Potion could also activate life recovery effects in the Adaptation Body. In earlier years, Jolod had raised such creatures, but one died in an accident during an experiment. And since then, Jolod had never acquired another one. ¡°Good stuff, let¡¯s bag it.¡± Richard took out a box from his Magic Pocket and filled it with nutrient fluid. The Nine Rings Worm had robust life energy and could survive for hours even in a vacuum. As long as it was provided nutrients and placed in the Magic Pocket, three to five days would be no problem. After walking a few hundred more meters into the forest, Richard suddenly found an opening, and a several hundred-meter-tall tree appeared before him. The branches and trunk of the tree were twisted and ferocious, resembling the tree demons of legend. Amid the branches, Richard saw an enormous bird¡¯s nest. While the main structure of the nest was made of tree branches, there were also many frightening bones within it. ¡°Is this a pet raised by the academy¡¯s headmaster? Even using the remains of high-level creatures for nest building.¡± Richard dared not linger there long, keeping the headmaster¡¯s warning in mind, although he sensed that there could be something like chicks or eggs in the nest. But with so many things to explore in the Secret Realm, there was no need to provoke such terrifying creatures. Not long after Richard left, another wizard apprentice arrived at the place. After sensing the life energy from the nest, he was immediately tempted, but before he could act, a chilling bird cry sounded right beside him. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Exploring the Secret Realm - Part 2 Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Exploring the Secret Realm ¨C Part 2 Having traversed the Twisted Forest, Richard came upon a valley. The valley floor was surrounded by black rocks, with sparse shrubs and wild grass growing within the crevices of the stones. Yet deep within the valley, there sprouted dense clusters of black crystals. Richard took a closer look and gasped in shock. Those black crystal clusters were none other than the Magic Stones he regularly used. Magic Stones growing right out of the ground¡ªif anyone in the Wizard World were to speak of this now, they would undoubtedly be deemed mad. ¡°Incredible, incredible, a whole valley full of Magic Stones must contain at least a million,¡± Richard exclaimed in astonishment and then proceeded to the valley floor, intending to take a close look at the Magic Stone vein. And perhaps take a few Magic Stones as well. In the current Wizard World, there were no longer any Magic Stone veins allowed to be mined. All the Magic Stones in circulation came from other worlds. Venturing deeper into the valley, Richard paid close attention to each crystal cluster. Observation, learning¡ªthe knowledge of a Wizard accumulates just like this, bit by bit. Perhaps a single detail could become a critical breakthrough for his future challenges. As Richard delved deeper, he suddenly came upon a pile of skeletons, covered by fallen Magic Stones and impossible to see without getting closer. ¡°Something¡¯s not right, these Magic Stones how¡­¡± Suddenly, Richard¡¯s hairs stood on end, and his body involuntarily fell backward as the Bloodline Seed in his heart was awakened in an instant. Ding! A long worm pinned itself where Richard had just stood. This long worm was covered in crystal-like scales, similar to those of Magic Stones, blending in with the Magic Stone vein, almost indistinguishable. ¡°Not good.¡± Richard saw the Magic Stones on the skeleton begin to tremble incessantly, and the fine sound of stones rubbing against each other continuously entered his ears. Looking at the valley floor covered with Magic Stones, Richard started to feel his scalp tingle. Just how many such worms were hidden amongst these Magic Stones? ¡°I need to leave, now.¡± Richard didn¡¯t hesitate, having no lingering feelings for the Magic Stones in the valley floor, he grabbed the struggling crystal long worm and ran off. He didn¡¯t care for the Magic Stones, but this worm was something he had never seen before, perfect for research upon return. No sooner had he left than a stretch of crystal long worms, like a flow of water, seeped from the depths of the valley to his former position. Had Richard remained there for a few more seconds, he might have had to bid farewell to exploring the Secret Realm. Leaving the valley, Richard continued his search within the Secret Realm and eventually found the main ingredient for the Physique Enhancement Potion¡ªthe Egla Grass¡ªin a depression in the mountains. And there was quite a substantial amount. Staring at the swathes of Egla Grass before him, Richard steeled his heart, deciding not to wander around the Secret Realm anymore, and instead chose to collect all the Egla Grass around him. After all, not much time was left, and the benefits before his eyes were clearly much better than the unknown future. With these Egla Grasses, Richard could make several dozen Physique Enhancement Potions. Moreover, even if he didn¡¯t make Potions, these extinct specimens could fetch him a hefty sum of Magic Stones. The three hours passed quickly, and as the scroll automatically opened, all Apprentices were ejected from the Secret Realm Space, returning to the room they had entered from. Richard rubbed his head, suppressing the urge to vomit. The scroll¡¯s teleportation effect was even worse than that of a Transmission Array. ¡°Exploration over.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard snapped his fingers, and a host of little sprites flew out from the corners of the room, flocking towards the Apprentices to sprinkle a glowing powder over them. The moment the powder touched his body, Richard felt a coolness in his head, and the nausea from before disappeared instantly. ¡°Each of you, take good care of your apprentices,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said, finishing his admonishment. ¡°You all saw what they chose, and when you¡¯re teaching them in the future, remember to include a course in natural history.¡± Having said that, the Black Tower Great Wizard snapped his fingers, and all the little sprites suddenly exploded into particles of light and vanished from sight. ¡°Next is the award ceremony. The top three on the points leaderboard will receive special rewards, and I¡¯ve thought long and hard about this. It feels like anything I bring out would make me, the Dean, look stingy,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard sighed with feigned distress. ¡°However, a minor accident provided me with the answer.¡± With a wave of his hand, the Black Tower Great Wizard conjured six crystal balls that appeared out of thin air before the crowd. ¡°Some time ago, while I was piecing together Secret Realms, I dropped some Secret Realm Fragments. It would be a waste for these fragments to just dissipate, so I collected them.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard smiled, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes. ¡°I believe such a reward is befitting of my title as Dean.¡± As soon as the reward was mentioned, all the wizards present, except for Alex, shivered. It was nothing else but the sheer value of the reward that had startled them. Though called fragments, Secret Realm Fragments are in fact very small Secret Realms in and of themselves, with all the various rules of Secret Realms contained within. Whether for testing spells, cultivating magic creatures, or even serving as a refuge in times of necessity, a Secret Realm Fragment could do it all. Moreover, these were fragments from the Secret Realms that the Black Tower Great Wizard himself had pieced together, so naturally, they were no ordinary items. They were in an entirely different league from the Secret Realm Fragments sold by the Wizard Commerce as mere portable storages. All the wizards looked at Alex with an explicit meaning in their gaze. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to advise the Dean against giving out such items?¡± If this news got out, some wizards might start getting crooked ideas. Alex chose to ignore those looks. If he could have persuaded the Dean, things wouldn¡¯t have come to this point. ¡°Look at you all, getting worked up over some small fragments only a few hundred square meters in size,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said with a mocking laugh. ¡°Take your apprentices and head back.¡± After that, the Black Tower Great Wizard yawned and waved his hand. The environment before everyone¡¯s eyes suddenly shifted, and when they regained their senses, they were already back outside their rooms. ¡°This reward is a bit over the top; don¡¯t spread word about it,¡± Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, expressing his concern. As the right hand of the Black Tower Great Wizard, it was his duty to deal with the aftermath of the Great Wizard¡¯s actions. ¡°Furthermore, do not talk about the matter regarding White Wizards that the Dean mentioned just now,¡± Alex added. ¡°The Dean is impulsive, and some matters might not begin until the next decade.¡± White Wizards? Richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat; from what the Deputy Dean had said, it seemed that wizards were divided into white and black, and judging by these words, he might currently fall under the category of a Black Wizard. A few wizards nodded, and then each left with their apprentices in tow. Returning to the laboratory, Jolod locked the door firmly and looked at Richard with a serious expression. ¡°You must absolutely not talk about the Secret Realm Fragments to anyone. They are very precious and would cause great trouble if word were to spread.¡± Richard nodded knowingly, as Jolod¡¯s serious demeanor convinced him of the value of the Secret Realm Fragments. ¡°Also, I saw what you got in the Secret Realm. I have a breeding certificate for the Magic Pattern worms issued by the Truth Council, so you can raise them with confidence. As for the other items you collected¡­¡± Jolod sighed. Richard¡¯s performance, although stronger than the other Wizard Apprentices, was only somewhat better. ¡°Apart from the Magic Crystal Arrow Worm, they¡¯re not much use.¡± Magic Crystal Arrow Worm? Richard recalled the long worm that had attacked him. ¡°The Magic Crystal Arrow Worms are extinct in the Wizard World; they do have some research value. It¡¯s a shame you didn¡¯t catch more of them; otherwise, you could have raised a batch,¡± Jolod said, slightly regretful. He was interested in the biology of the Magic Crystal Arrow Worm, but since it belonged to Richard, it wasn¡¯t proper to ask for it as a mentor. Richard chuckled awkwardly; considering the situation at the time, catching one was already a testament to his curiosity. Seeing Jolod had finished speaking, Richard hesitated. Should he ask about the White Wizards or not? Jolod seemed to read Richard¡¯s mind and knocked on his head. ¡°What are you thinking about, kid? If you want to ask about White Wizards, just ask. What, you don¡¯t trust me?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: Chapter 66 Black and White Wizards Chapter 66: Chapter 66 Black and White Wizards ¡°Before I explain about White and Black Wizards, I would like to ask you a question, Richard. How much do you know about Wizard Society?¡± Facing Jolod¡¯s question, Richard was momentarily stunned. If the question had been about his knowledge of the Wizard World, Richard could speak based on the Wizard World Almanac. However, Jolod was asking about Wizard Society, something a mere Apprentice who had not even graduated from the Wizard Academy would not know much about. Seeing Richard¡¯s silent demeanor, Jolod realized that his student lacked knowledge on these miscellaneous things. ¡°It seems you know nothing, which is perfect. I¡¯ll take this opportunity to introduce you to Wizard Society.¡± Jolod led Richard to a desk, casually picked up a sheet of paper as if it were a blackboard, and began to explain the structure of Wizard Society. ¡°Our Wizard Society is structured like a pyramid.¡± As he spoke, Jolod drew a triangle on the paper and added two lines in the middle. Pointing at the top of the pyramid, he said, ¡°At the very top is the Truth Council, composed of five Truth Wizards. The rules of our Wizard Academy, the behavioral norms of the Wizard World, regulations for the protection of nature in the Wizard World, and so forth are all promulgated by the Truth Council. They are not only the strongest among Wizards but also the leaders of the Wizard World.¡± Then, Jolod pointed his pen toward the bottom layer. ¡°At the very bottom are billions of mortals. Although they are weak, they are the origin of Wizards. Every Wizard Academy has the duty to protect all the mortals within its area of influence, and all Wizards are forbidden from using mortals for human experimentation. Not even Great Wizards are allowed to do so.¡± After finishing, Jolod moved his pen to the middle of the pyramid and drew a vertical line in this middle layer. ¡°Between these two extremes are the Wizards grouped around Wizard Academies. Wizards are divided into Great Wizards and ordinary Wizards, from One Ring to Three Rings as ordinary Wizards, above Three Rings are Great Wizards. There are two kinds of Wizard Academies, one is like our Black Tower Wizard Academy, which conducts bloody exams. The other kind is the White Wizard Academy, which does not conduct bloody exams. The biggest difference between these academies and ours, besides the absence of bloody exams, is that White Wizards focus more on group combat, while Black Wizards focus more on individual combat prowess, preferring to fight solo.¡± Richard nodded; these concepts were easy to grasp. ¡°But in fact, during the enlightenment period, there was no distinction between White and Black Wizards.¡± Jolod paused for a moment, then continued, ¡°If we had to classify the Wizards of that era, they were all Black Wizards, even more so than the Black Wizards of today. The bloody exams you are undergoing now would have seemed like child¡¯s play to the Wizards of the enlightenment period. Thus, the division between White and Black Wizards is entirely a product of the pioneering era. And the person who divided them, you can probably guess.¡± Jolod glanced at Richard, who said uncertainly, ¡°Was it the five Truth Wizards?¡± Jolod nodded approvingly, ¡°Exactly, the great Truth Wizards. Plane Wars brought many changes to Wizards, and traditional Wizards were not suited for the Plane Battlefield. Therefore, the Truth Wizards created White Wizards according to the demands of the Plane Battlefield and a few other factors, and also regulated the training of traditional Wizards, transitioning from a brutal survival of the fittest to a more moderate form of bloody exams. Before this, there were no rules against private duels within the academies; back then, every single moment of a Wizard Apprentice¡¯s life was spent contemplating how to survive and how to kill others.¡± Jolod spoke wistfully, a single edict from the Truth Wizards had changed the fate of countless Wizards. ¡°From then on, the White Wizard Army began to dominate the front-line battlefields, while the Black Wizards moved to the shadows, handling assassinations, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering. Neither side is superior or inferior to the other; they simply have different functions. A successful execution of a Plane War often requires close cooperation between the two. This was a change across epochs!¡± Jolod spoke with pride, ¡°Ever since the differentiation of black and white wizards began, the pace of conquest of the planes in the Wizard World has accelerated. Worlds that used to take centuries to conquer can now be subdued in just decades. Since then, the Wizard World has become prosperous, and the number of Great Wizards has surged like a geyser.¡± Before the distinction between black and white wizards, there were only a few hundred wizard academies in the Wizard World. After the separation, the number of Great Wizards had skyrocketed to more than a thousand within a few epochs.¡± Jolod grew more and more excited as he spoke, his words carrying a commanding tone. ¡°That, uh, Teacher,¡± Richard gently interrupted Jolod. ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t quite understand, what are you trying to tell me with all this?¡± ¡°Cough cough cough, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Jolod¡¯s enthusiasm receded, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his cheeks. Jolod was on the older side among Second Ring Wizards, and even wizards couldn¡¯t escape the allure of grand narratives. ¡°What I¡¯m telling you is that the killings you¡¯ve been through are not some kind of twisted pleasure of the headmaster. You should not hold any repulsion towards the academy. To put it bluntly, both we and wizards like the headmaster are merely parts in the war chariot of the Wizard World. Only the great Truth Wizards truly have control over the direction.¡± Hearing this explanation, Richard scratched his head. He wasn¡¯t really opposed to the Black Tower Wizard Academy despite the bloody exams. Having been in this world for over a decade, Richard¡¯s mindset had undergone a significant transformation. Killing had become commonplace to him. He was a highly adaptable person. Survival of the fittest. ¡°I understand, Teacher. If there¡¯s nothing else, then I will take my leave,¡± Richard said as he asked to leave. Jolod opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. ¡°¡­Alright, go.¡± Back in his room, Richard immediately began studying the Secret Realm Fragments. After using his spiritual power to probe the Crystal Ball, Richard learned how to use the Secret Realm Fragments. First, the Crystal Ball provided by the Black Tower Great Wizard was merely a key, not something that sealed the Secret Realm Fragments within it. To enter the Secret Realm Fragment, one simply needed to pour Magic Power into the Crystal Ball, and then it would automatically open a Space Rift. Crossing through the rift, the user could enter the Secret Realm Fragment. ¡°The headmaster does think of everything. He even prepared the Magic Array for charging thoughtfully.¡± Following the information in the Crystal Ball, Richard began drawing a Magic Array on the floor using chalk. Once the Array was complete, Richard poured a pile of Magic Stones from his pocket. The energy required to open a Space Rift was substantial, and this consumption would increase with the user¡¯s strength. Currently, as an Intermediate Apprentice, Richard only needed to use fifty Magic Stones to activate the rift once. When Richard became an Advanced Apprentice, the rift¡¯s consumption would increase to a hundred stones. And once Richard advanced to a wizard, this consumption would become a thousand. The explanation from the Black Tower Great Wizard was that as one¡¯s strength increased, their influence on the space also grew. Without greater energy consumption to stabilize the Space Rift, the user might fall into a spatial fissure and be torn apart by a space storm. As the Magic Power was consumed, a rift edged with a dim purple glow, yet pitch black inside, appeared before Richard. Richard tentatively stretched his finger into it. Nothing happened. ¡°It seems to be stable.¡± Cautiously holding the Crystal Ball, Richard stepped into the rift. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Holy Tree Elf Fuzzy Ball Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Holy Tree Elf Fuzzy Ball Entering the Secret Realm Fragments, Richard was immediately greeted by an intensely vibrant fragrance of flowers. He looked around and saw that the entire Secret Realm Fragments spanned about three hundred square meters, shaped like a hemisphere. The sky was several hundred meters above the ground, which was covered in a plethora of tiny blossoms. At the edge of the realm, a black barrier protected the fragments from being torn apart by chaotic spatial currents. ¡°The Magic Power level is about twice that of the Wizard World but far less than the Great Wizard¡¯s Secret Realm Space. The temperature is around twenty-six degrees, humidity about forty percent; the air composition is dissimilar to the Wizard World, with no harmful substances. Besides that¡­¡± Richard assessed the Secret Realm Fragments based on his instincts, then directed his gaze toward a particularly large flower bud at the center of the flowerbed. He stepped forward and gently poked the flower bud. The bud opened, releasing a white Fuzzy Ball with transparent wings. ¡°Is this¡­ a Flower Elf?¡± Richard attempted to communicate with the Fuzzy Ball using his spiritual power, but what he received was a wave of fear. ¡°Don¡¯t eat me!¡± the Fuzzy Ball sent out a mental fluctuation, ¡°I¡¯m very useful!¡± Richard stroked his chin. Did he really look like some sort of demon? However, he didn¡¯t realize that the Fuzzy Ball perceived the world not through sight, but through life perception. In its senses, Richard, a Wizard Apprentice performing Bloodline Alchemy, was indistinguishable from a Suture Monster. ¡°Tell me your use,¡± Richard communicated using his spiritual power. ¡°I can¡­ I can do many things! I can make flowers grow better and bloom more vigorously. I can also¡­ also¡­¡± The Fuzzy Ball was at a loss on how to convince the creature before it. It was just a lowly Flower Elf, only capable of hastening the ripening of flowers to provide nectar for the Nobles Elves. But the creature in front of it looked like it ate meat! Feeling the Fuzzy Ball¡¯s trembling, Richard was somewhat puzzled. Although he indeed had thoughts of dissecting the Fuzzy Ball, he intended to observe its behaviour over the long term and conduct some non-lethal tests first. Who would start by dissecting their only sample? ¡°Hehehe, hastening the ripening of flowers, what use is that! Besides flowers, what else can you hasten?¡± Richard suddenly burst into a menacing laugh, pretending to be fierce. ¡°Hastening other things? I can! I can hasten many things, except the Holy Tree, I can hasten everything else!¡± the Fuzzy Ball said in panic. This monster indeed had no interest in nectar! ¡°Then prove it to me.¡± Richard took out a seed of Egla Grass from his pocket and placed it on the ground, thinking that if the Fuzzy Ball could hasten its growth, he could make a fortune. The Fuzzy Ball flew in circles above the seed, sending a faint Magic Wave into Richard¡¯s perception. ¡°Hmm? This little thing uses primitive Magic Power just like a Wizard,¡± Richard thought to himself, surprised. According to Wizard records, most creatures in the Star Realm modify the nature of their Magic Power based on their Bloodline or Soul, achieving various strange effects. Yet this little creature using primitive Magic Power was indeed rare. A spark of excitement flashed through Richard¡¯s mind. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had only this one, he would want to dissect it and make it into a specimen right now. As the Magic Fluctuation ended, Richard suddenly noticed that the seed on the ground developed a small crack, and a tender green sprout emerged. ¡°See! I didn¡¯t lie to you!¡± The mental fluctuation from the Fuzzy Ball was weak, as if the hastening had drained a lot of its energy. ¡°It did hasten the growth, but this effect is still not enough!¡± Richard continued his eerie laughter, nearly causing Fuzzy Ball to stop flapping its wings and crash to the ground. ¡°What, what, what else do you want!¡± A sly look flashed in Richard¡¯s eyes, and he then pulled out a slave contract from his pocket. ¡°Sign this, and I won¡¯t eat you.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Fuzzy Ball landed on the contract, ¡°How do I sign this?¡± ¡°Just leave a mark with your spiritual power.¡± ¡°¡­Fine! I will sign, but you must keep your promise!¡± Fuzzy Ball left a mark on the contract using its spiritual power, while Richard also signed his name on it. In a blink, the sheepskin scroll turned to ashes, and an invisible force formed a bridge between Richard and Fuzzy Ball. The contract was established! ¡°Now that you¡¯ve signed the contract, things will be easier. Starting today, you are my gardener, and your task is to hasten the ripening of these seeds I¡¯ve planted.¡± Hearing Richard say this, Fuzzy Ball felt relieved, its small life seemingly saved. It didn¡¯t know what a gardener meant, but it was familiar with hastening the ripening of seeds. That had been its previous job. ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t eat me!¡± Richard nodded, satisfied, ¡°Good! Very spirited! Now I¡¯ll give you a name, from now on you¡¯ll be called Fuzzy Ball.¡± ¡°Yes, from now on I¡¯ll be called Fuzzy Ball!¡± Fuzzy Ball responded with equal enthusiasm. Being the lowest of the Flower Elves, it had no name; only nobles had such a privilege. And Richard had given it a name! Clearly, Fuzzy Ball¡¯s brain was somewhat overwhelmed, and it had already forgotten how Richard had intimidated it earlier, now even starting to like Richard somewhat. ¡°Hehe, Fuzzy Ball. I have a name now!¡± Richard planted some Egla Grass seeds he had collected in the Secret Realm Space on the ground. Though Fuzzy Ball could hasten the growth of Egla Grass, it was still uncertain whether they could grow in the environment of the Secret Realm Fragments. Then, Richard asked Fuzzy Ball many questions, including the name of its race, its history, social structure, and how they reproduced. Fuzzy Ball wasn¡¯t very smart, often giving tangential answers, and it took over an hour for Richard to gather some useful information. From Fuzzy Ball¡¯s words, Richard learned that it came from a race called Holy Tree Elf, which practiced a feudal system, and Fuzzy Ball was the lowest tier among them, a Flower Elf, responsible for tending flowers and collecting nectar, akin to an old farmer in human society. Holy Tree Elves reproduced asexually, splitting off seeds during their life that, once planted in the soil, would grow into an elven flower where a Holy Tree Elf would reside. Moreover, although Holy Tree Elves weren¡¯t highly intelligent, their memories could be inherited. A split seed would inherit all its progenitor¡¯s memories, which were initially sealed and later unlocked when the Holy Tree Elf reached adulthood, utilized in a form akin to a database. If a Holy Tree Elf acquired a skill, then its offspring would also possess that skill. This feature had significantly solidified the social structure of Holy Tree Elves¡ªlower elves were forbidden from accessing any ¡®magic¡¯ of other specialized elves, and any elf using magic that didn¡¯t match its status would be executed. Nobles remained nobles, and old farmers remained old farmers. After acquiring the knowledge, Richard left the Secret Realm Fragments. The number of Holy Tree Elves was too few to be of significant impact for now. But the future was promising. Wizards did not wage wars for Great Wizards without compensation¡ªwith enough merit, acquiring a piece of land from the Otherworld was a trivial matter. And since this Holy Tree Elf could hasten the growth of plants, he might later be able to establish a stable Magic Stone income through cultivating medicinal herbs. Wizards had long lifespans, and long-term gains far outweighed short-term benefits. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Magic Wand and Spell Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Magic Wand and Spell After coming out of the Secret Realm Fragments, Richard wiped off the array on the ground and then went to his desk to start recording the information he had just learned. These were all pieces of knowledge, the powerful source for any wizard. An experienced wizard could easily handle various situations with a reservoir of knowledge. Once he had recorded everything, Richard closed his notebook and casually picked up a Magic Book to browse through. In the past year, Richard had spent a considerable amount of time on the Shaping Magic School, but the results were minimal. Lacking a mentor¡¯s guidance, Richard could only explore like a headless fly in the sea of books. Knock, knock, knock! Someone suddenly knocked on the door of Richard¡¯s room. ¡°Who?¡± Richard walked to the door and opened it. There were not many people who knew his residence in the Black Tower, and they were his own people, so he was not very cautious. ¡°Who else could it be?¡± A short-haired beauty wearing a black Wizard Robe stood at the door, playing with a gemstone emitting a scorching aura in her hand. ¡°Ali, what is this¡­¡± Richard glanced at the Molten Lava Gem, ¡°custom Magic Wand?¡± Ali walked into the room, very familiarly sat on the bed, and casually tossed the gemstone to Richard. ¡°Can you make something out of this?¡± Richard caught the gemstone, ¡°Whether I can make it or not, I¡¯ll have to examine it first.¡± He took several rulers from the drawer to measure the volume of the gemstone, and then he took out a few Magic Probes and tapped them on the gemstone. After confirming the various data, some ideas popped into Richard¡¯s mind. Magic Wands were relatively easier to make among Magic Equipment, but they were also the hardest to perfect. ¡°I should be able to make it, but I don¡¯t know if it will reach the level that the dean mentioned.¡± Ali raised an eyebrow, ¡°Don¡¯t be modest, don¡¯t I know your skills?¡± Richard found a box to store the Molten Lava Gem properly. ¡°The effect of the Magic Wand is to amplify Fire Element Spells, you don¡¯t have any other requirements, do you?¡± ¡°No more.¡± ¡°Then wait for a month, it should be ready after a month.¡± Richard said as he walked to the window and drew the curtains shut, while Ali seductively stood up from the bed, took off her Wizard Robe, revealing the nightgown underneath. On some matters, the two always seemed to be in perfect sync. A sleepless night. The next morning, Richard sat on the bed, his gaze deep, not knowing what he was thinking. Next to him, Ali, with flushed cheeks, rested her head on his shoulder, her face full of satisfaction. ¡°What are you thinking about now?¡± Ali asked softly. Richard said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about how to improve my skill in Shaping Magic.¡± Ali, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ali, do you know any powerful Shaping Spells?¡± Richard suddenly asked. Wise Time always made one think of things usually overlooked. In the past year, Richard, like a headless fly, had been cramming knowledge of the Shaping Magic School. Besides lacking a teacher¡¯s guidance, his lack of foundational knowledge in Shaping Magic also played a huge role. After a year of study, Richard had mastered the fundamental knowledge of Shaping Magic, and with the help of Wise Time, he suddenly knew which direction he should develop in. His advantage was having many Magic Stones and Magic Equipment, so he should focus on developing these advantages, studying those powerful spells that required more energy while learning Shaping Magic. ¡°Powerful Shaping Spells?¡± Ali thought for a moment, ¡°I indeed know many powerful Shaping Spells, but those were imparted to me by my teacher. Let me think about the powerful spells that can be exchanged at the Academy¡­¡± Ali¡¯s mind flashed with inspiration, and an ancient spell appeared in her brain. ¡°Hmm, I remember now. Richard, do you know the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Richard said, puzzled by the name, ¡°Water Vapor Magic?¡± ¡°Pfft, what are you thinking about?¡± Ali chuckled, ¡°How could you even think of water vapor?¡± Richard spread his hands, ¡°Isn¡¯t water plus fire just steam?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Ali laughed uncontrollably for a while before finally regaining her composure and began to explain the principles of the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell to Richard. Wizards had long discovered the extreme opposition between the water and fire elements. In the material world, these two elements in their physical forms wouldn¡¯t react too violently. However, when these elements encountered each other in their pure forms within the Elemental Territory, they would unleash extremely violent energy. This reaction was somewhat akin to matter-antimatter annihilation, but on a much smaller scale. This is the basic principle behind the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell. Based on this, wizards tried to induce annihilation reactions between concentrated Fire Element and Water Element, which resulted in a terrifying scene. When not concentrated, although the elements reacted violently, the excessive energy released would push the two elements away from each other. However, once both elements reached a certain concentration, everything changed. The annihilation of concentrated elements surprisingly exhibited chain reaction characteristics. In an extremely short time, the concentrated elements completely annihilated each other, with the energy from the reaction not even starting to release. Thus, a massive explosion occurred. Wizards had once attempted to tame this power, but unfortunately, to this day, no wizard had succeeded. At least, as far as Ali knew, no wizard had managed this feat. ¡°So, from what you¡¯re telling me, this spell must be very dangerous.¡± Richard stroked his chin, then suddenly flicked Ali, ¡°This dangerous and you still want me to learn it? Are you eyeing someone else and planning to ditch this old man?¡± ¡°Ouch, cut it out,¡± Ali pouted, ¡°I¡¯m just saying it based on your request¡ªnot forcefully dragging you to learn.¡± ¡°Whether you learn or not is entirely up to you.¡± Richard got out of bed and changed his clothes. ¡°I¡¯m going to the library.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not seriously going to learn it, right? It¡¯s very dangerous.¡± Ali¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°It has survived solely because some foolhardy wizards want to tame it; please don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡± Richard waved his hand. ¡°I know.¡± ¡­ The Water and Fire Annihilation Spell was very cheap, costing only fifty Magic Stones. After buying the Magic Model, Richard immediately started learning. The entire model of the spell was very complex, looking nothing like a first-generation spell. The spell was composed of three parts: summoning the Fire Element, summoning the Water Element, and making the two combine as much as possible. However, as Richard studied, he realized that the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell he had bought was somewhat off. What about the promised chain reaction? The spell not only lacked chain reaction but also had outrageously high magic power consumption. In terms of cost-effectiveness, it was not even as good as Magic Missile. For this reason, Richard inquired around and finally got an answer from Jolod. It turned out that the Academy had purposely switched the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell with a defective version to prevent apprentices from researching the spell and causing major damage to the test zone. The original version of the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell required a wizard¡¯s approval for research. ¡°You want to study this spell?¡± Jolod looked up at Richard, closing the book he was holding. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Richard nodded. Jolod frowned, ¡°It¡¯s good to have a spirit of exploration, but sometimes you need to measure your abilities too.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Chapter 69 Realm of Annihilation (Request for First Subscription) Chapter 69: Chapter 69 Realm of Annihilation (Request for First Subscription) Richard¡¯s heart sank, wondering if his spell research was doomed to fail before it had even begun. But then he saw Jolod raise his hand, and a thick magic book automatically flew off the bookshelf. ¡°This is the experimental notebook from my research on the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell. It records the original magic model of the spell and some of my own failed improvement attempts,¡± Jolod explained as he handed the magic book to Richard with a solemn voice. ¡°Take a good look at these notes when you get back. I don¡¯t mean to discourage you, but a wizard has likely thought of anything you can think of. You are still a Wizard Apprentice and your experience is limited.¡± Richard took the magic book with both hands and gave Jolod a serious bow. The transmission of any knowledge deserved respect. Returning to his room, Richard immediately opened the magic book and began to study the spell. The original version of the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell, called the Realm of Annihilation, was quite straightforward to use. It involved summoning two elements, compressing them, and then allowing them to react. The spell consumed a great deal of energy and could drain an intermediate Apprentice with thirty spiritual power in an instant. But its power was also astounding. If released at full strength, the epicenter of the spell could reach a thousand energy levels. And this was only the limit of the spell¡¯s power, not the limit of the reaction. If one could increase the quantity of both elements, the power could become even greater. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit overkill for an apprentice?¡± Richard muttered to himself, his lips twitching slightly as he read the notes. But soon after, he discovered the shortcomings of the spell. The Realm of Annihilation, despite its great power, was as unruly in energy release as a Magic Missile. Consequently, while its power was immense, its dissipation was also shocking. Beyond a meter from the center, its energy level dropped to a hundred, and beyond three meters, only a blast wave remained. The second issue was the spell¡¯s instability. The concentrated Fire Element was highly volatile, and a slight magic fluctuation could provoke a violent outburst, leading to premature spell release or casting failure. These two factors made the spell more of a last-ditch, desperate measure than a viable offensive option. A bomb that might explode at any time was a curse to both friend and foe. In his notes, Jolod tried improving the spell, attempting to control the burst of energy to increase its power and adding runes to stabilize the Fire Element. But after numerous attempts, the results were still disappointing. Measuring by magic consumption, there were other spells that were more powerful and stable. ¡°So it seems that revising the runes is not viable.¡± Richard scratched his head after finishing the notes. ¡°But why should I focus on revising runes?¡± As a transmigrator, Richard¡¯s thinking was more flexible than others in the Wizard World. The clash of thought from an entirely different civilization allowed Richard to see things that others might have missed. ¡°This is essentially about compressing two elements and then colliding them to release power. It¡¯s not much different from detonating a bomb with a blasting cap.¡± Richard casually grabbed a piece of rough paper and sketched a rough diagram. ¡°The Fire Element is unstable, and restraining it with magic consumes a lot of power, so why not restrain it with physical materials? Two chambers, one for the Water Element and one for the Fire Element, separated in the middle¡­¡± Richard put his ideas on paper and then adjusted the shape. Eventually, a wizard version of a hand grenade appeared on the paper. ¡°Done.¡± Richard tossed the pen aside, content as he looked at the rough design on the paper. Although it was just a sketch and the design might change during implementation, it didn¡¯t affect the pleasure that filled Richard¡¯s heart. Creating something from the Otherworld in the Wizard World always brought him a benumbed thrill of indulgence. With an idea in mind, Richard immediately set out to make it a reality. He made a list and gave it to his dedicated procurer, Kevin, instructing him to start collecting materials in the business district. Meanwhile, Richard began to dismantle the spell, extracting the spells for the two concentrated elements. Having learned from the Shape-shifting School for a year, Richard was ready to put his knowledge to the test and see what he was capable of. If he encountered unsolvable problems, he would then seek Ali¡¯s assistance. Time flew quickly, and another year passed in the blink of an eye. Richard proceeded to the training room for his Adaptation Body workout early in the morning, as usual. After the first adaptation began, Richard¡¯s Adaptation Body progress had been increasing at a slow rate of 0.01 energy levels per day. Furthermore, as he continued to train, this rate of increase was accelerating. After one year, it had reached 0.015. At this rate, by the time the next bloody examination started, he would be immune to spells of fire, lightning, and ice elements below fifty energy levels. As usual, Richard entered the freezing chamber to train. The six energy level freezing damage began to erode his body. But after a short while, he felt the temperature in the chamber warm up. ¡°Have I adapted again?¡± Richard was somewhat puzzled. He opened the chamber to inspect it and discovered that the Magic Stone powering the freezing chamber had run out. Without power, the freezer naturally stopped cooling. Looking at the chamber¡¯s Magic Stone inlet on the side, Richard prepared to refill it, but his expression turned sour as he checked his pockets. ¡°How come I am left with just over a thousand Magic Stones?¡± Richard uttered in dismay. As a model Apprentice, Richard had no expensive hobby that squandered Magic Stones. Yet even so, as one of the top Magic Stone earners in the campus, his wealth had shrunk to barely over a thousand Magic Stones. What was the difference between this and the ordinary apprentices who had to be meticulous with every spell they cast? ¡°No, where did all my Magic Stones go?¡± Richard¡¯s expression darkened, and he lost all intention to train. He turned and went back to his bedroom to check his accounts. The review revealed a year-long flurry of spending. Aside from the monthly hundred Magic Stones paid to the Flame Giant, he had spent over five thousand on selecting materials for the Wizard Hand Grenade. There were also the daily Adaptation Potions, Recovery Magic Potions, crafting of Physique Enhancement Potions, reading, making small Magic Equipment for practice, everyday food and drinks, and many other expenses. These scattered expenses had drastically reduced the wealth of Richard, a top-income Apprentice with over three hundred Magic Stones per month. ¡°It seems I need to sell a couple of Physique Enhancement Potions. Also, the output of Concentration Potions needs to be increased.¡± Richard massaged his temples. He had attempted to make several bottles of Physique Enhancement Potions in the past few months, and the success rate was quite good. He had initially intended to sell them privately to expand his social network and give his friends some benefits. But now he was nearly bankrupt; he couldn¡¯t afford to think about those plans anymore. ¡°Increasing the output¡­ Sigh! I¡¯m probably going to attract trouble.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Chapter 70: The Shock of Worldviews (Subscribe Please) Chapter 70: Chapter 70: The Shock of Worldviews (Subscribe Please) For the Wizard Apprentices of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, the beginning of the month was a special day. At the beginning of the month, all the Apprentices who wanted to go out on missions would crowd in front of Anna¡¯s cottage, waiting for the new batch of Concentration Potions to go on sale. Ever since Richard had dealt with Joseph, the business of Concentration Potions in the entire commercial district had become Richard¡¯s alone. And a monopoly was always the most profitable business. As the clock struck eight in the morning, Anna¡¯s cottage officially opened for business. The clerk opened the store door and began selling this month¡¯s Concentration Potions. ¡°Don¡¯t push, don¡¯t push, there are twice as many Concentration Potions this month, and everyone who comes today is guaranteed to get one!¡± The clerk¡¯s shouting wasn¡¯t loud, but to the Apprentices, it was like a thunderbolt. The production of Magic Potions had doubled, which was great news. Soon, the Magic Potions sold out. For the tens of thousands of Apprentices across the Academy, one hundred and eighty bottles of Concentration Potion a month were still rather few. After the sale ended, news of the increase in Magic Potion production quickly spread through various channels among the Apprentice group, naturally including many from the Alchemy School. Among these Apprentices, some had tutors, so naturally the news also reached the ears of the Wizards. ¡­ On the ninety-ninth floor of the Central Black Tower. Deputy Dean Alex stormed into Jolod¡¯s laboratory with a furrowed brow. ¡°Jolod, have you been using the Alchemy Workshop to subsidize Apprentices? It¡¯s against the rules for a Wizard to directly help Apprentices earn Magic Stones.¡± Jolod was somewhat bewildered. ¡°What? When have I ever used the Alchemy Workshop to help Apprentices? My Alchemy Workshop is all my own business.¡± Alex handed him a piece of paper, and Jolod took a look. Written on the document was a record of Richard¡¯s shipments from the past few months. ¡°Two hundred bottles of potions a month? Even if you were to do it, that number would probably require some effort, right?¡± Alex tapped on the table. ¡°This matter hasn¡¯t spread yet, and I hope you come up with an explanation quickly. Otherwise, I can only deal with it according to the school rules.¡± Although the Black Tower Wizard Academy allowed Wizards to impart knowledge to Apprentices, it did not permit the direct gifting of a large quantity of Magic Stones or the provision of special high-grade Magic Equipment, as that would seriously affect Apprentice competition. Once such a situation arose, not only would the student be investigated and lose all gifted items, but the Wizards would also pay a hefty price. Jolod stroked his beard, his face showing confusion but no panic. ¡°What explanation should I come up with? I didn¡¯t help him. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check my Alchemy Workshop. I authorize you to do so.¡± Jolod¡¯s Alchemy Workshop was essentially his private property, and the Academy generally wouldn¡¯t search it unless necessary. ¡°You really didn¡¯t?¡± Alex sounded skeptical. ¡°If another Wizard finds something to pin on you, even you would have to follow the rules.¡± ¡°My dear Deputy Dean, go ahead and check. If you find anything, I, Jolod, am at your disposal.¡± ¡°Be that as it may, there should be no problem. Inspectors will search your workshop in the next few days.¡± Alex stood up. ¡°I need to give the other Wizards an explanation for this. Without rules, the Academy would fall into chaos.¡± Jolod nodded in understanding of the Deputy Dean¡¯s predicament and after seeing him out, Jolod immediately called Richard to the laboratory. ¡°Richard, you¡¯ve really given me a big problem.¡± Jolod passed the summary sheet from Alex to Richard. ¡°Two hundred bottles of Concentration Potion a month; even I would have to put some effort into that. The Deputy Dean has already come to see me, and he wants an explanation.¡± Jolod spread his hands. ¡°But what explanation do I have?¡± Richard looked at the data on the summary sheet, which detailed how each of his potions had been sold to whom and marked the approximate times and channels of purchase. Richard scratched his head, his face showing not a hint of panic. ¡°As I thought, this has caught the Academy¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Jolod feigned surprise. ¡°It seems my student was well-prepared.¡± Richard nodded and then produced a contract. ¡°Before I tell you this explanation, to protect my knowledge as a Wizard, I¡¯d like you to sign this.¡± Jolod was taken aback, he hadn¡¯t expected Richard to do this. However, he did not get angry; instead, he happily took the contract and read it carefully. ¡°Just not allowing me to disclose this knowledge to the outside world?¡± Jolod frowned, then added a clause to the contract, ¡°You should also forbid me from using this knowledge for my own benefit. For others, I suggest adding a clause that after reading it, they must undergo memory erasure.¡± After speaking, Jolo handed the contract back to Richard, then took another contract from his drawer. ¡°Additionally, this type of contract only has binding force on an apprentice, but for a wizard, it¡¯s just a piece of scrap paper. Use mine instead,¡± Jolo suggested. Having said that, Jolo wrote down the terms on the new contract and signed it. Richard secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing how cooperative Jolo was. Having an understanding teacher truly was a blessing. ¡°It¡¯s excellent that you understand, teacher.¡± Richard took the contract and signed it, then brought Jolo to a room at the very edge of the fifty-sixth floor of the Black Tower. Upon opening the door, Jolo immediately noticed the strange machine in the center of the room. ¡°An alchemy machine? It looks like Anna¡¯s handiwork.¡± Jolo looked around the room but didn¡¯t discover anything exceptional. ¡°So, what¡¯s your explanation?¡± Jolo asked Richard, looking at him with some confusion. ¡°It¡¯s right here,¡± Richard said, pointing to the machine in the center of the room. ¡°Machine?¡± Jolo was taken aback, ¡°You mean to say you use this machine to help you process materials? That explanation isn¡¯t sufficient.¡± But he saw his student shake his head and then walk over to flip a switch on the machine. Rumble rumble¡­ A sound emanated from the machine, and Jolo was still in the dark. What was his student doing? But soon, he witnessed an incredible scene. Richard actually took a bottle of Concentration Potion from the output of the machine. Jolo was certain that this potion had not been in the machine before. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± The same thought that had flashed through Anna¡¯s mind passed through Jolo¡¯s. A machine making magic potions¡­ How ludicrous! Richard shrugged, then handed the potion to Jolo and started the machine again. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯ve produced a bottle of Concentration Potion with this machine.¡± ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± Jolo waved his hands in denial, even unconsciously taking a step back. The potion in Richard¡¯s hand seemed like a man-eating demon, sapping Jolo of the courage to even look at it. How could a machine make potions? The creation of potions required adaptability, the accumulated experience of an alchemy wizard over many years. Could a machine really do all that? Was there an alchemy wizard sealed inside it? His past education and personal experience had Jolo insisting: ¡°This must be a joke!¡± But, deep within his heart, a voice kept calling out. ¡°Jolo, this is real, remember the question you once had? How the Magic Potion Commerce at the Tower of Truth could supply potions without limit.¡± It was his determination as a wizard in pursuit of truth; wizards speak only with facts. Right is right, wrong is wrong. Before long, the sound of the machine ceased, and Richard took another bottle of Concentration Potion from the machine. ¡°Teacher, another potion. Can you tell if there¡¯s anything wrong with these two potions?¡± Jolo took a deep breath, accepted the two potions, then popped their stoppers and used a little magic to taste them. Indeed, the effects of the two potions were almost identical. The stubbornness in Jolo¡¯s heart began to crumble, and the rational mind of a wizard once again took dominance. Almost gritting his teeth, Jolo made a decision. ¡°These two potions¡­ are nearly identical. Richard, you¡­ have created something remarkable!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Wizard Commerce Plan (Please Subscribe) Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Wizard Commerce Plan (Please Subscribe) As rationality took the high ground, Jolod¡¯s emotions also calmed down. ¡°Richard, what¡¯s the principle behind this¡­ machine?¡± As a wizard, and an Alchemy Wizard at that, the machine before him was like a ravishing beauty making suggestive gestures, leaving Jolod, the old lecher, itching with curiosity. ¡°Ahem, teacher, that¡¯s a bit against the rules,¡± Richard murmured. Jolod¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment, as he quickly came to his senses. Knowledge requires an equivalent exchange; this is an immutable iron law of the Wizard World. But after considering his own collection, Jolod realized he had nothing that could compare to the machine before him. ¡°This¡­¡± Jolod became so anxious that sweat poured down his forehead. If he couldn¡¯t unravel the secret of this machine before him, he felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep peacefully for the rest of his life. ¡°Uh, teacher, I have a proposal. How about you listen to it?¡± ¡°You say,¡± Jolod said, locking his gaze onto Richard with an intensity that seemed as if it could bore a hole through him. ¡°It¡¯s like this, teacher. I plan to use this technology to start a Wizard Commerce, with me contributing the technology and you contributing the capital. We¡¯ll share the profits seventy-thirty, how about that?¡± Richard ventured. In fact, once Richard was certain that Magic Potions could be mass-produced, he had this idea in mind. Selling Magic Potions at a single Academy seemed like underutilizing his technology. ¡°Good, I agree!¡± Jolod immediately agreed without a second word. Then, with a flash, he vanished from the room, returning less than a minute later with a black scroll in his hand. ¡°This is a Soul Contract produced by the Tower of Truth; even a Great Wizard must adhere to its stipulations.¡± As he spoke, Jolod adeptly wrote on the Soul Contract, including details about the profit-sharing, confidentiality, and penalties for breach of contract. He seemed quite skilled at it. ¡°Take a look at the contract. If there¡¯s no problem, sign it.¡± Richard took the contract and read it carefully from top to bottom. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust Jolod, but rather he had never seen such a complete and formal contract, and he took the opportunity to learn how to write one. After all, that too was a form of knowledge. Satisfied that everything was correct, Richard signed the contract. As the contract turned to ashes, an invisible force settled upon them both. At this moment, Richard and Jolod not only had a master-disciple relationship but also a more solid bond of mutual interest. ¡°Now you can tell me the principle, right?¡± Jolod asked eagerly, looking at Richard. ¡°No problem.¡± Richard walked over to the machine and quickly disassembled the outer casing, revealing the machinery inside. ¡°This is the output, this is the Alchemy Pot, this is the Magic Power stabilizer¡­¡± Richard pointed out to Jolod each part of the machine, ¡°The principle that allows the machine to stably produce Magic Potions isn¡¯t anything miraculous. It¡¯s just that I found that when making Magic Potions, once each step¡¯s Magic Value reaches a certain standard, the Potions can be produced consistently.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that simple?¡± Jolod looked at Richard in disbelief, finding it hard to believe that a machine capable of near-miraculous feats worked on such a simple principle. He only needed to spend a bit more time confirming the Magic Potion formulas. Richard handed over his precise recipe to Jolod. After reviewing it, Jolod felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. ¡°Ha ha ha¡­ So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Jolod suddenly burst into laughter, tears nearly springing to his eyes. ¡°The principle is so simple! To think those old fools pondered for so long, only to come up with a solution of using Soul Slaves to make Magic Potions, ha ha ha¡­¡± From those words, Richard sensed an issue. ¡°Teacher, what do you mean by that?¡± Jolod steadied his spirit and explained to Richard: ¡°Richard, I guess your creation is not the first of its kind, at least several thousand years ago, the Magic Potion Commerce of the Tower of Truth had discovered this secret. But they protected the secret too well. So much so that unless you, a genius who discovers it on your own, nobody knows how they did it. Before this, I and a few friends from the Alchemy School tried to explore this secret, and after hundreds of years of research, we concluded that the Magic Potion Commerce bred a group of clever Magic Potion Slaves.¡± Jolod couldn¡¯t help but laugh again. ¡°Not the first¡­¡± Richard stroked his chin, an astonishing idea leaped out from his heart. ¡°Teacher, I have a question I want to ask you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Richard organized his thoughts, ¡°Teacher, is the stuff you¡¯re researching very profound? I mean, is it that kind of extremely complicated matter that many wizards find difficult to solve?¡± Jolod was taken aback, ¡°Of course not, many wizards are researching the same things as I am.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Richard hesitated, ¡°is it possible that the things you are researching might have already been explored by some wizard you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­Indeed possible, or rather, surely some wizard has already explored it.¡± Jolod looked at Richard, what astonishing and scandalous thing had his student thought of this time? ¡°That¡¯s exactly right.¡± Richard seemed to have unraveled some enigma, revitalized by the revelation. ¡°What did you think of?¡± Jolod asked curiously. ¡°Nothing.¡± Richard shook his head and left the room with Jolod. Just then, Richard finally confirmed something. The vast majority of wizards in the Wizard World are reinventing the wheel. The so-called reinvention of the wheel, meaning that wizards are constantly repeating the same research. In fact, in Richard¡¯s past life, this kind of situation also occurred from time to time. But due to information transfer and technical exchanges, this phenomenon generally only appeared in the technological confrontations between nations. But in the Wizard World, due to wizards¡¯ paranoid protection of knowledge, the technical exchanges throughout the Wizard World are actually extremely limited. If a wizard wants to research a certain discipline, then they might even need to start from the very basics of that field. Yes, start exploring, not start learning. Wizards have an exceedingly long lifespan, with a One Ring Wizard¡¯s lifespan reaching a thousand years, and a Three Rings Wizard able to live up to ten thousand years. When it comes to a Great Wizard, the basic unit of a wizard¡¯s lifespan switches to epochs, meaning ten thousand years. Given such prolonged lifespans, the theoretical development level of the Wizard World should have far surpassed what it is today. But instead, the Wizard World has become like this. Richard had always been somewhat puzzled before, but today he found the answer. If wizards need to start from scratch when exploring certain aspects of knowledge, then it is possible for the Wizard World to become the way it is now. Because a discipline is not just something that one person can complete alone, it often requires many people with different perspectives to perfect it. Moreover, one¡¯s perspective is fixed, and with aging, this ossification becomes more and more serious. Just like Jolod, an Alchemy Wizard who lived for thousands of years, could never think of the knowledge to mass-produce Magic Potions. If knowledge is not exchanged, many technologies will not be circulated, which also means that many techniques would be confined to a certain wizard or Academy. And this problem is almost insoluble; in this world where knowledge can be converted into power, people all want others to share knowledge and then enjoy the benefits themselves. ¡°However, this could also be a good thing.¡± Richard murmured to himself, ¡°My thoughts aren¡¯t so scandalous after all. The Wizard World is so vast; there¡¯s always some wise person who appears.¡± ¡°Some things in the future can be pursued boldly and with confidence.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Apprentice Exchange Competition Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Apprentice Exchange Competition Since Richard was only a Wizard Apprentice, the affairs of the Wizard Commerce had to be managed solely by Jolod. Fortunately, he also ran an Alchemy Workshop, so establishing the commerce was not a difficult task for him. The Academy¡¯s review soon passed, and once it was confirmed that Jolod had not directly helped Richard, the matter was quietly settled under Alex¡¯s management. Due to an increase in shipments, Richard¡¯s Magic Stone reserves quickly recovered. With a sufficient supply of Magic Stones, Richard¡¯s Wizard Hand Grenade project progressed very smoothly. The materials for the hand grenade had been determined, and the Magic Model had been disassembled with Richard¡¯s efforts. What remained for the Wizard Hand Grenade was to continuously revise the design, then keep testing until the most suitable blueprint was achieved. It was a lengthy process, but Richard fortunately was not short on time. ¡­ Test zone. ¡°The fifty-sixth test is starting.¡± Richard watched the distant target and casually threw the black cylindrical object in his hand. This was Richard¡¯s fifty-sixth version of the Wizard Hand Grenade, its element isolation stability and activation flexibility had greatly improved. If nothing went wrong, this design would be the final version of the Wizard Hand Grenade. ¡°Three, two, one!¡± Boom! As the countdown ended, the hand grenade exploded on cue. Richard squinted his eyes and silently watched the intense light burst in the distance. The Water and Fire Annihilation reaction caused a violent bright light, which also carried a certain amount of energy. Ordinary people exposed to it might suffer severe burns, but for a Wizard Apprentice, the light was merely a bit dazzling. As the bright light faded, Richard walked to the crater created by the grenade. The originally solid hardened ground of the test zone had a deep pit about the height of a person after the explosion. ¡°Energy dissipates too quickly, it can only be considered an individual weapon.¡± Richard shrugged and recorded the data in his notebook. Individual weapon it is, after all, it wasn¡¯t very expensive to make; just about a hundred Magic Stones for pure material costs. And that was just Richard¡¯s preliminary research¡ªif he had enough time, he could probably reduce the cost even further with a Rune Array. But that research would definitely be something Richard would do at the Wizard stage¡ªhe was still a Wizard Apprentice and had no need to waste time on that now. ¡°Richard!¡± As Richard was recording data, a voice came from behind him. ¡°What is it, Ali?¡± Richard asked without turning around. ¡°The news is confirmed.¡± Ali ran up to Richard, her expression excited, ¡°The Dean mentioned last time about the exchange with White Wizard Academy, it¡¯s all set now.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard paused, it took him a while to remember what the Dean said on the day he entered the Secret Realm. Richard pocketed his notebook, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Deputy Dean say it might take until next decade?¡± ¡°Who knows, I heard from our teacher that White Wizard Academy was unusually quick this time, they even started setting up the venue in just a few years,¡± Ali hugged Richard excitedly, ¡°and you know what the prize is?¡± ¡°What?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°The Dean¡¯s prize is a guaranteed progression to Wizard!¡± ¡°What!¡± Richard¡¯s eyes widened instantly. A guaranteed progression to Wizard? That reward was indeed very tempting. Ali continued, ¡°I heard that since it¡¯s the first time this exchange is being held, a lot of things are experimental, so the Dean and Deputy Dean decided to raise the reward a bit.¡± ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re the guinea pigs,¡± Richard realized. However, a test subject is still a test subject; the reward of guaranteed entry into the Wizard ranks truly tempted Richard. ¡°How much longer do we have?¡± ¡°Four years,¡± Ali calculated the time. ¡°I heard the bloody test was directly replaced by an exchange competition.¡± Richard calculated the time, his spiritual power was not far from becoming an Advanced Apprentice; probably another year would elevate him to that level. ¡°Okay, time is still ample. By the way, what exactly is this competition about?¡± ¡°That¡­ the teacher didn¡¯t say, you should ask Master Jolod, see how much he knows.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask the teacher.¡± Upon arriving at the ninety-ninth floor laboratory in the Black Tower, Richard happened to run into Chax who was looking for him. ¡°Hey, Junior Brother, you¡¯ve come at a good time!¡± Chax patted Richard forcefully, clearly, he had already heard about the exchange competition. ¡°Haha, seems like you heard too, Senior Brother.¡± ¡°Of course, the news is almost spreading like wildfire.¡± Chax pointed upstairs. ¡°By the way, the teacher just asked me to find you, hurry to the laboratory. He probably wants to give you some insider information.¡± Upon reaching the laboratory, Jolod called Richard over as soon as he saw him. ¡°You must have heard about the exchange competition.¡± Richard sat down beside Jolod. ¡°Heard about it, is the final reward a direct entry into becoming a Wizard?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Jolod nodded, then added discontentedly, ¡°Eric is really tightfisted, even the awards for the exchange competition are so limited.¡± ¡°Tightfisted?¡± Richard was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Definitely tightfisted.¡± Jolod complained, ¡°The winner of this competition will get the qualification for direct entry into becoming a Wizard, which sounds impressive. But think about it, would anyone capable of winning in this competition fail the Wizard exam?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ indeed.¡± Richard realized, anyone who could excel in the competition wouldn¡¯t fare badly in the Wizard exam. This direct entry was essentially an advance award of the qualification to become a Wizard. ¡°Ah, let¡¯s not talk about this. I called you here to tell you that the matters with the Wizard Commerce have been preliminarily settled.¡± Saying this, Jolod handed a leather scroll to Richard. ¡°This is a Commerce Scroll issued by the Truth Council, with this, we can legally do business with the Academy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Richard was excited, ¡°So when do we start?¡± ¡°Start? We¡¯ve just completed the first step of establishing the Wizard Commerce!¡± Jolod glared at him, ¡°Having a scroll just means the council allows you to exist, but if you want to do business, you need stable material channels, stable sales channels, and popular products. Although I managed an Alchemy Workshop before, Magic Potions were not within my business scope, establishing these channels needs to start from scratch. Moreover, Concentration Potions might still be useful during the Apprentice phase, but they become useless at the Wizard stage. If we want to engage in big business, we need to develop new Magic Potions, ideally those that can be used by Wizards. These are all challenges, and without a couple of hundred years, don¡¯t even think about officially profiting.¡± Richard scratched his head awkwardly. He had oversimplified things; Wizard Commerce was not just about selling Magic Potions in the academy¡¯s business district. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s enough that you know this. Also, Eric¡¯s side guards the content of this competition very tightly, I¡¯ve only gotten a bit of vague information, it seems to be something like a simulated battlefield. Don¡¯t you have a little girlfriend who is Susanna¡¯s student? Susanna might know a bit more.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Master Susanna is also not clear,¡± Richard said, somewhat embarrassed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know?¡± Jolod was slightly surprised but quickly regained composure. ¡°Well, if she doesn¡¯t know, then she doesn¡¯t. No matter what the competition is like, increasing your strength and knowledge is always the right choice.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Advanced Meditation Method Chapter 73: Chapter 73 Advanced Meditation Method Leaving Jolod¡¯s place, Richard headed straight for the Magic Store. Although the reward for this competition sounded penurious coming from Jolod¡¯s lips, Richard still wanted to strive for it. Who would take entrance exams if they could be admitted without them? Due to the spread of the news, the Magic Store was already packed with well-informed Wizard Apprentices. These apprentices were among the stronger ones, also those who had some chance to receive the exam rewards. ¡°Make way, make way, please.¡± While shouting, Richard pushed the apprentices in front of him aside. The pushed apprentices wanted to resist, but Richard, a Bloodline Alchemy Wizard Apprentice, was stronger than them even without activating his Bloodline. After squeezing his way to the counter, the Magic Store¡¯s mechanical clerk was methodically inspecting the Academy Coins and then controlling the pneumatic pipeline to deliver scrolls one by one. The clerks wouldn¡¯t intervene to keep the peace unless a magical battle broke out. ¡°What would you like to purchase?¡± The clerk came to Richard and asked mechanically. ¡°I want the advanced Meditation Method.¡± As soon as he said this, the surrounding environment went silent instantly. The advanced Meditation Method? An apprentice dug his ears, feeling he might have heard wrong. Someone wanted to buy the advanced Meditation Method worth ten thousand Magic Stones, which is a million Academy Coins. ¡°The advanced Meditation Method is priced at one million Academy Coins.¡± Richard didn¡¯t say much; he calmly took out bundles of Academy Coins from his Magic Pocket. Each bundle he took out made apprentices rub their eyes. ¡°This must be counterfeit money!¡± an apprentice thought in shock. ¡°How can anyone afford the advanced Meditation Method?¡± Due to the large number of Academy Coins, the mechanical clerk could only verify them in batches. ¡°Two hundred thousand Academy Coins confirmed.¡± ¡°Two hundred thousand Academy Coins confirmed.¡± ¡°Two hundred thousand Academy Coins confirmed.¡± ¡­ The same voice repeated five times, silencing the entire Magic Store, and some apprentices who had just come in did not understand what was going on. What¡¯s happening? Why is everyone silent? ¡°Gulp.¡± An apprentice near Richard swallowed his saliva; he suddenly remembered who this apprentice was. ¡°Are you¡­ Richard?¡± Richard glanced at him, neither confirming nor denying. ¡°Richard? Is that the Richard?¡± an apprentice whispered to another. ¡°Is he the one who first killed a slave beast in the exam? The one who killed Holder?¡± ¡°I heard there used to be someone in the commercial area who sold Concentration Potions, but ever since Richard started selling them, that person mysteriously disappeared, no corpse to be found.¡± ¡°Really?¡­¡± Ignoring the murmurs, Richard picked up the scroll delivered by the pneumatic pipeline and left the Magic Store, leaving behind only a dashing figure. Fame was just that, Richard never cared about it. Back in his bedroom, Richard immediately used the Miracle Furnace to extract the content of the advanced Meditation Method. [Ingredient: Knowledge Scroll] [Extractable Information: Advanced Meditation Method] [Extraction Cost: 15 spiritual power] ¡°` [Refine?] Richard chose to refine, and a few seconds later, a ball of white light appeared above the Miracle Furnace. After absorbing the white light, Richard immediately tried to meditate. The Advanced Meditation Method was several times more difficult than the Intermediate Meditation Method, bringing the count of Spiritual Runes to an astonishing one hundred. However, Richard was not a novice Apprentice anymore; he had mastered the art of meditation practice. After failing slightly twice, Richard successfully entered meditation on the third attempt. The Advanced Meditation Method allowed him to stay in the Sea of Souls for a full eight hours. When he awoke from the Meditation State, Richard could clearly feel that the effects of the Advanced Meditation Method were several times stronger than the Intermediate Method. If he continued to meditate at this pace, he would reach the significant milestone of forty points of spiritual power within four months and become a high-level Wizard Apprentice. But Richard¡¯s ambitions went far beyond that. ¡°With four more years to go, by meditating at this pace, my spiritual power should reach forty-five points before the exchange competition. Although it¡¯s still some distance from the ultimate Apprentice, it¡¯s still quite fast compared to other Apprentices,¡± Richard mused to himself. A Wizard Apprentice¡¯s spiritual power can peak at forty-nine point nine points, and at this stage, they are known as ultimate Apprentices. Once they reach this level of power, meditation becomes futile for Wizard Apprentices, and they must undergo the Wizard Promotion Ceremony, elevating their life level to a higher tier. Once the transition is complete, the Wizard Apprentice will be known as a Wizard, and their strength will undergo a dramatic change. Fifty and forty-nine point nine, although only a difference of point one, even a newly promoted Wizard could easily defeat three ultimate Apprentices. Once a Wizard fully adapts, an ultimate Apprentice would appear as nothing more than an ordinary person¡ªalbeit a slightly stronger one¡ªin the eyes of a Wizard. Time whizzed by, and two years quickly passed. In the laboratory, Richard carefully observed a bug¡¯s corpse on the dissection table through a magnifying glass. Under the magnifying glass, the muscle structure of the bug was clearly visible. While looking, Richard jotted down data in his notes. ¡°The muscle structure of this Magic Crystal Arrow Worm is truly peculiar. The multi-layered muscle fibers stack upon one another, and once charged, they deform like a bowstring, accumulating as much power as possible.¡± Richard marveled at the Magic Crystal Arrow Worm. Despite its small size, when the Magic Crystal Arrow Worm moved, it was like an arrow shot from a powerful crossbow, easily piercing through steel. Wizards excel at discovering knowledge from various things and then utilizing it. So after seeing this muscle structure, Richard¡¯s first thought was of his own body. Wizards commonly modify their bodies in pursuit of strength, shedding the constraints of their flesh without hesitation. ¡°Culture it and then transplant?¡± Richard fell into deep thought. This kind of modification was somewhat similar to Jolod¡¯s creation of Synthetic Beasts. When creating these beasts, Jolod didn¡¯t just stitch together limbs of various creatures. To boost combat prowess, he also had to cultivate muscles, skin, and even bones. But Richard didn¡¯t quite want to use this method. Apart from the difficulty of targeted cultivation, the possibility of implant rejection and the impact on his daily activities were unacceptable to Richard. Human muscles might not be the best, but they are certainly the most adapted for human daily life. The muscle structure of the Crystal Arrow Worm, while outstanding in some aspects, also had its drawbacks. ¡°Alas, if only teacher had a Flesh Magic that could temporarily change the structure of flesh, this Arrow Worm¡¯s muscle structure would undoubtedly provide a significant boost in combat strength.¡± Leaving the laboratory, Richard, as usual, went to the training room to practice his Adaptation Body. Years of relentless training had allowed Richard¡¯s physique to withstand Elemental Damage from fire, lightning, and ice Elemental Magic of Energy Levels up to forty-five. And this was roughly the limit Richard could reach at his current stage. Although the Adaptation Body can continually improve a Wizard¡¯s resistance to various types of damage, it also requires the Wizard to have a sufficient physical foundation for adaptation. To use an analogy, physique is like the material used to build a machine, while Adaptation Potion is akin to lubricant, and external stimuli represent the energy source. Although the machine can operate with energy supply, if it runs too intensely, the material can wear down and even break. And the same principle applies to the human body. According to Jolod¡¯s estimates, at the Wizard Apprentice stage, one could train the Adaptation Body up to an Energy Level of fifty at most, beyond which there is a risk of the Life Core collapsing. At that point, it¡¯s not about adaptation anymore; just surviving would be considered incredibly lucky. After training a cycle, Richard wiped off sweat and left the training room, ready to return to his bedroom and read some Magic Books. But as he stepped out, he saw Jolod approaching him. ¡°Richard, I have a task for you.¡± ¡°` COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Gael City Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Gael City ¡°A mission?¡± Richard paused slightly. ¡°A trial mission, assigned by the Academy faction,¡± Jolod handed a scroll to Richard, ¡°There has been a case of missing population in a city affiliated with the Academy. The resident Wizard Apprentice thought it might be the work of a mad wizard, so the news was sent to the Academy.¡± ¡°Mad wizard? What kind of wizard is that? Same as black and white wizards?¡± Richard glanced at the scroll and asked casually. ¡°Not at all,¡± Jolod denied, ¡°Black and white wizards are distinctions made by the great Truth Wizards, while mad wizards are just a widely circulated nickname; their official name is law-breaking wizards. That is, those who have violated the laws of the Truth Council. In principle, such matters should be dealt with by the Judicial Department under the council, but given that Law Enforcement Wizards have too much to take responsibility for, dealing with these Apprentice Level mad wizards has become the responsibility of the Academy.¡± Judicial Department, yet another new term. Richard put away the scroll, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll handle it right away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this task,¡± Jolod reminded, ¡°Mad wizards are more skilled in combat than ordinary Apprentices; these people use mortals for experiments, some studies are specifically aimed at wizards. If you underestimate them, be careful or you¡¯ll pay dearly.¡± Richard nodded, a confident smile on his face. ¡°I understand, Professor.¡± Back in his bedroom, Richard immediately began to prepare his equipment. First was his Demon Eater Sword; after his years of making it, the second phase of the Demon Eater Sword was complete. The current Demon Eater Sword possessed Purgatory Fire that could scorch a Spiritual Body. Then there were various protective Magic Equipment: Guardian Pendant, Spirit Protection Ring, Concealer Cloak¡­ Finally, Richard carefully placed five black, long cylinders into his Magic Pocket. These were the Wizard Hand Grenades he had made¡ªnow called Annihilation Hand Grenades. The final scheme of the Annihilation Hand Grenades was settled two years ago, and over these two years, Richard had made some minor modifications, producing a customized version. The materials for the customized Annihilation Hand Grenades were altered, resulting in the material cost of a single grenade reaching a thousand Magic Stones. However, a thousand Magic Stones resulted in an Annihilation Hand Grenade that didn¡¯t require charging, and even a low-level Apprentice could use it with ease. Richard made five of these custom Annihilation Hand Grenades and planned to bring them all this time as a precaution. After packing his equipment, Richard went to the balcony and called Wuni onto his shoulder. How could he go killing without the Death Crow? The location of the task was a city called Gael, one of the Academy-affiliated cities with a large population, reaching over a million. It was also because of its large population that the Academy took the report of a mad wizard very seriously. The Wizard Academy was obliged to protect the ordinary humans within its range. If a mad wizard at the Apprentice level caused significant trouble that caught the attention of the Judicial Department, the Black Tower Wizard Academy would face accountability from the Judicial Department. Arriving at the Airship field, Richard found a Magic Airship headed to Gael and boarded it. Every city under the Academy¡¯s administration has an Airship field, which not only facilitates the travel of Wizard Apprentices but also provides convenience for the Wizard Commerce to transport goods. Once onboard the Airship, Richard observed the other passengers. Unlike the Airship he took to the Black Stone Mountain Range, a considerable number of passengers on this Airship were normal people. These ordinary people were dressed lavishly and spoke civilly, belonging to the middle class or even higher echelons in mortal society. Upon noticing Richard¡¯s gaze, they did not panic but simply bowed slightly in respect. It seemed they were already accustomed to seeing Wizard Apprentices. ¡°It looks like the lives of ordinary people on the Wizard Continent are better than I thought, and the wizards are not so mysterious.¡± In the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom, mortals couldn¡¯t even dream of riding Airships; even horse-drawn carriages were travel means only the rich and Nobles could afford, and commoners had to rely on their own two legs for travel. Gael City was not far from the Academy. After four hours of flying, Richard arrived at his destination. As soon as he disembarked from the Airship, Richard saw a sight that shocked him. The Airship field in Gael City was even larger than the Academy¡¯s. Large Airships with massive cargo holds landed in the Airship field, then workers boarded them to unload and transport goods. What was surprising was that they were transporting goods from the Flying Airships by horses and carts. Using horse-drawn carriages to transport goods from Flying Airships; this marvel made Richard click his tongue in wonder. ¡°Coexistence of the primitive with the advanced, the Wizard World is fascinating.¡± Leaving the airship port, Richard saw several carriages waiting for business. Richard called for one, preparing to head to the City Lord Mansion. ¡°How much to the City Lord Mansion?¡± he asked. The coachman glanced at Richard and, upon noticing the silver pentagonal badge on Richard¡¯s chest, his eyes widened. He hopped off the carriage and said with some excitement: ¡°Are you a wizard, sir?¡± Richard nodded. ¡°It would be my honor to serve a wizard. How could I possibly charge you?¡± said the coachman. With that, the coachman proactively opened the door of the carriage and gestured for Richard to enter. Richard smiled, ¡°Why so excited? Haven¡¯t you seen a wizard before?¡± Considering what he saw on the airship, wizard apprentices should be quite common in the Wizard Continent. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a big shot like you,¡± the coachman said with excitement. ¡°In all of Gael City, only the City Lord gets to see wizards regularly. We lesser folks only catch a glimpse of wizards once every ten years during the apprentice selection.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Richard nodded and entered the carriage. On the way, Richard curiously observed this city governed by the Wizard Academy. Unlike Black Stone City, Gael City seemed quite prosperous, with people coming and going on the streets. Their attire, though not luxurious, was at least clean and decent, and their faces bore signs of life. In the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom, even the royal city might not achieve this. The airship port was on the outskirts of the city, so logically, Richard should have encountered things like slums on his way, but he hadn¡¯t seen a slum or even a single beggar. ¡°Master, are there no beggars in Gael City?¡± Richard asked casually. ¡°Beggars?¡± The coachman chuckled. ¡°Since I was born in Gael City, I¡¯ve never seen a beggar.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Richard exclaimed in surprise. ¡°There¡¯s nothing impossible about it, wizard sir,¡± the coachman said loudly. ¡°And it¡¯s all thanks to you great folks. I grew up listening to the heroic tales of wizards.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Richard stroked his chin. It seemed that some apprentices sent by the academy had put a lot of thought into urban governance. Following the main street to the City Lord Mansion, they arrived at a grand marble building. Richard got out of the carriage and handed the coachman an Academy Coin, but the coachman waved his hands, insisting it was his honor, and declined the money. Then he whipped the reins and drove off. Richard could only smile helplessly at this. He showed the task scroll issued by the academy to the guard at the door, who promptly opened the gate in a hurry and led Richard inside the mansion. Upon entering, Richard instantly felt a surge of magic fluctuation emanating from the walls of the mansion, seemingly inscribed with some magic array. ¡°My teacher said that the academy has stationed wizard apprentices in these cities; this must be their handiwork.¡± Following the staircase to the second floor, the guard led Richard to the City Lord¡¯s study and then left him. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Who is it? Didn¡¯t I say not to disturb me unless it¡¯s a wizard?¡± came a voice from inside. Hearing this, Richard pushed the door open and entered. The study was decorated simply, nothing like the grandiosity of the mansion. Inside, an old man with white hair sat in a chair holding a book. At this moment, the elder looked astonished as he gazed at the tall man with a crow on his shoulder. ¡°I am a wizard sent from the academy,¡± Richard said calmly, then showed the task scroll to the old man. Upon seeing this, the elder quickly got up and hurried to Richard¡¯s side. ¡°Hello, hello, I am the City Lord of Gael City, Spencer Gale,¡± he said. ¡°It is a great honor to meet you.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Cult Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Cult ¡°City Lord Spencer, we can skip the pleasantries. I would like to know the specifics,¡± Richard found a chair to sit down in and went straight to the point. ¡°Very well, Wizard sir. Three months ago, the local police station received a report from a woman who claimed that her parents had gone missing three days prior and their whereabouts remained unknown. The police officers investigated but initially found nothing unusual. However, during their inquiries, they unexpectedly discovered several vacant houses in the woman¡¯s neighborhood. Since the Wizard stationed here had instructed us to report any large-scale disappearances, the officers reported this matter up the chain, and I relayed the message to the Wizard.¡± ¡°So then?¡± Richard frowned, ¡°Did you conduct a thorough investigation?¡± ¡°Ha-ha¡­ well¡­ uh¡­¡± Spencer laughed nervously, inwardly remarking that they wouldn¡¯t dare to probe into a case involving a Wizard on their own. Richard sighed, seeing that this task was going to be a bit troublesome. ¡°Do you have any records of the officers¡¯ investigation into the disappearances?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± the City Lord Spencer quickly replied. ¡°Bring the records to me and take me to meet the Wizard stationed here.¡± ¡­ The dwelling of the stationed Wizard was not far from the mansion, and Richard followed Spencer for a few hundred meters before arriving at the place. It was a small house, with a front garden that was overgrown with weeds due to neglect. Apart from that, the house seemed no different from an ordinary residence. ¡°Sir, I will prepare the records for you, and when you meet the Wizard¡­ may I¡­¡± Spencer inquired. Richard waved his hand, ¡°Go ahead, you¡¯re busy.¡± Spencer, relieved, bowed slightly to Richard and quickly walked away. Richard approached and knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside. ¡°No one home?¡± Richard furrowed his brow, then revealed a hint of magic fluctuation. That got a response. Creak! An old man with skin as rough as tree bark opened the door. ¡°A Wizard Apprentice from the Academy?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Then come in.¡± Upon entering, Richard immediately smelled a strong, sour stench. The living room was littered with trash, and the sofa was covered with dirty clothes. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. I¡¯m just an old man. No one comes by, and I haven¡¯t cleaned up,¡± the old man said as he fetched a kettle from the kitchen and poured Richard a glass of water. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t conduct any research?¡± Richard asked, unable to help himself. In this house, Richard couldn¡¯t sense any magic fluctuation, not even compared to the City Lord Mansion, which seemed more like a Wizard¡¯s dwelling. ¡°Research? Brother, I¡¯m not like you; I¡¯ve graduated. There¡¯s no hope for me to become a Wizard,¡± the old man said with self-deprecating laughter, ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve learned enough. What¡¯s the point of researching when it¡¯s not as joyful as playing chess?¡± With those words, the old man pushed aside the trash on the table and, from somewhere, produced a chessboard. The chessboard¡¯s surface was clean and smooth, clearly an old and frequently used item. ¡°Playing chess is much more interesting than reading books.¡± Richard was taken aback; this old man¡¯s carefree attitude was unlike any other Wizard Apprentice he had met. It seemed this old man had entirely shed his identity as a Wizard Apprentice and fully returned to the life of an ordinary person. ¡°Care for a game? The rules are quite simple,¡± the old man offered enthusiastically. ¡°No, I¡¯m here to ask about the mad wizard incident you reported,¡± Richard shook his head and then got straight to the point. ¡°Have you visited the crime scene, and did you find any clues?¡± The old man shook his head in disappointment, ¡°I just took a glance. There were no traces of spells, nor any clues. Every household seemed normal; it was as if people just left their homes in the morning and then suddenly disappeared.¡± Hearing this, Richard¡¯s heart sank. Without clues, how could he complete the task. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with your identity, you can command anyone from the City Lord Mansion as you please; isn¡¯t it easy to find some clues?¡± The old man, as if seeing through his thoughts, spoke slowly and leisurely. ¡°In some ways, mortals are no worse than wizards.¡± Richard sighed, it seemed he could only wait for the records from Spencer. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then I won¡¯t bother you any further.¡± Richard stood up to leave. The old man didn¡¯t see him out but simply set up a few chess pieces on the board and started playing against himself. It seemed that this chessboard represented the truth he sought. The investigation records from the police arrived quickly in Richard¡¯s hands, and he immediately began reviewing them. ¡°The Blood Red Master?¡± Richard pointed at a term in the records and asked Spencer. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are there still religions in the city?¡± Wizards do not believe in gods, or more accurately, they do not believe in any gods whose real bodies can be found. In the process of conquering the Otherworld, wizards have killed countless creatures claiming to be divine beings. Some of these were World Masters, some twisted Evil Demons, but in the eyes of wizards, these entities were merely powerful natives whose only purpose was to contribute knowledge on the wizard¡¯s dissecting table. Of course, there are believers among the wizards, adherents of a branch of the Soul School, who imagine a Divine being and pray to it, offering Magic Power as offerings, turning this Divine being into something akin to a storage facility. In times of danger, this Divine being would return the stored power to the wizards, enabling them to enhance their strength for a short period. This was an offbeat Spell, and even among Soul Wizards, these individuals were just a very small part. ¡°This¡­ it indeed is a religion,¡± Spencer was somewhat perplexed, ¡°but it should have been eradicated a long time ago.¡± ¡°A cult?¡± Spencer nodded his head. ¡°Indeed a cult. This religion required its followers to offer living people as sacrifices, and after being reported, the Civil Protection Team arrested its leaders, and the religion should have disbanded. It seems this is a resurgence of the extinguished flames.¡± Richard tapped on the term ¡®Blood Red Master¡¯; he had a feeling this case must be the work of the resurrected cult. ¡°Instruct the police to discreetly investigate this cult and notify me immediately if there¡¯s any news.¡± ¡°As you wish, Great Wizard.¡± Three days later, the investigation results from the police were laid out in front of Richard. ¡°Sir, your wisdom is truly unrivaled. All these missing persons are connected to the Vortex God; they are all followers of this sect,¡± Spencer said obsequiously beside Richard. ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°Have the police arrange an identity for me; I want to infiltrate this sect.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to investigate in person?¡± Spencer was slightly startled, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit too dangerous?¡± ¡°Dangerous?¡± Richard looked at him as if he were a fool, ¡°My dear City Lord, you seem to have forgotten something; I am a Wizard Apprentice. I¡¯m much stronger than those knights and high knights under you.¡± Spencer¡¯s face turned red; he had forgotten that the respect he held was not merely for the title. It was the profound strength that underpinned that respect. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Ceremony Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Ceremony Mr. Nicolo was a well-known wealthy merchant in Gael City, mainly dealing in the grain business, handling one-tenth of the city¡¯s grain supply, and was indeed a rich man. This wealthy man had no particular hobbies, except for some normal fun, his most time-consuming interest was in studying witchcraft. This witchcraft was not the kind the Wizard Academy taught, which was proper Spells. Instead, these witchcrafts were filled with all sorts of absurd and unrestrained elements, nine out of ten were fake, and the remaining one was some incomplete witchcraft left behind. To put how perplexing this hobby was into perspective, it was like a patient ignoring modern medicine and instead seeking out some folk remedies to treat their illness. But Mr. Nicolo remained endlessly enthusiastic, even somewhat obsessed. An unknown secret chamber. ¡°Pastor, the police have started investigating us.¡± The short and stout Nicolo knelt on the ground, in front of him, a mysterious figure in a black robe was praying to an altar. ¡°What have they discovered?¡± the mysterious person¡¯s voice sounded strange, as if many voices were mixed together. The language he spoke was not the Wizard Language; Nicolo had never heard this language before, but he still understood what was being said. ¡°Pastor, our sacrifices are likely to have been exposed.¡± ¡°What?¡± A formidable pressure suddenly burst from the mysterious person as Nicolo knelt before him, making Nicolo feel that he was not facing a human, but a Demon God who had been sealed. ¡°What should we do, my Lord?¡± Nicolo said, trembling. ¡°What to do?¡± the mysterious person paused, ¡°Gather the believers tonight, we can no longer delay the sacrifice, we must hasten the arrival of our Lord.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord, I will get on it immediately.¡± After Nicolo left, the mysterious person returned to his previous position, a wave of mental fluctuation emanated from within him. ¡°My Lord, tonight is the day you break free from shackles and descend upon this world.¡± On the altar, a tiny Space Rift flickered in and out of visibility. ¡­ Under the arrangements of the police and the City Lord Mansion, Richard successfully obtained a new identity¡ªa Wandering Knight craving power. Using this identity, Richard blended into various taverns to solidify his persona and successfully made contact with the followers of the Crimson Lord, becoming one of them. In the tavern, Richard habitually drank heavily to perfect his image. But soon, a person in red found him. ¡°Richard, there is a sacrifice at the Church tonight,¡± the person in red whispered into Richard¡¯s ear. ¡°A sacrifice?¡± Richard pretended to be excited, ¡°Does that mean I might receive the Crimson Lord¡¯s blessing?¡± The person in red frowned and gestured for Richard to keep his voice down. ¡°Of course, each sacrifice brings blessings from the Crimson Lord.¡± ¡°How lucky I am then!¡± Internally, the person in red thought Richard was a fool to believe such things. The Crimson Lord¡¯s blessing was not so easily bestowed, and even if it was, it certainly wouldn¡¯t be for a fool like him. However, the person in red did not express these thoughts, instead feigning envy: ¡°You really are lucky, to have joined just in time for a sacrifice.¡± After conveying the message, the person in red left the tavern, while Richard¡¯s excited expression gradually morphed into a sneer. ¡°Having wasted so much time, I¡¯ve finally caught the mastermind.¡± Without staying much longer, Richard immediately contacted Spencer to prepare for the evacuation of the civilians. A crazy Wizard might act without regard for the lives of civilians, but Richard couldn¡¯t. The Academy¡¯s mission had a requirement¡ªto minimize civilian casualties. ¡°73 Ninth Street? Alright, my Lord, I will prepare immediately,¡± Spencer¡¯s voice came from the Crystal Ball. ¡°This Crystal Ball was specially prepared by Richard for this mission at the Wizard Academy. Its function is to transmit sound within five hundred meters, essentially a low-grade version of a telephone. However, this gadget also had an advantage¡ªit had almost no Magic Fluctuations, so Richard was not afraid of his voice transmission being detected by mad wizards. ¡°Don¡¯t prepare too early, be careful of information leakage,¡± Richard instructed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wizard Sir, I can handle such a small matter,¡± the apprentice replied. At night, Richard, cloaked and wearing worn leather armor, carrying his Great Sword, arrived at the gathering place. The gatekeeper, after confirming Richard¡¯s identity, let him in. From the outside, the gathering place looked no different from a normal residence, but beneath it was a huge underground hall. The entire hall could accommodate hundreds of members, with torches and oil lamps hanging from the walls. In the center of the hall was a black stone altar, covered in strange patterns. Normally, those attending the gathering would pray toward this altar. This underground hall had several tunnels connected to it, but unfortunately, Richard never had the chance to explore where these tunnels led. The underground hall¡¯s Believers kept increasing in number, and soon there were hundreds gathered. These people wore masks and cloaks, making the entire hall resemble a masquerade ball. Soon, everyone had arrived. As the guards closed the entrance to the underground hall, a figure clad in black emerged from the shadows and floated to the center of the hall. ¡°Good evening, faithful Believers of the Blood Red Lord,¡± ¡°Pastor,¡± the crowd bowed in unison toward the figure in black. ¡°I believe you must be curious why I¡¯m rushing the sacrifice, given that it¡¯s been less than half a year since our last one.¡± The voice of the figure in black suddenly became more forceful. ¡°Today, I received an oracle from our master, the great Blood Red Lord. He said the time has come, the time to descend upon mankind and bring us a great cleansing.¡± Upon hearing this news, the whole hall¡¯s Believers grew excited. Fanatics were somewhat like star chasers¡ªunquestionably thrilled at the prospect of soon seeing their idol. But Richard, standing in a corner, let out a cold laugh. If it weren¡¯t for the multitude of people here and the risk of being ambushed by spells from the Undead School, he would have liked to kill this ridiculous charlatan right away. An Advanced Apprentice playing the role of a prophet in a mortal city, really disgracing the face of all Wizard Apprentices. If only he had a bit of a mad scientist¡¯s charisma, even a little bit, Richard wouldn¡¯t underestimate him. But this charlatan really lacked it completely. ¡°Sacrifice! Sacrifice! Sacrifice!¡­¡± It started with someone, and soon the whole hall¡¯s Believers were chanting ¡®sacrifice,¡¯ which greatly irritated Richard. Damn it, believing in a god in a world with wizards¡ªwhat on earth were these people thinking! The figure in black opened his arms toward the Believers, his words growing fervent: ¡°Brothers and sisters, our heaven is about to descend, our Lord will establish an Earthly Divine Country on this land. In the Divine Country, there will be no poverty, no pain, no sickness, no death, we will revel in joy until the end of time!¡± At the same moment, a secret mental invasion suddenly touched Richard¡¯s mind. The figure in black in the sky suddenly shuddered, his gaze instantly turning toward the corner of the hall. ¡°Who are you!¡± Richard let out a breath and stepped forward, sword in hand. ¡°The one to kill you.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: Chapter 77 Mad Wizard Chapter 77: Chapter 77 Mad Wizard ¡°The one trying to kill me?¡± the man in black suddenly spoke with a venomous tone. ¡°Wizard Apprentice of the Wizard Academy?¡± Richard didn¡¯t answer; his figure abruptly transformed into a giant covered in black scales, and his great sword burst into fierce black flames. Then¡­ Boom! With a whooshing sound of swinging winds, the great sword smashed the man in black into the walls of the hall. At the same time, the Civil Protection Team on the ground also sprang into action. Under the arrangements of City Lord Spencer, the entire Civil Protection Team of Gael City had been summoned here. These robust soldiers, many of whom were knights and skilled in combat, had only one duty in this battle: to evacuate the civilians. ¡°Dammit!¡± Rage-filled roars came from within the walls as a blood-red figure burst forth with such speed that the human eye could hardly follow. But Richard, not even looking, swung his sword backward. Boom! Just like that, a mad wizard? Richard scoffed internally as three fireballs suddenly appeared beside him. The spell models of these fireballs had been modified by Ali, and each had an energy level of fifty. At this moment, the three fireballs targeted the Cult leader simultaneously and shot towards him. Boom! Richard turned back towards the congregation in the hall and then pulled out a Recording Crystal Ball. ¡°Leave this place at once.¡± The brains of Cult believers were not generally good, and after his warning, probably few would listen. Recording it in advance would be useful to provide an explanation to the Academy when many ended up dead. If they insisted on seeking death, how could he be blamed? As expected, after Richard¡¯s warning, not a single believer in the hall moved, even though the Pastor¡¯s mind control had ceased. Richard shook his head; there was no use in persuading those seeking death. He approached the man in black who, after being bombarded by three Fireball Techniques, was now barely recognizable as human. But it was unknown what kind of modifications this mad wizard had performed on himself, for even unconscious, his flesh continued to writhe, incessantly healing his wounds. ¡°Interesting.¡± Richard lifted the man out, and as the flesh writhed, the man in black¡¯s appearance returned to normal. A gasp went up from the congregation upon seeing his true face. ¡°Good heavens, how can it be Mr. Nicolo?¡± Mr. Nicolo? Richard took note of this address and immediately used the Crystal to contact Spencer on the ground. ¡°Spencer, do you know someone named Nicolo?¡± ¡°Nicolo?¡± The voice that came from the Crystal was full of surprise. ¡°Nicolo is the largest grain merchant in Gael City, sir, have you seen him inside?¡± A grain merchant? A twinge of unease flitted through Richard¡¯s mind. ¡°Is he a graduated Wizard?¡± Richard immediately asked. ¡°How could that be, sir. Although Nicolo has a hobby of studying witchcraft, he is absolutely a mortal,¡± Spencer¡¯s answer sent a shock through Richard¡¯s heart. If Nicolo was a grain merchant, where did his spiritual power come from? Awakening spiritual power required meditation, and training spiritual power needed a long time. Gael City had some Basic Meditation Methods, Richard could believe, but relying on Basic Meditation Methods, one could meditate for a lifetime and still not reach the level of an Advanced Apprentice. ¡°No, this is a trap!¡± A moment of realization dawned on Richard, and he immediately tried to leave the underground hall. But by then it was already a bit too late. A crimson light erupted from the altar at the center of the hall, enveloping it in an instant. Beneath this cover of crimson light, the skin of the believers began to ooze blood, which fell to the ground, forming a stream, and within the hall, drew an eerie Array. The believers did not wail or show pain, they knelt in the bloodlight, loudly praising the blessing of the blood-red Lord. But Richard was feeling quite unwell now. He could feel his cells trembling, an eerie energy stimulating them to detach from his body. Richard had no time to think further, as several fireballs appeared in front of him, heading straight for the altar at the center of the hall. Meanwhile, he turned and ran outside. With a ¡°boom,¡± the fireballs exploded, and the spreading flames instantly enveloped the altar, blasting several nearby believers into pieces. When the flames dissipated, the altar remained untouched¡ªa blood barrier had stopped all their power. Before Richard¡¯s pupils could constrict, ready to attack again, he saw a person stand up from among the believers and point a finger at him. Snap, snap, snap. Three crackling sounds rang beside Richard¡¯s ears, the sound of his mental barrier shattering. In an instant, his brain felt as if it had been stabbed by dozens of red-hot iron spikes, causing severe pain that left his mind blank. ¡°Mad Wizard!¡± Richard yelled, clutching his head. ¡°You¡¯re not dead?¡± The Mad Wizard was somewhat surprised. Most Advanced Apprentices wouldn¡¯t survive his strike. But no matter, if he wasn¡¯t dead, just finish him with another blow. With that thought, the Mad Wizard¡¯s magic power surged, preparing for another strike. Bang! The Mad Wizard stared dumbfounded at the position of his right arm, which was now only a mist of blood. ¡°Ugh!¡± The Mad Wizard grunted, his face turned pale, and blood flowed continuously from his eyes, mouth, and nose. The intense pain instantly disrupted his attention, and the spell he was forming failed. The spell backlash hit him immediately. He probably couldn¡¯t use spells for a short time now. He pulled a Fine Steel Magic Wand, half a person tall, from his Magic Pocket, and the flesh at the wound of his right arm twisted until a new arm grew out in moments. He turned to look at Richard and saw that Richard was holding a strange piece of Magic Equipment that resembled some kind of alien crossbow. ¡°Darn, missed,¡± Richard said, enduring the headache as he put the Magic Gun back into his pocket. This thing could only surprise and kill; if it didn¡¯t finish the job with one shot, it was hard to achieve anything. At that moment, Richard didn¡¯t dare to use spells recklessly either. The damage from the psychic attack wasn¡¯t easy to remove, the severe pain came from the soul, and even Concentration Potions wouldn¡¯t make him immune. Under the bloodlight, the two Wizard Apprentices stared at each other from a distance. The next moment, their figures collided with each other, erupting waves of air. With the Mad Wizard present, Richard certainly couldn¡¯t leave easily. The sacrifice ritual seemed eerily abnormal, and if left to continue, who knew what chaos it might cause. Moreover, Richard had an inkling that this blood-red deity might not be a fabrication of the Mad Wizard¡¯s. This so-called divine being might truly exist. If the ritual kept going, there was fear that the being might indeed descend. Richard knew that the Wizard World definitely had its own countermeasures for such events, but even if that being descended for just a second, Richard would be dead. Perhaps the descent of such a being was only a minor loss to the Wizard World, they might even gain a bit from it. But Richard had no desire to be the sacrificial price for that. In the bloody light, Richard transformed into the Black-Scaled Giant, his body bristling with muscles, each movement carrying the force of ten thousand pounds. The Mad Wizard, although employing spells from the Mind School, now had physical strength that nearly matched Richard, an apprentice who had refined his physique. Muffled booms continuously resonated inside the hall, two near non-human creatures¡ªone wielding a Magic Wand, the other swinging a Great Sword¡ªattacking each other¡¯s vital points with every move. But, in the end, the Mad Wizard wasn¡¯t one who specialized in physique, and Richard gradually gained the upper hand in the fight. Once the Mad Wizard revealed a flaw, Richard let out a ferocious smile, and his arm muscles suddenly swelled. Boom! A burst of blood broke out from the Mad Wizard¡¯s chest, a powerful force penetrating and blasting an almost translucent hole. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Richard said coldly, ready to strike off the Mad Wizard¡¯s head with his sword. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s over.¡± The Mad Wizard revealed a mocking smile, and behind him, a space rift suddenly opened above the altar, revealing a blood-red eye. ¡°My lord is about to descend!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: Chapter 78: The Mysterious Black-Robed Wizard Chapter 78: Chapter 78: The Mysterious Black-Robed Wizard Indescribable fear surged through Richard again. That eye did nothing but cast a glance at him, and his entire body felt like it was about to disintegrate. ¡°World Master, it must be a World Master!¡± Richard thought to himself in terror. That eye definitely belonged to a World Master. The deranged Wizard looked at Richard mockingly. Although he too was frozen by the World Master¡¯s overwhelming presence, to him, it represented the majesty of his Master. ¡°Oh my Master, descend upon this world,¡± the deranged Wizard shouted near madness. But the next moment, he noticed something was off. How was Richard moving? Under the might of the Blood-Red Master, how could such an insect like Richard even stir! Richard slowly moved his hand to the pocket at his waist. Unlike this ignorant deranged Wizard, he had legitimately met the Great Wizard. During his last encounter with the Great Wizard, Richard¡¯s body had adapted to the extreme fear. Now, Richard could move somewhat normally under the slightly lesser pressure from the World Master. The space rift was gradually expanding, as though the owner of those blood-red eyes truly intended to descend upon this world. Richard reached into his Magic Pocket and pulled out three black cylinders. ¡°Magic Equipment? Foolish lamb, do you still struggle? Submit at the feet of my Master. My Master will bring a perfect Earthly Heaven to this world!¡± the deranged Wizard shouted fanatically. But Richard ignored him, only silently estimating the distance to the altar. ¡°I am three meters away from the altar; this distance should be enough.¡± Richard looked at the altar and suddenly channeled Magic Power into his heart. The next moment, a strong force burst from his heart, giving him the power for one throw. ¡°Go!¡± The three cylinders hit the altar precisely. ¡°Three, two¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless!¡± the deranged Wizard laughed madly. ¡°Unless a Wizard intervenes, no one can break this altar¡­¡± ¡°One!¡± Boom! Blinding light burst forth like the dawn of chaos, enveloping the altar in an instant. The next instant, a thunderous noise echoed through the hall, leaving Richard dizzy. The bright light dissipated, and the altar was gone. ¡°The altar¡­ disappeared? How is that possible!¡± the deranged Wizard stared blankly at where the altar had stood, now only a dark crater remained. ¡°This can¡¯t be, it can¡¯t be!¡± The deranged Wizard crawled like a dog to where the altar had been, trying to find evidence that it was all an illusion. But once gone, it was gone; no matter how he searched, he couldn¡¯t bring back an almost vaporized altar. Richard quietly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that the three Annihilation Hand Grenades of a thousand Energy Level each were indeed powerful. Without these grenades, he would have probably met his end today. But before he could catch his breath, a ¡°click¡± sound entered his ears. ¡°No way.¡± Richard felt disheartened and shifted his gaze towards the location of the altar. In the very space where the altar had been, countless blood-red tentacles burst through the void, forcefully tearing open a Space Rift. This thing had come back! ¡°Damn it¡­¡± As Richard looked at the blood-red tentacles, he cursed profusely inside. He had destroyed the altar, yet this World Master was still eager to meet its demise. Is this person head hell-bent on courting death? The crazed wizard broke into a wild laughter, ¡°Ha ha ha ha¡­ I knew my master wouldn¡¯t fail like this¡­ Huh? Why have you returned, my master?¡± Before the crazed wizard could finish his laughter, he saw blood-red tentacles suddenly retract into the space rift, as if sensing something and preparing to flee. ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ You think you can come to the Wizard World and just leave?¡± In an instant, the space in the underground hall seemed to freeze, the retracting tentacles were fixed in midair, and a space rift appeared out of nowhere. A wizard in a black robe stepped out. ¡°Little fellow, your task is over.¡± Richard watched the wizard, whose presence radiated an evil and maniacal aura, resembling a Destructive Demon God in human skin, but he felt not an ounce of fear, and even¡­ felt a strong kinship to him. It was as though this terrifying wizard was his own family. ¡°Is this¡­ a spell?¡± Confusion flashed through Richard¡¯s mind. Was his mind being manipulated? The wizard in the black robe paid no attention to Richard¡¯s reaction, his arm reached out from beneath his robe toward the blood-red tentacles, grabbing at air as if holding the entire space of the underground hall in his hand. Richard felt an overwhelming pressure, and the crazed wizard seemed to endure even more, directly transforming into a puddle of flesh under this pressure. Boom¡­ The World Master behind the rift decided to sacrifice the pawn to save the king, severing the portion of its tentacle that had extended into the Wizard World. But the black-robed wizard was not done yet. He chuckled eerily and immediately reached his arm into the space rift, braving the temporal flux to catch hold of the owner of the blood-red tentacles. ¡°No alien is allowed to invade the Wizard World!¡± The two fearsome creatures battled across the chaotic flux of time and space, while Richard watched on the side, his heart pounding with fear. Soon, the black-robed wizard withdrew his arms, holding a bloody, thick tentacle in his hand. The tentacle was covered in mysterious patterns, and Richard felt dizzy and nearly fainted just from a brief glance. ¡°Flesh Rule, still somewhat useful.¡± The black-robed wizard nonchalantly opened another space rift, threw the tentacle into it, and then collected the other wriggling, convulsing tentacles from the ground as well, leaving only one the size of an arm. ¡°Little fellow, you did well.¡± The black-robed wizard approached Richard with the tentacle, ¡°Evacuating civilians was a wise decision, and sticking to your duties is an admirable quality.¡± Richard hurriedly stood up and respectfully performed the Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Master, I am Richard, apprentice of the 432nd class at the Black Tower Wizard Academy. I am honored to receive your praise.¡± ¡°You did well, this little thing is your reward.¡± The black-robed wizard tossed the tentacle piece to Richard. ¡°Though that World Master is a Level 4 Creature, most of the essence in this tentacle has been reclaimed by it, and what¡¯s left is now just a shell. Whether you keep it as a specimen or study its body structure is up to you. It¡¯s not dangerous.¡± With that, the black-robed wizard stepped forward and vanished without a trace. ¡°Not dangerous¡­¡± Richard gripped the tentacle in his hand, his Miracle Furnace within his soul trembling slightly. [Material: Unknown tentacle] [Refinable Rule: Flesh (Extremely Incomplete) (Dissipating)] [Refinement Cost: 5 Soul Power] [Proceed with Refinement?] ¡°Flesh Rule, Soul Power¡­¡± Richard found himself in a dilemma. Soul Power represented the upper limit of Richard¡¯s mental strength; choosing to refine would cause him to plummet from an advanced wizard apprentice to an intermediate one. This would be disadvantageous for the upcoming apprentice exchange competition. But the Flesh Rule being refined was no ordinary thing. Creatures capable of touching such rules must at least be on the level of a Three Rings Wizard. Although this rule is extremely incomplete now, for him, an apprentice, it is undoubtedly a great benefit. So¡­ to refine, or not to refine? COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Flesh Rule Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Flesh Rule Richard had no time for hesitation. Faced with the limits of spiritual power and the rules, Richard resolutely chose the rules. At the moment he decided to refine, Richard felt as if a piece of his soul had been sliced off by someone, an indescribable emptiness filling his heart. He felt as if something was missing. With fuel provided, the Miracle Furnace began to operate. The tentacle in Richard¡¯s hand vanished instantly, reappearing within the furnace. Richard wanted to observe the details of the refinement, but unfortunately, the furnace¡¯s refining process was still as rapid as ever. In an instant, a ball of light with a blood-red luster undulated above the Miracle Furnace. The tentacle, seemingly stripped of its last essence, while its flesh still twitched, had thoroughly degenerated into a mundane object. ¡°Flesh Rule, I hope it¡¯s worth the price.¡± After absorbing the light ball, Richard immediately felt a profound and inscrutable power enter his body, and in that moment, he seemed to achieve enlightenment. This was unlike absorbing skills; he had truly ¡°comprehended¡± something. Once the absorption was complete, Richard opened his eyes and lightly pressed against the wall beside him. A muffled sound ensued, and Richard¡¯s palm easily left an imprint on the wall. Richard took out a Crystal Ball to test his current stats. [Spiritual Power 38, Physique Forty-Five, Magic Power 380, Rating, Intermediate Apprentice] ¡°Still forty-five points, my physique hasn¡¯t been enhanced,¡± Richard mused, considering his data. Under the effects of the Rebound Effect, Physique Enhancement Potions, and Adaptation Body training, Richard¡¯s physique had reached forty-five points not long ago, thereby depleting his stock of Physique Enhancement Potions. ¡°But my strength has indeed been enhanced. And now it seems I can¡­¡± With a thought, the muscles in Richard¡¯s arm began to subtly shift, strands of muscle fibers interweaving to form a new muscle structure. ¡°Flesh Control? It must be more than just that.¡± Richard took out two Magic Stones to replenish his Magic Power, then activated his Bloodline. This time, however, activating his Bloodline was different. Richard discovered he could now control the transformation of his body¡¯s Bloodline, where a typical Bloodline Transformation would involve the whole body changing, Richard could now choose to transform only parts of his body while keeping the rest unchanged. Additionally, he could control the Black Scales that had emerged, fusing them together to form either a Dagger or a piece of Arm Armor. ¡°An amazing rule, if I could have a bit more, could I directly control cells, or even the Life Core?¡± Richard¡¯s mind burst with countless fantasies, but he quickly suppressed them. The rules were still too far out of his reach; being fortunate enough to obtain even a sliver was a great luck. After searching the basement, Richard found a notebook and several dozen Magic Stones in the insane Wizard¡¯s Magic Pocket, but as for the Fine Steel Magic Wand, Richard didn¡¯t even entertain the thought of selling it. It was too crude; selling it would be an embarrassment to him. Among the mad Wizard¡¯s notes, Richard found records of an ancient spell that seemed capable of communicating with creatures from the Otherworld. It was probably because of this spell that the Apprentice had managed to find the Blood-Red Master. Back on the surface, Richard found Spencer and told him to pour oil into the underground hall and burn it before entering again. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good,¡± Richard said earnestly, patting Spencer¡¯s shoulder. Because of the battle between the mysterious Wizard and the World Master, the entire hall had turned into a sea of blood; all sorts of flesh and organs mixed together, a sight that would give even Richard nightmares for days. After completing the task, Richard immediately took the airship back to the Academy and informed Jolod of the entire situation. ¡°World Master!¡± Jolod sprang up from his chair upon hearing Richard¡¯s report. He circled around Richard to inspect him and found that aside from a slight weakness in magic fluctuation, his student seemed unharmed. It was incredible that one could suffer so little damage after an encounter with a World Master. After the examination, Jolod suddenly gave Richard a thumbs-up. ¡°Being able to meet a World Master and still live, my apprentice, you¡¯re even more formidable than your teacher.¡± Richard smiled sheepishly and then inquired about the mysterious wizard. ¡°This mysterious wizard you speak of must be a World Guardian of the Wizard World, that is, a Law Enforcement Wizard from the Judicial Department. The one you encountered surely holds a high position in the Judicial Department.¡± ¡°World Guardian?¡± Richard questioned with curiosity. ¡°They are the World Masters of the Wizard World. Within the Star Realm, there are many ways to become a Level 4 Creature, or a Great Wizard. Among the most common is to be acknowledged by the world, to be infused with the Power of World Origin, and become a World Guardian,¡± Jolod explained. ¡°World Masters made in this manner receive strengthened combat abilities within their guarded worlds, but once they leave those worlds, their combat power plummets. It¡¯s a trade-off. Most of the World Masters we encounter in our conquest of other worlds are of this kind.¡± ¡°I see, no wonder I didn¡¯t feel fear when I saw that wizard, but rather a sense of familiarity,¡± mused Richard. Jolod sneered, ¡°You found him amiable because you didn¡¯t violate any laws. If you had broken the law, what you¡¯d feel upon seeing him would be fear, not friendliness.¡± Richard just laughed, not saying anything further. But in his heart, Richard had resolved a major confusion. It seemed that as a transmigrator, he had been recognized by the Wizard World. Afterward, Richard submitted his mission report. The Academy praised Richard¡¯s conduct highly and rewarded him with an additional 1,000 magic stones on top of the original task payout of 2,000 magic stones. However, Richard remained quite calm about this. 1,000 magic stones, heh, I earn nearly that much in two months. Upon returning to the Academy, Richard¡¯s life returned to normal. What was different now was that Richard suddenly began to exchange knowledge about Synthetic Beasts with Jolod. The Flesh Rule had provided Richard with the ability of Flesh Control, which, although currently limited to his own body, significantly increased his combat capabilities when combined with the knowledge of muscle structure from Synthetic Beast knowledge. Additionally, Richard felt that there was more to this ability than he was currently utilizing, and deeper secrets awaited his discovery. Besides, Richard was also researching the tentacle of the World Master. Fragments of a World Master¡¯s body weren¡¯t rare in the Wizard World; Great Wizards who battled in Otherworlds had killed countless World Masters, and even moderately wealthy wizards could purchase these unremarkable, rule-devoid fragments. But for a Wizard Apprentice, this tentacle was an invaluable treasure. From it, Richard obtained a kind of active flesh, which was the best material for creating and even enhancing Synthetic Beasts. Furthermore, this tentacle¡¯s life energy was exceptionally tenacious. After receiving nutrient solution and magic power sustenance, the severed tentacle managed to survive in the laboratory, continuously producing more active flesh. Though the output was tiny, the accumulated amount represented a considerable fortune. With this active flesh and the Synthetic Beast knowledge acquired from Jolod, Richard planned a transformation scheme for the Death Crow Wuni. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Strengthening Wuni Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Strengthening Wuni Synthetic Beasts were an ancient craft, in the old Dark Age, they had become a taboo technique for some Wizards to create slaves. During the Enlightenment period, this ancient craft had received ample development due to wars, and masses of Synthetic Beasts were thrown into the Wizard wars. Now, in this era of exploration, Synthetic Beasts had already become a necessary piece of knowledge for every Academy to master. Creating a Synthetic Beast involved three steps: first, cultivating a Synthetic Beast Core, second, preparing active Flesh and various limb parts, and third, using an Alchemy Array to assemble these components together. Richard had once tried creating a Synthetic Beast but unfortunately, he simply lacked the Talent for it, and the best he could do was copy the things from the books without any original thought. But that was enough for Richard. In the laboratory, Richard, wearing a magnifying glass, was incessantly inscribing Runes on a black stone platform with a feather pen. Producing Synthetic Beasts required an Alchemy Array, and enhancing Synthetic Beasts required one as well. After completing the inscriptions of three thousand seven hundred and fifty Runes, Richard let out a slight sigh of relief. Inscribing Runes was not an easy task, constantly channeling Magic Power into the feather pen with the use of Alchemy ink was necessary, and this process had to be maintained steady, for any fluctuation in Magic Power would cause the feather pen to explode violently. If unlucky, even the stone platform would be damaged, leading to its replacement. ¡°The Alchemy Array is complete, next is the operation.¡± A year and a half had passed since Richard last took on a task, in which time those Flesh Tentacles had produced fifteen hundred grams of high-quality active Flesh for Richard. This Flesh was extremely resilient, and according to the rating of the Wizard Commerce, it had reached Third Level in activity, worth ten Magic Stones per gram. Richard pulled out a transparent quartz tube from his Magic Pocket, which contained a piece of Flesh that was twisting and pulsating. ¡°Wuni.¡± Richard softly called out, and a black crow flew over from one side of the laboratory. ¡°This Flesh could fetch fifteen thousand Magic Stones out there, and I¡¯ve spent a small fortune to enhance you, so you better perform well.¡± Richard muttered as he placed Wuni on the testing platform, then he took an anesthetic and injected it into its body. Once the anesthetic took effect, Richard moved the collapsed Wuni to the dissection table and donned a pair of low-light vision goggles. Jolod¡¯s mastered techniques did not include shadowless lamps, so Richard had to use these low-light vision goggles to negate the effects of shadows. With Wuni¡¯s limbs secured, Richard took out a razor to remove the feathers from its spine, and then with a scalpel, he cleanly sliced open its back skin. Observing the fresh red blood, the quivering muscles, Richard calmly watched all of this, then opened the tube holding the active Flesh and directly used his hands to take it out. The active Flesh had parasitic properties, they would bond with any Flesh they contacted, becoming a part of the organism¡¯s body spontaneously. Therefore, under normal circumstances, Wizards would not make direct contact with active Flesh. But Richard was an exception. No sooner had the Flesh parasitism been completed, Richard, through the ability of Flesh Control, took control of it. Under Richard¡¯s manipulation, this active Flesh began to enter Wuni¡¯s body through the wound and attach to the muscles. This active Flesh would strengthen Wuni¡¯s physique and enhance its Life Recovery Ability. Under normal circumstances, implanting active flesh is a long and tedious process because the spread of active flesh lacks regularity, requiring the Wizard himself to segment it and then place it into various muscle groups. But Richard had the sticky skill of Flesh Control. With just one wound, Richard could direct the active flesh to where he wanted to strengthen. After the active flesh was successfully parasitized, Richard did not rush to separate it from his body; instead, he took out a white bone fragment engraved with runes from his pocket. ¡°With One Ring Spell of Light Distortion combined with Jolod¡¯s body of black fur, once he enters the forest, he¡¯s definitely an excellent scout,¡± Richard looked proudly at the metal, which was an idea he had while implanting the Magic Gun. The One Ring Spell of Light Distortion could create a faint invisibility effect, and in the shadows, there was hardly any difference from a Three Rings Invisibility Technique. Richard never intended to use Jolod for frontal attacks; stealth and reconnaissance were where Jolod¡¯s talents lay. He inserted the spell plugin into the wound and then used Flesh Control to fix it in place. The delicate flesh threads followed the fine pores on the bone fragment, firmly anchoring it onto Jolod¡¯s body. Having completed all this, Richard used a surgical scalpel to separate the active flesh from himself, then stitched up the wound and placed it onto the freshly made alchemy platform. With the infusion of magic power, the Alchemy Array began to promote Jolod¡¯s body to assimilate the active flesh, a lengthy and the most dangerous process. Assimilating active flesh had a certain chance of failure; at best, the active flesh could become necrotic and lose its vitality, and at worst, the active flesh could become violent, turn against its host, and engulf the body, becoming an existence similar to cancer cells. Richard locked the laboratory door and hung a Do Not Disturb sign on it. Jolod¡¯s matter was settled for now. Back in his bedroom, Richard casually picked up a book titled ¡°Introductory to Alchemy Mechanical Science¡± and began studying. Alchemy machinery is one of the most widely applied branches of the Alchemy School, ranging from the small Magic Airship that Richard rode to the massive Floating Cities used by the Wizard World for external warfare, all masterpieces of Alchemy Mechanical Science. But Jolod didn¡¯t have many books on Alchemy Mechanical Science. As a Wizard researching Synthetic Beasts, Jolod was naturally at odds with Alchemy Machinery. It was like the difference between genetic ascension and mechanical ascension: one school believed that the living body was flexible and reliable, the most perfect work of nature; the other believed that machinery was solid and had a strong carrying capacity, the direction of future evolution. These two viewpoints contained fundamentally irreconcilable elements. But to Jolod¡¯s frustration, aside from Chax, neither Anna nor Richard had talent in the field of Synthetic Beasts; in fact, Anna showed an exceptional talent for Alchemy Machinery. To not waste Anna¡¯s talent, he had to grudgingly tolerate Anna learning Alchemy Machinery. As a teacher, the professional ethics of Jolod were quite reliable. Alchemy Mechanical Science gave Richard a great deal of inspiration, especially when he saw a certain Alchemy Wizard mention in the book that the essence of the Ice Cone Skill was physical damage and suggest a solution very similar to the Magic Gun, Richard even felt a sense of finding kindred spirits in a foreign land. Unfortunately, Jolod¡¯s books on Alchemy Machinery were too few, and Richard¡¯s time was also very tight. To make significant progress in Alchemy Machinery, he would have to wait until he became a Wizard. ¡°Becoming a Wizard¡­ that depends on the exchange competition in half a year. Winning the competition would mean becoming a Wizard ten years ahead of time!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Chapter 81: The Exchange Tournament Begins Chapter 81: Chapter 81: The Exchange Tournament Begins The day for the exchange match arrived in a blink of an eye. [Spiritual Power 41, Physique 45, Magic Power 410, Rating: Advanced Apprentice] In his bedroom, Richard looked at the data in the Crystal Ball and nodded with satisfaction. After two years of meditation, Richard¡¯s spiritual power had returned to the standard of an advanced wizard apprentice. This was undoubtedly a good thing for Richard¡¯s upcoming exchange match. As long as the level gap was not too wide, a slight difference in spiritual power could completely be compensated for with knowledge. Coming to the balcony, he opened the window. As usual, three days before the exam, an academy inspector would come to distribute the rules. Squawk! Squawk! Sure enough, just as Richard opened the window, an Academy Inspector flew over, clutching a scroll in its claws. Richard took the scroll back into the room, ready to see what this Deputy Dean had hidden for so long about the competition. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Upon unrolling the scroll, Richard gasped in surprise. ¡°Apprentice war, has the academy gone mad?¡± According to the Wizard Rules set by the Truth Council, Black Wizards conduct bloody exams, focusing on rear attacks, while White Wizards do not conduct bloody exams, focusing on straightforward legion combat. These are two completely different developmental ideologies. Yet in this scroll, the Black Tower Wizard Academy, combined with three other Black Wizard Academies, and three White Wizard Academies, had jointly organized this exam named the Apprentice War. In this exam, Black Wizard Apprentices and White Wizard Apprentices had to kill each other, vying for resource points on the map. Isn¡¯t this akin to conducting a bloody exam for White Wizards? Looking at the rules on the scroll, Richard sighed, casting aside the superfluous thoughts in his mind. Whether this exam conformed to the rules was not his concern, what he needed to do now was to familiarize himself with the rules quickly and then take the lead in this war. According to the rules, the battlefield was divided into three areas, with apprentices from both camps scattered equally across the three areas. In these three areas, each area had seven resource points, which would transmit a thousand Magic Stones every month. At the start of the war, each faction had three resource points per area, while the remaining resource point acted as a public resource point, belonging to whoever occupied it. Additionally, in this war, the number of Magic Stones an apprentice could carry was limited to three thousand. This illustrated that the resource points were designed to entice the apprentices from both sides into a bloody slaughter. Magic Stones equated to combat power¡ªonce one faction¡¯s acquisition of Magic Stones increased, it meant that the balance of victory would tilt towards the side with more Magic Stones. The victory conditions for this war were simple¡ªif one side held fewer than two resource points, or if the number of apprentices dropped to less than half, that side was considered to have lost. After all regional wars ended, the overall outcome would be judged based on the victorious areas of both sides. As for the rewards and punishments for apprentices after the match, that was for the academy to decide. The Black Tower Wizard Academy, for victories, offered ten guaranteed Wizard positions, along with Magic Stones exchanged based on the number of apprentices killed. If the match was lost, all these rewards would be nullified, and the academy would additionally conduct a bloody exam. It could be said that both the rewards and punishments were quite extreme. However, after all, the Black Tower Wizard Academy was a Black Wizard Academy, and it was quite normal for rewards and punishments to be a bit extreme. After reading the rules, Richard massaged his temples as he began to contemplate his strategy. War was different from the bloody exams that involved killing each other; it emphasized strategy, organization, and execution. If the White Wizard Apprentices were trained as an army corps, then they would have a decisive advantage in this war. Since the White Wizard Academy did not have bloody exams, the number of their apprentices was astonishingly high, almost three and a half times more than the Black Wizard Academy. In a regular war, this number disparity would basically declare the end of the battle. Yet the Academy¡¯s rules did not favor the Black Wizard Apprentices, which made Richard very curious about what the White Wizard Academy was really like. With such a disparity in numbers exceeding three times, yet still allowing the rules not to favor Black Wizards. Could all these White Wizards be incompetent? Richard looked at the scroll again, ensuring he had not misread the data. The number of White Wizard Apprentices was indeed more than three times theirs. ¡°I hope these White Wizards are really as weak as I imagine.¡± Once he rolled up the scroll, Richard began preparing for the Apprentice War. Due to the regulated amount of Magic Stones by the academy, Richard had to exchange as many excess Magic Stones for alchemy materials as possible, specifically choosing a lot of materials for Annihilation Hand Grenades. Recently having new ideas about Alchemy Machines, this was an opportunity to practice on these White Wizards. Three days flashed by, and it was the day of the competition. Apprentices neatly lined up in formations on the plaza directly in front of the Central Black Tower, each having a badge pinned to their chests by a Mechanical Puppet. The badge, a miniature version of the Central Black Tower, had the apprentice¡¯s name and level engraved on the back. This badge not only served as a dog tag for the apprentices but also as a medal of merit for opposing apprentices. Since this event involved multiple academies, the usual cursed points system no longer applied. To count how many apprentices one had killed, one had to collect academy badges from enemy apprentices¡ªthrowing away your badge to save your life was useless, as these badges would be tallied at the end of the test, and any apprentice without a badge would be executed by the academy. As usual, Deputy Dean Alex gave a brief speech. ¡°Apprentices of the 432nd class of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, today you will undergo an unprecedented test. This is a great trial, requested by six Great Wizards to the Truth Council, and after hundreds of years of long waiting, the great Truth Wizard agreed to this experiment. This means that every move you make is being watched by the great Truth Wizard. The Truth Wizard is watching us!¡± Deputy Dean Alex was unusually passionate this time, his speech fervent, waving his arms continuously. His emotions quickly spread to the apprentices on the ground. Although the apprentices did not know what this competition implied, under Alex¡¯s speech, they became pioneers in the Wizard World, great explorers, and their names would even be inscribed on the eternal monument to be worshipped by future generations. However, Richard was not swayed by this passion. Fanaticism was a double-edged sword for wizards; though it could make wizards more passionate about doing something, it could affect their rationality, preventing them from making the best judgments. Alex¡¯s speech soon ended, and afterwards, he waved his Magic Wand, and alongside him, dozens of Wizards around the apprentice formation waved their wands as well, together completing this massive Spell. The location of this Apprentice War was not in the Wizard World, but within the Secret Realm of a Great Wizard. COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Apprentice War (Part 1) Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Apprentice War (Part 1) Orey McKinotos was an outstanding apprentice at the Secret Keeper Wizard College, who with his exquisite shaping wizard abilities, easily defeated many rivals over the past decade¡¯s exams, earning the final reward as well as the nickname ¡°Conqueror.¡± But Orey remained very calm. As an apprentice from a wizard family, the idea of wizard apprentices dueling on the platform couldn¡¯t stir the slightest interest in him. He longed for bloody battles, where only through such combat could his true strength be displayed. Recently, the academy had finally announced the content of the exchange tournament, and the rules of the Apprentice War immediately piqued his interest. In this war, there were no Guardian Wizards; all apprentices engaged in real, bloody combat. This rule made Orey¡¯s blood boil; this was the fight he had been waiting for! ¡­ Upon entering the battlefield, the first thing that hit him was the scent of earth. Orey looked around; he was standing in a forest, and not far from him was a giant crystal stone floating in mid-air. This, he assumed, must be one of the resource points mentioned in the academy¡¯s rules. ¡°The concentration of magic power is so high, at least twice that of the Wizard World.¡± A voice came from behind Orey, and turning, he saw a man with black hair watching him. ¡°Balto, I didn¡¯t expect to find you here.¡± Orey¡¯s eyebrows raised; this black-haired man was his old rival at the academy, Balto the Mechanic from the Alchemy School. ¡°Don¡¯t be so unfriendly; we¡¯re all teammates in this war,¡± Balto said with a cunning smile, like a black fox. ¡°It better be so,¡± Orey responded coldly, then shouted to the surrounding apprentices, ¡°I am Orey McKinotos from the Secret Keeper Wizard College. Apprentices, gather around me!¡± As the winner of the decade¡¯s exam, Orey held a high reputation among the wizard apprentices. In times of war, it was only natural for the weak to seek the protection of the powerful. ¡°Fifteen hundred apprentices,¡± Orey counted the number present and found that almost all the apprentices at this resource point were from the Secret Keeper Academy. ¡°One thousand five hundred apprentices at a resource point, four thousand five hundred at three points; that¡¯s roughly the same number of people from our college participating in the war. It seems that the other two areas should be the same, each with about four thousand five hundred people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a staggering number of apprentices, Orey,¡± said Balto, joining him, ¡°With this number of apprentices, the amount of magic stones we¡¯ll get each month, on average, will be less than one per person.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go plunder the Black Wizard apprentices¡¯ resource points,¡± Orey replied without hesitation. ¡°Oh, it seems our Conqueror already has a plan,¡± Balto laughed. Orey gave him a cold glance, ¡°Take advantage of the fact that the war has just started, and everyone has a lot of magic stones, and take as many of the Black Wizard apprentices¡¯ resource points as possible. Kill them outright if possible, and if not, weaken them as much as we can.¡± Balto nodded thoughtfully, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, indeed. With your influence, the apprentices from our college will surely follow you. If we can gain the upper hand early on, the rest of the war will be much easier to fight.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Orey asked, staring at Balto, ¡°Mechanic Balto, will you follow me?¡± Balto hesitated a bit, ¡°I¡¯ll pass; offensive attacking is not my strong suit. I¡¯ll cheer you on from the back. Leave me three hundred people, and I¡¯ll repair some things on the side.¡± ¡°You think I will fail?¡± Orey asked sharply, his tone a bit harsh. Balto smiled, a hint of cunning in his eyes. ¡°One must always be prepared for the unexpected.¡± ¡­ On the other side of the battlefield, the Black Wizard Apprentices began their own plan. Richard, as the Legendary Apprentice from the Black Tower Wizard Academy, naturally became the leader of the Black Tower Wizard Academy Apprentices after displaying just a sliver of his own strength. Unfortunately, within this group of apprentices, Richard didn¡¯t find Ali. ¡°Random assignment really is a headache.¡± Richard rubbed his head and then set his gaze on a bald apprentice not far away. The bald apprentice was clad in a red robe, holding a staff as tall as a man. The head of the staff emitted an extraordinary Magic Fluctuation, revealing that it was no mere trinket. ¡°Orey, what are you planning to do?¡± Orey was a formal apprentice of Master Alon from the Black Tower Wizard Academy, majoring in Shape-shifting School. In the last bloody examination, he was also one of the twenty who entered the Secret Realm. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really have any ideas.¡± Orey touched his bald head, pretending to be very shy. In his opinion, it was a foolish thing to seize the apprentices¡¯ leadership at the start. The White Wizard Apprentices outnumbered the Black Wizard Apprentices by almost three and a half times when it came to manpower. At the beginning, when everyone¡¯s Magic Stones were the most abundant, even fools knew that the White Wizard Apprentices would rush over to give the Black Wizard Apprentices a hard strike. At this time, taking command not only meant bearing the greatest pressure but also carried a high risk of failure. Orey considered himself smart; only a fool would compete with Richard for leadership at this moment. Seeing Orey had no intention to lead, Richard scoffed inwardly, understanding the other¡¯s plan. Leadership at this stage was indeed a hot potato¡­ But though the risk was high at this time, the potential rewards were equally immense. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have any ideas, I¡¯ll just thicken my skin and take the role of leader,¡± Richard smiled at his fellow apprentices, self-appointing himself as the commander. As long as the leader demonstrated their strength during this initial period and achieved a certain degree of success, their leadership position in this war would be very stable. War was no child¡¯s play. In a situation involving life and death, everyone preferred to trust a leader who had shown capability. Richard¡¯s self-appointment was met without opposition; his strength was sufficient, a senior apprentice towering at the apex of the pyramid among these apprentices. ¡°Since no one objects, then I¡¯m going to establish some rules.¡± Using the Levitation Skill, Richard flew into the air to make himself as visible as possible to all apprentices. ¡°This is war, and on the battlefield, orders must be followed without question. I won¡¯t send anyone on suicidal missions, but since this is war, danger is inevitable. I expect my orders to be carried out, not to be refused. I hate being refused!¡± Saying this, Richard exuded the pressure of a senior wizard apprentice. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the Academy¡¯s rules that forbids us from infighting. If anyone doesn¡¯t follow the rules, hmph!¡± Richard snorted coldly, the implication clear. After waiting a while and seeing no one among the apprentices come forward to object, Richard returned to the ground. To tell the truth, Richard actually hoped someone would cause trouble, giving him a chance to assert his authority. But unfortunately, the apprentices of the Black Tower Wizard Academy were all clever; no one wanted to slap Richard in the face at this moment. After coming down, Richard didn¡¯t issue any orders but chose to send Wuni flying, ready to reconnoiter the White Wizard Apprentices¡¯ movements. With the help of Wuni¡¯s vision, Richard easily saw a group of White Wizard Apprentices hurrying their way. ¡°To make a move right after arriving, that¡¯s really not giving any face.¡± Richard sighed and issued his first order. ¡°Prepare for defense! The White Wizard Apprentices are coming!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Apprentice War (Part 2) Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Apprentice War (Part 2) ¡°According to the map issued by the Academy, the battlegrounds in the three areas were almost identical, all shaped like hourglasses. Each side had three resource points arranged in a triangle, with one public resource point in the middle between the two camps. And from Wuni¡¯s point of view, Apprentice White Wizards were heading straight their way. This indicated that Richard was now at the resource point closest to the center of the battlefield on the Black Wizard Apprentice¡¯s side. And seeing the group of Apprentice White Wizards coming aggressively, Richard guessed that these people hadn¡¯t even built their resource point and were heading straight toward them. ¡°All Shaping Wizards clean up a clearing at this location as soon as possible, Undead Wizards prepare to summon the undead, Soul Wizards prepare for the first wave of mental attacks, Alchemy Wizards prepare to construct the fortress,¡± Richard ordered methodically, and upon receiving their orders, the apprentices started to move. It was said that ¡®a new official fires thrice upon his appointment¡¯, and at this moment, Richard, as a newly appointed leader, was in dire need of establishing his authority, and it might prove fatal to oppose him at this time. Richard didn¡¯t know much about wars among wizards. His decisions now were all derived from military chess inference he had made over the past two days. Now that he was actually on the battlefield, Richard could only pray that his inference was correct. With the help of spells, Shaping Wizards quickly cleared a clearing in the forest, and the large trees that were cut down were used by Alchemy Wizards to construct the fortress. The basic skill of an Alchemy Wizard is Engraving Runes, commonly known as Enchantments; these wood materials would attain significantly improved physical properties once engraved with runes. Moreover, Alchemy Wizards also had a skill in Magic Array, which was particularly useful in constructing fortresses. As a leader, Richard, besides allocating apprentices, put his remaining focus on Wuni in the sky. Since these Apprentice White Wizards had no experience, it never occurred to them that a Magic Pet was observing them from above. ¡°According to the map, the Black Wizard Apprentice¡¯s resource point is just ahead,¡± Orey, looking at the map in his hands, spoke with an air of victory. Just moments ago, he had led an army of Apprentice White Wizards to occupy the central public resource point on the battlefield. After occupying it, he chose not to build defenses at the resource point, but rather led the Apprentice White Wizards mightily towards the Black Wizard Apprentices¡¯ resource point. Resource points would start distributing Magic Stones in a month, so leaving wizards to guard them now seemed pointless, better to press forward with all forces, quickly compressing the living space of Black Wizard Apprentices. Orey¡¯s plan was sound: first, quickly capture a Black Wizard Apprentice¡¯s resource point with a blitzkrieg, compressing their living space. Then wait for the rear forces of Apprentice White Wizards to reinforce and snatch another resource point with a numerical advantage to swiftly end the war. If progress went smoothly, they might be able to end the war in their area in less than a month. But when does anything go without obstacles? ¡°Lord Orey, we have discovered a clearing ahead, it seems to have been cleared by Black Wizard Apprentices,¡± reported an Apprentice White Wizard. ¡°A clearing?¡± Orey was taken aback, then burst into laughter, ¡°These Black Wizard Apprentices are idiots, I was worrying about the complexity of the forest making it difficult to leverage our Apprentice White Wizard¡¯s corps combat. They¡¯ve conveniently cleared it for us.¡± Orey¡¯s laughter was met with a roar of laughter from those around. As Apprentice White Wizards, what they studied most was corps combat, among which formation advancement was particularly important. Yet, some Apprentice White Wizards expressed concern. ¡°Lord Orey, could this be a trap?¡± questioned an Apprentice White Wizard worriedly. ¡°A trap?¡± Orey said disdainfully, ¡°What kind of trap could stop the march of a White Wizard Apprentice corps! In the face of absolute power, traps are but the ploys of the weak!¡± Having said that, Owen flew up into the air and shouted to all Apprentice White Wizards, ¡°Prepare for formation! Let these Black Wizard Apprentices behold our spirit!¡± Meanwhile, Richard, hidden in a bunker in the distance, quietly watched the Apprentice White Wizards advance gradually. ¡°Are these Apprentice White Wizards fools?¡± Richard murmured to himself. He suddenly realized why the Academy disregarded the significant numerical discrepancies. These Apprentice White Wizards had never experienced real fighting and had no experience in actual combat. Even apprentices participating in the entrance exam at the Black Tower Wizard Academy should know to keep themselves hidden during an attack and not make unnecessary noise.¡± Moreover, looking at their giggling demeanor, there was not the slightest hint of seriousness one would expect for the battlefield. Richard could not help but sigh, ¡°The Academy really had its reasons for setting the rules.¡± ¡°Soul Wizards prepare for the first wave of interference; Shaping Wizards get ready to harvest the battlefield.¡± Richard instructed through the Crystal Ball. Having learned that the exchange match was a battle among apprentices, Richard had specifically purchased many Sound Transmission Crystal Balls for communication. As a transmigrator, he fully understood the significance of communication on the battlefield. The White Wizard Apprentices quickly moved into casting range, arranging themselves in a square formation, marching with uniform steps reminiscent of the musketeers from the era of line infantry. ¡°A bunch of fools, Soul Wizards begin the interference, Shaping Wizards cast your spells.¡± Richard let out a sneer and issued the command; wizards hidden near the battlefield immediately cast their long-prepared spells. In an instant, the vanguard of the White Wizard Apprentice army faltered; dozens of White Wizard Apprentices held their heads in agonizing pain, their faces changing instantly. At the same time, hundreds of Elemental Magic spells also bombarded the forefront of the White Wizard Apprentice army. Boom, boom, boom¡­ ¡°Engage the enemy! Engage the enemy!¡± The White Wizard Apprentices shouted loudly as Magic Barriers appeared around them. However, many of them were outside the casting range of the Black Wizard Apprentices, and their use of Magic Barriers was a complete waste of Magic Power. ¡°What a bunch of idiots.¡± Richard said disdainfully, then ordered the Shaping Wizards to cast their spells again. Another round of spell bombardment ensued. Bright red flames, charred bodies; faced with such a brutal sight for the first time, the morale of the White Wizard Apprentices instantly collapsed, and they ran frantically to the rear, seemingly disregarding their impact on the formation of their comrades. ¡°Stop, stop, don¡¯t run!¡± Orey, seated at the center, loudly berated the fleeing wizards, but not a single one was willing to listen to him. The cruelty of war far exceeded the expectations of these Ivory Tower White Wizard Apprentices. Boom! The third onslaught of spells began. This time, the effect was not as good as the previous ones, as most of the White Wizard Apprentices had activated their Magic Barriers, blocking most of the spells. But at this moment, their morale had collapsed, and their original team advantage had turned into a disadvantage. Richard watched as the disorganized White Wizard Apprentices listlessly issued another command. ¡°Full assault, kill as many as you can.¡± Saying this, the impatient Black Wizard Apprentices immediately poured out, effortlessly joining the melee after losing their formation advantage. Various spells exploded non-stop in the woods, the pitiful screams of White Wizard Apprentices and the fierce laughter of Black Wizard Apprentices echoed continuously through the forest. Richard did not engage directly, but instead found a flat area and drew a Magic Array with chalk. As Richard infused Magic Power, a Fire Element gradually gathered in the center of the Magic Array. The Fire Element grew increasingly intense, finally transforming into a three-meter-tall Flame Giant. ¡°Human, you have finally summoned me.¡± Richard pointed towards the battlefield, ¡°Go and slaughter these people, bring me the badges from their bodies.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Apprentice War (Part 3) Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Apprentice War (Part 3) The battle lasted nearly an hour and ended with a resounding defeat for the White Wizard Apprentices. Richard obtained eight insignias during this encounter. The concentration of elements on the battlefield had risen sharply due to various elemental spells, which allowed the Flame Giant to be in its element, its every move unleashing immense power. While cleaning up the battlefield, Richard took inventory of their numbers and discovered that only about a dozen Black Wizard Apprentices had died, while the White Wizard Apprentices had left nearly three hundred bodies behind. This casualty ratio left Richard secretly clicking his tongue in wonder. All were Wizard Apprentices, so why were these White Wizard Apprentices so inept? What happened to the well-trained legions the White Wizard had promised? This wasn¡¯t Richard¡¯s fault for misjudging; he had never experienced a Plane War and did not know what the Wizard World¡¯s Plane Wars were truly like. Therefore, he could only judge the condition of the White Wizard Apprentices based on his past life¡¯s impressions of soldiers. In reality, these two were not the same; they couldn¡¯t even be compared¡ªthey were worlds apart. Many conflicts arose during the cleanup process. For one or two insignias, Black Wizard Apprentices fought fiercely, forcing Richard to personally intervene to stop them. ¡°Sigh, what a headache.¡± Richard, watching the Black Wizard Apprentices fight over battlefield cleanup, felt overwhelmed by the trouble. If it weren¡¯t for preventing infighting, Richard would not bother with such matters. ¡°This is the downside of Black Wizard Apprentices; the law of the jungle forces them to seize every opportunity for gain.¡± Richard sighed and then gave the order that in the case of disputed insignias, they would toss a coin to decide. If this happened again, he would personally take action to kill both parties involved. There were rules among Black Wizard Apprentices, the most convincing of which was the rule of brute force. After cleaning up the battlefield, many Black Wizard Apprentices were eager and gearing up, ready for another fight. The reason was simple: the battle had been too easy, and they now considered the White Wizard Apprentices walking pieces of fat meat. Looking at his group of Black Wizard Apprentices, Richard also ordered a full military strike, aiming directly for the common resource point. Although Richard was considering defense and counterattack, this was an excellent opportunity to kick an enemy when they were down, especially since the White Wizard Apprentices¡¯ morale had been shattered. Considering their current condition, it was likely that the common resource point was practically undefended and wouldn¡¯t take much effort to capture. ¡­ At the common resource point. ¡°Trash, all trash!¡± Orey roared within the newly erected tent. ¡°Twelve hundred apprentices fighting against a little over three hundred, and not a step gained, losing three hundred men to boot! Isn¡¯t this laughable if you think about it!¡± Inside the tent, several Advanced Wizard Apprentices from Secret Keeper Academy had somber expressions; their confidence had been utterly shattered by the recent battle. ¡°What do we do now?¡± one Advanced Apprentice asked. They had suffered heavy casualties and low morale. If the Black Wizard Apprentices attacked now, they would surely crumble once again. ¡°What do we do?¡± Orey glared at the Apprentice who had asked the question. ¡°We regroup, plan our tactics, and take back the dignity we¡¯ve lost! Do I really need to say this? Or do you want us to slink back, then tell the Apprentices from other academies that we were defeated by Black Wizard Apprentices, that we lost over three hundred men, while possibly only a few of them died?¡± But even though Orey said this aloud, he felt deeply pessimistic about the upcoming battle in his heart. This battle had given him some insight into the issues with the White Wizard Apprentices. White Wizard Apprentices were numerous, but due to a lack of combat experience, they easily became disorganized when faced with sudden attacks. Moreover, the lack of experience in killing led to many White Wizard Apprentices feeling extreme fear at the sight of corpses, causing them to act irrationally. Besides this, he also discovered that he, as a leader, had no deterrent power within the team; when the tide of the battlefield turned against them, nobody would follow his commands. And these were merely the problems he had just discovered; if the battle continued, he was sure to uncover more. A few Advanced Apprentices quietly emerged from the tent and began to organize the team to set up defensive measures. Compared to Richard, who had never experienced wizard combat, the White Wizard Apprentice¡¯s curriculum included how to construct fortresses and defensive measures on the battlefield, so they were adept at setting up these defenses. The defensive measures of the White Wizard Apprentices were common¡ªthick walls, trenches filled with spikes, and Apprentices from the Alchemy School would plant dangerous magical plants outside the trenches. Furthermore, while constructing these measures, Alchemy Wizards would also inscribe Magic Arrays to create traps or fortify the walls. For a group of people scared out of their wits, nothing was more reassuring than a solid wall. Unfortunately, just as their construction had begun, the forms of Black Wizard Apprentices appeared from the depths of the dense forest. ¡°The Undead Wizards should release the Puppets,¡± Richard issued the order. As an Apprentice of the Alchemy School, Richard naturally knew the methods of his peers. The Undead Wizards summoned skeletons and pushed forward, quickly triggering some Magic Arrays. Watching the sudden appearance of Fireballs and Ice Cones, the Black Wizard Apprentices hidden in the woods looked at Richard admiringly. Without Richard¡¯s wisdom, many of them might have mindlessly rushed forward. The White Wizard Apprentices at the Resource Point immediately noticed the trace of the Black Wizard Apprentices, but due to the earlier battle, this group of White Wizard Apprentices had no desire to fight and ran backwards upon seeing the Black Wizard Apprentices. This meant that some of the defensive measures that could have been used were now rendered useless. Orey, at the center of the Resource Point, was furious but ultimately bit back his anger. ¡°Ox! Bazak! Organize the Apprentices for an orderly retreat. Don¡¯t run like it¡¯s a damn disaster!¡± The two disoriented Wizard Apprentices heard Orey¡¯s command and suddenly had a sense of direction. They immediately began organizing the retreat. The Black Wizard Apprentices entered the Resource Point boldly, casting their spells generously. The White Wizard Apprentices scattered like lambs to the slaughter, but this time, due to experience and having someone to coordinate, the loss for the White Wizard Apprentices was significantly less. After clearing the battlefield, over a hundred corpses were left behind by the White Wizard Apprentices in the struggle for the Resource Point. ¡°It seems the White Wizard Apprentices are gaining experience,¡± Richard murmured, looking at the statistics. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t take many more battles before the White Wizard Apprentices grew stronger, and that¡¯s when the real war would begin. ¡°Regroup the team, no further pursuit,¡± Richard ordered the Black Wizard Apprentices around him. ¡°Huh? Boss Richard, aren¡¯t we continuing to chase them down?¡± one Black Wizard Apprentice asked, surprised. ¡°You¡¯re questioning my order?¡± Richard looked at him coldly. As the White Wizard Apprentices fled, they continued to organize into teams, but because the Black Wizard Apprentices lacked proper training, they were disorganized in their pursuit. If the chase continued, once the White Wizard Apprentices recovered their strength, the Black Wizard Apprentices would be the ones dying. ¡°Yes, boss.¡± The Black Wizard Apprentice nervously performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute to Richard and then began to relay Richard¡¯s commands. ¡°The boss has given the order¡ªstop the pursuit! Stop the pursuit!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Apprentice War (Part 4) Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Apprentice War (Part 4) Richard¡¯s commands were swiftly passed down, but unlike the unchallenged orders of the past, this time his commands elicited many questions from the Black Wizard Apprentices. ¡°Boss, these White Wizard Apprentices are like fat sheep ripe for slaughter, not pursuing them is a waste!¡± Richard quietly observed the apprentices who raised objections, his icy gaze chilling them to the bone. ¡°Richard, why aren¡¯t we pursuing them?¡± Eugene stepped forward from among the apprentices, while those opposing Richard¡¯s orders gathered around him. ¡°Why?¡± Richard scoffed with a cold laugh, ¡°Am I the leader, or are you? Do I need to explain the reasons for my decisions to you?¡± Obedience is of utmost importance in an army. If he had to explain the reasons for every command, then what¡¯s the point of waging a war? Eugene¡¯s expression shifted at Richard¡¯s words, his face instantly contorting with anger. ¡°Richard, you really think you¡¯re a Wizard already! We¡¯re all apprentices here. You were made leader because we respected your strength, it was an honor we granted you! If we don¡¯t wish it, you¡¯re nothing!¡± These words instantly garnered agreement from many apprentices. ¡°That¡¯s right, if we don¡¯t agree, you¡¯re nothing!¡± ¡°The self-proclaimed leader really thinks highly of himself!¡± ¡°These White Wizard Apprentices are so weak, we don¡¯t need a leader to win.¡± ¡­ Richard laughed coldly at these various comments, secretly making note of those who echoed them. These people had issues with Richard from the start, but out of fear of Richard¡¯s power, they dared not express it. Now with Eugene, the tall one, taking the lead, their true colors were showing. Eugene, standing at the forefront, listened to these voices with a sense of secretive triumph. During the first battle with the White Wizard Apprentices, he had begun to regret so easily handing over the leadership. These White Wizard Apprentices were too foolish. Unfortunately, once words are spoken and water is spilled, it cannot be taken back. The leadership had already fallen into Richard¡¯s hands, and unless Richard made a mistake, he wouldn¡¯t be able to regain leadership. But he hadn¡¯t expected Richard¡¯s mistake to come so quickly; if only he seized this opportunity, he could definitely shake Richard¡¯s leadership status, even take it for himself. ¡°Very well, very well, so I¡¯m nothing!¡± Richard laughed derisively as he pulled out his Demon Eater Sword from the Magic Pocket, ¡°It seems Eugene, you want to be the voice of the people!¡± ¡°I dare not claim to be the leader, but this is indeed what everybody is thinking,¡± Eugene spoke with righteous indignation. ¡°But being the voice of opinion is not so easy.¡± The Demon Eater Sword ignited with dark flames, and the explosive Magic Fluctuation instantly scattered the surrounding apprentices. Eugene, likewise, would not show weakness; his Magic Wand emitted a surge of magic. The rule among the Black Wizards: might makes right. Right now, the apprentices¡¯ dissatisfaction with Richard had not accumulated to the point of overthrowing him; to topple Richard¡¯s leadership at this moment, Eugene would need a mightier fist. With a wave of his hand, Richard summoned a Flame Giant to his side, the Energy fluctuating around it indicating the presence of an Advanced Wizard Apprentice. But Eugene was not to be outdone; he promptly pulled a cage from his Magic Pocket. Inside the cage was a pulsing ball of Flames. Eugene smiled slightly, then opened the cage, releasing a Flame Monster Bird close to the strength of an Advanced Apprentice. ¡°Elemental creatures, I have them too.¡± The strength of this Flame Monster Bird might not be at the level of an Advanced Apprentice, but it was definitely capable of holding off the Flame Giant. As long as Eugene could quickly deal with Richard, then the Flame Giant would naturally fall into his control. Richard stopped talking, black scales beginning to appear on his body. The two top apprentices from the Black Wizard Camp began their battle for power. ¡­ Shifting the perspective to the side of the White Wizard Apprentices. The infighting within the Black Wizard Apprentices was intense, and naturally, the ranks of the defeated White Wizard Apprentices were anything but calm. Upon returning to the resource point after their defeat, Orey was immediately questioned, notably by Balto who had not participated in the previous battle. At the center of the White Wizard resource point, within a newly erected building, Balto and the Advanced Apprentices among the White Wizard Apprentices gathered. ¡°Orey, it seems your strategy has failed,¡± Balto said with a smirk, dragging his chin as he looked at Orey. Orey was silent, leaning back and quietly scanning the room full of Apprentices. ¡°I indeed lost. So, what about it?¡± Orey said coldly, ¡°Does anyone among you wish to take my place and fight those Black Wizard Apprentices who are surging with momentum and have walked through blood?¡± As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Balto, seated in the seat of honor. ¡°Balto, do you want to take over? To lead these disciples, who have lost their courage and fighting spirit, against that group of Black Wizard Apprentices in their prime?¡± ¡°Listen to you,¡± Balto chuckled, ¡°I have no intentions of staging a coup.¡± But his tone shifted as he continued, ¡°However, according to the rules taught to us by the Academy, I now request the formation of a military council. All Advanced Apprentices will join the council to partake in military decisions.¡± ¡°A military council¡­¡± Orey suddenly laughed, a mocking laugh, ¡°Balto, you¡¯re always like this. Lacking the will to take responsibility, forever slippery and non-stick.¡± Unconcerned by Orey¡¯s scorn, Balto rapped his knuckles on the table and said to everyone in the room: ¡°What do you all think of my proposal?¡± The other Apprentices showed various expressions: some looked troubled, some grim, some deep in thought, and some decisively made their choice. ¡°I agree with the Mechanic¡¯s proposal to establish a military council.¡± ¡°¡­I also agree.¡± ¡°I¡­ agree, we can¡¯t afford more losses now.¡± ¡°I disagree, war is no child¡¯s play, we don¡¯t have time for discussion; decisions must be made quickly¡­¡± Soon, all Apprentices had cast their votes, and they finally turned their gaze to Orey. As the leader, and the strongest among the Apprentices, whether Orey could peacefully transfer power was crucial for the future of the war. In a Wizard¡¯s war, the team is important but individual strength still plays a significant role. Sometimes, the actions of a powerful individual at a critical moment could potentially turn the tide of the entire battle. Orey stood up, swept his eyes across the assembled crowd, then turned and walked out of the room. He knew that to continue arguing was pointless and would only add to the ridicule. ¡°I agree to the establishment of the military council.¡± With a victorious smile, Balto stood up and announced to the other Apprentices: ¡°Very well, effective today, the Secret Keeper Academy¡¯s military council is officially established.¡± ¡­ Flames flew, explosions erupted. In the dense forest, the Flame Giant and the Flame Monster Bird were engaged in combat. The Flame Giant raised a massive hand, and a Fire Element gathered in its palm, forming a fiery javelin. ¡°Foolish fire beast, taste the javelin of the mighty Philster!¡± The Flame Monster Bird shrieked as a burst of flames exploded from its body, increasing its speed instantly. The Flame Giant¡¯s javelin grazed its body, tracing a brilliant arc in the sky. This struggle had been ongoing for some time, with the Monster Bird¡¯s high maneuverability enabling it to repeatedly dodge the Flame Giant¡¯s lethal attacks. If nothing unexpected occurred, this battle would continue indefinitely. However, on another part of the battlefield, the fight between Richard and Eugene was nearing its end. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Apprentice War (Part 5) Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Apprentice War (Part 5) ¡°Monster, he¡¯s truly a monster,¡± Eugene said, staring at the black giant before him, with a cry of panic in his heart. He took out a Magic Stone to replenish his Magic Power and then swung his Magic Wand. A Fire Crow crashed into Richard, bursting into fierce Flames. But after the Flames had vanished, the black giant continued toward him at an unhurried pace, and the wound he had caused was healing at a visibly rapid rate. Before this, the black giant had taken at least a dozen Spells from him, with both fire and ice, each over fifty in Energy Level. But when they hit the giant before him, they could only leave a few wounds at most, and at worst, a blood hole. ¡°What kind of monster am I fighting against!¡± On the other side, Richard walked toward him with a Great Sword in hand, unhurried. At the start of the fight, Richard had wanted to finish it quickly. But after trading blows with Eugene, Richard suddenly lost that desire. He did not understand what Master Alon, Eugene¡¯s teacher, had been researching, but from his exchange with Eugene, it was clear that Master Alon had profound research into the application of Magic Power. Eugene had already released over thirty Spells, but only now did he start to use a Magic Stone to replenish his Magic Power. This showed that his Spells consumed very little Magic Power. However, the power of Eugene¡¯s Spells was not slight, many were close to one hundred in Energy Level. Combined with his energy consumption, Eugene could practically be called a Spell machine gun; very few wizards could withstand such an assault. Unfortunately for Eugene, Richard was one of those few. Thanks to the training from the Adaptation Body, Richard had extreme resistance to Elemental Magic, coupled with the recovery brought by his Bloodline activation, as well as the Flesh Control derived from the Flesh Rule. Richard could easily catch Eugene¡¯s assaults with Magic Power. By seizing this opportunity, Richard wanted to show off his martial prowess to the surrounding Black Wizards, to give them a clear sense of his strength. He did this to prevent similar internal conflicts from arising in the future. For the vast majority of Apprentices, the most important aspect of this Apprentice war wasn¡¯t the gains, but rather, survival. Those who could become a Wizard¡¯s Apprentice were after all a minority; most Apprentices would immediately choose to graduate after reaching the level of Advanced Apprentice, becoming the Academy¡¯s excellent workers. By intimidating these people, Richard¡¯s leadership would be much smoother later on. Boom! Another Fireball struck Richard. Richard did not react, but a commotion suddenly arose among the surrounding Apprentices. ¡°Boss, there are Wizards from other Academies coming over!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard frowned, thinking it was time to end this performance. Upon hearing that Apprentices from other Academies were approaching, Eugene¡¯s heart instantly tightened. He instantly realized that his opponent was about to get serious. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Richard smiled, suddenly his right arm swelled rapidly, transforming into a black pillar in an instant. Under the effect of Flesh Control, Richard could mobilize muscles from other parts of his body into his right arm, achieving a tremendous increase in strength. ¡°It¡¯s you who¡¯s finished!¡± Eugene roared, his red robe bursting open, revealing his upper body covered in Runes. This was his do-or-die tactic; he never expected Richard to push him so far. Magic Power flowed into the Runes, and Eugene¡¯s body started to shrink instantly, but his eyes grew increasingly bright. A terrifying Fireball condensed in front of him, reaching at least two hundred in Energy Level. Boom! The Fireball exploded, and the scattered Fire Element caused a wave of fire that instantly turned grass and vegetation into ashes under its wave, while the earth and stones were scorched, cracked, and charred black. Eugene stiffly stared at Richard with his withered body. He didn¡¯t believe Richard could withstand it this time! But after the flames, a black giant still stood there. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Eugene¡¯s face was filled with disbelief. The next instant, a black great sword shattered his head. ¡°Got a bit cocky.¡± Richard shook the char off his body, and the flesh on his back suddenly split open, dropping out several drained Magic Stones. This was one of the uses for Flesh Control that Richard had developed over the past days. By manipulating his flesh, he had stored hundreds of Magic Stones within his body as a backup energy reserve. Once his magic power was exhausted, he could quickly replenish it. Just now, Richard had barely maintained the Magic Barrier against that terrible spell by instantly draining over twenty Magic Stones. Clap, clap, clap¡­ Applause came from behind Richard, and as he turned to look, a man with short hair, dressed in a black robe and holding a long sword, was watching him. The short-haired man had blonde hair, wore glasses, and appeared very robust. Behind him stood a group of Black Wizard Apprentices with academy emblems. ¡°Exquisite technique. Your control over flesh is truly extraordinary,¡± commended the short-haired man. Richard took out a Wizard Robe from his pocket and put it on, ¡°Void Academy? Or Annihilation Academy?¡± The Void Wizard Academy and the Annihilation Wizard Academy were the other two academies participating in the exchange competition from the Black Wizard Camp. Each had approximately one thousand one hundred participants, about the same number as the Black Tower Wizard Academy. ¡°Void Wizard Academy, Anderson,¡± the short-haired man replied with a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Black Tower Wizard Academy, Richard,¡± Richard returned the gesture. At that moment, there was a stir among the apprentices behind Anderson, and a Wizard Apprentice came up to him, whispering a couple of sentences. ¡°Oh, friends from Annihilation Academy have arrived as well.¡± Anderson smiled, and the apprentices behind him cleared a path. A skeleton wizard with Soul Fire blazing in his eye sockets, cloaked in a black robe, walked in, followed by a group of apprentices with the emblem of Annihilation Academy. ¡°Annihilation Academy, Aldo.¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, as, within a short time, people from all three academies had arrived. ¡°Now that all three are here, let¡¯s take a seat. The campsite the White Wizards left us is quite comfortable to use.¡± With that, Richard pointed towards the tents in the distance. The leaders of the three acadacies entered together, none with retainers in tow. Unlike the White Wizards, all Black Wizards operated under a dictatorship. The tent still had chairs left by Orey and his companions. The three sat down and glanced at each other. ¡°The confrontation between your Black Tower Wizard Academy and the White Wizards seems to have been quite fruitful,¡± Anderson initiated the conversation. He had passed the first resource point with the apprentices from Void Academy, and the various White Wizard corpses left on the ground made Anderson shudder. What made the apprentices of this Black Tower Wizard Academy so powerful to have killed so many White Wizards? ¡°Not bad, killed about four hundred,¡± Richard replied nonchalantly. Aldo and Anderson exchanged glances, seeing the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Over four hundred apprentices¡­ What were your casualties?¡± Aldo couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Well¡­¡± Richard smiled, ¡°Quite a few were injured, and about a dozen died.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: Chapter 87: The Apprentice War (Six) Chapter 87: Chapter 87: The Apprentice War (Six) ¡°Sss!¡± Anderson and Aldo instantly inhaled a breath of cold air. An exchange ratio approaching one to forty, were all the apprentices from the Black Tower Wizard Academy monsters? ¡°One to forty!?¡± Anderson and Aldo both exclaimed in shock, the number was so outrageous that their brains struggled to process it. ¡°Not right!¡± Aldo was the first to recover, ¡°The strength of the White Wizards must be problematic!¡± Richard smiled serenely, without much explanation. ¡°How could the White Wizards be so weak?¡± Anderson also came around, his tone carrying uncertainty. ¡°The White Wizard Academy focuses on legion training, while the Black Wizard Academy emphasizes individual strength. Logically, White Wizards should have an advantage, so how could they be¡­ so weak.¡± Richard shook his head. Anderson¡¯s ideas were exactly like his had been at first; who could have thought that White Wizards would be so lackluster. ¡°Although White Wizards do focus on legion training, their approach is too gentle, and they lack proper combat experience,¡± Richard explained, ¡°Simply put, these people are rich in theory but lacking in combat experience. Once they encounter unexpected situations, they lose their footing. When we faced them, we merely blunted their edge a little, and they fled in defeat.¡± ¡°That bad?¡± Aldo could hardly believe it. If the White Wizards were really as incompetent as Richard described, then how had they become the mainstream who conquered Otherworlds in the Wizard World? ¡°Believe it or not,¡± Richard shrugged indifferently, sharing this information purely because they were all in the same camp, as allies with a common goal. ¡°I¡¯m telling the plain truth. The exchange ratio is laid out right before you, the numbers from all three academies are roughly the same, you can go out and count for yourself.¡± After a moment of silence, Anderson and Aldo eventually thanked Richard. It was undoubtedly a good thing that Richard was willing to share intelligence. ¡°What do you two plan to do next? Press the advance?¡± Richard asked with curiosity. ¡°Hm? Is the Black Tower Wizard Academy not planning to strike?¡± Anderson frowned, wondering if Richard¡¯s words were a ruse. If the White Wizards were truly as useless as he said, there was no reason for them not to pursue. ¡°Mm, our Black Tower Wizard Academy is not planning to pursue,¡± Richard nodded, ¡°At present, we have some internal issues. I just dealt with a troublemaker, and now we need to regroup.¡± Anderson remembered the scene he¡¯d witnessed upon his arrival. ¡°So, there was a power struggle?¡± he thought to himself. He¡¯d initially thought that Richard was in a duel with a powerful White Wizard. ¡°Apart from that, I would like to advise you two,¡± Richard said calmly, ¡°The number of White Wizards we faced doesn¡¯t add up; a portion of them did not come to the battle, which suggests they might be preparing defenses at the resource point. If you want to pursue, it¡¯s best to strike as soon as possible. If you delay, once their defenses are established, the losses will be greater if you move against them.¡± Upon hearing this, Aldo and Anderson immediately rose to take their leave. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we won¡¯t disturb the Black Tower Wizard Academy,¡± Aldo stood up and said, ¡°Since this resource point was claimed by your Black Tower Wizard Academy, we at the Annihilation Wizard Academy will not interfere¡ªbut as for your original point¡­¡± Anderson also looked at Richard at this moment. One academy holding two resource points seemed excessive. ¡°How about dividing one point into thirds among the three of us.¡± Richard suggested indifferently, ¡°We¡¯re all in the same camp, after all, sharing resources is only right.¡± Anderson and Aldo were somewhat surprised; they hadn¡¯t expected Richard to agree to such an arrangement so readily. ¡°But, I have one condition.¡± ¡°What condition?¡± Anderson asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow some of the Alchemy School apprentices under your command,¡± Richard said with a smile, ¡°I find the camp constructed by the White Wizards quite nice; I plan to repair and utilize it.¡± ¡°Construction of the camp?¡± The two apprentice leaders immediately expressed some doubts. ¡°Repair the camp¡­ Does Black Tower Wizard Academy think we will lose?¡± Aldo said gravely, ¡°Or is there a problem with the information you¡¯ve told us?¡± Richard waved his hand: ¡°I swear by the Sea of Souls, the information I¡¯ve told you is not the slightest bit false. It¡¯s just that I am naturally cautious, and if you two are defeated, it would be good to have a fortress to hold, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± When he finished, Richard playfully winked. Anderson and Aldo looked at each other, and the doubts in their hearts did not dissipate because of Richard¡¯s explanation; instead, they grew even more. This was also a downside of being a Black Wizard. They found it hard to trust others. But for the time being, confirming the strength of the White Wizard Apprentices was something that both academies needed to do, and since the three academies had no conflicts of interest, Richard had no need to deceive them. Thus, both academies ultimately chose to pursue the White Wizard Apprentices. Annihilation Wizard Academy and Void Wizard Academy left a total of thirty Alchemy School Apprentices with Richard, these apprentices not strong, had survived the bloody examination purely by good luck. And now, being left here with Richard once again proved their luck. ¡°Talk about stingy, leaving behind only thirty apprentices.¡± Richard clucked his tongue, then immediately arranged for these thirty apprentices and those from Black Tower Wizard Academy to start building defensive measures. Although there was not a hint of falsehood in what he had told Anderson and Aldo, he had a speculation in his heart that he hadn¡¯t shared with them. The growth rate of the White Wizard Apprentices might be surprisingly fast. This speculation came from Richard¡¯s intuition. The White Wizards had reduced their casualties in two battles separated by only a few hours. If they fought a few more battles, those Ivory Tower students would quickly grow. At that time, the numerical advantage of the White Wizards would be greatly maximized. But these were only Richard¡¯s speculations. Under normal circumstances, Annihilation Wizard Academy and Void Wizard Academy amounted to two-thirds of the Black Wizard Camp¡¯s fighting power, taking a resource point that had just suffered a defeat should be a breeze. Even if the White Witch Camp provided support, they could still retreat. The worst-case scenario would be a major defeat for the Black Wizards, but the likelihood of that was minimal. Following the White Wizard¡¯s remaining traces, Richard and a few Alchemy apprentices discussed the construction of the camp. First came the wall; the foundations of the wall constructed by the White Wizards could still be found in the camp. Judging by the foundation, the wall was incredibly thick but not particularly tall. Richard surmised that the primary function of this wall was likely to elevate the Wizard Apprentices¡¯ field of vision while incidentally consuming a bit of the opposing apprentices¡¯ Magic Power. After all, maintaining Levitation Skill also requires Magic Power. Next were the traps outside the walls. According to Richard¡¯s thinking, Magic Arrays were best made to be manually activated, and the distance they were set had to be far enough from the camp. In the vicinity of the camp, it was enough just to place a few warning Magic Arrays. The Undead Wizard¡¯s Puppet scouts would easily eliminate those activation Puppets. Richard was also prepared for the possibility of the Black Wizards suffering a defeat. If they accidentally trapped their own people with trigger-style traps, it would be quite the joke. Next, Wizards can fly, especially once they had built the walls; the White Wizards, if they attacked, certainly wouldn¡¯t go by ground. Magic Arrays that could detect flying weren¡¯t nonexistent, but that was something only Wizards could handle; these Apprentices better just stick to setting up on the ground. Having confirmed these two points, all that remained were some details. After discussing everything with a few apprentices, Richard began the construction work. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Apprentice War (Part 7) Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Apprentice War (Part 7) Construction was no difficult feat for a wizard. Building walls required a large amount of materials such as bricks, stones, lime, and more for common people, but for a wizard, an Earth Wall Skill coupled with some reinforcement enchantments were enough to get the job done, and the effect was even better than what mortals could build. Following the plan, the apprentices cleared all vegetation within a two hundred meter radius of the resource point and leveled the ground using Mud to Stone and Fossil to Mud. Then they built a rough wall at the edge with Earth Wall Skill. The large trees that had been cleared were used by the apprentices to construct wooden huts, as accommodations were essential since the war was expected to last for some time. Meanwhile, the battle with the Flame Giant came to an end; it had grabbed the neck of the Flame Monster Bird and extracted the Element Core hidden inside its body. The Element Core was greatly beneficial to elemental creatures, speeding up their growth. After devouring the core of the Flame Monster Bird, the Flame Giant¡¯s strength surged and almost reached the standard of an Advanced Apprentice. Once the wall was completed, those from the Alchemy School began to reinforce it with enchantments to ensure it wouldn¡¯t succumb to the Elemental Magic of the White Wizard Apprentices. Next was the trap setup. Three kilometers out from the resource point¡¯s center, the apprentices from the Alchemy School began laying out Arrays. As Black Wizards, these apprentices had a knack for setting traps. Various devious and covert Magic Arrays were densely positioned in the forest, and once activated, they were guaranteed to make any trapped White Wizard beg for mercy. During the deployment of the apprentices, Richard gained a deeper understanding of warfare. He also realized the limitations of Black Wizards. Since Black Wizards focused too much on boosting their own power, this led to a complete ignorance of some auxiliary spells. In the process of building walls, out of over three hundred apprentices, they found only around thirty who knew the Earth Wall Skill. And that was at least somewhat useful Earth Wall Skill. When Richard planned to construct a reservoir within the wall for water supply, not a single person in the entire camp knew the Clear Water Creation spell. If Richard had been looking for lethal spells like Ice Cone Skill, Blizzard, Ice Fog Skill, he was sure this group of apprentices would have provided plenty, but not a single one knew the non-lethal Clear Water Creation spell. This meant that part of Richard¡¯s planning had to be declared a failure. For the water supply issue, they could only rely on the rivers in the forest. In light of this, Richard deduced some advantages of the White Wizards by comparing their flaws. White Wizards conducted warfare in a regimented manner, which meant that they had specialists trained in certain aspects, such as construction; they should have wizards who specialized in building fortifications. And for combat, they had wizards specializing in warfare. The advantage of such training was evident: it was convenient to specialize, and with the Wizard Academy¡¯s selection process, apprentices with talents in certain areas would be deployed where they could best utilize their gifts. Secondly, wizards trained this way might initially be very specialized, but they would surpass Black Wizards in their specialized areas. Even if Black Wizards worked themselves to death, they couldn¡¯t beat a White Wizard who specialized in constructing fortifications. ¡°If this reasoning holds, then the Void and Annihilation Academies might be in some danger,¡± Richard muttered as he watched the directions in which those two academies had gone. Unlike the Black Tower Wizard Academy, the Void and Annihilation Academies had gone to attack the White Wizards. And they were White Wizards with defensive structures. Even if the White Wizards were incompetents, with fortifications to aid them, they would certainly put up a strong resistance. This was definitely not good news for Black Wizards. Fortifications could effectively reduce casualties among White Wizard Apprentices, and the war would temper them, maturing them and building up their teamwork in the process. If the two academies failed to take down their targets, it would be akin to training troops for the White Wizards. ¡°No, I must take a look. If the White Wizards are anything like I suspect, then I¡¯ll have to change my strategy,¡± Richard frowned and switched his view to Wuni, preparing to observe the battle from the sky. ¡­ ¡°My lord, we are just one kilometer from the White Wizards¡¯ resource point,¡± a scouting Black Wizard reported. ¡°The White Wizards have already built their wall and now seem to be laying out Magic Arrays and traps.¡± ¡°Good, halt the advance,¡± Anderson ordered. While Anderson had his doubts about Richard¡¯s intelligence, out of an inherent Black Wizard instinct, he was skeptical about information from strangers. But the corpses scattered across the resource point didn¡¯t lie, and neither did the number of Black Tower Wizard Academy apprentices. If the White Wizards were not as weak as Richard had claimed, such a victory could not have been achieved. But¡­Anderson always felt that something was off inside. Like him, Aldo from the Annihilation Academy had the same feeling in his heart. ¡°It¡¯s not right, we have to prepare for retreat when we attack later,¡± Aldo muttered to himself as he looked at the distant White Wizard resource point. Having said that, he called over a few Apprentice Wizards from the Alchemy School. ¡°You guys, prepare some triggerable Magic Arrays.¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡± As both parties arrived at the location, Anderson and Aldo had their people agree on the time for the battle and the offensive front lines. The Void Academy, led by Anderson, would attack from the north, while the Annihilation Academy, led by Aldo, would attack from the south. The Magic Array traps from these two directions were not yet completed, many Apprentices were still setting them up. Now was the perfect moment to strike unexpectedly. Watching the time on his pocket watch, Anderson pulled out his longsword, thrust it into the ground, and then clasped his hands together in prayer. ¡°My Lord, today I offer this victory to You, may You bless me with Your favor.¡± After the prayer, Anderson seemed like a transformed person, becoming like a fanatic, his eyes filled solely with zeal and devotion. ¡°Void Academy, follow me, today I shall dedicate victory to my Lord!¡± At the same time, Aldo from the Annihilation Academy also began his attack. As an Apprentice of the Undead School, Aldo was most skilled at summoning the Undead. In his Magic Pocket, he always carried the bones of three Level 1 Creatures. He had bought these corpses at a high price from the Wizard Commerce, and once resurrected, their strength would certainly be at the level of an Advanced Apprentice, which even a High Advanced Apprentice had to be careful to handle. For this battle, Aldo brought all three corpses back to life. With the eerie blue soul fire igniting in the eye sockets, three corpses once Level 1 Creatures were resurrected, coming back to this world. ¡°My Lord.¡± The three skeletons bowed slightly to Aldo. Aldo nodded in satisfaction and immediately commanded the three skeletons to rush to the front of the troop. At this moment, the White Wizards were completely unaware of all this, still peacefully setting up their Magic Array traps. Until the flames of war descended. ¡°Master! Conqueror, Sir!¡± A White Wizard Apprentice found Orey, who was in his room devising strategies. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, why are you so flustered? Don¡¯t tell me the Black Wizards have broken in,¡± asked Orey, frowning. The reporting White Wizard Apprentice nodded and shouted loudly: ¡°Master, it¡¯s the Black Wizards! They¡¯re attacking!¡± ¡°What!¡± Orey instantly stood up, pushed aside the reporting White Apprentice, and went outside. The sounds of spell bombardments were incessantly coming in, the White Wizards at the resource point were once again thrown into chaos. ¡°Damn it, everyone stop!¡± Orey flew into the sky and bellowed down to the Apprentices below, who were scurrying about like headless flies. ¡°Now! All Apprentices listen to my command! Form up in Number One Array, ready to meet the enemy! Any Apprentice who runs now will be treated as a deserter! As the Commander, I have the right to execute them!¡± COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Academy War (8) Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Academy War (8) Orey¡¯s command stopped many of the apprentices in their tracks. These Wizard Apprentices were not old peasants temporarily conscripted by the nobles; they had received battlefield training in the Academy. Now, they merely lacked experience. However, many apprentices completely panicked. Even though Orey had given the order, they still ran back in blind panic, completely disregarding the increasingly serious expression on Orey¡¯s face in the sky. ¡°Still running?¡± Orey shouted in anger, then pulled out a magic wand from his Magic Pocket and waved it at a fleeing apprentice. Bang! A pale purple lightning bolt shot from the wand and struck the apprentice directly. Before the apprentice could activate his Magic Barrier, the lightning turned him into char. ¡°Anyone else who runs will end up like this!¡± Orey shouted loudly. The example was a deterrent, and the remaining apprentices finally stopped in their tracks and began to arrange themselves according to Orey¡¯s commands. The White Wizards had different formations depending on the enemy they faced. In a situation like the present, Orey chose the most conservative Number One formation. He knew that this group of apprentices under him could not withstand major casualties. And the Number One formation was particularly outstanding in defense. Number One formation was a semicircle; the outermost layer specialized in defense and close combat response, the next layer specialized in long-range attacks, the third layer served as support and firepower replenishment, and the last layer was the command layer, Orey¡¯s position. Apprentices arranged themselves according to the formations they had learned in the Academy, having been specifically trained for their roles and having no doubts about where they should stand. Unfortunately, most of the apprentices were not on Orey¡¯s side at the moment, hence his formation looked very peculiar. The outermost layer, which should have had the most people, now had the fewest. The third layer, which should have had the fewest, now had the most. But at this moment, Orey had no time to care about these details; having a formation meant having organization, and having organization was better than no organization. ¡°Advance north!¡± Orey commanded. At this moment, on the north side of the resource point, the apprentices from the Void Wizard Academy were massacring left and right. Anderson¡¯s black robe continuously dripped blood downward, and his longsword was also covered in fresh blood, emitting a strange red light. ¡°Ha ha, Black Tower Academy was right, these White Wizards are indeed as weak as chickens.¡± Anderson laughed loudly, turning around to split an incoming fireball into two. The bursting flames swept over his body, but a light red barrier blocked all the Fire Elements. He strode forward, heading towards the apprentice who had launched the spell. His presence was like an evil ghost from hell, frightful enough to shatter the courage of ordinary people with a single glance. But the spell-casting apprentice was no ordinary person either; dressed in a white Wizard Robe, his heroic face and long white hair fluttered on the battlefield. Facing the fierce Anderson, there wasn¡¯t a trace of panic in his eyes. The white-haired apprentice pointed his finger, and several Ice Cones appeared by his side, rotating and shooting towards Anderson. Anderson, undeterred, raised his red sword and deflected the incoming Ice Cones. Seeing that the spell was ineffective, the white-haired apprentice stepped back, waved his Magic Wand, and a cloud of white fog emitted from the wand¡¯s tip, enveloping Anderson. ¡°Ice Fog Skill?¡± Anderson frowned, recognizing what this spell was. Ice Fog Skill was a spell aimed at individuals with exceptional Physique, as the micro ice crystals within the fog would enter the organism¡¯s body through the skin and respiratory pathways, causing them to become sluggish and even frostbitten. This was also the initial version of the Ice Fog Skill. Nowadays, most Wizard Apprentices would modify the Ice Fog Skill to enhance its maintenance time and even its freezing damage Energy Level. It seemed like this white-haired apprentice was no ordinary person; the Ice Fog Skill had likely been modified by him. Thus, even though Anderson was an Advanced Apprentice, he did not dare to be unprotected. ¡°The Ice Fog Skill I¡¯ve modified has smaller ice crystal particles, higher penetration efficiency, and greater damage.¡± The voice of the white-haired apprentice came from outside the fog. ¡°Specifically to deal with you brutes who rely on brute strength.¡± But within the fog, a fiendish smirk curled the corners of Anderson¡¯s lips. ¡°Brute strength?¡± He suddenly glowed in his eyes, staring directly at the position of the white-haired apprentice. ¡°So playing close combat means I¡¯m a brute?¡± Suddenly, a spiritual tentacle shot out from Anderson, instantly breaking through the white-haired apprentice¡¯s mental defenses. Anderson was not a physically focused Alchemy Wizard Apprentice; he was a genuine Soul Wizard Apprentice. He only engaged in close combat because he had learned a spell from the Imaginary God that was helpful for melee, and secondly, to deceive naive individuals like the white-haired apprentice. Who told you that melee combatants must specialize in physical strength? As Anderson¡¯s spiritual power wreaked havoc, blood started dripping unceasingly from the white-haired apprentice¡¯s eye sockets, nose, and even ears. At this moment, his skull had turned into mush, and brain matter mixed with blood continuously flowed out of his orifices. After dealing with the white-haired apprentice, Anderson walked out of the ice fog, moving his body. The effects of the Ice Fog Skill were indeed powerful; he had only stayed inside for less than two seconds, and his body had stiffened, with some areas having turned ominously black from frostbite. If this apprentice had been more experienced in combat, Anderson might have actually encountered difficulty in the ensuing fight. Anderson scanned the battlefield; by now, those White Wizards with poor mental fortitude and timidity had almost been wiped out, and the remaining White Wizard Apprentices had finally regrouped, gathering in groups of three or five to start fighting back against the Black Wizards. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: Chapter 89 Academy War (Eight)_2 Chapter 90: Chapter 89 Academy War (Eight)_2 ¡°Adapting so quickly?¡± Anderson frowned. The adaptation speed of the White Wizard Apprentices had far exceeded his expectations; although the assault from the Void Academy had shattered their defenses, the lack of command meant these Black Wizard Apprentices hadn¡¯t managed to surround and annihilate the enemy with concentrated troops immediately. The Black Wizard Apprentices had indeed achieved rich battle results, but that could not withstand the fact that the White Wizards far outnumbered them. ¡°We can¡¯t keep this up, we must quickly defeat these White Wizard Apprentices.¡± Anderson made his decision, but before he could act, a series of spells bombarded him. ¡°Ten o¡¯clock direction, distance 350, left ten Fireball Technique, ready.¡± Orey¡¯s voice rang out on the battlefield, a group of White Wizard Apprentices arranged in a semi-circular formation was slowly advancing towards the battlefield, and their formation was growing larger as they moved forward. ¡°White Wizard Army?¡± Anderson dodged the spell, looking in the direction of the casting with some panic. Dozens of Wizard Apprentices were brewing spells, and in front of them, several Wizards were intently watching Anderson. As soon as Anderson retaliated, they would immediately erect a Magic Shield, fulfilling their duty to defend. ¡°Fire!¡± At Orey¡¯s command, ten fireballs immediately flew towards Anderson. Anderson hastily dodged. Although these fireballs were not very powerful individually, once their number increased, they could fatally strike advanced apprentices like Anderson. ¡°Void Academy, assemble!¡± Anderson suddenly yelled across the battlefield, finally recognizing the terrifying nature of the White Wizards. This type of spell bombardment, apart from a top apprentice like him, few on the field could withstand it. ¡°Hmph! Thinking of running?¡± Orey snorted coldly and then began giving orders. ¡°Twelve o¡¯clock direction, distance 370, left three Lightning Strike.¡± ¡°Two o¡¯clock direction, distance 250, right four Fireball bombardment.¡± ¡°One o¡¯clock direction, distance 460, mid four Lightning Strike¡­¡± As Orey issued command after command, spells harvested Black Wizards¡¯ lives on the battlefield like grim reapers. These Black Wizard Apprentices didn¡¯t have Anderson¡¯s capabilities; facing multiple spell attacks, their Magic Shields were instantly shattered, a torrent of spells instantly reduced them to ashes or charred them. Some apprentices tried to retaliate, but their spells were blocked by the Magic Shields in front of the White Wizards, posing no threat to the spell-casting apprentices behind them. It was now the Black Wizards¡¯ turn to be slaughtered. ¡°Damn it, prepare to retreat!¡± Anderson yelled with an ugly expression, then threw his long sword towards the White Wizard army formation. The blood-red long sword tore through the air, bringing with it a fierce wind, the White Wizard Apprentices in front of the army took defense measures, but before the sword could touch the Magic Shield, it exploded on its own, enveloping a group of White Wizard Apprentices in a cloud of blood mist. The White Wizard Apprentices who came into contact with the blood mist instantly had their eyes turn red, attacking indiscriminately. ¡°Mad Demon Blood Fog, should hold them off for a while.¡± Anderson glanced back at the White Wizard Army formation, his figure then disappearing into the woods. ¡­ Resource point southside, Annihilation Academy also ran into trouble. ¡°Roar!¡± A skeleton with Soul Fire burning in its eyes let out a silent howl, then was blasted into pieces by a spell. The southside of the resource point was mostly inhabited by advanced apprentices, who had quickly deployed their strategies at the start of the battle¡­ although the results were somewhat lacking. Due to a lack of decisive actions, the commanding system at the southern resource point was like a schizophrenic mental patient with multiple personality disorders, sending apprentices here and there erratically. Because they hadn¡¯t made timely use of wartime laws¡ªnamely the law of executing deserters. The result was that although there were more apprentices on the southside of the resource point than the northside, their resistance against the Black Wizards was less effective. Despite this, with the assistance of advanced combat abilities and alchemy machines, the southern resource point was barely held. Balto, known by his nickname Mechanic, was an Advanced Alchemy Apprentice of the Alchemy School, majoring in Alchemy Mechanical Science. In this war, Balto was the only one who could match Richard financially. At the Secret Keeper Wizard Academy, Balto had even taken business from the Wizard Commerce by continuously providing a type of alchemy equipment with his alchemy machines. This made Balto extremely wealthy. For this war, Balto had made the same decision as Richard¡ªto exchange for a large amount of alchemy materials. Besides that, Balto brought some things Richard didn¡¯t have. On the city walls, the Magic Stone-driven Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon emitted a dazzling white light. Powered by the Magic Stones, the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon could release a blast of up to one hundred fifty Energy Levels twice per minute. On the battlefield, except for a few Advanced Apprentices, whoever it hit was dead. It was also because of the deterrence of this Magic Stone Cannon that many Black Wizards fought hesitantly, always keeping part of their attention on the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon. ¡°Have we consolidated yet?¡± Standing by the cannon, Balto anxiously asked as he continually used a spell to cool it down. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s still not working,¡± reported a White Wizard, shaking his head. ¡°Those three skeletons are too fierce. Every time our formation starts taking shape, they disrupt it. Our spells are almost ineffective against them. Now, no apprentices are willing to form a formation!¡± ¡°Unwilling!?¡± Balto cursed angrily. ¡°Do they want to die? In terms of individual combat capability, can the three of them measure up to a Black Wizard Apprentice? Without forming a military formation, we are just slowly committing suicide!¡± After saying this, Balto filled a few Magic Stones into the Magic Stone Cannon, and the lethal white light lit up again, causing many Black Wizard Apprentices to hurriedly take cover. ¡°Order the other staff to quickly organize their own military formations, no matter how small, they must form a formation!¡± Balto ordered, feeling a bit weary. At this moment, he actually wished that his old rival Orey was here. With Orey¡¯s capability and spirit, he definitely could have consolidated the Apprentices for a counterattack. But it was too late to say anything now. At the resource point on the north side where Orey was, there were even fewer Wizard Apprentices. Yet, they also faced an attack from a Black Wizard Academy. He just needed to lead the Apprentices in holding the line. As long as he firmly kept the defense, once the White Wizard Army formation on his side was assembled, it would be the time for the Black Wizards¡¯ defeat. Boom, boom, boom¡­ A series of explosions erupted from the Black Wizards¡¯ flank. Startled, Balto quickly looked over. He saw a neatly arranged White Wizard Army attacking the flank of the Black Wizard Apprentices. Each spell cast took out several Black Wizard Apprentices. ¡°Have other Academies finally come?¡± Balto thought in amazement. The White Wizard Army before him looked spirited and full of fighting spirit, in stark contrast to his own White Wizard Apprentices. Balto naturally thought of the remaining two Academies. ¡°Prepare to counterattack! Reinforcements have arrived!¡± Balto shouted, as his alchemy Magic Stone Cannon emitted a deadly white light again. Seeing the arrival of such strong reinforcements, the White Wizard Apprentices at the southern resource point felt a surge of adrenaline and instantly perked up. ¡°Formation, formation, reinforcements have arrived!¡± At this moment, Aldo, who was in the woods controlling skeletons to hunt the Apprentices, saw this scene and instantly made a decision. ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± The Apprentices of the Annihilation Academy received the order and immediately broke away from the battle, running into the woods. The White Wizard Army didn¡¯t pursue, allowing the Black Wizards of the Annihilation Academy to escape. ¡°I wonder which Academy these reinforcements belong to, entering the battlefield with such calm.¡± Balto admired to himself as he watched the reinforcements. But before he could approach, a familiar emblem caught his eye. ¡°The¡­ Secret Keeper¡¯s Academy insignia?¡± Confused, Balto looked towards the army¡¯s command echelon, only to see a familiar figure quietly watching him. ¡°Balto, is this the outcome your staff has managed to produce?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: Chapter 90: Academy War (9) Chapter 91: Chapter 90: Academy War (9) ¡°Orey!?¡± Balto looked at the most core figure in the White Wizard Army and uttered an incredulous sound. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The White Wizard Army split in the middle, clearing a path for their commander, Orey. ¡°Armed with better equipment than ours, and a larger number of people, yet we only just managed to hold our defense¡­¡± Orey walked up to Balto, and with the sunlight falling behind him, Balto could not clearly see his face, feeling an oppressive pressure suffocating him. ¡°Is this how your staff conducts warfare?¡± Balto opened his mouth to say something in defense, but in the face of the ironclad truth, everything he could say seemed weak and meaningless. Orey ended the newly created staff department with a single battle and took back power. ¡°Count the casualties,¡± Orey said indifferently. ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Balto responded with a bitter echo. The tally was quickly reported: in this battle, the Black Wizards had lost a hundred men, while nearly four hundred had perished on the White Wizard side. Including those who had died in previous battles, in just one day, the Secret Keeper Wizard College had lost over half of its apprentices. Nevertheless, on that very day, the apprentices of the Secret Keeper Wizard College were tempered by blood and fire, and their fears of the cut-and-thrust of battle were no longer as they had been before. ¡°Perhaps this is why the colleges conduct apprentice wars,¡± Orey murmured to himself as he looked at the casualty figures in the meeting room. He remembered his mentor telling him that the initial casualty rate in the White Wizard Army¡¯s first battle was an astonishing fifty percent, which, even after integrating fresh and experienced troops and with the aid of war machines, only dropped to thirty percent. The high death rate was due not only to the extreme dangers of conquering other planes but also partly to the White Wizards themselves. Some White Wizards performed exceptionally poorly on the battlefield, showing even less competence in large-scale war than natives. However, this apprentice war, facilitated by the hands of the Black Wizard Apprentices, had cleared out the deadweight among the White Wizard Apprentices, greatly improving the remaining students¡¯ quality. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t wet their pants on the battlefield anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break, hand all the wounded over to the apprentices of the Undead School for treatment, and those who aren¡¯t injured should repair and fortify our resource points,¡± Orey ordered. ¡°Yes.¡± After a while, the advanced apprentices from the Secret Keeper Wizard College entered the meeting room again. This time, Orey sat in the main seat at the far end of the room. ¡°After these two battles, our apprentices have grown. Next, I plan to rest for a while and allow the lower apprentices to absorb what they¡¯ve learned from the two battles,¡± Orey said, tapping his knuckles on the table. ¡°Does anyone have any objections?¡± Several advanced apprentices looked at each other, but in the end, no one spoke. ¡°Since there are no objections, then it¡¯s decided.¡± Thump, thump, thump! Just as Orey¡¯s words fell, the door to the meeting room was knocked on. Opening the door, a White Wizard Apprentice whispered something to the person who opened it. ¡°The other two academies have arrived,¡± said the White Wizard who had opened the door. Orey stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet them then.¡± ¡­ High above in the sky, Wuni kept circling over the White Wizard¡¯s resource point. Using the distortion of light and altitude, the Death Crow remained undetected. ¡°The White Wizards have started to fight as an army, this is not good news,¡± Richard muttered to himself. The trial of war had rapidly accelerated the growth of the White Wizards, and the Black Wizards¡¯ haphazard assaults only hastened this process. During the attack by the two academies, Richard could clearly see that the Black Wizard Apprentices were fighting independently, while White Wizard Apprentices trended towards group combat. Even though the Black Wizard Apprentices were powerful individuals, they were troubled when facing several apprentices whose nominal combat power was close to their own. If Richard were in command, he would have them perform cutting and encircling attacks, colloquially known as ¡°dumpling-making.¡± Concentrate superior forces, swiftly cut through the White Wizard Apprentices¡¯ defense, and then surround and annihilate them. Unfortunately, the other two academy¡¯s leading apprentices did not share Richard¡¯s strategic thought; they could only cut through the defenses and then let the apprentices fight for their own victories. This approach fit well with the Black Wizard ethos but was ill-suited for war. ¡°The two new academies, according to the rules, should be the Clear Frost Wizard Academy and Aurora Wizard Academy,¡± Richard observed the two new groups of White Wizard Apprentices appearing on the ground, speaking to himself. From the sky, the two groups of White Wizard Apprentices had gathered outside the resource point and seemed to have some minor friction with the apprentices of the Secret Keeper Wizard College. ¡°Why can¡¯t we go in when we¡¯re all White Wizard Apprentices?¡± an apprentice shouted loudly at those guarding the resource point entrance. Looking at the badge on his chest, this was an Aurora Academy apprentice. ¡°Indeed, we¡¯re allies according to the rules; aren¡¯t we allowed in our own ally¡¯s resource point?¡± a Clear Frost Wizard Academy apprentice added. Just now, these two academies had arrived at the resource point fashionably late. Their timing was cunning; almost immediately after the Black Wizard Apprentices departed, this group appeared. Because of the Black Wizards¡¯ slaughter, the Secret Keeper Wizard College was in a state of sorrow and rage, and the two latecomers were naturally suspected of deliberate timing. It seemed too coincidental that they arrived just after the other group left. But coincidentally, that¡¯s exactly what happened. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Chapter 90: Academy War (9)_2 Chapter 92: Chapter 90: Academy War (9)_2 Unlike the Secret Keeper Wizard College, the apprentices of these two lacked a leader with enough prestige among them, hence, the moment they entered the Secret Realm, the struggle for leadership began for both colleges. After vying for leadership, both colleges, following the regulations of the White Wizard¡¯s Manual, began to build defensive measures at resource points, which took a considerable amount of time. Upon completing these tasks, there was more internal squabbling within each group, and they ultimately decided to send people to the resource point where the Secret Keeper Academy was located to exchange information and form an alliance. The timing just happened to coincide with the end of the great battle between the Secret Keeper Academy and the Black Wizards. ¡°Rules are rules, without a commander¡¯s order, none of you can enter.¡± The guarding White Wizard said sternly to the outside White Wizard Apprentices, completely disregarding their protests. After experiencing war, the apprentices of the Secret Keeper Wizard College looked upon these apprentices who had not been through battle with a mix of pride and pity. These people still had no idea what awaited them. The guard¡¯s words prompted another wave of discontent, but this time the dissatisfaction did not last long. Because Orey¡¯s order came down. ¡°Let them in.¡± Orey exchanged some information with the leader apprentices, or rather, the representative apprentices from the two colleges. He shared some of the Secret Keeper Academy¡¯s experiences with them. ¡°Are you saying that we White Wizards can¡¯t possibly win against the Black Wizards the first time we face them? Unless we lay a trap and set up an ambush?¡± said the representative apprentice from Clear Frost Academy. This representative, named Greg, was over two meters tall and sported a red beard, giving him quite the wild warrior vibe. ¡°Pretty much,¡± Orey said blandly. ¡°Without going through the trials of war, our apprentices are far behind the Black Wizard Apprentices in quality.¡± ¡°It sounds incredible, but looking at the rules this time, it seems to be the academy¡¯s very intention.¡± The representative apprentice from Aurora Academy picked up the conversation. This representative was an Undead Wizard named Menasi, and when he spoke, two flickering blue Soul Fires danced in his eye sockets. ¡°Get rid of the low-quality apprentices among us and make wizards more elite.¡± Orey did not express agreement or disagreement upon hearing this. ¡°Are you two about to go train your troops?¡± Orey inquired. As he spoke, Orey walked with the two representative apprentices down the street. A continuous sound of crying echoed throughout the resource point, as many apprentices had lost their lives in the war ¨C men and women of various relations to those who survived. But without doubt, there had been affection between those who had died and the living apprentices. The heavy burden of death weighed upon the hearts of these living apprentices; parting in life and death is a rite of passage every wizard must endure. Ultimately, the aim of the Wizard Academy was to provide soldiers for the Plane Battlefield. ¡°We¡­¡± Greg had trouble catching his breath under the weight of the resource point¡¯s sorrow. The savagery of war left this Ivory Tower apprentice somewhat at a loss. ¡°Do you remember the rules of war victory?¡± Orey suddenly asked. ¡°There will be fewer than two resource points left, or the number of apprentices has halved,¡± Menasi said with a grave voice, ¡°The academies have already prepared for death; they¡¯ve drawn a line for us.¡± ¡°So both of you should think about it,¡± Orey said softly, ¡°Death is inevitable.¡± ¡­ In the sky, Richard observed the White Wizards from the other two academies beginning to leave. But the direction of their departure seemed off. Why were they moving towards his location? Fortunately, night fell not long after, and the White Wizard Apprentices did not choose to march at night but decided to camp on the spot. ¡°Are they planning to attack the public resource point?¡± Richard switched his vision back to himself and pinched his eyebrow anxiously. Knock, knock, knock! Richard¡¯s room door was knocked on. Since arranging the city¡¯s defenses, Richard had stayed in this room, using Wuni to observe the movements of the White Wizards. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Boss, my name¡¯s Doug. I¡¯ve caught a Magic Beast, would you like a taste?¡± ¡°Magic Beast?¡± Richard realized it was someone trying to suck up to him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got it.¡± Richard stretched his body and walked out of the room. Outside the room, the entire Resource Point had undergone a huge transformation. Thick city walls had been erected, with Apprentices keeping watch on top, and various wooden huts had been built within the Resource Point. Apprentices walked down the streets, those who were acquainted gathered together, lit bonfires, and chatted while eating dry rations. The day¡¯s skirmish might have been a painful memory for White Wizard Apprentices, but for Black Wizard Apprentices, such battles were just part of daily life. The Apprentice named Doug approached Richard, presenting a well-roasted Magic Beast thigh as if offering up a treasure. The thigh, sizzling with fat and brushed with Spice, emitted an aroma that was tantalizing. ¡°Boss, this meat from the Magic Beast is really chewy, I guarantee you¡¯ll like it.¡± Richard didn¡¯t find Doug¡¯s flattery repulsive; he took the thigh, tasted it, and nodded. ¡°It is indeed good.¡± ¡°Good is good, good is good,¡± Doug nodded obsequiously, ¡°If you want more, I¡¯ve got some.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Richard waved his hand, ¡°You¡¯re called Doug, right? Which School do you belong to?¡± ¡°Reporting to the boss, Alchemy School.¡± ¡°Alchemy School¡­ What level are you at? And in what area?¡± Doug gave a subservient smile, ¡°I study Alchemy Machines. My skills are passable, but far inferior to yours, boss.¡± ¡°Alchemy Machines, not bad.¡± Richard nodded, then took out a contract from his pocket and wrote a few terms on it. ¡°Sign this, and you can stay in the rear.¡± Doug¡¯s abilities were mediocre. Judging by the Magic Fluctuation emanating from him, Doug was probably at the level of an Intermediate Apprentice entering the field, likely because he had not changed his Meditation Method and was still using the Basic Meditation Method. Such an Apprentice would probably just be feeding free kills on the battlefield. Doug took the contract and saw that it required him to help Richard manufacture some alchemy parts and Alchemy Potions, and he must not reveal any information to the outside world. After the war, he would also have to undergo memory erasure by a Soul Wizard. ¡°This¡­¡± Doug looked at the contract and gritted his teeth before signing his name. Although the contract terms were somewhat harsh, they were nothing compared to going to war and facing certain death. ¡°Done.¡± Richard yawned and pulled out a Sheepskin Scroll from his Magic Pocket, handing it to Doug. ¡°Do exactly as it says there. Be meticulous.¡± Then Richard handed Doug another Magic Pocket filled with alchemy materials. Having Doug manufacture alchemy parts was a spur-of-the-moment decision by Richard. Doug was an Apprentice of the Alchemy School, and Richard had a batch of alchemy materials to deal with. Since Doug would be just a free kill on the battlefield, it was better to leave him in the rear to work for Richard. Hearing this, Doug retreated with profuse thanks. After finishing the Magic Beast leg, Richard returned to the room to start monitoring the movements of the White Wizard Apprentices. In the dense forest, despite the lessons from the fall of the Secret Keeper Academy, these White Wizard Apprentices still didn¡¯t understand the brutality of war. Richard even saw some male and female Wizard Apprentices coupling, and they had even left the camp for it. ¡°Great, if it weren¡¯t for the proximity to the Resource Point of the Secret Keeper Academy, these people would all be doomed in the forest tonight.¡± Through Wuni¡¯s night vision, Richard could clearly see several Black Wizard Apprentices scouting the camp. And the White Wizard Apprentices¡¯ sentinels were as good as dead, having noticed nothing. ¡°Are those Apprentices from the Void Academy?¡± Richard maneuvered Wuni through the forest and eventually located the hidden enclaves of the Void Academy and the Annihilation Academy. After their defeat, these two Academies had not chosen to return to their Resource Points to fortify. Instead, they chose to lie dormant in the forest. ¡°Boss, these White Wizard Apprentices and the Apprentices at the Resource Point aren¡¯t from the same group,¡± a scouting Black Wizard Apprentice reported, ¡°How about we launch a night raid tonight?¡± Anderson and Aldo gathered together and exchanged glances. ¡°A night raid does sound like a good idea. Are you in?¡± asked Anderson. A flicker of Soul Fire surged in Aldo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hehehe, of course.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Chapter 91: Apprentice War (Part 10) Chapter 93: Chapter 91: Apprentice War (Part 10) Under the cover of night, the Black Wizard Apprentices silently advanced toward the White Wizard Apprentices¡¯ camp, yet the camp¡¯s inhabitants remained blissfully unaware. They gathered in small groups around the bonfire, discussing their future with each other. Then the spells descended. Boom! The sudden burst of spell explosion startled the apprentices, who all stood up and looked in the direction of the noise. But before they could discern what was happening, spells rained down on them like hail. ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡± a White Wizard Apprentice shouted in panic. Chaos reigned in the camp as the White Wizard Apprentices were caught off guard by the night attack and scrambled towards the resource point in a frantic dash. ¡°Gather! Everyone, keep it together!¡± A commanding shout rose above the crowd as Greg quickly enlarged into a towering figure over three meters tall. Earth spread over the giant¡¯s body, forming a set of Earth Element Armor. ¡°Organize a counterattack! All squad leaders, organize a counterattack! Deserters will be treated as such!¡± Greg roared and turned to charge at the attackers. The Black Wizard Apprentices, draped in black robes, resembled Death Gods reaping souls in the darkness, but they hastily dodged when faced with Greg. The gulf between average and top-tier apprentices couldn¡¯t simply be bridged by a single Black Wizard. Greg let out another roar, stunning several Black Wizard Apprentices. He stomped the ground, and spikes of stone erupted, impaling the disoriented adversaries. Greg¡¯s actions undoubtedly brought some calm to the White Wizard Apprentices, whose fear instantly dissipated amidst the comforting presence of a powerful ally. ¡°Regroup and teach these Black Wizard Apprentices a lesson,¡± ¡°Let them see the might of we White Wizards!¡± ¡­ The squad leaders among the White Wizards began to rally their apprentices for a counterattack, but soon they witnessed a sight that made their legs buckle. ¡°I thought we were up against a top-level apprentice, but it¡¯s just an Advanced Apprentice with a fused bloodline.¡± Aldo¡¯s eyes, filled with Soul Fire, swirled intensely as two undead creatures resembling canines emerged from the woods, constantly clashing with Greg, each strike ripping large swaths from Greg¡¯s Armor. In addition to these two undead beings, a monstrous bone serpent over ten meters in length slithered out of the forest, heading straight for the camp. ¡°50 meters ahead, prepare the Fireball Technique!¡± A squad leader barked orders, but before the apprentices could cast their spells, the giant serpent disrupted their formation and sliced open the leader with its bone spikes, spilling blood everywhere. The White Wizard Apprentices attempted to counterattack, but the serpent¡¯s body seemed as durable as iron. Their spells at best left shallow marks and at worst, only black smudges. ¡°Damn it!¡± Greg wanted to turn back and provide support but was tightly bound by the two undead chasing him. Any slip would enable them, along with Aldo, to tear him to shreds. ¡°Cackle, you¡¯re still too green compared to Secret Keeper Academy.¡± Aldo laughed wickedly as he watched the White Wizard Apprentices getting slaughtered in the camp. Without formation and command, the individual quality of the average Black Wizard Apprentice was far superior to that of their White counterparts. In the melee, the White Apprentices had no choice but to collapse in defeat. This was true for Clear Frost Academy, and Aurora Academy was no different. ¡°Today, I shall offer eighty-eight heads to my God, to cleanse the shame of this day.¡± Anderson shouted fanatically while his long sword continuously claimed the lives of White Wizards. At his side, apprentices from Void Academy were relentlessly harvesting the lives of Aurora Academy¡¯s White Wizard Apprentices. Representing Aurora Academy, Menasi had to stand up and boost the morale of his fellow apprentices. ¡°Fanatic, I didn¡¯t expect to run into something like you.¡± Menasi¡¯s eyes blazed with Soul Fire like two torches. He wielded a White Bone Wand, and summoned a over three-meter-tall skeleton general clad in Alchemy Armor, looking imposing and majestic. ¡°An Undead Wizard? If I had known, I¡¯d have asked for help from Annihilation Academy,¡± Anderson grumbled, displeased at the sight of the skeleton general. The skeleton general¡¯s lack of flesh meant it couldn¡¯t provide sustenance for him. ¡°Losing the battle and not hastening to build defenses, have the Black Wizard Apprentices lost their minds?¡± Menasi manipulated the skeleton general towards Anderson, drying up and turning to mummies any Black Wizard Apprentices that came into contact with it. ¡°Losing the battle?¡± Anderson sneered coldly. ¡°What business is the power of Secret Keeper Academy to Aurora Academy?¡± With that, Anderson pulled another long sword from his Magic Pocket and with swords in both hands, his aura transformed once more. Looking at Menasi, his gaze was unflinching, like a Death God regarding the dead or an old Sword Saint watching a challenger. ¡°¡­False Personality!¡± Menasi recognized Anderson¡¯s technique, and the Soul Fire in his eyes jumped violently. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of being overwhelmed by the False Personality, never to return?¡± Anderson lifted his long swords, drawing a cross in the air. ¡°I¡¯ve dedicated my body and soul to my God, and death holds no regrets for me.¡± ¡°Madman!¡± Menasi cursed angrily, then multitasked, controlling the skeleton general while using Undead Magic to harass Anderson. He knew that relying solely on the skeleton general would mean certain death. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Paragraph copied Chapter 94 - Chapter 94: Chapter 91 Apprentice War (10)_2 Chapter 94: Chapter 91 Apprentice War (10)_2 Ding! Dong! Ding¡­ A bone blade grew from the hands of the Skeleton General, colliding constantly with Anderson¡¯s twin swords. In an instant, sparks flew around the dense forest and bone fragments scattered wildly. In his Sword Saint mode, every sword technique Anderson performed was exquisitely crafted, embodying countless secrets of the native masters¡¯ swordsmanship. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Skeleton General had no vital points, by now, it would have been pierced through the heart, viscera, and even the brain by Anderson. Menasi found it increasingly difficult to control the Skeleton General. As time went on, Anderson seemed to have figured out his control habits, making his attacks more effective. If he could not find a way to counter Anderson soon, his only option would be to flee in disarray. Although the gap between top White Wizard Apprentices and top Black Wizard Apprentices was not as significant as that between ordinary apprentices, there was still a difference. ¡°Damn, now I can only hope for the Secret Keeper Academy,¡± Menasi sighed to himself. At the very start of the night raid, he had ordered an apprentice to seek help from the Secret Keeper Academy at the resource point. The apprentices of the Secret Keeper Academy, having been tempered by battle, were several times stronger in combat than those from the Aurora Academy and the Clear Frost Academy. Now, both academies had brought only half of their apprentices and were suddenly attacked by two Black Wizard Academies. Their only reliance was on the Secret Keeper Academy. ¡­ Resource point, conference room. ¡°The Black Wizards have launched a night raid?¡± Orey looked serious as he faced the apprentice, ¡°Are you sure both Black Wizard Academies are involved?¡± The apprentices of the White Wizard nodded incessantly like pounding garlic. ¡°I¡¯m sure! Both we and the Clear Frost Academy have been attacked. At the Clear Frost Academy, an Undead Wizard resurrected three undead, two wolves, a snake, just like the apprentices from the Annihilation Academy you mentioned.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand. The Secret Keeper Academy will assist immediately.¡± Orey waved his hand, signaling the White Wizard apprentice who reported the news to leave. ¡°Gentlemen, I have a plan,¡± Orey said, leaning his hands on the table, his eyes sharp as swords. ¡°I want to annihilate these Black Wizards!¡± In the conference room, other advanced apprentices were stunned, looking at Orey as if he were crazy. ¡°How do you plan to do it?¡± Balto rubbed his temples. As Orey¡¯s old rival, he knew Orey¡¯s personality was arrogant, but he generally did not act recklessly. ¡°We still have around seven hundred apprentices on hand, about six hundred of which are usable,¡± Orey explained, sketching a rough diagram on the conference table with his wet finger. ¡°These six hundred, I plan to divide them into three groups. Two groups will flank the route of the Black Wizard apprentices, and one group will go to support our allies.¡± ¡°Two hundred to support allies?¡± An apprentice frowned, ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± Orey nodded, ¡°Indeed, it is a bit few, but you need to understand, those we are supporting are not ordinary people. They are also White Wizard Apprentices like us. We only need to help them stabilize their positions, and they can manage the counterattack themselves.¡± ¡°Moreover,¡± Orey paused, ¡°the other four hundred aren¡¯t just sitting idle; they can flank from behind.¡± ¡°Quite a greedy plan,¡± Balto said expressionlessly, ¡°but the risk is indeed worth taking.¡± If things could go as smoothly as Orey hoped, then this war would be over. A single remaining Black Wizard Academy would never be able to contend against a camp of over three thousand White Wizard Apprentices. The advanced apprentices looked at each other and nodded in agreement. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Gather the apprentices now. Four hundred to maneuver on both flanks and two hundred to join me in battle.¡± Orey stood erect, a hint of a crazed smile showing on his lips. The time had come to wash away their shame. ¡­ Above the sky, Richard watched as the White Wizard apprentices at the resource point formed three squadrons, two of which immediately headed to the sides upon leaving the resource point, while only one squadron went to the camps of both academies. ¡°Damn, they¡¯re planning on encircling us.¡± Seeing this, Richard immediately understood Orey¡¯s plan. The flanking maneuver on both wings was intended by the commander of the Secret Keeper Academy to end the war in one fell swoop. ¡°And you think I will let you have your way?¡± Richard switched his view back and immediately left the room to begin gathering apprentices. ¡°Gather up! Gather up!¡± During the war, not many Wizard Apprentices chose to meditate, so Richard soon gathered nearly two hundred Apprentices. ¡°The Void Academy and the Annihilation Academy are now in danger.¡± Richard did not beat around the bush and immediately informed the Apprentices of the current situation. ¡°Today, the Secret Keeper Academy, having been beaten down by us to the point of desperation, is aligning with two other Academies to surround and annihilate the Void and Annihilation Academies. We need to support them now. You have five minutes to prepare, after which we will engage in a fierce battle. The White Wizard Apprentices have already begun legion combat, and we must take this battle seriously¡ªwe cannot underestimate it!¡± The assembled Black Wizards looked at each other, with no protests or questions. They immediately began preparing for the imminent battle. Richard had ample reason; if the Annihilation Academy and Void Academy were surrounded and defeated, then this war was essentially over. If other regions with Black Wizards encountered problems, what awaited them was a bloody trial at the Academy. Rather than facing a bloody trial and competing with classmates, dealing with White Wizard Apprentices now seemed a bit more sensible. Five minutes later, all Apprentices were ready. Richard checked the number of people, kept it to two hundred, and then led the Apprentices to the battlefield. ¡­ The White Wizard camp was now embroiled in intense combat. Greg was entangled by Aldo¡¯s two Undead hounds and could not break free; although the Apprentices from the Clear Frost Academy were constantly resisting, the undead giant python kept disrupting their formation. This caused significant losses for the Clear Frost Academy. Meanwhile, Anderson¡¯s long sword was about to dismantle the Skeleton General, and no matter how Menasi interfered with spells, he could not prevent the collapse of the Skeleton General. It seemed everything was too late. ¡°Allies from the Aurora Academy, the Secret Keeper Academy is here to support!¡± A loud shout spread throughout the camp, accompanied by a trademark of the White Wizard Army¡ªthe torrent of spells. Dozens of purple lightning bolts shot from their staffs, instantly turning two Black Wizard Apprentices into charred corpses. Seeing the White Wizard Army arrive for support, the Black Wizard Apprentices began to run towards the back. They were not fools; killing inexperienced White Wizard Apprentices was one thing, but they dared not provoke the experienced White Wizard Army. Orey, overseeing the command, smirked coldly at this scene. Escape? Will you manage to escape this time? ¡°Twelve o¡¯clock direction, distance 250, prepare for the Spiral Ice Cone Skill to the left at ten!¡± Orey gave the order, and thirty Spiral Ice Cones materialized beside the Apprentices casting spells from a distance, targeting Anderson who was grappling with the Skeleton General. ¡°Fire!¡± In an instant, thirty Spiral Ice Cones, with trails of freezing mist, shot towards Anderson at lightning speed. Anderson¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he swung his two long swords, creating a barrier of sword light that effortlessly deflected all thirty Ice Cones. But only Anderson himself knew that his arms were already trembling slightly. His body was nearly at its limit. ¡°Retreat!¡± Anderson issued the order and turned to run into the forest. Orey did not pursue; he immediately turned to support the Clear Frost Academy and called Menasi to his side. ¡°Menasi, I have a plan now and need the assistance of your Aurora Academy Apprentices.¡± The Soul Fire in Menasi¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°What¡¯s the plan? How can we help you?¡± ¡°I plan to annihilate this group of Black Wizard Apprentices, so I¡¯m asking you to gather the Apprentices and press forward with me against these fleeing Black Wizard Apprentices.¡± After finishing, Orey added: ¡°You don¡¯t really need to lend a hand. Just follow and scare these Black Wizard Apprentices.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Menasi did not hesitate; the Soul Fire in his eyes suddenly intensified. ¡°All Wizard Apprentices from Aurora Wizard Academy will fully cooperate with you!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Chapter 92: Apprentice War (11) Chapter 95: Chapter 92: Apprentice War (11) At the Clear Frost Academy camp, Greg was still desperately holding on, his Earth Element Armor was now scarcely remaining, but with a shout, ¡°Reinforcements have arrived!¡± the Annihilation Academy¡¯s Black Wizard Apprentices began to retreat. ¡°Reinforcements? The Secret Keeper Academy?¡± Greg glanced backward and discovered a regiment of White Wizards slowly advancing towards his position. ¡°How disappointing,¡± Aldo, seeing the regiment of White Wizards from the Secret Keeper Academy, sneered and began to direct the Undead to retreat. He hadn¡¯t yet become so arrogant as to confront a whole regiment of White Wizards. Greg¡¯s predicament was instantly alleviated. ¡°Greg, I need Clear Frost Academy¡¯s help,¡± Orey said, getting straight to the point as soon as they met. ¡°What kind of help?¡± Greg¡¯s figure returned to normal, looking somewhat listless and drained. It seemed the recent battle had taken a heavy toll on him. ¡°I need you to rally the Apprentices of Clear Frost Academy and push forward with me to crush these Black Wizard Apprentices.¡± ¡°Push forward?¡± Greg frowned, ¡°What are you planning?¡± A glint of sharpness flashed in Orey¡¯s eyes: ¡°I¡¯ve already sent people to cut off the Black Wizards¡¯ escape route. As long as we push forward, there¡¯s a high chance we¡¯ll be able to eliminate all these Black Wizard Apprentices.¡± ¡°Hiss, that¡¯s a bold plan.¡± Greg was taken aback by Orey¡¯s strategy, and after a brief moment of thought, he agreed to Orey¡¯s request. ¡°Clear Frost Wizard Academy will fully cooperate with you, but¡­¡± Greg glanced at the White Wizard Apprentices in the camp, hesitant to continue. These White Wizard Apprentices, after this battle, had lost all their courage. If they encountered a breakout by the Black Wizard Apprentices, they might become disorganized. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Orey confidently smiled, ¡°Clear Frost Academy and Aurora Academy just need to make up the numbers. The actual fighting just needs you to prevent some scattered Black Wizard Apprentices from escaping.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Greg agreed without hesitation, turning immediately to organize the Apprentices. About twenty minutes later, the Apprentices from Clear Frost Academy and Aurora Academy were assembled. This night raid had caused great losses to both sides, with over eight hundred Apprentices dead, exceeding more than half of the number each side had brought. With a grim expression, Greg and Menasi, whose Soul Fire was constantly flickering, met up with Orey; they now fully understood the experience of the Secret Keeper Academy. War was indeed too cruel. ¡°Now that you have both organized your forces, let¡¯s get started.¡± Orey pointed toward the dense forest and corners of his mouth revealed a confident smile. ¡°This battle shall be the final war!¡± ¡­ On the other side of the forest, Richard was leading two hundred Black Wizard Apprentices towards the battlefield. In the meantime, Richard constantly switched his view to assess the situation, and upon seeing that the Void Annihilation forces had begun to retreat, he immediately ordered Wuni to hurry back. He now needed to locate those two regiments of the Secret Keeper Academy¡¯s White Wizards. ¡°Boss, we¡¯re approaching the trap zone we set up ahead,¡± reported a Black Wizard Apprentice to Richard. Richard nodded, ¡°Good, deploy a few Alchemy Apprentices here to stand guard, and after we complete the rendezvous, we¡¯ll rely on these Magic Array traps to buy us time.¡± Wuni¡¯s flying speed was very fast, and with its high altitude, the range of sight was exceedingly vast. Therefore, in just a few minutes, he found traces of one of the White Wizard regiments. But the bad news was, this regiment was about to engage with the Void Academy. ¡°Damn it,¡± Richard cursed, immediately leading the Apprentices to hasten towards the battlefield. If surrounded on three sides, the Void Academy and Annihilation Academy feared they would suffer heavy losses. Boom! An ear-splitting explosion echoed through the woods, catching the fleeing Black Wizard Apprentices by surprise, causing them to immediately look for the Spellcasters. ¡°White Wizard Army?¡± Anderson saw the White Wizard regiment a few hundred meters away, feeling a sudden chill in his heart. Had they been encircled? He thought carefully and realized that the force that came to the camp to provide support was only a small part and definitely not all of the White Wizard Apprentices from the Secret Keeper Academy. ¡°No good, we must break out of the encirclement at once!¡± Anderson decisively made a decision, leading the Apprentices of the Void Academy to charge through. ¡°Charge through?¡± Balto, commanding the White Wizard Army, sneered, then ordered the Apprentices to start casting spells carpet-style. As long as you don¡¯t mind the high casualties, by all means, charge through! The Spells followed a parabolic arc, falling beside the Black Wizard Apprentices, forcing them to run backward. ¡°Damn it, this way!¡± Anderson cursed, leading the Apprentices to run toward the right side. Meanwhile, on another front, the Annihilation Academy also encountered the blockade of the White Wizard Army. ¡°Damn, have we been surrounded?¡± In Aldo¡¯s eyes, the Soul Fire kept flickering¡ªan indication of his extreme unrest. ¡°To the center,¡± Aldo decided, leading the Annihilation Academy¡¯s Apprentices to the left. Now, with opposition in front and pursuers behind, only by merging with the Void Academy could they use the combat power of higher-end Apprentices to break free. Behind the two Academies, the regiment of White Wizards led by Orey was leisurely pursuing the Black Wizard Apprentices, along with Clear Frost and Aurora. The explosions coming from ahead proved that the White Wizard regiments he had sent out had already engaged with the Black Wizard Apprentices. If those two Academies weren¡¯t foolish, they should converge toward the center. Of course, the two Academies might also disperse their Apprentices and flee in every direction, but that possibility was slim. Because Advanced Apprentices, although relatively safe when in big numbers, once their numbers dwindle, they could easily be singled out. That would not be a good situation for the Advanced Apprentices. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: Chapter 92: Apprentice War (11)_2 Chapter 96: Chapter 92: Apprentice War (11)_2 ¡°Prepare to meet the enemy!¡± Orey commanded. The apprentices of the Secret Keeper Academy, having been tempered by war, now grasped their magic wands firmly, displaying a semblance of the White Wizard Army¡¯s qualities. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t scatter and flee at the first sign of spells or casualties. To the sides of the Secret Keeper Academy apprentices, those from the Clear Frost Academy and Aurora Academy also gripped their wands tightly. After experiencing a chaotic battle, these apprentices had learned a thing or two and could be considered raw soldiers fit for the battlefield. As the Secret Realm and Void Annihilation Academies joined forces, both sides realized they were completely surrounded. At that moment, the White Wizard Army led by Orey was about to enter spell range, the magic fluctuations from the White Wizard Apprentices brewing their spells were even strong enough to stir a breeze in the forest. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to force our way out,¡± Anderson said with a frown, decisively making his choice. Across from him, Aldo had reached the same conclusion. Although scattering the apprentices would allow more to escape, it wouldn¡¯t benefit them as advanced apprentices one bit. The outcome of the war mattered, but their own lives were of utmost importance. ¡°Prepare to break through! Use every escape trick you have!¡± Anderson relayed the order, taking out a bottle of magic potion from his magic pocket. The potion looked a vivid red, resembling the blood of some creature. After consuming it, Anderson¡¯s body immediately exuded an eerie aura. ¡°Blood of a high-level vampire, nice find,¡± Aldo complimented, and then took out a scroll from his pocket. Upon opening the scroll, a mysterious force instantly enveloped Aldo. Anderson¡¯s eyes turned blood-red, and blood vessels spread across his body as he glanced at the scroll, saying with a hint of surprise, ¡°A Luck Scroll! You actually managed to get your hands on something like this!¡± Aldo¡¯s Soul Fire flickered, ¡°Found it by chance during an adventure.¡± The Luck Scroll was a long-lost piece of knowledge from the Curse School, capable of temporarily enhancing the user¡¯s luck for a short time and repaying it with bad luck at a later time. But for someone facing death, living even a second longer was a gift; what did bad luck matter? ¡°Prepare to break through!¡± The two leaders issued orders to the apprentices of their own academies, then took the lead in charging out. After ingesting the blood of a high-level vampire, Anderson¡¯s physique, healing abilities, and even his reflexes were greatly enhanced. At this moment, Anderson¡¯s physique had reached the level of a peak-level apprentice, which was more than adequate for a breakout. Beside him, Aldo appeared much more composed, swiftly moving through gaps in the spells without a scratch, like passing through a dense thicket without a leaf touching him. Behind him, numerous Black Wizard Apprentices pushed forward against the onslaught of spells from the White Wizard Army, many being burned to ashes or electrocuted into charcoal. ¡°Stop them!¡± The commanders of two White Wizard Army units issued orders, and the army began to move, forming a wall of despair to block the Black Wizard Apprentices. ¡°Block your mother¡¯s head!¡± A roar echoed from behind the White Wizard Army, and a black giant, similar to a Demon God, holding a great sword ablaze with black flames, charged toward the army. Anderson, in the midst of the breakout, recognized the black giant at a glance. ¡°Hail from the Black Tower Academy! Follow me and strike at the White Wizard Army!¡± Anderson bellowed. The White Wizard Army immediately shifted their target, hoping to swiftly defeat the black giant with a barrage of spells. ¡°Six o¡¯clock direction, 50 meters, prepare all lightning strikes!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± In the next instant, hundreds of bolts of lightning burst from the tips of the White Wizard Army¡¯s wands, nearly engulfing Richard with purple thunder. But in the next moment, the black giant reached the front lines of the White Wizard Army. ¡°He¡¯s still alive!?¡± The commanders of the White Wizard Army were shocked. Surviving a barrage of hundreds of spells could only be done by a Wizard. ¡°To hell with you!¡± The black giant bellowed angrily, with muscles bulging on his arms, he swung his great sword, cutting down the Defense Apprentices and bringing forth a burst of blood mist. The White Wizard Apprentices were stunned by the scene. What kind of monster was this, able to survive hundreds of spells? ¡°` But at this moment, there was no time for them to think, because behind the black giant, hundreds of elemental spells were flying towards them. Boom! The White Wizard Apprentices scattered in all directions, even the commander Advanced Apprentice fleeing in panic. This was simply a monster. The encirclement was torn open, and the Black Wizard Apprentices prepared to break through quickly escaped through the gap. Richard planted his Great Sword into the ground, black smoke continuously rising from his body, with a gash ripped open in his flesh at the back, and several Magic Stones drained of magic power fell out. His condition was not as heroic as the White Wizard Apprentices had perceived. Thanks to his Adaptation Body, Richard had developed resistance to elemental spells of fire, thunder, and ice below the fifty Energy Level. But reality wasn¡¯t a game, and resistance had its limits. One punch to the body might do nothing, but a hundred punches would definitely pose a problem. At this moment, Richard could feel fire-like pain all over his body. His Bloodline, in an effort to heal his body, had instantaneously drained ten Magic Stones. ¡°At least the experience wasn¡¯t a total loss. I managed to intimidate them.¡± Richard regained his strength and glanced at the pursuing White Wizard Army ahead. At that very moment, Orey also happened to be looking at Richard. Their eyes met, and a mutual sense of recognition arose between them. That person was his greatest enemy in this war! Richard pulled out his Great Sword and waved at Orey, then disappeared into the forest. Orey ordered the pursuit to continue, but the White Wizard Army, needing to march in formation, couldn¡¯t match the Black Wizard Apprentices¡¯ speed of escape. Moreover, during the pursuit, they were attacked by a Magic Array trap, which further slowed them down. Watching the Black Wizard Apprentices gradually vanish into the forest, Orey punched a tree beside him. ¡°Alas! So close, yet so far!¡± At that moment, the commanders of the two White Wizard Army groups responsible for the encirclement also arrived by Orey¡¯s side. ¡°Denis, why did you flee! Do you realize, because of your rout, we¡¯ve lost all the gains of the evening!¡± Orey shouted angrily at one of the commanders. The commander called Denis hung his head low, the image of Richard charging through their ranks flashing before his eyes. He had to admit, he could not muster even the slightest desire to resist that black giant. What kind of monster could withstand a hundred spells? How could such beings appear on an Apprentice battlefield? ¡°We¡­ we encountered a monster,¡± Denis said bitterly, ¡°Before we routed, that monster must have withstood nearly a hundred bolts of lightning. But he was still alive¡­ and even managed to charge at our formation!¡± Denis¡¯s face was filled with bitterness: ¡°Such an enemy¡­ I can¡¯t bring myself to resist. Commander, punish me, I am willing to accept all responsibility.¡± Orey exhaled after listening. ¡°You will be punished. But before that happens, reorganize your troops.¡± Denis¡¯s excuse was valid, even Orey himself would probably have only slowed the rout at Denis¡¯s position. A monster that could charge against a legion under a barrage of spells was still too much for the Apprentices of the Secret Keeper Academy at this point. But a valid reason did not mean exemption from punishment. Denis was unlikely to get a commander¡¯s position again in this war. After the battle, the three Academies tallied the casualties. The Secret Keeper Academy had lost more than thirty Apprentices in this operation, while the other two, only supporting, had about a dozen deaths each. Including the casualties of the night raid, both Academies had lost over half of their Apprentices. But the result was substantial; during the operation, they killed approximately a hundred and fifty Black Wizard Apprentices. During the night raid in the melee, they killed forty Black Wizard Apprentices. Together, the two battles resulted in a loss of one-fifth of the Black Wizard Apprentice camp. After the battle, the Apprentices from the Aurora and Clear Frost Academies immediately returned to their own resource points, the battle being a loss but also a growth opportunity. Mixing veterans of war with new troops was a way to effectively enhance the combat power of the newcomers. And at this very moment, outside the Secret Realm, the headmasters of the six Academies were silently watching them. ¡°` COMMENT 1 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT 1 Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Chapter 93: Apprentice War (12) Chapter 97: Chapter 93: Apprentice War (12) ¡°Is the war progressing too fast, Clear Frost?¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard looked at the glass dome before him, which enclosed the secret realm where Richard and the others were located, allowing him to see every move of all the apprentices clearly. Sitting opposite the Black Tower Great Wizard, the mage known as Clear Frost was an Ice person, his whole body composed of a pale blue ice. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a bit fast,¡± the Great Wizard Clear Frost exhaled a breath of cold air, ¡°It¡¯s only the first day, and all three battlefields are already a complete mess.¡± ¡°But the results seem quite good,¡± next to the Great Wizard Clear Frost, a dazzling light cloaked in a cape sent out a wave of spiritual energy¡ªhe was the Aurora Great Wizard. ¡°Indeed, not bad, our side has already started to have the capability of legion warfare,¡± said a middle-aged man cloaked in a cape, his mouth and eyes sewn shut with risks, giving him a rather scary look¡ªhe was the Secret Keeper Great Wizard. ¡°The rules need to be changed, otherwise there would be nothing left for us to fight,¡± stated a deep energy cloaked in a wizard robe, ¡°Once the White Wizard Army fully adapts, the Black Wizards won¡¯t stand a chance.¡± The first Apprentice War, even the Great Wizards had made some minor mistakes. They originally designed the war to last about a year, with various reconnaissance, advances, confrontations, but as it looks now, the wizard apprentices didn¡¯t need any of it. At this rate, the war could end in another two days. They were too far from the apprentices, somewhat forgetting how scarce the apprentices¡¯ means were. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush, Void,¡± another Great Wizard, looking like a normal human just like the Black Tower Great Wizard, spoke up, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the number of apprentices is also a condition for victory.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still unfavorable for us,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard continued, ¡°According to the Plane Battlefield simulation, Black Wizards occupy the positions of native powerhouses, their numbers should be more than that of White Wizards, who should be relying on the superiority of legion warfare to strike them down one by one. But now it¡¯s the other way around. When have we ever encountered a war where wizards outnumber natives during plane conquest?¡± ¡°Speak your mind, Black Tower,¡± said the Great Wizard Clear Frost indifferently. The Black Tower Great Wizard let out a bizarre chuckle: ¡°Clear Frost, no matter how you look at it, you have the advantage this time. Our little guys are just here to serve as your whetstone. Shouldn¡¯t you make some gesture?¡± ¡°Black Tower, you still love bargaining,¡± the Great Wizard Clear Frost said with a hint of helplessness in his tone, ¡°How about one victory? If Black Wizards win a match, it counts as your win.¡± Having said that, he then looked at Void and Annihilation, the two Great Wizards. ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Both Great Wizards agreed to this rule modification. ¡°Aurora, Secret Keeper, what about the two of you?¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard looked towards the remaining two Great Wizards of the White Wizard camp. The two Great Wizards passed a spiritual message between each other, and also agreed to the rule change. The Black Tower Great Wizard clapped his hands, and a scroll bearing mystical energy appeared out of thin air. The Black Tower Great Wizard drew a couple of lines on it with his finger, and its content instantly changed. ¡°The contract is amended, let¡¯s continue watching.¡± ¡­ Inside the public resource point, the Black Wizard Apprentice side also tallied the loss results. In this night raid, the casualties of Void Academy were greater, around one hundred and twenty people, while Annihilation Academy suffered less due to the help of Aldo¡¯s Undead Puppets. After the casualty numbers were tallied, the commanders of the three academies gathered in the conference room to discuss the next strategy. ¡°Gentlemen, I think we need to make some adjustments to our strategy,¡± Richard sat in his chair, his fingers tapping unhurriedly on the table. On either side of him, Anderson from Void Academy and Aldo from Annihilation Academy were silent and expressionless. ¡°How did you know we were being besieged?¡± Aldo suddenly asked, ¡°Your timing was just right, even if I sent someone to call for help, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible.¡± ¡°How did I know?¡± Richard laughed and snapped his fingers. Wuni flew into the room from the window, settling comfortably on Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Did neither of you think of Magic Pets?¡± Anderson and Aldo were startled, and then a chill grew in their hearts. They had indeed not thought about Magic Pets. And by the looks of Richard, this Magic Pet might have been watching them for God knows how long, probably even monitoring their night raid. ¡°Magic Pets¡­¡± Anderson paused, ¡°That¡¯s indeed a blind spot.¡± The Secret Realm was no stranger to Magic Beasts and like; a single crow on a branch would attract little attention. ¡°The White Wizard Apprentices probably haven¡¯t noticed either, which is good for us,¡± Aldo said with a serious voice. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before we¡¯re discovered,¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°The White Wizard Academy should have taught about Magic Pet Reconnaissance. It won¡¯t be long before they realize something is watching them.¡± ¡°What did you mean by changing our strategy?¡± Anderson suddenly asked. ¡°The growth of White Wizard Apprentices has been too fast, if we want to win the war, we must play to our strengths,¡± a glint flashed in Richard¡¯s eyes, ¡°We should give up trying to win by seizing resource points. Instead, we should aim to reduce the number of White Wizard Apprentices as much as possible. Cutting their numbers by half is also a way to victory.¡± ¡°We are well aware of this,¡± Aldo retorted, ¡°But trading losses with the White Wizard Army, it seems like we¡¯re at a disadvantage.¡± Richard smiled confidently in response, ¡°Who said we¡¯re going to fight them head-on?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: Chapter 93: Apprentice War (12)_2 Chapter 98: Chapter 93: Apprentice War (12)_2 Anderson and Aldo exchanged glances, unable to fathom what Richard was really scheming. ¡°Both of you, we¡¯re not Wizards, we¡¯re stronger than ordinary people, but we still need to eat and drink,¡± Richard spoke leisurely, ¡°White Wizard Apprentices can rely on Magic Arrays to solve their drinking water problem, but they can¡¯t conjure food out of thin air. Given the idiocy of this group of White Wizard Apprentices, I doubt they brought much in the way of dry food. Therefore, going out to gather food is essential.¡± Richard left the rest unsaid, but Anderson and Aldo had already grasped his meaning. If the White Wizard Apprentices came out to gather food, then they could take the opportunity to attack. But Anderson found a problem. ¡°But what if they don¡¯t drag their feet? If they choose to consolidate their Apprentices and quickly take down our resource points, what do we do then?¡± ¡°They will surely drag it out for a while,¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°they still have some who have never seen the battlefield. If they attack rashly and end up fleeing, wouldn¡¯t we win directly?¡± ¡°Moreover,¡± Richard pulled a Magic Stone out of his pocket, ¡°they need to replenish their Magic Stones, don¡¯t they?¡± Due to the large number of Apprentices at the White Wizard Academy, apart from a few top Apprentices, the rest had far fewer Magic Stones than the Black Wizard Apprentices. This resulted in many White Wizard Apprentices running out of Magic Stone reserves after a day and night of intense combat. ¡°That makes sense. What¡¯s your plan?¡± Anderson looked at Richard. Although they were both leaders among the Apprentices, Richard always gave him an inscrutable feeling. This feeling didn¡¯t come from power, but seemed like an intellectual suppression. ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Richard clapped his hands, ¡°we¡¯ll only defend two resource points and let the White Wizards attack the others. Then we¡¯ll split some of our elite Apprentices into small teams to harass the White Wizard Apprentices venturing out from their resource points. We¡¯ll kill as many White Wizard Apprentices as possible.¡± The two commanding Apprentices thought for a moment and immediately realized it was indeed a good idea. Elite Apprentices meant battles could end quickly, and they could swiftly disengage when pursuing. ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°I also agree.¡± Richard stood up, ¡°Since you both agree, let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡­ Just as Richard predicted, the Apprentices from Clear Frost and Aurora did not make any major moves after their return. And since the Secret Keeper Academy began to focus on defense due to Magic Stone consumption, only small groups of White Wizard squads went out daily for food hunting near the resource points. Wizard Apprentices are not yet Wizards; they can¡¯t rely solely on Magic Power to sustain their bodies. Therefore, food and water remain essential for the survival of Wizard Apprentices. When the White Wizard squads went hunting for food, the Black Wizards naturally wouldn¡¯t sit idle. Three Academies from the Black Wizard Camp selected ten elite Black Wizard Apprentice teams, each with five members, including Apprentices from five different Schools to handle any situation. These people were sent to hunt near the White Wizard resource points, attacking the White Wizard Apprentices emerging from those points. Meanwhile, the remaining Black Wizards began fortification construction. The Academies of Void and Annihilation, having suffered great losses, decided to defend a resource point together, while Black Tower Wizard Academy defended another by itself. Thus, the White and Black Wizard sides began a temporary standoff. ¡­ ¡°Run, Alisa!¡± a White Wizard Apprentice roared, turning to pounce on the attacking Black Wizard Apprentice. His figure quickly grew in size during the lunge, transforming into a muscular, hairy Beastman in an instant. Clearly, this was a Bloodline Alchemy Apprentice. Facing him, the five Black Wizard Apprentices skillfully widened the distance, and then three Elemental Spells blasted onto his body. The remaining two Apprentices pointed toward the fleeing White Wizard Apprentice as black chains emerged from the ground and wrapped around the White Wizard Apprentice like a parasite. The other simply and cleanly followed up with another Elemental Spell. After the hunt was completed, the Black Wizard Apprentices expertly stripped the White Wizard Apprentice¡¯s body clean and then set a Magic Array trap underneath the corpse. ¡°Alright,¡± the apprentice setting up the magic array trap whispered. After speaking, the five Black Wizard Apprentices silently disappeared into the dense forest. Before long, a group of White Wizard Apprentices found their way here. ¡°Damn, let those bastards escape again!¡± The leading White Wizard Apprentice cursed angrily, with the apprentices following him also showing faces full of rage. This was already the fifth Black Wizard assassination incident this month. ¡°Captain, no traces were found,¡± reported one White Wizard Apprentice. ¡°Damn it, collect the bodies and take them back.¡± As the White Wizard Apprentices were moving the bodies, the magic array trap set by the Black Wizards triggered, and the exploding Fire Element Spell instantly blew the nearest apprentice into chunks. ¡°Awen!¡± The captain¡¯s eyes bulged in frenzy as he unleashed spells wildly into the surrounding dense forest. But by this moment, the Black Wizard squad had already moved far away, rendering his venting utterly futile. ¡­ ¡°The fifth Black Wizard assassination incident,¡± Balto handed a piece of paper to Orey, ¡°This time the Black Wizards left traps on the bodies, causing one search member to be blown to death.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it,¡± Orey took the paper and glanced at it, massaging his temples with a headache. ¡°Is this war?¡± Balto sat next to Orey, his heart churning with waves. For victory, the Black Wizard Apprentices could cold-heartedly lay traps on the corpses of their own kind, which Balto found somewhat hard to accept. Even war should have some bottom lines. ¡°Yes, this is war,¡± Orey answered offhandedly, ¡°The purpose of war is victory, and for this goal, we should be unscrupulous.¡± ¡°I understand that, but I still find it somewhat unacceptable,¡± Balto exhaled deeply, as if trying to expel all the frustration from his heart. ¡°We¡¯re all apprentices, all human, why should things be done so¡­ despicably.¡± ¡°Despicably?¡± Orey scoffed, ¡°Balto, you¡¯re too naive. You think what is this war simulating? What is it for? This war is to simulate the Plane Battlefield, where on the Plane Battlefield, the methods of those alien race monsters are a hundred times more despicable! A hundred times more vicious! They will kill wizards without any psychological burden and then use our corpses for their feasting. If you can¡¯t even accept this, how will you manage yourself when you get to the Plane Battlefield? Are you going to request to be transferred to rear logistics for a lifetime?¡± As a scion of a Wizard Family, Orey had learned about the cruelty of the Plane War from his elders. On those gruesome battlefields, these selected wizards were just like small soldiers, dying in droves. Even Great Wizards might fall. The methods of those alien race monsters were countless, and sometimes for a wizard in their grasp, even death became a luxury. Now this was nothing more than using corpses to set traps, how far had they gone? Balto had no reply and shifted the conversation to countermeasures. ¡°This can¡¯t go on, we have to find a way to deal with these Black Wizards.¡± ¡°A way¡­¡± Orey pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I have a suggestion, let¡¯s group everyone who goes out to gather food together, don¡¯t disperse, and collect in the form of small troops.¡± Balto frowned, ¡°That would be too inefficient, there won¡¯t be enough food.¡± ¡°Not enough?¡± Orey smirked coldly, ¡°We are in extraordinary times, we should use extraordinary measures. Collect all of the camp¡¯s food, and distribute it on a set schedule and amount to each person daily. As long as everyone is kept from starving, that¡¯s enough. In extraordinary times, everyone should endure a bit.¡± ¡°What about the captain?¡± Balto asked. ¡°The captain?¡± Orey chuckled, ¡°Even I am subject to rationing, could the captain¡¯s position be higher than mine?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Chapter 94: Apprentice War (End) Chapter 99: Chapter 94: Apprentice War (End) The implementation of the rationing system and the small legion system caused the casualty numbers of the White Wizard Apprentices to drop rapidly. Moreover, Orey did not withhold any secrets; he quickly passed these methods on to the other two academies, Aurora and Clear Frost, which also adopted the same systems. Besides this, the White Wizard Apprentices also learned the skill of Magic Pet Reconnaissance, making the Black Wizards¡¯ surprise attacks significantly more challenging. ¡°Richard, the strategy of surprise attacks has already become ineffective,¡± Aldo remarked as he looked at the latest battle reports. Ten Black Wizard squads had not made any progress in the past month. ¡°It¡¯s normal for it to be ineffective, as it¡¯s not hard to deal with,¡± Richard said calmly while sitting at a desk. ¡°So, what should we do next, continue squabbling with the White Wizards?¡± Anderson asked, standing by Richard¡¯s side. ¡°We have already dragged this on for three months. If this continues, the White Wizards will accumulate more and more Magic Stones.¡± Richard sat in his chair, his expression calm and devoid of any panic. ¡°Why panic? We¡¯re not out of plans.¡± ¡°What plans?¡± Anderson and Aldo both looked baffled. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on something recently, and it¡¯s almost ready,¡± Richard said as he stood up and took them to a room in the corner of the camp. In the room, several Alchemy Apprentices were busily working on something. ¡°Is this¡­ Alchemy Weapons?¡± Aldo recalled the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons they encountered when attacking the Secret Keeper Academy. Each shot from those cannons could take down an apprentice, the deterrent effect was considerable. However, even the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons would not be enough to solve their current predicament without at least a dozen. They were facing the White Wizard Army, and the current White Wizard Apprentices were not the same as those who fled after losing one or two companions. Even a piece of scrap iron, after being tempered by battle, had become usable scrap iron at this moment. ¡°Good eye.¡± Richard complimented them, then went to a corner of the room where several wooden crates were stacked neatly, with no trace of Magic Fluctuation. Richard opened them, and Anderson and Aldo saw just a few black iron rods. ¡°What are these?¡± Anderson couldn¡¯t help asking. He did not feel any Magic Fluctuation from these ¡°iron rods.¡± ¡°Cannonballs.¡± Richard uttered a term that both of them couldn¡¯t comprehend. ¡°Cannonballs? Do you mean these things are shot by the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons?¡± Aldo asked, confused. He remembered that the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons seemed to fire energy, not physical cannonballs. ¡°No, no, these are not cannonballs for the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons; these are my research achievements, which I call Annihilation Bombs.¡± Saying so, Richard took out an Annihilation Bomb from the wooden box. The Annihilation Bomb was cylindrical in shape with a conical top, coated in a layer of black metal that appeared unremarkable. But to those who knew their stuff, they would recognize that the metal coating the bomb was the extremely expensive magic-resistant metal. This was also why they couldn¡¯t sense any Magic Fluctuation. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate these things; if they explode, none of us can escape,¡± Richard said lightly. Anderson and Aldo exchanged glances. They were somewhat incredulous that these things could kill them. ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s useless even talking about it.¡± Richard put the bomb back in place, disappointingly waved his hand, ¡°The Black Tower Wizard Academy is located at a public resource point. The White Wizard Apprentices are likely to attack me. You guys just need to defend your own resource points.¡± ¡°No need for support?¡± Aldo¡¯s Soul Fire flickered in his eyes as Richard¡¯s statements seemed too arrogant, thinking he could defeat the White Wizard Army with just a few small things? ¡°This is not the time for boasting. If we lose, everyone will suffer back at the academy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Black Tower Wizard Academy has nearly four hundred people, which is not far off from your numbers,¡± Richard said calmly. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then everyone should rely on their own skills,¡± Aldo deeply looked at Richard, then left the room together with Anderson. ¡­ Due to the changes in the strategy of the White Wizard Apprentices, the three academies from the Black Wizard Camp also recalled their Black Wizard squads. Since the small tricks had become ineffective, what remained was only a fierce and genuine fight. In the fifth month of the war, as the Magic Stone transport ended, Orey decided to begin the offensive. Aurora and Clear Frost academies also responded, deciding to advance and retreat together with the Secret Keeper Academy. The White Wizard Army arrived mightily at the resource point of the Secret Keeper Academy, where the apprentices had now acquired the basic qualifications to battle, and some had even reached elite levels. ¡°Gentlemen! Today is a good day.¡± Orey flew into the sky as the White Wizard Army stood neatly on the ground. ¡°Today, our Magic Stones have arrived, and so has the day for our revenge! In these four months, many among us have fought with the Black Wizard Apprentices, our friends, relatives, and even lovers have died at the hands of the Black Wizards. Every day, we enter our dreams with tears in our eyes, and our deceased loved ones are constantly asking us in our dreams. When will we avenge them? Today, we can finally answer them! Today, we will avenge them! We will blast those sons of bitches, the Black Wizard Apprentices, into pieces with spells, burn them to ash with flames, and char them with thunder! Today we fight for revenge!¡± After Orey finished speaking, a voice rose from the ground, spreading through the White Wizard Army like a plague. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: Chapter 94: Apprentice War (End)_2 Chapter 100: Chapter 94: Apprentice War (End)_2 He said, ¡°Revenge!¡± ¡°Revenge!!¡± ¡°Revenge!!!¡± ¡­ The situation at the White Wizard resource point was accurately conveyed to Richard by Wuni. Wuni¡¯s flying altitude and the spells inherent to its body were enough to avoid detection by most Wizard Apprentices. ¡°The battle is finally about to begin,¡± Richard muttered to himself. The war was finally coming to an end. ¡°Gather! All Apprentices assemble!¡± Richard stepped out of the room and quickly gathered all the Apprentices at the resource point. ¡°Fellow Apprentices, the White Wizard Apprentices are about to launch the final battle!¡± Richard flew in the sky, his gaze calmly sweeping over the Black Wizard Apprentices on the ground. ¡°At the White Wizard¡¯s side, they have shouted the slogan of revenge, vowing to shatter us into slag. I also want to shout a slogan, but unfortunately for us Black Wizards, we are well-accustomed to death. So I thought of a new slogan. Survive! Fellow Apprentices! We understand the value of life better than those White Wizards grown in greenhouses; who among us hasn¡¯t climbed to where we are now over the bodies of others? Our war has no other purpose, we only want to survive, to do anything to survive!¡± Richard swung his fist, his voice echoing like a magic spell throughout the resource point. Soon, the ground¡¯s Black Wizard Apprentices were infected by Richard¡¯s fervor, they too started to roar. As if venting their dissatisfaction with the world, their grievances against the Academy, and their loathing for fate. They were a group of ghouls, having lived to this moment by relying on the corpses of others. They had no intention of throwing away the lives they had struggled so hard to obtain! ¡°Survive!¡± ¡°Survive!!¡± ¡°Survive!!!¡± ¡­ The war had begun. As per the plan, Richard dispatched ten Alchemy School Apprentices to detonate the traps within the Magic Arrays. These Apprentices wore the best Stealth Magic Clothes, all to hide from the magical pet scouts of the White Wizard Army. For this, Richard, the extravagant Alchemy Apprentice, had drawn up contracts with the Apprentices who provided their Magic Clothes. Should their Magic Clothes be damaged in this war, Richard would personally make another set of Stealth Magic Clothes for them after the war ended. The White Wizard Army at the resource point split into two factions, one with fewer numbers bypassed the resource point where Richard was and prepared to besiege the Academy resource points of Void and Annihilation, and incidentally take over those two vacant resource points. The larger group marched toward Richard¡¯s resource point. ¡°A sizable number indeed.¡± Richard observed the White Wizard Army on the ground, the forces coming to besiege him amounted to a staggering sixteen hundred. And the White Wizard Camp, after the first day¡¯s great battle, followed by the attacks of the Black Wizards, was left with just over twenty-seven hundred. The White Wizard Army formed up in battle lines, neatly surging towards the resource point. A large number of magic pets were released to scout ahead for ambushes. ¡°We¡¯ve entered the trap zone,¡± Richard murmured. For months the Black Wizard Camp had not been idle, with Richard arranging for the Alchemy Apprentices to set up countless Magic Array traps in the dense forest. These devices individually didn¡¯t pack much of a punch, but chained together, they were definitely sufficient to give the White Wizards trouble. Boom! The Magic Array traps detonated, blasting a few White Wizard Apprentices into pieces instantly. These Apprentices, sent to trigger the traps, were each an expert at hide-and-seek; the White Wizard Army¡¯s magic pet forces failed completely to find their traces. ¡°Traps, halt the advancement!¡± Orey issued the command, and the whole White Wizard Army stopped in the thick woods. ¡°Trigger-based traps?¡± Orey¡¯s lips curved into a cold smile. ¡°On my order, forward, carpet-style casting, prepare the Fireball Technique!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± Instantly, hundreds of fireballs fell on the woods in front of the White Wizard Army, and in a moment, the entire forest became a sea of flames, the Magic Array traps set by the Alchemy Apprentices detonating or becoming ineffective. ¡°These are a bit troublesome,¡± Richard remarked, watching the now wiser White Wizard Army, feeling somewhat regretful. Had he known it would end up like this, he wouldn¡¯t have placed so many traps in the woods. The White Wizard Army continued advancing, stepping on the charred earth after the spell bombardment, slowly pushing toward the resource point. Without the Magic Array trap, Richard had no other good ways to drain their resources, he could only wait for the White Wizard Army to enter his firing range. ¡°Bring it over.¡± Richard gestured behind him, and two Apprentices came to his side with a black cylinder striped with silver lines. He was now on the city walls, with close to four hundred Black Wizard Apprentices evenly distributed among the various defense measures. ¡°Boss, are we using it now?¡± one Apprentice asked nervously. These days, following Doug, they had been working on Richard¡¯s secret weapon in a corner of the resource point. Thus, they had a deeper understanding of these weapons than other Wizard Apprentices. They knew exactly how terrifying the weapons they had created were. ¡°No rush, wait for the White Wizard Army to get closer.¡± Richard said nonchalantly. After a while, the White Wizard Army had advanced within three kilometers of the resource point. ¡°Boss, is the distance enough now?¡± inquired the Apprentice again. Richard nodded, ¡°Enough, let¡¯s test fire a few dummy rounds first, to calibrate the position.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The Apprentice shouted excitedly. ¡­ In the dense forest, the White Wizard Army inched forward with barrages of spells, eradicating any ambush in the face of their firepower. Suddenly, a black metal block fell from the sky. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Defensive Wizards tensely raised their Magic Barriers, blocking the metal block on the outside. But the metal block showed no signs of activity, devoid of any Magic Fluctuation. An Apprentice handed the object to Orey for inspection. ¡°A metal block that fell from the sky?¡± Orey stared at the metal block before him, puzzled. With his knowledge, he could not discern the use of this object. ¡°Balto, take a look.¡± Balto took the metal block and scanned it with his Magic Equipment. ¡°Apart from its odd shape, it¡¯s just a plain metal block,¡± Balto concluded. ¡°This is really strange.¡± Orey muttered to himself, ¡°Why would the Black Wizards launch a metal block that¡¯s completely useless?¡± ¡°Launch¡­¡± Hearing this word, a glimmer of insight flashed through Balto¡¯s mind. He suddenly remembered seeing something of a similar shape in his mentor¡¯s books. ¡°Orey, I have an uncertain idea,¡± said Balto hesitantly, ¡°The Black Wizards launching this thing might be to calibrate their trajectory.¡± ¡°Calibrate their trajectory? Are the Black Wizards using a super long-range Magic Weapon to wear us down?¡± Orey subconsciously deduced. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Balto was a bit uncertain, ¡°But in front of Defensive Wizards, nothing can cause damage from such a distance, except for the Military Department¡¯s strategic magical devices¡­¡± Whoosh¡ª Another black shell landed on the Defensive Wizards¡¯ Magic Shield, and then¡­ boom! The black shell instantly transformed into a burst of white light, followed immediately by a deafening explosion. Boom! The Defensive Wizards¡¯ Apprentice was instantly turned to nothingness under the shell¡¯s force, and even the blast wave caused many Apprentices to vomit blood and sustain heavy injuries. ¡°What is this thing!¡± Orey watched in shock as all this unfolded. Weren¡¯t the Defensive Wizards supposed to have activated their Magic Barriers? How could they still suffer such heavy losses? But before his shock could subside, another shell fell. Boom! This shell differed from the previous one; it contained a small amount of additional material. As the shell exploded, numerous dark red metal jets sprayed from the explosion¡¯s core, instantly piercing through dozens of Apprentices. Then came the third, and the fourth! Shells fell one after another, each with astonishing power. Under the effect of the Annihilation Bombs, the White Wizard Army was forced to disperse their formation to minimize casualties. Meanwhile, Orey stood still, staring blankly at everything. How could such a weapon¡­ appear on a battlefield of Apprentices? He was not alone with this question. A powerful will descended upon the Secret Realm. In an instant, it froze the space and time of the entire battlefield, and with a wave of his hand, he gathered in the shells. Then his voice reached every Apprentice¡¯s ears on the battlefield. ¡°I am the head of Clear Frost Wizard Academy, Great Wizard Qing Shuang. Due to some accidents, this war has now ceased, and all Apprentices will be teleported out of the Secret Realm in three minutes.¡± After that, the powerful will disappeared into the Secret Realm with Richard. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Chapter 1 Review and Reward Chapter 101: Chapter 1 Review and Reward Richard was somewhat confused about the situation. He had just been firing Annihilation Bombs at the White Wizard Army, but in the blink of an eye, he found himself in this eerie place. He looked around. The place he was in was a dark, enclosed space, surrounded by darkness and nothing else. What was even more terrifying was that this place seemed to have a magical power that caused any sound he made to disappear into nothingness, so that he could clearly hear his own heartbeat and even the sound of his blood flowing. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the dark space. ¡°You¡¯re called Richard, correct? I remember you.¡± Richard found the voice very familiar, yet he couldn¡¯t remember where he had heard it before. However, as the figure approached, Richard jumped up from the ground. ¡°Lord Headmaster!¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard raised a hand, and Richard promptly shut his mouth. The Black Tower Great Wizard took out an Annihilation Bomb and suspended it in the air. ¡°Richard, how did you come by the knowledge of this thing? I don¡¯t remember Jolod having this,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said with a calm voice, but within that calm, Richard sensed something amiss. But before he could figure it out, he found himself answering the question involuntarily. ¡°Lord Headmaster, I designed it myself.¡± ¡°Designed it yourself?¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s voice raised slightly, ¡°That¡¯s quite interesting.¡± With that, the Black Tower Great Wizard waved his hand and the darkness of the surrounding space receded like a tide, revealing its true form¡ªa room simply decorated. Aside from the Black Tower Great Wizard, there were five other ¡°people¡± in the room, each of them emanating an unfathomable presence. ¡°The leaders of the other five academies?¡± Richard thought to himself. ¡°You see, my student didn¡¯t cheat. He designed this thing himself, which conforms to our rules.¡± Richard suddenly shuddered, as if awakened from a dream. ¡°How did I suddenly answer the question just now?¡± Richard thought in horror. The Black Tower Great Wizard had used some spell that made him answer the question involuntarily, with no intention of lying. ¡°Designed it yourself?¡± Great Wizard Qing Shuang snorted coldly, ¡°Kid, this device has almost reached the status of Strategic Magic Equipment. You claim this is your own design?¡± Before Richard could open his mouth to explain, the Black Tower Great Wizard interjected. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Qing Shuang, do you think I¡¯m covering for this young man?¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s tone was slightly menacing, ¡°Or do you think I can¡¯t even influence the mind of an apprentice?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you let the young man explain his design thinking?¡± Qing Shuang challenged without backing down. ¡°Design thinking?¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard retorted, ¡°Qing Shuang, before you ask someone else about their design, where¡¯s your sincerity? How about you also tell me about your design thinking for your Eternal Frost?¡± The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense and confrontational. ¡°Cough cough cough, let¡¯s not harm our relations,¡± the Secret Keeper Great Wizard stepped forward to mediate, ¡°It¡¯s only a small issue. I have a suggestion, let¡¯s have the young friend here share his thinking, and if there¡¯s no problem, Qing Shuang, you give something to compensate him.¡± With the Secret Keeper Great Wizard smoothing things over, the atmosphere in the room improved considerably, although the Annihilation and Void Great Wizards seemed somewhat disappointed. ¡°Richard, explain your thinking to this old man. As long as your reasoning adds up, the Headmaster guarantees you a big profit.¡± Upon hearing his words, Qing Shuang turned to look over, and her icy blue gaze sent a chill down Richard¡¯s spine. ¡°Well¡­ My thinking is as follows,¡± Richard steadied himself and began slowly, ¡°The concept isn¡¯t complicated. After I encountered the concept of the Realm of Annihilation, that is, the model of the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell, I had an idea. Since it¡¯s so difficult to constrain concentrated Fire Elements with Magic Power and Rune Arrays, why not use solid materials to contain them instead? Many alchemy materials have good fire resistance and aren¡¯t particularly rare. So, I concentrated the two elements separately and then stored them in two solid containers, added a Magic Array between them, so that when the Annihilation Bomb is subjected to a strong impact, the Magic Array would explode the two containers, allowing the two elements to undergo an annihilation reaction.¡± Having finished, Richard nervously lowered his head. He didn¡¯t know if his explanation would convince the powerful wizards before him. A few seconds later, the Black Tower Great Wizard spoke up. ¡°Qing Shuang, do you have anything else to say? Isn¡¯t my student¡¯s line of thought clear enough?¡± Saying so, the Black Tower Great Wizard levitated the Annihilation Bomb into the air, flicked his finger lightly, and the bomb disassembled into individual components, with the two chambers containing the concentrated elements being particularly eye-catching. Qing Shuang remained silent and conjured a Crystal Ball out of thin air. Within the Crystal Ball, a Rune faintly appeared. ¡°¡­This is a Dark Water Rune,¡± Qing Shuang explained tersely, then flew it toward Richard. ¡°Hehehe, Richard, here¡¯s your reward,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said with a mischievous laugh. ¡°Oh,¡± Richard hastily put the Crystal Ball into his Magic Pocket. ¡°So how do we count this competition?¡± the Void Great Wizard suddenly asked, ¡°I think the Black Tower¡¯s lad can absolutely win.¡± Upon hearing this, Qing Shuang shivered, and a frost mist dispersed from her, her voice tinged with annoyance, ¡°We¡¯ll consider it your win this time!¡± Seeing this, the Annihilation Great Wizard couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, ¡°Haha, Qing Shuang, you¡¯ve truly lost both your wife and your soldiers this time.¡± ¡­ ¡°` Since the problem was resolved, the Black Tower Great Wizard sent Richard back to the Academy and gave him a scroll. ¡°My boy, you did well this time,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said cheerfully, ¡°This is a Wizard Scroll. After you get back, give it to your mentor Jolod, and when your spiritual power is sufficient, have him take you to the Tower of Truth for your promotion to Wizard.¡± After saying that, the world spun around Richard, and when he recovered his senses, he found himself at the entrance to the three-hundredth floor¡¯s staircase of the Central Black Tower. Looking at the scroll in his hand, Richard was stunned for a moment, then his face broke into a radiant smile. ¡°With this scroll, I¡¯m halfway through the door to becoming a Wizard!¡± Descending from the three-hundredth floor, Richard quickly arrived at the ninety-ninth floor laboratory. At the moment, Jolod was conducting experiments. Knock, knock, knock! ¡°Hmm?¡± Jolod paused in confusion and stopped what he was doing. ¡°Who would be looking for me at this time? Alex? Doesn¡¯t that old guy prefer to come in through the window?¡± With some puzzlement, Jolod opened the door, and outside the room, a familiar figure stood there. ¡°Richard?¡± Jolod exclaimed in shock, ¡°Has the Apprentice War ended?¡± Richard nodded, and then he pulled out the Wizard Scroll from his Magic Pocket. ¡°Teacher, take a look at this.¡± Jolod was startled and took a glance at the scroll after receiving it. ¡°Hmm? A Wizard Scroll!¡± Jolod¡¯s pupils shrank, ¡°Where did you get this from?¡± Before Richard could answer, Jolod slapped his forehead and answered himself. ¡°Look at me, asking such a silly question. It seems you¡¯ve already met the headmaster.¡± ¡°Yes, the headmaster told me to give this scroll to you, and said when my spiritual power is sufficient, to have you take me to the Tower of Truth for my promotion to Wizard,¡± Richard explained, and then asked curiously, ¡°Teacher, what is the Tower of Truth? I¡¯ve heard you mention it before.¡± ¡°The Tower of Truth¡­¡± Jolod stroked his beard, ¡°The Tower of Truth is the holy land for Wizards, the residence of the five Truth Wizards. In the entire Wizard World, all Wizard promotions are to be conducted at the Tower of Truth.¡± Besides that, the Tower of Truth itself is also a massive wizard city. Each Tower of Truth is home to several million Wizards, and the headquarters of the majority of the Wizard Commerce, advanced research laboratories, as well as the Floating Cities for conquering planes are all located there.¡± Richard nodded, understanding that the Tower of Truth must be like the capital of a nation or a top-tier mega-city. Jolod secured the scroll, patted Richard on the shoulder, and said, ¡°Now you¡¯re halfway to becoming a Wizard too. Relax for a while, don¡¯t just read books and do experiments. There are many cities in the Academy, go out and explore, get your mindset right. In a few years, I¡¯ll be attending a friend¡¯s gathering, I¡¯ll take you to the Tower of Truth then to become a Wizard.¡± Richard agreed and left the ninety-ninth floor. Upon returning to his bedroom, Richard stared blankly at his room. His room was filled with books and notes, and the walls were adorned with various specimens¡ªtraces of his hard work over the years. And now that he had qualified for Wizard promotion, a sense of uncertainty suddenly arose in his heart. He had always strived to become a Wizard, and now that he had what he wanted, he suddenly felt aimless. Richard lay on his bed, filled with a sense of relief as if a weight had been lifted, which mixed with his uncertainty about the future. ¡°Huh¡­ no wonder the teacher said I need to adjust my mindset.¡± After twenty years, Richard had almost forgotten why he wanted to become a Wizard in the first place. ¡°Forget it, no use overthinking. I¡¯ll just sleep on it.¡± ¡­ Soon, all the battlefields of the Apprentice War had concluded. The outcome of the war was somewhat beyond Richard¡¯s expectations; besides his own region, there was another zone where a Black Wizard had won the war. With the war ended, the Academy issued rewards for the victors of the war¡ªWizard Scrolls. But among these people, Richard did not see Ali. ¡°There was no way around it, I almost got killed by those White Wizards and missed quite a bit of the war,¡± Ali said, complaining while lying on top of Richard in his room. On the eve of the war, Ali happened to encounter a senior White Wizard Apprentice and after a fierce battle, she emerged victorious but heavily wounded. ¡°Don¡¯t be so down. With your abilities, becoming a Wizard is just a matter of a few more years,¡± Richard consoled her. Ali, as Master Susanna¡¯s official Apprentice, was virtually guaranteed to become a Wizard. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that,¡± Ali said irritably. She showed her fangs to Richard, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for half a year, you have to keep me company tonight.¡± Richard raised an eyebrow: ¡°My Lady Ali, you¡¯re already lying on top of me, how could I possibly let you get away?¡± ¡°` COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Chapter 2 Wizard World Chapter 102: Chapter 2 Wizard World After the Apprentice War, Richard¡¯s life began to change. Following his early qualifications for wizard promotion, Richard no longer stayed immersed in studies at the academy but, as Jolod suggested, went out for a journey. The Black Tower Wizard Academy was located on the edge of the Wizard Continent, close to the surrounding archipelago. Richard hailed from the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom, situated on one of the larger islands in the archipelago. There were more than one kingdom like this among the islands. Richard rented a large ship and traveled back and forth among these islands, personally witnessing the facade of the Wizard World. Most countries on these islands were still in the feudal era, with lords and kings constantly warring against one another. Richard traveled through them for a year and witnessed many joys and sorrows. A year later, Richard sailed to the distant seas. Although the islands were sparse there, they contained myriad breathtaking scenes far more beautiful than the human conflicts. In the distant sea, huge whales the size of islands surfaced, spouting streams of water nearly a kilometer high. Sharks as large as ships constantly swam day and night¡ªthey swam all their lives and only stopped when they died. Schools of silvery flying fish leapt out of the water; they were the birds of the ocean, migrating along ocean currents annually. Swarms of luminescent plankton moved underwater, resembling fireflies in the sea at night¡­ These wondrous sights inspired many emotions in Richard, and he began to study these phenomena spontaneously, without any ulterior motives nor for the sake of power. Richard simply wished to uncover their secrets and enjoy the process of exploration. Richard stayed at sea for two years during which his inner self was purified. He no longer focused on the purpose of his studies but began to appreciate the process itself. The education at the Black Wizard Academy often led a wizard into traps of utilitarianism, where every study was driven by the desire for power. But for a wizard, power was merely a byproduct¡ªthe true treasures were the knowledge discovered. After two years, Richard went ashore and started touring the cities under the academy¡¯s governance. The Black Tower Wizard Academy¡¯s management of its cities was extreme; either it cultivated them carefully or left them untended entirely. Like in Gael City, which Richard had visited before, where the development was quite impressive, and ordinary citizens received good education. But in the Golden Bird Flower Kingdom where he was born, the medieval lordship system was still in practice, and the populace under it was incredibly ignorant. Richard observed these well-developed cities and noted that they all fell along certain trade routes; they served as landing points for the Wizard Commerce¡¯s flying airships. The flying airships of the Wizard Commerce always took breaks during long transports. And these well-developed cities were strategically positioned at these stops. ¡°It seems the Wizard Commerce plays an important role in the Wizard World,¡± Richard muttered as he watched the flying airships continuously take off and land. He had toured the cities under the academy¡¯s governance for two years, meeting many graduated wizard apprentices. Some of these apprentices were still researching, while others had fully integrated themselves into ordinary human life, enjoying the privileges of the elite class. Apprentices graduating from the academy usually worked for the academy for a hundred years before being assigned to reside in a city governed by the academy to watch for any crazed apprentices. These apprentices were the most welcomed guests among the upper class of mortals, as their transcendent powers could solve many problems for the elites. However, some apprentices wished not to do so and would often join mercenary groups to commence travels across the Wizard Continent. As wizard apprentices, these individuals generally did not encounter danger in the current Wizard Continent. After his travels, Richard returned to the academy. By then, his spiritual power had reached the critical value of forty-nine point nine, with no room for further improvement. Upon returning to the academy, Richard immediately sought out Jolod. ¡°Not bad, you seem much better after going on a journey,¡± Jolod said cheerfully after observing Richard. Several years of traveling had greatly transformed Richard¡¯s demeanor; he now appeared more stable and reserved, exuding a mature aura. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m ready,¡± Richard said. Jolod calculated the time and felt it was about time to attend a gathering at the Tower of Truth. ¡°Alright, I have a meeting at the Tower of Truth tomorrow; we can leave together.¡± That evening, Richard and Ali met. Although they hadn¡¯t seen each other for years, their relationship remained unaffected. Over the years, Richard kept sending letters to Ali, sharing the wondrous sights he had seen. ¡°You¡¯ve returned this time to ascend to wizard at the Tower of Truth, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ali said softly while lying in Richard¡¯s arms. ¡°Yes. My spiritual power has already reached the limit of an apprentice, and the teacher is also going to the Tower of Truth, so it fits well.¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s quite dangerous to ascend to wizard.¡± ¡°A thirty percent failure rate,¡± Richard said lightly. Ali suddenly sat up, turned around to face Richard, and said earnestly: ¡°You better not fail, Richard. I¡¯ve been waiting to spend the next ten thousand years with you.¡± Richard smiled: ¡°I¡¯ll succeed.¡± ¡°` ¡­ The next day, Jolod took Richard aboard the flying airship. ¡°Teacher, do wizards also need to ride airships?¡± Richard asked, puzzled. ¡°Generally speaking, wizards do not need to.¡± Jolod entered the cabin of the airship and turned to close the door. ¡°But if I bring you along, it¡¯s different. Taking you to the Tower of Truth would cost at least a thousand magic stones, and we¡¯d have to endure the elements.¡± Saying this, Jolod patted the large bed in the cabin. ¡°By taking the airship, we avoid sleeping outside, only spend a few hundred magic stones, and don¡¯t have to fly ourselves. Switching between airships a couple of times, I can also show you a real wizard city. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s a bargain.¡± Richard, at a loss for words, honestly found a chair and started studying runes. The Dark Water Rune given to him by the Great Wizard Qing Shuang had been his subject of study for years, and he had made some discoveries. The Dark Water Rune, unlike the common runes Richard encountered, was a rare rune, each akin to natural magic. Once activated with magic power, like the Dark Water Rune in Richard¡¯s hand, it could produce a mass of black liquid that absorbed light and was highly corrosive. Through his tests, Richard found that this liquid was actually a variant of the water element, meaning it was still water but could undergo annihilation reactions. Richard tried to have it undergo an annihilation reaction with a common fire element, and the results surprised him greatly. Because the Dark Water absorbed light, it would partly absorb the light emitted during the annihilation reaction, thereby enhancing the core power of the spell slightly. This discovery thrilled Richard. He had a thought, if he could find another fire element rune that also had the ability to absorb light like the Dark Water, perhaps he could significantly enhance the power of the annihilation spell. But rare runes were treasures to any wizard, and acquiring such a rune was no easy feat. For this, Richard was mentally prepared. After riding in the flying airship for a month, Jolod finally disembarked. And as he did, Richard was instantly stunned by the sight before him. ¡°Boy, you¡¯ve never seen this, have you?¡± Jolod looked at Richard¡¯s reaction with some pride. Before Richard lay a massive airship port, with hundreds of airships landing and taking off. Beyond that, various bizarre buildings came together with towering wizard towers, forming a fantastic, large city. In this city, alchemy machines shared roads with horse-drawn carriages, people of all shapes and colors walked the streets without any surprise at the spectacle. Between the wizard towers, beams of light flashed by, which, upon closer inspection, were apprentices riding on magic equipment. Alchemy workshops¡¯ chimneys spat black flames, the hot steam being channeled from underground boilers through thick pipes into the workshops, and opposite them, a tavern opened inside a tree welcomed patrons. Beastmen, Dwarves, and various oddly-shaped patrons, resulting from bloodline fusions, arrived by alchemy machines, carriages, or even riding magic brooms, and drank merrily without any hesitation. On the streets, peculiar alien creatures ate or swept, cleaning the pathways. Above, small flying airships hung banners advertising newly-opened alchemy shops. The city was a mixture of various fantasy elements, then mixed in some steampunk and modern aspects, making it look extraordinarily vibrant. ¡°The White Wizard Academy likes to integrate the academy with the city, and wizards directly manage every aspect of the city,¡± Jolod explained, ¡°What you now see is both the Golden Dragon Wizard Academy and its city.¡± ¡°This¡­ is a bit too fantastical,¡± Richard murmured to himself. However, Richard quickly accepted this reality; as a world at the forefront of conquering otherworlds, it wasn¡¯t unusual for the Wizard World to be slightly fantastical. ¡°Shall we go in and wander around?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Wander around?¡± Jolod shook his head, ¡°We only have two hours. After this, we need to transfer to three more airships to reach the Tower of Truth before the end of this year¡¯s promotion period.¡± ¡°Promotion period?¡± Richard inquired. ¡°You didn¡¯t think you could just go to the Tower of Truth anytime for the promotion, did you?¡± Jolod glanced at his disciple, ¡°Every year, from July to September is the promotion period for the Tower of Truth; miss it, and you have to wait till next year.¡± ¡°From what you¡¯re saying¡­ advancing as a wizard seems to require the Tower¡¯s equipment?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Equipment?¡± Jolod shook his head, ¡°The materials needed for the promotion ceremony can be gathered by any academy, but the most critical thing can only be accessed at the Tower of Truth.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The Origin of the Wizard World.¡± ¡°` COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Chapter 3 Golden Dawn Society Chapter 103: Chapter 3 Golden Dawn Society ¡°Wizard World Origin?¡± Richard repeated the phrase in confusion, ¡°Does one need the power of the Wizard World Origin to become a Wizard?¡± Jolod slowly said, ¡°Any creature from any world, when it seeks to ascend to a Level 1 creature, needs the help or recognition of the World Origin. Only when recognized by the World Origin does a creature formally step into the sphere of Level 1 beings.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s not recognized?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°Then you would be identified by the world as an invader, just like when Wizards invade other planes, targeted by the creatures of the entire world,¡± Jolod stated indifferently. ¡°Seriously? That harsh?¡± Richard inhaled sharply. Being targeted by the creatures of an entire world sounded utterly frightening. ¡°Actually, the Wizard World did not use to require going specifically to the Tower of Truth for Wizard promotion,¡± Jolod said with a hint of melancholy. ¡°When my teacher was promoted to Wizard, the Wizard World Origin was not as closed off as it is now. Some Wizards with exceptional talents could communicate with the World Origin through their gifts to complete the promotion ceremony. According to him, theoretically any ultimate Apprentice could have contacted the World Origin during those times. Unfortunately, we weren¡¯t born in better times. Due to the damage to the World Origin and the receding tide of magical power, it has become increasingly difficult for Wizard Apprentices to establish contact with the World Origin, to the extent that now one must purchase Wizard qualifications from the Tower of Truth to be promoted.¡± ¡°Wizard qualifications¡­¡± Richard thought of the scroll given to him by the Black Tower Great Wizard. ¡°Do you know how many Magic Stones your Wizard Scroll is sold for at the Tower of Truth?¡± Jolod suddenly asked. ¡°How many Magic Stones?¡± Richard swallowed, thinking the price must be exorbitant. ¡°One thousand Magic Essences, which equates to a million Magic Stones.¡± ¡°Yikes¡­¡± Richard was startled by the figure. ¡°A million Magic Stones! That¡¯s expensive!¡± ¡°Did you think accessing the World Origin would be cheap?¡± Jolod snorted coldly. ¡°That¡¯s the core of a world. A million Magic Stones to access the World Origin, and you should feel content.¡± While Jolod¡¯s words made sense, Richard still felt the price was exorbitantly high. Converted to his selling Concentration Potions, that million Magic Stones meant at least two hundred and fifty thousand bottles. That was just too expensive. ¡°My Wizard qualification really is valuable,¡± Richard murmured to himself. ¡°Valuable as it may be, it¡¯s not for sale. Come on, let¡¯s go meet an old friend.¡± With that, Jolod pulled out a Magic Wand from his Magic Pocket and waved it lightly. Richard felt a lightness in his body as a gentle force lifted him up, forming a thin membrane in front of him. And then¡­ Richard experienced what ¡®fast¡¯ really meant. ¡°Te-teacher, need we go so fast?¡± Richard, watching the constantly flowing scenery around him, spoke with a sense of trepidation. ¡°Fast? Hahaha¡­¡± Jolod laughed heartily, then sped up even more. ¡°Is this even anything?¡± After about one or two minutes, Richard arrived from the airship field on the outskirts of the city to the top of a Wizard Tower near the city center, covering at least thirty kilometers in the process. Jolod landed on the apex of the Wizard Tower and took out a Crystal Ball, shouting a couple of times. ¡°Jeral, open the door.¡± A rough voice came from the Crystal Ball. ¡°Jolod? You old thing, what brings you here?¡± With that, the top of the Wizard Tower cracked open, and Jolod led Richard inside, then navigated through the Wizard Tower with practiced ease. As they walked, Jolod introduced Richard to the owner of the Wizard Tower. ¡°Jeral is an old friend of mine, a Wizard of the Alchemy School specializing in Bloodline research. If you have any minor Bloodline issues in the future, you can spend some Magic Stones to get some guidance from him.¡± During their conversation, Richard arrived in front of a room with a huge arched doorway. It was only then that Richard noticed that every door he had encountered since entering the Wizard Tower had been extraordinarily wide, almost as if the owner of the Wizard Tower were a giant. Jolod knocked on the door, and a deep, rough voice came from behind it. ¡°Jolod, come in.¡± Pushing open the door, Richard felt as if he had entered a giant¡¯s room, with everything inside, whether chairs, tables, or even cups and books, several times larger than usual. In the center of it all, a giant at least three meters tall was reading a book, wearing glasses on his face, with thick hair covering everywhere but his face. As he saw Jolod, he closed his book and stood up. Rising, it was like a wall erected in front of Richard. ¡°Jolod, it must have been fifty years since we last met,¡± the giant opened his arms. Jolod floated up and embraced the giant. ¡°Not bad memory, since we last met at that gathering, Jeral.¡± After the embrace, the giant Jeral looked at Richard. ¡°This your student? Seems to be pursuing the path of Bloodline Alchemy.¡± ¡°Hmm, Richard has done some research in Bloodline Alchemy.¡± Speaking, Jolod pulled Richard close to himself. ¡°This is Master Jeral, and we have a friendship that spans two thousand years.¡± Richard politely bowed to Jeral, ¡°Master Jeral.¡± Jeral pat Richard, and a force like that of a wild giant beast made Richard stagger. ¡°Hmm, not bad, Physique can do.¡± Jeral nodded at Richard and then looked at Jolod, ¡°What did you bring him here for this time? To wash off the Bloodline Seed and change the formula?¡± ¡°What for?¡± Jolod tapped the ground with his Magic Wand, ¡°Jeral, you said we haven¡¯t seen each other in fifty years, so what do you think I am here for?¡± ¡°Oh, right, right, right. The society meeting day has arrived,¡± Jeral suddenly realized. ¡°So, is this lad going to be promoted to Wizard? But isn¡¯t it not a graduation year in the Black Tower Wizard Academy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, a promotion to Wizard.¡± Jolod found a chair and sat down, ¡°Recently, our dean and a few Great Wizards organized an exchange contest, and the final prize was the qualification for Wizard promotion. My student did quite well and brought back the grand prize.¡± ¡°Apprentice Wars?¡± Jeral suddenly became interested, ¡°Your Academy actually participated in the Apprentice Wars. How effective was it, and can it be promoted?¡± Jolod shook his head, ¡°Hard to say, I heard the dean saying they are revising the rules, and although this experiment reached its goals this year, there were some accidents.¡± ¡°Accidents? What could Great Wizards possibly overlook?¡± Jeral grew curious. ¡°What could they overlook?¡± Jolod glanced at Richard, ¡°A lad came up with a piece of Strategic Magic Equipment, forcing the Great Wizards to abruptly end the contest.¡± ¡°Strategic Magic Equipment!?¡± Jeral¡¯s voice rose two octaves, ¡°An Apprentice could come up with that? That makes Merlin look bad, doesn¡¯t it? He¡¯s spent more than a thousand years and hasn¡¯t designed a single piece of Strategic Magic Equipment.¡± ¡°What can you do, the Great Wizards have already acknowledged it as Strategic Magic Equipment,¡± Jolod said with enthusiasm. ¡°No, look at your smug face.¡± Suspicion flashed across Jeral¡¯s face, then he turned his gaze to Richard. ¡°That device wasn¡¯t innovated by your student, was it?¡± ¡°What do you say?¡± Jolod corners of the mouth showed a hint of smugness. For these aged Wizards, there was no better entertainment than showing off their students. Jeral walked to Richard with gleaming eyes and scrutinized him up and down. ¡°Kid, I see you are following the path of Bloodline Alchemy, why don¡¯t you come with me. Jolod¡¯s Synthetic Beasts will only hold you back.¡± Jeral revealed a ¡°kind¡± smile. ¡°To hell with that,¡± Jolod waved his Magic Wand and flames hit Jeral, singeing quite a bit of his hair. ¡°This is my student, keep your ideas to yourself.¡± ¡°Your student? How does the saying go, a fine bird chooses the tree it rests in. Your student is wasted under your guidance¡­¡± Watching the arguing Wizards in front of him, Richard¡¯s mouth twitched. Thousands of years old, yet they behave like they are in their fifties. After a while of bickering, Jolod finally started on the main topic. ¡°Jeral, this meeting, I want my student to join the society.¡± ¡°Join the society?¡± Jeral raised an eyebrow, ¡°Joining isn¡¯t out of the question, considering he managed to create Strategic Magic Equipment as an Apprentice; his intelligence passes. Plus, he is your student, with your connections, getting endorsements from five veteran members should be enough. But¡­ he¡¯s not yet a Wizard, and you know the perils of Wizard promotion.¡± ¡°Society?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s an organization among Wizards, mainly for sharing some information, exchanging research, and occasionally trading,¡± Jolod explained. ¡°The society I joined is called the Golden Dawn Society, and all its members are wizards from the Alchemy School.¡± After saying this, Jolod looked at Jeral. ¡°It¡¯s always better to prepare beforehand than to scramble at the last minute. What if one of you suddenly participates in a Plane War? Then I¡¯d have to wait for a few hundred years.¡± ¡°All right. I agree.¡± Jeral smacked his lips and took out a seal from his large Magic Pocket, and Jolod also took out a scroll. The scroll initially had only one stamp, and with Jeral¡¯s stamping, the number of stamps turned to two. ¡°All set, the stamping is done, then I¡¯ll head to the Tower of Truth first.¡± Jolod gave Richard a knowing look, then stood up and walked towards the exit. ¡°So quick to leave? Aren¡¯t you staying for a meal?¡± Jeral also stood up, trying to stop Jolod. But he saw Jolod, agile and swift, grabbing Richard by the side and flying out of the room. ¡°No, no. Any later and we¡¯ll miss the airship.¡± Richard saw Jolod¡¯s face change suddenly, his heart filled with puzzles. ¡°Teacher, why are we leaving in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Hurry?¡± Jolod gave Richard a wry smile, ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry up, we¡¯ll really end up having dinner here. Do you really want to try undercooked Green-striped Demon Snake with Darkmoth sauce?¡± As he said this, Richard suddenly saw the large door in front of the hallway slam shut, instantly cutting off their path to the rooftop. ¡°Jolod, why are you running? This time I¡¯ve made something that¡¯s guaranteed to be to your liking.¡± Half an hour later, the two sitting aboard the airship were pale in the face. From a practical standpoint, if digested completely, the meal should have given Richard a near five-point Physique boost. However, the practicality was the only good aspect of that meal. ¡°Teacher, next time we need to run faster.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: Chapter 4 Tower of Truth Chapter 104: Chapter 4 Tower of Truth Having left the Golden Dragon Wizard Academy, the Wizard Apprentice and his master took several more airships. During the journey, Richard witnessed many wonders, like the uninhabited region he was looking at now. ¡°This area, according to the map, should be called Barto Peak,¡± Jolod pointed to a large basin not far away and said, ¡°During the wizarding wars, this peak was transformed into a fortress by the Alchemy School. A Great Wizard from the Shape-shifting School destroyed the fortress and left a nearly permanent space distortion phenomenon here.¡± As he spoke, Jolod waved his magic wand and sent a fireball technique hurtling towards the center of the basin. With a booming sound, the entire basin¡¯s space suddenly twisted, and space rifts appeared out of nowhere. Elemental surges burst forth, rapidly creating an elemental storm within the basin. Anything that was swept into it was torn apart into its most primal elemental form. ¡°These space rifts lead to the Four Elements Territory; the elemental beings we summon all come from there, including your Fire Element Giant.¡± Richard watched the spectacular scene in the basin and couldn¡¯t help but start recording data. Years of travel had ingrained in Richard the habit of documenting any strange phenomena he encountered. Jolod glanced at Richard and nodded in approval, his eyes full of admiration. The most important thing for a wizard is the heart that seeks knowledge. After leaving Barto Basin, Jolod took Richard towards the Tower of Truth. ¡­ ¡°Is this the Tower of Truth?¡± Richard asked, looking at the shadow in the distance that was like a mountain range. That shadow connecting heaven and earth didn¡¯t look much like a tower at all. If Richard were to describe it, the term ¡°Heavenly Pillar¡± couldn¡¯t be more appropriate. ¡°Both yes and no,¡± Jolod replied. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Richard was somewhat puzzled. Jolod sighed as he looked at the shadow of the Tower of Truth: ¡°Because that is merely a part of the Tower of Truth. The true core of the Tower of Truth is hidden within the Void, visible only to those granted permission to glimpse a fraction of its entirety.¡± Having said that, he waved his magic wand, leading Richard as they flew toward the Tower of Truth. Jolod¡¯s flying speed was very fast, but Richard always felt the distance between them and the Tower of Truth never seemed to decrease. It was the first time Richard experienced what was meant by ¡°A watched pot never boils.¡± After about a day of flying, Richard and his master finally reached the foot of the Tower of Truth. And Richard got to witness the appearance of this gigantic tower¡ªa towering, heaven-piercing World Tree. Richard found it difficult to put into words the grandeur of the tree because no matter how magnificent the adjective, it seemed powerless before it. The canopy covered hundreds of kilometers in radius and almost blotted out the sun. Flocks of fireflies, big as hot-air balloons, flew beneath its canopy. Although it was daylight, Richard felt as though night had fallen. Seeing all this, a term popped into Richard¡¯s mind¡ªWorld Tree. Only this term was worthy of this immense tree. ¡°The primary structure of the Tower of Truth consists of five World Trees from otherworlds, growing endlessly by absorbing magic power. The venerable Truth Wizards nurtured them with a vast amount of magic stones, ultimately forming the main structure of the Tower of Truth,¡± Jolod explained as they flew. The entrance to the Tower of Truth was a deep blue teleportation gate at the base of the giant tree, resembling a colossal eye. The gate was enormous, allowing even flying airships to pass through without any difficulty. A multitude of wizards, each exuding an unfathomable aura, passed in and out of the gate. ¡°Let¡¯s go, hurry and advance to wizard,¡± Jolod urged. Stepping through the teleportation gate, the familiar sickness surged again in Richard¡¯s chest. However, now that his spiritual power and physical condition had improved, the sensation was not as unbearable. As the scenery before his eyes returned to normal, Richard arrived in a dazzling space. In front of him, countless wizards flew across the sky, tracing brilliant paths. On the ground were buildings of various shapes and sizes¡ªsome looked like office buildings, while others resembled nests made of tree branches. Placed together, they gave Richard a surreal impression. He looked up and discovered that the sky above was not a ceiling but a real sky complete with a sun. ¡°Is this a secret realm?¡± Richard asked uncertainly. ¡°You¡¯ve guessed right.¡± Jolod led Richard through the flight, and during this time, Richard saw many strange creatures that must have been slaves brought from other worlds by wizards. Finally, master and apprentice arrived at a teleportation gate identical to the one that led into the Tower of Truth. ¡°The layer we are now on, the first thirty floors of the Tower of Truth, is for the dwelling of wizards who live in the Tower of Truth. They are the main force in the Plane War,¡± Jolod explained. ¡°The main force?¡± Richard was somewhat confused. ¡°Aren¡¯t the wizards trained by the Academy enough?¡± Jolod gave him a glance as if Richard had asked a silly question. ¡°We are from the Black Wizard Academy. Where do you think the White Wizard Army comes from during a plane war? Moreover, the wizards trained by the Academy aren¡¯t sold to the academy. As long as you¡¯ve participated in a plane war for the academy once, you are theoretically free. This dwelling layer in the Tower of Truth is for those Free Wizards. In addition to the Free Wizards, the Wizard Academy also establishes wizard communities in the residential area, allowing those who have signed contracts with the academy but do not wish to become teaching staff to live here, making it convenient to summon them for plane wars.¡± Richard¡¯s cheeks reddened, and he gave an embarrassed smile. He indeed hadn¡¯t thought about these things. Passing through the teleportation gate, master and apprentice soon left the residential layer. The residential layer was situated above the commercial layer, where the Wizard Commerce of the Wizard World sold bizarre products from all over the world and even from Otherworlds, along with all kinds of Otherworldly slaves. Jolod took Richard around for a tour and in just that short encounter, Richard had witnessed more than a dozen different types of Otherworld creatures. These Otherworld creatures wore slave collars on their bodies. Though their aura was weak and listless, Richard could still sense that these creatures were all Level 1 Creatures. ¡°Are Level 1 Creatures really just sold as goods?¡± Richard asked in disbelief. According to his assumption, Level 1 Creatures, as they were, should be relatively superior slaves, and most Wizards ought to use slaves with the strength of an Apprentice. After all, most Wizards were only Level 1 Creatures, or One Ring Wizards. ¡°Don¡¯t think of Level 1 Creatures as so rare, Richard,¡± Jolod said with a smile as he explained, ¡°You now feel that Level 1 Creatures are unattainable because you are a Wizard Apprentice and have seen too little. In fact, Level 1 Creatures are the most basic of infantry in the Plane Wars. Only when one reaches the Level 1 Creature status do they qualify to enter the Plane Battlefield. Each time a Plane is conquered, Wizards can capture tens or hundreds of millions of slaves from the conquered Plane. A small proportion of these slaves are sold on the market to compensate for the losses of Great Wizards in the Plane Wars, while the majority are kept by the Great Wizards to serve as Slave Armies. After all, we face off against a world with an Academy, if we didn¡¯t have fighting forces to deplete the strength of the natives, our losses would be severe.¡± Richard nodded thoughtfully after listening. It suddenly occurred to him that the limbs and fragments of these slaves upon death seemed like excellent materials for cultivating Synthetic Beasts. If ten thousand slaves died, the remaining flesh could form quite a few Synthetic Beasts to continue serving as cannon fodder. No wonder mastering the technology of Synthetic Beasts was essential for every Academy. ¡°Of course, don¡¯t underestimate yourself.¡± Jolod paused, feeling somewhat uncomfortable telling such things to Richard, an Apprentice about to be promoted to a Wizard. His student had fought tooth and nail for the qualification to advance, only to end up as infantry on the battlefield, which sounded quite disheartening. So he comforted: ¡°Wizards and these things are not the same. Although both are Level 1 creatures, we are far stronger than these native aliens by more than just a star.¡± After leaving the commercial layer, Richard immediately felt the density of Magic Power in the air drop as he looked around and saw the cold metal replacing the soil. Looking up into the sky, Magic Stone Lamps replaced the bright sun. He was now inside a Steel Hall, which was full of Wizards; when Jolod appeared, they all turned their attention to him. ¡°We are now in the working layer, directly governed by the Judicial Department of the Truth Council, and any violation of the law will be strictly punished,¡± Jolod whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the punishment for breaking the law here is twice as severe as outside.¡± Richard nodded nervously, following Jolod to a corner of the hall. ¡°Wizard promotion,¡± Jolod handed the Wizard Scroll to the staff member. The staff member took the scroll and channeled Magic Power into it. A beam of light shot out, hitting the Crystal Stone on the staff member¡¯s forehead. ¡°Alright, is it this child who wants to be promoted?¡± the Wizard asked, looking at Richard. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Child, come here.¡± Upon hearing the call, Richard did as instructed and approached the working Wizard, who looked almost like an ordinary human except for a colorless Crystal Stone on his forehead. He asked Richard to extend his hand and placed a Magic Mark on it. ¡°The mark is complete. You have three minutes left to talk. After three minutes, you will be automatically teleported to the promotion room,¡± the working Wizard stated indifferently. Richard looked at Jolod, and Jolod looked back at him. Mentor and apprentice exchanged no sentimental words, but Jolod walked over and patted Richard on the shoulder. ¡°There is a phase in Wizard promotion known as ¡®Soul Darkness¡¯. When you fall into the Soul Darkness, you will enter a space that is nothing but endless darkness. In that space, your sense of time will become distorted, some Wizards even feel as though they¡¯ve spent an epoch there before awakening. But I want you to remember, don¡¯t panic. As Wizards, boredom and loneliness are enemies we can¡¯t shake off. When you are engulfed by the Soul Darkness, just remember one thing. That is to persevere.¡± Jolod¡¯s voice was as calm as it was during his usual teaching, but those familiar with him could instantly tell that his voice was lower than usual. The promotion to Wizard was a matter of life and death. Jolod had many students and many of them had fallen at this hurdle. ¡°I understand, Teacher.¡± Richard smiled and then, as time elapsed, he vanished in a burst of white light. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Chapter 5: Promotion to Wizard Chapter 105: Chapter 5: Promotion to Wizard The place for becoming a Wizard was an enclosed room, with neither windows nor doors, accessible only through teleportation. The room wasn¡¯t large, approximately twenty square meters, and seemed to be made of wood, as if directly carved out of the trunk of the World Tree. The walls and floor of the room were covered in many patterns, and these patterns converged to form a complex design that was somewhat dizzying at first glance. Paired with the scattered runes amongst the design, the whole room resembled a three-dimensional Magic Array. In the center of the room was a Crystal Ball. After using Spiritual Detection on it, Richard received a message. It was the instructions for using the room. ¡°Rotate the Crystal Ball clockwise once and then meditate,¡± Richard glanced at the Crystal Ball, ¡°Becoming a Wizard is that simple?¡± Having said that, Richard followed the instructions and rotated the Crystal Ball once. Then, a faint ripple of Magic Power permeated Richard¡¯s perception. With the input of magic, the patterns in the room began to light up, and a surging life aura filled the entire room. In addition, an inexplicable fragrance seeped from the walls, instilling tranquility in anyone who smelled it. ¡°Incense?¡± Richard muttered to himself. At the same time, Richard felt an extremely profound sensation. He felt as though he had returned to his infancy, back into the arms of his mother, secure and comfortable. Without any hesitation, Richard immediately began to meditate. In the comforting and peaceful atmosphere, Richard quickly entered into a Meditation State. But unlike ordinary Meditation States, this time Richard didn¡¯t enter the Sea of Souls, but rather arrived in a void space. In this space, the only light came from a distant, somewhat dim glowing orb. Upon seeing this sphere, Richard instantly recognized what it was. ¡°Wizard World Origin¡­ so this is what it looks like?¡± Instinctively, Richard drew closer to the Wizard World Origin, much like an infant draws near their mother. The Wizard World Origin seemed to sense his presence, this child, and thus a warm beam of light shot from the Origin, leisurely entering his forehead. In an instant, Richard felt a gentle energy enter the depths of his soul, unlocking an invisible shackle. After unlocking the shackle, that energy left a mark in the very depths of Richard¡¯s soul. It was a mark left by the Wizard World, signifying that Richard was recognized by the Wizard World. After leaving the mark, Richard¡¯s consciousness briefly blurred. It felt as if he had been diving and was suddenly pulled out from the water. When he regained his senses, Richard found himself in a space devoid of any light. At the same time, the walls of the room began to seep drops of resin-like viscous liquid, which flowed along the magical array¡¯s patterns and eventually converged upon Richard, enveloping him as if he were encased in amber. In the distant past, the two biggest challenges faced by Wizard Apprentices during their promotion were the Soul Darkness during the increase of spiritual power, and how to survive the physical exhaustion during the promotion process. The transformation of a Wizard Apprentice into a Wizard required a long time, often measured in years. During this period, the Wizard Apprentice would remain in a vegetative state. At this time, the Wizard Apprentice needed a plan that could protect them and also provide nutrition for their body. And this amber was the solution prepared by the Tower of Truth. Resin rich in Life Energy from the World Tree, blended with various ingredients, ensured that even if a Wizard Apprentice slept for a hundred years, they would still spring to life energetic as ever. ¡­ In the darkness, Richard gradually understood what Jolod meant by perseverance. In this pitch-black space, with no points of reference and devoid of any sensation, Richard had no way to determine how long he had stayed there. He also lacked any tools to pass the time. It was outright torture. In this space, the utterly bored Richard began recalling his memories, from his past life to his current existence, from experiences in his previous life to travels and tales in this life. These memories became the only support preventing Richard from going mad. He couldn¡¯t sleep, for in this space Richard never felt fatigue, his mind always lucid, completely free of the need for sleep. If he chose to force himself to sleep, it would spell his demise. Once, twice, three times¡­ His memories, initially vague, gradually became clearer, until they played out before his eyes like a movie. Over time, Richard could even recite each frame of this film from memory. Boredom, tedium, then anger, madness, and finally, everything settled into tranquility. After Richard had revisited his memories countless times, the darkness before him suddenly shattered. The magnificent scenery of the Sea of Souls unfolded before Richard¡¯s eyes. The Soul Darkness had ended. The magnificent starry sky awakened Richard¡¯s numb heart, and in that moment, tears streamed down his face, his mouth open, yet unable to emit any sound. He had even forgotten how to speak. After a long while, Richard finally roused his instincts, murmuring to himself: ¡°Is it over?¡± He could feel his body in the Sea of Souls constantly changing. To put it inappropriately, during his Apprentice days, Richard¡¯s body in the Sea of Souls was like a plankton. But now, Richard had finally evolved from plankton to a small shrimp. When his soul completed the transformation, Richard felt his body suddenly sink, as if falling into water, and the scenery before him changed as well. It seemed he had come to a deep sea, surrounded by countless floating lights, and he himself was one of them. Looking upward, the starry sky was still the same starry sky, but it had become somewhat distant from him. ¡°So I was just on the surface of the Sea of Souls before? Only now have I truly entered the Deep Sea of Souls,¡± Richard realized in sudden enlightenment. Entering the Sea of Souls for the first time, Richard felt an incredible novelty all around. The waters of the Sea of Souls continuously nourished Richard¡¯s soul. He could feel his spiritual power strengthen with each minute he spent in the sea. This speed far surpassed his meditation speed during his Apprentice days. Richard attempted to move his body, but now, being a light point, he had neither hands nor legs, and moving like a human was impossible. So, he tried to use his spiritual power as propulsion, moving his body forward like a squid by jetting water. In the Sea of Souls, Richard¡¯s application of spiritual power became more wildly imaginative. His spiritual power was continuously compressed by Richard until it reached a limit. Richard locked onto a target¡ªan adjacent light point¡ªand fiercely released the amassed spiritual power. In the next instant, Richard¡¯s distance to the target light point abruptly closed. ¡°I did it!¡± Richard exclaimed somewhat excitedly. As he made contact with the light point, he finally saw what it was¡ªa wizard¡¯s name written in Wizard Language. ¡°Maggie¡­ It seems these light points are imprints left in the Sea of Souls by wizards,¡± Richard speculated. To verify this hypothesis, Richard continuously made contact with multiple light points. The contents of each light point varied, but all were symbols of sorts, which matched Richard¡¯s speculation. Richard continued his exploration and soon encountered a different scene. There were creatures in the Sea of Souls! He observed a creature moving in the Sea of Souls, which, in its appearance, resembled a constantly twisting light strip, like a water snake swimming through the Sea of Souls. ¡°Is it hunting souls?¡± Richard hid behind a giant light point and cautiously observed the creature. His state was peculiar now; perhaps due to his advancement, he found himself unable to terminate his meditation, only able to wait for it to end on its own. While Richard was observing, a light point suddenly disintegrated. The light snake, as if spotting food, swiftly swam towards the disintegrating light point and integrated its fragments into its body. ¡°Is it feeding on disintegrating imprints?¡± Imprints left in the Sea of Souls by wizards generally do not disintegrate. If they do, it indicates that the wizard¡¯s life has come to an end. Richard watched for a while and noticed that the light snake showed no interest in intact imprints, only in those that were disintegrating. This provided Richard some relief. After all, the vicinity was filled with imprints left by wizards in the Sea of Souls. If there were dangerous beings hunting souls, the Great Wizards, even Truth Wizards would have taken action long ago. Nonetheless, he remained cautious, using light points as cover and swiftly leaving the area. After exploring the Sea of Souls for a while, Richard saw many light points of varying sizes and colors. He guessed that the size of these light points represented the amount of spiritual power, bigger meaning more, smaller meaning less; the color indicated the age of the soul, brighter being younger, dimmer being older. Souls also have ages. According to wizard research, a creature¡¯s soul can exist for up to ten thousand years without reaching Level 4. Once it surpasses ten thousand years, the structure of the soul undergoes irreversible collapse. This marks the limit of wizards¡¯ life span. For wizards, creating a body is exceedingly simple. Cloning Magic can easily replicate the most authentic bodies of wizards. But no one is capable of restoring a collapsed soul. After some time, Richard suddenly felt a pulling force. His entire body involuntarily soared towards the surface of the Sea of Souls. ¡°Is it time?¡± Richard guessed. The advanced Meditation Method could only maintain an eight-hour meditation, and judging from when he had entered the Sea of Souls, it seemed time should have elapsed. But as Richard reached the surface of the Sea of Souls, he unexpectedly noticed a ripple wave through the otherwise silent Sea of Souls. A white light burst from the depths of the Sea of Souls, breaking into smaller, feebler fragments during its flight. ¡°Is there a creature battling in the Sea of Souls? Or has the World Master left means of resurrection in the Sea of Souls?¡± Many speculations flashed through Richard¡¯s mind, but before he could discern their meaning, he saw the white light coming towards him. In an instant, his consciousness returned to his body, accompanied by the white light. ¡°Caw caw caw¡­ I, Ulysses, the Master of Crows, have escaped! Abyss scum, you¡¯ll never catch me in this lifetime¡­ What the heck!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Chapter 6: The Lord of Crows Chapter 106: Chapter 6: The Lord of Crows In the Soul Space, the Master God of the Crow Realm, Ulysses, was struggling in terror. A Melter that looked plain and simple spurted Flames before him, but as a divine entity, even with only a Residual Soul remaining, he could still feel the terrible Rule Power within the Melter¡¯s Flames. In his current state, even a single spark from the Flames would reduce him to nothingness. ¡°What is up with this youngster, and why does he have such a terrifying thing in his soul?¡± Ulysses cried out in horror. Such a status was something that, even in the Pantheon, only a Divine King would possess. Why was it now appearing in someone who was not even a Demigod? But before he could figure it out, another dreadful piece of news arrived. He could clearly sense that only a single body separated him from a World Will, and that World Will was vast, even larger than the World Will of his own Crow Realm. If he dared to step out, he would be shattered to pieces in less than a second. ¡°Have I entered the body of a Divine King¡¯s offspring?¡± Ulysses wailed. Having just escaped the clutches of those Abyss Demons, he now found himself in such a perilous situation. With wolves in front and tigers behind, he wanted to play the game of swapping places through seizing another body, but he couldn¡¯t get past the terrifying Melter and attempting to escape outward would draw the attention of the World Will. ¡°Alien, what are you?¡± Richard¡¯s Spiritual Projection suddenly appeared in the Spirit Space. Just moments ago, Richard¡¯s spirit had returned to his body, and he¡¯d caught wind of the ravings of this Otherworldly creature known as the Master God of the Crow Realm. ¡°What am I?¡± Ulysses, looking at the suddenly appearing Richard, was angered in his heart. Since becoming a divine entity, nobody had dared to speak to him like that. But the moment he saw the terrifying Melter nearby, the flicker of anger in his heart was immediately extinguished, replaced instead by fear. To be able to grow under the protection of a World Will, and to carry such a terrifying Melter¡­ The youngster¡¯s background must be extraordinary. ¡°I am the Master God of the Crow Realm, the Lord of Crows, Ulysses. Just now, I was battling a group of Abyss Demons and was chased into the Sea of Souls. Thanks to your timely appearance, young friend, I was able to escape from the dangerous situation.¡± Ulysses was very cautious with his words, revealing both his identity and the reason for the events. If Richard was really as Ulysses suggested, the offspring of a Divine King, then he might really be safe. But unfortunately, Richard was neither a Divine King¡¯s offspring nor was he a creature from any world that Ulysses knew of. ¡°Master God of the Crow Realm?¡± Richard suddenly uttered a strange laugh, ¡°Another self-proclaimed divine entity native to a World Mastery. I guess you came into my Soul Space with the idea of seizing it, right?¡± Ulysses¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Not having heard of my name and calling me a native. Could it be that I am not in the Pantheon World Community but have come to a new World Community!¡± Ulysses¡¯s mind raced, his situation dangerously critical. If he did not demonstrate his value, once this youngster consulted with an elder, he would no longer have any choice. ¡°You jest, young friend. How could I engage in something that only an Evil God would do?¡± Ulysses pretended to be righteous. ¡°You do not know my name, but have you heard of the Pantheon? I am a general of the Eternal God King of the Pantheon. If you could send me back to the Pantheon, the Pantheon would surely reward you handsomely.¡± Ulysses prayed in his heart, hoping Richard had heard at least a little about the Pantheon, giving him a chance at freedom. ¡°The Pantheon? Never heard of it,¡± Richard continued to deny. At that, Ulysses¡¯s heart chilled. Where on earth had he run to? The Pantheon¡¯s fame spread across several neighboring World Communities, yet this extraordinary youngster had no clue. ¡°So, Ulysses, how do you plan to resolve this matter of entering my Soul Space?¡± Richard¡¯s voice was calm, but it trembled through Ulysses like the Devil¡¯s own voice. He was trapped. Ulysses tried to keep his composure, aware, or believing, that he did not have many options. ¡°Creature from another world, I am willing to serve you for three thousand years to atone for my mistake.¡± Ulysses, drawing from his experience, guessed that this creature must need to compete for affection under the care of his parent, just like the ninety-nine offspring of the Eternal God King. To vie for favor, one obviously needs strength. Ulysses¡¯s current state was dire, with his divine soul severely damaged and his Divine Form incomplete after escaping from the Sea of Souls. However, if he could get help from a Divine King¡¯s offspring, his injuries should be able to recover swiftly. He hastily made such an offer to serve, hitting on that very idea. In his eyes, it was a win-win deal. ¡°Three thousand years?¡± Richard was intrigued. He was merely bluffing to scare this World Master, not expecting to actually scare up something tangible. But Richard¡¯s hesitation made Ulysses¡¯s heart sink further; three thousand years seemed not enough to satisfy the youngster. ¡°If you are not satisfied, how about five thousand years?¡± Ulysses upped the offer. Five thousand years was quite a length of time for a divine entity, and for a soul-damaged divine entity like him, who knew how many tens of thousands more years he would live? Five thousand years already constituted a significant portion of his remaining life. ¡°Five thousand years?¡± Richard was somewhat shocked by the World Master¡¯s generosity, but at the same time, another thought occurred to him. Richard tried to manipulate the Miracle Furnace, and after becoming a Wizard, Richard felt he had some control over the Miracle Furnace. Now, he could move the Miracle Furnace within his own Soul Space. He could see that the World Master was very fearful of the Miracle Furnace, and this fear was just manipulable. ¡°Five thousand years is not enough.¡± Richard approached Ulysses with the Melter while saying coldly. The movement of the Miracle Furnace kept pushing Ulysses back, but he was now in Richard¡¯s Soul Space. No matter how much he retreated, the Miracle Furnace inched steadily toward him. ¡°One ten thousand years! I am willing to serve you for ten thousand years!¡± Ulysses exclaimed in panic. ¡°Very well,¡± Richard said, barely smiling as he stopped the Melter, ¡°but how do you plan to fulfill your promise?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± Ulysses breathed a sigh of relief, assuming all would be well as long as Richard agreed. ¡°I will sign a Destiny Contract with you. The binding force of this contract is absolutely reliable, and those who breach the contract will be punished by fate. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can ask your elders, and they will tell you how dreadful a Destiny Contract is.¡± Destiny Contract¡­ Richard was familiar with the name. The contract he had signed with Jolod was a crude version derived from the Destiny Contract by the Tower of Truth. Even a Truth Wizard would be bound by such a terrible contract, which was the most frightening among all agreements. ¡°Alright, I will sign the contract with you,¡± Richard agreed. ¡­ The Destiny Contract did not have a physical form; its carrier was the soul of a World Master Level creature, the only kind of soul that could withstand the weight of destiny. Ulysses agonizingly used fragments of his own soul to create a Destiny Contract and signed it with Richard. The contract stipulated that Ulysses would serve Richard for ten thousand years, during which Ulysses must not betray Richard in any form and must obey all of Richard¡¯s commands. The contract was very strict, but under the intimidation of the Miracle Furnace, Ulysses signed anyway. In his view, serving the progeny of a Divine King for ten thousand years was no disgrace, and since Richard possessed such a treasure, he was likely a favored progeny. Perhaps by following Richard, he could even regain his former strength and carve out a territory in this unknown world. The contract was signed, and both Richard and Ulysses breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Very well, now that we are allies, I¡¯d like to ask you some questions,¡± Richard asked with a smile. ¡°Please go ahead. I will leave nothing unsaid as long as I can speak of it,¡± Ulysses replied cautiously. ¡°I want to hear about the Pantheon and the Abyss you mentioned. A force that can command a being as powerful as you and pursue you to the Sea of Souls intrigues me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple,¡± Ulysses readily agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are aware of the concept of the ¡®world cluster.''¡± Richard shook his head, perhaps the Wizard World was familiar with the concept, but he had only just advanced to wizard and was unaware of much information about the Wizard World. ¡°The so-called ¡®world cluster¡¯ refers to a world structure where tens of thousands of small and medium worlds are densely adjacent to one or more major worlds, centered around them. Both the Pantheon and the Abyss govern a unified world cluster civilization.¡± ¡°Civilization?¡± ¡°Yes, civilization. The Pantheon is also known as the Gods Civilization, and the formal name for the Abyss is the Abyss Demon Civilization.¡± After saying this, Ulysses added, ¡°The major world you are currently in is called a ¡®civilization seed¡¯ in the world cluster. ¡°If a Divine King who wishes to pioneer ventures into the Star Realm to expand territory, then your current world could also become a civilization.¡± Richard took this information to heart and then asked: ¡°So, how does your Gods Civilization rank the levels of power?¡± ¡°According to our classification, from low to high, they are powerless mortals, Professionals, Legends, Epics, Demigods, Gods, High-level Gods, Main Gods, and the greatest of all, the God Kings.¡± Richard compared these ranks with those of the Wizard World. Professional likely equated to Wizard Apprentice, Legend Epic Demigod corresponded to First Second Third Circle Wizards, God High-level God Main God corresponded to Fourth Fifth Sixth Circle Great Wizards, and God King corresponded to Truth Wizard. ¡°How many God Kings are there in your Pantheon?¡± ¡°There are three God Kings,¡± Ulysses said with slight pride. Generally, one God King could create a civilization; a civilization like the Gods Civilization that boasted three God Kings was quite formidable among the neighboring world clusters. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± Richard suddenly smiled, and his projection disappeared in the Spirit Space. The Wizard World has five Truth Wizards; even if the Gods Civilization were to conflict, the Wizard World had the advantage, or rather, the Wizard Civilization had the advantage. Leaving the Spirit Space, Richard found himself sealed like an amber. With a slight effort, his amber casing cracked audibly, breaking into several fragments that fell to the ground. Richard stretched his body, finding that although the Rebound Effect had brought him to a Physique of 50, moving around felt completely natural. It seemed his body had adapted to the sudden increase in physique. ¡°How long was I in that space?¡± Richard exclaimed in surprise. But before he could figure it out, the amber fragments on the ground turned into a sticky liquid and were absorbed by the floor. Immediately afterward, a beam of white light appeared under his feet. As the white light vanished, he found himself back in the Steel Hall where he had advanced to wizard. ¡°Congratulations.¡± A voice came from behind Richard, and he turned to see the Working Wizard who had marked him with the Magic Mark still standing in place as if he hadn¡¯t been gone long. ¡°Apprentice Richard, your advancement took twelve years, and now I should address you as Wizard Richard.¡± With that, the Working Wizard handed Richard a Magic Pocket. ¡°This is the benefit issued by the Tower of Truth to newly advanced wizards, including a hundred years of free usage of the residential floor, fifty Magic Essences, an Alchemy School Wizard Robe, and a map of the Tower of Truth.¡± After finishing, the Working Wizard extended his right hand toward Richard. ¡°Welcome to the world of wizards.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Chapter 7 Joining the Society Chapter 107: Chapter 7 Joining the Society After about an hour, Jolod¡¯s figure finally appeared in the hall. ¡°Haha, Richard! I just knew you could hang in there.¡± Jolod walked up to Richard and gave him a hard pat on the shoulder, his joy apparent for all to see. For Jolod, there was nothing better than seeing his own apprentice safely advance to a Wizard. Richard scratched his head and, out of self-preservation, his brain had automatically diminished the memory of what happened within the ¡°Soul Darkness.¡± Now when he tried to recall it, all Richard could feel was boredom. ¡°Never mind that,¡± Jolod waved his hand, indicating for Richard not to dwell on the memories. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve become a Wizard, you should enjoy the life of a Wizard.¡± With that, the two left the work floor. The commercial floor was still bustling, but as Richard stepped into it, he found his sensations somewhat altered. ¡°Is this what it feels like to be a Wizard?¡± Richard looked around at the otherworldly slaves shackled in chains, knowing that before he became a Wizard, even though these slaves were bound, he felt he could easily be killed by them. But now, he felt that these creatures were very weak. This misalignment in self-awareness excited Richard. After reaching the commercial floor, Jolod didn¡¯t take Richard straight to the residential area; instead, he led him to a shop. ¡°Put on your Wizard Robe; apprentices are not allowed to enter this store,¡± Jolod instructed. Richard complied, pulling out his Wizard Robe issued by the Tower of Truth from his pocket. The style of this Wizard Robe looked no different from the Apprentice Wizard Robe, but the silver pentagram badge at the chest had been replaced with a heart wrapped in gears. Seizing the opportunity, Jolod also explained the differences between the symbols of the different Schools to him. ¡°Each of the Five Major Schools has its own emblem. The Alchemy School¡¯s emblem is the gear heart, symbolizing the union of machinery and flesh. The Undead School¡¯s emblem is a golden ouroboros, symbolizing the circle of life and death. The Shape-shifting School¡¯s emblem is a golden pentagram, representing control over earth, wind, water, and fire through the mind. The Soul School¡¯s symbol is a half ethereal, half tangible brain, signifying the spirit and soul. Lastly, the Curse School¡¯s emblem is a bloody cross, representing the first curse in Wizarding History¡ªthe ¡®Blood Cross.''¡± ¡°What about dual Schools?¡± Richard asked. Ali¡¯s mentor, Susanna, was a dual School Wizard of Curse and Shape-shifting. ¡°A dual School Wizard will display both emblems, with gold representing their major and silver their minor.¡± After changing into his Wizard Robe, Richard entered the shop with Jolod, a place that didn¡¯t allow apprentices, and what the store sold genuinely startled Richard. ¡°Are these not people?¡± Richard looked around at the humanoid creatures locked in cages, somewhat panicked. While the Wizard World permitted the existence of slaves, these were limited to other Races, and Wizards were not allowed to enslave other humans. ¡°Look closer,¡± Jolod coolly pointed at the scales on one of the slaves, ¡°These are subhumans, offspring of certain Wizards who couldn¡¯t control their baser urges, creating Mixed Bloods.¡± ¡°Mixed Bloods are not recognized by the Wizard World, so they are considered part of other Races.¡± ¡°What about those Wizards who engage in bloodline fusion?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t their children also have mixed racial bloodlines?¡± ¡°It all comes down to whether those Wizards are willing to spend Magic Stones,¡± Jolod said leisurely, ¡°As long as one is willing to use Magic Stones to purify their bloodline, these subhumans can become members of the Wizard World. But obviously, the Wizards who created these subhumans are not keen on spending that money.¡± Richard fell silent for a moment: ¡°Do these people have the same rights as other Races?¡± ¡°A little better than other Races,¡± said Jolod lightly, ¡°A humanoid form fits better with a Wizard¡¯s sense of aesthetics. These subhumans are more likely to spend their lives as servants in a Wizard¡¯s laboratory rather than being used as experimental materials or food. I brought you here to pick two Subhuman Servants. If you¡¯re not willing, let¡¯s forget about it.¡± Richard looked at the Subhuman Servants around him, his emotions gradually calming down. As a Black Wizard, Richard had killed plenty of pure-blooded humans, so although these Subhumans looked pitiful, they did not stir his sympathy. ¡°Do these Subhumans have Skills? I¡¯d like to find one that can cook,¡± Richard said evenly. The physical body doesn¡¯t automatically feel happiness during the enjoyment of food; it¡¯s a great form of relaxation. Although food had become unnecessary since becoming a Wizard, Richard still liked to eat and drink when conditions permitted. Jolod¡¯s face showed a smile. ¡°Of course, there are.¡± ¡­ After circling the Subhuman Shop, Richard ultimately chose two female Subhuman slaves, costing Jolod forty Magic Essences. Both Subhumans had normal intelligence levels, with beast ears sprouting on their heads, and they were young and cute. One was proficient in cooking multiple food ingredients, the other robust, gifted with precise control over her body, capable of helping Richard handle some alchemy materials. Upon returning to the residential area, Richard no longer needed Jolod to fly him there. Richard took a deep breath, and at that moment, the cells throughout his body came alive. These cells greedily absorbed the Magic Power from the air and then converged inside his body, transforming into a Magic Rebound under the guidance of his spiritual power. After a physique breakthrough of fifty, the body would naturally form an energy cycle to sustain bodily functions. In addition to this, Richard¡¯s spiritual power also underwent change. He released his spiritual power into the sky, and this time it wasn¡¯t limited to just a few meters in front of him but extended to about fifty meters around. The transformation resulted from a qualitative change in spiritual power. If Richard¡¯s spiritual power before was raw iron ore, it was now refined steel. With the same amount of spiritual power, Richard could see and explore further, mobilizing even more Magic Power. With fifty points of spiritual power, Richard could maintain a Magic Rebound that was nine times more powerful than when he had forty-nine-point-nine points! ¡°How does the leap in life feel?¡± Jolod asked. ¡°Fantastic!¡± Richard exclaimed excitedly. Following Jolod, Richard had made his way to the Black Tower Wizard Academy Community on the second floor of the residential area, where a considerable number of wizards from the Black Tower Wizard Academy resided. Entering the community, Richard felt the strong presence of the Black Tower Wizard Academy. Hmm, these wizards¡¯ buildings were all miniature versions of the Central Black Tower, giving Richard the feeling of being back at the Academy. Arriving at a Black Tower, Jolod stepped forward and knocked on the door. Knock, knock, knock. A subhuman servant opened the door. ¡°The two wizard lords, please come in.¡± ¡°Whose Wizard Tower is this?¡± Richard curiously asked. ¡°Take a guess?¡± Richard walked into the parlor and surveyed the surroundings. ¡°I can¡¯t tell, but I¡¯m certain it isn¡¯t Brother Chax¡¯s.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Jolod raised an eyebrow, ¡°Why isn¡¯t it Chax¡¯s?¡± Richard pointed at the empty table in the parlor. ¡°How could there be no wine in Brother Chax¡¯s living room?¡± ¡°Ha, you got that right.¡± Not long after, a graceful figure hurriedly came down from the upstairs. ¡°Richard!¡± Richard looked up, and the graceful figure descending was none other than his long-lost senior sister Anna. ¡°Sister Anna, long time no see.¡± The two embraced as soon as they saw each other, while Jolod remarked from the side: ¡°You siblings really care for each other, becoming wizards three terms in a row. Those from earlier terms are too far apart in time, there¡¯s no sentimental feeling when they meet.¡± After the hug, everyone took their seats, and Jolod pulled an owl out of his Magic Pocket and spoke a few words to it. ¡°Chax, during your trip to Anna, your junior bro has become a wizard.¡± Soon enough, a portly figure entered the Wizard Tower. ¡°Hey, junior! I always knew you could make it!¡± As he spoke, Chax opened his arms to Richard and the two hugged each other. With everyone gathered, the subhuman servant poured a cup of red tea for them. The red tea smelled aromatic, bearing a calming effect¡ªits origin as a demonized plant was evident from the scent. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re showing favoritism.¡± Chax took a sip of the red tea and complained to Anna, ¡°I¡¯ve been here a few times; each time, it¡¯s just ordinary tea. Today, just because the junior bro finishes his apprenticeship, you bring out the treasured Magic Tea.¡± Anna glared at him, ¡°Regular tea is good enough for you; you¡¯re such a drunk, can you even appreciate Magic Tea?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to tell, Sister, you¡¯re just biased¡­¡± Watching the two bicker, Jolod couldn¡¯t help but rap on the table. ¡°Be serious, you two. I¡¯ve come here today for a reason.¡± The two stopped and turned their attention to Jolod. ¡°Now that you siblings have all graduated, it¡¯s a good time to tell you about the society,¡± Jolod began slowly, ¡°The Golden Dawn Society is a wizard society within our Alchemy School. At the usual academic salon, members of the society share some of their experiences in Alchemy, and offer paid assistance to solve problems. It¡¯s very helpful for novice wizards like you. To join the society you need the recommendation of five senior members. Right now, several of my old friends are in the Wizard World, so that¡¯s not a problem. However, there¡¯s another requirement to join the society, which is that you need enough wisdom. This requirement demands that you showcase your achievements; no one can help you with that.¡± Saying this, Jolod turned to look at Richard. ¡°Richard, you were able to create strategic-level Magic Equipment during your apprenticeship, so clearly your wisdom is sufficient. But you two¡­¡± Jolod turned his gaze to his other two apprentices. ¡°Your work obviously doesn¡¯t meet the mark. Anna, it¡¯s been over a decade since you became a wizard, hasn¡¯t it? What have you researched in these years? What have you achieved?¡± Anna¡¯s face went slightly red; indeed, she had been somewhat slack since becoming a wizard. As for Chax, Jolod looked his way, but the man was acting nonchalant, prompting Jolod to give him a stern glance. ¡°Chax, it can¡¯t even be said that you¡¯ve slacked off! You¡¯re simply wasting time!¡± With that, Jolod took out his Magic Wand from his Magic Pocket and angrily tapped Chax on the head a couple of times. ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you¡¯re a wizard, I can¡¯t discipline you anymore!¡± After scolding Chax, Jolod stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve told you about the matter, the choice is yours to make. If you plan to join another society, I won¡¯t stop you. Some of your fellow senior brothers and sisters have joined other societies.¡± Having said this, Jolod looked towards Richard. ¡°Richard, what are your plans?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Richard stood up, ¡°I definitely choose to join the Golden Dawn Society.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Chapter 8 Wizard Life Chapter 108: Chapter 8 Wizard Life ¡°Very well,¡± Jolod said with a satisfied nod, ¡°but joining the society requires attending a society gathering, which you might have to wait decades for.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem,¡± Richard said nonchalantly. Having become a Wizard, Richard¡¯s lifespan had instantly soared to a thousand years, so waiting a few decades was not an issue at all. After leaving Anna¡¯s Wizard Tower, Jolod took Richard to find the Wizard in charge of construction in the community. ¡°Ancha, build a Wizard Tower for my student,¡± Jolod greeted. In front of him, a Wizard whose half body was mechanical was directing a group of Otherworldly slaves to build a Wizard Tower. ¡°Oh, Jolod, your student has also succeeded,¡± Ancha glanced at Richard, his red crystal eyes flashing with a dazzling red light. ¡°Which of my students hasn¡¯t?¡± Jolod boasted. Richard took out a black crystal ball from his Magic Pocket and handed it to Ancha. This crystal ball was a one-hundred-year residence permit issued by the Tower of Truth. A red light shot from Ancha¡¯s eyes, confirming Richard¡¯s information, then he pocketed the crystal ball and handed him a map. ¡°All right, the new Black Tower number four in zone two, everything¡¯s ready inside. You can move in there.¡± Richard nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then followed the map to his Wizard Tower. Outside the Wizard Tower, Jolod and Richard said their goodbyes. ¡°Okay, everything¡¯s set up now; I¡¯m heading back.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you come in and sit for a bit?¡± Jolod waved his hand with a smile, ¡°The Wizard Towers built by Ancha are all the same, nothing interesting to see.¡± With that, Jolod floated up, transforming into a streak of light and flew off into the distance. ¡­ The Wizard Tower had four floors, the first floor was a reception room, the sub-first was a storeroom, and the second and third floors were bedrooms and a laboratory. Richard released two demi-human slaves from his Magic Pocket, a specially made artifact that could contain living creatures, a gift from the Slave Trading Company. ¡°Get familiar with the rooms. From today on, this will be your dwelling,¡± Richard instructed indifferently. The two Kemonomimi immediately bowed their heads in acknowledgment. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Richard did not give names to the Kemonomimi. He chose to refer to them by number, the cooking Kemonomimi was Number One, and the sturdy Kemonomimi was Number Two. These Kemonomimi did not have a long lifespan; a hundred years often marked their limit. Not naming them was Richard¡¯s way of reminding himself not to get emotionally attached. The second floor was a laboratory, and the walls of the laboratory were equipped with a Silence Magic Array to keep the laboratory quiet. Richard closed the door of the laboratory and took out his experimental equipment from his Magic Pocket that he had used during his Apprenticeship. This included various tools and alchemy materials, as well as the Annihilation Flame tentacle that Richard had brought with him. Before ascending to Wizard, Richard had prepared it with sufficient nutrient solution and Magic Stones, and after twelve years of growth, the entire tentacle had become quite massive. ¡°Ulysses, how do you feel about using this thing to make a body for yourself?¡± A white light shot out from Richard¡¯s body, forming into a black spiritual crow. ¡°Liar! You damn deceiver! You¡¯re not a progeny of the Divine King! You¡¯re just a lucky ant!¡± Ulysses roared unceasingly at Richard. The moment Richard stepped out of the Steel Hall, Ulysses realized it had been deceived. It wasn¡¯t blind or deaf; its spiritual power could extend through Richard¡¯s body to explore the outside world. In the ascension room, it had been intimidated by the World Will and did not dare to scout around. But once they left that layer, the World Will was no longer present. Richard called an ant that wasn¡¯t even a Demigod ¡®Teacher,¡¯ and went to what was called the market to buy slaves. This was entirely different from what Ulysses had envisioned. ¡°Ulysses, when did I ever tell you I was a progeny of the Divine King?¡± Richard said, sitting on a chair and looking at it with a distant gaze. This World Master had been incessantly roaring since he picked slaves in the commercial layer, annoying him to no end. ¡°You¡­you¡­you¡­¡± Ulysses stared at Richard as though looking at a shameless scoundrel. ¡°Moreover, I am now your Master, and you had better show some respect. Otherwise¡­¡± Richard snorted coldly, the threat clear in his voice. Suicide could also be an order. At this moment, Ulysses finally tasted despair. ¡°Following you, an ant, I, Ulysses, am done for,¡± Ulysses said in resignation. ¡°Done for?¡± Richard chuckled coldly, ¡°You should be grateful, for it¡¯s because of me that you weren¡¯t taken away to be an experimental subject. Do you know where you are now?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°According to your classifications, you are now in the dwelling of a Divine King.¡± ¡°And,¡± Richard continued with a cold laugh, ¡°the Divine Kings you mentioned, there are no fewer than five of them in the Wizard World.¡± At those words, Ulysses¡¯ entire body shook instantly. ¡°Kid, do you know how great a Divine King is?¡± Ulysses clamored, ¡°In the presence of a Divine King, all Main Gods bow down in submission, just as an ant like you would before a deity.¡± ¡°I certainly know that it¡¯s no secret there are five Truth Wizards in the Wizard World,¡± Richard said indifferently, ¡°Even a Great Wizard on a conquest of Otherworlds must bow down to them.¡± ¡°Impossible! Our Gods Civilization only has three Divine Kings! The Abyss Demons only have two Dominators. You liar, I will never believe another word you say!¡± Richard snorted coldly, ¡°Ulysses, I command you to shut up!¡± The next moment, the ranting Ulysses fell silent. ¡°Ulysses, I have no interest in a war of words with you. You will see the strength of the Wizard World with your own eyes, and when that time comes, you¡¯ll be grateful for the correct decision you made.¡± ¡­ The life of a Wizard is much more relaxed than that of a Wizard Apprentice. After a decade or so of growth, the Fuzzy Ball within the fragments of the Secret Realm split off a seed, which had now become a new Holy Tree Elf. Richard named it Fuzzy Ball Number Two. It was a good start. If the growth could continue to double every ten years, the fragments of the Secret Realm would soon turn into a field of herbs. For this purpose, Richard also started looking for nectar with Life Energy in the commercial areas as food for the Holy Tree Elf. This nectar could promote the growth of the Holy Tree Elves. A regular Holy Tree Elf could only live for about fifty years, but if they grew, their lifespan would also increase. This was undoubtedly a great help for Richard¡¯s breeding plan. Furthermore, Richard also began the second phase of training for his Adaptation Body. In the Wizard¡¯s data, whether in Physique or spiritual power, the point between 49.9 and 50 was a qualitative change. Once Richard¡¯s Physique reached 50 due to the Rebound Effect, the upper limit of the Energy Levels his Adaptation Body could handle reached 100. On that basis, for every extra point in Physique, Richard¡¯s adaptation limit would increase by ten. Training the Adaptation Body meant consuming more Magic Stones. Although Jolod was busy with the Wizard Commerce, it would take a century or two before significant profits were made. The business of selling Magic Potions in the commercial district was continuing, but the speed of earning was already struggling to keep up with Richard¡¯s consumption. As a result, Richard, like a normal Alchemy Wizard, had to take on some alchemy work and make Magic Equipment for Apprentices from Wizard Families or Free Wizards. After the qualitative change in his spiritual power, Richard found making Magic Equipment to be much easier. Operations that were very difficult during his Apprentice days were now easy tasks for him. Moreover, due to Richard¡¯s approachability and a particular franchise request, many Wizard Apprentices sought him out specifically for Magic Equipment creation. ¡°Number 23, Wars Luceiro,¡± Richard handed out a gemstone-studded Magic Wand to the Apprentice in front of him from his pocket. ¡°Ice Crystal Wand, take a look. If there are no problems, pay the final amount.¡± The Apprentice nervously accepted the Magic Wand, checked it with an infusion of Magic Power, and immediately bowed respectfully to Richard. ¡°Master, your craftsmanship is truly extraordinary.¡± After speaking, the Apprentice took out an old Magic Book from his Magic Pocket. ¡°This book is an Encrypted Magic Book lost during the Wizard War. Have a look.¡± Richard received the book, and a stream of information flashed through his mind. [Material: Unknown Magic Book] [Extractable Information: Fire Element Amplifying Rune Array] [Extraction Cost: 5 spiritual power] Richard nodded, ¡°Not bad, you¡¯re an honest man.¡± The Wizard Apprentice smiled reservedly, thinking Wizards have odd hobbies, that there are still those who collect such worthless books. Encrypted Magic Books and Encrypted Notes were collected by almost all Wizard Families, but with efforts over many years to decode them, the ones that could be solved had been solved long ago. Those unbreakable Magic Books gathering dust in libraries were easily taken out by the Apprentices from Wizard Families for bartering. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re even. Welcome to come again. If you have friends who want custom-made Magic Equipment, feel free to refer them. I¡¯ll give you a 10% commission,¡± Richard put the Magic Book aside and waved at the Apprentice. ¡°I will spread the word for you,¡± the Apprentice bowed again and then quickly left the Wizard Tower. After he left, Richard chuckled and took the Magic Book in his hands, choosing to refine it. ¡°Fire Element Amplifying Array? Good stuff.¡± Richard had been in the Alchemy business for ten years now. Seven years ago, in conversations with Apprentices, he learned that Wizard Families did not value Encrypted Notes very much, so he started the activity of trading Encrypted Notes for Magic Stones. One Encrypted Note could be exchanged for a thousand Magic Stones. Although most of these Encrypted Notes and Magic Books were junk, as long as Richard found one that was useful, it would cover all his losses. Putting the Magic Book on the shelf in the basement, Richard leisurely made his way to the laboratory on the second floor. Wuni, or rather Ulysses, flew in from the window, a gemstone hanging from his mouth. After he flew in, there was an immediate knock on the door of the Wizard Tower. Richard went downstairs to open the door and met an angry Wizard on the doorstep, ranting furiously at him. ¡°Richard! Your crow has come to steal my Gem Fruits again! My Gem Tree isn¡¯t for its cultivation!¡± Richard gave an apologetic smile and offered some Magic Stones as compensation. After resolving the problem, Richard went up to the second floor and watched Ulysses helplessly. ¡°Ulysses, as a World Master, do you actually enjoy stealing other people¡¯s fruits all day?¡± ¡°Gah gah gah, I just like to see him angry.¡± Over the years, Ulysses had also come to understand the world of the Wizard World through various channels. Five Divine Kings, and over a thousand Divine Beings, with the number still expanding. This terrifying strength made Ulysses admit that what Richard had said years ago was right. If he hadn¡¯t signed the Destiny Contract with Richard, his future would have been even more miserable. ¡°Moreover, I need to recover my strength, right? His Gem Fruits can alleviate the injury to my Divine Soul; I¡¯ll soon be able to use the Annihilation Flame that you desire.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Chapter 9: Annihilation Flame Rune Chapter 109: Chapter 9: Annihilation Flame Rune The Annihilation Flame, one of the abilities of Ulysses, the master of crows. It possessed the ability to devour light, held extremely high temperatures, and could ignite the soul; moreover, this flame was very ¡°gentle¡± and did not possess the expansiveness of regular flames. This type of flame originated from Ulysses¡¯s Bloodline Talent. Although he had lost his original body, as a World Master, simulating his Talent Ability was effortless. The reason Richard wanted to see this flame was simple: he wanted to find runes within it. Runes are the cornerstone of the Wizard World; they are the summation of a wizard¡¯s control over laws. Runes existed in various phenomena, and wizards, by deciphering the appearance of phenomena, would glimpse their essence. To give an imperfect analogy, runes are akin to the various formulas in physics. Richard was very interested in the nature of the Annihilation Flame; according to Ulysses, this flame partially overlapped in nature with the Dark Water Rune. Particularly, the ¡°gentleness¡± of the Annihilation Flame greatly appealed to Richard. If he could extract the runes of the Annihilation Flame and combine them with the Dark Water Rune to form a new Water and Fire Annihilation Spell, undoubtedly, this spell would be more stable and powerful than the original Realm of Annihilation. ¡°When will you be able to use the Annihilation Flame?¡± ¡°Not long now, after eating a few more of his fruits, I should be able to use it by the end of this month.¡± ¡°You still need to eat his fruits?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh with his hand to his forehead. The wizard visited by Ulysses was named Aleksey, a wizard from the Soul School. He had planted a Gem Tree in his yard, the fruits of which had nourishing effects on the soul. ¡°Gah, gah, gah, it¡¯s his fault for shooting a fireball at me,¡± Ulysses complained angrily. Originally, seeing the Gem Tree and driven by the nature of a crow, Ulysses wanted to snatch some gem leaves, but Aleksey hit him with a Fireball Technique, nearly turning him into roast bird. Since then, a feud had formed between the man and the bird. ¡°Fine, steal if you must, but don¡¯t overdo it,¡± Richard instructed reluctantly. For the sake of his research, he had to sacrifice Aleksey¡¯s comfort for now. Suddenly, a month had passed. Richard appeased an enraged Aleksey with a forced smile and turned to the laboratory on the second floor. ¡°It should be ready now, right?¡± Richard looked at Ulysses, who was now emanating a faint, hot aura that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°It¡¯s ready, but I can¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll find what you¡¯re looking for.¡± Ulysses spat out a wisp of black flame, which immediately raised the temperature of the entire laboratory gradually. Richard pulled a crystal ball out of his pocket. This was the crystal ball of Great Wizard Qing Shuang, which stored the Dark Water Rune. Its material was quite extraordinary. Richard had modified it, engraving several magic arrays within the crystal ball to make it capable of withstanding considerable heat. Using magic power as a guide, Richard drew the Annihilation Flame into the crystal ball and then sealed it with chains of runes emanating from his hands. The Sealing Skill was a special spell outside of the Six Major Schools. Its sole purpose was to trap items or even living beings within a certain object, place, or even space. When dealing with creatures of immense life energy, wizards often chose to seal them away permanently. As long as they did not appear, it was as if they were dead. There were many kinds of sealing skills, each requiring a price, and the prices varied. The Sealing Skill Richard used was called the Rune Chain Sealing Technique, from a book of Encrypted Notes. Using this sealing skill merely required the wizard to expend a significant amount of magic power, arguably the mildest price among sealing skills. But the effect was also the weakest; he needed to periodically stabilize the seal with magic power. If it were some immensely powerful sealing technique, he would not need to stabilize it later, but the cost could include memories, lifespan, or even the soul. The Annihilation Flame was successfully sealed within the crystal ball, and the magic arrays Richard had previously prepared began to show their effects. Under the high temperature of the Annihilation Flame, the crystal ball merely became extremely hot without melting. Richard placed it into the water, continuously cooling it down with cold water, quickly bringing the temperature under control. ¡°Gah, gah, your wizards¡¯ sealing techniques are quite interesting,¡± Ulysses remarked in surprise. ¡°A mere legend can control my Annihilation Flame with such methods.¡± ¡°Wizards have many interesting methods,¡± Richard responded indifferently. ¡°A wizard¡¯s methods come from wisdom, not from bloodline or some unsystematic experiences.¡± ¡­ After sealing the Annihilation Flame, Richard began his research and experiments. It was a long and arduous process. Richard had started learning from the Plastic Energy School during his apprenticeship, which provided a solid knowledge base for his current research on the Annihilation Flame. During this research journey, Ali also became a wizard, which greatly assisted Richard. Through various physical tests and analyzing the Rune Arrays, Richard successfully decoded the Annihilation Flame in the twentieth year of his research and summarized the Annihilation Flame Rune. This was undoubtedly great news for Richard. ¡°Have your runes been created?¡± Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, looking at the rune on the experiment table. The rune looked like a cluster of twisted flames, its complex structure dazzling the eyes. The civilization of the Gods also had something similar to runes. The Lun Rune of the Divine King Thousand Faces could do the same things as Wizard Runes. However, Lun Runes are Law Texts, requiring the observer to possess the strength of a Divine, essentially the World Master, to even see them clearly. Yet this little one beneath him was merely a Legend. It was unbelievable that he could also create something similar. Richard infused magic into the rune on the test bench, and the next instant, a wisp of pitch-black flame was born from the rune. ¡°Look, is it your Annihilation Flame?¡± Richard said proudly. Ulysses drew the flame towards him and then swallowed it whole. His eyes widened immediately, mouth slightly agape, as if he had witnessed something unimaginable. ¡°Ga! It really is the Annihilation Flame!¡± Richard nodded in satisfaction, then wiped away the rune. The Annihilation Flame Rune was just the first step in Richard¡¯s plan; he needed to merge the Dark Water Rune with the Annihilation Flame Rune using a Rune Array to ultimately create a spell that was uniquely his. Richard glanced at the laboratory¡¯s wall clock. ¡°Is it already two in the afternoon? Time really flies.¡± After becoming a wizard, eating was no longer a necessity for Richard, so sometimes when he was immersed in research, he would neglect the time and spend days and nights in the laboratory. Upon leaving the laboratory, Richard swept the area with his spiritual power and found his two demi-human servants¡ªthey were sunbathing in the yard. Richard¡¯s life was very simple, and since he was often soaking in the laboratory, these two demi-human servants, aside from cleaning the room, had almost nothing else to do and lived leisurely lives. At the thought from Richard, Kemonomimi Number One received the message. ¡°Master has come out, I should go cook,¡± Number One informed Number Two and immediately went to the kitchen on the first floor of the Wizard Tower and started preparing food. The training from the Slave Trading Company was very thorough; Number One¡¯s culinary skills were very proficient, and in just half an hour, she had filled the entire dining table with dishes. Richard observed her; when he had bought this Kemonomimi, she was only about sixteen years old, with fur looking youthful and glossy. Now, looking again, Number One¡¯s fur had become somewhat dull. Richard touched Number One¡¯s ears, signaling her to go back to sunbathing. ¡°After becoming a wizard, my perception of time has become more and more dull. I can¡¯t believe twenty years feel like not long ago,¡± Richard sighed. Ulysses, perched upon his shoulder, squawked loudly: ¡°Ga! You think this is a long time? Just wait until you become a Divine. Then, two hundred years will pass in the blink of an eye. This is the necessary path for a short-lived species to transform into a longevity species.¡± Richard didn¡¯t say anything else, silently finishing all the dishes on the table. Number One¡¯s skills were quite good; each dish on the table was complete with color, fragrance, and taste. After finishing, Richard considered whether to increase Number One¡¯s purchasing budget to let her buy more expensive ingredients for cooking. With such good cooking skills, it would be a pity not to use quality materials. After eating, Richard walked out of the Wizard Tower. The sunshine outside was bright, the sky sparkling with flowing light. ¡°Richard, you finally decided to come out.¡± A stream of light fell in front of Richard, transforming into an exceptionally beautiful woman shimmering with flames. ¡°Ali, long time no see,¡± Richard greeted lazily. Influenced by Great Wizard Susanna, after becoming a wizard, Ali integrated the blood of a Fire Element creature, causing her body to partially undergo elementalization. Therefore, now every movement she made sparked flames. ¡°Have you completed your rune research?¡± Ali asked curiously. ¡°Mm,¡± Richard nodded. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Richard scratched his head, pondering over his research direction. ¡°I need a bit of help with knowledge. I need some magic books on Water and Fire Element Spells, and the rings don¡¯t need to be high, First Ring or Second Ring will do.¡± According to Richard¡¯s plan, he wanted to use two rare runes to create a new spell; naturally, this required a lot of knowledge about Rune Arrays. Looking more at other spells would help him gain a broader understanding. ¡°That¡¯s easy, but what will you trade for it?¡± Ali approached Richard, a seductive smile on her lips. Ali was well aware of Richard¡¯s collection of Encrypted Notes; even during his apprenticeship, Richard had decoded a Bloodline Alchemy Formula from the Encrypted Notes, and now he was extensively collecting them, easily leading Ali, someone who knew him well, to speculate. Richard pulled out a scroll from his Magic Pocket and threw it to Ali. ¡°How about this? A Fire Element Amplifying Rune Array.¡± Ali looked at it and immediately agreed to the trade. ¡°That¡¯s enough, I¡¯ll bring the items over in a bit.¡± Half an hour later, Richard received dozens of scrolls that recorded Magic Models. ¡°Sigh, knowledge is boundless, learning never ends. Let¡¯s continue researching.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: Chapter 10 Heart of Annihilation Chapter 110: Chapter 10 Heart of Annihilation Spring passed and autumn came, and in the blink of an eye, eight years had elapsed. During these years, Richard had been designing his new version of the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell and even had a name for it, calling it the Heart of Annihilation. But designing a new spell was not so easy. In the laboratory, Richard gazed at the Rune Array on the experiment table and fell into deep thought. ¡°Alas, it failed again.¡± Although he had prepared for failure, as the failures accumulated, his mental defense was gradually eroding. He even began to doubt whether his approach was correct; perhaps the two Runes were not as compatible as he had thought, and designing a new spell was a misguided idea. ¡°Caw, caw! Richard, someone is looking for you.¡± Ulysses¡¯s voice suddenly rang out, and when Richard looked towards the window, he saw a familiar owl next to Ulysses. Entering the laboratory, the owl spoke in human tongue. ¡°Richard, come to Anna¡¯s place.¡± ¡°The voice of my teacher.¡± Richard was startled by the words and suddenly remembered that this year appeared to be the year of the society meeting. After tidying up the laboratory, Richard donned his Wizard Robe and hurried to his sister-teacher Anna¡¯s Wizard Tower. When he arrived, he ran into Chax. ¡°Brother.¡± Richard greeted Chax, who over the decades had grown more rounded and his bald head more lustrous. ¡°Long time no see, junior brother,¡± Chax greeted cheerfully. The two entered the Wizard Tower where Anna and Jolod were already waiting for them in the parlor. As soon as they were seated, Jolod went straight to the point. ¡°This year is the year of the society gathering, Anna, Chax, how are your projects coming along?¡± Anna shook her head, ¡°Teacher, a few years ago I was introduced by a friend and have already joined the Golden Gear Society.¡± ¡°The Golden Gear Society?¡± Jolod frowned, but soon he sighed, ¡°Ah, you have a talent for Alchemy Machines, so joining the Golden Gear is appropriate.¡± The Golden Gear Society was an alchemy wizard society focused on the research of Alchemy Machines, and Anna, talented in this area, fitting in wasn¡¯t unreasonable. But what bothered Jolod was that his area of research was Synthetic Beasts, which naturally conflicted with those who tinkered with machinery, and now his own student had become one of them. Anna awkwardly bowed her head, aware that her teacher had difficulties with some wizards researching Alchemy Machines. Jolod then turned his gaze to Chax. ¡°And you, Chax?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Chax also shook his head, ¡°My combat beast isn¡¯t fully trained yet, I guess I¡¯ll have to wait until the next society meeting to present it.¡± ¡°Well, alright then,¡± Jolod sighed helplessly, ¡°This time I¡¯ll just introduce Richard into the society.¡± ¡­ The headquarters of the Golden Dawn Society was located on the twelfth residential layer, appearing from the outside like an Alchemy Workshop, with thick pipes and towering chimneys, and was styled in the Alchemy Machine manner that Jolod detested. Arriving at the door, Richard familiarly greeted a few wizards. ¡°Carlos, long time no see.¡± ¡°Mitchell, you¡¯ve changed your body again, which Race is it this time?¡± ¡°Zacharia, we must not have seen each other in over a hundred years, it seems you¡¯ve fared well in the Plane War.¡± These wizards also responded familiarly to Jolod. It seemed that Jolod was well-liked in the Golden Dawn Society. Upon entering the building, what met Richard¡¯s eyes was a hall that resembled a fleshy cavern. ¡°Teacher, this¡­¡± Richard frowned, the hall¡¯s walls and floors seemed fleshy, and the pillars looked like the bones of some creature, with blood vessels faintly visible in the decorations. If this were anywhere else, Richard would have already started casting spells. ¡°Merlin¡¯s aesthetic is like this, you¡¯ll get used to it after seeing it more,¡± Jolod said nonchalantly. As more wizards gathered in the hall, some of Jolod¡¯s old friends also came over to him, including the giant Jeral Richard had met years ago. ¡°Jolod, is this the student?¡± a wizard with two heads asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like he follows your path of Synthetic Beasts,¡± another wizard joined in. Jolod sighed helplessly, ¡°The student who follows my path hasn¡¯t finished his project yet, we¡¯ll have to wait until next time.¡± The wizards nodded upon hearing this, then shifted their gazes to a new wizard who had arrived, smiling. ¡°Merlin, have you made your Magic Equipment yet? Jolod¡¯s student has already made one.¡± The questioned wizard, draped in a Wizard Robe, looked no different from an ordinary human, but as the wizards asked, the flesh on his face suddenly twisted. ¡°You few!¡± Merlin snorted coldly, his facial flesh returning to normal. He approached Richard, inspecting him with a scrutinizing gaze. ¡°Boy, show me your Magic Equipment.¡± Richard furrowed his brow, suddenly hearing Jolod¡¯s voice by his ear. ¡°Give it to him, Merlin is the vice-president of the society, and checking the work is his responsibility.¡± Richard took an Annihilation Bomb out of his pocket and handed it to Merlin. After inspecting the Annihilation Bomb, Merlin said with some dissatisfaction, ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated.¡± Upon hearing this, Jolod walked over to Richard and said, ¡°Merlin, are you questioning the judgment of the Great Wizard?¡± Merlin¡¯s face stiffened, and he reluctantly returned the Annihilation Bomb to Richard and handed him a badge, ¡°This is the badge of the society, from now on you are part of the society.¡± After Merlin left, Jolod began to introduce the structure of the society to Richard, ¡°Our society¡¯s structure is quite loose, only consisting of the president, vice-president, and members. Merlin and Tras are the vice-presidents, and the president is the Great Wizard, the Immortal Heart.¡± ¡°The president is a Great Wizard!?¡± Richard exclaimed. ¡°No need to be surprised,¡± Jolod explained, ¡°the president and vice-presidents of the society aren¡¯t the first generation; the Golden Dawn Society was established since the pioneering era, it has a very long history, and it¡¯s quite normal to have a Great Wizard as a president.¡± ¡°The president and vice-presidents are responsible for organizing meetings and overseeing the admission and exit of members. To expel a member, both vice-presidents need to agree, and also need the approval of the president. So you don¡¯t need to worry too much about Merlin.¡± Richard nodded. Although Merlin¡¯s attitude toward him was unfriendly, Richard was not a person who dwelled on such things. As long as it did not involve benefits, he could let the poor attitude pass. As the meeting progressed, the hall quickly filled with wizards. Wizards exchanged pieces of information they had learned over time and traded materials they held. ¡°Third Level active flesh, good stuff,¡± a wizard asked while looking at the materials Richard displayed, ¡°How much of this do you have, and what do you want in exchange?¡± Jolod patted Richard on the shoulder and then left his side. The meeting itself was also an academic salon, and Richard had some questions needing answers, so he had Jolod introduce an Alchemy Wizard who had researched the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve researched the Water and Fire Annihilation Spell, and I would like to consult you on a few questions,¡± Richard said respectfully. The wizard frowned, and a mechanical friction noise emanated from within him, ¡°Questions on this topic aren¡¯t cheap, how much Third Level active flesh do you have?¡± ¡°Forty kilograms.¡± ¡°Hmm, impressive,¡± the wizard exclaimed, ¡°Ask then, that amount is sufficient.¡± Although the market price of Third Level active flesh was ten Magic Stones per gram, this material was difficult to cultivate, and few wizards were willing to sell it. Only the Wizard Commerce would periodically release a batch to the market to ensure a complete range of goods. ¡°Thank you, Master, I have three questions; first off, the integration of rare runes in a Second Ring Rune Array¡­¡± ¡­ After the inquiry, Richard had paid thirty kilograms of active flesh to obtain answers to three questions. ¡°The price of knowledge is truly not cheap,¡± Richard lamented. Thirty kilograms of active flesh, which is equivalent to 300,000 Magic Stones or three hundred Magic Essence on the market. A One Ring Wizard participating in a Plane War could earn a net profit of seven to eight hundred Magic Essence, his three questions were worth almost half the earnings of a Plane War. Fortunately, it was worth it. The answers to these three questions were very exquisite. If Richard had to explore them himself, it would likely take him one to two hundred years to come up with them. Moreover, these three questions directly affected the progress of Richard¡¯s spells, and once solved, his path to spell design became unobstructed. The duration of the meeting was a month long, but most wizards would leave after obtaining what they desired. Richard returned from the meeting and dived straight into the laboratory to begin spell design. Seeing this, Jolod did not disturb him, for as a wizard, he understood the invigorating feeling that comes from solving long-standing problems. Three months later, Richard looked at the Rune Array before him and revealed a satisfied smile. ¡°Heh, did it succeed?¡± Ulysses flew onto Richard¡¯s shoulder, having been closely monitoring Richard¡¯s spell design over the years. As a former World Master, it was very curious about what Richard could create from his own resources. It believed itself to have reached the pinnacle in utilizing its Bloodline Talent; otherwise, among the many Annihilation Crows of the Crow Realm, it wouldn¡¯t have become the leader. ¡°Want to see the effect?¡± Richard smiled at Ulysses and then flew out of the laboratory window, transforming into a streak of light as he made his way to a desert. As a place of residence for wizards, each living level had its own testing ground, and for Richard, this desert was that testing ground. Richard manipulated his spiritual power to form runes and then used these runes to form a dense Rune Array. As the spell was ready, a human head-sized black Fireball appeared in Richard¡¯s hands. ¡°Heh heh heh, let¡¯s see how powerful you are.¡± Richard wickedly shot the Fireball, and it exploded thunderously one kilometer away. Buzz ¡ª A strange buzzing sound went into Richard¡¯s ears. In an instant, Richard saw the originally human head-sized black sphere expand to the size of a person and then quickly disappear. Without any light or booming sound, as calm as the surface of the water on a spring day. Richard arrived at where the spell had erupted, the part devoured by the spell had already vanished, leaving behind a hemispherical depression at the edge where sand had melted into glass. ¡°Ulysses, what do you think of this spell?¡± Richard asked Ulysses. The spell was too calm, he could barely perceive its actual power. ¡°¡­ Heh, for the former me, this would be nothing, but for your current strength ¡­¡± Ulysses hesitated a moment, then slowly said: ¡°It¡¯s truly monstrous.¡± Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: Chapter 11: Return to the Black Stone Mountain Range Chapter 111: Chapter 11: Return to the Black Stone Mountain Range To test the specific power of the Heart of Annihilation, Richard had spent a fortune on a test target and the final results left him quite satisfied. The ultimate power of the Heart of Annihilation was two thousand energy levels, about double that of the original Realm of Annihilation. Although magic power consumption had also increased by almost two-thirds, the stability of the Heart of Annihilation was far higher than that of the Realm of Annihilation, making it usable as a regular spell. Moreover, a spell of two thousand energy levels among One Ring Wizards could be described as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. With this spell at his side, Richard felt confident that even if he were to participate in a Plane War now, he would be able to survive. Having completed the test, Richard returned to the Wizard Tower, satisfied. A Wizard Apprentice had been eagerly waiting outside his door, and as soon as Richard returned, he immediately greeted him. ¡°Master, you¡¯re back.¡± Richard nodded at him, ¡°Which number are you?¡± ¡°Number 45, Master.¡± Entering the Wizard Tower, Richard took out a magic wand from another laboratory on the second floor according to the number, and then returned to the reception room. ¡°Number forty-five.¡± The Wizard Apprentice bowed respectfully and then took out an old notebook from his Magic Pocket, offering it with both hands to Richard. ¡°Master, this is the Encrypted Notes from our family¡¯s library.¡± Richard took it, and a message came from the Miracle Furnace. [Material: Unknown wizard¡¯s notes] [Possible materials to refine: Thirteen extensions of the Magic Defense Magic Array] [Refining cost: 5 spiritual power] ¡°Good, you¡¯re an honest person,¡± said Richard as he leafed through the notes, waving a hand at the Apprentice, ¡°You may go back. If there¡¯s business, you can refer them here, and I¡¯ll give you a ten percent commission on the profits.¡± ¡°No problem, Master.¡± After refining the notes, Richard moved to the basement of the Wizard Tower. This was where Richard stored alchemy materials and kept Encrypted Magic Books. Upon reaching the library, Richard placed the notebook in order on the bookshelf. Over decades, Richard had received Encrypted Notes that nearly filled an entire bookshelf. Although most were useless trash, a small part had brought unexpected gains to Richard. Looking at the packed bookshelf, Richard scratched his head. ¡°There¡¯s a bit too much. Looks like I need to clear out some of the useless trash.¡± In the process of clearing the trash, Richard unexpectedly found a familiar notebook. ¡°This notebook¡­¡± Holding the wrinkled notebook in his hand, memories from over seventy years ago, when he had just arrived at the Academy, surfaced in his mind. Back then, to complete Jolod¡¯s test, he and Ali had ventured into the Black Stone Mountain Range to hunt the Black Striped Water Python, and by accident obtained a notebook from a Death Apprentice. ¡°Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t visited that wizard¡¯s laboratory in the Black Stone Mountain Range yet,¡± Richard said, stroking the notebook with a slight smile on his face. During his Apprentice days, he was too fearful of the various guardians in the laboratory to venture near, but now he had become a Wizard with a powerful spell like Heart of Annihilation. There was no reason not to explore. Without hesitation, and after tidying up the bookshelf, Richard promptly arranged the prepared Magic Equipment according to their sequence and handed it over to two Kemonomimi. ¡°I¡¯m stepping out for a bit. If any Apprentices come by during this time, distribute according to their number.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± (¡Á2) Besides the Magic Equipment, Richard also casually stuffed Ulysses into his Magic Pocket. Since the residential floor of the Tower of Truth was a Secret Realm Space and almost devoid of World Guardians, with day-to-day security managed by ordinary wizards, Richard was confident about Ulysses moving around. But it was different on the native soil of the Wizard World. World Guardians would patrol the Wizard World, and they were extremely sensitive to Otherworldly creatures. If encountered, and if they sensed something off about Ulysses, Richard could be in big trouble. Following the Teleportation Gate out of the Tower of Truth, the sparse magic power of the Wizard World gave Richard a jolt. On the residential floor, Richard could offset the magic power consumption of flying just by his cells automatically absorbing magic power, but this approach would not work after entering the Wizard World. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder so many Wizards choose to live in the Tower of Truth; the magic power in the Wizard World is indeed rather unfriendly to Wizards,¡± Richard remarked. The trip from the Tower of Truth to the Black Stone Mountain Range at a Wizard¡¯s speed would take about a month, thanks largely to the fact that most of the journey bypassed uninhabited regions, making it very safe to fly. Should one encounter uninhabited regions, even wizards would have to take a detour. During the flight, Richard encountered numerous Airships; the passengers on the Airships would crowd to the windows when they saw Richard, hoping for a closer glimpse of a Wizard¡¯s visage. For the vast majority of people in the Wizard World, Wizards were a mysteriously powerful existence. A month later, Richard arrived at the Black Stone Mountain Range, but as he had just reached the skies above the Range and prepared to explore the ruins, a beast¡¯s roar came from deep within the mountains. ¡°Roar!¡± A Giant Beast fluttered its wings and flew out from the depths of the mountains; it had three snake-like necks, and at the end of these necks, three ferocious and majestic dragon heads were staring intently at Richard. The comer was the Guardian God of the Black Stone Mountain Range that Richard had seen years ago. ¡°Which young Wizard dares to trespass into the Black Stone Mountain Range? This is the territory of the Black Tower Wizard Academy!¡± The three-headed Giant Dragon spoke in human tongue, using the authentic Wizard Language, which surprised Richard slightly. In the Dark Age, when Wizards were not yet the masters of the land, Dragons ruled the earth and skies, and all creatures born on land and flying in the sky had to submit to them and offer sacrifices. Dragons built their nests from Gold, and back then, the peaks of every mountain in the Wizard World glimmered with gold. And now, fearsome Dragons too had to speak the Wizard Language and guard Wizard homes. ¡°Master, I am Richard, a Wizard from the Black Tower Wizard Academy.¡± Facing the giant dragon, Richard did not treat it with the disrespect reserved for otherworldly slaves. This dragon had three heads, equivalent to a Three Rings Wizard. Facing such a powerful being, and a powerful being from his own camp no less, respect was essential. ¡°Wizard Richard, didn¡¯t your mentor tell you? If a wizard wishes to enter the Academy¡¯s territory, he must report to the Academy in advance.¡± The dragon¡¯s words made Richard somewhat embarrassed. Jolod had told him about this rule decades ago, but at that time, he had no intention of returning to the Academy, so he had forgotten it. ¡°This was my mistake; I will report to the Academy now.¡± ¡°Hmm. Be careful when exploring the mountains; don¡¯t start a forest fire like you did over seventy years ago.¡± Richard was startled upon hearing this, ¡°You¡­ remember me?¡± The dragon snorted, ¡°I remember the scent of every little troublemaker who has caused a stir in the Black Stone Mountain Range.¡± ¡­ Upon his return to the Academy, Richard immediately went to the hundredth floor of the Central Black Tower and reported to Deputy Dean Alex. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Enter.¡± Alex, wearing glasses, looked up and, somewhat surprised, said, ¡°Richard, why have you come back? Didn¡¯t you advance to a wizard not long ago?¡± He remembered his old friend¡¯s prized apprentice quite well, especially since Richard had caused more than just one troublesome incident. ¡°There are some matters I need to deal with at the Academy, and I specially came here to report to you,¡± Richard said respectfully. ¡°Dealing with matters? Alright, I¡¯ve noted it down.¡± After leaving the hundredth floor, Richard took the opportunity to visit his old mentor, Jolod. After taking on three promising apprentices in a row, Jolod¡¯s good fortune in finding students seemed to have run out, not having found a single suitable apprentice in decades. After exchanging a few words of pleasantries with Jolod, Richard left the Central Black Tower and headed to the commercial district. Anna¡¯s cottage, now renamed Richard¡¯s Magic Potion Store, specialized in Concentration Potions. The shopkeeper was none other than Richard¡¯s agent, Kevin. Kevin, who had survived the Apprentice Wars, became a senior Wizard Apprentice and did not choose to take the Wizard examination but opted to graduate directly. While working part-time for the Academy, he managed Richard¡¯s store. Now Kevin was over eighty years old, his body marked with wrinkles and white hair. For a Wizard Apprentice, his life was roughly at its midway point. ¡°Kevin, long time no see.¡± Entering the store, Richard greeted Kevin warmly. Kevin jerked in surprise upon seeing the visitor, then promptly performed the Wizard¡¯s Salute to Richard. ¡°Master Richard.¡± Richard waved his hand, indicating that such formalities were unnecessary. He pointed at a boy beside Kevin: ¡°Your son? Or your grandson?¡± Kevin patted the child¡¯s head, ¡°This is my grandson. Tuo Fu, quickly give Master Richard a salute.¡± The boy shyly gave Richard the Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Not a bad little fellow.¡± Richard smiled and handed him a ring. ¡°Just a trinket for practice, when fitted with a Magic Stone it can defend against a Magic Missile.¡± Tuo Fu took the ring and bowed to Richard, ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± After some small talk, it was time for business. ¡°Since becoming a wizard, my perception of time has become increasingly dull,¡± Richard said as he pulled out a contract from his pocket and handed it to Kevin, ¡°Perhaps by the time I come again, you may no longer be here. This is a contract; when you feel you can¡¯t go on any longer, find a successor to take over your position.¡± Kevin took the contract, glanced at it, then tucked it into his pocket, and said respectfully, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡­ Leaving the Academy, Richard headed straight for the Black Stone Mountain Range. Having filed the report, the three-headed dragon did not impede his way this time. However, Richard had apparently overestimated his own scouting abilities. After a century of change, the landslides of the past were now covered by lush vegetation. Richard searched the Black Stone Mountain Range for a long time without locating the so-called ruins. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that even after becoming a wizard, I¡¯d need to find a guide,¡± Richard said somewhat moodily. Arriving in Black Stone City, the small city had not changed much despite the passage of decades. Richard found an old guide and spent a Magic Stone to have him lead him to the ruins from those years ago. ¡°My lord, not to brag, but our John family is the most knowledgeable about the Black Stone Mountain Range here in Black Stone City,¡± claimed an elderly man with graying hair as he led the way. ¡°Starting with my grandfather¡¯s generation, our family has been guiding people. There¡¯s not a place in the Black Stone Mountain Range that I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Mmm, I¡¯ve met your grandfather,¡± Richard casually replied. ¡°Mmm¡­ huh?¡± The old man suddenly turned around, his expression a mix of surprise and fear, ¡°You¡¯ve met my grandfather?¡± Richard remained calm, ¡°About seventy years ago. Old John once led me into the mountains. He was quite skilled and even helped me track down a scoundrel.¡± The old man was taken aback. This apparently young wizard in front of him did not seem to be lying, but if he had met his grandfather seventy years ago, then he must be at least in his eighties. Gulp. The old man swallowed hard, ¡°You are a wizard? A real wizard?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Richard nodded, then turned his gaze toward a partially sparse slope in the distance. ¡°You can go back now; we¡¯ve arrived at the place.¡± Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Chapter 12 Wizards Laboratory Chapter 112: Chapter 12 Wizard¡¯s Laboratory Due to geological changes, the exterior of the Wizard¡¯s laboratory was concealed by vegetation and dirt, but Richard could still sense the faint magic fluctuations inside. Richard approached the hillside, and as soon as he landed, he felt a swift magic fluctuation. Hiss hiss hiss¡­ A faint rubbing sound came from the ground, and a thin vine that appeared metallic emerged from the earth and quickly wrapped around Richard¡¯s legs. Richard glanced at the surrounding vegetation and faintly saw animal bones underneath the sparse plants. ¡°This is quite interesting,¡± he said. Richard grabbed the vine, which was covered in metallic spikes that would puncture the skin of an ordinary person. But he was no ordinary person. As a Wizard, these vines were hardly different from common roadside weeds to him. Richard exerted a little force, and the metallic vine snapped. ¡°It¡¯s deeply rooted,¡± said Richard, as he broke off each vine that was tightening around his legs and then used a spell to dig through the soil. Sensing the danger, the metallic vines began retracting, but Richard quickly grabbed them. It was too late for them to escape then. Go to ????????????????????.co With his spell excavation, Richard soon found several tangled and strange rootstocks. All the vines had grown from these rootstocks. Richard dug them out; they were glossy with a metallic texture but felt like squirming animals in his hand. He placed them in a crystal box and sealed it with a Rune Chain Sealing Technique. This would be great material for research. Using a spell, Richard blasted open the soil outside the laboratory, revealing a dark entrance. Before Richard could enter, a red eye lit up within. ¡°Intruder detected, implementing expulsion strategy.¡± A figure resembling a Stone Giant, an Alchemy Puppet, emerged from the cave, its body covered in moss, with dirt and moss constantly falling as it moved. ¡°An Alchemy Golem, excellent,¡± remarked Richard, his eyes gleaming at the sight. The Demon Statue Army was famous during the Wizard Wars for the Alchemy School. Although the golems had been technologically iterated upon to be more compact and flexible, made from Alchemy Alloy instead of Enchanted Stone, it didn¡¯t mean the old golems were useless. With proper modifications, an Alchemy Golem could be equipped with various Alchemy Weapons, turning it into a cannon on the battlefield. Upon encountering Richard, the golem didn¡¯t attack immediately but mechanically repeated, ¡°Leave quickly.¡± Richard ignored the golem¡¯s cries and instantly transformed into a hulking armored giant over two meters tall. Such a perfect specimen, Richard couldn¡¯t bring himself to use the high-caliber Spell of Annihilation. After years of neglect, the golem¡¯s energy was almost completely depleted; if Richard could completely drain the golem¡¯s magic, he would gain a complete golem. Sensing Richard¡¯s transformation, the glow brightened in the golem¡¯s eyes, and the repeated phrase ¡°Leave quickly¡± ceased. ¡°Intruder detected, executing annihilate strategy!¡± Buzz! A magic power beam shot towards Richard, followed by the golem charging at him. A Magic Barrier flickered around Richard, completely blocking the beam, and then he collided with the golem. The golem was formidable, its strength like that of a wild rhino. At the moment of impact, Richard¡¯s body involuntarily moved backward. At the same time, the golem¡¯s fists sparkled with runes, the fiery runes turning its fists into molten iron. Bang bang bang! In an instant, Richard and the golem exchanged three punches, and the smell of scorched flesh and blood quickly permeated the air. But rather than fear, a slight smile appeared on Richard¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s about enough.¡± Right after he spoke, the previously vigorous golem suddenly halted, its crystalline eyes losing their glow. After years of dissipation, there wasn¡¯t much magic power left in the golem; maybe enough to chase off a few Wizard Apprentices, but not enough for a Wizard like Richard. As his fists¡¯ injuries healed, Richard approached the golem and drew an Array on the ground. Magic poured in, and a Space Rift appeared above the Array. Richard moved the golem into the Secret Realm, where several Holy Tree Elves immediately swarmed around it. Having bred for decades, the number of Holy Tree Elves had grown to thirty-two, the initially small Fuzzy Ball now their leader. The current Secret Realm had turned into a flower sea, beautifully colored flowers filling the entire realm, while Richard¡¯s herb field, due to being too small, occupied only a tiny patch. ¡°Boss, boss, what is this?¡± Richard ignored the small creatures, warned them not to touch the golem, and then left the Secret Realm. Back in the Wizard World, Richard released Ulysses from his Magic Pocket. Upon emerging, Ulysses immediately started shouting at Richard: ¡°Ga-ga! I warn you, kid, stop stuffing the great Lord of the Crows into that little bag! Although I am now your servant, even servants have dignity!¡± Richard paid no attention to him, casually pointing to the entrance ahead. ¡°Go in and scout.¡± ¡°Ga! Are you even listening to me?¡± Richard waved his hand impatiently, ¡°Just go already.¡± ¡°Ga!¡± Ulysses flew around in the air twice, then dove into the laboratory entrance. After about ten minutes, Ulysses flew out of the entrance. ¡°Ga, no problem, there¡¯s no magic left in this stuff.¡± Getting Ulysses¡¯s response, Richard floated up and carefully entered the passage. The passage was dark, covered with wet, slippery moss. Although there were traces of enchantments throughout the passage, under the power of time, these enchantments had long since failed. Spring water constantly seeped out through the crevices in the walls. The passage led straight into the belly of the mountain, and after flying for a few minutes, Richard arrived at a fairly spacious room. Richard snapped his fingers, and a ball of white light appeared in response, illuminating the entire room. It was a reception room, and in the corner lay a skeleton draped in a Wizard Robe. Richard went up to examine it and confirmed that the body was an Apprentice, likely the same Apprentice who, seeing the laboratory years ago in a hurry, believed the Wizard had died upon seeing these bones. Following the door of the reception room, and through another corridor, Richard came into an even larger room. This was a laboratory. Under the illumination of the Light Ball, Richard saw another skeleton wearing a Wizard Robe. But this time, it wasn¡¯t an Apprentice¡¯s. Richard approached the body. The skeleton was black-gray with a hint of metallic texture. The moment Richard touched it, the Miracle Furnace transmitted a message. [Raw Material: Unknown Wizard¡¯s body] [Possible Extract: Mystical Steel] [Extraction Cost: 20000 Magic Power] ¡°Mystical Steel!¡± Richard¡¯s heart trembled. Ao Steel was a top-tier material in alchemy materials, equal in rank to Secret Silver Essence Gold. Its properties of hardness and magic conduction were extremely balanced, making it one of the best materials for crafting top-tier Alchemy Puppet components. Without hesitation, Richard immediately chose to extract. This extraction was different; as his body drained Magic Power, it also continuously absorbed Magic Power. He took out a few Magic Stones from his Magic Pocket and had his flesh swallow them. Under the guidance of his spiritual power, the Magic Power from the Magic Stones replenished his body quickly and then fueled the Miracle Furnace. After half a minute, the extraction of Magic Power was complete, and the Miracle Furnace began the extraction process. The skeleton in front of Richard instantly vanished. Ulysses, perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder, seeing this scene, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Ga! You¡¯re really lucky, managing to use a treasure that only a Divine King could possess.¡± Richard responded indifferently, ¡°I remember giving you an order not to reveal a single piece of information about it to the outside.¡± ¡°Ga, but it¡¯s just you and me here.¡± The extraction finished, and a piece of Ao Steel weighing about one kilogram appeared in Richard¡¯s hand. The Ao Steel wasn¡¯t big, just about half the size of a palm, and its black-gray exterior, under the light, shimmered with star-like reflections. Though it was small in weight, on the market, this one kilogram of Ao Steel could be exchanged for four hundred thousand Magic Stones, and it was priceless. Many wizards researching Alchemy Machines lacked only a small piece of Ao Steel to complete their creations. After refining the Ao Steel, Richard searched around the laboratory, looking at various experimental equipment and biological specimens. Most of these devices had become useless over the years due to the lack of magic power, but some of them still held some value. [Raw Material: Unknown Wizard¡¯s Surgical Knife] [Refining Technique: Unknown Wizard¡¯s Dissection Technique] [Extraction Cost: 10 Spiritual Power] Seeing the Enchanted Surgical Knife in front of him, Richard unapologetically pocketed it. In addition to the Surgical Knife, Richard also found a coded notebook detailing metalized biological transformation technologies. Jolod also mastered this technology, but after refining it, Richard discovered that this unknown wizard¡¯s technique differed significantly from Jolod¡¯s, which was certainly valuable knowledge he could exchange with Alchemy Wizards studying Synthetic Beasts in the future. After searching the laboratory, Richard continued to explore along the passage. A Wizard¡¯s laboratory would definitely have a storage room and a study. Following the corridor for a while, Richard quickly found the study. Unfortunately, after who knows how many years, all the protective measures in the study had failed, and the books stored there had turned to dust. Richard searched around, getting nothing but a face full of dust. ¡°The study looks like this; the storeroom probably won¡¯t be any better.¡± Richard slapped the dust off himself and quickly headed to the storeroom. As Richard expected, the storeroom¡¯s specimens and materials were also destroyed due to the failure of protective measures, ruined or broken, and even the storeroom had partially collapsed due to geological shifts. Richard was about to turn back and leave when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Is this¡­ a chip?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Chapter 13 Pioneer Civilization Chapter 113: Chapter 13 Pioneer Civilization In a corner of the warehouse, a crystal card lay quietly on a shelf. The card¡¯s exterior bore many scratches and signs of wear, and a considerable part of it was missing. Yet, Richard could ascertain that this was definitely not a product made by a wizard. Richard picked it up, and in an instant, information transmitted from the Miracle Furnace. [Material: Unknown Crystal Chip] [Extractable Information: Basic Life Creation Technology (Severely Incomplete)] [Extraction Cost: Forty spiritual power] As Richard read the information sent from the Miracle Furnace, his pupils shrank suddenly. ¡°Basic life¡­ creation?¡± Creating life was not about crafting Synthetic Beasts; life must have stable heredity, self-growth, and stable reproduction. Synthetic Beasts could neither grow on their own nor reproduce, not to mention establish heredity based on reproduction. Within the Alchemy School, creating life was a lofty goal out of reach, and countless wizards had struggled their entire lives without coming a step closer to it. ¡°Ulysses, have you seen something like this before?¡± Richard asked quietly. His voice trembled slightly; the information from the chip was somewhat too frightening. If a civilization possessed the technology of life creation, then were wizards their creations? Was the Wizard World their cultivation garden, and was the conquest of the world by the Wizard World just like a staged play? Go to ????????????????????.co Ulysses glanced at the crystal chip, ¡°Ga, what is this? Never seen it before.¡± Richard took a deep breath, striving to calm himself down. ¡°Ulysses, do you think there¡¯s a possibility that we were created by someone, rather than having evolved from natural life?¡± Ulysses was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Ga, what kind of muddled questions are these? Isn¡¯t creating life a normal thing?¡± ¡°What?¡± Richard froze for a moment, then he asked urgently, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s about creating life? As in creating life that can reproduce stablely, inherit stablely, and grow stablely from nothing?¡± ¡°Ga, indeed I never mentioned it to you. A considerable part of the races within the Gods Civilization were created by the now vanished Titan Civilization.¡± Ulysses¡¯s response left Richard somewhat stunned; suddenly, he realized that even in his past life, humans were not Earth¡¯s first wave of life. ¡°Tell me more about this.¡± ¡°Ga, the upper echelons of your Wizard Civilization should be aware of these matters,¡± Ulysses flew in front of Richard, ¡°Taking the Titan Civilization I know as an example, the Titan Civilization, according to the term used by the Gods Civilization, is referred to as the Pioneer Civilization. That is, a civilization that once existed, but now has become extinct, disappeared, or degenerated. Such civilizations are widespread among world communities, and every civilization the Gods Civilization has come into contact with bears traces of Pioneer Civilizations.¡± Ulysses¡¯s words were undoubtedly a thunderbolt to Richard, causing some of his longstanding beliefs to be shattered. His experience from his past life led him to believe that the emergence of a civilization requires hundreds of millions of years from primitive life forms. Yet in this world, perhaps civilizations were not so difficult to come by. ¡°Ga, do you have any more questions?¡± Richard steadied his mind and shook his head, then pocketed the crystal chip. ¡°Nothing else.¡± Since Pioneer Civilizations were common, Richard felt a weight lift off his chest. ¡­ Upon leaving the Black Stone Mountain Range, Richard returned to the Academy and selectively reported the wizard remnants found in the Black Stone Mountain Range. After reporting, the Academy did not demand Richard to hand over any of his gains. Richard was one of their own, after all; the water hadn¡¯t flowed to a stranger¡¯s field. Later, Richard cut in half the Ao Steel piece handed to him and gave it to Jolod, instructing him to contact the members inside the association to see if anyone was interested. Although valuable, Richard, who did not specialize in Alchemy Machines, found limited use for Ao Steel, and keeping half for future upgrades to his Alchemy Golem was likely sufficient. Apart from that, there was another reason Richard was selling the Ao Steel¡ªhe was in dire need of Magic Stones. The Adaptation Body was a gold-devouring beast, and now that Richard had obtained an Alchemy Golem, should he wish to retrofit it, he¡¯d have to spend a fair amount of Magic Stones to acquire the basic knowledge of Alchemy Machinery, then another sum to perform the retrofitting. His current Magic Equipment, while adequate during his Apprentice years, was inadequate for a wizard. Upgrading the Magic Equipment would also be costly. Additionally, Richard had yet to complete his Bloodline Alchemy, with buying Bloodlines representing another expense. All of it was money. Following this, Richard immediately returned to the Tower of Truth. Back in the Wizard Tower, he plunged into the laboratory and began to extract the information from the chip. In an instant, the familiar sensation of a heavy hammer smashing into his head assaulted him again. This feeling was the first since Richard had become a wizard and his spiritual power had undergone a qualitative change. After completing the extraction, Richard absorbed the white light. In an instant, millions of characters surged into Richard¡¯s mind, nearly causing his brain to crash. Fortunately, with decades of meditation, his spiritual power had reached fifty-five points, allowing him enough remaining energy to pull through. After receiving the millions of characters of information in his mind, Richard immediately began to sort it out. The information extracted from the chip was incomplete, with many parts lacking context and necessary annotations, rendering them useless. Yet even so, the information that Richard managed to understand, though with difficulty, acted like a key, unlocking the door to a New World for him. He recorded this information in Chinese to prevent it from being stolen. Organizing the information took Richard nearly half a month, during which he hardly slept or rested. After he had finished, Richard slumped down in his chair, his face filled with happiness. Of the information preserved by Pioneer Civilization, only three hundred thousand characters were useful, but even that small amount significantly advanced his understanding of bloodlines and cells. Since this knowledge was rather fundamental, it laid a solid foundation for Richard, greatly benefiting his future research in these areas. Richard massaged his temples, ¡°Pioneer Civilization¡­ I¡¯ll have to keep an eye out for news about this. A single incomplete chip brought such benefits; I can¡¯t imagine how great it would be if the chip were intact.¡± Three months later, Jolod arrived at the Tower of Truth. ¡°You¡¯re lucky, a member of the club has been searching for Ao Steel for over three hundred years, and this piece of Ao Steel just happened to solve his problem.¡± Speaking, Jolod handed over a bag of Magic Essence to Richard. With a sweep of his spiritual power, Richard found that the bag contained a total of two hundred and twenty pieces of Magic Essence, twenty more than the market price, which was equivalent to twenty thousand Magic Stones. ¡°Thank you for your trouble, teacher.¡± With that, Richard took out twenty pieces of Magic Essence from the bag and handed them to Jolod. Jolod frowned, ¡°What is this for?¡± Richard calmly responded, ¡°Teacher, you have worked hard for the Wizard Commerce over the years, and I, who can offer no help, can only assist with Magic Stones.¡± Jolod¡¯s expression eased slightly, ¡°The Wizard Commerce¡¯s affairs are progressing slowly; I am currently looking for suitable Magic Potion formulas.¡± ¡°You have had a hard time.¡± After seeing off Jolod, Richard immediately went to the commercial level of the Tower of Truth. Having gained knowledge from Pioneer Civilization, Richard decided to fully complete his own Bloodline Alchemy Formula. During his Apprentice stage, Richard had only performed Bloodline Alchemy twice. The reason the third Bloodline Alchemy was not completed was mainly that it required an exceedingly rare bloodline that even the Wizard Commerce at Black Tower Wizard Academy did not sell. However, the commercial level of the Tower of Truth essentially gathered all Wizard Commerce¡¯s shops, making it easy to find such a bloodline. After searching around, Richard finally found the remaining two types of bloodlines needed for his formula at a famous seven-star Wizard Commerce, and also stumbled upon a type of honey rich in Life Energy. ¡°Seventy Magic Essence, thank you for your patronage.¡± The clerk handed over quartz tubes containing two types of bloodlines to Richard and also gave him a ten-pound jar of honey. The honey was mainly for feeding Holy Tree Elves. Before this, Richard tried many types of honey, but none were effective, offering very limited growth for the Holy Tree Elves. According to Fuzzy Ball, Holy Tree Elves should have their own cultivation method, but it was monopolized by the Nobles. Therefore, Richard could now only rely on feeding them honey in the hope that they would grow from the accumulated energy. On the way back to the Wizard Tower, Richard passed through the eleventh floor of the residential level. In an open area, a group of wizards was building a massive structure that resembled an ancient Roman Beast Fighting Arena. The wizards constructing the Duel Arena appeared extremely robust, their Life Energy so dense it was nearly tangible. Curious, Richard stepped forward to ask, and a bald wizard in a white robe responded enthusiastically. ¡°Friend, we are building a Duel Arena.¡± ¡°A Duel Arena? Are Otherworldly slaves going to duel and perform?¡± The white-robed wizard shook his head, ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about Otherworldly slaves dueling? We¡¯re going to have duels between wizards!¡± ¡°Wizards dueling?¡± Richard was stunned, wondering which wizards would engage in such foolish acts. ¡°Yes, friend, I see you are also one who pursues physical strength. Don¡¯t you ever feel an itching in your hands? That¡¯s your body craving battle,¡± the white-robed wizard patted Richard, and a huge burst of Power came at Richard¡¯s shoulder. Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he instantly activated his Bloodline, causing the muscles in his shoulder and arm to swell, resisting the force. ¡°Hmm? Impressive Flesh Control.¡± The white-robed wizard was surprised. As a wizard who specialized in physique, Richard¡¯s ability to change impressed him greatly. ¡°Friend, would you like to join our Jialong Club? The club is filled with wizards who specialize in physique and have deep research in flesh and blood,¡± he offered excitedly. Richard was a bit confused, ¡°Jialong Club? Is it a society? I¡¯m already a member of one.¡± ¡°No, no, no, a club is a club, a society is a society,¡± the white-robed wizard explained, ¡°A club is just a place for a group of wizards with common interests to gather. It¡¯s not secret.¡± With that, he pulled out a metal card from his Magic Pocket and handed it to Richard. ¡°This is our club¡¯s card; if you¡¯re interested, you¡¯re welcome to join us.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: Chapter 14 Jialong Club Chapter 114: Chapter 14 Jialong Club Richard took the business card, thanked the giver, and then turned to leave. Owing to the knowledge of Pioneer civilization, he indeed intended to explore further into physique-related research, and since the Jialong Club wasn¡¯t an association, he indeed could join. Returning to the Wizard Tower, Richard immediately started preparing for Bloodline Alchemy. Purifying the bloodline, drawing the Alchemy Array, and preparing Nutritional Potions. After the preparations, Richard took out the bloodline for his third Bloodline Alchemy. This time, the bloodline was called Soul Darkness Horse, extinct in the Wizard World but still surviving in small amounts on other planes as hybrids. The Soul Darkness Horse had an ability called Shadow Shuttling, which allowed it to shuttle within shadows over a certain range, essentially a limited short-distance spatial leap. Placing the purified bloodline on the Alchemy Array at his chest, Richard prepared to fuse the bloodline. But this time, he hardly felt anything during the fusion. Richard only felt a slight warmth at his chest, followed by a warm flow circulating through his body with his Magic depleting significantly, but overall, he had no significant reaction. ¡°Is it because my physique is too high? Or because the Adaptation Body has developed my Life Core?¡± After the fusion, Richard activated the bloodline. With a thought, in the next instant, his figure appeared in a shadow-covered corner of the laboratory. Go to ????????????????????.co ¡°Not a bad ability,¡± Richard commented, satisfied. This ability didn¡¯t consume much Magic, about the same as a Heart of Annihilation, but its effect was quite astounding. Though Shadow Shuttling had its limitations, it caused minimal Magic Fluctuation, making it very useful either on the battlefield or in executing certain covert missions. After completing his third alchemy, Richard didn¡¯t delay and immediately started preparing for the last Bloodline Alchemy. The last alchemy¡¯s bloodline was that of a Magic Dwarf. This creature had no special abilities but possessed great strength and high resistance. Magic Dwarves were highly resistant to various forms of Elemental Damage, physical damage, even toxins, and their resistances significantly leaped after reaching adulthood. Had it not been for the sudden rise of wizards, Magic Dwarves might have become the dominant race after Giant Dragons. Unfortunately, the emergence of wizards relegated Magic Dwarves to a slave race of wizards. This time, too, the bloodline fusion elicited no violent reactions. The fourth Bloodline Alchemy was of wizard-level, and logically, some reaction should have occurred, but there was none, so Richard concluded that the weakened fusion reactions were likely related to the Adaptation Body developing the Life Core. The development of the Life Core made his cells more receptive to foreign bloodlines. Feeling the surging power within his body, Richard suddenly felt an urge to fight. ¡°Is this what they call a combat urge? No wonder the Jialong Club built a Duel Arena.¡± Richard took a deep breath, suppressing the combative urge within. As a wizard, he had to restrain his primal instincts and lead his actions with reason. This constituted a stark difference between wizards and native races. With the completion of the four Bloodline Alchemies, the Bloodline Alchemy Formula of the Black Knight he received from Encrypted Notes was now thoroughly completed. But Richard¡¯s journey with bloodlines didn¡¯t intend to stop there. The knowledge from the Pioneer civilization gave Richard a deeper understanding of bloodlines, and he planned to use this as a foundation to upgrade the Black Knight Bloodline Formula. Physique Evolution had its advantages over Spiritual Evolution. For some powerful creatures, mere gradual growth could reliably elevate them to third-level creatures¡ªlike the Giant Dragons Richard had seen. However, for wizards whose innate bloodlines were not as strong, the benefits of Physique Evolution were freedom from experiencing Soul Darkness during promotion. If undergoing Spiritual Evolution, a wizard would face Soul Darkness with each advancement. However, the downside of Physique Evolution was also clear: its rate of improvement and the difficulty of breaking through bottlenecks were several times higher than those of Spiritual Evolution. Among the wizarding community, Spiritual Evolution was the mainstream method of advancement, and personally, Richard also favored Spiritual Evolution. But if one could evolve physically in advance, no wizard would choose to experience Soul Darkness. ¡­ Bang! Bang! Bang¡­ In the Duel Arena, two wizards, barely resembling human forms, were brawling. Meanwhile, in the stands of the arena, variously shaped wizards excitedly cheered them on. ¡°That¡¯s the way! El, use your Oscillation Fist Skill!¡± ¡°Bazak, where¡¯s your Gale Spike? Use it!¡± ¡°Dodge left, dodge left! Ah!¡± Walking among these wizards, Richard looked somewhat bewildered. Are these people really wizards? They don¡¯t seem much different from regular people. By this time, twenty years had passed since Richard completed his Bloodline Alchemy. During these years, Richard continued researching Alchemy Machines and the knowledge left by the Pioneers. The knowledge left by the Pioneers greatly inspired Richard, and combining this with the Adaptation Body, he developed a witchcraft called Combat Liberation. This witchcraft was still quite crude, its effect being to forcibly promote physical evolution through the high pressure of combat and the stimulation of Magic, thereby accelerating the growth of the physique. Therefore, Richard went to the Duel Arena, wanting to join the Jialong Club. Passing through the stands, Richard found the white-robed wizard who had given him the business card. ¡°Jimmy, are these wizards all members of the club?¡± Jimmy took the business card Richard handed over and patted a seat next to him. ¡°Sit down, friend! Any questions can wait till this fight is over!¡± In the Duel Arena, a wizard covered in Scale Armor with arms similar to mantis scythes made of Magic Equipment roared and his Flesh suddenly swelled, transforming into a three-meter-tall Scale Armor giant. Across from him, a lion-headed wizard with golden hair and four arms also refused to show weakness. Dense blood mist erupted from his body, and his figure also ballooned dramatically. The atmosphere in the Duel Arena reached a climax at that moment, with subhuman slaves walking among the audience with silver trays, as wizards threw Magic Stones into them, loudly supporting their favorite gladiators. Richard frowned. ¡°Is this gambling?¡± ¡°Go! Go¡­ What did you say?¡± Jimmy turned to look at Richard. ¡°I asked if you are gambling? Betting on which of the two will win.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± During the conversation, two massive figures collided in the Duel Arena. Magic Power surged within the Scale Armor Giant, and just the Magic Fluctuation created an Elemental Breeze in the arena. The Golden-haired Giant was even more astonishing; his four arms glittered with Runes, and thick purple Thunder coiled around them, making him look like a Thunder God incarnate. Boom! The Scale Armor Giant was sent flying backward, his abdomen bore two charred fist holes. Meanwhile, the Golden-haired Giant now had only his arms! The two arms he had used to punch the Scale Armor Giant had been pulverized into a mist of blood! Jimmy flew from the spectator seats to the Duel Arena and announced the result to the audience. ¡°I declare! In this duel, Bazak wins!¡± ¡°Oh! Bazak! Bazak! Bazak¡­¡± The Wizards in the stands cheered, some passionately even released a few Spells to celebrate. Richard sat among them, feeling somewhat out of place. Half an hour later, the Duel Arena returned to calm. Jimmy came to sit beside Richard in the stands. ¡°How did you find this duel?¡± ¡°Speaking strictly from a combat perspective¡­¡± Richard¡¯s mind recalled the scene of the two Gladiators fighting, ¡°Very good, their manipulation of Magic Power and Flesh was skillful, far beyond my own. But there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t quite understand.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Why make the combat public?¡± Richard frowned, ¡°Wizards seem to have become performers, playing to an audience.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Jimmy countered, ¡°Everyone who comes to watch is a Wizard, who is nobler than whom? Some prefer the secret pursuit of truth while others enjoy basking in the glory before a crowd. It¡¯s purely a matter of personal character. Moreover, Gladiators need healing, and the Duel Arena needs maintenance; these all require Magic Stones. Surely not all of these should be paid for by the club members?¡± Richard was speechless, and after a silent moment, he asked, ¡°Do all members have to enter the arena?¡± Jimmy shook his head with a smile, ¡°Of course not, as I just said, some prefer the secretive exploration of truth.¡± Changing the subject, he continued. ¡°So, are you thinking of joining the club?¡± ¡°I am considering it.¡± ¡°Then have a match.¡± Jimmy¡¯s eyes sparkled. Richard was caught off guard, wondering how it had suddenly come to having a match. Jimmy flew into the arena, ¡°Have a match so I can gauge your level. It will help me know who among the club members you can spar with and I can also introduce you to opponents of similar strength.¡± As he spoke, an astonishing Magic Wave burst forth from Jimmy, who Richard correctly perceived as a Three Rings Wizard. ¡°Come on, the Duel Arena is empty now, just the two of us,¡± Jimmy invited with a hearty laugh. Seeing this, Richard hesitated no more, leaping into the Duel Arena. Jimmy took off his white robe, revealing a body full of lustrous, well-toned muscles, matched with Jimmy¡¯s sunny smile which inexplicably brought the term ¡®Philosophy¡¯ to Richard¡¯s mind. Jimmy opened his arms wide, his skin lit up with Magic Patterns: ¡°Use all your abilities, but limit it to physical melee; don¡¯t suddenly throw a Spell, okay?¡± Richard took a deep breath, a layer of black Scale Armor sprouting from his skin and immediately covering his entire body. After undergoing Bloodline Alchemy four times, this layer of black Scale Armor could now withstand attacks up to seventy Energy Levels, and its color had deepened. Additionally, Richard¡¯s Bloodline Transformation no longer caused his body to swell but instead increased the density of his muscles. Richard somewhat maliciously speculated that this might be due to the Magic Dwarf Bloodline. However, regardless of the reason, the increase in muscle density undeniably enhanced Richard¡¯s strength and agility. Seeing Richard¡¯s transformation, the Magic Patterns on Jimmy¡¯s body brightened. As a Three Rings Wizard, he could estimate Richard¡¯s strength just by his rich combat experience. Bang! Richard swiftly moved, a black fist appeared before Jimmy. Jimmy didn¡¯t dodge or parry, taking the punch directly with his head. ¡°Good strength.¡± Jimmy straightened his jaw, Richard¡¯s punch was heavier than he had anticipated. Seeing how easily Jimmy took the punch, Richard let loose, his right arm muscles bulged, and he threw another punch. Boom! This punch was even faster than the speed of sound. The resulting shockwave kicked up a cloud of dust in the Duel Arena. Bang bang bang! Jimmy stepped back three steps, the magically reinforced ground of the arena bore three deep footprints. As the dust cleared, a dark fist print appeared on Jimmy¡¯s chest. ¡°Excellent technique, that punch was at least five hundred Energy Levels, managing this much just with physical strength, your control over Flesh is unbelievable,¡± Jimmy admired. Richard stood still, feeling every cell in his body cheering, his physical condition was better than ever. This was a perfect opportunity for Evolution! Richard took a deep breath and gestured to Jimmy. ¡°Master, could you demonstrate your strength?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: Chapter 15 The Impending War Chapter 115: Chapter 15 The Impending War ¡°Oh?¡± A playful smile appeared on the corner of Jimmy¡¯s mouth, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Richard nodded vigorously: ¡°Master, let me witness the power of Physique Evolution.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Jimmy¡¯s expression turned serious, and the Magic Pattern on his body suddenly disappeared, his aura vanishing in an instant. Even when Richard probed with spiritual power, all he felt was emptiness. Jimmy¡¯s hands came together in prayer, his tone as calm as a deep pond in the mountains. ¡°In the past, I followed Garon Great Wizard in campaigns across Otherworlds, and by chance, I acquired this secret called ¡®Unity of Heaven and Man.¡¯ Since you wish to see the strength of the way of the physique, I shall show you.¡± With those words, Jimmy¡¯s body suddenly grew taller, and the Magic Power of the entire Duel Arena crazily flowed into his body. In an instant, Jimmy¡¯s figure seemed immensely majestic, like a Demon God standing tall between heaven and earth. Richard swallowed hard, as every cell in his body quivered wildly under the terrible intimidation. This was indeed the precursor to Evolution! Without hesitation, Richard pulled out a bottle of Adaptation Potion from his Magic Pocket and chewed it, bottle and all, swallowing it down. Go to ????????????????????.co At the same time, the Magic Power inside him began to stimulate his cells at a specific frequency. Combat Liberation, activated! Under the dual stimulation, Richard¡¯s cells began to break down and disintegrate, but they were immediately replaced by new ones. These new cells were stronger and more vigorous than the old ones. Jimmy noticed Richard¡¯s condition and couldn¡¯t help asking: ¡°Richard, what¡¯s happening to your body?¡± Richard looked up with difficulty and said: ¡°Nothing, please continue.¡± Upon hearing this, Jimmy didn¡¯t say any more and swung out a punch. In that moment, Richard felt as if the sky were collapsing and the earth caving in, the whole world seeming to collapse into that single punch. Boom! The punch stopped in front of Richard, but the fierce punch winds tore off most of the scales on his body, leaving him bloodied. That was just the punch wind; had Richard been hit by the punch itself, he likely would have turned into a mist of blood in an instant. Richard took a deep breath and admired from his heart: ¡°What powerful witchcraft.¡± Jimmy said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re not bad yourself, having evolved through my punch.¡± As a Three Rings Wizard who specialized in Physique, how could he not see the state Richard was in. He handed Richard a black Crystal Ball: ¡°Test your Physique; this is a Crystal Ball specifically designed for that purpose, with negligible error.¡± Richard accepted it and poured his Magic Power into the Crystal Ball. As a fine electric current passed through his body, the Crystal Ball displayed Richard¡¯s Physique data. [Physique: 64.7] ¡°Not bad,¡± Jimmy expressed surprise, ¡°when you entered the arena, your Physique was only around sixty, this evolution boosted it by nearly five points.¡± Thanks to the training of the Adaptation Body, Richard¡¯s Physique had been slowly growing over the years, from fifty when he first advanced to be a wizard, to fifty-nine. And in just these few seconds, Richard¡¯s Physique had surged by more than five points. ¡°However, as your senior, let me give you a piece of advice.¡± Jimmy patted Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°There are many ways to enhance your Physique, don¡¯t always focus on near-death stimulation. Although this method makes your Physique grow quickly, it can create a path dependency, causing wizards to always think about promoting evolution through life-and-death battles. If you continue down this path, sooner or later you will die on the battlefield.¡± Richard nodded, taking Jimmy¡¯s advice to heart. The fight over, Jimmy registered some information with Richard and then met with a few club members. The Garon Club had many members, with many being Second Ring and Three Rings wizards. These wizards were very experienced in combat, and they were all Black Wizards, each one a fierce individual who had fought their way out of the Plane Battlefield. These Black Wizards were not as cold and ruthless towards Richard as he had imagined, not like heartless killing machines. On the contrary, they were quite amiable when he sought their advice, and through his interactions with them, Richard gained a lot of information about the Plane Battlefield. This information was precious to Richard, a novice to the battlefields. After leaving the club, Richard returned to the Wizard Tower. But as soon as he entered the Black Tower Wizard Community, he encountered Ulysses who had come looking for him. ¡°Gah! Boy, you¡¯re going to join the war!¡± ¡­ In Anna¡¯s Wizard Tower, wizards of Jolod¡¯s faction gathered. ¡°Let me introduce you, these three are your senior brothers.¡± Jolod pointed to three wizards on one side of the parlor, all exuding a fierce aura. The three wizards nodded to Richard, acknowledging this new junior brother. Jolod sat at the far end of the parlor, his gaze as deep as a dark pool. ¡°The order from the headmaster has already been given. Three years from now, the Black Tower Wizard Academy will launch a conquest of a Miniature World.¡± Upon hearing this news, everyone in the parlor fell silent. The Plane Battlefield might be a place to make a fortune, but it was also where countless wizards met their end. Only seven wizards were in the room, but over the years of teaching, how could Jolod have only six students who became wizards? What about those who were not present? They all turned into skeletons and remained forever on the Plane Battlefield. ¡°You are all my students, and there is some connection between you all. I don¡¯t expect you to go out of your way to help each other in this war, but if you come across an opportunity to lend a hand, it¡¯s best if you do,¡± Jolod said, his voice filled with exhaustion. He had said these words more than once. Before every war, he would say this to his students, hoping they would survive. But reality was often cruel. ¡°I understand, teacher,¡± said an older student whom Richard didn¡¯t recognize. He was the most powerful among Jolod¡¯s six students, already at the Second Ring. Observing the magic fluctuations within him, it seemed his spiritual power had reached its limit, and he was just one ritual away from becoming a Three Rings Wizard. ¡°Eric, you¡¯ve grown up,¡± Jolod sighed as he looked at the speaking wizard, then turned his gaze to Richard and the other two. ¡°Anna, Chax, Richard, this is your first time participating in the Plane War, and there are some rules I need to remind you of. In the Plane War, all wizards must obey the commands of the Great Wizard, and no one may defy the orders. Secondly, each of you participating in the war must bring at least one expendable soldier, whose strength must reach the level of Level 1 Creatures. Lastly, regarding profits, since it is your first time participating in the war, the Academy will not reward any of you with Magic Stones, and you must hand over half of the profits you obtain in the Plane. After this war, when you participate again, you¡¯ll be rewarded with Magic Stones from the Academy like the other wizards, and will give up only one-third of your profits. Don¡¯t even think about hiding any earnings. If discovered, all profits will be confiscated.¡± After Jolod finished speaking, Richard and the others nodded to indicate they had taken note. The wizards then shared their specialized areas of witchcraft before each returning to their own business, leaving only Anna and Richard in the reception hall. ¡°Sister, I need your help with something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Richard found an open space and opened a Space Rift, from which he moved out the Alchemy Golem. Anna quickly walked up to the golem, her eyes shining as if she had seen a rare treasure. ¡°Where did you get this? It¡¯s an ancient Alchemy Golem; these are pretty much impossible to find now,¡± Anna asked casually as she gently touched the patterns on the golem. Richard replied indifferently, ¡°A few years ago, I came across a ruin from which I obtained this golem. I¡¯ve been studying it all this time, but unfortunately, my skills aren¡¯t quite there yet. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking for your help, sister, to modify this golem and install a few Magic Equipment Slots.¡± ¡°Modify?¡± Anna suddenly became agitated, ¡°That¡¯s sacrilege!¡± ¡°Such a thing, if not thoroughly researched before a rash modification, could lose many of its researchable aspects!¡± ¡°And what of it?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°If I die, all the knowledge in the world won¡¯t matter to me.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Anna fell silent, her face troubled as she looked at the golem. ¡°I can modify it, but I must make one thing clear. With the urgency of time, the structure of this golem will definitely change after the modification. Don¡¯t blame me later for ruining your object.¡± Richard smiled slightly, ¡°No worries, as long as it works.¡± Alchemy machinery was not as important to Richard as Shaping Magic. If not for his current low level of strength, needing some assistance, he might have sold this thing for Magic Stones. ¡°Fine, explain to me what you want.¡± ¡­ After making arrangements for the golem, Richard returned to his Wizard Tower to prepare some expendable soldiers. For wizards, the most common expendable soldiers were Otherworldly slaves, Synthetic Beasts, and Elemental creatures. Among these, Elementals were the most cost-effective, requiring just one Summoning Array. Richard drew a Summoning Array on the floor of his laboratory. As magic flowed in, a Flame Giant appeared in the lab. ¡°Human, our contract has ended, and a new one must be signed,¡± declared the Flame Giant with authority. ¡°Indeed, a contract must be signed,¡± Richard cackled, and from his hand, several Rune Chains suddenly sprouted, instantly binding the Flame Giant. The Flame Giant immediately sensed something wrong and tried to flee back to the Elemental Territory, but Richard¡¯s Rune Chains firmly kept it anchored to the Material World. ¡°Human, what are you doing!¡± Richard pulled out a Soul Contract from his Magic Pocket: ¡°Now, you have two choices. Sign this contract, or die right here.¡± Saying this, Richard placed the contract before the Flame Giant: ¡°Decide for yourself.¡± The Flame Giant scanned the contract with its mind. Its flames immediately flared in rebellion. In the language of the elements, it roared, ¡°Slave Contract! You lowly creature dare to enslave the kin of the great Flame Lord Field!¡± Hearing this, the magic fluctuation around Richard surged drastically, nearly scattering the Flame Giant¡¯s fiery form. ¡°I believe your name is Philster,¡± Richard said coolly. ¡°Philster, you¡¯d best take a good look at the situation.¡± The Flame Giant Philster then realized that this human, whom he hadn¡¯t seen in decades, had actually reached the level of a Flame Warrior. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll give you three seconds to decide. In three seconds, either the contract is complete, or your soul will be scattered to the winds.¡± With that, Richard raised three fingers. ¡°Three¡­¡± The Flame Giant struggled ceaselessly, but the Rune Chains held it steadfast in place. ¡°Two¡­¡± ¡°I am a vassal of the great Lord Field, kill me and wait to be burned to ashes by Lord Field himself!¡± ¡°One¡­¡± Magic waves emerged around Richard, and more than a dozen Ice Cones appeared in front of him. ¡°Stop! I¡¯ll sign!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: Chapter 16 War Preparation Chapter 116: Chapter 16 War Preparation ¡°Once signed, that settles it.¡± Richard smiled and signed his name on the other side of the Soul Contract. As the contract burned to ashes, an invisible soul chain linked Philster and Richard together. Dispelling the Rune Chain, the Flame Giant Philster silently lowered his head. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Mm, good,¡± Richard nodded in approval. ¡°Gah! This fool is hardly fit for cannon fodder.¡± Ulysses flew in from the window and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°In the Upper Plane War, cannon fodder is at least of legendary status. Only natives use those below legend as cannon fodder.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Richard¡¯s hand emitted a black flame, ¡°but I have a way to turn it into a Level 1 Creature.¡± ¡°Gaah! With ¡®Annihilation Flame¡¯?¡± Ulysses looked at the black flame, puzzled. He was unaware that his innate flames had this effect. Richard smiled mysteriously and said no more. The knowledge of a Pioneer wasn¡¯t limited to just flesh creatures; elemental creatures were also included. With the knowledge about elemental creature evolution, combined with Richard¡¯s knowledge of Plastic Energy, it was enough support for Richard to modify Philster. If the modification succeeded, Richard would gain a Flame Giant wielding Annihilation Flame. Even if it failed, Richard¡¯s loss would only amount to a Soul Contract, and a cannon fodder could be bought in the slave market. Go to ????????????????????.co ¡­ The modification of the Flame Giant wasn¡¯t complicated; the most troublesome part was continuously improving the Rune Array. After all, Pioneers were not wizards, and to adapt their knowledge into a wizard¡¯s Rune system required certain modifications. Fortunately, Richard understood the properties of Annihilation Flame well enough, and had learned sufficient Plastic Energy knowledge while designing the ¡°Heart of Annihilation¡± spell, which helped him smoothly improve the Rune Array. In less than six months, Richard had completed the improvements to the Rune Array and merged the Annihilation Flame with the Flame Giant¡¯s Element Core. Looking at the Element Core burning with black flames in front of him, Richard left the laboratory satisfied. The fusion needed some time, and there were other things he had to do in the remaining time. Entering another room on the second floor, Richard opened a Space Rift and brought out the Alchemy Golem Anna had modified. Following Richard¡¯s vision, Anna had installed three Magic Equipment Slots inside the Alchemy Puppet and modified the entire mind core of the puppet, deleting the original master¡¯s commands, adding new data, and changing the master to Richard. Lifting the back panel of the golem, Richard took out an Annihilation Bomb Launcher used during the Apprentice¡¯s War from his Magic Pocket and installed it. Richard had modified this device while studying Alchemy Mechanical Science, increasing its range to five kilometers, and also produced a firing table. Besides that, Richard made some improvements to the Annihilation Bomb, lowering its cost to one hundred Magic Stones each. Although compared to a wizard¡¯s spell, this cost still lacked cost-effectiveness, Richard believed that if he continued his research, the price could be further reduced. After installing the barrel, Richard took a complex mechanical device from a shelf in the laboratory and installed it into the golem¡¯s Magic Equipment Slot in the abdomen. Thanks to Richard¡¯s meticulous design, the slot size was just right to fit the mechanical device. Richard started the machine, and an Annihilation Bomb was pushed out from the device, perfectly loaded into the barrel Richard had installed. ¡°Heh heh, space magazine,¡± Richard chuckled as he watched the scene. Magic Pockets were one of the most common types of Magic Equipment in the Wizard World, widely used by wizards for storage due to their characteristic of having more internal space than appears externally. But during his improvements to the Bomb Launcher, Richard suddenly had an idea¡ªif a person could use a Magic Pocket, could a machine use it too? Then, Richard conducted experiments, and afterward, he concluded that by feeding Magic Power into the Magic Pocket, any object could be extracted from the pocket. Since there was no intellect to choose, the Magic Pocket would deliver items to the machine hands in the order they were placed. So Richard filled a Magic Pocket full of Annihilation Bombs and completed the entire process of taking out and loading using an alchemy mechanical device, creating the current space magazine. With this device, the Alchemy Golem could be directly transformed into a small artillery platform. After installing the Annihilation Cannon, Richard opened the chest of the golem and took out a large Annihilation Bomb from the Magic Pocket and placed it inside. This Annihilation Bomb didn¡¯t contain any elements and was harmless at the moment. Its purpose was to self-destruct at a critical moment to buy Richard time, or to utilize waste. With the golem modified, Richard filled it with Magic Stones and then closed the lid to start the golem. Buzz! A buzzing sound echoed, the entire exterior of the Alchemy Golem began to light up with runes, spreading from the heart to the whole body. The golem¡¯s eyes lit up with a red light, it scanned Richard, then emitted a mechanical voice. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Walk two steps,¡± Richard commanded. The Alchemy Golem moved its feet, thud! Thud! Thud¡­ The Alchemy Golem was heavy, even though much had been hollowed out of its large body, it still weighed several tons, each step causing the furniture in the room to tremble. ¡°Stop, use Molten Rock Fist.¡± Buzz! Another faint buzzing sound. The Alchemy Golem halted in its tracks, its two fists ignited with runes, and a fiery aura instantly filled the entire laboratory. ¡°Good, stop, enter hibernation mode.¡± Richard waved his hand, the red light in the golem¡¯s eyes disappeared, and its entire body instantly turned into a human-shaped boulder. Richard checked the energy consumption of the golem; in just a minute, the golem had consumed nearly one Magic Stone. ¡°The energy consumption is still acceptable,¡± Richard muttered as he closed the cover. Although the strength of the Alchemy Golem was not comparable to Richard¡¯s, compared to a typical One Ring Wizard, its strength was quite impressive. Its enchanted stone exterior, whether facing physical or elemental attacks, provided considerable protective effects, and it was also not difficult to repair. Now that Richard had equipped it with the Annihilation Cannon, it was excellent whether acting as a guard or clearing out lesser troops. For new wizards, the first Plane War was the deadliest war. During this period, the wizards had neither sufficient resources, nor sufficient knowledge, nor adequate experience; they were utterly defenseless wizards compared to those who had experienced war, making them more likely to die at the hands of the natives of the Plane. With this Alchemy Golem now, Richard effectively had a loyal wizard guard. This greatly increased his chances of survival. Moreover, Richard also possessed weapons like the Heart of Annihilation and the help of Ulysses, the World Master of the Otherworld. For this Plane War, Richard was very confident. ¡­ ¡°Gah! You¡¯ve finally agreed to heal my wounds.¡± Ulysses landed on the table in front of Richard, which held three Soul Crystals and a large piece of active flesh. The Soul Crystals contained pure Soul Power, one of the remedies for healing soul injuries, while the active flesh was used for breaking through physical limits. Ulysses¡¯s current body was a Synthetic Beast, and it could only grow through such means. Richard nodded slightly, since he was going to the Upper Plane Battlefield, and Ulysses was such a great help, he naturally needed to use it. Over the last few decades, due to Richard¡¯s prohibition, Ulysses¡¯s soul injury had remained unchanged, only slightly recovering during the periods when Richard needed the Annihilation Flame. The main reason for this was the vast difference in their strengths; even with a Destiny Contract in place, Richard was afraid this World Master would play tricks on him. Now, with the upcoming Plane War, Richard couldn¡¯t help using Ulysses¡¯s assistance. Ulysses opened its mouth and swallowed the three Soul Crystals, the next moment, the Magic Power in the room began to crazily flow towards its body. Ulysses¡¯s current body, previously Wuni, was not very large. But after devouring the Soul Crystals, it swallowed the nearby active flesh as well and began to rapidly increase in size; its feathers also ignited in black Annihilation Flames. ¡°Gah!¡± With a loud caw, Ulysses¡¯s daily strength returned to that of a Level 1 Creature! ¡°Gah, regaining strength feels really good.¡± Ulysses flew a few circles in the laboratory before landing on Richard¡¯s shoulder, its voice somewhat ingratiating: ¡°Gah, my dear master, if you bring me some Soul Crystals, I promise you won¡¯t suffer a scratch in this Plane War.¡± But Richard clearly wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°Wait till I become a Second Ring Wizard, then you can become a Second-Level Creature.¡± ¡°Gah, my master, we do have a Destiny Contract between us, I¡¯ve been your loyal servant for ten thousand years, why be so guarded against me?¡± Ulysses shifted its eyes as it spoke, only it knew what it was thinking. ¡°A contract isn¡¯t omnipotent,¡± Richard said coldly, ¡°If you want to regain your strength early, then provide me with some new knowledge.¡± ¡°Gah, knowledge? My master, we Annihilation Crows are not like you wizards; our growth relies on fighting and devouring. According to your terms, we follow the path of Physique Evolution, and it¡¯s the most primitive kind. If you want new knowledge, all I can offer you are the secrets of becoming a Divine.¡± Ulysses spoke enticingly: ¡°The secrets of becoming a Divine, master, do you want them now?¡± Richard¡¯s heart stirred; in the Wizard World, how to become a Great Wizard was a deep-seated secret, held only by some age-old Wizard Families and the Tower of Truth. For the hope of advancing, Three Rings Wizards had to sell themselves to the Tower of Truth, exchanging the benefits they would gain after becoming a Great Wizard for a chance to advance. Ulysses¡¯s words, however, opened up another path for Richard. Gods Civilization was a diversified civilization, encompassing multiple races, indicating that their methods for advancing to World Master didn¡¯t involve bloodline restrictions. If Richard could acquire this knowledge, then he could bypass the Tower of Truth and become a Great Wizard on his own, or even¡­ cultivate his own Great Wizards. At this thought, Richard¡¯s heart pounded rapidly. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Richard suddenly let out a long breath, turning to look at Ulysses, his eyes cold, ¡°Ulysses, if you try to influence me mentally again, you will never regain your status as a World Master in this lifetime.¡± His recent thoughts were overly greedy and arrogant, contrary to his character; they must have been influenced from the outside. ¡°Gah, I haven¡¯t done anything!¡± Ulysses protested loudly, ¡°The voice of an Annihilation Crow naturally arouses people¡¯s greed; those were your own desires!¡± ¡°Your current body isn¡¯t that of an Annihilation Crow!¡± Now Ulysses was left speechless. ¡°Gah, just my luck. But what I said is true; I really do possess the secrets of becoming a Divine. And I can also use some items to wield some of the Divine¡¯s powers ahead of time.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Chapter 17 Floating City Chapter 117: Chapter 17 Floating City ¡°What do you want?¡± Richard asked in a deep voice. ¡°Ga, the Power of Faith, of course,¡± Ulysses replied. ¡°Don¡¯t you wizards have religions in your world? When a group of beings pray to something, that thing gathers a peculiar strength¡ªthat strength is the Power of Faith.¡± ¡°Religion?¡± Richard remembered the Cult of the Crimson Lord he had eradicated years ago. ¡°Ga, looking at your customs, I estimate that you have no religion,¡± Ulysses continued, ¡°You wizards pride yourselves on rationality so much that you¡¯ve probably tossed religion into the trash heap ages ago.¡± ¡°That is indeed true,¡± Richard responded lightly. In the Wizard World, only mortals believed in religion, and the first impulse of a wizard who encountered a divine being was to dissect it. ¡°The Power of Faith should be fairly easy for you to encounter. You conquer Otherworlds; you must have encountered religions that worship a World Master as a divine being. Such World Masters possess the Power of Faith in their bodies. If you can acquire some, I could perform techniques that only the divine can utilize.¡± When he finished, Ulysses added: ¡°Ga, don¡¯t think I¡¯m trying to take this opportunity to heal myself. Purifying the Power of Faith consumes spiritual power, using it would only exacerbate my injuries.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard squinted his eyes, his face full of suspicion. ¡°You would be so kind?¡± ¡°Ga, don¡¯t look at me like that!¡± Ulysses got slightly irritated, ¡°I see potential in you and I¡¯m thinking of investing in you. If you¡¯re not interested, forget it!¡± ¡°Invest in me?¡± ¡°Ga, that furnace you carry is a treasure not even a Divine King might possess. With such an artifact, your ascent to godhood is almost certain,¡± Ulysses clamored, ¡°Perhaps, you might be the next Divine King of your civilization. Is there a problem with investing in a future Divine King?¡± Go to ????????????????????.co It had to be said, Ulysses¡¯ words were indeed persuasive, making Richard glow with happiness. ¡°Cough, cough, the path to truth is fraught with hardship and perils; it¡¯s too early to talk about these matters now.¡± Richard feigned a cough and turned to head to the next laboratory, preparing to upgrade his Magic Equipment. ¡­ Richard owned many pieces of Magic Equipment, but after becoming a wizard, many had lost their original effects. For instance, his Guardian Pendant, a Magic Shield that could resist an energy level of fifty, now couldn¡¯t even match the Black Scale on his body. There was also the Spirit Protection Ring; after the qualitative change in Richard¡¯s spiritual power, any attack that could affect his psyche made these rings unable to even give a warning. All these needed to be replaced. After sorting everything out, aside from the Demon Eater Sword, all his other Magic Equipment needed to be replaced. But replacements needed to be available. Richard was so impoverished that he had to sell Ao Steel, a rare material, for Magic Stones; how could he afford Magic Stones to craft so many wizard-level Magic Equipment? So after some thought, Richard decided not to bother with fancy Magic Equipment. He would focus his Magic Stones on just two pieces of Magic Equipment: the Concealer Cloak and the Demon Eater Sword. He was a Black Wizard. In a Plane War, sneaking deep into enemy territory, stealth-enhancing Magic Equipment was essential. The Demon Eater Sword was almost complete after having finished the first two phases of the project, requiring only the final phase, which wouldn¡¯t cost many Magic Stones. Creating equipment required designs, but beginning from scratch was obviously too late now. Therefore, for the upgraded version of the Concealer Cloak, Richard chose to simply ¡°borrow¡± the design from his teacher Jolod. As Jolod¡¯s youngest student and a partner in the Wizard Commerce, he had some influence there. Using an IOU worth 100,000 Magic Stones, Richard managed to get his hands on the design for the Concealer Cloak. After solving the issue with the design, what remained was merely purchasing materials, crafting the rough draft, engraving the spells, and then refining the appearance. Six months later, Richard looked with satisfaction at the pitch-black cloak in front of him and at the large sword beside it emanating an ominous aura. The upgraded Concealer Cloak not only possessed the ability to hide its aura and mask magic fluctuations, but it also had a spell for Shadow Infiltration. This spell allowed Richard to briefly enter the rift between the Material World and the Shadow World, thus evading enemy attacks. However, the attack¡¯s energy level couldn¡¯t exceed two hundred; otherwise, Richard would be forced out of the world¡¯s rift due to the space disturbance caused by the energy fluctuations. Using it to evade attacks was a bit stretched, but it was perfect for infiltration. After storing the Magic Equipment in his Magic Pocket, Richard left the laboratory, ready to check the integration effect of the Flame Giant. After six months of integration, the Element Core of the Flame Giant had gradually absorbed the Annihilation Flame and made it a part of itself. When he arrived at the laboratory, under the quartz cover, the Element Core had evolved into its final phase, and the originally fiery-red Element Core had almost entirely turned black. ¡°It looks almost done; just needs a final spark.¡± Richard muttered to himself, the magic power surging in his body as he channeled a stream of Magic Power into the Element Core. With the infusion of Magic Power, the Element Core instantly darkened, turning the last bit of fiery red into a black flame. Boom! The flames of the Element Core erupted instantly, and chains of flames converged to form a one-meter tall black Flame Dwarf. ¡°I, Philster, am alive again!¡± The Flame Dwarf shouted. ¡°Indeed, you are alive.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The Flame Dwarf glanced aside, and the human who had threatened him into signing the slave contract was looking at him coldly. ¡°Now, get off the experiment table!¡± Following a command filled with rage, Philster involuntarily retracted his flames and obediently curled into a ball, rolling off the experiment table. Seeing the experiment table turned into magma by Philster, Richard couldn¡¯t help but place a hand on his forehead and sighed. ¡°Philster, contain your flames and tell me your current state.¡± Upon hearing the command, Philster returned to human form and contained his flames. ¡°Master, I have broken through the bottleneck and have become a Flame Warrior.¡± ¡°Flame Warrior? A Level 1 Creature, right?¡± Richard pulled out a notebook from his pocket and began to record the information. ¡°Besides that, have you gained any abilities? Can you still summon and use your normal flames? Any psychological problems?¡± Richard¡¯s barrage of questions left the somewhat slow-witted Philster slightly confused. Nevertheless, he soon began answering them one by one. After the Q&A session, Richard nodded. Philster¡¯s growth had two aspects, the first was the growth in strength; through fusion and the replenishment of magic power, Philster had broken through his bottleneck and become a Level 1 Elemental Creature. The second aspect was a change in how he used his strength. Now, Philster¡¯s body was composed of Annihilation Flames and no longer had the body of a common Fire Element. This change benefited Philster by making him more lethal, but the downside was that his body became smaller, energy consumption increased, and some skills that Flame Giants could use, he could no longer use. ¡°Alright,¡± Richard said, pulling out a Crystal Ball from his Magic Pocket. This Crystal Ball was a specially made Elemental Creature Cage from Wizard Commerce, designed for wizards to store elemental creature cannon fodder. ¡°Get in.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡­ Philster¡¯s successful fusion solved the last issue Richard faced before the war. In the remaining two years, Richard focused on meditation and training in Adaptation Body, and he occasionally visited the Jialong Club to exchange battlefield experiences with some Black Wizards. After mixing with these Black Wizards, Richard gained a deeper understanding of this group. Black Wizards penetrated deep into enemy territory where everything around them was not only an enemy but also precious loot. In such a situation, preserving oneself was the top priority, and one must resist temptation. A Black Wizard who could not control his greed was bound to die because of it. Two years flew by swiftly, and soon, it was the day of the Plane War. Richard, along with a few senior disciples, traveled through the Teleportation Gate to the Expedition Layer above the Working Layer, located in the canopy of the World Tree. The space was vast, and hundreds of thousands of wizards occupied only a fraction of it. Most of these wizards were Free Wizards who had joined the Plane War as mercenaries through contracts. On one side of the crowd, hundreds of war Airships made of cold metal were parked on the ground. These war Airships were the White Wizards¡¯ war machines, specifically designed for the Plane Battlefield. Their main cannons could even reach an energy level of 8000, almost comparable to a full-strength blow from a Three Rings Wizard. Soon, ripples appeared in the Void, and thousands of Working Wizards from the Tower of Truth flew into the sky, guided by a Three Rings Wizard, to perform a massive Spell. As the Working Wizards waved their Magic Wands, a huge Magic Array appeared in the sky. Then, a rift appeared in the center of the Magic Array. Behind the Space Rift, the tip of an enormous object appeared. ¡°Is this the Floating City?¡± Gazing at the gigantic object in front of him, Richard felt as if he were back to the first time he saw the World Tree. A metallic artifact tens of thousands of meters in diameter slowly squeezed into the Wizard World from the Void. The lower half of the Floating City was a hemisphere, with various alloy Armor Plates seamlessly joined together, offering a mechanical aesthetic. When the wizards reached above the Floating City, it took on a different appearance. Countless spires stood erect on the metallic ground; among them, the tallest was the black Spire at the very center. This Spire was the command center for the war; all war commands were issued from here. With the command center as the nucleus, various other lower-height spires rippled outward to the edge of the Floating City. White Wizards boarded the war Airships, and the lower half of the Floating City opened up passages for them. Wizards like Richard, as well as Free Wizards, had to directly land on the Floating City from the upper half. ¡°The Floating City truly is the pinnacle of Alchemy Machines.¡± Ann, a wizard who studied Alchemy Machines, gazed at the Floating City somewhat entranced. As a researcher of Alchemy Machines, Ann wanted to disassemble and examine every part of the Floating City. Richard did not respond; his knowledge of Alchemy Machines was still rudimentary, and his only thought about the Floating City was ¡°damn impressive.¡± As the wizards finished entering, a figure flew out from the central Spire. This figure constantly enlarged during its flight, eventually transforming into a massive Black Robed Wizard hundreds of meters tall. ¡°Welcome, everyone, to this expedition of spreading the wisdom of Wizard Civilization. I am Black Tower, the commander of this expedition.¡± Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Chapter 18 Insect Nest World Chapter 118: Chapter 18 Insect Nest World War paid heed to the principle of a famous claim, and spreading the wisdom of Wizard Civilization was a common pretext for the Wizard World to invade other worlds. Besides this claim, the Wizard World also justified spreading the light of reason, educating savage natives, and avenging their own kind among other reasons. Using war to spread wizardly wisdom, subjugating and educating barbaric locals, this was the essence of the Wizard World or Wizard Civilization. With the appearance of the Black Tower Great Wizard, the Floating City began to transmit ripples of energy within. Standing on the floor, Richard could distinctly feel the floor vibrating, albeit the vibrations were incredibly subtle. The Floating City was awakening. ¡°As the commander, I hereby declare the following rules. During the war, any wizard must obey all commands from the headquarters. During the war, any form of fratricide is prohibited. During the war, free wizards need only turn over a third of their acquired wealth. During the war¡­¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard consecutively pronounced over a dozen rules in midair, doing with the movements and earnings of wizards comprehensive regulation. After announcing the rules, the Black Tower Great Wizard opened a rift and pulled out a somewhat ethereal Rune Wand from within. He lifted the wand high, and a beam of light shot into the void. Go to ????????????????????.co Subsequently, Richard felt a jolt, and the Floating City began moving towards the space rift from which they came. Simultaneously, starting from the central spire, a Magic Barrier spread over the tops of all spires, extending to the edge of the Floating City, and enveloping the entire upper section of the city. In the void, continual space storms impacted the Magic Barrier, sparking ripples. Richard felt somewhat nervous; if the barrier shattered, the space storm would instantly tear apart most wizards except for the Great Wizard. He glanced at his side and found that the wizards who had experienced war appeared remarkably calm. His senior, Eric, noticing his gaze, explained to him. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this Magic Barrier. Its threshold stands at fifty thousand energy levels, and in a critical moment, it could reach one hundred thousand. No space storm can break through it.¡± Richard chuckled, slightly relieved. As the Floating City fully entered the void, the space rift gradually sealed shut. Standing on the edge of the Floating City, Richard could clearly see the appearance of the Wizard World within the Star Realm¡ªa massive, glowing bubble. ¡°Is this the Wizard World?¡± As Richard gazed at the glowing bubble, a sudden panic fluttered through his heart. This panic felt like that of a baby leaving the cradle, the vast world rendering him bewildered. ¡°Junior brother, stop looking, this is your room.¡± A voice came from behind Richard. He turned to see Chax sitting behind him riding a giant black wolf, holding two bags. ¡°Room number, Communication Crystal Ball.¡± Chax threw one of the bags. Richard caught it, finding a metal card and a black crystal ball inside the bag. On the battlefield, commands from the headquarters would be transmitted to every wizard through this crystal ball. ¡°Thanks, senior brother.¡± The lower hemispherical structure of the Floating City was split into three layers: the lowest Slave Army Layer, the middle War Machine Layer, and the topmost, nearest to the deck, Wizard Residence Layer. Following the numbers, Richard found his room below the deck. The room was fully equipped, even having a quiet room for meditation. The travel time through the Star Realm was lengthy, and invading a world¡¯s barrier took even longer. If nothing unexpected occurred, the wizards would stay in the Floating City for at least a year. ¡­ ¡°Aldo, in the language of the Black Crystal Worm Clan, means Insect Nest. In ancient times, the great Mother Worm God Aldom was born into the world, becoming the first Black Crystal Worm. During the first millennium of Aldom¡¯s life, She was immensely happy, curious about everything in the world. But in the second millennium, She began to feel lonely. Thus, She birthed thirty-six Mother Worms as Her children and divided the world into thirty-six parts for Her children, forming what are now the thirty-six Insect Countries. The Mother Worms, emulating their own mother, bore their children, and to enable these children to grow healthy, they dug beneath the ground, and built above it, creating the original thirty-six Insect Nests, the holy sites we visit today¡­¡± In an insect nest constructed of sand and stone, an aged Black Crystal Worm taught a group of youngling insects the history of the Black Crystal Worms. The appearance of the Black Crystal Worms somewhat resembled mantises, but between their eyes grew a black crystal, and their bodies were significantly larger¡ªeven the newly born was the size of a baby, and they could grow up to around two meters in length as adults. ¡°Mr. Sta, the teacher!¡± a young Black Crystal Worm interrupted, ¡°Mr. Sta¡¯s words differ slightly from yours. He said that the Divine created the Mother Worm God, who then birthed us¡­¡± ¡°Absurd!¡± Sta roared in anger, his wings trembling behind him. ¡°Sta is just a madman obsessed with his observatory, pay no heed to a word he says.¡± Dong! Dong! Dong! A bell toll interrupted Sta¡¯s furious outburst. He shook his body and called for recess. The young worms swarmed out of the classroom, leaving Sta alone in the room. ¡°Sigh, the young worms no longer show proper respect to the Mother Worm God.¡± Leaving the classroom, Sta returned to his dwelling¡ªa room at the peak of the insect nest. Black Crystal Worms used the insect nests as their residences, with all worms living within these mountain-like colossal insect nests, few living independently outside. ¡°Sta, you¡¯re back. I made a new discovery today!¡± A voice came from outside the door; Sta knew without a doubt that his brother Sta stood there. He hissed, a gesture among Black Crystal Worms equivalent to a sigh. ¡°Sta, what have you discovered again?¡± Sta opened the door and welcomed Sta inside. As insects born in the same batch and grown up together, Sta and Stade were brothers, both in terms of bloodline and in terms of feelings. But unlike Stade, there seemed to be a problem with Sta¡¯s thinking organ during its development. The roles of Black Crystal Worms were destined at birth. Warrior Worms responsible for guarding the Insect Nest, Priest Worms responsible for star-watching rituals, Cultivating Worms responsible for cultivation ¡­ etc., the insects¡¯ body structures at birth determined what they were to do. Yet Sta was somewhat different. As a Warrior Worm, he, unexpectedly, enjoyed star-watching like Priest Worms. This was an unthinkable thing among the Black Crystal Worms. ¡°Where¡¯s your telescope? I¡¯ll find it for you!¡± Sta excitedly walked to the Observatory¡¯s platform in the room. Indeed, Stade was a Priest Worm. As a Priest Worm, from childhood, he was followed by a Warrior Worm who obsessed over star watching. After searching the Observatory for a long while, Sta finally excitedly pushed Stade to the telescope. ¡°Let go, Sta! I can look on my own.¡± After Sta released his hold, Stade peered into the telescope towards the sky. The weather tonight was very good, the sky void of any clouds, allowing every star to be seen clearly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just the same as usual?¡± Stade asked, somewhat discontent. ¡°Take a closer look again!¡± Sta waved his arms beside him. As a Warrior Worm, his arms were a pair of extremely tough chitin scythes, which could easily cut or clamp off the bones of wild beasts or the stems of certain fungi. ¡°All right, all right, I¡¯ll take a closer look.¡± Stade grudgingly said, then peered through the telescope a few more times. This time, Stade noticed something unusual. As a Priest Worm, his memory of the star map could not be mistaken. Yet today, he could vaguely make out¡­ A star! ¡­ Insect Nest core, Mother Worm Hall. ¡°Are you sure?¡¯ A Warrior Worm clad in golden armor asked loudly. In front of him, a Priest Worm wrapped in white silk was communicating with the Mother Worm. In the Priest Worms, only the most powerful three-star priests wore white silk. After a while, the Priest Worm stood up. ¡°Slavt, the Mother Worm has confirmed that the great Mother Worm God commands us to quickly assemble the army. All Worms that have reached the star level, Warrior Worms and Priest Worms alike, must go to battle.¡± ¡°High Priest! Are you sure that all the star-level creatures must go?¡± Warrior Worm Slavt asked again. The strength of the Black Crystal Worm group was divided by stars, with a one-star constituting a level 1 creature. ¡°If we are to gather, just the insects from our Insect Country alone could reach millions. What kind of enemy warrants mobilizing so many insects?¡± The High Priest shook his head: ¡°I do not know, I am merely conveying the command of the Mother Worm God.¡± He too was puzzled, as ever since the Black Crystal Worms defeated the Earth Cave Demon Spider race, no other races in this world were capable of competing with them. What kind of enemy warranted them deploying such a multitude of insects? He thought, and a piece of information flashed through his thinking organ. It seems that yesterday a Priest Worm reported a star appeared in the sky that shouldn¡¯t have been there. Could this enemy be an extraterrestrial? The High Priest shook his head, discarding the thought. Regardless of who this enemy was, the command of the Mother Worm God must be obeyed, even if the enemies turn out to be a bunch of mushrooms. Seeing High Priest unable to provide an answer, Slavt left, huffing. As a Warrior Worm, he must follow the command of the Mother Worm. After he left, the High Priest once again began to communicate with the Mother Worm God. ¡°Great Mother Worm God, where do our enemies originate from? The sky or the underground?¡± After a long while, a message was conveyed to the soul of the High Priest. ¡°From beyond the heavens.¡± ¡­ ¡°Prepare yourselves, we will follow the headquarters¡¯ plan later.¡± In the War Machine Layer, Richard and hundreds of wizards boarded the War Airship. One and a half years had passed since they set off, and the Floating City under the control of the Black Tower Great Wizard was about to break through the world barrier, by then they would face the siege from the entire world. ¡°Richard, are you scared?¡± Beside Richard, Ali, emanating illusory sparks, watched him closely. According to headquarters¡¯ orders, the Black Wizards were divided into several small groups. Each group was balanced, including members across the four schools Plastic Energy, Alchemy, Undead, and Mind, led by a Second Ring Wizard, and the entire airship of Black Wizards commanded by a Three Rings Wizard. Their role on the front lines was simple: to clean up natives left by White Wizards who sanitized the area, as well as to carry out raids and disrupt enemy placements. ¡°Fearful of what?¡± Richard chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just killing, after all.¡± Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: Chapter 19 War (Part 1) Chapter 119: Chapter 19 War (Part 1) ¡°` Whoo¡ª The dull sound of horns echoed across the plains, and on the land known as Black Bone Plain, millions of insects surged like a tide. By the command of the Mother Worm God, the three Insect Countries near Black Bone Plain gathered all the insects in the Insect Nest that had reached Level 1 Creatures. Insects from other nations were also continuously converging here. Among these insects, some had charged into battle against the Earth Cave Demon Spiders, some had single-handedly killed Bone-Armored Rhinos as big as small hills, their names renowned within the Insect Nests, but on this battlefield, they were just ordinary soldiers. What kind of enemy warranted such a large force from three Insect Countries? They soon saw the answer to their question. ¡°What is that thing!¡± an insect exclaimed in panic. A colossal entity emerged from the Void, its mere corner casting a massive shadow over the Black Bone Plain. The High Priest sitting at the center watched the Floating City, his body trembling uncontrollably. He closed his eyes and prayed: ¡°Mother Worm God, may Your glory protect us.¡± Unlike the High Priest, the commanding Warrior Worm at the center was extraordinarily excited. Go to ????????????????????.co Since the last Earth Cave Demon Spider was slain by it, the thirty-six Insect Countries had not seen a war in thousands of years. As a physique-evolved insect, its body craved combat intensely. ¡°All insects prepare! For the glory of the Mother Worm God!¡± The commanding Warrior Worm let out a roar and flew up into the sky, its chitinous scythe-like arms glowing white like jade, yet they emitted a staggering sharpness. It had once used these arms to exterminate the Earth Cave Demon Spider clan, and now, it was about to add more feats to its scythes¡­ A flash of white light shot out from the Floating City, engulfing the Warrior Worm commander in an instant. The swarm fell into a silent desolation. As the Floating City fully entered this world, a hatch on the lower hemisphere slowly opened, and countless bizarre creatures poured out. Some were clad in Scale Armor, some wreathed in flames, some tens of meters long, and others less than a meter tall. They varied in species and forms, including flesh creatures and Element creatures. The one thing they had in common was that, like lunatics, they launched an attack on the ground-dwelling Black Crystal Insects. ¡°What a mad race,¡± the High Priest observed the frenzied creatures, and his antennae twitched, conveying an order. ¡°Entire army, engage and eliminate these extraterrestrial intruders!¡± ¡­ ¡°The mixed Slave Army has been deployed, War Airships are ready.¡± Inside the Floating City, a cold mechanical voice echoed through the War Machine Layer. The Slave Armies now deployed were mostly made up of Great Wizard¡¯s own Otherworldly slaves and war-grade Synthetic Beasts, hereafter referred to as War Beasts. A small part was comprised of slaves put together by participating wizards. Their purpose was simple: trigger as many enemy traps as possible, allowing the wizards to observe more information. This was the first move in a Wizard¡¯s Otherworldly expedition. There were three moves in a wizard¡¯s planar war. The first move: Slave Army triggers traps to disrupt enemy formations, giving wizards time to observe the world and exhausting enemy firepower as a bonus. The second move: the White Wizard Army, accompanied by War Airships, makes a Spell bombardment. The last move: the Black Wizard Army cleans up any stragglers and expands the spoils with the White Wizard Army. Standing inside the Airship cabin, Richard¡¯s Communication Crystal Ball intermittently transmitted war suggestions from the command center. The Slave Army¡¯s probing had started showing results, and the command center¡¯s experienced Three Rings Wizards had already made preliminary assessments of the Otherworldly Natives based on the battlefield situation. ¡°The world is provisionally named Insect Nest World, with magic concentration three times that of the Wizard World, and the air contains special spores, slightly toxic, immunity at Physique of sixty. This world has special world rules, eternal night, with Shadow Magic receiving bonus effects, and the Four Elements Rules are balanced. The species is tentatively named the Black Crystal Worm Clan, with two main types of combatants: one type transforms their arms into scythe-like appendages for close combat physique Evolvers, and the other commands elements with their spiritual power as Spiritual Evolvers. The majority of this Race¡¯s Physique Evolvers are preliminarily assessed with a Physique of sixty points, skilled in Cutting-type physical damage, Low Element Resistance, no special resistances, suggesting Spell-based kills.¡± Listening to the information from the Communication Crystal Ball, Richard turned to Ali with a smile: ¡°It seems like this is home turf for you Shaping Wizards.¡± For races without special Element Resistance, Shaping Wizards, who specialize in elements and energy, were their most formidable foes. Ali leaned on her Magic Wand, its ruby head emitting a scorching aura. ¡°What home turf, a race that can dominate a world surely has its own measures against Elemental Attacks. In the end, it¡¯s all about the Energy Level.¡± As she said this, she looked at the Alchemy Golem standing next to Richard somewhat enviously. ¡°Your Golem can fight and defend, and you¡¯re on the path of Bloodline Alchemy. As long as you don¡¯t venture into particularly dangerous areas, you¡¯re sure to survive this war safely, perhaps even make a fortune.¡± Richard chuckled, offering no rebuttal. Though the Alchemy Golem was formidable, his real safety net was Ulysses on his shoulder. ¡­ On the battlefield, the Slave Army clashed with the Black Crystal Insects. A huge Flame Giant roared, hurling Elemental Fireballs and blasting open a patch of green blood among the Black Crystal Insect swarm. But before it could bask in its glory, a Warrior Worm charged in front of it and severed its Element Core. A giant Flesh Beast python dozens of meters long charged violently among the Black Crystal Insects, those it touched either suffered broken bones or died instantly, but it wasn¡¯t long before a group of Warrior Worms set their sights on it. ¡°` In the blink of an eye, swords flashed and dozens of Warrior Worms joined forces, swiftly turning a massive Flesh Python into chunks of meat. In the sky, a dragon bird with Scale Armor opened its mouth and spewed out flames, incinerating everything in its path to ashes. Upon noticing the situation, Priest Insects immediately cast spells. Thunder and Flames assaulted the dragon bird like a violent storm, while a mysterious white light immobilized it in the middle. The situation on the battlefield was extremely tense. In the center of the Black Crystal Worm Clan, High Priests from three Insect Countries gathered together. ¡°These Otherworldly beings are truly fearsome, fighting with a reckless disregard for death,¡± said a High Priest wrapped in white silk, with tendrils on its head bound by a golden thread. ¡°But our warriors are equally brave,¡± replied a High Priest across from him, wearing a golden ring around its neck. ¡°And we have more than enough warriors; reinforcements from other Insect Countries are continually arriving here.¡± ¡°Looking at the current situation, at most six Insect Countries would suffice to handle this group of extraterrestrial visitors,¡± said the last High Priest slowly. ¡°Yet the Mother Worm God has sent an oracle to every Insect Country.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Golden Ring Priest¡¯s tendrils twitched twice. ¡°The greatness of the Mother Worm God is beyond doubt; we must not become complacent now.¡± ¡­ The Slave Army¡¯s rate of consumption was swift; nearly half of the millions-strong Slave Army had been depleted in merely five days. The Black Crystal Insects¡¯ losses were several times greater than the Slave Army¡¯s, but this was offset by the continuous stream of reinforcements from other Insect Countries arriving at the Black Bone Plain. So much so that the observed number of Black Crystal Worms even exceeded their pre-battle count. Yet the consumption of these Slave Armies was not without value. They provided the wizards with vital first-hand data. Over five days, all wizards had found methods to counter the Black Crystal Worms within their own Combat Systems. ¡°Slave Army¡¯s depletion exceeds half, White Wizard Army, prepare!¡± ¡°Slave Army¡¯s depletion exceeds half, White Wizard Army, prepare!¡± The cold broadcast echoed through the War Machine Layer, and all White Wizards took up their positions, awaiting orders from command. As the base of the Floating City opened once more, fleets of War Airships flew out in sequence, with the majority of the White Wizard Army members standing outside the Airships, establishing a White Wizard formation centered around the vessels. A White Wizard Army comprised of official wizards is not a haphazard militia like the one Richard had seen during his Apprentice days. Each School of wizards had its own role to play. ¡°All wizards prepare, direction dead ahead, Spell type elemental area, release at will!¡± At the command of the White Wizard leader, Soul Wizards responsible for transmitting orders relayed the information through the mental network to every wizard. Countless Elemental Magic Spells were released almost simultaneously, raining down on the Black Crystal Worm swarm like a deluge, instantly clearing a landing zone. Simultaneously, the War Airships began their attack. From underneath the Airships, hundreds of low-powered Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons extended, firing Elemental Fireballs at the swarm as if free of cost, each blast taking out an insect. Screams and cries instantly filled the entire battlefield. ¡°By the Mother Worm God above, I knew these extraterrestrial intruders wouldn¡¯t be so easy to deal with.¡± In the midst of the Black Crystal Worm swarm, the High Priest looked up at the ¡°metal fish¡± in the sky and flicked its tendrils. With its experience, the War Airships of the wizards were nothing more than Giant Beasts modified with an outer layer of metal. And those members of the White Wizard Army were mere flying insects capable of casting spells. In the Aldo World, the Black Crystal Worms had seen such things before, but ultimately, they all became food for them. The High Priest raised its tendrils, and a mental command was sent to the lower-rank Priest Insects, which then passed the message on to even lower ranks, rapidly disseminating the High Priest¡¯s command. The order was simple¡ªMoth Army, move out! The Moth Army, the aerial force that ruled the skies above the conquered Insect Nest Worlds of the Black Crystal Worm Clan. These insects had their wings specially enhanced, allowing them to fly swiftly at high altitudes and change directions at will. More importantly, the entire Moth Army consisted of dual-specialty warriors in Spirit and Physique, the most elite force of the Black Crystal Worm Clan. Upon receiving the command, the Moth Army that had been hidden thus far, took action immediately. Within moments, a locust swarm that blotted out the sky rose from one end of the Black Bone Plain¡ªlike a black sandstorm, determined to overwhelm the entire plain. ¡°New species detected, Army formation changing, Formation Number One, Formation Number One, War Airships fire support.¡± As the Army command issued orders, the White Wizard Army instantly adapted, and the War Airships performed their most critical function at this moment¡ªfire support. In an instant, the Airships unleashed a barrage of fire like raindrops, and at the fore of the Airships, a main cannon pulsing with Magic Fluctuation unveiled its muzzle. ¡°For clustered enemies, fire the Lightning Chain Bomb!¡± ¡°Ready, Fire!¡± Hum! The main cannon of the Airship shot out a spherical Thunder, which upon contact with the swarm, rapidly turned into a Thunder Net. Hundreds of insects were reduced to charcoaled husks under the chain of lightning. ¡°Lightning Chain effect is good, ready, fire!¡± The War Airships bellowed with thunderous rage, net after net of thunder stopping the insects in their tracks. Countless insects rained down like charcoal. But even so, the swarm continued its relentless advance. Just as the two forces were about to clash at close quarters, the White Wizard Army¡¯s formation change completed. ¡°Formation change complete, War Airships cease fire.¡± As he spoke, the White Wizard commander roared into the mental network: ¡°All White Wizards prepare Lightning Chain, ready, fire!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Chapter 20 War (2) Chapter 120: Chapter 20 War (2) Tens of thousands of thunders poured out from the magic wand, almost lighting up half the sky as they converged. In an instant, insects fell like rain. ¡°Such terrifying elemental fluctuations, the united spellcasting of the White Wizard Army is really¡­¡± Richard exclaimed in awe. The range of the spell cast by the White Wizard Army this time was very close, with the elemental fluctuations even causing elemental turbulence in the entire sky. Even inside the war airship, Richard could feel the changes in the elements outside. ¡°If it weren¡¯t so, how could the White Wizards stand the frontline battlefield,¡± Ali added, speaking as a Shaping Wizard, she was clearer about the situation outside than Richard. ¡°What we¡¯re facing is an enemy of an entire world.¡± Within a moment, the White Wizard Army, having adjusted their formation, steadied their stance and slew the approaching Moth Army to near extinction. However, due to the proximity of their spellcasting, all White Wizards outside the war airship had to activate their magic shields to fend off the threat of the elemental turbulence. At the same time, having witnessed the terrifying power of the White Wizard Army, the Black Crystal Worm Clan began their counterattack. ¡°Activate the Mother Goddess Cannon!¡± A command was issued from the High Priest, quickly transmitted to a corner of the swarm. The Black Crystal Worms, upon receiving the order, extracted a mass of flesh covered in green viscous fluids from their bodies and converged them. In less than a moment, a pile of flesh about four meters in diameter appeared. Two Sacrificial Insects bowed towards the sky, then entered the pile of flesh, and as they did, the flesh pile began to undergo a transformation. Black crystals surfaced within the flesh, while a brown chitinous layer spread across the surface of the pile. Moments later, the top of the flesh pile split open with a slit resembling a mouth. Go to ????????????????????.co A Warrior Worm severed its arms and handed them to a comrade before plunging headlong into the slit. Gurgle, gurgle¡­ The sound of liquid churning came from the flesh pile, and then a green acidic ball about one meter in diameter, crackling with energy arcs, was shot towards the sky. Bang! Hiss, hiss¡­ The acid ball hit a White Wizard, instantly breaking through his magic shield, and the thick acid poured over the White Wizard, dissolving him into a puddle of pus in the blink of an eye. The few Wizards nearby splattered with the acid saw their magic barriers quickly fade. ¡°Attention to protection! Enemy strategic weapon has appeared!¡± The White Wizard commander sent out a warning through the mental network, and the formation of the army was subtly adjusted again. Several White Wizards formed smaller squads, using thicker magic shields to counteract the Mother Worm Cannons of the Black Crystal Insect Race. At the same time, commands were also issued from the command center. ¡°All Black Wizards, attention, all Black Wizards, attention! The enemy strategic weapon has appeared, the enemy strategic weapon has appeared. In thirty seconds, all Black Wizards are to enter the battlefield, target the strategic weapons! Repeat, in thirty seconds, all Black Wizards are to enter the battlefield, target the strategic weapons!¡± Listening to the orders transmitted by the communication crystal ball, Richard put on his cloak¡¯s hood and his Demon Eater Sword in hand also ignited with black flames. ¡°Ali, stay safe, don¡¯t die on me!¡± Ali grasped her magic wand, a slight smile appearing on her face. ¡°Same to you, I plan to spend ten thousand years with you.¡± The communication crystal ball carried the cold voice of the command center. ¡°Black Wizards, prepare for deployment!¡± With a ¡°hum,¡± the ground of the war airship began to slowly open, the sound of mechanical friction continuously reaching Richard¡¯s ears. At the same time, the White Wizard Army also began spell support, trying their best to create a safe deployment environment for the Black Wizards. Looking at the sea-like army of insects on the ground, Richard grabbed onto a magic statue beside him, took a deep breath, and his body lit up with a magic barrier, ¡°Release the decoys! All Black Wizards will deploy in three seconds!¡± Richard saw several small alchemy machines released from the underside of the airship, constantly attracting attacks coming from the ground. ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one, deploy!¡± The next instant, the bottom hatches of a hundred war airships opened simultaneously, and tens of thousands of black figures fell at the same time, flames even appearing on the surface of their magic barriers due to air friction. From the ground, it looked like tens of thousands of meteors were crashing towards the earth. The insect swarm¡¯s acid projectiles and primal magic continuously bombarded the sky, forcing Black Wizards to deviate from their landing points to avoid the spells. Those unlucky enough to be hit by acid balls were reduced to thick fluids on contact. With a ¡°boom,¡± Richard landed successfully, and immediately adjusted the magic statue to guard mode. Thanks to the White Wizard Army¡¯s magic barrage, the Black Crystal Worms near Richard had been cleared away, leaving behind scorched black limbs and green viscous fluid with a sour smell all over the ground; at a glance, only a few crippled worms not yet fully dead were struggling desperately. ¡°All members of Black Wizard Squad number 35, listen to the order!¡± A voice came from behind Richard; turning back, he saw a wizard in a black robe, half of his body ablaze with black fires, yelling at the communication crystal ball ¨C he was Wakaba, the Black Wizard leader of the war airship Richard was on. ¡°Our target is the strategic weapon of the Black Crystal Insect swarm, all Black Wizards of Squad number 35 immediately make a beeline for the nearest strategic weapon! At all costs, destroy the enemy strategic weapons!¡± After issuing the command, Wakaba glanced at Richard. ¡°Kid, welcome to the battlefield.¡± With that, he rushed alone towards the nearest strategic weapon. Black Wizards fight solo, unlike the White Wizards who battle in legions. Seeing this, Richard said nothing and, gripping his Great Sword, he followed closely, flying towards the nearest strategic weapon. Boom! Boom! Boom¡­ The blasts of spells were unceasing. Due to their control of the skies, the White Wizard Army freely bombarded the Black Crystal Insect swarm with magic. Boom! A fireball exploded not far from Richard, and several Warrior Worms, unable to dodge, were torn apart by the blast. Thanks to the cover of the Slave Army, even though the Insect swarm noticed their kin falling from the sky, they were temporarily unable to target effectively. This also made Richard¡¯s advance exceptionally smooth. Boom! A fireball burst apart, instantly blasting a Warrior Worm that had approached Richard into pieces with the Fire Element it unleashed. As an Alchemy Wizard, Richard¡¯s mastery of Shaping Magic could only be considered average, apart from the Heart of Annihilation; the potency of his other Shaping Spells was just a bit above the average within the Wizard group. Even so, the Fireball Technique with an Energy Level as high as four hundred was more than enough to blast these Level 1 Creature Black Crystal Insects to death. While killing, Richard also continuously collected data on these insects. Although the headquarters had given suggestions, those were the views of others. As a Wizard, one must have their own opinions. Richard casually grabbed a limb from a Warrior Worm¡ªit resembled a scythe, and the tough chitinous material could easily slice through bone and rock with muscle power driving it. As Jolod¡¯s student, Richard had some research on muscle structures; the Black Crystal Insect¡¯s muscle structure was quite unique. The forelimb muscle structure of this Race was clearly not suited for prolonged movement, but the explosive power it granted was astonishing. A freshly matured Level 1 Warrior Worm could easily cause three hundred Energy Level worth of Cutting damage with such an outburst. That Energy Level might not sound like much, but compared to a Race like Wizards, which relied on intelligence, such strength would absolutely be considered above average within the Slave Army. ¡°It seems the dean is about to gain a Slave World this time,¡± Richard muttered to himself as he placed the limb into his Magic Pocket. Wizard Civilization classifies conquered worlds into three types: Resource worlds, Slave worlds, and Research worlds. Resource Worlds are those with abundant magic stones or alchemy materials, and they are favorites among Great Wizards. The conquest of each Resource World means a massive amount of wealth pouring into a Great Wizard¡¯s pockets. Then there are Slave Worlds, which mainly provide War Slaves, the Slave Armies, for Great Wizards. After conquering a Slave World, Great Wizards don¡¯t strip it bare like they do with Resource Worlds; instead, they regularly collect a ¡°Blood Tax¡± from the Races within, using them as Slave Armies. Such worlds are extremely rare among the many, with only a small portion able to become Slave Worlds. Last are Research Worlds, which generally refer to those with scarce resources and weaker Races. The sole use of these worlds is to provide knowledge for Wizards and are the least desired by Great Wizards. Upon encountering such a world, the gains from a plane expedition could be negligible at best, or at worst, the Great Wizard might even have to invest a substantial amount of Magic Stones. After all, whether it¡¯s hiring Free Wizards and White Wizard Armies or renting Floating Cities, the expenses are substantial. This current Insect Nest World has a commendable strength of creatures, and it¡¯s said that the Black Tower Great Wizard still doesn¡¯t have a Slave World. This plane expedition looks to be quite profitable for him. ¡­ The appearance of Black Wizards brought some changes to the battlefield situation. With the Sacrificial Insect¡¯s presence, the Black Crystal Worm Clan¡¯s main base kept receiving news of breaches in the lines. If viewed from above, the edges of the black sea formed by the Black Crystal Worm Clan were pierced by numerous ¡°spikes.¡± These ¡°spikes¡± were the result of the Black Wizards¡¯ breakthroughs. In the main base, the Golden Ring Priest extended its tendrils to the other two Priests. ¡°Deploy the Mother Worm Guards, and deal with the bugs that have come down from the skies!¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡­ Within the swarm, Richard advanced smoothly through the swarm with the aid of the Slave Armies and spells. But just as Richard began to relax, he suddenly felt his hair stand on end, instinctively retreating backward. A streak of golden light flashed before his eyes, effortlessly piercing through his Magic Barrier. Had he retreated even a fraction of a second slower, he would have been beheaded. ¡°What is that!¡± Richard released his spiritual power fiercely, allowing him to see every detail within fifty meters. Under such scrutiny, Richard quickly found the owner of the golden light¡ªa Warrior Worm adorned with golden patterns. ¡°A new insect!¡± Richard was shocked inwardly. The response of the Black Crystal Worm Clan was impressively swift. In the mere three hours since their arrival, the Black Crystal Insect swarm had managed to relay information, make decisions, dispatch troops, and navigate through millions in the Insect Sea to reach the front lines specifically to target them. This level of wartime mobilization was nearly comparable to that of Wizards. As if sensing Richard¡¯s spiritual power, the golden-patterned Warrior Worm made a slight bow towards him, its Blade Arms glowing faintly with golden light. ¡°Stranger from beyond the skies, today I will offer your head to the Mother Worm God!¡± Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Chapter 21 War (3) Chapter 121: Chapter 21 War (3) Looking at the Golden Patterned Worm in front of him, although Richard had no idea what it was bellowing about, he still mustered all of his concentration. This creature had a formidable physique, and it also possessed a special skill. That golden blade light from before was worlds apart from the strikes of ordinary insects. After the tough talk, the Mother Worm Guards¡¯ figure flashed, and a golden blade light once more aimed for Richard¡¯s neck. This time, Richard was prepared. The Great Sword in his hand traced a strange arc, just barely blocking the golden blade light. Clang! The Demon Eater Sword clashed with the Golden Patterned Blade Arm, and surprisingly, the blade showed some minor chipping. Richard offered a cold smile as the black flame atop the Demon Eater Sword instantly spread along the blade arm. The final Core Magic of the Demon Eater Sword was named Erosion Fire, a flame that consumed the Life Energy within Flesh, especially effective against beings with strong flesh regeneration capabilities. Seeing this, the Mother Worm Guards¡¯ arms shone brightly, the golden light instantly engulfing the black flames. Although the black flames of the Demon Eater Sword burnt Magic Power, it was clear that this insect¡¯s inner energy was different from a Wizard¡¯s Magic Power. Under the repulsion of the golden light, the black flames were rapidly extinguished. Yet even as quick as it was quenched, the black flame still gave the Mother Worm Guards a shock. It thought to itself, ¡°Lucky that it met me; had another insect encountered this fire, it would likely have burnt to ashes before stopping.¡± But before it could ponder any longer, Richard¡¯s Spell was already on its way. A pitch-black Fireball, devoid of any grandeur, flew towards it, yet within the Fireball, the Mother Worm Guards sensed a fear of death. Go to ?????????????????.co There was no time to think, and the Mother Worm Guards spread its wings behind it, its speed surging instantly, narrowly evading the range of the Heart of Annihilation¡¯s damage. But the other insects weren¡¯t so fortunate. The pitch-black Fireball suddenly expanded, engulfing a Samurai Worm¡¯s upper body in an instant. The extreme heat at the edge of the magic carbonized the wound immediately, a strange, burnt scent permeating the air. ¡°He actually dodged.¡± Richard¡¯s expression was tense, the speed of the Golden Patterned Worm, once its wings were spread, reached an astounding level, even surpassing Richard¡¯s reaction speed. Richard¡¯s spiritual power could clearly pinpoint its position, but by the time his brain caught up, it had already moved from that spot. His Magic Barrier was continuously breached, and after the Mother Worm Guards spread its wings, each strike reached a shocking Energy Level of five hundred. ¡°Ulysses, restrain him for me!¡± ¡°Caw, restrain him?¡± Ulysses spat out a glob of Annihilation Flame, turning a Samurai Worm trying to sneak attack into ash. Richard was now on a Battlefield, and while his focus was entirely on the Mother Worm Guards, it was up to Ulysses and the Alchemy Golem to deal with those sneaky insects. ¡°You can¡¯t even handle that?¡± Richard kept swinging the Great Sword, fending off the strikes that penetrated his Magic Barrier. But amid such intense combat, the blade of the Demon Eater Sword was almost becoming a saw. ¡°Caw, who says I can¡¯t! Just wait!¡± Ulysses shouted. The Flames on its body suddenly gathered in its mouth. With a roll of its eyes, it locked onto the silhouette of the Mother Worm Guards. Opening its beak, a black chain of fire instantly entangled the Mother Worm Guards. To the perception of the World Master, the speed of the Mother Worm Guards was just like a slightly faster snail. ¡°Perfect opportunity!¡± Richard¡¯s eyes sharpened, Magic Power within him surged wildly, and in a blink, he released two Hearts of Annihilation. The Mother Worm Guard, unable to dodge due to the fire chains, was half-engulfed by the Heart of Annihilation and instantly turned to nothingness. With a pained cry, its life force flickered out in an instant. Seeing this, Richard felt a weight lifted from his heart. This worm was far more terrifying than any standard Samurai Worm. ¡°Ulysses, bring that half of the body over to me.¡± Richard ordered casually. One of the great benefits of the Plane War was the acquisition of specimens. In the Plane Battlefield, Wizards could obtain first-hand biological specimens. ¡°Caw, what do you think I am? An errand runner?¡± Ulysses grumbled, but its body flapped its wings and dashed like black lightning to grab the half-corpse of the Mother Worm Guards, even taking the opportunity to peck at it. ¡°Caw, tastes good.¡± As soon as the corpse was in hand, Richard sensed a minor reaction from the Miracle Furnace. [Material: Golden Patterned Black Crystal Worm Corpse] [Extractable Skill: Burst Slash] [Extraction Cost: Ten spiritual powers] [Extractable Substance: Golden Patterned Black Crystal Worm Bloodline] [Extraction Cost: 2000 Magic Power] [Extractable Substance: Pure Gold] [Extraction Cost: 10000 Magic Power] ¡°Pure Gold!¡± Richard¡¯s heart trembled, no wonder this worm could easily break his Magic Barrier. Pure Gold was a material with an extremely high Magic Resistance, excellent for crafting either armor or melee weapons. However, Pure Gold wasn¡¯t the most intriguing information to Richard. ¡°What special quality does this worm have,¡± Richard mused, for it was the first time he could extract a Skill from a creature¡¯s corpse, ¡°Why can the Miracle Furnace extract a Skill from this worm¡¯s body, and not from a human¡¯s?¡± But alas, he was on a Battlefield at the moment, and Richard truly did not have the time to delve into the mysteries. Every time the strategic weapons of the Black Crystal Worm Clan were fired, they caused some losses to the White Wizard Army, thereby affecting their efficiency in clearing out the insects. The consumption of the Slave Army also accelerated with the emergence of the golden patterned worms; if those strategic weapons weren¡¯t destroyed soon, the White Wizards in the sky might fare somewhat better, but the Black Wizards like themselves would definitely not have a good outcome. Refining the skill known as Burst Slash, Richard instantly mastered this skill. Regrettably, this skill required the muscular structure of the golden patterned worms and the special energy within the insect¡¯s body, which Richard couldn¡¯t utilize at the moment. Continuing to push towards the strategic weapons, Richard soon converged with several other Black Wizards. ¡°Richard! Did you encounter those golden patterned worms?¡± Ali inquired. After several hours of battle, the flames on Ali¡¯s body had dimmed, and she had also sustained many wounds. As she spoke, she held several Magic Stones in her hand to replenish her Magic Power. ¡°Yes, I did. Have you encountered them too?¡± Richard glanced at the several Black Wizards. All these wizards were One Ring Wizards, and if they encountered golden patterned worms, the losses were likely to be significant. ¡°You encountered them?¡± one of the Black Wizards exclaimed in surprise. This Black Wizard followed the Physique path and stood over two meters tall, his body covered with deep bone-deep slashes. Just moments ago, these Black Wizards had worked together to kill a Mother Worm Guard, and for this, their meat shield was almost skinned alive. Yet Richard, alone with a Magic Statue, seemed unscathed after encountering a Mother Worm Guard. Without saying much, Richard directly took out the halved corpse of the worm from his Magic Pocket. ¡°The corpse is here.¡± A shock flashed through the eyes of the Black Wizards. They had all witnessed the astonishing speed and queer demon-breaking slashes of the golden patterned worms, and the fact that such a fearsome foe had been slain solo by Richard was truly unbelievable. Yet the fact was as such, and after their shock, the Black Wizards immediately chose to follow Richard. Black Wizards respected the strong, and although Richard wasn¡¯t a Second Ring Wizard, his strength to single-handedly kill a Mother Worm Guard was sufficient for them to follow him. Five hundred meters ahead of Richard, a Mother Goddess Cannon was firing shells. And within the guard unit of the Mother Goddess Cannon, Richard clearly saw two Mother Worm Guards. ¡°Ulysses, you¡¯ll be responsible for capturing those two worms,¡± Richard whispered his instruction. As long as Ulysses could trap them, Richard could use the Heart of Annihilation to resolve them. ¡°Gah, sure, just little bugs. Leave me some flesh later; they taste quite good.¡± Richard¡¯s eye twitched twice, looking at the worms bursting in front of him¡­ Taste good? The thoughts of birds and humans indeed differed. ¡°You guys, clear the small fry later. I¡¯ll handle the two golden patterned worms. Just keep yourselves safe,¡± Richard instructed Ulysses, then turned his head to give orders. It was unfortunate that he hadn¡¯t encountered a Second Ring Wizard; otherwise, this demolition operation would have been much easier. These golden patterned worms might be powerful, but they were only Level 1 Creatures. Against the reaction of a Second-level Creature with a basic physique of one hundred points, these worms were merely faster snails. But Richard forgot one thing: the Black Crystal Worms were also Second and Third Level. Second Ring Wizards attracted, there would surely be Second Ring Level worms that came to stop them. The reason they had it so easy was that those Second and Third Ring Wizards elsewhere had drawn the attention of the worms. These Second and Third Ring Wizards were the focus of the worm swarm¡¯s response. ¡°You¡¯re going to handle it? The battlefield is not the place for boasting,¡± one wizard frowned and said. The magic fluctuations of this wizard were very strong, already at the limit of a One Ring Wizard, just one Promotion Ceremony shy of becoming a Second Ring Wizard. ¡°Whether it¡¯s boasting or not, you will see soon enough.¡± Richard responded coldly, and turned to issue a command to the Alchemy Golem. ¡°Straight ahead, five hundred meters, launch Annihilation Bullets.¡± Upon receiving the command, the Alchemy Golem¡¯s back immediately extended a cannon barrel. ¡°Understood.¡± A hissing sound was heard as an Annihilation Bullet landed next to the Mother Goddess Cannon, a blinding white light instantly engulfing several Warrior Worms. ¡°What¡¯s going on! Why is there an attack!¡± a Priest worm asked in panic. But he didn¡¯t receive a response before another Annihilation Bullet came crashing down. Boom! This time, the Annihilation Bullet landed right on the Mother Goddess Cannon. The blinding white light exploded on the Mother Goddess Cannon, instantly blasting a hole in it, with streams of molten metal piercing through the cannon like a sieve. The flesh of the Mother Goddess Cannon writhed, attempting to repair the wound, but the third and fourth Annihilation Bullets had already descended. Another loud explosion and the Mother Goddess Cannon was nearly blown in half, on the verge of losing its reactivity. The Priest worm acted decisively, immediately throwing two Warrior Worms into the Mother Goddess Cannon, while he himself utilized the Divine Power unique to a Priest worm. The Black Crystal on his forehead emitted beams of white light, forming a net in the air, stopping the remaining Annihilation Bullets. After intercepting them, the Priest worm¡¯s two tentacles lashed out, sending out a spiritual wave from his center that rippled outward, instantly reflecting the actions of Richard and his group into the Priest worm¡¯s brain. Seeing that the source of the damage to the Mother Goddess Cannon was these insects, the Priest worm was enraged: ¡°Mother Worm Guards! Kill those insects!¡± Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Chapter 22 War (4) Chapter 122: Chapter 22 War (4) With the command of the Sacrificial Insect, two Mother Worm Guards quickly approached Richard¡¯s direction. ¡°Get ready, those two bugs are coming over.¡± While adjusting the Alchemy Golem to defense mode, Richard reminded them. He was still satisfied with the effect of the Annihilation Bomb; he hadn¡¯t planned on directly destroying that strategic weapon with the Annihilation Bomb. The fact that it temporarily paralyzed the strategic weapon was an unexpected bonus. A few Black Wizards, with the cover of the Slave Army around them, stood ready, their bodies erupting with considerable Magic Fluctuations. Two flashes of golden light flickered incessantly through the swarm of insects, and in a brief moment, arrived at the front line. Clang! Two golden blades, one from the left and one from the right, slashed towards Richard but were blocked by a black Great Sword. ¡°Ulysses!¡± Richard roared in anger, and flames sprouted from Ulysses¡¯ mouth, quickly forming two fiery chains. The two Mother Worm Guards had just tried to pull away when Richard¡¯s figure flashed and appeared ten meters away, while at his original location, two black Fireballs violently exploded. Hum¡­ The Heart of Annihilation instantly devoured the two Mother Worm Guards, leaving the surrounding Black Wizards¡¯ eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co Richard had never used ordinary Spells against the Mother Worm Guards, so he had no idea, but these few Black Wizards had all cast Spells against the Mother Worm Guards. The Mother Worm Guards¡¯ Element Resistance was almost immune to all Elemental Damage below 300 degrees; even Spells above this Energy Level could only cause minor damage. They could deal with the Mother Worm Guards, all thanks to the Spell Fire by Ali. But what the hell were those two Fireballs from Richard? How could they so effortlessly take out the Mother Worm Guards? ¡°Richard¡­ is this the Spell you were researching?¡± Ali asked in shock. She knew Richard had been improving the Realm of Annihilation and had made progress, but there had been no enemies on the residential level, so Ali had not witnessed the power of the Heart of Annihilation. Now that she had seen it, with Ali¡¯s accumulation of knowledge, she estimated the power of this Spell to be at least at the 1500 Energy Level. ¡°Hmm, that is the Heart of Annihilation.¡± Richard nodded indifferently and then turned his gaze towards the Sacrificial Insect. He could tell that this insect, wrapped in silk-like material, was a Spiritual Evolver and also knew some primitive Spells. Moreover, according to the messages from the Communication Crystal Ball, it seemed this kind of insect could manipulate an Energy known as Star Power, unleashing Energy Attacks and techniques similar to Sealing Skills. While Richard was observing the Sacrificial Insect, the Sacrificial Insect was also paying attention to him. The black-robed insect who had killed two Mother Worm Guards in one move was definitely not as simple as it appeared. ¡°Stop these bugs, the Mother Worm Cannon must not be damaged!¡± the Sacrificial Insect commanded the surrounding crowd. Upon receiving orders, the Insect Tide immediately found direction, and hundreds of Warrior Worms turned and charged towards Richard¡¯s position. Behind them, the Sacrificial Insect guarding the Mother Goddess Cannon also stirred up Energy Fluctuations. The eternal night sky of the Insect Nest World was forever studded with starlight; this starlight, under the beckoning of the Sacrificial Insect, gathered into a mass and then dispersed among the many Warrior Worms, instantly covering them with a layer of Starlight Armor. ¡°Group buff, prepare to charge, we need to take out that insect quickly!¡± shouted a Black Wizard, seasoned from battles. On the battlefield, such beings providing group buffs were always the priority targets, no matter which side they were on. Before his words fell, Richard and another Wizard who had undergone Physique Evolution collided with the Insect Tide. Behind them, other Black Wizards instantly began providing Spell support. Explosions, electrical zaps, the smell of scorched flesh, the stench¡­ Richard, taking the lead in the charge, swung his Great Sword, with each strike claiming its target. Beside him, another Black Wizard transformed into a barbaric behemoth, his body hair moving with no wind, a pair of iron fists adorned with Runes pounded the insects before him into a splattery mess. However, even so, the distance between the Black Wizard squad and the Mother Worm Cannon didn¡¯t seem to shorten by much. The Warrior Worms cloaked in Starlight Armor seemed endless, one fell, and two more charged up. ¡°This is no use; we can¡¯t keep going like this.¡± A Black Wizard clenched his teeth and took out a purple Soul Crystal from his bosom, plunging it into his forehead. In an instant, a formidable Spiritual Shock swept across the battlefield, rendering hundreds of insects senseless, clearing the path forward for Richard. ¡°Charge!¡± The Black Wizard beside Richard roared, his body bursting into a mist of blood, his speed surging violently. In the blink of an eye, the barbaric giant reached the side of the Sacrificial Insect, his Rune-laden iron fists aiming straight for its head. ¡°Court death!¡± The Sacrificial Insect shouted angrily, and suddenly, a Starlight Shield appeared on its body, withstanding the iron fists of the barbaric Wizard. The next moment, a Starlight Spear emerged from the Sacrificial Insect¡¯s forehead Crystal, piercing through the Barbarian Wizard¡¯s head. But before the Sacrificial Insect could gloat, Richard¡¯s Great Sword appeared before its eyes. To the Black Wizards, even the death of a comrade wasn¡¯t enough to make them hesitate. Clang! The Starlight Shield also blocked the Great Sword. ¡°You flesh insects, the Divine Gifted Armor from the Mother Worm God, do you really think you can breach it!¡± The Sacrificial Insect fired another Light Spear from its brow, but it was deftly dodged by Richard, who was already prepared. ¡°Ulysses, any way to break through this thing?¡± ¡°Caw, this is nothing but a crude application of the Power of Faith, simple!¡± Ulysses spat out a ball of flames, which stuck to the Starlight Shield upon contact. The luster of the Starlight Shield rapidly dimmed. ¡°Gah, sorted, remember to leave me a couple bites of this bug.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible! How could the Divine Gifted Armor bestowed by the Mother Worm God be destroyed by something like you!¡± The Priest Worm saw the Starlight Shield rapidly dimming, as its two tentacles stood on end as if electrocuted. Richard seized the opportunity, his arm muscles swelling in an instant as torrents of Magic coursed into his right arm, forming a Rune Array in the blink of an eye. This was the Physique combat technique he had learned at the Jialong Club, utilizing the power of the flesh and Runes. This punch was packed with eight hundred Energy Levels! Boom! With a muffled sound, the Priest Worm¡¯s Starlight Armor was pierced through by Richard¡¯s punch, its massive head exploding in an instant, and green goo splattered everywhere. As he retracted his fist, Richard also casually collected the entire body of the Priest Worm. This thing was a prime subject for research. Following that, Richard took out several Annihilation Hand Grenades from his Magic Pocket and tossed them at the Mother Worm Cannon. Using Shadow Shuttling, Richard¡¯s figure flickered twice, reappearing beside the other Black Wizards. ¡°Move! This strategic weapon is dealt with.¡± As he finished speaking, the Mother Goddess Cannon erupted in a dazzling white light, turning the entire flesh pile into ashes in an instant. Seeing this, several Black Wizards didn¡¯t hesitate. They immediately moved towards the other strategic weapons, using the Slave Army for cover. ¡­ At the Floating City Command Center, dozens of commanders, using the observation equipment carried by the War Airships, were monitoring the situation of the entire battlefield. These commanders were all Three Rings Wizards, each having experienced at least ten Plane Wars, and were very rich in war experience. Under their command, the advance of the White Wizard Army was going smoothly. And in the center of them, a robed Wizard was leisurely drinking red tea, not fitting in with the others. ¡°Dean, the 75th War Airship has been damaged beyond fifty percent. The Legion Commander is requesting a retreat,¡± a commander reported to the robed Wizard. ¡°Retreat at fifty percent?¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard set his teacup aside, ¡°This White Wizard Army¡¯s commander is a bit too timid. Tell him, when it reaches seventy percent, then he can retreat.¡± ¡°Yes, Dean.¡± Plane War is a clash of kings against kings, generals against generals, especially from the Wizards¡¯ side. Great Wizards at that level of strength must not be deployed prematurely. As the invader, the Great Wizard would face a World Master boosted by the full support of the Power of the World. In this state, the World Master¡¯s strength would be close to fifty percent more than usual. Even with the intelligence of a Wizard, one must be careful when facing numerical monsters. ¡°Dean, an abnormal fluctuation has been detected,¡± another commander reported. ¡°In the rear of the battlefield, a strong energy fluctuation has appeared, and it is immensely powerful. It is suspected that the World Master is preparing to make an appearance.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard stood up, ¡°What¡¯s the situation on the battlefield?¡± ¡°The Black Crystal Insect swarm has lost close to four million insects, the majority being Level 1 Creatures, over ninety-five percent of which are Physique Evolvers.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard showed no reaction to this achievement and then asked: ¡°And the strategic weapons?¡± ¡°The strategic weapons have been destroyed by about seventy percent under targeted attacks by our Black Wizards, with a loss of close to one-fifth on our side.¡± ¡°That will do,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard snapped his fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s have our precious students hide. It¡¯s time for king against king.¡± ¡°Yes, Dean.¡± On the battlefield, all the Black Wizards received the retreat order from the command center. ¡°All Black Wizards are commanded, having achieved the objective of destroying the strategic weapons, to transition to hiding and await orders from the command center! Repeat, all Black Wizards to transition to hiding and await orders from the command center!¡± Listening to the message from the Communication Crystal Ball, the Black Wizards advancing towards the strategic weapons immediately began to disengage from the battlefield. The front line was never Black Wizards¡¯ strong suit, and since the command center ordered them to hide, no Black Wizard was interested in continuing to engage. They were now prime targets for the insect swarm, with a single One Ring Black Wizard attracting three or four Mother Worm Guards, plus supporting Priest Worms. ¡°It looks like the strategic weapons have been mostly destroyed, the remaining ones pose little threat to the War Airships and the White Wizard Army,¡± Richard surmised, listening to the message transmitted by the Communication Crystal Ball. At that moment, there were only two Black Wizards left by his side. One was the Spell Cannon he was keeping a close eye on, Ali, and the other was the old Black Wizard who was on the verge of advancing to the Second Ring. This Black Wizard followed the Undead School and had a deep understanding of Shadow Magic. In the everlasting night of the Insect Nest World, his abilities were significantly enhanced. ¡°Not necessarily,¡± the old Black Wizard objected. ¡°Oh?¡± Richard¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°Lawrence, what insights do you have?¡± ¡°Based on my experience from the previous two wars, we¡¯re probably about to enter the king against king phase.¡± ¡°King against king?¡± ¡°That is, the World Master against the Great Wizard.¡± As soon as Lawrence finished speaking, there was a change within the swarm. A radiant figure flew in from the rear, and wherever it passed, all the Black Crystal Insects knelt on the ground. The voices of the insects came in waves, eventually converging into a single phrase. ¡°Praise the Mother Worm God!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Chapter 23 War (5) Chapter 123: Chapter 23 War (5) Mother Worm God, the progenitor of the Black Crystal Worm Clan, the World Master of the Insect Nest World, the guardian of the Insect Nest World. This Level 4 creature, bearing multiple titles, finally revealed itself after nearly four million of its kind had perished. Surrounded by a radiant aura, a gigantic black crystal insect, tens of meters in length and seemingly forged from gold, gradually advanced towards the Floating City. Bathed in its light, all the bodies of the Black Crystal Worm Clan felt warm and their wounds began to heal rapidly. ¡°Ulysses, how strong is this insect?¡± Richard communicated with Ulysses via psychic waves. ¡°Nothing unexpected, just an ordinary World Master,¡± Ulysses replied. ¡°The only praiseworthy thing about this insect is its use of the Power of Faith. The radiance on its body is the initial purification of the Power of Faith. Although it can¡¯t compare with the Power of Faith of the Gods Civilization, for a being that is the World Master of a Miniature World and a native, it¡¯s already incredibly intelligent.¡± ¡°Power of Faith? Is this the application of the Power of Faith?¡± Richard, observing the changes in the swarm, exclaimed in surprise. Such extensive life healing, this spell would probably be difficult to achieve even for a Great Wizard of the Undead School. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled,¡± Ulysses said disdainfully. ¡°The healing effect is a rule effect of this insect. I guess its rules are related to flesh, reproduction, and life. However, the reason it can apply the rules so extensively is due to the help of the Power of Faith.¡± After speaking, a hint of reminiscence flashed in Ulysses¡¯s eyes. There was a time when he too was formidable, but now he could only use the body of a Level 1 creature to work for another Level 1 creature. It was frustrating to think about. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co But after his frustration, Ulysses chose to accept reality, and he continued speaking to Richard: ¡°When this insect and your Great Wizards are mixed in battle later, be smart. If you can collect any fragments of this insect¡¯s body, it will be of great help to both of us. Now I need to hide, otherwise they might detect me when they go all out later.¡± With that, Ulysses flew to Richard¡¯s waist, opened a Magic Pocket, and crawled inside, leaving Richard alone to continue watching the battle. ¡­ The Plane War is a battle of king against king, general against general. Since the Mother Worm God had appeared, the Black Tower Great Wizard naturally had to appear as well. A black shadow flew out of the Floating City, and in the blink of an eye, the shadow transformed into a hundred-meter-tall black-robed wizard. The two formidable creatures confronted each other in the sky, a mountainous pressure descending upon the battlefield. Under this pressure, the entire battlefield fell eerily silent, all creatures watching the two terrifying beings in the sky. Suddenly, the Mother Worm God seemed to sense something, its golden wings unfolded, and its figure instantly disappeared. At the same time, all the creatures on the battlefield felt a terrifying sensation. It was as if a volcano was about to erupt. ¡°Hehehe, it¡¯s too late to hide now!¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s sinister laugh thundered like a storm, an evil, frenzied aura emanating from within him, plunging any creature that felt it into terrifying illusions. He slashed open space, pulling out a Rune Wand from the void. Majestic Magic Power gathered toward the wand, and in an instant, countless black Rune Chains shot from the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s body into the void, forcibly dragging the vanished Mother Worm God out from it. Boom¡ª Suddenly, a hatch on the bottom of the Floating City opened, unleashing a torrent of energy, over ten meters thick, rushing through the heavenly vault and piercing through the body of the Mother Worm God. In an instant, golden insect blood splattered across the sky. ¡°That is¡­ the Floating City main cannon!¡± Richard, stunned by the flow of energy, realized that the contained energy exceeded his understanding, its power reaching at least a hundred thousand Energy Level. Only a super-sized war fortress like the Floating City could operate such a high-level Alchemy Weapon. ¡°Gulp.¡± Richard swallowed hard, looking at the wounded Mother Worm God. Even after being hit by such a terrifying attack, the Mother Worm God had not died. Are all these World Masters monsters? ¡­ ¡°Mother Worm God¡­ wounded?¡± The thought flashed through the minds of the Black Crystal Worm Clan on the ground. The being they revered, honored, the supreme Mother Worm God, was injured! ¡°Zzz!¡± The Mother Worm God let out a roar, its sonorous waves instantly killing thousands from the Slave Army and several unfortunate Black Wizards. In the presence of a World Master, disorganized lower-level creatures were merely food and cannon fodder. The Black Tower Great Wizard, seeing that the Mother Worm God still possessed such vitality, swung his wand, sending a purple lightning bolt thousands of meters long across the sky, heading straight for the Mother Worm God. Its power was at least fifty thousand Energy Level. Seeing this, the Mother Worm God spread its golden wings behind, vanishing once again. The next moment, a golden light cleaved through space, the Mother Worm God¡¯s front limbs transforming into Blade Arms, wrapped in a rich golden light nearly flowing, charging towards the Black Tower Great Wizard. ¡°Foolish insect.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard scoffed, his body suddenly dispersing, transforming into black chains that wrapped around the Mother Worm God, while his figure appeared thousands of meters away. Against a World Master with evolved Physique, the Black Tower Great Wizard had ample battle experience. Boom! A thousand-meter-long purple thunderbolt struck the Mother Worm God in an instant, leaving a charred wound. ¡°Zzz!¡± The Mother Worm God roared again, the Black Crystal on its forehead emitting golden light, attracting the starlight of the sky, forming a bright light ball as clear as the moon. The next moment, the light ball dispersed, and a web-like network of starlight unfolded in the air, completely restraining the entire space. ¡°Restraining space, interesting,¡± said the Black Tower Great Wizard, revealing a sinister smile. The black robe on his body instantly dispersed into a pitch-black canopy, encircling the Mother Worm God. Numberless black, twisting tentacles emerged from beneath his robe, the mad and terrifying aura causing the Mother Worm God to shudder. ¡°Hisss!¡± The Mother Worm God let out a wary hiss, her body¡¯s golden glow began to condense, ultimately concentrating into the black crystal at her brow. She spread her wings, attempting to escape the scope of the black curtain, but because of the restricted space, she couldn¡¯t use her spatial abilities and could only watch as the black curtain drew closer. Unless she left this battlefield. But as the Mother Worm God, how could she flee so easily? As the tentacles of the Black Tower Great Wizard neared, the Mother Worm God swung her blade arms incessantly, instantly shredding the encroaching tentacles with a curtain of golden blades. Yet, strangely, no matter how many she cut, there were always more tentacles relentlessly attacking her. From the outside, although the body of the Black Tower Great Wizard continued to expand, not a single tentacle approached the Mother Worm God. Those tentacles reached into the void, continuously eroding the space around the Mother Worm God. Unbeknownst to her, the rules of the Black Tower Great Wizard had already begun to affect her mind, and she had not yet realized she was trapped in an illusion. The Mother Worm God¡¯s arms swung faster and faster, her sharp blade arms nearly slicing through space; still, in her perception, endlessly approaching were evil-filled tentacles. ¡°Szzz!¡± The Mother Worm God roared angrily, her pair of blade arms swinging fiercely, instantly tearing open space. But it was still in vain. Illusions don¡¯t change because of reality. ¡°Heh heh heh, such stupidity from a World Master.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard leisurely controlled his domain, slowly draining the Mother Worm God¡¯s power, aiming to gradually drag her to death in this dark realm. Had he managed to eliminate the Mother Worm God at the start, this plane war would have ended. Only a World Master can oppose a Great Wizard. Without a World Master, all the insects of the entire world combined were mere ants before the Black Tower Great Wizard. But soon, he noticed something amiss. The power of the Mother Worm God was depleting rather too quickly, almost as if something were extracting her power. ¡°Not good!¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s figure shuddered, realizing the Mother Worm God¡¯s intention. But by then, it was somewhat too late. In the dark realm, along with the explosion of dazzling golden light from the Mother Worm God¡¯s brow and her body, the concentrated Power of Faith combined with her own power immediately tore a huge hole in the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s domain. The Black Tower Great Wizard grunted, his figure trembling slightly. This dark domain was akin to his body; having it forcibly ripped open was as painful as one could imagine. But the price paid by the Mother Worm God was also not small. In the ground below, among the Black Crystal Worm Clan, suddenly hundreds of thousands of insects felt a tightening in their hearts, a strong sadness flooding their minds. It felt as though their mother had died. The High Priest of the Insect Country, understanding the truth the moment the sadness burst forth. It wasn¡¯t the Mother Worm God herself that had appeared, but merely a Mother Worm carrying the Mother Worm God¡¯s power. Now, their mother was dead. ¡°My friends, the Mother Worm of our Insect Country has returned to the embrace of the Mother Worm God,¡± the High Priest of the now motherless Insect Country said to the other priests, bowing slightly, his voice unnaturally calm. ¡°May you all expel these extraterrestrial invaders, may you all win glory for the Mother Worm God, may our Black Crystal Worm Clan prosper and flourish.¡± Having said that, the High Priest issued a command that only the insects of his Insect Country could receive. ¡°All troops, attack, avenge the Mother Worm.¡± Meanwhile, he himself forcibly pulled out the black crystal from his brow, held it in his palms and kneeled towards the direction of the Insect Nest. Every High Priest of an Insect Country would perform a sacrifice before dying. And the sacrifice for this ritual was themselves. The celestial power they had accumulated for years, the Power of Faith they had collected, and even their souls were offered as sacrifices to the Mother Worm God. Ordinary Black Crystal Insects didn¡¯t have the ability to breed; all Insect Countries depended on the Mother Worm to bear offspring. With the death of the Mother Worm, the Insect Country would perish. A perished Insect Country didn¡¯t need a High Priest. ¡°Praise the Mother Worm God.¡± ¡­ ¡°All Wizards, attention, all Wizards, attention, the enemy World Master has disappeared, the enemy World Master has disappeared. All troops, attack, all troops, attack! The Black Tower Great Wizard will fight alongside you!¡± The cold command from the Communication Crystal Ball, watching the fearless swarm of insects before him, Richard took a deep breath. ¡°Prepare for battle!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 124 - Chapter 124: Chapter 24 War (End) Chapter 124: Chapter 24 War (End) With the disappearance of the Mother Worm God, all Black Crystal Worm Clans on the Black Bone Plain began to retreat, except for the one where the Mother Worm had died. Although the Black Tower Great Wizard had been tricked by the Mother Worm God and suffered some injuries, he still maintained a crushing advantage over these lower-level creatures. His black robe expanded and instantaneously enveloped tens of thousands of the Black Crystal Worm Clan. In just a moment, the creatures under his robe were devoured by an indescribable force. Without organization, countless lower-level creatures posed no threat to the Great Wizard. With the Great Wizard¡¯s assistance, the wizard¡¯s frontline naturally advanced steadily. Boom! A purple fireball exploded next to Richard, turning a sneaky Warrior Worm into char. Capitalizing on the cover of the fire wave, Richard fired off a Heart of Annihilation. Buzz! A Mother Worm Guard was devoured halfway, instantly losing its vitality. At this moment, the battle on the Black Bone Plain had become one-sided. After the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s front had advanced steadily, he returned to the Floating City, for reasons unknown¡ªwhether it was due to his injury or sparing his magic power. On the frontline, the White Wizard Army continued to expand its victories, while the Black Wizard muddled through, starting to collect his spoils of war. That was the advantage of being a Black Wizard; although their work carried greater risk, the rewards could surpass that of two White Wizards. After collecting the body of the Mother Worm Guard, Richard halted his steps. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co ¡°Ali, Lawrence, are you going to continue the pursuit?¡± Ali and Lawrence stopped beside him. Over the past few days, the three of them had fought with Richard as their core, forming a small-scale White Wizard squad. Though they lacked combined attack skills, they smoothly pursued their enemies by relying on their high individual combat power and the tacit understanding common among Black Wizards. ¡°It¡¯s up to you. If you aren¡¯t moving forward, I am not either,¡± Ali said nonchalantly, leaning on her magic wand. According to her mentor, Susanna, surviving the war was considered a success for her, and earning magic stones was secondary. Besides, the War Academy would take half of the spoils¡ªthe more they earned, the more the Academy benefited. ¡°What about you, Lawrence?¡± Richard turned his gaze to the old wizard he had met just over ten days ago. Lawrence had participated in two plane wars; both his strength and experience were exceptional. Over these days, Lawrence¡¯s Shadow Magic had helped them escape dangers several times. ¡°I plan to continue pursuing for a while. This is one of the highest gain opportunities in this plane war,¡± Lawrence said with a raspy voice. He was a Free Wizard, participating in the war for magic stones. With his strength, fighting with the wind in his sails posed little danger. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s part ways here.¡± With that, Richard and Ali turned around and flew towards the Floating City. Following this brutal war, the entire terrain of the Black Bone Plain was left pockmarked, covered with bones and remnants of spells. These bones included those of Black Crystal Worms, slaves from the Slave Army, and battle beasts created by wizards. If a wizard studied flesh, these corpses were quite a worthwhile collection. On the way back, Richard encountered Jolod, who was leading Otherworldly slaves to collect flesh. As a technical talent of the Academy, Jolod mostly stayed off the battlefield during inter-plane expeditions. His duty was to collect the flesh left on the battlefield and then create battle beasts to feed the war. ¡°Master.¡± Richard bade farewell to Ali and landed on the ground. ¡°Oh, Richard!¡± Jolod, upon seeing the visitor, walked excitedly towards Richard. ¡°You seem to have adapted well to the war. You look unscathed.¡± Richard smiled: ¡°It¡¯s manageable. I was lucky to survive with a few companions.¡± ¡°Surviving is enough. For a newly promoted wizard like you, just surviving is already good.¡± Jolod patted Richard, casually swung a magic whip, and struck the back of a Soul Slave. ¡°Don¡¯t slack off!¡± Richard watched curiously as these Otherworldly slaves constantly collected flesh from the ground and put it into a large pot. ¡°Is this for making battle beasts with collected flesh?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°Yes, do you need active flesh? I can give you some,¡± Jolod winked at Richard, ¡°Normally, there¡¯s some ¡®loss¡¯ in producing active flesh.¡± Richard smiled knowingly; ¡°I¡¯ll take some.¡± The ¡®loss¡¯ in producing active flesh wasn¡¯t much. Richard obtained about thirty kilograms of First Level active flesh; although it couldn¡¯t compare to the Third Level active flesh produced by Flesh Tentacles, it could still sell for one magic stone per gram. Besides active flesh, Richard learned another piece of news from Jolod. The collection of the scattered flesh of the Mother Worm God was not yet complete, and many flesh fragments remained scattered. These fragments did not need to be turned over to the Academy; any wizard that found them kept them. ¡°If you¡¯re interested in these pieces of flesh, this hunting dog can help you find them faster.¡± Jolod pulled a black-furred hunting dog from his pocket, along with a small piece of the Mother Worm God¡¯s flesh, and handed them to Richard. The hunting dog¡¯s nose had been specially modified to quickly locate any flesh within a two-kilometer radius. Richard accepted the hunting dog and thanked Jolod repeatedly. ¡°What for? You¡¯re my student, such a small favor is nothing,¡± Jolod laughed, waved his hand, and turned to chide the Otherworldly slaves not to slack off. Leaving Jolod behind, Richard began searching the Black Bone Plain with the hunting dog for flesh pieces dropped by the World Master. The hound¡¯s nose was enormous, boasting six air passages. With a single breath, it could discern every scent within a two-kilometer radius. ¡°Woof!¡± Suddenly, the hound barked furiously in one direction, and Richard immediately advanced that way. After flying over a thousand meters, Richard halted. A palm-sized golden carapace lay on the ground, surrounded by a small crater it had smashed upon impact. The carapace was still emitting a faint aura of oppression, causing the hound to hesitate to approach. Richard stepped forward and picked up the carapace. Instantly, information transmitted from the Miracle Furnace. [Ingredient: Carapace of the Mother Worm God] [Refinable Rule: Nurturing (extremely incomplete) (dissipating)] [Extraction Cost: 5 Soul Power] [Refinable Substance: Bloodline of the Black Crystal Mother Worm] [Refining Cost: 20,000 Magic Power] [Refinable Substance: Pure Gold] [Refining Cost: 20,000 Magic Power] Looking at the information before him, Richard¡¯s lips curled upward uncontrollably. This was a major find. Whether it was the Nurturing Rule or the Mother Worm Bloodline, both were priceless treasures. Compared to them, Pure Gold was the least valuable. Richard opened the pouch at his waist and called out Ulysses. ¡°Ulysses, take a look at this carapace.¡± Emerging from the pouch, Ulysses glanced at the golden carapace and immediately his eyes lit up. ¡°Gah, fine item, this one would taste absolutely great!¡± After speaking, it shifted its gaze to Richard and slyly said, ¡°Gah, my dear master, how about letting me take a bite of this carapace?¡± ¡°A bite?¡± Richard was somewhat surprised, ¡°You are a Level 1 creature now, can you even bite through it?¡± ¡°Gah!¡± Ulysses exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°I forgot! Damn it, why am I a Level 1 creature now!¡± Ulysses, frustrated, landed on the carapace and pecked at it fiercely twice, resulting in no damage to the carapace but chipping a piece off his beak instead. ¡°Gah, my beak!¡± Ulysses flapped about in pain in mid-air. Richard, resigned, grabbed Ulysses, ¡°Enough, see if there¡¯s any Power of Faith you want in there!¡± ¡°Gah, no,¡± Ulysses glanced at the golden carapace and shook his head. ¡°There are no rules in this thing, let alone Power of Faith.¡± ¡°No rules?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s no rule inside it?¡± ¡°Gah, absolutely sure.¡± ¡°Alright, I have another question.¡± Richard recalled a saying by the Guardian of the Wizard World; these beings couldn¡¯t sense the Rule Power within an incomplete physique. It seemed the Miracle Furnace had a stronger sense of Rule Power than a typical World Master. ¡°Do rules have any constraints, like can a creature only master one type of rule?¡± ¡°Gah, no, for you at this stage, the more rules the better,¡± Ulysses replied, ¡°However, if you¡¯re pursuing combat power, it¡¯s best to specialize in exploring one rule.¡± ¡°Now?¡± Richard noted this qualifying word. ¡°Gah, when you reach the Divine stage, you will forge a Rule Body, and conflicting rules cannot coexist in a Rule Body.¡± Richard nodded. Since there was no issue, he naturally had to refine the rule from the Mother Worm God fragment. Richard had been a wizard for over sixty years, and his spiritual power, through meditation, had reached 63. If all went well, in another two hundred years, he would hit the peak of a One Ring Wizard¡¯s spiritual power¡ª99.9. However, for a wizard, increasing spiritual power was the simplest aspect of ascension. The materials and the Soul Darkness during the ascension ceremony were the greatest challenges. Seeing the golden carapace suddenly vanish, an astonished Ulysses exclaimed: ¡°Gah, your furnace couldn¡¯t possibly handle rules, could it?¡± Richard did not respond, but as his spiritual power limit decreased, a cluster of Rule Power appeared above the Miracle Furnace. Fusing it, Richard experienced an epiphany once again, and the previously fused Flesh Rule surprisingly interacted with the Nurturing Rule during the integration. After the interaction, Richard realized a new ability: ¡°Whew.¡± Richard took a deep breath; the interaction of the two rules had altered his ability to comprehend. He could now use Flesh to nurture a clone, with the physique of this clone unable to surpass that of the original. Other than that, the clone¡¯s attributes would be identical to those of the original. Richard defined this ability as¡ªan even more perfect Cloning Technique. His current finances were insufficient to support the production of a Life Box, but in the future, once he had the funds, this ability would save him the cost of crafting a body out of Magic Stone. Putting the carapace back into his pocket, Richard turned to search other areas. The Black Bone Plain was vast, and this type of body fragment was definitely not the only one. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Chapter 25: Upgrading Equipment Chapter 125: Chapter 25: Upgrading Equipment ¡°Phew, this is probably the last piece,¡± Richard muttered to himself as he looked at the fist-sized golden blood clot in front of him. Three days had passed since Richard found the first fragment, and many Black Wizards returning from the front lines had joined the search for pieces of the Mother Worm God¡¯s body. Information transmitted from the Miracle Furnace. [Material: Remnants of the Mother Worm God] [Refinable Substance: Mother Worm Bloodline] [Refining Cost: 20,000 Magic Power] [Refinable Substance: Pure Gold] [Refining Cost: 20,000 Magic Power] ¡°Indeed, no rules remnants,¡± Richard noted as he observed the information transmitted from the Miracle Furnace. In the past two days, he had found two more fragments, which, like this one, had not the slightest trace of rules remnants. The rules remnants had lasted much shorter than Richard had anticipated. However, this was a good thing since refining rules would require Richard to use Soul Power, which was not so easily replenished. If it dropped below fifty in spiritual power, his body would suffer from a mismatch between spirit and flesh, leading to limb imbalance and decreased control, among other negative effects. If the remnants hadn¡¯t dispersed, deciding whether to refine or not would have been a tough choice. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co After searching for the fragments of the Mother Worm God, Richard returned to the Floating City. By the time he arrived, the Floating City had descended from the sky, transforming into a ground fortress. The lower half of the Floating City¡¯s metal shell had unfolded to form various defensive structures and city walls. Inside the walls, many logistical wizards were busy adjusting and repairing the compartments of the Floating City and installing various alchemy weapons. These logistical wizards were mainly responsible for the maintenance of war equipment, construction of war fortresses and castles, as well as healing and building Teleportation Gates to the Wizard World. Unless it was the most critical moment, these wizards would absolutely not enter the battlefield. The descent of the Floating City brought Richard quite a bit of trouble. While sailing through the Star Realm, their rooms had been in the lower hemisphere of the Floating City; now, it seemed that those rooms were trapped below. Before he found an entrance underground, however, a familiar figure entered his vision. ¡°Anna!¡± Richard descended from the sky and greeted a busy silhouette. This group of wizards was fabricating metal parts to repair damaged War Airships. At the sound of his voice, Anna¡¯s eyes lit up. She immediately tossed aside the tools she was working with and excitedly grasped Richard¡¯s arm. ¡°Richard!? Thank heavens, you¡¯re alive as well.¡± Richard grinned, ¡°Just lucky to have bumped into a few reliable teammates.¡± ¡°Luck is also part of strength,¡± Anna sighed in relief. ¡°I was fortunate, too; I followed a Three Rings Wizard and managed to survive. Chax, though, wasn¡¯t as lucky; he lost an arm and half his heart and is now lying in the hospital.¡± Half a heart¡­ Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel fortunate for Chax when he heard about his injuries. Losing half a heart was no light matter for a wizard; without prior bodily enhancements, sustaining such damage would only allow a wizard to rely on their physique for some time. The fact that Chax managed to make it to the hospital was indeed a stroke of great luck. ¡°It¡¯s good that our senior brother is still alive; the Medical Wizards will definitely ensure he comes out as good as new,¡± Richard remarked, then turned to inquire about the way underground. ¡°By the way, elder sister, how do you get to our old dormitories from the Floating City era? I still have stuff left in there.¡± ¡°Go south from here to the third spire; the first level has an underground entrance,¡± Anna pointed to a certain spire. ¡°Once the Floating City unfolded, our previous rooms quickly became storerooms, so if you have things, take them away quickly.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now.¡± ¡­ Following the underground entrance on the first level of the spire, Richard easily found his room. At the moment, some wizards were opening the rooms one by one, organizing and packing the items inside. Richard entered his room and took out the Flesh Tentacles cultivation chamber from the cabinet. This object was the most precious thing he possessed, an unending source of third-level active flesh, a treasure trove that would please any wizard interested in researching Synthetic Beasts. Besides the Flesh Tentacles, the other things Richard left in the room were some alchemy materials. After packing everything up, he left the room and returned to the ground. As the war was going very smoothly and various pieces of intelligence were still under investigation, Richard had no pressing missions at present. Taking advantage of this time, he planned to upgrade his equipment. Without dormitories in the ground structures of the Floating City, wizards had to establish their own abodes or wait for logistical wizards to build dwellings. Richard obviously could not wait for logistical wizards, so he had to build a temporary residence for himself in the Black Bone Plain. Richard found a level spot outside of the Floating City, his Magic Power surged within him, and with a finger pointed towards the ground: ¡°Mud to Stone.¡± In an instant, a yellow light shot out from his fingertip, hit the ground, and a roughly four square meter area of earth instantly turned into solid stone. After the Apprentice War, Richard had started to pay attention to these spells that seemed unhelpful in combat. The long lifespans of wizards could help them become jacks-of-all-trades. He cast several Mud to Stones in succession, hardening a large enough area of ground. Richard then took out a seed from his pocket and planted it at the edge of the hardened ground, watering it with a few bottles of Alchemy Potions. In just a moment, trees as thick as bowls sprouted up, forming the walls of a room. These seeds were Demonized seeds processed by Wizards, and they were quite affordable, Ten seeds for one Magic Stone¡ªideal materials for setting up a temporary shelter. After a bit of trimming and adding wood to form a roof and some furniture, Richard¡¯s temporary shelter was complete. Entering the room, Richard placed the Demon Eater Sword on the table and fell into deep thought while looking at the large and small notches on the blade. The bodies of the Mother Worm Guards contained a small amount of Pure Gold, which made their Blade Arms far harder than the Demon Eater Sword. If he didn¡¯t upgrade and modify the Demon Eater Sword, it wouldn¡¯t be long before it was scrapped. ¡°Upgrade and modify¡­¡± Richard¡¯s fingers tapped incessantly on the tabletop as countless ideas collided in his mind. He was planning to make a minor modification to the Demon Eater Sword. Given the current situation, the shape of the Great Sword was somewhat unsuitable for the upcoming battlefield. The blade of the Great Sword was too thin, prone to chipping and even nearing damage to the Core Runes along the notches on the blade in battles with the insects. Therefore, Richard intended to transform it into a Magic Wand while retaining the three Core Magic spells of the Demon Eater Sword. What Wizard could be without a Magic Wand? Moreover, Richard possessed knowledge about amplifying Fire Element Spells, which a Magic Wand could effectively enhance. With a plan in mind, Richard promptly set in motion. However, before making the Magic Wand, he needed to extract the Pure Gold first. Pulling out the bodies of insects from the Magic Pocket, Richard had collected a total of seven bodies of Mother Worm Guards during the war. Due to the power of the Heart of Annihilation, most of the bodies were incomplete, severed in half, and many were lacking Blade Arms, which had the highest content of Pure Gold. ¡°Ga, we had an agreement,¡± Ulysses suddenly spoke up from Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Leave a bit for me to eat.¡± Richard gave him a glance; even a World Master still had desires for taste. ¡°Ga, you young ones who haven¡¯t reached a hundred years old wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± noticing Richard¡¯s glance, Ulysses said disdainfully, ¡°When you reach my age, you¡¯ll realize how important the senses you presently neglect are. Thousands of years are enough to try all kinds of flavors, but once you tire of them, you¡¯ll find that eternity is also a form of pain. At that point, you¡¯ll come to understand the importance of new sensations.¡± Richard responded with a hint of mocking smile: ¡°If eternity is such a pain, why don¡¯t you resolve it once and for all?¡± ¡°Ga, that¡¯s because death is even more painful.¡± Although Richard somewhat looked down on Ulysses¡¯s behavior, he still needed Ulysses¡¯s help, so he had to give up the insect bodies. Fortunately, Ulysses wasn¡¯t asking for much. Of the seven bodies, he only took one, leaving the rest for Richard. After refining with the Miracle Furnace, Richard extracted about a kilogram of Pure Gold from these bodies. This left Richard slightly disappointed. Though Pure Gold was on par with Mithril and Ao Steel as top-tier Alchemy materials, unlike these metals sold by the gram, Pure Gold was sold by volume. Five thousand Magic Stones for one cubic centimeter. This pricing was primarily because Pure Gold¡¯s density was so high that selling by weight would make Cutting extremely troublesome. Looking at the tiny piece of Pure Gold the size of half a finger in his hand, Richard complained: ¡°All these bodies, and there¡¯s only this little Pure Gold?¡± ¡°Ga, you¡¯re still not satisfied with that much?¡± Ulysses retorted from the side, ¡°Pure Gold in our place, even a little mixed in, would be considered a Legendary weapon, and if there¡¯s more, it could even reach a Demigod Artifact level. If you have a weapon made purely of Pure Gold, some impoverished Divine beings would have to step down.¡± ¡°But this is still too little; it can only make an alloy,¡± Richard said helplessly. ¡°Ga, the insects only did a plating; you shouldn¡¯t be so ungrateful.¡± Having refined the Pure Gold, Richard proceeded to disassemble the Demon Eater Sword. The material of the Demon Eater Sword was not bad either. The excess parts, once removed and stripped of Runes, could be remelted and used as material for the Magic Wand. After disassembling, the original Demon Eater Sword was transformed into a metal bar adorned with Runes. With the insertions complete, Richard began drafting the design for the Magic Wand. He designed the shape of the Magic Wand to be a short stick level with the eyebrows, with the headpiece temporarily vacant, and various Rune Arrays neatly arranged inside the staff. These Rune Arrays were mainly to harmonize the three Core Magic spells and establish a Fire Element amplification Array. After the design was set, it was time for production. The parts removed from the Demon Eater Sword were melted down into liquid metal, and Richard added a touch of alchemy materials mixed with Pure Gold to make a much harder alloy. Next came the shaping of the staff, Engraving Runes, constructing the Magic Conducting Circuit¡­ and other intricate steps. The entire production process took Richard nearly a month. During this time, the White Wizard Army¡¯s war efforts had paused, focusing on fortification construction, while the Black Wizard start to assign tasks based on strength to infiltrate behind enemy lines. With the last Rune engraved, the metal Magic Wand with slight gold patterns emitted a faint Magic Fluctuation from the table. This was the sign of a successful creation. Richard sat back in the chair and let out a long breath, having finally completed the Magic Wand before the command post assigned him a task. But before he could catch his breath, the command from the communications Crystal Ball beside him came through. ¡°All One Ring Black Wizards are to immediately come to the Floating City.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Chapter 26 Underground World (Part 1) Chapter 126: Chapter 26 Underground World (Part 1) The Floating City Fortress, after about a month of construction, was now preliminarily perfected, and various alchemy weapons had been preliminarily set up. If another war broke out on the Black Bone Plain now, ten thousand White Wizards could easily win the war with these alchemy weapons. When Richard approached within five hundred meters of the Floating City, a warning sound suddenly emitted from his crystal ball. ¡°Warning, warning, unauthorized flight within the airspace of the Floating City without clearance is not allowed.¡± As soon as the voice ended, Richard saw several White Wizards flying over from the ground, each holding a magic wand. ¡°Who goes there? Where is your flight permit?¡± Seeing this, Richard quickly explained, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been out for the past month and was unaware of this rule.¡± The White Wizards scanned Richard¡¯s body with their spiritual power and, upon confirming that he was a Wizard, said, ¡°There¡¯s flying control over the airspace of the Floating City, no Wizard may fly without a cleared flight plan, please cooperate with us.¡± Richard didn¡¯t say much more and immediately landed. Walking from the ground into the Floating City Fortress, Richard encountered many Black Wizards like himself; unlike White Wizards, they preferred to study alone, which also resulted in them being somewhat out of the loop on news. Inside the Floating City Fortress, there had already gathered quite a few Black Wizards, and Richard immediately spotted Ali among them. ¡°Ali.¡± Richard walked over to her and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s the situation with this assembly? Are they distributing infiltration tasks?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co Ali¡¯s mentor Susanna was also participating in this war, and she was even a member of the command staff; her information was much more up-to-date than Richard¡¯s. ¡°Sort of an infiltration,¡± Ali replied. ¡°Our frontal battlefield is progressing smoothly, and according to the territorial divisions of this world, we have already captured two Insect Countries. But these insects have nests not only on the surface, there is also a very complex structure of earth caves underground, and some insects have hidden inside and keep harassing us relentlessly. The terrain of the earth caves is not well-suited for the White Wizard Army, so the task of clearing these insects has been handed over to us Black Wizards.¡± Richard nodded, having roughly understood the nature of this mission. The Black Wizards were individually powerful and more agile in combat, and this mission was indeed suitable for them. Ali glanced at the magic wand in Richard¡¯s hand and touched it with some curiosity. ¡°Where¡¯s your Great Sword? Why switch to a wand that doesn¡¯t even have a wand head?¡± The head of a wand is generally the core of the wand, and a good wand head can significantly enhance the power of spells even without engraving runes. The Molten Lava Gem magic wand Ali used as an Apprentice is a classic example. ¡°The Great Sword is not quite suitable for dealing with these insects, so I transformed it into a wand and added some runes. As for the wand head¡­¡± Richard scratched his head with resignation, ¡°I didn¡¯t have many materials on hand, so I had to make do.¡± ¡°Transforming a Great Sword into a wand!?¡± Ali exclaimed, ¡°You Alchemy Wizards are too casual, changing your Magic Equipment as soon as it doesn¡¯t suit the battlefield.¡± As she spoke, Ali took out her own magic wand somewhat sourly. The body of the wand had many signs of repair, but due to the lackluster skills of the repairing wizard, there were still many marks left by Warrior Worms visible on it. ¡°Do you think you could enhance this wand a bit?¡± ¡°Enhance?¡± Richard looked over the wand. This wand was a gift from her mentor Susanna after Ali became a Wizard. Its wand head, a Flame Crystal coupled with a Rune Array, could enhance the power of Fire Element Spells by a hundred Energy Levels. With this wand, combined with Ali¡¯s already remarkable proficiency in Shaping Magic, even her most basic Fireball Technique reached seven hundred Energy Levels. And if she used Spell Fire, her spell power could even soar to fifteen hundred Energy Levels, dealing area damage. Unlike Richard¡¯s Heart of Annihilation, which could only be used for single-target spells. Therefore, during the previous battles, Ali had always been used as an artillery piece, protected by a few Black Wizards. ¡°With my skill level, enhancement can only be done by changing materials now.¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± Ali took her wand back with some disappointment. As Black Wizards from all directions of the Black Bone Plain converged, the command finally issued their orders. From the Communication Crystal Ball, the command¡¯s cold voice continuously assigned tasks to the Black Wizards present. The Wizards who received their missions collected various corresponding items from logistical Wizards according to the mission¡¯s needs. In the past month, the logistical Wizards of the Floating City had conducted a lot of research on the Black Crystal Insects and designed quite a few items targeting the Black Crystal Worm Clan. The purpose of the Black Wizards¡¯ mission this time was not only to eliminate the insects in the Underground Insect Nests but also to test these items. Richard¡¯s task was to eradicate the insects in the Underground Insect Nests and explore the terrain of the nests as thoroughly as possible. Ali¡¯s mission was the same as his, and the location was also Insect Nest Number One. Following the instructions of the mission, they received a set of alchemy items from the logistical Wizards, including a Concealing Potion that would mask their own scent, an Imaging Crystal Ball that could emit reconnaissance sound waves, a reusable Slave Seal, and a Magic Pocket for holding slaves. According to the command¡¯s information, there were many non-combatant insects in the Underground Insect Nests, which the Black Tower Great Wizard was temporarily buying in unlimited quantities. Depending on the type, the price ranged from one Magic Stone to one hundred Magic Stones each. While collecting the items, Richard and Ali unexpectedly ran into a familiar Wizard. ¡°Lawrence, which Insect Nest are you cleaning up?¡± Richard greeted familiarly. As teammates who had fought together, Richard was very clear about Lawrence¡¯s strength¡ªin the narrow spaces of the underground insect nest, the power of his shadow magic would definitely increase significantly. Lawrence looked towards Richard, his expressionless face revealing a stiff smile. As an undead wizard who had transformed himself into something resembling a living dead, it was already quite a happy matter for him to be able to smile at all. ¡°Number One Insect Nest, what about you guys?¡± ¡°Number One as well.¡±¡± ¡°Team up for now?¡±¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡­ Number One Insect Nest was located one hundred kilometers south of the Black Bone Plain. Before arriving at this nest, Richard had always thought it was a mountain range. Approaching the nest, he saw the majestic insect nest towering like a mountain, thickly dotted with holes that were usually the entry and exit points for the Black Crystal Worm Clan. Many of them had now been collapsed by the spells of the White Wizards. ¡°Is this the Number One Insect Nest?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but exclaim with astonishment as he looked at the huge structure before him. ¡°It¡¯s so big, it¡¯s incredible that these bugs could create such an enormous nest,¡± Ali, standing beside him, likewise marveled. For a wizard rookie participating in a plane war for the first time, everything was so intriguing. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s magnificent,¡± the veteran wizard Lawrence said indifferently. He had experienced two plane wars and had seen many wonders of otherworlds. Although the insect nest before him was spectacular, he was more concerned about the situation inside. Such a colossal nest would surely have a complex network of underground tunnels. To the Black Crystal Worm Clan, these intricate networks were just their backyard, but to the wizards, these same structures were potential traps waiting to devour them at any moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Richard captured the spectacular scene before him with an Image Capturing Crystal Ball, then found an entrance to enter the nest. The building material of the nest was strange, a kind of red soil mixed with plant roots and stems. This material possessed considerable strength; Richard tested it and found that it would need at least an impact of fifty energy levels to be destroyed. ¡°This building material is quite good; the White Wizard Army will probably like it,¡± Richard said lightly as he collected a piece of the soil. This thing also had a certain research value, and he could study it when he had free time to enhance his breadth of knowledge. A mature wizard must possess an immense store of knowledge. Following the passages down, the deeper they went into the nest, the more humid the environment became. Even the earthen walls of the nest started to display moss-like plants. This was starkly different from the relatively dry environment of the insect nest world¡¯s surface. According to the current observations of the wizards, the surface of the insect nest world was extremely dry and cold with vast wastelands and deserts. Only around a few major rivers were there relatively dense vegetation. But if they were to estimate based on the insects that appeared during this war, this world should have nearly a billion low-level insects as its base. If it only relied on the plant density on the surface, the world could not possibly sustain such a vast Black Crystal Worm Clan. Therefore, the command center believed that the majority of the Black Crystal Worm Clan¡¯s food source was located in the underground insect nests, or to say, the underground insect nests were actually the main part of this world. If their operation to exterminate the insects went smoothly, the Black Wizards would be the next to be sent to the unoccupied parts of the nests for a sabotage mission behind enemy lines. The layout of the tunnels inside the nest was very complicated. The various pathways that looked identical were confusing, and it was easy to start going in circles if one wasn¡¯t careful. Moreover, due to the particular structure of the nest, Richard and his group dared not clear their way with magic too hastily, fearing it might trigger a chain reaction and entomb them as well. Fortunately, the command center had issued them with Imaging Crystal Balls that used microwave detection. This crystal ball could use a kind of ultrasonic wave, inaudible to human ears, to detect the surrounding terrain and was crucial in the complicated system of the underground insect nest. Otherwise, without special means, the wizards could only wait to get lost in the caves. As they entered the underground insect nest, the scene before them immediately stunned them. They were now in a relatively spacious underground cavern. The walls of the cavern were covered in pale blue glowing moss. Among this moss, even brighter glowing mushrooms were densely scattered, like a sky full of stars. Richard took a deep breath; the temperature in the cavern was noticeably higher than on the surface, and the air contained a slight moist sweetness, as though they were walking in a forest after the rain. ¡°The concentration of spores in the air is significantly higher than on the surface; prepare for poison prevention,¡± Richard warned. ¡°Hmm, the concentration of Water Element in the space is higher; there should be underground water veins nearby,¡± Ali added. The Elemental Creature Bloodline she had fused with was Fire Element. In this environment where the Water Element was denser, she felt very uncomfortable. Lawrence took out the Imaging Crystal Ball distributed by the logistics wizards, activated it, and a sound wave inaudible to human ears emanated from the crystal ball. After a moment, the crystal ball projected an image showing the nearby network of tunnels. ¡°Ali, you were wrong; there¡¯s no underground water vein around here,¡± Lawrence looked at the projected image. ¡°If there were an underground water vein nearby, this image would be affected. This concentration of Water Element is probably due to the special rules of this world. We definitely need to be wary of this. These special rules of otherworlds often lead to many phenomena that do not conform to the common sense of our Wizard World.¡± Having said that, he pointed to a larger hollow space in the image with a small dot inside it. ¡°There¡¯s a cavern here, I suspect there should be an insect inside it.¡± Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: Chapter 27: The Underworld (Part 2) Chapter 127: Chapter 27: The Underworld (Part 2) Slimu was a planting insect from the Aisen Worm Nest. From the moment he was born, he had always lived in this dark, damp cave system. He grew up eating moss, sang among giant mushrooms, ran through tunnels, and swam in underground pools¡ªliving an incredibly free life. Occasionally, he would fantasize about the world outside the nest, but according to the Priest Insects, beyond the nest was an endless expanse of yellow sand, yet there also lay a dazzling starry sky. Slimu had always wanted to see what the real starry sky looked like. Perhaps it was even more beautiful than the Star Mushrooms that dotted the glowing moss. More than a month ago, a Priest Insect he knew had left the Underground Insect Nest. The Priest Insect said, the Mother Worm God had decreed an oracle, instructing all insects of the Insect Country to go to the surface to confront the extraterrestrial enemies. Slimu had seen the abilities of the Priest Insects¡ªflames, thunder, and brilliant starlight that could easily kill the most terrifying Demon Spiders underground. Before such mighty powers, Slimu believed it would definitely be a one-sided war. In the near future, he would hear the Priest Insect tell of the enemies he saw on the surface, boast of his great deeds, and the dazzling starry sky. But a month ago, Slimu suddenly felt a wave of sadness. That sadness nearly overwhelmed his cognitive organs, rendering him immobile for several days, unable to even budge toward his favorite mushrooms. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ????????????????????.co Slimu didn¡¯t know what the sadness meant, but after it faded, he resumed his daily work. Every insect of the Black Crystal Worm Clan had their responsibilities, and as a planting insect, Slimu¡¯s task was to cultivate. Billions of insects consumed vast amounts of food daily, most of which were fungi cultivated by the planting insects. Slimu never felt his role was lowly; the notion of lowliness didn¡¯t exist in the entire Black Crystal Worm Clan. They all came from the same Mother Worm; whatever they did was merely a distribution by the Mother Worm. Today, Slimu was cultivating fungi in the cave as usual. The black soil of the Earth Cave contained moisture and minute fungi, which Slimu killed by spitting his slightly acidic saliva into the soil. Then, he took out some white fungal spores from his carapace and threw them into the cleaned soil. This was his favorite type of fungus, called the Warrior Fungus, generally reserved for Warrior Worms, but as a planting insect, he occasionally got to taste it too. The taste of the fungus was quite good; each time he ate it, he felt much stronger. One spore, two spores, three spores¡­ Soon, he had planted the entire cave, but just when he was about to move to the next cave to continue his work, a faint sound traveled through his limbs into his auditory organs. Something was approaching; the footsteps were very heavy, utterly different from those of Black Crystal Worms. Moreover, the owner of these footsteps was rapidly nearing the cave he was in. ¡°Could it be the surface enemies have burrowed down here?¡± A flicker of panic crossed Slimu¡¯s mind. As a planting insect, his body wasn¡¯t designed for combat; in times of danger, they always hid behind Priest Insects and Warrior Worms. ¡°Hide!¡± Slimu made a swift decision. He quickly ran to the edge of the cave, furiously dug a hole with his forelimbs, burying most of his body, leaving only parts on the surface, which he covered with handfuls of mossy mud. Blending with his natural camouflage, Slimu was nearly one with the environment. Bang! Three strange creatures entered the cave. These creatures were short, wearing silk garments only Priest Insects would wear, and to Slimu¡¯s astonishment, these creatures had no carapace; their tender flesh was exposed directly to the outside. ¡°Aren¡¯t they afraid of being attacked?¡± Slimu thought. Soon, Slimu got a good look at the faces of the three creatures. What terrifying faces they had. Their heads were large, but their eyes were pitifully small¡ªwhat could such tiny eyes see? In the Insect Nest, creatures either had no eyes or very large ones. Moreover, they had no antennae on their heads, only something resembling fluffy stuff¡ªwere those degenerated tentacles? What could such tiny tentacles do? It seemed rather foolish to use such tiny tentacles to hear sounds. After watching for a while, Slimu thought these creatures were truly ugly, even the ugliest insect in the nest looked a hundred times better. Their voices traveled through the ground to his limbs, and then into Slimu¡¯s auditory organs. It seemed they were discussing something. Then, the group of creatures began digging up the fungal spores he had just planted, and one even tasted it by throwing it into what seemed like a mouth. Good heavens, these creatures seemed to eat anything. Slimu quietly watched from a corner. Although he had a very low opinion of these few creatures, their strength made him dare not make a single move. These creatures emanated an aura only seen in battles involving Priest Insects. Slimu watched as one of the creatures dug up the fungus he had just planted; each time one was dug up, his heart ached. What a great variety of fungus, if it continues to grow, there will definitely be a bumper harvest. But before Slay could grieve any longer, Richard arrived in front of him, having dug out all the fungus, and pulled it out of the ground in one go. The group had discovered it immediately upon entering, using their spiritual power. ¡°What is this type of insect called again? A planting insect?¡± ¡°Let me see¡­this is a planting insect.¡± Richard looked at the planting insect in his hands, over a meter long and constantly struggling, feeling somewhat surprised. He had tasted some of the fungus earlier and discovered a life-active material inside that, if consumed regularly, could promote physical development and accelerate evolution. Now that he had found the insect that could cultivate them, he might be able to grow this fungus himself in the future. ¡°How is the Slave Seal used again¡­¡± Richard held the Slave Seal distributed by the command headquarters, which was engraved with the Soul School¡¯s slave mark spell on the inside. This spell, developed by the Stockholm Great Wizard, was designed for creatures below Level 1 Creatures. Once marked with the slave mark, the enslaved creature would naturally obey the Wizard¡¯s commands. Therefore, whatever Great Wizard went on a plane expedition, this Magic Equipment would be distributed in large quantities to capture low-level alien slaves. Richard infused Magic Power into the Seal and then stamped it onto the body of the planting insect. The next moment, Slay¡¯s thinking organs felt dizzy, and the creatures in front of him no longer seemed repulsive to him. ¡°What have they done to me?¡± Slay thought in fear. Richard loosened his grip, took out a Warrior Fungus spore, and communicated with Slay using spiritual power. ¡°Alien, tell me how many more of these seeds you have.¡± ¡°Alien?¡± Slay could clearly feel the discrimination in the term. It wanted to question, to curse, but the words turned into answers to the question. ¡°I still have one bag of Warrior Fungus seeds.¡± ¡°Where are they kept?¡± ¡°In¡­in¡­¡± Slay instinctively resisted giving the answer because it would lead these creatures to their settlement, but the more it resisted, the more painful its body felt. This pain did not come from the body but from the soul. Due to the effect of the slave mark, Slay was essentially split into two personalities: Alien Slave Slay and Black Crystal Worm Clan Slay. They struggled for control of the body in Slay¡¯s thinking organs, like two wild beasts tearing at each other. Finally¡­ Alien Slave Slay won, or rather, the Alien Slave won. Black Crystal Worm Clan Slay had already turned into a remnant of the spirit¡ª even if the slave mark were removed, it could not return. ¡°They are in our settlement.¡± Richard nodded in satisfaction, pleased with the effect of the slave mark. Seeing the pain Slay was in, he had been ready to deal with this insect. ¡°Good, lead us there.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Master.¡± ¡­ The environment of the Underground Insect Nest became progressively warmer and more humid as they descended, resembling a volcanic hot spring. While heading towards the Black Crystal Worm Clan¡¯s settlement, Richard passed several caves cultivated by the Black Crystal Worm Clan and encountered many planting insects. All these planting insects became Richard¡¯s slaves. Due to the vast number of planting insects, their value in the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s market was merely a Magic Stone each¡ªneither Ali nor Lawrence cared much for such a small amount of Magic Stones. In these caves, Richard encountered many peculiar creatures and collected many biological specimens. As a Wizard, being curious about the world is an essential quality. Among these, a fungus called Sacrificial Fungus, cultivated by the planting insects, surprised the three Wizards greatly. As the exclusive food for Sacrificial Insects, this fungus had the effects of stimulating spiritual power growth and healing soul injuries¡ªalthough these effects were very weak, they were still enough to surprise the Wizards, especially Richard. Ulysses¡¯ soul injuries required a large amount of Soul Crystals for recovery, and since Soul Crystals were quite expensive, using this fungus to heal Ulysses¡¯ injuries undoubtedly saved Richard a considerable amount of Magic Stones. Following the tunnel, the three Wizards soon reached the Black Crystal Worm settlement that Slay had mentioned. This settlement was located in a large cave. The floor of the cave was covered with huge blue glowing fungi, under which there was a layer of glowing moss resembling velvet. The Black Crystal Worm Clan moved among the giant fungi, their limbs brushing against the moss creating subtle frictions, and occasionally, they emitted deep, rumbling calls. The entire cave looked misty and eerie. Lawrence waved his Magic Wand, and a pitch-black bat emerged from his shadow. This was a shadow creature contracted from the Shadow Plane by Lawrence, whose ability to hide in shadows was well-suited for ambushes. The Shadow Bat turned into a shadow and entered the settlement, returning to Lawrence¡¯s shadow shortly after. ¡°No Warrior Worms, no Sacrificial Insects,¡± Lawrence relayed the message brought by the bat. ¡°None? Looks like we¡¯re in luck,¡± Richard said, somewhat surprised. With the Black Crystal Worm Clan¡¯s retreat, quite a few insects had entered the Insect Nest and fought guerrilla warfare against the Wizards, but the nest was so vast that definitely there were areas untouched by these defeated troops. Encountering these places was no different from picking up money on the ground. ¡°But the Shadow Bat also brought back a strange message¡­¡± Lawrence hesitated, ¡°It said there are a few odd things among this group of insects.¡± Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: Chapter 28 Underground World (3) Chapter 128: Chapter 28 Underground World (3) ¡°Strange creatures?¡± Richard asked, puzzled, ¡°What kind of strange?¡± ¡°According to what the Shadow Bats saw, there are quite a few insects with spider lower halves in this settlement. These creatures are not weak; each of them possesses the strength of Level 1 Creatures.¡± Richard turned to look at Slimu, ¡°What kind of insect is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I have been away from the colony for nearly half a month. It¡¯s possible other insects have come up from the deeper Earth Caves.¡± Seeing that Slimu didn¡¯t know either, Richard could only put him into the Slave Pocket to prevent him from getting caught up in the battle. ¡°A new type of insect it is, then. We¡¯ve come here to clear them out.¡± They took out the Concealing Potion prepared by headquarters from their pockets and sprinkled some on themselves. This potion was said to mask their scent from the Black Crystal Worm Clan, but according to Richard¡¯s observation, the Insect Race in the Underground Insect Nest was far more sensitive to the vibrations of sound waves than to scents. Concealing their scent was, at best, of marginal benefit. As Black Wizards, all three had their own stealth techniques. Richard activated his Concealer Cloak and casually applied a Silence Technique on himself as he silently entered the settlement from the shadows. Ali produced a necklace that had an Invisibility Technique inscribed on it. Once activated, Ali¡¯s figure instantly vanished in the cave. And as the most experienced of the three, Lawrence had even simpler methods. He waved his Magic Wand, transforming himself instantly into a shadow that flowed like water along the ground towards the settlement. Employing their Divine Skills, they quickly infiltrated the settlement. The Black Crystal Insects in the settlement were extremely busy. They continuously moved the previously stored food from their storerooms and packed the large bundles of rod-shaped fungi onto dedicated Transport Worms, which then transported them to other Earth Caves. It seemed that the Resistance Army of the Black Crystal Worm Clan had already made contact with this settlement. The three infiltrating Wizards, upon seeing this, didn¡¯t rush to intervene. Instead, they each used their means to leave their own tracking marks on these Transport Worms. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Shortly after entering the settlement, Richard found the strange insects that Lawrence had mentioned. These insects had bodies completely different from the other Black Crystal Insects. Their upper bodies were covered with a matte black carapace, bearing four Blade Arms, and no wings on their back. Between the seams of the armor were exposed fine black hairs. Their lower bodies were that of a particularly fierce spider, which seemed to have its own mind. Its eight eyes perpetually rotated, and its mouth dropped sharp fangs dripping with purple venom. These few Insect Race members were gathered in the very center of the settlement, conversing with the village head. ¡°Village head, you must not stay here,¡± a Half-Spider Black Crystal Worm began, ¡°The creatures on the surface are beyond what you can imagine. Staying here will only make you slaves.¡± Facing him, an old planting insect tremblingly stood up. He was fifty years old, a venerable age for a planting insect. If he hadn¡¯t become the village head, he might have gone to meet the Mother Worm God long ago. ¡°Spider Knight, sir, I am too old to be of any help to you below. And I have lived in this Earth Cave for fifty years. I wish to return to the Mother Worm God¡¯s embrace here.¡± ¡°Village head, don¡¯t be stubborn,¡± another Spider Knight persuaded. ¡°Your experience is very helpful for managing the planting insects. The Insect Nest needs talents like you now. Besides, you want to return to the embrace of the Mother Worm God, but if you stay here, you will never be able to return to her side. Those creatures will enslave you with evil methods and pry out all the information about the Insect Nest from you. By that time, it¡¯s not only a problem for one insect!¡± The Spider Knight¡¯s voice was very stern, and the high-frequency calls even made Richard feel his anger from not far away. ¡°Such anger isn¡¯t good,¡± Richard picked up his Pure Gold Magic Wand, ¡°Getting angry is bad for your health.¡± Boom! The three Black Wizards, as if by telepathy, launched their attacks simultaneously. Richard waved his wand, and three black Fireballs flew out instantly. With the enhancement of the wand, the might of these Fireballs, merged with Annihilation Flame, increased by nearly a fifth from an Energy Level of four hundred to close to five hundred. Ali, like Richard, sent out purple Fireballs with terrifying heat that smashed into one of the Spider Knights instantly. And Lawrence¡¯s Spell was somewhat eerie. Materializing from the shadows, he waved his wand, and a host of black insects crawled out of the shadows of the two Spider Knights, frantically devouring their bodies. ¡°Enemy attack! Those creatures have invaded the Insect Nest!¡± One of the Spider Knights let out a sharp, high-frequency call, instantly alerting all the insects in the settlement. The planting insects and Transport Worms started moving down to the lower Earth Caves, while the few remaining Spider Knights began their counterattack. ¡°Monsters! Don¡¯t think you can be arrogant just because you won a battle on the surface!¡± A Spider Knight charged angrily at Richard, its spider half rushing towards him with astonishing speed. Elsewhere, the rest of the Spider Knights also began their assault. Lawrence had the strongest Magic Fluctuation among the three, so a full three Spider Knights charged at him, while Ali¡¯s powerful spells also attracted two Spider Knights. The Spider Knights were incredibly fast and reached Richard in the blink of an eye. The returning Black Crystal Insects had told him that these creatures, like themselves, were divided into ¡°Samurai¡± and ¡°Priests¡±. Samurai were physically strong but not skilled in harnessing Elements, while Priests were skilled at harnessing Elements but had slightly weaker Physique. Now that he saw these three creatures were all using magical attacks, he figured he was facing ¡°Priests¡± and was confident that hand-to-hand combat would lead to a complete victory. Only to see the Spider Knight coat its two pairs of Blade Arms with a layer of black Energy and slash towards Richard¡¯s body, leaving four black marks in the air. ¡°Die, monster!¡± But the very next moment, he realized something was wrong. Clang! A metal rod with faint gold vein patterns blocked his Blade Arms. The Dark Erosion Power coating his arms tried to corrode the rod, but it didn¡¯t even leave a mark. ¡°` He tried to draw his sword for another chop, but found that the monster¡¯s mouthparts had formed a subtle arch. It seemed to mock his overestimation of his own strength. ¡°Monster, you¡¯re asking for death!¡± The Spider Knight¡¯s vocal organs emitted a sharp explosion of sound, its four blade arms retracted, poised to strike again. But then it saw its foe¡¯s arm muscles suddenly swell, as if amassing a fearsome power within. Bang! The Spider Knight¡¯s limbs froze in midair, then feebly slid down. A metal staff fell from the sky, smashing from the head down, breaking the creature¡¯s body in half. Richard retracted his magic wand, which was mixed with pure gold, a material of high quality even among melee weapons. Not to mention that Richard, the Alchemy Wizard, had subtly added a rune array to it, making the staff heavier when swung, further enhancing its chopping power. After dealing with the Spider Knight at hand, Richard was about to offer support when he noticed that after the death of the Spider Knight, its spider half below was still alive and even trying to attack him. The spider spat a jet of purple venom from its mouthparts, which Richard blocked with a magic barrier, causing it to fall to the ground and emit puffs of white smoke. On closer inspection, he found that the stone floor had been corroded into a deep pit by the venom. ¡°Interesting, the venom is laced with dark erosion energy.¡± Richard¡¯s magic wand swung down, whistling through the air. Pfft. The spider¡¯s body was smashed to pieces, its life extinguished instantly. Richard easily resolved his situation, but the battles for the other two wizards were not so favorable. Lawrence and Ali, neither being of the strong physique type, struggled once in close quarters; their powerful spells were difficult to cast, and they could only seek to create distance. But despite the Spider Knight¡¯s seemingly clumsy appearance, they moved as quick as lightning. Without a skill like spatial teleportation, gaining distance was extremely difficult. Lawrence was holding up alright. The seasoned Black Wizard¡¯s mastery of shadow magic made him thrive in the confines of the cave, toying with three Spider Knights. Given more time, he was sure to take them down. But Ali was having a tougher time. As an artillery mage, her spells were massively powerful, usually causing area damage. If used in close quarters, it was likely that, rather than killing the Spider Knight, she would perish first. Two Spider Knights, one on each side, lifted waves upon her magic barrier with their eight blade arms, looking dangerously close to collapse. Zzzt! Both Spider Knights spat two jets of venom, each infused with dark erosion power, turning into a purple mist in the air that circled around the defense of the magic barrier and into Ali¡¯s inner circle. The magic barrier¡¯s defense against physical attacks had a lower speed limit, allowing slower-moving objects to penetrate it. This limit was designed to prevent a wizard from suffocating during a siege, but at this moment it turned into a death knell for Ali. Zzzt! Two more jets of venom, and dense poison fog instantly enveloped Ali. The two Spider Knights followed closely, preventing her from escaping the toxic cloud. ¡°Damn it!¡± Ali¡¯s face hardened, and her staff began to gather elemental energy. If she hesitated any longer, she¡¯d be poisoned to death! ¡°Ali, stop.¡± A deep voice came from within the poison mist. Two buzzing sounds were heard, and two black orbs instantly consumed the upper halves of the two Spider Knights. Then a figure waved its magic wand and black flames instantly burned the poisonous fog in the air clean away. ¡°Richard!¡± Ali exclaimed with joy. ¡°Take care of the spiders; they¡¯re not quite dead yet.¡± With that, Richard turned to assist Lawrence. The magic wand, ablaze with black flames, swung with a whistling sound, sending a Spider Knight flying and cracking both pairs of its blade arms. Seizing the opportunity, Lawrence manipulated the shadow on the ground, which struck like flowing water, penetrating the cracks in the Spider Knight¡¯s armor in an instant; shortly after, dark purple blood seeped from the crevices. The remaining two Spider Knights, seeing the battle turning against them, turned to run. But Ali, having recovered her strength, would not let them escape. A purple fireball flew past Richard and instantaneously blasted the two Spider Knights apart. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Richard dusted off his hands and walked to the body of a Spider Knight. ¡°Now, who among us should report to the Floating City about the emergence of new insects?¡± ¡°` COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: Chapter 29: The Underworld (Part 4) Chapter 129: Chapter 29: The Underworld (Part 4) Spider Knights hadn¡¯t been mentioned in the intelligence report from the command center, which was undoubtedly a new piece of information for them. If this intelligence could be reported, the command center would reward the reporter. However, the issue at hand was that this reward would only go to the wizard who discovered it first. Therefore, the trio had to find a wizard with enough speed to go and report. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Ali came to Richard¡¯s side and stuffed the corpse of a Spider Knight into a Magic Pocket. ¡°I have a two-way Communication Crystal Ball with my mentor, and although its range is not large, it¡¯s still faster than you flying to the Floating City to report.¡± Richard and Lawrence exchanged glances, sharing their opinions. ¡°Okay, how shall we split the reward?¡± Lawrence spoke up. He was a Free Wizard and placed a lot of importance on benefits. Richard suggested, ¡°How about we split it evenly?¡± Lawrence paused for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Seeing Lawrence agree to the split, Ali didn¡¯t linger any longer and immediately took off with the Spider Knight¡¯s corpse heading for the Floating City. Once Ali left, Lawrence didn¡¯t plan to idle around either. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? ¡°I¡¯m going to scout below, I¡¯ll be back in about six hours,¡± Lawrence said in a deep voice. ¡°I¡¯ll leave a Magic Mark. If I don¡¯t come back, that means there¡¯s a problem with this route.¡± Richard nodded. They were just a temporary team, and it was not his place to concern himself with Lawrence¡¯s actions. It was not his duty to rescue Lawrence should he encounter danger, nor was he entitled to a share of any treasures Laurence might find. ¡­ Lawrence took two Spider Knight corpses from the ground and left. After he was gone, Richard roamed the settlement. The settlement had no buildings other than a warehouse and at first Richard thought the insects were exposed to the elements, but upon scanning with spiritual power, he found that the Black Crystal Insects actually lived inside these gigantic fungi. Due to the properties of the fungus, even hollowed out, they could still live normally supported by the outer layer connected to the mycelium. After searching the settlement, Richard found several bundles of edible fungus from inside these fungal houses, left behind by the Black Crystal Insects. Rich in nutrients, these edible fungi were slightly toxic to humans but harmless to Black Crystal Insects. After scavenging through the settlement, Richard found a place to open a Secret Realm Rift and brought out an Alchemy Golem. As the mission involved an Underground Insect Nest, many areas were very narrow, barely passable for humans, let alone large creatures like Alchemy Golems. However, the cave housing the entire settlement was large enough for the Golem to move around, so Richard brought it out to serve as a sentinel. Nobody knew if the insects would launch a counterattack. If they returned while Richard was busy with his research, the Alchemy Golem¡¯s alert would allow him to respond accordingly. Having set up the Golem, Richard unfastened the pouch at his waist and released Ulysses. These days, with no wars brewing, Ulysses had been confined to the pouch, and with the Great Wizard in Floating City, both Richard and Ulysses feared being discovered. ¡°Squawk! Finally out of that damn place.¡± Ulysses flew out of the pocket, circled in the air a few times, and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Squawk, where is this? Looks like we¡¯re underground.¡± ¡°We are. Head into the tunnels and scout it out,¡± Richard pointed to an entrance of the Earth Cave, ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t damage your body.¡± Although Ulysses¡¯ essence was that of a World Master, his body was still at Level 1. If he encountered Level 2 creatures, Ulysses wouldn¡¯t have many options. ¡°Squawk, don¡¯t worry.¡± Ulysses flew towards the entrance but paused halfway. ¡°Squawk! You¡¯re sending me out on these minor tasks again!¡± Richard waved his hand dismissively, pointing to the nearby insect corpses. ¡°I¡¯ve saved one for you to taste, now hurry up and go.¡± ¡­ Richard found a fungal room and dragged a corpse of a Spider Knight into it. As a student of Jolod, he had some understanding of Synthetic Beasts, and the construction of these Spider Knights felt very strange to him, almost as if two creatures had been forcibly stitched together. Laying the Spider Knight¡¯s body on the ground, Richard took a Rune Scalpel out of his Magic Pocket. This scalpel was the one he had found in the Wizard¡¯s laboratory; despite the passage of time, its enchanted Rune still glimmered. After acquiring it, Richard had extracted the techniques within it and enhanced it with current Alchemy Technology. Although the secrecy with knowledge among wizards made the civilization appear to progress slowly, after many years, the average level of Wizard Technology during the pioneering period was far higher than that at the end of the Enlightenment period. If the Truth Wizards could establish an institution like a grand library in the Academy and compile all the knowledge of Wizard World below Four Rings for everyone to search and study, Then the technical level of the Wizard Civilization would make a qualitative leap. Of course, this was just a pipe dream for Richard; unless there was immense external pressure, even Truth Wizards couldn¡¯t convince other wizards to share their research findings. The modified scalpel was very sharp, allowing Richard to easily slice through the armor and muscles of the Spider Knight. The ease was partly due to the Spider Knight¡¯s death, which had caused its internal energy cycle to dissipate and its cells to die, but the sharpness of the scalpel also played a significant role. Lifting the carapace, the inner structure of the Spider Knight was exposed before Richard¡¯s eyes. Muscles, blood vessels, bones, nerves¡­ Richard meticulously dissected the corpse in his hands, revealing the various anatomical structures of the Spider Knight before him. Just as Richard had suspected, the Spider Knight was indeed a fusion of two creatures. The upper half of the Black Crystal Insect and the lower half of the spider completely differed in species; the spider¡¯s lower half contained a complete digestive system, energy cycle system, and cognitive organs. However, the cognitive organs of the spider had been invaded by the nerves of the Black Crystal Insect, causing the original function of those organs to cease and be repurposed into a command relay station. Commands from the cognitive organs of the Black Crystal Insect were transmitted via the nerves into the Spider Knight¡¯s cognitive organs and then further passed to the lower half of the spider. This modification was ingenious. The connection of the nerves was precise and even allowed energy systems to merge, enabling the Spider Knight to harness the Dark Erosion Energy. Compared to the alterations, the biological modification techniques Richard had learned from Jolod were crude, bulky contraptions that simply had to work. ¡°No wonder Plane Wars are so perilous, yet so many Wizards rush headlong into them,¡± Richard mused as he examined the Spider Knight¡¯s body. ¡°The boundless Star Realm hides countless pieces of knowledge; even from a Miniature World with civilizations far less advanced than the Wizard World, one can learn such sophisticated knowledge.¡± The body modifications of the Spider Knight greatly inspired Richard. With this single corpse, his biological modification skills climbed to a new level. He took out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball from his Magic Pocket, meticulously recording the dissected structure of the Spider Knight for future in-depth study or exchange of knowledge with other Wizards. Suddenly, an alarm from an Alchemy Golem sounded from outside the door. ¡°Alert, alert, unknown Level 1 Creatures have invaded!¡± The Alchemy Golem loudly broadcasted the alert, its stone figure illuminated with Rune after Rune. In front of it, two Spider Knights clad in metallic Armor entered the Earth Cave through a tunnel. ¡°We¡¯ve been discovered, attack!¡± The two Spider Knights locked eyes and immediately charged the Alchemy Golem sounding the alarm. Bang! With Runes blazing on its hands, the Alchemy Golem¡¯s Molten Iron Fists, radiating terrifying heat, punched one Spider Knight back several meters. The lower half¡¯s Bead Legs plowed deep furrows in the ground, and its metal Armor glowed red from the heat, releasing a burning stench into the air. While the Alchemy Golem was attacking, the other Spider Knight swiftly approached it. Its four Blade Arms shrouded in Dark Erosion Energy, it fiercely slashed at the Alchemy Golem. A crisp sound was heard as it carved a diamond-shaped hole into the side of the Alchemy Golem, revealing the Power Supply Magic Stone within it. ¡°Stone?¡± The Spider Knight was startled. It had heard that these creatures from the surface had some unique abilities, but surely these should at least be creatures of Flesh and blood, or at worst Elemental beings. What was this, a Stone Giant? Before the Spider Knight could comprehend the situation, a command came from behind the Alchemy Golem. ¡°Return.¡± At the command, the Alchemy Golem lumbered back. The Spider Knight saw a Flesh and blood creature cloaked in black emerge from a fungus house, holding a black metal long staff. ¡°So it¡¯s a Puppet.¡± With a sneer, it emitted a series of explosive clicks from its mandibles. ¡°Kill him!¡± Richard watched the two Spider Knights with an expressionless face. To him, they seemed to turn transparent. After dissecting a Spider Knight, he had a clear understanding of this type of creature¡¯s anatomy. The two insects charged at Richard, one from each side. Eight Blade Arms, shrouded in Dark Erosion Energy, traced eight black lines through the air. ¡°Hmph.¡± With a cold laugh, Richard instantly summoned the Hearts of Annihilation beside him, firing them off and forcing the two Spider Knights to dodge in panic. These natives usually possessed Wild Intuition, a supremely sharp sense of danger. Though the Hearts of Annihilation appeared unassuming, they didn¡¯t deceive them in the slightest. But Richard hadn¡¯t planned to use the Hearts of Annihilation to deal with them. The Hearts of Annihilation disrupted their coordination and exposed a gap. Seizing the opportunity, Richard stepped forward and instantly rushed to one Spider Knight¡¯s side. ¡°As modified creatures, your weaknesses are more fatal than those of other beings.¡± With a derisive laugh, Richard¡¯s muscles bulged as he thrust his black-flaming Magic Wand into the Spider Knight¡¯s waist; a ¡°crack¡± sound followed, as the carapace cracked open under the wand¡¯s impact, penetrating the Spider Knight and emitting a ¡°sizzling¡± sear at the wound. ¡°Once your nervous connection hubs are damaged, your lower halves are immobilized. Moreover, your energy circulation will also malfunction, rendering your whole body muscle weak.¡± Retrieving his Magic Wand nonchalantly, Richard spun and charged towards the other Spider Knight. The Spider Knight didn¡¯t understand what Richard was saying, but seeing its companion suddenly unable to move, it felt a profound sense of dread. What exactly had this monster done? But the current situation left no room for contemplation. The Spider Knight injected all its Energy into its limbs, nearly materializing the Dark Erosion Energy on its four Blade Arms. ¡°Die!¡± From its mouthparts came a sharp, piercing shriek as its limb blades instantly cut off all of Richard¡¯s escape routes. However, in the next instant, Richard¡¯s figure vanished. Crack. ¡°Foolish creature.¡± Richard¡¯s voice echoed from behind the Spider Knight. In the underground caverns, Shadow Shuttling was an invaluable ability. Richard calmly pulled his Magic Wand from the Spider Knight, then silently moved out of their attack range. Within moments, both Spider Knights were deprived of any ability to resist. Right in front of them, Richard leisurely crafted a neuro-paralytic Poison. ¡°Two Level 1 Creatures should fetch a decent price.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: Chapter 30: The Underworld (5) Chapter 130: Chapter 30: The Underworld (5) Richard was calmly preparing his poison when some noise came from the entrance of the cave. Richard looked over cautiously, with his magic wand beginning to gather elements. Suddenly, a figure with sparks on her emerged from the tunnel and waved at him. ¡°Richard, I¡¯m back.¡± As he recognized the newcomer, Richard breathed a sigh of relief; it was Ali, who had gone back to report the intelligence. ¡°How did it go? Did you get the reward?¡± Richard stopped what he was doing and looked eagerly at Ali. ¡°Hehe, we were the first to encounter this type of insect, so command gave us a reward of five hundred magic essences.¡± Ali smirked proudly and took a bag of magic essence out of her pocket to hand to Richard. This time, it was fortunate that she had gone back to report. On the way, she had used the communication crystal ball to directly send the intelligence to command. If she had been even a bit slower, other wizards would have taken the reward for this intelligence. Richard accepted the magic essence and casually put it into his magic pocket, then resumed concocting the alchemy poison. Ali saw the two spider knights not far away, her expression immediately tensed. ¡°Richard, what¡¯s with these two half-spider black crystal worms?¡± Ali gripped her magic wand, her voice laced with nervousness. ¡°These insects came to attack me just now. I damaged their nerve centers, and I¡¯m now concocting poison to knock them out.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?? While speaking, Richard¡¯s beaker emitted a puff of smoke, and a thick liquid that gave off a strange stench permeated the air within the beaker. This kind of alchemy poison could paralyze the nerves of creatures; it was very effective on flesh-and-blood creatures but had no effect on elemental beings or half-elemental creatures. Richard swung his magic wand, and the liquid in the beaker turned into a cloud of black smoke that enveloped the two spider knights. This poison could be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes; even if the spider knights didn¡¯t breathe, it would be useless. The spider knights let out several shrill cries as their blade arms tried to swing but to no avail. After struggling for five or six minutes, the two spider knights finally succumbed to a state of nerve paralysis. Richard approached and severed their nerves, then injected new poison into their bodies. This was a recovery inhibitor; for the next half month, the bodies of these two spider knights would be suppressed to an insignificant level. ¡°You¡¯ve picked up magic potion studies again?¡± Ali was somewhat surprised. She was well aware of Richard¡¯s research. Over the years, Richard had been studying magic equipment, alchemy machinery, and some plastic energy studies, but now, it seemed that Richard had also picked up magic potion studies again, and he had even made some progress. Concocting alchemy poison that could paralyze level 1 creatures wasn¡¯t something that could be done casually. Richard gave a faint smile. Thanks to the Miracle Furnace, he had unlocked much ¡°blind box¡± knowledge from encrypted notes. Though these pieces of knowledge were not systematic and difficult to delve into, they significantly increased Richard¡¯s range of methods. After storing the two spider knights in his pocket, Richard took out a pocket watch and checked the time. It had been almost ten hours since Lawrence had left, far exceeding the six hours he had said. With such a long time gone, did he come across a huge opportunity or danger? ¡°Where did Lawrence go?¡± Ali probed the surrounding area with her spiritual power and finally noticed someone was missing. ¡°Lawrence went down to explore the next level of the cave after you left. He said he would be back in six hours, but it¡¯s been nearly ten hours now,¡± Richard explained to Ali. ¡°So, what do we do? Keep waiting for him?¡± Richard frowned deeply, slowly shaking his head. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer; I¡¯ve also sent something down to scout the path.¡± The two waited another hour, and finally, a black shadow flew out of the hole. ¡°Caw, I¡¯m back.¡± Ulysses flew out of the hole, clutching in its talons a shadow creature that Richard was all too familiar with. ¡°What¡¯s in your talons?¡± Ulysses flew to Richard¡¯s side and threw the thing from its talons onto the ground. Upon closer inspection, Richard recognized it as Lawrence¡¯s shadow bat. ¡°Why did you capture Lawrence¡¯s bat?¡± Richard asked in bewilderment. ¡°Caw, you mean that wizard? He¡¯s in big trouble,¡± Ulysses perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder, conveying through spiritual power, ¡°That wizard is surrounded by a bunch of insects and has also been sealed by a white worm. I bet the insects have eaten him by now.¡± ¡°What happened? Tell me in detail,¡± Richard¡¯s heart jolted. As an old wizard who had been through two plane wars, how could Lawrence be so easily entrapped? ¡°Caw, I¡¯m not quite sure. I was scouting the tunnels as you told me, then I flew into an earth cave like this one and saw the little guy being attacked by a swarm of insects. It seemed like he saw me, and as he was being sealed by the white worm, he threw this little bat at me. The insects saw it and tried to keep me too, what wishful thinking. I just¡­¡± Ulysses¡¯ remaining words were praises for himself, which Richard had no interest in hearing. He picked up the shadow bat from the ground, and the moment he touched it, the bat suddenly opened its eyes and spat out a contract. Richard picked up the contract; its contents were simple. Lawrence was offering a price of one thousand magic essences for Richard and Ali to come and rescue him. ¡°Caw, what does it say?¡± Ulysses curiously peered over. ¡°Nothing. Just a call for help,¡± Richard said dismissively, handing the contract to Ali beside him, ¡°Ali, what do you think? Should we rescue him?¡± ¡°I?¡± Ali took the contract, glanced at it, and shook her head, ¡°I definitely wouldn¡¯t go myself; the space in the dungeon is too small, and I¡¯m somewhat afraid of burying myself. ¡°What, are you going to save him? Our earnings this time have to be split in half with the Academy.¡± Richard looked at the contract, somewhat undecided. Even if half of the profits went to the Academy, there would still be five hundred thousand Magic Stones, which was not a small number. If Lawrence had been talking about emotions, friendships, Richard certainly wouldn¡¯t have gone to save him, but the concrete benefits truly tempted Richard. ¡°I do have some thoughts, but I¡¯ll decide after I get a clear picture.¡± Richard put the contract into his pocket; he planned to go and check out Lawrence¡¯s situation. If the guards there weren¡¯t very strict, Richard would go and rescue him. But if they were, or if he was already dead, Richard would just dust himself off and leave. A Wizard he had only recently met wasn¡¯t worth risking his life for. ¡°You¡¯re tempted?¡± Ali was somewhat surprised; she remembered that Richard had always disliked taking risks. ¡°No choice, I¡¯m too poor.¡± Richard spread his hands; his entire strength was bought with Magic Stones. The Adaptation Body was a bottomless pit, having swallowed up most of the Magic Stones Richard had earned over the decades. No wonder Jolod stopped training after being able to resist a thousand Energy Level of damage. Besides the Adaptation Body, his daily research also required Magic Stones, as did upgrading Magic Equipment with wand heads. Moreover, once he returned, the free residence period provided by the Tower of Truth would also be up, and if he wanted to stay in the residential level, it would cost a significant amount of Magic Stones. On top of that, he hadn¡¯t even accounted for the startup capital of the Wizard Commerce, the shaping of Ulysses¡¯s body, and the recovery of his soul¡¯s injuries. Thinking about all that Magic Stone expenditure made Richard¡¯s scalp tingle. ¡°Fine.¡± Ali shrugged her shoulders, ¡°I¡¯ll join you, I¡¯ll take only two hundred thousand Magic Stones.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Richard was startled, ¡°Don¡¯t you need Magic Stones?¡± Ali made a face at him: ¡°Isn¡¯t someone risking danger for Magic Stones? Besides, my abilities can¡¯t be fully utilized in these underground nests; even getting two hundred thousand is pretty cheeky of me. Another Wizard would probably only share a hundred thousand with me.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I also take a hundred thousand?¡± Richard said off the cuff. Ali was taken aback upon hearing this, and then, in a fit of indignation, swung her Magic Wand. ¡°Get lost! Not one less than two hundred thousand!¡± ¡­ Lawrence had left quite a few Magic Power marks while scouting, which were especially conspicuous to Wizards. Following these marks, Richard quickly reached the Earth Cave Ulysses had mentioned. It was a medium-sized settlement; from the remaining structures, this settlement must have once been bustling, but it was now completely devoid of life. Richard did not rashly enter the cave. Lawrence¡¯s vigilance went without saying, and with strength that was top-notch among One Ring Wizards, the fact that such a person was captured likely involved traps. ¡°You go check it out,¡± Richard commanded Ulysses. ¡°Ga, my life is really tough, falling into your hands. My injuries have barely healed, and every day I have to check traps for you.¡± Despite his complaints, Ulysses still spread his wings and entered the cave. The cave was silent, with giant luminescent fungi emitting a soft blue glow. Ulysses flew around the cave, confirming that there were no traps or alarms left behind. Richard and Ali entered, and from the signs of struggle on the ground, it seemed Lawrence was sealed by Sacrificial Insects with the Starlight Seal after hardly any resistance. ¡°Could it not be a trap?¡± Richard speculated in his mind. Due to pre-war beliefs that none of the Insect Countries would be defeated, many treasures were left in the upper layers of the Insect Nests. And because of the advancing frontlines, as well as the complex structure of the nests, Wizards had not completely scavenged the nests, with many things likely still remaining in the surface nests. Now that these insects were defeated and the remnants went underground, resisting, Richard made a bold guess based on the information. These insects were probably heading to the upper nests in search of supplies, and Lawrence unfortunately ran into them. Richard shared this theory with Ali, who also thought it made a lot of sense. ¡°Who knows, we might make a big profit this time.¡± Excitement flashed in Ali¡¯s eyes. Taking out the Shadow Bat, Richard handed it to Ali for her to divine Lawrence¡¯s approximate location. As a dual School Wizard, Ali could do more than just throw Fireballs; Curse Divination was also within her capabilities. Ali took an altar out of her Magic Pocket, drew a disk with blood on it, placed a Curse Worm with two stripes on it into the disk, and used a bone as a pointer. Then, she placed the Shadow Bat on the altar and chanted ancient Spells. As Magic Power infused the altar, the originally plain stone altar began to reveal black patterns, and an ancient, eerie atmosphere spread out from it. ¡°Ga, kid, this woman of yours is no joke. This thing, I¡¯ve seen a Divine being with a similar method in our world, who as a Divine being even the Main God would show respect to. Their Race is also one we take very seriously,¡± Ulysses communicated to Richard with spiritual power. ¡°This is Curse Magic from one of the Five Major Schools,¡± Richard explained. ¡°Ga! Then you must have a Divine King who is adept at this stuff!¡± Ulysses exclaimed, ¡°Anyone who starts a civilization war with you is bound to be extremely unlucky.¡± Richard said no more; according to rumors among Wizards, it had been a long time since a Truth Wizard from the Curse School appeared. There were even rumors that they had died. As Ali¡¯s Spell neared completion, the bone pointer on the altar began to slightly wobble and eventually wavered in one direction. ¡°Done.¡± Ali picked up the pointer and held it in her hand, ¡°This pointer will now indicate Lawrence¡¯s approximate direction for the next three hours!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Chapter 31 Treasures Left by the Mother Worm God Chapter 131: Chapter 31 Treasures Left by the Mother Worm God Richard picked up the bone pointer with some curiosity and laid it flat in his palm. The bone pointer trembled slightly and the direction of the pointer pointed towards the same direction as before. ¡°Curse magic is truly miraculous,¡± Richard sighed, handing the bone pointer back to Ali, and then went to the side of the Alchemy Golem, returning it to the Secret Realm. This thing couldn¡¯t burrow through tunnels. Following the direction of the bone pointer, Richard and his companion continued down the tunnel. During the journey, Richard kept encountering traces of the Black Crystal Insects¡¯ movements. This reassured Richard that the direction of the bone pointer was accurate. As they descended deeper into the Underground Insect Nest, the environment became warmer and more humid. The surrounding fungi grew denser, covering many of the advancing tunnels which they could only find by using spiritual power. This greatly slowed their pursuit speed. But fortunately, the environment also made the traces left by the insects more apparent, allowing Richard to continue tracking based on the residual signs even after the spells failed. A month later. Bang! With a muffled sound, a small-sized purple fireball blasted open the fungi blocking the tunnel. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï At this moment, Richard and his companion had reached the middle layer of the Insect Nest, where not only was the environment warmer and more humid, but the magic power in the air had also significantly increased. Along with the magic power, Richard felt a surging Life Energy. This Life Energy made the fungi¡¯s Life Energy even more formidable, with even a single fungal hypha being extremely tough, forcing Richard and his companion to use spells to clear a path. Moreover, this Life Energy excited Richard¡¯s cells, with the urge to fight continuously assaulting his senses. Richard could determine that creatures living in this layer of the nest would become very aggressive. At least Level 1 Creatures would be. ¡°The rules of this world are strange; the deeper we go, the higher the temperature becomes, yet the concentration of the Water Element keeps rising.¡± Ali kept a faint layer of flames burning on her body to keep herself dry. Her fused Fire Element Creature Bloodline made her very uncomfortable in the presence of the continuously rising concentration of Water Element around them. Upon entering the tunnel, Richard noticed that the fungi they had blasted open were growing back at a visible rate despite being small. Soon, these fungi would block the tunnel again. ¡°We need to move fast; paired with the surrounding environment, these fungi¡¯s Life Energy is terrifyingly strong.¡± At the end of the tunnel, there was a cavern, and a few Black Crystal Insects were resting inside, some of which were injured. Richard observed the cave through the gaps in the fungi: ¡°It seems these bugs are in a bit of a predicament; these few injured ones have fallen behind.¡± The insects¡¯ condition was dire, and their wounds dribbled green viscous fluid that corroded the luminescent moss on the ground, creating holes. The acidic bodily fluid of these insects could effectively corrode the fungi, and Richard had mainly tracked them through these corrosion traces. ¡°Should we take action?¡± Ali was eager to try. The irksome environment, coupled with the long pursuit, made her desperate to vent. ¡°Let¡¯s wait.¡± Richard suppressed the combat urge inside him and used spiritual power to command Ulysses to scout ahead. ¡°Ga, scouting again.¡± Ulysses flapped his wings and transformed into a bolt of black lightning, charging straight towards the injured insects. ¡°What is that!¡± One of the injured insects emitted a sharp shriek from its mouthparts. Several of the insects were Warrior Worms; they had seen the Wizard¡¯s methods. This black creature before them was definitely not a native of the Insect Nest ¨C which meant only one thing. ¡°There¡¯s a monster!¡± Regardless of their injuries, several Warrior Worms stood up from the ground with their Blade Arms gleaming menacingly. These insects had been renowned fighters in the nest, with either significant strength or luck to have survived from the Black Bone Plain. But in the face of these skilled Warrior Worms, a cold smile appeared on Richard¡¯s lips. As the most common combat insects of the nest, the Warrior Worms could be described in one word ¨C balanced. The physique, energy, and body structure of the Warrior Worms were very even-keeled, giving them means to deal with various situations. But balance came with a nearly synonymous derogatory term ¨C mediocrity. The mediocrity of the Warrior Worms meant they could only make a significant impact on the battlefield; in smaller scale combats or one-on-one fights, mediocrity meant being easily defeated. Richard¡¯s figure flashed, and he instantly appeared in front of one of the Warrior Worms. The combat urge caused by the environment these days was uncomfortable, and facing such an opportunity, he naturally wanted to vent. ¡°Monster! Die!¡± Two Warrior Worms swung their Blade Arms towards Richard; the shiny blades brought a sharp wind, heading straight for Richard¡¯s torso. If struck, Richard would at least¡­ have a layer of skin broken. Although Richard¡¯s training with the Adaptation Body focused on Elemental Damage, he also trained in adapting to physical harm; cutting damages below an Energy Level of one hundred fifty couldn¡¯t even scratch his skin. Each of the Warrior Worms before me was seriously injured, and their Blade Arms could just barely reach an Energy Level of three hundred, while Richard¡¯s Physique was not weak. His body could resist a certain level of attack, and to boot, he was covered with a layer of black Scale Armor. For multiple reasons, the Cutting strikes of these Warrior Worms were like a joke to Richard. Bracing himself against the slash of the Warrior Worm, Richard snarled and raised his Magic Wand, then brought it down with a whoosh. Crack! One Warrior Worm¡¯s body was crushed by the blow, with its shell and muscles bursting open together, and green mucus splattered everywhere. At this moment, Ali, too, waved her Magic Wand, and a purple Fireball gathered at the tip of the wand, the dreadful temperature even causing the entire cave¡¯s temperature to rise. With a casual wave, the fireball crashed down like a meteor, and three Warrior Worms which couldn¡¯t dodge in time were blasted into charred remains. The remaining Warrior Worms, seeing this, panicked and ran toward the tunnel, choosing paths haphazardly. Being already defeated soldiers, fear for the Wizards had long taken root in their hearts. Now witnessing their comrades being slaughtered like melons and vegetables, any courage they had dissipated on the spot. But why would Richard let them escape? Richard, holding the Magic Wand, smashed each of these Worms one by one like playing Whack-A-Mole, and green mucus stained the entire cave. Finally, Richard slowly approached the last remaining Worm. He pulled out a Soul Scroll and slowly said, ¡°Submit or die.¡± The surviving Warrior Worm took the contract, its dual Blade Arms trembling, and a name appeared on the Soul Contract. The fear of death crushed its last bit of dignity. ¡­ After the contract was signed, Ali approached Richard curiously and asked, ¡°Why take it as a slave? This Worm is crippled, not worth wasting a Soul Contract on.¡± Richard took out a Life Potion and sprinkled it on the Warrior Worm¡¯s wounds to prevent the fellow from dying too quickly. ¡°Can you understand these Worms¡¯ speech?¡± Ali paused, then realized Richard¡¯s intention. ¡°You want to interrogate it.¡± ¡°Not interrogate,¡± Richard said, squatting in front of the Warrior Worm. ¡°Enquire. I am its Master; I do not need to interrogate it.¡± Having said that, he asked the Warrior Worm, ¡°Worm, tell me, what is your purpose in heading to the upper Insect Nest this time?¡± ¡°We¡­ we¡­¡± The Warrior Worm seemed to still want to struggle, but Richard¡¯s gradually indifferent gaze ultimately made it give up that thought. ¡°We go to the upper Insect Nest to retrieve the Divine Gifted Armor for the Priest as well as a treasure left by the Mother Worm God.¡± ¡°A treasure left by the Mother Worm God!?¡± Richard was shocked and immediately asked, ¡°What is this treasure left by the Mother Worm God?¡± The Mother Worm God being a World Master meant that anything related to Her would be no trivial matter. The Warrior Worm slowly spoke, ¡°The treasure left by the Mother Worm God is a gift She bestowed upon thirty-six Mother Worms in ancient times, most of which were already put to use during wars. Only the Insect God¡¯s Blood remains hidden in the upper Insect Nest. The Priest leading us serendipitously learned of this message, so he led us to risk infiltrating the upper Insect Nest to retrieve it.¡± ¡°Serendipitously? Are you not Worms from this Insect Country?¡± The Warrior Worm shook its antennae, ¡°Yes, we are Worms from the Prosperous Insect Country.¡± ¡°What is the strength of your group of Worms?¡± ¡°Most are One-star Warrior Worms, the Priest is Two Stars, but it was severely injured by you guys in the upper Insect Nest.¡± Richard nodded, understanding the situation. ¡°What¡¯s this about sealing that Wizard?¡± ¡°Wizard?¡± The Warrior Worm was somewhat puzzled by this appellation, but quickly realized they were talking about Lawrence. ¡°On the way back to the Prosperous Insect Country, we must pass through Mushroom Land. That Wizard is our offering to Mushroom Land.¡± ¡­ In a cave a few dozen kilometers away from Richard, a group of Black Crystal Insects was resting. A month of travel had wearied these Black Crystal Insects. They unloaded fungi from the body of the Transport Worm, each taking a few stalks and then placing them in their mouthparts to start chewing. Although they could sustain daily activities by absorbing Magic Power, the Life-Active Material in the Warrior Fungus could quickly relieve their exhaustion. In the midst of this group of Warrior Worms, a Priest Worm dressed in woven silk silently sat, with the Black Crystal on its forehead flickering with faint starlight. All the Worms present could feel the disharmony within the Priest Worm. An alien Energy was continuously damaging its body, while the Priest Worm¡¯s Starlight Power was constantly struggling against this Energy. Before long, the Priest Worm extended its antennae, and its large eyes opened, revealing a weary gaze. The alien Energy, after all, was like water without a source, and the Priest Worm¡¯s Starlight Power managed to suppress it for a short time. ¡°Priest, shall we continue?¡± asked a Warrior Worm commander clad in black metal Armor. In the Warrior Worms, black metal Armor indicates it is an outstanding One-star Warrior Worm, on the cusp of stepping into the realm of Two Stars. ¡°Continue,¡± said the Priest Worm, standing up. ¡°For every extra minute we stay here, the treasure left by the Mother Worm God is in more danger. Those two bands of monsters are still chasing us; we must move quickly.¡± Having spoken, it opened its mouth and amidst a wad of starlight, Lawrence was encased like amber. ¡°I hope the Spirit of Nature in Mushroom Land will fancy this creature from another world.¡± Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Chapter 32 Mushroom Land Chapter 132: Chapter 32 Mushroom Land Mushroom Land occupied an important position in the culture of the Black Crystal Worm Clan. Legend has it that before the Mother Worm God descended upon this world, the entire world was occupied by mushrooms. After the Mother Worm God descended upon the world and fed on the mushrooms, her descendants, the Mother Worm and the Black Crystal Worm Clan, also fed on the mushrooms. Such behavior angered the mother of all mushrooms¡ªthe Primordial Mushroom, who waged a great battle with the Mother Worm God and ultimately ended in defeat. Fragments of the Primordial Mushroom fell to the ground and transformed into patches of Mushroom Land. These Mushroom Lands, carrying the resentment of the Primordial Mushroom, required any flesh-and-blood creature that wished to pass to appease the Spirit of Nature of the Mushroom Land with flesh and blood. After the Warrior Worm finished recounting the Black Crystal Worm Clan¡¯s mythology, Richard stroked his chin, lost in thought. Myths hold significant meaning to a race¡¯s culture; they are a form of historical record. From the Warrior Worm¡¯s account, it seemed that in ancient times, the Mother Worm God of the Black Crystal Worm Clan was not yet the World Master. It became the World Master only after battling a massive fungal life form. For a miniature world, that was a momentous significance. Wizards classify planes into four types, the largest being worlds like the Wizard World, which wizards have not yet explored. But according to Ulysses, such worlds are the seeds of civilization, and as soon as a Level 7 Creature leaps into the Star Realm, another civilization will appear within it. Then there are medium-sized worlds, which often have multiple World Masters and house a Level 6 Creature. Such worlds are beyond the scope of conquest for a single Wizard Academy; hence once discovered, an operation led by a Tower of Truth and involving several Wizard Academies is launched to conquer it. These plane expeditions are usually very brutal, but the rewards are also very rich. Many Great Wizards rise to prominence after surviving such wars. Then there are small worlds, which may have multiple World Masters, with the power of the World Masters potentially reaching Level 5 Creatures. For safety reasons, such worlds are often conquered jointly by two Wizard Academies. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Finally, there are miniature worlds like the Insect Nest World, where there will only be one World Master, and the strength of the World Master is at Level 4. Such worlds are most common in the Star Realm, and a single Wizard Academy can conquer them. But if we go by the Black Crystal Worm Clan¡¯s legend, the moniker of the Insect Nest World being a miniature world might need some revising. Worlds can grow, too. A world can devour drifting world fragments, Secret Realm Fragments, creatures of the Star Realm, or some Star Realm dust to grow. However, Richard quickly put this speculation aside. The Plane War has dedicated Wizards studying the history of aliens, and these Wizards would have certainly found this issue before him. Since the Black Tower Great Wizard had not ordered a retreat, it meant there was no problem. Moreover, a world on the brink of becoming a miniature world would produce plenty of treasures. If he could acquire one or two of them, this war would be a lucrative venture for Richard. After tucking the Warrior Worm into his Slave Pocket, the duo, Richard and Ali, promptly set out. Following the trail left by the Black Crystal Worm Clan, Richard and Ali advanced toward Mushroom Land. On the journey, Richard could distinctly perceive changes occurring around him in the fungi, and the concentration of spores in the air was increasing rapidly to an alarming level, with a considerable portion of the spores being toxic. If it weren¡¯t for Richard¡¯s sufficiently strong Physique, the spores in the air would have been enough to poison him. The benefits of bloodline fusion were particularly evident in such moments. Ali had fused with the bloodline of an Elemental creature, and the source of that bloodline was not of low Level, ensuring her body¡¯s Elementalization process was quite impressive. The toxic spores would incinerate into ash upon encountering the scorching Fire Element in Ali¡¯s body, not having a chance to poison her. Following the trail, Richard and Ali quickly arrived at the edge of Mushroom Land. Mushroom Land was just as the name suggested, filled with mushrooms everywhere. A vast area was covered with huge glowing fungi and mushrooms of various colors. Compared to the mushrooms in the caves, the mushrooms within Mushroom Land gave Richard an uncomfortable feeling. These mushrooms emanated a strong sense of aggression, like some sort of Predator. Mushroom Land was different from the caves Richard had seen before; it was more akin to a huge underground forest¡ªprofound, yet brimming with life. ¡°Ga, it seems that the insect wasn¡¯t lying,¡± Ulysses suddenly communicated with Richard using spiritual power from his shoulder. Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°What do you mean? What have you noticed?¡± ¡°Ga, haven¡¯t you noticed the space anomalies in this place?¡± Ulysses explained, ¡°How could such a vast space exist so deep underground? Even if the Insect Nest excavated more soil, the remaining weight should be enough to collapse this place. The reason it still exists is because of a Divine corpse causing a space anomaly. Entering here is akin to stepping into another space.¡± With this explanation from Ulysses, Richard also had an epiphany¡ªit indeed made sense. The various wondrous sights of the Otherworld had somewhat desensitized Richard, leading him to attribute any strange and unusual scene to the special rules of the Otherworld. ¡°By that logic, isn¡¯t it very dangerous to enter here?¡± ¡°Ga, dangerous? What danger?¡± asked Ulysses, puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that an alien space? And it was caused by the corpse of a deceased Divine, so wouldn¡¯t the rules of the world inside also change?¡± ¡°Ga, what nonsense. This thing is not another world; it¡¯s just like a different page in the same book, and once you go in, you¡¯re still in this book¡ªin this world. This space might have some incomplete rules, but those incomplete rules are not harmful. At most, we¡¯ll encounter some creatures containing the rules of dead Divines, and I can deal with that¡­ Of course, for that, you¡¯ll have to pay extra.¡± The corners of Richard¡¯s mouth twitched at Ulysses¡¯ words, sensing they were overly optimistic. ¡°` ¡°According to the rules, we need to offer flesh as a toll to the Spirit of Nature of Mushroom Land.¡± Richard pulled out a Spider Knight from his Slave Pocket and then tossed it into Mushroom Land. In an instant, Richard felt as if he were being watched by a predator, as though a powerful Predator was observing him. But the feeling dispersed quickly. The Spider Knight that was thrown into Mushroom Land was terrified; as a creature living in the Underground Insect Nest, it knew too well the rules of Mushroom Land and the methods it employed. It struggled desperately, but soon it discovered that white fungal mycelium was beginning to grow on its body. The mycelium emerged from the ground and started to drill into its flesh through the cracks in its shell. Richard couldn¡¯t see exactly what the mycelium was doing, but judging by the Spider Knight¡¯s sharp cries, it must have been causing immense pain. Before long, the Spider Knight fell silent. The white mycelium grew and spread inside its body, swiftly replacing its flesh and nerves. Then, a new Spider Knight was born. This Spider Knight glanced at Richard before silently walking deeper into Mushroom Land. Richard couldn¡¯t feel anything unusual about it; it seemed as though it had become one with Mushroom Land. ¡°What a strange transformation,¡± Ali said with a frown. ¡°The fungus has eaten it hollow and turned it into a puppet.¡± ¡°It might not be a puppet,¡± Richard shook his head. ¡°This might be a new creature.¡± Having offered the flesh sacrifice, Richard and Ali had essentially obtained a ticket to enter Mushroom Land. According to the Warrior Worm, as long as they didn¡¯t wreak havoc in Mushroom Land, they would be safe there. But as they were about to enter, both of them simultaneously turned around and began gathering Elements in their Magic Wands. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, we¡¯re friends.¡± From behind Richard, two Earth-colored figures emerged from the tunnel walls, resembling some kind of Element creatures. The two figures emerged from the tunnel walls, transforming into human statues similar to terracotta warriors, one of which flexed its body and performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute to Richard and Ali. ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed, we are also Wizards. Combat is forbidden among our own kind.¡± Although the Wizard said this, Richard¡¯s grip on his Magic Wand didn¡¯t relax in the slightest. As a Black Wizard, not immediately using the Heart of Annihilation on two Wizards that appeared behind him was already quite restrained. ¡°Did you two come here to hunt insects?¡± Richard asked coldly. The terracotta Warrior Wizard¡¯s face changed subtly and he said smoothly: ¡°Of course, we¡¯re here to hunt insects. Isn¡¯t that why we came down here?¡± Richard sneered inwardly. The Warrior Worm had told him that two groups of monsters were pursuing them. At first, he thought it was he and Ali, but now it seemed the other group was these two Wizards. ¡°Is that so, it seems I was mistaken. We were just chasing a group of insects that entered this Mushroom Land, so we won¡¯t keep you any longer.¡± Saying this, Richard gave Ali a look and turned to enter Mushroom Land. But before they could take a step, the terracotta Wizard spoke up. ¡°Did the two of you see a group of insects enter this Mushroom Land? Among these insects, was there an injured Sacrificial Insect?¡± ¡°Sacrificial Insect?¡± Richard pretended to be uninformed. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen what this group of insects looks like; we only killed a few wounded ones along the way and followed the trail here.¡± ¡°Wounded insects¡­¡± The terracotta Wizard thought for a moment, as their markers for pursuit had led them here, and these two were also following a group of insects to this place. Putting the two events together, it was hard not to assume they were after the same group of insects. Moreover, it seemed that these two Wizards didn¡¯t yet know what the insects were carrying¡­ The terracotta Wizard quickly formulated a new idea. ¡°The two of you, it appears we¡¯re after the same group of insects,¡± the terracotta Wizard started. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the strength of these insects. Among them is an injured Second Level insect.¡± ¡°Second Level insect!?¡± both Richard and Ali reacted with feigned surprise in perfect sync. Their acting was so natural that it didn¡¯t raise any suspicion in the terracotta Wizard. ¡°Yes, among them is an injured Second Level insect,¡± the terracotta Wizard continued. ¡°This insect escaped down here after killing a Second Ring Wizard in the upper Insect Nest. Its strength is not to be underestimated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive. Despite that, you dare to pursue it?¡± Richard asked, feigning confusion. ¡°The insect is gravely injured, and we are confident enough in our ability to escape; thus, we followed it here,¡± the terracotta Wizard replied with a smile, then his tone shifted. ¡°But from what we see now, if the four of us Wizards join forces to hunt these insects, catching them would be as easy as reaching out our hands.¡± ¡°` Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Chapter 33: Unknown Glimpse Chapter 133: Chapter 33: Unknown Glimpse ¡°Cooperation?¡± Richard sneered inwardly. The treasure from the Mother Worm God possessed by that group of insects was so valuable; he did not believe these two Wizards were willing to share with him. Now, bringing up cooperation, they were likely using them as cannon fodder. Black Wizards, each one of them had climbed up stepping over the bodies of their peers, absolutely unburdened by any guilt when it came to betraying their teammates. But¡­ Richard was also a Black Wizard, and he likewise harbored thoughts of using these two as cannon fodder. Therefore, Richard pretended to ponder and after a long contemplation, he said, ¡°Cooperation¡­ is indeed possible, but I have one condition.¡± ¡°What condition?¡± Richard smiled slightly, ¡°Since we¡¯re cooperating, naturally we need to share intelligence. These insects came from above; their numbers, what kind of insects they are, and what they carry. I believe the two of you should be clearer than I am, who only tracks their traces.¡± Although Richard was very familiar with that group of insects, to make this deal more realistic, he decided to set some conditions. The Human Puppet Wizard and the Wizard behind exchanged glances, sending Spiritual Messages through psychic waves. ¡°How about sharing the message about the Faith Equipment?¡± ¡°Possible, but we cannot give it away too easily. These two Wizards surely know something, we have to extract something from them¡­¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï Richard, noticing the two were communicating, was in no rush; he knew they would agree to his terms. The combat power of that group of insects was not weak, especially the severely wounded Second-Level insect, which Richard was particularly wary of. If not for having Ulysses as support, he would never so recklessly pursue them. The teachings from the Jialong Club¡¯s Black Wizards still echoed in his ears; as a Black Wizard, one must restrain their own greed. These two Wizards had only Second Ring power, and even if they had some tricks, they would not be stronger than him and Ali. To securely handle those insects, allying with them was necessary. ¡°We can share intelligence,¡± the Human Puppet Wizard stated, ¡°but you also must share intelligence.¡± ¡°No problem with that,¡± Richard agreed readily, ¡°I have information about this Mushroom Land.¡± With the deal reached, both sides began exchanging intelligence. According to the Human Puppet Wizard, they were tracking this group of insects for a piece of Faith Armor they carried, which was extremely precious among the Black Crystal Insects and significant for the Wizards¡¯ research. Besides, this group consisted of about twenty insects intermingled with various types, among which there was a third kind, less common than Warrior Worms and Sacrificial Insects, known as Spider Knights. The Human Puppet Wizard highly praised the Spider Knights. In his words, these insects had swift movements and powerful attacks, holding a significant advantage in the narrow terrains of the Insect Nest. In an upper layer of the Insect Nest, a Wizard experiencing his first Plane War had been instantly slashed into pieces by two Spider Knights. Richard neither agreed nor disagreed. The Spider Knights indeed possessed strong initial killing capabilities. After the Human Puppet Wizard finished sharing the intelligence, Richard also shared his information on the Mushroom Land. Richard¡¯s information was quite conservative; aside from needing to sacrifice Flesh to enter the Mushroom Land and not causing massive destruction within it, he did not reveal anything else. But just these two pieces were enough to satisfy the Human Puppet Wizard. They knew nothing about the Mushroom Land; without Richard¡¯s information, entering would be akin to walking into a trap. ¡°Had no idea this place had such intricacies, without the two of you, we might have been in serious trouble,¡± the Human Puppet Wizard expressed his relief. ¡°No big issue, we¡¯re all on the same side.¡± After exchanging information, they exchanged names; the two Human Puppet Wizards were brothers, with the elder brother, who had spoken, named Suogu and the silent one named Soduo. These two brothers, participating in their second Plane War, although not as experienced as Lawrence, were not to be underestimated. Suogu pulled out a Warrior Worm from his Slave Pocket, its limbs broken and body covered in numerous scars, some still oozing green slime. When Suogu grabbed it, its body no longer trembled and struggled, and its mouthparts emitted continuous chirps, seemingly cursing something. ¡°Good thing we captured a live specimen earlier, or it¡¯d be difficult to make this entry.¡± Suogu smiled at Richard and then threw the Warrior Worm into the Mushroom Land. The Mushroom Land treated all sacrifices equally; how the Spider Knights were consumed, the Warrior Worm was consumed. However, as the flesh of the Warrior Worm was devoured, several fungal hyphae emerged from its broken limbs and wounds, forming new limbs. Suogu signaled Richard with a nod, and together they entered the Mushroom Land. ¡­ Upon entering the Mushroom Land, Richard immediately sensed a change in the surrounding environment. The surging Life Energy of the middle layer Insect Nest had become even richer and more chaotic in the Mushroom Land. This life energy made Richard¡¯s cells extremely active, but this change was somewhat dangerous. As is well known, cancer cells are also quite active. Richard communicated quietly to Ulysses using his spiritual power, ¡°Ulysses, didn¡¯t you say this space was harmless?¡± ¡°Ah, there has been a little problem.¡± Ulysses¡¯ eyes emitted a faint glow; he was observing the space in a more advanced way, ¡°The residual rules of this space are more numerous than I thought, almost comparable to some of the broken Divine Countries. But don¡¯t worry, I can tell you for certain that the World Master is thoroughly dead, and no matter how many residual rules this space has, it is merely an environmental change for us; no one is targeting us.¡± After hearing Ulysses¡¯ explanation, Richard¡¯s tension eased slightly. As a World Master, Ulysses¡¯ vision was certainly much stronger than any of them, the Level 1 Creatures. The ecology of Mushroom Land was quite marvelous; they tread on soil intertwined with various colored mycelium, mixed together like fabric. Combined with the soil, it felt soft and elastic when stepped on. Around them, aside from the tall giant luminescent fungi, there were also numerous small, colorful fungi Richard and his companions had never seen before. These fungi were brightly colored, and their patterns were exceptionally beautiful, giving off a deadly allure as if one bite could be poisonous. These unknown fungi were particularly tempting for the Wizards, and several of them collected some as specimens. Of course, this collection was limited. Even though they did not know what the Spirit of Nature in Mushroom Land was, these Level 1 Creatures still chose not to provoke unnecessary trouble. While collecting these fungi, Richard felt a faint sense of being watched, a mysterious sensation similar to Wild Intuition ¡ª a special ability produced from years of training the Adaptation Body, evolving his physical cells. ¡°Could it be the Spirit of Nature?¡± Richard stopped his actions and asked Ulysses through a spiritual message, ¡°Ulysses, do you feel something spying on us?¡± ¡°Ah, spying? No.¡± Ulysses shook his feathers, ¡°In this Mushroom Land, besides these mushrooms, there¡¯s not even a living creature; nothing is spying on you.¡± Hearing this from Ulysses, Richard felt doubtful. Was he just being paranoid? Before he could ponder it further, Suogu gestured to him. Richard walked over and saw a group of insects regrouping in the distant Mushroom Forest; among them was a Priest Worm draped in silk fabric, its body continuously emitting intense energy fluctuations. ¡°That Priest Worm was hit by a counterattack from a dying Second Ring Master; it¡¯s probably suffering from internal backlash now,¡± Suogu whispered. ¡°Do we attack now?¡± Richard asked. A cold light flashed in Suogu¡¯s eyes, ¡°The Priest Worm is currently suppressing its injuries, now is the best opportunity.¡± Richard nodded and signaled Ali on the side. The four Wizards pulled out their Magic Wands, preparing to ambush the group of insects. But just as they were about to make their move, the Priest Worm, which was suppressing its injuries, suddenly opened its eyes as if it sensed something. This caused the four Wizards to immediately halt their actions. There was a chasm between Level 1 Creatures and Second-level Creatures. Even though this Second-level Insect was severely injured, they still had to be cautious. The Priest Worm plucked a mushroom from the ground and casually threw it down. The mushroom cap spun a couple of times on the ground, pointing directly in the direction of the four Wizards. Then the Priest Worm touched a Black-armored Warrior Insect with its tentacles, speaking very calmly, ¡°There¡¯s a monster approaching, right in the direction of the mushroom cap. Don¡¯t look, don¡¯t get nervous, follow my lead.¡± The Black-armored Warrior Insect¡¯s tentacles vibrated slightly, and it spoke in a low voice, ¡°My lord, what shall we do?¡± As a Warrior Insect, it did not question the decisions of the Priest Worm. ¡°The group of monsters doesn¡¯t understand what we¡¯re saying, so don¡¯t get nervous,¡± the Priest Worm said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m injured and don¡¯t have much strength. You guys adjust your positions, let the Spider Knights charge first, then follow up. Focus as much as possible on one monster. These creatures in black robes are different from those in white robes; they have many methods and are cold-hearted towards their companions, but they value their own lives. If you quickly take down one, you should be able to scare them off.¡± The Warrior Insect nodded, ¡°I understand, my lord. But we are now in Mushroom Land; what if recklessly fighting angers the Spirit of Nature?¡± ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± the Priest Worm shook its tentacles, its words imbued with profound mystery, ¡°This is our world, and the World Spirit is on our side. Under the attention of the World Spirit, even the Spirit of Nature has to give way.¡± The Warrior Insect stood up and commanded several insects around to adjust their positions. This move seemed somewhat inexplicable to the several Wizards, but soon, Richard, who excelled in close combat, noticed something. The robust Spider Knights had suddenly adjusted to positions closest to them. Richard took a silent step back, positioning Suogu as the foremost Wizard. This distance would not hinder their ambush, but it would allow the Spider Knights to target Suogu first. Richard faintly guessed what that sensation of being watched was. They, the invaders¡­ were probably already targeted by the World Origin¡¯s will. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Chapter 34 The Tremors of Mushroom Land Chapter 134: Chapter 34 The Tremors of Mushroom Land In any world, becoming a Level 1 Creature required recognition by the World Origin, which served as a mark, signifying that you had passed the world¡¯s inspection. Meanwhile, a Level 1 Creature that hadn¡¯t undergone the World Origin¡¯s examination was considered an illegal entity, a pest as far as the world was concerned. The fate of pests need not be mentioned. Richard vaguely recalled a rumor he had heard in the Floating City. During the Plane War, Black Wizards infiltrating the enemy¡¯s rear must always avoid the enemy¡¯s spiritual evolvers. Such creatures were able to see through a Black Wizard¡¯s disguise regardless of their strength. ¡­ Richard glanced at the moving insects and gave Ali a meaningful look. If his guess was right, they had been discovered. Upon seeing Richard¡¯s signal, Ali¡¯s heart tightened, and she immediately began preparing Defense Magic. The Suogu brothers did not notice the change in Richard and Ali. They continued to wait silently for the chance to launch a sneak attack. Upon seeing the insects positioned correctly, the Priest sent out a command with its spiritual power. ¡°Attack!¡± In an instant, two Spider Knights lunged toward where the four were hiding, their speed as fast as lightning. Behind them, more than a dozen Warrior Worms followed, with dozens of Blade Arms gleaming with a bright, sharp edge. ¡°Not good!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? Suogu¡¯s face changed, and he tried to retreat, but he saw the Priest¡¯s third eye Black Crystal shoot out a white light that hit him squarely. A binding force instantly locked Suogu in place, leaving him unable to move and only able to watch helplessly as the Spider Knights approached. And all this happened in a mere moment. Seeing this, Richard knew his guess was correct and was about to make his escape, but after seeing the Priest take action, he stopped in his tracks. As a Second-level Creature, the Priest could have killed all four of them with its Physique alone, had it not been injured. However, the Priest did not move now, and its abilities seemed to be of a supportive nature, which led to a thought flashing through Richard¡¯s mind. This thing probably didn¡¯t have much strength left. With that thought, Richard swiftly waved his Magic Wand and shot out several black Fireballs to support Suogu. While casting his Spell, he communicated with Ulysses through spiritual power. ¡°Ulysses, go test that insect¡¯s strength.¡± ¡°Ga, understood.¡± Ulysses flapped its wings and instantly transformed into a streak of black lightning, cutting through the swarm of insects and heading straight for the Priest. The Priest saw something flying towards it and immediately felt a bad omen. Due to suppressing its injuries, its available strength was nearly depleted. Having used the Starlight Binding, it had already exhausted a significant amount of power, and to act now would likely consume its last bit of strength. ¡°Go!¡± With a low shout from the Priest, a Starlight Net burst forth from the Black Crystal on its brow, sealing off all space around Ulysses, preparing to seal it. It could only hope that its thunderous strike would deter these monsters. Normally, a standard Level 1 Creature faced with this Starlight Net would not escape being sealed, but the Priest encountered today was no ordinary Level 1 Creature¡ªit faced a World Master disguised as one. Ulysses spewed out a black flame from its mouth, quickly burning a gap through the Starlight Net. Taking advantage of the gap, Ulysses narrowly avoided the sealing and traced a beautiful arc in the air, flying back to Richard. ¡°Ga, this bug doesn¡¯t have much power left!¡± Hearing Ulysses¡¯s response, a smile spread across Richard¡¯s face. Without the interference of that Second-level worm, the dozen or so Level 1 worms were merely a matter of spending more time to deal with. On Richard¡¯s side, there was good news, but the situation was dire for the Suogu brothers. The Priest¡¯s Starlight Binding had prevented Suogu from retreating in time, and the two Spider Knights, in coordination with more than a dozen Warrior Worms, swiftly reduced him to a pile of rubble. However, Richard saw a streak of light enter the void, which likely meant that Suogu had created a Life Box and his soul had escaped. The remaining, Soduo, seeing his brother perish in an instant, naturally did not dare to stay. His body flashed with a yellow light, and he was about to burrow into the ground as he had when he first appeared. But as soon as one foot had entered the soil, he was forced to withdraw it. His foot that had entered the earth was now covered in fungus. The unique environment of the Mushroom Land rendered his escape technique useless. However, at that moment, Richard and Ali had already engaged the enemy, with purple Fireballs of terrifying temperature creating a firestorm that temporarily stopped the swarm of insects. ¡°Richard, aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Ali shouted anxiously. Her Fireball had momentarily suppressed the swarm, but as soon as that Second-level creature took action, they would all be trapped here. Moreover, her Spell covered a large area, and a few more shots could potentially set the Mushroom Forest ablaze. At that point, the alleged Spirit of Nature in Mushroom Land would likely intervene. ¡°Ali, we don¡¯t need to go.¡± Scale Armor grew on Richard¡¯s body, and his Magic Wand ignited with Black Flame. ¡°That Second-level creature no longer has the energy to make a move.¡± With that, Richard took a step forward, and his body instantaneously charged towards a Spider Knight. The surrounding Warrior Worms immediately attempted to encircle Richard. ¡°Monster, die!¡± The Spider Knight shouted angrily, its four Blade Arms imbued with Dark Erosion Energy, along with the surrounding Warrior Worms, completely sealed off any space for Richard to dodge. But in the next moment, Richard¡¯s figure disappeared and reappeared behind a Warrior Worm at some distance. Crack! The sound of the exoskeleton breaking was crisp, as the Warrior Worm¡¯s upper body was smashed by the Magic Wand, and the Black Flame burning on the wand scorched the Warrior Worm¡¯s flesh, sending a stench of charred meat instantly pervading the insects¡¯ olfactory senses. ¡°Teleport!¡± Experienced creatures instantly recognized Richard¡¯s ability. But what use was there in recognizing it? Richard¡¯s figure flickered again, and this time he appeared behind a Spider Knight. With a forceful stab from the Magic Wand in his hand, a piece of carapace at the waist of the Spider Knight shattered on cue, instantly paralyzing it. Seeing this, a nearby Priest Worm¡¯s tentacles stiffened in an instant. As a Two Stars Priest Worm, it knew a lot about the inner workings of the Insect Country, including the origin of the Spider Knights. Most creatures in the Insect Country believed that Spider Knights were another type of creature birthed by the Mother Worm, only their Incubation Pond wasn¡¯t with them. But as an informed worm, the Priest Worm knew that these Spider Knights were once Warrior Worms, and they owed their transformation into Spider Knights to the Mother Worm¡¯s modification. The Spider Knights were strong in combat, but their vulnerabilities were also glaringly evident. The nerve center in their waist, shielded by the carapace, was their greatest vulnerability. By exploiting this weakness, one could even capture a Spider Knight alive. But how did this monster know about it? That vulnerability was known only to the Priest Worms! The more the Priest Worm thought about it, the more terrified it became. Could it be that one of the Priest Worms had betrayed the Mother Worm God? Or had these monsters found out the Spider Knights¡¯ weaknesses in such a short amount of time? Either possibility filled it with dread. ¡°No, this can¡¯t go on.¡± Watching the creatures being killed one after another, the Priest Worm¡¯s heart hardened, and it took out a fist-sized, golden piece of amber from the carapace on its chest. As the amber was taken out, the condition of the Priest Worm visibly deteriorated. This was the Mother Worm God¡¯s legacy that it had brought down from the upper Insect Nest¡ªthe Insect God¡¯s Blood. It had managed to defeat the Second Ring Wizard and survive that terrible retaliatory strike before death, all thanks to the power of this Insect God¡¯s Blood. Legend had it that the amber sealed something extraordinary. And the moment it took out the amber, Ulysses immediately became excited. ¡°Ga, Richard! That worm is holding a Divine Artifact!¡± At these words, Richard¡¯s figure stumbled, nearly getting his head sliced off by two Samurai Worms. ¡°Divine Artifact?¡± Richard had a bad feeling. He had thought that this Priest Worm wouldn¡¯t be able to use the Mother Worm God¡¯s legacy; otherwise, Ulysses would have used it to intimidate them when they were probing earlier. Could it be that using this legacy required a significant sacrifice? However, before Richard could react, the Mushroom Land began to stir. The moment the amber was taken out, the whole Mushroom Land seemed to tremble, and countless fungal creatures roaming in the depths of the Mushroom Land looked towards one place at once. That was the location of the golden amber. ¡°Ga, what¡¯s happening!¡± Ulysses, flying in the sky, watched with gaping mouth as a horde of fungal creatures rushed over from a distance. It could see that this cluster of fungal creatures was charging right towards them. With a shudder, Ulysses¡¯ body instantly grew several times larger, and Annihilation Flame erupted all over its body. ¡°Ga, kid, open your Secret Realm! Quick!¡± The approaching fungal creatures were up to no good, and among them were Level 2 and Level 3 creatures. In such a scenario, even Ulysses couldn¡¯t guarantee Richard¡¯s escape. At the words, Richard¡¯s figure flashed, instantly appearing behind Ali. He and Ulysses had been communicating through spiritual power vibrations, so Ali hadn¡¯t known a thing. ¡°Ali, cover me, I need to open the Secret Realm.¡± Ali was somewhat confused; wasn¡¯t the situation very favorable, so why did they need to open the Secret Realm? But trusting in Richard, Ali didn¡¯t ask further and immediately started to block. However, the creatures were not to be underestimated. After the golden amber was taken out, a gentle nurturing power began to heal the creatures¡¯ bodies. Under this power¡¯s influence, their wounds rapidly healed, and their bodies became stronger. ¡°Kill them quickly!¡± shouted the Priest Worm. It could sense that at the moment the Insect God¡¯s Blood was taken out, the entire Mushroom Land seemed to boil. Could it be that inside the Insect God¡¯s Blood, sealed was the very body of the ancient Primordial Mushroom? Seeing the situation turning grim, Ali clenched her teeth, and her Magic Wand instantly ignited with a layer of eerie-flamed Fireball. This flame had an appalling temperature, yet seemed very ethereal, as if it weren¡¯t part of this world. ¡°I¡¯d like to see who dares to come at me under the Curse Flame!¡± The terror of the Curse Flame briefly dulled the creatures¡¯ advance, but the Priest Worm¡¯s orders spurred them to renewed ferocity. For the Insect Nest! For the Mother Worm God! Shouting their slogans, the creatures charged forward, braving Ali¡¯s Spell. ¡°Ga, damn insects.¡± Ulysses spat out a sea of Flames, instantly engulfing several creatures, but under the Insect God¡¯s Blood¡¯s influence, the creatures¡¯ carapaces continually burned and regenerated. Suddenly, they braved the flames and reached Ali¡¯s side. Ali swung her Magic Wand, and a Fireball exploded the approaching creatures. The aftershock of the explosion immediately charred half of her face. That was the consequence of releasing a powerful spell at close range. ¡°Richard! How much longer?¡± The next moment, she heard Richard¡¯s steady voice. ¡°Done.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: Chapter 35 Blue Strain Chapter 135: Chapter 35 Blue Strain As the space rift opened, Richard quickly pulled Ali into the Secret Realm, casually dropping two Hearts of Annihilation to block the entrance. Under the power of the Hearts of Annihilation, two Warrior Worms disappeared halfway, but terrifyingly, their remaining bodies kept trembling, as if they wanted to regrow from their maimed limbs. Seeing Richard enter the Secret Realm, Ulysses somewhat relaxed. He and Richard now shared both glory and losses; as long as Richard lived, he would eventually be able to return to divinity and perhaps even advance further. Now that he no longer needed to protect Richard, there was no need to waste strength. He shrank his body, instantly transforming into the size of a sparrow, and the Annihilation Flame on him also vanished. He darted into the Mushroom Forest, silently observing those fungal creatures approaching. He wanted to see what treasure had attracted these beings. As for the remaining Soduo of the Suogu brothers, Ulysses glanced at him and saw that the youth had already started to flee during Richard¡¯s battle; he was now nearly at the edge of the Mushroom Land. ¡°Ha, these Wizards really have unique ways of fleeing.¡± Since Ali had entered the Secret Realm, the Curse Flame on the insect¡¯s body instantly dimmed. The Secret Realm, unlike the Mushroom Land, which was a parasitic space on the world, was closer to another world. The isolation between two worlds instantly severed the connection between Ali and the Curse Flame, and soon, the flames extinguished. With the help of the blood of the Insect God, the group of insects quickly recovered to their original state, and even their shells became thicker and their muscles stronger. They felt the changes in their bodies with surprise, continuously emitting joyful chirps, but the Priest Insect was not as happy. The Priest Insect stuffed the Blood of the Insect God back into its body, hoping to calm the Mushroom Land, but it did not notice a nearly imperceptible mycelium had already attached to the Blood of the Insect God. Thud, thud, thud¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Dull footsteps came from deep within the Mushroom Land; a terrifying Fungal Spider, at least five meters tall, cleared a wide path through the Mushroom Forest like a bulldozer, followed by countless fungal creatures festooned with mycelium spreading like a tide. ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± The Priest Insect watched in horror, having already reabsorbed the Blood of the Insect God into its body¡ªwhy were these fungal creatures still charging at them? Could it have enraged the Spirit of Nature? But whatever the reason, they were now powerless to resist. ¡°Staro, take the Divine Gifted Armor and other insects and leave,¡± the Priest Insect decided quickly, pulling out a small shield and handing it to the Black-armored Warrior Insect. ¡°My lord, what about you?¡± asked the Black-armored Warrior Insect. ¡°Me?¡± The Priest Insect shook its tentacles and knelt towards the direction of the Insect Nest. The moment it took out the Blood of the Insect God, the injuries inside its body had already erupted. Although it had been temporarily clinging to life with the Blood of the Insect God, given the current situation, it surely couldn¡¯t take the Blood with it. ¡°I am doomed.¡± The Warrior Worm seemed to want to say more, but the Priest Worm had already removed the black crystal from between its brows. At the wound of the black crystal, streams of golden light seeped out, attempting to heal the wound, but to no avail. ¡°Praise the Mother Worm God.¡± As the Priest Worm gave its last accolade, the black crystal transformed into a streak of light and disappeared. The other Warrior Worms slightly bowed to the Priest Worm and then left towards the direction of the Insect Nest. Soon enough, fungal creatures swarmed in. A giant spider tore open the body of the Priest Worm and extracted a golden amber from within. The amber emitted a faint golden light. Under its glow, the fungal spider¡¯s mycelium dissolved like snow melting in spring, as if it had encountered its nemesis. The fungal spider emitted a soundless cry, with mycelium spreading out a tentacle from its body, grabbing a nearby first-level fungal creature and hurling it at the amber. The captured fungal creature didn¡¯t even have time to react before the golden light disintegrated its body, just like the one before. However, Ulysses in the woods noticed something significant. ¡°Ha, are they trying to wear down the seal bit by bit with numbers? Just like those Abyss riffraff.¡± In his perception, the golden amber dimmed slightly after disintegrating a fungal creature, though barely perceptible. If there were enough fungal lives, the golden light of the amber could eventually be depleted. After the fungal spider¡¯s action, some of the stronger fungal creatures began to do the same. One by one, fungal creatures were thrown near the amber, and the golden light of the amber gradually dimmed in this process. As the fungal creature group dwindled down from repeated wearing down, only a few scattered beings remained. Among these few, Ulysses even spotted a familiar figure. ¡°Ha, this Lawrence has a tough life, to still be alive.¡± In a corner of the Mushroom Forest, a fungal creature clad in a Wizard Robe lay quietly in ambush, shrouded in shadows that made the higher-level fungal creatures overlook its presence. As an old wizard who had survived several Plane Wars and a wizard of the Undead School, Lawrence had numerous ways to save his own life. If it weren¡¯t for the Priest Worm¡¯s use of a Sealing Skill, he would have had nine ways to escape. After the sealing was lifted and he was thrown into the Mushroom Land as a sacrifice, he used a piece of Magic Equipment to protect his soul and evaded the invasion of the fungus. After the fungal reconstitution was complete, he enslaved this fungal body with Undead Magic. For wizards undergoing Spiritual Evolution, the physical body isn¡¯t that important. As long as the soul still exists, many wizards can switch bodies as easily as changing clothes. Lawrence watched silently from the shadows as the golden light of the amber was disintegrated, feeling not the slightest ripple in his heart. A long-lived Black Wizard surely possesses a virtue called restraint. No matter how powerful or precious that amber might be, it wasn¡¯t something he could obtain now. His reason for coming here was simple: the blood of the Insect God awakened the instincts of his fungal body, making him lose control and involuntarily come here. However, this had brought him an unexpected surprise. The traces of Richard and others fighting the insects hadn¡¯t faded yet, and Lawrence easily discerned Ali¡¯s traces from them. This fungal body couldn¡¯t step out of the Mushroom Land, and traveling by soul was far too dangerous. If he encountered any intense energy fluctuations, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to return to his Life Box and would be utterly finished. Richard¡¯s arrival had just solved his big problem. ¡­ As a fungal creature disintegrated, the golden light of the amber finally vanished completely. The Fungal Spider picked it up with its tentacles and then forcefully snapped it in two. The next moment, an extremely intense Life Energy burst from the amber, and nearly all the fungal creatures went into a frenzy at that moment. They madly rushed towards the amber, or more precisely, toward the thing preserved inside it¡ªa blue mushroom seed. Bang! The Fungal Spider swung one of its legs and smashed a second-level fungal insect into the air, its white mycelium floating down like willow catkins. Yet even so, the remaining fungal creatures kept charging toward the blue mushroom seed. In an instant, mycelium fell like snow. But just as the fungal creatures were about to fight each other to death over the seed, a brash cry echoed from within the Mushroom Forest. ¡°Ha, a bunch of brainless fools. You think you¡¯re worthy of this?¡± (Gods¡¯ language) A streak of black light shot out from the forest, swallowing the blue mushroom seed with a speed so fast that not even the third-level Fungal Spider could react. ¡°Roar!¡± Some fungal creatures roared and chased after Ulysses, but after a few seconds, the group of fungal creatures suddenly stopped and then turned to walk deep into the Mushroom Forest. Lawrence, hiding in the forest, sensed that the signal attracting the fungal bodies had disappeared. All the fungal creatures returned to their previous life state. ¡°That raven is no ordinary creature,¡± Lawrence muttered to himself, watching the direction in which Ulysses disappeared. ¡°Even though that mushroom seed was sealed so tightly, these fungal creatures detected it. Yet that raven completely blocked the seed¡¯s attraction¡­¡± Lawrence decided not to think further. As an old wizard, he understood that every wizard had their own secrets, and probing into these secrets would do no good but only bring trouble and hatred. What he needed to do now was just wait, wait for Richard to appear, wait to obtain a new body. ¡­ Inside the Secret Realm, Richard sat on the ground, quietly looking at the pocket watch in his hand. It had been three days since he had entered the Secret Realm. There was no day or night in the Secret Realm, and Richard could only rely on his pocket watch to keep track of time. Ulysses¡¯ warning had made him enter the Secret Realm without a second thought, but he didn¡¯t know why he had entered. This also led to him being unclear about how long he would need to wait before he could leave. ¡°Boss, boss, don¡¯t be sad. Fuzzy Ball Number Three offers you some nectar.¡± A Holy Tree Elf flew up to him, delivering a petal dipped in nectar to his lips. These Holy Tree Elves could sense that their boss was in a very bad mood, and their simple minds could only think of the best way to cheer him up¡ªeating nectar. Richard accepted the petal and gently touched the Holy Tree Elf that brought the nectar. The nectar brewed by the Holy Tree Elves carried a faint whiff of Life Energy, although not as potent as the nectar Richard bought from the Wizard Commerce, it was still quite good. Moreover, since there were no demonized plants in this Secret Realm, only ordinary flowers, producing such nectar already showed the uniqueness of the Holy Tree Elves. In the past, he had never paid much attention to this nectar, but now he planned to plant some demonized plants in the Secret Realm to see if the quality of the nectar would improve. Richard swallowed the petal, then put away his pocket watch and stood up. ¡°Ali, get ready, I¡¯m going to open the rift now.¡± On one side of the Secret Realm, Ali, who was reading a book, closed her book, picked up her magic wand, and came to Richard¡¯s side. ¡°This Secret Realm of yours is really nice, much better than mine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s decent, mainly because a bunch of little guys manage it.¡± The rift opened, and Richard cautiously extended his spiritual power outside. ¡°Come on out, all is clear now!¡± Sensing Ulysses¡¯ Spiritual Message, Richard signaled to Ali, and they walked out of the Secret Realm. The Mushroom Land had now returned to its original state, with their traces of battle covered by the fungi under the Life Energy of the Mushroom Land. But Richard still spotted the shattered Insect God¡¯s Blood immediately. Richard walked up to the amber fragments. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this amber?¡± Ulysses¡¯ eyes shifted. ¡°Ha, there was something sealed inside the amber, destroyed by those fungal creatures.¡± ¡°And what happened to the stuff inside?¡± ¡°Ha, of course, it was taken by those fungal creatures.¡± Richard turned to look at Ulysses, skeptical. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Ha, I¡¯m sure!¡± But just as Ulysses finished speaking, a figure emerged from the Mushroom Forest. ¡°Richard, I have a deal you might want to hear.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: Chapter 36: World Tree? World Mushroom! Chapter 136: Chapter 36: World Tree? World Mushroom! ¡°Lawrence?¡± As Richard saw the figure emerging from the Mushroom Forest, a shock ran through him. At this moment, Lawrence¡¯s entire body was composed of white mycelium, which rhythmically bent and stretched as he moved, appearing incredibly natural. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, this body is a puppet controlled by Undead Witchcraft,¡± Lawrence explained. Richard looked at him warily. ¡°What deal are you planning to make?¡± After the Warrior Worm had told him entering the Mushroom Land required a sacrifice, Richard had given up on Lawrence and instead set his target on the treasure of the Mother Worm God. Now, that treasure had been destroyed by the fungal creatures, yet Lawrence still lived. Fate truly was wonderful. ¡°I offer one piece of information, plus five hundred thousand Magic Stones for one body,¡± Lawrence stated his terms, then added, ¡°The information is related to the amber.¡± Upon hearing this, Ulysses suddenly trembled. ¡°Information about the amber?¡± Richard immediately grew interested. Given that Lawrence had been taken by this group of insects for so long, it was indeed possible he had uncovered some information. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï ¡°What kind of body do you need?¡± ¡°Any normal Level 1 Creature will do, I just need it to leave this cursed place.¡± As he spoke, Lawrence pointed to his fungal body, ¡°This body can¡¯t step away from this cursed place.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy to handle.¡± After a moment of thought, Richard pulled out the Warrior Worm and Spider Knight from the Slave Pocket. Whether it was the five hundred thousand Magic Stones or the treasure¡¯s information, both were far more valuable than these two slaves. ¡°Which one of these do you want?¡± Lawrence was somewhat surprised by the sight of the Spider Knight; he had fought with it before. Killing the Spider Knight was not an issue for him, but capturing it alive was something he couldn¡¯t manage. ¡°I¡¯ll take this half-spider,¡± Lawrence chose. Since the money was already spent, naturally, he wanted a better body. Without saying much more upon hearing this, Richard immediately threw the Spider Knight over to Lawrence. Lawrence took out a contract from his pocket, wrote down the terms, and after signing it, he handed it to Richard. Richard glanced at the terms and then signed his name. Contracts were an indispensable ritual in wizard transactions and also the foundation of the Wizard Society¡¯s laws. Once the contract was completed, Lawrence immediately used Undead Magic to transfer bodies. Although the Spider Knight¡¯s nerves were still severed, the Undead Magic controlling the body didn¡¯t need nerves and resembled more of a puppet on strings. Then he pointed at Ulysses and said, ¡°This amber, the thing sealed inside it was taken by this crow. That crow was deceiving you just now!¡± Upon hearing this, Ulysses became agitated. ¡°Squawk! This is slander, pure slander! Richard, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. Just look at him; he¡¯s definitely been turned into a puppet and is now trying to drive a wedge between us!¡± Richard paused. Although Ulysses sounded somewhat frantic, his words did carry some reason. Lawrence¡¯s state just now was indeed a bit odd. But suddenly, Richard noticed that Ulysses¡¯s abdomen seemed somewhat distended and was slowly growing larger. ¡°Ulysses, what¡¯s with your belly?¡± Richard asked with a cold smirk. ¡°Squawk? My belly? What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± Ulysses said nervously. But before it could make any more excuses, a strand of blue mycelium stretched out of its mouth. The Mushroom Land trembled again. ¡°Ulysses, every time I think you¡¯re one of us, you always stir up trouble.¡± Richard glanced at him and then reopened the rift into the Secret Realm. ¡°Lawrence, go in and take shelter.¡± Richard called out to Lawrence and grabbed Ulysses, whose stomach had swelled up like a balloon, and entered the Secret Realm. Although he didn¡¯t know what those blue mycelium were, judging from the reaction of the Mushroom Land, they definitely weren¡¯t ordinary. Lawrence looked at the Space Rift with a hint of surprise on his face. Secret Realm Fragments were quite expensive. It was Richard¡¯s first time participating in the Plane War, how could he afford such things? But when he entered the Secret Realm Fragment, the surprise on his face instantly turned to shock. ¡°This¡­ this¡­ where did you get this Secret Realm fragment!¡± Lawrence exclaimed incoherently, ¡°This concentration of Magic Power, this environment, this harmony of rules, how¡­ how could a One Ring Wizard possess such a thing? Aren¡¯t you participating in the Plane War for the first time?¡± Faced with Lawrence¡¯s astonishment, Richard shrugged. ¡°Our dean is quite generous; this is a reward he gave to us.¡± ¡°¡­A reward?¡± Lawrence felt his worldview being shaken, ¡°Are you his student?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why would he reward you?¡± ¡°This thing is a reward for an exam, it doesn¡¯t matter whether I¡¯m his student or not. If you¡¯re talking about a student,¡± Richard gestured towards Ali, ¡°this wizard is our dean¡¯s grandpupil.¡± Lawrence turned his head to look at Ali, his eyes wide as if they were bells. ¡°You¡¯re the grandpupil of the Black Tower Great Wizard?¡± Ali nodded indifferently and said: ¡°Hmm, the dean is indeed my mentor, but usually, I can¡¯t even see my own teacher, so this connection isn¡¯t very useful.¡± Upon hearing this, Lawrence said with a stern face, ¡°No, no, no, this connection is very important. With this connection, this war will be much easier for us.¡± Lawrence had never imagined that the rookie wizard he was fighting alongside had such a formidable connection. If you had told me about this connection earlier, with it, he could have obtained many more resources from the logistic wizards, and even gotten firsthand information. This would be a huge advantage in the war. Even if this war bonded friendships, he might even be able to mix into the Black Tower Wizard Academy as a logistic wizard in the future. Thinking of this, Lawrence¡¯s mindset underwent some changes. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, the guy behind you has no small connections either; the head of the War Beast Department is his teacher,¡± Ali said, feeling uncomfortable under Lawrence¡¯s gaze, and thus she divulged Richard¡¯s information. ¡°Hmm?¡± Lawrence instantly turned around, ¡°Your teacher is Jolod, the Master of the War Beast Department?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Nothing, just that if you two ever have a fight in the future, please make sure to call me to join. Fighting alongside you, I feel like the survival rate in this war is very high.¡± With these two, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being sent by the command to carry out a suicidal mission. ¡­ After confirming that the changes in the Mushroom Land were caused by Ulysses stealing the blue mushroom seeds, Ali and Lawrence left the Secret Realm, leaving only their one person and one bird. Richard held Ulysses in front of him and asked with a cold expression, ¡°Ulysses, do you have anything to say?¡± At this moment, Ulysses¡¯ body continued to sprout blue mycelium, swelling up like a ball. If it were a normal creature, it would have died long ago. Only Ulysses, the World Master, could still barely survive. ¡°Gaah, my master! I was wrong, I was wrong!¡± Ulysses wailed. Just before entering the Secret Realm, Richard had used his spiritual power to command Ulysses to stop resisting the blue mycelium. Ulysses, knowing how to keep pace, realizing his behavior was inappropriate, naturally gave up resisting since the mycelium was harmless to his soul, and he couldn¡¯t die anyway. ¡°Wrong?¡± Richard sneered coldly, ¡°My lord Ulysses, if it weren¡¯t for someone saying so, I might have really let it pass. Could digesting this thing have restored quite a bit of your strength?¡± ¡°Gaah, no! Absolutely not! This thing is of no benefit to the soul at all, my mind was really clouded!¡± Ulysses screamed miserably. This mushroom seed, when it first appeared, burst with amazing life energy, but when Ulysses swallowed it, it immediately showed its true nature. It continuously absorbed Ulysses¡¯ energy for nourishment, starting just a little at first but increasingly more later on, growing larger and larger until Ulysses eventually slipped up, by which time it had almost drained all of Ulysses¡¯ energy. ¡°Not at all?¡± Richard still sneered coldly, not believing a word Ulysses said. ¡°Gaah, my master, if you don¡¯t act now, this body of mine will be destroyed, and then it¡¯ll be your loss.¡± Ulysses continued to wail miserably, knowing full well that Richard was not a sentimental person. Compared to tormenting him, the potential losses were probably more significant. But this time, Ulysses miscalculated. Richard used the Levitation Skill to suspend Ulysses in the air: ¡°It¡¯s okay, I have plenty of active flesh on hand, building you another body is no problem.¡± ¡°Gaah, no! Master! Richard¡­¡± Faced with Ulysses¡¯ participation, Richard unflinchingly levitated him into the sky of the Secret Realm, then added a soundproof magic shield. Ulysses had been too greedy this time; he had to be punished. ¡­ An hour later, Ulysses¡¯ body suddenly exploded, turning into a fungal sphere. A divine light flew out from the sphere, entering the crow body Richard had prepared. ¡°Ulysses, what on earth is this thing?¡± Regaining a body, Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder and cooed obsequiously, ¡°Gaah, I guess this thing is the mushroom seed killed by the golden insect long ago, but it seems like it just awoke its soul. Master, you can communicate with it directly.¡± No sooner had Ulysses finished speaking than the fungal sphere from the sky fell down. ¡°Mortal, I wish to make a deal with you.¡± ¡°Mortal?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, this mushroom didn¡¯t seem to understand its standing. ¡°Ulysses, can you kill it? If you kill it, this matter is settled, and I¡¯ll prepare you a better body when we return.¡± ¡°Gaah, no problem! If it weren¡¯t for you wanting to discipline me just now, I would have already killed it.¡± As he spoke, Ulysses¡¯ eyes gleamed with a hint of light. Though only a wounded World Master, the mushroom seed on the other side was merely an embryo. Wasn¡¯t it easy for a severely injured adult to defeat an embryo? At this moment, the mushroom ball still hadn¡¯t realized something was amiss and continued, ¡°Mortal, if you serve me, I will grant you power, strength, glory¡­¡± The mushroom ball hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Ulysses¡¯ soul invaded it. ¡°Gaah, power? Strength? Does a mushroom like you deserve my master¡¯s service?¡± The mushroom ball¡¯s spirit space lacked a Miracle Furnace, and in it, Ulysses was overwhelmingly dominant, convincing the mushroom ball of reality in a matter of seconds. ¡°Master! I surrender! I will serve you! I will serve you!¡± Seeing the mushroom ball was so sensible, Ulysses withdrew from its spirit space and returned to his body to coo obsequiously at Richard: ¡°Gaah, my dear master, this mushroom wants to serve you.¡± ¡°Serve me?¡± Richard smirked slightly, ¡°What are you, that you should serve me?¡± ¡°Master, I am the World Mushroom!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Chapter 37 Secret Realm Evolution Chapter 137: Chapter 37 Secret Realm Evolution ¡°World¡­ Mushroom?¡± Facing this title, Richard was somewhat puzzled. Shouldn¡¯t it be the World Tree? ¡°Yes, it is the World Mushroom, my lord, I can make this demi-plane space larger and the rules richer. If there is enough time, this demi-plane might even become a real world¡­¡± The World Mushroom desperately tried to paint a rosy picture for Richard, hoping to survive. Ulysses¡¯s terror was somewhat beyond its expectation, and even the pest that had been beaten into a seed and sealed for so long was not one-third as terrifying as Ulysses. It could feel that Ulysses had suffered severe injuries. If these injuries were to heal, it suspected that even it combined with that insect would merely serve as a lavish feast of meat and vegetables for Ulysses. How could such a terrifying creature refer to an ant as its master? ¡°Ulysses, do you think what it says is credible?¡± Richard asked. ¡°I have only heard of the World Tree and never of a World Mushroom.¡± Ulysses ruffled his feathers: ¡°Caw, my dear master, the term ¡®World Tree¡¯ is a general term. Although it calls itself the World Mushroom, it is actually what we refer to as the World Tree. If you, my master, had visited a plane where the Earth Element is unbalanced, the World Trees there are enormous mountains. And in some worlds where the Water Element is predominant, the World Tree is a gigantic seaweed or a giant jet that reaches through the heavens and the earth.¡± As a member of the Gods Civilization, Ulysses¡¯s status was almost equivalent to that of the Great Wizard. He had seen many landscapes of various otherworlds. To him, something like the World Mushroom was nothing extraordinary. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Richard nodded. ¡°That could indeed be useful. Draw up a Destiny Contract for it and make the terms strict.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.§ã? ¡°Caw¡­¡± Ulysses hesitated, then reluctantly scraped off a bit of debris from his soul. Although his injuries had somewhat healed during this period, this small amount of debris took him back a step. ¡°Don¡¯t be so aggrieved,¡± Richard said indifferently. ¡°You will benefit from this mushroom growing as well. I found in the Insect Nest a type of mushroom that can restore soul injuries. If we could plant it in the Secret Realm, your loss would quickly be recovered.¡± ¡°Caw, really!?¡± Richard didn¡¯t say more and pulled out a Sacrificial Fungus from his pocket. After tasting it, Ulysses immediately produced the Destiny Contract. ¡°Caw, for the sake of your interests, my lord, this loss of mine means nothing.¡± ¡­ The Destiny Contract prepared by Ulysses was very strict, but the World Mushroom had even fewer choices than Ulysses had back then. Back then, Ulysses could still struggle, but in front of Ulysses, the World Mushroom didn¡¯t even have the right to struggle and had to sign the contract obediently. Having been sealed for so long, the World Mushroom had no intention of just coming back to life only to die again. Once the contract was signed, the World Mushroom rooted itself in the Secret Realm. As soon as it took root, the magic power in the entire Secret Realm began to flow instantly. The magic power, like rivers flowing into the sea, was absorbed by the World Mushroom and transformed into fungal threads spreading out. The Holy Tree Elves sensed this change and hid behind Richard. Before long, the fungal threads of the World Mushroom had spread through half of the space of the Secret Realm, and its height had reached about ten meters. The Holy Tree Elves were curious about this suddenly enlarged object. A group of little creatures came out from behind Richard and kept circling around the World Mushroom. ¡°Boss, boss, what is this?¡± A Spiritual Message came from the World Tree: ¡°My lord, I will connect with the rules of this Secret Realm. There will be some changes here soon, and these little ones might not be able to adapt.¡± ¡°Not be able to adapt?¡± Richard frowned, the Holy Tree Elves were of significant use to him, relating to long-term benefits. ¡°Can you resolve this?¡± ¡­ The World Mushroom was silent for a long time, making Richard feel like some bosses he had encountered in his past life, who always demanded the moon. ¡°Go take out Tang Seng and his disciples.jpg¡± After the silence, the World Mushroom sent a Spiritual Message: ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I can try.¡± The World Mushroom extended several thin fungal threads to connect to the Holy Tree Elves. After a long time, the World Mushroom conveyed some good news. ¡°My lord, these little ones are quite good, and I can transform them. If you allow, they can become my kinfolk.¡± ¡°Kinfolk?¡± Richard paused for a moment. After consulting Ulysses, he learned the meaning of kinfolk. Kinfolk are essentially a dependent race of a strong creature, similar to a symbiotic relationship in nature. The kinfolk depend on the strong for survival, while the strong benefit from the services provided by the kinfolk. After hearing this explanation, Richard decided, ¡°Alright, but I need to ensure absolute control over them.¡± The World Mushroom sent a message: ¡°Your will.¡± Transforming the Holy Tree Elves would take a long time, as would the World Mushroom connecting with the rules of the Secret Realm. During this period, the entire Secret Realm would be inaccessible. Richard still had tasks to take care of, and if he disappeared for too long or remained inactive, the command center would deem him as slacking off and would inquire. Without a valid explanation, punishment would be inevitable. Therefore, Richard and Ulysses could only temporarily leave the Secret Realm and wait for the World Mushroom¡¯s transformation to be completed. ¡­ ¡°Is everything settled?¡± Looking at Richard who had just emerged, and Ulysses who had returned to his original form, Ali whispered, asking. ¡°Yes.¡± Richard nodded, then turned to look at Lawrence beside him. ¡°Lawrence, I¡­¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Before Richard could finish, Lawrence interrupted him, pulling out a contract from his pocket. ¡°I swear to keep this matter secret, not revealing a single word to anyone outside. This is a Soul Contract.¡± This old wizard had a keen intuition for survival. Whether it was Ulysses or the blue fungal species, he had no intention of delving any further, especially after understanding Richard and Ali¡¯s backgrounds. Plane War was not child¡¯s play¡ªit certainly entailed some extremely dangerous, even fatal missions. Such mission intelligence was often disguised and then assigned to wizards deemed suitable by the headquarters. Lawrence felt that if he wasn¡¯t tactful, given the relationship of the other two, those fatal missions would undoubtedly fall on him. ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s settled.¡± Richard awkwardly accepted the contract, having initially thought about enticing him, but didn¡¯t expect Lawrence to be so accommodating. After the signing of the contract, all three of them relaxed significantly, and their relationship became closer. After leaving Mushroom Land, Lawrence returned to the Floating City, whereas Richard and company continued their extermination of the Insect Nest. That was their real task. In the middle and lower layers of the Insect Nest, there were countless pockets of the Resistance Army. These insects, leveraging the complex environment of the Earth Cave, fought against the wizards. Although they lost more than they won, they still consumed a lot of the wizards¡¯ vital forces. This was indeed damaging for the limited number of wizards. Now, the war had gradually turned into a quagmire of attrition, a fight to see who had more stamina. ¡­ Bang! A Magic Wand enveloped in black flames struck from the air, smashing a Warrior Worm¡¯s head together with its Blade Arm. The wand sizzled as it evaporated the green viscous fluid of the Warrior Worm. Richard expressionlessly surveyed the area, a small settlement, wherein a dozen Warrior Worms, along with several dozen other types of insects, had entrenched themselves. Until Richard found their lair, this group of Warrior Worms had repeatedly ambushed them using the tunnels. ¡°It¡¯s all settled.¡± Suddenly next to Richard, a shadow rose and transformed into a wizard dressed in a black robe. After leaving Mushroom Land, Lawrence returned to the Floating City and switched bodies. For a wizard like him, who underwent spiritual evolution, any body with a Physique over fifty was usable; hence, he didn¡¯t take long to return to the Underground Insect Nest to meet Richard and company. ¡°What about Ali?¡± A hoarse voice came from the opposite tunnel in front of Richard. ¡°That¡¯s settled too.¡± Ali presently stood wearing somewhat tattered clothes, her face expressionless, exuding an aura that kept others at bay. It had already been two years since they had left Mushroom Land. Over these two years, the three of them had fought from the middle to the lower layers of the Insect Nest, with at least a thousand insects dying by their hands. Such prolonged periods in the dark, oppressive underground hunting insects hardly allowed for a healthy mental state for anyone. Richard had heard that many Black Wizards, after the war, would seek a Soul Wizard to erase parts of their memories to give themselves some relief. Back then, he had scoffed at the idea. Black Wizards started killing as apprentices, and killing aliens in Plane Wars was mentally no burden for them. What was there to erase? Certainly, these wizards were just weak-minded. Now, Richard finally understood the cruelty behind these rumors. War was never only about glory. The group cleaned up the battlefield, harvesting useful parts from the insect bodies. In recent years, the headquarters¡¯ research on the Black Crystal Worm Clan had deepened, and the usage of insect corpses had been enhanced. A pair of Blade Arms from the Warrior Worm, rich in metal elements, could be collected and refined into various metals. The Black Crystal in the brow of the Sacrificial Insect was most precious; these crystals, tempered by the Sacrificial Insects, naturally attracted and stored starlight, which could be released for one-time use in an attack if necessary. The Spider Knight was a treasure all over¡ªits four Blade Arms, the shell covering its body, and the poisonous fangs and glands in its lower spider half all had high utility value. A disassembled Spider Knight could even sell for more than if sold whole. After cleaning the battlefield, Richard activated the Imaging Crystal Ball and continued to use sonar to detect the surrounding terrain, preparing to move to another Earth Cave potentially harboring resistance forces. But before he could take out the Crystal Ball, their Communication Crystal Balls simultaneously received a message from headquarters. ¡°All¡­ wizards note, the clean-up of Underground Insects¡­ is significant, all¡­ return. Repeat, all wizards¡­ return!¡± Due to their deep position, the signal from the Communication Crystal Balls was somewhat intermittent, but even so, the three of them discerned the command from headquarters. Holding the Communication Crystal Ball, Richard paused for a moment, his face unable to suppress a smile. ¡°Damn, finally we can leave this godforsaken place!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: Chapter 38: Back to the Ground Chapter 138: Chapter 38: Back to the Ground Following the complex and twisted underground passages upwards, Richard and his two companions quickly left the middle layer of the Insect Nest and arrived at the upper layer. Feeling the sudden drop in temperature and humidity around him, Richard took a deep breath and said with relief, ¡°We¡¯re finally about to get out. If we kept killing like this, I felt like I was going to start growing mushrooms.¡± Beside him, Ali nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed, the lower Insect Nest is no place for humans.¡± Lawrence, as an experienced wizard, was well-traveled and did not have any particularly strong reactions to the harsh environment of the lower Insect Nest. ¡°It¡¯s bearable. These conditions are not particularly bad in a Plane War. If you¡¯re not adapting well, I recommend getting a body modification like me, turning into an undead basically makes you unresponsive to any environment.¡± ¡°¡­I think I¡¯ll pass on that.¡± Although the undead are unresponsive to the environment, they also lack sensation in other aspects, and unless one is an Undead Wizard, few wizards are willing to undertake such body modifications. Over two years, the upper Insect Nest had undergone many changes. As Richard ascended, he continuously saw White Wizards and Logistic Wizards working, destroying small caverns and narrow tunnels and then solidifying them with spells. Those larger caverns were modified into strongholds with the deployment of Magic Arrays and Alchemy Weapons. It seemed that the command had decided to thoroughly clean out the caverns and instead fortify based on the terrain. Richard asked a Logistic Wizard, and it turned out that the command thought the remaining number of insects was too few, and using Black Wizards to clear them out would be a waste of forces. They preferred to destroy their paths to the upper Insect Nest instead, blocking them below until they could deal with them later in the Plane War. ¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï Emerging from the Insect Nest and seeing the long-missed horizon, Richard was filled with emotion. The feeling of returning to the surface was fucking great! Back at the Floating City Fortress, the fortress now had drastically changed, with the wizard residences completed. These buildings encircled the Floating City Fortress, forming a ring that would serve as the first line of defense if the Black Crystal Insect swarm counterattacked. According to headquarters¡¯ orders, all wizards emerging from the underground Insect Nest were granted a one-month leave for recuperation. After one month, new assignments would be given to them. ¡­ After receiving the keys to his house from a Logistic Wizard, Richard found his home in the residential ring. Although one month wasn¡¯t long, it was enough for him to catch his breath. His mission of hunting insects this time had been very profitable, catching many Spider Knights and Warrior Worms, besides the World Mushrooms. The initial planting insects he had discarded entirely. Not that it mattered, Richard believed that with the World Mushrooms, growing some fungi would be a piece of cake. Having sorted through his gains, Richard went to the Wizard Commerce at the fortress to sell them. Yes, a commercial hub accompanies every Plane Expedition. Each Plane Expedition would be accompanied by several Wizard Commerce associated with the Academy, each carrying a large amount of Magic Stone Magic Essence. Although they would depress the prices during the trading process, for wizards needing to clear their inventory, this slight depreciation was no big deal. Moreover, these spoils of war didn¡¯t provide any combat strength to the wizards; turning them into Magic Stones also made it convenient for wizards to replenish their Magical Power or to trade resources with other wizards. Thanks to his knowledge of anatomy, Richard knew the weaknesses of the Spider Knights, so the ones he captured in the Underground Insect Nest were in excellent condition, which increased his profits to nearly 300,000 Magic Stones. For a One Ring Wizard participating in his first Plane War, this amount was astounding. After selling the spoils of war, Richard found a wizard market in the residential area. This market mainly sold items that were hard to price or undervalued by stores. The market was bustling, and because of the command¡¯s instructions, all One Ring Black Wizards were rushing towards the Floating City, making the market thrive. ¡°Special fungi, special fungi, these fungi have extreme neurotoxic properties, perfect for making Alchemy Poisons!¡± ¡°Starlight Stone, Starlight Stone, mined from the top of the Insect Nest, capable of absorbing starlight, which might reveal the secrets of starlight after research!¡± ¡°Variant Transport Insect, these mutated Transport Worms have strong load capacity and defense, ideal for making mobile Alchemy Weapon bases!¡± Walking through the market, Richard felt like he was back on the commercial street of the Academy. Back then, wizards seemed unattainably high and mysterious to him. Now that he was a wizard, and surrounded by wizards, they seemed as common as Apprentices. Richard browsed the market and, with his keen eye, noticed that most of the items the wizards were selling were junk. For instance, the special fungi he first heard being touted for their strong neurotoxic properties¡ªthe seller didn¡¯t mention one important detail: this neurotoxicity was almost ineffective against Black Crystal Insects. Feeding this mushroom to any Level 1 Creature among the Black Crystal Insects would more likely cause them to burst than die from the poison. As for the Starlight Stone, although it could attract starlight, its effectiveness was very weak, and it was used merely as an aid by the Black Crystal Insects. Although the wizard claimed it could be used to unlock the mysteries of starlight, studying it with Sacrificial Insects would obviously be better. Moreover, these were not the major issues. Although the wizards selectively highlighted some features of these items, there indeed were some points worth studying or using¡ªif priced correctly, Richard wouldn¡¯t mind buying some. But these wizards had set their prices sky-high, hoping some enamored wizard would spend foolish money on their wares. Just like the apprentices Richard had encountered during his apprenticeship. Looking around at the shouting wizards, Richard shook his head helplessly. The system at the Wizard Academy apparently did no better at weeding out fools, at least not in the business sense. However, just as Richard was about to leave, something on the street caught his attention. ¡°Friend, how much for this?¡± Richard approached a stall and pointed to a fist-sized black crystal stone on the ground, asking aloud. The selling wizard glanced at it and said lazily, ¡°One hundred thousand Magic Stones, non-negotiable.¡± ¡°One hundred thousand Magic Stones?¡± Richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat, not because the wizard¡¯s price was too high, but because it was too low. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this black crystal stone should be a Nomi Crystal Stone. This item had been harvested by wizards during the Enlightenment Period, and he had only seen it mentioned in Encrypted Notes. He hadn¡¯t expected to encounter one at the Wizard Market today. ¡°No bargaining,¡± the selling wizard repeated his terms. ¡°Deal, I¡¯ll take it.¡± With that, Richard pulled out a bag of Magic Essence from his pocket, counted out the amount, and threw it to the vendor. After receiving it, the vendor scanned it with his spiritual power and then produced a contract. Once the contract was signed, the transaction was complete. Richard casually asked, ¡°Friend, where did you get this from?¡± The wizard looked up at Richard and uttered a phrase. ¡°No comment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having hit a wall, Richard could only leave in frustration. Although the wizard hadn¡¯t said anything, Richard guessed that some unfortunate wizard had probably died, and this one had picked up the leftovers. After the Nomi Crystal Stones had been completely mined in the Wizard World, wizards had explored many conquered worlds but failed to find these crystals. This Insect Nest World was unlikely to be the lucky exception. Back from the market, Richard immediately started crafting his magic wand¡¯s headpiece. Although Richard¡¯s Magic Wand had performed exceptionally well in the Underground Insect Nest, effective in both melee and spellcasting, a magic wand ultimately needed a headpiece. Moreover, the Nomi Crystal Stone was tremendously beneficial to Richard¡¯s combat capabilities. Although the Nomi Crystal Stone only slightly amplified the spells, it had a powerful feature¡ªit allowed for magic casting without magic flares. This feature did not mean that the wizard didn¡¯t need Magic Power, but that a wizard¡¯s casting would not emit Magic Fluctuations. The Nomi Crystal Stone could significantly shield the Magic Fluctuations during a wizard¡¯s casting, its effect almost akin to a silencer (film and TV version). For Richard, a Black Wizard, this was nothing short of a divine weapon. Even the most cautious spellcasting by a wizard released some Magic Fluctuations, which could become quite noticeable to the sensory-keen Alien Natives, thereby revealing the wizard¡¯s location. But with the Nomi Crystal Stone, Richard no longer had to worry about that. Installing a headpiece was not a difficult task, and Richard finished it in less than an afternoon. After completing the crafting, he found an empty spot to test the spells, using the Heart of Annihilation, known for its prominent Magic Fluctuations. Buzz! Richard was pleasantly surprised by his Magic Wand, as the Magic Fluctuations from the Heart of Annihilation¡¯s spell were almost indistinguishable from trickery. If he had used a spell with even less Magic Fluctuation, those would be virtually negligible. Holding the Magic Wand, Richard returned to his room in a cheerful mood, but the moment he entered, a lovely figure pulled him into the bedroom. ¡°Whoa, Ali, calm down, I just made a magic wand, and it¡¯s incredibly effective¡­¡± Before Richard could finish, a pair of red lips sealed his. Soon after, the room filled with the sound of fabrics tearing and some decidedly adult moans. A wizard¡¯s physical condition was stronger than an Apprentice¡¯s, their spiritual power stronger, but this also made their desires more intense and their endurance greater. Desire suppressed for too long was like a volcano on the verge of eruption, needing only the slightest trigger to explode. ¡°Listen to me, Ali, that magic wand of mine is really powerful,¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Chapter 39 Academic Discussion Chapter 139: Chapter 39 Academic Discussion The next morning, after nearly ten hours of lingering, Richard dragged himself out of bed after a brief rest. To a wizard¡¯s physique, yesterday¡¯s vigorous activities were hardly a major strain. Ulysses was peeking around the doorway and, upon seeing Richard get up, spoke with a hint of exclamation in his voice, ¡°Gah, your mating session is finally over. I must say your race is very strange, shouldn¡¯t mating be over as quickly as possible? But you guys always take so long.¡± Richard glared at him: ¡°Don¡¯t try to apply bird logic to humans.¡± After donning his wizard robe and leaving the bedroom, Richard felt a long-lost sense of peace in his heart now that he had no tasks. He pulled out a crystal ball from his pocket, injected a bit of magic power, and a three-dimensional image projected out of the crystal ball. The content of the image was the anatomical atlas of the Spider Knight. In the Underground Insect Nest, Richard had only managed to identify the weak points of the Spider Knight and had not conducted an in-depth study of its other parts. Now that he had the time, he naturally needed to conduct a thorough investigation. The Spider Knight¡¯s transformation was exquisitely intricate; every time Richard looked at the modification of the Spider Knight, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the miracle of technology. Combining two different species was not a difficult task, and even a Wizard Apprentice would be able to achieve this with wizard¡¯s Synthetic Beast technology. But being combined is one thing, existing stably is another. For the flesh-spliced Synthetic Beasts, their life entered a countdown from the moment of completion, with their survival time typically measured in days. Most stable Synthetic Beasts were created from living flesh paired with cultivated demonized organs. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? At least the Synthetic Beast technology of the Black Tower Wizard Academy had not reached a higher level. But the Spider Knights created by these insects were different. The upper half of the Spider Knight was a Black Crystal Insect, while the lower half was a spider creature, a species distinctly different from the Black Crystal Insects. Logically, merging these two creatures would result in a severe rejection reaction, arising from the mismatched muscles, blood vessels, and even nerves; wizards would have to use large doses of anti-rejection potions to eliminate this reaction. Yet, the Black Crystal Worm Clan had managed to greatly reduce the bodily rejection between the two through a precise neural connection¡ªthe connection between the Black Crystal Insect¡¯s flesh and the lower half¡¯s spider flesh was extremely limited, consisting only of connected nerves, some muscles, and the non-rejecting exoskeleton. With fewer points of contact, the intensity of the rejection naturally decreased. If this precise and remarkable neural connection technology could be fully deciphered, it would represent a major breakthrough for Richard¡¯s Synthetic Beast technology¡­ but that required full decryption. Using the complete body of a Spider Knight, Richard had spent an entire half-month in his laboratory. During this time he tried to unravel this technology, but regrettably, his level with Synthetic Beasts was inadequate, as was his talent in this area, and he did not discover anything in that half-month. This forced Richard to look for other methods. ¡­ ¡°Teacher, long time no see, how have you been lately?¡± At the War Beast Department of the Floating City Fortress, Richard looked at Jolod with a beaming smile. Right now, they were in a massive underground factory teeming with cultivation tanks filled with green liquid. Inside the tanks, various organs floated up and down, occasionally scooped out by passing wizards for use in creating Synthetic Beasts. This was the Synthetic Beast Factory of the Floating City Fortress, where Jolod usually worked. Hundreds of wizards labored day and night to produce synthetic creatures, yielding up to a thousand First Level Synthetic Beasts and nearly a hundred Second Level ones daily. Even so, the production of Synthetic Beasts was barely keeping up with the demand. In the past two years, the White Wizard Army had successively conquered several Insect Countries, and the wizards¡¯ occupied territory had nearly reached a quarter of the Insect Nest World. Apart from the formidable combat capabilities of the White Wizard Army, the strategic issue of the Black Crystal Worm Clan also posed a problem. During wars, their resistance was weak, retreating again and again, leaving only some insects to undertake guerrilla warfare in the Underground Insect Nests, while the main forces and the Mother Worm retreated to other Insect Countries. This enabled the White Wizards to achieve in two years what would normally take nearly twenty years of warfare. ¡°It¡¯s okay, the war is going smoothly, I have a lot of work on my hands, but the rewards are also good.¡± Seeing his student visit, Jolod was naturally pleased. He had always been worried about his few students running into trouble, but as it stood, even the most unreliable Chax had only suffered minor injuries. ¡°Did you come this time for some active flesh?¡± Richard shook his head repeatedly at the question: ¡°No, no, no, can¡¯t I come over to see you?¡± ¡°Alright, I know you lot,¡± Jolod said with a smile, waving his hand and leading Richard to a private room. Inside the room was a desk and a bookshelf covered with books and notes, while the walls were hung with numerous anatomical atlases. ¡°This is my office.¡± Jolod sat behind the desk and pointed to a chair in the corner of the room, gesturing for Richard to sit down. ¡°What problem have you encountered?¡± Richard gave an awkward smile and pulled out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball from his Magic Pocket. ¡°Teacher, take a look at this.¡± As the image played, Jolod¡¯s expression changed instantly. ¡°Good stuff, such a complete Spider Knight dissection atlas¡­ did you make this?¡± Jolod¡¯s gaze was focused as he looked at the images. Even though he was the minister of the War Beast Department, his experience with the Spider Knight¡¯s body was limited to just a few incomplete specimens. Those bodies were blasted into a mess by Wizards using spells, with organs carbonized where they should have been carbonized, and shattered where they should have been shattered. It was said that over at the White Wizard¡¯s research lab, there were two complete Spider Knight bodies, but Jolod, as the War Beast Department minister, obviously couldn¡¯t get involved. He could only rely on those incomplete bodies to piece together a dissection atlas. ¡°I did, I guess I¡¯ve mastered about thirty percent of what you taught me,¡± Richard said modestly. ¡°Thirty percent?¡± Jolod shook his head, ¡°At least seventy percent, the completeness of this image is such that even if your senior brothers came, they couldn¡¯t do much better.¡± Shifting his gaze away from the atlas, Jolod asked the question again. ¡°What problems have you encountered?¡± Richard pointed at the image: ¡°Teacher, now I have a treasure trove, but I don¡¯t know where to start with it. As you know, my talent in Synthetic Beasts is nothing short of remarkable, but it would take me decades to get any significant findings from this material.¡± ¡°So, what are your thoughts?¡± Jolod heard something unusual in Richard¡¯s words. His student always had unconventional ideas, not sticking to the ordinary thought processes. Maybe this time he was going to come up with something new. ¡°My idea¡­¡± Richard smiled, his eyes flickering uncertainly, ¡°My idea, you might not accept it, teacher.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Jolod¡¯s eyebrows raised, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Richard sat up straight, his expression serious: ¡°I want to organize an academic seminar within our master-apprentice group to discuss this Spider Knight dissection atlas.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hearing Richard¡¯s idea, Jolod fell silent. His student was right; he was indeed onto something new. ¡°¡­An academic seminar.¡± Jolod pondered for a moment, ¡°Richard, I think you should know the rules of Wizards. Research is a very private matter, and the knowledge derived from it is a treasure among treasures. An academic seminar will definitely reveal a lot of knowledge; you¡¯re suggesting giving away our findings for nothing.¡± Richard shook his head: ¡°How could it be for nothing? Everyone attending the seminar will hear the content and can express their opinions.¡± ¡°What if someone doesn¡¯t voice their opinion?¡± Jolod tapped the table, ¡°A Wizard who only absorbs others¡¯ knowledge but doesn¡¯t share their own is the one who gets the most out of it.¡± Richard smiled slyly, wisdom flashing in his eyes: ¡°That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s within our master-apprentice group, teacher.¡± Such an obvious problem ¨C how could Richard not have thought of it? ¡°You lead the discussion, teacher. You¡¯re the main speaker, and we, your students, are here to participate in the discussion and provide ideas. We are all Wizards now, and our perspectives on things are no longer as superficial as an Apprentice¡¯s. We might provide you, teacher, with some interesting insights. And since everyone is your student, having more participants in the discussion is better. If no one discusses, the knowledge won¡¯t be taken by outsiders, it¡¯ll just be like a class.¡± Jolod fell silent for a while, Richard¡¯s words tempting him. Wizards and Wizard Apprentices were indeed different; his few students were all Wizards now, some even stronger than himself. Their views and insights on certain matters must have their own uniqueness. Jolod had always believed that Wizard research should remain highly private, even between mentor and apprentice. But Richard¡¯s idea had opened another door. After a long silence, Jolod spoke: ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a good idea, but it¡¯s a bit too bold. For this seminar, only you, Anna, and Chax may participate. The few of you get along well, and exchanging ideas won¡¯t be too awkward.¡± Richard nodded. Jolod was right; he wasn¡¯t very familiar with some of his senior brothers, and starting a seminar rashly would just lead to an embarrassing stalemate. Now that the academic seminar was settled, Jolod immediately used the Communication Crystal Ball to inform Anna and Chax. ¡°Hey, teacher, your crystal ball can connect to the Communication Crystal Ball network to notify other Wizards?¡± Richard asked, somewhat surprised. ¡°This isn¡¯t the command center¡¯s Communication Crystal Ball, it¡¯s a little gadget made by Anna. It can do short-distance communication by adding names to a list. Get one from her when she comes over.¡± Richard looked at the Communication Crystal Ball, his mind slightly stirred. If the Magic Fluctuation it emitted was weak, it would be quite suitable for Black Wizards to communicate behind enemy lines. Before long, Anna and Chax arrived one after another. Anna seemed to have been injured during this period, as one of her arms had been replaced with a mechanical one, and Chax had also made some modifications to his body, now possessing four arms. The additional two arms were particularly conspicuous. ¡°I¡¯ve called you here for a reason; your junior brother just brought up an idea that I think is very good,¡± Jolod said calmly. ¡°Oh, junior brother, what new ideas have you come up with this time?¡± Chax came over to Richard familiarly, making faces at him. ¡°It¡¯s simple; I¡¯ve obtained a Spider Knight dissection atlas and wanted to hold an academic seminar with you and teacher leading.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Chapter 40: New Mission Chapter 140: Chapter 40: New Mission ¡°Academic seminar?¡± The two newcomers were momentarily stunned, then they turned to look at Jolod. ¡°Academic seminar¡­ is it what I think it is?¡± Anna asked uncertainly. ¡°Yes and no,¡± Jolod answered lightly. ¡°All of you are my students, and your skills are not better than mine. This academic seminar is basically like a lecture, but the only difference is that you can express your own opinions, and you will not be thrown out of the classroom like you were as apprentices.¡± Upon hearing Jolod¡¯s words, the two were instantly reassured. ¡°Lectures are good,¡± Chax said casually, ¡°I¡¯ve also been researching the Spider Knights, so this is a perfect opportunity to benefit from our junior brother and listen to your thoughts, teacher.¡± But Anna raised a doubt. ¡°Teacher, I study Alchemy Machines, and the discussion on Synthetic Beasts doesn¡¯t seem useful to me.¡± ¡°Hey, sister, what are you talking about?¡± Richard moved next to Anna. ¡°We are all wizards, and time is not as tight as during our apprenticeship. Learning more things will mean more ways to handle future problems. Take this war, for example, those retrieved Spider Knight corpses were all incomplete, but if they had systematically studied anatomy and Synthetic Beast technology, they would have discovered a fatal weakness at the Spider Knight¡¯s waist. Understanding this weakness could easily lead to capturing a Spider Knight alive.¡± Anna was slightly stunned; Richard¡¯s words indeed made sense. ¡°Moreover, since we are all students of the same teacher, learning more could be useful when it¡¯s time to take on apprentices ourselves in the future. You never know, we might make something great out of it,¡± Richard spoke vibrantly. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°¡­Fine, but I really won¡¯t be much help.¡± Seeing the two agree, Jolod waved his hand and brought the three to his room. Opening the Imaging Crystal Ball, the detailed anatomical diagram of the Spider Knight appeared in the air again. ¡°I have been studying this Spider Knight for some days, and during this time, I also discovered quite a few interesting things,¡± Jolod pointed to the nerve center at the waist of the Spider Knight. ¡°This nerve center is one of the vital points of the Spider Knight; damaging it can paralyze its lower body and cause muscle paralysis. Anna, you might want to note this down.¡± Anna nodded upon hearing this and took out a notebook from her Magic Pocket to make notes. ¡°Besides, this nerve center itself is also a node in the energy cycle; it, and¡­¡± Jolod pointed to a tumor below the nerve center, ¡°they are responsible for transforming the energy from the lower half of the Spider body into the upper half, allowing the Black Crystal Insects to utilize it.¡± Chax nodded upon hearing this and then raised his hand to speak: ¡°Teacher, how much have you studied this transformation? I have researched that tumor¡­¡± Chax paused instinctively, as the instincts of a wizard stopped him from revealing his own research information. ¡°Go ahead, Chax, we¡¯re all friends here,¡± Jolod nodded slightly at Chax, encouraging him to continue. An academic seminar isn¡¯t a dictatorship. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll continue.¡± Chax seemed to make up his mind, ¡°This tumor itself also has a weak energy cycle inside it, the structure of this cycle resembles a Type Three Life-Death Energy Transformation, but due to limited time, I haven¡¯t figured out much yet, this is the energy cycle diagram I came up with.¡± Saying so, Chax took out an Imaging Crystal Ball from his pocket and released a very abstract energy cycle diagram. ¡°It does resemble a Type Three Life-Death Energy Transformation,¡± Anna suddenly interjected, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with your diagram.¡± Anna pointed at a few energy nodes on the cycle diagram. ¡°These two nodes you must have gotten wrong, if the energy cycle was according to this diagram, the Black Crystal Insect¡¯s tumor would have burst long ago, it¡¯s probably like this¡­¡± Saying so, Anna traced a few new energy pathways with her finger. Watching the students passionately discuss, Jolod, who should have been the main character, was a bit bewildered, but soon he smiled contentedly. Watching his students display their talents, how could he, as their teacher, not be proud? Soon, he joined the discussion as well. ¡°Anna, that¡¯s not right, biology and Alchemy Machines are different, some energy cycles in organisms undergo some changes¡­¡± ¡­ The academic seminar was very successful, it was a perfect endeavor. In this meeting, Richard for the first time realized that seemingly unrelated disciplines could be interconnected, and what was a longstanding problem in one discipline might be easily solvable by an amateur in another. During this seminar, Richard learned quite a lot, and there were some advancements in his techniques for neural connections in Black Crystal Insects. And amongst these, Richard also solved a long-troubling question. Why was he able to extract techniques from the Mother Worm Guard¡¯s Blade Arms. The answer was simple because the Blade Arms of the Mother Worm Guard were no longer considered a part of the body but more like an external tool, much like a prosthetic limb. Not a very auspicious comparison, but if Anna¡¯s mechanical arm broke, Richard might also be able to extract some skills from it. This answer was disappointing to Richard, but it also fit with his previous findings. Furthermore, on this basis, Richard slightly perceived a hint about the refining standards of the Miracle Furnace. The extraction of certain skills might relate to difficulty and time. According to Jolod, the older the Mother Worm Guardians, the brighter their golden hue. The one Richard encountered indeed had a very bright gold hue. A skill might need to be used repeatedly on a tool over years for the Furnace to extract it from the ¡®traces of use¡¯. The more complex the skill, the harder it is to leave traces. The Duke Heisen, who was merely a mortal, had left shallow sword techniques that took decades to leave traces, while these Mother Worm Guards might have lived for centuries, using skills involving energy cycles and muscle usage, thus taking centuries to leave traces. However, this was just an immature conjecture, some skills couldn¡¯t be explained by this theory, such as the Magic Engraving he had extracted from the Wizard Robe. However, any theory is full of holes when it first emerges, and Richard believed that he would definitely understand the principles behind the extraction in the future. The seminar lasted for nearly ten days, and Wizard didn¡¯t need to eat or drink, so ten days didn¡¯t feel like much to them. After the seminar ended, everyone left satisfied, even Anna gained a lot. As they were leaving, Jolod patted Richard on the shoulder and said, ¡°Richard, that¡¯s a good idea; perhaps we can hold such events more often in the future.¡± ¡°As long as you think it¡¯s good.¡± Undoubtedly, this was a good start. ¡­ Upon returning from Jolod¡¯s, Richard began to apply the theories. In the seminar, Jolod shared a muscle structure diagram of the Mother Worm Guards as well as an energy circulation diagram. With these two charts, Richard¡¯s extraction skills from the Mother Worm Guards could be put to use. The most powerful aspect of a Wizard was to absorb the strengths of an enemy to enhance themselves. After some adaptation, Richard began the practical operation. The muscle structure began to deform due to Flesh Control, and Magic Power under the control of spiritual power simulated the energy circulation of the Mother Worm Guards. When both conditions were met, Richard found he couldn¡¯t control his arms and suddenly swung forward. Boom! A sonic boom sounded. Richard looked at his dislocated arm and scratched his head. This technique, when used on humans, was somewhat akin to a whip-hand, with a power of about four hundred energy levels. Much weaker than the original version. But this was normal since Richard¡¯s muscles were not the Mother Worm Guards¡¯ muscles, and the energy was more peaceful Magic Power. To have this level of power was already quite impressive. However, for Richard now, this power obviously wasn¡¯t sufficient. Yet, power was only one aspect; the knowledge and inspiration Richard gained from this were even more valuable. He could use the knowledge combined with inspiration to make the Black Crystal Insect technique even more suitable for Wizards. Learning from the enemy, adapting to oneself. This was how Wizards gradually became stronger. ¡­ The days of rest soon passed. After receiving the mission tools, Richard found Ali and Lawrence in the residential area. ¡°Enter Insect Nest No. 12, awaiting the opportunity to sabotage or gather intelligence, depending on the importance of the information; headquarters will give rewards.¡± Richard revealed his mission details and then looked at the others; they both nodded. ¡°Mine is the same.¡± ¡°Mine as well.¡± Richard raised his eyebrows. ¡°All for Insect Nest No. 12?¡± Ali coughed a bit awkwardly. ¡°I talked to the teacher to change the location a bit; since we¡¯re all infiltrating Insect Nests, it might be helpful if we all enter one together.¡± The task of infiltrating an Insect Nest cannot be carried out by a team as the range of the Insect Nest is quite large; having several Black Wizards together not only makes a larger target but also reduces the efficiency of the mission. However, if several Wizards are familiar with each other, they can carry out tasks in several adjacent areas, so they can support each other if a problem arises. ¡°That would be great, Ali,¡± Richard said, somewhat surprised. ¡°Look for those low-risk, high-reward missions, and I¡¯ll count on you for my future missions.¡± Ali glanced at him, ¡°There¡¯s no such good thing. We haven¡¯t even reached the middle of the war yet, none of the tasks are low in danger. At the end of the war, such tasks will appear, but they are prioritized as rewards for Wizards who perform well during the war. It would be good enough if we could get tasks with low danger and low reward. The headquarters isn¡¯t run only by the teacher.¡± Listening to this, Lawrence internally sighed, feeling fortunate to have such connections up to the headquarters. After discussing the mission, they began heading towards the mission site. The Insect Nest No. 12 they were infiltrating wasn¡¯t the main attack direction of the White Wizard Army, so the defenses inside the nest were relatively weaker. After all, the main force certainly needs to gather towards the main attack direction to prevent the White Wizard Army from punching through their defense line and losing an Insect Country. Despite the Black Mirror Worm¡¯s deep strategic depth, this wasn¡¯t the method to handle it. What Richard and his team needed to do was to disturb the internal order of the Insect Nest as much as possible. As for gathering intelligence¡­ it was a slim hope for these One Ring Black Wizards. ¡­ Under the eternal night, countless black-robed Wizards gathered at the front line, staring at the towering mountainous Insect Nest, ready to enter it. Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Chapter 41: Infiltrating the Insect Nest Chapter 141: Chapter 41: Infiltrating the Insect Nest At the border where Wizard occupied area met the Insect Nest, small war fortresses stood in a line. Because the number of wizards was at a disadvantage compared to insects, in the battle lines against the insects, wizards were mostly in a strategic defensive posture. In these defensive battle lines, White Wizards used the war fortresses as bases to monitor and harass the Insect Nest, rarely engaging in large-scale offensives. However, with the command headquarters issuing an infiltration mission, these White Wizards had no choice but to cover for the infiltration of the Black Wizards. ¡°Assembly.¡± The White Wizard squad leader issued the command through the spiritual network. There weren¡¯t many White Wizards stationed at the war fortress¡ªjust twenty per fortress. This number was the minimum required to maintain the advantage of the White Wizard Army, and any lower would result in a loss of their combat edge when engaging in group warfare. As the White Wizards gathered, they found a group of Black Wizards already waiting for them in the hall. ¡°Why are these Black Wizards here?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t these guys supposed to be clearing the insects in the Insect Nest?¡± ¡°Could they be here to help us hold the line? Surely, they aren¡¯t starting infiltration operations now.¡± ¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï The White Wizards communicated using spiritual messages, and the White Wizard squad leader standing in the center of the hall cleared his throat and announced their mission: ¡°The command headquarters requires us to provide cover for the Black Wizards. Today, we need to coordinate with the surrounding fortresses for a proactive strike and draw as much attention from the Black Crystal Insects as possible, to facilitate the Black Wizards¡¯ infiltration into the Insect Nest.¡± Upon hearing this, the present White Wizards immediately stopped communicating. Infiltration warfare is an indispensable and the deadliest phase of planar expeditions. The Black Wizards infiltrating behind enemy lines would lose support from their fellow wizards and have to face enemies that could emerge from any direction. Unless something unexpected happened, most of the White Wizards present could survive until the end of the war, but most of the Black Wizards infiltrating behind enemy lines would likely meet their ends there. The White Wizard squad leader silently performed the Wizard¡¯s Salute to the Black Wizards in the hall, followed by the other White Wizards who did the same. It was a long-standing tradition. A salute to those headed to their death. Soon, the White Wizards formed their ranks to depart, and the Black Wizards demonstrated their divine skills, blending their forms with their surroundings as they moved towards the Insect Nest. Richard activated his Concealer Cloak, blending into the shadows like a part of them, perfect camouflage in the perpetual night of the Insect Nest World. Boom! With the sound of spells exploding, the White Wizards officially commenced their operations. The Insect Nest¡¯s insects had to hurriedly mobilize in response to this sudden attack. Warrior Worms dodged and countered under the direction of Priest Worms, the Mother Goddess Cannon spewing deadly Acid Liquid Balls whose energy arcs lit up half of the sky along with the White Wizards¡¯ spells. The insects were distracted by the White Wizards, leaving the effectiveness of the Black Wizards¡¯ actions up to their own abilities. ¡­ The Black Crystal Worm Clan¡¯s Insect Nest was enormously large, with entry and exit points as numerous as stars. Although the Black Crystal Insects intentionally filled many, several pathways remained unguarded. With the White Wizards assaulting, a significant number of guards were redeployed, making Richard¡¯s infiltration surprisingly smooth. Like a shadow, Richard utilized Shadow Shuttling, swiftly entering the Insect Nest, and upon entry, he didn¡¯t rush deeper but took out an Imaging Crystal Ball to start scanning the surrounding terrain. This type of crystal ball, tested by Black Wizards and improved by logistics wizards, had enhanced concealment and performance. Now, as long as it wasn¡¯t used within five meters of Level 1 Creatures, fifty meters of Second-level Creatures, or a hundred meters of Third Level Creatures, there was no chance of being detected. As the microwave scanned, a three-dimensional map of the Insect Nest unfolded before Richard. Looking at the terrain displayed in the crystal ball, Richard fell into thought. Their infiltration as Black Wizards had a purpose; as a ring within the Black Wizards, their only task was to disrupt enemy lines. Thus, he should try to enter the Underground Insect Nest¡ªthe rear of the Black Crystal Worm Clan¡ªrather than operate in the ground-level nest. But according to the map, if he wanted to go underground, he would need to traverse a corridor where numerous insects were lurking. If he wasn¡¯t fully prepared, entering the underground would undoubtedly lead to detection, a case of dying before achieving anything. But if he chose not to take this corridor, he¡¯d have to activate the crystal ball again to find a new path. This also posed a risk for him. On the ground level of the Insect Nest, Black Crystal Insects had gathered a considerable number of Level 1, 2, and 3 Creatures, scattered throughout the nest. Every use of the crystal ball increased the risk. If the insects discovered a wizard had infiltrated near them, a thorough search would be inevitable. And beyond a massive search, there was the problem of endangering other wizards. It was a dilemma. While Richard pondered, a series of soft footsteps accompanied by the low hum of Warrior Worms suddenly traveled down the corridor, causing Richard¡¯s hair to stand on end. Had he been found out? Without a moment to lose, Richard wrapped himself in his Wizard Robe, blending into the shadows. The shadow infiltration etched in his Concealer Cloak finally came in handy today. As the footsteps grew nearer, Richard¡¯s anxiety heightened. Soon, two Warrior Worms passed by him. ¡°What¡¯s with these Wizard Monsters today, why such a large-scale attack all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the Priest said that these wizards must have plotted some evil conspiracy, otherwise they would never launch such a rash attack.¡± ¡°What is this conspiracy?¡± ¡°How should I know? We¡¯re warriors, let the Priests think about these things.¡± ¡­ The two Warrior Worms passed by Richard without noticing that a Wizard Monster was lurking in the shadows beside them. After they left, Richard emerged from the shadows, pondering thoughtfully, ¡°The logistic Wizards¡¯ translation of the Black Crystal Worm language is quite accurate.¡± Over the past two years, the logistic Wizards had used various means to compile and translate the Black Crystal Worm language, creating an Inheritance Crystal Ball for other wizards to study. Richard had also picked up the language while collecting mission items. As far as he could tell, he had understood about eighty percent of what the Warrior Worms had just said, the rest he did not understand was mostly tonal words and colloquial habits. From what the Warrior Worms had said, the Black Crystal Worms were still unaware of the Black Wizard¡¯s infiltration, giving him more time to react. Once the Black Crystal Worms reacted, a large-scale search would begin immediately. ¡°However, judging by the effectiveness of Shadow Infiltration, moving through the lower levels is entirely feasible. These Level 1 Warrior Worms can¡¯t detect me entering the shadows.¡± Without hesitation, Richard immediately began moving towards the deeper levels of the Insect Nest according to the terrain map. On the way, Richard also got a chance to see the structure of an Insect Nest inhabited by the worms. Nurtured by the Black Crystal Worms, the upper Insect Nest was not as dry as Richard had seen before. These worms would coat the walls of the nest with a secretion from their bodies, which maintained the moisture levels in the nest and nourished the fungal threads inside the nest walls. These fungal threads, under the nourishment of the secretions, managed to survive and then support the structure of the entire Insect Nest, while the worms lived in the nest continuously supplying the fungal threads with secretions. It was a win-win situation. However, this was not so pleasant for an infiltrating Wizard. Richard, frowning, carefully navigated through a section of the tunnel that had just been maintained by the worms. The tunnel walls were covered with a fresh, slightly greenish viscous liquid that emitted a strange acidic smell, turning his stomach. After passing through this section, Richard arrived at the most dangerous part of his entry into the lower levels of the Insect Nest. At least twenty worms were hovering nearby in this stretch of tunnel. If he was discovered, although Richard wouldn¡¯t necessarily be doomed, his infiltration mission would be ruined. The White Wizard Army would not stage another raid just for him; if he wanted to infiltrate again, the risk would be significantly higher. Wrapping his cloak tightly around him, Richard silently entered the tunnel. The low hums of the Warrior Worms intermittently reaching Richard¡¯s ears through the tunnel were mostly chatter, containing no valuable intelligence. For the Black Crystal Worms, who hadn¡¯t participated in the Battle of the Black Bone Plain, wizards were powerful, but not enough to invoke fear. They are the dominant race that had conquered a world, believing that no other race could threaten their reign in the skies, the land, or underground. Pride and confidence etched in their bloodline made them believe they could keep winning. The current defeat was merely strategic. Richard continued silently along the tunnel, staying close to the shadows to prevent any surprises. But his concerns seemed redundant, as he had not encountered any incidents for most of his journey through the tunnel. The Black Crystal Worms couldn¡¯t imagine that a Wizard Monster was walking through a tunnel just a few dozen meters from them. As Richard passed the last crossroad, he slowly breathed a sigh of relief. From here on, it should be a clear path¡­ there were worms coming. Rapid, urgent footsteps echoed through the tunnel, as if a group of worms was running at high speed. Richard didn¡¯t have time to think. He wrapped his cloak around himself, and his whole body instantly merged into the shadows. Barely a second after he had hidden, a group of at least twenty Warrior Worms rushed past him. ¡°The Priest commands, a thorough search! A thorough search!¡± ¡°A Wizard Monster has infiltrated the Insect Nest during the attack! All worms, begin patrols immediately, report any signs immediately!¡± The leading Warrior Worm emitted a high-pitched call, instantly mobilizing the surrounding worms. This leading Warrior Worm was a Second-level creature, each movement exuding a strong force. In the shadows not far away, Richard held his breath, silently watching the worms in action. The gap between a Second-level creature and Level 1 creatures was not to be underestimated; Richard was confident he could escape from a group of Level 1 worms, but if it was a Second-level worm, he had no choice but to rely on Ulysses. A Two Stars Warrior Worm stood near Richard, huge compound eyes scanning the surroundings. Due to instincts brought about by its Physique Evolution, it continually felt as if something were watching it. Its gaze swept across the vicinity, inspecting every crack and every shadow. After a thorough check, it detected nothing. It was, after all, in the middle of a tunnel where no other creature could hide. The Two Stars Warrior Worm shook its antennae and suddenly slashed its knife into the shadow beside it. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: Chapter 42: The Incubation Pool Chapter 142: Chapter 42: The Incubation Pool ¡°` Bang! A slash appeared on the ground, but nothing else happened. The Two Stars Warrior Worm, seeing this, flicked its antennae and quickly left the tunnel. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been a bit too jumpy lately.¡± The insect¡¯s patrol ended quickly because each insect was responsible for its own area, which was not very large. Due to Richard¡¯s cleanliness, in that part of the tunnel covered with mucus, the Black Crystal Insect did not find any traces either. After the search, the Warrior Worms quickly returned to their posts to continue guarding their respective areas. From within the shadows, Richard slowly emerged. Looking at the slash that was less than ten centimeters away from him, Richard¡¯s heart pounded. Had that cut deviated even slightly, he would have been exposed. ¡°These insects have really sharp instincts. Shadow Infiltration isn¡¯t always one hundred percent stable; I¡¯ll have to be more careful in the future.¡± Following the tunnel downwards, Richard quickly entered the upper levels of the Underground Insect Nest. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã¦Ï The defenses within the Underground Insect Nest were not as tight as above ground. Large areas had only one or two Warrior Worms, with most of the Insect Nest¡¯s strength being deployed to the surface to contend with the Wizards. Richard found a small and secluded Earth Cave and released Ulysses from his pocket. ¡°Gaah, I finally got out.¡± Ulysses flapped his wings and flew a circle within the Earth Cave. ¡°Gaah, why have you come down again? I¡¯ve had enough of this damn place.¡± ¡°A task. How are your injuries lately?¡± Richard spoke indifferently. Having killed insects underground for two years, Richard naturally acquired plenty of Sacrificial Fungi. These fungi had some effect on Ulysses¡¯ injuries, so naturally, all the Sacrificial Fungi ended up in Ulysses¡¯ mouth. ¡°Gaah, not bad. Those fungi are somewhat effective. My injuries have healed a bit. At this rate, these fungi could probably restore me to mid-tier Second-level Creature standards in my normal state. Right now, my normal state is about at the limit of Level 1 Creatures.¡± As he spoke, Ulysses ignited black flames, with quite strong energy fluctuations. Richard nodded. As long as the fungi were effective, the more Ulysses¡¯ soul injuries healed, the more methods he could use, and the safer Richard would be during dangerous times. The only thing he needed to do was to maintain a balance so that Ulysses¡¯ strength would not exceed the range he could control. Taking out the Imaging Crystal Ball, Richard scanned the surrounding terrain to decide on his target. There were three targets worth destroying within the Insect Nest: the food warehouse, the incubation pools, and the weapons depot. There was no need to say much about the food warehouse. Although Level 1 Creatures could sustain normal activities by absorbing energy from the air through their body cells, combat was another matter. Wizards needed to replenish their Magic Power with Magic Stones, while these insects relied on food to replenish their Energy and strength. Burning down a food warehouse was equivalent to destroying a Wizard¡¯s Magic Stone warehouse, its impact was significant. Next were the incubation pools. The reproduction of Black Crystal Insects was not sexual like ordinary creatures, but rather the Mother Worm produced eggs that were then distributed by the Sacrificial Insects to various incubation pools to hatch. These incubation pools were often situated at Earth Veins nodes, and the liquid inside was rich in Life-Active Material and Magic Power. For Wizards, incubation pools held high value for both strategic and personal gains. Finally, the weapons depot. According to reports from the Black Wizard who had infiltrated the Insect Nest earlier, the strategic weapon, the Mother Goddess Cannon, was typically stored in these weapons depots, but these were heavily guarded and surrounded by the Mother Worm Guards and Sacrificial Insects. For an average Black Wizard, destruction was virtually impossible. Soon, the Imaging Crystal Ball projected a map of the nearby terrain. Following the map, Richard began to meticulously survey the environment around him. The structure of the Underground Insect Nest was simple in principle, often centered around a settlement, with caverns around it being fungus farms. Smaller settlements would then be situated around a larger settlement, so finding a small settlement could lead to the discovery of larger settlements and then important targets like the food warehouse and incubation pools. However, as Richard implemented this approach, he realized the difficulties involved. The biggest difficulty lay in the intricate network of tunnels within the Insect Nest. Although these tunnels could be detected with the Crystal Ball, just looking at the complex maze of tunnels mixed together on the map made Richard feel like he was becoming an Indian electrician. Secondly, these tunnel systems were often patrolled by insects, not necessarily Warrior Worms, but the threat they posed was not any less. Richard relied on his Concealer Cloak to capture one for dissection and found that their vocal organs were highly developed. If they made noise, Warrior Worms within several kilometers could notice. Moreover, these insects naturally produced pheromones that left traces that were very difficult to remove. Once marked, other insects could track him by the pheromone. Lastly, these small settlements often had insects stationed there, sometimes one or two, sometimes more than ten. Although Richard was not afraid of them based on combat strength, he was currently behind enemy lines. If it was possible to leave fewer traces, then the goal was to leave as few as possible. While the insects might be weak compared to Wizards of the same level, the context was different. When combining these factors, Richard¡¯s infiltration task had become extremely difficult. ¡°` ***In the early days of infiltrating the Insect Nest, he struggled to move forward and would make a slip every few days. But fortunately, the slips were minor, and with Ulysses¡¯ help to cover for him, he was able to conduct his investigation with some stability.*** Half a year later, Richard lay in a narrow tunnel, eyeing the Earth Cave to which it led with burning desire. The area of the Earth Cave was vast, filled with gigantic luminescent fungi, among which the planting insects toiled back and forth, and occasionally Warrior Insects would pass through the tunnel to other settlements. At the deepest part of this Earth Cave, a small pool made of tuff, continually emitting steam, was nestled within. The pool was filled with a blazing red liquid that seethed with vigorous life energy, which spread into the air with the bursting of bubbles. And that was Richard¡¯s target¡ªthe Incubation Pool. For this objective, Richard had spent three months exploring the surroundings. He surveyed every Earth Cave within a twenty-kilometer radius of the settlement to ascertain how many insects could come to its aid if he caused a disturbance. And now, the time had finally come for him to take action. Wrapped in his Concealer Cloak, Richard crawled out of the tunnel like a shadow and cautiously entered the Earth Cave. He had thoroughly scouted the defense force of this Earth Cave: only thirty Warrior Insects and ten Spider Knights. And within ten kilometers, there were fifty Warrior Insects that could come to the Earth Cave¡¯s aid, arriving in waves; if nothing unexpected happened on the way, the first wave of twelve insects would arrive in two minutes. So as long as Richard could destroy the Incubation Pool within two minutes, escape from the multitude of insects, and hide his tracks, he would be safe. But obviously, this was impossible for Richard, a One Ring Wizard. Therefore, Richard came up with a cunning plan. Hum! An inaudible sound wave entered the cave, making the Warrior Insects stationed in the settlement shiver. A Warrior Insect clad in black metal armor burst out from the fungal room, its sharp screech echoing throughout the Earth Cave. ¡°Wizard Monster¡¯s trace detected, leave one-third of the insects behind, the rest come with me to provide support; this time we must offer the Wizard Monster as a sacrifice to the Mother Worm God!¡± At that moment, about five kilometers from the settlement, a figure in a black robe was wantonly slaughtering alert insects in the tunnel. ¡°Gah, the taste of slaughter is sheer delight.¡± Under the black robe, Ulysses laughed heartily as it spewed Annihilation Flame, not bothering to constrain its energy fluctuations. With such brazenness, a troop of Warrior Insects quickly blocked a section of the tunnel, with the leading Warrior Insect shouting at Ulysses: ¡°Wizard Monster! Today I shall take your head to offer to the Mother Worm God!¡± But no sooner had it finished speaking than it saw the black-robed figure drift past itself, black flames instantly engulfing it and the three Warrior Insects around it in a sea of fire. Looking at the insects struggling in the fire, Ulysses bent its head down and nibbled on a charred but tender insect leg. ¡°Gah, these insects aren¡¯t bad when grilled and eaten.¡± Listening to the continuous low murmurs of the insects in the tunnel, Ulysses chewed on the insect leg, its voice slightly muffled. ¡°Gah, I¡¯ve made¡­ enough noise; that boy¡­ should be able to succeed, right?¡± At this moment, the insects of the settlement were ready. At a command from the Black-armored Warrior Insect, the insects behind him fluttered their wings and accelerated into the tunnel. ¡°Half gone, not too bad.¡± In the shadows, Richard muttered to himself as he watched the insects depart. With the help of the Concealer Cloak¡¯s Shadow Infiltration and his Bloodline¡¯s Shadow Shuttling, Richard had already made his way inside the settlement, merely two to three hundred meters from the Incubation Pool. Gazing at the scorching Incubation Pool and the insect eggs bobbing up and down within, a surge of excitement passed through Richard¡¯s heart. The liquid in the Incubation Pool contained an abundance of life-active material; consuming it over time could increase one¡¯s physique, and the immature insect eggs were excellent specimen materials. Through the insect eggs, a Wizard could understand the Black Crystal Insect race even more deeply. Since two-thirds of the defensive forces had been drawn away, the entire settlement¡¯s defenses had become lax. Richard silently made his way behind the Incubation Pool, a spot normally guarded by two Spider Knights, now temporarily vacant of insects and only to be discovered when other insects came to patrol. Seizing this opportunity, Richard poked a hole above the Incubation Pool with his Magic Wand, collected about ten kilograms of incubation liquid and two insect eggs, and left behind two timed Annihilation Bombs. After that, Richard retreated as silently as he had arrived. Shortly after Richard left, two patrolling insects came to the back of the Incubation Pool. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll catch the Wizard Monster this time?¡± ¡°Who knows, these Wizard Monsters are as slippery as reptiles; I think it¡¯s unlikely.¡± ¡°Sigh, indeed. Hey, why is there a hole by the pool, let¡¯s go check¡­¡± Boom! Richard quietly watched the Annihilation Bombs explode from the tunnel, then turned and left. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Chapter 43 Divine Chosen Attack Chapter 143: Chapter 43 Divine Chosen Attack Underground Insect Nest Upper Level, in a narrow and secluded earth cave, a cloaked figure crossed the corridor and entered. After entering the cave, the cloak suddenly softened and piled on the ground, from which a black crow flew out and landed on the fungi on the wall of the cave. Inside the cave, a figure clad in a Wizard Robe was heating a test tube in his hands. As the temperature rose, the liquid in the tube began to boil, its blood-red color fading away, gradually turning into a clear pale blue liquid. Once the test tube had cooled, the wizard opened it and drank it in one gulp. ¡°Did you encounter any trouble?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Caw, what trouble could I encounter?¡± Ulysses boasted arrogantly, ¡°A bunch of little worms, they wouldn¡¯t even qualify to be on my dinner table in the past.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Having said that, Richard closed his eyes and began using his magic power to help his body digest the pale blue liquid. The main ingredient of this pale blue liquid was the incubation liquid from the hatching pool, which, after being detoxified, was very beneficial for a wizard¡¯s body. If taken at a dose of 50 milliliters every 24 hours for 30 times, a One Ring Wizard could enhance his Physique by one point (excluding the extreme physique of 99.9). Of course, such an enhancement was not endless. After enhancing his Physique ten times, a One Ring Wizard wouldn¡¯t find any increase in Physique from this liquid, but it could still be used as a medicinal remedy. ¡°Caw, what¡¯s the yield?¡± Ulysses curiously looked at the test tube in Richard¡¯s hand. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï He could sense the life-active material contained in that liquid, which was tempting for every fleshly being, making them involuntarily crave devouring it. ¡°Not bad, ten kilograms of incubation liquid, plus two eggs, enough for us to lie low for a while.¡± ¡°Caw, lie low?¡± Ulysses asked amazed, ¡°What¡¯s the issue with this method?¡± Richard shook his head: ¡°No problem, it¡¯s just that acting too frequently will easily get us caught.¡± Through probability, we know that the more actions we take, the greater the chance of being discovered. He had a clear understanding of his own strength; a One Ring Wizard could not dominate within this Insect Nest, so minimizing action was preferable. Moreover, with the incubation liquid at hand enough to enhance his strength considerably, there was no need to act too frequently. ¡°Caw, alright then.¡± Ulysses said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re the boss, you decide.¡± ¡­ Bang! A Priest Worm dressed in moon white silk furiously slammed a clay tablet document onto the ground. Before him, several Warrior Insects clad in golden metal armor bowed their heads, their antennae drooping as well. The Priest Worm looked at a group of insects, emitting a sharp screech from its mouthparts: ¡°For five years! Those Wizard Monsters have infiltrated our rear for five years! In these five years, over a thousand of our grain stores have been burned, more than two hundred small hatching pools destroyed, thirty medium hatching pools, and even the large hatching pool in Aisen settlement was attacked a week ago! Now you tell me, searching the entire Insect Nest, you found just a handful of One-star Wizard Monsters!¡± Bang! The Priest Worm stomped fiercely on the shattered clay tablet. ¡°Are you really telling me! Those warehouses, those hatching pools, were all the doing of a bunch of One-star Wizard Monsters!? The Wizard Monsters who escaped from the hands of the High Priest were a bunch of One-star Wizard Monsters!?¡± Facing the reprimand of the Priest Worm, these Golden Armored Warrior Insects remained silent. Outside, they were prestigious Three-star Warrior Insects, but in this room, they were all subordinates who had mishandled things, criminals of the Black Mushroom Worm Country. The large hatching pool attack a week ago, had the High Priest not been present at the time, along with several Three-star Priests and Three-star Warriors, those Wizard Monsters might have actually succeeded. The entire Insect Country only had ten large hatching pools; if this hatching pool were destroyed, the entire population of the Insect Country would have decreased. Now, at this critical moment in the war, a population decrease meant a decrease in war power! Given this situation, as Warrior Insects charged to search for Wizard Monsters, they were greatly at fault. ¡°Sigh, forget it.¡± After a moment of silence, the Priest Worm let out a harsh cry, emitting a psychic wave through the black crystal. Soon after, a young Priest Worm wearing silk garments entered the room. ¡°Let me introduce, this is Inhardt, the Divine Chosen of the great Mother Worm God.¡± Upon hearing this, the Golden Armored Warrior Insects were stunned, their antennae perking up. Divine Chosen, such beings hadn¡¯t appeared in a long while. The last time a Divine Chosen appeared was during the war with the Earth Cave Demon Spiders. Inhardt bowed slightly to the several Golden Armored Warrior Insects, showing none of the arrogance typical of a Divine Chosen. ¡°During this period, Inhardt and some low-level priests will assist you in searching for the Warrior Worms. Incidents like the large-scale Hatchery assaults cannot happen again in Black Mushroom Worm Country!¡± The voice of the Priest Worm was firm¡ªshould such events occur again, not only would these Warrior Worms be sent to their doom, but even it, the Priest, would be sacrificed to the Mother Worm God. Although returning to the embrace of the Mother Worm God was something all priests desired, it did not wish to go back so soon. Several Golden Armored Warrior Insects perked up their antennae: ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Leaving the room of the Priest Worm, several Warrior Worms looked at each other, and finally, the oldest among them spoke up: ¡°Divine Chosen Sir, pardon my boldness, but may I ask what star level you are now?¡± Although Divine Chosen insects were much stronger than regular insects, if their star level was too low, they would face certain death in the face of absolute data differences. Although hunting Wizard Monsters was urgent, if the Divine Chosen insect were to die, they would still be sent to their doom. ¡°No need to worry about that,¡± Inhardt waved his antennae. ¡°I had already advanced to Two Stars some time ago and had also received armaments bestowed by the Mother Worm God. No matter how powerful those Wizard Monsters are, I am confident I can escape.¡± Upon hearing this, several Golden Armored Warrior Worms sighed with relief. Two Stars was sufficient; even a Two Stars Warrior Worm could deal with the majority of Wizard Monsters, not to mention a Divine Chosen Priest Worm. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we will not assign guards to you. Insects are needed everywhere in the Insect Nest now, so please understand.¡± Inhardt smiled, ¡°That¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t need bodyguards.¡± ¡°If you are not busy now, I would like to show you the methods of those Wizard Monsters first, so you can get some understanding of these creatures,¡± a Golden Armored Warrior Worm stepped forward and said. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m free,¡± Inhardt responded. ¡°I have been practicing in the Temple for a long time and am indeed curious to see the tactics of those Wizard Monsters.¡± ¡­ Within the settlement, a Golden Armored Warrior Worm led Inhardt to stand beside a small Hatchery that had been destroyed. Unlike a warehouse, Hatcheries could not just be built anytime. Each Hatchery¡¯s location was carefully selected, situated on the Earth Veins nodes within the Insect Nest World, and once they were destroyed, it would disrupt the energy of the Earth Veins node, making it unsuitable for use as a Hatchery again. This disruption of energy, though not permanent, would last for at least a decade, and for the Black Crystal Worms at this critical juncture, it was almost as bad as complete destruction. ¡°This is a trace left by one of the Wizard Monsters we have been searching for over the years,¡± the Golden Armored Warrior Worm explained. ¡°This Wizard Monster is very cunning. Over the years, he has struck four times, each time destroying a Hatchery without anyone noticing. Fortunately, he¡¯s very cunning, so he targets only the small Hatcheries. Our losses are still within acceptable limits.¡± Inhardt bent down, his forehead¡¯s Black Crystal emitting a soft light. Under this light, a breeze suddenly stirred in the entire Earth Cave. ¡°This is¡­¡± The Golden Armored Warrior Worm sensed changes in the surroundings and tensed up, but soon relaxed. The source of the change felt very familiar, like the Mother Worm. Before long, Inhardt stood up. ¡°Forgive my abruptness, I was just trying to communicate with the Earth Spirit to gather information about that Wizard Monster.¡± ¡°No no no, you don¡¯t need to explain so much to me,¡± the Golden Armored Warrior Worm said respectfully. The Golden Armored Warrior Worm was also an experienced insect, having only seen such communication with the Earth Spirit performed by the High Priest, and now seeing Inhardt employ the same method left him utterly astounded. If nothing went wrong, this Inhardt Worm would be Black Mushroom Worm Country¡¯s next High Priest. ¡°Did you communicate anything?¡± the Golden Armored Warrior Worm asked cautiously. A flash crossed Inhardt¡¯s forehead Black Crystal, and a myriad of images zipped through his mental organ, too vast and fast, many indistinct and disjointed. This was a common phenomenon in communicating with the Earth Spirit. Although the Earth Spirit could record everything that happened on this land, the information was massive, filled with a lot of disordered data. Every insect attempting to gather information from the Earth Spirit had to learn to filter and forget. From these images, Inhardt saw a robed Wizard squeezing into the settlement through tunnels, then leaving something behind, after which the Hatchery was destroyed. He also saw that after leaving the settlement, the Wizard Monster went along the tunnels to a secluded Earth Cave and met another Wizard Monster¡­ no, that wasn¡¯t a Wizard Monster, that was a bird disguised as a Wizard Monster! And that Earth Cave was¡­ was¡­ Inhardt¡¯s mental organ felt dizzy, overwhelmed by the voluminous information; he now needed to forget this memory, otherwise his mental organ would burn into mush. In the last second of discarding extraneous memories, Inhardt spotted something special in the images¡ªa very rare mushroom. ¡°Divine Chosen Sir, Divine Chosen Sir¡­¡± The Golden Armored Warrior Worm¡¯s call awakened Inhardt; without time to say much, he quickly flashed the outline of a mushroom using starlight. Inhardt, with eyes closed, uttered intermittent chirps from his mouth: ¡°Big Blue Worm Mushroom¡­ find the Earth Cave with this mushroom! That Wizard Monster is hiding there!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Chapter 44 Cat Catches Mouse Chapter 144: Chapter 44 Cat Catches Mouse In the Earth Cave, Richard, who was studying an insect egg specimen, suddenly trembled as he saw the rune on the table light up. The magic array he had set up as a precaution had been triggered. Richard slightly furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Ulysses, did you encounter any troublesome insects while you were out having fun?¡± ¡°Chirp, no, those insects are still as dumb as ever; I flew around haphazardly and shook them off easily,¡± Ulysses replied blankly. Buzz! Another rune lit up on the table. This meant another magic array had been triggered. Seeing this, Richard didn¡¯t hesitate to pack the items in the cave into his magic pocket, preparing to move out of this Earth Cave. The caves he chose were remote ones abandoned by the Black Crystal Worms, and normally no insects would visit. Now that his magic array had been triggered, it indicated that this place had become unsafe. Seeing Richard hurriedly packing up the cave, Ulysses suddenly realized and said, ¡°Chirp, another insect triggered the alarm, didn¡¯t it?¡± Richard nodded, picked up his magic wand, and prepared to leave the cave through another tunnel. A hiding place naturally shouldn¡¯t have only one passage. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã? ¡°Chirp, I say you¡¯re just too nervous. The passages in this cave are so complicated, it¡¯s normal for insects to occasionally get lost; there¡¯s no need to move every time an alarm is triggered,¡± Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder and murmured, ¡°And even if they accidentally find us, we can just deal with them, so why bother moving?¡± Every time they moved, he and Richard would have to search the insect nest for a long time to find a suitable hiding place. To ensure safety, Ulysses had to meticulously explore the structure of the tunnels near their hiding spot, which was troublesome. Listening to Ulysses¡¯s rant, Richard calmly replied, ¡°We are inside the insect nest now, and we cannot afford the slightest neglect. If we get caught by those insects, we will be in big trouble.¡± ¡°Chirp, so what if we get caught? Didn¡¯t we find a good place to escape from their pursuit the year before last? It¡¯s not far from here.¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°Unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, I¡¯m not willing to go to that dreadful place.¡± ¡­ Two minutes later, a scout insect cautiously approached the cave and immediately chirped upon seeing the remnants of a wizard¡¯s presence. Soon, a group of insects arrived at the cave, led by Inhardt himself. ¡°My lord, you are truly prescient. That wizard monster really stayed in this place.¡± Inhardt paid no heed to the toadying of his subordinates, silently entering the cave. From this cave, he could see many traits similar to his own observation in the wizard monster¡ªcautious, calm, restrained. This cave had no decorations, only a platform and a stool. Inhardt touched the platform with his upper limbs and quickly found a mark. According to the Golden Armored Warrior Insects, this mark was called a rune, similar to their script. However, the wizard¡¯s runes had magical abilities similar to the Priest Insects, and many Priest Insects in the back of the insect nest were already trying to decipher this script. On this mark, Inhardt sensed a faint energy residue, revealing that it had just been triggered and that the wizard monster had left not long ago. ¡°Pursue, that wizard monster isn¡¯t far from us! You each take different paths, cover the tunnels around, and try to minimize the escape range of this wizard monster.¡± ¡­ ¡°Chirp, lad, it seems like the insects have stuck to us.¡± In the tunnel, Ulysses flew from behind and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. Richard frowned; how could he have been followed despite being so careful? ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°Chirp, there are insect traces in basically all the nearby tunnels, and it doesn¡¯t seem like a normal maneuver.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Chirp, don¡¯t you trust my judgment?¡± Richard rubbed his temples, ¡°Then, this is indeed troublesome.¡± If this large-scale search was a general hunt targeting all wizards in the nest, it would still be manageable for him. However, he feared that this search was aimed specifically at him. As a One Ring Wizard, he couldn¡¯t afford the risk of being targeted by the insect nest. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s prepare for both, head towards that place for now.¡± A kilometer away in a straight line from Richard, Inhardt was with the Warrior Insects analyzing the local tunnel structure. The complicated organization of the insect nest posed a difficulty for wizards but was also a challenge for the insects. An insect, despite having physiological advantages, needed several years to familiarize itself with the tunnel structures near their own settlements, and for inter-settlement communication, a special insect was required called the Map Worm. ¡°You¡¯re saying this wizard monster knows the tunnels even better than you, possibly even more familiar?¡± Inhardt was incredulous. It was an unfunny joke that a native Black Crystal Worm claimed that an outsider knew the nest¡¯s tunnels better than itself. ¡°My lord, these wizard monsters have a tool that can easily explore and map the tunnel structures around them, called the Imaging Crystal Ball. Every infiltrator among these wizard monsters has one. If they¡¯re willing to spend time exploring the tunnels of the insect nest, then him knowing the tunnels better than me is not impossible.¡± The justification of the Warrior Insect was logical, but amidst this reasoning, Inhardt detected an unusual implication. When the Samurai Worm was making its defense, there was a sense of powerlessness¡ªa bad omen for sure. ¡°Samurai, raise your head,¡± Inhardt commanded. The Samurai Worm complied. Inhardt gazed at it, a glimmer of light flashing across the black crystal on his forehead. ¡°Tell me, Samurai. Is there fear in your heart?¡± ¡°My lord, I¡­¡± The Samurai Worm wanted to deny it, but the words that came out affirmed it. ¡°My lord, we are vastly inferior to those Wizard Monsters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no excuse!¡± Inhardt¡¯s tentacles lashed fiercely at the Samurai Worm. ¡°You should be thankful that I am the one who noticed your thoughts! Had it been any other Priest, you¡¯d already be a cannon projectile for the Mother Goddess Cannon!¡± The Samurai Worm shook and bowed its head silent. ¡°Warriors, look at me.¡± Inhardt beat his wings, ascending into the air, his body glowing with a holy light. ¡°I know many of you harbor fear, but I¡¯m telling you, we will not fail! In the past, we waged war against the sky¡¯s Giant Dragons, we waged war against the Earth Cave Demon Spiders from the abyss, and though we¡¯ve failed countless times in warfare, we ultimately triumphed! No matter how horrifying those Wizard Monsters may be, under the leadership of the Mother Worm God, our Black Crystal Worm Clan will claim victory in this war!¡± Inhardt¡¯s words resounded powerfully, mirroring the divine descent of the Mother Worm God, accompanied by the holy radiance emanating from his body. Samurai Worms knelt en masse, tears of regret dropping from their eyes. With such a proud history of victories against formidable foes, how could they harbor fear in their hearts? They were destined to win. Satisfied with the reaction of his troops, Inhardt descended from the sky. Defeatism must not exist in the military, not even a trace. ¡°Now, go capture that fugitive Wizard Monster and sacrifice him to the Mother Worm God!¡± ¡­ ¡°Capture that Wizard Monster!¡± A Samurai Worm clad in black armor emitted a piercing screech, and behind him, a swarm of Samurai Worms flapped their wings, rushing furiously along the tunnel. Watching this scene, Richard¡¯s expression was unchanged as his Magic Wand tossed out a black Fireball. Boom! The black flames filled half the tunnel, a Magic Barrier appearing in front of Richard to block the flames. However, the situation was dire for the insects as the smell of charred flesh and shells quickly filled the air. But Richard had no time to relish the insects¡¯ plight. He glanced at the Crystal Ball in his hand and continued to fly low along the tunnel. Richard¡¯s situation was not promising. Within the nearby tunnel system, hundreds of insects were searching for him¡ªincluding rare ones like Spider Knights and Sacrificial Insects. Particularly the Sacrificial Insects. They could roughly ascertain Richard¡¯s whereabouts through vague answers provided by the World Will, completely cutting off Richard¡¯s hope of escaping through Shadow Infiltration. Fortunately, there were not many Sacrificial Insects in the chasing party, so Richard could still manage with the intricate tunnel system and maneuver around the insects. Ahead, a shadow darted out, stopping precisely beside Richard. ¡°Ga, there are insects ahead too; they¡¯ve taken a shortcut to get ahead of us¡ªwe can¡¯t go through this tunnel.¡± Ulysses¡¯s voice was urgent, devoid of its usual calm, sinking Richard¡¯s heart. ¡°Have we been surrounded?¡± Richard examined the three-dimensional map of insect nest tunnels recorded in the Crystal Ball over the years. From the map, the routes Richard could take were limited, and most led to dead ends. A vast net had tightly ensnared him. ¡°Ga, what should we do? Fight our way out? Or¡­¡± Richard eyed a large blank space at the edge of the map and sighed slightly. He would have liked to fight his way out, but he needed the capability ¨C and he was in the heart of the Black Crystal Worms¡¯ nest. If he, a One Ring Wizard, could dominate here so effortlessly, Wizards would have flattened it long ago. ¡°It seems we can only head that way.¡± As insect chatter echoed through the tunnels, Richard put away the Crystal Ball and turned to fly down the farthest left path. A few seconds later, Inhardt arrived at Richard¡¯s turning point, faced with three diverging paths without any trace of the Wizard Monster¡¯s movement. Logically, this would be the time to split forces. However, Inhardt did not divide his troops; instead, he plucked a mushroom from the ground and threw it down. The mushroom rolled on the ground a few times, finally pointing in the direction Richard was heading. ¡°Go through this tunnel,¡± Inhardt commanded. ¡°This tunnel?¡± a nearby Samurai Worm hesitated, ¡°My lord, if that Wizard Monster is familiar with the tunnels, he wouldn¡¯t choose this one.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± Inhardt asked. ¡°My lord, although there are several forked roads in the middle of this tunnel, all those forks are dead ends. If he doesn¡¯t take any forks, this tunnel only leads to one place.¡± ¡°Which place?¡± The Samurai Worm¡¯s body trembled, seemingly recalling something terrifying. ¡°My lord, this tunnel leads directly to¡­ the Source Sea Abyss.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Chapter 45 Source Sea Abyss Chapter 145: Chapter 45 Source Sea Abyss In the Source Sea Abyss, one of the few places in the Insect Nest World without any insects, much like Mushroom Land. According to ancient legend, the Source Sea Abyss led directly to the deepest part of this world, inhabited by countless demons and monsters. Those creatures would emerge from the Abyss every hundred years to devour all living beings. Though the legends tell that in the end, the great Mother Worm God suppressed them, killing most, with the remaining demons scurrying back to the Source Sea Abyss, hanging on by a thread. But even so, Black Crystal Insects still dreaded the Abyss. ¡°Source Sea Abyss¡­¡± Inhardt hesitated upon hearing this name, realizing that if the Wizard Monster knew the paths well, he should not have taken this route. The terror of the Source Sea Abyss was no place for a One-star strength Wizard Monster to survive. But then it occurred to him that perhaps the Wizard Monster had chosen this path precisely because it was so unlikely, to throw Inhardt off his pursuit. Moreover, the guidance from the Earth Spirit could not possibly be wrong; the Wizard Monster must have taken this path with such thoughts in mind. Inhardt flicked his antennae with a trace of smugness, feeling he had seen through the Wizard Monster¡¯s trick. ¡°No need to overthink it, just follow this path. Unless the Wizard Monster jumps into the Source Sea Abyss, everything else must be part of the Wizard Monster¡¯s deception.¡± Seeing the surrounding Warrior Worms hesitating to move forward, Inhardt took to the air, where Holy Light flashed on his body, and his mouthparts emitted a sacred and reverberating call. ¡°You needn¡¯t fear; the Mother Worm God¡¯s radiance shines upon us. The monsters of the Source Sea Abyss wouldn¡¯t dare defy the Mother Worm God¡¯s majesty!¡± ¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï The fine droning of the insects continuously penetrated Richard¡¯s ears through the tunnel. From these sounds, Richard could deduce that there were at least thirty insects chasing him. And their speed was fast; the distance between them was closing. If the chase continued at this rate, he would be caught in a matter of seconds. But he was still far from the Source Sea Abyss. With a moment of resolve, Richard stopped in his tracks; his magic wand in hand suddenly ignited with black flames. ¡°Ulysses, time for us to strike back.¡± Hearing this, Ulysses, who was leading the way, paused and his body instantly ignited with black flames. ¡°Squawk, about time!¡± Seconds later, the insects¡¯ fine droning came closer and closer. Elemental energy gathered in Richard¡¯s wand, and a human-head-sized black fireball flew instantly toward one end of the tunnel. Boom! The black flames filled the tunnel in an instant, but after the flames dissipated, a Starlight Barrier appeared before Richard, protecting the dozens of insects behind it, unscathed. Seeing this, Richard¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. ¡°Damn it, Second Level Priest Insect! Ulysses, cover the back!¡± With that, Richard turned and fled without hesitation. He might have stood a chance against Second Level Warrior Worms, for these native races¡¯ primitive Physique Evolution and their crude use of strength often meant they could only bring out a fraction of their potential power. But Priest Insects were a different matter altogether. Though they were far inferior to Wizards in terms of Elemental Magic, their Talent Abilities should not be underestimated. The Priest Insects¡¯ Starlight Seal also posed a significant threat to Wizards. Watching Richard¡¯s retreating figure, Ulysses said helplessly: ¡°Squawk, you really have no guts. Just one Second Level Priest Insect, and you run away. Watch how your grandfather, the Lord of the Crows, takes it down¡­¡± Ulysses didn¡¯t finish speaking when he saw a burst of Holy Light explode from Inhardt¡¯s body, under which all the insects seemed invigorated with fight, like chickens on blood. And Inhardt¡¯s aura was soaring, surging, skyrocketing! ¡°Squawk, damn Divine elect!¡± Seeing Inhardt¡¯s transformation, Ulysses cursed crudely for once, and after spitting out a fireball at Inhardt, he turned and flew rapidly in Richard¡¯s direction, closing the gap within a few breaths. Seeing Ulysses fly in front of him, Richard couldn¡¯t help but swear: ¡°Ulysses, you always talk a big game, don¡¯t you? How come you ran away from just a Second Level insect?!¡± As he flew, Ulysses tried to justify: ¡°Squawk, you don¡¯t understand a thing! That white insect is a damn Divine elect. If we kill him, the old insect¡¯s gaze will land on us. What do you think that thing will do when it sees one of its Divine Chosen critically injured in its own Insect Nest?!¡± ¡°Damn it, so unreliable!¡± Richard swore angrily and channeled his Magic Power into his wand, throwing several Hearts of Annihilation behind him. Hum! Several black spheres instantly blocked the tunnel, but Richard¡¯s internal Magic Power also fell to a third, reaching the critical line. Ding ding ding¡­ Several drained Magic Stones fell from Richard¡¯s body. Backup Magic Power activated! After the Hearts of Annihilation vanished, a figure shrouded in Holy Light burst forth from behind. Inhardt was clad in Holy Light Armor, and the recent Hearts of Annihilation seemed not to have inflicted any harm on him. But no one noticed a few drops of green viscous liquid dripping from Inhardt¡¯s mouthparts. A spell with an energy level of two thousand, even with the protection of Faith Armor and the blessing of Divine favor, still caused him internal injuries. With Inhardt, the Priest leading the charge, the Samurai Worms naturally followed suit. ¡°Fellows, join me¡± and ¡°Brothers, follow me¡± are different in any world. So even if Hell lay before them, these worms were willing to follow Inhardt and forge a path. Boom! Boom! Boom¡­ The sounds of magic exploding echoed continuously in the tunnel. Richard and Ulysses constantly used spells to delay the speed of the Second Level Priest Worm chasing them. But with the enhancement of Faith Armor and Divine blessings, Inhardt was like a War God, even the Heart of Annihilation could only delay him for an instant! As the distance between the two of them closed, Inhardt finally made his move! Inhardt¡¯s wings flashed violently behind him, his body instantly appeared behind Richard, shooting out a brilliant starlight from the Black Crystal between his eyebrows. At this distance, no one could dodge his Starlight Seal, ¡°Wizard Monster, become a sacrifice for the Mother Worm God!¡± But the next moment, Inhardt¡¯s face was struck by something. He stopped to look and found that his Starlight Seal had actually sealed a Samurai Worm. Richard indeed couldn¡¯t dodge at that distance, but finding something as a scapegoat was quite easy. As they kept moving, the environment around Richard began to heat up, and an incredibly violent and primal Life Energy continuously stimulated mutations in Richard¡¯s body. Further ahead lay the Source Sea Abyss! ¡­ To be honest, if it hadn¡¯t been absolutely necessary, Richard would not have chosen to come to this place known to the worms as the Source Sea Abyss. The Source Sea Abyss, as its name implies, is a profound chasm with a sea within. At the deepest part of the Source Sea Abyss lies a sea that emits primal Life Energy non-stop. This kind of sea, according to Wizard terminology, should be called the Primordial Sea, the place where life began at the dawn of the world. Generally, such seas would transform into ordinary seas after the birth of primal life, but for some reason¡ªwhether it¡¯s the rules of the Insect Nest World or something else¡ªthere remains a piece of Primordial Sea within the Source Sea Abyss. The violent Life Energy of the Primordial Sea is not harmful to ancient creatures; under its influence, ancient beings diversified into various races. However, for those that have already completed their differentiation, this Life Energy is like a deadly poison. Moreover, it seems that this sea might also be connected to the planet¡¯s underground magma, so that within the Source Sea Abyss, heat winds can reach hundreds of degrees, carrying the Primordial Sea¡¯s violent Life Energy, capable of making a creature¡¯s limbs contort and flesh proliferate in an instant, then explode into a half-cooked burst of flesh. In addition, ancient species dating back to ancient times still live within the Abyss, with their formidable physiques and questionable intelligence. They hunt prey according to the intensity of Life Energy or, as Wizards say, Physique, and there are no shortages of Second and Third Level creatures among them. For the current Richard, venturing into it recklessly would be tantamount to committing suicide. But fortunately, Richard had Ulysses. The World Master¡¯s intimidating presence worked wonders on these ancient species; when they had explored this Abyss two years ago, even Third Level creatures would circumvent Ulysses. This gave Richard a chance to survive. As long as his Magic Barrier could withstand the hot winds of the Source Sea Abyss, he could survive temporarily in it. It was for this reason that he chose this place as his escape route. But those Samurai Worms didn¡¯t have Magic Shields. Looking at the nearby cave entrance flickering with red light, the air tinged with sulfur scent continuously entered Inhardt¡¯s olfactory organs. The violent Life Energy from ancient times constantly battered his Holy Light Armor, turning the normally healing Life Energy into a display of its ferocity. Inhardt extended his tentacles, and the Holy Light on his body flared intensely. ¡°Wizard Monster, I know you can understand me. Further ahead is the Source Sea Abyss. Better to be a sacrifice than to die in there.¡± Richard twitched the corners of his mouth upon hearing this, choosing between two deaths, he had never seen such a mode of persuasion. As a response to the persuasion, Richard threw back two Hearts of Annihilation, and the flesh on his back split open, dropping several magic stones drained of Magic Power. Inhardt broke through the spell with a cold snort, ¡°Stubborn fool!¡± One fled, and the other pursued, swiftly reaching the edge of the Source Sea Abyss. Looking at the steaming depths below, Richard suddenly turned around and mockingly laughed at Inhardt, ¡°Insect, if you want me as a sacrifice, come on down then!¡± With that, Richard fell backward, his body instantly disappearing into the steam. Inhardt arrived at the edge of the Abyss, glanced at the steam-enshrouded chasm, sneered, and then his wings spread out, Holy Light shining brightly as he dove headfirst into the steam. He was the Divine Chosen of the Mother Worm God, those creatures dared not touch him. In the steam, Richard casually waited with Ulysses perched on his shoulder and Magic Barrier in front of him, for the worms to leave. But as a flash of Holy Light pierced through the steam, Richard¡¯s face suddenly changed. ¡°I was just saying, I didn¡¯t expect you to actually come down!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Chapter 46: Pioneer Relics Chapter 146: Chapter 46: Pioneer Relics Facing the War God-like Inhardt, Richard had no choice but to sink further down. The deeper into the Source Sea Abyss one went, the stronger the frenzied Life Energy became, and the more ancient creatures there were. Now, both Ulysses and Richard found themselves without a way to handle this insect, their only hope being the harsh environment of the Source Sea Abyss. With the descent in altitude, Life Hot Wind constantly battered against Richard¡¯s Magic Shield, creating ripples after ripples. Richard¡¯s complexion was ashen, and sweat continuously beaded on his forehead as a steady stream of Magic Power was injected into the Magic Barrier. At this moment, Richard had descended nearly two hundred meters, where the Life Energy had become incredibly dense. A Level 1 Creature falling in would not last thirty minutes before turning into a pile of endlessly multiplying roasted meat. However, the pursuit from Inhardt was not having an easy time either. The violent life surged against its Faith Armor, causing its Holy Light to dim. This armor did not consume his Energy but rather the Power of Faith; if the Power of Faith was exhausted, then Inhardt, being a second-level creature, wouldn¡¯t fare much better than Richard. The Magic Barrier, a product of Wizard ingenuity, proved much stronger than the Energy Barriers constructed by the natives. ¡°Wizard Monster, do you really wish to become disordered flesh?¡± Inhardt shouted at Richard, hoping to end what he saw as a mutually destructive game. But Richard¡¯s thoughts were clearly different¡­ Feigning a look of manic enthusiasm, Richard replied, ¡°Insect, you are Divine Chosen, a Big Shot, and I, a One Ring Wizard, find it an immense honor to be able to drag someone of your stature to death with me. The Wizard World will remember my deeds, and our world will better because of me!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï Zeal made for the best disguise. Although Richard was also reluctant to continue descending, as the weaker party, he had to increase the stakes of his bet. And life was clearly a good bet. He was gambling that this Divine Chosen Insect with a bright future was not willing to accompany a One Ring Black Wizard to their death in the Source Sea Abyss. And things unfolded just as Richard had hoped. Inhardt was both angered and annoyed by Richard¡¯s taunts. ¡°You madman!¡± But what could he do? Feeling the Power of Faith draining from the Faith Armor, Inhardt ultimately chose to give up. He, a Two Stars Divine Chosen Insect and future High Priest of the Insect Country, could not justify a life-for-life trade with a One-star strength Black Wizard. Watching Inhardt depart, a smile crept onto Richard¡¯s pallid face. He had won the bet. The rest was just waiting for the insects to leave. ¡°Ulysses, wake up! The insect is gone!¡± Richard patted Ulysses on the shoulder and pulled out a Magic Stone from his pocket. With Flesh Control, Richard¡¯s stomach split open, revealing intestines and a stomach that, instead of food, were filled with Magic Stones. This was Richard¡¯s reserve of Magic Power, which allowed him to survive for so long in the Source Sea Abyss, thanks to these stones. ¡°Gaah, finally gone,¡± Ulysses opened his eyes, his tone tinged with relief. ¡°Gaah, that old insect actually sent a Divine Chosen to chase after someone insignificant like you. He¡¯s really lost his mind, serves him right to be invaded by you. With such brains, even if you didn¡¯t come, he¡¯d have been finished by his own stupidity.¡± Inhardt had scared him quite a bit; had the old insect seen him, both he and Richard would have been done for. ¡°Alright, enough, you let us down at the critical moment.¡± Richard glanced at him. If it hadn¡¯t been for the Source Sea Abyss serving as a refuge, relying solely on Ulysses¡¯s combat abilities, he¡¯d already be a gonner. ¡°Gaah, it was a special situation¡­¡± Ulysses began to defend himself loudly but was cut off as his head suddenly turned one hundred eighty degrees, looking towards one side of the Source Sea Abyss. ¡°Gaah, Richard, do you feel it?¡± Richard looked in the direction he was focusing on, his expression blank. ¡°Feel what?¡± ¡°Gaah, forget it, you¡¯re just a legendary noob, you can¡¯t sense such weak spatial fluctuations.¡± Richard: ¡°¡­¡± Ulysses flapped his wings, flying ahead of Richard. ¡°Gaah, follow me, there¡¯s a hidden space over here.¡± ¡­ The Source Sea Abyss sky also teemed with flying creatures, a group of flying insects, each the size of Richard¡¯s head, buzzed past him, quickly dodging to avoid him at the feel of Ulysses¡¯s intimidation. These insects had exoskeletons that were incredibly tough, and mouthparts so hard they could chew stones like cotton. Within the Abyss, they were considered dominating, and even third-level creatures would have to think twice before confronting them. But under Ulysses¡äs pressure, the swarm scattered. Richard seized the opportunity to capture one, intending to turn it into a specimen. A Wizard would not pass on any chance to increase his knowledge. Following Ulysses further on, Richard kept descending into the deeps of the Abyss, soon reaching nearly five hundred meters. Although a mere one tenth of the Abyss¡¯s depth, this was already Richard¡¯s limit. Any deeper and his absorption of Magic Power would not keep up with the consumption by the Life Hot Wind. ¡°Gaah, found it.¡± Ulysses suddenly flew to a cliff face and shouted at Richard. ¡°Are we there? There¡¯s nothing here.¡± ¡°Gaah, it seems there isn¡¯t anything now¡­¡± Ulysses scratched the air with his claw, and a space rift instantly appeared. ¡°But now there is.¡± Richard was somewhat startled by this move; he hadn¡¯t expected Ulysses to be capable of such a feat while injured. Indeed, even an injured World Master should not be underestimated. Ulysses took the lead to scout through the rift. Soon after, he flew back out, his words carrying a hint of excitement: ¡°Gaah, Richard! You¡¯re about to strike it rich!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Richard entered the rift with a mix of surprise and delight, and the object that appeared before him made him gasp in astonishment. ¡°This is¡­ Pioneer Relics?¡± ¡­ Beyond the rift, a small space resembling a laboratory appeared before Richard. The room was small and irregularly shaped, much like a child¡¯s scribbles, with walls and ceiling made of dark crystals. There wasn¡¯t much inside, just a damaged crystal platform covered with cracks, looking like it could shatter at any moment. At the very back of the room was a broken crystal storage that emitted a rich fragrance, involuntarily drawing Richard closer. After the excitement, Richard frowned as he looked around the room. The issue was that the room was far too small for a laboratory and too irregular. Moreover, he could visibly see the laboratory walls trembling constantly, with space quakes appearing like ripples on water¡­ ¡°Gaah, stop looking and start grabbing things,¡± Ulysses urged. ¡°This space is about to be destroyed. If you don¡¯t grab things now, they¡¯ll be gone.¡± ¡°Destroyed?¡± Richard was shocked. ¡°Gaah, didn¡¯t you see how unstable this space structure is? This space has already collapsed several times before, and I reckon it¡¯s all going to collapse very soon. But if it weren¡¯t about to collapse, I guess I wouldn¡¯t have found this place.¡± Without further ado, Richard immediately sprang into action. First was the incubation pod at the end of the room. The lid of the crystal pod had cracked due to the spatial collapse, and the liquid inside had become murky. Touching it with his hand, the Miracle Furnace immediately responded. [Material: Unknown liquid] [Refinable substance: Soul Essence] [Refining cost: Thirty spiritual power] [Refinable substance: Life Essence] [Refining cost: 2000 magic power] Reading the information provided by the furnace, Richard¡¯s pupils quaked. Life Essence was an extremely gentle life-active material that could enhance a creature¡¯s physique and heal internal injuries without side effects, including damage to the Life Core. Except for rule damage inflicted by a Great Wizard, Life Essence could heal all wounds. And Soul Essence was even more extraordinary. Soul Essence was one of the rare treasures that could enhance spiritual power without side effects. Besides, using Soul Essence might even awaken Soul Talent acquired later in life. Such talents were only seen in Wizard Apprentices who had the potential to become Wizards at birth! Suppressing the ecstatic joy in his heart, Richard chose to refine without hesitation. After the refining was completed, a somewhat ethereal liquid and a blood-red liquid with a rich fragrance appeared in his hands. With fiery eyes, Richard temporarily stored them away and then began to search the entire room. Source Material could be used at any time, but the Pioneer Relic might collapse at any moment. Richard approached the cracked crystal platform, gently caressing it. This Pioneer civilization seemed to have a fondness for crystals, crafting everything from them. After a complete sweep with his hand, Richard failed to get what he wanted¡ªthe Miracle Furnace¡¯s notification information. ¡°Could it be that this object is even more destroyed than the chip I acquired back then?¡± Unwilling to concede, he swung his Magic Wand and gently tapped the crystal platform. Ding ding ding¡­ Crack! As though it had received its final blow, the densely cracked platform suddenly spread its fissures, and in an instant, it turned into shattered crystals. Now Richard was dumbfounded. ¡°These Pioneer creations seem to be not very durable.¡± Ulysses landed on his shoulder, ¡°Gaah, this thing was probably about to break long ago. Hurry up and tidy up; this space is about to collapse.¡± As if to prove Ulysses¡¯s point, as soon as his words ended, the spot holding the crystal storage collapsed, a space of three square meters crumbled along with the crystal storage, vanishing in an instant, and even the walls began to exhibit dark space rifts. The walls of this space probably acted like a World Barrier, separating the relics from the chaotic space streams. Now that the walls were showing space rifts, it meant that this space was about to collapse. Without the luxury to ponder, Richard used his magic power to sweep up the crystal fragments from the ground, shoving them into his Magic Pocket. These materials, used by the Pioneer civilization, must have some use, even without any residual information. The next moment, the space collapsed, and the small chamber shattered into pieces. Ulysses suddenly increased in size, grasping Richard with his two claws, and in the last moment before the complete collapse, they left the ruins. Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Chapter 47 Soul Talent Chapter 147: Chapter 47 Soul Talent ¡°Phew, that was close, almost couldn¡¯t make it out.¡± In the Source Sea Abyss, Richard clutched his chest, his heart pounding. If Ulysses had been even a moment slower, the two of them would have been swept into spatial turbulence. Ulysses might have survived, but as a One Ring Wizard, he most certainly would have perished. ¡°Caw, don¡¯t worry, I was watching,¡± Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder and said nonchalantly, ¡°Even if not for you, in my current state, getting caught in the spatial turbulence would most likely mean death.¡± Calming himself, Richard propped up the Magic Barrier and started to fly upwards cautiously. Through the steam, Richard saw a Sacrificial Insect and a Second Level Warrior Worm guarding the tunnel he had come through. ¡°It seems this passage is a no-go anymore. Call that insect again, and who knows, I might actually become a sacrifice.¡± There was more than one tunnel leading to the Source Sea Abyss. Although the other tunnel entrances were far from Richard¡¯s current location, for safety, spending a bit more Magic Stones was worth it. After flying for a long time in the abyss, Richard consumed nearly a hundred Magic Stones¡¯ worth of magic power before finding a new tunnel entrance. After re-entering the Insect Nest through the new entrance, Richard immediately set about finding a place to conceal himself. Half a month later, Richard stood in the new Earth Cave, carefully taking out the two balls of Source Material. Life Essence and Soul Essence as top-tier Magic Potion Materials, they could be consumed directly without the aid of any other materials for a hundred percent effect. The only thing to keep in mind was that after consuming Source Material, one would fall into a deep sleep, the exact cause of which Wizards had not clearly researched. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? This sleep varied from two to three days up to two to three months, not particularly long. In this period of intensive searching through the Insect Nest, it was also an excellent time for Richard to dodge the limelight and hide. Richard¡¯s current lair was well-concealed; even the entrance was blocked tightly with fungi. If it weren¡¯t for the Imaging Crystal Ball, Richard wouldn¡¯t have found such a hidden cavern. ¡°Caw, my dear master,¡± Ulysses perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder, his voice ingratiating, ¡°This Soul Essence would greatly aid my injuries. Considering I helped you find the relics, how about sharing a bit with me?¡± Richard glanced at him, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. There wasn¡¯t enough Soul Essence to allow Richard to bypass the Promotion Ceremony and directly become a Second Ring Wizard. At best, it would only take him to the limit of spiritual power of a One Ring Wizard, with any surplus simply being wasted. Moreover, Ulysses had indeed played a major role in this matter. If Richard didn¡¯t share some with him, Ulysses might opt not to bother helping in such cases in the future. That would certainly be bad for Richard. ¡°Ulysses, I need to understand something,¡± Richard suspended the Soul Essence in the air using his magic power, ¡°How much Soul Essence do you need to reach a Second Level normal state?¡± ¡°Caw, to be normally at the Second Level¡­¡± Ulysses flew in front of the Soul Essence, dividing out a portion with its claw. ¡°This much should be enough.¡± Richard looked at the remaining Soul Essence; Ulysses had taken nearly a third of it. The remaining amount would definitely not be wasted when he consumed it. ¡°Fine, you deal with that portion of Source Material.¡± To determine how much the two kinds of Source Material would enhance him, Richard took out a Crystal Ball from his pocket and specifically tested his current values. [Spiritual Power: 59.2, Physique: 75, Magic Power: 5920, Rating, One Ring Wizard] After the enhancement from the Incubation Liquid, Richard¡¯s Physique had climbed from 64.7 before the war to seventy-five. Having noted his data, Richard lay on the platform and swallowed the Soul Essence. The next moment, a cool sensation seeped from his mouth into Richard¡¯s brain, a feeling incredibly comfortable, like the first sip of an Ice Cola on a scorching summer¡¯s day. As the feeling faded away, Richard suddenly felt extremely drowsy, unable to keep his eyelids open. Struggling, Richard swallowed the ball of Life Essence; before he could even reflect on the sensations further, his vision darkened, and he fell asleep. After he had fallen into deep sleep, Ulysses flew in front of Richard and devoured the Soul Essence. For Ulysses, that bit of Soul Essence wasn¡¯t enough to make him fall into a deep sleep; it didn¡¯t hinder him from protecting Richard at all. ¡­ In his dream, Richard dreamed that he had once again entered the space known as the Soul Darkness. But unlike when he was promoted to Wizard, this time the pitch-black space contained a brilliantly luminous Tree of Souls. The Tree of Souls sprouted and grew leaves before Richard¡¯s eyes, eventually bearing a fruit that shimmered with light. Looking at the fruit, Richard couldn¡¯t help but walk forward and pluck it. It seemed as though the fruit had been prepared just for him. The moment after he picked the fruit, a sudden brightness tore through the darkness of the space. Back in reality, Richard abruptly opened his eyes and sat up with a jolt. ¡°How long have I slept?¡± ¡°Squawk, about a month, to be precise, thirty-two days.¡± Richard, still thinking about the fruit, looked dazedly at his hand and suddenly realized there seemed to be something extra in his field of vision. He noticed that fine streams of light had appeared in his hand, extending from his palm all the way to his heart. And his heart, at this moment, looked like a glowing light bulb in his field of view. ¡°Is this¡­ Energy Vision?¡± Richard turned his head to look at Ulysses and saw that similar streams of light were present on Ulysses, extending from every feather inward, constructing an extremely complex energy cycle within his body, a cycle that contained far more energy than Richard¡¯s Magic Rebound. ¡°Squawk, what are you looking at?¡± Ulysses felt the sensation of being seen through from Richard¡¯s gaze and subconsciously went on the defensive. At the same time, Richard noticed that the streams of light on Ulysses had disappeared. ¡°Hidden it, have you?¡± Richard rubbed his eyes, trying to shut off this vision. As the thought to close his Energy Vision arose, his field of view instantly returned to normal. ¡°Squawk, have you awakened your Soul Talent?¡± Ulysses flew up next to Richard, asking curiously. ¡°Mhm, Energy Vision.¡± Richard blinked and tried to activate the Energy Vision again, his tone filled with excitement. Having used Soul Essence, there was a chance to awaken a Soul Talent postnatally, and he hadn¡¯t expected to actually encounter it. ¡°Squawk, Energy Vision? That¡¯s a pretty good Talent, quite suitable for you Wizards.¡± Richard nodded; Energy Vision was a great help to Wizards, whether in battle or research. After feeling out his Talent, Richard took a Crystal Ball out of his pocket to test his current physical stats. [Spiritual Power 90, Physique 94, Magic Power 9000, Rating, One Ring Wizard.] ¡°My Spiritual Power has actually increased by thirty points, Source Material truly is top-tier Magic Potion Materials, saving me more than a hundred years of meditation!¡± Richard exclaimed in surprise, ¡°And my Physique has also increased by nearly twenty points; if I had to passively increase it using Adaptation Body, who knows how long it would take!¡± He moved his body around and prepared to take inventory of the Crystal Fragments he had obtained from the Pioneer Relics. Those fragments seemed of exceptional material, and they had even come from Pioneer devices; there might even be things like storage chips in there that he hadn¡¯t discovered yet. However, before he could take out the fragments, the Communication Crystal Ball in his pocket suddenly lit up. ¡°Wizard 7531, you are being urgently summoned.¡± Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: Chapter 48: Emergency Signs Chapter 148: Chapter 48: Emergency Signs ¡°Emergency summon¡­¡± Richard listened to the message coming from the crystal ball, frowning deeply in concentration. An emergency summon was not a power just anyone could wield. Among the Black Wizards infiltrating the insect nest, only a handful of Three Rings Wizards had the qualifications to issue an emergency summon. Those with the authority could recruit all the One Ring and Second Ring Black Wizards in their region, effectively holding the command center¡¯s power. Of course, such great power wouldn¡¯t be permitted to be misused by the command center. After using an emergency summon, the Three Rings Wizard must submit a report to the command center detailing the reasons and motives. If the reasons and motives were deemed unqualified by the command center, the Three Rings Wizard would face punishment, which had no upper limit and could range from fines to execution. Therefore, under normal circumstances, very few Three Rings Wizards would use this power; its use indicated that the wizard considered the matter extremely important, or the situation had escalated beyond control and required cooperation from multiple Black Wizards to resolve. However, whatever the reason, emergency summon was not a good omen. After issuing the emergency summon, the communication crystal ball displayed something resembling an arrow. This arrow would continuously point towards the location of the communication crystal ball that issued the emergency summon. Richard took the imaging crystal ball from his magic pocket and displayed the map he and Ulysses had already scouted. Following the direction of the arrow, Richard¡¯s finger slid down the map until it stopped at a small settlement. This small settlement connected several tunnels and was essentially a minor transportation hub. If wizards were to gather, this place indicated by the arrow was obviously the most suitable. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã¦Ï ¡°Ulysses, how are your injuries?¡± Richard asked, turning around. ¡°Caw, I¡¯m already a second-level creature, but this body is somewhat mismatched. I¡¯ll need to switch it once we get out.¡± Saying this, Ulysses erupted with a surge of energy fluctuations, causing Richard¡¯s face to blanch instantly. ¡°Stop, are you an idiot? We¡¯re inside the insect nest!¡± Ulysses contained the energy fluctuations and laughed heartily, ¡°Caw caw caw, don¡¯t be nervous, it was just a little joke.¡± For Richard, Ulysses being a constant second-level creature was undoubtedly a huge help; it prevented Richard from having to choose flight when facing second-level insects. Moreover, following the emergency summon, a fierce battle was surely imminent, and a stronger Ulysses would help lead them both out of danger. ¡­ Following the map, Richard and Ulysses proceeded in the direction indicated by the arrow. Along the way, Richard could distinctly feel the dense number of insects. Numerous Warrior Worms and Priest Worms patrolled the tunnels, a level of security that far exceeded any settlement Richard had encountered in the past years. It seemed as though something significant was unfolding in the unexplored areas Richard hadn¡¯t yet scouted. After three days of traveling, Richard arrived at the location he had identified on the map. Within the tunnels, Richard silently observed the entire settlement. This small settlement looked the same as any typical Black Crystal Worm settlement, with planting worms busily moving among the fungi, and Warrior Worms and Spider Knights either patrolling or resting, appearing utterly natural. However, to Richard, who was very familiar with insects, everything about this settlement was incredibly unnatural. Richard activated his energy vision, and within his energy vision, the entire settlement transformed in appearance. Every busy patrolling insect carried varying numbers of energy tethers, resembling marionettes, which was utterly eerie. These tethers extended into the air and eventually converged into one tether, connecting to a fungus in the very center of the settlement. If all went as expected, that fungus was where the Three Rings Wizard who issued the emergency summon was located. ¡°To be able to turn the entire settlement into puppets, and to disguise it so vividly¡­ This Master is no simple character.¡± Beside Richard, Ulysses spoke dismissively: ¡°It¡¯s just controlling a few hundred insects. We have a Black Spider that can control millions at a time, coordinating the insects so well that it shattered the Divine Form of a God renowned as a War God. That¡¯s truly powerful.¡± Richard glanced at Ulysses, ¡°Comparing a Demigod to Divine beings, you do have a way with comparisons.¡± Emerging from the tunnels, Richard walked nonchalantly towards the central fungus room of the settlement. On the way, all insects ignored him as if he were not a wizard but a mere ordinary insect. Upon reaching the fungus room, Richard respectfully knocked on the door. Thud, thud, thud. The door opened, and a Black Wizard in a robe sat at the very center of the room. The Black Wizard looked like a puppet, with eight spider-like limbs behind him. Upon opening the door, the Black Wizard¡¯s head mechanically turned towards Richard, his voice mechanical as he spoke: ¡°Interesting, a One Ring Wizard was able to see through my Puppet Witchcraft. Have my skills deteriorated?¡± Richard bowed slightly, ¡°Master, I received the Emergency Summon Order and have come to report.¡± Thud, thud, thud¡­ Suddenly, the Black Wizard¡¯s spider legs sprang to life, instantly closing the distance to Richard. Then, the legs bent slightly as the Black Wizard¡¯s body dropped down, his face directly in front of Richard¡¯s. ¡°How did you see through my witchcraft?¡± Looking at the puppet-like face before him, Richard remained very calm. ¡°Master¡¯s craft is peerless, ordinary people simply can¡¯t tell that those insects are puppets. But the Master ultimately missed one thing¡­¡± ¡°What did I miss?¡± ¡°When these insects move, their range of motion is nearly identical. It¡¯s fine for First-level Creatures, but it¡¯s suspicious that the ordinary planting insects also did the same.¡± Upon hearing this, the Puppet Wizard paused for a moment, then nodded, ¡°That¡¯s indeed a negligence on my part.¡± After speaking, a ripple of magic power emanated from the Puppet Wizard¡¯s body, causing the outer insects to vary slightly in their movements. ¡°You are the first to arrive, find a room to settle into first.¡± Richard found a reasonably decent fungal house in the Fungus Forest to enter and then took out an insect egg to study. In such a crude place, Richard really didn¡¯t trust studying Pioneer¡¯s crystal fragments. ¡­ Time quickly passed, and a week later, Black Wizards from all over the Insect Nest had arrived at this small settlement. If the insects were to launch an attack now, the entire Insect Nest would no longer have to worry about the Black Wizards. In the crowd, Richard found his two friends. ¡°Richard, it seems you¡¯ve gained quite a bit in the Insect Nest.¡± Lawrence greeted Richard with a smile, spotting Richard¡¯s improvement in strength at first glance, as an experienced wizard should. Richard¡¯s physique and the magic fluctuations emitted casually differed greatly from before; if it weren¡¯t for the same face and the crow on his shoulder, Lawrence would have thought he was mistaken. ¡°Some opportunities, but it also nearly cost me my life,¡± Richard laughed. Lawrence, still the same as always, being a Once Ring Wizard near his limit, could only make minimal improvements unless he could obtain treasures like the Soul Essence, similar to Richard. Compared to Lawrence and Richard, Ali was less fortunate. She lacked Richard¡¯s cheats and Lawrence¡¯s strength and experience. In this Insect Nest, she survived only based on her experience gained from hunting insects in the Nest years ago. When she arrived at the settlement, her Wizard Robe was tattered, and she was missing an arm. ¡°Hey, Richard!¡± Ali managed a forced smile. This was the first time she had smiled since her arm was chopped off by a Warrior Worm. Seeing her like this, Richard frowned and took out some active flesh from his pocket. Under his Flesh Control, this piece of active flesh instantly turned into a tentacle. ¡°Ali, come here.¡± Ali walked over to Richard, curiously looking at the flesh tentacle. Richard lifted Ali¡¯s Wizard Robe and then took out a scalpel from his Magic Pocket. ¡°This is going to hurt a bit, I didn¡¯t bring any anesthetic, just bear with it.¡± After saying that, Richard made an incision at the broken end of Ali¡¯s arm, and scalding blood immediately spurted out. Richard connected the flesh tentacle to it, and the active flesh instantly stopped the bleeding. ¡°Argh!¡± Ali gritted her teeth in pain. ¡°Control this tentacle with your magic. I don¡¯t have enough materials on hand to make a bone; use the tentacle for now.¡± Ali smiled at Richard, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m almost getting used to living with one arm.¡± The muscle structure of this tentacle was replicated by Richard from the flesh tentacles, an excellent structure in terms of both explosive power and endurance, worthy of the Blood Flesh Law it once bore. After getting accustomed, Ali skillfully used the tentacle to wrap around her magic wand, as if she had gotten a new toy. ¡°Richard, this tentacle is even better than a real hand!¡± As more wizards arrived at the settlement, the summoned wizards finally assembled. In the midst of the settlement, the Puppet Wizard walked out of his room and announced the purpose of this emergency summon to the crowded settlement. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, during this period, due to the tactical change of the Black Crystal Insects, nearly five hundred of our brethren hiding in the Insect Nest were captured. I¡¯ve gathered intelligence that these people were not executed right away; instead, they were secretly taken deep inside the Insect Nest to the Mother Goddess Temple. These insects are planning to hold a grand sacrificial ceremony to boost their morale, and our wizard brethren are those sacrifices. Thus, I need you all to follow me to the Mother Goddess Temple to rescue those wizards.¡± The Puppet Wizard¡¯s speech was straightforward, and his reasons were justifiable. Nearly a thousand Black Wizards, almost one-tenth of those infiltrating the Black Mushroom Worm Country, gathered there. If this group could be rescued, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous gain for the wizards. The number of wizards was far too limited compared to the insects; saving even one was a blessing. However, after hearing the mission, Lawrence suddenly communicated telepathically to Richard: ¡°Richard, there¡¯s something off about this mission.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard¡¯s expression changed slightly, ¡°What¡¯s off about it?¡± ¡°I know this Puppet Wizard; his name is Declan, and he has some reputation among Free Wizards. This guy is notorious for not waking up early without benefits and always prefers using puppets rather than exposing himself, being highly afraid of death. I somewhat doubt his willingness to use an Emergency Summon Order just to rescue people.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Chapter 49: The City of Insects Chapter 149: Chapter 49: The City of Insects After listening to Lawrence¡¯s words, Richard also had some hesitations in his heart. If this Puppet Wizard was truly as Lawrence described, then this operation was likely nothing more than a smokescreen, definitely serving as a cover for the Puppet Wizard¡¯s real intentions. But then again, issuing an Emergency Summon Order was not without significant cost, and if it led to major losses, the Puppet Wizard would face severe punishment. Judging by the standards of the wizards in the settlement, if anything went wrong with this emergency summon, the Puppet Wizard would surely meet his death. ¡°Just be a bit more cautious, you know the cost of an Emergency Summon Order,¡± Richard replied, ¡°Even if this is just a cover for him, we definitely won¡¯t be cannon fodder. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t get past command.¡± Lawrence sighed upon hearing this, knowing the logic was sound, but still feeling somewhat uneasy about being summoned by such a wizard. After announcing the mission, the Puppet Wizard began to distribute intelligence to the other wizards. It was an extremely detailed three-dimensional tunnel map, with a large settlement at its center. On the map, the Puppet Wizard marked four passages with magic power, and the wizards present were to enter the large settlement through these four passages. In addition, the Puppet Wizard also shared the patrol routes of the bugs, their patrol schedules, the number of bugs in the settlement, and their defensive arrangements. The intelligence was so thorough it was as if the Puppet Wizard had been present when the bugs were planning these specifics. With such intelligence, any wizard present, if not a fool, could infiltrate the settlement. Looking at the intelligence received, doubts began to surface in Richard¡¯s mind. The intelligence was too detailed, so much so that it seemed unreal. However, upon receiving the intelligence, Lawrence actually breathed a sigh of relief. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?? ¡°Our mission this time is surely to provide cover for Declan, but that doesn¡¯t matter; with this intelligence, we can accomplish our task.¡± Richard looked at Lawrence with surprise. What did he mean by that? Had his heart finally given out? ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Lawrence laughed, ¡°I know this intelligence is too detailed, but I¡¯ve seen Declan¡¯s Puppet Witchcraft firsthand. He can easily control those Physique Evolved natives, so detailed intelligence like this suggests his Puppets may have infiltrated the bug¡¯s decision-making layer.¡± Richard¡¯s doubts lessened upon hearing this, but a thread of unease still lingered. He quietly sent a Spiritual Message to Ali: ¡°Ali, be careful on this mission. Stay back if you can, and escape quickly if something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± Among the three, Lawrence was crafty with experience and proficient in Shadow Magic, Richard had Ulysses, but only Ali was somewhat lacking when it came to escaping. As a turret wizard, her stage should be on the frontlines. Ali received the message and gave him a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯m not new to the battlefield, don¡¯t worry.¡± After the sharing of intelligence was complete, specific action plans were laid out. The Puppet Wizard selected the Second Ring Wizards among them and formed a small team to lead the rescue effort. The remaining One Ring Wizards, under his arrangement, were mainly responsible for providing support, harassing the enemy, and confusing the enemy¡¯s line of sight. ¡­ Departing from the settlement, the wizards naturally divided into four groups, heading towards the Mother Goddess Temple where the priest resided through four different tunnels. Richard and his two companions took the same tunnel, and amazingly, the Puppet Wizard¡¯s intelligence was incredibly precise, allowing them to perfectly avoid all bug patrols. These patrol teams, on a fixed schedule within the Insect Nest, would be immediately noticed by the bug command center if they vanished in battle, which could lead them to infer the infiltrating wizards. Without the precise intelligence of the Puppet Wizard, most of them would have been discovered on the outer periphery of the Mother Goddess Temple¡¯s defense circle. Following the markers from the Puppet Wizard, Richard and his party soon arrived at the designated location¡ªan abandoned and filled Earth Cave. The location of this Earth Cave was very clever; there was one path that connected directly to the large Earth Cave where the Mother Goddess Temple was situated, and because it was abandoned and filled in, there were no patrolling bugs assigned to it. How the Puppet Wizard had come to discover such a concealed place was anyone¡¯s guess. Upon arrival, the wizards displayed their Divine Skills and cleared out the Earth Cave in a matter of minutes, all the while maintaining a disguise that ensured the bugs on the outside would never know the Earth Cave was concealing a group of Wizard Monsters. Peering through the cracks between the fungi in the tunnel, Richard silently observed the large insect city. In the past, Richard always prioritized attacking smaller settlements for safety, as these settlements did not contain much of value but also had comparably weaker garrisons, which were friendly to the strength of a One Ring Wizard like Richard. These small settlements were like human villages¡ªsparse populations, rudimentary buildings, and they seemed very backward. The medium-sized settlements were better. Richard had once infiltrated one such medium-sized settlement, which resembled a county town where the bugs did not just live in rooms hollowed out from giant fungi but in various buildings made of sandstone and fungi, inhabited by Priest Insects or Warrior Worms. Richard had seen a few of these medium-sized settlements on his bug-killing ventures, but those he saw were all dead, vastly different from when they were alive. Now, however, Richard was witnessing a completely different scene. If one were to make a comparison, while the medium-sized settlements were like county towns, the large settlement in front of him was like a bustling city like the Magic Capital. Structures as large as small hills, resembling Mayan Pyramids, stood at the center of the settlement, with the Temple at the top glistening with gold. At its feet, the tall buildings of various colors were neatly divided into four areas. Between them, four broad avenues stretch from the tunnel entrance directly to the Pyramid. An uninterrupted stream of Transport Worms carried food from each settlement, tirelessly transporting it into the Pyramid to provide nourishment for the Mother Worm. Above ground, Richard had once seen squads of Mother Worm Guards patrolling the city. In the skies, the Moth Army, capable of bringing down War Airships, continuously circled, not allowing any suspicious creature to enter the settlements. Faced with such a tightly defended city, Richard swallowed hard. If something went wrong, all the Wizards here would likely be trapped inside. However, Richard soon noticed something amiss. Most of the patrolling insects were First Level, with hardly any Second Level insects to be seen. Richard relayed this information to Lawrence, and the seasoned Wizard pondered for a moment before reaching a conclusion. ¡°They are probably amassing strength for a counterattack.¡± As a veteran of three Plane Wars, Lawrence had his own instincts about the situation on the battlefield. In past wars, whenever the command decided to have a major showdown with the natives, they would either ask the Black Wizards to hibernate or withdraw. And if the natives were preparing for a grand battle, the defensive forces in their cities would often be weakened. Lawrence¡¯s conclusion sent a shock through Richard¡¯s heart. It had only been a few years, and the insects were already planning a counterattack. According to the norms of Plane Wars, conquering a minor Plane usually took about sixty years, with the decisive battle occurring around the forty-year mark. The remaining twenty years were generally for mopping up, a privilege time for the Wizards. But right now, they had been at war for only eight years. By conventional standards, this should have been garbage time. Meaning that both sides would only engage in small-scale battles, with the Wizards solidifying their foothold and developing resources in this New World, while the natives worked on internal disputes and developed their war potential. ¡°The situation is likely a result of the insects¡¯ societal structure,¡± Ali suddenly interjected between the two men. ¡°Oh?¡± Lawrence expressed some surprise, as Ali didn¡¯t seem like the kind of Wizard to study native societies. ¡°It¡¯s what my teacher told me,¡± Ali communicated using a Spiritual Message, ¡°She said the Black Crystal Worm Clan is completely different from any native Race she¡¯s encountered before. Those native Races often have significant internal strife and even under the World Master¡¯s leadership, they suffer from a lot of infighting. Sometimes, natives would even use the Wizards¡¯ hand to eliminate their own enemies. The resolution of these conflicts often requires decades, plus the external pressure from Wizards, so the decisive battles tend to occur around the forty-year mark. But the Black Crystal Worm Clan is different. Though they have thirty-six Insect Countries that go to war against each other to fight over Insect Nest territories, their mode of reproduction through the Mother Worm laying eggs means these insects bear no deep-seated grudges against each other. So once the Mother Worm God, as the World Master, issues even a slight summons, these insects can quickly unite, rapidly formulate strategies, and develop their war potential. This could also place their decisive battle earlier than previous Plane Wars and make it much more dangerous.¡± After hearing Ali¡¯s message, Richard couldn¡¯t help but remark privately that having connections really pays off. ¡°It looks like our mission here will be ending soon. Then it¡¯ll be a choice between retreat and hibernation,¡± Richard stated. But after hearing the news, Lawrence sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t bother thinking about hibernating. We¡¯ll definitely retreat. Since the war is dangerous, the command won¡¯t want to waste any strength.¡± After spending some time in the Earth Cave, a leading Second Ring Wizard suddenly took out a Crystal Ball. The orders of a Puppet Wizard came from the Crystal Ball: ¡°All personnel are accounted for, begin infiltration.¡± Seeing the Sound Transmission Crystal Ball, Richard seemed to remember something, suddenly taking out two Black Crystals from his Magic Pocket and handing them to Ali and Lawrence. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ali asked, puzzled. The more knowledgeable Lawrence frowned, ¡°The Magic Fluctuation from the Communication Crystal Ball is too strong; it¡¯s not suitable for use here.¡± Richard smiled slightly and took out an identical Crystal Ball and spoke: ¡°How¡¯s the Magic Fluctuation?¡± The next instant, the voices of Richard came through the Crystal Balls held by Lawrence and Ali, and the Magic Fluctuation was almost zero. ¡°This¡­ where did you get such a great item!¡± Lawrence exclaimed in astonishment, immediately bombarding with a series of questions, ¡°What¡¯s the maximum distance it can cover, is the Magic Fluctuation this minimal at every range? How strong is the information transmission? How thick does a lead box have to be to block it¡­¡± Richard gestured with his hand, signaling him to stop. ¡°This is a little gadget my senior sister made. The communication range is about two kilometers, and the Magic Fluctuation increases slightly at the limit of range. The transmission strength can manage information transfer on low-intensity battlefields; high-intensity battlefields can disrupt the transfer due to energy fluctuation.¡± Even so, Lawrence still gave a thumbs up. ¡°Good stuff.¡± The two of them secured their Crystal Balls, and the three joined the main force in infiltrating toward the Mother Goddess Temple. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: Chapter 50 Mother Goddess Temple Chapter 150: Chapter 50 Mother Goddess Temple The city¡¯s defenses were tight, but for a Wizard, there were still plenty of opportunities for infiltration. At the edge of the city, the fungal tree houses where the insect creatures resided provided Richard with a good opportunity. With the help of Shadow Shuttling and Shadow Infiltration, Richard had easily avoided the flying Moth Army patrols and entered the city. Lawrence, relying on Shadow Magic, covered Ali as they infiltrated the city together. But this was just the first step. Richard gave Lawrence and Ali a gesture, and the three of them swiftly navigated through the giant fungi, quickly entering the building area. The bugs living in this area were all older bugs that had contributed much to the Insect Nest and had a wealth of experience in their respective roles. The Insect Country gathered them here to consult on strategic decisions. However, it seemed that because the Insect Country was close to the front line, Richard did not see any old bugs except Warrior Worms. ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± Richard murmured as he watched the Warrior Worms moving between the buildings, feeling an indescribable sense of strangeness. Although this place was near the front line, it was not the main direction of attack, and it seemed unnecessary for the bugs to transfer all the Auxiliary Insects to the rear. Richard signaled the others to be cautious before entering the building area and moving toward the Pyramid. In the shadows of the sandstone buildings, Richard quietly watched as a squad of Mother Worm Guards passed right in front of him. For Level 1 Creatures, Shadow Infiltration was a hidden technique that simply couldn¡¯t be detected. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??¦Ï.?¦Ï Across from him, Lawrence completely blended into the shadows, and Ali evaded the search using invisibility camouflage and Breath Concealment. As much as he was tempted by the squad of Mother Worm Guards, Richard knew that now was not the time to strike. Their goal was to create a diversion around the Mother Goddess Temple, near the Pyramid, and acting now would only sabotage their plans. After evading the patrol team, the trio continued towards the Mother Goddess Temple. At the base of the Mother Goddess Temple, a continuous stream of Transport Worms entered the Temple gates. These Transport Worms, carrying mountainous supplies of food, trod steadily into the Temple. They were transporting food supplies for the Mother Worm, which needed a constant stream of food to produce more bugs. Suddenly, a ball of flames shot out from the supplies, hitting a Priest tending to the food. Boom! The intense flames instantly blasted the Priest into pieces. At the same time, countless shadows emerged from the residential area; spells flew in unison, catching the bug unit guarding the Mother Goddess Temple off guard, with nearly half of the outer defense force being wiped out in an instant. ¡°Enemy attack! Wizard monsters are attacking, protect the Mother Goddess Temple!¡± A Warrior Worm clad in silver metal Armor let out a sharp boom before its wings spread, and in an instant, it appeared beside a Wizard. In a flash, two cold glints passed by, and the Wizard didn¡¯t even have time to react before being chopped into a pulp. The gap between Level 1 Creatures and Second-level Creatures was too vast; ordinary Wizards couldn¡¯t manage to defeat higher-level monsters. But as fierce as the silver-armored insect was, it was still just a bug. When a few Black Wizards saw it, they instantly focused their spells on it; Thunder, Flames, Aurora¡­ it took them almost no time to destroy half the insect¡¯s body. The silver-armored bug let out a sharp cry as its flesh surged, quickly growing two more limbs. It looked at the Black Wizards, its pitch-black eyes flickering with a hint of bloodlust. ¡°Wizards! Die!¡± The next moment, the silver-armored bug flapped its wings and charged into the midst of the Wizards; in an instant, cold flashes shimmered, and even with just one Blade Arm, it managed to shred two Wizards to pieces in the blink of an eye. But its bravery didn¡¯t last even a second, as a shadow cloaked in black flames whooshed by, instantly taking its head. ¡°Caw, the head of a Second-level Creature sure is delicious!¡± Ulysses flew into the Mother Goddess Temple and then landed on a black-robed Wizard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Caw, this is the old bug¡¯s Temple, and you mutts dare to barge in so brazenly?¡± Ulysses looked around in surprise. He had just been released from Richard¡¯s sack and had not yet realized he was inside the Mother Worm God¡¯s Temple. ¡°Just a rescue mission,¡± Richard said indifferently. According to plan, their role as One Ring Wizards was to draw fire away from those infiltrating deeper into the Mother Goddess Temple, to disperse the bug forces as much as possible while also confusing their sight. ¡°Caw, Richard, want to make a big score?¡± Ulysses¡¯s eyes flashed with a glint, suddenly asking Richard. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Richard frowned. ¡°Caw, I sensed a taste of the Power of Faith inside the Temple. If you get a bit of it over here, even if the old bug¡¯s incarnate shows up, I could shield you!¡± Ulysses stated, somewhat arrogantly. ¡°Hmm? Doesn¡¯t refining the Power of Faith worsen your injuries?¡± Richard looked at Ulysses with suspicion. This black bird was known to never stir without profit and always had its own ulterior motives. He wondered why Ulysses would be so eager to participate in such a self-serving endeavor. ¡°Gah, isn¡¯t this to your benefit as well?¡± Ulysses cackled strangely, ¡°Your furnace can even produce laws, so refining a bit of the Power of Faith should be a breeze. With some pure Power of Faith, you¡¯ll have your own safety net, and I can employ some divine-era tactics. It¡¯s a win-win!¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Richard felt that Ulysses made sense. ¡°You lead the way. We don¡¯t have much time, we must find the Power of Faith before the rescue is complete.¡± ¡°Gah, guaranteed to have plenty of time!¡± ¡­ Deep within the temple, a group of black-robed wizards hurried through the tunnels toward a specific target. They were the main force of this operation¡ªthe Second Ring Black Wizards. Guided by a puppet wizard, they dashed through the temple, making a beeline for the dungeon where wizards were held captive. The temple¡¯s environment was intricate and complex; many pathways hidden in places that defied common wizardly knowledge. As the wizard squadron turned a corner, a group of golden Mother Worm Guards emerged from somewhere and took flight toward them. Boom! A wizard waved his hand and unleashed a stream of flame, the dark red fire instantly incinerating the obstacles in their path. The narrow confines of the passage were perfect for such spells. But before the flames dissipated, a Mother Worm Guard, its carapace now a reddish-gold color, burst through and brandished blade arms that dazzled with golden light. This was a Second-level Mother Worm Guard! Snap! The Magic Barrier shattered, and the wizard who had cast the flame stream was instantly bisected by the golden light. However, before it could strike again, the air was filled with the sound of scraping metal, and a metallic giant serpent emerged from beneath a wizard¡¯s robe, quickly entwining the insect and projecting rune-etched metal spikes from its body. With a contraction, the serpent instantly strangled the Mother Worm Guard dead. After the kill, the metallic serpent took the insect¡¯s corpse back under the wizard¡¯s robe. That wizard then calmly asked the puppet wizard: ¡°Declan, why didn¡¯t you save him?¡± Upon hearing this, the puppet wizard glanced at the wizard and a powerful Magic Fluctuation welled up from within. ¡°I don¡¯t need to explain anything to you. A wizard killed in plain sight by a native deserves death!¡± The other wizards remained silent upon hearing this. Black Wizards always respected strength above all, and given the puppet wizard¡¯s overbearing power, no one objected. But several wizards who were familiar with Declan started to harbor suspicions. ¡°Is this really Declan himself?¡± Rumble, rumble, rumble¡­ Deep within the temple, a stone door slowly opened, and a Golden Armored Warrior insect strode out, then knelt down beside a black-robed wizard. ¡°My lord, the deed is done. The High Priest has been poisoned, and the other Priests have been lured away by your subordinates. Now, the Treasure Room is unguarded except for me.¡± The black-robed wizard reached out, gently touching the head of the Golden Armored Warrior Insect. At a glance, the hand seemed no different from a normal human¡¯s, but a closer look revealed a slight gap at the joints, showing spherical articulations within. ¡°Number One, you¡¯ve done very well,¡± said the puppet wizard, pleased with his puppet. Crafting this Third-level Golden Armored Warrior Insect into a puppet had cost him plenty of treasures. But now, it all seemed worthwhile. The puppet wizard passed through the stone doorway to find a great hall behind it, with a massive divine statue of a Black Crystal Insect at the far end. In front of the statue stood four golden pedestals made of pure gold, a material befitting the treasure they held. Each pedestal bore one of Mother Worm God¡¯s relics. ¡°Hehehe, relics of the Mother Worm God, not just one but four. Even the Great Wizard would be green with envy,¡± the puppet wizard chuckled as he entered the hall and approached the pedestal. The four relics of the Mother Worm God were: a golden insect carapace¡ªInsect God Armor, golden blade arms¡ªInsect God¡¯s Blade, a fist-sized piece of golden amber¡ªInsect God¡¯s Blood, and the golden egg, which had kept the puppet wizard¡¯s gaze since entering the hall¡ªInsect God¡¯s Egg. Some of these relics were owned by Black Mushroom Worm Country, and others had been brought from other conquered Insect Countries. Such treasures were rare even within the Insect Nest World; an Insect Country at most had two or three. The puppet wizard gazed greedily at the Insect God¡¯s Egg, said to be an attempt the Mother Worm God made before breeding the Mother Worm¡ªan object crafted in a one-to-one imitation of herself. It contained the Mother Worm God¡¯s Original Essence Blood and her rules, especially the rules! Reportedly, this relic could enable the Mother Worm to produce more eggs. Pressed for time, the puppet wizard did not linger, and he reached out to take the Insect God¡¯s Egg from the pedestal. But the moment his fingers touched the egg, a beam of starlight burst forth from the egg and struck the puppet wizard squarely. ¡°Starlight Seal!¡± The puppet wizard¡¯s face contorted in horror as magic surged in an attempt to break free from the seal. The next instant, a Starlight Net erupted around him, entangling the puppet wizard in its center. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Chapter 51: Trap Chapter 151: Chapter 51: Trap ¡°Wizard Monster, bet you didn¡¯t see this coming.¡± A Priest Worm, dressed in white silk, emerged from behind the Divine Statue, its feelers perking up in a display of supreme delight. ¡°How does it feel to be outwitted by the natives you so looked down upon?¡± The Priest Worm moved to the side of the Puppet Wizard, operating the Starlight Net, which continually tightened. The Puppet Wizard suddenly looked towards its puppet, only to discover its puppet was also sealed by the Starlight Seal. ¡°How odd is it? How did I discover this worm became your puppet?¡± The Priest Worm walked over to the Golden Armored Warrior Insect, gently plucking the Black Crystal out of it with its upper limbs. With each extraction of the Black Crystal, the Warrior Worm screamed miserably, waving its feelers through the air like whips, creating gusts of wind. But when the Black Crystal was completely removed, a ray of light suddenly burst from within its body, which the Priest Worm swiftly caught and crushed. The Warrior Worm then became unexpectedly calm. From its mouthpiece came a series of low hums: ¡°Thank you¡­ High Priest.¡± It then bowed its head. The High Priest held the Black Crystal in his palm, kneeling and praying: ¡°Poor child, I shall return you to the embrace of the Mother Worm God. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã? Praise the Mother Worm God!¡± The Black Crystal turned into a stream of light that vanished into the Void, and the High Priest stood up, approaching the Puppet Wizard. At this moment, the Starlight Net was fiercely clashing with the Puppet Wizard¡¯s Magic Barrier. The Magic Barrier was so constricted by the Starlight Net that it was on the brink of shattering. A starlight beam shot from the High Priest¡¯s brow, entering the Starlight Net, which dramatically intensified its constricting force and instantly shattered the Magic Barrier. ¡°Wizard Monster, accept your judgment.¡± ¡­ Inside the Mother Goddess Temple, Richard followed Ulysses through the winding corridors, pressing on without pause. On the walls of the passage, the worms drew murals with mineral pigments, mostly celebrating the Mother Worm God¡¯s great deeds. To a historian of native societies in the Wizard World, stumbling upon such artwork would have been a delight worth excavating the walls for. Unfortunately, Richard had no interest in the subject, briskly passing them by. The rescue mission was a race against minutes. If they didn¡¯t hurry, they might not make it back with the withdrawing wizards and could end up surrounded and overwhelmed by the worms. Ulysses took a turn, leading into a path that inclined upward. Worms being naturally winged, these ramp-like pathways were commonplace in the Mother Goddess Temple. ¡°Ulysses, how much further?¡± Richard mentally counted the time; he and Ulysses had been inside the Temple for almost three minutes. If they didn¡¯t find what they were seeking soon, they would have to turn back. The rescue operation wouldn¡¯t linger more than ten minutes. Beyond that, the worms¡¯ reinforcements would overpower the wizards. If they did not successfully rescue the target, they too would be ensnared. ¡°Ga, just ahead, almost there.¡± Ulysses disappeared up the incline, and Richard quickly followed into a wide avenue. Ulysses was now at the end of the avenue, claws holding two golden skulls, with the bodies of two beheaded Mother Worm Guards still in their last stances beside him. Ulysses had killed the two Mother Worm Guards in an instant. Richard caught up quickly, stowing the bodies of the Mother Worm Guards into his bag. At the end of the path was a stone chamber, its door melted by Ulysses¡¯ flames. This seemed to be a quiet room, sparsely furnished save for a silken mat, and most notably, a Mother Worm Divine Statue the size of a human head, gleaming with gold. ¡°This is where you said there¡¯s a lot of Power of Faith hidden?¡± Richard asked, puzzled. Ulysses was also taken aback: ¡°Ga, this is the closet one, but it¡¯s indeed different than what I expected.¡± He looked at the Divine Statue and covered its eyes with two globs of dirty blood. As a Divine entity, he knew the methods of his peers; Divinities could observe the world through statues, a fundamental technique even a native deity would surely employ. ¡°Ga, the Power of Faith should all be in this Divine Statue.¡± Richard moved to pick up the statue, but with a loud clang, it dropped to the floor as Richard¡¯s hand shook. He stared incredulously at the Divine Statue, then at his own hand. With his current Physique, even if the statue weighed a thousand catties, he shouldn¡¯t have had trouble holding it. Suddenly, Richard seemed to realize something. He touched the statue, and instantly, information appeared before his eyes. [Ingredient: Pure Gold Divine Statue] [Extractable Substance: Power of Faith] [Extraction Cost: 300 Spiritual Power] ¡°Just as I thought!¡± Richard exclaimed joyfully. His Magic Power then surged, instantly activating his Bloodline, which with its enhancement, allowed him to easily lift the statue. ¡°The entire statue is made of Pure Gold!¡± Such a massive piece of Pure Gold, if sold in the Wizard World, would be worth a fortune beyond measure! ¡°Ga, that furnace of yours, can it extract it?¡± Ulysses urgently inquired through a Spiritual Message. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s going to take some effort. If this statue is melted down, will it affect the Power of Faith inside?¡± Richard slipped the Divine Statue into his Magic Pocket. The spiritual energy required to extract the Power of Faith all at once from the statue was too much; he¡¯d need to refine it in parts. ¡°Ga, melting will, but Cutting won¡¯t.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Then that¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he said, and immediately left the stone chamber, ready to leave the quiet room and head to the outskirts of the Mother Goddess Temple to prepare for retreat. But just as he was about to leave, there came a ¡°boom¡± as an intense magic fluctuation pierced through the walls, shaking the thick and sturdy walls of the Mother Goddess Temple enough to crack them slightly. ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard was startled, such violent magic fluctuations were not something ordinary wizards could produce. He peered through the crevice to the other side of the wall and saw a familiar figure struggling within a web of starlight. All sorts of shaping witchcraft bombarded the Starlight Net like rain, causing it to quiver incessantly. But to anyone with clear eyesight, it was evident that although the Starlight Net was constantly shaking, it showed no signs of breaking. Instead, the energy fluctuations of the wizard who was casting the spell were rapidly diminishing. ¡°Puppet Wizard, what¡¯s he doing here? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be rescuing wizards?¡± Richard watched the wizard struggling within the Starlight Net with some confusion. But then it dawned on him. This must be what the Puppet Wizard truly intended to do. Looking through the crevice to the other side, he saw four glistening stands, and on those stands were objects that made Richard¡¯s heart pound. ¡°Is that¡­ the Insect God¡¯s Blood? All of those are relics left by the Mother Worm God!¡± Seeing relics from the Mother Worm God on all four stands, Richard swallowed hard. This Puppet Wizard was goddamn greedy! Those four relics from the Mother Worm God, no wonder he¡¯s now trapped! Ulysses suddenly spoke up at that moment: ¡°Ga, your kin has probably been calculated. None of those four things are real; they are all fakes made from the Power of Faith.¡± ¡°Uh? They¡¯re all fake?¡± Richard was shaken by these words, a bad feeling instantly overwhelming his heart. ¡°Ga, those things might deceive you, but they can¡¯t fool me,¡± Ulysses said with some disdain, ¡°But that stuff is crudely made, I can¡¯t tell if these bugs are just unskilled, or if they rushed to make these few things.¡± Ulysses¡¯ words struck like thunder, shattering Richard¡¯s thoughts into chaos. Combining the dire situation of the Puppet Wizard with these items probably hastily made by the insects, it seemed likely that they, the wizards, had fallen into the insects¡¯ trap. The insects had turned the tables on the wizards by exploiting the Puppet Wizard¡¯s vanity! With this thought, Richard didn¡¯t care if his idea was correct or not. He immediately took out the Communication Crystal Ball from his Magic Pocket. ¡°Ali, Lawrence, this is a trap, retreat immediately!¡± ¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t bother struggling, Wizard Monster.¡± The High Priest stood outside the Starlight Net, continually infusing it with the power of the stars. The strength of the Wizard Monster before him was beyond his expectations; even after being outmaneuvered, it could still release such immense power. He had tried to seal it with the Starlight Net in one fell swoop, but then witnessed the figure¡¯s body suddenly explode with a violent Magic Wave that nearly burst through the Starlight Net. Had it managed to burst through, it would have caused significant loss to his plan. But ultimately, the Wizard Monster fell just short; it never did manage to break through the confines of the Starlight Net. Now the Puppet Wizard¡¯s struggle was nothing more than the final thrashing of a trapped beast. Watching the Puppet Wizard¡¯s continuous struggle, the High Priest felt a rare sense of pleasure. Since the beginning of the war, the Black Crystal Worm Clan had never gained an advantage on the frontal battlefield, with Insect Countries falling one after another. And behind the lines, these infiltrating Wizard Monsters continuously wreaked havoc, with nearly every Insect Country suffering varying degrees of damage. And in his own Black Mushroom Worm Country, a large incubation pool had been attacked by these Wizard Monsters. This left him, the High Priest, restless, spending his days handling affairs and the rest holed up in the quiet room, praying and meditating before the Divine Statue. Now he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Just the day before, while eating his regular meal, he suddenly sensed something wrong with his food. The blessing from the Mother Worm God had enhanced his senses, greatly improving his vision, hearing, smelling, and even touch. This had always been a secret. His sense of smell told him that something other than the Sacrificial Fungus had been mixed into this plate before him. Despite the substance being almost odorless, his refined senses had detected it. After examination, he discovered that the plate of Sacrificial Fungus meant for him had been laced with deadly poison, a toxin so terrifying that even if he ingested it, it would take a long time to detoxify. He would be severely weakened during detoxification, nearly equivalent to a Two Stars Priest. Following the trail of the Sacrificial Fungus, he tracked down the Puppet Worm among them. And through calculating the timing of the toxin¡¯s effects, he astutely deduced that the Wizard Monsters would soon strike at the Mother Goddess Temple and made arrangements swiftly. He intended to capture all the invading wizards in one fell swoop. ¡°Ah!¡± The High Priest suddenly let out a cry, ¡°If only you had acted a little later, if only my plans had been fully in place.¡± There was a slight miscalculation in the timing of the poison¡¯s effects. The wizards¡¯ action came before his plans were airtight. If the wizards realized this, many might escape. ¡°Hmm?¡± The High Priest turned his head suddenly towards a crack in the wall of the great hall, a faint energy fluctuation had just brushed his senses. That was not the energy used by the Black Crystal Insects! ¡°Who is there!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Chapter 52: Breakthrough Chapter 152: Chapter 52: Breakthrough The High Priest¡¯s gaze met Richard¡¯s through the cracks in the wall, and an indescribable spiritual pressure bore down on his heart along their line of sight. In an instant, Richard¡¯s heart felt like it skipped a beat. Ulysses suddenly shoved Richard aside, not giving him time to react before a streak of starlight punctured the wall and whisked past his scalp. Had Ulysses been even a split second slower, that starlight would have pierced Richard¡¯s skull. ¡°Gah, that bug found you!¡± The High Priest noticed his attack hadn¡¯t succeeded and was slightly surprised, ¡°He actually dodged it.¡± But then, a spiritual message transmitted from the black crystal on his forehead: ¡°Inhardt, go to the quiet room where I usually pray and seize a Wizard Monster.¡± ¡­ ¡°This bug¡¯s senses are really sharp.¡± Richard followed Ulysses as they flew swiftly through the corridor, rapidly advancing towards the Mother Goddess Temple. Although unsure whether it was a trap, running now was undoubtedly the right choice. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?? Descending along the sloped passage, Richard and his companion ran headlong into a squad of Mother Worm Guards. ¡°Damn!¡± Richard cursed, his Magic Wand ready to unleash the Heart of Annihilation when he saw Ulysses¡¯s body blaze with black flames, his wings flapping as he zipped through the guards like a streak of black lightning. ¡°Gah, done!¡± Ulysses called back. The next moment, with a series of four muffled ¡°thumps,¡± the squad of Mother Worm Guards Richard ran into all fell, their forehead black crystals shattered, though when or how it happened was a mystery. ¡°So fast, so powerful!¡± Richard was immensely shocked in his heart. Was this the Second Level strength Ulysses possessed in his normal state? ¡°Gah, don¡¯t just stand there dumbfounded. If that bug finishes off your kin, we¡¯re likely going to end up staying here. He can definitely summon the incarnation of that old bug!¡± Richard, hearing this, swiftly crossed over the corpses of the Mother Worm Guards, pocketing them as well. Despite currently possessing a chunk of Pure Gold the size of a human¡¯s head, any bug was still valuable, nobody could ever have too much Pure Gold. If possible, Richard even wanted to forge a full suit of armor out of pure Pure Gold. Crossing the corridor, Richard suddenly saw Ulysses, who was leading the way, turn sharply and behind him, a familiar figure rushed towards him. ¡°Shit, how did we run into this damn thing again!¡± The newcomer was none other than Inhardt, the Divine Chosen of the Mother Worm God who had forced Richard into the Source Sea Abyss last time. Upon seeing the man and bird, Inhardt¡¯s heart surged with elation, his wings unfurled behind him, and his speed instantly soared! Inhardt rejoiced in his heart: ¡°Heaven¡¯s path is neglected by you, yet you dive into the gates of Hell.¡± Today, with time and place in his favor, Inhardt was resolved to sacrifice this man and bird to the Mother Worm God! Bang! Before he could rush forward, a chain of black flame suddenly bound him tight in place. Ulysses¡¯s mouth dropped a spark, his repertoire of moves had grown since reaching Second Level in his normal state, and he could use some small tricks without aggravating his soul¡¯s injury. Although he was wary of the Divine Chosen before him, he now had quite a few counter-measures. Ulysses flew past Richard and into a side passage: ¡°Gah, this way!¡± ¡­ Outside the Mother Goddess Temple, Lawrence and Ali, upon receiving Richard¡¯s message, immediately withdrew. ¡°It seems Richard has found something,¡± said Lawrence, holding the Communication Crystal Ball, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield. He too sensed something was amiss. The insects¡¯ defenses seemed too weak. They, the One Ring Wizards, were managing to hold their own around the Mother Goddess Temple, even having the upper hand over the Insect Race momentarily. This was highly unusual. As one of the Insect Country¡¯s most important sacred sites, the Temple¡¯s defensive forces couldn¡¯t merely be this. ¡°Ali, let¡¯s go.¡± Lawrence decided on the spot. As an experienced Wizard, his sharp war instincts told him Richard¡¯s warning was not to be ignored. ¡°Aren¡¯t we waiting for Richard?¡± asked Ali hesitantly. ¡°No waiting, we must leave now!¡± Lawrence¡¯s tone was very firm, ¡°Richard is strong, and he has many methods at his disposal. Following him would only slow him down!¡± Lawrence still remembered the crow that could shield itself from the blue mold species. He did not know exactly what that blue mold was, but judging by the reaction from Mushroom Land, it was no trifle. A crow that could shield itself from that entity was not to be underestimated. He even suspected that the crow might be one of the third-level creatures! Ali looked deeply into the depths of the Mother Goddess Temple, knowing Lawrence was right. She couldn¡¯t be of much help to Richard. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡­ On the outskirts of the settlement where the Mother Goddess Temple was located, teams of insects were busily setting up various objects, and if a Wizard were present, they would immediately realize that the insects were setting up Mother Goddess Cannons capable of bringing down War Airships. However, in comparison to the Mother Goddess Cannons used on the battlefield, the versions being arranged were quite small and looked rather miniature. ¡°My lord, the small Mother Goddess Cannons have been deployed!¡± a Warrior Worm reported to a silver-armored Warrior Worm. Not far from him, a mass of flesh under the control of a Priest Worm grew a black chitinous shell. Even though the Black Crystal Worm Clan had been retreating steadily on the front lines, they had genuinely learned a lot and had developed much war potential. These small Mother Goddess Cannons were special weapons developed by an Insect Country specifically for attacking and defending insect nests. In the past, no insect had thought to miniaturize the Mother Goddess Cannon, but after this, the days of insects wrestling and killing each other in the tunnels would likely be no more. ¡°Very well, now we wait,¡± the silver-armored Warrior Worm said, lifting a feeler and looking towards the unknown darkness deep within the tunnel. A half-hour ago, he had received an urgent order from the High Priest to bring the small Mother Goddess Cannons into the tunnels to prepare for the combat against Wizard Monsters emerging from the Mother Goddess Temple. To be honest, when he heard the news, he even thought the High Priest was joking. Their defenses were so tight; how could Wizard Monsters infiltrate the Mother Goddess Temple? Even if Wizards did manage to sneak in, two of them wouldn¡¯t be anything to worry about, let alone requiring the use of the heavy-hitting small Mother Goddess Cannons. After confirming that the High Priest wasn¡¯t joking, he had no choice but to follow the orders. Warriors must obey the commands of the Priests, especially during times of war. The silver-armored Warrior Worm approached the only Priest Worm in their squad. ¡°Priest, why would the High Priest issue such a strange order?¡± The Priest Worm looked at the Warrior Worm and made a hissing sound with its mouthparts. ¡°Sigh, how would I know? But the High Priest¡¯s wisdom definitely surpasses ours; we just need to follow it.¡± After speaking, the Priest Worm glanced around and then whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that we¡¯ve been infiltrated by Wizard spies, and our patrol routes have been leaked.¡± ¡°What!¡± The silver-armored Warrior Worm¡¯s feelers shot up, moving so fast they even produced a whooshing sound. ¡°How could a Black Crystal Worm turn into a spy for Wizards!¡± The Priest Worm slapped him: ¡°You idiot, keep it down!¡± Realizing his mistake, the silver-armored Warrior Worm dipped his head slightly towards the Priest Worm. ¡°It¡¯s inconceivable; I can¡¯t imagine an offspring of the Mother Worm becoming a spy for Wizard Monsters.¡± The Priest Worm hissed again and whispered reassuringly, ¡°They must be under duress. Those Wizard Monsters have many evil methods, some of which might include forcing servitude. Perhaps some insects become slaves to the Wizard Monsters to survive, but I believe none would willingly serve Wizards.¡± ¡­ Outside the Mother Goddess Temple, as Ellie Lawrence and another left, some experienced Wizards also sensed something was amiss. The insects¡¯ counterattack was too feeble. With a loud boom, dozens of Second Ring Wizards burst through the walls of the Mother Goddess Temple, leaving behind them a straight passage that led deep into the temple. This group of people had actually blazed a new trail right through the Mother Goddess Temple! ¡°All Wizards, be alert, this is an Insect trap! Prepare to break out!¡± A Second Ring Wizard, wrapped in thin threads of thunder, shouted to the Wizards on the ground. Just now, with the leadership of a Doll Wizard, they had successfully reached the dungeon where Wizards were imprisoned. But as soon as they arrived, the Doll Wizard leading them suddenly collapsed on the ground, lifeless as a puppet without strings. At the same time, the so-called prison cells exposed their true nature, as four pre-prepared Mother Goddess Cannons roared to life, hurling Acid Liquid Balls charged with energy arcs, instantly dissolving more than a dozen unfortunate Wizards. Only then did they realize they had fallen into an Insect trap. Fortunately, the insects¡¯ setup was not very complete, and the High Priest, who should have been a significant combat force, was held back by the struggling Doll Wizards, allowing them to escape the trap and rush out of the Mother Goddess Temple. At that moment, Richard had just arrived on the outskirts of the Mother Goddess Temple, scanning the battlefield and sighing with relief when he confirmed the absence of Ellie and Lawrence. It seemed they had already escaped ahead of time. In the sky, dozens of surviving Second Ring Wizards, after notifying the One Ring Wizards on the ground, split into four groups to break out in different directions. Witnessing this, the One Ring Wizards on the ground also chose their paths for a breakout. Richard and Ulysses blended in, ready to break out with the majority. The situation was extremely complex, and Richard did not know how much preparation the insects had made. He decided to follow the majority for now and assess the situation. Such a large gathering of Wizards, even if they were not White Wizards, was a considerable force. Even if they encountered third-level creatures, with their collective strength, they could still pay a price and fight through. Thunderous booms! The Second Ring Wizard brandished his Magic Wand, and several man-sized purple Thunder Balls flew towards the blocking insects, instantly causing Thunder Snakes to dance wildly, turning dozens of Warrior Worms to charred remains in an instant. Despite the significant casualties inflicted, the Second Ring Wizard felt no elation; instead, a bad feeling arose within him. These insects were all First Level, too weak to serve as a real blockade against them. But the urgency of the battlefield left him no time for further thought, and he and the other Wizards flew towards the tunnel. With hundreds of Wizards following him, such a force was enough to tear through any encirclement. But it was only when they flew into the tunnel that they realized why the insect resistance had been so weak. ¡°Prepare the small Mother Goddess Cannons! Fire!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: Chapter 53: The Pursuit Chapter 153: Chapter 53: The Pursuit Ball-sized spheres, adorned with energy arcs, flew towards the wizards and melted the Second Ring Wizard leading the charge almost instantaneously. The wizards behind quickly erected magic barriers, but without the cooperative spellcasting techniques of the White Wizards, the ordinary One Ring wizards¡¯ magic barriers could not withstand even a single acid ball. The Second Ring Wizards faced multiple Mother Goddess Cannons firing simultaneously, leading to their magic barriers being shattered. ¡°Damn it, that bastard Declan, did his brain get chewed on by a pig? To be outwitted by native bugs!¡± A Second Ring Black Wizard cursed furiously, noting that the bugs were well-prepared, even employing strategic weapons like the Mother Goddess Cannons. It was clear they had long-planned this ambush. Their smooth progress up to now seemed entirely to be a deliberate setup by the bugs. The Puppet Wizard was clearly caught in their trap. Yet, cursing solved nothing. Facing the targeted fire of the Mother Goddess Cannons, the wizards had no choice but to temporarily retreat, withdrawing from the tunnels. ¡°Scatter and break through!¡± After exiting the tunnel, a Second Ring wizard made a decisive call to split up, immediately darting towards a small adjacent tunnel. Although these tunnels were cramped with only enough room for a wizard at a time, their sheer abundance meant the bugs couldn¡¯t install a Mother Goddess Cannon in every single one. With a flash, he appeared at the mouth of a tunnel, but before he could enter, a loud boom shattered his plans. Boom! A thunderous noise erupted from inside the tunnels, causing them to collapse instantaneously. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï Simultaneously, on the periphery of the Mother Goddess Temple Settlement, dozens of small tunnels also erupted with booms. The bugs had sealed all the small tunnels! At the same time, inside the Mother Goddess Temple, the High Priest had completed sealing a Puppet Wizard. Looking at the fist-sized Starlight Cage in his hands, the High Priest gave a cruel smile and swallowed it whole. Then, with a flap of his wings, he instantly appeared in the grand hall at the top of the pyramid. Seeing that the wizards had not yet broken through, the High Priest breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It looks like I haven¡¯t delayed too long.¡± Without pausing, he placed the recently imprisoned Starlight Net in the divine statue¡¯s hands. As he recited a prayer, the statue seemed to shed its seals, and a storm of energy burst forth, threatening to tear the High Priest to shreds. The High Priest snorted coldly, his body suddenly gleaming with a layer of Starlight Armor. The energy storm struck it without causing even a ripple. The site of each Mother Goddess Temple wasn¡¯t chosen randomly; beneath each one lay an Earth Vein Spring Eye, which periodically unleashed energy storms that normally were contained only by the power of faith within the divine statues. From the black crystal on his forehead, the High Priest sent streams of spiritual power guiding the storm, channeling all the energy into the Starlight Net. With such tremendous energy, the relic of the Mother Worm God quickly merged with the ground. An energy web spread rapidly from the temple toward the settlement. His goal was to trap all the wizards within the Earth Cave! ¡­ ¡°Gah, Richard, I have a bad feeling.¡± Standing on Richard¡¯s shoulder, Ulysses suddenly opened his eyes, his divine intuition telling him something had changed in the settlement. ¡°A bad feeling?¡± Ulysses suddenly turned his head towards the temple: ¡°Gah, switch on your energy vision and check if there¡¯s anything unusual about that old bug¡¯s temple.¡± Richard complied immediately, his vision switching to energy vision, his expression instantly turning grim. In his sight, streams of energy were rapidly intertwining, spreading out from the Mother Goddess Temple like a vast net, about to reach their location in seconds. ¡°Gah, what do you see?¡± Ulysses asked anxiously. Due to a soul injury, his perception could only vaguely sense something approaching, but he was unable to discern any specifics. ¡°Run! Something¡¯s spreading out from the Mother Goddess Temple!¡± Richard shouted to the other wizards, and his body immediately flew towards the tunnel. Whatever this vast net was, it wasn¡¯t anything good for the wizards. ¡°Ulysses, take the lead, don¡¯t hold back now, or we¡¯re all done for!¡± Hearing this, Ulysses flew ahead of Richard, his black flames flaring tremendously, drawing the attention of many wizards with its fierce energy wave. ¡°That energy fluctuation¡­ it¡¯s already at Second-level creature; isn¡¯t that guy just a One Ring Wizard?¡± A Second Ring Wizard watching Richard expressed his surprise internally. And seeing Ulysses¡¯s aura, he was definitely no ordinary Second-level creature, perhaps even comparable to a Second Ring Wizard. But now was not the time to ponder other wizards¡¯ secrets. As the wizards saw someone charging ahead and heard Richard¡¯s warning, they immediately followed, ready to burst through. Leading the way, Ulysses trailed a long black tail flame behind him, resembling a black phoenix. Seeing the breakout attempt, the bugs immediately activated the Mother Goddess Cannons, loading them with green masses. A barrage of arc acid liquid balls sped towards Ulysses. ¡°Gah, Richard, let me show you my true power!¡± Ulysses grew substantially in size, resembling a liberated Swallowing Sky Demon Bird, spewing a black firestorm from his mouth that incinerated most of the acid balls in an instant. Of the few that reached him, Ulysses shrunk again, nimbly weaving through the gaps of the colliding acid balls, completely unscathed. The acid balls exploded into a cloud of green acid mist upon collision. Seizing the firing gap created by Ulysses, a dozen Second Ring Wizards fortified with a Magic Barrier charged forward through the acid mist, their Magic Wands instantly blasting out a barrage of Spells. Boom! The Spells exploded on a curtain of light. The Sacrificial Insects set up the Starlight Barrier; after years of war, the Black Crystal Insects had also learned how to counter the Wizards¡¯ Spells. The Warrior Worms stood in front of the small Mother Goddess Cannons, their Blade Arms gleaming coldly, ready to face the incoming Wizard Monsters. Facing the Wizard Monsters, they were all determined to fight to the death. Behind them, the second round of firing from the Mother Goddess Cannons was about to be complete. ¡°Damn it, you guys owe me a favor this time!¡± A Second Ring Wizard saw this scene, hardened his heart, and sent a Spiritual Message to several nearby Second Ring Wizards. Sizzle¡­ A metallic friction sound entered the ears of the Warrior Worms. The next instant, a metallic giant serpent emerged from underneath the robe of the Second Ring Wizard and rushed towards them. The giant serpent¡¯s body was covered in metallic scales, etched with Runes that cleverly formed a Rune Array. With a loud ¡°boom,¡± the metallic giant serpent exploded instantly, its scattered scales shredding the insects¡¯ defenses. Warrior Worms, Starlight Barrier, under the power akin to a Second Ring Wizard self-destruction, were instantly ripped apart. The Wizard who released the metallic giant serpent coughed once, a mouthful of fresh blood falling to the ground. This attack had nearly depleted ninety percent of his power. The other Second Ring Wizards did not let his sacrifice be in vain and instantly took his place. In an instant, Spells flew thick and fast, and insects that came to fill the gap were instantly shredded. Wizards trailing behind each contributed their own power, and a torrent of Spells instantly tore through the insects¡¯ defenses. Richard mixed in with them, moving swiftly forward. Suddenly, he shivered, a strong surge of energy fluttered over everyone¡¯s perception. An enormous net of light rose from the edge of the settlement, instantly enveloping the entire settlement, turning those Wizards who had not broken out into birds in a cage, fish in a net. ¡°That was close, just a few seconds!¡± If not for Richard¡¯s warning, they, like the three batches of Wizards before them, would all have been trapped in the settlement. ¡°Young man, I owe you a favor.¡± A Second Ring Wizard approached Richard and handed him a card, ¡°If you need help, you can find me at 372, Level 7 of the residential area.¡± ¡°I owe you one, too.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± In a moment, Richard received dozens of business cards from Second Ring Wizards and over a hundred from One Ring Wizards. Each of these cards represented a favor; if Richard needed help, these people would not necessarily go all out, but would at least offer their assistance to the best of their ability. With the rise of the Starlight Net, the High Priest in the Mother Goddess Temple stopped guiding, and the entire swarm relaxed. A Priest Insect came up to his side and draped a pure white silk cloak over his shoulders. ¡°Inhardt, did you capture that Wizard Monster?¡± the High Priest asked the Priest Insect beside him. Inhardt, feeling ashamed, bowed his head, ¡°High Priest, I have failed your expectations; the Wizard Monster escaped from my hands once again.¡± ¡°Again?¡± The High Priest noted Inhardt¡¯s choice of words. ¡°High Priest, this Wizard is the same one I pursued into the Source Sea Abyss; he escaped from there and has greatly enhanced his power,¡± Inhardt reported truthfully. Although he hadn¡¯t personally clashed with Richard, the energy fluctuations within Richard and the vitality he exuded were much stronger than when he had last seen him. Moreover, that black bird had also become more formidable. If it weren¡¯t for the distinctive features of this man and bird, he would have thought he recognized the wrong Wizard. ¡°Coming out of the Source Sea Abyss stronger¡­¡± The High Priest pondered for a moment as an ancient legend appeared in his mind. In the history of the Black Crystal Insects, many Priest Insects had explored the origin of the Mother Worm God. Unlike the common Black Crystal Insects¡¯ fanatical beliefs in the Mother Worm God, not all Priest Insects shared this zeal. There was a branch among the Priest Insects that held no belief in the Mother Worm God. These insects had always existed in the history of the Black Crystal Insects, and they had brought many different things to the Black Crystal Insects. For instance¡­ the origin of the Mother Worm God. Some Priest Insects had inferred through unverifiable clues that the Mother Worm God was originally one of the demons of the Source Sea Abyss, who had merely seized a great opportunity to stand out and become a powerful being capable of contending with the World Mushroom. Reflecting on this, the High Priest ordered Inhardt: ¡°Inhardt, take a squad of Mother Worm Guards and capture that Wizard Monster.¡± ¡°Ah? But I might not be able to find him, High Priest.¡± The High Priest suddenly closed his eyes, and a beam of light shot from his Black Crystal into Inhardt¡¯s Black Crystal. ¡°They took away my Divine Statue, and the Power of Faith inside it, though shielded by their small space, can still be sensed by you.¡± ¡°Remember, you must capture him.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Chapter 54 Secret Realm Promotion Completed Chapter 154: Chapter 54 Secret Realm Promotion Completed The encirclement of insects was not merely complex; in the tunnels, a relentless stream of insects advanced toward the Mother Goddess Temple Settlement. Boom! Ulysses unleashed a breath of flames, turning a squad of insects to ashes. After incinerating them, Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, took the Magic Stone that Richard had handed him, and instantly drained the Magic Power from it. Three days had passed since Richard broke out from the Mother Goddess Temple Settlement. After breaching the first encirclement of insects, the team of wizards began to disperse and flee via the complex tunnel system. Over these three days, the team around Richard and Ulysses became increasingly smaller until, half a day ago, they had parted ways with the last two wizards, completely scattering everyone. Under such intense combat, even Ulysses, as strong as he was, had to rely on Magic Stones to replenish his internal energy. ¡°Damn, why can¡¯t these insects be exterminated?¡± Ulysses complained. Richard pulled out a map of the tunnels and located their position. According to the map, they were now further from the Mother Goddess Temple Settlement than the Earth Cave where he had been when he received the Emergency Summon Order. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just coincidence, there¡¯s no pheromone left by the insects on us,¡± Richard casually responded. ¡°Damn, let¡¯s find a place to hide quickly; I¡¯ve had enough this time.¡± Ulysses¡¯ words were tinged with exhaustion¡ªthese past days, he had been handling most of the pursuers. Although his strength had returned to that of a Second-level Creature, his body remained that of a Level 1 Creature, requiring him to be extra careful when using energy, fearful of exhausting himself and attracting the attention of that old insect. This also made him extremely mentally fatigued. After all, he was severely injured and no longer the World Master of before. The feeling of fatigue, once known only to mortals, was once again surging into Ulysses¡¯ heart. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?¦Ï How many years had it been since he last felt fatigued? Ten thousand years? Twenty thousand? Ulysses vaguely remembered the last time he felt this tired was during his demigod era, when the Annihilation Crows were at war with the Red Flame Crows. He had single-handedly fought five demigod Red Flame Crows, and it was from that battle he began his path to divinity. How nostalgic he felt now! Once again, a soft murmuring of insects sounded through the tunnels. Ulysses mustered his energy and continued to fly. He had been running from the depths of the Abyss for almost seventy years now¡ªa duration that would have felt like a nap when he was still divine. But now, it felt much longer. He glanced back at Richard¡­ perhaps falling into this young man¡¯s hands wasn¡¯t entirely bad. Loneliness was what the longevity species feared most, and a life full of passion was a heavenly gift for them. ¡­ Five kilometers from Richard¡¯s position, in an earth cave, Inhardt sat on the ground with his eyes tightly closed and a Black Crystal on his forehead flickering faintly with starlight. Around him, a team of Mother Worm Guards, each with Second-level strength, guarded him on both sides, while a group of Spider Knights and Warrior Worms quietly awaited Inhardt¡¯s command. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and a ray of starlight shot toward Richard¡¯s position. ¡°Go this way, arrange for the insects to scout this defensive line, and slow down this Wizard Monster as much as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± a Silver Armor Wizard Insect answered and quickly left the cave to arrange for the scouting. Inhardt stood up, gazing in the direction where Richard was, his vision as if penetrating thick layers of mycelium, reaching right beside Richard. ¡°Wizard Monster, you won¡¯t escape this time.¡± ¡­ Boom! A crow ablaze with black flames spewed fire, instantly turning the tunnel into a virtual hell. A giant Spider Knight endured the black flames, advancing like a knight in heavy armor toward the Wizard behind the crow. This was a Second-level Spider Knight whose carapace, after evolving, could briefly withstand Ulysses¡¯ Annihilation Flame. Behind him, a Priest Insect¡¯s Black Crystal on its forehead shimmered with starlight, a beam of light hitting the Spider Knight and instantly forming a layer of Starlight Armor. ¡°Damn!¡± the Wizard cursed under his breath, ¡°Found by these insects again.¡± Behind the Wizard, another squad of insects emerged from another part of the tunnel, the lead Silver Armor Warrior Worm¡¯s arms shimmering with a frightening cold light. ¡°Ulysses, take care of the squad of insects behind us.¡± With that, the Wizard swung his Magic Wand, shooting a beam of Magic Power into the ground in front of the Spider Knight, immediately turning the solid ground into soft mud. ¡°Fossil to Mud!¡± As he spoke, the Wizard swiped his Magic Wand releasing three human-head sized black fireballs, which exploded near the Spider Knight into three dark orbs. The Spider Knight couldn¡¯t dodge in time, and both of its blade arms evaporated within the range of the dark orbs. Ulysses flapped his wings, turned around, and flew toward Richard¡¯s back, preparing a sea of fire in his mouth. ¡°Damn, these insects just never stop!¡± Out from the crow¡¯s mouth came a stream of black fire, like the breath of a giant dragon, engulfing the Warrior Worm opposite. He then swiftly dove into the sea of fire, his sharp talons probing beneath him. *Squelch!* Green fluid sprayed from the brow of a Silver Armor Warrior Worm, splattering half the cave wall. The Black Crow then turned around and returned to the Spider Knight¡¯s side. Seeing this, the Priest Insect¡¯s Black Crystal was about to shoot out a Starlight Seal, but suddenly, with a dull whoosh, an ebony Magic Wand coated in black flames cleaved through the air, and the Wizard¡¯s figure abruptly appeared behind the shadow of the Priest Insect. *Crack!* The Black Crow also passed through the layers of blade shadows of the Spider Knight, and with one claw, shattered its brow Black Crystal. ¡°Phew¡­ what day is it now?¡± Richard leaned on his Magic Wand, his mind dizzy. Days of relentless fleeing, along with occasional battles, left his spirit somewhat scattered. If this continued, he would only be able to cast spells using Magic Marks. ¡°Gah, the seventh day.¡± Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, speaking with an equally weary voice. These past days had been a real test for him too as many of the enemies Richard encountered were Second-level Creatures, and although Ulysses seemed to handle them with ease each time, the actual killings drained a tremendous amount of his energy for calculations. After all, he was only a Second-level Creature himself, and in terms of physical fitness, he was even less than those insects. Richard took out the map, and at the moment, they were only about ten kilometers away in a straight line from the Source Sea Abyss. If all went well, they could cover this distance in half a day. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ulysses, the Source Sea Abyss is near.¡± ¡­ Looking at the ashes on the ground, Inhardt knelt down, making a prayer gesture. ¡°May all warriors return to the embrace of the Mother Worm God!¡± After the prayer, a Warrior Worm stepped forward and reported the movements of Richard and his companion to Inhardt. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve glued that Wizard Monster.¡± The Warrior Worm then took a Map Worm to Inhardt¡¯s side, marking Richard¡¯s approximate location on it. The Map Worm, a rare type of insect from the Black Crystal Worm Clan, could memorize the complex terrain of the Insect Nest and store it in its cognitive organ. Additionally, any insect could access the Map Worm¡¯s cognitive organ through neural connection, view the map, and leave ¡°marks¡± on it. Every time a Mother Worm produced a Map Worm, it would consume the food of a small warehouse and three hours of the Mother Worm¡¯s time. Three hours could otherwise be spent producing hundreds of thousands of ordinary insect eggs. Moreover, since most insects would never leave their settlement in their lifetime, the Map Worm was essentially useless to them. Therefore, due to its costly production and limited application, there were only a few Map Worms in the Insect Nest. This also led to most insects from other settlements getting easily lost within the Insect Nest due to unfamiliarity with the terrain. This was why Richard and his companion were able to escape frequently. ¡°This position!¡± Inhardt looked at the marked spot on the map, and his heart suddenly clenched. He connected the traces Richard had left along the way into a line, then extended it backward until a blank appeared in front of him. The Source Sea Abyss! He still wanted to escape using the Source Sea Abyss! Disconnecting from the Map Worm¡¯s neural link, Inhardt immediately issued the command to act. This time, he was determined to capture that Wizard Monster! ¡­ In the dark tunnel, a squad of Warrior Worms was flying rapidly, with the sound of their wings flapping echoing through the tunnel. ¡°Speed up! That Wizard Monster is dead meat this time!¡± At the end of the tunnel, the sounds of spells exploding continuously reached the tunnel. A black-robed wizard kept releasing black fireballs, blasting approaching insects into bits. But every time he killed one, two more would take its place. ¡°Ulysses! Are you ready yet?¡± Richard, forcing himself to ignore his headache, kept pulling Magic Stones from his Magic Pocket and stuffing them into his body. After nearly ten days of relentless running without sleep, Richard¡¯s spiritual power was nearly exhausted, and now he was surviving purely on willpower. He couldn¡¯t understand how these insects always managed to find him. Suddenly, from behind Richard in the tunnel, a black crow flew out, its claws clutching a giant insect head. Seeing this, Richard grabbed a handful of Magic Stones and threw them into the air, the crow flapped its wings once, capturing all the Magic Stones, then opened its beak and instantly spewed out a black inferno. Temporarily clearing the insects around Richard. ¡°Gah, the roadblock is gone!¡± Upon hearing this, Richard didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately turned to leave, knowing that once they entered the Source Sea Abyss, everything would end. Gliding close to the ground in the tunnel, Richard could even feel the Life Hot Wind from the Source Sea Abyss echoing around. Just a little further, and it would all end¡­ ¡°Wizard Monster, long time no see!¡± A voice shattered Richard¡¯s illusion as Ulysses rushed in front of him, blocking a Starlight Seal. At the end of the road, a figure gleaming with Holy Light stood there, surrounded by four Mother Worm Guards whose shells had turned a dark, reddish-gold. The overwhelming Life Radiation told him that all four Mother Worm Guards were Second-level Creatures. Ulysses broke free from the Starlight Seal, landing on Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Can you handle them?¡± Richard asked somewhat bitterly. The Source Sea Abyss was just five hundred meters away, a distance he could normally cover in an instant, but now it seemed like a vast chasm. ¡°Gah, if it weren¡¯t for that Divine Chosen, I could handle it despite my injuries getting worse,¡± Ulysses paused, his voice laden with exhaustion and helplessness, ¡°but with that Divine Chosen there, as soon as I use Divine Soul Power, that old insect would detect us. Then we would still die.¡± ¡°Is that it then?¡± Richard gave a bitter smile, preparing to make a last stand. Even if he was going to die, he¡¯d rather die in battle, not as a sacrifice on an altar like a beast. Inhardt watched the man and bird before him, feeling incredibly pleased. After ten days of pursuit and the loss of hundreds of insect lives, he had finally cornered this Wizard Monster. But then he noticed something amiss. Why did the color of that Wizard Monster¡¯s face suddenly change, as if he had heard some great news? The next moment, the Wizard Monster pulled out a Crystal Ball, and a Space Rift suddenly appeared, out of which emerged a giant fungal tentacle. ¡°Boss, boss! The big mushroom told me that the Secret Realm upgrade is finished!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: Chapter 55: Small World Chapter 155: Chapter 55: Small World ¡°Soul Contracts would build a soul bridge between two creatures, a function usually utilized by Wizards to control the life and death of contracted creatures.¡± ¡°Besides this function, the soul bridge had another minor one, that of transferring information.¡± ¡°Wizards could exchange information with their contracted creatures through the Soul Bridge, though Richard rarely used this feature.¡± ¡°The only creatures he had contracted with were two types; one was the Holy Tree Elf, whom Richard had strictly instructed not to disturb him. The other was the Flame Giant, which had by then been used up as cannon fodder.¡± ¡°When the voice of Fuzzy Ball echoed in his mind, the complexity of emotions in Richard¡¯s heart was almost indescribable.¡± ¡°With a single statement, life and death were reversed.¡± ¡°Richard took out the Crystal Ball that opened the Secret Realm Space and poured his Magic Power into it. On the other side, the World Mushroom was already eager to showcase its abilities.¡± ¡°Throngs of mycelium surged out from the Space Rift, instantly engulfing Inhardt.¡± ¡°What is this thing!¡± ¡°Stars shot from Inhardt¡¯s forehead in an attempt to stop the fungal tendrils from the World Mushroom, oblivious to the fact that this only made the World Mushroom more thrilled.¡± ¡°The starlight power of insects!¡± ¡°Four Mother Worm Guards tried to protect Inhardt, but the mycelial tentacles firmly bound them. The once invincible golden Blade Arms slashed at the mycelium without leaving a mark.¡± ¡°With the five insects bound, the World Mushroom took them into the Secret Realm. Richard and Ulysses turned to obliterate the pursuing insects.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°After that, a man and a bird entered the Source Sea Abyss and from there into the Secret Realm.¡± ¡°Upon entering the Secret Realm, Richard instantly noticed the changes.¡± ¡°First was the concentration of Magic Power. Before the World Mushroom took root, the Magic Power in the Secret Realm Fragments was only double that of the Wizard World. But after the World Mushroom rooted, its mycelium passed through the World Barrier into the Void, transforming the spatial storms into nutrients for itself, thereby nourishing the world and causing the Secret Realm¡¯s concentration of Magic Power to rise.¡± ¡°Richard inhaled deeply, ¡®Such a dense Magic Power, at least five times that of the Wizard World!''¡± ¡°The Secret Realm had changed drastically after the World Mushroom¡¯s adjustments.¡± ¡°In the center of the Secret Realm, the massive World Mushroom reached from earth to heaven, its cap even covering the entire sky of the Secret Realm.¡± ¡°Below it, the original sea of flowers had become a small patch, and it seemed the species had changed, turning into giant trumpet-like flowers. From these flowers, Holy Tree Elves emerged, neatly flying in formation towards Richard.¡± ¡°These little guys didn¡¯t seem to change much in appearance.¡± ¡°¡®Boss! Look, aren¡¯t we much stronger than before!''¡± ¡°Richard probed the group with his spiritual power and found that there was now a slight connection among the tiny fellows; they could merge their energies and become one entity.¡± ¡°If they had a commander, they might even be deemed an army.¡± ¡°Albeit an army that would probably only be capable of battling bees.¡± ¡°After the World Mushroom¡¯s transformation, the Holy Tree Elves did not grow in size; they remained the size of a baby¡¯s fist.¡± ¡°This size destined their combat ability to be much weaker than other creatures of a similar level but larger stature.¡± ¡°But Richard had no intentions of taking these little guys to the battlefield.¡± ¡°¡®World Mushroom, what¡¯s the situation with these little fellows now?''¡± ¡°¡®Master, the abilities of these little ones have remained the same as before, but I have unlocked the shackles in their Bloodline, allowing them to use their Talent Abilities freely.''¡± ¡°¡®Shackles in their Bloodline?¡¯ Richard queried, perplexed.¡± ¡°¡®Yes, Master. These little ones¡¯ Bloodlines have always been shackled, seemingly by the upper echelons of their Race to enslave these lower-level Elves. After I removed the shackles from their Bloodline, the abilities of these little fellows greatly improved.¡± ¡°¡®What you just witnessed were these little ones expressing their Bloodline Talents.''¡± ¡°Richard¡¯s heart leaped with joy at the unexpected gain and he followed up with a question:¡± ¡°¡®Has their ability to enhance plant growth been strengthened as well?''¡± ¡°¡®¡­No.''¡± ¡°Richard¡¯s joy vanished instantly. A group of little ones that weren¡¯t even Level 1 Creatures, what use was unlocking their combat abilities.¡± ¡°Even if they became Level 1 Creatures, their cost-effectiveness wouldn¡¯t match that of the slaves he bought from the slave markets or the elemental beings he lured in.¡± ¡°However, the abilities of these little ones would improve with their strength, and with the Bloodline shackles gone, their growth would no longer be restricted.¡± ¡°They could now freely become Level 1 Creatures.¡± ¡°¡®Oh?¡¯ Richard was initially surprised, then he understood, ¡®No wonder I fed them so much high-quality honey and they still didn¡¯t grow.''¡± ¡°¡®Yes, Master. The Bloodline shackles of these little fellows would prevent them from evolving upwards.''¡± ¡°Richard looked at the Holy Tree Elves beside him, seeing them as flying gold mines.¡± ¡°Level 1 Creatures capable of enhancing the growth of plants, especially Demonized Plants, were rare in the Wizard World. In the Wizards¡¯ eyes, creatures with long-term beneficial value were an inexhaustible source of wealth.¡± ¡°¡®World Mushroom, this Secret Realm should be able to cultivate these fungi, right?''¡± ¡°Richard took out the seeds of the Sacrificial Fungus and Warrior Fungus from his Magic Pocket, and the World Mushroom sprouted a strand of mycelium from the ground, swallowing these seeds.¡± ¡°Soon, the World Mushroom responded.¡± ¡°¡®Master, why plant these inferior items? I have something far better!''¡± With that said, a small white mushroom sprouted beside Richard¡¯s foot, resembling a shiitake mushroom in appearance. Richard pulled it out, tore off a half, and handed it to Ulysses before swallowing the remaining half. As soon as the mushroom entered his stomach, Richard instantly felt a strange substance taking effect in his gut, a special life force seeping through from his stomach into every part of his body. Under this life force, Richard¡¯s cells became somewhat active, and a tingling feeling spread throughout his body. ¡°World Mushroom, bring me more of these things!¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Mushrooms began to sprout at Richard¡¯s feet, and he consumed them one by one until, after twenty mushrooms, he finally stopped. The tingly sensation had now become very pronounced. Richard took a crystal ball out of his pocket to test his current body data. [Spiritual Power: 90, Physique: 94.1, Magic Power: 9000, Rating: One Ring Wizard.] Looking at his data, Richard sucked in a breath of cold air. In just one or two minutes, he had increased his physique by 0.1 through these mushrooms. If he consumed them over the long term, wouldn¡¯t his physique soon reach the limit of a One Ring Wizard? ¡°Ga, nice little thing. Old Mushroom, do you have any new mushrooms that can heal soul wounds?¡± Ulysses shouted at the World Mushroom. ¡°¡­¡± Facing Ulysses¡¯s question, the World Mushroom didn¡¯t respond at all, holding a grudge against the raven that had forced it into a Destiny Contract. ¡°Ga, Old Mushroom I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Ulysses, seeing that the World Mushroom didn¡¯t respond, became somewhat enraged. Now that the World Mushroom had become one of their own and had grown in power, its current strength was already somewhat uncontrollable for the World Mushroom, and all it could do was fume in impotence. ¡°World Mushroom, I have the same question,¡± Richard interjected quickly, seeing a conflict brewing between the two. These two World Masters were his left and right-hand men, and a big conflict between them would not be good. ¡°Master, yes.¡± Another mushroom grew at Richard¡¯s feet, and he picked it and handed it to Ulysses, who immediately cried out after eating it. ¡°Ga! Old Mushroom, what¡¯s the meaning of this! How can this thing taste so bad!¡± The World Mushroom did not respond, just quietly watched Ulysses squawk. After all, it had done its job; eat it if you wish, or don¡¯t ¨C it made no difference. ¡°So, does it work?¡± Richard asked Ulysses. ¡°Ga, yes, but it¡¯s terribly foul!¡± Ulysses said angrily, ¡°This Old Mushroom just holds a grudge because I forced it into a Destiny Contract, so it deliberately made this thing taste so bad.¡± Richard found this quite plausible but didn¡¯t ask the World Mushroom to make any changes. As long as it was effective, that was what mattered; the difficulty of its taste was something a World Master like Ulysses could overcome. ¡°World Mushroom, can you mass-produce this type of mushroom?¡± Both kinds of mushrooms possessed high value. If they could sell them on the market or develop them into Magic Potions, it would be a highly lucrative business. ¡°Master, these two types of mushrooms come from my own body. If I were to produce them on a large scale, it would slow down the growth rate of the Secret Realm.¡± ¡°The growth rate of the Secret Realm?¡± Richard was puzzled. ¡°Master, my mycelium is continuously absorbing the space storms and void dust in the Void. Doing this allows for constant expansion of the Secret Realm¡¯s space. This fragment of the Secret Realm has very intact rules. With my supplementation, it¡¯s near complete. If we can expand the space to a certain extent and make the Four Elements rules manifest, then this fragment might become a genuine world.¡± A real world! Richard was somewhat shocked by the World Mushroom¡¯s words. Although the idea had been part of the grand vision the World Mushroom had painted for him at the beginning, he hadn¡¯t taken it seriously. The transformation of a Secret Realm into a world seemed a bit too exaggerated. Richard then made a decision: ¡°Then don¡¯t start mass-producing for now, just enough for me and Ulysses to eat, and plant that type of fungus for yourself.¡± Having said that, Richard plucked a white mushroom from the ground and asked the World Mushroom: ¡°Name this thing.¡± ¡°Master, you should name it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m letting you name it.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for your generosity. Let¡¯s call this mushroom Aldo.¡± ¡°Aldo? Isn¡¯t that the term for ¡®Insect Nest¡¯ in Black Crystal Insect language?¡± ¡°This mushroom is grown to be eaten; the name suits it well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The World Mushroom really loathed the Black Crystal Insects, even bringing that hatred into naming a mushroom. After witnessing the transformation of the Secret Realm, Richard approached the World Mushroom. The Divine Chosen Insect and the four Second Level Mother Worm Guards were now trapped on the World Mushroom¡¯s stalk. According to Ulysses, as long as the Divine Chosen didn¡¯t die or actively used a big move skill, the Mother Worm God wouldn¡¯t turn its attention here. A fragment of a Secret Realm was equivalent to another world, and even if it wanted to look, it couldn¡¯t see into the Secret Realm across the World Barrier. Richard looked at them and cackled: ¡°Such fresh material, where should I start?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: Chapter 56: Life in the Secret Realm Chapter 156: Chapter 56: Life in the Secret Realm Under the control of the World Mushroom, this group of insects had completely lost their ability to resist and could only silently watch Richard. As a Divine Chosen, Inhardt had learned the language of the Wizards, and at the moment, he could understand what Richard was talking about. ¡°Specimen, Wizard, do you think this will scare me?¡± Inhardt said fearlessly. The Mother Worm God¡¯s Divine Chosen were not selected randomly; each Divine Chosen held unwavering faith in Her. If Richard thought he could threaten Inhardt the same way one would threaten an ordinary Warrior Worm, he would be sorely disappointed. Unfortunately for Inhardt, Richard wasn¡¯t trying to intimidate him. ¡°Scare you? Why would I scare you?¡± Richard¡¯s lips curled into a sinister smile as he took out a Rune Scalpel from his pocket. ¡°I am not here to scare you.¡± Richard drew his scalpel across Inhardt¡¯s body, its sharpness sending shivers down Inhardt¡¯s spine. What an incredibly sharp weapon. ¡°Ulysses, you said as long as I don¡¯t kill this insect, the Mother Worm God won¡¯t turn her gaze this way, right?¡± Richard asked, turning his head. ¡°Caw, theoretically, yes, but even if you kill him, she won¡¯t be able to see you through the Secret Realm. At most, she might glance twice at the place where he disappeared,¡± Ulysses said indifferently. Richard stroked his chin, ¡°Still, there¡¯s some risk, so let¡¯s not kill him for now. World Mushroom, can you keep this insect alive during my dissection?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï ¡°No problem, Master. If you¡¯d like to hear its screams, I can make it more sensitive to pain.¡± Richard twitched his lips at this suggestion and declined. ¡°Later, help me anesthetize this insect. I do not want it to move while I¡¯m examining its structure.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± The World Mushroom formed a dissection table out of mycelium, and Inhardt was firmly tied down in the center. Anesthetics from the World Mushroom induced a strange state of alertness in Inhardt; he could see what Richard was doing but couldn¡¯t move at all. The World Mushroom never missed a chance to inflict malice on a Black Crystal Insect. Richard took his surgical instruments out of his pocket. Although dissection tools typically bring to mind scalpels, in reality, there are many tools involved, with scalpels being only one of them. Peeling back the exoskeleton, slicing through the epidermis¡ªunder Richard¡¯s skillful hands, Inhardt¡¯s structure was quickly revealed. During the process, Inhardt hardly bled at all. Inhardt was fully conscious throughout the ordeal, feeling the chilly edge of the scalpel slide across his flesh, exposing his tender body hidden beneath the shell. This awkward process was exceedingly tormenting for him. It was as if he was a toy, with Richard freely manipulating his body, yet unable to stop it. As Inhardt endured his agony, Richard didn¡¯t think much about it. He was immersed in a sea of knowledge, so engulfed that he didn¡¯t even realize Inhardt was still conscious. Before becoming a Divine Chosen, Inhardt was first and foremost a Second Level Priest Insect. The body structure and energy circulation of a Priest Insect, as well as other insects that reach the Second-level Creature status, undergo numerous changes. These changes were exceptionally intricate yet, in some aspects, quite unfathomable. This made Richard marvel at the miracle of life, and at the same time, lament that evolution indeed preserved all traits that did not hinder survival. The entire dissection took a very long time, but with the World Mushroom continuously providing Life Energy and Richard¡¯s exquisite skills, Inhardt remained strong after the dissection, looking like his life potential had even been stimulated. ¡°Caw, Divine Chosen indeed have good luck,¡± Ulysses commented from Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Caw, among the billions of the Black Crystal Worm Clan, there are also a million Priest Insects. For it to stand out among a million and be chosen by the old insect as Divine Chosen, isn¡¯t that good luck?¡± Ulysses explained, ¡°Moreover, in our place, Divine Chosen have another name, called the protagonist, a creature blessed with great destiny.¡± ¡°Protagonist?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°You believe in such an idealistic concept?¡± In most novels, the protagonist is the luckiest one, as if all the good things in the world manage to find them, and they can turn every danger into safety. But in the eyes of a Wizard, luck does not exist, only probabilities. To a Wizard, a protagonist is just a special set of probabilities within the infinite possibilities. ¡°Caw, if the Divine King believes it, how could I not? Besides, this insect survived in your hands and is even doing well, isn¡¯t that a manifestation of its good luck?¡± Richard smirked coldly, ¡°That¡¯s because the Mother Worm God is still alive. If she were dead, this insect would already be a specimen soaking in preservative liquid.¡± ¡°Caw, but it¡¯s still alive, and there¡¯s still some time before the moment you reference. Many variables could occur, and perhaps by then you won¡¯t want to make it a specimen but instead take it as a subordinate or something else.¡± Richard scoffed at Ulysses¡¯s words, dismissing them. The more they were discussed, the more absurd they became¡ªhow could he possibly take such an excellent specimen as a subordinate. The dissection was complete, and aside from a few stitches, Inhardt didn¡¯t suffer any physical damage. But the entire process inflicted tremendous mental anguish on him. Once he could move again, a viscous tear trickled from the corner of Inhardt¡¯s eye, and he chanted the name of the Mother Worm God intermittently, in pain and panic. This was the only pillar supporting him through the spiritual torture. ¡°Caw, by the way, Richard, you haven¡¯t asked why these insects were able to find us,¡± Ulysses suddenly spoke up, ¡°We¡¯ve been bothered by insects along the way and even had this guy blocking our path¡ªthere must be a reason.¡± Richard nodded at Ulysses¡¯s words and then turned his gaze towards Inhardt. Indeed, Ulysses made sense; bewildered by the changes in the Secret Realm, he had forgotten this matter. But now he found himself in a predicament. This creature clearly had a will of steel, and ordinary physical torture was unlikely to be effective. However, he was not a Soul Wizard and had no good measures on the soul level. As he agonized over how to interrogate, Inhardt spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve taken the High Priest¡¯s Divine Statue, the Power of Faith upon it guided us to you.¡± ¡°Hmm!?¡± Richard was somewhat surprised; he had not expected the creature to cooperate so easily. He took out the Divine Statue and scolded Ulysses: ¡°Ulysses, how can you understand the Power of Faith less than the natives?¡± ¡°Ga, how could I forget that the Power of Faith could track?¡± Ulysses looked at the Divine Statue with some confusion. As a member of the Gods Civilization, he was very familiar with the usage of the Power of Faith and could not ignore such elementary knowledge. He flew around the Divine Statue twice, and eventually landed atop its head. As he recalled, a soul-wrenching pain stopped his thoughts instantly, and unfamiliar memories flashed before his eyes. ¡°Ga! Some of my memories have been shielded by my injuries!¡± Ulysses exclaimed in pain. When he first arrived in the Wizard World, Ulysses thought himself fortunate that he hadn¡¯t suffered any memory defects despite the serious soul injury. Now it seemed he didn¡¯t lack memory defects, but was simply unaware of them. After the pain subsided, Ulysses kicked the Divine Statue beneath his feet in irritation. ¡°Ga, damned thing, had I known it was you, there wouldn¡¯t have been so much trouble.¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± Richard asked with some concern. ¡°Ga, it¡¯s fine. Soul injuries are bound to cause some loss of memory; it¡¯s not a big issue. The memories will come back once the wound heals,¡± Ulysses said indifferently. Richard nodded at these words and then assigned him a task. ¡°If you¡¯re fine, then this Divine Statue is yours to handle. Cut it into small pieces for me.¡± ¡°¡­Ga, I¡¯ve suddenly encountered a problem. This is a Pure Gold Divine Statue. Do you want me to scratch it open with my claws?¡± Facing Ulysses¡¯s complaints, Richard remained unmoved and turned to face Inhardt. ¡°It looks like you have something to say to me.¡± Inhardt, looking at this demon, spoke with a trembling yet firm voice: ¡°Kill me, you demon!¡± Richard, puzzled, suddenly looked behind Inhardt at the World Mushroom. ¡°What did you do to him, World Mushroom?¡± ¡°Nothing much, Master. I paralyzed his pain senses according to your wish; I just didn¡¯t make him unconscious.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t pull that kind of thing again in the future.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Despite Inhardt¡¯s request, Richard ultimately did not comply, and the World Mushroom¡¯s anesthetic fluid put him into a deep sleep, a true sleep. Inhardt would not die until the war in the Insect Nest World was over. After dealing with Inhardt¡¯s matter, Richard rested for a while, meditated for quite some time, and then feasted on Aldo Mushroom. The effect of consuming Aldo Mushroom for the second time had a slightly diminished sting to the body. This was a normal occurrence. The human body adapts to such stimulation until it has no effect on the cells. Richard had no intention of leaving the Secret Realm for the time being. Currently, the environment in the Insect Nest was harsh, and the insects¡¯ persecution of wizards was severe. Going out now would be like a mouse being chased everywhere, which was not as comfortable as staying in the Secret Realm. Moreover, even if the headquarters inquired about it later, he had an explanation. The losses of wizards within the Insect Nest were severe; managing to evade the insects¡¯ pursuit and lying low was already a good situation¡ªreckless action would be tantamount to offering oneself up for slaughter. ¡­ Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Richard had been in the Secret Realm for nearly a year. Over the year, Richard¡¯s Physique steadily improved to 99.9, with the trade-off being that Aldo Mushroom no longer had any effect on him. Besides that, during this year, he dissected each of the Mother Worm Guards, gaining a deeper understanding of this branch of the Insect Race. Furthermore, the Secret Realm had expanded by nearly fifty square meters in this year, the height also increased by almost ten meters, and it continued to expand at a steady rate of five square meters each month. The Pure Gold Divine Statue was also fully dissected by Ulysses within the year, and Richard had completely extracted the Power of Faith from it; the Pure Gold part was integrated into his Magic Wand¡ªIt wasn¡¯t that Richard didn¡¯t wish to make Armor, but the materials required to do so were extensive, and he couldn¡¯t gather them all at present. After all preparations were made, Richard opened the Secret Realm and returned to the Insect Nest. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: Chapter 57: Return to the Ground Chapter 157: Chapter 57: Return to the Ground In the Source Sea Abyss, Richard braced his magic barrier, carefully searching for the entrance to the insect nest. A year had passed, and it was time for the insects to calm down. Entering through a tunnel, Richard returned to the moist and warm insect nest. But this time, he did not seek a hiding place to continue harassing the Black Crystal Insects from the rear. On the contrary, he planned to leave the insect nest and return to the wizard-controlled area. The rescue operation organized by the Puppet Wizard Organization had caused heavy losses to the Black Wizards within the Black Mushroom Worm Country. Coupled with the previous hunting activities by the Black Crystal Insects and the losses over the years, the remaining Black Wizards in the Black Mushroom Worm Country now numbered less than a third of what they were before the operation began. Of course, Richard was not aware of the exact figures; he only vaguely sensed that there were not many Black Wizards left within the Black Mushroom Worm Country, and continuing the harassment operations would be much more dangerous. So, he decided to withdraw from this insect country, which was allowed under the Black Wizard regulations. Every Black Wizard behind enemy lines should prioritize preserving their own lives. In the face of irresistible forces, Black Wizards can return to the Wizard Headquarters ahead of schedule. The current situation clearly qualified as an irresistible force. As a One Ring Wizard, Richard was actually very dangerous within the insect nest. Walking through the insect nest, Richard could clearly sense that something was off about the atmosphere. The insect patrol teams had significantly decreased. This was not compared to the patrols during the Mother Goddess Temple operation but to when Richard had infiltrated the insect nest. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?? Where had these reduced patrols gone? Richard¡¯s heart tightened as he thought of something Lawrence once said. ¡°It seems the insects¡¯ counterattack will arrive soon.¡± Following the tunnel, Richard soon arrived at a small settlement. According to the Imaging Crystal Ball display, this settlement was almost a necessary pass on his way up. At least within the range of the crystal ball¡¯s detection, he could not find a second route. ¡°Ulysses, prepare to move,¡± Richard communicated with Ulysses via a spiritual message. ¡°Got it,¡± responded Ulysses. Ulysses shrank in size and turned into a sparrow the size of a palm before flying into the settlement. Richard, on the other hand, used shadow shuttling and shadow infiltration to stealthily sneak in. There weren¡¯t many insects in the settlement, with only five Warrior Worms present. But what caught Richard¡¯s attention was one of them wearing silver metallic armor. Based on Richard¡¯s experience, this kind of insect should be a Second-level Creature, and even among Second-level Creatures, it wasn¡¯t weak. But this one was different. On it, Richard didn¡¯t feel the nearly overwhelming life energy characteristic of Second-level Creatures; all he felt was decay, withering, and the heaviness of death. ¡°It seems to be an old insect,¡± Richard thought to himself. The younger insects were probably already preparing for the battlefield. Suddenly, the silver-armored old insect seemed to sense something; its body disappeared instantly. Richard¡¯s hairs stood on end, and he thrust his magic wand forward with force. Clang! The figure of the silver-armored old insect appeared in front of Richard, with its blade arms fiercely striking the magic wand. Had Richard been a moment later, he would have been beheaded. ¡°Ulysses!¡± Richard shouted, and the magic wand in his hand instantly ignited with black flames. Since they had been discovered, it was time for a head-on confrontation! The old insect stepped back to retract its blades, its wings flapped, and it disappeared again from Richard¡¯s sight. But this time, Richard caught its trace; he moved his magic wand a step ahead to block the insect¡¯s blade arms. Clang. ¡°You¡¯re too old, insect,¡± Richard said coldly. ¡°You¡¯re so old you can barely fly.¡± Age had given this insect a sharp perception that the young ones lacked but also weakened its body. If it had been a young silver-armored insect, Richard would never have been able to track it. The silver-armored old insect shrieked and attempted to strike again but felt the ground beneath it soften suddenly; the solid ground underneath turned into mud. Seizing the opportunity, Richard blocked the old insect¡¯s evasive path with three black fireballs. At the same time, he lunged forward, his magic wand swinging through the air with a whistling sound. Boom! The fireballs exploded. Black flames engulfed both the insect and Richard¡¯s figure, but when the flames died down, the old insect¡¯s blade arms were smashed, and its head was crushed into pulp by the magic wand. After fusing a significant amount of pure gold, Richard¡¯s magic wand had become a divine weapon; the blade arms of a mere Warrior Worm were as soft as mud in front of his magic wand. ¡°How does it feel, any sense of breakthrough?¡± Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder and asked. Richard shook his head: ¡°No, this insect wasn¡¯t enough.¡± A characteristic of physique evolution was how difficult it was to break through a bottleneck. Richard¡¯s physique, having reached 99.9, made conventional methods of enhancement ineffective. If Richard wanted to advance further, he had to undergo life-and-death struggle or use something extremely rare and valuable, such as a large amount of life essence. ¡°No worries, life advancement isn¡¯t easy. I don¡¯t know how many fierce battles I went through to reach the power of a demigod. Even if you don¡¯t breakthrough in physique, you can still go for spiritual evolution,¡± Ulysses reassured. Richard exhaled and quickly left the settlement. ¡­ After a small incident, Richard faced no more obstacles on his path and soon he arrived at a part of the ground insect nest. Compared to the lax underground insect nest, the ground insect nest was akin to an armed fortress bristling with weapons to the teeth. The small Mother Goddess Cannons that Richard had seen before were now widely deployed amongst the swarming insects, with piles of artillery shells coated in green mucus everywhere. Besides, Richard also discovered some strange insects that had not appeared in the previous war, presumably new creations by the insects. Considering they could come up with things like Spider Knights, they must have an impressive level of expertise in bioengineering. The tight security of the ground insect nest made Richard somewhat unsure of where to start, but in the end, he chose a method that seemed foolish yet surprisingly effective¡ªhe simply rushed out. He found an underground tunnel near the edge of the nest and had Ulysses lead the way, charging from the underground nest to the surface. Now, good and bad news lay before him. The good news, he really did rush out of the nest, and the insects did not pursue him. The bad news, the place where Richard emerged was within the firing range of the small Mother Goddess Cannons; as soon as he left the range of the nest, he was greeted by several arc acid liquid balls. ¡°What a thrilling welcoming ceremony!¡± Richard remarked as he watched the incoming acid liquid balls, keeping up his magic barrier and flying wildly. Acid exploded behind him, spattering on the magic barrier and emitting a sizzling noise. The war fortress wasn¡¯t far from the insect nest, and after about ten minutes of frantic flight, Richard found one. About five kilometers from the war fortress, Richard suddenly stopped. Although the land in front of him seemed ordinary, as an Alchemy Wizard, he could easily sense the magic array traps hidden within. At this moment, the wizards within the fortress also caught sight of him. ¡°Is that a Black Wizard coming out of the insect nest?¡± a White Wizard with glasses on, with runes flashing on the lenses, remarked. With the help of his magic equipment glasses, Richard appeared as if he was right in front of him, his eyelashes even countable. ¡°A wizard is running out from that place?¡± another White Wizard asked, leaning forward, ¡°It seems something has happened inside the nest.¡± The glasses-wearing wizard glanced at his companion: ¡°You know it¡¯s a wizard, and you still crowd around, go and receive him! The area ahead of him is our trap zone; if he dies, you can look forward to a court martial.¡± The wizard who wanted to join in waved, then stood up to prepare to greet Richard. But before he moved, he heard the glasses-wearing wizard exclaim: ¡°Damn, he¡¯s just marched right in!¡± ¡­ Richard switched his view to energy vision, and instantly the ground before him took on a different appearance. Vast energy filaments appeared before Richard¡¯s eyes, intersecting with each other, linking together, with even brighter energy nodes at the intersections; according to Richard¡¯s experience, those nodes should be the places where the runes were located. The area covered by these energy filaments was extensive, all the way up to the front of the war fortress. ¡°Not bad, the trap zone,¡± Richard muttered, but immediately, he revealed a confident smile. ¡°But it¡¯s of no use against me.¡± Richard skillfully wove through the energy filaments, deftly avoiding all the magic array traps, and his speed was impressively fast. ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did that kid just barge into the trap zone!¡± the wizard asked his companion. ¡°He¡­ He really did march in, but¡­¡± the glasses-wearing wizard said with a dry voice, ¡°He avoided all the traps we set, went around every single one.¡± ¡°He avoided them all!¡± The other wizard¡¯s voice rose sharply; he and the glasses-wearing wizard had painstakingly set up those magic array traps, and there was no question about their concealment. ¡°Send word to the command,¡± the glasses-wearing wizard took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. ¡°Such a master escaping from underground, it seems there really is a serious problem below.¡± Ten minutes later, Richard met the earnestly waiting White Wizards in the hall of the war fortress. The commander, radiating strong energy fluctuations, quickly walked up to Richard and anxiously asked. ¡°Master, what¡¯s the problem down there?¡± The commander was a One Ring Wizard at his limit, having experienced two plane wars, and was somewhat experienced. Yet compared to the master before him who easily bypassed the trap zone, he felt it was best to keep a respectful attitude. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, don¡¯t mention it,¡± Richard greeted the White Wizard commander with the Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°I can hardly consider myself a master.¡± The White Wizard commander shook his head: ¡°A master need not be modest; to bypass our trap zone with such ease, you are either a master from the Shape-shifting School or a master from the Alchemy School.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Richard was somewhat speechless, but he didn¡¯t linger on the topic, instead turning to the matter at hand. ¡°Are you not aware, gentlemen, that a year ago this Number Twelve Insect Nest fell into disorder, and thousands of wizards were slaughtered by the insects?¡± Upon hearing this, the entire hall instantly fell silent. The White Wizard commander¡¯s expression turned severe. He pulled out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball from his magic pocket. ¡°Master, please give us more details.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Chapter 58: Mountain Rain is Imminent Chapter 158: Chapter 58: Mountain Rain is Imminent In Richard¡¯s narrative, the Mother Goddess Temple rescue mission was a failure, tainted by the Puppet Wizard¡¯s hidden agenda. Although Richard speculated that the Puppet Wizard was probably also deceived, he couldn¡¯t fake using the rescue as a cover for his own true purpose. In his account, Richard tried not to mix in personal emotions or unfounded speculations, simply recounting what he had seen. Having finished speaking, the White Wizard in command placed the Crystal Ball into a bag and handed it to another White Wizard by his side, saying in a very serious tone, ¡°Send this message to command quickly; it must be fast!¡± After that, he commanded another White Wizard beside him, ¡°Transmit the message just now to command using the emergency communication channel!¡± The double transmission of physical and digital information was the second-highest level of information dissemination in war, with the physical transmission serving to prevent misjudgment by the commanders and as material to be kept for records. Watching the seriousness of the White Wizard in command, Richard was somewhat puzzled. A year had passed; surely not all wizards had failed to escape from the Underground Insect Nest. With hundreds of wizards breaking out, it wasn¡¯t possible for none to have emerged, continuing their missions in the nest. At this thought, Richard felt a bit ashamed. After handing out the tasks, the White Wizard in command reached out his right hand to Richard. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï ¡°My name is Ivan, commander of the 372nd War Fortress in the Third War Zone.¡± Richard shook hands with him, ¡°I am Richard, an infiltrating Black Wizard from the number twelve Insect Nest.¡± ¡­ It was from Ivan¡¯s mouth that Richard learned that the past year on the border had been calm, with not a single Black Wizard emerging from the Underground Insect Nest. Additionally, Ivan described what Richard had experienced as a major incident, indicating that the Black Wizard could indeed leave the nest. The situation wasn¡¯t so minor that the older wizards could just ignore it. ¡°In fact, I have a suspicion,¡± Ivan said in a low voice, ¡°those wizards might have been forced into hibernation.¡± ¡°Hibernation?¡± Richard asked. ¡°You don¡¯t know about hibernation?¡± Ivan was also puzzled, looking at Richard¡¯s vibrant Life Energy, clearly a strong Physical Evolution with at least ninety something points. This force should have been through at least two Plane Wars. Richard smiled awkwardly, ¡°This is my first time participating in a Plane War, I don¡¯t know many things, I hope the Master can forgive me.¡± Ivan gasped. First time in a Plane War? A student soldier with this power and capability? Are you a direct disciple of a Great Wizard, or a scion of a Wizard Family? Ivan shook his head, dismissing his absurd thoughts, and explained the meaning of hibernation to Richard. ¡°Hibernation means that under an irresistible force, a wizard temporarily falls into a state of inactivity, during which the wizard will abandon all Magic Equipment he can connect with and enter a state of lost contact, even command headquarters cannot locate them. After a period of hibernation, the wizard must give a reasonable explanation to command, along with evidence. Otherwise, command will accuse them of passive battle conduct, seize all their gains from this Plane War, and impose a fine.¡± Richard nodded thoughtfully, ¡°If those wizards have all gone into hibernation, does that mean¡­¡± He looked at Ivan and hesitated to continue. Ivan nodded, ¡°It¡¯s possible that some wizards have defected, likely that Puppet Wizard. Of course, it¡¯s possible that things are not so dire, and that the wizard was simply devoured in soul.¡± At these words, the corners of Richard¡¯s mouth twitched. Indeed, for command that might be the case, but for the Puppet Wizard himself, it certainly wasn¡¯t. ¡°But regardless of what happened, this matter doesn¡¯t concern us much,¡± Ivan patted Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°we will conduct an inspection on you shortly, and once we ascertain that there are no parasites on you, you can head back. Take some rest after coming out of that damned place.¡± After the inspection, Richard immediately left War Fortress 372 and returned to the rear lines. And the very second he arrived back at the Floating City Fortress, command found him. ¡°Wizard Richard, command requests your presence.¡± Three logistical wizards stood in front of Richard, and upon his response, they led him surrounded into the most mysterious place in the Floating City ¨C the Command Tower. ¡­ The Command Tower, the nerve center of the Floating Fortress and the headquarters of the Plane War, was well guarded. Before entering the tower, Richard underwent another full-body check to ensure there were no parasites on him and that his soul was still that of a wizard. The inside of the Command Tower was bustling, with floors two to five offering no private rooms, just open halls. These levels served as subordinate command centers. The Wizard¡¯s current battle lines were vast, with any given front having thousands of type-one War Fortresses and hundreds of type-two War Fortresses. These fortresses would relay every move of the frontline bugs to the subordinate command, which after filtering would pass the information to intermediate command. Passing through subordinate commands, Richard reached the intermediate level of command, which was responsible for secondary sorting of the information from below and passing it to the senior command ¨C the command Richard had initially encountered. There was only one level for the intermediate command, and after crossing it, Richard arrived in front of a huge black door. The logistic wizards leading him halted. ¡°Wizard Richard, the command is inside.¡± Looking at the imposing black door, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill. Beyond it laid the power center of this Plane War, where every order could lead to the death of thousands of wizards, yet also cause the bugs to pay a price tenfold, a hundredfold. Pushing open the door, the scene inside was quite ordinary. Dozens of Three Rings Wizards sat behind tables, continuously receiving messages through Crystal Balls, then compiling the messages, discussing them, and finally turning them into commands to be distributed. ¡°Oh, a familiar face.¡± Among these wizards, one clad in a black robe and sipping red tea seemed somewhat out of place. He saw Richard come in and immediately beckoned him over. ¡°I remember you, you¡¯re Richard, right, Jolod¡¯s Apprentice.¡± Richard gave the black-robed Wizard a deep bow, ¡°Hello, Headmaster.¡± ¡°Indeed! Smart one,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said with a smile to the surrounding Three Rings Wizards, ¡°Calling someone ¡®Headmaster¡¯ here is much more effective than ¡®Commander¡¯.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard couldn¡¯t help but break out in a sweat. During a Plane War, calling someone ¡®Headmaster¡¯ carried an implication of trying to cozy up. But he hadn¡¯t thought that much into it at the moment, and seeing the Black Tower Great Wizard had reflexively called him ¡®Headmaster.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, young man,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard took a sip of his red tea, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with calling me Headmaster. We¡¯ve received your intel report, but we still need to confirm some things.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard waved his hand and a somewhat familiar figure stood up and approached Richard. ¡°Susanna, make sure to get the details clear. The death of thousands of Black Wizards is not a trivial matter; I must give an explanation to the Council.¡± With that, the environment around Richard suddenly changed, turning into a closed room resembling an interrogation chamber. Susanna sat on one side of the room, with a table in front of her, and across from her, there was a metal chair. She pointed to the chair, signaling Richard to sit down. The metal chair was hard and cold; the moment he sat down, an extremely icy sensation shot from the base of his tail to his forehead. His emotions also calmed down under this stimulus. ¡°The chair has a Spell inscribed in it, must be a mechanized mind from the Soul School,¡± Richard thought to himself. Once Richard sat down, Susanna began her inquiry. Richard was not unfamiliar with Ali¡¯s mentor, having interacted with Susanna during his Apprentice days. Susanna had a bad temper but was caring toward her students. As Ali¡¯s lover, Richard had not had any trouble with her. ¡°Name.¡± ¡°Richard.¡± ¡°Strength.¡± ¡°One Ring.¡± ¡°Mission.¡± ¡°Infiltrate number twelve Insect Nest.¡± ¡°Repeat the description of your experience in the War Fortress.¡± ¡­ After the questioning, Richard looked at Susanna nervously, unsure of the outcome. Although his account was accurate, he had blurred many details concerning Ulysses. If pressed further, he would have a hard time responding. Susanna glanced at him. ¡°There¡¯s no issue, this is just a routine check for significant intelligence. Also, there¡¯s no need to worry about Ali. I¡¯ve created a Life Box for her, and since it has not been activated, she should be fine.¡± Hearing this, Richard breathed a sigh of relief, instantly feeling less worried. Ali¡¯s situation had always been a burden on his mind, and knowing now that she was alright certainly made him feel much lighter. Susanna clapped her hands, and the two returned to the Command Room. The Black Tower Great Wizard took Susanna¡¯s report, glanced at it, and then waved Richard off. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more, you¡¯ll receive your reward for the intel soon. Get ready in the meantime; the counter-attack from the bugs is coming.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard bowed to the Black Tower Great Wizard and then left the room. After the door closed, the Black Tower Great Wizard suddenly stopped his student. ¡°Little Susanna, this kid is a One Ring Wizard, right? And he has some connection with that student.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard sipped his red tea, looking at Susanna¡¯s record with a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for a One Ring Wizard to achieve this much; pick a relatively safe mission for him next time. After all, he is a student from our Academy, and who knows, he might end up in this Command Room one day.¡± ¡­ Leaving the Command Tower, Richard quickly arrived at the Synthetic Beast Factory where Jolod was. ¡°You want active Flesh?¡± Jolod looked at his student, rubbing his temple with a headache. ¡°Yes.¡± Richard stood opposite Jolod, looking at him somewhat nervously. Ulysses¡¯s body needed a large amount of active Flesh, and the Flesh Tentacles produced by Richard were far from enough. After a moment of contemplation, Jolod finally spoke up: ¡°How much? The insects are about to counter-attack; active Flesh isn¡¯t so readily available like before.¡± Richard nodded repeatedly, ¡°Not much, just about one hundred kilograms.¡± Jolod exhaled and took out a Magic Pocket from his waist and handed it to Richard. ¡°Ah, take more.¡± Richard noticed that Jolod seemed a bit off and asked carefully: ¡°Teacher, are you dealing with something bothering you?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing, your Master Brother, Eric, died a month ago.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Chapter 59: The Rain Comes Chapter 159: Chapter 59: The Rain Comes Eric, as Richard heard this familiar name, he instantly remembered the oppressive Wizard in the reception room on the day he learned of the war news. Was a Wizard, who was just one ceremony away from becoming a Three Rings Wizard, really dead? A Black Wizard with a promising future had died so effortlessly behind enemy lines, leaving Richard with an inexplicable layer of emotions. For a moment, he did not know how to console his mentor. Jolod sighed, managing a faint smile. ¡°Death and injury are inevitable in war, Eric wasn¡¯t forced into battle. He was prepared for death before he stepped onto the battlefield.¡± ¡°Teacher, didn¡¯t Brother Eric have a Life Box?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°He did, but his soul could no longer support using the Life Box.¡± The Life Box, a resurrection device deemed as a bug-level item, naturally came with a price. Each use inevitably damaged the user¡¯s soul, an injury hard to repair unless one became a Great Wizard or used a large amount of Soul Essence. Among the Wizard community, there was a rumor that any Wizard who used a Life Box was doomed never to become a Great Wizard. This rumor wasn¡¯t baseless; among the Wizards who had signed pacts with the Tower of Truth, not one who used a Life Box had become a Great Wizard. Jolod came over to Richard and gently patted his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, just do your job well with the active flesh. Everything on the battlefield is illusory; only one¡¯s own strength is real.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï ¡­ After obtaining active flesh from Jolod, Richard immediately headed to the Wizard Commerce to exchange his spoils from over the years for Magic Stones and purchased some alchemy materials. ¡°Thanks for your patronage, the total comes to two hundred seventy-eight thousand five hundred Magic Stones.¡± Hearing the Wizard Commerce¡¯s price, Richard winced, handing over the Magic Essence. This price was too high, at least fifty percent more than what it would cost in the Wizard World. However, the Teleportation Gate to the Wizard World seemed not yet complete, and the resources from the Wizard World were dwindling. The Wizard Commerce naturally set high prices. Richard guessed that when headquarters would issue the retreat order for Black Wizards, the prices would likely spike even more. Back in his dwelling, Richard immediately began crafting Ulysses¡¯s body. A Second Level Synthetic Beast was not like a First Level one where adding some high-quality active flesh sufficed. Creating a Second Level Synthetic Beast required constructing an energy cycle for the active flesh and undergoing autophagy, a lengthy process with a high failure rate. Energy cycle construction had to be handled with utmost care, as a tiny error could cause an explosion. Compared to energy construction, enhancing physique through flesh autophagy was relatively easier. As long as the formula was correct, continuously adding active flesh would lead to success. Still, neither process posed any problem for Richard; once he constructed the body, Ulysses could handle the energy cycle himself. In the laboratory, Richard stood in front of the experiment table and carefully took out a bone block from his pocket, shaping it with the Alchemy Array into thin and sturdy avian bones. Next came the flesh autophagy. Richard had inherited a flesh autophagy formula from Jolod, which, through various alchemy materials and stimulation by Magic Power, caused the active flesh to self-digest. The autophagy-induced flesh would become more robust, an essential technique for crafting advanced Synthetic Beasts. It was said that Jolod had become the head of the War Beast Department as a Second Ring Wizard, relying on a formula capable of creating Third Level Synthetic Beasts. Flesh autophagy took a long time; during this period, Richard took out the Crystal Fragments he had obtained from Pioneer Relics. While in the Secret Realm, he had classified these fragments by size and shape to ensure no chip-like objects were overlooked. So currently, these Crystal Fragments were useful to Richard only because of their unique material. The material of Crystal Fragments was unique; their internal structure, highly intricate, sometimes caused rapidly diminishing Magic Power upon entry, yet occasionally, Magic Power would refract within them for a prolonged period. This mystery greatly intrigued Richard. Even in the simplest Magic Array, there was a loss of Magic Power, but the unique structure of these Crystals reduced the loss of Magic Power to a very low level. If he could uncover the mystery, Richard would make significant progress both in Shaping Magic and Alchemy. Many seemingly unfeasible ideas would become viable. Watching the Crystals refract thousands of rays of light under the Magic Light, Richard was somewhat entranced. ¡°O Crystals, let me see what secrets you truly hold.¡± ¡­ Research time always passed quickly, and before he knew it, half a year had gone by. During the last three months of this half-year, the Black Wizards who had infiltrated behind enemy lines gradually began to withdraw from the Insect Nest as the looming counterattack from the insect swarm forced headquarters to consolidate every bit of strength. The logistical Wizards had regularized their exploitation of the Insect Nest World over the years, transforming various minerals and Demonized Plants into Alchemy Weapons and Magic Potions, which were sent to the front lines. For this, headquarters provided an extraction task to all Alchemy Wizards, who could obtain ore from the logistical Wizards and refine it themselves, delivering the required quota upon task completion. During this process, if your craftsmanship was exquisite, any extra yield would belong to the Wizard himself. Many Alchemy Wizards, such as Richard, made a tidy sum during this opportunity. In the Secret Realm, Richard retrieved a raven body from an incubator; this body had a basic ** Physique of one hundred points, reaching the lowest threshold of a Second-level Creature. For Ulysses, this body was barely acceptable. Releasing Ulysses from his pocket, he immediately flew around the Secret Realm twice before landing in front of the raven body. ¡°Gaah, is this my new body?¡± Richard nodded. ¡°We¡¯re short on time, the insects are about to retaliate, so make do with this for now.¡± Ulysses glanced at his body, then a stream of light burst out of the black crow and entered a new black crow body. The next moment, the flow of magic power throughout the Secret Realm changed. It was as if a magic black hole had appeared in the realm, incessantly devouring magic power. Taking advantage of this, Richard used his energy vision to closely observe Ulysses¡¯s energy circulation. A good Wizard never misses any opportunity to acquire knowledge. A few minutes later, a black crow ablaze with black flames, about the size of a golden eagle, landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Gaah, a Second-level body is indeed more efficient. The previous one was stifling, I was always worried it would break if I exerted too much.¡± ¡°As long as it works,¡± Richard said indifferently. The battle was about to begin, and he would definitely need Ulysses¡¯s aid during this period. After switching bodies, Richard moved to a corner of the Secret Realm and dragged out the Alchemy Golem. During this time, he had managed to refine a substantial amount of ore ingots. Among these ores was one called Blue Mushroom Iron. This ore had mediocre hardness, toughness, and magic conduction, even slightly poor, but it had one outstanding feature¡ªits incredibly low density. The density of Blue Mushroom Iron was almost the same as that of granite. This inspired Richard to consider making Alchemy Golem shells out of enchanted Blue Mushroom Iron shells. No matter how poor the properties of Blue Mushroom Iron were, it was still stronger than the enchanted stones used for the Alchemy Golem. Richard dismantled the Alchemy Golem¡¯s shell and installed the pre-made enchanted Blue Mushroom Iron shell. After integrating the magic circuits, Richard activated the golem. Buzz! The golem¡¯s eyes lit up with red light. After the modification, the Alchemy Golem¡¯s exterior had shifted from the original granite shell to a pale blue Blue Mushroom Iron shell. Runes faintly glimmered on the Blue Mushroom Iron shell, significantly enhancing the overall protection compared to before. Of course, this was an extremely lavish modification. If it weren¡¯t for the impending battle and his ample resources, Richard would never have opted for such a modification. Despite its mediocre quality, Blue Mushroom Iron was a bonafide alchemy material, a metal conducive to magic. ¡°Gaah, from a stone lump to an iron lump. I seriously suspect that if you had enough Pure Gold at hand, you¡¯d turn this thing into a Pure Gold lump,¡± Ulysses said, watching the golem with a slightly mocking tone. ¡°But no matter what kind of lump, the brain is always dead.¡± Ulysses had always despised Alchemy Puppets, yet he never disclosed the reason. Richard suspected that this guy must have been severely beaten by some Earth Element Lord in the past, which was why he harbored malice toward the Alchemy Puppets, which looked like Stone Giants. Richard ignored him, stuffed him into his pocket, and then walked out of the Secret Realm with the Alchemy Puppet. Upon exiting, Richard noticed that the Communication Crystal Ball he had left on the laboratory table had lit up, bearing a command from headquarters. ¡°Wizard 7531, the insects¡¯ counterattack is imminent. Your task is to assist in the defense of War Fortress 372 in the Third War Zone.¡± ¡­ White Fungus Worm Country. As the main direction of the Wizards¡¯ attack, nearly one-third of the territory of the White Fungus Worm Country had been conquered in just three years. This was even with the Wizards intentionally slowing down their attack. The constant rumbling of spells and Alchemy Weapons, the ever-present shadow of death looming over the heads of the White Fungus Worm Country¡¯s insects. But today, everything was set to change. In the Mother Goddess Temple of the White Fungus Worm Country, thirty-five High Priests of the Worm Country gathered together. Beneath the Mother Goddess Temple, a vast sea of insects stretched as far as the eye could see. A High Priest adorned with a golden crown shouted to the insect swarm below the Mother Goddess Temple: ¡°Fellow beings! Today, the elite of the thirty-five Worm Countries have all assembled! This is a historic event that has never occurred in the history of the Black Crystal Worm Clan! We are about to counterattack, to reclaim our land, our world! I know, this is an unfair war. The Wizard Monsters have steel war machines and powerful Elemental Torrents, but we have no way back now. If we fail this time, we will never be able to gather such a vast counterattack force again. Once the Wizard Monsters¡¯ Teleportation Gate is constructed, allowing them an endless supply of resources and troops¡­ At that time, slavery is the only path waiting for us. So, fellow beings! Fight with your last ounce of strength, even if it¡¯s with teeth or stones, drive these Wizard Monsters out of our world. The Mother Worm God is with us!¡± With that, a grand Holy Light shot from the Mother Goddess Temple, enveloping the entire sea of insects. A fragmented voice emerged from the insect crowd, gradually spreading until it finally converged into a mighty shout. ¡°Reclaim our world!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Paragraph copied Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Chapter 60 Siege Warfare (Part 1) Chapter 160: Chapter 60 Siege Warfare (Part 1) The war had begun. Richard, upon receiving his orders, hurried towards his assigned location with his alchemy golems. He was very familiar with the place¡ªit was the war fortress he had entered when he first emerged from the insect nest. Along the way, one black-robed wizard after another flew to the front lines. Overhead, the White Wizard Army¡¯s war airships blocked out the sky. All the airships that had been in maintenance were now activated, dispatched to various battle zones to manage signal transmission and provide war support. By the time Richard reached the war fortress, the battle had already commenced. Swarming insects joined by obscuring clouds of the Moth Army, like a massive wave, surged towards the war fortress. Yet this was merely an auxiliary attack, supporting the frontal assault by the wizard soldiers¡¯ preceding bug forces. On the main battlefield, the wizards faced an enemy force multiple times larger. The war fortress¡¯s alchemy weapons roared to life, as fireballs rained down into the insect tide, leaving behind wreckage. The sacrificial insects, as a rare breed of soldier, were mostly deployed to the main battlefield, leaving only a few in these secondary battle zones to carry out the task of transmitting orders. Hence, Richard didn¡¯t witness the starlight barriers he had seen in the lower insect nests. Soon, the swarm entered the trap zone. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.?¦Ï In an instant, countless traps were triggered, unveiling the might of various elements¡ªflame, ice, lightning, acid¡­ The diverse magic array traps inflicted heavy losses upon the insect horde. Pieces of insect limbs were scattered across the sky. But Richard noticed a problem. The strength of these bugs seemed odd. The abilities of these insects appeared to be less than first level; otherwise, the power of the magic array traps was too great. However, Richard was too far from the battlefield to gather enough information to be sure of what was happening. Before long, the swarm received an order to retreat. Like water receding, the insects swiftly retreated. During this brief hiatus, Richard entered the war fortress. ¡°Hey, Ivan, how have you been recently?¡± Richard greeted warmly in the command room of the fortress. Ivan¡¯s face instantly brightened upon seeing who had arrived. ¡°Richard, it¡¯s been a while. You seem to have been doing well.¡± As he spoke, he glanced at the alchemy golem beside Richard. ¡°Blue Mushroom Iron has given you so much, you¡¯re even using it to make shells for golems now.¡± Richard shrugged nonchalantly, gesturing as if he had pocketed a galaxy. ¡°Not bad, just made a little bit.¡± After exchanging pleasantries, they got down to business. ¡°What¡¯s the situation on the battlefield like?¡± Richard glanced at the insect horde that was lying in wait nearby, their numbers suggesting a mere distraction. He could only imagine how horrifying the main battlefield must be. Ivan pulled out two maps, one of the Third War Zone and one with all the battle zones. ¡°Based on the intelligence we currently have, the insects have mobilized about twenty million, with the majority in the First Battle Zone. Each of the second and third battle zones has about four million insects. Divided among each war fortress, that¡¯s around ten thousand or so.¡± Richard raised an eyebrow: ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s not that many.¡± ¡°Not that many?¡± Ivan¡¯s voice rose, ¡°This fortress has a total of only twenty people, twenty-one including you. Twenty-one against ten thousand! Each of us has to fight nearly five hundred insects!¡± Ivan¡¯s bloodline had merged with some otherworldly creature, giving his voice a loud resonance, roaring in Richard¡¯s ears like a fierce tiger. Richard rubbed his ears, gesturing for Ivan to lower his voice. ¡°Looking at the recent situation, alchemy weapons are quite effective against the insects. The insects¡¯ task is to constrain us, not to annihilate us. As long as we hit them hard enough, holding a siege might be possible.¡± Ivan sighed in response: ¡°Easy for you to say, but using alchemy weapons requires magic stones, and they¡¯ll overheat. Magic array traps are useful but can only be used once. Next time the insects come, they¡¯ll be useless. These bugs have been biding their time for so long, they won¡¯t just show this little aptitude. This battle¡­ it¡¯s doubtful!¡± Upon hearing this, Richard frowned. It was not good for Ivan to have such sentiments. If the commander lacked confidence, how would the soldiers believe in their cause? He patted Ivan on the shoulder earnestly, saying: ¡°Wizard Ivan, your words are filled with defeatism, which is highly improper. As the key figure of this White Wizard squad, you must believe that the great wizards will triumph in battle. Only then will your troops have the morale to continue fighting. War is not just a physical fight, but also a mental one! If even the commander succumbs to a defeatist attitude, then this war fortress is doomed to fail, and we¡¯ll all die on the battlefield!¡± Richard¡¯s words sent a jolt through Ivan. As a White Wizard experienced in warfare, he deeply understood the implications behind Richard¡¯s speech. Ivan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked: ¡°` ¡°Richard, is this really your first time on the battlefield?¡± Such words are not those that someone on their first battelfield outing as a rookie soldier would utter. Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m a bona fide student soldier, a pure volunteer, the unlucky chap who has to hand over half of the spoils.¡± Upon hearing this, Ivan burst into laughter, ¡°Still joking around at a time like this, you sure you¡¯re not an old wizard?¡± After the jokes, Ivan assigned Richard a combat position¡ªcombat support. The wizard responsible for this position would assist the main attacking wizards, with the main tasks being to clear out enemies that slipped into the blind spots of alchemy weapons¡¯ firing range, as well as transporting ammunition and cooling weapons¡ªall sorts of odd jobs. For student soldiers, this was a very suitable position. Ivan stared intently at Richard¡¯s face, wanting to see the old wizard¡¯s expressive reaction upon finding out he was being assigned to a student soldier¡¯s position. He even discreetly took out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball, ready to record the moment. Unfortunately for him, his plan was thwarted. Richard really was on the battlefield for the first time. Looking at Richard who moved to his post without hesitation, Ivan was somewhat flabbergasted; this was not what he expected at all. Where was the anger? The defeat? Why did he just head to his post so willingly? I swear I was joking! Ivan wanted to stop Richard, but saw him disappear from view in just a few steps. At the same moment, a loud shout from his teammates came through his spiritual network: ¡°Commander! The bugs are attacking again!¡± ¡­ After arriving at his post, Richard smoothly integrated into his role. The position suited him well. This job didn¡¯t require the wizard to have any battlefield experience, it merely needed the wizard to transport Magic Stones like a robot and continuously cool Alchemy Weapons. There were many Alchemy Weapons in a war fortress, with a standard one typically housing six Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons, as well as a one-time strategic Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon. Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon is a generic term for these weapons, and each Academy, each White Wizard Army, might use a different type of Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon. For instance, in the war fortress where Richard was, four of the six installed Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons were the Lavoisier II type Plastic Energy Fireball Magic Stone Cannons, capable of firing thirty fireballs per minute. The power of each fireball, after numerous amplifications, reached an energy level of eight-hundred. The remaining two were the Tesla V Plastic Energy Lightning Magic Stone Cannons, which had a staggering two thousand and five hundred energy level per shot and fired every ten seconds, specializing in single target damage for taking out native powerhouses. However, such great power of Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons came at a price. For every shot of Lavoisier II, five Magic Stones were consumed, and each use of the Tesla V required fifty Magic Stones. Furthermore, these Magic Stone Cannons had to be maintained after use; their core casting components had to be frequently replaced. Otherwise, as the Magic Stone Cannons were used, these parts would wear out, causing an increase in stone consumption, heating, and could even result in a ¡°blown chamber¡± during operation. Yet, even with these downsides, Alchemy Weapons remained an indispensable part of plane wars. Whether it was the main battlefield or these secondary battlefields, Alchemy Weapons gave significant assistance to the White Wizard Army. Richard was responsible for transporting ammunition for two Lavaya Magic Stone Cannons, as well as for cooling during casting, which was not difficult for him. During a lull, Richard let Ulysses out to collect insect carcass remains from the battlefield. ¡°Hey, why did you let your Magic Pet out?¡± a wizard operating a Magic Stone Cannon shouted. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just sending your Magic Pet to its death in this kind of battlefield?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Magic Pet is not ordinary,¡± Richard replied loudly over the hum of the Alchemy Weapons. Ulysses nimble maneuvered between the fireballs, narrowly avoiding them each time, as if taunting the fireballs themselves. Try and hit me if you can! Gliding gracefully through the battlefield, Ulysses soon snatched up an insect from the ground and flew back. Some insects saw him and attempted to attack, but under the firepower of the Alchemy Weapons, those same bugs were blasted to charred remains in the next second. Carrying the corpse, Ulysses successfully returned to the fortress. ¡°Ga, kid, you¡¯re in trouble now,¡± Ulysses communicated with Richard through a spiritual message. Richard¡¯s brow furrowed immediately, and he took the corpse from Ulysses. Upon taking it, his expression changed instantly. ¡°These insects are all fakes; they¡¯re not Level 1 Creatures!¡± Richard¡¯s words instantly drew terrified looks from two nearby wizards who immediately understood the insects¡¯ intentions. They were depleting the war fortress¡¯s ammunition reserves. But even with the knowledge of the insects¡¯ intentions, the firing of the Magic Stone Cannons didn¡¯t pause for a second. It was the insects¡¯ blatant strategy; even if you knew they were exhausting your ammunition, they forced you to continue firing as they wished. If this were on the main battlefield, the insects¡¯ tricks would be pointless. The group spells of the White Wizard Army could annihilate thousands of insects in one go, making the sheer number of lower level insects irrelevant. But currently, they were defending a fortress, and if they were fooled by the insects, allowing a swarm of genuine Level 1 Creatures to infiltrate the fortress, Then these twenty-one wizards would have no option but to flee. Before long, the tide of insects receded, leaving behind a field of carcasses. Yet, not a single wizard felt any joy. ¡°If this keeps up, we won¡¯t last much longer.¡± ¡°` COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Chapter 61: Fortress Siege Battle (Part 2) Chapter 161: Chapter 61: Fortress Siege Battle (Part 2) The War Fortress had a substantial reserve of Magic Stones, but if the insects continued to deplete it in this manner, it wouldn¡¯t last even a week. Moreover, the consumption of ammunition was secondary; if nothing unexpected happened, these insects would nonstop attack the fortress¡ªa relentless, continuous harassment that tested the quality of the Alchemy Weapons as well. Even the best quality couldn¡¯t withstand such high-intensity use continuously. Richard arrived at the Command Room and found Ivan sitting in a corner, smoking one cigarette after another. Tobacco, a rare commodity on the battlefield, existed even in the Otherworld. Ivan was smoking Demonized Tobacco provided by logistics, which made a wizard¡¯s mind more active and better able to find answers to problems. ¡°Thinking about the insect problem?¡± Ivan saw Richard and waved him over to sit beside him. ¡°What else could it be? These insects have become clever; we use Synthetic Beasts as cannon fodder, and they use their little insects in the same way.¡± As he spoke, Ivan stubbed out his cigarette and threw it fiercely to the ground, then turned to Richard and asked, ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± At that moment, he still thought of Richard as an old wizard who liked to appear younger. ¡°Me?¡± Richard pointed at himself, somewhat amused and exasperated. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï ¡°What ideas could I have? You White Wizards should be better at handling front-line battles, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Ivan scratched his head, ¡°True, I¡¯m just grasping at straws. Wait then, I¡¯ve already reported it to headquarters; those logistics wizards should be coming up with something.¡± After hearing this, Richard couldn¡¯t help but slap him on the back, ¡°With logistics wizards helping, what¡¯s there to worry about? The fortress¡¯s Magic Stone reserve isn¡¯t small, enduring a week won¡¯t be a problem. That should be enough time.¡± Ivan said with a wry smile, ¡°You¡¯re really optimistic.¡± As a commander, he had to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Although the fortress¡¯s Magic Stone could last seven days, a Magic Stone Cannon, even with spells aiding its cooling, couldn¡¯t be used for such an extended period continuously. Theoretically, a Magic Stone Cannon needed its casting components replaced and its Magic Conduction path reshaped after six continuous hours of use; otherwise, it became an unpredictable time bomb. Replacing casting components was easy, but reshaping the Magic Conduction path was a technical task. A skilled wizard could manage it in a minute or two, but an average wizard might take an hour or two, or might not even be able to do it. Their squad¡¯s Alchemy Wizards were decent, but their skills in reshaping Magic Conduction paths were hardly worth mentioning. But fortunately, the Magic Conduction path only affected the energy consumption of the Magic Stone Cannon. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t pose a problem, and the quality of the Magic Stone Cannons themselves was very solid. Using them continuously for six hours was just theoretical data. In reality, there were many Magic Stone Cannons that operated for several days without issues. Typically, only White Wizards who could repair Magic Stone Cannons, and commands of the White Wizards, knew this data. Ivan¡¯s mind flashed back to the intelligence Richard had once spoken of. A Great Wizard of the Three Rings had been captured alive by the insects, forcing an entire Insect Nest of Black Wizards into a dormant state. Every Great Wizard of the Three Rings had seen many battles; they were intimately familiar with these Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon data. If he had truly defected, then they¡­ ¡­ Deep within the Insect Nest, a Priest Worm clad in Moon White Silk sat at the far end of the room, surrounded by several Golden Armored Warrior Insects and some Two-Star Priest Worms lined up in two rows. ¡°What¡¯s the situation on the battlefield?¡± the Moon White Priest Worm asked. A Golden Armored Warrior Worm spoke, ¡°Those Wizard Monsters are precisely as the Priest predicted, continuously using those `Alchemy Weapons` that shoot Fireballs to destroy our cannon fodder.¡± When mentioning the Alchemy Weapons, the Golden Armored Warrior Worm spoke awkwardly, because it was a wizard term with no equivalent in Black Crystal Insect language, so they were forced to use a transliteration. ¡°Very well, keep it up,¡± the Moon White Priest Worm issued a joyful chirp. ¡°But sir,¡± a Two-Star Priest Worm stood up and asked, ¡°the cannon fodder is being destroyed quickly. If this rate of attrition continues, I fear we won¡¯t last much longer.¡± The Moon White Priest Worm waved its antennae, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our cannon fodder will run out before their Alchemy Weapons will `melt down`.¡± Melt down was yet another term exclusive to wizards. ¡°Sir, are you sure?¡± a Golden Armored Warrior Worm suddenly spoke up, ¡°Our intelligence efforts on the Wizards have made little progress; we can¡¯t even get close to the Wizards¡¯ main base, that floating city. Even if we tried from underground, the Wizards would detect us. Where did your intelligence come from?¡± This Golden Armored Warrior Worm had once been responsible for infiltrating the Wizards¡¯ territories, but his every strategy had failed under the Wizards¡¯ strict defenses. For this, he had lost many elites among the Black Crystal Insects. The Moon White Priest Insect¡¯s antennae moved, ¡°Are you questioning me, or are you questioning the High Priest?¡± ¡°Not at all, not at all!¡± The Golden Armored Warrior Worm repeatedly said. Priests held a status akin to that of the Nobles in the insect swarm, and with such a heavy accusation placed upon him, he could only prepare to be cannon fodder on the battlefield as atonement. The Moon White Priest Insect glanced at the other insects and noticed although none asked directly, there were many doubts. Seeing this, its brow¡¯s black crystal suddenly emitted a ray of starlight, which dispersed in the air and instantly transformed into a Starlight Barrier. Below the Starlight Barrier, all means of eavesdropping, peering, and even stealing spiritual messages would be blocked. This was a countermeasure developed by the Priest Insects after the Black Wizards had stolen intelligence multiple times. Within the Starlight Barrier, the Moon White Priest Insect slowly said, ¡°The source of the intelligence is not something I deliberately kept secret. In our Insect Nest, there are still many Wizard Monsters lurking; these wizards¡¯ methods are strange and varied. Should they intercept this information, it would surely affect the wizards¡¯ strategy. But now that the war had started, some information could indeed be disclosed.¡± Hearing this, the other insects immediately perked up, ready to listen to what the Priest would say next. ¡°In the operation at the Mother Goddess Temple, we captured many wizards. These wizards are tough, both physically and in spirit, but the High Priest, with the power of the Mother Worm God, extracted lots of information from their souls. Though some of the information is incomplete, it has still provided us with much intelligence. Our current intelligence all comes from here.¡± ¡­ The disturbance from the insect swarm was relentless, although there was no day or night in the Insect Nest World, only eternal darkness. To handle the insect swarm¡¯s harassment, White Wizards were split into two groups alternating in controlling the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons. Although operating the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons didn¡¯t require the wizards to arrange the spells themselves, they still needed to use spiritual power to guide the trajectory of the spells, and such intense guidance would fatigue the wizards. Rotating between the two sets of wizards could just maintain the firepower of the war fortress. During this period, Richard also attempted to have Ulysses slaughter the insect swarm. The first time this was very effective; the insects, none exceeding the first level, had no resistance against Ulysses¡¯s flames and were all burned to ashes. However, when Richard tried to repeat the tactic, the insects had a countermeasure. Seven to eight Second Level Priest Insects hid among the swarm, casting the Starlight Seal almost simultaneously on Ulysses, and at the same time, dozens of Second Level Warrior Worms also launched an attack on Ulysses. The ground battlefield was not like the narrow environment of the Underground Insect Nest where the insects¡¯ movement was extremely limited, and Ulysses could easily kill Second Level insects. But on the ground battlefield, especially in such a vast plain, these insects had enough room to dodge and had so many companions. Such a level of attack, if not for Ulysses being a World Master, even a third-level creature would have perished on the spot. ¡°Gah, I didn¡¯t feel these insects were something significant when I was with the main force, but now that I¡¯m alone, these insects are indeed remarkable,¡± Ulysses said, a bit defiantly, after escaping. Although he was chased quite miserably by the insects, he certainly had to maintain an aloof attitude in his speech. Richard glanced at him, ¡°Alright, being chased by a bunch of insects to the point of almost having to use the Power of Faith, you wouldn¡¯t have been so embarrassingly defeated if you were a bit more careful.¡± Besides the insect¡¯s countermeasure, Ulysses¡¯s own arrogance after acquiring a Second Level body also contributed significantly to his defeat. Arriving in the Command Room, Ivan was currently sitting on a chair, his eyes intently fixed on the Crystal Ball on the table in front of him. This Crystal Ball was his Communication Crystal Ball, which lit up whenever there was a message from the command headquarters. ¡°Has the headquarters not sent any messages yet?¡± Richard asked as he approached Ivan. Ivan pointed at the Crystal Ball, his expression very calm, but his tone was like that of a cancer patient who knew he wasn¡¯t going to live long. ¡°As you see, this Crystal Ball hasn¡¯t lit up for three days. If it doesn¡¯t light up in another three days, we¡¯ll have to abandon the fortress and prepare to run.¡± Abandoning the fortress was their last recourse as wizards. At the moment, the command headquarters hadn¡¯t issued a command to hold the fortress at all costs. In the face of irresistible forces, retreating was also a viable option. But once they abandoned it, the command headquarters would have to breach the Great Wall forged from the War Fortresses in the Third War Zone first. This could potentially lead to a chain reaction and cause the entire line of defense to collapse. ¡°Don¡¯t mess it up, okay?¡± Richard approached and took the Crystal Ball into his hands, ¡°Didn¡¯t you smash this thing on the floor yesterday in a fit?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ivan looked somewhat embarrassed; the stress of the war had made him quite irritable. Yesterday, seeing the Crystal Ball still unlit, he had angrily smashed it on the floor. But immediately after smashing it, he regretted it and picked it up, cherishing it like a treasure. To be arrogant initially but submissive afterward was truly laughable. The material of the Communication Crystal Ball was of high quality; even after Ivan had smashed it, not a scratch appeared. Richard used a universal repair technique to tap it twice, but the Crystal Ball remained unresponsive. ¡°What kind of testing method is that?¡± Ivan scoffed. Alchemy Wizards used Magic Equipment Probes to check magic equipment, not random tapping like Richard did. But just after he finished speaking, the Crystal Ball in Richard¡¯s hand suddenly lit up. ¡°Holy shit, masterful work, Master!¡± Ivan exclaimed in shock. Indeed, as a wizard long seasoned in battlefields, even a casual tap contained mysteries that a newcomer like him could not comprehend. The Crystal Ball then transmitted instructions from the command headquarters. ¡°The supply convoy will arrive in twelve hours, and the internal Curse Virus should handle the insect cannon fodder.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Paragraph copied Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Chapter 62: Fortress Siege Battle (Part 3) Chapter 162: Chapter 62: Fortress Siege Battle (Part 3) ¡°Curse Virus?¡± Richard found the combination of these two seemingly unrelated words absurd yet sensible as he listened. ¡°Curse Virus, it really is this thing.¡± Unlike Richard¡¯s confusion, Ivan was quite familiar with this item, obviously having used it before. ¡°Ivan, what the heck is a ¡®Curse Virus¡¯? A virus with a curse?¡± Richard asked curiously. Ivan glanced at him, ¡°Still pretending? How could you not know about Curse Virus? It¡¯s a brilliant creation concocted by your Alchemy School and Curse School, merging curses and viruses together, endowing deadly viruses with the spreadability of curses and making them untreatable by conventional means. A strategic weapon specifically for creatures below Level 1.¡± As is commonly known, deadly viruses, due to their lethal nature, tend to have a very limited range of spread, confined to a specific area. However, once combined with curses, everything changes. Within Curse Magic, there is a branch known as Curse Plague. Curse Plague typically has lower lethality but can spread through various, unexpected mediums. Like the curses in the books at the Black Tower Wizard Academy¡ªit¡¯s a type of Curse Plague. Just by opening a book, a student could be afflicted by the curse. However, if left unopened, the curse would be ineffective. Wizards combined the deadly virus and Curse Plague, resulting in the current Curse Virus. Upon hearing this, Richard pinched the bridge of his nose. The creativity of wizards in certain aspects was truly chilling. ¡°With such an effective thing, why not make it stronger and target Level 1 creatures?¡± Richard offhandedly asked. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï ¡°Hm?¡± Ivan looked at Richard in surprise, ¡°Do you really not know about the Curse Virus?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°The lethality of the Curse Virus lies in the virus, not the curse. For Level 1 creatures, these viruses are completely ineffective. Using the knowledge of your Alchemy School, it seems that the cells are too strong, preventing the viruses from invading.¡± ¡°Moreover,¡± Ivan added, ¡°even if there was a virus that could kill Level 1 creatures, command wouldn¡¯t use it. Those Level 1 creatures are prime war trophies, prime slaves¡ªit would be such a waste if all of those creatures died from disease. We are using Curse Virus this time only because the battle situation is dire, and there is no other choice. After all, those little insects are valuable too.¡± After listening to Ivan, Richard suddenly shivered. Ivan¡¯s words carried a cold logic. Great Wizards didn¡¯t care about the losses of wizards, only about whether these losses could yield the expected value. ¡­ Twelve hours later, an Alchemy Machine driven by a logistics wizard arrived at War Fortress 352, bringing not only the much-needed Curse Virus but also ten thousand Magic Stones, Alchemy Potions for maintenance of the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons, coolant needed for the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons, and other various spare metal parts. After delivering the items, the logistics wizard drove the Alchemy Machine back to the Floating City Fortress. It seemed that the current war situation was still stable, so these logistics wizards weren¡¯t needed on the battlefield yet. The Curse Virus was designed to look like arrows; ten feathers with Black Crystal arrowheads neatly placed in a box. Ivan went to the observation port of the fortress, then picked up a feathered arrow and pretended to draw a bowstring. The next moment, a line of silk spread from Ivan¡¯s hand, these magic fibers spreading in the air, eventually forming a giant Magic Bow. Ivan released his hand, and the virus feathered arrow shot into the swarm of insects like a meteor, hitting a retreating insect precisely. Ivan clapped his hands and turned away from the observation port. ¡°No need to worry about the rest, those little insects are as good as dead.¡± Six hours after firing the virus arrow, inside the insect nest. ¡°What¡¯s going on! Why are all our little insects sick!¡± A priest insect wearing moon white silk pointed angrily at the small insect in front of him. These cannon fodder insects looked exactly like the warrior insects. Right now, the insect in front of the priest insect was continuously convulsing, and green mucus was coughed up from its mouthparts. If it wasn¡¯t for the priest insect forcibly stabilizing its life, this cannon fodder insect would have probably returned to the Mother Worm God long ago. The other priest insect and Golden Armored Warrior Insect remained silent. This wasn¡¯t an isolated incident. They had seen similar cases along the entire battle line today. The best-performing squad had lost nearly half of their cannon fodder insects, and in some of the worse squads, the cannon fodder insects were even wiped out entirely. ¡°Priest, this is some kind of disease.¡± One priest insect spoke up, ¡°Those wizard monsters used evil methods to modify this disease, allowing it to spread through means we can¡¯t detect. In fact, we have also contracted this disease. It¡¯s just that our physiques are much stronger than these little insects, so the disease doesn¡¯t manifest in us.¡± ¡°How do we solve this!¡± the moon white priest insect demanded loudly, ¡°I need a solution now!¡± Another priest insect stepped forward and said, ¡°My lord, water blessed by the Mother Worm God can temporarily treat this disease. But those wizard monsters will keep using this method, and our holy water can¡¯t keep up with the speed at which the insects are getting infected.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t keep up with the speed?¡± The tentacles of the moon white priest insect fiercely whipped through the air like a crack of a whip, then he harshly said, ¡°If we can¡¯t keep up, then we start the attack! Use up all the holy water, send all the cannon fodder insects to the battlefield! All warrior insects and priest insects, follow up! If we miss this opportunity, the cost of breaching this defense line will multiply!¡± The cannon fodder worm took a gulp and instantly felt vigorous, and the disease vanished without a trace before the holy water, just like snow disappearing under the sunlight. The healed cannon fodder worm knelt on the ground, loudly praising the mighty power of the Mother Worm God. As another drop of holy water entered the mouth of the cannon fodder worm, a low humming sound suddenly emanated from the insect nest. This hum was very deep, yet it excited all the insects. This was the signal for a counterattack. The day of the counterattack had come, and they would reclaim their land, reclaim their world! ¡­ ¡°Damn it, why does this attack seem endless!¡± a White Wizard cursed angrily. The swarm¡¯s harassment was usually intermittent, with a few minutes of rest between two invasions. But this time was different, this attack had lasted nearly three hours, and the insects still surged towards the fortress like a tide. They were like heartless cruel machines, continuously depleting the war fortress¡¯s ammunition with their flesh. Richard stood among the Magic Stone Cannons, constantly using spells to aid in cooling the Magic Stone Cannons. This attack felt very wrong to him; he had a premonition that this might be the insects¡¯ total offensive. Suddenly, a cry of alarm rang out. ¡°There are Level 1 insects here! No, wait, those are Level 2 insects!¡± Richard quickly moved to an Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon and looked out at the situation. He saw a Warrior Worm maneuvering through the swarm, skillfully avoiding the range of the fireballs, and rapidly advancing towards the war fortress. And this was not an isolated case. One after another, Warrior Worms emerged from the cannon fodder worms, nimbly evading the Magic Stone Cannon¡¯s fireballs. Although not every fireball was dodged, there was no doubt that their arrival caused the fire power of the Magic Stone Cannons to be hastily skewed. More indistinguishable insects took this opportunity to get close to the war fortress. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them!¡± Richard shouted, ¡°Other wizards will handle those insects. You just make sure the Magic Stone Cannons operate at their maximum effectiveness!¡± At the same time, the two Tesla V Magic Stone Cannons finally began roaring. Boom! A bolt of thunder shot out from the Magic Stone Cannon, like the heavenly thunder that punishes demons in legends, splitting one of the insects into charred remains. But the Tesla V Magic Stone Cannons charged too slowly, their hunting speed was far surpassed by the speed of the insects approaching. ¡°Ulysses, you deal with those few insects outside.¡± After speaking, a dark shadow flew out from the war fortress, streaking past a Warrior Worm like lightning. The next instant, the Warrior Worm froze in place, a crack appearing at the center of its black crystal forehead, then spreading until the entire black crystal shattered into pieces. ¡°Ha, insects! Dare to ambush the great Ulysses again!¡± Ulysses taunted arrogantly in midair. With Ulysses¡¯ help, the situation temporarily stabilized. But not a single wizard inside the fortress felt relief. Everyone was aware that the insects¡¯ total offensive had arrived. Soon, different kind of insects began appearing at the tail end of the insect tide. These insects looked broad and flat, resembling platforms, and Richard felt they seemed familiar. Aren¡¯t these the transport worms from the insect nest? Just a bit larger. Why were these logistical insects sent onto the battlefield? But the next moment, Richard¡¯s expression turned fascinating. He saw small Mother Goddess Cannons being carried onto large transport worms by the insects. These devices, originally designed for defense, were now being used as weapons of attack. ¡°Energy Shield defense!¡± a White Wizard roared in the mental network. The next moment, hundreds of arc acid liquid balls flew towards the war fortress. In the command room, Ivan stood at the center of the room, a Magic Array appearing beneath his feet. He closed his eyes, his mind entering a vast system guided by the Magic Array. The war fortress suddenly trembled; the entire fortress of sleeping steel and concrete came to life. Every corner of the fortress could feel subtle Magic Fluctuations. ¡°What the hell is going on!¡± Richard was bewildered by the fortress¡¯s transformation. He felt like he had grown quite familiar with this group of White Wizards, but how was it that he was unaware of such an impressive capability of the fortress? As the arc acid liquid balls drew closer, mysterious Runes emerged on the surface of the fortress, connected by magic to form various shapes of Magic Arrays. These arrays interlinked, eventually forming a Magic Barrier that covered the entire fortress. How could the White Wizards¡¯ war fortress just be a blank slab? The wizards had long integrated Magic Arrays into the structure. The arc acid liquid balls continuously collided with the Magic Barrier, stirring waves, but the war fortress remained undamaged. This barrier integrated a thousand years of architecture and alchemy experience from the White Wizards¡¯ elder brothers in civil engineering! Insects, what could you possibly shatter! The next moment, a massive creature emerged from the insect nest. Richard muttered, ¡°Damn, these insects are defying the heavens.¡± At the end of the battlefield, a mutated transport worm, resembling a small mountain, slowly entered the battlefield. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left Chapter 163 - 163: 63 chapters How can you fight well with these insects Chapter 163: 63 chapters How can you fight well with these insects ¡°What the hell is that thing!¡± Ivan roared across the psychic network. In the distance, a giant mutated transport worm was slowly approaching the War Fortress, each step it took hammering at the wizards¡¯ hearts like a mallet. Richard could even vaguely feel within the War Fortress that with every step the colossal creature took, the fortress beneath his feet shook. This worm bore some resemblance to those from the insect nest, but its size was unimaginably larger¡ªit made the over twenty-meter-high War Fortress look only slightly taller by comparison. It was covered in a thick carapace, with a huge single horn on its head, resembling a rhinoceros beetle. ¡°Ulysses, is there a way you can handle this giant?¡± Richard communicated with Ulysses through a spiritual message. ¡°Ha, if it were just this big worm, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Each of you wizards could tackle it alone, it¡¯s just a live target. But now, this worm is being used as a war machine, surrounded by more insects; you can¡¯t just break through the swarm to kill it, and neither can I¡ªat least not without using the Power of Faith.¡± Compared to the panic of the wizards, Ulysses was incredibly calm upon seeing the worm, not surprised at the sight of such a War Giant Beast. He even seemed curious why it took so long for one to appear since he had seen many such creatures before. ¡°That¡¯s going to be problematic,¡± Richard said, rubbing his forehead with a headache. ¡°If we can¡¯t take down this worm, this fortress definitely won¡¯t hold.¡± The singular horn of the War Giant Worm was certainly not just for show; if it managed to get close, even if the fortress¡¯s Magic Array was strong, it would be pierced through by that horn. ¡°Ha, then don¡¯t defend it,¡± Ulysses said indifferently. ¡°There¡¯s definitely more than one of these War Giant Beasts prepared. In front of such creatures, if you can hold out even a moment longer, that would be brave. Normally, upon seeing this type of War Giant Beast, you should be fleeing immediately.¡± There was no denying that Ulysses¡¯s words were spot on. After pondering for a moment, Richard immediately went to the Command Room, trying to persuade Ivan to retreat. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.?¦Ï Given the current situation, if they didn¡¯t retreat, they were done for. But just as he entered the Command Room, he saw Ivan with a grim face staring at the Crystal Ball, then he calmly replied as he received an order. Then the light of the Crystal Ball faded, and Ivan grabbed the Crystal Ball and furiously smashed it onto the ground. ¡°Damn it, the bunch of old fools at the headquarters are asking us to hold out for six more hours, waiting for support from the War Airships!¡± ¡°What the hell!¡± Richard raised his voice sharply, ¡°Six hours! In six hours that worm will practically be knocking on our door!¡± Ivan, feeling somewhat powerless, slumped into a nearby chair, took a cigarette out of his pocket with trembling hands, and put it in his mouth. ¡°We¡¯re goddamn too late to retreat, the neighboring fortress retreated three hours ago. The headquarters issued us a strict order to prevent the defense line from breaking. Not a second less than six hours!¡± ¡°My god! Ha!¡± Richard was even laughed out in anger, their dedication turning into a death sentence. ¡°Did the neighboring fortress encounter a War Giant Beast too?¡± Ivan shook his head weakly: ¡°No, the commander of that fortress is some old geezer¡¯s grandson from our Third Battle Zone Command Center. That kid has always been scared, probably saw the insects preparing for a major assault and just ran off.¡± ¡°Third Battle Zone Command Center?¡± Richard noticed this particular term, ¡°Aren¡¯t we being directed by the main headquarters?¡± Ivan grimaced, ¡°The headquarters is so busy directing the First Battle Zone and those damn twenty million Insect Nest¡¯s pieces opening, how can they care about us in these secondary battlefields? We¡¯re currently commanded by the Third Battle Zone secondary command center formed by some higher-ups in the White Wizard Army I¡¯m in. These old guys issuing such fatal orders probably means the shitstorm caused by the neighbor is too big, we must hold our ground. Otherwise, the entire front will collapse like a rolling snowball.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Richard cursed, ¡°This damn thing! He runs away without fear of facing a military tribunal?¡± ¡°Military tribunal?¡± Ivan inhaled deeply from his cigarette, ¡°His timing was perfect, if we survive this, then he hasn¡¯t made too significant a mistake, a minor punishment would suffice. If we don¡¯t hold out, this mistake can be blamed on us, since we didn¡¯t hold until the time the headquarters demanded. The kid has a powerful grandfather, unless headquarters pursues it, the kid will probably get off scot-free.¡± Then Ivan exhaled the smoke from his lungs: ¡°But headquarters receives information provided by these old guys, unless we go reporting in person, no one will know the truth. Even if we do go, which big shot would stand up for us little guys?¡± ¡°White Wizard Army, the old guy you mentioned, can he cover the sky with one hand?¡± Richard suddenly asked. ¡°Cover the sky with one hand?¡± Ivan said with a hint of mockery, ¡°If that old guy could cover the sky, the Army would be doomed. That old guy just lives long, has a high rank, and still, the high-levels of the army give him a little face.¡± ¡°Then there is a way!¡± The words had barely left Ivan when Richard with a fierce expression spat out a statement. ¡°As long as we are alive, there will be big shots who will stand up for us! My mentor is the head of the War Beast Department, my girlfriend is the granddaughter of the Black Tower Great Wizard, and her mentor, Susanna, is currently a member of the headquarters! And the Black Tower Great Wizard remembers me! As long as we are alive, someone at the headquarters will definitely stand up for us!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Ivan looked dumbfounded at the Black Wizard in front of him, his mouth involuntarily falling open. He hadn¡¯t expected that this Black Wizard, who he had spent days shooting the breeze with, had such connections. Dude, with such badass connections, why are you stuck with me, a frontline grunt? ¡°Ivan, you¡¯re not kidding, right?¡± Ivan stumbled over his words, but seeing Richard¡¯s serious face, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡°Damn, bro, you¡¯re serious!¡± Ivan felt like he was hallucinating from smoking, having such a badass figure right by his side. But after the joy, Ivan¡¯s face fell again. ¡°But bro, your powerful background is only useful if we hold the line. If we die, that old guy at the headquarters will definitely pin everything on us. Dead men tell no tales. But if we retreat now, that old guy can still pin it on us, disobeying orders is a serious accusation.¡± Richard took a deep breath, pushing his inner rage to the bottom of his heart. What could be more disgusting than being led by insects? That would be encountering insect leadership on the battlefield! Richard spoke with determination, ¡°Ivan, we still have a chance! This giant worm is clearly newly created, and it must have various imperfections. As long as this worm encounters a problem, if we can hold off these smaller insects, we might win!¡± After speaking, Richard turned and left the Command Room. ¡°Ga, do you want me to use the Power of Faith?¡± Ulysses, who had been perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder, suddenly spoke up. Richard responded firmly, ¡°I can¡¯t swallow this anger until that scoundrel is brought before a military court.¡± ¡°Ga, alright. But we have limited Power of Faith at our disposal. I¡¯ll immobilize the giant worm, and we¡¯ll have to deal with the swarm of smaller insects ourselves.¡± Richard nodded, then took out two golden crystals from his pocket. ¡°Do it discreetly, make it look like the worm is malfunctioning.¡± ¡°Ga, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure these little guys won¡¯t notice a thing.¡± ¡­ Ulysses¡¯s use of the Power of Faith wasn¡¯t as radiant as the Mother Worm God¡¯s. After receiving the Power of Faith, his body didn¡¯t change much, but to Richard, who knew him well, Ulysses now seemed unfathomably deep. Ulysses flapped his wings, soaring towards the giant worm like lightning. During the flight, Ulysses became almost invisible, and neither the insects nor the wizards on the battlefield noticed a crow approaching the War Giant Worm. Ulysses landed gracefully on the giant worm, undetected. He looked down at the giant worm beneath him and muttered, ¡°Ga, what should I use? Divine Speech Skill, I suppose.¡± After speaking, Ulysses simply said to the giant worm, ¡°Stop.¡± The next moment, the ever-advancing giant worm indeed came to halt, standing completely still. ¡°Ga, I¡¯m a bit rusty,¡± Ulysses said, somewhat unsatisfied. Soon the insects realized that their War Giant Worm had suddenly stopped moving, immobile as a rock no matter how much they tried to drive it forward. Seeing the giant worm stand still, a certainty filled Richard¡¯s heart. As long as the giant worm didn¡¯t come any closer, the War Fortress could still hold out. Boom! Spells roared across the battlefield, with fireballs and thunder continuously exploding. Although the brief halt of the War Giant Worm had momentarily slowed the insects¡¯ momentum, it had not stopped the swarm. Like a tide, the sea of insects surged towards the War Fortress. At that moment, all the White Wizards in the War Fortress wore fierce expressions, their hearts filled with rage due to the Command Center¡¯s actions. But they had no outlet for their fury, and they directed all their anger toward the insect swarm. Richard stood at a firing port, his Magic Wand moving so fast it nearly left afterimages. ¡°Cool it down! Richard!¡± shouted a White Wizard manning a Magic Stone Cannon. The Magic Stone Cannon in front of him was now emitting an alarmingly high temperature. If the Magic Conduction circuit wasn¡¯t reformed soon, its temperature would reach a critical melting point within ten seconds. Richard pointed with his left hand, and a stream of cold air drifted towards the Magic Stone Cannon. At the same time, his right hand swung the Magic Wand, hurling a fireball that pushed an approaching insect to one side, followed by a pale blue metal fist smashing the insect¡¯s head. As the insect swarm now neared the fortress, the wizards not controlling the Magic Stone Cannons had to start clearing the approaching insects. Ulysses and the Alchemy Golem were also part of the clearing team. However, with only ten minutes left until the six-hour mark, they could retreat after another ten minutes. Suddenly, Richard noticed the expressions of the White Wizards around him change; they looked as if they wanted their rage to shoot right out of their eyes. Richard quickly went to the Command Room and found Ivan continuously cursing. ¡°The Command has ordered us to hold out for three more hours!¡± Ivan roared. Hearing this, Richard felt a surge of anger rush to his head. Three more hours? They were deliberately trying to kill them! ¡°No way, if we stay for three more hours, we¡¯re finished!¡± Richard declared resolutely. ¡°Take everyone and retreat; staying any longer means certain death.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Ivan laughed bitterly. ¡°Richard, you go ahead. You¡¯ll survive if you retreat; we won¡¯t. You have someone to protect you, but if we retreat, it¡¯s insubordination. Even if it escalates to the general Command, we¡¯ll lose. There are always suicide missions on the battlefield; if we don¡¯t hold our ground, not only will we die, our properties will be confiscated by the army, and our students will also bear an indelible stigma.¡± Ivan stood up, placing a Communication Crystal Ball in Richard¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°This includes all the information about this battle. If possible, spread this. If not, then forget it.¡± Ivan¡¯s eyes were resolute, as he was already resigned to his fate. Holding the crystal ball, it felt heavier to Richard than even a Pure Gold Divine Statue. He was about to say something else when Ivan shook his head gently. Richard pocketed the crystal ball, nodding fiercely. ¡°Rest assured, I will¡­¡± Richard hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he suddenly heard a voice coming from his own Communication Crystal Ball. The voice was very familiar¡ªit was Ali¡¯s teacher, Susanna¡¯s voice. ¡°All wizards in the Third Battle Zone, pay attention. All wizards in the Third Battle Zone, both Black and White, retreat to the Floating City. All wizards, both Black and White, retreat to the Floating City!¡± COMMENT Chapter 164 03-25 - 64: Has Our Army Been Defeated? Chapter 164: Chapter 64: Has Our Army Been Defeated? Upon hearing the message from the high command, the faces of the two people caught up in the emotional moment stiffened suddenly. ¡°Uh¡­ this¡­¡± Richard turned his head away, ¡°I¡¯ll go retrieve my Alchemy Golem. You take charge and organize the others.¡± With that said, Richard left the Command Room as if fleeing. How awkward it was to have that whisper of romance cut off midway. Stepping outside the War Fortress, Richard opened the Secret Realm to let the Magic Statue enter, then called Ulysses to prepare for retreat. ¡°Ga, we¡¯re finally retreating. If we waited any longer, that giant worm would have been ready to move.¡± ... Hearing this, Richard glanced at the distant War Giant Worm, a foreboding feeling flashing through his mind. ¡°High command is ordering a retreat back to the Floating City¡­ could it be that our forces have been defeated?¡± After the retreat message, the White Wizards within the Fortress acted with astonishing agility. The colossal Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons were swiftly disassembled into several large pieces by two people within ten seconds, and all of it was stored in Magic Pockets. These Magic Stone Cannons were not cheap; if left on the battlefield, their entire team would owe the Wizard Army a hefty sum of Magic Stones. Without the firepower of the Magic Stone Cannons, the Insect Tide was rapidly advancing towards the War Fortress. But they were fast, and the Wizards were faster. Within a minute of receiving the retreat message, all of the War Fortress¡¯s supplies had been packed up, the speed of which was breathtaking. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Protected by Ulysses and Richard, the White Wizards gathered behind the War Fortress, forming a wedge-shaped formation. Richard swung his Magic Wand and killed an approaching insect, then joined the ranks of the White Wizard team. Ivan pulled him to his side and then issued an order. ¡°All units prepare¡ªnow execute Plan Number Four for a strategic shift.¡± Upon those words, Richard felt a lightness in his body, as if weightless. Ivan laughed heartily at Richard, ¡°Brother Richard, today I¡¯ll show you the skills of our White Wizards!¡± After he said that, Richard felt the scene before him change rapidly, as the entire White Wizard team skimmed through the dark clouds like seagulls, heading toward the Floating City. Behind them, the swarm chased them like dark clouds, but the distance grew increasingly wider. A Warrior Worm, watching the distant team of Wizards, cursed loudly, ¡°Damn it¡¯s freakish, these Wizards are hard enough to fight, but they¡¯re even faster when fleeing!¡± ¡­ Arriving at the Floating City Fortress, the place seemed to have become a hedgehog at this moment, with the White Wizard Army that retreated from the frontlines now urgently constructing defensive fortifications based on the residential circle around the Fortress. Various Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons were installed and ready to be deployed into combat. Upon reaching the Floating City, Richard and his team were immediately located by logistics Wizards and prepared to be assigned tasks. The logistics Wizard approached the team, holding a Crystal Ball in hand. ¡°Squad number?¡± ¡°White Wizard Squad No. 352 of the Third Battle Zone reporting for duty!¡± ¡°The Third Battle Zone?¡± The logistics Wizard looked at the lineup of Richard¡¯s team with a hint of surprise, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Third Battle Zone riddled with holes by the insects? Your squad looks pretty intact.¡± ¡°Riddled with holes?¡± Richard reacted in astonishment, ¡°Is the situation in the Third Battle Zone that bad?¡± The logistics Wizard nodded: ¡°It seems you¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t encounter those giant worms. Several large worms appeared in the Third War Zone, and our fortress defenses couldn¡¯t hold them. The Third Battle Zone Command Center had intended to deal with these with War Airships, but the numbers were too high, and they couldn¡¯t be dealt with. I heard that to prevent the front from collapsing too quickly, many fortresses were sacrificed and left on the battlefield.¡± Hearing this, all members of the White Wizard squad clenched their fists. They were among those abandoned pieces. Ivan said nothing else, gestured for silence to his teammates, and then followed the logistics Wizard to the task site. ¡°This is the place.¡± The logistics Wizard pointed to a few houses in the residential district, ¡°Set up your Magic Stone Cannons for defense here, then assign a few people to pick up supplies to transform these houses into fortresses. As for this Black Wizard¡­¡± He glanced at Richard, then tapped the Crystal Ball a few times: ¡°You don¡¯t have a task at the moment, you¡¯re under the unified command of the headquarters. For now, find a place to rest.¡± After the logistics Wizard left, Richard said goodbye to Ivan and the others. As a Black Wizard, he could not be much help in constructing defenses. Passing through the bustling residential district, Richard found an area where the Black Wizards were congregating in the Floating City Fortress. Black Wizards from the frontlines were gathering in small groups, exchanging information with each other. After looking around, Richard unexpectedly found two figures who shouldn¡¯t have been there. ¡°Ali, Lawrence!¡± Richard approached with some surprise. Seeing Richard, they both showed happy expressions. ¡°Richard, you¡¯re back!¡± Ali ran to Richard¡¯s side and gave him a tight hug. Releasing the embrace, Richard asked with some perplexity, ¡°You all were in hibernation, weren¡¯t you? How did you come up from underground?¡± At this moment, Lawrence walked up to Richard and fist-bumped him. ¡°We were, but don¡¯t forget, before the war began, the main force of these bugs was called away. Under such circumstances, we hibernating wizards naturally started to take action. Among the hibernating wizards, there was a Three Rings Master who led us out of the Insect Nest.¡± Although Lawrence spoke lightly, Richard, who had experienced both a breakout from the Insect Nest and the battlefield, knew the risks embedded in those few words were enough to take the life of an average wizard ten times over. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good to be alive,¡± Richard smiled. After a bit more small talk, Richard steered the conversation toward the situation on the battlefield. ¡°According to the intelligence we have at the moment, our situation doesn¡¯t look very optimistic,¡± Lawrence whispered, ¡°I heard that in the First Battle Zone our main forces fought against nearly twenty million bugs, piling their corpses so high they could form mountains. We¡¯ve also suffered not insignificant losses here, with more than a dozen War Airships destroyed.¡± Richard was taken aback as he heard this. The destruction of over a dozen War Airships meant not just the airships were damaged. Each War Airship was protected by a White Wizard Army detachment, so the loss of these airships indicated that the White Wizard Army had been seriously hit as well. ¡°So now, returning to the Floating City, are we planning to¡­¡± Richard¡¯s gaze flickered as he spoke; Lawrence saw it and simply shook his head lightly. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like that. The ground battlefield is merely a part of the Plane War. What truly decides the direction of the war¡­¡± Lawrence pointed upwards, ¡°is the Great Wizard and the World Master of the worms. As long as the Black Tower Great Wizard wins, it¡¯s no problem if the battle situation is temporarily adverse. But¡­¡± Lawrence sighed and did not continue, but the meaning of his words was crystal clear to everyone. If they lost, they¡¯d have to beat a disgraced retreat. ¡­ On the fifth day of withdrawal from the front line, the first batch of troops from the First Battle Zone pulled back. Those wizards, whether Black or White, each emitted a thick murderous aura, looking as if they could devour others alive just through eye contact. This batch of wizards was escorting a large number of wizard casualties, each of them barely hanging on to life and all severely wounded with no combat capacity left. Among the escorting wizards, a considerable part were also bearing injuries, some with organs exposed, their hearts thumping viscerally, a chilling sight to behold. By then, the project to remodel the residential area was already halfway done. After this group of wizards withdrew, the project¡¯s progress rapidly accelerated. On the eighth day, the second batch of troops pulled back, and they were all Black Wizards. After withdrawing, they brought both bad and good news to the wizards of the Floating City. The bad news: the battle situation was collapsing. The good news: the Mother Worm God had intervened. Although the intervention of the Mother Worm God caused the battle situation to collapse, it also indicated one thing ¡ª the insects also could no longer endure the enormous casualties. While the wizards had paid such a heavy price, the insects had to bear losses ten times, twenty times more grievous. On the tenth day, the last batch of troops from the First Battle Zone withdrew. Behind them, an ocean of insects spread out like a vast sea. Above the tide of insects, a hundreds of meters long golden War Giant Worm moved slowly, its body radiating Holy Light. The insects bathed in the Holy Light were all vigorous, and their wounds quickly regenerated. And behind the retreating wizards, a huge robed wizard sheltered them. The robed wizard held a giant Rune Wand, and with every swing, he would summon apocalyptic spells. A massive Rune Array materialized in the Void, from which Molten Lava Meteors shot out like a meteor shower. After the meteors came Thunder. Colossal bolts of lightning that streaked across the sky turned the perpetual night of the Insect Nest World almost into daylight. But every one of these was blocked by the giant golden insect. The Black Crystal on the forehead of the golden insect attracted the starlight from the entire world; with the help of the World Origin, the whole world was aiding the Mother Worm God. The dense starlight almost turned substantial, forming a curtain of light that intercepted those world-ending spells. At this moment, heaven, earth, and man were all in the hands of the Mother Worm God. As the Communication Crystal Ball lit up, all wizards within the Floating City Fortress received their commands. ¡°Hold the Floating City Fortress, no retreat permitted.¡± Aside from this overarching command, each wizard also received their specific instructions: the White Wizards were ordered to defend the completed fortifications, while the Black Wizards were to prepare to hunt down insects that breached the fortress. After all, the residential area was not a true fortress. Despite being reconstructed by the White Wizards, there must be many gaps. And it was the Black Wizards who were to fill these gaps. Whoosh¡ªBoom! As a Fireball exploded at the edge of the insect tide, the decisive battle officially began. COMMENT 0 comment Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 165 03-25 - 65: The Bloody War Chapter 165: Chapter 65: The Bloody War Explosions, roars, screams, prayers¡­ The various sounds on the battlefield mixed together, making one feel as though they were in hell. White Wizards¡¯ Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons fired fireballs at a rate of thirty rounds per minute¡ªa number that might seem trivial, but when tens of thousands of these cannons roared in unison, the fireballs turned into an apocalyptic rain of fire. Tens of thousands of fireballs rained down on the Insect Tide like droplets, and the Wizards didn¡¯t even need to aim; every fireball took its toll. Following commands, the White Wizards had every four Magic Stone Cannons blockade an area, with concentrated fire attempting to intercept all insects. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But for every insect killed by a fireball, two more would take its place, and if those two were killed, even more would step up. ... The Wizards¡¯ Magic Stones were being consumed every moment, but the swarm was endless. Moreover, the swarm wasn¡¯t without strategic weapons. The Transport Worms carried miniature Mother Goddess Robes that continuously spewed deadly arc acid liquid balls. Though individually insignificant, when their numbers reached the thousands, even Three Rings Wizards had to evade their sharpness. ¡°Activate the Magic Barrier!¡± one White Wizard after another roared in the psychic network. When constructing residential areas, the White Wizards had considered the possibility of converting them into fortresses, so a complete Magic Array foundation was built beneath each dwelling. When the time came to transform them into fortresses, these foundations required only minor modifications to provide the houses with some of the essential features of a fortress. For instance, strategic level Magic Barriers. Barrier after barrier lit up on the housings, with arc acid liquid balls striking and creating ripples upon impact. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Though these Magic Barriers were not as exquisitely crafted as those of a War Fortress, they were the only choice for the White Wizards at the moment. The ground battlefield was temporarily stable, and battles in the skies had become even more intense. The last batch of Wizards to withdraw wasn¡¯t only composed of Wizards; War Airships also retreated with them. The severely damaged airships landed for repairs, while those with minor damage continued to fight. The decrease in airships did not mean the Wizards¡¯ firepower was reduced. Countless Alchemy Weapons in the Floating City Fortress were activated. Controlled by the logistic Wizards, these Alchemy Weapons unleashed deadly anti-aircraft fire that tore the Moth Army to pieces. The White Wizards held firm on the defense line, with the defaced Guardian Wizards at the forefront, sustaining the Magic Barrier with stern expressions. Since their Apprentice days, they had studied Magic Barriers extensively, and after years of research, their ability to withstand was far beyond that of an average Wizard. They were the steadfast support for the rear-line Shaping Wizards; whether faced with insects or arc acid liquid balls, even if the attack was lethal or the liquid balls could melt their bodies, they would not shrink back. One fell, another took their place; as long as there were reserves, their defense line would never collapse! Above this aerial battlefield, there was yet another battle. Two colossal beings were locked in a devastating battle. The massive Mother Worm God hovered calmly in the sky, its Holy Light constantly augmenting the swarm of insects, with a barrier of light in front of It, blocking all the Great Wizard¡¯s Spells. It was not in a hurry to confront the Black Tower Great Wizard. After the last battle, It had come to understand that in terms of combat experience, It, who had only fought with giant mushrooms, was far inferior to the Black Robed Wizard before It. Thus, It chose another mode of combat¡ªunchanging in the face of variability. The Mother Worm God¡¯s golden light greatly enhanced the swarm¡¯s combat abilities, while the Black Tower Great Wizard lacked any group-buff abilities. According to the fragments of information from those Wizard souls, this Iron City was extremely expensive, and even this powerful Wizard only rented, rather than built it. As long as the swarm could overcome the Wizards and enter that Iron City, even if It did not battle this Black-Robed Wizard, he would obediently return on his own. The outcome of this war had already been decided before it even started. The Black Tower Great Wizard looked at the insect before him, his Magic Wand still casually casting terrifying Spells, but doubts began to form in his mind. This insect¡¯s power was somewhat beyond his expectations. A World Master of an ordinary Miniature World couldn¡¯t possibly be as troublesome as the Mother Worm God. The Mother Worm God was perfect in using Its Talent Abilities and Power of Faith, along with the help of the Power of the World. More importantly, this insect had intelligence. Its tactics were very steady; if he had no trump cards, the result of this battle was already predetermined. After much thought and consideration, the Black Tower Great Wizard finally made a decision. He sighed and sent a Spiritual Message to his beloved Apprentice Susanna, ¡°Susanna, have logistics prepare to open the Teleportation Gate.¡± ¡­ Whoosh¡ªBang! The Magic Wand, with a whistling sound, smashed an insect¡¯s head into pulp. Clad in Black Scale, Richard leaned against the wall and gasped for breath. Around him, a dozen insect carcasses lay with heads shattered or bodies cleaved, their deaths were incredibly tragic. Boom! A purple fireball flew past Richard, exploding a Samurai Worm poised to ambush into pieces, leaving spotty green stains on the walls. ¡°Compared to you, the way I kill these insects is rather dignified,¡± Richard joked. Not far behind him, Ali, leaning on her Magic Wand, had bloodshot eyes and illusory flames flickering at the corners. This was a side effect of Ali¡¯s Bloodline when fighting with full force. However, upon being gazed at by those eyes, even Richard¡¯s cells vibrated minutely. Come to think of it, he had not yet asked Ali about the specific creature¡¯s Bloodline she had merged with. ¡°Dignified?¡± Ali sneered at Richard, ¡°Exploding into pieces is definitely more dignified than being turned into a specimen.¡± A shadow seeped out from among the corpses, and in a blink of an eye, transformed into a Black Wizard. He said to Richard and Ali, ¡°Can you two stop flirting? We¡¯ve got more bugs coming over here!¡± Despite the barrage of firepower from the White Wizard, some escapees always remained. These few survivors, in comparison to the dead insects, might not be many, but against such a vast swarm, even the ones that got through were considerable in number. Moreover, these infiltrators were often stronger than the average insect and posed a troublesome challenge for the Black Wizards. Corpses of insects and wizards alike kept falling from the sky, and occasionally, the wreckage of war airships added to the complexity of the residential area¡¯s landscape. Richard and his two companions maneuvered around these obstacles and quickly located the group of insects disrupting a White Wizard¡¯s artillery position. Behind them, the body of a Black Wizard, sliced into pieces, was scattered on the ground. Boom! A human-head-sized purple fireball whooshed past, exploding amidst the swarm in the blink of an eye. The insects turned to counterattack, only to see hands suddenly extend from the shadows under their feet, trapping them firmly in place. Richard then grinned ferociously, and his figure vanished in an instant. In the blink of an eye, a prolonged whooshing sound was heard as six insect heads were almost instantaneously smashed to a pulp. It had to be said that after integrating with pure gold, Richard had increasingly enjoyed using his magic wand like a club. Black flames ignited on the wand, and the intense heat instantly turned the residual viscous fluid on its surface to ash. Richard, wand in hand, greeted the wizard operating the artillery of the White Wizard. ¡°Ivan, how are you guys holding up?¡± The beleaguered artillery was none other than the position manned by Ivan¡¯s squad. Ivan waved at Richard, ¡°We¡¯re holding up, apart from the occasional bug harassment, the rest is just¡­¡± Bang! A loud noise instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention. Beside Ivan¡¯s position, a blood-drenched wizard ran out, shouting at them: ¡°The Magic Stone Cannon has suffered a meltdown! Alchemy Wizard!¡± Ivan¡¯s face changed drastically as he hurried into the neighboring artillery position, followed by Richard, an Alchemy Wizard. Inside the room, the bloody scene at the operator¡¯s spot of the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon was a horror; where a White Wizard used to stand, now only two legs remained. Ivan, confronting this sight, couldn¡¯t help but show a hint of sorrow. This artillery was under the command of his squad, and the wizard who died was a member of his team. Ivan assessed the Magic Stone Cannon quickly: ¡°The cannon has melted down; we need to replace the casting components, reshape the magic conduction circuit, and perform basic repairs.¡± He then began searching for his squad¡¯s Alchemy Wizard. But in the next moment, he was rooted to the spot. ¡°Ivan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Richard sensed that something was off. With a vacant look, Ivan pointed at the legs, ¡°If I remember correctly, he was our squad¡¯s Alchemy Wizard.¡± The air turned leaden. Without an Alchemy Wizard for repairs, the cannon was as good as scrap. Their current firepower was already insufficient to prevent insects from nearing; if the Magic Stone Cannon were out of commission, their position would become a breach in the entire defense line. During the defense of the Third War Zone, they had cursed their neighbors for causing a breach. Now, fate had turned; it was their turn. ¡°Damn it!¡± Ivan leaned against the Magic Stone Cannon, his vision spinning. At this critical moment, the defense line absolutely could not afford any issues. This wasn¡¯t the Third War Zone; they were defending the Floating City! If a breach occurred, he might not even live to see the command center¡¯s reprisal but would likely die in the upcoming insect tide. A minor protrusion in the insect tide was already visible due to the lack of fire cover, and thousands of insects had taken notice of this gap in firepower. Within minutes, some of these insects would break through the fire network and flood through this opening deep into their territory. ¡°Richard, stay here and guard this place. I¡¯ll look for another squad¡¯s Alchemy Wizard. If we can get one from another squad, it¡¯s not too late.¡± After the bout of dizziness, Ivan snapped to a decision, which was the only remedy under the circumstances. Although he knew this was a long shot. The Magic Stone Cannon required a reshaping of the magic conduction circuit, a time-consuming job. Unless one of the top masters from the corps was nearby, there was no hope of saving this artillery. But as long as there was a sliver of a chance, Ivan would struggle to seize it. With Ivan¡¯s departure, Ali and Lawrence¡¯s expressions grew solemn as they took out their Communication Crystal Balls to notify any available Black Wizards nearby for assistance. Richard alone seemed to fumble around the artillery position. ¡°Richard, what are you doing?¡± Lawrence asked, puzzled. ¡°While you¡¯re an Alchemy Wizard, repairing these Magic Stone Cannons requires specialized training. Most Alchemy Wizards can only replace a part or two at most.¡± Richard¡¯s hand brushed against a component adorned with silver patterns, and instantly, information flashed before his eyes. [Raw Materials: Damaged Lavoce II Magic Stone Cannon Magic Conducting Components] [Refinement Skill: Reshape Magic Conduction Circuit] [Refinement Consumption: 5 Spiritual Power] Richard¡¯s smirk hinted at a subtle confidence: ¡°Well, not necessarily. The damage to this Magic Stone Cannon doesn¡¯t look too severe. I think I can fix it.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 166 03-25 - 66: Battlefield Mechanic - Master Richard Chapter 166: Chapter 66: Battlefield Mechanic ¨C Master Richard ¡°You can fix it?¡± Lawrence exclaimed in surprise, ¡°then hurry up, without this thing¡¯s firepower, we¡¯ll have to deal with hundreds of bugs shortly.¡± Saying that, he glanced at the Crystal Ball, and his face turned very ugly. ¡°Damn it, all the Black Wizards around are dealing with bugs, and several gun emplacements have this kind of problem; they¡¯re all calling for support.¡± These Magic Stone Cannons had been withdrawn from the front lines after intensive use and inevitably had some hidden damages, which might not be visible on ordinary days but could cost you dearly at critical moments. Richard didn¡¯t say much more and shoved the Magic Conducting Components under his robe, then refined the skills above. A white light appeared above the Melter, which Richard absorbed, and instantly various illusions appeared before his eyes. Different Wizards had left deep imprints on this component with the same skill; the Melter refined these imprints, removing impurities and leaving behind the most exquisite skills, which then merged into Richard¡¯s soul. ... The next moment, Richard opened his eyes, took out a black slate, a bottle of ink, and a quill pen from his pocket. With the quill pen, he drew a simple Alchemy Array on the slate, placed the Magic Conducting Component within, then infused Magic Power into the Array, his spirit entering the Alchemy Array to begin reshaping the Magic Conducting Circuit. The biggest problem with reshaping a Magic Conduction Circuit was the need for multitasking, progressing on multiple fronts, which for some Wizards was a skill that could be mastered with a bit of practice, but for others, it could be a lifelong struggle of confusion and clumsiness. The Magic Conducting Component gradually changed within the Alchemy Array, its surface scratches began to vanish, and its dim surface started to regain its shine. Fine silver lines spread from the bottom of the Magic Conducting Component, wrapping around the entire component like a tree diagram. At this moment, Ivan, who was seeking an Alchemy Wizard, flew in with a white-robed Wizard. This white-robed Wizard had a strong presence, a Second Ring Wizard, with a full white beard, deep wrinkles on his face, and the air of decayed life force about him, all signs of an extremely experienced old Wizard. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í?¦Ï.§ã¦Ï ¡°Master, it¡¯s this¡­¡± Ivan was cut off before he could finish speaking as the old Wizard covered his mouth. He pointed to Richard, who was reshaping the Magic Conduction Circuit, and sent a Spiritual Message: ¡°Kid, can¡¯t you see someone¡¯s working here?¡± Dozens of seconds later, Richard opened his eyes and inserted the Magic Conducting Component back into the Magic Stone Cannon. He turned around to see an old Wizard staring at him. The old Wizard said nothing, went to the Magic Stone Cannon, pulled out Richard¡¯s Magic Conducting Component, and checked it. Ivan introduced, ¡°Richard, this is our legion¡¯s Master of Arms, Master Vladimir.¡± The old Wizard finished checking the component, then reinserted it and took out a rune-covered metal component from his Magic Pocket and placed it into the Magic Stone Cannon, followed by a Metal ingot. The operations that followed were beyond Richard¡¯s comprehension. Without drawing any Alchemy Arrays, the old Wizard let his Magic Power surge, and the Metal ingot rapidly changed shape in his hands, forming several metal parts, even growing Runes on the surfaces of the parts. Such operations, to Richard, were nothing short of miraculous. Alchemy can be used like this? After installing the parts, the old Wizard directed Magic Power into the Magic Stone Cannon, and as a Magic Wave spread from the rune-covered component, he turned to Ivan and said, ¡°Done, it¡¯s fixed.¡± Then, he came over to Richard and scrutinized him with an almost inspecting gaze. ¡°Black Wizard, your teacher is Jolod, isn¡¯t it?¡± Richard was slightly taken aback and nodded. Upon hearing this, the old Wizard snorted coldly, ¡°The Black Tower Wizard Academy would only teach its students to use such antiquated skills. Still using a slate to draw an Alchemy Array on the battlefield, you wouldn¡¯t be laughed to death if people heard.¡± Richard¡¯s expression turned somewhat displeased. Although he didn¡¯t know what relationship this old Wizard had with his teacher, the sarcastic tone irked him greatly. Just as he was about to retort, he saw the old Wizard take out a Crystal Ball and a Magic Scroll from his pocket. ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve been temporarily conscripted by me, this is my authorization scroll.¡± After that, he handed the Crystal Ball to Richard: ¡°This contains an introduction to Battlefield Alchemy that I have compiled; learn it quickly, and tell your teacher when you go back that learning a bit of Alchemy Mechanical Science won¡¯t kill him. Things that apprentices can do, and he refuses to learn, what a stubborn old fool.¡± Richard¡¯s expression became serious, and he received the Crystal Ball with both hands. Although this old Wizard was sarcastic, the fact that he presented knowledge immediately made Richard respect him profoundly. As Richard¡¯s spiritual power explored the Crystal Ball, a vast amount of information rushed into his brain. Much of this information was very basic, and Richard had learned many of these things from Jolod. But after the old Wizard¡¯s organization and additions, seemingly unrelated knowledge was connected, greatly enriching Richard¡¯s understanding of Alchemy. After assimilating and refining this knowledge, it became a skill known as Battlefield Alchemy. This skill allowed Alchemy Wizards to perform simple Alchemy operations in an extremely short time. Having received the knowledge, Richard gave the old Wizard a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Master, what can I do for you?¡± The old wizard nodded satisfiedly, evidently Richard had seen the power of this skill. ¡°Kid, we¡¯ve got cannon emplacements damaged all over, and as my assistant, you¡¯re responsible for helping me repair the Magic Stone Cannons.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Richard blinked, ¡°Master, we Black Wizards haven¡¯t been trained to repair cannon emplacements; that earlier fix was just a fluke since the parts weren¡¯t too damaged, and I was just trying a desperate solution¡­¡± The old wizard waved his hand, furrowing his brow and cutting Richard off. ¡°Training or no training, it¡¯s just that a bunch of idiots haven¡¯t mastered the basics. Reconstructing the Magic Conduction Circuit is basic Alchemy, and you did just fine without any training.¡± He was obviously very displeased with this training system, speaking with utter disdain. In his view, all an Alchemy Wizard needed to learn were Magic Stone Cannon blueprints for making temporary parts when repairs were necessary; all other learning was quite useless. Any wizard who needed special training to repair was just an idiot who didn¡¯t have the fundamentals down. Seeing this, Richard had no choice but to say goodbye to Ali and Lawrence and started working with the old wizard as part of a battlefield firefighting team. ¡­ The situation on the battlefield was dire. After intense use at the front lines, almost every Magic Stone Cannon had sustained various hidden damages. Each of those hidden damages could cause an area to become weak in firepower, allowing large numbers of bugs to penetrate residential areas, harassing the cannon positions and causing a chain reaction. ¡°Kid, handle this.¡± The old wizard handed Richard a Magic Conducting Component, its intricate lines inducing dizziness in any ordinary person at a glance. This was a component of the Tesla V Magic Stone Cannon, far more complex than the Lavoisier II type that Richard had repaired before. The components were complex, but the principle was the same. Richard held the Magic Conducting Component, and a tiny Alchemy Array appeared in his palm. This was a basic technique of Battlefield Alchemy¡ªthe Alchemy Array in palm. This technique required the wizard to have extremely precise control over magic power, but as luck would have it, Richard was particularly skilled in this aspect. Years of making Magic Equipment had given him far superior control over magic power compared to the average wizard. The Alchemy Array completed, the Magic Conducting Component in Richard¡¯s hands began to shine, the intricate Magic Conducting Circuit emitting a faint light as it was powered by magic, these tiny beams of light spreading from the bottom to the top in an evenly paced and steady manner. ¡°Hmm, not bad, the fundamentals are solid.¡± The old wizard took the part back, patting Richard¡¯s shoulder with approval, ¡°Jolod, that old thing, always manages to attract good apprentices. Eric was one, and now you too. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Right, Eric should be close to a Three Rings by now; I wonder if Jolod¡¯s old face will feel any pride being surpassed by his student.¡± At these words, Richard¡¯s lips trembled slightly as he spoke softly: ¡°Master, Brother Eric¡­ has fallen behind enemy lines.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Oh!¡± The old wizard startled, his eyes widening as if they were bells. But soon he regained his composure, though his voice was a little low: ¡°Another short-lived genius¡­ Sigh!¡± He had lived too long and seen too many such occurrences to find it strange. Following the old wizard, Richard went from the eastern side of the residential area to the western, repairing more than a dozen Magic Stone Cannons along the way and becoming more adept at reshaping Magic Conduction Circuits, earning himself the title of ¡°Master Richard.¡± The old wizard repaired even more and demonstrated to Richard what real Battlefield Alchemy was. An entire Magic Stone Cannon was practically destroyed due to melting and an Acid Liquid Ball assault. But the old wizard, after inspection, deemed it still worth repairing. He then took out several Metal ingots, fusing them into one big chunk. He pressed on the Metal ingot with both hands, and it began to morph and reshape as if alive, with parts detaching from the ingot, each marked with fiery red Runes. Spiritual immersion, shaping, and Engraving Runes, he compressed these three processes into a moment, multitasking at the same time. In just over a minute, the huge Metal ingot was transformed into a pile of parts. Richard wasn¡¯t sure about the quality of these parts, but he was certain they were enough for this Magic Stone Cannon to regain functionality. On the battlefield, nothing else mattered as long as it worked. ¡­ After reshaping the Magic Conducting Component, Richard passed it to the old wizard, leaning against the wall as his vision repeatedly darkened. Using the Alchemy Array was a process that greatly exhausted spiritual power, and as a One Ring Wizard, his spiritual power was drained after repairing over a dozen Magic Stone Cannons. Looking at the endless sea of bugs in the distance, a sense of despair suddenly welled up within him. The battle of the battlefield had been raging for three days, the swarms of bugs were still endless; could they really win? Suddenly, Richard felt a slight tremor from the ground. He looked towards the mass of bugs. Dozens of colossal figures slowly revealed their forms in the depths of the battlefield. After thirteen days of progress, the War Beasts that had dominated the Third War Zone had finally reached the frontline battlefield. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 167 03-25 - 67: If You Cant Beat Them, Shake Them Off Chapter 167: Chapter 67: If You Can¡¯t Beat Them, Shake Them Off The appearance of the War Giant Worms had brought some changes to the battlefield. Faced with this group of powerful siege creatures, the command had no choice but to dedicate significant forces to deal with them, lest these insects completely overwhelm the outer defense perimeter of the Floating City. However, given the sheer number of the insects, the command¡¯s resources were stretched thin. ¡°Activate the Big Decomposition Cannon,¡± suggested a Three Rings Wizard in the command room. ¡°Without the Big Decomposition Cannon, those giant insects are simply unmanageable.¡± ... The trouble with the War Giant Worms did not lie in the creatures themselves, but in the swarms of insects that clung to them. In the face of such an insect tide, no wizard could withstand the onslaught of the smaller creatures and slay the giants. ¡°What does the Curse School think?¡± another Three Rings Wizard asked. As one of the Five Major Schools, the Curse Wizards played a limited role on the front lines. Although Curse Witchcraft was powerful, it was the torrent of spells that truly constituted a weapon on the battlefield. However, their limited role on the front lines did not mean that the Curse Wizards were useless. When facing certain difficult-to-handle enemies, a Curse team composed of Curse Wizards was a strategic weapon. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No, the Curse team has tried many times. But these giant insects are protected by the World Master of the enemy¡¯s world using the Power of the World. Even a Great Wizard from the Curse School would struggle to break through this protection.¡± ¡°So, we go back to the Big Decomposition Cannon,¡± the Three Rings Wizard proposed again. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï???.§ã? At the center of this group of Three Rings Wizards, Susanna, enveloped in flames, was deep in thought. Currently, the Great Wizard was fighting on the frontline, leaving Susanna to bear the full burden of command¡ªpower that was immense yet profoundly heavy. Suddenly, the flames around Susanna flared intensely, and her crimson eyes emitted a chilling presence. ¡°The Big Decomposition Cannon¡­ do not activate it! All the energy of the Floating City must now be diverted to ignite the Cross-border Portal. All else must yield to the portal!¡± Susanna believed that the task her teacher had assigned her held significant importance. Perhaps, behind the portal, there lay a fully prepared White Wizard Army waiting for her. As the supreme commander, Susanna¡¯s orders were to be followed, even if there were objections. Many voices could discuss an order, but once decided, there was only one voice¡ªthat of obedience. ¡°If we¡¯re not using the Big Decomposition Cannon, we need to prepare to retreat to the Inner Ring,¡± sighed a Three Rings Wizard. ¡°I¡¯ll have the logistics wizards ready, and I¡¯ll direct them later.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been years since I¡¯ve been on the battlefield; I hope my skills remain.¡± As the command room debated, the frontline wizards remained unaware, holding their positions steadfastly as no orders had been issued yet. A step wasn¡¯t just a joke. The old wizard glanced at the distant War Giant Worms, his wrinkles growing deeper. ¡°They¡¯re tough to deal with, lad, here, take this.¡± The old wizard handed Richard a Magic Pocket filled with parts for Magic Stone Cannons. He patted Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You and I have repaired plenty of Magic Stone Cannons together. This thing isn¡¯t hard; I¡¯m leaving the rest to you. Given the current situation, it seems the command doesn¡¯t plan on using the Big Decomposition Cannon, or else we would already be feeling the Magic Fluctuations. I need to go find some old chaps in logistics to assemble a big device to take down these giant insects. Otherwise, we¡¯re all doomed.¡± With that, the old wizard flew towards the depths of the Floating City Fortress, leaving Richard alone, staring blankly. At that moment, Richard felt like Ben Boba from Journey to the West. ¡°You go and take down Tang Seng and his disciples.jpg¡± As a loud bang resounded nearby, a White Wizard rushed towards Richard. ¡°Master Richard, our Magic Stone Cannon has melted!¡± Richard nodded blankly and then gripped the pocket tightly. Since the orders were given, there was nothing left but to grit one¡¯s teeth and get on with it. ¡­ The horror of the battlefield lies in the fact that most people cannot control their own life and death. Often, death and survival are just a step away. Sizzling¡­ A ball of arc acid liquid broke through the Magic Barrier, exploding inside a residential area and instantly melting half the body of a wizard. And Richard was only a step away from him. Watching the lifeless wizard in front of him, Richard coldly flew over the corpse into a cannon room. Inside, a wizard with half his body charred was receiving treatment from an Undead Wizard, his controlled Magic Stone Cannon now quiet. Richard looked at the Magic Stone Cannon, which was well made; even the runes on the parts had carvings, making it quite appealing. Even now, melted, it hadn¡¯t suffered significant damage; it only required the reshaping of the Magic Conduction circuit and a reinstallation of a casting component to function again. ¡°Master Richard, could you please see to this Magic Stone Cannon?¡± a White Wizard respectfully said. News of Richard¡¯s battlefield repairs had spread. While the army¡¯s ordnance chief was inside the Floating City assembling a large device, Richard had quickly become one of the most reliable Alchemy Wizards at the frontline. Rumors about Richard swiftly transformed within hours¡ªfrom ¡°Master Richard reshaping conduction circuits in just one minute,¡± to ¡°Master Richard can fix any Magic Stone Cannon, no matter how damaged,¡± and finally to ¡°Master Richard can handcraft Magic Stone Cannons.¡± While exaggerated, these rumors also sideways validated Richard¡¯s capabilities. Richard touched the Magic Stone Cannon, and suddenly, a piece of information appeared in front of his eyes. [Raw Material: Damaged Lavoce II Magic Stone Cannon] [Refinable Information: Lavoce II Magic Stone Cannon blueprints (incomplete)] [Refinement Cost: 10 spiritual power] Richard was startled and turned around to speak to the surrounding wizards, ¡°This cannon is somewhat troublesome to repair, please help me block those worms that are infiltrating.¡± As he spoke, Richard cast a Fireball, blasting a Samurai Worm trying to enter the room away. ¡°Of course, Master!¡± Several White Wizards responded and then left the room to guard Richard. After they departed, Richard immediately chose to refine. After a moment of dizziness, a ball of white light appeared above the Miracle Furnace; Richard ingested it and a design diagram missing several components appeared before him. The missing parts were Magic Conducting Components, but to Richard, these components were not significant. Most wizards might think that the core of the Magic Stone Cannon lies in the Magic Model of its Magic Conducting Components; however, for Richard, these components were far less useful than this highly sophisticated blueprint. Magic Stone Cannons couldn¡¯t be immediately deployed on the battlefield, they had to undergo prototypes and constant updates until they could perfectly adapt to the Plane Battlefield. This process could take up to a thousand years. Throughout this process, the components of the Magic Stone Cannon would gradually be streamlined and perfected, and the structure would evolve, which was far more precious than the Magic Model. Besides, the most crucial point was, if Richard intended to build his Magic Stone Cannons, using the same Magic Model and getting discovered would result in physical rights enforcement by the White Wizard Army. Similarities in components could be explained by coincidence, as some parts have only one optimal solution. But Magic Models would never be exactly the same. Stealing knowledge was a serious crime; although there were no patents in the Wizard World, being hunted by the original owner for stealing knowledge was an incident not even Law Enforcement Wizards would handle. After the refinement was complete, Richard repaired the Magic Conducting Components, installed the Spell Components, and left the artillery position. The White Wizards guarding the door gave him a respectful Wizard¡¯s Salute, unaware that this Black Wizard had acquired the blueprint for their army¡¯s Magic Stone Cannon. Far off, the War Giant Worms were now less than a kilometer away from the residential area, their massive bodies covered with thick shells. Although a Fireball could blast a large hole in them, the golden light from the Mother Worm God gave these giant worms a shockingly high recovery ability. Before a second Fireball could be launched, the worms¡¯ wounds began to scab over and heal visibly fast. The emergence of the giant worms created a significant gap in the wizards¡¯ firepower blockade, allowing an influx of insects mixed with the giant worms into the residential area. This line of defense was on the brink of collapse. Suddenly, Richard looked up towards the Floating City. A violent Magic Fluctuation emanated from the Floating City, followed immediately by an arc of rainbow light piercing the sky. A giant worm struck by this rainbow light instantly disintegrated into the Four Elements; the chaotic Elementalization turned into a small Elemental Storm, continuously tearing the giant worm¡¯s body and enlarging the wound. Richard saw that at the origin of the rainbow light, several elderly wizards were operating a massive Alchemy Weapon, which appeared quite rough and steampunk in style. ¡°Is this the big guy Master Vladimir assembled?¡± Richard exclaimed. But soon, Richard noticed something was wrong. The rainbow light indeed inflicted effective harm on the giant worm, but the worm¡¯s body was too large, and it took the rainbow light two full minutes to kill one worm. But with dozens of worms in the swarm, this rate was insufficient to prevent the giant worms from destroying the defense perimeter. ¡°Alas, with the protection of the Power of the World, the speed of the small Decomposition Cannon is too slow,¡± an elderly wizard sighed. Across from him, Vladimir was glaring at the distant giant worms, furiously saying, ¡°What in the world is the command center thinking, not deploying the Big Decomposition Cannon at this time? The defense line is about to collapse, if we don¡¯t use the Big Decomposition Cannon now, just wait to be overwhelmed by these bugs.¡± Another wizard walked up to Vladimir and pointed to the sky. ¡°Vladimir, the general commander is a student of the Black Tower Great Wizard, you¡¯d better be cautious with your words.¡± But right after that, he looked worriedly up at the two massive entities in the sky; ordinary people might not notice, but these elder wizards could tell that the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s condition had declined significantly. And the worm on the opposite side looked still vigorous. ¡°Could this be a failure?¡± ¡­ In the sky, the Mother Worm God calmly blocked the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s spells, the Balance of War now tipping towards Her, and in the battle, She had the absolute upper hand. The strategy of remaining unchanging to respond to all changes meant the Black Tower Great Wizard had no means to deal with Her. ¡°Wizard, take your lackeys and get out!¡± The Mother Worm God issued the first decree since the battle started. But immediately afterward, an intense Magic Fluctuation emitted from the Floating City. The Cross-border portal finally lit up by the logistic wizards. The logistic wizards nervously looked at the enormous Teleportation Gate, large enough for a War Airship to pass through. They were hoping for a whole regiment of the White Wizard Army to emerge from the gate and turn around the unfavorable battle situation; however, after a slight fluctuation of the portal, only one figure stepped in. This wizard was clad in a white robe, his body composed of blue Ice. The wizard slightly lifted his head, his gaze seeming to penetrate the Floating City, reaching directly to the battlefield in the sky where the Black Tower Great Wizard clashed with the Mother Worm God. ¡°Black Tower, you¡¯re in quite a predicament now.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 168 03-25 - 68 Sealing the Mother Worm God Chapter 168: Chapter 68 Sealing the Mother Worm God Clad in his white robe, the Wizard took one step forward, and his figure instantly vanished. In the sky, both the Mother Worm God and the Black Tower Great Wizard sensed a sudden, overwhelming presence. Unlike the Mother Worm God¡¯s panic, the Black Tower Great Wizard revealed a ferocious smile, ¡°Insect, how come you¡¯re speaking now?¡± An azure Ice figure suddenly appeared beside the Black Tower Great Wizard, then swiftly expanded to nearly a hundred meters in size. ¡°Qing Shuang, what do you think of this Slave World?¡± The Great Wizard Qing Shuang glanced at the insects on the ground, ¡°A very nice world. Resources are yours, but I¡¯ll take half of the slaves.¡± ... Upon hearing these words, the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s body trembled, a pained look on his face, ¡°The cost for your intervention is indeed steep.¡± The Mother Worm God watched the suddenly appearing Wizard with a heightening alertness of twelvefold. It could see that this wasn¡¯t the Wizard¡¯s true form, that the strength of the avatar was only a fraction of the original body. However, its intuition warned it not to underestimate this Wizard simply because he was an avatar. ¡°This insect is quite troublesome to kill,¡± said the Great Wizard Qing Shuang as he looked at the Mother Worm God. ¡°This avatar of mine only has a third of my main body¡¯s power. You keep it occupied, and I¡¯ll seal it with my Sealing Skill. How does that sound?¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard nodded, ¡°As you wish.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï After that, the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s black robe suddenly expanded, and his domain, first seen when he encountered the Mother Worm God, appeared once again. The Mother Worm God emitted a low hum, and the Insect Tide on the ground paused briefly before beginning to retreat. And it finally started to move. From its center, a grand golden light spread outward. Within the range covered by the golden light, countless insect shadows began to rise. This technique was known as Divine Country in the Gods Civilization, and there was a similar technique in the Wizard World, the domain cast by the Black Tower Great Wizard. Only a domain can counter a domain. The Mother Worm God was confident. Even with two Great Wizards present, it could rely on the world¡¯s protection to stabilize the situation. The two domains crossed paths, and a chaotic boundary line was born from this encounter. On the boundary line, the heroic spirits of the insects charged towards the indescribable entities within the domain of the Black Tower Great Wizard. These insects were all renowned figures within the Black Crystal Worm Clan. They were High Priests and Great Commanders, and in life, they were below one worm and above ten thousand worms. Compared to these heroic spirits, the indescribable entities within the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s domain seemed slightly inferior, and his domain was steadily diminishing in range. However, this did not please the Mother Worm God. Its gaze shifted towards the Great Wizard Qing Shuang, who felt increasingly dangerous to it. Suddenly, the Great Wizard Qing Shuang stretched out his palm, and a bunch of ever-spreading azure ice frost appeared within it, while his own presence rapidly weakened. The Mother Worm God shuddered the moment it saw the ice frost. It knew the Wizard¡¯s purpose now. The golden Divine Country began to shrink rapidly, and the Mother Worm God used its Blade Arm to slice open the Void, ready to flee this place. But within the Void, tentacles had been waiting for it. The Great Wizard Qing Shuang hurled out the ice frost. The Mother Worm God could not avoid it and was struck by the frost. In the next moment, a layer of azure frost began to spread continuously along the body of the Mother Worm God. Despite its efforts to stop the frost with golden light, the ice frost continued to proliferate. ¡°Dead Silence Ice Mountain Sealing Technique¡­ seems like you¡¯ve strengthened it a bit,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said with some surprise, looking at the spreading frost, ¡°It seems you¡¯re not far from the Five Rings.¡± Great Wizard Qing Shuang replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ve had some breakthroughs in my research lately, and I¡¯ve slightly refined it.¡± The Dead Silence Ice Mountain Sealing Technique was Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s signature skill. Ever since his Apprentice days, he had been perfecting this Sealing Skill, and now as a Great Wizard, even the World Master could be sealed by it. The Mother Worm God struggled fiercely; every movement of its massive body possessed immense power, and the golden light on its body was as dazzling as the sun. Large chunks of azure ice frost continuously fell off, but the Mother Worm God¡¯s movements grew slower and slower. Richard stood on the ground and switched his view to Energy Vision. Within the frost on the Mother Worm God, countless intricate energy pathways built an extremely complex three-dimensional structure. This structure replicated itself continuously, then connected with the old structure, forming a giant net tightly enveloping the Mother Worm God. The ice frost was extracting energy from the Mother Worm God to facilitate its replication and spread; the more fiercely the Mother Worm God struggled, the faster the ice spread. Suddenly, Richard lowered his head and rubbed his eyes; a tear of blood dripped from the corner of his eye. ¡°Hissss, the brilliance of this witchcraft is truly dazzling.¡± ¡­ Half a day later, the last part of the Mother Worm God¡¯s body was encased in ice, and a golden light shot out from the black crystal between its brows, disappearing into the Void. Despite the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s obstruction, the golden light could not be intercepted. But none of that mattered. With ninety-nine percent of the Mother Worm God¡¯s power captured in its body now sealed by the ice mountain, even if a part of its soul escaped, it was of no consequence. The world had lost its trump card in resisting. With a thunderous crash, the azure ice mountain fell from the sky, and the trapped Mother Worm God inside looked like an insect encased in amber. ¡°This insect¡¯s power is not simple. This seal will probably last us five hundred years,¡± the Great Wizard Qing Shuang said indifferently. ¡°The ice mountain will collapse on its own after five hundred years, by then, I hope you¡¯ll be ready.¡± After all, to claim half the slaves of this world, some after-sales service was mandatory. ¡°Five hundred years¡­ sufficient,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said, shrinking to the size of only a few meters and flew to the center of the Floating City. He shouted down to the Wizards on the ground, ¡°Good people, the World Master of the Insect Nest World has been sealed by me and the Great Wizard Qing Shuang. This Plane War, we¡¯ve already won!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Victory!¡± ¡°I survived! I survived!¡± The wizards on the ground instantly erupted into jubilation, embracing one another regardless of acquaintance, to celebrate the war victory. As long as the World Master is dealt with, even a multitude of remaining insects is nothing but slaves. ¡­ Three days after the decisive battle. ¡°Master, that¡¯s what happened. I¡¯m not sure how such behavior should be handled in a war.¡± In a room of the Command Tower, Richard sat opposite Susanna and recounted his experiences in the Third War Zone, providing evidence as well. ¡°Encountering the enemy and retreating¡­ This can be a serious or minor issue.¡± Susanna leaned back in her chair, holding a bone pipe in her hand. ¡°However, since you¡¯ve come to me, it obviously won¡¯t be a small matter. That boy will have to cough up a hefty sum of Magic Stones even if he doesn¡¯t face a military tribunal.¡± Susanna took a Crystal Ball out of her pocket and spoke into it. ¡°Bring me the records for the Third War Zone in room 4012.¡± Shortly after, a wizard knocked and entered the room, holding a substantial iron-covered book with a lion¡¯s head embossed on the cover. Susanna took the book and tapped the lion¡¯s head. ¡°Book Spirit, wake up, find the information about Fortress 351.¡± The lion¡¯s head suddenly opened its eyes and yawned like a human. ¡°Susanna, you always like to interrupt one¡¯s sweet dreams.¡± Then the book opened, and words started to appear on the empty pages. ¡°Let¡¯s see, Commander Lukash of Fortress 351¡­ What? Forced to retreat after encountering War Giant Worms?¡± As Susanna read the text in the book, she frowned; the records differed completely from Richard¡¯s account. The records portrayed Fortress 351 as performing exceptionally during the war, retreating due to the irresistible force of War Giant Worms. This was clearly different from what Richard had said. ¡°Alright, alright, false records,¡± Susanna snapped the book shut and flames danced about her without any wind. ¡°Richard, are you certain there¡¯s been no falsification in your records?¡± Richard adopted a serious expression: ¡°Of course not, otherwise how could I dare to ask for your help?¡± Susanna¡¯s lips suddenly curved into a sly smile: ¡°Kid, follow me, let¡¯s make some extra cash.¡± ¡­ At the headquarters of Wizard Legion Unit 1, Legion Commander Andre looked somewhat vexed at the woman before him. ¡°Great Wizard Susanna, just tell me, what exactly do you want?¡± ¡°Legion Commander Andre, what kind of question is that?¡± Susanna put down her teacup, ¡°You make it sound as if I¡¯m here to extort you. I¡¯ve merely noticed some discrepancies in the records, so I came to verify with you.¡± Hearing this, Andre couldn¡¯t help but sigh; how unlucky were the schemers inside the legion, getting caught falsifying records. And to be caught by Susanna no less. Everyone knew Susanna was the only surviving Apprentice of the Black Tower Great Wizard, and she could do anything in this war as long as she was justified. ¡°Master, please name your price, how can we resolve this issue?¡± Andre sat opposite Susanna and pulled a Soul Contract out of his pocket. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Susanna¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°Openly offering a bribe?¡± Andre cursed silently but maintained his composure, ¡°Bribe? What I¡¯m proposing is to strike a fair deal with you, Great Wizard Susanna, based on the principle of equivalent exchange. Our legion needs you as our consultant for Shaping Magic, here is your contract.¡± Susanna nodded in satisfaction and carelessly filled in a number on the contract. Andre winced at the number¡ªit was just above his bottom line. ¡°Master, you know how to do business.¡± Andre reluctantly signed his name, and as the contract burned to ashes, an invisible chain connected the two of them. ¡°That¡¯s just experience, nothing more,¡± Susanna smirked cunningly, then took out a document containing information about Fortresses 351 and 352. ¡°The other mistakes in your work are inconsequential, but these two fortresses need to be addressed. Fortress 352 valiantly held out for six hours in the face of War Giant Worms until my order for a full retreat was given. Meanwhile, Fortress 351 fled upon encountering the enemy, even attributing the War Giant Worms encountered by Fortress 352 to themselves. This is unacceptable. The central command has decided to commend all members of Fortress 352, while the Commander of Fortress 351 is to be brought before a military tribunal.¡± Andre glanced at the Commander of Fortress 351 and said coldly: ¡°Do as you see fit, Master.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Susanna looked surprised, ¡°Seems like something happened.¡± Andre shook his head: ¡°Nothing major, just that the kid¡¯s grandfather passed away.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 169 03-25 - 69 Unexpected Gains Chapter 169: Chapter 69 Unexpected Gains Leaving the White Wizard encampment, Susanna took out a bag of Magic Essence from her pocket and handed it to Richard. ¡°This is a thousand Magic Essence, consider it your reward for providing intel this time.¡± Richard accepted it with both hands, offering a word of thanks, without showing any concern about how much Susanna had gotten from Andre. No matter the amount, that was Susanna¡¯s achievement; he had merely provided intel on happenstance, giving Susanna an excuse. To be able to get a thousand Magic Essence was already quite enough. Not to mention, Susanna even conveniently sent that coward, who shrank from the battle, to the military tribunal. Susanna had more work to do, and Richard didn¡¯t want to delay her further. After parting ways with her, Richard returned to the White Wizard encampment and found Ivan, who had fought alongside him. ... ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this our repair master?¡± Ivan greeted Richard with a loud jest when he saw him. Richard¡¯s title of repair master had already spread among the White Wizards, and if Richard were to fight with this White Wizard Army again in the future, his position would soar directly to the head of mechanical affairs. A skillful Alchemy Wizard was treasured in any White Wizard Army. Richard went over and gave him a hug and then proceeded to the squad¡¯s camp. Ivan¡¯s squad had lost nine members in the war, leaving the entire camp feeling empty. Upon entering the room, Richard got right to the point: ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you guys that the jerk who fled the battlefield is going to face a military tribunal.¡± Ivan was just about to make Richard a pot of black tea when he heard this, and he spilled the boiling water all over the table. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï He turned around and gave Richard a thumbs-up. ¡°Speedy!¡± Ivan then conveyed the news through the mental network to the other squad members. Richard was not privy to their discussions, but judging from Ivan¡¯s expression, they were clearly very pleased. Although Richard felt that his actions were merely a small effort on his part, Ivan and the rest of the squad believed they owed Richard a favor. They assured him that if he ever needed help in the future, he should not hesitate to find them. After a few cups of tea, Richard and Ivan exchanged addresses so they could easily meet up again in the future. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Departing from the encampment, Richard found the house where he lived in the residential area, which had been turned to ruins due to the war. Although logistical Wizards were repairing it, Richard would not be able to live there for a while. Left with no choice, Richard set up a wooden hut in the wilderness, just as he had when he first entered the world. The hut¡¯s windows faced the sealed Mother Worm God. Although the sealing was complete, Richard could still observe the composition of the sealing energy through his Energy Vision. Even though each observation would damage his eyes, Richard was undeterred and remained deeply fascinated. This Sealing Skill incorporated everything the Great Wizard Qing Shuang had learned in his lifetime, and Richard could learn much from it. A few days later, the headquarters held a small commendation ceremony. A group of Wizards who had performed excellently in the war received commendations from the Black Tower Great Wizard, and Richard was among them. The commendation awards were varied; one of the Three Rings Wizards even received a perpetual title to a piece of the Insect Nest World, which could be passed on to students or descendants after his death, essentially as an inheritance. The reward for Richard and Ivan¡¯s squad was five hundred Magic Essence, which was considered a very generous reward for White Wizards but was just so-so for Richard. Adding this award to the previous reward for providing intel on the Insect Nest, Richard had received a total of a thousand Magic Essence from the headquarters alone. Together with Susanna¡¯s thousand and his spoils of war, Richard had reaped a bountiful harvest from this Plane War. Although Richard had to surrender half of the spoils, he still earned nearly three thousand Magic Essence this time, not to mention the Pure Gold integrated into his Magic Wand and the knowledge he had acquired. All things considered, Richard had made a very profitable gain from this war, striking it rich. ¡­ ¡°What? You¡¯re saying a golden light ran in from outside the Secret Realm and then flew into this insect¡¯s body!¡± It was the fifteenth day after the decisive battle, and Richard was engrossed in his research inside the wooden hut when he was abruptly contacted by the Holy Tree Elf¡¯s spirit communication, reporting some trouble in the Secret Realm. Richard looked in shock at the massive mushroom in front of him, thinking, brother, you¡¯re so big and you can¡¯t even stop this little thing? Have your space storms all gone to waste? As one of the Wizards who had witnessed the Mother Worm God¡¯s sealing, he had clearly seen a golden light flee before the Mother Worm God was completely sealed. Unexpectedly, that golden light had not entered one of the remaining unbreached Insect Nests but had instead come into his Secret Realm. ¡°Sorry, master. That golden light was a bit too fast,¡± the World Mushroom said helplessly. That day, it had been leisurely consuming World Dust and drawing in space storms, diligently expanding the Secret Realm. Who would have thought that a golden light would shoot out of the Void and plunge head-first into the Secret Realm? By the time it realized what had happened, the golden light had already burrowed into Inhardt¡¯s body. Faced with this situation, the World Mushroom did not know how to proceed and left the decision to Richard. Richard looked at the World Mushroom, knowing that there was no point in blaming it now. He released Ulysses and shared the situation with the experienced World Master. ¡°Ga, from what you¡¯re saying, that golden light is likely a resurrection mark. That insect must have been set as a backup for resurrection by that old bug,¡± Ulysses commented nonchalantly after hearing the whole story. ¡°Resurrection backup?¡± Richard exclaimed, alarmed, ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that mean the old bug could be resurrected in this insect at any time!¡± As he spoke, Richard¡¯s Magic Wand began unconsciously to gather Element, preparing to physically destroy Inhardt. ¡°` ¡°Gah, don¡¯t be nervous, this is not a bad thing for you.¡± Ulysses flew onto Inhardt¡¯s body, a glint flickering in his eyes, ¡°That old insect hasn¡¯t died, this one is just a backup. Only when that old insect dies, will this backup be activated.¡± ¡°But this is still dangerous!¡± Richard said anxiously. Who knew when the Great Wizard would deal with the Mother Worm God, and once she died, the activation of this backup would resurrect a World Master in his secret realm, wouldn¡¯t it? Suddenly, Richard realized something was off. He glanced at the World Mushroom, then at Ulysses. ¡­ Reviving a World Master didn¡¯t seem to be such a big deal. ¡°Gah, with me and this big mushroom here, what¡¯s the danger?¡± Ulysses gave Richard a look, and it was hard to imagine how Ulysses managed to convey such an expressive emotion with a bird face. ¡°Gah, the sooner that old insect revives, the better. As soon as She revives, Her rules will infuse into this insect¡¯s body. By then, me and the big mushroom could simply handle Her soul, and you would essentially harvest a insect body filled with a large number of rules.¡± Ulysses didn¡¯t finish speaking, but Richard had already grasped his meaning. A body of an insect with rules could naturally use the Miracle Furnace to refine out the rules. Seeing that Richard understood, Ulysses flew to his shoulder. ¡°Gah, didn¡¯t I tell you? The luck of the Divine Chosen is always good. The war has just ended on this side, and he¡¯s already secured a Death Exemption Token.¡± Richard gave him a look upon hearing that: ¡°If he¡¯s the protagonist, then what am I, the evil villain in the drama?¡± But a wizard being the villain¡­ seemed quite fitting. Ulysses preened his feathers, speaking languidly, ¡°Gah, you¡¯re a more formidable protagonist than him. Even among protagonists, there are differences. Just look at your current strength. Does that seem like a Level 1 Creature?¡± Richard looked around; indeed, his current setup was something that perhaps even a Great Wizard might not be able to pull together. ¡°Gah, so keep this insect.¡± ¡°Why do you so desire for this insect to survive?¡± ¡°¡­ Gah, I want to taste what that old insect is really like. His original body was too hard, but after resurrection, it¡¯ll be just right.¡± Richard: ¡°¡­¡± Although Inhardt lived on because of Ulysses¡¯ words, Richard¡¯s vigilance against him was heightened. The World Mushroom sent hyphae into his body, inducing him into deep anesthesia. If he made any movement, the World Mushroom would notify Richard and Ulysses and take control of Inhardt. If the situation got out of hand, the World Mushroom would exile him from the secret realm to ensure its safety. ¡­ With the absence of the World Master, the Insect Nest World¡¯s resistance quickly collapsed. Under the leadership of the Black Tower Great Wizard, the wars that were akin to university students cruelly overpowering kindergarten toddlers inflicted heavy losses on the insects. The Mother Worm God¡¯s sealing also led to the collapse of the insects¡¯ faith, resulting in many insects giving up resistance and allowing the wizards to enslave them. However, only a small portion of the insects did so; the vast majority were still resisting on a small scale. According to intelligence, the leaders of the insects were hatching a grand plan. They intended to connect several Insect Countries to create a super-large Insect Nest, then using the complex terrain of the nest to engage in guerrilla warfare with the wizards. They believed that as long as they could hold on, the Mother Worm God would definitely return. In the twelfth year following the sealing of the Mother Worm God, the last above-ground Insect Nest was occupied by the White Wizard Army. All the Black Crystal Insect resistance was forced into the Underground Insect Nest. By now, the entire Plane War had ended all major battles, leaving only the Black Wizards to hunt in the insect nests, exploit the world¡¯s resources, and cultivate slaves. During the war, the Black Tower Great Wizard captured several Mother Worms and enslaved them. These Mother Worms would continually provide slave armies to the Black Tower Great Wizard. However, this didn¡¯t seem much different from the Mother Worms¡¯ usual lives. Their usual task was laying eggs, and their current task was still laying eggs; their life remained one of waiting to be fed and living in the Insect Nest. Moreover, the Black Tower Great Wizard had not issued stringent orders to them. The Plane War was not something the Great Wizards could initiate whenever they wanted. All the coordinates of the planes were distributed by the Truth Council through a lottery, and every Great Wizard had a five-hundred-year cooldown period after acquiring plane coordinates. Wizards like the Black Tower Great Wizard who frequently initiated Plane Wars did so purely because they had good luck accumulating several plane coordinates earlier. The uncertainty of Plane Wars naturally affected the insect swarms. They require resources to raise too many insects; it¡¯s better to breed fewer. After the major wars ended, the White Wizard Army began to withdraw from the Insect Nest World one after another, leaving the Black Wizards to wrap up the Plane War. The sporadic resistance of the insects needed to be suppressed, and various terrains of the world needed to be explored. These detailed tasks could be done by both Black and White Wizards, but considering that the White Wizard Army was hired by the Black Tower Great Wizard, these tasks were better left to the Black Wizards. A considerable number of Black Wizards were students from the Black Tower Wizard Academy; keeping the good stuff for one¡¯s own people was always right. ¡°` COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 170 03-25 - 70 Soul Stealing Canyon Chapter 170: Chapter 70 Soul Stealing Canyon On Black Bone Plain, the once bustling Floating City Fortress had become somewhat desolate. Now, thirty years after the decisive battle, Wizards had been steadily progressing with the development of the Insect Nest World, and the counterattacks of the bugs had been suppressed to a minimal extent. Newly born bugs birthed by the enslaved Mother Worms were returning to the Insect Nest. These bugs were no different from the former Black Crystal Insects, the only distinction being that they were branded with the Slave Mark from birth. The Black Crystal Worm Clan had now become a slave race to the Wizards. Their fate, though tragic, was far better than those creatures completely exterminated by the Wizards. In the cruel wars of the Planes, the weaker races did not even qualify to be dogs. ... The Wizards had modified the Black Crystal Worms¡¯ history; they were no longer the offspring of the Mother Worm God but the product of Wizard experiments, with Wizards becoming their creators. The cause of this Plane War was recast as an internal conflict within the swarm, where the evil Mother Worm God ensorcelled the majority of bugs to rebel against the great Wizards, and the bugs still resisting were called Sin Worms by the new generation. The Wizards, instead, became victims of this war. Under the Wizards¡¯ systematic revision, the new generation of Black Crystal Worms had completely embraced the concept of being a subsidiary race to the Wizards, ensuring that if this notion continued for three to five generations, even if Sin Worms spread the true history among the new worms, it would not make any difference. By that time, the Black Crystal Worms would have completely become a slave race to the Wizards. He who controls the past, controls the present. ¡­ Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Ring, ring, ring¡­ Ring, ring, ring¡­ A series of noisy rings woke Richard from his research. He switched off the alarm and then tucked the Crystal Fragments in front of him into his pocket. Richard had set the alarm to sound every one hundred and eighty days, each ringing signaling that he had tasks to perform as distributed by the Command Tower. Stepping out of his wooden cabin, he noticed the faint glow emanating from the nearby Azure Ice Mountain, within which the Mother Worm God appeared both sacred and ferocious. This Ice Mountain had become a symbol of the Wizards¡¯ might, the vile Mother Worm God frozen by the great Wizards as a warning to the new worms not to make the same mistakes. Upon reaching the Command Tower, which had once served as the command center during the Plane War but had now turned into the task hall, Richard saw every Black Wizard remaining in the Insect Nest World collecting their assignments there. As the exploration of the Insect Nest World neared completion, the tasks from the headquarters dwindled, transforming from direct assignments to requiring Wizards to collect them themselves, and the rewards decreased as well. Every Wizard staying in the Insect Nest World had to undertake at least two tasks annually. Many Black Wizards thus opted to return to the Wizard World. A world without profit, the Otherworld paled in comparison to the comfort of the Wizard World. In the Insect Nest World, Wizards would always remain outsiders. Surveying the assignment board in the task hall, Richard picked out a particularly interesting task. ¡°Reconnaissance of Soul Stealing Canyon¡­ sounds intriguing.¡± According to the task description, Soul Stealing Canyon was a peculiar gorge situated at the fringe of the Insect Nest World. In the legends of the Black Crystal Worms, it was an ill-omened place, within which a demon capable of swallowing souls was sealed. This demon, trapped and slumbering within the gorge, would devour the souls of all living beings inside the canyon upon awakening, leaving only empty shells behind. Despite the frightening description, according to a Three Rings Wizard who once passed by, there appeared to be some disturbance in the Earth Veins beneath the canyon. The chaotic magnetic field could disorient the Black Crystal Insects¡¯ senses, making them lose direction, and in severe cases, even destroy their cognitive organs. The goal of this task was to thoroughly investigate the specific conditions of the canyon and then submit a written report to the Command Tower, with a paltry reward of ten Magic Essences. However, this was enough for Richard. What he required was to remain in this world, not the minor compensation. Although useful to most Wizards, for Richard, the Ice Mountain that held the sealed Mother Worm God was a goldmine. Thanks to his Energy Vision, Richard had made progress in his research on the Ice Mountain over the years, discovering a special energy structure and applying it to the Rune Chain Sealing Technique. This significantly enhanced the effectiveness of the Rune Chain Sealing Technique. Leaving the task hall, Richard intended to head straight to the task location, but outside the door, he unexpectedly ran into someone. ¡°Ali, are you heading back to the Wizard World?¡± Among the squad of Black Wizards, Lawrence had left the Insect Nest World in the fifteenth year after the decisive battle, preparing for his promotion to the rank of Second Ring Wizard, while Ali had stayed until now. ¡°Yep, my knowledge level is insufficient to continue my research,¡± Ali said with some distress. At this moment, Ali, holding a notebook in her hands and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, looked both intellectual and beautiful. Ali¡¯s purpose for staying in the Insect Nest World was the same as Richard¡¯s, to study the Dead Silence Ice Mountain Sealing Technique. However, compared with Richard, who had the benefit of Energy Vision, her progress was much slower, and by now, she had barely achieved some results. ¡°Alright then,¡± Richard said with some regret. It was pleasant having Ali accompany him during his research. With her departure, he would be truly alone in his ascetic pursuit. ¡°When you go back, take a glance at my place. The half-breeds I kept might be on the verge of dying. Just bury them in the yard.¡± Ali nodded: ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take a look for you when I return.¡± After bidding farewell to Ali, Richard headed straight for Soul Stealing Canyon as marked on the task map. The Wizard¡¯s exploration of the Insect Nest World was drawing to a close, and the map had become extremely detailed. In the Insect Nest World, there were no shortage of dangerous areas like the Source Sea Abyss and Mushroom Land, which attracted many wizards for research. On his way, Richard encountered a group of Moth Army frolicking in the sky. These special insects had once caused huge losses to the wizards, with dozens of War Airships damaged by them, but now, they had become the wizards¡¯ best assistants. The Moth Army split in the middle, making way for Richard. They performed an awkward Wizard¡¯s Salute to Richard and then shouted loudly, ¡°Wizard Lord!¡± Richard nodded at them and continued flying towards his mission destination. Compared to the Wizard World, the Insect Nest World wasn¡¯t considered large. It took Richard roughly half a month to arrive at the place. From the sky, the place named Soul Stealing Canyon didn¡¯t seem large, only a few dozen kilometers in length. Low vegetation grew around the canyon, these plants used the Insect Nest World¡¯s brilliant starlight for photosynthesis, bringing a bit of vitality to the desolate land of the Insect Nest World. Landing on the ground, Richard opened the Secret Realm and fished out Ulysses, who was eating fungi. ¡°GAH, what are you doing? I was eating!¡± protested Ulysses, having been pulled out. After several years of coexistence, the relationship between the World Mushroom and Ulysses had eased. With Richard¡¯s request, the taste of the Sacrificial Fungus had improved, and Ulysses had begun to eat fungi whenever he felt like it. ¡°Can you take a look and tell me if there¡¯s anything unusual about this place?¡± Richard asked, pointing towards the nearby Soul Stealing Canyon. Although the area had been observed by a Three Rings Wizard, Richard, out of caution, still wanted Ulysses to have a look. ¡°Gah, let me see.¡± A faint glint flashed in Ulysses¡¯ eyes, and then he shook his head. ¡°Gah, nothing¡¯s wrong here. This place is the intersection point of two Earth Veins, with some chaotic geomagnetic fields. A Space Rift might occasionally appear.¡± ¡°A Space Rift?¡± ¡°Gah, don¡¯t worry about that. Given the strength of this Earth Veins junction, even if a Space Rift formed, it would only be the size of a needle¡¯s eye, and the probability is extremely slim,¡± Ulysses said nonchalantly. Having said that, Ulysses opened a space rift himself and flew back into the Secret Realm. As Ulysses¡¯ soul injuries healed, his abilities also became more numerous, and after his relationship with the World Mushroom improved, he was permitted to enter and exit the Secret Realm at will. Seeing Ulysses so nonchalant, Richard felt relieved and boldly entered the Soul Stealing Canyon. As soon as he entered the canyon, Richard immediately sensed a faint energy fluctuation coming from beneath his feet, and the scenery before his eyes seemed a bit blurry, giving him a slight sense of dizziness. ¡°Such a strong geomagnetic field,¡± Richard remarked in surprise. Richard activated his Magic Barrier and made some frequency adjustments to cope with the magnetic field. After the modification, the discomfort he felt vanished in an instant. With sufficient knowledge, a wizard could often face various crises calmly. After surveying the canyon, Richard recorded the entire canyon¡¯s topography and collected many ore samples. Under the influence of the Earth Veins¡¯ magnetic field, many special magnets had formed in the Soul Stealing Canyon. These magnets had good alchemical uses in Alchemy Machines. After the investigation, Richard found a place to stay in the canyon. The report to the command center couldn¡¯t be sloppy; although he had already determined that the anomalies were caused by the geomagnetic field, Richard still needed to investigate the intensity of the geomagnetic field and its fluctuation patterns. These things would take a long time. One day, two days, three days¡­ Two weeks passed by peacefully in the Soul Stealing Canyon. Richard had already collected most of the data, and now he only needed to collect one more burst intensity, and his task would be complete. Looking at the instrument in his hand, Richard silently awaited the eruption of the geomagnetic field. ¡°According to the pattern, three, two, one!¡± As the countdown ended, a ripple spread over Richard¡¯s Magic Barrier. The intense geomagnetic field even impacted the Magic Barrier. Under the influence of the geomagnetic field, an enchanting Aurora even appeared in the sky. Richard watched the sky somewhat mesmerized, taking out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball from his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful; I have to record this.¡± The eruption of the geomagnetic field lasted for nearly thirty seconds. As the peak emerged, the geomagnetic field began to diminish. Richard, looking at the scene in the Crystal Ball, thought to himself that this trip wasn¡¯t in vain, completely unaware that a needle-sized Space Rift had appeared behind him. A black and red mist surged out from the rift, filling the entire canyon in an instant. Bang! The Crystal Ball fell to the ground. Richard¡¯s body stiffened in place, his eyelids slowly closing, and his breathing became steady. It was as if¡­ he had fallen asleep. Meanwhile, behind the rift, Richard slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the blood moon in the sky with some confusion: ¡°What is this place?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 171 03-25 - 1 Nightmare Chapter 171: Chapter 1 Nightmare Looking at the blood-red moon in the sky, Richard fell into deep thought. Wasn¡¯t he in the Insect Nest World? Wasn¡¯t the Insect Nest World in perpetual night? What was this moon all about? How had he changed places in the blink of an eye? Richard looked around and found the environment surrounding him eerily strange, with a thin layer of black-red mist enveloping the area. The fog wasn¡¯t thick, but it was just enough to prevent Richard from seeing the surroundings clearly. As soon as Richard turned his head, he suddenly froze. Behind him, a black spire several meters tall stood erect. ¡°Is this¡­ my Wizard Tower?¡± ... He knew this black spire all too well¡ªit was the place he had lived for decades, and he was extremely familiar with every blade of grass and tree here. Richard looked around again and noticed that the fog seemed to have dissipated somewhat, and he could now make out the entire courtyard. This courtyard was the very one that came with his Wizard Tower. ¡°This is too strange, just like a dream.¡± Confused by his surroundings, Richard nonetheless instinctively raised a Magic Barrier and activated his Bloodline Transformation. The eeriness of his surroundings sent a shiver of alertness through him. However, after he had erected the Magic Barrier, Richard suddenly felt a slight change in his environment. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï The courtyard around him seemed to have become more sinister, every grass and tree appeared malicious towards his presence, and the familiar Wizard Tower in front of him now had the aura of a final boss¡¯s lair from a game, instilling fear in the onlooker. ¡°The environment is changing with my emotions,¡± Richard observed, looking at the Black Tower and falling into deep thought. As a wizard, rationality is one of the most important qualities. Panicking in the face of difficulties only leads to trouble; calmly analyzing the situation is the best path to overcoming difficulties. Despite the bizarre surroundings, for a wizard like Richard, it wasn¡¯t enough to cause panic. Wizards have conquered many worlds and countless strange and mysterious races and worlds, but these seemingly terrifying worlds eventually became the backyard of the Great Wizard, with the inhabitants either enslaved or turned into specimens. As a wizard, it was hard for Richard to not feel a touch of subtle confidence listening to such stories. This confidence made Richard believe that he, as part of the wizarding community, could also overcome the present difficulties with wisdom and strength, and unravel the mysteries therein. After a moment of cool reflection, Richard decided not to enter the Wizard Tower for now, as it seemed too deliberately prepared. Besides the Wizard Tower, the only place left to explore was the world outside the courtyard. Richard took a deep breath, sensing the surrounding temperature, humidity, and concentration of magic power. ¡°Temperature 21, humidity fifty percent, magic concentration three times that of the Wizard World¡­¡± Richard frowned again; the environmental conditions of this strange place were exactly like the living level of the Tower of Truth. It was as if he was truly in the Wizard Tower of the Tower of Truth. ¡°Getting more interesting¡­¡± Richard mused, stroking his chin, a subtle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. With such precise recreation, there had to be a significant issue with this place, and Richard vaguely had a guess in his mind. He turned around, opened the courtyard gate, and left the courtyard. From inside, the outside environment appeared shrouded in fog, but once Richard stepped out, the thin mist turned into a thick fog so dense that he could not see his hand in front of him. And, most strangely, even when Richard used his spiritual power to replace his eyes and observe the surroundings, all he could see was thick fog. It seemed that the thin mist could block the exploration of spiritual power. Richard walked on the outside for a long time, relying on his instincts and trying various methods to observe his surroundings, but all efforts were in vain. Spells cast into the thick fog disappeared as if into a black hole, with no sound, no blast of air, no trace of explosions, even when Richard cast spells at his own feet. Richard attempted to open the Secret Realm, but the Secret Realm seemed to be cut off by this heavy fog too. No matter how much Magic Power he input, he could not open a Space Rift. As a wizard, all the means by which he survived lost their effect in this heavy fog. It was as if he had become an ordinary person again. As Richard delved deeper, a faint voice seemed to echo through the mist, but it was too obscure, lingering around his ears like a ghost. Touching his chin, Richard calmly analyzed the situation: ¡°It¡¯s interesting, the surrounding environment seems to constantly induce fear in me. Moreover, looking at the situation in the courtyard, once I start to feel fear, the environment changes with it, inducing more fear.¡± Walking along, Richard suddenly saw the light in front of him brighten, as the encompassing thick fog finally cleared. µ«Àí²é×ÐϸһÇÆËûÑÛÇ°µÄ»·¾³. But upon closer inspection of his surroundings, Black Tower, garden, and the courtyard door that he hadn¡¯t closed behind him. He had made a full circle outside and ended up back where he started. ¡°Getting even more interesting,¡± Richard said, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked at the Black Tower in front of him, ¡°It seems that I must enter this Wizard Tower.¡± Without hesitation, Richard kept up his Magic Barrier and boldly entered the Wizard Tower. Entering his own Wizard Tower, there was no need to be so timid. The interior arrangement of the Wizard Tower was exactly as Richard remembered, even the stains on the walls and scratches on the handrails. The only difference was that this Wizard Tower seemed to have been vacant for a long time, with thick dust settled on the floors and furniture, and cobwebs filled the corners of the cupboards. Richard touched the dust on the floor and furniture, looked carefully in front of him, and finally tasted it, confirming that it was just ordinary dust, nothing special. Richard took his finger out of his mouth and said lightly: ¡°It¡¯s gathered so much dust, it seems that Number One and Number Two slacked off after I left.¡± No sooner had Richard spoken than some noise came from a room on the first floor. With a ¡°creak,¡± an ancient wooden door that seemed to have not been opened for decades was opened from the inside, and a humanoid creature emerged. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This humanoid creature had beastly ears on its head and a physique similar to Number One, but the only difference was that this humanoid creature had a very strange face, devoid of facial features, smooth as a mirror. The humanoid creature bowed slightly to Richard, its voice raspy like a witch from a fairy tale. ¡°Master, you have returned.¡± Faced with such a bizarre scene, Richard did not make any extreme actions, such as throwing a couple of Hearts of Annihilation or anything. On the contrary, it was as if he had returned to the real Wizard Tower, and he reproached in a very stern voice: ¡°Number One, what have you been up to these years, why is there so much dust accumulated on the floor!¡± Faced with Richard¡¯s scolding, Number One showed no fear at all, repeating: ¡°Master, you have returned.¡± ¡°I am talking to you, Number One!¡± ¡°Master, you have returned.¡± ¡°Can you only repeat that phrase?¡± ¡°Master, you have returned.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I have returned,¡± Richard replied helplessly. ¡°Go prepare my meal.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Number One turned and went into the basement to prepare the ingredients. As Number One busied himself, Richard went upstairs and encountered the equally bizarre Number Two. When facing Richard¡¯s questioning, Number Two reacted exactly the same as Number One. After sending Number Two aside, Richard checked his laboratory. His lab was designed with a dust-free Magic Array and equipped with a self-charging circuit, so when he entered the lab, it was exactly as clean as he expected. However, the light from the Magic Stone Lamp had turned into a sinister dark red color, looking very ominous. The items in the lab were still the same, and the various devices could even operate correctly, reacting exactly as Richard remembered¡­ even though he had not installed Magic Stones in them. Descending downstairs, the bizarre Number One and Number Two stood by the dining table, quietly waiting for Richard to dine. On the table, the various foods were exactly the same as those Richard had eaten before leaving. ¡°It seems that the result is quite clear,¡± Richard said lightly. The bizarre world in front of him was entirely composed of his memories; everything that appeared was just as it was in his memory. The reason why Number One and Number Two were so bizarre was that he thought that after so many years, Number One and Number Two must have changed significantly, yet he did not know what they would look like. Based on the current information, Richard was ninety percent sure that he was actually in a dream. Moreover, it was a nightmare that continuously induced him to feel fear. ¡°But how should I get out?¡± Richard pondered with a frown. Although usually at times like this, scenarios involving suicide would appear, he did not want to do that in this bizarre environment. He was trapped in a dream, not some special illusion. Waking from a dream only needed a significant shock. Thinking this, Richard flew to the top of the Wizard Tower and smiled as he looked at the ground. In the dream, three steps on the staircase could wake him up; now, switching to the Wizard Tower should be enough to awaken him. Then, Richard unhesitatingly jumped down. ¡­ Outside the dream, as his body twitched, Richard abruptly woke up from the dream. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. The faint black-red mist, the blood-colored moon in the sky¡ªaside from the missing familiar Wizard Tower, the scene was almost exactly as it was in his dream. It seemed he was in a wilderness; the black weeds were tall enough to reach his knees, and within the weeds, Richard could feel some inexplicable hostility. This hostility was not because of his own fears. ¡°A dream within a dream?¡± Richard analyzed his current situation carefully, trying to find a reasonable explanation. But a faint, distant voice made his heart tremble. ¡°Gaah, Richard! Can you hear me speaking?¡± ¡°Gaah, Richard! Can you hear me speaking?¡± ¡°Ulysses¡¯s voice!¡± Richard was startled and hurriedly responded, ¡°I can hear you.¡± And as Richard responded, a black shadow rose from his left shoulder, transforming into a black crow. ¡°Gaah, I knew you could wake up,¡± Ulysses said looking at Richard, somewhat excitedly yelling, ¡°You kid, always so thoughtful, a nightmare definitely couldn¡¯t deceive you. That Old Mushroom even said you were done for, wanted to divide the loot and send everyone back home. When you get back, you definitely need to teach it a lesson¡­¡± Seeing the sudden appearance of Ulysses, Richard felt somewhat reassured. At this moment, nothing could soothe his mood more than the nonsense from Ulysses. Ulysses was still talking nonsense, indicating things were not very serious and he could handle it. ¡°So where am I now, Ulysses?¡± Richard interrupted, ¡°Just a moment ago I was in the Insect Nest World, how did I come to this eerie place in the blink of an eye?¡± ¡°Where you are¡­ uh¡­¡± Ulysses was somewhat hesitant, ¡°Based on my experience, you should be in the Dream Dimension; this world should be the Nightmare Wizard World corresponding to the Wizard World.¡± ¡°Nightmare Wizard World?¡± Richard, hearing this strange name, furrowed his brows again. ¡°So how do I get out?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ulysses sheepishly said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to get out any time soon.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 172 03-25 - 2 Nightmare Wizard World Chapter 172: Chapter 2 Nightmare Wizard World ¡°Can¡¯t get out?¡± Richard looked at Ulysses, seeking an explanation. ¡°Ulysses, what exactly is going on? Why have I ended up in this so-called Nightmare Wizard World?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­ that¡­ an accident, an accident.¡± Ulysses was somewhat evasive, but under Richard¡¯s persistent questioning, he finally divulged the reason. ¡°You came here because of a disturbance in the Earth Veins¡¯ magnetic field, which caused a spatial rift in the Insect Nest World, and this spatial rift quite coincidentally leads to the Nightmare World. Your soul was dragged into the Nightmare World by the Nightmare Red mist. ... However, because you are a wizard, not a native creature of the Insect Nest World, the Nightmare Red mist sent you to the current Nightmare Wizard World.¡± ¡°Sent to the Nightmare Wizard World¡­¡± Richard murmured, his expression somewhat dazed. Even with the use of Floating City for Star Realm travel, the Insect Nest World was more than a year¡¯s journey from the Wizard World, yet he had arrived in the Wizard World in what felt like just a dream. ¡°How long have I slept?¡± Richard asked absently. ¡°About three hours, because you entered the Nightmare World; the fluctuations between you and that group of furballs were disrupted, and they immediately notified me. I came out of the Secret Realm right away.¡± ¡°Three hours to travel such a distance¡­ the rules of the Nightmare World really are magical.¡± After marveling at the rules of the Nightmare World, Richard calmed down and continued to ask, ¡°So how do I get out?¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.?¦Ï ¡°Ah, based on my last experience, you now need to collect the Power of Nightmare. Once you gather enough, the Nightmare World will detect you as a foreign object and expel you. This is also the most stable way to leave the Nightmare World.¡± ¡°How long did it take you last time?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ over three hundred years.¡± Richard frowned slightly; three hundred years was a considerably long time for a One Ring Wizard, whose maximum lifespan hovers around one thousand years, though few ever reach that age. Just as few humans live to see over a hundred years of age, despite it being within the theoretical lifespan. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a faster way?¡± ¡°Ah, there is, if you¡¯re lucky and come across a Dream Gate, you can get out directly. But the probability of that¡­¡± Ulysses did not continue, presumably because the odds of a Dream Gate appearing were very small. Richard thought for a moment and then asked, ¡°You can enter but can¡¯t take me out? Is your soul still recovering from injury?¡± Ulysses shook his head, ¡°Ah, first of all, I am merely a soul projection here, my soul remains in the Material World. Secondly, my abilities aren¡¯t in this area. If I were like our elder who likes playing with incense, even with the strength of a Level 1 Creature, I could pull you back using the Power of Faith.¡± Seeing this, Richard could only reluctantly accept the reality. ¡°Tell me how to collect the Power of Nightmare,¡± Richard resignedly said. It seemed his luck had been completely drained by his previous series of encounters. No wait, how can a wizard believe in luck? It¡¯s all about probabilities! ¡°Ah, this part¡¯s easy.¡± Ulysses floated in front of Richard, ¡°You just need to find a wise being from the Wizard World¡¯s projection in the Nightmare World and scare them in their dream.¡± ¡°That sounds fairly simple,¡± Richard nodded. ¡°Ah, but this method is slow. After you accumulate some Power of Nightmare, don¡¯t keep doing that; otherwise, you¡¯d keep collecting until you die of old age,¡± Ulysses continued, ¡°Every wise creature in the Nightmare World possesses Power of Nightmare, and you can plunder this via certain methods. The simplest way is to eat them, but those high-tier nightmare creatures generally opt to farm lower-level nightmare creatures and have them periodically surrender a type of Nightmare Crystal condensed from Power of Nightmare. Swallowing these Nightmare Crystals is also a fast way to acquire Power of Nightmare.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying¡­ the creatures of the Nightmare World have their own society?¡± Richard pondered. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s one way to put it. According to the language of the Wizard World, those high-tier nightmare creatures should be called Nightmare Lords.¡± Richard nodded and then asked a final question, ¡°How should I deal with these nightmare creatures? This world feels¡­ very strange.¡± As he spoke, Richard raised his hand, and a black fireball appeared in his grasp. ¡°The rules of this world aren¡¯t much different from those of the Wizard World; I can still use spells, so can these nightmare creatures be killed by my spells, or do I need to use the Power of Nightmare to deal with them?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, the Nightmare Wizard World is a reflection of the Wizard World, so all the rules are the same, just with additional exclusive rules of the Nightmare World. Those nightmare creatures, when attacked by spells, will still be injured. But the abilities of nightmare creatures are myriad and strange; to counter these abilities, Power of Nightmare is indispensable.¡± ¡°Alright, that clears everything up,¡± Richard waved his hand, satisfied that nightmare creatures could be killed with spells. ¡°Let¡¯s go find some unlucky creature to collect some Power of Nightmare.¡± ¡­ The environment of the Nightmare World was incredibly peculiar, as if all the creatures had taken on bizarre forms. Walking through the wilderness, Richard plucked a flower from a nearby bush; it had yellow petals and looked quite ordinary, but at the center of the flower, there was a wrinkled baby face. Richard lightly touched a human face, and the face let out a piercing cry, much like that of a real baby. Moreover, as one flower began to cry, the entire patch of flowers around Richard seemed to awaken, with the dense sound of infant cries overlapping each other, like the wails of evil ghosts from hell. Throwing the face-like flower into his sleeve, Richard hastily flew across the meadow. Due to the special rules of the Nightmare World, Richard had nothing on him except his clothes, which also meant he was without the Magic Pocket, a spatial tool. However, according to Ulysses, as long as he possessed the Power of Nightmare, Richard could use it to conjure a Magic Pocket, its miraculous nature even more exaggerated than the Power of Faith. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Power of Faith merely caused the giant insect to stop, whereas the Power of Nightmare materialized an object, and it was a finely made Magic Tool. The Wizard World was vast, filled with a multitude of uninhabited areas, and Richard, located in an unknown wilderness, could only search aimlessly like a headless fly. Soon, the blood moon set. Daylight arrived. A black sun slowly rose from the eastern horizon, this sun looking like a black hole that devoured stars, its center pitch dark while the edges gleamed with a white light. Richard glanced at it, then his gaze was caught. Was there something in the center of this black sun? A line? No, considering the size of the black sun, that line should be bigger than a mountain range. But as Richard watched longer, a black flame suddenly ignited around him. The black flame emanated a terrifying heat, but Richard seemed to feel nothing, still mesmerized by the black sun. Noticing something amiss, Ulysses suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Caw, don¡¯t look at that thing! That thing is alive!¡± Ulysses¡¯s voice seemed to carry some power; following his warning, Richard snapped out of it like waking from a dream and quickly averted his gaze. As he shifted his gaze, the black flames around him instantly vanished. ¡°Was that a nightmare creature?¡± Richard asked worriedly, realizing he had almost been burned to death by merely looking. The abilities of these nightmare creatures were truly frightening. ¡°Caw, what¡¯s that?¡± Ulysses casually said, ¡°The Nightmare World isn¡¯t the Material World, anything is possible here. Perhaps the place we are standing is actually a part of some nightmare creature¡¯s body.¡± ¡­ The lesson of the black sun deepened Richard¡¯s understanding of the Nightmare World, making him extremely cautious on his quest to find intelligent creatures. After nearly three days of searching, Richard finally found a village in the wilderness. Finding a village meant he could find more human settlements nearby. However, when Richard entered the village, he found it completely deserted. This village was unlike any other he had seen in the wilderness; the houses, roads, and wells were all intact, and the houses were furnished. Logically, this village should have housed at least a few hundred people. ¡°Caw, maybe it¡¯s related to time,¡± Ulysses suggested. ¡°The alternation of day and night is one of the rules of your world; perhaps this rule has interacted with the Nightmare Rules in some way.¡± Richard nodded, Ulysses¡¯s words echoing his own thoughts. Most creatures in the Wizard World start their activities at sunrise and rest at sunset, and dreams could only happen at night. Thus, it made sense for the alternation of day and night rules to interact with the Nightmare Rules. Richard found a room in the village and sat down, quietly waiting for the blood moon to rise. Three hours later, the black sun set, and the blood moon rose. An imperceptible change occurred in the village. The whole village seemed to undergo a slight transformation. Richard sat in the room and quietly opened his eyes. Although meditation was impossible in the Nightmare World, sleep was exceptionally effective. Richard had only slept for fifteen minutes, yet he felt as refreshed as if he had meditated. With the blood moon rising slowly, the whole village gradually came alive. One by one, strange creatures emerged from the nooks and crannies of the village, their forms resembling poorly crafted Synthetic Beasts made by inept Wizard Apprentices; they looked both bizarre and disgusting. Ulysses pointed out these little creatures to Richard, saying, ¡°Caw, these little things are the lowest level of intelligent creatures in the Nightmare World¡ªNightmare Spirits. They have very low combat ability and are one of the most common nightmare creatures here.¡± As he spoke, one of the Nightmare Spirits came up to Richard and loudly asked, ¡°Big guy, how come I¡¯ve never seen you before? You came from outside, right?¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 173 03-25 - 3 This is not the Power of Nightmare, but clearly the Power of Good Dreams Chapter 173: Chapter 3 This is not the Power of Nightmare, but clearly the Power of Good Dreams Looking at the Nightmare Spirit asking him questions, Richard¡¯s face showed a hint of curiosity. ¡°What language is this little thing speaking, I can actually understand it.¡± ¡°Ga, this is the special language of the Nightmare World, a language known to all nightmare creatures,¡± Ulysses explained. ¡°Once you have the Power of Nightmare, you will be able to speak this language too.¡± Upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed Richard¡¯s face. He had visited too few worlds and seen too little; the peculiar rules of the Nightmare World greatly amazed him. Seeing that Richard was ignoring him, the Nightmare Spirit grew angry and waved its fangs and claws: ... ¡°Hey, big guy, I¡¯m talking to you! Don¡¯t you know this is our Slap Gang¡¯s territory!¡± ¡°Slap Gang?¡± Richard suddenly became interested and used Magic Hand to lift the distinct-looking Nightmare Spirit in front of his eyes. ¡°Little thing, is the Slap Gang your organization?¡± The Nightmare Spirit, realizing it was lifted into the air, thrashed like a Suture Monster, its limbs twisting wildly. ¡°Let me go, let me go! You bastard, once I¡¯m down, I¡¯ll slap you into a pulp!¡± Richard was curious, being a One Ring Wizard himself with a spiritual power of ninety points, yet this little thing showed no fear of him. ¡°Ga, this bunch of little things can only sense your Power of Nightmare, and since you have none right now, you¡¯re just a big Nightmare Spirit in their eyes,¡± Ulysses casually explained, seeming to address Richard¡¯s confusion. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?¦Ï.§ã? ¡°But this situation is only for these lower-level creatures. Slightly more powerful nightmare creatures can sense that you are a creature from another world. This is also why I advised you to gather the Power of Nightmare first. The souls of creatures from other worlds are exquisite food for nightmare creatures, and spiritual power is even better, consuming the same amount of spiritual power is more than a hundred times stronger than consuming an equivalent amount of the Power of Nightmare. So you must never reveal your identity in front of nightmare creatures. Once you obtain the Power of Nightmare, you can use it to mold a body and disguise yourself, just like I do in the Material World. As long as no Lord of Nightmares appears, your identity will be safe.¡± Hearing this, a hint of relief flashed through Richard¡¯s mind, never having imagined there were such rules in the Nightmare World. Without Ulysses¡¯s guidance as the World Master, with his own abilities, he would likely have been hunted and devoured by nightmare creatures quickly. But at the same time, Richard also became curious about Ulysses¡¯s experience. ¡°You know so much, did someone guide you in your time?¡± Richard asked. Ulysses shook his head with a bit of pride, ¡°Ga, I didn¡¯t have that privilege. When I accidentally entered this Nightmare World, the only thing better than you was my strength. Back then, I entered the Nightmare World as a third-level creature with power over incomplete rules, a strength that allowed me to prevail over most nightmare creatures under a Nightmare Lord without using Power of Nightmare.¡± ¡°¡­Impressive.¡± Just a simplistic reason. Throwing the noisy Nightmare Spirit aside with Magic Hand, Richard quietly waited in the bedroom of the house. Soon, a dark rift suddenly appeared above the bedroom¡¯s bed. Initially as thin as a strand of hair and as long as a thumb, it quickly expanded to the length and width of a palm. ¡°Ga, this thing is a Dream Rift. You can enter the dream of an intelligent creature through this,¡± Ulysses explained. ¡°This tiny rift,¡± Richard furrowed his brows and probed into the rift with his spiritual power. In an instant, Richard felt as if he had entered a new world. This dream was quite ordinary, encompassing only about the size of a village, and the village didn¡¯t look much different from the one where Richard had stayed before becoming an apprentice to a wizard, except the houses were nicer and the roads smoother. The world was very quiet, with few living beings. Thus, Richard quickly found the main character of this world¡ªa modest-looking farmer. This farmer was currently waiting anxiously in front of the village¡¯s bakery, and as a ¡°Nightmare,¡± Richard could clearly perceive his thoughts. ¡°White bread, steaming hot white bread!¡± Watching this line of thought, Richard mused. He was here to give this man a nightmare, which meant making him anxious. Now, seeing him waiting for white bread, Richard definitely needed to focus there. But before frightening him, he had to establish what he could do. Richard tried changing a small grass at the edge of the dream, and with his imagination, the whole dream suddenly shook. Then, Richard felt he could effortlessly change everything in the dream. It seemed he had usurped control of the entire dream. ¡°Is it because my spiritual power greatly exceeds the host¡¯s?¡± Richard guessed inwardly. With control over the dream, his options expanded. As a wizard, even his casual interactions about various monsters would be unimaginably terrifying for a farmer. ¡°White bread, white bread, let¡¯s start with that then.¡± With a thought from Richard, a voice echoed from the bakery. ¡°George, your white bread is ready!¡± A chubby baker, wearing thick oven gloves, carried out a basket of bread from the house. And all the bread in the basket was white bread. ¡°George, your bread!¡± The Dream World¡¯s master looked at the bread, and instantly, a wave of joy and satisfaction surged in his heart. This emotion was also a form of power, but Richard, as a creature of nightmares, obviously couldn¡¯t harness this power. In his delight, George pulled out a loaf of white bread, ripped off a big chunk, and stuffed it fiercely into his mouth. ¡°White bread, I, George, finally get to eat white bread!¡± But at his most excited moment, Richard revealed a slight smile. Hehehe, now that you¡¯ve had your fun, it¡¯s time to contribute your Power of Nightmare to me. With a thought from Richard, the white bread in George¡¯s hands and mouth instantly transformed. What was once an aromatic loaf of white bread now became a rotting arm, and what George was eating wasn¡¯t bread anymore but a piece of rotting, maggot-infested flesh. As George chewed, he realized something was amiss. He looked into his bread and got so scared that he immediately collapsed to the ground. The entire dream also crumbled thereafter. In the Wizard World, a farmer named George suddenly woke from his dream, immediately wanting to spit. But he quickly realized it was just a nightmare. ¡°It was just a dream, scared me to death.¡± George wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, took a deep breath, and lay back down in bed. Meanwhile, in the Nightmare Wizard World, Richard¡¯s spiritual power rebounded as the dream collapsed. ¡°Scared him awake, there should be some Power of Nightmare now,¡± Richard mused, touching his chin and speaking to himself as he watched the fissure heal. No sooner had he spoken than he saw a stream of black energy fly out from the fissure and merge into his body. At the same time, information appeared before Richard¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ingredient: Power of Nightmare¡± ¡°Refinable Substance: Soul Essence¡± ¡°Refinement Cost: 0.01 spiritual power¡± Looking at the information, Richard was invigorated. Power of Nightmare can actually refine into Soul Essence! Richard felt like he was dreaming! This is not the Power of Nightmare; this is more like the Power of a Beautiful Dream. He immediately checked his body with his spiritual power and saw the black energy flowing with his magic power circuit. With a thought, the Power of Nightmare flew out of the Magic Rebound and landed in the palm of his hand. ¡°Refine,¡± Richard silently commanded. The next moment, the Power of Nightmare disappeared, and what appeared in Richard¡¯s hand was a trace of Soul Essence, almost too little to be seen. After consuming this bit of Soul Essence, Richard estimated it would increase his spiritual power by roughly 0.0001. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That meant Richard would need about ten thousand of such Power of Nightmare to gain enough Soul Essence to increase one point of his spiritual power. ¡°What in the world is this?¡± Ulysses, just a projection with limited sensory abilities, didn¡¯t recognize the Soul Essence right away. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a soul, bah, now I¡¯m starting to caw like you,¡± Richard spat and continued, ¡°This is Soul Essence refined from the Power of Nightmare. We need about ten thousand more of that intensity of Power of Nightmare to gather enough for one point of my spiritual strength.¡± ¡°Ah, Soul Essence! My lord, your furnace is truly defying the heavens,¡± Ulysses exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s just the yield that¡¯s a bit touching. That kind of Power of Nightmare, accumulating ten thousand of them, would be enough to elevate two Nightmare Spirits to the limit. A normal Nightmare Crystal only contains about ten Power of Nightmare.¡± Richard waved it off nonchalantly, ¡°Once it can refine into Soul Essence, don¡¯t be too picky about it. You know how rare this source material is, right?¡± ¡°Ah, well,¡± Ulysses seemed to recall something, ¡°In the small world of the Eternal God King, I think I saw an entire inland sea made of Soul Essence.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s the Divine King!¡± Richard shouted, ¡°There are only three in the Gods Civilization, and five top-tier powerhouses in the Wizard World, in the eyes of such figures, what counts as rare! ¡°Ah, about your furnace.¡± ¡°¡­Ulysses, I think we need to discuss why I was forced into the Nightmare World after you looked over the Earth Veins magnetic field. Do you think this counts as negligence?¡± ¡°Ah, my dear master, let¡¯s change the subject, shall we?¡± Richard integrated the minuscule amount of Soul Essence into his body, knowing that though it was small, every little bit counted. ¡°Ah, Richard, since you can refine Soul Essence, maybe you¡¯ve got another way to leave this place,¡± Ulysses suddenly said. Richard arched an eyebrow, ¡°What method?¡± ¡°Ah, if you can collect enough Soul Essence, break through the bottleneck of your spiritual power, your soul will enter the space you call the Soul Darkness and then plunge into the Sea of Souls. When the soul emerges from the Sea of Souls, it will find its way back into your body.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard paused for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on his lips, ¡°It seems this Nightmare World might actually be a blessing for me.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 174 03-25 - 4: Commanding the Nightmare, Nightmare Body Chapter 174: Chapter 4: Commanding the Nightmare, Nightmare Body Not long after he had collected the Power of Nightmare, the dream rift appeared again, which suggested that poor George had fallen asleep once more. Compared to the first time, however, this dream rift had become somewhat smaller, with edges that appeared unstable. ¡°Caw, a wisdom creature of such average strength can collect Nightmare Power up to three times in one night at most, and with each collection, its dreams become more fragile,¡± Ulysses explained to Richard. ¡°The capacity of a dream to bear is limited, once it becomes fragile, you entering can easily lead to the dreamscape shattering. So, I suggest you find another sheep to shear.¡± Since it was no longer possible to enter the current dreamscape, Richard would have to visit someone else¡¯s dreams. But as he observed the active Nightmare Spirits in the village, an idea suddenly emerged in his mind. ¡°Ulysses, didn¡¯t you say the Nightmare Power on these nightmare creatures can be plundered? These little guys right now are the perfect targets for plundering.¡± ... ¡°Caw, these little ones carry too little Nightmare Power on them, it¡¯s not very cost-effective to plunder. Of course, if you want, you can give it a try,¡± Ulysses replied with a tone that sounded a bit off, as if he were holding back some mischief. Richard gave him a glance, then casually used the Magic Hand to grab a Nightmare Spirit. The Nightmare Spirit looked like a toad but had seven or eight blood-red eyes on its head, which made it look quite terrifying. ¡°How do I plunder it?¡± ¡°Caw, eat it,¡± Ulysses cackled. ¡°Eat it?¡± Richard looked toward Ulysses, his expression growing dark, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ulysses solemnly declared, ¡°Caw, I swear on the name of the Divine King, I¡¯m not playing tricks on you. Back then, after eating these nightmare creatures, I obtained my first strand of Nightmare Power.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?0¦Í??.§ã¦Ï After he finished, Ulysses let out a few more strange laughs. He was now eager to see the look on Richard¡¯s face after he consumed these little creatures. The taste of these nightmare creatures, to be frank, for the beings of the Material World was¡­ Richard, with an expressionless face, used the Magic Hand to squeeze the Nightmare Spirit to death, rolled it into a ball, and then stuffed it into his own body. Since Richard had entered the Nightmare Wizard World in soul form only, his current body was illusory and lacked any real function. As the Nightmare Spirit entered his body, Richard immediately felt an unimaginable wave of disgust. If he had to describe it, Richard would rather eat British cuisine every day for the rest of his life than take another bite of this thing. Watching Richard¡¯s peculiar expression, Ulysses couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter. ¡°Caw caw caw caw, Richard, how does it taste, these nightmare creatures?¡± Richard twisted his neck stiffly, ¡°Ulysses, I think letting the World Mushroom adjust your sense of taste was a mistake, don¡¯t you think?¡± The next moment, the cackling crow instantly froze in place. ¡°Caw, my dear master, it was only an attempt, a necessary part of surviving in the Nightmare World. Once you possess a body made by the Power of Nightmare, this situation will change considerably.¡± Richard glared at him, then began to check the Nightmare Power he had gained from devouring the Nightmare Spirit. Seeing that the Magic Rebound had more or less neutralized the amount of Nightmare Power he had just refined, Richard¡¯s face turned ashen. After suffering so much to gain such a little bit of Nightmare Power, the method of gaining Nightmare Power quickly by devouring Nightmare Spirits was promptly excluded from Richard¡¯s plans. But soon, Richard thought of another method. ¡°Ulysses, how about I become the lord of these little ones and have them pay tribute to me with Nightmare Power?¡± Richard inquired. ¡°Caw, I don¡¯t know about that, I never tried it back then.¡± ¡°You never tried it?¡± Richard said, somewhat surprised, ¡°Is there a flaw with this method?¡± ¡°Caw, it¡¯s not that, back then I would directly consume the higher-tier nightmare creatures and snatch away their Nightmare Crystals. Being a lord oneself, there¡¯s no faster way than taking what¡¯s already there.¡± Richard: ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Before attempting to rule over the group of Nightmare Spirits, Richard conducted some research on these little creatures. As the most common and lowest level nightmare creatures in the Nightmare World, their makeup was quite miraculous. They didn¡¯t have flesh and blood bodies in the conventional sense; their lives were completely maintained by the Power of Nightmare. The Power of Nightmare formed a simple energy cycle within their bodies. Different Nightmare Spirits had slight variations in their energy cycles. If this cycle were broken, the Nightmare Spirit would die as a result. When a Nightmare Spirit sustained non-fatal injuries, its body would exude a highly malodorous black mucus. This mucus was non-toxic, purely causing disgust to the creatures of the Otherworld. However, if they suffered fatal injuries, the Nightmare Spirit¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t leak out black mucus, but instead, it would begin to disintegrate. The pace of this dust transformation was related to how much of the Nightmare Power dissipated from the Spirit¡¯s body. The less Nightmare Power remaining in the body, the more disintegration occurred. Once the dissipation of Nightmare Power was complete, the body of the Nightmare Spirit would turn into a puddle of black dust. During this process, the Power of Nightmare that dissipated within the Nightmare Spirits could not be collected. After dispersing, all of it entered into the earth. It was as if there was an invisible force guiding them. These Nightmare Spirits weren¡¯t very strong, most couldn¡¯t even defeat a ten-year-old child, but as the Power of Nightmare inside them increased, so did their strength. Aside from strength, the intelligence level of these little guys was also around that of a ten-year-old, and this level of intelligence wouldn¡¯t increase with the accumulation of the Power of Nightmare. However, this test result was limited to the Nightmare Spirits at this stage. According to Ulysses, after a Nightmare Spirit gathers enough Power of Nightmare, it would evolve into a higher-grade Nightmare creature, with most higher-level Nightmare creatures evolving gradually from lower-level ones. During the experiment¡¯s observation process, Richard unexpectedly discovered that he could still use his Soul Talent Energy Vision in the Nightmare World. It was also because of the Energy Vision that he was able to complete the experiment so smoothly and observe so much data. The entire experimental process took Richard a week¡¯s time, but the gains from it could indeed be considered not insignificant. Among them, the energy cycle of Nightmare Spirits was the most valuable. These energy cycles were extremely simple, but Richard keenly sensed their potential. When these energy cycles carried enough Power of Nightmare, they would undergo a change. And this change was the secret to the evolution of Nightmare creatures. After the research was completed, Richard returned to the village, holding a very long purple vine in his hand. This vine wasn¡¯t anything special¡ªjust an ordinary vine mutated by the Nightmare World, containing a trace amount of paralytic toxin. And Richard¡¯s purpose for holding it was very simple. As runes appeared one by one in Richard¡¯s hands, a simple Alchemy Array emerged in the palm of his hand. Under the action of the Alchemy Array, Richard¡¯s spirit began manipulating the vine to transform. The transformed vine resembled some kind of Carnivorous Plants, piercing into the houses before splitting into smaller groups to wrap up the Nightmare Spirits and then carrying them out of the houses. Before long, all the Nightmare Spirits of the village were gathered at the center. The Nightmare Spirits were very rowdy, their voices together sounding like a swarm of flies buzzing in your ear. ¡°Quiet!¡± A thunderous voice overpowered the chatter of the Nightmare Spirits, silencing them. The one who uttered the voice, Richard, slowly walked out from the shadows. Looking at the group of Nightmare Spirits, Richard didn¡¯t say anything hard to understand. Instead, his tone was coarse as he shouted, ¡°Listen up, you bunch of weaklings, I¡¯m the boss of this village now, and you¡¯re all my underlings!¡± After studying the Nightmare Spirits, Richard believed that when communicating with these creatures, one must be straightforward, otherwise they might not understand what you¡¯re saying. Additionally, if you want to subdue them, you must show your strength and ferocity. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And now, Richard needed some troublemakers to demonstrate his might and ferocity. No sooner had Richard¡¯s words finished than one of the Nightmare Spirits, looking like a Scarecrow, broke free from the vine and stood up. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are, to be fit to be my boss¡­¡± Before he could finish, a black Flame engulfed his body, turning him to ash. Richard withdrew his finger, which he had pointed at the Scarecrow, and asked with a sinister laugh, ¡°Heh heh heh, who else objects?¡± This time, Richard didn¡¯t wait for a troublemaker to emerge; he immediately used his Magic Hand to grab a Nightmare Spirit resembling a hand from the group. This Nightmare Spirit had the most robust Power of Nightmare among the group and, judging from its appearance, was likely the leader of the Slap Gang. Without further ado, Richard crushed the hand-shaped Nightmare Spirit to death with his Magic Hand, then stuffed it into his mouth. Although the taste of the Nightmare Spirit was terrible, Richard still put on a fierce demeanor. ¡°This guy was moving his body while I was talking, clearly looking to resist me.¡± With these words, all the Nightmare Spirits at the center of the village instantly froze, even one resembling a heart stopped beating. Richard looked at this scene, nodded with satisfaction, and said, ¡°Good, it seems no one has any objections. Now, all of you, hand over a third of the Power of Nightmare inside you! Don¡¯t think about cheating or sneaking off. I can see every move you make!¡± Having said that, Richard stood in the center of the village, pointing to a Nightmare Spirit beside him, and commanded, ¡°Now, starting with you!¡± ¡­ The way Nightmare creatures handed over their Power of Nightmare varied; some slashed off a piece of Flesh, others condensed it into some sort of object. Although these bits of Power of Nightmare were not much, with close to five hundred Nightmare Spirits in the village, Richard still gathered a thousand strands of Power of Nightmare, with several particularly large Nightmare Spirits each contributing a hundred strands of Power of Nightmare to him. The amount of Power of Nightmare wasn¡¯t much; even if all of it was absorbed by a single Nightmare Spirit, it would only elevate it to the strength of an average Knight. But to the current Richard, this Power of Nightmare was enough for him to make a crude body to hide his Otherworldly creature identity. When crafting the body, Richard didn¡¯t just mold it like a clay figure. On the contrary, he even gave up on increasing the body¡¯s strength in order to create a simple energy cycle inside the body, using Power of Nightmare obtained from the Nightmare Spirits. ¡°Gah, this body is too weak. If you enter this body, you likely won¡¯t even be able to exhibit one-thousandth of your strength,¡± Ulysses commented as he looked at the body Richard had made. In front of him was a body that looked almost human, emitting a somewhat ominous aura. Richard glanced at him and softly caressed the body, saying, ¡°You know nothing, I see endless possibilities in this Nightmare Body.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 175 03-25 - 5: The Mutated Nightmare Body Chapter 175: Chapter 5: The Mutated Nightmare Body Nightmare Body was the name Richard had given the body. The Power of Nightmare was a magical force capable of turning imagination into reality. Richard used the Power of Nightmare to construct a body, and the moment he finished, he imagined it. Yes, he imagined. The Power of Nightmare could change reality through consciousness. Under Richard¡¯s imagination, the body crafted from the Power of Nightmare transformed into real flesh. This flesh, both in appearance and to the touch, was indistinguishable from anything in the Material World. However, once Richard activated his Energy Vision, he could see that the body was covered with dense, intricate patterns of light. ... The Power of Nightmare hadn¡¯t truly created flesh; the flesh was merely a vivid illusion. This hypothesis was confirmed when Richard tore off a piece of the flesh, which then turned into black Power of Nightmare and merged into the earth. Though the transformation was an illusion, it was convincing enough that when Richard entered the Nightmare Body, he truly felt as if he were inside a physical body¡ªa sensation of warmth enveloped him as if he had put on clothes after a long time running naked in the cold wind. Richard exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, ¡°Having a physical body is wonderful!¡± Inside the Nightmare Body, the cycles of magic power and the Power of Nightmare ran clearly separate from each other, each forming its own system without interfering with one another. Richard tried using an Enhancement Spell on the Nightmare Body, and the results were quite satisfying. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? The amplification effects of the spell were still effective on the body. After completing the body, Richard left the room. The black sun had risen by then, and the rifts in the dreamscape brought about by the blood moon were still not visible, with the Nightmare Spirits having returned to various hidden nooks in the village. As Richard walked through the village, the black sun, though terrifying, was safe as long as one didn¡¯t stare directly at it. Its sunlight fell on Richard¡¯s Nightmare Body, giving a warm sensation. After acquiring the Nightmare Body, Richard began to explore the surrounding areas of the village. A single village¡¯s Nightmare Spirits were too few; constructing a body capable of harnessing Richard¡¯s full strength needed at least fifty thousand strands of the Power of Nightmare¡ªstraining a whole village for that amount would take an unknown amount of time. Expanding the territory was the proper course. Moreover, in the Wizard World, human settlements never existed isolated in the Wilderness; the existence of a village undoubtedly meant there were human cities nearby, or even possibly a Wizard Academy. Although those densely populated areas sure to have a Nightmare Lord, Richard could still scrape up some leftovers in these remote villages. Just as Richard had thought, ten kilometers from the village, he found another village which, according to Ulysses¡¯s exploration, did not host any nightmare creatures more advanced than Nightmare Spirits. ¡°Gah, it appears this place is a new human gathering spot,¡± Ulysses circled the village and then landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder; he was now just a soul projection, which meant even if he died, there would be no harm to his original body, making him perfect for exploration. ¡°This settlement seems not to have existed for more than fifty years. Otherwise, there should be Little Nightmares ruling these villages.¡± ¡°Little Nightmares?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°Gah, Little Nightmares are what the Nightmare Spirits are called after they evolve. These little guys reach the status of Level 1 Creatures, with specific combat capabilities depending on their battle experience and the amount of the Power of Nightmare,¡± Ulysses explained. Richard nodded, ¡°It seems these nightmare creatures employ a feudal system.¡± ¡°Gah, more or less so. The world is so vast that if a Nightmare Lord had to personally collect the Power of Nightmare from every Nightmare Spirit, they¡¯d have no time left for anything else. With a feudal system, they only need to demand the Power of Nightmare from the reigning leaders of their domains. Lords enfeoff Knights, who in turn enfeoff Big Nightmares, distributing down through layers. It¡¯s like this in the Crow Realm, and the Wizard World is probably similar.¡± Leaving the village, Richard successively found several other villages, which also lacked ruling leaders. When the blood moon rose, Richard followed the old routine and thoroughly scavenged these villages for the Power of Nightmare. By the end of the night, Richard had collected nearly five thousand strands from four villages. Looking at the fist-sized ball of the Power of Nightmare in his hand, Richard nodded in satisfaction. This night had not been busy in vain. Returning to the original village, Richard found a secluded room and attempted to integrate the collected Power of Nightmare into the energy cycle of the Nightmare Body. The Nightmare Body, modeled after the Nightmare Spirits and part of his experiment with nightmare creatures, should also be able to be strengthened by absorbing the Power of Nightmare, just like the Nightmare Spirits. The integration of the Power of Nightmare went smoothly, with no roughness throughout the process. However, despite integrating all five thousand strands of the Power of Nightmare into the cycle, Richard did not experience anything special. The Nightmare Body had not been strengthened. Richard stepped out of the Nightmare Body and stared thoughtfully at the body before him. ¡°It seems I was mistaken; the strengthening of nightmare creatures isn¡¯t only related to their energy cycles.¡± In his Energy Vision, the cycles of the Power of Nightmare appeared enormously robust, with tiny light pathways spreading from these cycles and connecting to the body¡¯s outer shell. However, this linkage was only maintaining the existence of the shell and did not enhance it due to the increase in the Power of Nightmare. Looking at the shell, Richard pondered for a moment, then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. ¡°Perhaps I can add something.¡± He rummaged through the room and soon found some black dust left behind when Nightmare Spirits died. The composition of this dust was unknown, and Richard hadn¡¯t found any use for it yet, only tossing it aside like a sample. Richard sprinkled this dust on the Nightmare Body; this dust came from the remains of dead nightmare creatures and might be what the Nightmare Body lacked for it to change. As the dust came into contact with the Nightmare Body, the energy cycle within it underwent a sudden change. The energy pathways of the places touched by the dust instantaneously thickened, as the Power of Nightmare was continuously being transmitted. During this process, the true illusion of the Power of Nightmare suddenly vanished, and Richard could clearly observe the black dust merging into the Nightmare Body. ¡°So it really is this thing,¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but crack a slight smile. Experiments sometimes just required luck. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As the black dust fully integrated into the body, the true illusion of the Nightmare Body came back. But just as Richard was preparing to enter the Nightmare Body and experience its changes, an anomaly occurred. The originally mindless Nightmare Body suddenly opened its eyes. ¡°Huh! Playing dead!¡± Seeing this, Richard¡¯s mind raced, and he immediately began controlling his Magic Power to prepare a Sealing Skill. A series of cyan Rune Chains flew out of Richard¡¯s hands, quickly sealing the Nightmare Body into a piece of amber encased in cyan ice. After Richard¡¯s modifications, the Rune Chain Sealing Technique now had an enhanced sealing capability, and the appearance of the seal had also changed. It looked somewhat like a smaller version of the Dead Silence Ice Mountain Sealing Technique. Looking at the Ice Amber before him, Richard¡¯s expression turned somewhat grim. ¡°I went through all this trouble to prepare a body; I hope it doesn¡¯t turn into a nightmare creature because of this dust.¡± Through the seal, Richard began probing the body with his spiritual power to check its condition; if the Nightmare Body had indeed turned into a nightmare creature, its internal structure should have changed. At the very least, that disgusting black slime would definitely appear. After probing, Richard received one good and one bad piece of news. The bad news was that the black slime had indeed appeared. The good news, however, was that because of the Sealing Skill, the body¡¯s transformation had halted, and since Richard had sealed it very quickly, the degree of the body¡¯s transformation wasn¡¯t high. Also, in the transformed part of the body, Richard discovered something that resembled a core. This was something that had never appeared before when he had dissected a Nightmare Spirit. Richard looked at the Nightmare Body, stroked his chin, and his face shifted from grim to thoughtful. A new experiment going smoothly is rare; most experiments succeed only after countless failures. ¡°It seems that the secrets of nightmare creatures are not as simple as I thought.¡± Richard noted down this change, then immediately used a technique to break the seal, quickly extracting the core from the body with precise movements, and then swiftly sealed the core in his hand. For now, Richard couldn¡¯t determine if the body could revert to its original form. Rather than sealing the Nightmare Body, Richard preferred to preserve this new experimental material. But the outcome was somewhat beyond Richard¡¯s expectations. After the core was removed by Richard, the transformation of the Nightmare Body ceased. Richard looked at the core, his face displaying a slight surprise. ¡°It seems that this thing is the reason for the body¡¯s transformation.¡± This was a new discovery. After removing the core, Richard probed the remaining Power of Nightmare within the Nightmare Body and discovered that approximately three hundred strands of the Power of Nightmare had been used to transform the core and the black slime. Just then, Ulysses flew in from outside, and Richard showed him the core and told him about what had just happened. ¡°Ulysses, do you recognize this thing?¡± Ulysses looked at the core and shook his head: ¡°Caw, I don¡¯t recognize it. I usually gobble up nightmare creatures. But I¡¯ve heard a rumor before that the Nightmare King cannot die. If you want to defeat a Nightmare King, you either trap him in a Fear Domain, or you hide his heart.¡± Hearing this, Richard looked at the core in his hand and got an idea. He extracted part of the Nightmare Power from the Nightmare Body as a precaution and then unsealed the core and put it back into the Nightmare Body. ¡°Caw, what are you doing? Are you trying to possess a nightmare creature?¡± Ulysses asked curiously. Richard shook his head. ¡°Just an experiment; I have a hypothesis and want to see if it¡¯s true.¡± Once the core was returned to the Nightmare Body, the transformation began again. Soon, the entire Nightmare Body completed the transformation, and a new consciousness was born within it. And just at that moment, Richard suddenly thrust his hand into the Nightmare Body. Rune Chains instantly sealed the core again. After the core was sealed again, Richard anxiously watched the changes in the Nightmare Body. If his idea was correct, then this body wouldn¡¯t undergo dustification. Time ticked by, and the transformed Nightmare Body showed no signs of dustification. Richard then tried entering this body. During the process, he didn¡¯t feel any residual consciousness. ¡°Cackle, cackle, cackle, Ulysses, you¡¯ve greatly contributed!¡± Richard said weirdly to Ulysses, ¡°These nightmare creatures¡¯ consciousness and body are separate. The core is where their consciousness resides, and as long as the core is separated from the body, these nightmare creatures will become like vegetative beings!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 176 03-25 - 6 Managing Territory, Nightmare Demon Beast Chapter 176: Chapter 6 Managing Territory, Nightmare Demon Beast However, after entering the Nightmare Body, Richard soon discovered a problem. This body could not be controlled by him, because after the transformation, it had essentially become a Nightmare creature. If he tried to force control over this body, it would lead to the Nightmare Body being digested by him and reverted back into the Power of Nightmare. It was as if he had eaten the Nightmare Body. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Emerging from the Nightmare Body, Richard turned his attention to the sealed core. Within the core, the imprisoned nascent consciousness was roaring in rage. At this moment, it was akin to a patient who was completely paralyzed; no matter how it issued commands, its body remained motionless. This feeling was akin to torture. ... Richard invaded the core with his spiritual power and compared to his own, the new Nightmare creature¡¯s consciousness was exceedingly weak. ¡°What are you! Monster! Get out of my body! Get out!¡± The Nightmare creature¡¯s consciousness issued a fierce yet hollow roar, but Richard paid it no attention. ¡°Interesting.¡± Richard looked at the Nightmare Body and fell into thought. This nascent consciousness somewhat exceeded Richard¡¯s understanding of the Soul School; it did not originate from a soul but rather seemed more like the electrical consciousness of a Synthetic Beast from Alchemy¡ªpurely a false personality formed by the biological electric currents stimulating the brain to produce spiritual power. Regarding this knowledge, Richard was not very familiar, but he was certain that even if he destroyed this consciousness with his spiritual power, as long as the core remained intact, new consciousnesses would emerge from it. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï??0.§ã? However, Richard quickly found a solution. ¡°No soul? No problem, I can share a bit with you.¡± Richard said with a smile as he condensed a Soul Seed. Since the core would continuously produce new consciousnesses, he decided to occupy the ecological niche of consciousness with a Soul Seed, preventing the formation of new consciousnesses. With a slight motion of his spiritual power, the nascent consciousness within the core was churned into oblivion by Richard, and the core began to form a new consciousness as he had anticipated. Seizing the moment, Richard sent his Soul Seed into the core. The spiritual power produced by the core was quickly overpowered by Richard¡¯s Soul Seed, which then prevented the formation of any new consciousness. Moreover, the capacity of the core to produce spiritual power was limited, and once it reached its threshold, it ceased production. As the core stopped producing spiritual power, Richard¡¯s Soul Seed became the supreme ruler of the core. Richard then lifted the sealing, and once more, he entered the Nightmare Body. This time, the Nightmare Body could finally move normally. ¡°Gah! You actually did it!¡± Ulysses looked at the Nightmare Body moving freely, uttering in surprise. What Richard had done was akin to body-snatching a Nightmare creature, far better than his previous scheme of using the Power of Nightmare to pinch out a body. Richard now seemed to be hiding inside the stomach of a Nightmare creature, except that this Nightmare creature did not digest him. In such a situation, even if Richard faced a Nightmare Lord, he could easily fool them. Richard¡¯s mouth curled into a confident smile: ¡°This is the wisdom of a Wizard.¡± Richard channeled all of the collected Power of Nightmare into the Nightmare Body, instantly raising its strength to the level of a Legendary Knight. This also fulfilled Richard¡¯s initial goal¡ªconstant evolution. Now that Richard had collected an ample amount of the Power of Nightmare, this body could become a Big Nightmare, maybe even a Nightmare Knight or a Nightmare Lord. To move toward this goal, Richard was ready to slightly increase the efficiency of his Power of Nightmare collection. ¡­ At night, the blood moon rose, and the Nightmare Spirits crawled out from their hiding places, beginning their preparations to collect the Power of Nightmare for the night. But today was different; they were once again gathered by Richard at the center of the village. After a month of observation, Richard found the efficiency at which these Nightmare Spirits collected the Power of Nightmare to be rather laughable. A Nightmare Spirit of average strength could collect only one strand of the Power of Nightmare over ten nights. Several stronger and slightly longer-lived Nightmare Spirits could obtain one to three strands of the Power of Nightmare in a single night. Moreover, these few Nightmare Spirits often needed to harvest four or five dreams to acquire that much. Their efficiency was, to say the least, very low. Further observation led Richard to discover that these Nightmare Spirits also often fought each other, and such fights would often end with one party dying, allowing the Power of Nightmare to enter the earth. These fights did not lead to a decrease in the number of Nightmare Spirits. In the hidden corners of the village, Nightmare Spirits would frequently grow from the ground. This growth was literal. While these fights did not decrease the number of Nightmare Spirits, they did lead to a rapid turnover, making it difficult for them to accumulate sufficient experience to scare people more effectively. A newly born Nightmare Spirit might not collect even a trace of the Power of Nightmare in a whole night. Richard set the tribute at one-third; for every strand of the Power of Nightmare these Nightmare Spirits collected, they had to hand over one-third to him. Therefore, to accelerate the collection of the Power of Nightmare, Richard decided to give the Nightmare Spirits some guidance, enabling them to collect more Power of Nightmare each night. ¡­ In the village center, Richard stood aloft in the air, shouting down at the group of variously shaped Nightmare Spirits below. ¡°Minions, you collect the Power of Nightmare too slowly! Today, I will teach you some tricks to let you collect more Power of Nightmare when you scare people! In addition, starting tonight, all Nightmare Spirits are forbidden to fight! Any Nightmare Spirit that fights becomes my food!¡± Richard¡¯s statement sent a buzz through the hordes of Nightmare Spirits on the ground. Among them, a few that had lived longer and possessed greater strength muttered to each other, finding this newcomer quite odd. Prohibiting combat and intending to teach those little ones how to scare people? What a madman. ¡°Quiet!¡± A loud shout instantly silenced the Nightmare Spirits. Richard looked at the menacing group and said, ¡°Whoever disagrees is welcome to stand up. I assure him a dignified death!¡± ¡­ Not a single Nightmare Spirit dared to move. Pleased with the result, Richard nodded in satisfaction and began his lesson. The content of the lesson was quite simple; scaring these country bumpkins didn¡¯t require any exaggerated or complex scenes. A skeleton, a venomous snake, a large wild beast, or an evil ghost that couldn¡¯t be killed¡ªany of these could frighten ordinary farmers. And these things didn¡¯t require the Nightmare Spirits to manipulate dreams. They merely needed to change their own appearances within the dreams. No matter what the surroundings were, these things could scare people. After teaching the scare tactics, Richard¡¯s body suddenly divided into several mini Richards. Having become a wizard, Richard now could divide more Soul Seeds¡ªa One Ring Wizard could split into ten Soul Seeds. These mini Richards were essentially Richard¡¯s avatars, mainly used to maintain order among the Nightmare Spirits and to prevent them from fighting one another. After all, Richard couldn¡¯t hold classes for them every day. Following the same formula, Richard quickly started scare-tactic classes in four other villages. He left two avatars in each village to manage order while his original body began his research in a secluded room of the village. In the Nightmare World, not only Nightmare creatures could be researched. The rules of this world were an exact replica of the Wizard World, and Richard could still conduct Spell research here. Although the world lacked tools, there was research that could be done without them. ¡­ Time passed by day by day, and before he knew it, Richard had spent nearly three months in the Nightmare World. Back in the Material World, Richard¡¯s body had been placed into a Secret Realm by Ulysses and was being guarded by a World Mushroom¡ªthere were no safety concerns. While in the Nightmare World, Richard¡¯s collection of the Power of Nightmare steadily proceeded. After initiating training and banning combat, the level of the Nightmare Spirits under Richard¡¯s command greatly improved, and those of the most basic level of the Power of Nightmare had vanished. On this foundation, Richard refined his management, assigning a fixed dream to every Nightmare Spirit, ensuring that each had a dream to enter. After such regulation, the Nightmare Spirits, taking on the forms of fierce beasts and Evil Ghosts, struck hard at the dreamers, with some even learning on their own to first give pleasure then a last-moment scare, causing the villages of the Wizard World to erupt with screams night after night. In just three months, Richard had collected an astonishing 15,000 units of the Power of Nightmare, with each village providing around a thousand units per month on average. However, looking at the data, the collection of Nightmare Power peaked in the second month and saw a significant decline in the third. Experiencing such intense and repetitive frights, it was only a matter of time before the commoners developed immunity. Richard made no changes, however. If the villages suffered nightmares too frequently and for too long, it would surely attract the attention of the Wizard Academy. It would be troublesome if it brought Wizards of the Soul School or even Guardians of the Wizard World. Richard believed that the Wizard World must have conducted research into the Nightmare World. Attracting the attention of powerful beings might spell his end with a single slap. As for seeking help from these wizards to escape, Richard being a pure Soul, any rescue by a wizard might lead to soul-to-soul contact, and if other wizards noticed the existence of the Miracle Furnace, it would be a serious problem. Although the chance of the Miracle Furnace being discovered was slim, having a way out, Richard preferred to play it safe and not to take any risks. With 15,000 units of Nightmare Power absorbed into his body, Richard¡¯s Nightmare Form had reached the level of an advanced Wizard Apprentice. Such strength meant that he was generally not in danger unless he encountered high-level Nightmare creatures¡­ ¡°Gah, Richard, come out quick, we¡¯ve got trouble!¡± Ulysses flew in from outside, his voice sounding very anxious. ¡°What has got you so panicked?¡± Richard asked, rising calmly. ¡°Gah! Come out and see for yourself. And remember to engage your Energy Vision.¡± Exiting the room, Richard switched to Energy Vision. With Energy Vision engaged, faint energy trails appeared on the ground. Following Ulysses into the nearby forest, Richard was startled by the sight before him. Threads of Nightmare Power seeped from the ground, slowly forming into a black Nightmare creature. On this creature, Richard felt no sign of intelligence, only a hunger as deep as the Abyss. ¡°Ulysses, what are these things?¡± Richard asked, his expression composed. In his hand, a Magic Wand made of Nightmare Power gradually took shape. ¡°Gah! These things are Nightmare Demon Beasts, they chase and kill all intelligent Nightmare creatures. They¡¯re the most annoying mad dogs of the Nightmare World.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 177 03-25 - 7 Nightmare Body Evolution Chapter 177: Chapter 7 Nightmare Body Evolution ¡°Nightmare Demon Beast? This thing looks quite powerful,¡± Richard said as he watched the ever-transforming Nightmare Demon Beast, the Magic Wand in his hand gradually taking shape. The Power of Nightmare could create True Illusions, and just as Richard could craft a body, he could naturally craft a Magic Wand. However, this creation was not without its limits. When making an artificial object, Richard had to have a sufficient understanding of it, be familiar with its materials, and know the method of its creation. In the case of certain materials, he had to know their physical properties. Moreover, there was one condition, that was, Richard must have seen the object before. He could not hypnotize himself and use the Power of Nightmare to create an illusion of a material or a Divine Artifact. ... ¡°Gaah, the most troublesome part of these things isn¡¯t their strength, but the fact that their appearance signifies the onset of a beast tide,¡± Ulysses said, looking at the Nightmare Demon Beast with disgust in his eyes. Their taste was even worse than that of Nightmare Spirits. He had collected the Power of Nightmare in the past and eaten many of these things, which utterly nauseated him. ¡°These beast tides vary in size; the small ones may have one or two demigods, while the big ones might feature Nightmare Lords or even Nightmare Kings.¡± Richard looked at the energy pathways on the ground; these pathways ran deep underground but allowed Richard to see them through thick layers of earth. This beast tide wouldn¡¯t be small. As Richard was pondering, the Nightmare Demon Beast in the forest finally took shape and let out a dull roar. The beast had a humanoid shape, standing about two meters tall with an extremely muscular physique, almost like a Black Tower when stationed in the woods. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã? The Magic Beast¡¯s body was covered in a layer of black full Armor, with vein-like bulging patterns. Its helmet completely encased the face, revealing only a pair of blood-red eyes and a bright red mouth full of sharp teeth, drooling. After roaring, it charged toward Richard. As it moved, streams of Power of Nightmare flowed out from beneath it, gradually shaping into a Nightmare Steed, while a black Riding Spear appeared in its hand. ¡°A Knight? Then I¡¯ll call you the Nightmare Knight for now.¡± Richard, watching the Nightmare Knight charging at him, waved his Magic Wand gently, and the ground in front of the charging beast suddenly turned to mud. The Nightmare Steed lost its footing, tumbling to the ground with its rider. Then Richard waved his wand again, and the mud turned back into hard stone, instantly trapping the Nightmare Knight within it. Dealing with such brainless creatures, Wizards had too many methods. The trapped Nightmare Knight struggled to break free, but because the stone fit his body so tightly, his space to exert force was extremely limited. Even though its strength had reached that of Level 1 Creatures, it was temporarily trapped in the stones. Richard approached it, and tiny Runes started to appear in his palm. His spiritual power entered the stone through the Alchemy Array, and in an instant, the stone seemed to come alive, rapidly spreading along the Nightmare Knight¡¯s body, wrapping it entirely in the blink of an eye. Then, Richard casually used the Power of Nightmare to condense a feather pen and began Engraving Runes on the stone. These Runes were simple in purpose, primarily to reinforce the stone prison. Dull thuds came from the stone, and fine cracks began to appear on its surface. But as more Runes were added, the cracks stopped growing and even began to heal under Richard¡¯s control. The Nightmare Knight¡¯s struggles were futile against the Runes. ¡°Gaah, do you plan to dissect this thing?¡± Ulysses, looking at the stone encasing the Nightmare Knight, expressed his amazement. The breadth of strategies used by Wizards was more diverse than any Race he had ever seen; it was hard to imagine a Race capable of utilising such a varied arsenal of abilities. ¡°Of course this thing must be studied,¡± Richard said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As a Wizard, any opportunity to gain knowledge was precious. ¡°Gaah, what about these, then?¡± Richard looked toward the depths of the forest, where one dark figure after another was gradually taking form. ¡°Obviously, they are all to be slaughtered,¡± Richard said calmly. ¡­ Boom! A black Fireball exploded in the forest, and the sprawling Flames instantly turned two Nightmare Knights into black fragments. Without Magic Stones for replenishment, Richard had to be thrifty with his Spell usage, choosing his moments carefully. If a single Fireball could resolve the situation, there was no need for a second. A black crow darted through the forest, continually carrying fragments of Nightmare Knights to Richard for him to consume. It must be said that Ulysses had a reason to detest these things. The taste of Nightmare Knights was more than ten times worse than that of Nightmare Spirits. When devouring the fragments of the Nightmare Knights, Richard felt as if he were guzzling swill, a disgust stemming from his Soul that was excruciatingly painful. ¡°` But to harness the Power of Nightmare, Richard could only endure it all. Who made him not a Nightmare creature? A Nightmare creature? Richard¡¯s Magic Wand paused mid-air, and the forming Fireball dissipated into thin air. He seemed to have done something foolish. The Dream Knight who noticed the slip leaped forward, showing Richard a jump slash on the spot. The Great Sword in the dark whistled through the air, but Richard just glanced at it, and his Magic Wand transformed into a Pure Gold long spear. Then he sidestepped, thrusting the spear upward, and the Dream Knight received a devastating blow from Richard. After dealing with the last Dream Knight, Richard crawled out of the Nightmare Body and then controlled the Nightmare Body to devour the fragments of the Dream Knights. Then, a miracle happened. The sickening feeling of guzzling slop instantly vanished, replaced by a tasteless sensation as if chewing wax, and a sense of satisfaction like that of eating a meal. These sensations made Richard, who had just devoured so many fragments of the Dream Knights, feel like a big idiot. He should have thought of it earlier, having suffered so needlessly. But now that he had discovered it, it wasn¡¯t too late; there were still many fragments in the forest that hadn¡¯t turned to dust. One hour later, Richard had finally devoured all the Dream Knight fragments in the forest. Although much of the Power of Nightmare had dissipated during the battle, the remaining power in the Dream Knight¡¯s bodies had reached nearly forty thousand strands. When all these strands of Nightmare Power entered the energy circulation of the Nightmare Body¡ª An anomaly occurred! The vast amount of Nightmare Power exceeded the carrying capacity of the crude energy circulation system within the Nightmare Body. The newly integrated Nightmare Power made the energy circulation perilously unstable. At that moment, the energy circulation of the Nightmare Body suddenly branched off, and the excess Nightmare Power surged into this new offshoot, turning it into a wide avenue. With the emergence of this tributary, the entire energy circulation underwent an earth-shattering transformation. What was once as crude as a child¡¯s simple drawing became an art student¡¯s creation within minutes. Simultaneously, the core of the Nightmare Body also underwent a transformation; a Rule Power from the Nightmare World invaded Richard¡¯s core through the Void, leaving a rule imprint within. Under this rule imprint, the Nightmare Core grew rapidly, continuously producing spiritual power. This spiritual power should have made the consciousness within the Nightmare Core stronger, but at that moment, it was completely dominated by Richard¡¯s Soul Seed. Once the growth of the Nightmare Core was complete, the rule imprint suddenly collapsed, transforming into a surge of Rule Power from the Nightmare World that merged into the Nightmare Body. Richard felt that this imprint was a kind of permit, a license needed by the Nightmare Core to grow. When all was completed, Richard¡¯s Soul Seed suddenly felt an itch, the True Illusion of the Nightmare Body abruptly vanished, and the humanoid Nightmare Body began to undergo a form transformation. A black cloak rose up from the Nightmare Body, enveloping it entirely. From the outside, the interior of the cloak was pitch black, and even with Richard¡¯s use of spiritual power, he couldn¡¯t discern what lay within. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ga, it seems this is your Nightmare Talent,¡± said Ulysses, looking at the Nightmare Body with some surprise. ¡°A cloak that cannot be investigated, that¡¯s quite in line with your personality.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Richard frowned slightly. ¡°What¡¯s a Nightmare Talent?¡± ¡°Ga, these Nightmare creatures gain a Nightmare Talent when they become little Nightmares. These talents are varied and bizarre; they can be anything. However, one thing for certain is that this talent is related to the Nightmare creature¡¯s personality. A hot-tempered creature¡¯s talent leans towards attack, a cautious creature¡¯s talent is often supportive, and some with a mad mind have talents that follow their owner, emphasizing what¡¯s the word for it? That adjective you use for actions that are hard to understand.¡± ¡°Abstract, perhaps?¡± ¡°Ga, that¡¯s it, abstract! I once devoured a Nightmare creature, whose talent was to make anyone who walked trip and fall, and where they fell, there would always be a pile of dung. The entire talent was useless except for being revolting.¡± ¡°So, you tripped?¡± ¡°Ga, of course not, I swooped down from the sky to eat it.¡± After the cloak¡¯s formation, the evolution of the Nightmare Body appeared to have ended. After waiting for about ten minutes, Richard entered the Nightmare Body again. The evolved Nightmare Body had reached the level of Level 1 Creatures, and by Richard¡¯s assessment, its Physique should be between 51 and 53, just within the range of newly advanced Level 1 Creatures. But the gap between a One Ring Wizard and a high-level Wizard Apprentice was immense. Before the evolution, controlling the Nightmare Body was like an adult wearing a child¡¯s clothes, being cautious not to rip them with too much strength. But now, Richard had finally put on clothes that fit. ¡°This body feels much more comfortable,¡± Richard moved his body and said with satisfaction. ¡°Ga, don¡¯t celebrate too soon. Nightmare Demon Beasts have their detection methods. In a few days, the nearest Nightmare Lord will send someone over. What do you plan to do then?¡± ¡°What will I do?¡± Richard smiled faintly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, ¡°Why, offer them ¡®an opportunity to surrender,¡¯ of course.¡± ¡°` COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 178 03-25 - 8: Naming and Magic Puppet Billy Chapter 178: Chapter 8: Naming and Magic Puppet Billy After leaving the forest, Richard returned to the village with the cage imprisoning the Nightmare Knights. At the village entrance, Richard unexpectedly found several powerful Nightmare Spirits peeking at the forest where the Nightmare Demon Beasts had appeared. Upon seeing him emerge, the Nightmare Spirits hurriedly shrank back into the corner. Richard felt there was something odd about these Nightmare Spirits and stepped forward, pulling out a skeletal-looking Nightmare Spirit and angrily demanded, ¡°What are you running for, don¡¯t you recognize your own boss?¡± The captured Nightmare Spirit trembled and said, ¡°Recognize! Recognize! Of course, we recognize!¡± ¡°Why are you running then?¡± ... The captured Nightmare Spirit looked about to cry, lamenting that although several old fellows had come over, only he had been caught. Looking at the terrifying figure before him, the Nightmare Spirit said with a trembling voice, ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve changed a lot, we were a bit scared to recognize you.¡± ¡°Scared to recognize¡­.¡± Richard¡¯s voice was initially steady, then he suddenly shouted, ¡°At this time, aren¡¯t you usually sleeping! How come you all suddenly came out and gathered here!¡± The Nightmare Spirit¡¯s body shivered, and its entire skeletal frame nearly fell apart. He had no doubt that if he didn¡¯t provide an explanation, his own boss would instantly crush him and then devour him. ¡°Boss, the noise you made was so loud, of course, we could sense it.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ??¦Í??.§ã¦Ï Speaking of which, the Nightmare Spirit took a cautious glance at the stone behind Richard; he could clearly sense that inside the stone resided someone as formidable as his own boss. Richard turned his head to look at Ulysses, ¡°Did I make a lot of noise?¡± ¡°Gah, not too little.¡± Richard nodded his head, then asked again, ¡°Which one of you has lived the longest?¡± ¡°¡­Me, boss,¡± the Nightmare Spirit said, trembling. Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°You? That¡¯s quite a coincidence.¡± Richard turned to face the stone, used Alchemy to control the stone, and opened a window, revealing the face of the Nightmare Knight inside. ¡°That¡¯s perfect, take a look¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Black Knight! Black Knight! The Black Knight has appeared again!¡± Upon seeing the contents inside the stone, the Nightmare Spirit screamed and scrambled backward, running as fast as he could. Richard frowned and quickly grabbed the Nightmare Spirit back. ¡°Do you recognize this thing?¡± The Nightmare Spirit stared at the Black Knight, shaking uncontrollably. After realizing that the Black Knight was imprisoned by Richard, its mood eased a bit. ¡°Boss, this is the Black Knight!¡± the Nightmare Spirit said somewhat excitedly, ¡°These guys kill us on sight, and I used to live in a village with a leader nearly as strong as you, boss, but he was stabbed to death by the Black Knight with a spear.¡± Remembering the previous boss who had been killed, the Nightmare Spirit felt a wave of fear as the terrifying scene left an indelible shadow in his heart. But now, looking at the Black Knight imprisoned in the stone by Richard, the Nightmare Spirit felt a surreal sensation. This new boss is so powerful! ¡°Quite interesting.¡± Richard stroked his chin, thinking that such a beast tide seemed quite common. ¡°Little thing, what¡¯s your name?¡± Richard casually asked. ¡°That¡­ Boss, how could I have a name? Names are only for big shots like you,¡± the Nightmare Spirit carefully said. ¡°No name?¡± Richard looked the Nightmare Spirit over. This particular Nightmare Spirit seemed to be the one that learned the last turnaround, and it looked pretty clever. If he wanted to develop his own forces in the Nightmare World, his subordinates were certainly indispensable, and this one seemed quite suitable. ¡°No name, then I¡¯ll give you one. You shall be called¡­¡± Richard looked at the Nightmare Spirit and offhandedly said, ¡°from now on, you¡¯ll be called Bone.¡± When the Nightmare Spirit heard the name, it paused for a moment, then bowed and thanked Richard: ¡°Bone, Bone¡­Thank you, boss! Thank you, boss!¡± And as the Nightmare Spirit acknowledged the name, the Power of Nightmare within Richard¡¯s body suddenly stirred. A Wizard Language symbol for ¡°Bone¡± formed by the Power of Nightmare appeared in Richard¡¯s hand and then automatically burrowed into Bone¡¯s body. Names seemed to have a special meaning in the Nightmare World. Once the character entered Bone¡¯s body, Richard felt a connection forming between himself and Bone. This connection was like a contract, not only could Richard sense Bone¡¯s emotions through it, but he could also detect any malicious intent from Bone at the first moment. He could also share the Power of Nightmare gained by Bone through this connection. If Bone gathered the Power of Nightmare, he would take a quarter of it. However, Richard somehow felt that there were limits to this naming mechanism; the number of names he could grant was limited. Once all were given, unless he revoked a name granted previously, he couldn¡¯t bestow another. ¡°Ulysses, do you know about the mechanism of granting names to Nightmare creatures?¡± ¡°Gah, what the heck? Name granting? Never heard of it. I didn¡¯t really hang around in the territories much, I only know a little about Nightmare creatures, and that too heard in the Lawless Land.¡± ¡°Lawless Land?¡± Another new place. ¡°Gah, the Lawless Land is a place where Nightmare creatures who don¡¯t live within the Nightmare Territories live by robbing other Nightmare creatures. Usually, between the territories.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t the lords taking action to exterminate them?¡± ¡°Caw, sometimes it does, I¡¯ve encountered it once, and it almost left me in the Crow Realm of Nightmares.¡± ¡­ After the naming ceremony, Richard appointed Bones as the village¡¯s inspector, taking over the management of the Nightmare Spirits in the village for Richard¡¯s avatar, while he himself began dissecting the Black Knight in his room. Time flew by, and three days had passed in the blink of an eye. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. During these three days, Richard¡¯s understanding of the Black Knight had significantly improved. The structure of the Black Knight was similar to other Nightmare creatures, but in its Nightmare Core, Richard had not found consciousness¡ªonly an emotion filled with endless hunger. This sense of hunger drove the Black Knight to seek out Nightmare creatures and devour them to gain the Power of Nightmare. During Richard¡¯s tests, this hunger would only temporarily subside when the Black Knight acquired the Power of Nightmare, but after a short time, the Nightmare Core would produce a sense of hunger akin to generating spiritual power, leading the Black Knight to relentlessly devour without end. It had to be said that if Richard hadn¡¯t seen the Black Knight emerge from the ground, he would have thought it was some kind of man-made object. This thing resembled a biological weapon designed to exterminate Nightmare creatures. After devouring the dissected Black Knight, Richard obtained nearly ten thousand strands of the Power of Nightmare from it. This number also seemed quite odd. Calculating by the amount of the Power of Nightmare consumed when Richard wove the Nightmare Body, this Black Knight should have been able to produce fifty thousand strands of the Power of Nightmare. The Black Knight definitely contained greater secrets. However, this secret was still too remote for Richard, and he decided to deal with the immediate situation first. Nightmare Territory¡ªsomeone had arrived. ¡­ At the entrance of the village, Bones was confronting a small Nightmare Spirit. After receiving his name from Richard, Bones had truly become the leader of the village, patrolling around all day. To him, Richard¡¯s orders were divine. And with Richard as his backing, Bones had grown braver. Facing this foreign little Nightmare, Bones did not flinch and went up to interrogate: ¡°Where are you from? This is our¡ª,¡± Bones thought for a moment. It seemed Richard hadn¡¯t named their faction yet, ¡°¡­our boss¡¯s territory.¡± The stopped Magic Puppet Billy looked at the reckless Nightmare Spirit before him, somewhat surprised. Daring to stop him? Could this fool not see that he was a little Nightmare? Perhaps he had hidden himself too well. Thinking so, Magic Puppet Billy burst forth with a powerful surge of the Power of Nightmare. ¡°Now you should be able to recognize me,¡± Magic Puppet Billy thought. He somewhat eagerly looked at Bones, wanting to see Bones overwhelmed with fear, tremblingly apologizing or at least obediently stepping aside. He really enjoyed frightening these Nightmare Spirits and then eating them while they shuddered in terror. Fear was the best spice. But he soon became displeased. Because Bones hadn¡¯t shown the slightest hesitation, instead he conjured a long spear with the Power of Nightmare and pointed it at him. ¡°What are you doing? This is our boss¡¯s territory, are you trying to take it over?¡± Magic Puppet Billy was annoyed, but a thought also crossed his mind. Unless this Nightmare Spirit before him was an idiot, his lack of reaction indicated that his boss was stronger than Billy. A new village had a wild little Nightmare like this? Magic Puppet Billy decided to play it safe and meet this Nightmare Spirit¡¯s mentioned boss. ¡°Little thing, call out your boss. I am a subordinate of Lord Demon Sword Amade, here to investigate matters concerning the Black Knight. Little one, has there been any Black Knight near your village?¡± Regarding the last question, Magic Puppet Billy didn¡¯t expect an answer, for usually, a squad at least would be needed to handle the appearance of a Black Knight, and a common little Nightmare would be skewered by their Riding Spears on sight. Even a lone Black Knight would take a lot of effort for a normal little Nightmare to perhaps luckily kill. Many times, the fate of little Nightmares was to perish along with the Black Knight. ¡°First, I¡¯m not a little thing! My name is Bones! Second, the Black Knight near the village has already been dealt with by the boss!¡± As Bones spoke, his voice carried a sense of admiration. Having a boss who could kill a Black Knight was indeed something to be proud of. ¡°Hmm!?¡± Magic Puppet Billy was surprised¡ªsomeone single-handedly killing a Black Knight meant this village¡¯s boss was quite skilled. Such a little Nightmare could become a subordinate of Lord Demon Sword Amade. But he then skeptically asked, ¡°Little thing, are you sure it was a Black Knight?¡± Wild Nightmare Spirits surviving a year or two were considered long-lived, while the last occurrence of a Black Tide had been three years ago. But before Bones could reply, he saw a figure in a black robe approaching him. ¡°I did indeed kill a Black Knight.¡± Richard walked up to the puppet little Nightmare and calmly asked: ¡°Where are you from? State your name!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 179 03-25 - 9 The Plan to Offer Amnesty Chapter 179: Chapter 9 The Plan to Offer Amnesty Looking at the Black Robed Nightmare in front of him, Magic Puppet Billy suddenly felt a surge of vigilance in his heart. He had failed to notice this small Nightmare Spirit immediately, and it wasn¡¯t until he drew closer that he paid attention. If this had been a battle, he feared he might already be at a disadvantage, or even dead. Yet even though he felt some apprehension towards this Richard, Magic Puppet Billy¡¯s expression remained calm and unruffled. He asked in a steady tone, ¡°Are you the master of this little creature?¡± ... Richard looked at the small Nightmare Spirit in front of him, the circulation of energy within its body clear in his eyes. He easily judged its strength¡ªfour hundred thousand Power of Nightmare, a top tier among First Level Nightmare creatures. It would be troublesome to kill it now. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So he nodded slightly, ¡°I am the leader here, tell me your name, stranger.¡± Magic Puppet Billy was relieved to see Richard step back. This small Nightmare Spirit was not of ordinary strength; though he was confident he could win if they fought, it still wouldn¡¯t be worth it. From his reaction, this Nightmare Spirit didn¡¯t seem like a hothead. ¡°There¡¯s an opportunity to recruit him,¡± thought Magic Puppet Billy to himself. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.?¦Ï ¡°I am a Nightmare Knight under Lord Demon Sword Amade, Magic Puppet Billy. I am here to investigate the Black Knights,¡± Magic Puppet Billy stated his purpose proudly, then quickly shifted the conversation, ¡°I heard from one of your men that you killed a Black Knight?¡± Richard glanced at his follower Bone, then shook his head slightly, ¡°Not one, three.¡± Though he had killed seven Black Knights, he thought it best to be conservative because the Black Knights were not weak, and ordinary First Level Nightmare creatures might not be able to defeat them alone. Hearing Richard¡¯s denial, Magic Puppet Billy was shocked. Even though he had indeed seen Richard¡¯s capabilities just now, he hadn¡¯t expected Richard¡¯s strength to be even greater. A wild small Nightmare had actually killed three Black Knights. Even he would be in a scramble if he faced three Black Knights. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s three?¡± Magic Puppet Billy couldn¡¯t help but ask. Richard nodded slightly, ¡°I am sure, Magic Puppet Billy.¡± ¡°Can you take me to see the battlefield?¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡­ Following Richard, they arrived at the scene of the fight, and upon seeing that the location was a forest, Magic Puppet Billy was certain that what Richard had told was true. The combat power of Black Knights came largely from their charge, and on the plains, even he wouldn¡¯t dare to resist a charging Black Knight head-on. But Richard¡¯s battle took place in a dense forest, where the Black Knights had short distances to charge¡ªthe longer the sprint distance, the greater their power. If they could charge for ten or more kilometers, even Lord Demon Sword would have to consider evasion. ¡°You are really lucky,¡± Magic Puppet Billy exclaimed, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± A thought crossed Richard¡¯s mind, ¡°I¡¯m Black Robe Charlie. What do you mean by ¡®good luck¡¯?¡± ¡°A charging Black Knight is a true Black Knight. Those in the woods are just beasts with their legs broken,¡± Magic Puppet Billy said indifferently. After that, Magic Puppet Billy opened his chest and took out a black sheepskin scroll, which seemed to be a map. He used the Power of Nightmare to form a pen and then marked an X on the sheepskin scroll. Besides this X, Richard noticed a dozen other crosses. If he guessed right, these places were where Black Knights had appeared before. After marking the map, Magic Puppet Billy spit out a black flame that turned the sheepskin scroll into ashes. Those ashes transformed into a skull in the air, which chuckled eerily before turning into a streak of black light flying south toward the village. Magic Puppet Billy watched the black light disappear, then turned to look at Richard. ¡°My business is done, now let¡¯s talk about yours.¡± ¡°My business?¡± Richard feigned ignorance, ¡°What business do I have?¡± Magic Puppet Billy pointed at the nearby village, spoke slowly, ¡°Black Robe Charlie, the territory you currently occupy belongs to Lord Demon Sword Amade. All the Power of Nightmare you¡¯ve collected on this land is property of Lord Demon Sword Amade. If this matter is not resolved, you will become an outlaw. Outlaws can only roam the wilderness or serve as mercenaries in the Lawless Land. They are not recognized by the Nightmare Lords and are desirable targets wherever they go.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard feigned anger, ¡°Are you threatening me, Magic Puppet Billy?¡± To put on a full act, Richard even unleashed a burst of Power of Nightmare from within. ¡°No,¡± Magic Puppet Billy said nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯m informing you. If you continue to be uncooperative, this will be your future.¡± ¡°So what do you want to do?¡± Richard reined in the Power of Nightmare and asked in a deep voice. Magic Puppet Billy gave a slight smile, his puppet smile carrying an eerie thrill. ¡°If you cooperate, all of this will be trivial. Your strength is not weak, nor are your actions intentional. Lord Demon Sword Amade will forgive you. As long as you are willing to join under Lord Demon Sword Amade, this village will still be yours, and even the surrounding villages will be awarded to you.¡± Having spoken at length, Magic Puppet Billy finally got to the point. ¡°What if I don¡¯t cooperate?¡± Richard countered. ¡°Don¡¯t cooperate?¡± Magic Puppet Billy let out a strange laugh, and the surrounding area instantly became eerie. ¡°If you don¡¯t cooperate, you can only become the enemy of Lord Demon Sword Amade!¡± All of a sudden, Ulysses, who had been perched on his shoulder like an ornament, communicated with Richard through a spiritual message: ¡°This little Nightmare Spirit is not simple, he has already developed the rudiments of a Nightmare Domain. The Nightmare Domain is the most despicable trick these nightmare creatures have, it¡¯s best not to get trapped in it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, offering amnesty was always my plan,¡± Richard calmly replied to Ulysses. From the beginning, Richard had never thought about fighting alone. He wasn¡¯t as powerful as Ulysses, he was merely a First Level Wizard. Moreover, as a wizard, Richard preferred to solve problems with intelligence. Now it wasn¡¯t the time for Plane Wars, he could totally form an alliance with these nightmare creatures. ¡°I have a question, Magic Puppet Billy.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Do I need to be granted a name or accept something similar to pledge allegiance to Lord Amade?¡± ¡°A name?¡± Magic Puppet Billy suddenly burst into laughter. After laughing, he mocked, ¡°Black Robed Richard, you don¡¯t think you¡¯re anything special, do you? Nightmare beings who are named by Lord Demon Sword Amade are the elites among Nightmares, capable of becoming Amade¡¯s trusted aides. You, however, are just a slightly stronger little Nightmare. Those restraining means are not meant for you to use.¡± Hearing this, Richard laughed inwardly. This was now a mutual journey. ¡°Then I agree to join under Lord Amade.¡± Magic Puppet Billy looked at Richard, making sure Richard wasn¡¯t joking, then said: ¡°Very well, if you wish to join, follow me to the territory to meet Lord Amade in person.¡± ¡°When do we leave?¡± Magic Puppet Billy reopened his chest cavity, pulling out a carriage model and throwing it onto the ground. ¡°Now!¡± With that, the model transformed into a four-wheeled carriage drawn by two Nightmare Steeds. ¡°I¡¯ll drive, you sit in the back, and we¡¯ll leave right away!¡± ¡­ The Nightmare Carriage was fast, and inside the carriage, Richard quietly watched the scenery zip by outside the window. ¡°Ulysses, how much Power of Nightmare can a Nightmare Knight collect in a year?¡± The crow on his shoulder opened its mouth slightly, then humanly patted its wings as if yawning. ¡°Who knows, it depends on the size of the domain. But to sustain a Nightmare Knight¡¯s domain, at least a couple of million strands of Nightmare Power must be collected in a year. Otherwise, the slightest exertion would lead to a deficit.¡± The Power of Nightmare was not only a source of power for nightmare beings, but also the sustenance they relied on. Every nightmare being, depending on their strength, consumed a variable amount of Nightmare Power each day. With Richard¡¯s current strength, he needed roughly ten strands of Nightmare Power daily, and that was when he was less active, spending days studying runes in his room. If Richard moved even slightly, this consumption would increase exponentially. Nightmare Knights, who had reached the Third Level or even the pinnacle of the Third Level, had to use methods like deep sleep to reduce the loss of Nightmare Power. ¡°Not bad,¡± Richard replied with a slight smile on his lips. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about going after that Nightmare Power, are you?¡± Ulysses couldn¡¯t help but advise, ¡°Although I did indeed do such things in my time, your power is far from what I had back then.¡± Richard glanced at him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a fool. The more income a domain generates, the more control one can have over it. I don¡¯t believe a perpetually sleeping Nightmare Knight can stop the people below from being devious.¡± Soon, the carriage stopped, and Magic Puppet Billy, somehow attired in a formal suit, very gentlemanly opened the carriage door. ¡°Step down, m¡¯lady. We have arrived.¡± Richard stepped out of the carriage, ¡°Do we still distinguish between male and female?¡± Magic Puppet Billy stiffened, a displeased expression crossing his face. ¡°Buzzkill, follow me to meet Lord Amade.¡± The Nightmare Knight¡¯s headquarters was in a city as bustling as Gael City but much smaller in size. Now, as the Blood Moon rose, countless Nightmare Spirits crawled out of corners, ready to invade people¡¯s dreams. ¡°This is the core territory of Lord Amade, Amade City.¡± Magic Puppet Billy boasted somewhat proudly. Richard nodded, feigning surprise in his tone, ¡°It¡¯s indeed beautiful, and quite large, housing at least tens of thousands of Nightmare Spirits.¡± ¡°Tens of thousands?¡± Magic Puppet Billy laughed, ¡°There are millions of Nightmare Spirits living here, and the Nightmare Crystals produced in a year account for half of Lord Amade¡¯s entire territory.¡± ¡°So many! Wouldn¡¯t that mean hundreds of thousands of the Power of Nightmare coming in every year!¡± Richard exclaimed again. ¡°Hundreds of thousands?¡± Magic Puppet Billy found this wild Nightmare Spirit quite uninformed, ¡°Amade City alone produces hundreds of thousands of Nightmare Crystals a year!¡± With this statement, Richard gasped a few more times, but a faint smile also curled the corners of his lips under his hood. Magic Puppet Billy hadn¡¯t realized yet that Richard had drawn him into a dialogue. Following Magic Puppet Billy, Richard made his way into the city center and finally stopped in front of a mayoral mansion. A few guards stood in front of the mansion¡¯s doors, all Second-level Creatures, probably the trusted aides Magic Puppet Billy mentioned. ¡°Trusted aides, I have brought a little Nightmare willing to pledge allegiance to Lord Amade, hoping to receive His approval.¡± One of the guards, looking like a black bear, glanced at Richard and silently opened the door to the mansion. ¡°Go inside.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 180 03-25 - 10 The Wizards Trace Chapter 180: Chapter 10 The Wizard¡¯s Trace Entering the mansion, Richard found the environment around him instantly transformed; it was as if he was trapped in a nightmare, with an omnipresent, malevolent sensation engulfing his senses. Richard activated his Energy Vision, and in that instant, the radiant light of the energy pathways nearly blinded him. The dense maze of energy pathways covered every area within Richard¡¯s sight, their ominous, crimson glow reminiscent of blood vessels brimming with blood. And the mansion was like a terrifying Nightmare Beast. However, Richard soon noticed something amiss with the energy pathways. How come these energy pathways somewhat resembled Wizard¡¯s Magic Arrays? ... As an Alchemy Wizard, Richard had a considerable understanding of Magic Arrays. Although he could not decipher the entirety of this complex network of pathways, he glimpsed shadows of Magic Arrays in certain parts of it. ¡°Could it be that this Nightmare Knight is collaborating with Wizards? Or has the Nightmare Knight devoured a Wizard before, obtaining his memories? Or is it merely a coincidence?¡± Richard considered these guesses in his mind, yet his outward expression remained impassive. Of course, even if his expression had changed, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered, as Magic Puppet Billy could not see his true face. Passing through the front yard, Richard followed Magic Puppet Billy into the main building of the mansion¡ªthe City Hall. In the hall, a luxurious hexagonal coffin was placed in the very center. Under Energy Vision, the coffin was the heart of the entire mansion; all energy pathways emitted from it. The coffin was a dark red color, seemingly made of wood; on it, intricate golden patterns etched out complex, beautiful designs as if telling a story. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã? Richard switched his view back to normal and lowered his gaze to avoid looking directly at the coffin. These powerful beings were especially sensitive to prying eyes. The last time he used Energy Vision on Ulysses, a mere glance was enough for Ulysses to sense the scrutiny. Magic Puppet Billy stepped confidently towards the coffin before bowing deeply and saying, ¡°Lord Amade, your most loyal subordinate, Magic Puppet Billy, has completed your task. In the process, I encountered a minor nightmare attracted by Your Radiance. He was alone in the wilderness when he killed three Black Knights; his strength is quite formidable. I believe he is qualified to serve under you, so I especially brought him for your consideration.¡± Magic Puppet Billy¡¯s voice was incredibly humble, as if he was praying to a divine being. After he had spoken, a surge of Magic Fluctuation suddenly emitted from within the coffin. This wave of energy quickly swept over Richard as if probing his strength. However, the cloak he wore greatly diminished the probing, and thus the information it could gather was significantly reduced. Suddenly, a dull voice echoed in Richard¡¯s ear. ¡°An interesting talent.¡± A faint noise came from within the dark red coffin, as if the lid was moving. Magic Puppet Billy saw this and his face drastically changed. Why had Lord Amade opened the coffin? Fortunately, the coffin lid only moved a slit before coming to a halt. A stronger probe then emanated from within. This time, even with Richard¡¯s talent diminishing it, Amade acquired the information he sought. ¡°Nameless nightmare, tell me your name.¡± Amade¡¯s muffled voice sounded again by Richard¡¯s ear, but this time it was different from before. The voice carried a strange power, as if it could penetrate Richard¡¯s very heart and make him unwittingly reveal any information Amade wished to know. ¡°My lord, my name is Black Robe Charlie,¡± said Richard calmly. Amade¡¯s tactics were similar to those used by Soul Wizards among the Wizard community. As a Wizard, Richard had very early on undergone mental resistance training. This training was quite common among Wizards; one could easily access it with a bit of Magic Stone, and its purpose was to give Wizards a slight resistance to Soul Magic. The resistance offered was not strong. A Soul Wizard could easily break through it, but doing so would make the Soul Wizard¡¯s Magic Power Fluctuations obvious, thus alerting the target Wizard to the intrusion. However, while this technique served only as a warning against other Wizards, it was evidently sufficient against the Nightmare Knight before him. Hearing Richard dutifully reveal his name, the lid of Amade¡¯s coffin closed once again. ¡°Magic Puppet Billy, take him to the official in charge,¡± came the voice from the coffin. Upon hearing the voice, Magic Puppet Billy bowed to the coffin once more. ¡°Your will.¡± ¡­ Upon leaving the mansion, Magic Puppet Billy led Richard to find the official in charge. Along the way, Richard deftly extracted quite a bit of the territory¡¯s internal information through conversation. Demon Sword Amade, Nightmare Lord Unheart¡¯s top Nightmare Knight, oversaw the largest domain among the five Knights under Unheart. Under Amade, there were over five hundred minor nightmare beings leading their own groups, and only a few dozen Big Nightmares possessed second-level strength; among these, twelve were named Personal Guard Knights by Amade himself. Furthermore, the entire domain collected five million paths of Power of Nightmare force in taxes each year; three million belonging to the Nightmare Lord and two million to the Nightmare Knights. When Richard inquired about how much Power of Nightmare minor nightmares like them would be able to keep, Magic Puppet Billy replied with a mysterious smile, ¡°That will depend on your own ability. Pay sufficient taxes to Lord Amade, and the rest shall be yours.¡± Following Magic Puppet Billy, Richard quickly found the official in charge, who appeared as a giant book; the cover of the book was covered in fierce, struggling faces. These faces fought ceaselessly on the cover, attempting to break free, but whenever one almost succeeded, the others would tear at it, pulling it back into the book¡¯s cover. When Richard found him, the official was in the middle of stuffing a minor nightmare into the pages of the book. In a matter of a few seconds, the little nightmare turned into a sheet of white paper and then merged with the book. ¡°Esteemed officer, this is a newcomer who has come to seek refuge with Lord Amade,¡± Magic Puppet Billy bowed slightly to the officer. ¡°A newcomer, you say? Lord Amade has already informed me.¡± The officer opened the book, and a huge map appeared before Richard, with all the villages and cities within the territory marked on it. ¡°The fiefdoms in the territory are gone; if you want a fiefdom, you¡¯ll have to compete with those who currently hold one. Lord Amade does not forbid fighting, but the precondition is that the taxes are paid in full each month.¡± After saying this, the map detached from the book and floated before Richard. ¡°Esteemed officer, this newcomer has his own fiefdom, and a new village has appeared,¡± Magic Puppet Billy said. ¡°Oh? No wonder you brought him here.¡± The officer displayed the map again, and suddenly a pen appeared beside Magic Puppet Billy. ¡°Mark the location.¡± After Magic Puppet Billy marked the location, the map in Richard¡¯s hands also changed, with a new symbol representing a village appearing instantly on the edge of the territory. Richard glanced at Magic Puppet Billy, and Magic Puppet Billy happened to look back at him. Their eyes met, and they nodded to each other as if by telepathy. ¡°It seems that these nightmare creatures are all underreporting villages,¡± Richard thought to himself. After marking the village, the officer suddenly spoke up: ¡°This place¡­ Black Robed Richard, I have a task for you. Will you take it?¡± ¡°What is the task, my lord?¡± ¡°Nothing much, just that recently, a few lawbreakers have been raiding villages at the edge of the territory. One little nightmare was killed in a raided village, three have gone missing.¡± ¡°Missing?¡± Magic Puppet Billy suddenly interjected. ¡°Could it be that group of lawbreakers has surfaced again?¡± The officer flipped through the book pages, speaking with an irritated tone: ¡°I don¡¯t know. Those lawbreakers kidnapped dozens of our little nightmares back then, vanishing without a trace. And now this is happening again! Lord Amade was so enraged back then that he wanted to slaughter the Lawless Land. If he finds out now, get ready for our taxes to double.¡± With that, a sheet of paper fell from the officer¡¯s book. ¡°I¡¯m not sending you for nothing. This paper will allow you temporary use of my Nightmare Domain. It¡¯s a protective talisman and your reward. If you can manage without using it, the paper is yours.¡± Richard hesitated for a moment, then caught the sheet of paper. ¡°My lord, I accept the task.¡± ¡°Good. Here is some information on that gang from back then. It¡¯s not much, but you can use it for reference. If it is indeed that gang of lawbreakers, just flee and come report to me in the domain.¡± With that, a series of continuously changing text appeared on Richard¡¯s page. From Wizard Language, to Divine Script, then to Chinese, English¡­ These texts seemed to be able to change into any language Richard could understand, according to his knowledge. The information was rudimentary. It detailed that a group of lawbreakers had invaded the territory ten years ago, and within a few months, they had abducted dozens of little nightmares. These lawbreakers¡¯ talents were peculiar, seemingly possessing both offensive and defensive abilities with a high degree of similarity. The most obvious sign was the fireball. Almost all of these lawbreakers knew how to cast a fireball. Upon reading this message, Richard couldn¡¯t help but smirk. He could be one hundred percent certain that these so-called lawbreakers were wizards from the Material World. Having pocketed the sheet of paper, Richard left Amade City. Magic Puppet Billy had no intention of sending him back, so Richard had to walk back alone. ¡°Wizards entering the Nightmare World¡­ this accident is becoming more and more interesting.¡± ¡­ S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Three days later, Richard arrived at the village that had been harassed by wizards, as shown on the map. This village was not far from Richard¡¯s own, which was one reason the officer had assigned him this task. The little nightmares of this village had been kidnapped, and now well-informed little nightmares had taken over the place. Richard greeted the village-occupying little nightmare, explained his purpose, and then took a walk around the village. The damage caused by shape-shifting magic had been erased by the Blood Moon Rule¡ªthe village in the Nightmare World, a reflection of the Material World¡¯s village, was a kind of illusion. No matter how thoroughly damaged the Nightmare World¡¯s village was, it would return to its original state when the blood moon rose the next day. However, the lingering traces of magic remained. The wizards had not eradicated these traces of magic, which shone like the North Star in Richard¡¯s Energy Vision. Using these traces, Richard quickly determined their direction of retreat. Looking in the direction of the wizards¡¯ retreat, Richard muttered to himself: ¡°Might as well go and say hello, to prevent the blame from falling on me in the end.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 181 03-25 - 11 Dreamwalker Club Chapter 181: Chapter 11 Dreamwalker Club Following the trail of Magic Power left by the Wizard, Richard pursued the traces from the village all the way into the Wilderness. But during the pursuit, Richard gradually sensed something was amiss. These trails of Magic Power were a bit too conspicuous. Ordinary Flying Techniques couldn¡¯t possibly leave such noticeable traces, even if a group of Wizards gathered together. Richard stopped in his tracks and fell into thought as he observed the unbroken trail of Magic Power. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right, why do these traces seem so much like fishing?¡± he murmured to himself. Following the Magic Power traces, Richard saw a vast, broken graveyard a few kilometers away. ... Massive graveyards were a unique feature of the Nightmare Wizard World. The Material World¡¯s fear of certain things could affect the terrain of the Nightmare World. Things or places that easily invoked fear in people, like broken graveyards, Cross Forests, guillotines, and classrooms, would appear in the Nightmare World without any logic. Richard guessed that the appearance of these landscapes must be related to the Power of Nightmare that seeped into the earth. The Power of Nightmare was subtly influencing the shape of the Nightmare World. ¡°Is there a trap set inside?¡± Richard whispered, ¡°or is there an ambush waiting?¡± For an Undead Wizard, a graveyard was the best battlefield. The inherent Death Energy of the graveyard could reduce the Magic Consumption of an Undead Wizard¡¯s Spells and strengthen the summoned Undead creatures. In theory, give an Undead Wizard a large enough graveyard, and he could become an army unto himself. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.§ã¦Ï However, this theory was akin to the Fireball God Sect of the Shaping Wizards¡ªnothing more than a Wizard¡¯s joke. The graveyards of the Nightmare World were no different from normal graveyards, and due to their large scale, if an Undead Wizard were lurking within, Richard would be at a great disadvantage. Therefore, Richard decided to play it safe. If he were killed before even speaking, it would be utterly embarrassing. The Power of Nightmare converged in Richard¡¯s hands and, within the span of ten minutes, several gold necklaces appeared in his palm. As an Alchemy Wizard, it was all too simple to create a few pieces of Magic Equipment with the Power of Nightmare. Richard donned the necklaces. Each had a straightforward function: an emergency trigger for a Life Energy Shield. Life Energy Shields could effectively defend against the Death Energy Magic of Undead Wizards. Even so, Richard felt it was still not quite safe. He didn¡¯t know the ethics of this group of Wizards. If they turned out to be Black Wizards, he might very well end up betrayed. After all, this was not a Plane Battlefield; there were no Soul Contracts to enforce non-aggression among Wizards. Thinking this, Richard crafted a few Magic Rings and a scroll. The rings were inscribed with a Spell called Life Explosion, a product of the internal strife within the Undead School during the era of the Wizard Wars. They were specially designed to target the Undead Sea of an Undead Wizard. As for the scroll, it was simple. It was a Teleportation Scroll that would allow him to escape if the opponent proved too formidable. Without Ulysses¡¯ help in the Nightmare World, he must be extremely cautious. Fully armed, Richard followed the Magic Power trail all the way to the graveyard. As he entered the graveyard, Richard¡¯s vision was filled with a web of magic threads. At the center of the web, a Wizard with spider legs was silently watching him. ¡°Finally caught up, have you?¡± The Wizard yawned, looking somewhat disdainfully at Richard. ¡°Just one person? That¡¯s quite the underestimation.¡± ¡°Friend, I¡­¡± ¡°Banshee¡¯s Howl!¡± The situation developed just as Richard had expected. Before he could finish his explanation, the fishing Wizard launched an attack. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, not all the blame could be placed on the Wizard¡¯s recklessness. Richard¡¯s body was a genuine Nightmare creature, and not even a Nightmare Lord could detect a flaw in it. This Wizard was merely One Ring, and naturally, his eyesight could not discern Richard hidden within the Nightmare Body. Banshee¡¯s Howl, one of the classic Spells of the Undead Wizards, had as many versions as there were mature Undead Wizards, each with their modifications. This particular Wizard¡¯s Banshee¡¯s Howl not only had a mental shock factor but also an added Magic impact. The powerful Magic impact shattered nearby tombstones around the Spider Wizard in an instant. Since it wasn¡¯t a Death Energy attack, Richard¡¯s prepared defensive Magic Equipment was of no use. But Magic Equipment was meant for emergency situations, and now Richard had enough reaction time to release a Magic Barrier. Buzz! The Magic impact of the Banshee¡¯s Howl caused ripples upon the Magic Barrier. ¡°Now that the Magic Barrier has been seen, one would think it¡¯s time to cease fire,¡± Richard thought to himself. But before Richard could speak, he saw the Spider Wizard¡¯s eyes flare red, and a raw, frenzied rage that could be felt even through the gaze reached Richard. ¡°You bunch of Alien scum have indeed devoured Amanda¡¯s Soul,¡± the Spider Wizard said, his voice laced with deep anger and bitterness. He snapped off two spider legs, and a surge of intense Magic Fluctuation emanated from them. ¡°Hmm, weren¡¯t those supposed to be his legs? How did they turn into a Magic Wand?¡± Richard wondered to himself. Seeing the Spider Wizard¡¯s methods, Richard was curious about how it was achieved. He had never seen a technique that turned one¡¯s body into Magic Equipment. But before he could engage in academic exchange, he had to deal with this enraged Wizard first. The Spider Wizard¡¯s Spell was cast, and hundreds upon hundreds of Undead began to rise within the graveyard. The shattered skeletons crawled out of their graves, adorned in funeral clothing and damp earth, with clusters of death fire igniting in their eye sockets. These undead were not so-called undead creatures; they had no soul, and were animated solely by the twin dark red flames of death within their skulls. The newly resurrected undead were weak, easily handled by a farmer, but the most terrifying aspect of an Undead Wizard was not the summoning, but rather the enhancement through death energy. The Spider Wizard waved his spider-leg magic wand, and a layer of ashy fog appeared among the undead. This ashy fog was a concentration of death energy, making the bones of the undead harder, their structure more stable, and their attacks imbued with death energy shocks. Even after this enhancement, each undead¡¯s strength was but that of a knight¡¯s; however, in the death fog, these undead could be resurrected even if dismembered, and could continue to function after being smashed to pieces by merging with the remains of others. If you were to blast them into ash, the remaining undead would use these ashes to strengthen themselves. In this process, if sufficient time passed, a group of undead could potentially transform into a single undead entity. ¡°But unfortunately, this way of fighting has a fatal flaw.¡± Richard watched the Undead Sea, his arm slightly raising, then extended a single finger. Boom! A ball of white light shot out from Richard¡¯s hand, exploding amidst the undead horde, instantly clearing out a swath of the undead. And those dead undead did not rise again in the death fog; the others even took a detour around them. ¡°Death energy can be neutralized by life energy, and those corpses saturated with life energy can¡¯t be resurrected again until the life energy is purged from them.¡± Upon witnessing this scene, the Spider Wizard¡¯s inner fury blazed even stronger. In his eyes, these tactics were all derived from Richard consuming Amanda¡¯s soul; he was using the witchcraft of a deceased comrade against him. This was provocation, an insult, the Nightmare creature was fighting with Amanda¡¯s corpse! The Spider Wizard waved his two spider legs, and a terrifying undead witchcraft spell was completed in an instant. Hundreds of undead, with the wave of the wand, disassembled into skeletal parts and swiftly coalesced together. If he were to finish, the creature composed from these components could potentially rival a second-level creature. Such class-defying summons could only be managed by an Undead Wizard. ¡°It appears to be a White Wizard, so enraged by the death of a comrade that he¡¯s lost his senses, lacking experience in one-on-one combat,¡± Richard coolly assessed, unfazed by the nearly formed undead creature. ¡°To prepare such a large spell without comrades to cover you, especially leaving a few undead as a distraction, seems utterly foolish.¡± With that, Richard released nine light balls from his hand, instantly clearing the surrounding undead. Then, several black fireballs appeared around him and shot at the Spider Wizard, effectively blocking all his escape routes. ¡°Not good!¡± A sense of dread flashed through the Spider Wizard¡¯s mind; the previous spells could be explained by soul consumption, but these fireballs were inexplicable. Their energy level was clearly high; certainly beyond the capability of Amanda, who primarily studied undead witchcraft. But the current situation left no room for further consideration, and the Spider Wizard darted through the gaps of the exploding fireballs, narrowly avoiding the blast range. Yet as soon as he escaped the range of the fireballs, he saw a figure waiting beside him, holding a long nail studded with runes. ¡°A Sealing Demon Nail! You aren¡¯t¡ªah!¡± Before the Spider Wizard could finish, the Sealing Demon Nail in Richard¡¯s hand darted out, pinning him harshly to the ground. Richard landed on the ground, looking coldly at the Spider Wizard, now sealed off from his magic power by the Sealing Demon Nail. ¡°I wanted to say from the start that I wasn¡¯t a Nightmare creature, but clearly you, as a Wizard, have lost your calm and reason; you didn¡¯t even wait for me to finish speaking.¡± Looking into Richard¡¯s detached eyes, the Spider Wizard shuddered. This gaze¡­ was definitely that of a Black Wizard! If this Wizard wished, he would kill without any psychological burden. ¡°¡­ The Master¡¯s disguise is too powerful; I failed to perceive it in time, I beg the Master¡¯s forgiveness,¡± the Spider Wizard said respectfully to Richard. Seeing the Spider Wizard regain his sense of reason, Richard then asked: ¡°I heard just now that you had comrades taken by Nightmare creatures? How long ago were they captured?¡± The Spider Wizard¡¯s expression darkened: ¡°Nearly ten years now, Master.¡± ¡°Ten years?¡± Richard furrowed his brow, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind. According to the official¡¯s report, these Wizards shouldn¡¯t have been captured. ¡°Taken by Demon Sword Amade?¡± Richard asked. The Spider Wizard nodded slightly: ¡°Yes, that Nightmare creature.¡± ¡°By himself?¡± A bitter smile crossed the Spider Wizard¡¯s face: ¡°You could say so; it was just one of his avatars. But as a third-level Nightmare creature, even his avatar was strong enough to defeat us.¡± Richard nodded, recalling the energy circuit diagram he¡¯d seen in the office. He thought to himself, ¡°It seems that those parts indeed make up a Magic Array.¡± Richard pulled out the Sealing Demon Nail and helped the Spider Wizard up. ¡°Are you a society? Or a club? I heard from those Nightmare creatures that you have quite a few members.¡± The Spider Wizard gave Richard a Wizard¡¯s Salute, then replied: ¡°Master, we are the Dreamwalker Club, a group specifically devoted to the study of the Nightmare World.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 182 03-25 - 12: Courage Badge Chapter 182: Chapter 12: Courage Badge Dreamwalker Club, a Wizard Club headquartered on the fifth level of the residential layer. According to the Spider Wizard, the Minister of this club discovered research material on the Nightmare Wizard World in some Encrypted Notes from an Enlightenment period. The mystery of the Nightmare World soon fascinated the Minister, and to better study the Nightmare World, he established the Dreamwalker Club and began recruiting wizards interested in the Nightmare World to study it together. ¡°Ten years ago, our club encountered a Master from the Three Rings. With the help of this Master, we completed the Ritual Magic to travel to the Nightmare World, thus truly entering this eerie world.¡± Listening to the Spider Wizard explain the background, Richard gained a general understanding of this group of wizards. ¡°With a Master from the Three Rings among you, how could your companions still get captured?¡± Richard asked, puzzled. The Spider Wizard sighed, ¡°This Three Rings Master is a loner. After helping us with the ritual, he hasn¡¯t really acted together with us. Only the Minister is able to contact him.¡± ... Upon hearing this, Richard raised his eyebrows, ¡°Without the protection of a Three Rings Wizard, you still dared to provoke Demon Sword Amade?¡± Under the circumstances of mismatched combat power, how did these wizards have the courage to continue capturing test subjects in Amade¡¯s territory? ¡°No, no, no,¡± the Spider Wizard denied, ¡°This operation was organized by that Three Rings Master. He had a plan, and we were just pawns for him to use, sharing in the spoils.¡± Richard¡¯s mind stirred, it seemed that the Dreamwalker Club was scheming against Amade. Could he leverage the position of the Dreamwalker Club to fish in troubled waters? Seeing Richard silent, a tinge of nervousness rose in the Spider Wizard. He told Richard so much about the club, not just for the sake of talking. Richard obviously had designs on the Nightmare creatures, and if he could be brought into the Dreamwalker Club, his ability to conceal his identity would make their operations much safer. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í?0.§ã¦Ï Even now, he hadn¡¯t noticed anything amiss about Richard. Richard, standing among those Nightmare creatures, was virtually indistinguishable from them. After a moment of thought, Richard slowly spoke: ¡°Interesting. You¡¯re telling me all this because you want me to join, right?¡± The Spider Wizard smiled ingratiatingly, ¡°Your wisdom is as vast as the sea.¡± Richard looked at the Spider Wizard and suddenly split off a small clone of himself. ¡°I¡¯m very interested in this matter. This is my clone, and I would like to meet your Minister.¡± The Spider Wizard stared at the clone Richard had split off, his heart suddenly churning with shock. This clone was identical to the Nightmare creatures, even seemingly more harmonious, without any trace of a wizard. The knowledge this Master held about the Nightmare creatures was downright terrifying. ¡°Alright, Master, I¡¯ll take you to the Minister right now.¡± ¡­ Watching the Spider Wizard leave with his clone, Richard began wandering around the cemetery. The cemetery before him was unlike any other Richard had seen; it was so vast that it almost rivaled a medium-sized city, with broken tombstones and crosses stretching as far as the eye could see. With nothing else to do upon his return, researching this cemetery might just help pass the time, and he might even stumble upon some unexpected findings. Although the Spider Wizard had left, the layer of grey Death Fog in the cemetery hadn¡¯t dissipated, and due to the special environment of the cemetery, it had grown bigger and darker in color. ¡°Such a vast expanse of Death Fog, it will likely give rise to some formidable Undead,¡± Richard said lightly. Ulysses scoffed: ¡°Gar, it¡¯s useless. In the Nightmare World, Nightmare creatures are the true beings; even if a Demigod Undead were born, a Nightmare creature with the power of the Nightmare Domain could resolve it without injury.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Richard asked curiously, ¡°I hear you mention the Nightmare Domain often, what exactly is this Nightmare Domain?¡± ¡°Gar, the Nightmare Domain is a special space that Nightmare creatures condense using Dream Rules. This special domain can be considered a smaller version of the Secret Realm. There are often some extremely absurd rules in this domain, such as being unable to breathe or unable to walk on foot. If you violate these rules, certain punishment mechanisms are triggered. However, these rules not only restrict foreigners who enter the domain but also the user of the domain. The user, apart from knowing the rules of the Nightmare Domain beforehand, gains no additional benefits. I once encountered a Nightmare Domain, whose domain was an endless plain, the special rule was that one cannot touch the ground, nor be above one hundred and thirty-two meters in the air. As soon as the rules are violated, a deathless, indestructible spirit starts chasing you. I triggered the punishment mechanism as soon as I entered.¡± ¡°And how did you get out?¡± Richard inquired curiously. Ulysses said nonchalantly, ¡°Gar, later I used a rule clash to tear an exit from the domain and escaped. Essentially, the Nightmare Domain is just a manifestation of the Nightmare Rules, as long as you have the rules, escaping the Nightmare Domain is not impossible. In this world, there are few truly unsolvable things, as long as your strength is strong enough, these twisted things can¡¯t really trap you. So, young man, hurry up and grow stronger, it¡¯ll help me recover too.¡± Richard: ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Most of the tombstones in the cemetery were very damaged, but some still had legible inscriptions. Like the one in front of Richard now. ¡°Richard, birth date unknown, died in the Wizarding History year 51845.¡± Reading the words on the tombstone, Richard suddenly felt a sense of absurdity rising within him. Wizarding History 51845, isn¡¯t that this year? And the owner of this tombstone is named Richard. Putting all these elements together, it¡¯s hard for Richard not to think that this is his own grave. ¡°It¡¯s getting interesting, my tombstone actually appearing.¡± Richard smiled at the tombstone, feeling neither fear nor anger. He approached the tombstone, and using the Power of Nightmare, he conjured a shovel and began to dig up his own grave. Beneath the moist soil, a coffin bearing Richard¡¯s name appeared before him. Richard opened it to find it completely empty. ¡°It seems the time hasn¡¯t come yet; I haven¡¯t gone in,¡± Richard jokingly said to Ulysses. Ulysses commented somewhat speechlessly, ¡°Wow, you really are bold. Ordinary people would be scared seeing this scene, or at least feel uneasy. But you, you just dug it right up.¡± Richard thrust the shovel aside and said in a relaxed tone: ¡°First of all, according to the theories proposed by the great Truth Wizard, there is no definite future in this world. All prophecies and divinations are essentially hypothetical. This theory is the foundation of the doctrine of free will. Without it, it would mean that everyone¡¯s fate is predetermined.¡± Richard looked at Ulysses with a sharpness in his eyes that made him hard to face directly. ¡°Ulysses, do you think your destiny is predetermined? From your birth, to becoming the World Master, and then falling into my hands. Do you think all of this was predetermined before you were even born?¡± Ulysses looked at Richard and suddenly shivered. He had never thought about what Richard was discussing, and now that Richard mentioned it, it felt like a thorn in his back. If destiny truly existed, wouldn¡¯t all beings in this world be mere puppets? Richard put the coffin back in place, and then he lay down inside it himself. It must be said, the size of the coffin fit Richard perfectly; he lay there without any discomfort. Just as he was about to stand up, a myriad of tiny points of light suddenly emerged from the Void. These points of light converged into a white glow before Richard. When he touched it with his hand, the glow entered his soul. Subsequently, the tombstone bearing Richard¡¯s name turned blank, and the coffin no longer bore his name. ¡°Courage Badge, the reward given to those who can overcome fear.¡± After receiving the white light, information about it automatically appeared in Richard¡¯s mind. ¡°It seems that what I just did inadvertently met some criteria of the Nightmare World, hence triggering this Courage Badge,¡± Richard murmured. The function of the Courage Badge was simple; it helped Richard overcome most fear-inducing spells. For example: Intimidation Technique, Scare Technique, Eerie Skill, and so forth. ¡°This is indeed a good item,¡± Richard said, somewhat excitedly. At the same time, he also formed a hypothesis. The Nightmare Domain held some absurd rules, so this Nightmare Wizard World, filled with Nightmare rules, might also have some absurd rules. Richard suddenly thought of that black sun in the sky that could not be stared at directly; perhaps it was one of the absurd rules of the Nightmare Wizard World. After obtaining the Courage Badge, Richard didn¡¯t find anything else of value in the graveyard. After collecting some Demonized Plants that had mutated due to Nightmare rules, Richard left the graveyard, ready to explore the wilderness. The Courage Badge might not be an exception; the discordant sights located in the wilderness might contain similar treasures. While Richard was exploring the wilderness, the Spider Wizard also found the president of the Dreamwalker Club. The president of the Dreamwalker Club was a Second Level Soul Wizard. When the Spider Wizard found him, he was dissecting a minor nightmare creature, trying to unravel the secrets of the Nightmare Core. However, once a nightmare creature reached the First Level, the Nightmare Core developed a strong defense against external spiritual power, preventing the president from examining the secrets of the Nightmare Core without damaging it. ¡°Fosi, why have you returned? Is the mission complete?¡± the president asked somewhat surprised upon seeing the Spider Wizard return. ¡°Not yet, Mr. President,¡± Fosi replied, somewhat embarrassed. ¡°But I met a Master in the wilderness, and this Master wants to join our project.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The president looked even more surprised. The Nightmare Wizard World is vast, and studying the Nightmare World is a very niche field. Running into a wizard studying the Nightmare World in the wilderness could be considered an extremely low-probability event. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Where is this Master? Why haven¡¯t I seen him come over?¡± The president looked around Fosi, seeing only a captured nightmare creature, but no wizard. Fosi gestured to an avatar of Richard standing next to him and said respectfully, ¡°Mr. President, this is the Master¡¯s avatar.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 183 03-25 - 13: Plans and the Kuroshio Chapter 183: Chapter 13: Plans and the Kuroshio ¡°You¡¯re saying he is that Master?¡± The minister looked at Richard¡¯s clone and reached out with spiritual power, but no matter how he probed, the one before him was a pure Nightmare Creature. He had some research results on Nightmare Creatures and couldn¡¯t possibly fail to recognize one. ¡°Minister, this really is that Master.¡± Fosi stepped beside the minister and recounted his own experience, leaving the minister utterly astonished. To disguise himself so perfectly, this Wizard¡¯s knowledge of Nightmare Creatures was even deeper than his own. ... Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Wizard World was vast indeed; there certainly were others who had started researching the Nightmare World even before he did. The minister looked at Richard¡¯s clone and spoke in a gentle tone, ¡°So then, Master, do you plan to join our Dreamwalker Club and participate in this project?¡± Richard performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute with his clone, ¡°I dare not claim the title of Master, but I am indeed interested in this project.¡± The minister nodded, ¡°Since you, my friend, are interested in our plan and wish to join, we at the Dreamwalker Club would be very welcoming. However, for the safety of everyone, those participating in this project must sign a Soul Contract. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ?¦Ï¦Í??.?0 I am currently residing at Level 5, Room 232, if you have no pressing matters, come to this address to find me and sign the Soul Contract. I will be at this address until the end of the project.¡± ¡°Signing the contract in person? A contract made with the Power of Nightmare won¡¯t do?¡± Richard said somewhat awkwardly. Unlike these Wizards from the Dreamwalker Club, who came in through Ritual Magic, he had blundered into the Nightmare World. Even if he exited, he would be in the Insect Nest World. How was he supposed to sign a contract in person? ¡°A contract made from the Power of Nightmare won¡¯t do,¡± said the minister, shaking his head. He had done a lot of research on the Power of Nightmare; while it was perfect at simulating Magic Equipment, materials, and such, once it involved soul-related items like Soul Contracts and Spiritual Matrixes, it could only mimic a shell. Seeing Richard¡¯s hesitation, the minister asked, ¡°Could it be, my friend, that you are on another plane? Unable to return for the time being?¡± Richard nodded, affirming the minister¡¯s assumption. ¡°That¡¯s a pity,¡± the minister said with regret. ¡°I have to consider the safety of others. If you, my friend, do not sign a Soul Contract, then we can¡¯t allow you to participate in this project.¡± The situation seemed to have reached a deadlock. After a moment of silence, Richard suddenly spoke up, ¡°But what if I¡¯m already involved?¡± ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean by that?¡± Richard pointed at Fosi, ¡°The reason I clashed with Fosi was because I found traces of Magic Power in the village where you were operating. And the reason I went to that village was because the officer of the Demon Sword Amade had given me a task to investigate you.¡± As he spoke, Richard spread his hands, ¡°Obviously, I¡¯ve now completed the task, and it seems I¡¯ve done so with flying colors.¡± Upon hearing this, the minister and Fosi¡¯s expressions changed instantly. They had thought that Richard had just happened to find Fosi¡¯s trail and followed him, but they didn¡¯t expect Richard was actually there to investigate them. This made things rather complicated. ¡°My friend, you infiltrated the internals of Demon Sword Amade?¡± the minister couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Your disguise even fools Nightmare Creatures?¡± Hearing this, Richard was a bit puzzled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in such a state that the Nightmare Creatures wouldn¡¯t notice either?¡± The minister shook his head repeatedly, ¡°Not at all, I¡¯ve tried before, and those Nightmare Creatures could spot me immediately.¡± Richard was now the one confused. Turning to Ulysses, Richard asked, ¡°Ulysses, didn¡¯t you mention that the Power of Nightmare forming a body could not be detected by Nightmare Creatures below the rank of Body Lord?¡± Ulysses, facing Richard¡¯s question, was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Gah, that¡¯s no problem, I used a body formed from the Power of Nightmare to blend in their territory back in the day.¡± ¡°That is strange,¡± Richard muttered to himself. He transferred his consciousness to his clone and then used the sensation of a Nightmare Creature to probe the two Wizards in front of him. Soon, a very faint ¡°scent¡± that was unfamiliar appeared in Richard¡¯s perception. This ¡°scent¡± felt very familiar to Richard, likely related to the Wizard World Origin, and something Richard himself did not possess. ¡°Ulysses, how did you first enter the Nightmare World?¡± ¡°Gah, I was caught off guard with a blast of Nightmare Red Fog, why? Is there a problem with the other Wizards?¡± After a moment of silence, Richard shifted his consciousness back to his clone. ¡°It¡¯s likely a problem with your ritual,¡± Richard answered as succinctly as possible. ¡°There¡¯s a very faint ¡®scent¡¯ on you, seemingly left by the Wizard World Origin.¡± ¡°Wizard World Origin!?¡± Both exclaimed in surprise. ¡°This, our entry into the Nightmare World through the ritual, indeed has some connection to the Origin,¡± said the minister, his expression tangled with conflict. He never expected that the difficulty they faced in their research over the years was due to the ritual magic of entering the Nightmare World. ¡°However, you don¡¯t need to panic,¡± the irregular scent will only make the Nightmare creatures sense that something is off about you, but they can¡¯t determine exactly what. Nightmare creatures are very eager for foreign souls. If your identities as Wizards had been discovered, these creatures would have already come to besiege you.¡± ¡°But Amanda has already been captured, Amade must know we are Wizards,¡± Fosi spoke up. ¡°He might know you¡¯re Wizards, but his underlings certainly don¡¯t,¡± Richard said indifferently, ¡°Amade¡¯s subordinates have concealed your presence. If you don¡¯t take further action, Amade won¡¯t know you¡¯ve returned.¡± ¡°¡­We can¡¯t stop taking action,¡± the Minister said after a moment of silence, sounding somewhat helpless. ¡°This plan wasn¡¯t concocted by me, and I¡¯m not the one who can decide whether to abandon it or not.¡± Having said this, a magic array suddenly lit up under the Minister¡¯s feet: ¡°I¡¯ll contact the Three Rings Master back in the Wizard World.¡± Shortly after, Richard saw a flash of light from the magic array, and the Minister¡¯s body went limp, collapsing to the ground with a thud. Wisps of the Power of Nightmare began to drift from the body and seep into the ground. Meanwhile, Fosi quickly merged his own body with it to prevent an excessive loss of the Power of Nightmare. ¡°Is this your ritual magic?¡± Richard asked. Fosi nodded, ¡°Yes, this is the spell we use to enter and exit the Nightmare World.¡± They waited at the same spot for several hours until the magic array suddenly shone with a dark red light, and a soul gradually materialized from within. ¡°Phew, one piece of good news and one piece of bad news,¡± said the returned Minister, looking at Richard. ¡°The bad news is that our plan must continue.¡± ¡°And the good news?¡± Richard asked, already guessing what it might be. ¡°The good news is that the Three Rings Master has agreed to let you join the plan.¡± The Minister walked up to Richard and extended his hand: ¡°Welcome to the plan. How may I address you, my friend?¡± Richard shook his hand, ¡°I¡¯m Richard. It¡¯s a pleasure to work together.¡± ¡­ The plan of the Dreamwalker Club was simple enough: the Nightmare Lord¡¯s subordinate was not the only Nightmare Knight; another named Black Dragon Colehailong, situated beside the Amade Territory, was at odds with him. Legend had it that the missing head from Black Dragon Colehailong¡¯s neck was severed by the Demon Sword Amade. The Dreamwalker Club¡¯s plan was to fuel the conflict between these two knights, causing these terrifying Nightmare creatures to fight each other, allowing the Three Rings Wizard to enter Amade¡¯s mansion and find a Nightmare Artifact known as the Crystal Gate. The plan was provided by the elusive Three Rings Master, and the highest rewards, as well as the most dangerous part of infiltrating the Ahmad Mansion, were reserved for the Three Rings Wizard himself. Other Wizards were simply to assist. This was also the reason why other Wizards agreed to the plan. Richard¡¯s arrival introduced some modifications to the plan. Originally, Fosi was to fish in the cemetery, deliberately letting the enemy escape after the battle and then continue leaving traces, gradually baiting the investigating Nightmare creatures to think of the Black Dragon. With Richard now involved, all these extraneous tactics were no longer necessary. When the investigator and the investigated are in cahoots, the investigation¡¯s outcome can be fabricated however one pleases. For participating in the plan, the Three Rings Wizard offered a reward of fifty Magic Essence, in addition to three small Nightmares¡ªone of the highest compensations among the Wizards involved. But what Richard valued was not these rewards. If he genuinely could incite a war between the two Nightmare Knights, the benefits he could reap would far exceed these rewards. Since a power increase would lead to a rise in the usual consumption of the Power of Nightmare, most Nightmare creatures chose to turn this power into Nightmare Crystals, hoarding them until they had enough to break through to the next rank in one fell swoop. Like Magic Puppet Billy, if he hadn¡¯t been investigating the Black Knight, his usual level of power would barely scrape the bottom of Level 1 Creatures. Furthermore, from his conversation with Magic Puppet Billy, Richard gleaned that Nightmare creatures also hit bottlenecks. During such periods, devouring the Power of Nightmare wouldn¡¯t increase their power¡ªon the contrary, the excess power would dissipate. To break through a bottleneck, a one-time consumption of a massive amount of the Power of Nightmare was required. And this also meant that these Nightmare creatures definitely had warehouses of Nightmare Crystals. Should a war break out, leading to casualties, those warehouses would be treasure troves yet to be discovered. Soon after, Richard and the Minister agreed on their next course of action. Just before departing, Richard suddenly remembered something. ¡°Minister, are you aware that a Black Tide is about to erupt in the Amade Territory?¡± ¡°Black Tide? Never heard of it,¡± the Minister said blankly. ¡°Have you not encountered any black knights in these ten years?¡± Richard was puzzled; even long-lived Nightmare Spirits knew of the Black Tides¡ªhow could these Wizards be unaware? ¡°Uh¡­¡± The Minister¡¯s face showed a tinge of embarrassment, ¡°My ritual magic has a limitation: it can only be used every ten years for three months. After those months, we can¡¯t freely enter or exit the Nightmare World.¡± Richard shared the information about the Black Tide. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s a problem,¡± the Minister said seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll report this information to the Three Rings Master once I return so he can investigate whether it has happened within the Black Dragon¡¯s domain. If it has, then our plan may have to be postponed by ten years.¡± Richard said no more and promptly left the headquarters of the Dreamwalker Club. Even if delayed, it would only be a matter of ten years. He could afford to wait. Meanwhile, Richard¡¯s main body also encountered some trouble. As he looked toward the approaching black line in the distance, Richard rubbed his temples, slightly vexed. ¡°Several dozen Black Knights, that¡¯s a bit troublesome.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 184 - 14 The Great Black Current Chapter 184: Chapter 14 The Great Black Current Watching the approaching dark line in the distance, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache. The consumption of these dozens of Black Knights would definitely be a substantial enhancement to his strength. However, the strength of these Black Knights was a bit too formidable; if he forced himself to consume them, he was very likely to choke to death. ¡°Ulysses, I remember you mentioned that these Black Knights would hunt down nightmare creatures. Are they interested in a foreign soul like me?¡± Richard asked, tilting his head. ¡°Caw, I really hadn¡¯t thought about that, you can give it a try.¡± Richard turned his head toward the Black Knights. The Black Knights were like a black tide, their charges carrying an unstoppable force, their riding spears seeming capable of piercing through any obstacle in their path. Beyond that, they also emitted strands of the Power of Nightmare. These powers intertwined with one another, forming chains that linked dozens of Black Knights together. Richard surmised that these chains should be able to balance out the injuries among the Black Knights. If he couldn¡¯t kill a Black Knight in one strike, the injury would be evenly distributed across the dozens of Black Knights. ¡°No wonder Magic Puppet Billy said I was lucky, these Black Knights really are different when they charge.¡± Richard watched the Black Knights and muttered to himself, his body¡¯s Power of Nightmare rapidly transforming into Nightmare Crystals. Creating Nightmare Crystals didn¡¯t require any special method, any nightmare creature would understand how to do it after seeing one. Richard collected these Nightmare Crystals into a Magic Pocket condensed by the Power of Nightmare, and then his soul left the Nightmare Body, leaving only a dummy made of the Power of Nightmare standing still. The production of a Nightmare Body was not difficult, and even if it was lost, it meant little to Richard. Hiding to one side, Richard quietly watched the Black Knights charging toward the Nightmare Body. During this process, Richard, as an Observer, gleaned a lot of new information. For example, this group of Black Knights must possess some special law. As the Black Knights charged, their internal Power of Nightmare did not exhibit any other changes besides intertwining. In normal circumstances, even if Black Knights charged, they would only be Level 1 Creatures at most. It was not possible for them to pose a threat that even Second and Third Level creatures would avoid. But the changes in the Black Knights were real, and their killing power was indeed increasing with their charge. On their spear tips, Richard smelled the scent of death. ¡°The Nightmare World is truly wondrous,¡± Richard exclaimed. As the Black Knights approached, the Nightmare Body left in place was reduced to ashes by their spears, and they were not the least bit attracted to the nearby Richard. ¡°It seems these Black Knights only pursue nightmare creatures and have no interest in a foreign soul like mine,¡± Richard observed the Black Knights with a fiery gaze. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯re workable options.¡± After speaking, Richard took out a Nightmare Crystal, casually creating a new Nightmare Body as bait, not adding the black powder, but this Nightmare Body was sufficient. The Black Knights who had killed the Nightmare Body immediately turned to charge at the new one, while Richard calmly set up a Magic Array under the feet of the Nightmare Body. Because of the presence of the Power of Nightmare, Richard had no need to worry about material consumption, and soon a simple Magic Array trap was ready. Richard left the Nightmare Body and flew to one side to continue his observation. Just as the Black Knights reached the new Nightmare Body, they instantly turned it into ashes and, in doing so, triggered Richard¡¯s Magic Array trap. In an instant, several Refined Gold Long Spears thrust out from the ground, impaling two Black Knights. After all, these Black Knights were only Level 1, and their bodily defenses were as frail as paper against the unreasonable weapon that was the Refined Gold Long Spear. Although the spears were not enchanted, their sharp and sturdy shafts still inflicted fatal damage on the Black Knights, to the extent that their life chains could not save them. The Nightmare Steeds beneath them dissipated in an instant, while their bodies fell to the ground, starting to emit black Power of Nightmare. ¡°Plan¡¯s success, Ulysses, we¡¯re going to make a big score this time.¡± ¡­ Using the same method, Richard managed to kill the entire group of Black Knights on this stretch of wilderness. Richard piled up the bodies of the Black Knights, and then, while enduring the disgust akin to drinking swill, devoured them all. This was not because Richard had any special predilection, but because for some unknown reason, the bodies could not be stored in the Magic Pocket. And it would take a long time for Richard to craft a Nightmare Body with a core. In the meantime, Richard could only watch as the Black Knights¡¯ Power of Nightmare seeped into the ground. This outcome was obviously difficult for Richard to accept. So, for the sake of the Power of Nightmare, Richard decided to tough it out. It¡¯s just hard to swallow, isn¡¯t it? How could he become a Great Wizard if he couldn¡¯t endure a little hardship¡­ Bleh! After enduring a considerable amount of pain, Richard finally managed to devour all the Black Knights. In total, these Black Knights provided Richard with nearly three hundred thousand strands of Power of Nightmare, which combined with his original Power of Nightmare, was enough to push him to the limit of a Level 1 nightmare creature. Richard felt the Power of Nightmare inside his body and joyfully exclaimed, ¡°A great harvest, a great harvest. Now I can start refining some Soul Essence to boost my spiritual power.¡± However, just as Richard was in high spirits, a subtle fluctuation suddenly skimmed past his soul. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡± Richard looked towards the source of the fluctuation, adjusting his vision to Energy Vision. In an instant, black-red vein-like patterns appeared before his eyes. These black and red energy pathways, cutting through thick layers of earth, entered Richard¡¯s vision as if they were blood vessels. The entire land seemed to be the skin of some enormous creature. Rumble rumble rumble¡­ The faint rumble reached Richard¡¯s ears, sounding like thunder but also somehow more fragmented. Richard listened carefully for a while and realized that this thunderous sound was actually the resonance of thousands of small noises combined together. Those subtle noises appeared to be¡­ hoofbeats! Richard looked toward the horizon and casually cast the Eagle Eye Skill on himself. He saw a dark curtain steadily advancing in the direction of Amade¡¯s territory, beneath which was a tide of Black Knights sweeping forward like a surge of water. ¡°The Dark Tide is coming,¡± Richard murmured to himself. ¡­ By the time Richard returned to his territory, all the Nightmare Spirits in the corners were shivering uncontrollably. These Nightmare Spirits did not have Richard¡¯s perception, but intuitively, they could sense a terrible disaster looming. As Richard¡¯s loyal servant, Bone continued to patrol the village diligently, despite his body trembling incessantly. ¡°Big, big boss, you¡¯re back!¡± Bone¡¯s expression lit up with excitement upon seeing Richard return. Having a boss at this time was like having a backbone. Richard looked at the Nightmare Spirit and hesitated about what to do with it. The Nightmare World could produce an endless stream of Soul Essence, which made Richard reluctant to simply flee from the Nightmare World. He wanted to establish a force in the Nightmare World to collect the Power of Nightmare, to facilitate his own future re-entry into the Nightmare World to refine Soul Essence. But the Nightmare World and the Material World were not on the same dimension, and the connection between the Soul Seed and the soul was likely to be weakened. At that time, whether Richard¡¯s Nightmare Body could even move was a question. So he was contemplating whether to cultivate this seemingly loyal Nightmare Spirit before him as the force he would leave in the Nightmare World. ¡°Bone, the Dark Tide is coming,¡± Richard said indifferently to Bone. ¡°Ah, boss! What are we going to do?¡± Bone¡¯s expression turned to panic upon hearing about the Dark Tide; the terrifying impression left by Black Knights made him unable to muster even a hint of resistance. ¡°Bone, don¡¯t panic, panic, fear, these emotions won¡¯t make things any better,¡± Richard said, his voice very calm, a calm that stabilized Bone¡¯s nerves. He looked at Richard with resolute eyes, eager to hear his boss¡¯s plan. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m listening to you. Whatever you say, I¡¯ll do,¡± Bone said. Richard nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good, I do have something for you to do.¡± With that, Richard pulled out a Magic Pocket and poured out a pile of Nightmare Crystals. ¡°You are too weak right now, swallow these Nightmare Crystals, and then I¡¯ll tell you what to do.¡± Bone looked at the Nightmare Crystals before him, feeling as though he had entered someone¡¯s dream. All these¡­ were for him!? After confirming with Richard that they were indeed for him, Bone almost collapsed to the ground. He felt incredibly lucky. Otherwise, how could he have met such a generous boss? Bone bowed to Richard and then began to devour the Nightmare Crystals on the ground greedily. Meanwhile, Richard observed Bone¡¯s changes carefully with his Energy Vision. As a native creature of the Nightmare World, perhaps Bone¡¯s evolution process would differ from his own. As Bone devoured the Nightmare Crystals, Richard suddenly felt a surge of the Power of Nightmare enter his body. This was the effect of bestowing a name. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bone soon finished swallowing the Nightmare Crystals on the ground, and the vast Power of Nightmare rampaged within his body. Through the connection that bestowing a name provided, Richard could clearly sense Bone¡¯s pain as well as a fervent devotion that seemed to come from nowhere, ¡°I finally survived until today and met a generous boss. The boss gave me so much Power of Nightmare, and he¡¯s going to entrust me with a big task, how can I die? I must not die!¡± Bone, engulfed in pain, kept chanting in his heart. As a wild Nightmare Spirit, it was not easy for him to scrape by to this day. Now that Richard had given him the chance to grow, he had to survive. Whether it was for his own sake or for Richard¡¯s. Quickly, new branches appeared in the energy cycle, followed by evolution. Bone¡¯s bony appearance began to distort, and a black robe appeared on his body, making him look like a mirror image of Richard. However, underneath the robe, Bone grew a layer of black Armor, which made him look like the Black Knights. Bone¡¯s entire evolutionary process was almost identical to Richard¡¯s, further confirming to Richard that his Nightmare Body was indeed a creature of the nightmare. ¡°Boss, I have evolved. You can assign me the task now!¡± Bone, having completed his evolution, knelt before Richard and asked respectfully. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 185 - 15: Demon Sword Departs for War Chapter 185: Chapter 15: Demon Sword Departs for War After the bone evolution was completed, Richard felt his connection with the bones had become much tighter. He could even convey simple spiritual messages to the bones through this connection. Besides that, he also gained the talent information of the bones through this link. The talent of the bones was the layer of black armor, which looked exactly like that of the Black Knight, as if it had been frightened into a shadow by him. This armor would provide him with a solid level of protection, which could withstand physical and energy attacks, as well as spiritual attacks. It was one of the top talents for defense. However, such a talent was exactly in line with the mission Richard intended to assign to it. With a thought, Richard¡¯s clone, also at the first level of strength, walked in from outside the village. Afterward, Richard used the Power of Nightmare to condense a sarcophagus and inscribed it with numerous defensive and stabilizing runes. Richard controlled his clone to lie down in the sarcophagus, then handed it over to the bones. ¡°Bones, this sarcophagus holds my clone, and I want you to take him to another safe territory,¡± Richard said to the bones with a heavy tone. ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t you coming with me?¡± the bones asked gravely. Richard shook his head, ¡°I have already become a vassal of the Demon Sword Amade, and now it¡¯s impossible to leave the territory. If I die here, I will be resurrected in the sarcophagus. This sarcophagus is my life-saving charm, you must protect it well!¡± Hearing that Richard had entrusted him with such an important task, the bones immediately said excitedly: ¡°Boss, as long as I am around, nothing will happen to this sarcophagus!¡± Richard did not say much more and then used the Power of Nightmare to condense a Refined Gold Greatsword and handed it to the bones. ¡°Take this sword, and guard my clone well.¡± Having said that, Richard flew towards Amade City, leaving the bones standing alone where he was. Watching Richard¡¯s departing figure, the bones stood up from the ground and used the Power of Nightmare to conjure a few chains, wrapping the sarcophagus onto his back. Then, he picked up the Refined Gold Greatsword and took the first step of his new life into the wilderness. ¡­ In Amade City, a large number of Nightmare Spirits were in disarray. The Big Black Tide was a natural disaster in the Nightmare Wizard World, and these basic nightmare creatures would even sense the black tide before the higher-level nightmare creatures. When Richard arrived in Amade City, he quickly found Magic Puppet Billy, who was feasting on Nightmare Spirits, devouring them one by one. Richard approached and asked solemnly: ¡°Magic Puppet Billy, the Big Black Tide is coming. Are you still in the mood to eat Nightmare Spirits?¡± Magic Puppet Billy casually handed a Nightmare Spirit to Richard and muttered while eating: ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Let the tall ones worry when the sky falls. This time¡¯s black tide didn¡¯t even disturb Lord Amade; what kind of Big Black Tide it is¡­¡± Before Magic Puppet Billy could finish speaking, a strong burst of the Power of Nightmare erupted from the center of Amade City. A Black Knight, five meters tall, clad in black plate armor and holding a Great Sword covered with eyes, flew out of the mansion. His powerful Nightmare Power even affected the environment around him, turning the entire Amade City sinister as if the walls and shadows harbored man-eating monsters. ¡°¡­It seems it really is the Big Black Tide; Lord Amade has even activated the demon sword.¡± Magic Puppet Billy tossed aside the Nightmare Spirit he was holding and showed a rare seriousness on his clownish face. ¡°Does Lord Amade¡¯s Demon Sword have some special significance?¡± Richard asked. Magic Puppet Billy nodded: ¡°That Demon Sword is Lord Amade¡¯s Talent Weapon and it consumes a great deal of Nightmare Power to use. Relying on that sword, Lord Amade once beheaded another Nightmare Knight, Black Dragon Colehailong, belonging to a Lord. The formidable power on the sword even suppressed Colehailong¡¯s healing ability, such that even now, the cut left by Lord Amade remains.¡± After Magic Puppet Billy finished speaking, a voice suddenly appeared in Richard¡¯s ear. It was the voice of the Demon Sword Amade. ¡°My subject, follow me to battle.¡± Richard looked at Magic Puppet Billy and saw that his expression had suddenly turned ugly. ¡°Lord Amade is going to campaign; this is bad news!¡± Magic Puppet Billy, somewhat irritated, grabbed a Nightmare Spirit and crushed it violently, then stuffed it into his body. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it dangerous for Lord Amade to campaign?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°Not just dangerous; every time Lord Amade campaigns, the tribute of the entire territory doubles or even triples, and it goes on for a considerable length of time,¡± Magic Puppet Billy said with some pain. ¡°Just the one instance I witnessed, the taxation continued for nearly thirty years. Thirty years of tripled taxation, and I still had to invest my own Power of Nightmare.¡± By the end, Magic Puppet Billy¡¯s resentment was beyond description in words. If it hadn¡¯t been for that tax increase, he should have become a Big Nightmare by now and might even have been a trusted aide. It was clear that the orders from Amade were not only for Richard and Magic Puppet Billy, as before long, a new group of lesser Nightmare Spirits arrived in Amade City. Each of these Nightmare Spirits was incredibly powerful, with the weakest among them possessing the strength of a mid-level Level 1 Creature. Richard, newly arrived as a Level 1 Creature, was utterly unimpressive among these small Nightmares. However, due to Richard¡¯s talent, these individuals hadn¡¯t realized he was weak. On the contrary, because of Magic Puppet Billy, they looked at Richard with a higher regard. A wild Nightmare Spirit that could single-handedly kill three Black Knights, should he survive this campaign, would surely be a trusted aide to Lord Amade in the future. As time passed, the number of small Nightmares in the city kept increasing. After three days, all the small Nightmares from the territory had gathered in Amade City, awaiting the next command from Demon Sword Amade. Since awakening from his sarcophagus, Amade had not left his mansion, and while the many small Nightmares were curious, at the moment, no one dared rush Amade. To go on a campaign meant casualties, and these small Nightmares naturally preferred to avoid fighting if possible or delay it as long as they could. Inside the mansion, Demon Sword Amade¡¯s massive body sat quietly in the city council hall, while beside him, a Nightmare creature was using a feather pen to Engrave Runes onto Amade¡¯s Armor. ¡°Amade, how much longer will it take?¡± Demon Sword Amade asked in a deep voice. ¡°It will be finished soon, Lord Amade,¡± the Nightmare creature replied calmly. As Amanda finished engraving the final Rune, the Runes on Amade¡¯s Armor began to resonate, and streaks of dark red patterns appeared between the Runes, linking them together. Thereafter, various Spells were activated. These Spells interconnected and overlapped, ultimately forming a tri-defense barrier against physical, Energy, and Spiritual attacks, adhering to the Armor. At that moment, if Richard had been present, he would have recognized that Amanda was using the most basic Enchantment skills of Alchemy, and the Spells being engraved were not of a particularly high level. Richard himself had access to several defense Spells of superior quality. But all these were Richard¡¯s assessments. For Amade, who had not experienced higher levels of Alchemy, Amanda¡¯s skills were more than sufficient. If the Spells weren¡¯t high-level, then they could win by sheer quantity. No magic power? Whether it was using the Power of Nightmare to imitate Magic Power or using the Power of Nightmare to mimic a Magic Stone, all problems could be solved. Amade was able to perfectly compensate for Amanda¡¯s skill deficiencies with his sheer brute strength, which is why he was very friendly towards this Alien soul. Consuming the Alien soul wouldn¡¯t allow him to break through to become a Nightmare Lord, but cooperating with the soul, whether it was to increase combat capability or construct Arrays to reduce the usual consumption of the Power of Nightmare, was more valuable than simply consuming it. ¡°Lord Amade, ten years have now passed. The promise you made back then¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I, Amade, am not one to go back on my word.¡± Amanda didn¡¯t finish her sentence before Amade abruptly cut her off. Seeing this, Amanda sighed internally. Alien monsters truly lacked the spirit of contracts. If she wanted to leave, she still had to rely on herself. ¡­ With the Engraving of the Runes completed, Amade shot out of the mansion. Between his legs, strands of the Power of Nightmare condensed into a black dragon. ¡°Dragon Knight, it seems that Lord Amade and Colehailong have deep grudges,¡± Richard joked to Magic Puppet Billy, ¡°Even setting out for battle requires a dragon for a mount.¡± Magic Puppet Billy glanced at the Black Dragon and casually replied, ¡°The initial conflict between Black Dragon Colehailong and Lord Amade arose because Lord Amade liked to use dragons as mounts. After their fight, Lord Amade¡¯s mount was always a Black Dragon.¡± Amade, riding the Black Dragon, hoisted his Great Sword, and the dragon beneath him flapped its wings, stirring up gusts of Nightmare wind. All the Nightmare Spirits enveloped in the wind fell into terrifying illusions. Even if a small Nightmare was touched by it, they would shudder with fear. This Nightmare wind was a phenomenon caused by the high concentration of Power of Nightmare within high-level Nightmare creatures, combined with the Dream Rules. Usually, Nightmare wind only appeared around Nightmare Lords, but now Demon Sword Amade also displayed the Nightmare wind, indicating his proximity to becoming a Nightmare Lord. Apart from the Nightmare wind, Richard noticed something strange about Amade¡¯s Armor. ¡°Magic fluctuations? Why would there be Magic fluctuations on Amade¡¯s body?¡± Richard looked at Amade, holding back from using Energy Vision, so he could only see blood-red text on the Armor that looked almost cursed. ¡°It¡¯s the Runes, no mistake.¡± Richard made his judgment. As an Alchemy Wizard, he could confirm the Runes on Amade were indeed Wizard Runes, and these Runes were not merely decorative; they joined together to form Spells! ¡°Could it be that Nightmare creatures can completely gain the memories of the souls they devour?¡± Richard speculated in his mind. ¡°Or is it that the Wizard didn¡¯t die at all, and he was imprisoned by Amade in the mansion, being used as a subordinate?¡± If it was the former, then he needed to be extra careful. But if it was the latter¡­ Richard¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile as he followed Amade to the battlefield, along with the other Nightmares. When they had all departed, the door of a house on the outskirts of Amade City opened. A figure in a black robe stepped out. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for zero-cost shopping.¡± Richard watched the departing army, a greedy smile spreading across his lips. COMMENT 0 comment Vote S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 186 - 16: Opening the Treasure Chest Chapter 186: Chapter 16: Opening the Treasure Chest After the Demon Sword Amade left with a host of Nightmare Spirits, the entire Amade City, and even the whole domain, fell into an undefended state. This wasn¡¯t because they were not cautious; on the contrary, Amade¡¯s command for all the Nightmare creatures to join the expedition was in itself a cautious act. However, he could never have imagined the existence of someone like Richard. To the eyes of the Nightmare creatures, Richard¡¯s splitting technique was utterly inconceivable. Between the Nightmare creatures, there are no distinctions of sex, nor do they reproduce; all Nightmare creatures grow from basic Nightmare Spirits. How could one Nightmare creature possibly split and create another Nightmare creature? Moreover, even if another Nightmare creature was produced, the fact that Nightmare creatures lack souls meant they couldn¡¯t split off another, but only create a new creature of the same kind. And besides, Amade¡¯s order for a full mobilization could effectively prevent neighboring domains from taking advantage of the situation. The Black Tide is a disaster for all Nightmare creatures. I am fully committed to fighting the Black Tide, yet you take advantage of the situation for your own gain¡ªif this matter were brought to the Nightmare Lord, it would still be Amade who had the right of it. Moreover, the Black Tide brings not only disaster but also the potential for great profit. Should Amade return victorious, the Nightmare Knights who took advantage during the crisis could expect to be held accountable. But he never anticipated the existence of someone like Richard. Using the Power of Nightmare, Richard conjured a Concealer Cloak, and then, draped in the cloak, he entered the inner city of Amade. Inside the inner city, numerous strangely shaped Nightmare Spirits scurried about on the streets¡ªthese small fellows, new Nightmare Spirits, had no idea how to deal with the approaching Black Tide and could only run around in panic, venting their inner fears. Richard walked among them, silent and unnoticed, moving through the city. High above, Ulysses was scouting for any place that might hide treasures. The Black Tide had sprung up so suddenly that Richard had been forced to act without carefully preparing his mark, and now it was up to Ulysses to make up for this deficiency. Soon, Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Caw, there¡¯s a place with no Nightmare Spirits, you might want to check it out.¡± ¡°Lead the way.¡± Following Ulysses, Richard weaved through the city streets and quickly arrived at a silent street. In this panic-stricken city, this street was devoid of any Nightmare Spirits, as if they all deliberately avoided this place. As Richard stepped onto it, he was instantly assaulted by a fear that seemed to materialize from nowhere. It was as if an investigator had come face to face with an Ancient God, a pervasive fear that began to erode Richard¡¯s rationality. But the next moment, a warm white light welled up within Richard¡¯s soul, inspiring in him a courage as tumultuous as the ocean. Faced with this courage, the irrational fear vanished without a trace. ¡°Intimidation Technique? No, it must involve Dream Rules, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t be so effective.¡± With the fear subsided, Richard coolly assessed the situation. ¡°However, the effect of the Courage Badge is somewhat unexpected; it doesn¡¯t insulate me from fear, but rather ignites the courage within me. The power comes from within?¡± The Courage Badge was a magical item Richard had recently acquired, and he had yet to experience its full effects¡ªto his surprise, the badge proved extremely potent, truly living up to its name. With the Courage Badge¡¯s help, Richard traversed the street with ease, and he quickly located a peculiar house. The house was a toy shop, filled with all sorts of toys. Among them, a giant chest seemed particularly conspicuous. ¡°Caw, that looks like a trap,¡± Ulysses said, eyeing the large chest, ¡°I bet that chest is a Treasure Box Monster, and the one that actually contains the stash is somewhere else.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Richard eyed the chest and quietly entered the shop. The toy shop was spotless¡ªan unusual sight in the Nightmare World. There¡¯s dust in the Nightmare World too; without anyone to clean, the room would still gather it. In fact, the vast majority of rooms in the Nightmare World were covered in dust and the floors and furniture bore the footprints left by Nightmare Spirits. Richard regarded these toys without touching any; he had now switched to Energy Vision, and in his sight, these toys were connected with energy circuits. If he touched them unwittingly, he would undoubtedly trigger something. Among these toys, the only item that wasn¡¯t linked to the energy circuits was the large wooden chest. But this didn¡¯t mean the wooden chest was harmless. In Richard¡¯s vision, the chest was riddled with energy circuits, appearing much like a Nightmare creature. In his hands, Richard conjured a Refined Gold Long Spear with the Power of Nightmare and casually inscribed a few Runes on it with Battlefield Alchemy. He then knocked on the chest. ¡°` Thud, thud, thud! The chest showed no response at all. ¡°Caw, are you sure you want to open this chest? Let¡¯s keep looking,¡± Ulysses urged again, ¡°This chest looks like a trap no matter how you look at it.¡± Richard glanced sideways at the military crow offering him advice and casually asked, ¡°Ulysses, have you been tricked by a treasure box monster before, which is why you see a chest and think it¡¯s a monster?¡± Ulysses¡¯s eyes bulged, and he retorted, ¡°Caw, as the great Lord of the Crows, how could I be deceived by such a simple trap?¡± But Richard, who had grown familiar with him, knew this guy was just being stubborn again when he claimed to be the Lord of the Crows. Richard, holding the long spear, opened the wooden chest. The next moment, a gaping maw full of sharp fangs appeared before Richard, and a crimson tongue lashed out at lightning speed towards him, trying to wrap around him and swallow him into the chest. But a refined gold long spear pierced the tongue just as it extended, stabbing into the treasure box monster¡¯s mouth, pinning the tongue back into the box. After the spear penetrated, Richard conveniently shortened its length, making it just right to jam the lid of the treasure box monster, preventing its gaping mouth from closing. ¡°Caw, see, I told you it was a treasure box monster,¡± Ulysses said smugly, ¡°My eyesight is much better than yours!¡± Richard looked at the smug crow, then used the Power of Nightmare to form a pair of long gloves over his hands, and reached into the throat of the treasure box monster. Obstructed by the refined gold long spear, the treasure box monster was struggling continuously, but the spear was not something that it could overcome with brute force. As Richard probed within the throat, the treasure box monster¡¯s struggle became more and more intense. Finally, with Richard¡¯s constant digging, the treasure box monster couldn¡¯t hold back and vomited. However, what it spat out was not disgusting mucus or any partially digested corpses. It spewed out black Nightmare Crystals. ¡°See,¡± Richard said to Ulysses, spreading his hands, ¡°My idea wasn¡¯t wrong either; there was indeed something in this chest.¡± Ulysses stared at the Nightmare Crystals being vomited out, his eyes somewhat vacant. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Caw, have you seen this stuff before? Or did your Energy Vision reveal it?¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°In the Energy Vision, this thing is just a treasure box monster.¡± ¡°Caw, then how did you know it had something hidden inside?¡± Richard said indifferently, ¡°This is the Nightmare World, and for these Nightmare creatures, isn¡¯t something like a treasure box monster quite in line with the rules of the Nightmare World? Moreover, treasure box monsters are very deceptive; most people would think it¡¯s a fake chest upon seeing it as a monster. Who would think the treasure box monster is the real chest?¡± ¡°Caw, so you deduced there was definitely something inside this treasure box monster?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Richard said coolly, ¡°I was just giving it a try; after all, the treasure box monster couldn¡¯t resist, and it didn¡¯t take much time to dig through. Even if I triggered some deadly trap, I would have lost only some Power of Nightmare.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The treasure box monster¡¯s vomiting continued for a while before stopping, having expelled about fifty thousand strands of Power of Nightmare as Nightmare Crystals. These might not have been all of the treasure box monster¡¯s storage, but Richard didn¡¯t want to waste more time watching it continue to vomit. Richard collected these Nightmare Crystals in his pocket, then conjured several refined gold chains using the Power of Nightmare, binding the treasure box creature. The treasure box monster tried to resist, but after being handled by Richard, it had little strength left and was obediently trapped and tossed into another Magic Pocket. Seeing this, Ulysses couldn¡¯t help but comment, ¡°Caw, stealing someone¡¯s things and even taking their chest, you¡¯re really something else.¡± Richard said with an indifferent face, ¡°What¡¯s the problem? The intensity of this war is not low; who knows if the owner of this chest will come back. Rather than let this chest get killed by other Nightmare creatures, it might as well serve as a specimen for me and contribute a little value, right?¡± After leaving the toy store, Richard strolled through the streets, ensuring that there was nothing left, and then continued his search in the city. In fact, the majority of Nightmare creatures store their Nightmare Crystals in their own territories, and only the Big Nightmares or celebrities like Demon Puppet Richard reside for long in Amade City. Among them, most are Amade¡¯s trusted aides. But Amade¡¯s trusted aides didn¡¯t need to prepare their own vaults; they simply took what they needed directly from Amade¡¯s warehouse. So after searching the city, Richard didn¡¯t find a second vault, which disappointed him. ¡°Caw, why not take a peek at that old lair of Amade¡¯s?¡± Ulysses suggested. ¡°Hmm? Amade¡¯s mansion is not an easy place to break into.¡± Richard looked at Ulysses with some doubt, ¡°Why would you suddenly suggest that I go there?¡± ¡°Caw, because I just saw a Wizard in the sky kill two of Amade¡¯s trusted aides and then rush into it. If you go now, maybe you can get a share of the spoils,¡± Ulysses said indifferently. ¡°Hmm?!¡± Richard¡¯s pupils shrank, his mind instantly recalling the Dreamwalker Club¡¯s plan. That Three Rings Wizard intended to break into Amade¡¯s mansion, hence the two terriotires¡¯ war, but now with the emergence of the Black Tide, Amade had gone all out, creating the perfect opportunity to seek out that Nightmare Artifact! Richard decided on the spot, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re heading to Amade¡¯s mansion. Let¡¯s not miss out on the feast if the Master is eating meat!¡± ¡°` COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 187 - 17 Battlefield Situation Chapter 187: Chapter 17 Battlefield Situation ¡°At the same time Richard was comfortably opening treasure chests in Amade City, he was far from comfortable on the battlefield. The Black Tide did not advance quickly, creeping across the wilderness at a slow, yet constant pace toward Amade¡¯s territory. They were like a towering wall, simply seeing them made one feel they were insurmountable. During this process, small teams of Black Knights kept breaking off from the main group, seemingly scouting or clearing out Nightmare Creatures nearby the army. And in the midst of the army, an exceptionally tall Black Knight stared toward Amade City with blood-red eyes. He was the commander of the Black Knights, the strongest among them. Suddenly, the Black Knight Commander began to conjure a Riding Spear in his hand. Then, all the Black Knights in the army started to conjure Riding Spears. At the end of the Black Knight Commander¡¯s line of sight, a black dot was rapidly expanding. The Black Knight Commander silently issued an order, ¡°Charge!¡± The next moment, the Black Tide surged forward like a dam-break flood. At that time, whether it was mountains or seas in front of the Black Knight army, nothing could stop their charging steps. If it were mountains, they would carve through them! If it were seas, they would build bridges! Once the charge of the Black Knight army started, there were only two outcomes¡ªeither crushing the enemy or being crushed. ¡­ Far from the army, Amade, who had launched the expedition, suddenly stopped. ¡°Everyone, stop.¡± He looked into the distance, and from the pitch-black helmet, a pair of blood-red eyes exuded an intimidating force. The gathered Nightmare Spirits stopped in their tracks, waiting for Amade, their commander, to issue orders. Amade glanced at the numerous Nightmare Spirits below and then commanded the official, ¡°Official, release your pages. The Black Knights have already sensed us.¡± The official opened his book, and sheets of white paper transformed into Nightmare Spirits, while the official¡¯s aura also faded. Soon, tens of thousands of Nightmare Spirits were released by the official. This official¡¯s talent allowed him to generate a corresponding page on his body for each Nightmare Creature he consumed. When needed, these pages could temporarily transform into Nightmare Creatures, drawing the attention of others. This talent was not particularly useful under normal circumstances, as it had neither offensive nor defensive abilities, nor was it abstract. But during a Black Tide event, this talent became an invaluable top-tier talent. Once the Black Knights¡¯ charge met a Nightmare Creature, their accumulated power would dissipate, so if the official¡¯s talent was used properly, the Black Knight army could suffer heavy losses. This was where Amade¡¯s confidence in this expedition stemmed from. As long as they were not hit by the Black Knights¡¯ charge, these Black Knights were not a concern. The paper-made Nightmare Spirits were controlled by the official, running systematically through the hills, appearing very adept. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t his first time doing this. In addition to the official, Amade ordered several other Nightmares of varying strengths to set up the battlefield. These Nightmare Creatures¡¯ talents all had the ability to massively alter the terrain, and within just minutes, the area where Richard was located became an island surrounded by swamps. The black-green swamps emitted a foul odor, and within them, a huge Nightmare resembling a tree-person used the Power of Nightmare to create a dense forest, all of which were products of Big Nightmare¡¯s talent, appearing just like clones. These tree creatures had spikes growing on their limbs, which were covered with deadly poison¡ªonce the Black Knights fell into the swamps, these tree creatures could deal with them swiftly. Apart from tree spirits, the swamp concealed various bizarre Nightmare creations. Without exception, all these beings were deadly. Richard stood beside Magic Puppet Billy, watching as one grim puppet after another, covered in bloodstains, emerged from him. These puppets held blood-stained daggers, looking like evil spirits that had crawled out of a horror movie. Richard casually grabbed a puppet and snatched the dagger from its hand. ¡°Hey, Black Robe Charlie, what are you doing?¡± Magic Puppet Billy complained. ¡°Nothing.¡± Richard looked at the knife in his hand, which was coated with the Dream Rules, capable of causing endless bleeding in anyone it stabbed. ¡°This knife of yours isn¡¯t up to par. How could such a quality knife pierce through Black Knights¡¯ Armor?¡± Saying this, Richard pocketed the dagger and conjured an Alloy Dagger, placing it in the puppet¡¯s hand. ¡°Try mine, it¡¯s definitely stronger than yours.¡± Magic Puppet Billy¡¯s controlled puppet swung the Alloy Dagger a couple of times and found Richard¡¯s indeed stronger. ¡°Really nice, I didn¡¯t expect you to have this skill.¡± Magic Puppet Billy expressed in surprise. Richard smiled, ¡°The material of this dagger is an alloy used in alchemy machines. Although it¡¯s just apprentice-level quality, it¡¯s definitely stronger than the steel dagger of Magic Puppet Billy.¡± Keeping on concentrating, Richard formed an alloy dagger in his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s collaborate¡ªhow about splitting the Power of Nightmare nineteen-to-one? You nine, I one.¡± Magic Puppet Billy gave it a moment of thought and immediately agreed to the deal. Afterward, Magic Puppet Billy¡¯s Murder Puppets were all equipped with Richard¡¯s alloy daggers, while most of the discarded steel daggers were transformed back into the Power of Nightmare by Billy. The remaining three daggers were collected by Richard for future research. As Richard¡¯s side was setting up the battleground, the army of Black Knights also made steady progress. The thunderous sound of horse hooves was clear even from miles away. As they charged, the Black Knights formed a ¡°V¡± formation with the sharpness of an arrow, seemingly piercing through Richard¡¯s defenses. Soon, the Nightmares controlled by the officials began to lure the Black Knights. These Nightmare Spirits, racing across the wilderness, continuously provoked the Black Knights leading the charge. Before long, the first Black Knight broke from formation. He burst out of line, his riding spear slaughtering a Nightmare Spirit with a single thrust. Following him, more and more Black Knights left the formation to hunt down the Nightmare Spirits. The forefront of the entire army of Black Knights instantly scattered like sand. ¡°It looks like the Black Tide isn¡¯t very difficult,¡± Richard purposely said to Magic Puppet Billy beside him, trying to coax more information from him. As he expected, Billy glanced at him with disdain and said, ¡°This is just the beginning; you¡¯ll soon learn the difference between a Black Tide and Black Knights.¡± Not long after Billy finished his statement, the commander of the Black Knights issued his second command. ¡°Charge.¡± This charge was different; the scattered Black Knights had already hindered the army¡¯s advance, but under the commander¡¯s order, those charging aimed their spears at their obstructing comrades. The Black Knights¡¯ charge allowed for only crushing the enemy or being crushed! Rip! Tear! A blocking Black Knight was impaled on two spears and flung into the air, his body tearing into two pieces instantly. The cruel command quickly brought back the sharpness of the Black Knights, but by this time, they had also entered the marshlands. The foul swamp caused the leading Black Knights to plummet into it, followed by a series of plummets. The Nightmare creatures hidden in the swamp seized the opportunity to attack the Black Knights. A dark tree spirit thrashed its roots, skewering a Black Knight and erecting him like an execution rack. Beside him, a dark shadowy creature swallowed a Black Knight whole. The tactics of the Nightmare creatures were strange and varied, but soon they realized something was amiss. More and more Black Knights entered the marsh, their hooves wrapped in a fog-like Power of Nightmare. Their carefully prepared swamp became obsolete in front of this mist; the Black Knights were able to walk on water! ¡°With a commander, the Black Knights are like having a brain. Some of the powerful ones even surpass Lord Level big shots in their use of the Power of Nightmare,¡± Billy said somberly to Richard, watching the water-walking Black Knights. He was not optimistic about the war situation. Despite their current victories, these losses were not enough in the face of an entire army of Black Knights. Without intervention, these Black Knights would soon breach their defenses. As if to prove Billy¡¯s thought, a Black Knight who had charged into the swamp speared a greedy lesser Nightmare Spirit. Following him, more and more Black Knights entered the swamp, their spears burning with black-red flames. Once touched by the flames, the tree spirits quickly turned into flaming stumps. With the most robust barriers in the swamp massacred, it meant the collapse of the entire defense line. Above in the sky, Demon Sword Amade observed the falling defense line with irritation. The Black Knights¡¯ response was too rapid, which resulted the defensive damage being far less than he anticipated. He looked towards the huge Black Knight army, and in the center, an exceptionally tall Black Knight was staring him down. ¡°Stabilize the defense line.¡± Amade issued the command, then pointed his Demon Sword towards the commander of the Black Knights. The implicit meaning was clear. The commander of the Black Knights readied his spear, mounted on a Nightmare colossal horse that matched the Black Dragon in no lesser terms, and charged toward Amade in the sky. The hooves of the Nightmare horse blazed with flames, leaving a trail of black-flamed footprints with every step in the void. With its charge, a fiery path gradually appeared in the void, and at the end of the path awaited Amade, mounted on the Black Dragon. Amade¡¯s Demon Sword began to awaken, blood-red eyes opening one by one from the hilt to the tip. As they opened, Amade¡¯s aura grew increasingly powerful, until, with the last eye opening, he appeared almost like a Demon God incarnate. Even the celestial phenomena changed because of him. Amade swung his Demon Sword, and in that moment, it seemed as if the heavens and earth swung with it. And at the direction of the blade, the Black Knight with the spear rode through the sky, his dark spear tip ready to pierce the heavens. COMMENT 0 comment Vote Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 188 - 18 Why Pioneers Are Everywhere Chapter 188: Chapter 18 Why Pioneers Are Everywhere In Amade City, Richard and Ulysses quickly arrived at Ahmad Mansion. In the courtyard of the mansion, the corpses of two assassinated trusted aides of Amade were still dissipating the Power of Nightmare. ¡°This Master is quite abrupt, discarding two Big Nightmare corpses just like that.¡± Richard sighed, stuffed the two corpses into the Magic Pocket, and temporarily isolated the dissipating Power of Nightmare inside the bag. With just these two corpses, Richard considered this mission perfectly complete. The Power of Nightmare emanating from the corpses of the two Big Nightmares was enough to refine the Soul Essence needed for Richard to break through as a Second Ring Wizard. ¡°Ulysses, take this bag to my body. I will now enter the mansion to see if I can have a share of the spoils.¡± Ulysses took the bag and flew into the sky, ¡°Caw, then be careful. It doesn¡¯t matter if the Soul Seed is damaged, but don¡¯t get contaminated with any strange stuff.¡± Richard nodded and then entered the mansion. From the outside, Ahmad Mansion did not seem small, but its interior space clearly surpassed the outer architectural frame. Following the extremely faint traces of magic left by that Master, Richard ventured deep into Ahmad Mansion and saw many Nightmare Creatures dissipating the Power of Nightmare. These Nightmare Creatures were each bizarre and abnormal, with some even retaining the sinister and malicious Dream Rules. If Richard encountered these Nightmare Creatures, even if it wouldn¡¯t kill him, escaping would cost him dearly. But now, these sinister and malicious Nightmare Creatures had all been effortlessly destroyed by the entering Master, leaving hardly any magical traces. Looking at these Nightmare Creatures, Richard couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Though that Master disdained the little Power of Nightmare here, Richard was keen on it; the Power of Nightmare contained within these creatures was substantial, and the lingering Dream Rules especially made Richard covetous. He could now refine Soul Essence with the Power of Nightmare and also refine Dream Rules with the power of the soul. The Dream Rules would enhance Richard¡¯s combat prowess, making obtaining the Power of Nightmare even easier. This process had come full circle. After using the Power of Nightmare to make a Magic Pocket, Richard stuffed all the Nightmare Creatures into the bag and followed the traces of magic. At the entrance to the basement of Ahmad Mansion, a shadow cloaked in runes asked: ¡°Are you sure this is the place?¡± Beside him, Amanda nodded affirmatively, ¡°Master, it absolutely is here. This is the only part of the mansion I haven¡¯t entered. If there truly is a Nightmare Artifact, it must be inside.¡± The shadowy figure nodded and then conjured a very ancient and mystical Magic Wand in his hand. The wand was silver-white, covered in intricate runes. If Richard were here, he would recognize the material of the wand as Mithril, akin to Pure Gold and Ao Steel. The head of the wand was a crystal ball with runes continuously blinking within, flowing and shimmering with a gentle yet mysterious radiance. Without a doubt, it was an extremely powerful Magic Wand. Beside him, Amanda looked at the figure before her with immense respect and relief. Though the Power of Nightmare in this Master was suppressed by the Sealing Skill, the inherent Power of Nightmare reached that of a third-level creature. With this Three Rings Master, he could surely escape this time. Suddenly, the preparing Three Rings Wizard stopped, ¡°Somebody is coming,¡± he frowned, ¡°and it¡¯s a Level 1 Creature.¡± But he was sure, before he entered, all the Nightmare Creatures in Ahmad Mansion had been cleared by him, and the other Nightmare Creatures of this power in the territory had followed Amade. Moreover, according to the rules among Nightmare Creatures, those from other territories wouldn¡¯t invade Amade¡¯s territory at this time. So where did this Nightmare Creature come from? He signaled Amanda, a gesture for stealth and awaiting orders, known in the White Wizard Army. Then he himself used a spell to hide. He had to see what was coming. Soon, Richard appeared at the entrance to the basement corridor. From the Energy Vision, there was a creature hiding in the dark in front of the basement door. But the energy intensity of this creature was clearly far less than that of a third-level creature. Richard furrowed his brows, thinking, ¡°The magical traces indeed entered this passage. Now that I can¡¯t see the Three Rings Master, either he has gone inside, or he has noticed my presence and thus concealed himself.¡± Thus, Richard conjured a Magic Wand in his hand and simulated a Light Brightness Technique using the Power of Nightmare. Seeing this, Amanda¡¯s eyes nearly popped out. ¡°Light Brightness Technique, it definitely is Light Brightness Technique! A Nightmare Creature using witchcraft!¡± Next to him, the Three Rings Wizard then revealed himself, ¡°Are you the new one?¡± the Three Rings Wizard inquired. Seeing a figure emerge from the darkness, glowing so brilliantly he was hard to look at directly, Richard spoke, ¡°Master, it¡¯s me.¡± Beside him, Amanda felt a shock. This creature using spells turned out to be a Wizard in disguise! Has the club¡¯s research on Nightmare Creatures reached this level already? Richard walked up to the Three Rings Wizard and respectfully performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°My name is Richard, may I ask for the Master¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Su Yisa,¡± the Three Rings Wizard responded coolly. Amanda stepped out of the shadows, looking at Richard and clicking his tongue in wonder, ¡°Master Richard, your disguise is truly¡­ flawless.¡± Richard glanced at Amanda and had already guessed his identity. ¡°You are Amanda, aren¡¯t you? I am a member of the Dreamwalker Club. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re still alive.¡± After a few pleasantries, Master Su Yisa began to break the door again. The door to the basement contained the rules of the Nightmare World, and if it relied solely on brute force, only a figure at the level of World Master could break it. A mystical aura emitted from the magic wand in Su Yisa¡¯s hand, and just touching it made Richard feel a bit dazed, as if about to fall asleep. ¡°Is this the power of Nightmare Rules, or Dream Rules?¡± Richard made an effort to perk up and carefully observed Su Yisa¡¯s application of the rules. Unfortunately, his own power was too weak, and Su Yisa did not intentionally let them observe and learn. Therefore, Richard only saw Su Yisa lightly tap the door with his magic wand, and a crack formed in the basement door. The three wizards entered, and Su Yisa immediately spotted a coffin placed deep within the basement. The coffin was filled with a strong force of Nightmare Rules. However, as expected, this coffin was what he had come seeking on this adventure. Su Yisa said indifferently to the two wizards drinking soup beside him, ¡°The gap in the door can hold for one more minute, see to it.¡± With that, he headed straight for the coffin. Hearing this, Richard and Amanda immediately sprang into action. The basement was filled with many boxes, which, in the energy vision, were all covered with dense light paths, clearly Treasure Box Monsters. And at the bottom of these Treasure Box Monsters, there was a line of energy light path connected, obviously a theft prevention measure for the basement. This also meant that Richard could not just carry these boxes and take all of Amade¡¯s collections away. ¡°Amanda, these boxes are all Treasure Box Monsters, and they are connected to the security system. Be careful,¡± Richard called out as a warning. This caution wasn¡¯t out of kindness but because as teammates, if Amanda triggered any security measures, the Three Rings Wizard might escape, but he might not. Amanda smiled gratefully at Richard and then a magic wand materialized in his hand, opening the box in front of him. Creak! The box opened, and a scarlet tongue instantly lashed out towards Amanda, but thanks to Richard¡¯s warning, the strike was unsuccessful. Seeing no problem with him, Richard also conjured up a Pure Gold short gun in his hand and opened a less formidable looking Treasure Box Monster. Creak, bang! Just as the Treasure Box Monster was about to strike Richard with a huge lashing tongue, Richard stabbed it back with a short gun, then continually stirred inside its throat. Ugh! Soon, the Treasure Box Monster spat out something that looked a bit odd. Richard picked it up, and in an instant, his brain crashed. Wait, how could the artifacts of Pioneer appear in the Nightmare World? What the Treasure Box Monster spat out was not just anything, but a very small and exquisite crystal artifact. As a wizard who had studied Pioneer Crystals for over a decade, he was certain he wasn¡¯t mistaken¡ªthis thing was a Pioneer Crystal. Without hesitation, Richard immediately stuffed it into a Magic Pocket. At this moment, there were only a few seconds left before the crack closed, and Richard decided not to take any more risks and immediately passed through the crack, leaving the basement. Just as he exited, Su Yisa unlocked the sealing on the coffin, and the horrifying item sealed inside the coffin burst out at that moment, causing all the Treasure Box Monsters in the basement to riot. At this moment, while fighting the Black Knight Commander, Amanda suddenly sensed the intrusion into the basement and momentarily losing focus, his great sword paused, barely brushing past the tip of the Black Knight¡¯s spear. The dark tip of the spear looked plain, but the terrifying power it contained was enough to make Amanda fear. Amanda tried to dodge, but he didn¡¯t manage to completely evade, and as the spear¡¯s tip touched the armor, layers of magic on the armor instantly shattered, dozens of interconnected defense spells in front of the Riding Spear were as fragile as paper. However, the spear¡¯s tip also lost some of its power in the process of smashing these spells. Boom! Amanda¡¯s left arm exploded under the spear¡¯s tip, turning into a soaring pillar of nightmare. At the same moment, his great sword slashed into the body of the Black Knight Commander. Tear. The Black Knight Commander was cut in two by the great sword, the dreadful power of the Demon Sword hindered the healing of the wounds, and a more powerful pillar of nightmare appeared on the battlefield. ¡°Lord Amanda has won!¡± Magic Puppet Billy said with a mournful face. ¡°Isn¡¯t winning good? Why that face?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Heh,¡± Magic Puppet Billy gave a bitter smile, ¡°With such grievous injuries to Lord Amanda, we might as well brace ourselves for taxes increased tenfold for a hundred years!¡± Having said that, he spoke somewhat resignedly: ¡°Better off dead, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Richard asked with a somewhat odd expression. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Richard pointed towards the sky, where Amanda, having stabilized his injuries, ignored his subordinates and flew directly towards Amade City. The basement was his treasure vault, containing a major item that absolutely must not be lost. Upon seeing this, Magic Puppet Billy¡¯s wooden mouth almost fell off. ¡°No, I was just kidding!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. SEND GIFT Chapter 189 - 19: Return, 2nd Circle Wizard! Chapter 189: Chapter 19: Return, 2nd Circle Wizard! S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Within the residence, Richard glanced in horror at the basement, then ran out of the mansion without looking back. He didn¡¯t know what exactly Su Yisa had unleashed, but he was certain it was something he couldn¡¯t afford to meddle with. The mere whiff of the thing¡¯s presence was enough for Richard¡¯s vision to be plagued with terrifying hallucinations, which persisted in flashing before his eyes even as he activated the Courage Badge, seemingly bent on annihilating his sanity and dragging him into a quagmire of panic. ¡°Get away!¡± Richard bellowed. He struggled to calm himself and tried to plan his next move. On the battlefield, Richard¡¯s doppelg?nger saw that Amade was hastening back toward the mansion. If Richard couldn¡¯t figure out how to escape soon, he might very well be slain by the enraged Amade in a single sword strike. Richard had no illusions that Su Yisa would protect him. Any wizard who had made it to the Three Rings was battle-hardened; those who survived were of stern heart. If sacrificing Richard would provide Su Yisa any additional chance at a safe escape, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do so. Wizards, be they of dark or light, ultimately followed similar paths, though White Wizards seemed somewhat more human on the surface. Outside the residence, Richard could faintly sense Amade¡¯s dreadful presence. Seeing the Nightmare Spirits scurrying about the street, an idea suddenly struck him. How do you hide a tree so it isn¡¯t found? You put it in a forest. Countless Nightmare Crystals began to emanate from within Richard, and his own aura diminished rapidly. In the span of mere seconds, thousands of Nightmare Crystals had appeared beside him, and he himself had turned into a diminutive Nightmare Spirit. This was the most wondrous characteristic of Nightmare creatures: they grew by devouring the Power of Nightmare and regressed in its absence. Transformed into a Nightmare Spirit, Richard pocketed the Nightmare Crystals and blended into a horde of them. Before long, Amade arrived at the mansion riding a Black Dragon, arriving just in time to encounter Su Yisa emerging from the residence and Amanda preparing to flee. ¡°Wizard! You¡¯ve tampered with what you shouldn¡¯t have!¡± With a Demon Sword in his grasp, Amade stood like a Demon God, speaking with an aura that seemed to ripple through the very space around him. Su Yisa, meeting Amade who had arrived just in time, felt a headache coming on. He was unlike those lesser wizards from the Dreamwalker Club; since entering the Nightmare World in the last decade, he had never left, thus his understanding of Nightmare creatures far surpassed that of Richard and the other wizards. Although these Nightmare creatures appeared foolish, like talented natives, once they reached the Third Level and their understanding of the Dream Rules deepened, their combat prowess would skyrocket. Defending against the surreal tactics empowered by Dream Rules was nigh impossible. But it was now too late for such thoughts, as Amade¡¯s timely arrival meant that a battle was inevitable. ¡°Amade, I¡¯m impressed by your patience,¡± Su Yisa said as he produced the sealed remnant from the coffin¡ªthe flesh of an unknown creature. ¡°You resisted eating the flesh of a Nightmare King. You¡¯re truly not like those fools.¡± Seeing the remnant, Amade¡¯s aura surged, and his Demon Sword, covered in eyes, pierced through space, appearing instantaneously before Su Yisa. The battle began. ¡­ As Amade and Su Yisa clashed fiercely, Richard, transformed into a Nightmare Spirit, had slipped into the outskirts of the town. He had no interest in watching the struggle between the two powerful beings; his only desire was to escape this accursed place before their fight spread to him. Meanwhile, at the battleground, although the Black Knight Commander had died, Amade had also left. Effectively, both sides were now leaderless. ¡°Don¡¯t look so gloomy; at least their commander is dead, too,¡± Richard reassured Magic Puppet Billy. ¡°Besides, with Lord Amade gone, we lesser soldiers can naturally retreat. Lord Amade will forgive us.¡± ¡°Leave?¡± Magic Puppet Billy shook its head. ¡°What will happen to our territory if we go? What of the Nightmare Spirits we¡¯ve cultivated? A skilled Nightmare Spirit can provide us with a dose of the Power of Nightmare in just one night. If they die, we¡¯ll have to start all over. But Lord Amade¡¯s taxes won¡¯t wait for us to finish rearing them!¡± Magic Puppet Billy turned to look at the Black Knights charging into the swamp, determination in its eyes. ¡°Black Robe Charlie, you can leave. You¡¯re just one subordinate, and you¡¯ve never held anything dear in your territory, so surviving is your greatest victory. But I am different; I can¡¯t let my domain be destroyed by these black bastards. My domain, fostered for over three hundred years, must not fall to these wretched fiends!¡± Richard, observing Magic Puppet Billy, suddenly realized that even Nightmare creatures had lives. These Nightmare creatures had their own preferences and convictions. Perhaps most of Magic Puppet Billy¡¯s resolve was to pay the taxes later, to avoid devolving back into a Nightmare Spirit. But within that determination, there might truly be a will to protect its domain. ¡°Magic Puppet Billy, could you spare me one of your Murder Puppets?¡± Richard suddenly asked. ¡°Hmm? Why do you suddenly want that thing?¡± Magic Puppet Billy was bemused. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Richard said lightly. ¡°Just for a keepsake. I¡¯m planning to try my luck in other domains.¡± Magic Puppet Billy stared at Richard, surprised, but then sighed softly. ¡°You¡¯re in luck.¡± After saying this, Magic Puppet Billy summoned a murderous puppet half the size of a human and obediently came to Richard¡¯s side. Richard pocketed it and then left the battlefield without looking back. At this moment, he had enough Power of Nightmare; there was no need to fight to the death with these Black Knights. He did have ten Soul Seeds, but until he became a Great Wizard, each one used was one less he had. ¡­ Several days later, in the wilderness, both of Richard¡¯s doppelgangers returned to his side, transforming back into Power of Nightmare. Richard divided this Power of Nightmare into several portions and began to refine it with his spiritual power. Richard¡¯s spiritual power was originally at ninety, and after taking Soul Essence a few times, it reached ninety-nine point nine. To go any higher would require a large amount of Soul Essence. ¡°Ga, how nice. Share some with me once you¡¯re done refining,¡± Ulysses said as he drooled over the Soul Essence in Richard¡¯s hands. ¡°Share with you?¡± Richard glanced at him, ¡°Can your soul projection even consume Soul Essence?¡± Ulysses was taken aback by the question, then somewhat angrily stomped his foot and exclaimed, ¡°Ga, why can¡¯t a soul projection devour Soul Essence! ***** (Gods¡¯ curse)¡± Although one cannot meditate in the Nightmare World, efficient sleep allowed Richard¡¯s spiritual power to recover quickly. In the wilderness, it took Richard over a month to refine enough Soul Essence he needed. Looking at the remaining Power of Nightmare, Richard took the Dagger from the murderous puppet¡¯s hand and then pulled out three more of the same Dagger from his Magic Pocket. [Material: Dagger of the Murder Puppet (¡Á3)] [Refinable Rule: Dream Rules (extremely incomplete)] [Refinement Consumption: 6 spiritual power] Due to Amade¡¯s arrival, the action of the doppelganger that transformed into the Nightmare Spirit was very slow. By the time it returned to Richard, the Nightmare Creations obtained in the mansion had all transformed into Power of Nightmare, and naturally, the Dream Rules had disappeared. Thus, the only thing left in Richard¡¯s hands was the nightmare rule within the Daggers obtained from Magic Puppet Billy. ¡°Refine.¡± As the Soul Power drained, a black Light Ball appeared above the Melter, and Richard merged it into his body. The next moment, he felt as if he¡¯d been stamped with some kind of mark. Afterward, Richard felt an unprecedented sense of comfort. In this Nightmare World, it was as if Richard had returned to the Wizard World. However, the Dream Rules didn¡¯t grant Richard any special abilities, whether it was because the rules were too few or some other reason was unknown. After the rules were refined, Richard took out a Pioneer creation from his Magic Pocket. [Material: Broken Pioneer Creation] [Refinable Information: Dream World Communication Technology (moderately incomplete)] [Refinement Consumption: 50 spiritual power] [Refinable Information: Nightmare Crystal Making Technology] [Refinement Consumption: 200 spiritual power] Looking at the staggering cost of refinement, Richard couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath. Complete Pioneer technology obviously wasn¡¯t easy to refine. But at the same time, a question arose in Richard¡¯s mind. The traces of the Pioneer civilization were so widespread, from the Wizard World to the Insect Nest World, and even to another dimension¡¯s Nightmare World. Even their leftover communication technology required Richard to become a Three Rings Wizard to refine. What kind of disaster had such a powerful civilization experienced to disappear from the annals of history? Suddenly, an unknown fear descended upon Richard¡¯s heart. It wasn¡¯t overwhelming, but it twisted around his inner self like vines, impossible to eradicate. Richard took a deep breath and refined the Dream World Communication Technology. Now that he was about to leave the Nightmare World, he definitely couldn¡¯t take this device with him; he could only leave it behind for Bones as a backup. Through the connection of the naming, Richard spent half a month locating Bones, who was wandering in the wilderness, and had Ulysses deliver the device to him. ¡°Ga, kiddo, take good care of this thing. Your master has sustained serious injuries right now. Although he doesn¡¯t need to be resurrected for the time being, he needs to rest for a while. During this resting period, live well and improve your strength if possible.¡± After speaking, Ulysses handed over the Pioneer¡¯s Crystal Creation, along with some of Richard¡¯s unnecessary Nightmare Crystals and the Dagger-less Murder Puppet to Bones. Bones looked at Richard¡¯s supplies with a flash of surprise and determination in his eyes. Then, Richard swallowed the Soul Essence and his soul instantly left the Nightmare World, arriving in a space of utter darkness and void. A breakthrough to the status of Second Ring Wizard did not require the recognition of the Wizard World Origin; as long as one met the conditions, it could happen anywhere. ¡°The Soul Darkness¡­ such a familiar place.¡± Fifty years later, changes began to occur in Richard¡¯s body that was in the Secret Realm, as the magic power of the entire realm surged towards his body. The transformation began. Three months later, Richard opened his eyes and stood up from the ground. ¡°I, the unbeaten, have returned!¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 190 - 20 Little Junior Sister Chapter 190: Chapter 20 Little Junior Sister Richard moved his body for the first time after returning to it. After becoming a Second Ring Wizard, Richard¡¯s physique had also reached one hundred points through the Rebound Effect, but it was different from those who forcibly raised their physique from fifty points to one hundred through the Rebound Effect. Richard¡¯s physique had reached the limit of Level 1 Creatures during his time as a One Ring Wizard, and now, enhanced by the Rebound Effect, it was a natural progression without any discomfort. Other Wizards who had not cultivated their physique had to wait for a considerably long time to complete the enhancement through the Rebound Effect. An increase in power definitely came with a cost. At the wizard stage, due to the huge gaps between the levels of Wizards, the Rebound Effect also seemed much slower. If a Wizard with a physique of fifty completed the promotion to a Second Ring Wizard, it would take him at least five hundred years to complete the Rebound Effect. During this time, the Wizard would have to endure a body mismatched to his spiritual power and be cautious in every move. Otherwise, the body would not be able to withstand the tremendous power brought by the spirit and would be damaged or even destroyed. By then, the Wizard would only have to custom-order a body for a Second Ring Wizard, and the cost would be enough to spend the earnings from an entire Plane War. Feeling the surging power within, Richard then threw a punch. Bang! A muffled sound echoed through the air as a fist wind instantly pierced a giant mushroom beside Richard, causing the Holy Tree Elves to scatter in fright. ¡°Such immense power, even a casual punch from me can now reach four hundred energy levels. If I use a spell to boost it, my punch alone could cause damage close to a thousand energy levels.¡± Subsequently, Richard felt the change in his spiritual power. After becoming a Second Ring Wizard, Richard¡¯s spiritual power was purified once again. Now his spiritual power could spread to an area of two hundred meters around him¡ªalmost a two-meter increase per point of spiritual power. As for the magic power inside Richard, it goes without saying that it had now doubled compared to before his promotion. ¡°Being a Second Ring Wizard really is different,¡± Richard remarked. Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Gah, dual cultivation feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Richard nodded, then casually asked, ¡°Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t asked you about the usual cultivation practices over there. Do most in the Gods Civilization focus on spiritual evolution, or physical evolution?¡± ¡°Gah, neither, we generally practice dual cultivation. In fact, the majority of creatures in most worlds practice dual cultivation, but it looks slow because of the way they cultivate.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Does that mean Wizards are the odd ones out?¡± ¡°Gah, do you think just any race can link with the Sea of Souls as mere mortals?¡± Ulysses replied, ¡°Your race may be extremely weak at birth, but the talent for linking with the Sea of Souls compensates for that. Other races focus on physique, but you Wizards focus on spirit. All I can say is that the Star Realm is vast, with no shortage of wonders.¡± After adapting to his body, Richard wrote a report in the Secret Realm, documenting some of his experiences in the Nightmare World. Richard certainly had not forgotten how he had entered the Nightmare World. At the end of the report, Richard changed the reason for his return to encountering the Dream Gate. Obviously, he couldn¡¯t tell the Academy about his promotion in the Nightmare World. After finishing the report, Richard walked out of the Secret Realm and returned to the mission hall. After fifty years, the Insect Nest World had changed dramatically, with many bizarre structures appearing that housed Wizards, likely their laboratories. Near the sealing area of the Mother Worm God, a ring of buildings surrounded it, many Wizards were researching the seal left by the Great Wizard. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Apart from the buildings, the Floating City used for the Plane War had also returned to the Wizard World, leaving only a huge trace and a building that encased a Teleportation Gate. ¡°It seems my report might not need to be handed in,¡± Richard said as he looked at the vanished mission hall, smiling helplessly. Approaching the Teleportation Gate, a Wizard in a white robe stopped Richard, holding out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball. ¡°¡­Excuse me, are you Master Richard?¡± the White Wizard asked uncertainly while looking at the image in the crystal ball. Richard nodded, and then saw the White Wizard excitedly take out a scroll, asking Richard to leave a Magic Seal on it. ¡°Master, you vanished for fifty years. During this time, Master Jolod and your lover Ali entrusted me to wait here for you, always believing that you had not died.¡± Richard felt warmth in his heart as he left a seal on the scroll. After paying the fee for using the Teleportation Gate, Richard entered the gate and returned to the Wizard World. ¡­ The location of the Insect Nest World¡¯s Teleportation Gate was in the underground level of the Black Tower Wizard Academy¡ªRichard knew of this level but had never visited before. There were four Teleportation Gates in the underground hall, the remaining three likely led to worlds previously explored by the Black Tower Great Wizard. Entering the underground hall through a Teleportation Array, a flash of light brought Richard to the fifty-first floor of the Black Tower. ¡°Central Black Tower¡­ It¡¯s nostalgic.¡± Richard walked up the stairs to the ninety-ninth floor, but Jolod was not in the laboratory, replaced instead by a female Apprentice about ten years old tinkering with something. ¡°A new student under my mentor?¡± Richard entered the laboratory silently, and the little fellow was so engrossed in the Magic Equipment she was making that she failed to notice someone had approached. Observing the Magic Equipment the Apprentice was making, Richard touched his chin and cautioned, ¡°The position of the third rune on your left is too far off. If you don¡¯t want to end up with a flawed product, move the fifth rune on the right forward left by thirty degrees, shifting it three millimeters.¡± ¡°Ah?!¡± Startled by the tip, the Apprentice shivered and then turned to Richard, instinctively starting to perform the Wizard¡¯s Salute upon seeing his Wizard Robe. Richard used magic to stop her and pointed at the disc in her hand: ¡°Stop fussing and do your thing.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Following Richard¡¯s advice, the Apprentice quickly adjusted the position of the runes, and after the last rune was engraved, a faint magic fluctuation emanated from the disc in her hand. ¡°We did it!¡± the Apprentice exclaimed excitedly, then set down the disc, turned to Richard, and performed the Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Greetings, Master. I am Jolod¡¯s official apprentice, Yelena.¡± Richard nodded, then looked at Yelena with some surprise. ¡°Just became a low-level Wizard Apprentice? Impressive talent you have.¡± Richard had become Jolod¡¯s apprentice during his lower apprenticeship years with the help of the Miracle Furnace, but Yelena, who was standing before him, likely didn¡¯t have such an enhancement. Yet, she had also become Jolod¡¯s student as a low-level apprentice, which spoke volumes about her exceptional talent. ¡°Master flatters me,¡± Yelena said, bowing her head. ¡°Richard!¡± A familiar voice came from behind Richard, and as he turned around, there stood his mentor Jolod at the door, looking at him delightedly. ¡°Where have you been all these years? You look¡­¡± Jolod observed Richard more closely, his expression growing increasingly strange. How could he feel that he could no longer see through his own student? ¡°You look very well, don¡¯t you?¡± Richard said with a smile. ¡°Indeed, not bad. It seems your disappearance of fifty years was quite fruitful.¡± As he spoke, Jolod walked up to Richard and introduced him to Yelena, ¡°Yelena, this is your senior, Richard.¡± Yelena looked at Richard, her mouth slightly agape, then excitedly bowed to him: ¡°Good to meet you, senior.¡± Richard smiled at Jolod, ¡°Looks like the mentor has taken in another promising seed.¡± Jolod stroked his beard, smiling contentedly. ¡°Yelena¡¯s talent is no less impressive than yours was.¡± After some pleasantries, Richard bid farewell to Jolod and found the Deputy Dean, Ellerks. ¡°Oh? Richard!¡± Ellerks, seeing Richard, exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Where have you been these fifty years? The entire Insect Nest World couldn¡¯t find a trace of you.¡± Richard chuckled awkwardly, ¡°There was a bit of an accident; my Magic Pet sent my body into the Secret Realm.¡± Hearing this, Ellerks realized and said, ¡°No wonder we couldn¡¯t find you. So, you¡¯re here to hand in the war spoils?¡± Now that Richard was back, it was naturally time to hand over the profits from the war, even as Jolod¡¯s student, he had to follow the rules. Richard nodded and pulled out a Magic Pocket full of Magic Essence to give to Ellerks. His earnings from the war were substantial, but obviously, the Academy didn¡¯t know about the most valuable ones. Richard converted his war spoils from the Insect Nest World into Magic Stones and handed over half to the Academy. Handing over a thousand Magic Essences, Richard felt a pang of loss. Half of his earnings gone just like that, and he hadn¡¯t even earned a penny from the Academy yet. Ellerks, took the bag with a smile, then asked kindly: ¡°Richard, since you¡¯ve participated in a Plane War, the contract between you and the Academy is now dissolved. So, what are your plans now?¡± Richard understood Ellerks¡¯ implication¡ªthe Black Tower Wizard Academy wanted to continue the contract. On his way here, Richard had pondered this matter, what his next step should be. To separate from the Academy and become a Free Wizard, or to continue his contract and become an academic staff of the Academy. Richard couldn¡¯t find an answer for himself, but during their casual chat earlier, Jolod had given him a suggestion. ¡°Since the Academy won¡¯t have any plane expeditions for the next few years, signing a short-term contract with them wouldn¡¯t be a loss.¡± After a moment of silence, Richard responded to Ellerks, ¡°Deputy Dean, I plan to sign a five-hundred-year contract with the Academy.¡± ¡°Five hundred years? That old rascal Jolod would fleece the Academy.¡± Ellerks was somewhat displeased upon hearing five hundred years; he immediately guessed it was Jolod¡¯s strategy behind the scenes. ¡°Five hundred years it is then.¡± Ellerks sighed and pulled out a contract from the drawer. The content of the contract was simple: for the next five hundred years, Richard would participate in the Black Tower Wizard Academy¡¯s initiated Plane Wars and Academy Battles. However, considering the current situation of Black Tower Wizard Academy, there likely wouldn¡¯t be any Plane Wars. As for Academy Battles¡­ Academy Battles were proxy wars between Great Wizards. Due to their immense power, these wizards were prohibited by the World Guardian from acting within the Wizard World, so they settled their disputes either in the Star Realm or by initiating Academy Battles, destroying the enemy¡¯s academy to eradicate their roots in the Wizard World. But given the relationships the Black Tower Great Wizard had, chances were small that Richard would encounter such battles. Richard signed the contract and then met the successor of Kevin. Kevin¡¯s grandson had now taken over the Magic Potion Store, which had become one of the old shops in the business district, and Kevin¡¯s grandson had also ventured into other businesses. Seeing the greatly changed youngster before him, Richard was taken aback, a wave of indescribable emotions washing over him. ¡°Your name¡¯s Tuo Fu, right?¡± Richard pulled the youngster¡¯s name from his memory. When he had first met the little fellow, he had been just a tiny thing, but now, Tuo Fu had aged into an old man. ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Tuo Fu said respectfully. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s sign the contract.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 191 - 21 Dream World Communication Technology Chapter 191: Chapter 21 Dream World Communication Technology Leaving Black Tower Wizard Academy, Richard immediately returned to the Tower of Truth. Having been a hundred years, Richard¡¯s residence at the Tower of Truth had expired. However, since Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower was in the community of the Black Tower Wizard Academy with Jolod looking after it, it had not been taken by others. Returning to the Wizard Tower, Richard saw two small graves in the backyard with the headstones engraved with two names Richard did not recognize. Perhaps those were the names of Number One and Number Two. Without thinking too much, Richard quickly found Ali, and after their reunion, they spent a long time entwined. Then Richard found the administrative wizard on the residential level and renewed his rent for a hundred years. The rent at the Tower of Truth was not expensive; for a hundred years, it was merely a thousand Magic Essences, averaging ten Magic Essences per year, ten thousand Magic Stones. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Having paid the rent, Richard also bought two demi-human slaves along the way. After returning to the Wizard Tower, he met with Anna and Chax to tell them that he was alright. Once all these trivial matters were dealt with, seven days had passed since Richard returned to the Tower of Truth. Back at the Wizard Tower, Richard organized all the research materials he had on hand. First was the flesh of the Mother Worm God, or rather the deified flesh of the Mother Worm when possessed by the Mother Worm God. Richard had seen a war report from the Insect Nest World at Ali¡¯s, which detailed the timelines of the Insect Nest World¡¯s expedition, predominantly focusing on the Mother Worm God that appeared during the opening battle. The report mentioned that the Mother Worm God temporarily elevated the Mother Worm to the level of a World Master through an unknown method. Thus, the Mother Worm God fragment obtained by Richard could only refine the Bloodline of the Mother Worm, not that of the Mother Worm God. These Mother Worm God¡¯s flesh pieces weren¡¯t much use to Richard, their only value being the Pure Gold and Bloodline they contained. Perhaps the Mother Worm¡¯s Bloodline could allow Richard to create a low-grade version of the Mother Worm. As for the Pure Gold¡­ while precious, it paled in comparison to the Mother Worm Bloodline. He had no plans to use the Mother Worm God fragments to refine Pure Gold. Apart from the Mother Worm God fragments, Richard brought out specimen samples of Mother Worm Guards, Sacrificial Insects, Warrior Worms, and other specimens from the creatures of the Insect Nest World. These specimens were quite valuable for research for Richard at his current level. Studying their energy cycles, muscle structures, lifespans, and even special substances within their bodies could yield Richard some benefits. Moreover, importantly, Richard understood them well enough to research them on his level, unlike the Pioneer Crystals where he could only grope blindly. Next, there were the Pioneer Crystals and the Dream World Communication Technology. Even though the Dream World Communication Technology was missing many parts, what Richard had distilled contained the basic principles for Dream World communication, facilitating his research significantly. And the secrets within the Pioneer Crystals could potentially allow Richard to make great strides in energy applications. After taking these items out, Richard thought for a moment, then opened the Secret Realm and took out two types of mushrooms produced by the World Mushroom. He and Jolod¡¯s jointly operated Wizard Commerce lacked a strong signature Magic Power, and although Jolod was busy with this matter, Richard had to come up with solutions as well. As long as he could create a signature Magic Potion, Richard would not lack Magic Stones in the future. Looking at the research objectives in front of him, Richard felt his heart fill with a pleasant dilemma. ¡°Which should I start my research on?¡± Richard¡¯s finger moved back and forth between the various items, reminiscent of an Emperor in his harem choosing his favorite. Finally, Richard¡¯s finger stopped on the Pioneer Crystal. ¡°I still need to figure out the Dream World Communication Technology first. Bones is loyal for now, but who knows when he might start having different ideas.¡± ¡­ Although Dream World Communication Technology was very complex and had a significant portion missing, fortunately, the part distilled by Richard encompassed the basic principle of Dream World communication. This made Richard¡¯s research much easier. If one wished to complete communication between the Material World and the Nightmare World, the primary requirement was for both worlds to have a sufficiently solid reception point, and both receiving points needed to be in some reliable degree of contact. The Pioneers, in order to achieve this, created the crystal communication equipment Richard had seen in the Nightmare World. But obviously, Richard couldn¡¯t rely on the Pioneers¡¯ devices. However, Richard had a better substitute. ¡°The Soul Seed should be sufficient as a reception point,¡± Richard muttered to himself. After returning to the Material World, although the connection between Richard and the Soul Seed was still tight, it felt as if a layer of transparent glass separated them. Richard could not even share sensations with the Nightmare Body through the Soul Seed, let alone control it to act. But the Pioneers¡¯ Dream World Communication Technology offered Richard a way to break through this glass barrier. ¡°Following the Pioneers¡¯ technology, as long as there is a reception point, everything else is easy. What remains is to condense the Spiritual Messages, then pass the information through a spiritual power amplifying device to break through the dimensional obstructions¡­¡± ¡°But the differences between Pioneer technology and wizard technology are too great, and without the industrial foundation of the Pioneers, it¡¯s impossible for me to achieve the rest.¡± While pondering, Richard casually took out a notebook and recorded the technologies he needed to adapt and the solution he had come up with. ¡°Spiritual Message Condensing Device, the Soul Wizards might have similar technology; perhaps I can acquire it through knowledge exchange.¡± ¡°Spiritual Power Amplifying Device, the Pioneers used crystals to fulfill this, but perhaps I can do it with a Rune Array.¡± Having written this, Richard closed the notebook and pulled out a business card from his Magic Pocket. All of these cards were gained during his mission at the Mother Goddess Temple, and among these wizards were some Soul Wizards, which could potentially solve his current dilemma. After searching through the cards for a while, Richard eventually picked out five. All five cards belonged to Free Wizards, who knew little about Richard. He wasn¡¯t worried about exchanging information with them and arousing suspicion. Following the address recorded on each card, Richard started visiting them one by one. ¡­ ¡°Residence floor twelve, number 569, Soul Wizard Vlad.¡± Richard observed the ghastly wooden hut in front of him, as though it were the abode of a villainous wizard from a fairy tale, and verified the address again. ¡°This is it. Hopefully, he has some good news for me.¡± ¡°Spiritual Message Compression Technology wasn¡¯t as simple as Richard had thought, he had already consulted three wizards before Vlad, none of whom possessed the technique¡ªlet alone having heard of it.¡± ¡°Spiritual messages serve as a quick mode of communication between wizards, primarily used for short-distance encrypted conversations.¡± ¡°For long-distance communication, wizards have perfectly replaced spiritual messages with Communication Crystal Balls, as the encryption of Magic Microwave is even more secure than that of spiritual messages.¡± ¡°In such a scenario, barely any Soul Wizards bother with researching how to compress spiritual messages. If any do, it¡¯s likely just a casual undertaking out of boredom.¡± ¡°The door of the wooden cottage opened, revealing a wizard in black robes with a withered complexion and muddy eyes.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°The wizard in the black robe looked at Richard with some perplexity.¡± Richard handed over a business card, ¡°Wizard Vlad, we fought side by side in the Insect Nest.¡± ¡°Upon seeing the card, Vlad¡¯s brows furrowed tightly, and he extended an extremely slender and withered hand from within his robe¡ªan appendage that more closely resembled a claw than a hand.¡± Vlad poked his temple hard with his middle finger and after stirring around a bit, his eyes faintly brightened. ¡°Oh, Richard, is it? My apologies, my old problem has kicked in again.¡± With an apologetic gesture, Vlad welcomed Richard into the room and prepared a pot of high-quality Magic Tea. ¡°I conducted some soul experiments in my younger years and sustained some damage. I frequently suffer from memory loss, but you needn¡¯t worry about me reneging, as I have always made a habit of keeping notes.¡± Vlad poured two cups of tea, then sat across from Richard. ¡°What do you need my help with?¡± Richard took a sip of the tea. The rich aroma flowed through his mouth and penetrated his brain, giving his spirit an instant jolt. Good tea. Then Richard stated his purpose: ¡°Vlad, I¡¯m seeking knowledge about Spiritual Message Compression. Do you know any wizard who might be versed in such knowledge?¡± ¡°Spiritual Message Compression?¡± Vlad¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°That¡¯s quite obscure within the Soul School, especially since the advent of the long-distance Communication Crystal Ball¡ªfew have studied it since.¡± Richard didn¡¯t respond; he had already heard similar things from the other three wizards. ¡°However, you¡¯re in luck coming to me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± A surge of excitement sparked inside Richard, ¡°You possess this technique?¡± Vlad nodded, ¡°My mentor once researched this topic and developed a prototype. Unfortunately, the Communication Crystal Ball came along at that time, and the technique was archived as a knowledge reserve.¡± ¡°Is it available for exchange?¡± A glint of enthusiasm flashed in Richard¡¯s eyes¡ªconnections indeed proved useful; he had discovered such an obscure technique. Vlad took a sip of his tea and spoke unhurriedly, ¡°We can trade, but let me be clear: it¡¯s just a prototype, and you¡¯ll need to do the subsequent refinements yourself. Think it over carefully.¡± Although Richard¡¯s Wizard Robe bore no mark of a School, Vlad could tell Richard wasn¡¯t a Soul Wizard. To perfect such a technique, Richard would have to start from scratch and learn the knowledge of the Soul School. Richard nodded, a prototype was enough for his purposes¡ªhe didn¡¯t need to commercialize it, a little inconvenience for personal use was acceptable. ¡°What do you require? A knowledge exchange?¡± Richard¡¯s question mirrored the commonly used bargaining methodology among wizards¡ªknowledge wasn¡¯t the only currency; Magic Stones, alchemy materials, Magic Equipment, or even personal favors were all negotiable. Vlad massaged his temple where the injury was, a headache flaring, ¡°Either knowledge or¡­ have you researched the Sacrificial Fungus of the Insect Nest World?¡± ¡°Sacrificial Fungus?¡± ¡°Yes, that has some use for me. Have you studied it?¡± Richard looked at Vlad and took out a modified version of World Mushroom, the Sacrificial Fungus, from his Magic Pocket. ¡°How about this?¡± The sight of the fungus in Richard¡¯s hand made Vlad¡¯s eyes light up. The modified Sacrificial Fungus exuded a captivating soul-level aroma, indicating significant benefits for the soul. After tasting it, Vlad felt a refreshing sensation penetrating his soul. Some of the old wounds from his early experiments began to heal under the influence of the fungus! This was beyond belief! Over the years, he had spent countless Magic Stones and tried various methods to heal these injuries with no improvement. Only the Sacrificial Fungus discovered in the Insect Nest World had any mitigating effect on his injuries. But the fungus that Richard provided could actually heal them! Vlad opened his eyes, his tone decisive, ¡°How much of this do you have?¡± Richard casually replied, ¡°As much as you need.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 192 - 22: Richard Model 1 Magic Support Vehicle Chapter 192: Chapter 22: Richard Model 1 Magic Support Vehicle ¡°How much do you have?¡± Vlad unconsciously repeated Richard¡¯s bold claim. ¡°Friend, did you cultivate these yourself?¡± Upon hearing this, Richard simply stared at him quietly, his expression as indifferent as if he had not heard the question. Realizing his faux pas, Vlad did not pursue the matter further and put forth his own terms. ¡°I need fifty kilograms of these mushrooms.¡± Richard frowned slightly. Though knowledge often held great value in trades among wizards, Vlad¡¯s asking price was indeed a bit too high for the value of Spiritual Message Compression Technology. The improved Sacrificial Fungus was a direct product of the World Mushroom, equivalently belonging to the body of a World Master. Spiritual Message Compression was only a nascent technology, and there were already perfect substitutes for it; its value was certainly not equivalent to fifty kilograms of improved Sacrificial Fungus. ¡°That¡¯s too much,¡± Richard said calmly. Vlad fell silent upon hearing this, turned, and entered the basement of the cabin. Soon after, he came out carrying several thick notebooks. Vlad laid the notebooks in front of Richard and said decisively: ¡°It¡¯s definitely worth this price. These are research notes left by our ancestors, along with the experimental results. From his experiment logs, what you can gain is not just Spiritual Message Compression Technology. This technology is more complex than you think.¡± Now Richard was intrigued. If it were only the results, it certainly would not be worth the price, but if it included the detailed research notes, that was a different story. It was well-known that the research of wizards was not always smooth sailing, and failure was an inevitable part of the process. But these failures were not without value; sometimes, garbage was just gold that was in the wrong place. Richard placed his hand on the notes: ¡°Deal.¡± Subsequently, the two signed a contract, and Richard entered the Secret Realm, took fifty kilograms of improved Sacrificial Fungus to Vlad, and pocketed the notebooks. Before leaving, Richard spent some Magic Stones to exchange for some Apprentice knowledge from the Soul School from Vlad, supplementing his basic foundation. Just like that, a trade between wizards was concluded. Back at the Wizard Tower, Richard did not immediately start studying the new knowledge. His understanding of the Soul School was too superficial; he needed to supplement some basic knowledge. Moreover, the technology for Dream World communication still required him to research a Rune Array to amplify spiritual power. This was not an easy task. Richard took out his own notes, crossed out the line about acquiring Spiritual Message Compression Technology, and beside it, he added a new goal. [Learn the foundational knowledge of the Soul School as soon as possible and master this technology.] ¡­ Research time always flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed. In those twenty years, apart from supplementing knowledge on the Soul School, Richard also continued researching the unique structure of the Pioneer Crystal. At dawn, the first ray of sunlight shone through the windows of the laboratory, illuminating Richard¡¯s face. Richard, with eyes bloodshot, sensed the slight change in the environment. He glanced outside the window, then reached into his pocket and poured a tube of reagent into his mouth. The diligent wizard¡¯s day began with taking drugs. Wizards often stayed in their laboratories day and night when deep in research, supported by their robust physiques and powerful spirits. However, such relentless research ultimately placed a strain on the mind and body. At such times, wizards absorbed in research often chose to stimulate themselves to continue their work¡ªsuch as taking drugs. However, Richard was not using the usual stimulants favored by wizards, but a neurotoxin named Crow Vine. Just half a milliliter of this toxin was enough to kill an extreme Apprentice, but under the effect of Richard¡¯s robust physique, it did not cause him much harm. Of course, Richard did not use the neurotoxin without reason. This was a small attempt at modifying his Adaptation Body. If the Adaptation Body could resist elemental damage and physical attacks, could it not also adapt to such a toxin? This inspiration came to Richard while he was researching the Pioneer Crystal in his spare time, casually browsing through books related to Magic Potions. Based on the current situation, Richard¡¯s idea was indeed feasible, but the effect was not very significant. To improve the Adaptation Body, he had to improve the formula of the Adaptation Potion. Flap, flap¡­ A black crow entered the laboratory. ¡°Caw, I say, Richard, you¡¯ve stayed in this laboratory for a year now,¡± Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, looking worriedly at him, ¡°If you keep this up, you might become the first Second-level Creature I¡¯ve ever seen to work themselves to death.¡± Richard glanced at him: ¡°I¡¯m about to discover the secret of the Crystal, I¡¯m so close now.¡± Saying this, Richard gestured with his thumb and index finger close together, imitating a pinching of the galaxy. From the time he obtained the Pioneer Crystal in the Insect Nest World, Richard had now spent more than fifty years on it without any finds. Although this was common in wizards¡¯ research, over fifty years without any results was rather disheartening. And a year ago, an idea flickered in Richard¡¯s mind¡ªhe might be able to investigate the inner structure of the Crystal through the resonance of multiple Magic matrices. It was this inspiration that had Richard staying in the lab around the clock for an entire year, with the exception of necessary meditation sessions, devoting all his time to the research of crystals. Now, he felt he was only a thin veil away from the secrets of the crystal. Speaking of which, Richard once again activated the Rune Array on his desk. On the test bench, an Alchemy Machine similar to the structure of a Ghost Work Ball began emitting a faint glow as Magic Power was infused into it. Whirr! A very long Magic Fluctuation emerged from the device, the result of multiple Magic resonances under extremely short conditions. In the center of the Ghost Work Ball, a crystal the size of a grain of rice was being probed by the Magic Power. Soon, the runes on the Ghost Work Ball began to extinguish, and the connected Crystal Ball started to output the results. Richard glanced at the result in the Crystal Ball and habitually recorded it in his notebook. Suddenly, Richard¡¯s feather pen stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ulysses. ¡°Nothing.¡± Richard closed his notebook and slumped into his chair. ¡°I found what I was looking for. The cyclic structure that reduces energy loss, I¡¯ve found it.¡± After fifty years, the Pioneer Crystal finally began to unveil a corner of its secrets to Richard. ¡­ The Pioneer Crystal had many secrets, and among the Pioneer Crystals in Richard¡¯s hands, he was searching for that particular energy cyclic structure that could substantially reduce energy loss. Once he found this structure and transformed it into a Rune, Richard would make leaps and bounds in both Plastic Energy Study and Alchemy. After finding the energy cyclic structure, the process of Rune Formation also began to unfold. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Half a year later, Richard, looking at the extremely complex yet strangely beautiful Rune on the test bench, couldn¡¯t help but be moved to tears. Fifty years of research had finally borne some fruit. But Richard was aware that this knowledge was just the tip of the iceberg of the secrets of the Pioneer Crystal; there was much more waiting for him to explore. This Rune was named by Richard as Pioneer Rune One. When placed in the Rune Array, it could reduce Richard¡¯s energy loss by nearly ten percent. That is, for the same Spell, other Wizards would need ten points of Magic Power, while Richard would only need nine. Although this change might not seem significant, in certain Spells that consume a massive amount of energy, this could be the difference between being able to cast the Spell and not. If used in Alchemy Machines, it would reduce the energy loss by ten percent, which could greatly increase the lifespan of the Alchemy devices. After recording this Rune in the Crystal Ball, Richard took out a diagram from his pocket. The diagram recorded part of the design of the Lavoce II Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon. The energy loss reduction from Pioneer Rune One was just right for the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon. ¡°A core Magic might be missing; Heart of Annihilation probably won¡¯t do, but designing a similar Spell using Annihilation Flame as the Core Rune wouldn¡¯t be too difficult,¡± Richard mused as he looked at the design diagram, his mind storming with ideas. ¡°Once the core Magic is resolved, I also need to put some thought into the competitive edge of the product.¡± Richard recalled the massive Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons he¡¯d seen on the battlefield; suitable for defense, but somewhat lacking for offense. ¡°Convert it into a mortar? Or a grenade launcher?¡± Memories from his past life flashed in Richard¡¯s brain. The White Wizard Army indeed did not have any Alchemy Weapons specifically positioned like mortars. However, Richard immediately dismissed this idea because the White Wizard Army didn¡¯t need such positioned weapons. Because the Wizards themselves were like mortars. ¡°With Rune One, I can design the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon to be more lightweight. If it¡¯s not used as a mortar¡­¡± An idea germinated in Richard¡¯s mind as he thought about the small cannons on the War Airships. ¡°A rocket launcher seems like a good choice. The power of the Spell could be reduced a notch, increase the rate of fire, and simply use it for fire coverage.¡± In the Wizard World expeditions, numbers had always been a weak point. In the Insect Nest World, the entire Third War Zone could only be defended by a few thousand people. If there could be an Alchemy Weapon that required only one or two Wizards to achieve the concentrated fire effect of the White Wizard Army in a short time, it would certainly achieve notable success in the Plane Wars. Once the idea was set, Richard began the practical implementation. He took a part of the structure of the Lavoce II Magic Stone Cannon directly, designed most of the components himself, and came up with a Magic Model. During this time, Richard encountered many difficulties, but fortunately, his network was not too bad. Whether it was societies, or Anna, Ali, and even those Wizards who owed Richard favors, they all provided considerable help to Richard. Three years after Richard finalized his idea, the Magic World saw the first Magic Support Vehicle. This Magic Support Vehicle was equipped with twelve Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons and could fire one hundred and twenty shots of Fireball Technique with an Energy Level of three hundred and fifty within ten seconds. Once used, the casting components and Magic Conducting Components of these Magic Stone Cannons would melt and had to be replaced and reshaped for continued use. In addition to firepower, the support vehicle was also highly maneuverable, thanks to the absurdity of the Magic World, Richard found an Anti-gravity Rune to reduce the weight of the support vehicle. With Anna¡¯s help, the vehicle¡¯s speed reached one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour on flat terrain and could perform short-distance floating flight when encountering obstacles. Looking at the war machine in front of him, filled with mechanical aesthetic, Richard followed the tradition of war machinery naming, and named it ¡ª Richard I Magic Support Vehicle. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 193 - 23: Weapon Evaluation Chapter 193: Chapter 23: Weapon Evaluation However, compared to Richard¡¯s excitement, the other Wizards who were involved in the Magic Support Vehicle¡¯s production were not as optimistic. ¡°Richard, to be honest, I think this thing of yours¡­ is a bit too strange.¡± As Richard¡¯s senior, Anna had experienced Richard¡¯s unique ideas. Ever since his apprenticeship, he managed to achieve Magic Stone freedom through his own intelligence. But upon seeing the Magic Support Vehicle, Anna still felt it was too odd. This thing was entirely different from any Alchemy Weapon she had encountered. Typically, Alchemy Weapons emphasized high power and reliability. If one were to quantify the parameters of an Alchemy Weapon, its attack and reliability would far surpass its other attributes. Yet Richard¡¯s Magic Support Vehicle was different. The Magic Support Vehicle¡¯s Spell power was not particularly strong, only reaching an Energy Level of three hundred and fifty. Some advanced Apprentices could even cast Spells of this level. As for reliability, Richard¡¯s Magic Stone Cannon would melt down its casting components after thirty seconds of full-load operation, making it practically a single-use consumable. This approach was completely different from the usual philosophy behind designing Alchemy Weapons. Standing next to Anna, Ali, also chimed in, ¡°It is indeed strange; the power of these Spells seems rather low.¡± As a Shaping Wizard, Ali felt that the Spell power of Richard¡¯s creation was too weak and didn¡¯t align with her understanding and aesthetic. Shaping Wizards could be divided into two factions according to their casting habits: one faction emphasized precise control of Magic Power, ensuring every Spell was just right, while the other faction was somewhat extreme, liking to constantly increase the Energy Level of Spells. In their view, a qualified Shaping Magic Spell had to be powerful! Ali belonged to the latter, obviously thinking Richard¡¯s Spell lacked vigor. Next to them, Chax, who had heard about his disciple¡¯s large contraption and came to join in on the excitement, also expressed his opinion. ¡°Little brother, I think your creation would be better if you replaced this steel platform on the lower half with a Synthetic Beast. The tracks you¡¯ve designed aren¡¯t as flexible as legs.¡± As he spoke, Chax took out a palm-sized spider-like Synthetic Beast from his pocket, intending to show Richard the agility of Flesh and bring his little disciple back to the right path. Jolod, a master of Synthetic Beasts¡ªhis Apprentices learning to make Alchemy Machines would be quite a joke if it got out. Richard sighed helplessly after observing the few Wizards closest to him. He said in disbelief, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys think this thing is a very useful weapon? Just imagine, if we had a few hundred of these support vehicles, could we not use a few hundred Wizards to achieve what would usually require a few thousand Wizards to perform a Magic Concentrated Fire?¡± ¡°But the quality of this thing is just too poor,¡± Anna said helplessly. ¡°Casting components that melt down in thirty seconds, only because you¡¯re my disciple would I not throw a Magic Wand at you if another Wizard showed me this.¡± ¡°No, war is all about resource consumption,¡± Richard argued frantically. ¡°When you wage a war, you¡¯re bound to use up a huge amount of manpower and resources. How much are a few casting components worth? Isn¡¯t it worthwhile to exchange them for a Magic Concentrated Fire that can be deployed at any time? Besides, those casting components, the Magic Conducting Components, can be recycled and reused.¡± Even with Richard¡¯s explanations, several Black Wizards nearby still found the creation odd, leaving Richard with no temper to speak of. ¡°Ah, forget it. It¡¯s clear we¡¯re not on the same page. You¡¯ll understand once I¡¯ve asked the teacher over.¡± With that, Richard returned to the Wizard Tower, retrieved a long-range Communication Crystal Ball, and sent a message to Jolod. The message informed him that he had created a strategic-level Alchemy Weapon to serve as the flagship product of their trade association. Upon receiving the message, Jolod immediately handed over his teaching duties to Yelena and rushed to the Tower of Truth. Half a month later, a Wizard with disheveled hair and beard arrived in front of Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower. ¡°Richard, where¡¯s your creation?¡± Hearing the voice, Richard immediately left the laboratory and approached the Wizard. ¡°Master, how did you get here so quickly?¡± Jolod straightened his appearance and said anxiously, ¡°You¡¯ve created such a great thing; how could I waste any time? Where is it, show it to me quickly.¡± Richard took out his Magic Wand and tapped the ground. Soon after, an entrance to a tunnel appeared in front of them. Richard led Jolod through the tunnel and quickly arrived at a large underground hall. Naturally, Richard wouldn¡¯t make the Magic Support Vehicle in the yard; the underground hall, while not very large, could accommodate at most the space of the Wizard Tower¡¯s front and back yards, along with the tower itself. But such a hall was more than enough to house a single Magic Support Vehicle. Looking at the strange contraption before him, Jolod, who considered himself well-versed, couldn¡¯t discern its purpose and could only guess it was some kind of Magic Stone Cannon. However, a Magic Stone Cannon was sufficient. For their small trading association, as long as they had a Magic Stone Cannon and a contract with the White Wizard Army, they would have a continuous supply of Magic Stones. Suddenly, while daydreaming about the future, Jolod¡¯s face changed as he recalled something. ¡°Richard, tell me the truth. Is this creation of yours a stolen design of the Lavoisier II Magic Stone Cannon?¡± Startled, Richard asked in surprise, ¡°Master, how did you know? Even my sister didn¡¯t realize this.¡± ¡°You! Sigh! I just knew!¡± Jolod looked at the Magic Stone Cannon before him, which in his eyes was no longer a never-ending gold mine but rather a volcano ready to erupt. He should have thought of it earlier; that old man Vladimir had mentioned he had a good disciple, and he had assumed it was Anna. But now it seems that what Vladimir was talking about was Richard! ¡°Alas, stealing knowledge is a serious crime!¡± Jolod said with a heavy heart, ¡°Once your theft of knowledge is discovered, you better be prepared to be pursued by the White Wizard Army to the ends of the earth!¡± However, Richard replied with an unconcerned look, ¡°Teacher, you needn¡¯t worry. The casting components, magic conducting components, even the parallel components of the core parts of the Magic Support Vehicle are all my own designs. Only a small part of the parts are from the Lavoisier II Magic Stone Cannon. There¡¯s too much room for argument about those parts.¡± Certain components of the Magic Stone Cannon have only one optimal solution, so it makes perfect sense that there are some identical parts. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s only a small part!?¡± Jolod looked at Richard fiercely, his gaze as intense as a Giant Dragon. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure. Don¡¯t you trust me, teacher?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± Jolod¡¯s aura deflated, feeling relieved in his heart. It seemed that his student still had some sense of restraint. Jolod touched the support vehicle and said unhurriedly, ¡°I am a Black Wizard, and I don¡¯t understand much about alchemy weapons, but I¡¯ve arranged for an acquaintance who will come to evaluate the value of this thing of yours.¡± ¡°An acquaintance? Teacher, you have friends who study alchemy machines?¡± Richard ribbed. Jolod gave Richard a stern look, ¡°You know the person.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Vladimir, who taught you battlefield alchemy.¡± ¡­ Two days later, Richard met with Vladimir, who had come to evaluate his work. Vladimir had a pipe clenched in the corner of his mouth: ¡°Kid, I heard you¡¯ve created something impressive.¡± Vladimir was his usual self, dressed in a White Wizard Robe, emanating the sense of decay that life was approaching its endpoint. However, unlike on the battlefield, Vladimir appeared less intimidating off it, looking more like a crotchety old man. ¡°Master, please follow me.¡± Richard led Vladimir to the desert floor of his residence, used for testing spells, then opened a Space Rift and expanded it, driving the Magic Support Vehicle out from it. ¡°Hmm, this thing seems quite nimble,¡± Vladimir commented as he observed the Magic Support Vehicle. The Magic Support Vehicle was not large, with a total length of just four meters. Aside from the twelve lightweight Magic Stone Cannons in the back, the Magic Support Vehicle could even pass for a civilian cargo hauler. ¡°Agility is indeed one of its advantages,¡± Richard stated confidently. Vladimir touched the Magic Support Vehicle and then pulled out a small Alchemy Puppet from his pocket, tossing it into the desert to let it walk off into the distance. ¡°This is the target, show me the power and accuracy of your cannon.¡± At this, Richard¡¯s face showed a hint of embarrassment, ¡°Well¡­ Master, the purpose of this device is somewhat different.¡± ¡°Different?¡± Vladimir frowned, ¡°I remember you are not one for alchemy machines. Kid, aiming too high is not always good, your knowledge level hasn¡¯t reached the point of innovation yet.¡± Vladimir¡¯s assessment was very much in line with the identity of an old wizard who had studied alchemy machines all his life, so Richard was neither angry nor annoyed. He preferred to speak with facts. ¡°Master, I am indeed not a Wizard specialized in studying alchemy machines, but you might want to see my work before making any evaluations.¡± Vladimir looked at Richard, his impression of him was quite positive. An Alchemy Wizard with such solid foundational skills like Richard was unlikely to be impetuous. This time, perhaps he was just blinded by inspiration. ¡°Ah, show me,¡± said Vladimir somewhat resignedly. Now that he was here, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take one look. Richard, hearing this, said nothing further, only adjusting the angle of the Magic Stone Cannon and calibrating the trajectory from the cockpit. Since this was just a test, Richard did not fine-tune the firing coordinates and settled for setting the target at three kilometers straight ahead. Then, Richard pressed the firing button. Vladimir stood in front of the support vehicle, contemplating whether to gently admonish or be straightforward with Richard when the time came. An older wizard always had a soft spot for promising young talent. The Magic Support Vehicle emitted a Magic Fluctuation, but Vladimir was somewhat distracted. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll be gentle, the kid has potential, don¡¯t want to dissuade him from the path of alchemy machines¡­ Hmm?¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Boom, boom, boom¡­ The continuous sound of explosions entered Vladimir¡¯s ears, and he froze in the second after they started, the pipe falling from his mouth. He actually saw someone using such a small alchemy weapon to create a Magic Concentrated Fire akin to that of the White Wizard Army. How¡­ how is this possible? COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 194 - 24: The First Order Chapter 194: Chapter 24: The First Order The sound of spells exploding continued without pause, each blast felt as if it struck right at Vladimir¡¯s heart. ¡°Sixty, seventy¡­ one hundred one, one hundred two¡­¡± Vladimir counted each explosion, and by the end, he had even become numb. Thirty seconds quickly passed, and Richard emerged from the cockpit to Vladimir¡¯s side: ¡°Master, what do you think of my Magic Support Vehicle?¡± ¡°Three hundred six¡­ what did you say?¡± Vladimir seemed startled by Richard¡¯s question, his voice suddenly rose sharply. Richard repeated his earlier statement, somewhat helplessly: ¡°Master, what do you think of my Magic Support Vehicle?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean an evaluation¡­¡± Vladimir was somewhat flustered. He subconsciously reached for the pipe hanging from the corner of his mouth but found nothing. Seeing the pipe lying at Vladimir¡¯s feet, Richard picked it up and handed it over to him. Vladimir took the pipe, his left hand trembling slightly as he struck up a flame and lit the pipe. Wisps of smoke rose from the pipe, Vladimir took a harsh drag, then slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke. ¡°Your name¡¯s Richard, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°I take back what I said earlier; you are an unprecedented genius. Your creation¡­ even I can hardly understand it.¡± Clutching the pipe with keen eyes like an aged eagle, Vladimir scrutinized Richard. ¡°Thirty seconds, three hundred and sixty Fireball Techniques. Your¡­ Magic Support Vehicle is only so big, how did you solve the overheating issue? I did some calculations, even if you reduced the magic power loss to ten percent, based on the cooling structures I¡¯ve seen, your machine could at most sustain for forty-five seconds. Beyond that time, your spell-casting components would melt, and the magic conducting parts would need to be reshaped.¡± It must be said, Vladimir, who had studied alchemy machines for a lifetime, had an exceptionally sharp eye. He instantly identified the problem with the Magic Support Vehicle. But at this moment, he was still confined to the traditional thinking of an Alchemy Wizard, believing that an alchemy weapon must be durable and dependable, which was why he raised such a concern. Thinking is a critical issue. Richard shrugged: ¡°Master, I didn¡¯t solve the overheating problem. Thirty seconds is the maximum operational limit for the Magic Support Vehicle at full load. Its spell-casting components have already melted and need to be replaced.¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You didn¡¯t solve the overheating?¡± Upon hearing this, Vladimir first frowned, then seemed to sigh in relief. Even geniuses have their limits. If Richard had solved the overheating issue, then perhaps Vladimir himself might have passed away on spot. ¡°I must say, your Magic Support Vehicle is stunning. However, thirty seconds is indeed a bit too short,¡± Vladimir exhaled another puff of smoke. ¡°Having to replace the spell-casting components in such a short time, the army¡¯s senior ranks might not agree to purchase it.¡± War is a business for wizards. All wizards are thinking about how to gain the maximum benefit with the least amount of magic stones. ¡°So¡­ do you believe my creation passes?¡± asked Richard. ¡°Passes?¡± Vladimir shook his head solemnly. ¡°Your creation is not merely a pass, it¡¯s breathtaking! If it can continuously improve and evolve, maybe your name will be passed down alongside those of Zeppelin, Tesla, and Fermi. Your name might be chanted countless epochs later.¡± ¡°Master flatters me,¡± Richard said, somewhat in awe. The names Vladimir mentioned were thunderously known among Alchemy Wizards: Zeppelin, the inventor of the existing Magic Airships and the first War Airship; his appearance greatly promoted the shipping development of the Wizard World. Tesla, the founder of Tesla Heavy Industries; eight out of ten members of the Wizard World¡¯s White Wizard Army are equipped with weapons from their commerce. He is recognized as the number one war merchant of the Wizard World. And Fermi, this was an even weightier name. All existing Floating Cities draw their power from a prototype created by Fermi. Vladimir¡¯s comparison of Richard with these figures underscored his satisfaction with the weapon. These giants, how could such a junior wizard like himself be compared with them? He would have to wait until he became a Great Wizard before he could earn such praise. ¡°No, no, no, you are still young, and have not experienced so many battlefields. You don¡¯t realize how useful this thing can be,¡± Vladimir shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve only seen such dense firepower on the fortresses of the Magic Statue Army, but those¡­¡± Suddenly Vladimir sighed: ¡°Those are out of reach without some serious backing.¡± Encouraged by Vladimir¡¯s assessment, Richard then demonstrated the mobility and off-road capability of the Magic Support Vehicle. But these features seemed somewhat unimpressive compared to the firepower that was like Heavenly Fire. After the test, Vladimir stepped out of the cockpit and closed the notebook in his hands. This notebook recorded all the data from Vladimir¡¯s experience, which would be his tool to persuade the military¡¯s high ranks. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and discuss with the senior ranks of the legion now, hoping they¡¯ll accept your ideas.¡± On the road testing mobility, Richard introduced Vladimir to his vision for the Magic Support Vehicle and also ran through the vehicle¡¯s cost breakdown. Wizards care about benefits, so the cost breakdown is the most powerful persuasive tool. According to Richard¡¯s calculations, the Magic Support Vehicle could greatly reduce casualties among White Wizards in secondary battlefields. And as an offensive combat alchemy weapon, it could also help wizards reduce casualties on the frontline. Calculating the wizards¡¯ pensions and the value compared to directly replacing the spell-casting components, the former was much more expensive. Richard¡¯s algorithm was quite novel to Vladimir, and for the alchemy wizards who valued durability and robustness, Richard¡¯s consumable-oriented approach was decidedly unconventional. But on the battlefield, orthodoxy was irrelevant; usefulness was the only truth. After seeing Vladimir off, Richard returned to the laboratory and took out a metal rune base plate. ¡°Phew, after toiling for about five years, this thing is finally wrapping up.¡± The rune base plate in front of Richard was a component of the Dream World Communication Equipment he had been working on; a few years ago, he was sidetracked by a sudden inspiration on the Pioneer Crystal, which halted the progress of his Dream World Communication Equipment for nearly five years. Now that the Magic Support Vehicle had been constructed and had even received high praise from Vladimir, it was time for his energy to return to the Dream World Communication Equipment. ¡°However, with the Pioneer Rune One, it looks like these rune base plates of mine should be remade. Not only would this reduce the cost of magic stones, but it would also decrease the size of the equipment and prolong its lifespan.¡± Looking at the rune base plate before him, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache. Sometimes new discoveries brought more than just benefits. ¡­ A month later, Richard received a magic message from Vladimir: the Clear Frost Number One Legion invited him to demonstrate the power of the Magic Support Vehicle to the high-ranking officers of the legion. The upper echelons of the White Wizard Army seemed somewhat skeptical of Vladimir¡¯s assessment, so in the message, he told Richard to make sure there were no mishaps. If everything went smoothly, he would help Richard refine some minor issues with the Magic Support Vehicle. Naturally, Richard agreed to this good fortune with pleasure. Three days later, Richard arrived at the Clear Frost Number One Legion¡¯s quarters, located on the twenty-third level of the residential layer. Although it was called quarters, this place was, in fact, a wizard community of the Clear Frost Wizard Academy, with a large number of wizards from Clear Frost Wizard Academy residing there, including the Clear Frost Number One, Two, and Three Legions. These legions had once fought alongside Richard on the Insect Nest Battlefield. Upon arriving at the community, Vladimir was already waiting in front of it. He wasted no words and directly took Richard to the wizard testing ground on the twenty-third level. The testing ground was also a desert, and at one corner of the desert, the high-ranking officers of the Clear Frost Number One Legion were already in place, but¡­ there seemed to be a lot of them. Richard, observing the observation group that numbered in the dozens, couldn¡¯t help but look towards Vladimir. Vladimir said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that crowd; the second and third groups have also come. As long as you don¡¯t mess up, I guarantee you¡¯ll make a fortune this time!¡± Upon entering the field, Richard exchanged greetings with the many high-ranking legion officers. These wizards, the weakest among them at the entrance-level of the Three Rings, with a few so powerful that their presence even reached the pinnacle of Three Rings¡ªif they had enough luck and wisdom, becoming a Great Wizard was not impossible in the future. ¡°Are you the founder of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce? You seem young and promising,¡± a Great Wizard at the pinnacle of Three Rings commented with a smile to Richard. ¡°Master Vladimir has been singing high praises of your weapons in front of us¡ªmake sure your demonstration doesn¡¯t stumble.¡± Richard gave a Wizard¡¯s Salute to these wizards and then opened the Secret Realm Rift, from which he drove out the Magic Support Vehicle. Seeing such a little contraption being brought out by Richard raised the eyebrows of a few higher-ups from the other legions. ¡°It seems that Master Vladimir wasn¡¯t boasting¡ªthis thing is indeed compact,¡± said one of the higher-ups offhandedly, ¡°But can such a small thing really achieve the concentrated magic fire effect that he described?¡± The Legion Commander of the Clear Frost Number One Legion, Andre, looking at Richard, replied casually, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I recognize this kid. The last time Susanna pulled one over on me, this guy was right there. He must be a student of some master from the Black Tower Wizard Academy.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no master known for alchemy machines in Black Tower Wizard Academy; isn¡¯t Master Jolod known for researching Synthetic Beasts?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet¡ªI wager that this machine can achieve half of what Vladimir described.¡± One of the higher-ups shook his head, ¡°Half? I think it could manage two-thirds. His commerce is named after Jolod; perhaps he is Jolod¡¯s student as well. Although Master Jolod¡¯s research focuses on Synthetic Beasts, many of his students have achieved notable success in alchemy machines too.¡± ¡°A thousand Magic Essence? I¡¯ll take the half.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in for two-thirds.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also betting on half; this kid¡¯s too young, probably doesn¡¯t have much accumulated knowledge.¡± ¡­ While the high-ranking officers of the legions were making their bets, Richard finished adjusting the Magic Support Vehicle. With his mind focused on the aiming components, the twelve lightweight Magic Stone Cannons loaded on the Magic Support Vehicle began to move. ¡°Let¡¯s aim three kilometers straight ahead.¡± After adjusting the trajectory, Richard pressed the button. The high-ranking officers sensed the fluctuation of magic power and turned their attention to the Magic Support Vehicle. In the next moment, Heavenly Fire appeared. In thirty seconds, three hundred and sixty fireballs bombarded the battlefield three kilometers away. The high-ranking officers were left utterly silent. ¡°It seems our Master Vladimir wasn¡¯t boasting this time,¡± one of the officers murmured, ¡°Three hundred and sixty shots, exactly three hundred and sixty, not a single one missing.¡± The three Legion Commanders exchanged glances, and then Andre suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°This kid seems to have some kind of edge over me; he just made a tidy profit off me, and now he¡¯s about to make another big score from my pocket.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 195 - 25 Accompanying the Army Provisions Chapter 195: Chapter 25 Accompanying the Army Provisions After witnessing the power of the Magic Support Vehicle, Richard also showcased its mobility and off-road capabilities. These seemingly insignificant details delighted the Legion Commanders. As seasoned wizards long experienced in warfare, they naturally understood the importance of mobility. Upon seeing Richard¡¯s data, a deal was quickly struck. Meanwhile, Vladimir seized the opportunity to mock these wizards. Facing such an elder wizard, sufficiently old and exceptionally capable, the upper ranks of the legion could only touch their noses and pretend not to hear. The White Wizard Army did not value strength as much as the Black Wizards did; seniority was also an important criterion in the legion. An old enough White Wizard might have experienced dozens, even scores, of Plane Wars, and although their strength might not be as formidable for various reasons, their battlefield experience was undoubtedly rich. Sometimes, the Legion Commanders would consult these individuals for decision-making. Regarding the specifics of the deal, Richard did not participate in the negotiations but left it to Jolod to handle. Though one of the leaders of the Commerce, he was too young and inexperienced. Negotiating with wizards who were thousands of years old could easily lead to being deceived. It is wise to be aware of one¡¯s limitations, so Richard obediently left the troublesome matters to his teacher and returned to the Wizard Tower to prepare to make money while lying down. The cost of such a Magic Support Vehicle was not cheap, the materials alone costing five hundred Magic Essence. Considering Richard¡¯s labor cost, his target price was eight hundred Magic Essence. As for how much Jolod could negotiate, that depended on Jolod¡¯s abilities. The profit for one Magic Support Vehicle was calculated at three hundred Magic Essence, ten would yield three thousand, and a hundred would make thirty thousand. This did not include the profits from the Spell components and Magic Conduction Components. Richard calculated his future income in his heart and couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly. Days without financial worries were upon him. ¡­ In the laboratory, Richard looked through the lens of the Magic Microscope, focusing intently as he used magic to etch runes on the Rune Base Plate. After discovering the Pioneer Rune One, Richard had reworked all the previously made rune bases and components. However, with his experience and only needing to re-engrave the runes, his second production was very smooth. It took only three months to complete most of the runes¡¯ reworking. The piece before him was the most complex and crucial among all the rune bases. Once he completed it, the work that followed would be smooth sailing. The magic needle, thin as a pinpoint, carefully moved across the rune base plate. Each movement left an imperceptible trace that was almost invisible to the naked eye. Moreover, some of these traces were not merely on the surface; for more complex runes, the magic had to delve deep into the base plate to complete the engraving. However, this work was already routine for Richard. His expression calm, Richard controlled the magic needle with steady spiritual power. As the magic needle left the last mark on the rune base plate, a very faint Magic Fluctuation emanated from it. ¡°Phew, done.¡± Richard sighed in relief, a slight smile playing on his face. The technology for Spiritual Message Compression had been fully mastered by Richard. With the completion of his spiritual power amplification device, he could immediately communicate with the Nightmare World and even control his avatar in the Dream World. The control of soul over the Soul Seed was fundamentally a special form of Spiritual Message. Buzz! A Magic Fluctuation emanated from the next room. Richard entered and found his Communication Crystal Ball lit up. Checking the message, he learned that the details of the deal had been finalized. After three months of negotiations, the first order for Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce had been concluded. Upon receiving the message, Richard did not delay and immediately headed to Clear Frost Number One Legion¡¯s station where, as usual, Vladimir welcomed him. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re going to earn quite a lot this time,¡± Vladimir said, smiling at Richard. ¡°I owe it to the Master¡¯s recommendation,¡± Richard responded modestly. Vladimir shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s not my doing. Even if I spoke highly of it, the legion would definitely not adopt it if your product didn¡¯t measure up. ¡°Besides, any good Alchemy Weapon is beloved by any White Wizard; any other wizard would do the same.¡± Vladimir was old-fashioned yet honest. He never skimped on his praise and recommendation for good products as he believed that good products deserved good treatment. Following him into the station, Richard entered a structure akin to a church made of marble. The pure white marble was engraved with exquisite reliefs and upon entering the church, murals depicting the legion¡¯s achievements immediately caught Richard¡¯s eye. ¡°This is the legion¡¯s guesthouse, only used when new soldiers join or during certain significant events,¡± Vladimir explained. ¡°These murals¡­¡± Richard looked at the murals portraying brave cloaked wizards and rather grotesque Alien creatures, feeling a sense of absurdity. The expedition of wizards was clearly aggressive, yet in these murals, the wizards were depicted as luminous saviors. It was hard to imagine what kind of education the White Wizards underwent. ¡°Cough, cough, cough, these are masterpieces by a former Legion Commander,¡± Vladimir said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Some overly sympathetic rookie wizards during wars can impact the morale within the legion as well as harmony. Therefore, a former Legion Commander created these murals and used them to educate every new wizard joining the legion, telling them that wizards are here to save the world.¡± ¡°Save the world?¡± Richard twitched the corner of his eye, ¡°This would be discovered as soon as they entered the battlefield, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Vladimir shook his head with a smile, ¡°Sometimes, people just need an excuse. Besides, we didn¡¯t say whom we were saving, did we? For those creatures preyed upon by alien beings, aren¡¯t we their saviors after all?¡± ¡°¡­That makes sense.¡± Following Vladimir, Richard arrived at a room resembling a conference room. Inside the room, there was a large round table with three legion commanders sitting on one side, and on the other side, Jolod was leisurely leaning back in his chair. Upon seeing Richard arrive, Jolod happily greeted him. ¡°Ah, Richard, you¡¯ve finally made it. We were just waiting for you.¡± While speaking, Jolod silently sent a spiritual message to Richard. ¡°Do not change anything in the contract. I will explain anything you don¡¯t understand when we go back.¡± After speaking, Jolod and Richard took their seats together. Legion Commander Andre took out a scroll and handed it over to Richard. ¡°Master Richard, this is the contract we have finalized with Master Jolod. Please see if there is anything that needs to be modified.¡± After that, another legion commander said with a smile, ¡°Even between master and disciple, the accounts must be settled clearly. Master Richard, you need to check carefully.¡± Facing this psychological tactic from the old wizards, Richard¡¯s expression remained unflappable. After reviewing the entire contract, Richard handed it back to Andre. ¡°I have no issues.¡± The others exchanged glances as if they wanted to say something more, but Jolod by Richard¡¯s side suddenly spoke up. ¡°Since Richard has no objections, let¡¯s sign this contract. We¡¯ve been quibbling for three months, and the time of these masters is surely much more precious than that of a Second Ring wizard like me.¡± Seeing the situation, the three legion commanders had no choice but to give up their thoughts, signed their true names on the contract, and Richard also signed his true name. As the contract turned to ashes, the contract between Richard Jolod and the Clear Frost First, Second, and Third Legions was officially established. Richard was required to deliver five hundred magic support vehicles within three hundred years. The Clear Frost Legions would purchase each vehicle for eight hundred fifty magic essences. In addition, Richard was to train the alchemy wizards of the White Wizard Army on how to urgently maintain these magic support vehicles. Moreover, Richard was also to assist as a technical consultant to the Clear Frost Legions during their campaigns to the Otherworld. Honestly, this clause was the most perplexing one to Richard. He still had to accompany them on a campaign to the Otherworld? This was truly hard-earned money. However, considering that Jolod and the legion commanders had quarreled for three months, this clause must have a special significance. After the contract was signed, the three legion commanders arranged a banquet. High-ranking members from the three legions attended the banquet, featuring an array of exquisite cuisines made from rare magic beasts, which Richard found quite satisfying. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you continuing to eat?¡± Jolod approached Richard, holding a wine glass with amber-colored liquor emitting a rich aroma. Richard was standing on the balcony, smiling awkwardly. ¡°A few masters keep pushing their juniors towards me.¡± Jolod was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. ¡°So, it¡¯s that. Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Richard looked slightly annoyed, ¡°Teacher, I have a partner!¡± ¡°The young one under Susanna?¡± Jolod waved his hand, ¡°It seems you are not aware of the wizard family¡¯s concept. What wizard families value most is the bloodline; they believe that if a wizard is outstanding enough, their bloodline must carry something special. Since you designed the magic support vehicles, these wizard families think you¡¯re qualified enough. Hence, they push those young ones toward you, hoping to have one or two descendants. As for whether you have a partner¡­ hehe.¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jolod scoffed coldly, ¡°They don¡¯t care at all. As long as you don¡¯t demand those harvesting young ones to stay by your side, they will disappear automatically after completing their task.¡± ¡°¡­That sounds really disgusting,¡± Richard said after a moment of silence. ¡°That¡¯s why the Wizard Academy is the future,¡± Jolod spoke lightly, ¡°The organizational structure of wizard families is too inefficient. Breeding descendants among wizards is much slower than sieving through the masses for talent. The existing wizard families are just a dying body.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 196 - 26: Bones of the Black Coffin Sword Saint Chapter 196: Chapter 26: Bones of the Black Coffin Sword Saint Richard ultimately did not accept the Wizard Family¡¯s offer of ¡°seed lending,¡± for apart from the act being somewhat disgusting, ensuring his personal body information was not leaked was also an important reason. Although Richard currently had no enemies, if his business were to develop, conflicts with other businesses would inevitably arise. Between Wizards, business conflicts were by no means limited to commercial tactics alone. Physically annihilating a business opponent was also a method of resolving conflict. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After the banquet ended, Richard and Jolod parted ways. Richard gave Jolod all the various materials needed to build the Magic Support Vehicle, as well as the specifications for each material to purchase. Buying these materials himself would have cost Richard 500 Magic Essences, but giving the task to Jolod would definitely be cheaper. Even if it wasn¡¯t cheaper, the quality was sure to be impeccable. Back at the Wizard Tower, Richard resumed his work on the spiritual power amplifying device. This time, with no other distractions, Richard took a month to remake all the remaining parts. He assembled these parts along with the Rune Base Plate, turning them into a device resembling a cultivation chamber. This was the spiritual power amplifying device Richard had been constructing for so long. Once integrated with Spiritual Message Compression Technology, this device would become a communications signal tower with the Nightmare World. After filling the device with Magic Stones, Richard immediately lay down inside it and initiated the device. His spiritual power, channeling through the Rune Base Plate, entered the machine and then surged, amplified through hundreds and thousands of Rune Arrays. Outside the device, a wave of heat burst forth, instantaneously raising the temperature of the entire laboratory by several degrees. Even after Richard¡¯s reworking, the immense Magic Power consumption caused by the vast Rune Array remained staggeringly large. Through the device¡¯s amplification, Richard¡¯s spiritual power reached an astonishing peak. If spiritual power was likened to a continuously fluctuating curve, then at this moment, the curve had reached its zenith. If it increased any further, Richard¡¯s soul would be unable to control such intense spiritual power. In this state, Richard¡¯s Spiritual Perception became extremely detailed, so much so that it was as if he had put on a microscope, allowing him to see even the shape of a speck of dust on the ground. The influx of excessively intricate information overwhelmed Richard¡¯s brain, almost causing it to crash instantaneously. ¡°No, I need to shut down the machine.¡± In a nearly unconscious state with his brain about to crash, Richard instinctively turned off the machine. His spiritual power then returned to his soul, and Richard sat stunned in the chamber for nearly five minutes before his eyes gradually regained clarity. ¡°That was truly thrilling,¡± Richard exhaled, rubbing his forehead and remarking. Opening the hatch, Richard immediately felt the temperature in the laboratory had risen significantly. The heat-dissipation components he had prepared for the device were now faintly red. ¡°The loss is still too great,¡± Richard said somewhat helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know how something like the Floating City is even made. I create such a small thing and the Magic Power loss is huge; the Floating City¡¯s technology is practically otherworldly.¡± However, the thought of the existence of the Pioneers made him consider that the Floating City might indeed be otherworldly technology. Once the machine had cooled down completely, Richard entered the device again. Unlike the first time, this time Richard amplified not just his spiritual power, but also a compressed Spiritual Message. The Spiritual Message, strengthened layer by layer through the Rune Arrays, gradually transformed into a sharp arrow. Under Richard¡¯s control, this arrow was shot out, following the connection between soul and Soul Seed, piercing the thick but ultimately insufficient dimensional barrier to enter the Nightmare World. At the same time, a sound emanated from the coffin behind the Black Coffin Sword Saint. Bang! ¡°Shit, I forgot I was in a coffin.¡± ¡­ Coffin Carrier, also known as a little Nightmare by an unknown origin. When he first entered the Lawless Land, many nightmare creatures only referred to him as ¡°Bones¡± or ¡°Coffin Carrier.¡± But as Bones slew one nightmare creature after another with his incredibly hard Great Sword ¨C those that coveted him and the coffin on his back ¨C the entire Lawless Land changed how they addressed him. They honored him as the Sword Saint and, because he always carried a black coffin on his back, people began to call him the Black Coffin Sword Saint. Rumors had it that sealed within the Sword Saint¡¯s coffin was a terrifying nightmare creature. Some said it was the Sword Saint¡¯s enemy; he carried the coffin to monitor his foe at all times. Others believed that the coffin sealed the Sword Saint¡¯s master, the dreadful Nightmare creature that had given him his name and the Great Sword. But decades had passed, and the Coffin Carrier had grown from a little Nightmare into a Big Nightmare, and the black coffin on his back had never been opened. Today, Bones practiced his swordsmanship in the yard as usual, with the coffin on his back. His swordsmanship was not merely swinging the Great Sword; the Power of Nightmare within him also changed with the movements of the blade. It was less swordsmanship and more a unique form of magic. As the Power of Nightmare fluctuated, a black and red Rune suddenly appeared on the Great Sword. And Bones¡¯ Great Sword became incomparably sharp. This Rune was not any Rune known by Wizards; it was immensely complex, and the power flowing within it was not Magic Power but pure Power of Nightmare. A single strike unleashed a razor-sharp sword wind that silently sliced through the courtyard wall. Bones then sheathed his sword, ready to visit the tavern to see if there was any business. As a no-man¡¯s-land, great figures from various territories hired outlaws from the Lawless Land to carry out certain inconvenient tasks. This was also one of the reasons why outlaws could exist and continue to grow stronger. Suddenly, Bones heard a muffled sound from the black coffin behind him, as if something had struck the coffin with force. Then he heard a complaint and the sound of the coffin opening. ¡°Has the Boss finally woken up!?¡± Joy surged in Bones¡¯s heart, but it was quickly followed by confusion. The boss had awakened, which meant his duty was over. His life henceforth might simply involve joining a domain, becoming a vassal to a Nightmare Knight. But after decades of solitude, his bones were no longer what they once were. He now preferred this unshackled life. Through a continual stream of spiritual messages, Richard¡¯s body finally began to move in fits and starts. And the first thing to appear before him was a Nightmare creature with an unusually distinguished aura. Richard eyed the cloaked Nightmare creature in front of him and ventured a guess, ¡°Bones?¡± Bones nodded his head, then knelt on one knee. ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve finally awakened. It¡¯s been seventy-four years since you were last injured.¡± Feeling the connection that came with the naming, Richard looked at Bones in front of him with some surprise. This being of Nightmare had reached the standard of a second-level creature. Over these seventy-plus years, this little guy who could only cling to his coattails had grown into a formidable Nightmare being. ¡°Not bad at all, Bones. Where are we right now?¡± ¡°Boss, we are in the Lawless Land.¡± Richard thought for a moment; he remembered Ulysses mentioning the Lawless Land. A place where a group of Nightmare creatures that weren¡¯t controlled by any Nightmare Lord gathered. Richard looked around. He was in a yard, surrounded by vast stretches of wilderness. ¡°There are no other Nightmare creatures nearby?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I prefer a quieter environment, so I cleared out those annoying fellows around us.¡± ¡°Hmm, not bad.¡± Richard nodded his head. He was quite satisfied with the surroundings and very satisfied with Bones. ¡°Bones, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. My awakening is only temporary. I can probably stay awake for about ten minutes each day. After ten minutes, I¡¯ll fall back into slumber.¡± Somehow, upon hearing Richard¡¯s words, Bones felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Perhaps his life would remain unchanged. Richard didn¡¯t pay attention to the mood of Bones and quickly said, ¡°Tell me what you need now. I need you to grow as strong as possible while ensuring your safety.¡± After Richard returned to the Wizard World, he had sought out the Dreamwalker Club, but there was no so-called Dreamwalker Club at number 232 on the fifth residential floor of the Tower of Truth where he was located. That¡¯s when Richard recalled that there were not just one, but a total of five Towers of Truth in the Wizard World. The distance between each of these five Towers of Truth was incredibly vast, with various uninhabited areas in between. Even for a Three Rings Wizard to communicate across regions, it would take decades of travel. And in the middle, they still had to pass through some inevitable uninhabited areas, which were very dangerous. Moreover, the most terrifying thing was that there was no Transmission Array between the Towers of Truth. There were rumors that during the Wizard wars, a deceased Sixth Circle Great Wizard from the Shape-shifting School had distorted the spatial structure of the Wizard World, causing unpredictable dangers in the transmission arrays within the world. Although most of this distortion had been restored over the years, long-range Magic Array transportation was still difficult internally in the Wizard World. The only long-range transportation method available was the World Origin Transmission, which only the World Guardians of the Wizard World could use. While there were other means of inter-regional transportation in the Wizard World, they were either too expensive or not open to the public. Therefore, Richard could only temporarily shelve the idea of going to other Towers of Truth in search of the Dreamwalker Club. But he was not in a hurry, after all, the Soul origin stuff would only be useful when he was promoted. Normal meditation would suffice for now. A wizard¡¯s combat power mainly came from knowledge, and the combat power gained from merely enhancing spiritual power was far less than that brought about by knowledge. Hearing Richard say this, Bones thought for a moment and replied, ¡°Boss, can you give me a piece of Armor? Armor of the same material as this sword. ¡°My ability has evolved since I became a Big Nightmare, and I can now devour other Armor to enhance my defensive capabilities.¡± Without saying much, Richard immediately began to gather the Power of Nightmare in his hand, and a few minutes later, a piece of Armor made of Pure Gold appeared in Richard¡¯s hand. Richard tossed the Armor to Bones, ¡°Do well, getting stronger is secondary, being alive¡­ that¡¯s the ¡­ most important ¡­ thing.¡± Having said that, Richard¡¯s Nightmare Body fell to the ground. Richard¡¯s laboratory in the Wizard World had now become a furnace; as soon as he opened the hatch, he could feel a wave of heat assault him. The equipment he had made was already overheating, triggering the safety measures Richard had set, causing the entire apparatus to shut down. ¡°Ah, I hope the little guy doesn¡¯t harbor any ill will. To become a second-level creature so quickly¡ªthe evolution of Nightmare creatures is truly fast.¡± ¡­ In the Nightmare World, Bones looked at the fallen Richard, carefully picked him up, then dusted off any dirt on his body, and placed him back in the coffin. Closing the coffin, Bones looked at the Pure Gold Armor in his hands, remembering Richard¡¯s last instructions. ¡°To stay alive?¡± Bones tightened his grip on the Armor, a twinge of guilt flashing through him. For a brief moment, he had actually entertained the thought of betrayal. The boss had given him a name, had given him a new life, yet he thought of betraying him just to keep his current life unchanged! How shameful! Bones hoisted the coffin onto his back again and stuffed the Pure Gold Armor into his body, heading towards the Lawless Inn. The boss needed him to get stronger, so he must make the effort. COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 197 - 27 Enhanced Adaptation Body Chapter 197: Chapter 27 Enhanced Adaptation Body The temperature in the laboratory was lowered, and Richard checked each major component of the spiritual power amplifier to see if there were any meltdowns or damage. The result left Richard quite satisfied. After running at full load, only the safety components of the machine had melted, with no slight damage to other components. Though this was related to the fact that the spiritual power amplifier was brand new, Richard didn¡¯t mind being pleased with himself. As long as there were no problems, it meant his machine design was flawless, and he only needed to upgrade the cooling components to extend the communication time. Taking the machine to a vacant room on the third floor of the Wizard Tower, Richard had a long overdue visit to the backyard. The completion of the Dream World Communication Equipment eased Richard¡¯s mind considerably, and, looking at the warm afternoon sun, he felt an unusual sense of leisure. In the backyard, Number One and Number Two were lazily basking in the sun. Not far from them, the graves of the former Number One and Number Two were covered in wildflowers. Richard did not disturb them; he pulled out a deck chair from his pocket, then changed his clothes and lay down on the chair. Now that the business contract had been signed and the Dream World Communication Equipment completed, although the skeleton¡¯s mood was a bit strange, it was still largely loyal. Moreover, Richard had now advanced from One Ring to becoming a Second Ring Wizard. Richard realized that there seemed to be nothing urgent left for him to do. Ulysses flew over from a distance; since returning to the Wizard World, Richard had not bothered with him, letting him roam free in the Tower of Truth. Ulysses landed next to Richard, ¡°Caw, how unusual. What brings you out to bask in the sun? Shouldn¡¯t you be busy with your experiments in the laboratory?¡± Richard took out a notebook and casually used it to shield his face, his muffled voice emanating from under the book: ¡°Rare to have some leisure time, life is so long, one must enjoy living.¡± Ulysses opened a Secret Realm, entered, and pulled out a mushroom-woven deck chair to lay on. ¡°Caw, that¡¯s the right attitude. Transforming from a short-lived species to a longevity species, the most important thing is to slow down. Our lives are extended, and many things can be approached gradually.¡± The gentle afternoon sun bathed Richard¡¯s backyard, where two kemonomimi, a wizard, and a World Master from another world lay in the yard, calmly enjoying the sunshine. Suddenly, a breeze passed through, weaving through the backyard and flowing towards the distance. ¡­ After a year of procurement, Jolod delivered materials sufficient for fifty Magic Support Vehicles to Richard, along with his fee¡ªfifteen thousand Magic Essence. Since the business guild had been founded to sell Magic Potions, the master and apprentice had only drafted the profit-sharing ratio concerning Magic Potions. Resultingly, although the guild had been established, no deals involving Magic Potions had materialized; their first deal unexpectedly involved armaments unrelated to Magic Potions. Fate really was indescribable. Thus, in this transaction of the business guild, Richard naturally took the major share as the provider of technology and products, with Jolod only nibbling at the edges in material procurement. The arrival of the materials made Richard¡¯s leisurely life a bit busier, as the foundational parts of the Magic Support Vehicles numbered in the tens of thousands, requiring Richard to painstakingly handcraft these parts from the materials step by step. However, Richard was obviously not willing to do so. After spending five hundred Magic Essence, through his senior sister Anna¡¯s connections, Richard acquired a complete wizard-grade machine tool. But this time, Richard¡¯s idea wasn¡¯t particularly novel. Wizards had long started assembly line production of alchemy machines, and for many wizards researching alchemy machines, Richard¡¯s need was just an ordinary transaction. Molding the parts was just the first step; more troublesome work would follow. Some of these parts required Alchemy Arrays for material treatment, while others needed Enchantment. Richard had to handle these tasks himself. Fortunately, the contract allowed ample time, so Richard was not forced to work overtime. In addition to producing Magic Support Vehicles, Richard¡¯s research, supported by funding, began to transition. The Adaptation Body, which he stumbled upon while researching the Pioneer Crystal, capable of adapting to toxins, was scheduled for research. The Adaptation Body, a subtle spell entirely vital to Richard¡¯s combat capabilities. Its conferred Element Resistance and Physical Resistance were very useful in battle. The discovery of its adaptation to toxins opened a new developmental path for this witchcraft. Wizards categorized poisons privately in many ways, but generally, the Lethal Poisons were divided into three types: Neurotoxin, Corrosive Poison, and Metabolic Obstruction Poison. These classifications of poisons were made according to the reactions after poisoning, but poisons of the same category might have vastly different components, making detoxification extremely challenging. Sometimes, in face of potent poisons, wizards even needed to abandon their bodies. This was one of the reasons many wizards did not advance their physique. However, the adaptation to toxicity offered by the Adaptation Body made Richard believe that this witchcraft had potential. The body, the bedrock of and biological presence in the Material World, holds mysteries not even a Truth Wizard would claim to fully understand. ¡­ Fifty years later. In the laboratory, Richard carefully mixed poisons with a pipette. As the pitch-black liquid dripped down, the poison in the test tube suddenly began changing color. It shifted from red to black, then transformed into a very thick green. After the change completed, a sickly sweet scent wafted from the test tube. Richard brought the test tube up to his eyes, muttering: ¡°Poison Delight, a Neurotoxin, three thousand five hundred times stronger than Crow Vine Poison. This strength should suffice.¡± With that, Richard poured the liquid from the test tube into an alchemy machine, and shortly, a pale green smoke with a sickly sweet smell emanated from it. ¡°Inhale¡­¡± Richard took a deep inhale of the smoke, then suddenly convulsed, his body beginning to shake uncontrollably. This was a sign that the poison had entered his body. The pale green toxin penetrated Richard¡¯s body through his respiratory tract, skin, and mucous membranes before entering his bloodstream and instantaneously coursing throughout his body with each breath. Under the toxin¡¯s influence, Richard¡¯s body began to spasm and tremble involuntarily, a sign that his nervous system was being invaded by the toxin. Normally, Richard would have died painfully within minutes, his robust physique becoming a terrible torture device against him. But within a few seconds, Richard¡¯s body regained its calm. Richard turned off the alchemy machine and took out a notebook to record the time of his poisoning. ¡°Thirty-five seconds, one second less than the time before.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was a toxicity adaptation experiment, designed by Richard to improve the Adaptation Body, fundamentally using small doses of toxin to continuously stimulate the body, thus evolving a detoxification mechanism. This experiment was extremely dangerous as the poisons Richard used were potent enough to kill a wizard. A slight miscalculation in dosage during the experiment could turn it into suicide. After writing down his notes, Richard closed the notebook, then began to clean the room using a spell. The poisons were harmless to Richard, but deadly toxic to his demi-human maids. Sometimes they would come to the laboratory to clean, and it would be foolish to accidentally poison them to death. Next, Richard entered a cultivation pod, and a spiritual body emerged from him and entered the room next door. In the adjacent room, another Richard slowly opened his eyes as the spiritual body entered. Remember the Nurturing Rule refined from the Mother Worm God fragments? This rule, in conjunction with the Flesh Rule, allowed Richard to create a flesh body completely identical to his own. Initially, Richard saw this ability as a superior alternative to the Cloning Technique, but after beginning the experiments to improve the Adaptation Body, he suddenly realized it was perfect for experimentation as well. The clone had all the same data as the original, and if an experiment was successful on the clone, it would be successful on the original, and any damage from the experiment wouldn¡¯t threaten Richard¡¯s original body. Richard left the room and entered the adjacent laboratory, reviewing his experimental records from this period. He plotted the adaptation times for the same mechanism¡¯s toxins on a line graph, which showed a very pronounced peak. The experiment data Richard had just obtained was at the base of the peak. Looking at the statistical chart, Richard sighed deeply, ¡°The body¡¯s instinctive adaptation has reached its limit, next, I must improve the formula for the Adaptation Potion.¡± Closing the notebook, Richard casually pulled out a Magic Book from his pocket and leaned back in his chair to read. To refine the Adaptation Body, he had been collecting knowledge about Magic Potions for years, and the activity of exchanging Encrypted Notes for Magic Equipment had also been revisited by him. The Encrypted Notes had provided Richard with plenty of valuable substances over the years, including the formula for the poison he had just used in his experiments. While Richard was reading, he was distracted by a particularly loud hooting from an owl outside the window. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this¡­¡± Richard looked out the window at the exceptionally burly owl, almost as if muscles were growing in its eyes, and fell into deep thought. How has Chax¡¯s aesthetic become so strange? Opening the window, the muscular owl handed Richard a letter held in its claws and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Member Richard, there is an event at the club soon, if you have time you could participate.¡± After delivering his message, the owl took a significant leap into the air, flapping its wings and flying off into the distance. On Richard¡¯s windowsill, two claw marks were clearly visible. ¡°I remember this thing has Enchantment, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Richard opened the letter, which contained an invitation. The invitation had a corner stamped with Jimmy¡¯s brightly smiling bald head. The contents of the invitation were simple, stating that Garon the Great Wizard, the chairman of Garon Club, had recently acquired a small Secret Realm. The environment was suitable for wizards pursuing Physique Evolution, thus he invited the club¡¯s members to train in the Secret Realm. It was a small perk from the club. ¡°Using a Secret Realm as a club¡¯s perk¡­ The Great Wizard is truly generous.¡± After reading the invitation, Richard sighed, pocketed it, and turned to open the Secret Realm Rift. Inside the Secret Realm, Ulysses was leisurely drinking some unknown beverage. Not far from him, numerous Holy Tree Elves were using mycelium to mold a sculpture. And the sculpture¡¯s face¡­ Richard walked over to Ulysses, ¡°What are you doing making a sculpture of me for?¡± Ulysses flapped his wings, speaking boisterously, ¡°Gah, didn¡¯t you make a fuss about studying the Power of Faith before? There are plenty of these little guys in the Secret Realm now, so I thought I¡¯d start a sect for fun.¡± ¡°Oh, that kind-hearted?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. ¡°Gah, of course. We two are comrades who¡¯ve fought side by side, don¡¯t think so ill of me,¡± Ulysses said somewhat proudly, ¡°Hey, you over there, make sure the sculpture looks exactly like my blueprint!¡± Richard looked towards the sculpture. On its left shoulder, the Holy Tree Elves were shaping an impressively fearsome crow. ¡°Suit yourself, I¡¯m off to attend an event held by a Great Wizard. Keep an eye on things while I¡¯m gone. Don¡¯t open the Secret Realm Rift near me.¡± Ulysses waved his wings indifferently: ¡°Gah, got it.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 198 - 28 Mountain Secret Realm Chapter 198: Chapter 28 Mountain Secret Realm Bidding farewell to Ulysses, Richard quickly arrived at the Duel Arena on the eleventh floor of the residential area. Bang! Bang! Bang¡­ Muffled sounds emanated from the dueling platform. On the platform, Bald Jimmy was fighting a burly wizard, no, to call it a fight would be inaccurate; it was more like Jimmy was the only one throwing punches as the wizard he was facing barely moved, allowing Jimmy to attack at will. Jimmy¡¯s muscles swelled as he transformed into a five-meter-tall muscle giant, his body adorned with intricate magic patterns that flickered with the infusion of magic power with each attack. But despite Jimmy¡¯s earnestness, the wizard, towering over two meters tall, remained still, allowing Jimmy¡¯s continuous strikes and even occasionally turning to let a different part of his body absorb the blows. Watching this scene, Richard had a ludicrous thought. It seemed like Jimmy was giving the wizard a massage. A Three Rings Wizard who follows the Physique Evolution path is merely massaging the other wizard with his fully powered attacks. In the stands of the Duel Arena, numerous wizards sat among the audience. Their life radiation was so vigorous it resembled furnaces. Even the utmost apprentices would be subject to the suppression of life levels if they were in their presence, leading to extreme panic and debility. Richard found an empty seat and casually asked the wizard next to him, ¡°Friend, who is the master fighting Jimmy? Is it our department head?¡± The wizard glanced at Richard, noticing the Life Radiation of a Second Ring Wizard emanating from him, and replied respectfully, ¡°Master must be new here. The only wizard in our club who can take Jimmy¡¯s hits without a problem would undoubtedly be the head of the department.¡± Garon the Great Wizard, head of the Garon Club, was the first to become a Great Wizard during the pioneering period. His strength is now said to have reached the Sixth Circle. Logically, such a figure should spend every day in the Secret Realm, seeking the path to truth, striving to become the sixth Truth Wizard. But Garon the Great Wizard seemed disinterested in becoming a Truth Wizard. Richard had heard Jimmy say that what Garon enjoyed the most now was nurturing wizards who follow the Physique path. Nearly half of the Apprentice Wizards in his own Garon Wizard College were on the Physique Evolution path, and he would often make appearances in his transformed state at the college, encouraging students to pursue the path of Physique Evolution. Richard felt that there must be deep implications behind Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s actions. He didn¡¯t believe that a Sixth Circle Great Wizard would play around with them lower-level wizards for no reason. Soon, Jimmy stopped his fists, his body shrinking back to its normal state, out of breath as he said, ¡°Minister, you¡¯ve gotten stronger again. I can¡¯t even make a dent in this incarnation of yours now.¡± Garon the Great Wizard stretched languidly and walked over to Jimmy, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Jimmy, this incarnation was made based on your peak state. Your combat skills have become more adept than before, but your overall condition in your Magic Rune Battle Body has declined by one-thousandth compared to your peak. It¡¯s a very faint change, but I must tell you something. Jimmy, you¡¯ve gotten old.¡± Hearing this, Jimmy¡¯s expression froze momentarily as a fleeting hint of desolation passed across his face. But soon he was laughing and scratching the back of his head, ¡°Minister, I¡¯m well aware of my age. For the club here, I promise to find a good successor for you.¡± Garon the Great Wizard nodded, stroking Jimmy¡¯s head as if he was petting his own junior. ¡°The rest is up to you.¡± With that, Garon the Great Wizard took a step and his whole incarnation disappeared without a trace. Jimmy flew into the air, scanning the entire Duel Arena with his spiritual power, then suddenly turned his gaze towards Richard¡¯s spot. ¡°Hmm? Already advanced to the Second Ring?¡± Jimmy was taken aback by the change in Richard¡¯s Life Radiation. He remembered this kid had only just been promoted to the First Ring, not even a hundred years before the Plane War. How much time had passed, and the kid had already reached the Second Ring. Noticing Jimmy¡¯s gaze, Richard smiled respectfully, thinking how keen the perception of those who followed the Physique Evolution path was. Even Jolod had not noticed his promotion to Second Ring, yet Jimmy had detected something was amiss with a mere sweep of his spiritual power. Jimmy smiled at Richard and then flew over to him. ¡°Richard, you¡¯ve gained quite a bit from this Plane War.¡± Richard stood up, performing the Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Master¡¯s perception is indeed sharp. I did have some gains from the Plane War.¡± Jimmy patted Richard¡¯s shoulder and seemed to sense Richard¡¯s physique. One hundred points, it looked like a recent promotion. ¡°Alright, next time you advance, come to me for registration. Otherwise, if we arrange fights based on your old strength data, the outcomes could be quite bad.¡± After speaking, Jimmy flew back to the center of the Duel Arena. Nearly six more hours passed, and almost all the wizards who had received Jimmy¡¯s invitation had arrived at the Duel Arena. Watching the wizards in the audience, sparse yet all exuding formidable auras, Richard couldn¡¯t help but marvel that the wizards who had chosen the path of Physique Evolution were indeed powerful in battle. After all, having been rigorously selected through Plane Wars, Physique Evolution Wizards who were not strong enough had long since been wiped out by the native Alien creatures. Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Jimmy took out a Crystal from his pocket; it was identical to the Secret Realm Crystal Richard had obtained from the Black Tower Great Wizard back in his day. ¡°Fellow practitioners, I am Jimmy. I won¡¯t waste time with idle talk. Today, the Secret Realm we will enter is called the Mountain Secret Realm. Inside, the gravity is ten times that of the Wizard World, with some areas experiencing even stronger gravity. Secondly, this Secret Realm dates back to the Middle Ages of the Mountain World, and within it live many natives who have undergone Physique Evolution. Although these natives have submitted to Garon Great Wizard, we can still challenge them. These natives possess much combat knowledge known as the ¡®Mountain Path,¡¯ which, if the challenge is successful, can be copied and handed over to the club; thereafter, one can keep the original for oneself. However, among these natives, there are many with low strength, and indiscriminate killing is strictly forbidden. These are the possessions of Garon Great Wizard, and I hope everyone can restrain their nature and avoid trouble. Lastly, fighting between wizards is not allowed in this exploration of the Secret Realm. If you wish to spar, you are welcome to do so back in the Wizard World once the journey is over. This trip to the Secret Realm will last one year, and I hope everyone will gain satisfactory rewards.¡± Having finished going over the matters to be mindful of in the Secret Realm, Jimmy opened a vast Space Rift with the Crystal in his hand. The wizards in the Duel Arena held their invitations, queuing to enter the Secret Realm in front of Jimmy. When it was Richard¡¯s turn, Jimmy took the invitation, and with a smile said to Richard, ¡°You are young, so it would be best for you to fight with the native Aliens during this journey to the Secret Realm and learn some knowledge about Physique combat.¡± ¡°Um, thank you for the advice, Master.¡± Richard nodded appreciatively at Jimmy and then entered the Secret Realm. ¡­ The Mountain Secret Realm came from a mid-sized world known as the Mountain World, which Garon the Great Wizard controlled. As an existence second only to large worlds, the inside of a mid-sized world can be said to be filled with strong individuals; every time one encounters such a world, several Academies must join forces to conquer it. Even then, there are occasions when the conquest fails, and Great Wizards may perish unexpectedly. But in Plane Wars, risk means reward. The danger of mid-sized worlds is great, but the rewards they offer are also considerable. Some of the legacies of the natives of mid-sized worlds even surpass the depth of research by wizards. These legacies are the greatest treasures for wizards in conquering mid-sized worlds. The moment he entered the Mountain Secret Realm, Richard instantly felt his body grow heavier, and his Magic Power consumption started to increase rapidly. Looking around, the landscape comprised mainly low plants, with tall mountains beyond. These mountains seemed ordinary, but under the strong gravity of the Mountain World, their density was alarmingly high. Richard tried to attack with a spell, and his Annihilation Heart at two thousand Energy Level could only create a crater about half the size of his body on a stone. The crimson magma flew swiftly down the crater, turning into sharp stone spears in mid-air, shattering into fine powder upon hitting the ground. ¡°Ten times the gravity is truly extraordinary,¡± Richard exclaimed. Under the influence of Mountain World¡¯s gravity, the Magic Power consumed for Richard¡¯s flight also increased tenfold, but he did not give up flying because of it. The Magic Power density in the Mountain World was roughly ten times that of the Wizard World, which actually wasn¡¯t very high; even as he flew, the Magic Power inside Richard¡¯s body was slowly decreasing. However, he discovered that under the influence of gravity, the efficiency of his body absorbing Magic Power from the space around him was slowly increasing. Although the degree was very small, to Richard, who had long been training the Adaptation Body and was extremely familiar with all the data of his body, this change was as noticeable as a meteor in the night sky. Even flying in the Mountain World¡¯s gravity qualified as a form of training. ¡°Perhaps I could set up a gravity chamber back home and use gravity Runes to simulate a high-gravity environment,¡± Richard thought to himself. The Mountain Secret Realm was vast, with towering mountain ranges and small plains between them, where the native creatures of the Mountain World¡ªthe Mountain Dwarves¡ªlived. These Dwarves had brown-gray skin, two eyes, a single nose, and their teeth were similar to humans; they almost looked like a subspecies of humanity. Their average height was around one meter, but the more powerful individuals were taller than average. The physical condition of these Dwarves was strong, with ordinary adults able to reach the level of a high Knight; the slightly more exceptional ones could achieve Legendary Knight or even higher-level Wizard Apprentice. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When these Mountain Dwarves practiced the so-called ¡®Mountain Path,¡¯ they would become Mountain Monks¡ªLevel 1 Creatures¡ªand then join various ancient temples built in the mountains, taking on the duty of guarding the ordinary Mountain Dwarves. Now, these temples had all submitted to Garon Great Wizard, and so Richard easily entered one of them, becoming a distinguished guest. ¡°This Wizard sir, may I know what you require?¡± A bald Mountain Dwarf, draped in a vestment made of metal armor, spoke respectfully to Richard. Richard nodded and replied with the same courtesy: ¡°I would like to learn your ¡®Mountain Path.''¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 199 - 29 Mountain Refining Body, Mountain Breaking Fist Chapter 199: Chapter 29 Mountain Refining Body, Mountain Breaking Fist Richard had hardly finished speaking when he saw the Mountain Dwarf, clad in a steel kasaya, glaring at him with wide, furious eyes. The other dwarfs accompanying him stared at Richard just as intensely. Their gaze was so piercing it was as if they wanted to skewer Richard into a sieve. Soon, the Mountain Dwarf in the steel kasaya spoke up, ¡°Great Wizard, I¡¯m afraid your strength alone is not enough to take our temple¡¯s teachings. Please consider more carefully before you act.¡± As he spoke, a surge of energy fluctuations burst forth from the Mountain Dwarf. This dwarf, who had been so respectful to Richard before, was actually a third-level creature! Hearing his words, Richard couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shake his head. ¡°Who said I intended to seize your temple¡¯s teachings? Seeing Master you have such a strong aura, it seems you must be the Abbott of Changshan Temple. I am deeply honored and anxious to have the Abbott greet me personally.¡± However, as much as Richard said so, there wasn¡¯t a trace of genuine honor or anxiety on his face. These aliens were nothing but the possessions of Garon the Great Wizard, no matter how strong they were, they were slaves, and couldn¡¯t compare to a wizard like him. The Mountain Dwarf nodded and said, ¡°I am indeed the Abbott of Changshan Temple. Might I ask what you meant just now, Great Wizard?¡± Richard smiled slightly and replied, ¡°Before climbing the mountain, I asked around at the base. I heard that the Mountain Path is divided into three levels of teachings: Secret Transmission, Monk Transmission, and World Transmission. Am I wrong?¡± The Abbott nodded and said, ¡°You are correct, Great Wizard. The teachings of the Mountain Path are indeed divided into those three levels.¡± ¡°So the meaning of these three levels is also as described by the people at the base of the mountain?¡± Richard continued, ¡°The Secret Transmission is the core secret of the temple, which only the Abbott can fully learn. The Monk Transmission is practiced by all monks in the temple. And the World Transmission can be learned by anyone who comes to the temple.¡± The Abbott nodded again, ¡°Indeed, as you have said, Great Wizard.¡± Richard clapped his hands, ¡°Well, there it is. What I want to learn is not your temple¡¯s Secret Transmission, but rather the World Transmission and Monk Transmission. This shouldn¡¯t be a big problem for you, should it?¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s words, the Abbott hesitated for a moment. Before receiving Richard, he had contemplated many scenarios. However, he hadn¡¯t considered the current one. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The World Transmission can indeed be taught to you, Great Wizard, but the Monk Transmission¡­¡± the Abbott trailed off hesitantly. ¡°Come now, don¡¯t be so rigid.¡± Richard pulled out an Aldo Mushroom from his pocket. This World Mushroom, which could enhance one¡¯s physique, emitted a fragrance that instantly caught the Mountain Dwarf¡¯s attention. ¡°This is good stuff. I¡¯m an outsider, and I won¡¯t be teaching the Monk Transmission to other temples. You should give it some thought, Abbott. I have plenty of these.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The Abbott was torn. Indeed, the Monk Transmission was a nebulous boundary for temples. What temple hadn¡¯t there been a case where Monk Transmission had been taught to an outsider? Even the Secret Transmission had been given out by some temples. At this moment, with Richard¡¯s noble status and the offer of the enticing Aldo Mushroom, the Abbott¡¯s resolve was wavering. A few minutes later, the Abbott¡¯s eyes sharpened and he addressed Richard, ¡°I must make it clear to you, Great Wizard. Practicing the Mountain Path is difficult even for us Mountain Dwarfs. For you, a wizard, I fear even the basics may be challenging.¡± Richard dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand, ¡°Just teach me. Whether I can learn it or not is my problem.¡± Seeing Richard so resolute, the Abbott did not persuade him further and immediately led him into the temple. Changshan Temple was a large complex, with over a thousand monks, and tens of thousands more disciples yet to mature. On the way to the temple, Richard saw numerous Mountain Dwarfs carrying stones on their backs. ¡°Abbott, are these individuals in training?¡± Richard asked, pointing to those bearing stones. The Abbott glanced over and nodded, ¡°Those are disciples yet to begin training. They are strengthening their physique by carrying stones. Once they are able to carry ten thousand jin stones and move as swiftly as the wind on stairs, they will be considered to have entered the door.¡± Due to the abnormal gravity of the Mountain World, the ten thousand jin mentioned by the Abbott was equivalent to one million jin in the Wizard World. Using his Energy Vision, Richard observed the dwarfs moving with stones on their back and noticed an ongoing movement of energy paths within their bodies. The energy initiated from their hearts, following different pathways, and whenever the energy circuit could return to the heart, the load of stones they carried reached ten thousand jin. ¡°Interesting. The training methods of the Mountain Dwarfs and the Adaptation Body have their similarities. Both involve the constant physical stimulation to adapt to the current environment.¡± Arriving at the temple gate, a huge wooden door, disproportionate to the dwarfs¡¯ stature, presented itself before Richard. The abnormal gravity of the Mountain World meant most plants were quite short, although there were also mountainous tall trees. These trees were of exceptionally tough quality, and even refined steel couldn¡¯t compare. Without practicing the Mountain Path, it would be impossible for dwarfs to fell such trees. Thus, felling these giants to make doors became a display of a temple¡¯s strength. Richard went up to the door and touched it. He had seen this type of hardwood before in the market, used as a material for crafting Alchemy Golems. The Abbott stood next to Richard, his hands on the wooden door, then his arm muscles inflated. Creaking¡­ The huge door was slowly pushed open by the Abbott, without Richard sensing any fluctuation of energy. This indicated the dwarf had opened the door using mere physical strength. Richard made a quick estimation; in the Wizard World, the two doors would weigh at least a thousand tons. In the Mountain World, they would be at least ten thousand tons. With sheer physical strength, the Mountain Dwarf pushed open the door; his power was truly beyond belief. ¡°Please follow me,¡± the Abbott nodded to Richard. Entering the monastery, Richard followed the Abbott through the twists and turns excavated from the mountains, heading deeper into the mountain¡¯s core. And as he delved further, Richard felt the gravity he was bearing slowly increase. By the time the Abbott stopped, the surrounding gravitational environment had changed from ten times to fifty times normal. Under such gravity, energy waves started to manifest within Richard¡¯s body as he used his magic power to combat the terrible force. Yet, the Abbott remained as usual. ¡°Sir, what type of heritage would you like to learn?¡± At that moment, Richard and the Abbott were in a room resembling a secret chamber, which contained many stele-like objects. ¡°What type?¡± Richard pondered for a moment and then slowly spoke, ¡°I¡¯m very interested in your combat skills and the methods of cultivating physical improvements.¡± After hearing this, the Abbott contemplated briefly, then turned and walked into the secret chamber to carry out two steles. ¡°Great Wizard, according to ancient customs, these items were originally to be passed on to the monks just below the Abbott. But¡­ sigh, I hope you find them satisfactory.¡± Looking at the Mountain Dwarf who hesitated to speak further, Richard asked curiously: ¡°It seems you weren¡¯t coerced by Garon the Great Wizard to do this. Abbott, if there is anything troubling you, feel free to share with me. I might be able to offer some explanation.¡± The Abbott sighed, ¡°Garon the Great possesses the strength of a Martial Saint and the broad-mindedness of a Grandmaster. We are wholeheartedly devoted to him, both in mind and in speech. He truly hasn¡¯t imposed any harsh rules upon us. As for the heritage¡­ Sir, if you woke up one day to find yourself a character from history, and additionally within a palm-sized secret realm, how would you react? If it weren¡¯t for the fact that guarding the secret teachings is my lifelong commitment and the foundation upon which Changshan Temple stands, I¡¯d have no interest in guarding it anymore, even if it were the secret teachings.¡± There was a look of confusion in the Abbott¡¯s eyes; he had begun to doubt himself. The existence of the Secret Realm had shaken the very foundation of his understanding. Was he really himself? Was he truly guarding Changshan Temple? Faced with the Abbott¡¯s confusion, Richard shook his head. It was clear he hadn¡¯t perused the Wizard¡¯s research on Secret Realms. The Wizard¡¯s exploration of Secret Realms hadn¡¯t ceased since their discovery; the most widely accepted theory amongst them is that Secret Realms originate from a detachment from history. In the worldview of Wizards, the world is a collective of space and time, which means that even past history is part of the world. The appearance of a Secret Realm, simply put, is when the operation of the world has issues, and what was a settled part of history suddenly sprouts a new branch. For the world, such a branch is akin to a bug or a tumor; for its own stability, the world would excise this offshoot. Thus essentially, creatures from Secret Realms and beings from the primary world are no different. Both creatures are real and are one and the same person. The issue of whether to replicate or not is an ethical and moral one, an area where Wizards are traditionally very flexible. Two identical Wizards, if not too odd in personality, will quite harmoniously coexist. ¡°Abbott, you have no reason to be confused. You are still you, even though there exists someone identical to you in history. You and the historical Abbott of Changshan Temple are the same person. Put simply, you have already died, but the world has revived you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve died already? But I¡¯m alive again?¡± The Abbott pointed to himself, his eyes filled with confusion and astonishment. ¡°Yes, simply put, that¡¯s the case. If you feel that your life lacks meaning, why not ask Garon the Great Wizard to release you back to the Mountain World where you can rebuild Changshan Temple?¡± Richard said indifferently. ¡°The significance of one¡¯s life is bestowed by oneself; if you feel you have no purpose, then create one for yourself.¡± Upon hearing this, the Abbott fell into deep thought and, after a while, he put his palms together and bowed to Richard. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Sir.¡± He then re-entered the secret chamber and took out two more steles to give to Richard. ¡°Sir, these two are the secret teachings of my monastery. One is called ¡®Mountain Refining Body,¡¯ and the other ¡®Mountain Breaking Fist.''¡± Richard looked surprised, but his hands were deftly quick. Placing the two steles in his pocket, Richard placed his hands together and said to the Abbott: ¡°Thank you, Abbott.¡± The Abbott shook his head with a light now in his eyes and a smile on his lips, as if he had broken through the confusion in his heart and reached enlightenment. ¡°Your words to me are like a lamp in the dark night, illuminating the path. This is a heavenly gift that allows Changshan Temple to be rebuilt. If not for your enlightenment, I fear I might have continued to waste away in the Secret Realm. Your kindness to Changshan Temple is akin to its rebirth. These mere secret teachings are not worth mentioning.¡± COMMENT 0 comment Vote 3 left SEND GIFT Chapter 200 - 30 Garon the Great Wizards Recruitment The Mountain Dwarves¡¯ stele was somewhat like the Wizard¡¯s Inheritance Crystal Ball, where predecessors had engraved spiritual messages into a medium, allowing others to view them through the use of spiritual power. After probing the stele with his spiritual power, Richard quickly memorized the two inheritances. However, during this process, Richard reluctantly found that both inheritances required a more fundamental Mountain Path as a foundation for learning. Merely obtaining the inheritances, with his current level, would take him hundreds of years to extract anything useful from them. His accumulated knowledge was too shallow. He couldn¡¯t, like the older wizards, quickly digest alien knowledge and integrate it into his own combat system. Thus, Richard found himself back at square one¡ªstarting with the basic inheritances first. As a wizard, Richard received quite favorable treatment at Changshan Temple, especially after enlightening the Abbott. He was treated with great respect by all the monks of the temple, which allowed him leisurely moments to observe these Mountain Dwarves¡¯ cultivations. Once the Mountain Dwarves became Level 1 Creatures, they would regulate their energy cycles according to the inheritance they had learned. By adjusting their energy cycles, each dwarf¡¯s combat style also varied. Some were more agile, others had vigorous and mighty force, which reminded Richard of a novel he read in his past life, mentioning such cultivation techniques. Amidst them, Richard also discovered some who had integrated spiritual attacks into their combat skills, forming something akin to Fist Intent. Every attack he made carried both spiritual and physical impacts. Such a technique, Richard had never seen among the wizards he knew. A medium-sized world indeed worthy of the effort of several Great Wizards combined to conquer. ¡­ Half a year later, ¡°Ha!¡± Richard, with his bare upper body and muscles knotted, suddenly swung a fist at the black boulder in front of him. Boom! A muffled sound came from the boulder; when Richard retracted his fist, a clear fist imprint had appeared on the black boulder. Clap clap clap¡­ Behind Richard, a Mountain Dwarf draped in a steel kasaya walked up to Richard and said respectfully, ¡°Sir, you truly are a rare genius to be able to leave a fist print on the Mountain Essence with the Beng Stone Fist in just half a year. We are truly in awe.¡± Richard wiped his fist. The Beng Stone Fist mentioned by the Mountain Dwarf was a top-notch technique from Changshan Temple, powerful and forceful. Ordinary Mountain Dwarves could easily deal blunt damage of fifty energy levels with just their physical strength, and the higher the physique, the stronger the fist. To begin learning the Mountain Breaking Fist, Richard first had to master the Beng Stone Fist. Due to the special environment of the Mountain World, Mountain Dwarves had extensive physical development. Even the entry-level Beng Stone Fist gave Richard a deeper understanding of the explosive power of muscular strength. ¡°Master jests. It¡¯s merely an inherited technique,¡± Richard said lightly. The dwarf beside him was the abbot of Changshan Temple, who was also a third-level creature. The ¡°Fist Intent¡± Richard had seen earlier was his unique skill. ¡°Three months ago, I heard the master say that to learn your Changshan Fist Intent, one must first master this Beng Stone Fist. Now that I can leave a fist print on the Mountain Essence, I wonder if it meets the master¡¯s standards.¡± The abbot bowed slightly, ¡°Of course it does, but¡­¡± Seeing the abbot hesitating, Richard smiled and took out several modified Sacrificial Fungi from his pocket and handed them to the abbot. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Abbot. I¡¯m not interested in reneging. I¡¯ll definitely honor the deal we discussed.¡± There are Spirit Evolvers among the Mountain Dwarves, but unlike most worlds where Spirit Evolvers have frail physiques, Mountain Dwarves are proficient in both aspects. Spirit Evolvers among Mountain Dwarves, due to their ability to influence gravity, often have stronger bodies than normal dwarves. As for manipulating gravity, Richard didn¡¯t harbor much interest. Such a method required the bloodline of the Mountain Dwarves and years of practice. Moreover, even if it were mastered, once removed from the special environment of the Mountain World, manipulating gravity could only serve as an auxiliary means, hardly viable for direct confrontation. Even the Mountain Dwarves themselves used it primarily as a method to support their physique evolution. The abbot, as a Spirit Evolver of Changshan Temple, although he also practiced with gravity assistance, was more interested in using his spiritual power to develop a unique skill. After years of practice, the abbot had created Changshan Fist Intent, but it also caused soul injury due to the experiments conducted. And once Richard learned of this, he exchanged his modified Sacrificial Fungi for his Changshan Fist Intent. Wizards didn¡¯t always have to fight; peaceful exchanges were always preferable when possible. Taking the Sacrificial Fungi, the abbot immediately swallowed them whole, then his spirits lifted slightly, as the chronic headaches caused by his soul injury eased under the influence of the fungi. The abbot then took out a palm-sized stele from his robe and respectfully handed it to Richard before silently leaving. Richard pocketed the stele and turned to enter the temple nestled in the mountains. After walking a long, winding road, he arrived in front of a secret chamber. The Mountain Monk guarding the chamber¡¯s door bowed slightly to him and then opened the door to the chamber. The chamber was small, empty except for a well. The well contained no water, only an abyss of darkness when peered into from above. As a well, it clearly did not qualify. However, it led to the most mysterious place in Changshan¡ªthe Heart of the Mountain. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The special rules of the Mountain World, each mountain in a broader sense is alive. These mountain ranges were originally just protrusions on the plains, but as time passed, they gradually grew into the high mountains inhabited by the Dwarves. The Dwarves discovered this fact and explored the secrets of the mountains. The Mountain Heart is one of those secrets. Jumping into the deep well, Richard¡¯s body began to plummet rapidly under the influence of gravity, and after about ten minutes, his body jerked abruptly, and gravity seemed to disappear at some point. And in front of him, there appeared a dazzlingly gigantic heart. This heart was bigger than a War Airship, with black Mountain Essence forming the main body of the heart, and Mithril and Pure Gold its framework. Embedded on this heart were countless Elemental Gems of exceptional quality, and lava flowed into the heart through Pure Gold blood vessels, then, with a very deep heartbeat sound, pumped in another direction. The gems dazzled brilliantly under the glow of the fire. However, these precious materials were not what Richard was concerned with; at this moment, he was using Energy Vision to carefully observe the energy structure of the Mountain Heart. Not stopping until tears of blood streamed from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Phew.¡± Richard wiped away the blood tears, switched his vision, and said, ¡°Garon the Great Wizard is truly generous, leaving such a treasure untouched.¡± The Mountain Heart, as the core of a great mountain, is itself a manifestation of the rule of the mountains of the Mountain World, a rule which even to Great Wizards is precious. Yet Garon the Great Wizard left it in the Secret Realm, and even told the Mountain Dwarves, allowing incoming Wizards to observe the Mountain Heart. Is this the Great Wizard who is just one step away from the truth? After leaving the Mountain Heart, Richard returned to his residence and took out a Crystal Ball to start drawing an incomplete Rune. He named this rune The Mountain Heart; he didn¡¯t know the exact effects himself, but with the mindset of a thief not leaving empty-handed, Richard still recorded it. Who knows when he might be able to enter this Mountain Secret Realm again, so it¡¯s always good to keep a record. ¡­ Time swiftly passed, and before long, half a year had gone by. During this half-year, under the guidance of the Mountain Dwarves, Richard¡¯s understanding of the Mountain Path deepened. He had started the preliminary practice of those two secret teachings. Mountain Refining Body was the method used by the abbot of Changshan Temple to nurture his physique and temper his body. Its essence was a method to control gravity, similar in effect to the methods used by Spirit Evolvers among the Mountain Dwarves but easier to use, more detailed in execution, and it also didn¡¯t require the participation of the Mountain Dwarves¡¯ bloodline. More importantly, over many years, the predecessors at Changshan Temple had recorded almost every scenario encountered while using Mountain Refining Body in the legacy of the technique. Unfortunately, Richard was not a Mountain Dwarf, rendering these records completely useless to him. The only thing viable for him was the method of controlling gravity with spiritual power, which Richard could indeed learn. As for the Mountain Breaking Fist, Richard still couldn¡¯t grasp it. This martial art was extremely complex, requiring a synchronized coordination of bodily muscles, internal energy, and even spiritual power to achieve the effect of breaking anything. Richard had observed the abbot when he used this martial art; the abbot simply pointed a finger lightly on Mountain Essence, and the massive Mountain Essence became mere pebbles no bigger than a fingernail. The hardness of Mountain Essence was slightly less than that of Pure Gold, and even if Richard used all his methods, it required great effort to achieve what the abbot had done with a single fingertip. At the end of a year, Richard had no choice but to leave Changshan Temple and return to the Wizard World. When leaving, Richard left behind numerous alchemy gadgets and Aldo Mushrooms at Changshan Temple. He might still be able to enter this Mountain Secret Realm in the future, so spending a little to improve the relationship seemed to Richard a very worthwhile transaction. Leaving the Secret Realm, Richard greeted Jimmy with a smile. ¡°Master Jimmy, long time no see¡­¡± Before Richard could finish speaking, his body just after entering the Wizard World started behaving oddly, becoming like a black hole, attracting all the Magic Power in the Duel Arena toward him. Because Richard had maintained the use of Flying Technique throughout his stay in the Mountain World, even during meditation, it had cost him a good deal of Magic Stones but also caused some changes to his body. These changes were not conspicuous in the Mountain Secret Realm, but once back in the Wizard World, they became apparent. The commotion caused by Richard disturbed many, and a figure suddenly appeared next to Richard, gently patting him. Then, Richard felt an immense, ocean-like power sealing his body. ¡°Back under low gravity conditions, and such a strong reaction. Kid, your development of the Life Core is quite advanced.¡± The individual who sealed Richard exclaimed in appreciation, and upon seeing his face, Richard immediately performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Minister, hello!¡± Garon the Great Wizard smiled and patted Richard, then said to Jimmy, ¡°Jimmy, what¡¯s his name, his witchcraft seems quite interesting.¡± Jimmy immediately responded, ¡°Minister, his name is Richard, graduated from Black Tower Wizard Academy. As for witchcraft¡­ sorry, Minister, this club hasn¡¯t required registration.¡± Garon the Great Wizard waved his hand, ¡°No registration is fine, I¡¯ll talk with the Black Tower.¡± Then he turned his head towards Richard, who took the opportunity to carefully observe this embodiment of Garon the Great Wizard. Garon the Great Wizard had a handsome face, blonde hair, and blue eyes, standing next to Richard with no imposing aura, appearing like any other Wizard. But having experienced what he just did, Richard looked at Garon the Great Wizard with deep awe. This Great Wizard was truly unfathomable. Garon the Great Wizard looked at Richard, his tone slightly encouraging, ¡°Richard, your development of the Life Core is good, it is the correct path. If you plan to delve deeper into this path, you can choose to join Garon Wizard College in the future, just find Jimmy.¡± Having said this, Garon the Great Wizard then disappeared from the Duel Arena. ¡°Garon Wizard College¡­¡± Richard muttered, ¡°Is this an invitation?¡± Chapter 201 - 31: The Advance of Jolod Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s words filled Richard with both shock and joy. It was undoubtedly a good thing to be recognized by someone like Garon the Great Wizard, but Garon¡¯s words suggested that his sudden disappearance was likely to consult the Black Tower Great Wizard about his own inheritance. Although Richard felt that a big shot like Garon the Great Wizard wouldn¡¯t coerce Jolod to give up the Adaptation Body Witchcraft, what if he did? Richard suppressed the slight worry in his heart, and Jimmy approached to offer his congratulations: ¡°Richard, you¡¯ve really made a splash this time. Even the minister invited you to join the Academy. That¡¯s quite rare.¡± Richard smiled, ¡°It was all unexpected, really unexpected.¡± Having said that, Richard handed over the inheritances he had acquired in the Secret Realm to Jimmy, including two Secret Transmissions, Changshan Fist Intent, as well as Beng Stone Fist and other worldly techniques. Richard had always abided by such previously agreed-upon arrangements. After taking a look, Jimmy exclaimed in surprise, ¡°The Secret Transmission of Changshan Temple? The Abbott and head monks are third-level creatures, and even many Three Rings Wizards struggle to defeat them. You actually got their Secret Transmission! How did you manage that?¡± Richard confidently smiled, ¡°It was a trade. These Mountain Dwarves are not unintelligent beasts; as long as the price is right, Secret Transmissions are not impossible to trade for.¡± Upon hearing this, Jimmy suddenly realized and laughed, assailing Richard playfully, ¡°You¡¯re quite the clever one. The minister¡¯s intention for opening the Secret Realm was to have us challenge those Mountain Dwarves and hone our skills while using the special environment of the Mountain Secret Realm to enhance our physique. But you, you went and did business with those Aliens.¡± Richard shrugged, ¡°The rules didn¡¯t say trading was not allowed, and I don¡¯t have the overwhelming strength of other masters, so I had to be a bit unconventional.¡± With the inheritances handed over, Richard¡¯s journey in the Secret Realm came to a close. The seal placed by Garon the Great Wizard soon lifted automatically, and once it did, Richard¡¯s bodily reactions returned to normal. As he was leaving, Jimmy told Richard to come by the club more often if he had the time. There were many wizards who followed the path of building their Physique in the Wizard World, making it easy to find suitable opponents. Leaving the Duel Arena, Richard immediately went to the commercial floor. ¡°The total for your materials is one hundred eighty-two Magic Essence. We appreciate your patronage.¡± Richard nodded and passed over the Magic Essence. After sending the materials to the Wizard Tower with the company, Richard immediately entered the library in the basement. The library housed a large bookshelf, and Richard had labeled each book on it. Richard¡¯s fingers ran across the spines of books of varying thickness until he found what he was looking for¡ªan Encrypted Notes made who knew from the skin of what creature. In the dim basement, Richard silently opened the Encrypted Notes, and a piece of information appeared before his eyes. [Raw Material: Encrypted Notes of an unknown wizard] [Extractable Information: Gravity Field Rune Array] [Extraction Cost: 2.5 spiritual power] Sometimes Richard did not extract information from the Encrypted Notes right away for various reasons, but he still had some recollection of what knowledge they contained. After the extraction, Richard instantly had a design for a Rune Array in his mind. With this design, Richard could simulate the gravity conditions of the Mountain World in the Wizard World. Leaving the basement, Richard was about to unpack the materials delivered by the company and make a Gravity Training Room when a magic fluctuation from the third floor interrupted his actions. It was from the long-range Communication Crystal Ball. Ascending the stairs, Richard saw that a message from Jolod had appeared in the Crystal Ball, asking him to make a trip to the Black Tower Wizard Academy. ¡°This¡­ what exactly has Garon the Great Wizard done?¡± A shadow passed through Richard¡¯s heart, a moment before he hurried toward the Black Tower Wizard Academy. After half a month of flying, Richard met with Jolod, but to Richard¡¯s surprise, Jolod looked beaming with happiness upon seeing him, obviously having encountered something delightful. ¡°Teacher, what happy event has come up for you?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°Happy event?¡± Jolod¡¯s mouth curled, unable to suppress a smile, ¡°It¡¯s more than just a happy event. Your teacher here is planning to advance to a Three Rings Wizard!¡± ¡°A Three Rings Wizard!¡± At Jolod¡¯s words, Richard felt a shock to his heart. It was well-known that the biggest issue with a wizard¡¯s breakthrough was the materials for the Promotion Ceremony and the Soul Darkness during the advancement. The latter of these two, which seemed more difficult to some, was actually somewhat easier to resolve. Wizards pursued knowledge and conducted experiments, not because the wizard Race was exceptionally accomplished or intelligent compared to other races. Wizards¡¯ study of knowledge, besides enhancing their power, was also a method to cope with Soul Darkness. When Soul Darkness was first discovered in ancient times, wizards began to search for solutions to it. And it was this very process that inspired the wizards. The terror of Soul Darkness was in the endless waiting it entailed, and the search process was similarly endless. After realizing this, the first wizard in the world was born. Therefore, when wizards are promoting themselves, they often don¡¯t seek hastiness, for failure to overcome Soul Darkness means death. It¡¯s better to study more and train one¡¯s temperament. Compared to the manageable Soul Darkness, the materials for promotion can at times be more challenging. Apart from methods like Richard¡¯s, which involved ingesting Soul Essence for a grandiose promotion, other promotion methods require a ritual. These rituals are mostly from predecessors¡¯ inheritances, where predecessor wizards have carved out a path for promotion with their wisdom and knowledge. But there are a few wizards who design their own rituals. These individuals are what the juniors call ¡°predecessors.¡± Jolod was just such a wizard, preparing to become an ancestor. However, his inheritance lacked the method to advance to the Three Rings, and although he had designed a Promotion Ceremony himself, he couldn¡¯t proceed without a main component, leaving the ceremony stuck on paper. Now that Jolod intended to advance, it meant either the materials had been found, or the ceremony had been altered. ¡°Master, have you found the Sky Heart Soul Bone?¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jolod shook his head: ¡°No, I feel like I¡¯ll never find that thing in my lifetime.¡± After hearing this, Richard instantly had his answer. ¡°Is it the head of the Academy or Garon the Great Wizard?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Garon the Great Wizard.¡± After saying this, Jolod looked puzzled: ¡°Speaking of which, this is strange. I don¡¯t know why, but suddenly, Garon Great Wizard went to the head of the Academy to inquire about you and, in the process, found me. ¡°Do you have some relation to Garon Great Wizard?¡± Richard nodded, recounting his own situation. ¡°I see.¡± Jolod stroked his beard, ¡°You can consider Garon Great Wizard¡¯s words. You needn¡¯t worry too much about the Academy. It¡¯s not unprecedented for a wizard to join another academy.¡± Having said that, Jolod suddenly turned serious and took out a sealed scroll from his pocket. ¡°Richard, this is my will. Although I am old and believe myself to have a stable temperament, you are also aware of the terror of Soul Darkness. Should anything unexpected happen to me, this will shall unseal itself, and at that time, you must distribute my property according to my will.¡± Richard solemnly accepted the scroll, and then saw Jolod speak again: ¡°Besides this will, I have another matter for you to attend to.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Jolod pointed to the blackboard in the laboratory: ¡°I hold a teaching position at the Academy. If I go to advance, according to the Academy¡¯s rules, you students who are still here should take over my classes. Not too much, thirty years per person will do.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Having settled matters, Jolod patted Richard on the shoulder and flew towards the upper levels of the Black Tower. Jolod did not plan to go to the Tower of Truth; he intended to advance within this Black Tower where he had resided for thousands of years. Looking at his teacher¡¯s receding figure, Richard, who did not believe in the divine, silently prayed in his heart: ¡°May the gods bless my master Jolod with a smooth advancement.¡± ¡­ Before substituting as a teacher, Richard returned to the Tower of Truth to collect his materials and brought them to the Central Black Tower. Teaching at the Academy was actually a rather relaxing task. Given the longevity of a wizards¡¯ life and their breadth of experience, teaching a group of teenagers was all too easy. Still, since he was going to teach, Richard planned to take it seriously. His younger sister-apprentice, Yelena, had successfully become a wizard decades earlier. Although she was not adept at combat and had a talent for Synthetic Beasts, she had become a teaching staff member at the Academy on Jolod¡¯s advice. She would also be a part of the logistics wizards in any future Plane Wars. While the rewards for logistics wizards were not high in wars, it was a safe role, and with steady progress and Jolod¡¯s support, becoming a Second Ring Wizard was well within reach. On the sixty-seventh floor of the Black Tower, Richard found Yelena¡¯s laboratory and prepared to inquire about teaching essentials. In the lab, Yelena busied herself with something at the experimental table, while two girls who looked exactly alike were at the dissection table studying the anatomy of an Alien creature. Sensing a wizard¡¯s entry, Yelena looked towards the laboratory door. ¡°Hey, brother Richard!¡± Upon seeing Richard, a look of surprise appeared on Yelena¡¯s face. ¡°Yelena, long time no see. Are these two your Apprentices?¡± Richard pointed at the two youngsters at the dissection table. Yelena nodded, walked over to the dissection table, and patted the two Apprentices on the head: ¡°Aliye, Pauline, this is your senior Richard.¡± Unexpectedly, however, the two Apprentices did not respond to Yelena¡¯s words and remained motionless. Aliye stood rigidly in place, tense as a bowstring. She heard Yelena¡¯s words but did not dare move a muscle at the momento. Her body was resisting her brain, automatically activating its most innate defense mechanism¡ªI will not move¡ªupon sensing the terrifying wizard behind her. Barely able to turn her eyeballs, Aliye looked at her sister and realized she was in the same state. Their twin telepathy allowed them to feel each other¡¯s emotions. But at the moment, all they could feel was fear, a terror that stemmed from deep within their souls, the fear of facing a Predator. What kind of monster was their teacher¡¯s senior brother¡­ ¡°Hm?¡± Yelena¡¯s brow wrinkled slightly, about to speak again, but then she suddenly heard Richard say awkwardly, ¡°My bad, I forgot to suppress my Life Radiation.¡± Since Richard usually dealt with wizards, he never paid much attention to the emission of Life Radiation. He had recently returned from the Mountain Secret Realm, and his body¡¯s cells were in an active state, emitting stronger Life Radiation than usual. Such radiation was negligible for a wizard, but for an Apprentice, it was overwhelming. As soon as Richard suppressed his Life Radiation, the two Apprentices collapsed to the floor, drenched as if splashed with water, their cold sweat flowing freely. ¡°Ha-ha, my bad, my bad.¡± Richard chuckled awkwardly, his eyes scanning the laboratory to shift the topic. There were many glass tanks in the lab, each containing different Alien creatures, but what was strange was that despite their varied shapes, they all had the same scales. Richard took a closer look, then uncertainly asked: ¡°Sister, are you researching the¡­ Dragon Blood Species?¡± Chapter 202 - 32 The Secret of Dragon Blood ¡°The Dragon Blood Species, a research topic that has thrived among Alchemy Wizards for ages. Before the Wizard World was known as such, Giant Dragons and Sea Monsters ruled the skies, the land, and the oceans of the Wizard World. During that period, every mountain peak on the Wizard Continent was adorned with glittering Dragon Nests. Thereafter, Wizards wrested control of the Wizard World from the Giant Dragons and reached an agreement with the Sea Monsters, becoming the new Dominators of the Wizard World. And the Giant Dragons, naturally, became objects of study for the Wizards. The bloodline of a Giant Dragon is incredibly formidable; any Giant Dragon that reaches maturity can become a Level 1 Creature. With age, as new heads grow on a dragon, its Life Level would increase by one for each additional head. In the heydays of the Giant Dragons, the Wizard Continent was home to five Six-headed Giant Dragons, which later became trophies for five different Schools. Besides being powerful, the bloodline of a Giant Dragon has an extreme erosive quality. Any creature in the Wizard World that breeds with them tends to produce offspring with strong Dragon Species characteristics, and even bathing in Dragon Blood can lead to bloodline erosion, transforming the individual into one of the Dragon Blood Species. Although the Dragon Blood Species¡¯s strength pales in comparison to Pure-blooded Giant Dragons, they inherit certain traits from the dragons, possessing combat abilities that are quite formidable. Moreover, after Wizards stepped out from their cradle to compete in the starry skies, they discovered that Giant Dragons weren¡¯t limited to the Wizard World alone. In the worlds that Wizards have explored thus far, only a few have no trace of Giant Dragons. In the remaining worlds, traces of Giant Dragons or the Dragon Blood Species can be found, more or less. Even though these Giant Dragons vary greatly in their specific characteristics, with some being creatures of flesh and others plants, including even hybrid elemental beings, the upgrading traits of the dragons and the strong erosive nature of Dragon Blood indicate that these seemingly different Giant Dragons actually belong to one Race. And this has led to the emergence of a group of Wizards within the Alchemy Wizard community who specialize in the study of Giant Dragons. However, when Richard saw these Dragon Blood specimens, what he thought of was the three-headed Giant Dragon in the Black Stone Mountain Range. ¡°Is that dragon considered an employee of the Academy, or is it a pet kept by a Great Wizard?¡± Richard mused. Yelena, hearing Richard¡¯s question, smiled shyly and replied, ¡°It¡¯s not really research. I just happen to need Dragon Blood for my own research, so I took the opportunity to study it as well.¡± Richard walked up to a glass capsule and carefully observed the Dragon Blood creature inside. Before it was eroded by Dragon Blood, the creature inside the capsule must have been a rabbit, but now it had grown sharp fangs and scales, with a pair of fierce Dragon Horns on its head that emitted a bone-chilling cold light. ¡°Studying the Dragon Blood Species is a good research direction,¡± Richard remarked offhandedly. ¡°Giant Dragons are very strong creatures, even a little success could greatly enhance Synthetic Beasts.¡± Hearing this, Yelena responded with some excitement, ¡°Senior, do you have research on Dragon Blood?¡± She quickly walked over to Richard¡¯s side, pointing to the Dragon Blood rabbit in the glass capsule. ¡°I¡¯ve been studying the bodily transformation of creatures through Dragon Blood erosion. Even a rabbit can turn into a murderous beast after the erosion, but I¡¯ve run into some troubles recently. Could you take a look for me, senior?¡± Yelena looked at Richard with caution; she had heard from Jolod that this senior, Richard, was a highly talented individual who could often come up with solutions that others couldn¡¯t fathom. But being a Wizard, Yelena was somewhat concerned, for Wizards were very protective of their knowledge, making asking questions a sensitive matter. Even as his junior, her actions were somewhat presumptuous, especially since no offer of an exchange had been made. But Richard¡¯s next words dispelled all her concerns. ¡°I¡¯ve never studied Dragon Blood; I¡¯ve only heard about the stuff,¡± he replied. Hearing this, whether Yelena felt relief or disappointment was unclear, but as she was about to change the subject, she heard Richard say: ¡°However, you can tell me about your problem. Maybe I can provide a different perspective for a solution.¡± Faced with Richard¡¯s kindness, Yelena was somewhat taken aback. She thought back to her initial worries and couldn¡¯t help but feel that she had been overly suspicious. ¡°It¡¯s like this: while studying Dragon Blood erosion, I accidentally found that sometimes the erosion doesn¡¯t lead to dragonization, but instead causes cellular collapse and the entire body to disintegrate.¡± Yelena took out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball and let Richard witness the scene. Inside the Crystal Ball, a rabbit¡¯s body was rapidly liquefying, its blood and body fluids streaming out. In just tens of seconds, a rabbit that seemed perfectly alive melted into a puddle of blood. Yelena explained, ¡°Three minutes after injecting one milliliter of Dragon Blood, this rabbit began to show signs of dragonization, which is quite normal. But after thirty seconds, those signs began to deteriorate, followed by the disintegration of the whole rabbit. After that, I conducted many experiments and found that this situation is not isolated. Practically every hundred experiments result in one disintegration, and the timing of such occurrences is also not consistent.¡± Watching the footage in the Crystal Ball, Richard stroked his chin, feeling that he was somewhat familiar with the situation. The symptoms exhibited by the rabbit resembled those of cellular collapse. Richard thought for a moment, then shared his hypothesis: ¡°This rabbit¡¯s situation should be cellular collapse. Dragon Blood has a high erosive quality, and I suspect that the nature of this erosion is the integration of life information from the Dragon Blood into the creature¡¯s Life Core. Looking at this rabbit¡¯s condition, I would guess that the integration of life information failed, leading to the collapse of the Life Core and subsequent cellular collapse. If you want to avoid this situation, you¡¯d be better off starting with the test creature itself. Trying to prevent it by other means is likely ineffective and complicated.¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s speculation, a light shone in Yelena¡¯s eyes. ¡°Life information integrated into the Life Core, life information integrated into the Life Core!¡± Yelena rushed to the laboratory desk and recorded this sentence in her notebook as if she would forget it if she was a moment later. ¡°Senior Brother, your summary of dragon blood erosion is really¡­ right to the core.¡± Yelena, her face flushed with excitement, looked at Richard, her eyes brimming with thrill. She had also devoted some time to the study of dragon blood, but she had never considered that the mechanism of dragon blood¡¯s erosion could be articulated with such succinct language. Richard smiled but did not continue the topic. A wizard¡¯s research is highly confidential in nature, and if he had continued, he would have had to share the findings. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, the properties of dragon blood had caught Richard¡¯s attention. The Giant Dragon itself is an exceptionally powerful creature with an adaptation to nature that almost reaches a certain limit; no matter how harsh the environment, a Giant Dragon can evolve the most suitable form for survival and maintain its core characteristics. This trait had some unexpected congruity with the Adaptation Body. After asking Yelena about some pointers for teaching, Richard casually obtained two vials of ordinary dragon blood from her as a form of compensation for his advice. ¡­ Jolod¡¯s timing for inviting him coincided perfectly with the new students¡¯ enrollment, so Richard¡¯s first lecture at the Wizard Academy was to explain to these new little ones what it means to be a wizard. Thud, thud, thud! Following the ringing of the eight o¡¯clock bell, Richard, with his notes, entered the classroom. Before him, hundreds of teenagers stared at him with wide eyes. Having passed the entrance exam, these little ones had mostly shed their naivety, viewing everyone with suspicion in their eyes. Richard stepped onto the podium, and just like Anna had done years ago, he wrote ¡°What is a Wizard¡± on the blackboard. ¡°I am Lecturer Richard, an Alchemy Wizard. Since this is your first session at the academy, I have to add a bit more before the Introduction to Alchemy.¡± Richard looked over the little ones, his gaze calm but causing every Apprentice seen by him to bristle. Even when Richard suppressed his Life Radiation, he, as a Second-level Creature, had a fundamental difference in life essence from these little ones who did not even reach the first level. The wizard¡¯s unique method of spiritual evolution almost made wizards and Wizard Apprentices seem like two different species. ¡°So, who among you can answer this question for me: What is a wizard?¡± As he posed the question, the entire classroom fell silent like a graveyard, but soon, a trembling hand rose up. A plainly-dressed boy raised his right hand. ¡°Tell me your answer,¡± Richard said indifferently. ¡°I-I-I think wizards are a group of superhumans who can fly and possess transcendent powers.¡± Richard nodded, signaling for him to sit down. ¡°That answer is good, but it lacks essence. Anyone else?¡± Richard¡¯s gaze swept over the classroom, and quickly, another hand went up. This was a lavishly dressed noble boy. ¡°Tell me your answer.¡± The noble boy took a deep breath and answered loudly, ¡°I think wizards are a group of lunatics who pursue knowledge.¡± Richard smiled faintly and gestured for the noble boy to sit down. ¡°That¡¯s a good answer, though hardly original. That quote is from the chairman of the Truth Council. Here I can introduce you briefly to the Truth Council. The Truth Council rules the Wizard World, and all wizards are at the beck and call of the Truth Wizards. But because of this, the chairman¡¯s quote is a bit too lofty for us. So just listen to it for now, and ponder over it after you become wizards.¡± With that, Richard wrote another sentence on the blackboard. ¡°Wizardry is a profession, and at each stage of this profession, the essence of a wizard changes.¡± After writing, Richard explained the meaning of his statement to the few hundred students. ¡°Wizards are categorized into three stages: Wizard Apprentice, Wizard, and Great Wizard. During the Apprentice stage, you should discard those unrealistic ideas and strive to be down-to-earth, earn as many Magic Stones as possible, enhance your Spell¡¯s power, and train your combat skills. Knowledge is beautiful, but you need to be alive to reach it.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Richard laughed, ¡°if you intend to join the Undead School, you might as well ignore my last statement.¡± Chapter 203 - 33 Giant Dragon Blood Serum Teaching wasn¡¯t difficult for Richard given his level of knowledge, and he easily finished a morning-long lecture with a still keen interest. After the class, Richard carried his notebook back to Jolod¡¯s laboratory and took out the Dragon Blood he had obtained from Yelena. Since he was substituting, Richard didn¡¯t have his own laboratory in the Central Black Tower and had to temporarily use Jolod¡¯s. However, Jolod¡¯s laboratory was one of the best in the Black Tower Wizard Academy, and Richard was quite familiar with it, so he could use the various equipment smoothly¡ªin contrast, the equipment in his own Wizard Tower felt somewhat inadequate. ¡°No, a workman must first sharpen his tools. I have to upgrade the equipment in my laboratory when I return. The Commerce has made so much Magic Essence, it¡¯s about time to use some.¡± After reflecting on the laboratory, Richard took out Jolod¡¯s Alchemy Centrifuge and prepared to process the Dragon Blood he held into a serum. The Dragon Blood looked very crimson just from the appearance, making one feel its extraordinary Life Energy by sight alone. Its texture was rather viscous, almost like jam. This was just the fresh blood of a basic First Level Giant Dragon; higher-level Dragon Blood would be even more viscous. Legend has it that during the Dark Age, a four-headed Giant Dragon didn¡¯t insta-bleed when wounded, and its dripping blood fell on a wizard, turning him instantly into amber. Dragon Blood also had some degree of corrosiveness and erosiveness. The corrosiveness wasn¡¯t so concerning¡ªit wasn¡¯t an Alien, and even the blood of a Forth Level Giant Dragon was only about as corrosive as ordinary strong acid. But the erosiveness was different. The fresh blood of a Giant Dragon could even corrode and transform inorganic matter. While this transformation effect was weak, it decreed that the storage container for Dragon Blood must be enchanted. The higher the level of Dragon Blood stored, the higher the Enchantment on the container must be, and the container¡¯s resistance to erosion must be regularly checked. Richard treated the Dragon Blood with some Alchemy Potions and then placed the treated blood into the centrifuge. As the centrifuge hummed, Richard moved to the experiment table and took out a face-sized Rune Base Plate from his Magic Pocket, starting to engrave Runes. These Rune Base Plates were the gravity generators for the Gravity Training Room. With thirty prepared and properly distributed inside the training room, Richard could simulate the gravitational environment of the Mountain World in the Wizard World. A half-hour later, the noise from the centrifuge stopped. Richard walked over to the centrifuge, took out the test tube filled with serum, and casually separated the remnants inside. Looking at the blood serum with a light yellow hue in front of him, Richard approached the laboratory window and summoned an Academy Inspector using Magic Power. ¡°Hey, hey, hey, what do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± the summoned Academy Inspector shouted. Richard ignored it, expressing his needs. ¡°Go to the assassin chamber of commerce and buy me some mice, and while you¡¯re there, ask if they have any young Dragon Blood for sale.¡± After speaking, Richard handed the Inspector a Magic Essence and an Elemental Gem glowing with red light, and then sent him back down. ¡°You substitute wizard are truly impolite! Can¡¯t you ask for a favor nicely!¡± The Inspector grumbled indignantly, then swallowed the Elemental Gem. Elemental gems weren¡¯t particularly expensive, merely a few dozen Magic Stones in price, but for an Academy Inspector who liked to collect shiny items, they were even more useful than Magic Essence. Soon, the experimental mice from the assassin chamber of commerce were delivered to Richard¡¯s laboratory, along with a note stating, ¡°The Chamber of Commerce is out of young Giant Dragon Blood. If needed, you can pay a deposit and reserve it for a purchase after the ten-year restock.¡± Richard handed the Inspector ten Magic Essences. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Reserve five doses of young Giant Dragon blood serum for me, and make sure to specify that I need the serum from young dragons from the Wizard World.¡± After the Academy Inspector left, Richard took a mouse from the cage filled with them. These mice, specially bred by the Wizard Commerce, had lengths and weights within an extremely narrow range of parameters, minimizing variables that could affect experiments. Richard strapped the mouse onto the experimental table, drew out half a milliliter of the Dragon Blood serum with a syringe, and injected it into the mouse. Then he took out the Image Capturing Crystal Ball and notebook, beginning to record the changes in the mouse. Thirty seconds after the injection, the mouse began to convulse. Ten seconds later, the convulsions intensified, and bloodied fluid started seeping from the mouse¡¯s skin as the dragon transformation began. The Dragon transformation first appeared in the mouse¡¯s heart, then spread along its arteries. At the start of the Dragon transformation, the mouse¡¯s skin began to shed fur in large patches, and a layer of scales, such as those only reptiles have, started to appear. Thirteen seconds later, the skin of the mouse had completely transformed into that of a dragon, and it began to vomit foul blood. Richard collected the foul blood, then continued to monitor the status of the mouse. Thirty seconds after the transformation, the mouse stopped vomiting blood, and its vital signs began deteriorating rapidly. Fifty seconds post-transformation, the mouse lost all vital signs completely. Richard dissected the mouse¡¯s body, finding that its internal organs had undergone twisted changes, which were also indicative of Dragon transformation. These changes hadn¡¯t completed, and upon examining the body, Richard discovered that all the stored chemical energy in the mouse had been consumed during the transformation. Theoretically, the lab rats had starved to death. Richard tested the rats¡¯ tainted blood once again, confirming that it contained a large number of damaged cells, which were likely the cells that had failed to integrate during the integration of life information. After organizing the experimental results, Richard looked at the test record in his hand and fell into deep thought. The transformation of the rats into dragons proved that the life information of giant dragons existed within the serum. Additionally, biological dragonization required a massive amount of energy, which would be extremely difficult for ordinary creatures to complete the whole process of dragonization. However, looking at the dragonized rats, Richard always felt that the dragon blood was somewhat too overbearing. It seemed almost viral that the modification of creatures could be completed using just the life information in the serum, without even requiring cells. Richard activated the Secret Realm and pulled Ulysses out from it. After more than a year, Richard¡¯s Secret Realm had been transformed by Ulysses into a religious sanctuary. Temples, divine statues, Holy City, it had everything, and Ulysses had become the Pope within it, occasionally proselytizing to the Holy Tree Elves. Moreover, due to intelligence issues, these Holy Tree Elves had been completely bamboozled by him. They no longer believed the inherited memories in their brains and took the doctrines made up by Ulysses as history. In these doctrines, Richard was portrayed as the Creator God of the entire Secret Realm, and the Holy Tree Elves were the first creatures he had created. Ulysses and the World Mushroom were his subordinate gods. And the past recorded in the memories of the Holy Tree Elves had become tests issued by Richard to verify their firmness in faith. Honestly, when Richard saw this situation for the first time, he was almost frightened enough to stop Ulysses from continuing the proselytizing. After a year, the Holy Tree Elves had been completely brainwashed, under such circumstances, Richard even doubted if they could grow into Level 1 Creatures. Due to a wizard¡¯s prejudice, Richard had believed that the Holy Tree Elves should follow the path of spiritual evolution, especially since their physical constitution could only be described as frail. And their innate talents required the involvement of spiritual power. Spiritual evolution was definitely not the wrong path for them. But if they were brainwashed into fanatics, Richard was worried that these little creatures might not be able to continue on the path of spiritual evolution. Wizards always valued reason highly, and he had never heard of a madman becoming a wizard. But Ulysses soon reassured him. ¡°Gaah, are you discriminating against fools? Spiritual evolution only relates to spiritual power and the soul barriers they face during evolution, not their mental state. In the Star Realm, all those mad fanatics are unreasonable, yet many of them are spiritual evolvers. Moreover, being brainwashed, these little creatures might evolve even smoother. Sometimes, stubborn fools with firm beliefs overcome the soul barriers easier than some intelligent ones.¡± Pulling Ulysses from the divine seat in the Holy City, Richard pointed to the serum on the table and asked for check by this World Master to see if there was anything strange. Ulysses flew over to the serum, dabbed a bit of energy into it and tasted it. It promptly spat it out, cursing: ¡°Gaah, what the hell is this, it can erode my body with just a bit of life information.¡± Richard¡¯s eyes narrowed at these words, it seemed Ulysses had never seen any creature with bloodlines as potent as the giant dragons. ¡°This is the serum of the giant dragons from the Wizard World, and the dragon species is widespread in the worlds surrounding the Wizard World.¡± Upon hearing this, Ulysses waved its wings, ¡°Gaah, this thing definitely has issues. The rules between worlds are vastly different, it¡¯s impossible for them to simultaneously give rise to the same race. This type of creature is either a degenerated Pioneer or a biological weapon created by Pioneers. Given its high erosivity, I am more inclined to think it¡¯s the latter.¡± Richard nodded, having learned about the Pioneers; he had become suspicious of the widespread existence of dragons across different worlds. Hearing Ulysses suggest this theory today only reinforced his conviction that giant dragons were indeed creations of the Pioneers. As for why the dragons weren¡¯t degenerated Pioneers? Richard scoffed internally; if they were Pioneers, they would have long been annihilated by wizards, and any remnants would be strictly kept and guarded in the Secret Realm by wizards. They certainly wouldn¡¯t be so casually left out, even guarding and protecting wizards¡¯ households. No one would keep a potential explosive bomb in their room. ¡°Do you have a way to modify this thing?¡± Richard casually asked, ¡°I am quite interested in some of the characteristics of the dragons, if their erosivity could be reduced, this thing could be very useful.¡± However, Richard didn¡¯t really expect Ulysses to respond since the difference between the two civilizations was rather large, and Ulysses¡¯s skills were all focused on physical talent and power of faith. But this time, Ulysses spoke up. ¡°Gaah, you really never know, I might actually have a way to deal with this thing.¡± Chapter 204 - 34: Witchcraft: Dragon Transformation Battle Body ¡°Um!?¡± Richard looked at Ulysses with some surprise. ¡°Ga, but this method needs a little Power of Faith. Do you want to see it?¡± Ulysses asked. Richard¡¯s expression tightened upon hearing this. He didn¡¯t have much Power of Faith on hand, a kind of power that could save his life at critical moments, and he still didn¡¯t have a stable source to acquire it. It was literally a diminishing resource every time he used it. ¡°How much is needed?¡± ¡°Ga, not much, just a little bit.¡± Ulysses saw Richard¡¯s hesitation and then added, ¡°Ga, those little guys have already started producing the Power of Faith; this bit of power will come back in a few years.¡± Richard¡¯s expression relaxed a bit, and he nodded at Ulysses. A faint wave of energy emanated from Ulysses¡¯ body, and then, with a flick of his wing in the air, a complex Rune appeared. Richard was shocked at heart¡ªUlysses had actually learned to use Wizard¡¯s runes! But upon closer inspection, he eased his mind¡ªthis rune was not a Wizard¡¯s rune. ¡°Ga, this is a simplified version of the Lun Rune from the Divine King of a Thousand Faces, different from your Wizard¡¯s runes. This type of Rune is a rule text, which cannot even be fully understood by gods, let alone other beings. Even a simplified version can only be learned by Demigods who have come into contact with the rules.¡± Having said that, Ulysses threw the rune into the Giant Dragon Blood Serum, and the entire rune merged into the serum. ¡°Ga, wait and see if it meets your requirements,¡± Ulysses said with a tone of slight ease. ¡°Haven¡¯t used this thing for a long time, it¡¯s gotten rusty. The erosion from this creature named ¡®Giant Dragon¡¯ is on par with those Abyss scum. This simplified version of the Lun Rune can suppress the blood erosion of the Abyss scum, and might have some effect on this substance.¡± ¡°Abyss Demon?¡± Richard¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Do Abyss Demons have a similar blood erosion property?¡± ¡°Ga, although I¡¯m biased against those scum, they are indeed more formidable than this substance.¡± Whenever Ulysses mentioned Abyss Demons, his words were colored with a deep-rooted animosity. ¡°The Flesh and Blood of that group of Abyss scum carry strong erosion, and even a single drop of their blood can cause the erosion of the Abyss. If not dealt with, the infected will turn into new Abyss Demons. The worst part is, the corpses and Flesh of these scum can also erode the environment, and if an environment tainted by the Abyss Flesh isn¡¯t timely purified, it will transform into an Abyss environment. Moreover, this kind of Abyss environment will automatically erode the normal world. Once the erosion of this environment reaches half of a world¡¯s environment, the infected world will become part of the infinite Abyss. At that point, the natives of the infected world, who haven¡¯t been eroded by the Abyss, will be rejected by the world, and the Abyss Demons will feel as comfortable as if they¡¯ve returned home.¡± Listening to Ulysses¡¯ description, Richard could almost see the pitiful fate of the native creatures from those worlds eroded by the Abyss. In front of the Abyss, their companions were eroded, the environment was corroded, and in the end, even the world abandoned them as if they were foreign invaders. Richard shuddered. ¡°Such civilization should be destroyed until not a single cell remains.¡± Ulysses¡¯ gaze became distant, as if trying to see through space and time back to his hometown. He shook his head with a heavy tone, ¡°Ga, let¡¯s not talk big. See if your thing meets your requirements.¡± Richard took the serum and tested it on another mouse. The same half milliliter was used, but this time the mouse showed no abnormalities. After dissecting the mouse and confirming that there were no signs of Dragon Transformation within its body, Richard revealed a thin smile. ¡°Ga, looks like it was effective.¡± Richard nodded; at this moment, he already had some ideas. ¡°You can go back first. I¡¯m counting on you for the Power of Faith.¡± Ulysses opened the Secret Realm Rift and waved his wing, ¡°Ga, don¡¯t worry, I am your Subordinate God. Isn¡¯t it the job of the Subordinate Gods to handle chores for the Main God?¡± ¡­ Once Richard confirmed that the erosive property of the Dragon Blood could be controlled, he immediately began designing the experiment. Creatures known as Giant Dragons possess many excellent qualities; they are strong, have solid defenses, and their internal systems are also exceptional. Additionally, Dragon Blood gives them extraordinary adaptive abilities. Among Wizards, there¡¯s a belief that Giant Dragons are perfect creatures. Richard¡¯s plan was straightforward¡ªhe intended to use Bloodline Alchemy to transplant partial Dragon-transformed organs into his body, thereby giving him some characteristics of the Dragon Blood Species. However, the Dragon Transformation of the Dragon Blood Species was unpredictable. Even with the same Dragon Blood, the same species could undergo completely different transformations. Targeting specific Dragon Transformations is a long-standing issue for Alchemy Wizards, and many Third-level, even Great Wizards, have been studying this problem. Nevertheless, Richard wasn¡¯t planning to delve into this issue in depth. Given that he had sufficient Magic Essence and sufficient experimentation, he would eventually find what he was looking for. ¡­ Ten years later, Chalak Commerce delivered the Young Dragon Blood that Richard had ordered. Richard paid the final payment and collected the five hundred milliliters of Young Dragon Blood. In the laboratory, glass jars containing Dragon-transformed creatures were everywhere. During these ten years, Richard hadn¡¯t directly experimented with organ cultivation but systematically studied the fundamental knowledge of the enduring topic of Dragon Transformation. Dragon-transformed creatures come in all shapes and sizes, and often their own organs and glands may conflict with each other, leading to shortened lifespans or even death. And figuring out the functions of these organs and glands, ensuring they complement each other in one body without conflict, that¡¯s what Richard had been working on for the past ten years. After ten years of research, Richard had designed a transplantation plan for himself. These organs and glands would enhance Richard¡¯s bones, muscles, digestive ability, circulation, detoxification, and even allow him to possess the signature ability of a giant dragon, the Giant Dragon Breath. If the transformation could be completed, Richard¡¯s combat abilities would undergo a qualitative enhancement. Richard named this transplantation plan the Dragon Transformation Battle Body, and it would be his first invention in Alchemy Magic. Dividing the young dragon blood into ten parts, Richard proceeded to extract the serum. Then, he moved to the corner of the laboratory. There, in the corner of the laboratory, sat a glass pod containing a clone that Richard had intentionally cultivated for the battle body. This clone had the same physique as Richard. After a year of training in the Mountain Secret Realm, Richard¡¯s physique hadn¡¯t improved by much, due in large part to his not capitalizing on the high-gravity environment. However, once Richard had finished constructing the Gravity Training Room, all of that could be compensated for. Richard took out the clone and then injected the Young Dragon Blood Serum into its body. A giant dragon¡¯s growth is divided into four stages: young dragon, adult dragon, prime dragon, and old dragon. The young dragons need no elaboration. Adult giant dragons signify becoming a level 1 creature, and prime giant dragons have the strength of second to third level creatures, but if they do not become a level 4 creature before the age of 6000, then they enter the old dragon stage. At this stage, the dragon¡¯s wisdom will increase greatly, and the arrogance, conceit, and invincibility characteristic of their personality will gradually fade. Among these four stages, the blood of a young dragon is the most vibrant; young dragon blood can result in many variations of dragon-transformed creatures, unlike in the later stages where giant dragons can only transform into a few fixed entities. Actually, if given the choice, Richard would have preferred to use the blood of an adult giant dragon for his dragon transformation experiments. However, the Wizard Commerce did not track which dragon¡¯s blood could transform which type of creature, nor the characteristics of the body structure of such creatures. Therefore, Richard could only rely on the blood of young dragons to play the ¡°blind box.¡± However, Richard had a plan in mind: if the effects of the Dragon Transformation Battle Body were very good, then he intended to collect dragon blood from various Wizard Commerces to screen for the blood that could transform into the needed organs. But if the results were not good enough, then Richard would just keep the witchcraft in reserve, waiting until he had an apprentice to whom he could pass it down, to explore further. As the Young Dragon Blood Serum was injected, the clone showed no reaction whatsoever. Although the blood of a young dragon is vibrant, its eroding power is the lowest among dragons. Richard¡¯s own body had reached the standard of a second-level creature, and it was unknown if the young dragon¡¯s blood would be able to achieve erosion. Half an hour after the serum was injected, the clone suddenly trembled, showing signs of dragon transformation with calcium scales emerging right in front of the heart. But the signs showed no tendency to spread. An hour after the serum was injected, the signs of dragon transformation regressed, and the clone¡¯s pores began to secrete black blood. After the bleeding stopped, all the clone¡¯s vital signs stabilized; the dragon transformation had failed. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Alas, it seems the bloodline erosion of a giant dragon has its limits; the blood of a young dragon can¡¯t even erode a second-level creature,¡± Richard sighed, turned around, and headed to the next room to retrieve a first-level clone. He then started the dragon transformation process again. This time the reaction came quickly, with the dragon transformation occurring in just twenty minutes and continuing to spread. Richard placed the clone in the glass pod, filling it with nutrient fluid. The dragon transformation had begun; now, all that was needed was time and luck. ¡­ Twenty years later, Chax, the successor, arrived and looked around the laboratory, filled with jars and vials, and happily clapped Richard on the shoulder. ¡°Little brother, you¡¯ve finally returned to the righteous path of flesh and blood! The teacher would be very comforted to see this.¡± Richard shrugged off Chax¡¯s hand with a smile: ¡°What are you on about? Is the teacher not comforted when I study Alchemy Machines? Those black magic essences are all earned by Alchemy Machines.¡± Chax¡¯s face stiffened at this remark and he could only sulkily say, ¡°It¡¯s about making money, but Synthetic Beasts can make almost as much as Alchemy Machines.¡± Richard laughed and said no more, then began to clean up the various jars and vials in the laboratory. Seeing this, Chax also helped to tidy up, but when he got to the corner, exclaimed, ¡°Little brother, why did you even create a body here? By the looks of it¡­ it¡¯s already dragon-transformed.¡± Richard walked over, lifted the body out of the glass pod. ¡°Experimental material, I¡¯ve been researching dragon transformation recently.¡± Chax turned to Richard, who he had not paid much attention to before. Now taking a careful look, he realized his little brother¡¯s eyes¡­ At some point, they had turned into vertical pupils. Chapter 205 - 35 The News of War ¡°Junior Brother, although Dragon Transformation is beneficial, its disadvantages are equally significant.¡± Seeing signs of Dragon Transformation on Richard¡¯s body, Chax frowned slightly and spoke with concern. The Dragon Blood brought about by the transformation not only has advantages; inevitably, the creature will acquire the Giant Dragon¡¯s habits and temper. Giant Dragons are innately arrogant and imperious, regarding all Dragon Blood Species as slaves and ordinary creatures as insignificant. Creatures that undergo Dragon Transformation will inevitably develop an arrogant and haughty demeanor, an influence that is almost impossible to eliminate. For wizards, rationality and humility are the greatest virtues, with every master harboring the heart of an apprentice. The degeneration of character caused by Dragon Blood will inevitably affect a wizard¡¯s future development. An arrogant nature can be fatal on the battlefield and disastrous in personal relationships. Moreover, aside from their character, creatures that have undergone Dragon Transformation will inevitably experience mental suppression or even control when encountering Giant Dragons. This downside is particularly lethal in a world where Giant Dragon Species are prevalent. Therefore, aside from wizards who specialize in studying Dragon Blood, few choose to undergo Dragon Transformation. However, what Richard underwent is not Dragon Transformation. After being suppressed by a simplified version of Lun Runes, the corrosiveness of the Dragon Blood was completely contained, making the transplantation of Dragon Transformation organs feasible. Over the years, Richard had undergone three surgeries on his clone for Dragon Transformation: the transplantation of Dragon Bone Glands to strengthen his bones, Dragon Power Glands to enhance muscle explosiveness, and Dragon Eyes for dynamic vision and thermal imaging. These Dragon Transformation organs significantly enhanced Richard¡¯s capabilities. As the first to be transplanted, the Dragon Bone Gland drastically increased the hardness and toughness of his bones. Bones are the cornerstone of strength. Moreover, with the enhancement provided by the Dragon Bone Gland, there was room for the second transplanted organ, the Dragon Power Gland, to function. The Dragon Power Gland secretes a certain biohormone during battle, thereby increasing the recruitment and explosiveness of muscles. This burst is extremely intense; without the reinforcement from the Dragon Bone Gland, Richard¡¯s bones might even fracture from the overwhelming power. The enhancements provided by the Dragon Eyes hardly need further elaboration; in the perilous Plane Battlefield, having an additional method of reconnaissance adds a layer of safety. Richard gave Chax a smile and said, ¡°Senior Brother, I have it under control. Do I look like I¡¯m affected?¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing this, Chax decided not to say anything further. Each wizard has their own path, and his role as a senior was simply to offer a reminder; anything more would be Jolod¡¯s responsibility. ¡°Alright, if you have it under control, Junior Brother.¡± After packing up, Richard encountered Yelena at the laboratory¡¯s entrance. ¡°Senior Brother Richard, are you leaving already? Is it Senior Brother Chax taking over, or Senior Sister Anna?¡± Yelena glanced inside the laboratory and immediately noticed Chax¡¯s chubby and characteristically extra-armed figure. ¡°So it¡¯s Senior Brother Chax.¡± Chax moved to the door and greeted his junior sister. As Alchemy Wizards who also studied flesh, the two of them got along very well. ¡°Yelena, what brings you here?¡± Richard asked, noticing the thick stack of papers in Yelena¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh, right, this is the data you asked me to compile.¡± Yelena handed the papers to Richard. These documents, which recorded detailed data about the Dragon Transformation organs, would greatly assist in optimizing Richard¡¯s Dragon Transformation Battle Body in the future. Richard found these details somewhat trivial and had simply spent some Magic Essence to have Yelena organize them for him. This data was essential for Yelena¡¯s experiments, and Richard¡¯s request posed no difficulty for her. Taking the data, Richard said goodbye to Yelena and Chax, then left the Black Tower Wizard Academy and returned to the Tower of Truth. Back at the Tower of Truth, Richard assembled the Gravity Training Room he had completed over the years in the basement of the Wizard Tower. After nearly three days of repeated adjustments, the Gravity Training Room finally met Richard¡¯s standards. From the outside, the Gravity Training Room looked like half an iron sphere; Richard had engraved runes on the metallic walls to reinforce them. Thanks to the self-powering circuit installed, the runes on the walls were always activated, emitting a faint bluish glow in the darkness. Upon entering the training room, the interior was very smooth and even, with the only exception being a raised Crystal Ball in the center, used to switch the training room on and off and to adjust the gravity levels. After meticulous adjustments by Richard, the gravity in the Gravity Training Room could be set from two to fifteen times normal gravity. Once the adjustments were complete, Richard changed into a form-fitting garment and entered the training room. When he used his spiritual power to activate the training room, Richard instantly felt a heaviness in his body. The air around him seemed to thicken. Under these conditions, Richard sat cross-legged on the ground and then used a Flying Technique to suspend himself in the air. Feeling the cells in his body crazily absorbing the Magic Power in the space, Richard nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly the effect he wanted. Afterward, Richard tested the gravity adjustment feature of the Gravity Training Room, and everything was as perfect as he had anticipated. Leaving the training room, Richard looked at the soil around him and casually pointed a finger. The next moment, a large chunk of solid soil turned into sludge and flowed down the wall. Richard¡¯s training was not conducted in the original basement of the Wizard Tower; he had constructed a new basement below the one where he assembled the Magic Support Vehicle. Now, Richard planned to expand this basement further. As Richard continuously cast spells, vast spaces were excavated, and his feet became buried in sludge. Richard could have chosen to transport the sludge away, but after returning from the Mountain Secret Realm, he found a more effortless solution. With a tremor of his spiritual power, the gravity around him instantly became abnormal, turning three times what it was under Richard¡¯s control. Under the influence of the abnormal gravity, the once shapeless sludge quickly became smooth. The gravity manipulation learned from the mountain was somewhat trivial when used against enemies but quite useful in construction. After flattening the area with gravity, Richard fetched the Alchemy Hammer and solidly compacted the ground. He intended to use this new basement for regular practice of the Mountain Path. The Mountain Path that Richard acquired consisted of practical skills developed by the Dwarf mountaineers over many years, incredibly useful for a novice in physical combat like Richard. After compacting the floor, Richard took up a feather pen and enchanted the new basement to prevent it from collapsing. After tidying up, Richard fashioned a humanoid steel post out of iron and inserted it into a hole he had prepared beforehand. Richard looked at this basement he had prepared over three days and felt quite pleased. He clapped his hands, ¡°Alright, all that¡¯s left is to train.¡± ¡­ After returning to the Tower of Truth, Richard did not forget to continue developing his dragon transformation organs. Even though the transformed body could still be made into living flesh, degradation was inevitable. This had led to Richard¡¯s own supply of living flesh being depleted; he even needed to buy materials to make his own now. However, with the Flesh Tentacles, a treasure that continuously produced high-quality living flesh, Richard had some assurance of high-quality supplies, so the expenditures weren¡¯t too considerable. Cultivating dragon transformation organs, training the Adaptation Body, Gravity Training, practicing the Mountain Path, constructing and assembling Magic Support Vehicles, plus various daily research tasks. Back at the Tower of Truth, Richard found his schedule completely packed; his life was immensely fulfilling. Twenty years later. ¡°This is the last batch of Magic Support Vehicles; Master, check the quality, and if there¡¯s no issue, then accept them.¡± Dressed in a black Wizard Robe, Richard stood before the Magic Support Vehicles and smiled at Vladimir, who had come to inspect the products. In the first fifty years of the trade, Richard produced Magic Support Vehicles at a rate of two per year, completing one-third of the deal. Before his promotion, Jolod had arranged for the remaining materials for the Magic Support Vehicles, so even after his promotion, Richard continued to receive a steady supply of materials. Making the Magic Support Vehicles themselves wasn¡¯t difficult; once proficient, Richard could manufacture one in a week. However, the Clear Frost Legion was not in a rush; after Jolod¡¯s deep slumber, Richard shifted to producing one every three months, delivering fifty at a time to the White Wizard. Now, with fifty years past since Jolod¡¯s slumber, Richard had delivered another two hundred Magic Support Vehicles. By now, Richard had earned a total of eighty thousand Magic Essence. This profit was something even a Three Rings Wizard had to either fight a full-scale war against a medium-sized world or seven or eight battles against smaller worlds to earn. Vladimir waved his hand, and a few White Wizards accompanying him started inspecting the vehicles. Meanwhile, Richard struck up a casual conversation with Vladimir. ¡°That old fellow Jolod is lucky,¡± Vladimir remarked, ¡°actually finding an opportunity for promotion.¡± Vladimir¡¯s situation was similar to Jolod¡¯s, as his lineage also lacked a ritual for promotion to the Three Rings. He designed one himself but struggled to gather the necessary materials. ¡°Master, don¡¯t lose hope, you still have some time, perhaps the next Plane War will provide you with the materials,¡± Richard consoled. Vladimir waved his hand, ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. Even if I were promoted to the Three Rings, it would only extend my life by seven or eight hundred years. I¡¯m only thinking about promotion now to verify if my ritual is correct. If it is, then at least my student would have an additional path to follow.¡± Saying this, Vladimir sighed, ¡°My student isn¡¯t as clever as you, a real blockhead. Without the ritual, he¡¯ll probably be stuck at the Second Ring forever.¡± Soon, the inspection was complete. Vladimir opened a Secret Realm Rift and drove all the Magic Support Vehicles into it. At the last moment, Vladimir suddenly slapped his forehead, ¡°I almost forgot, the Principal is planning to join a Plane Expedition soon. The timing isn¡¯t certain, but it should be within this century. Your contract likely includes a clause to accompany the army, so you should prepare. The war is coming.¡± Chapter 206 - 36: The Secret of the Fist Technique Chapter 206: Chapter 36: The Secret of the Fist Technique ¡°Is war about to start again?¡± Richard watched Vladimir¡¯s retreating figure and muttered to himself. For Wizards, war was both a risk and an opportunity. New knowledge and new dangers would arise together; whether one could take advantage was a matter of the Wizard¡¯s own abilities. Leaving the twenty-third residential floor, Richard returned to the Wizard Tower and opened the passage to the training room. He took off his Wizard Robe and changed into a training suit made of metal. This suit, looking much like armor, was made of a high-density alloy and weighed an astonishing five hundred kilograms. Under the influence of the Gravity Room, the suit weighed a hefty five tons, Wearing such a training suit, Richard entered the Gravity Training Room and began his day¡¯s training. Training emphasized gradual progression, so Richard started with double gravity to warm up. Then, as the gravity increased bit by bit, a fine layer of sweat began to appear on his skin. Richard¡¯s training methods were simple: squats, push-ups, jogging, etc.¡ªactivities that seemed no different from those of ordinary people. However, under tenfold gravity, every move Richard made while wearing the training suit required a great deal of effort. During such intense workouts, relying solely on the energy from food and fat was clearly insufficient, so magic power became Richard¡¯s source of energy. To meet Richard¡¯s needs, his body cells began to crazily absorb magic power from the air. Also, because of the training for the Adaptation Body, Richard¡¯s muscles, bones, and even organs underwent extremely minute changes under this regimen. This indicated that Richard¡¯s body was gradually adapting to moving in a high-gravity environment. If Richard could continue training in a high-gravity environment while wearing the training suit for five to six hundred years, his body would undergo tremendous changes. Unfortunately, Richard was using the Gravity Training Room, and using the training room required a large number of Magic Stones. Under tenfold gravity, the Gravity Training Room burned through ten Magic Stones every minute. With his regular training time lasting two hours a day, this meant he would expend four hundred thirty-eight Magic Essence in a year, and four thousand three hundred eighty in ten years. With such consumption, Richard even had to consider reducing his training time. Although he had earned a lot of Magic Essence through trade, he still needed to provide after-sales service to the White Wizard Army and structural upgrades for the Magic Support Vehicle. These expenses may not seem apparent in the short term, but looking in the long term, Richard had to prepare some Magic Essence for unexpected needs. After finishing training, Richard shut down the Gravity Training Room and took off the training suit. At that moment, Richard¡¯s skin was flushed red, emanating steam. His muscles bulged with blue veins, as large drops of sweat continuously seeped out and trailed down, leaving wet paths across his chiseled muscles. After resting for a moment, Richard took out a Crystal Ball and checked his various stats. [Spiritual Power: 110, Physique: 112.3, Magic Power: 22000] ¡°Huff, not bad, an increase of twelve in physique over ten years. Once the Dragon Transformation Battle Body is perfected, the rate of physique increase should be even faster.¡± Over the past ten years, Richard had also been continuously cultivating the Dragon Transformation Battle Body, but unfortunately, he had only developed a single Dragon Breath Bag. After transplanting the Dragon Breath Bag, Richard now possessed the capacity for Giant Dragon Breath. There were many kinds of Giant Dragon Breaths, with the most common being the Fire Element Breath. But there were also special breaths like Frost Assault, Dark Erosion Breath, and Poison Mist Breath. What Richard had was a variant of the Fire Element Breath¡ªthe Blue Flame Breath. Its flames were several times hotter than the common Fire Element Breath, but its range was much narrower. What should have been a fan-shaped area of effect had become almost a single line with Richard¡¯s Blue Flame Breath. However, Richard didn¡¯t mind this, as Breath was just an addition for him, and he had not intended to use the Dragon Flame Bag for combat but rather as an aid for Alchemy. Exiting the training room, Richard went to the adjoining laboratory¡¯s training field. The floor of the training field, solidified with alchemy machines and reinforced with Runes, was marked with clear footprints. The owner of these footprints was, of course, Richard. In the center of the training field, a black boulder sat. It was a piece of Mountain Essence, which Richard had purchased from Jimmy for one hundred Magic Essence. And naturally, its purpose was to train in the Mountain Path. Richard had four Mountain Path techniques at his disposal: Worldly Transmission of Rock-Breaking Fist, Secret Mountain Breaking Fist, Secret Mountain Body Forging, and the exclusive Fist Intent of the Changshan Temple¡¯s abbot. Of these four Mountain Path techniques, Mountain Refining Body was used as an auxiliary training tool, and Beng Stone Fist had already been perfected by Richard. He had also grasped the essence of Fist Intent after decades of study, leaving only the deep research and diligent practice. Only the most precious Secret Fist Technique of Changshan Temple, the Mountain Breaking Fist, had remained elusive for Richard to master. In Mountain Breaking Fist, the character for ¡®breaking¡¯ was of the utmost importance. The predecessors of Changshan Temple had used this technique to carve out the original Changshan Temple from the mountains, one fist at a time. No need to mention the hardness of the mountains in the Mountain World; when the founder of Changshan Temple carved out the temple, he was just a Second-level Creature. The fact that a Second-level Creature could carve out the Changshan Temple on the hard mountains was not only a testament to incredible perseverance but also to the profoundness of the Fist Technique. Under Mountain Breaking Fist, the as-hard-as-mountain Mountain Essence would instantly turn into rubble, and regular rocky mountains would even be reduced to dust. No matter how Richard swung his fists following the secret instructions, the punches he threw were always ordinary. Approaching the Mountain Essence, Richard took a deep breath, adjusted his energy circulation, and swung his fist fiercely! Bang! A muffled sound came from the Mountain Essence as Richard retracted his fist, and a clear imprint of his punch now stood out on the black essence of the mountain. ¡°Alas, it¡¯s still no good,¡± Richard sighed. ¡°What on earth is that ¡®Breath of the Mountains¡¯ mentioned in the Secret Transmission? Could it be the heartbeat of the Mountain Heart? But Mountain Breaking Fist can also be used against foes, right?¡± Looking at the Mountain Essence, Richard was utterly perplexed; on a normal day, he would have set aside his troubles and continued training other aspects of the Mountain Path, attempting to gain insights through analogy. But today, Vladimir had brought him news of war, which caused Richard to feel a trace of restlessness. He turned and left the basement, after donning a Wizard Robe, he flew toward the Teleportation Gate of the Tower of Truth. Soon, Richard¡¯s figure appeared in the Duel Arena of the living quarters on the eleventh floor. The Duel Arena was as bustling as ever, with wizards in the stands loudly cheering on their chosen contestants, continuously throwing Magic Stones or Magic Essence onto the attendants¡¯ trays, increasing their stakes. Richard made his way through these wizards to find Jimmy, who was cheering on the contestants. ¡°Master Jimmy.¡± ¡°Hey, Richard, what brings you here? Did that Mountain Essence break you down?¡± Jimmy wiped the sweat from his forehead, the sunlight shining on his head, gleaming brightly. Richard shook his head: ¡°Master, are there any suitable opponents for me in the club recently? I feel I need to fight to grasp certain techniques.¡± ¡°Fight! Richard, you¡¯ve finally realized that what we physique evolving wizards need most is combat! We grow in battle, break through in battle, and unleash the most brilliant light of our lives in battle! Behold! The radiance of combat!¡± With Jimmy shouting loudly, the two wizards in the Duel Arena also decided the victor and the vanquished. The defeated wizard was sent flying, while the victor stood in the center of the field and let out a deafening roar at the audience! Raucous cheers like a tidal wave erupted from the Duel Arena, regardless of whether the wizards had lost or won their bets, they were now shouting the name of the victor! ¡°Urdar! Urdar! Urdar!¡± In the Duel Arena, the wizard named Urdar raised his arms high, responding to the audience¡¯s calls with roars. Before long, the crowd dispersed, as the Duel Arena hosted only one match per day. After the match ended, the Duel Arena became the private area of the Jialong Club. Richard watched as Urdar left the Duel Arena, his face showing fatigue. He approached the fallen opponent, helped him up, and then entered the inner area of the Duel Arena together. Jimmy told Richard to warm up first; he would go find a suitable opponent. Shortly after, Jimmy returned to the Duel Arena with a wizard draped in a black robe. ¡°Richard, you¡¯re in luck, this is Has, also a newly promoted Second Ring Wizard. But he has more combat experience than you, so you¡¯d best be prepared for a beating,¡± Jimmy introduced Has, while Has¡¯s gaze had already fixed on Richard. ¡°Dragon Transformation?¡± Has asked in a low voice. ¡°Sort of,¡± Richard replied indifferently. ¡°My emotions are stable, don¡¯t worry about me losing control during the fight.¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Since Richard had not officially fought with any club members before, Jimmy had to explain the rules of combat to him before the fight. In battle, both parties must give it their all and not resort to mockery or stubborn struggling, as that would be disrespectful to the opponent. Secondly, the combatants must be mindful of the force of their attacks, for it is only a spar, and it would be unfortunate should it lead to a fatality. Finally, there are two types of combat: with and without Magic Equipment. Combat with Magic Equipment has a limit on the usage of gear, with a maximum of three pieces of Magic Equipment per person, and none may be of high-powered, direct damage type. After the rules were explained, Richard chose to fight without Magic Equipment, allowing him to better utilize the Mountain Path and comprehend its mysteries. Has agreed to Richard¡¯s style of combat, and both removed all their Magic Equipment. After Jimmy¡¯s verification, they both took off their Wizard Robes and entered the Duel Arena. As per the protocol, both announced their names and academies. The two stood on opposite ends of the Duel Arena, with Has on the left side speaking first: ¡°Free Wizard, Has.¡± Richard nodded slightly: ¡°Black Tower Wizard Academy, Richard.¡± As soon as Richard finished speaking, Has¡¯s figure suddenly vanished. With names and academies announced, what remained was the battle itself! Chapter 207 - 37 Resonance, Iron Fist Introduction Chapter 207: Chapter 37 Resonance, Iron Fist Introduction Watching the disappearing Has, Richard remained calm and unruffled. A layer of black scales quickly sprouted over his body, and he raised his forearms in front of his face. Boom! A muffled sound. A fist covered in black fur collided with Richard¡¯s arms, generating a shockwave that instantly stirred up a whirlwind and kicked up a cloud of dust. ¡°Those dragon eyes of yours¡­ are quite special, huh?¡± Has¡¯s voice was somewhat muted, and at this moment, his body was already covered in black fur, his eyes turning into the green of a wild beast¡¯s. He, too, was an Alchemy Wizard with Bloodline Alchemy. ¡°That¡¯s high praise, your Bloodline Alchemy formula is not simple either,¡± Richard replied with a composed expression. After activating his bloodline, Has¡¯s speed had increased to a terrifying degree. If not for Richard¡¯s dynamic vision from his dragon eyes, he would have nearly lost sight of Has¡¯s figure. Each side verbally acknowledging the other¡¯s ability, they once again engaged in combat. Has¡¯s movements were agile and nimble, but his strikes were fierce and powerful, each one stirring up a wind strong enough to tear human skin. As for Richard, relying on his Dragon Transformation Battle Body, his strengthened bones and muscles sturdily blocked all of Has¡¯s attacks. Thuds continued to ring out through the air. There wasn¡¯t much difference in their physiques; if anything, Richard had a slight edge. If Has wanted to win, he would have to exploit the difference in their combat experience to make Richard reveal a flaw and thereby achieve victory. But Richard was aware of this too, so he continued to defend methodically and calmly. Even when he saw Has expose an obvious flaw, he pretended not to notice. He was like a rock amidst the storm, unmovable no matter how fierce the wind and rain. After all, in physical combat, it¡¯s often the aggressor who expends more energy. As long as he could hold out, it was only a matter of time before Has would reveal a true flaw. Thump, thump, thump¡­ In the Duel Arena, the air was filled with continuous shockwaves. Has¡¯s figure, like a ghostly apparition, kept flashing around Richard, his palms now turned into black claws armored with bone. Every swipe of these Bone Claws carried a terrifying cold light, while in the air, a faint fragrance imperceptibly enveloped Richard. Richard stood unshaken, blocking with his scale-covered forearms with precise timing. On the rare occasions he made a mistake, the injuries he sustained healed quickly. Richard¡¯s Black Knight bloodline formula boasted top-tier recovery abilities among formulas at the same level. Jimmy, spectating from the sidelines, waved his hand, and a gust of wind swept the dust away cleanly. ¡°Ahhh, what a passionless fight,¡± Jimmy commented as he shook his head watching the two combatants in the arena. Every Wizard¡¯s fighting style varies according to their Combat System. And Has and Richard both embodied the cautious combat style that Jimmy least enjoyed. Such Wizards often adopt a more conservative battle strategy, with fighting that¡¯s all about calculation and devoid of any passion. Nevertheless, Jimmy harbored no prejudice against this style of fighting; in fact, he adopted the same approach during the Plane Wars. But this style of fighting¡­ it¡¯s just not entertaining in the Duel Arena. ¡°You two, testing each other out like this, who knows till when it will last. Our time for fighting is also limited; you must finish your battle within the first twenty minutes before the Duel Arena opens tomorrow,¡± Jimmy interjected with a reminder. Given Richard and Has¡¯s strength, if they didn¡¯t get serious, they could maintain eighty percent of their condition even after three days and nights of fighting. But the Duel Arena couldn¡¯t afford to let them drag it out. In the Duel Arena, even after hearing Jimmy¡¯s words, the two Wizards¡¯ fighting styles remained unchanged. But only they knew that their contest had already begun. ¡°The poison resistance from the Dragon Transformation is indeed strong. I¡¯ve already injected so much venom, and this Richard still shows no signs of poisoning.¡± Has watched Richard; each interaction of his pitch-black Bone Claws stirred a fragrant breeze. And this fragrance was also a part of his attack. His bloodline formula incorporated the bloodline of a creature called the Musk Magic Clam, which upon maturity, could secrete a poison potent enough to incapacitate third-level creatures. This poison easily volatilized, and the volatilized Poison would emit a strange fragrance. This scent could also poison Wizards. Currently, Richard was surrounded by this strange fragrance, and Has, through his attacks, had already injected a considerable amount of venom into Richard. Another Second Ring Wizard would have already collapsed from the poison by now, but Richard was still blocking his attacks calmly, showing no sign of poisoning in his defense. Has attributed all this to the benefits of the Dragon Transformation. ¡°Neurotoxins potent enough to surpass even the Sweetheart I use for training. But unfortunately, after years of training, I have developed a certain degree of Magic Resistance against most toxins. Combined with the Poison Resistance from my Magic Dwarf bloodline and a hundred and twelve points in Physique, this amount of toxin is far from sufficient.¡± Richard watched Has, fully aware of what the other was thinking. Bearing such potent toxins, it was hard for a Wizard not to become dependent on that method. And that was precisely Has¡¯s flaw. Hum! The black Bone Claws, tearing through the air, went straight for Richard¡¯s face. Richard raised his arms, firmly blocking the Bone Claws from reaching him. Suddenly, Richard¡¯s body twitched slightly. Though the twitch was faint, it happened to disrupt Richard¡¯s rhythm of defense. Upon seeing this, Has¡¯s heart leapt with joy. ¡°Finally, the poison¡¯s taken effect!¡± Then he saw Magic Power surge within his body, and a plethora of Runes suddenly appeared on his pair of Bone Claws. ¡°It¡¯s over, Richard.¡± Has spoke in a deep voice as his pitch-black Bone Claws pierced through Richard¡¯s defense, aiming straight for his chest, much like the scythe of the Death God come to harvest souls from legend. However, as expected, the battle was over. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s over.¡± The next moment, Has saw his Bone Claws precisely blocked, while a fist steadily grew larger in his field of vision. Boom! Has¡¯s figure was blasted away, his right Bone Claw dripping with blood. In the last moments, Has desperately used his right hand to block Richard¡¯s punch. But at this moment, he was wide open. Richard took advantage of the situation to rush in front of Has, throwing punches left and right, the Beng Stone Fist he learned from Changshan Temple, raining down on Has like a storm. Take advantage of your enemy¡¯s illness to take their life, this is the unchanging truth in combat. But Has did not betray the battle experience Jimmy cited when introducing him. After being counterattacked by Richard, Has quickly stabilized his footing. Black bone Scale Armor instantly spread across his entire arm, with intricate Runes emerging within. Each time they collided with Richard¡¯s fist, these Runes deflected the power of Richard¡¯s punches. For a time, Richard¡¯s fists could not inflict any damage on Has. The situation reversed once again. Richard was no Has, seizing an opportunity to kick someone when they were down he could do, but when it came to a straight fight, his combat experience was far less than Has¡¯s. A moment¡¯s inattention could reveal a flaw. Has looked at Richard, grinned, blood trickling from his forehead and across the corner of his mouth, his serrated white teeth carrying a bloodthirsty intent. Just wait until I find the flaw, and then you¡¯ll see¡­ Bang! A Spiritual Shock hit Has, instantly dulling his consciousness. What¡¯s this with a spiritual attack? I thought we had agreed on a physical brawl? The next moment, he heard Richard¡¯s calm voice. ¡°Changshan Fist Intent, please enlighten me.¡± Fist Intent? Has was taken aback, what the hell is that¡­ Jimmy, watching from below the stage, heard Richard¡¯s words and waved at Has to signal that it was okay. He knew that Richard had acquired a secret transmission known as Changshan Fist Intent, and this combination of physical and spiritual attacks was something he too was capable of, not particularly rare. The bewildered Has, seeing Jimmy¡¯s signal, had no choice but to meet the challenge. He had not seen this method before and did not know what other tricks Richard had up his sleeve; now he could only continue to defend. Relying on his rich combat experience and the fact that Richard¡¯s Changshan Fist Intent was just an introduction, Has¡¯s defense was watertight. Together with the Runes on his arms, he resembled a slippery rock slicked with butter. Not only was it tough, but it was also slippery. Facing this situation, Richard felt helpless in his heart. He had used up all his tricks apart from the Mountain Breaking Fist, but Has stood unshaken. If this stalemate continued, once Has realized that was all he had, victory would slip out of Richard¡¯s hands. ¡°Sigh, whatever, I came to fight to master Mountain Breaking Fist, and even if I lose using Solid Fist, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± With that thought, Richard¡¯s internal energy cycled differently, and he threw a punch with a boom. Bang! Has remained as steadfast as before, the power of the punch still largely dissipated by the Runes. If one hadn¡¯t mastered the Solid Fist, it would be nothing more than a slightly more powerful Beng Stone Fist. At this moment, Richard didn¡¯t think too much; since he had put winning or losing out of his mind, he decided to treat Has as a wooden stake to see if there were any tricks to using the Mountain Breaking Fist against an enemy. Bang, bang, bang¡­ Richard¡¯s fists pounded against Has repeatedly, but they always met with Has¡¯s solid defense. Has had already noticed Richard had switched combat skills, but out of caution, he still chose to defend. While Richard¡¯s new combat skills were powerful, they also consumed an incredible amount of energy. With such frenzied usage, all he needed to do was wait for Richard to reveal a flaw. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bang! Richard threw another punch, the rebound force flowing up his arm and dispersing into his body instantaneously. This was a defensive technique of the Mountain Breaking Fist, capable of dispersing force into nothingness. But this time, Richard felt a different sensation. Within this rebound force, he sensed a rhythm. Suddenly, Richard had an epiphany. ¡°So this is it, this is how it is.¡± Having said that, Richard swung out with a punch, but this time there was an unstoppable force behind his fist, coupled with a subtle change. Bang! Has¡¯s body suddenly flew backward, and the Rune Bone Armor he used for defense now bore a bloody fist print; the bone armor beneath the print was smashed to pieces by the punch. ¡°What crap about the breath of mountains, it¡¯s just resonance. These mountain Dwarves, due to their bloodline connection with the mountains, can quickly find the resonating feedback from stones. I don¡¯t have the bloodline of a mountain Dwarf, and yet I¡¯ve been practicing against stones¡­ Ha ha ha, I truly was an idiot!¡± Richard laughed heartily as he looked at his fist, his Mountain Breaking Fist had reached an introduction level. Has got up from the edge of the Duel Arena, the fist print on his arm slowly healing. ¡°I concede,¡± Has said in a low voice. Without risking their lives, he was no match for Richard¡¯s Changshan Fist Intent and Mountain Breaking Fist. Richard bowed slightly to him: ¡°I was just lucky. The Master¡¯s combat skills are masterful, I hope to have a battle with the Master again next time.¡± As the victor, it is still necessary to make some polite remarks. Jimmy, looking at this sudden turnaround in the fight, couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. That¡¯s how cautious fighters are, as soon as they find they can¡¯t cope, they immediately concede. ¡°Alright, now I declare, the winner of this fight is Richard!¡± Chapter 208 - 38 Nightmare Artifact Chapter 208: Chapter 38 Nightmare Artifact The battle concluded, and Richard left the Duel Arena. For Richard, the initiation into the Mountain Breaking Fist represented a significant improvement. The most formidable aspect of the Mountain Breaking Fist was the ¡®breaking¡¯ component itself, a technique designed specifically to counter various defenses. As long as he could discern the resonance frequency, he could break through his enemy¡¯s defense with a single punch. Returning to the Wizard Tower, Richard followed his usual routine by entering the communication room adjacent to the laboratory, utilizing the Dream World Communication Device to converse with Bones. After years of improvements by Richard, the cooling components of the Dream World Communication Device had significantly increased in performance. If Richard so desired, his communication time could be sustained indefinitely. However, the consequence would be an enormous consumption of Magic Stones. The Magic Stone consumption of the Dream World Communication Device was comparable to that of the Gravity Training Room¡ªa heavy spender on its own was sufficient, but two was more than Richard could afford. Thus, Richard still adhered to the customary ten minutes of communication per day. The Spiritual Message transmitted through the Communication Device was infused into the Soul Seed, and the Nightmare Body in the coffin opened its eyes momentarily. As usual, Richard knocked on the coffin and waited for Bones to unlock the chains on the coffin. Bones¡¯s daily life was rather dull; aside from practicing swordsmanship at his residence, he ventured to the tavern in the Lawless Land to pick up tasks. Richard¡¯s usual communication was akin to logging in to greet someone, and after confirming Bones was unoccupied, he would end the contact. After all, the communication device burned actual Magic Stones, and every second less of communication meant less consumption of Magic Stones. But this time, after Richard knocked on the coffin, there was a delayed lack of response. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Richard frowned, as usually, even if Bones was on a mission, he would knock back on the coffin as a response. But today, there was completely no movement. Pressing his hands on the coffin, Richard gave a slight shake of his arms and heard the sound of chains snapping. After his training at Changshan Temple and years of exercise, Richard had mastered the control of his physical strength to perfection. He had even self-taught small techniques like Inch Strength. Opening the coffin, Richard stood up. Now, he understood why Bones hadn¡¯t responded. Surrounding him were over a dozen of Big Nightmare Level Nightmare creatures, and at this moment, Bones was propping himself up with his Great Sword, evidently severely wounded. Richard looked at the surrounding Nightmare creatures and said faintly. ¡°Bones, the situation looks pretty bad.¡± He knew Bones had been executing a task these days, but judging by the current scenario, the difficulty of this task had evidently exceeded the expected limits. Bones weakly looked towards Richard, and a feeble voice emanated from his dark helmet. ¡°Boss, just run.¡± ¡­ Time rewound to twenty days ago, when Bones, as usual, came to the tavern in the Lawless Land to pick up the dirty gigs from various Lords or Vassals. The tavern in the Lawless Land looked no different from any ordinary tavern¡­ aside from the sign burning with green flames labeled ¡°Seeker¡¯s Tavern¡± and the blood-drenched skull above the entrance, coupled with a desolate-looking coffin-like exterior. Pushing open the door, various demons and monsters inside turned to look at the newcomer, but upon recognizing Bones who was known for his signature Great Sword and coffin, everyone quickly averted their gaze. Bones was a regular at this tavern and among the longest surviving clients. Approaching the counter, a demon bartender with goat horns and dark red flames on his body handed Bones a glass of dark red wine. ¡°Your favorite, Nightmare Red.¡± Bones picked up the glass: ¡°What¡¯s the task?¡± The bartender at Seeker¡¯s Tavern never offered a drink unless he needed a favor. The bartender let out a strange laugh, his hot sulfuric breath washing over: ¡°A Big Shot wants a few unlucky ones to scout an abandoned Nightmare Territory. The strength of the unlucky ones must reach the Nightmare level, and the reward is five hundred thousand Nightmare Crystals.¡± Five hundred thousand Nightmare Crystals, a staggeringly high figure. That price could even afford the services of a Nightmare Knight. But Bones remained composure, his voice as stable as ever. ¡°How many people? Who are they?¡± ¡°Ten people, you¡¯re the last one. Besides a few newcomers, ¡®Executioner,¡¯ ¡®Scarecrow,¡¯ and ¡®Mist Coachman¡¯ have joined,¡± the bartender said, mentioning patrons who were regulars at the Seeker Tavern, all of whom were Big Nightmares that had long survived in the Lawless Land. Both in terms of strength and experience, they were top-tier among the Nightmare creatures of the Lawless Land. Bones downed his drink in one go: ¡°When?¡± The bartender took the glass back, laughing oddly: ¡°Same time tomorrow.¡± ¡­ Observing the Nightmare creatures around him, Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and in his hands materialized his usual Magic Wand. ¡°Run? Where would you run to? You¡¯re already in someone else¡¯s mouth, thinking of running without breaking their teeth?¡± Richard gazed at the Nightmare creatures; to him, the energy pathways around, linked together like a network, resembled the vascular system of a creature, sending shivers down his spine. The energy pathways of those Nightmare creatures around him connected with the environment, clearly indicating they were some sort of Puppets. The current situation was no longer something that could be resolved by simply running away. Hearing this, Bones could only give a bitter smile, realizing he had been severely duped this time. The nightmare creatures around him paused in their tracks upon Richard¡¯s arrival, but soon they realized he was merely a minor Nightmare, hardly a threat. ¡°Hehehe, who would have thought that the coffin of the Black Coffin Sword Saint held but a minor Nightmare. Speaking of this would make one sound insane,¡± a nightmare creature, ghost-like from a story, cackled. Around him, more than ten bluish-green ghostly fires circled ceaselessly. Richard glanced at him, surprised that these nightmare creatures could see through his Talent to gauge his strength. But what did it matter if they could see through it? Richard waved his magic wand, and several human-head-sized black fireballs appeared around him. ¡°Bones, you handle defense.¡± With that, the fireballs sped towards the surrounding nightmare creatures. Boom! One by one the fireballs exploded, turning into black orbs, scattering the nightmare creatures in all directions. The Heart of Annihilation¡¯s two thousand energy-level damage was considered a major weapon even among Second Ring Wizards. These nightmare creatures, not yet mastering the Dream Rules, were even inferior to ordinary native creatures. With Bones defending, Richard was now akin to the artillery of a War Fortress. During the bombardment, Richard paid particular attention to the speaking ghost. Bones watched dully as the emerging Hearts of Annihilation exploded around him, scattering the nightmare creatures that were about to devour him, some even being blown up directly. ¡°Was the boss always this strong?¡± he thought to himself. Soon, the nightmare creatures planning to feast on Bones were completely driven off. Richard drew the corpses of the unlucky ones killed by the blasts using his Magic Power, and then consumed them. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Buzz! A potent Power of Nightmare erupted from Richard¡¯s body, altering his form. His already mysterious black robe now appeared even more enigmatic. After evolving into a Big Nightmare, Richard¡¯s nightmare Talent further enhanced. Ten minutes later, the evolution was complete. Bones suddenly felt a shake in his mind, and the connection between him and Richard suddenly became much closer. Richard could even draw on his Power of Nightmare through this connection to balance the Power of Nightmare between them. Richard moved his body, immediately feeling more comfortable. After getting used to the physique of a Second-level Creature, he really wasn¡¯t accustomed to the drives of a First Level Nightmare. Sensing his Talent, Richard thought, and his entire body instantly transformed into a shadow, merging into the surrounding ground. His talent post-evolution was similar to Shadow March, but unlike Shadow Stealth, it was stronger and didn¡¯t require shadows. Emerging from the ground, Richard then conjured a Magic Pocket to store his coffin. Then, Richard turned to Bones and calmly asked, ¡°Tell me what exactly is going on here. This place looks far from simple.¡± ¡­ The day after accepting the task, Bones carried the coffin to the tavern as usual. Seeker¡¯s Tavern wasn¡¯t open today, but Bones pushed the door and entered anyway. Inside the tavern, nine nightmare creatures with remarkable presence all turned their gaze toward him. Although Bones didn¡¯t recognize most of these nightmare creatures, he had seen three of them before. ¡°The Sword Saint is as punctual as ever,¡± a skeleton dressed like an old farmer wearing a straw hat and holding a whip laughed. Beside him, a bulky nightmare creature, about three meters tall with a sack over his head and holding a rusty great sword, looked at Bones; a glint of blood-light flashed from the rusty sword. He was the Executioner, another nightmare creature proficient with weapons. Next to the Executioner, a nightmare creature, resembling a scarecrow come to life from the rice paddies and radiating a sinister aura, with a black crow croaking hoarsely on its shoulder: ¡°Everyone¡¯s here, where¡¯s the bartender?¡± ¡°Scarecrow, always so impatient.¡± No sooner had Scarecrow spoken than the demon bartender emerged from under the counter, holding a box filled with murky liquid bottles. There was an entrance to a cellar under the counter, where the bartender kept the wines brewed from nightmare creatures. With a wave of his hand, several small demons with wings grabbed the bottles and delivered them to the nightmare creatures. ¡°Try this, it¡¯s my newly brewed whiskey, with Nightmare blood and Fire Dragon salvia added, guaranteed to pack a punch.¡± Bones took a bottle, dripped a drop into his mouth, then set it aside. He had no interest in alcohol. The other nightmare creatures tasted it, and upon drinking, immediately spat out flames several meters long. ¡°Ha, definitely packs a punch,¡± the Mist Cart Man loudly commented. ¡°It seems this task will be difficult.¡± The bartender¡¯s drinks were never free; the high-quality items indicated a very challenging task. The bartender shrugged, and with a flick, a series of green flames formed words in the air: ¡°The location of this mission is an abandoned Nightmare Territory; its lord was defeated in territorial wars and dragged his domain into the Nightmare Domain as he died. Now, the territory has reappeared, and a Big Shot wants you to scout it out. If possible, bring back an item.¡± ¡°What item?¡± a nightmare creature asked. The bartender smiled, his voice carrying an evil seduction, like that of a legendary devil. ¡°Nothing much, just a Nightmare Artifact.¡± Chapter 209 - 39: Nightmare Pyramid Chapter 209: Chapter 39: Nightmare Pyramid ¡°You said Nightmare Artifact?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but interrupt Bones¡¯ narration. The Nightmare Artifact was something that even Wizards of the Three Rings coveted. How could the news of such a treasure be leaked to a band of ¡°mercenaries¡±? Unless these mercenaries couldn¡¯t spread the news. Bones nodded, ¡°Indeed, the bartender spoke of the Nightmare Artifact, and we also saw that thing.¡± ¡°You actually saw it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Bones said with a bitter voice, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for seeing that artifact, how would we have fallen into such straits?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Continue.¡± ¡­ When they heard the news of the Nightmare Artifact, everyone present was shocked. These people weren¡¯t young; they had all heard of the Nightmare Artifact to some extent. Such things, usually in the possession of Nightmare Knights, suddenly sparked greed in the hearts of several Nightmare creatures. The creatures of the Lawless Land of Nightmares were already a group of bold and reckless beings. Though they sensed something was amiss with this obviously baited news, each harbored a stroke of luck. What if one of them got their hands on that Nightmare Artifact? Bones, upon hearing this news, remained neither sad nor happy; he was disinterested in the Nightmare Artifact, wishing only for a stable and predictable life. The demon bartender poured himself a glass of wine, ¡°Gentlemen, I have told you the information; the rest is up to you. If you return alive, I will waive a ten-year tab for him.¡± With that, the bartender drained his glass. Based on the information provided by the bartender, the group quickly found that abandoned Nightmare Territory. Nightmare Territories are generally the projections of the Material World¡¯s creature gathering areas into the Nightmare World, but creatures of the Material World migrate for various reasons, and the Wizard World is so vast that there are far too many suitable places for humans to live. Thus, a city once populated could easily become a dead city over a few hundred years. These kinds of territories are what Nightmare creatures call abandoned Nightmare Territories. A typical Nightmare Lord, when faced with this situation, either seeks out a new territory in the Wilderness or initiates a territorial war to snatch another lord¡¯s territory. And the lord mentioned in this mission was one who attempted to seize territory and ended up being beaten back to his roots. Having found the place, the group began reconnaissance before the mission. Being able to survive in the Lawless Land to the level of the Big Nightmare, even a brainless idiot would have certain necessary actions as a conditioned reflex. From a distance, this territory once pulled into the Nightmare Domain looked very dilapidated, with various brick and stone buildings looking tattered. Vines and spiderwebs were everywhere among the ruins. A crow flew out of the Scarecrow¡¯s body and into the territory¡¯s airspace, seemingly without any problems. But within a few minutes, the Scarecrow¡¯s crow suddenly began circling in place. ¡°There¡¯s a spatial anomaly in this territory,¡± the Scarecrow said, ¡°My crow is caught in a spatial loop.¡± Everyone nodded and began probing the territory with their methods. Bones¡¯ method of investigation was to use the Power of Nightmare to condense into a crow, similar to the Scarecrow. ¡°Hmm? You use a crow too?¡± the Scarecrow glanced at Bones, unfamiliar with Bones¡¯ means. Bones nodded, ¡°Mine is different from yours.¡± Bones¡¯ crow was actually an imitation of Richard, as Ulysses¡¯ soul projection was always on Richard¡¯s shoulder, and he used Ulysses for reconnaissance. Bones was deeply influenced by this. The reconnaissance continued for nearly a week, and the outskirts of this abandoned territory were probed by several Nightmares, marking all sorts of spatial anomalies. However, once their methods of investigation entered the Inner City District of the territory, they became useless, and they obtained no information. Faced with this situation, the group could only push forward into the territory, using their physical bodies to explore the Inner City. The periphery of the abandoned territory felt like a ghost town as they walked. The houses, long-corroded by the Power of Nightmare and Dream Rules, looked particularly sinister. It was as if the hollow windows and shadows behind doors all hid unpredictable monsters. This eerie atmosphere should have been unsettling, but for the Nightmare creatures entering the area, it felt like returning home for the holidays. ¡°The Nightmare Domain has deeply eroded this land; don¡¯t enter buildings carelessly, watch out for the remaining Dream Rules killing you,¡± the Mistcoach suddenly spoke. Out of these Nightmare creatures, this old timer was the oldest, strongest, and most experienced. What he said was almost never wrong. Everyone nodded and cautiously approached the Inner City. Upon entering the Inner City District, everyone suddenly felt an innate fear. Here, the corruption by the Nightmare Domain far surpassed that of the Outer City, resembling a miniature Nightmare Domain. The buildings here were relatively intact, but the sensation they gave was like that of monsters in disguise, lying in wait for their prey to come into their clutches. ¡°Sigh, this money isn¡¯t easy to earn,¡± a Nightmare creature spoke. This Nightmare creature wore something akin to priestly garb, but its visage was even more horrifying than the demon bartender, its voice fluctuating between gentle and resounding to sharp and hoarse. As its voice fell, movement arose from inside a nearby house. Shadowy figures emerged one by one from the houses, charging straight toward the talking nightmare creature. The other few nightmare creatures, upon witnessing this scene, all clamped their mouths shut. Speaking might just be a breach of the rules. The Priest, facing these shadows, suddenly expanded to over three meters in height, his muscles looking terrifyingly robust. He exuded Holy Light, as if a divine being had descended, but his visage became even more ferocious. Boom boom boom¡­ The Priest continuously smashed the shadows to pieces, but the houses on the street seemed like a spawning cage that, without a torch inserted, would ceaselessly refresh new shadows. The other few nightmare creatures watched for a long time, until the fight was over. This battle could provide them with very important intelligence. Finally, the shadows climbed onto the Priest¡¯s body, dragged him to the ground, and then bit by bit, pulled him into the nearest house. During this, not one nightmare creature helped him. ¡­ ¡°Can¡¯t speak? How interesting,¡± Richard muttered as he surveyed his surroundings; he too was among ruins, but based on what he could sense from his environment, he should still be in the Inner City District. ¡°So how come we can talk here?¡± Bones shook his head, ¡°Boss, this territory is just tainted by the Nightmare Domain, it¡¯s not truly the Nightmare Territory. So, it¡¯s normal for some rules to work in certain places and not in others.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard looked at Bones with interest. ¡°Did you come up with that yourself?¡± Bones honestly shook his head, ¡°The Misty Coachman said it; he¡¯s an old thing and knows a lot.¡± Richard was somewhat disappointed, and then motioned for Bones to carry on. ¡°Skip the unimportant parts and talk about how to find the Nightmare Artifact, and how it ended up in this situation.¡± ¡­ The remaining members experienced many bizarre situations within the Inner City and two perished. After nearly twelve days of exploration, on the thirteenth day, they finally arrived at the heart of the territory¡ªa vast square. At the center of the square stood a statue not of human likeness. Its ferocious face and twisted limbs were all indicative of a sculpture of the old Nightmare Lord. But even as just a statue, the pressure emanating from it was suffocating for the nightmare creatures, regardless of whether they possessed a respiratory system. Hovering in front of the statue¡¯s chest was a palm-sized mini-pyramid with the Power of Nightmare occasionally appearing from within, imparting an air of mystery. ¡°Is this the Nightmare Artifact?¡± A pig-headed creature that resembled a Suture Monster spoke up. As the most experienced of the nightmare creatures, the Misty Coachman carefully examined the black Pyramid, with the Flames in his eye sockets burning more fiercely than usual. ¡°It should be. But¡­¡± The Misty Coachman was cut off mid-sentence as a ghostly nightmare creature dashed forward. Seeing this, the few other creatures lusting after the Nightmare Artifact immediately followed the ghost¡¯s lead, except for the unmoving Misty Coachman and Bones. Watching the creatures vie for the Nightmare Artifact, the Misty Coachman casually pinched a tobacco pipe and took a couple of drags before finishing his sentence. ¡°¡­This thing is in an activated state; whoever touches it will be out of luck.¡± No sooner had he spoken than the black Pyramid suddenly erupted with a burst of dark light, shaking the entire Nightmare Territory. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The pressure of the detonation startled the Misty Coachman. This Pyramid¡¯s commotion was larger than he had anticipated. Under the dark light, all the nightmare creatures fighting for the Pyramid were shattered to pieces, with only Bones and the Misty Coachman spared, having been on the periphery of the square. But before they could feel relieved, the dark light dissipated, and the territory¡¯s space began to shift. Bones felt the surroundings change abruptly, the next moment finding himself in this current place. And with him, multiple nightmare creatures emerged from the ruins. Some of these creatures were members of the shattered exploration team; others were nightmare creatures Bones had never seen before. The creatures, upon seeing Bones, commenced their attack without a word. Although Bones was protected by Armor and wielded the Refined Gold Greatsword, a ¡°bully artifact,¡± he was outnumbered; surrounded by more than ten adversaries, he ultimately succumbed to defeat, severely wounded. What followed was Richard awakening, and then slaughtering in all directions. ¡­ Having listened to Bones¡¯ account, Richard pondered, ¡°It seems this black Pyramid is the keystone to controlling the territory, and it involves spatial rules¡­ wait a moment.¡± Richard¡¯s voice had barely faded when his body went limp, and Bones quickly moved to support him. Not long after, Richard regained consciousness, and from his shoulder emerged a black crow. ¡°Caw, is this the kid that helped your alter ego escape? How come it looks like it¡¯s growing faster than you?¡± Chapter 210 - 40: The Heart of the Nightmare Lord Chapter 210: Chapter 40: The Heart of the Nightmare Lord Seeing Ulysses suddenly appear, the bones weren¡¯t too surprised. In his view, the raven standing on his boss¡¯s shoulder should be a manifestation of his boss¡¯s talent or perhaps the boss¡¯s twin. The forms of Nightmare creatures are varied and bizarre; he found nothing strange in whatever kind of Nightmare creature appeared. Ulysses looked around and flew a few circles around the ruins before finally returning to Richard¡¯s shoulder and whispered in his ear, ¡°Gah, something is watching us. According to what you said, that year, the Nightmare Lord dragged the entire domain into the Nightmare Domain. This is quite unusual. I suspect that the Nightmare Lord might not be dead; he is currently living in some form within this domain.¡± ¡°Hmm!?¡± Richard¡¯s face tightened, and his pupils unconsciously constricted. Ulysses¡¯s words were truly frightening¡ªa living Nightmare Lord existing in this domain meant that they, the Nightmare creatures who had entered, could become his prey. ¡°Gah, don¡¯t be nervous. Nightmare creatures are different from us; they regress in strength without the Power of Nightmare. A Nightmare Lord, having lost his domain and subordinates, would consume a great deal of Power of Nightmare unless he is asleep. After so many years, even if this Nightmare Lord is still alive, it¡¯s likely that his control over the Power of Nightmare has already been significantly depleted.¡± After finishing his words, Ulysses looked around the environment and continued, ¡°Gah, but this damned place, it¡¯s better if we leave. Your ¡®original self¡¯ isn¡¯t here; if this incarnation is lost, it would be quite troublesome.¡± Richard nodded as he too thought the same. Although the Nightmare Artifact was appealing, it was best not to risk it given their current strength. ¡°You scout ahead. We¡¯re leaving now.¡± ¡°Gah, okay.¡± Ulysses flew toward the outskirts of the domain while Richard signaled his bones to prepare to leave this forsaken place. ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t you going to take a look at that Nightmare Artifact?¡± the bones asked somewhat puzzled. He had seen Richard and Ulysses muttering for a long time and thought they were planning on how to retrieve the Nightmare Artifact. He didn¡¯t expect that after their discussion, they would actually leave. Richard glanced at him and said earnestly, ¡°Bones, what did I tell you? The main goal now is to stay alive. Is the Nightmare Artifact something we can meddle with? Forcibly taking it is not only extremely dangerous, but even if you get it, can you protect it once outside? The person who sent you the message never intended for you to survive. Even if we get out now, we would probably be hunted. Not to mention getting the artifact.¡± Listening to Richard¡¯s admonition, Bones obediently nodded repeatedly. Richard looked at him and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. When he had named Bones initially, it was because he seemed somewhat clever, able to help out in the future. But now it seemed that Bones¡¯s cleverness was merely driven by survival instincts; once the danger of survival was gone, his brain began to gather dust. But gathering dust was fine; simple creatures are often more loyal. Following Ulysses, Richard and Bones reached the street through which Bones had passed earlier. It was here that the Priest was dragged into one of the surrounding houses by a group of shadows, his fate unknown. Before entering the street, Ulysses suddenly stopped. ¡°Gah, there are a lot of residual Dream Rules here,¡± Ulysses warned cautiously, ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we take another road.¡± But Bones spoke up at this moment, ¡°It¡¯s all the same; we¡¯ve checked the entire perimeter of the Inner City District. The entire area has remnants of Dream Rules; this street is somewhat better because at least we know where the triggers for the rules are. In other parts, we don¡¯t even know what the special rules are.¡± Hearing what Bones said, Ulysses said no more and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, entering the street together. The street was very quiet, the buildings on both sides looked dark from the outside windows, as if they were not windows but the gaping mouth of some monster. Knowing the rules, they kept their mouths shut while walking and soon reached the edge of the Inner City District. Beyond this, they could enter the safe Outer City District. But as Richard took a step forward, he suddenly realized he was still in the same spot. Thinking it was an illusion, he stepped forward again. But his body remained in place. He looked at Bones and realized that Bones was experiencing the same. Ulysses flew up from Richard¡¯s shoulder, intending to leave via the air. But it was the same. Ulysses gave Richard a significant look and then flew backward. Moving backward seemed to pose no problem. Richard and Bones followed suit, and as they walked out of the street, Ulysses spoke, ¡°Gah, it¡¯s a spatial loop. Someone doesn¡¯t want us to get out.¡± Richard¡¯s expression darkened, and he said in a low voice, ¡°That Nightmare Lord?¡± ¡°Gah, I don¡¯t know, but what¡¯s certain is that with our current strength alone, we probably can¡¯t force our way out.¡± This was quite troublesome. Hearing the conversation between the two, Bones¡¯s heart was filled with self-reproach. Had he been more wary and less proud of his own strength, perhaps things wouldn¡¯t have gotten to this point. There was silence for a moment before Richard spoke in a low voice, ¡°Sigh, it looks like we have no choice but to look into the Nightmare Artifact.¡± He only had this one avatar, and only one underling, a skeleton. If both were lost, his arrangements in the Nightmare World would be completely undone. Although at the moment, it seemed like Richard had only lost a disposable pawn, a minor loss, in the long run, Richard lost his setup in the Nightmare World, missing out on a lot of Power of Nightmare. These powers of nightmare could eventually be turned into Soul Essence once his soul entered the Nightmare World. Moreover, this loss would vary depending on how soon Richard found a way to enter the Nightmare World, the longer it took, the greater the loss. It was like the big fish that got away during fishing; as time passed, the fish that weighed a few dozen pounds could have grown to weigh hundreds. ¡°Ah, we might as well take a look,¡± Ulysses didn¡¯t care, Richard¡¯s gains in the Nightmare World wouldn¡¯t benefit him in any way, even if Richard found a way to enter the Nightmare World later, it wouldn¡¯t affect him, the World Master. ¡°Who knows, maybe we can actually tame this divine artifact.¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ Bone led the way to the plaza while Richard and Ulysses kept exploring this territory. Richard had Energy Vision, so if there were any traps or ambushes in the entire territory, he could detect them immediately. Ulysses, being a soul projection, acted without any concerns, daring to enter buildings even if they were tainted by the Dream Rules and might contain unknown demons and monsters. His exploration turned out to be not in vain; he indeed found something useful for Richard. ¡°Ah, this thing must have been made by a Nightmare Lord. After so many years, it still exists and can still move.¡± Ulysses held a palm-sized carriage in his claw, which looked like the carriage the Magic Puppet Billy had used to take Richard to the city of Amade. But when Bone saw the carriage, he exclaimed, ¡°Boss! This is not a nightmare creation; this is a Mist Carriage! Its Power of Nightmare has been completely drained!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard took the carriage with some surprise and saw a little figure, about five or six centimeters high, emerge from the carriage. The figure wore a straw hat, held a whip, and was a skeleton. It was a shrunken version of a Mist Carriage Driver. The little figure immediately began kneeling to Richard, shouting, ¡°Spare my life, master, spare my life! I¡¯m only left with a trace of the Power of Nightmare, eating me won¡¯t do you much good.¡± Richard looked curiously at this regressed nightmare creature, he hadn¡¯t really studied such beings yet. But, considering his current circumstances, studying nightmare creatures seemed a bit costly. Richard pinched the Mist Carriage Driver and asked Bone, ¡°How about this little guy assists you? You mentioned before that he has a lot of knowledge and experience.¡± Bone was stunned, not sure what Richard meant by that. But Richard was right; the Mist Carriage Driver did have rich knowledge and experience. ¡°¡­Alright,¡± Bone replied after thinking for a moment. Having an experienced assistant would be quite helpful for his survival. Richard looked at the Mist Carriage Driver. ¡°Little one, how about I give you a name?¡± As Richard¡¯s power increased, the naming mechanism granted him more and more privileges. From initially sensing emotions to now being able to extract Power of Nightmare from those he named, which was higher than his own. If he reached the Third Level, who knew what naming would bring him. Hearing that Richard was about to name him, the Mist Carriage Driver nodded repeatedly, ¡°Thank you for the honor of giving me a name, master!¡± Naming was something that could only happen with the agreement of both parties; with the Mist Carriage Driver¡¯s consent, Richard casually gave him a name. ¡°Previously you were called the Mist Carriage Driver, so now I shall simply call you Carriage Driver.¡± As the name was bestowed, an instant connection formed between Richard and the Mist Carriage Driver. After the naming was done, Richard held the Carriage Driver up to inquire about his experiences. The Carriage Driver and Bone had been relocated together, but compared to Bone, who had Richard¡¯s support, the Carriage Driver¡¯s experiences were unfortunate. He had been transported to a district with strict rules and had encountered multiple nightmare creatures attacking him. The Carriage Driver, stronger than Bone, fought desperately, managing to counter-kill the attacking nightmare creatures, but before he could be happy, he violated a rule and was pulled into a building by shadows, having all his Power of Nightmare drained. ¡°Oh? This district has rules?¡± Richard glanced at the surrounding houses, thinking about how formidable the Nightmare Domain was, able to play with Big Nightmares on even tainted land. ¡°Yes, master. This area has a restriction on noise levels; I was punished for the sound of my whip.¡± Richard nodded and used Magic Pocket to store him. With Ulysses present, the Carriage Driver¡¯s experience seemed rather inadequate; his usefulness would have to wait until they were outside. Soon, Richard and his party finally arrived at the edge of the square, where a black pyramid was floating up and down in front of the chest of a statue of the Nightmare Lord. ¡°Ah, something is off about this,¡± Ulysses looked at the pyramid and suddenly said, ¡°This thing, I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯s a Nightmare Artifact but rather like¡­¡± Suddenly, a voice came from within the pyramid: ¡°Wizard, I¡¯d like to make a deal with you.¡± Richard frowned and asked Ulysses, ¡°Has this thing become sentient, developed an Artifact Spirit?¡± Ulysses shook his head and said with a serious tone, ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s the heart of the Lord who once ruled this territory!¡± Chapter 211 - 41 Trading Chapter 211: Chapter 41 Trading ¡°The heart of the Nightmare Lord?¡± Richard looked back at the hovering black pyramid, ¡°You can actually tell that I am a Wizard. I thought that not even the Nightmare Lord could see through my identity.¡± Because his true body was not in the Nightmare World, Richard spoke with more confidence. So what if you see through me? Have the guts to run to the Material World and kill me at the Tower of Truth. The black pyramid emitted another sound: ¡°The talent of you Wizards is almost like it was carved from the same mold. Each one of you hides yourselves and wears robes of the same style. So many years have passed, and you haven¡¯t changed.¡± Richard¡¯s expression paused for a moment, as he did not expect to be recognized for this reason. But he quickly realized that this was indeed a flaw. The talent and appearance of a Wizard¡¯s Nightmare Body are often determined by the Wizard¡¯s inner desires, and it was obvious that every Wizard wanted to conceal their identity and felt a strong association with their identity as a Wizard. Thus, it was common to see little difference among the Nightmare Bodies of Wizards. And in the Nightmare World, difference is the normal state; being alike is what¡¯s alien. ¡°I must say, it¡¯s been a very long time since I¡¯ve last seen any trace of you. Has your war finally ended?¡± the black pyramid spoke with a relaxed tone. It seemed that the black pyramid had extensive past interactions with Wizards and from its words, its age seemed to trace back to the very end of the enlightenment period, the time of the great Wizard war. After pondering for a moment, Richard decided to answer truthfully: ¡°If you¡¯re referring to the great Wizard war, then that has long since ended.¡± The black pyramid fell silent for a while: ¡°It seems I have wasted a lot of time.¡± ¡°So, what kind of deal do you want to make with me?¡± The black pyramid hesitated, then said, ¡°I need a body, a custom-made body without a core. This shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you Wizards.¡± ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not difficult,¡± Richard replied indifferently, ¡°but what price will you pay? Wizard¡¯s rule, equitable exchange. But what can you offer now, in your current state?¡± ¡°Equitable exchange?¡± The voice of the black pyramid suddenly became cheerful, ¡°After so many years, you Wizards still like to hang this nonsense phrase on your lips. When have I ever made a deal with you that wasn¡¯t at my loss and at your advantage?¡± ¡°That is your perception,¡± Richard replied calmly. ¡°Alright, you Wizards are still the same, and that reassures me,¡± the voice of the black pyramid relaxed, ¡°You make the body as I have requested, and I will give you an incomplete Nightmare Artifact.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°This sounds like quite the advantageous deal for me.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my conditions. I need five hundred years with this servant of yours, during which he will follow my commands completely,¡± the black pyramid added. Richard narrowed his eyes. He had not expected this lord to want Bone. ¡°You actually want Bone? I think we can further discuss this condition.¡± Bone usually protected Richard¡¯s avatar, and if he were to follow the Nightmare Lord, there would inevitably be battles, which did not align with Richard¡¯s needs for Bone. ¡°Oh? Do you actually have feelings for the little guy?¡± The black pyramid was surprised; according to its impression of Wizards, they would certainly agree to this trade. ¡°Bone is needed to guard this avatar of mine and cannot follow your orders completely,¡± Richard replied evenly, ¡°But I have another little guy here who might satisfy your requirements.¡± With that, Richard pulled the coachman out of his pocket. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This little guy degenerated because he violated the rules, but with enough Power of Nightmare, he will soon recover. His strength is much more formidable than Bone¡¯s.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s this little one, I thought he had already died,¡± the black pyramid recognized the coachman, ¡°But right now, he¡¯s just a Nightmare Spirit, raising his Power of Nightmare will take too much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. If you agree to the trade, he will soon become a Big Nightmare.¡± The black pyramid was silent for a long while, seemingly considering whether the trade was worthwhile. ¡°You need to turn him into a Big Nightmare first, then I can agree to this trade.¡± Richard nodded: ¡°No problem, but I need a small favor from you.¡± ¡­ Three hours later, Richard threw the carcass of a Big Nightmare to the coachman. As a vast amount of Power of Nightmare was absorbed, the coachman¡¯s strength returned to that of a Big Nightmare. The task Richard needed the black pyramid to do was simple: to summon those Nightmare Creatures again. Looking at the energy circuits, there was a massive Energy Network hidden beneath the entire Inner City District, and the hub just happened to be the black pyramid. But regrettably, the Nightmare energy in these energy networks was not from the black pyramid itself, but rather from the land of the Nightmare World. The energy circuit that could be observed through the strata because it was familiar, wasn¡¯t it? The territory of the black pyramid just happened to cover a piece of land that was generating Black Knights, and the pyramid, thus, had connected to this Nightmare Network and activated its defensive measures. However, the Nightmare energy used to generate the Black Knights was not something to be consumed lightly, and the black pyramid only dared to use it to activate defenses and did not dare to take more. As the Nightmare Lord, he knew many of the dark secrets of the tidal forces. With the carriage driver returning to the Big Nightmare, the Black Pyramid finally agreed to the trade. He only needed a Big Nightmare to help him get through the initial difficult years, as for which Big Nightmare it was? It didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Very well, since you agree to the trade, bring out the energy circuit diagram for the body you wish to craft.¡± Richard looked forward to the Black Pyramid with some anticipation, a body custom-designed by a Nightmare Lord surely contained a wealth of knowledge. But the Black Pyramid said, ¡°Before the trade, I need you to take an oath on the Sea of Souls, promising not to leave any backdoors in the body during its creation. And after the transaction is concluded, you must not attack me, mark me, seal me, or engage in any hostile actions against me, and this must be maintained for at least five hundred years.¡± It had to be said, the Black Pyramid definitely had been tricked by Wizards in the past. Wizards, although sticklers for contracts, felt no guilty conscience about backstabbing after a deal was finished, especially when dealing with Alien entities. Richard¡¯s expression darkened upon hearing this, and he unwillingly took an oath on the Sea of Souls. After the oath was taken, the Black Pyramid sent a Spiritual Message to Richard. This message was an energy circuit diagram he had never seen before, which was many times more complex than that of an ordinary Nightmare Spirit, yet it still fell within the category of a Nightmare Spirit. If one became a Lesser Nightmare using this energy circuit, the energy flow within would be several times more complex than that of an ordinary Lesser Nightmare. And the secrets within, probably only the Black Pyramid itself knew. Following the diagram, Richard spent a lot of time completing the body. After delivering the body, the Black Pyramid slowly flew into the chest of the body and then merged into it. Three seconds later, the body opened its eyes. ¡°Very well, you Wizards are cunning, but the things you make are indeed useful.¡± The Black Pyramid stood up and took out a miniature Black Pyramid from its chest. ¡°This is what you wanted.¡± Richard took the pyramid and asked, ¡°I haven¡¯t had the honor of learning your name.¡± ¡°Name?¡± The Black Pyramid snorted coldly, ¡°I dare not tell you Wizards my real name, you can simply call me ¡®Pyramid.''¡± Richard¡¯s eye twitched. He thought to himself about what his fellow Wizards must have done in the Nightmare World to make a Nightmare Lord so wary that they wouldn¡¯t even reveal their name to a junior Wizard like himself. ¡°Enough, our trade is complete, the defenses of the land have been lifted, you may leave at your leisure.¡± After saying this, the Pyramid Lord beckoned the carriage driver over and left the territory without hesitation, without a trace of reluctance. It seemed that this land was not so much a dominion to him as it was a prison. ¡­ Richard checked the Nightmare Artifact given to him by the Pyramid Lord. The artifact was only the size of a fist, made of smooth obsidian and looking very exquisite. The only defect was that one corner of the pyramid was chipped. On the five faces of the pyramid, Richard found markings similar to runes, but the system of these runes was completely different from that of a Wizard¡¯s runes, and in the short term, Richard was unable to decipher them. Infusing the Power of Nightmare into the Black Pyramid, the next moment, it merged into Richard¡¯s body and fused with the core of the Nightmare Body. And he became aware of the use of the Black Pyramid. ¡°Nightmare amplification, once merged into the body, any actions involving Dream Rules will be amplified by the Black Pyramid. Moreover, this ability can also be shared with subordinates through the bond of gifting names.¡± Understanding the function of the Black Pyramid, Richard shook his head: ¡°What¡¯s the use of this, Bone, how much do you know about the Dream Rules?¡± Bone shook his head: ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t know many strategies involving the Dream Rules either.¡± Richard sighed, ¡°It seems this thing is of little use for now.¡± Thinking about it, if this artifact was a very useful Divine Artifact, Pyramid would definitely not have given it up so easily for five hundred years. ¡°Verbally giving it to me while actually allowing me to attract firepower, and then sneaking off to grow with his subordinates. He will come back for this Nightmare Artifact once he¡¯s grown,¡± Richard looked in the direction Pyramid had left, scoffing in his heart. But this Nightmare Lord probably never dreamt that his Nightmare Artifact was like throwing meat buns to a dog, gone without return. No matter what marks Pyramid had left in this Nightmare Artifact, as long as Richard found a way into the Nightmare World. A Nightmare Artifact? Merely a vessel for the rules, all for my crafting! With that thought, Richard lay back down in the coffin. ¡°I¡¯ve expended a lot of energy on this operation, and I fear I won¡¯t be able to awaken for some time. Don¡¯t return to that tavern after you go out, just go straight to the Wilderness and find another Lawless Land. The one who leaked the information about the Nightmare Artifact, will definitely not let you live.¡± Bone nodded vigorously, ¡°Survival comes first, I know, boss.¡± Richard nodded, then closed the coffin and shut off the Dream World Communication Device. Exiting from the Communication Device, the room where Richard had placed the device was hot as a furnace. Staying in the Nightmare World for nearly a day was a great challenge for the Dream World Communication Device. But from what he could see now, Richard¡¯s modified cooling device was definitely sturdy. Stepping out of the Communication Room, Richard moved his body around, preparing to enter his laboratory and continue his experiments. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. A nearly imperceptible connection, despite the obstruction between dimensions, had linked to his soul. And the source of this connection was none other than the Nightmare Artifact. ¡°Could it be¡­ I can use this Nightmare Artifact in the Material World, too?¡± Chapter 212 - 42 Nightmare Erosion Chapter 212: Chapter 42 Nightmare Erosion Richard tried to use his spiritual power to search for the link that would lead into the Nightmare World, but without amplification, his spiritual power could never break through the dimensional barrier. ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± he wondered aloud. ¡°If there¡¯s a connection, why is it blocked?¡± Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift and fished Ulysses out from within. After listening to Richard¡¯s account, Ulysses responded, ¡°Gah, didn¡¯t the Nightmare Artifact merge with your Nightmare Core? This connection is probably not a direct link between the Nightmare Artifact and your soul, but rather, it uses the link between your Soul Seed and your soul to create a connection with your soul.¡± After hearing Ulysses¡¯ explanation, Richard instantly understood. He could use the connection between the Soul Seed and his soul to transmit soul messages to the Nightmare World, so naturally, the process could be reversed. However, this realization only brought him empty joy. Unable to use the Nightmare Artifact, the connection was useless. Suddenly, Richard felt a slight tremor. A vague sensation washed over him. The Nightmare Rules within him seemed¡­ to have triggered a reaction with this connection. ¡°Number One!¡± Richard suddenly shouted. Within seconds, Number One, who was dressed in a maid¡¯s outfit with cat-like attire, appeared before Richard and bowed her head gently, saying, ¡°Master, what do you need?¡± ¡°Lift your head.¡± Number One lifted her head, her pale blue eyes meeting Richard¡¯s. Though her expression was calm, a hint of terror could still be seen. She had no idea what her own master wanted her to do. She had been in contact with other sub-human slaves in the Wizard Tower and knew that many of them were used for human experiments. The miserable fates of those sub-humans were deeply etched in her heart. ¡°Please not an experiment.¡± She feigned calm and lifted her head as Richard instructed. At the moment she lifted her head, she suddenly realized her master¡¯s eyes seemed to exude a dark abyss. ¡°Come with me. I have an experiment that requires your cooperation,¡± Richard said calmly. Richard¡¯s words instantly made Number One¡¯s heart sink. Like a puppet, she followed Richard into the laboratory, then watched as Richard took out a black insect bristling with dense tentacles. She had seen such insects before¡ªon a sub-human used as an experimental subject by a wizard. This type of insect was a parasite that would slowly consume every inch of flesh beneath the host¡¯s skin, while the host remained fully conscious during the process and even felt no pain. In the end, the insect would completely devour the host, leaving only the brain, which would forever sleep under the influence of the hallucinogen released by the parasite. Number One couldn¡¯t help but step backwards and weakly fell to her knees. Would she meet the same end? She watched as Richard approached her with the insect, watched as it came closer and closer. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Number One violently shook her head, crawling to her master¡¯s feet and begging tearfully. But what met her was only those cold, merciless eyes. Next, she was tied to an experimental table, her mouth forcibly propped open with instruments, then watched as the horrific parasite entered her mouth, starting to eat from her tongue, bit by bit moving down her throat, and then¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± Number One screamed, her eyes snapping open to see Richard calmly watching her. ¡°What did you experience?¡± Richard asked, taking out a notebook. Number One touched her mouth and scanned her surroundings. Was that all an illusion? Wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, she began to recount everything she had seen to Richard. At that moment, she roughly understood that her wizard master had indeed used her for an experiment, but not in the way she had seen. After listening to Number One¡¯s description, Richard closed the notebook, rubbed Number One¡¯s head to dismiss her, and gave her a three-day vacation. ¡°Is this the ability that the Nightmare Rules granted me?¡± From Number One¡¯s description, Richard could confirm that he had gained the ability to plunge someone into nightmares. The nightmare consisted of what the subject feared the most, but it caused no mental harm. While using this ability, Richard also recorded his own consumption. When he put Number One into a nightmare, his spiritual power depleted slightly, and Number One was immersed in the nightmare for a minute. Richard estimated that the ability¡¯s consumption probably depended on the spiritual power of the subject. ¡°Not bad, this thing is absolutely perfect for interrogations.¡± Having tested his ability, Richard was about to reenter the laboratory when a wave of magic pulled him to the third floor. That was the magic fluctuation of the long-range Communication Crystal Ball. Locating the Crystal Ball, Richard glanced at the message inside. ¡°Richard, is that Magic Statue of yours still around? I¡¯d like to borrow it.¡± ¡­ In Anna¡¯s Wizard Tower, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift and moved the Alchemy Golem out from within. Watching the Magic Statue whose shell had been replaced with blue mushroom iron, Anna¡¯s eyes went from shocked to admiring as she looked at Richard. She gave Richard a thumbs-up: ¡°You really know how to ¡®shear the sheep.''¡± Richard chuckled. With the Miracle Furnace at hand, not to take advantage of refining ore seemed downright unreasonable. Anna touched the Magic Statue with her mechanical right hand, and a faint glimmer of Magic Power sparkled from her fingertips. With a light flick, a metal plate detached from the Alchemy Golem. Seeing the unchanged internal structure, Anna breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness you only changed the shell, otherwise, this golem would have been useless.¡± Richard, curious, asked, ¡°Senior Sister, besides being cheap, is there anything special about this golem?¡± Over the years, Richard had studied the golem, but after researching every part of it, he found that its structure seemed quite ordinary. Apart from being cheap, there were no particular advantages. Anna glanced at Richard and pulled out a sheepskin scroll from her Magic Pocket. ¡°But there¡¯s really nothing special about it on its own, but with this, it can be of great use.¡± Richard was slightly surprised, ¡°Oh? It looks like Senior Sister has found something valuable.¡± Anna hummed proudly twice, ¡°Humph, thanks to you, I¡¯ve gathered some Encrypted Notes over the years. Among these notes, one was covered by a Sealing Skill, and this is what was hidden within.¡± ¡°What do you want to do with this golem of mine, then? If you need the golem¡¯s structure, I can give it to you right here.¡± ¡°Give it to me?¡± Anna frowned slightly, walked over to Richard, and knocked hard on his head with her left hand. ¡°Is that how you treat the knowledge you discover? Don¡¯t you know that between wizards, knowledge transfer, except between master and apprentice, should be about equivalent exchange?¡± Richard rubbed his head, nonchalantly said, ¡°Look, even if I don¡¯t ask for anything, you would still propose an equivalent exchange. Since you can come up with it on your own, why should I bother?¡± Anna glared at Richard annoyingly: ¡°Then next time I won¡¯t say anything! Let¡¯s see if you learn your lesson after being taken advantage of a couple of times.¡± Richard grinned, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, don¡¯t be mad; getting angry is bad for your health. It¡¯s clearly you who¡¯s taking advantage, but now it seems like I¡¯m the one benefitting.¡± Seeing Richard¡¯s facetious expression, Anna huffily pushed him out of the Wizard Tower. ¡°Get out, get out, I have my own use for this puppet. When I¡¯ve figured it out, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± With that, Anna slammed the door shut. Richard stood outside and shouted loudly: ¡°Hey, Senior Sister, you haven¡¯t paid me yet!¡± Anna¡¯s annoyed voice came from behind the door: ¡°No payment! You were going to gift me the blueprint anyway, so why care about this little money?¡± Hearing this, Richard touched his chin, a slight smile curving up at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Desensitization was a great success.¡± Ever since the academic conference in the Insect Nest World, Richard had wanted to shatter some of the entrenched ideas held by wizards in his circle. Research findings could certainly be private, but wizards were a bit too extreme in their approach to research, treating every scrap as a treasure, and considering inquiries about their research topics as offensive. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard was attempting to break this mindset, laying the groundwork for future academic symposiums. Moreover, Richard believed that change in a society always starts with individual changes. Perhaps in the future, the entire Wizard Society could be transformed because of his actions. ¡­ Back in the Wizard Tower, Richard finally entered the laboratory. Looking at the Crystal Ball on the experimental table, he sighed. Inside the Crystal Ball was an incomplete Rune, the Mountain Heart Rune he had obtained in the Mountain Secret Realm. A year was too short, and Richard barely had time to complete the rune. Now that he was away from the Mountain Secret Realm, the incomplete state of the rune left Richard feeling like he had a mountain of treasures yet was unable to start mining. The Mountain Heart Rune was extremely complex, and even a Great Wizard specializing in Rune Studies would need time to complete it, not to mention Richard¡ªa Second Ring Wizard with little accumulated knowledge¡ªit was a fool¡¯s dream to attempt its completion. Thus, Richard decided to forge his own path. Since he couldn¡¯t complete it, he could disassemble some lower-level runes from the complex, incomplete Mountain Heart Rune. This process was not a novel innovation among wizards; Richard had disassembled some rudimentary secondary runes from the Annihilation Flame Rune and the Dark Water Rune to assist in the formation of spells during the creation of the Heart of Annihilation. And most importantly, this operation was not difficult, the only trouble was experimenting repeatedly to see if the secondary rune would work. It was an extremely tedious and protracted process; ordinary mortals might never find a viable secondary rune in their lifetime. But fortunately, wizards did not lack time. ¡­ Twenty years later, a surge of Magic Fluctuation woke Richard from his experiments. He had to stop the rune he had just disassembled and reach for his long-range Crystal Ball. There were two messages on the crystal ball, one from Anna. Anna had completed her research on the golem, instructing Richard to reclaim the golem. But the other message was somewhat more significant. [Sender: Vladimir] [Clear Frost First, Second, and Third Legions will participate in a Plane War three years from now, and you are needed as a technical consultant for the war.] Chapter 213 - 43: The Failed Magic Statue? Chapter 213: Chapter 43: The Failed Magic Statue? ¡°After three years, why the rush?¡± Looking at the message in the crystal ball, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache. According to the military clause, Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce had to send a technical adviser to participate in the Plane War. The technical adviser needed to collect first-hand data from the prototype on the battlefield, namely the Magic Support Vehicle designed by Richard, to use for later optimization and upgrades. The White Wizard Army had spent a large amount of Magic Essence and did not just buy the Magic Support Vehicle; the accompanying upgrade service was also included in the purchase. Moreover, since Richard was the creator of the prototype, he had to attend the first actual battle as a technical adviser. As everyone knows, prototypes often have many technical problems, and some issues need the designer to find solutions. In summary, Richard had no choice but to go to the Plane War. Putting the crystal ball aside, Richard had to rearrange his life for the next few years. With training in the Gravity Laboratory, Richard¡¯s physique had reached 117 points, which was significantly effective. Richard was even considering partnering with the Jialong Club to establish a gravity gym on the residential level. This type of training, which could effectively improve physique, Richard thought, would be liked by many wizards pursuing physique evolution. In addition to his physique, Richard¡¯s Adaptation Body and Dragon Transformation Battle Body had also reached new heights over the years. He could now ignore all damage from flames, thunder, and ice below 500 energy levels, and had 250 energy levels of resistance to blunt, cutting, and penetration damages. Right now, Richard, relying solely on his Adaptation Body, could overpower some newly promoted, knowledge-lacking One Ring Wizards. However, to achieve this effect, Richard had spent tens of thousands of Magic Essences on the Adaptation Body over the years, making it the largest gold-eater among Richard¡¯s subordinates. For the Dragon Transformation Battle Body, Richard had developed both the Detoxification Gland and the Dragon Skin Hardening Gland. The former could speed up detoxification effects, while the latter further enhanced Richard¡¯s defense capabilities. But what Richard really wanted, the Physique Enhancement Gland, still had not appeared. If he had the Physique Enhancement Gland, Richard¡¯s physique could grow even while sitting. Aside from physique, Richard¡¯s spiritual power had also steadily increased over those years, now having reached 112 points. Although spiritual power could only be rapidly increased with top-tier treasure like Soul Essence, the growth rate was stable. Almost every ten years, he could improve by one point. For Richard to reach the limit of a Second Ring Wizard, it would only take a thousand years. And this thousand years wasn¡¯t even all spent in meditation; meditating for just eight hours a day could basically be regarded as sleep. For wizards, increasing spiritual power was never a problem, and spiritual power¡¯s impact on a wizard¡¯s fighting capabilities was also minimal. Without enough knowledge, a Second Ring Wizard with 199 spiritual power could still be defeated by a Second Ring Wizard with 100 spiritual power. ¡°These years of gravity training have become less meaningful, and I can also stop training my Adaptation Body,¡± Richard pondered, casually pulling out a notebook from his pocket to start recording. ¡°Stop gravity and Adaptation Body training, and in the next few years, focus on actual combat training and equipment upgrades.¡± Richard¡¯s magic wand incorporated a lot of Pure Gold, and if these were mixed in proper proportions, they could create alloys of excellent properties. These alloys, whether used to make Magic Equipment or craft Alchemy Golems, were top-notch materials. Richard casually wrote down a few Magic Equipment ideas in his notebook, and then he left the Wizard Tower to go find Anna for his Magic Statue. He wanted to check out what good things Anna had crafted over the years. Outside the Wizard Tower, the sun was bright, and the brilliant sunlight on Richard made him involuntarily shield his eyes. Even though his dragon eyes were not affected in the slightest by the sunlight. Seeing such fine weather, Richard decided to walk rather than use the Flying Technique after a long time. The Black Tower Wizard Community had road systems, with twisting and turning walkways made of brick and stone, decorated with pebble mosaics in different colors. These paths were generally traveled only by subhuman servants on ordinary days, even those with wings normally walked. The sky belonged to the wizards. Following the path, Richard soon arrived in front of Anna¡¯s Wizard Tower. He pressed the doorbell. Ding-dong! Soon, a subhuman servant opened the door and welcomed Richard in. ¡°Lord, please follow me, the master has been waiting for you for a long time.¡± Following the subhuman servant, Richard descended into the Wizard Tower¡¯s basement. Every Wizard Tower had a basement; while Richard used his for storing food and books, Anna had expanded hers into a small Alchemy Workshop. Various small-sized Alchemy Machines were gathered inside this basement, serving as Anna¡¯s daily tools. Richard even suspected that if he gave the Magic Support Vehicle blueprints to Anna, she could produce one straight from the basement machines. Rumble, rumble¡­ Passing through the corridor, the brightly lit Alchemy Workshop unfolded before Richard. The sounds of operating Alchemy Machines blended together, making Richard feel as if he were in a noisy factory. In the center of the Alchemy Workshop, Richard saw Anna busily working. Anna was using her multifunctional mechanical hand to tinker with something that looked like an Alchemy Golem, occasionally emitting sparks as though she were welding. ¡°Master, Lord Richard has arrived,¡± the subhuman servant announced. Anna looked up, seeing Richard, and hastily beckoned him over. ¡°Richard, come take a look at this.¡± Richard approached, and Anna excitedly introduced him to her creation. ¡°Look, this is the Alchemy Golem I¡¯ve made. See its advantages?¡± Saying so, Anna slapped the golem, and its eyes lit up. ¡°Anna Number One has awakened, please issue your command, Master.¡± Looking at the Magic Statue that was smaller than his, Richard casually tapped its outer shell. ¡°This isn¡¯t made of pure metal, is it?¡± ¡°Of course not. This enchanted metal shell is for increasing defense power.¡± Anna said somewhat discontentedly, ¡°Even if my skills are poor, I wouldn¡¯t create an Alchemy Golem just by stacking Alchemy Metal.¡± Richard walked around the Magic Statue, looking at it from left to right and noticed that besides its reduced size, the Magic Statue seemed to have nothing special. ¡°Senior sister, could it spar with me for a bit?¡± Richard tentatively asked. Without opening up the Magic Statue to see its internal structure, Richard could only judge the quality of the Magic Statue by its attack and defense. After all, a Magic Statue is a war machine; attack and defense are its two most important metrics. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you see that I¡¯ve miniaturized this Magic Statue?¡± Hearing Richard was about to make a move, Anna could no longer hold back her thoughts. ¡°Ah? Just this? I thought it had other excellent features.¡± Richard said somewhat embarrassedly. ¡°It has reduced size, isn¡¯t that a major advantage?¡± Anna said somewhat angrily, ¡°This Magic Statue¡¯s attributes, compared to your original version, are all stronger and not weaker. On this basis, reducing its size was already a very big advantage!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ so, what exactly is your positioning for this thing, Anna?¡± Richard asked cautiously looking at the Alchemy Golem. ¡°Positioning?¡± Anna asked confusedly. Richard tapped on the Magic Statue, ¡°The Magic Statue that you researched, Senior Sister, its positioning is as a cheap weapon. Its material is made from Enchanted Stone, which is very affordable. Moreover, the internal structure of the Magic Statue is also very simple, so even if it gets destroyed, it wouldn¡¯t be a big loss. And like some Magic Statue Armies of Alchemy Great Wizards, those are positioned as elite weaponry. Great Wizards use expensive Alchemy Metal to make Magic Statues, significantly boosting their performance without considering the cost, making them formidable fighters that ordinary wizards can¡¯t contend with. But your this¡­¡± Richard did not finish his sentence. If this were the Enlightenment period, Anna¡¯s improvement could be said to be very strong. Back then, Magic Statue technology wasn¡¯t as advanced as it is now, and being able to reduce its size without lowering its attributes would have been a significant improvement. Releasing this news would have definitely caused crazed scrambles among many Wizard Families. But now, Magic Statue technology is very mature, and Magic Statues have completed the process from miniaturization to metalization. Even if these technologies are in the hands of some Alchemy Great Wizards. One could say that as far as the optimization of Magic Statue size goes, the path was essentially exhausted. So now, very few wizards delve into researching Magic Statue miniaturization, generally they research transformative Magic Statues. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Like Richard¡¯s Magic Support Vehicle, in a sense, is also a kind of transformative Magic Statue, except that Richard didn¡¯t install autonomous controllers inside. Moreover, ordinary wizards usually design Magic Statues as guards, focusing firstly on designing their functions and then finding ways to optimize their size, rather than optimizing size first and then adding functions. Size is simply not as high a priority as functionality. After hearing Richard¡¯s words, Anna¡¯s face immediately turned unsightly. With a gloomy face, she looked at the Magic Statue she had toiled over for so many years, not knowing what to do. What positioning should this thing have? As a cheap weapon, it¡¯s too expensive; as finely crafted weaponry, its data is insufficient; and as a guard, it lacks many functions. After much thought, Anna heaved a sigh: ¡°Sigh, I was blinded by that design on the Encrypted Notes.¡± ¡°Design blueprint?¡± Richard recalled the Sheepskin Scroll he had seen twenty years ago, ¡°Anna, did you create this puppet based on the design blueprint?¡± ¡°Of course not! I was inspired by that blueprint, then combined it with your Magic Statue to create this one.¡± Saying this, Anna took out the Sheepskin Scroll from her pocket. She was captivated by the contents of the Sheepskin Scroll, forgetting that Magic Statue technology was now very mature. The work that took her twenty years to complete could now only be considered a part of knowledge reserves. Seeing the somewhat depressed Anna, Richard didn¡¯t know how to comfort her. He walked over to Anna, wanting to say some encouraging words, but as his eyes wandered, he swallowed all the comforting words. ¡°That¡­ Senior Sister, could I take a look at that Sheepskin Scroll?¡± The depressed Anna handed the Sheepskin Scroll to Richard indifferently: ¡°Take a look if you want, consider it as the cost for borrowing your Magic Statue during this period.¡± After receiving the Sheepskin Scroll and seeing what was on it, Richard was sure he had not seen wrong. The entire internal structure of the Magic Statue was constructed around an Earth Element Core. ¡°Senior Sister, perhaps there¡¯s still some future for this thing.¡± ¡°Hmm!?¡± Anna was startled, quickly standing up from the stool. ¡°What did you find, Junior Brother?¡± Richard waved the Sheepskin Scroll in his hand: ¡°If the internal structural principle of your Magic Statue is similar to what¡¯s on this scroll. Then a research of mine over these years might just make this Magic Statue a bit more useful.¡± Chapter 214 - 44 Magic Statue Modification Plan Chapter 214: Chapter 44 Magic Statue Modification Plan Richard¡¯s laboratory. ¡°This is a rune I discovered recently. I feel that it would be very suitable to apply to your golem,¡± Richard explained to Anna while holding a loose clump of earth with a rune inscribed on it. He channeled magic power into one of the runes, and after a short while, the loose clump of earth became compacted. ¡°What¡¯s the use of this?¡± Anna looked at Richard¡¯s clump of earth with some confusion. To her, it was just a clump of earth with runes that had become compact because of the runes, but it seemed to have no use to her golem, right? ¡°Hey, don¡¯t rush.¡± Richard smiled, breaking off a piece of the clump of earth and destroying one of the runes in the process. He then created some sand with a spell. ¡°Watch closely. What comes next is the key point.¡± As he finished speaking, Richard placed the damaged piece of earth onto the sand, and a miraculous thing occurred. The piece of earth, devoid of any sign of life, began to autonomously absorb the sand. The sand quickly filled in the part that Richard had broken off, and even the damaged rune was repaired. ¡°This¡­ this¡­ this is memory! And it also has a degree of activation!¡± Anna was amazed by the transformation of the clump of earth. The rune that Richard presented had significant implications for her golem. If it could be applied properly, her golem could autonomously restore itself from damage by absorbing elements as long as its core remained intact. Seeing Anna recognize the value of the rune, Richard nodded with satisfaction. This rune was the most complex one he had removed from the Mountain Heart Runes. Initially, he had not foreseen any use for it and planned to archive it as knowledge storage. But unexpectedly, it found an application with Anna. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This rune can memorize the state of earth elements and perform a certain degree of repair. If it can be matched with a rune array, it would be greatly beneficial to your golem, Senior Sister.¡± Anna looked at the clump of earth in Richard¡¯s hand, her heart stirring with emotion. It was undeniable; this rune was well-suited for her golem. However, the discovery of the rune was Richard¡¯s. If she wanted to use it, she had to exchange knowledge of equivalent value to the rune. What knowledge should she exchange? ¡°Senior Sister, are you considering what knowledge to exchange for my rune?¡± Richard placed the earth clump on a nearby experiment table, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Anna nodded, her brows furrowed, uncertain what knowledge to offer in exchange. ¡°Senior Sister, don¡¯t worry for now. How about you listen to my proposal?¡± ¡°What proposal?¡± Anna turned to Richard, curious what her unusually inventive junior brother had come up with. ¡°As for the knowledge of this rune, I can give it to you for free. However, I need you to develop something according to my ideas, and then sign a contract with the trade guild to sell it.¡± ¡°What thing?¡± Richard took out a notebook from his pocket, tore off a page at random, and scribbled a design. It was a very rudimentary golem. Apart from the frame, it had hardly anything else. ¡°Senior Sister, this structure needs to be fully restorable. Do you think it¡¯s feasible?¡± Looking at Richard¡¯s concept, Anna frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I can give it a try. What do you need this for?¡± Richard smiled faintly, a glint of wisdom in his eyes. ¡°Of course, to make money. If we can mass-produce this thing, we could make a fortune.¡± If possible, the Demon Statue Army of the Enlightenment era might just make a comeback in the Jianghu. ¡­ With Richard¡¯s commission and knowledge, Anna left Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower. Meanwhile, Richard began to busy himself with his own matters. The eleventh floor of the Duel Arena was as crowded as ever. Richard sat in the spectator stands, quietly watching two Second Ring wizards exchange blow for blow. Over the years, Richard had been actively participating in various activities of the Jialong Club and had sparred with many of its members. These members had much more experience in physical combat than Richard, and every fight allowed him to learn something new. Those wizards who followed the Constitution Path were generous in sharing their tricks, unlike most wizards who held their techniques close to their chests. These tricks were not hard to master, but a wizard might have to engage in many fights to figure them out on their own. Sometimes, Richard even felt that the Jialong Club was what an academic organization should really be like. Soon, the fight in the arena ended, and the victor received all the spotlight, while the loser lay honestly on the ground. The audience quickly dispersed. The victor approached the fallen combatant, helping them up from the ground. While they were opponents during the battle, they returned to being fellow club members once the fight concluded. The club¡¯s members valued mutual assistance. ¡°Hey, Richard. You¡¯ve been coming to the club more and more often. Have you finally taken to the delights of the Constitution Path, resolving to devote yourself to the Physique Evolution Path?¡± Jimmy shouted with laughter upon seeing Richard. Richard shrugged, ¡°Master, we wizards are all about flamboyance; how can we stick to just one path?¡± Jimmy shook his head upon hearing this, ¡°Every path is profound and capacious; walking two paths at once, be careful not to reach the end of neither.¡± Afterward, Jimmy greeted a few familiar wizards. There were more wizards at the Duel Arena today, so there might be a wait to use it. Jimmy gathered a few wizards together, then took out a Crystal Ball and sent several messages. Soon after, he regretfully said to two of the wizards, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you two won¡¯t be able to fight today; there¡¯s no suitable opponent for you.¡± Club fights emphasized evenly matched opponents; only adversaries of similar strength could truly ignite the passion within a wizard. Upon hearing this, the two wizards could only leave the arena in frustration, leaving behind four wizards with perfectly matched strengths to form two groups. Richard looked across at his opponent, Has, who was clad in a black robe and eyeing him with a fierce desire for battle. Since their first encounter, Richard and Has had fought several times, each with victories and losses. Richard¡¯s Mountain Path was mighty, but Has wasn¡¯t a pushover either. After familiarizing himself with Richard¡¯s techniques, Has quickly leveraged his rich combat experience to win against Richard. Over the past twenty years, they had faced each other ten times, with Has winning six and drawing one, while Richard won four and drew one. Pairs decided, Jimmy didn¡¯t bother to tidy up the Duel Arena and instead started arranging the fights. ¡°You two wait a bit; these two had booked their match with me long ago,¡± Jimmy told Richard and Has. Richard and Has both accepted this arrangement, both being Black Wizards and instinctively submitting to Jimmy, a Three Rings powerhouse. Once everything was arranged, the first fight began quickly. The two battling wizards were both Second Ring, but in terms of strength, they far surpassed both Richard and Has. As soon as they entered the arena, they both burst forth with astonishing Qi and Life Radiation. ¡°So strong!¡± Richard exclaimed internally. Compared to Spiritual Evolution Wizards, who could only perceive energy fluctuations, the strength and weakness of Physique Evolution Wizards were more apparent. Powerful Life Radiation and an aura hewn from years of battle would cause even unintelligent beasts to flee instinctively. The two wizards stood on opposite sides of the Duel Arena, neither moving nor speaking. Yet, the air in the arena seemed to freeze, with everyone tense and focused on them. A breeze blew by, raising a bit of dust. In the next moment, the two wizards collided, the shockwaves from their impact like Wind Blades, even scoring marks on the walls of the Duel Arena. They both completed their Bloodline Transformations and organized their attacks and advances in an instant, starting with full force. They were old adversaries, and winning or losing had become secondary to them. Their fights were to test their own progress during this period. Bang, bang, bang¡­ One wizard was covered in Bone Armor and wearing Bone Gloves. His attacks were so swift that hundreds of strikes could be delivered in the blink of an eye, while the other had transformed into a three-meter-tall giant, his skin glowing with Runes, and hints of lightning flickering in his eyes, each movement radiating immense power. Richard watched from the spectator seats, pondering the subtleties of the two wizards¡¯ every move. ¡°This giant¡¯s Runes feel similar to Battlefield Alchemy; I could try that later on.¡± ¡°The Bone Armor wizard¡¯s technique is not bad; he must have used both the Feather Fall Skill and Heavy Strike Skill. I should give that a try when I get back.¡± Watching the two wizards below, Richard was continuously extracting knowledge from them. Compared to Richard, the nearby Has seemed slightly out of his element. He frequented the Duel Arena, enjoying watching fights as entertainment rather than for learning. The high-quality battle before him was extremely thrilling to watch. Soon, with a thunderous crash, both wizards were hurled backward. The Bone Armor on the chest of the Bone Armor wizard shattered, with broken bones piercing through the skin on his back, and his entire chest caved in. The Rune giant didn¡¯t fare much better, with four near-translucent holes in his torso stained with blood. Clearly, the fight resulted in injuries for both. Jimmy came to the Duel Arena and provided the wizards with basic medical attention, enough for them to regain the strength to stand. The two wizards performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute to Jimmy before heading to the platform to heal. Richard and Has consequently entered the Duel Arena. ¡°It¡¯s been five years since we last met, Richard,¡± Has said, looking at Richard with a savage smile creeping on his face, ¡°We tied last time, but you won¡¯t be as lucky this time!¡± Richard sighed in response, ¡°You still care too much about victory and defeat, Has. We fight not for winning or losing, but for learning and growing. Obsessing over victory and defeat will only disturb your inner peace.¡± Aside from the first fight, Richard focused on learning in all subsequent battles; he constantly absorbed experience from Has to enhance his Combat Skills. Winning or losing held little significance for him. As long as he could grow, he would be content even if he lost a hundred times. ¡°Less talk, more fight, fighting is all about victory. Without the pursuit of victory, the fight is meaningless.¡± As Has finished speaking, an Energy surge burst from him, his body suddenly grew taller by a foot, with black Bone Armor piercing through his skin, and the air filled with a bloody scent. Richard watched Has and began his Bloodline Transformation as well. Compared to Has¡¯s overpowering aura, Richard¡¯s transformation was much more subtle and rapid. In the spectator seats, the two healing wizards glanced at the platform. ¡°That bone-spurred kid is going to lose,¡± muttered the giant wizard indifferently. Chapter 215 - 45: Equipment Upgrade, Faith Armor Chapter 215: Chapter 45: Equipment Upgrade, Faith Armor The Bone Armor Wizard glanced at him, ¡°Obviously, the one opposite him is superior both in physique and in controlling energy, it¡¯d be a surprise if he doesn¡¯t win.¡± After speaking, the Bone Armor Wizard looked at Richard again and casually said, ¡°I bet he¡¯ll end the fight in ten moves.¡± The Giant Wizard shook his head, ¡°That¡¯s too quick, unless the two are very familiar with each other, it would normally take at least fifty moves to determine a winner. I¡¯ve seen that long-boned kid fight before; he¡¯s not weak.¡± ¡°If you ask me, Richard can probably end this battle within three moves.¡± Suddenly, a voice came from behind the two wizards, and they turned to see Jimmy casually drinking a bottle of wine. ¡°Master, why do you arrange such a fight?¡± the Giant Wizard asked. The Jialong Club usually arranges fights of equal strength, which helps members improve. ¡°Why?¡± Jimmy took a sip of wine, ¡°Has is a bit too impetuous, I just took this opportunity to enlighten him. These two have fought ten rounds already. Richard has been improving, while Has remained stagnant. But at the beginning of their fights, Richard was not as good as Has. But now, hmph.¡± Saying so, Jimmy squinted at the duel arena, ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± In the duel arena, the two wizards, who were old rivals, skipped the probing and went all out from the start. Has¡¯s body emanated a black glow, his speed increasing to the point where even Richard¡¯s dragon eyes struggled to capture his movement, and his bone claws were covered in runes, sharp enough to tear through space. However, as his opponent, Richard wasn¡¯t panicked at all, even sighing internally. ¡°Still the same move, you haven¡¯t improved at all.¡± Richard closed his eyes, and his muscles and magic power instantly unified. The next moment, Richard sidestepped the bone claws attacking from behind and threw a gentle punch forward. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mountain Breaking Fist. Bang! Has¡¯s body flew backward, his arm¡¯s bone armor shattered into pieces. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Richard said indifferently as he watched Has. Has stood up from the ground, his face full of disbelief. He looked at Richard, then at his own arm, his eyes utterly bewildered. ¡°How could you predict my attack?¡± ¡°Because the flaws in your move and your combat habits, he had figured them out long ago.¡± Jimmy flew into the arena, casually waving his hand to gather the debris and dust created by the fight into a pile. ¡°Though your move is very fast, the excessive speed also made it hard for you to control the direction, significantly reducing your agility. Plus, your combat habit is to ambush, and you usually use your right hand. Richard has fought with you ten times; he probably knows these details by heart.¡± Saying this, Jimmy looked toward Richard, who nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s indeed the case.¡± Jimmy drained the wine bottle, turned, and faced Has. ¡°Has, at the beginning of your battles, the gap wasn¡¯t that big. You even had a bit of an advantage, but now, you two are no longer on the same level.¡± Listening to Jimmy¡¯s words, Has¡¯s face instantly turned red. But what could he retort? The one speaking was Jimmy, a peak Three Rings Wizard. His wisdom and insights far surpassed his own. Has bowed his head slightly, his heart filled with mixed feelings. Jimmy patted him on the shoulder, ¡°Has, fighting is never a simple matter. Strive to grow, lad.¡± ¡­ After returning from the duel arena, Richard went to buy quite a lot of alchemy materials on the commercial floor. He needed to upgrade his equipment in the coming years; although being a technical consultant didn¡¯t sound like a frontline soldier, collecting data still required battlefield presence. Back at the Wizard Tower, Richard took out his magic wand fused with refined gold. As one of the top alchemy materials, recipes for alloys containing refined gold were countless in the Wizard World; nearly every Alchemy Wizard had recipes involving refined gold. The recipe that Richard planned to use came from a book of encrypted notes. Richard planned to use this refined gold to make a set of inner armor, and the alloy made from the recipe in the encrypted notes was particularly effective in defending against various attacks. If all went well, he would have some refined gold left to add to his magic wand. Richard separated the wand and piled up the parts blended with refined gold. [Raw Material: Refined Gold Alloy] [Refinable Substance: Refined Gold] [Refinement Consumption: 80,000 Magic Power] With the Miracle Furnace at hand, Richard¡¯s refinement of refined gold could achieve zero loss. After spending eighty thousand magic power, Richard obtained a refined gold block the size of a human head. But this was just the first step. Alloys needed precise ratios, especially the multi-elemental alloy Richard was making; every single material ratio had to be very precise. For that, Richard purchased and created a complete set of smelting tools. It took him a whole month. Once the tools were ready, Richard began to smelt the alloy. As various materials melted and merged in the melter, a new alloy was born. After refining, the black gold turned silvery-white, with a faint hint of gold visible when held up to the light. This alloy had a high resistance to elemental attacks and physical attacks, particularly physical attacks. Richard conducted a few tests and found that at a thickness of three millimeters, the alloy could even resist piercing damage of up to three hundred energy level. If Richard enchanted it, this figure would increase by nearly fifty percent, reaching four hundred fifty. The only pity was that this material did not have energy-absorbing properties, so its effectiveness against blunt trauma was somewhat worse than against piercing damage. Once the alloy creation was complete, Richard proceeded to perform enchantments, arranging various rune arrays. Richard took his personal protection very seriously; just designing the rune arrays alone took him three months, as he strove for perfection. After the designs were completed, production lasted up to a year and a half. During this time, aside from meditating and training his combat skills in the duel arena, Richard spent all his time on the production of the armor. And all this was worth it. Richard¡¯s armor was entirely silver-white, appearing similar to a knight¡¯s plate armor. Initially in his design, he had planned for scale armor, with armor plates forming the rune arrays. There were many advantages to this design, as it was easy to maintain; if a plate was damaged, simply replacing it would suffice. However, the downside was that it was harder to make and more complex; Richard¡¯s skill wasn¡¯t sufficient to produce and adjust it within such a short period. Thus, Richard had to settle for the plate armor design. Although this style was more complex to repair and changing rune arrays was more troublesome, it had a shorter production time and stronger defense capabilities. Richard gently tapped the center of the armor, and the next moment, the lifeless armor began to move. Spell: ¡°Activated Armor¡± The armor stepped towards Richard and then broke down into individual parts that fitted onto his body, looking like a magical transformation akin to Iron Man. Once adorned, the armor clasped firmly onto Richard. While mortal knights needed belts to secure their armor, Richard only required a spell. This suit of armor protected almost his entire body, except for his head. Wearing a helmet was somewhat incongruous for a wizard and would be more conspicuous among wizards. Having finished the armor, Richard opened a rift into the secret realm and entered. In the secret realm, the World Mushroom was still tall, but the entire realm had dramatically changed. In front of the World Mushroom stood a huge fungal statue, naturally modeled after Richard, with a crow perched on his shoulder. This was Richard¡¯s Divine Statue, which, according to Ulysses, was one of the most important things for a divine being. It could not only gather the power of faith more efficiently but sometimes also serve as the eyes and ears, or even an avatar, of the divine being. Behind the statue, on the World Mushroom, there was a palace that looked somewhat like a model, with a bizarrely placed bird¡¯s nest in the middle. And at that moment, Ulysses was lounging in the nest, drowsily napping. Due to the World Mushroom¡¯s aid, this World Master had greatly recovered from his injuries, elevating his combat ability to the level of third-level creatures, but it brought about a state of mental and spiritual malaise. As his injuries lessened, Ulysses¡¯s soul healing had finally begun. However, this wasn¡¯t exactly good news for Richard. Richard wasn¡¯t concerned about the recovery leading Ulysses to surpass his control, as it would take at least two thousand years for Ulysses to reach the peak of third-level strength at this self-healing rate. Given two thousand years, Richard was confident he could become a Three Rings Wizard. What worried him was the spiritual weakening caused by the onset of self-healing. The self-healing of the soul consumed spiritual power, and the stronger the recovery, the greater the consumption of spiritual power. The current healing was still weak; Ulysses was merely napping occasionally, but as the injuries healed, the self-healing would intensify, and Ulysses would progress from napping to deep sleep. When that time came, Richard would lose a significant aide. But, that was a problem for later. ¡°Ulysses, where is the surprise you prepared for me?¡± Richard shouted at Ulysses. Some time ago, seeing Richard busy with the magic equipment, Ulysses had volunteered to wait until Richard finished the magic equipment to give him a surprise. ¡°Gah, who dares disturb the great Lord of the Crows!¡± Ulysses flew out of the nest, crying out loudly. But upon seeing it was Richard, his tone instantly changed. ¡°Gah, is your magic equipment ready?¡± Richard opened his wizard robe and revealed the inner armor. ¡°It¡¯s ready, so where¡¯s your surprise?¡± Ulysses glanced at the armor, and immediately spat out a beam of golden light, which stopped in front of Richard and gradually transformed into a magic wand. ¡°What is this?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°Gah, do you remember the Faith Armor on that insect? This thing is made from those, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied.¡± Faith Armor? Richard paused for a moment, quickly recalling the Divine Chosen he had captured in the Insect Nest World. That insect indeed had several pieces of Faith Armor, but at that time his own power of faith was very scarce, so he had given those pieces to Ulysses. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough power of faith to use Faith Armor yet, do we?¡± Richard looked around the secret realm; all the Holy Tree Elves in the realm were his believers. But even counting them all, there were only a few thousand, and the accumulated power of faith clearly wasn¡¯t enough for him to use such a demanding resource like Faith Armor. ¡°Gah, don¡¯t compare mine to that insect¡¯s! While it¡¯s commendable that the insect figured out Faith Armor on its own, its methods are crude like an apprentice compared to our Gods Civilization! The effects of this Faith Armor don¡¯t consume much power of faith, so just use it, there¡¯s definitely enough faith power.¡± Seeing Ulysses speak so confidently, Richard¡¯s heart lifted, and he quickly asked: ¡°So, what are the effects of this armor?¡± Ulysses¡¯s eyes gleamed with pride, and he said mysteriously: ¡°Gah, the effect of this armor is luck.¡± Chapter 216 - 46 Preparing for the Expedition Chapter 216: Chapter 46 Preparing for the Expedition ¡°Luck?¡± Richard looked at the magic wand, somewhat baffled. ¡°You mean luck? Let me not even mention whether luck exists or not, but you equip this magic wand with luck, and you expect me to pick up money with it when I¡¯m holding it?¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ulysses shook his head: ¡°Ga, your thoughts are too simplistic. Let me ask you, have you ever encountered a situation where the power of your spells fluctuated unexpectedly during casting?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Richard nodded, ¡°but that¡¯s due to an imbalance of elements, which has nothing to do with luck.¡± ¡°Ga, wrong, totally wrong. That is an expression of luck.¡± Ulysses said somewhat smugly, ¡°You wizards call the distribution of elements within a space a chaos system, where a little variable can cause big changes. I¡¯m not wrong, am I?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°That¡¯s correct, but you¡¯re not going to tell me that the Gods Civilization has conquered the chaos system and found the formula, are you?¡± ¡°Ga, formula? That¡¯s of course impossible.¡± Ulysses shook his head, ¡°But we have taken notice of this situation and have explored it. We added a variable to the chaos system, which is ¡®luck¡¯. Luck can influence the chaos system, making the outcome of the system more favorable to oneself. On this basis, using the power of faith and certain miracle powers, we successfully created a ¡®Luck Blessing.¡¯ Once blessed, when you¡¯re involved with the chaos system, the output of the results will tend to be on the side that¡¯s more favorable to you.¡± It must be said, Ulysses¡¯ explanation had given Richard a great shock. After all, the Gods Civilization is a civilization; it is not simply a coalition of a few native powerhouses but a community of interests formed by a group of powerhouses who mastered the same power system. During Ulysses¡¯ explanation, Richard keenly picked up on a word. ¡°Miracle power? What¡¯s that?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Ga, miracle power is the most magical force in the Star Realm, which is not bound by rules and can create many phenomena that defy common sense. Based on our research, miracle power should be a remnant left by some lifeforms that reached the Ninth Level and transcended the Star Realm.¡± ¡°Ninth Level life!?¡± Richard was shocked. According to the classification of lifeforms by wizards, Eighth Level life is the highest apex, with Ninth Level life only theoretically existent. The terror of such life cannot be described in words. According to the theory, one of the most ordinary characteristics they possess is absolute eternity. That is, the passage of time will have no effect on them, regardless of whether a thousand years pass or ten thousand years. Even if time were so long that the world collapses and the stars extinguish, they would not undergo the slightest change. Richard gasped in shock: ¡°You can actually utilize the power left by Ninth Level life!¡± Ulysses flapped his wings: ¡°Ga, don¡¯t be so surprised, you can use it too. Your curses are essentially borrowing from miracle power. The higher-ups in your midst would surely have realized this, but since you¡¯re not a Curse Wizard and your status isn¡¯t high enough, you¡¯re not aware of it, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe.¡± Richard fell silent for a moment, finally sighing. The Wizard World holds too many secrets, and he was just a few hundred years old Second Ring Wizard; the things he could access were still too few. ¡°So, this magic wand can make my spells more powerful?¡± Ulysses nodded: ¡°Ga, that¡¯s right. However, the effect of Luck Blessing is limited, and the power increase should be minimal unless you actively use the power of faith to influence the spell¡¯s results.¡± ¡°I can actively interfere with the outcome of spellcasting?¡± Richard was startled again. If he could interfere actively, then wouldn¡¯t it mean that once he had enough power of faith, every one of his spells could ¡®critical hit¡¯! ¡°Ga, don¡¯t think too much. Active intervention requires more power of faith than you think.¡± After that, Ulysses flew back to the nest, yawning as he went: ¡°Ga, this thing has no physical form in essence; just integrate it into the magic wand when you make it. I need to sleep for a while¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence before Ulysses had already drifted into slumber. ¡­ Making a magic wand was very simple for Richard, and after half a year of crafting, he successfully produced a magic wand with a detachable wand head. Since he was entering the battlefield as a technical consultant this time, likely not needing to infiltrate behind enemy lines, Richard replaced the original magic wand¡¯s Nomi Crystal Stone head with a Fire Element Gem, which was quite straightforward in function¡ªproviding a 10% Fire Element augmentation to spells below a thousand energy levels. After completing the magic wand, Richard integrated the Faith Armor into it. Following the integration, he tested the effects. At the Magic Testing Ground, Richard waved the wand and summoned a black fireball. A flick of his wand and the fireball shot out instantly, hitting a target three hundred meters away. Boom! The target displayed that Richard¡¯s fireball reached an energy level of five hundred. Four hundred of that was the base energy level of the fireball, eighty was from the Fire Element augmentation array of the wand, and the additional twenty energy levels were from the wand¡¯s Luck Blessing. ¡°The effects seem good, a twenty energy level increase. This is still the result when the element distribution in the testing ground is nearly balanced. If I enter a world where the Fire Element is imbalanced, the effect should be stronger.¡± After the magic wand making was complete, Richard also crafted some small Magic Equipment to deal with certain special situations. As an Alchemy Wizard, the amount of Magic Equipment directly affected his combat power. A year blink by, and the time had finally come for the Floating City to set off. In the Expedition Layer, Richard waited alongside the Clear Frost Legion for the descent of the Floating City. ¡°Kid, be smart in this war. Plane War is your best chance to make a killing.¡± Vladimir stood beside Richard, a pipe clenched in his mouth, speaking somewhat indistinctly. ¡°Uh? What do you mean by that, Master?¡± Richard looked at Vladimir puzzled, ¡°I¡¯m not going to have to infiltrate behind enemy lines like a Black Wizard as a technical consultant, am I?¡± ¡°Infiltrate behind enemy lines, what are you thinking about?¡± Vladimir frowned slightly, ¡°Didn¡¯t Jolod tell you before he was promoted? Although you joined the war as a technical advisor, you¡¯re also part of the accompanying commerce. You¡¯re qualified to submit development applications to the command.¡± ¡°Development applications? What¡¯s that?¡± Richard was confused. When Jolod was promoted, the news that the Clear Frost Legion was to join the war hadn¡¯t come out yet, and there was a lot Jolod hadn¡¯t told him. Seeing the bewildered look on Richard¡¯s face, Vladimir tapped his pipe and took a deep draw from it: ¡°It¡¯s understandable, this war came too suddenly. Normally, the legion wouldn¡¯t participate in war within such a short timeframe. Since he didn¡¯t tell you, I¡¯ll say it for him. You should know that each interplanar expedition costs a fortune.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°I know.¡± Vladimir glanced at Richard with a touch of disdain, ¡°Looking at you, you have no idea how much it costs to fight an interplanar expedition. Take our war this time, for example. We¡¯re attacking a small world, so we¡¯ve mobilized about one million wizards. Among these, White Wizards account for over six hundred thousand, while Black Wizards make up three hundred thousand, and there are about ten to twenty thousand logistic wizards. Do you know how much it costs just to hire them for the war?¡± ¡°¡­ I really don¡¯t know.¡± Richard had been part of a student troop during the last war, which didn¡¯t involve any hiring fees. Vladimir blew out a ring of smoke and slowly explained, ¡°Generally speaking, the more intense the war, the higher the hiring fee. For attacking a small world, a White Wizard¡¯s hiring fee is about seven hundred Magic Essence per war, and Black Wizards are somewhat higher than White Wizards, up to nine hundred Magic Essence. And that¡¯s the price for a One Ring Wizard. For Second Ring Wizards, it¡¯s double, and for Three Rings Wizards, it¡¯s double again on top of the Second Ring price. If we count just over six hundred thousand White Wizards as six hundred thousand, and Black Wizards as three hundred thousand, and all of them as One Ring Wizards. The Great Wizard will have spent six billion nine hundred million Magic Essence before the war even starts. Besides hiring fees, the Great Wizard also needs to rent the Floating City and prepare various logistical supplies. Though these don¡¯t make up the bulk, when you add it all up, it comes to several tens of million Magic Essence. Seven hundred million Magic Essence for a war, what do you think of that number?¡± Listening to Vladimir¡¯s calculation, Richard¡¯s brain momentarily seized up. Seven hundred million Magic Essence, that number was beyond Richard¡¯s comprehension of how to earn it. Seven hundred million Magic Essence! His recent collaboration with the Clear Frost Legion had only earned him one hundred and fifty thousand Magic Essence. He would need to undertake more than five thousand three hundred such collaborations to earn such an amount. And this, was only a conservative estimate of the expenditure for a single Plane War. Watching Richard¡¯s dazed reaction, Vladimir smiled with satisfaction. ¡°With such a large expense, even some Great Wizards with abundant family wealth can¡¯t help but feel the pinch. So before every war starts, the Great Wizards will notify many Wizard Commerce groups, inviting them to invest in the war and join the accompanying commerce. These Wizard Commerce investments are equivalent to buying shares. If the war is won, they can leverage their status as accompanying commerce to apply for the mining rights to certain resources in the new world.¡± ¡°What if we lose?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask. Vladimir spread his hands, ¡°If we lose, the investment goes down the drain. War has risks, and investment requires caution. Would they dare to demand a settlement from the Great Wizard?¡± Vladimir continued: ¡°These newly conquered worlds contain many resources that are special products based on the world¡¯s rules. When these are brought to the market, not to say they will sell well, but breaking even shouldn¡¯t be a problem. And that clause about accompanying commerce that your company added, that¡¯s taking advantage of a loophole. This war, with the dean¡¯s involvement, the legion is equivalent to a Great Wizard. And since you¡¯ve made deals with the legion, that can also be considered an investment.¡± ¡°That counts as an investment?¡± Richard was puzzled. Clear Frost Legion had formally signed a contract with them, after all. Vladimir blinked, ¡°The pricing of a new weapon is vague, its value completely decided by the legion. Your commerce made a deal with the legion at a price lower than what the legion had set, that¡¯s also an investment behavior.¡± ¡°Ah? You can play it like that?¡± Richard was stunned by Vladimir¡¯s explanation. Wasn¡¯t this tantamount to undermining the Academy? Vladimir smiled, ¡°The dean takes the lion¡¯s share of the profits from interplanar wars. How could it hurt for us small fry to sip a little soup? As long as it doesn¡¯t affect the combat effectiveness of the war, the dean generally doesn¡¯t bother with these trifles.¡± As he spoke, the sky rippled like water, and the enormous Floating City gradually entered the Wizard World. Vladimir patted Richard¡¯s shoulder: ¡°Get ready to board the Floating City. The twists and turns of Plane War are more than you think.¡± Chapter 217 - 1 Red Sun World Chapter 217: Chapter 1 Red Sun World July was the hottest month of the year in the Red Sun World. This month, three red suns appeared in the sky simultaneously and crossed over the highest point of the Heavenly Vault, with the blazing sunlight shining upon the land, making the whole world seem like a furnace. But this hottest month of the year was also the liveliest month for the Fire Lizard Clan. Early in the morning, in the enormous city built around the volcano, countless red-scaled lizardfolk nearly two meters tall emerged from the buildings. They wore white robes, and the wealthier among them had robes embroidered with golden patterns. July was the harvest month for the Fire Lizard Clan. In this month, the Fire Dragon Grass they planted last August would mature. The plants, red like a thicket of thorns, bore the sweet and spicy Dragon Flame Fruit, and their ground-up branches and leaves became the main food of the Fire Lizards. Simultaneously, this month was also the celebration month. After the harvest, the Fire Lizards gathered together to revel all night. The fiery liquor brewed from Dragon Flame Fruit was a catalyst for countless young male and female Fire Lizards, who found love, married, and conceived children this month, only to cast those feelings aside at the end of the month. Until the celebration month the following year. As a Silver Horn Noble of the Morick Empire, Azuhan Yajilite rose from his thirty-square-meter bed early in the morning, moving aside the Fire Salamander Girl with whom he had mated the previous night. As a Silver Horn Noble, his status was exalted within the Fire Lizard-led Empire, second only to the Fire Lizard King who dwelt in the golden tower. But unlike those indolent nobles, he was extremely diligent. This trait came from his father, a powerful Dragon Warrior who climbed his way up from a hornless commoner to a Silver Horn Noble. But to the Nobles, Azuhan¡¯s diligence only further proved that he was a dirt-clad peasant. ¡°Nobles do not need to toil like commoners, for we are born with powers far beyond mere mortals.¡± Azhuan recalled a young Noble¡¯s words and let out a derisive chuckle. If the Nobles were truly that powerful, how had his father risen from a hornless commoner to a Silver Horn Noble? And how did he become the Grand Marshal of the Empire as a newly promoted individual? Having thought this, Azuhan went to the backyard of his house, ready to undergo the training his father had taught him. The Fire Lizard Clan¡¯s battle strength came from the awakening of their Bloodline, and when a Fire Lizard awoke the Dragon Blood hidden within, two Dragon Horns would sprout on their head. When the Dragon Horns fully emerged, Fire Lizards would automatically join the ranks of the Nobles, as the lowest level Iron Horned Dragon Knights. According to Nobles, Bloodline awakening was innate; Nobles were naturally Nobles and would always be Nobles. But in reality, many ancestors among the Nobles were nobodies who achieved their status through awakening later in life. Nobles needed to maintain the sanctity of their status. If every Fire Lizard could become a Noble, where would they place their pride, their self-esteem? So, with each such Fire Lizard who emerged, another Noble would arise during the debauchery of the celebration month. Stepping out of his room, the thick Fire Element assaulted his face. The house where Azuhan lived was very close to the volcano, and the intense heat and dense Fire Element here could desiccate ordinary Fire Lizards to death. However, for Azuhan, the temperature was just a bit hot. He had reached adulthood, with Dragon Horns fully grown, and the Dragon Blood within him continuously enhanced his physique, slowly increasing even without effort. Given time, once he reached his father¡¯s level, even the magma within a volcano would be no more than a warm spring to him. Entering the yard, Azuhan began to devour the Fire Element in the air, as his father had taught him. Whoosh¡ªInhale¡ªWhoosh¡ªInhale¡­ With each breath, the dense Fire Element began to enter his bloodstream. Azhuan¡¯s body trembled continuously, and as the Fire Element concentration in his blood rose, it seemed like his blood turned into burning magma, the scalding sensation constantly stimulating every nerve. But his breathing remained steady, his measured breaths perfectly dodging certain innate bodily mechanisms, and the Fire Element concentration in his blood kept rising. Soon, the Fire Element reached a critical point, flames burst out from Azuhan¡¯s body, giving off an ethereal feeling. All of a sudden, he stopped breathing, and the Fire Element concentration in his blood rapidly reduced. These Fire Elements condensed in his Dragon Breath Bag, and as the Dragon Breath Bag filled, Azuhan suddenly opened his mouth and released a fan-shaped golden Dragon Breath that covered most of the yard. The golden flames of the Dragon Breath were so hot that they could melt rock instantly. ¡°Not bad, it seems you haven¡¯t been slacking recently.¡± A voice came from behind Azuhan. He spun around, his body instantly tensing and entering a combat state. But upon seeing the person, Azuhan relaxed back into a normal state. ¡°Father, you always appear out of nowhere,¡± Azuhan complained. In front of Azuhan stood a four-meter-tall Fire Lizard, who quietly observed him. Even though Azuhan was now an adult, he only reached up to the chest of this Fire Lizard. The Fire Lizard wore a white robe embroidered with golden threads, the scales that showed shimmering with a golden sheen under the sunlight, and a pair of golden dragon eyes looked immensely authoritative. On its head, two exceptional Dragon Horns adorned with golden rings, a symbol of the Fire Lizard King¡¯s favor, signified substantial feats. This Fire Lizard was Azuhan¡¯s father¡ªHarash Jajilite, the Grand Marshal of the Morick Empire. ¡°I have never deliberately concealed my whereabouts; it is your problem for not noticing,¡± Harash said calmly. Azuhan felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this. His father had always been forthright, and Harash had managed to offend almost all the high-ranking officials of the Empire with his words, even angering the Fire Lizard King with his remarks. ¡°Father, do you have something to ask of me? Haven¡¯t you been discussing the war with Linksa Empire with His Majesty recently?¡± Azuhan changed the subject. ¡°Do you plan for me to participate in the war?¡± Faced with the inquiry, Harash remained silent for a moment before suddenly turning around and walking toward the house. ¡°You come with me; there are things you need to know.¡± Entering the room, Harash watched with an expressionless face as a succession of female Fire Lizards exited his son¡¯s room. After they had left, Harash¡¯s lips twitched into a semblance of a smile: ¡°Eleven, it seems your bloodline has grown quite well, you are indeed my son.¡± Azuhan smiled awkwardly. The awakening of his dragon blood had greatly amplified his desires and his prowess. If it were not for females of the Fire Lizard Clan on his level, a single one could hardly withstand his conquest. He followed Harash into a room deep within the house. This was a quiet room, where Azuhan usually tamed the bestial urges that came with the growth of his bloodline. The awakening of the dragon blood often awoke intense bestiality, which most nobles would take pride in, even competing over who was wilder. But Harash admonished Azuhan that only by controlling his bestiality could he become a proper Dragon Warrior. Upon entering the quiet room, Harash closed the door, his expression immediately turning solemn. ¡°My son, our war with the Linksa Empire has ended.¡± ¡°Ended?¡± Azuhan was surprised. Since when did the Fire Lizard King of the Morick Empire become so amiable? ¡°Yes, not only our war with the Linksa Empire but also our war with the Mias Empire has ceased. All three Great Empires have now halted their war preparations.¡± The news Harash spoke should have been good, but his tone was unusually grave, as if hinting at some terrible disaster behind it. ¡°Father, isn¡¯t what you¡¯re saying a good thing? The end of the war, how wonderful that is. The three Great Empires have been at war for over a hundred years, ever since I was born we have been at war. It is really beyond good to stop now.¡± Listening to his son¡¯s naive words, Harash could not help but shake his head. ¡°Azuhan, what if the Three Great Empires decided to form an alliance in addition to calling a truce?¡± ¡°An alliance!?¡± Azuhan¡¯s pupils suddenly dilated, ¡°Impossible, the Three Great Empires cannot possibly band together. An alliance needs an enemy. If the Empires were to unite, then all the Fire Lizards in the Red Sun World, no, all creatures combined would be no match.¡± ¡°But the fact remains,¡± Harash declared calmly, ¡°The Three Great Empires have begun a limited military alliance, and our war preparations have not ceased despite the truce.¡± Hearing what Harash said, Azuhan could not help but shiver. Military alliance, war preparations continuing even during a truce. Could there be a race in the world that necessitates the united front of the Three Great Empires? Azuhan¡¯s mind raced through ancient legends, rumors that the Fire Lizard Clan had indeed once united in such a way. ¡°Could the Giant Dragons have returned?¡± Azuhan couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. Harash shook his head: ¡°No, the enemy this time is not the Giant Dragons. According to certain beings in the Star Realm, as revealed to His Majesty, the enemy we face should be a race known as ¡®Wizards.¡¯ A fearsome race that has conquered countless worlds.¡± ¡­ Beyond the Heavenly Vault, in the endless Void, two Floating Cities with diameters of tens of thousands of meters were slowly entering the World Barrier. After two years of travel and one year of breaching the barrier, the Wizard¡¯s Floating Cities were finally about to enter this small world. Richard stood on the edge of the Floating City, silently watching the World Barrier change from a vast white mist to gradually become transparent. He could clearly see through the Magic Barrier that in this world filled with sandstone, dense natives had already prepared for war. ¡°This is a warmongering race.¡± A voice reached Richard from beside him. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard turned to look, seeing a fat man wearing a white robe and sporting a pair of gold-framed, single-lens glasses watching the ground just like him. ¡°Bob, what brings you out today?¡± Richard greeted familiarly. Bob was a representative of the Wizard Commerce known as Nine Stars, and by a chance occurrence, he found out that Richard was the creator of the Magic Support Vehicle. Since then, this Wizard had been trying to cozy up to Richard. Bob smiled at Richard, his white teeth gleaming with a predatory glow: ¡°The great battle is about to start, such a scene is rare to see.¡± Suddenly, a voice came from Richard¡¯s Communication Crystal Ball. ¡°All Wizards, attention. All Wizards, attention. The Floating City is about to enter the world, the Floating City is about to enter the world.¡± ¡°Gentlemen, the war has begun.¡± Chapter 218 - 2 The Opening Battle Chapter 218: Chapter 2 The Opening Battle On the plains, Harash looked at the giant shadows gradually emerging in the heavenly vault, feeling a flicker of unease in his heart. As the newly appointed marshal of the Morick Empire, he had fought countless times against the other two empires, witnessing all manner of strange and mystical tactics. Whether it was the giant dragon beasts or the resurrected undead dragons, he had overcome them with his exquisite martial skills and the loyalty of his subordinates. He believed that he could win any war he encountered with these things. But today, his confidence wavered. In the sky, two metal spheres, each tens of thousands of meters in diameter, were slowly entering their world, their enormous size making the Fire Lizard King¡¯s pyramid, in comparison, look like a commoner¡¯s small house. But as the commander-in-chief, Harash knew he must not panic; if the marshal were to panic, there would be no point in fighting this battle. Harash, expressionless, glanced at the two fire lizards beside him, both of whom were about his height, but both fell short of him in terms of life radiation and energy fluctuations. They were generals from the other two empires; all three empires had agreed to cooperate half a year ago. After confirming that the entry point for the wizards into the world was on the Bavarian plains of the Morick Empire, each of the two empires sent an army of five hundred thousand fire lizards to assist the Morick Empire in battle. However, whether it was the Morick Empire or the other two empires, each had its own calculations in mind. The outcome of this opening battle would affect the decisions of the three empires going forward. Hum! A wave of invisible fluctuations emanated from the heavenly vault as the Floating City finally broke through the World Barrier. ¡°Prepare to meet the enemy; ready the Dragon Breath Cannons.¡± Harash coolly gave the order, which, through the order officer, quickly spread to an army of millions of fire lizards. ¡°Lord Harash, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit too nervous, using the Dragon Breath Cannon right off the bat?¡± said a fire lizard general from the Linksa Empire. The voice of this fire lizard general, carrying the characteristic ¡°hiss¡± of a Linksa Empire Black Corner Fire Lizard, sounded like a cold snake hissing in your ear. ¡°Balashar, are you questioning my decision?¡± Harash coldly turned to the questioning fire lizard. The three empires were no strangers to conflicts with one another, and as marshal, Harash had dealt with generals from the Linksa Empire before; Balashar was one of those who had been defeated by Harash. Or rather, there were few generals in the Linksa Empire who had not been defeated by Harash. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, I wouldn¡¯t dare. How could I possibly question the marshal¡¯s commands?¡± Balashar said with a hint of sarcasm, ¡°I was just curious as to why the renown brave and fearless Harash would be so wary of these newcomers from the skies. To use a decisive weapon like the Dragon Breath Cannon right from the start¡­¡± As a general, Balashar was far less knowledgeable about wizards than was Harash the marshal. ¡°You¡¯d better curb your curiosity; war has no need for it, and I do not need a curious subordinate. Question my commands again, and I¡¯ll twist off your head to feed the dragon beasts!¡± Harash showed no courtesy to this defeated subordinate, and as he spoke, his body erupted with a powerful Dragon Power, causing all the fire lizards in the strategy room to bristle their scales. Under this Dragon Power, Balashar¡¯s legs momentarily went weak, almost causing him to kneel on the ground. The dragon¡¯s mighty aura was oppressive to all of the Dragon Blood Species; amongst the Dragon Blood Species, the level of bloodline purity would determine their hierarchical status. ¡°Lord Harash, let¡¯s not squabble with Balashar; Black Corner Fire Lizards are always like that, their mouths forever tougher than their bones,¡± commented another fire lizard dressed in white robes and appearing agile, mocking from across Balashar. Harash glanced at him, ¡°Mai Han, have your men ready the rot dragons, on standby for my command.¡± This fire lizard named Mai Han came from the Mias Empire, another one who had been defeated by Harash, but unlike Balashar, he was very obedient to Harash¡¯s orders. ¡°Your will, Lord Harash.¡± After speaking, Mai Han had an order officer convey Harash¡¯s command. Harash approached the edge of the strategy room, watching as those two massive objects continued to push into the world. He summoned an order officer, ¡°Send the command down: Dragon Breath Bombs, three volleys of fire.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ The Floating City gradually moved further inside the world. Richard stood on the edge of the Floating City, quietly observing the grand war about to begin. Although technical consultants also needed to be on the battlefield, Richard¡¯s Magic Support Vehicle was clearly not needed for the opening battle. So he could still stand on the Floating City, overlooking the entire battlefield like the members of the Wizard Commerce. Boom! The floor beneath Richard¡¯s feet suddenly trembled slightly. Tens of thousands of crimson fireballs shot out from the arms of the native forces, slamming into the lower halves of the two Floating Cities. The fireballs seemed very large, mostly golden yellow, each one with a radius of about four meters. The weapons firing them looked like giant tortoises with volcano-like structures on their backs. ¡°War Beasts, strategic weapons; these natives seem to be quite formidable,¡± said Bob, interestedly, standing beside Richard. ¡°This time, we¡¯re in for a good show.¡± ¡°A good show?¡± Richard was somewhat displeased with Bob¡¯s choice of words, frowning, ¡°Bob, this is a war, one where tens of thousands of wizards are going to die. Using the word show doesn¡¯t seem quite respectful.¡± Bob chuckled and adjusted the monocle over his left eye. ¡°Richard, I apologize for my inappropriate metaphor. However, we can¡¯t deny that war, to some extent, truly is a form of art. It possesses a cruel kind of beauty.¡± ¡°Beauty?¡± Richard reflected on his own slaughter in the depths of the Insect Nest World, and the brutality of the final battle. ¡°I think, Bob, you might have been away from the battlefield for too long; watching a war from atop a Floating City gives a different feeling than being in the thick of it.¡± Bob shrugged noncommittally. To the Floating City, the natives¡¯ fireballs posed no significant threat. As a crystallization of Alchemy Wizard technology, every part of the Floating City was imbued with the wisdom of the Wizards. Although the lower hemisphere of the Floating City lacked a Magic Barrier, all the alloy components were coated with a high-temperature-resistant layer. These fireballs might look powerful, but hitting the Floating City, they only resulted in a few minor dents. ¡°Begin deploying the mixed Slave Army.¡± Richard¡¯s Communication Crystal Ball relayed the command from the headquarters, launching the first blow in the Wizard Realm¡¯s standard three-pronged assault. As an entrance opened beneath the Floating City, a torrent of strange and bizarre creatures surged forth. Among these beings were those of flesh and those of the Element, and Richard noticed quite a few familiar figures. ¡°The Slave Army from the Insect Nest World is being put to use so soon?¡± Richard eyed the group of Black Crystal Insects, distinctive from the other slaves, commanded by Priest Insects, with Warrior Worms serving as foot soldiers and Mother Worm Guards mixed in, moving with a well-ordered precision that stood out in the chaotic throng of slave creatures. ¡°No wonder every Great Wizard wants their own Slave World; the Slave Armies from there are far superior to ordinary slaves.¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s muttering, a curious Bob asked: ¡°Richard, have you seen those insects before? They seem quite strong in battle; do you have a way in?¡± Slave trade was one of the most lucrative businesses in the Wizard World, with a good slave ranging from a few Magic Essences to several dozen. Nearly every Wizard Commerce dealt in the slave trade. ¡°These insects come from a Slave World; I didn¡¯t expect to see them on the battlefield so soon,¡± Richard said, somewhat nostalgically. Over a hundred years ago, he had fought these insects to the death; he never imagined that a century later, they would become his allies. ¡°Oh? Great Wizard Qing Shuang has acquired another Slave World!¡± Bob exclaimed in surprise, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of Great Wizard Qing Shuang joining any Plane Wars in recent years.¡± Richard gave him a look: ¡°I never said Great Wizard Qing Shuang had a new Slave World. There are still rebel forces in that world that haven¡¯t been eradicated; if you¡¯re thinking of being a middleman, forget it.¡± ¡°Just asking. Slave trade isn¡¯t the main focus for our Nine Star Chamber of Commerce.¡± Bob smiled good-naturedly, but his mind began to recall all the expedition records from the past two hundred years. Due to the conditions of his accompanying army, Richard was very tight-lipped about his identity. After all, if those Wizards of the Commerce found out, it could lead to a stir. Every kind of resource development in the New World was incredibly precious; the slice of the pie that a Great Wizard was willing to share was limited. If one person dropped out, it meant a little more for the others. Therefore, aside from knowing Richard had designed the Magic Support Vehicle, Bob was in the dark about other developments these past few years. However, Bob wasn¡¯t particularly concerned with Richard¡¯s identity. As an emerging Commerce, the Nine Stars could only hope to scrape together leftovers from resource development. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even if he knew Richard¡¯s identity, he would simply see it as an opportunity to forge a good relationship. The Magic Support Vehicle had shown him the potential profits of being a middleman. ¡­ Watching the Slave Army descend from the sky, Harash commanded his troops to meet the enemy, expressionless. The Fire Lizards wore black metal Armor, wielding Scimitars and long spears, cutting through the Slave Army as sharply as swords. Organization was a key measure of an army¡¯s strength; an equal force of irregulars could only be annihilated by a standing army. The mixed Slave Army was a band of irregulars and thus, when they faced the Fire Lizard army, they crashed against them like waves against the rocks. No matter how ferocious the waves, they could only shatter to pieces upon the rocks. Watching the Slave Army easily held back by the Fire Lizard army, Harash felt no joy in his heart. His intuition told him that these beings called Wizards could not possibly be so weak. As the Slave Army steadily dwindled, voices began to flow from the Wizards¡¯ Crystal Balls. ¡°The world is tentatively named Red Sun World, with a Magic Power concentration five times that of the Wizard World. The air has a higher density of the Fire Element, causing certain Elemental Damage through erosion, which those with a Physique of fifty-five and above can be immune to. This world has special rules ¨C every three days, there¡¯s an imbalance of the Fire Element. All Fire Element Spells in this world increase in power by twenty percent, while Water Element Spells decrease in effectiveness by fifty percent. The species is tentatively named Fire Lizard. Combat members are between two to three meters tall, with an evolved Physique. They are preliminarily estimated to have a Physique around seventy points and exhibit Dragon Breath-like Elemental Damage. Their Energy Level is estimated at three hundred, but some special Fire Lizards exhibit higher Energy Levels of Breath. The combat members of this species are skilled in using Scimitars and long spears, dealing Cutting and Piercing Damage. Their tails can cause Blunt Damage. They have low Element Resistance and higher resistance to the Fire Element. It is recommended to defeat them with spells. ¡­¡± ¡°The consumption of the mixed Slave Army is over half. Prepare the White Wizard Army!¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 219 - 3 Steady Progress Chapter 219: Chapter 3 Steady Progress Following the command center¡¯s orders, the Floating City opened again, and the War Airships, like bloodthirsty sharks, flew out from the Floating City. Because this was a smaller world, the number of White Wizards was much more than last time, with hundreds of War Airships flying out from each Floating City. The White Wizards formed a complex military array with the War Airships at its core. Through the array¡¯s effects, a Magic Shield appeared below the White Wizard Army. Although the Fire Lizards¡¯ use of strategic weapons inflicted a certain degree of damage upon the Floating City, it helped the White Wizard Army to understand the power of the Dragon Breath Bombs. This Magic Shield had been prepared for this purpose. If they were unprepared, those terrible fireballs, unless one was a Three Rings Wizard, would leave nothing but ash and bones if they landed on a Wizard. ¡°Straight ahead, Fireball Technique, three consecutive shots, cast!¡± commanded a White Wizard through the mental network. ¡°Fire!¡± The next moment, hundreds of thousands of fireballs descended like a cataclysmic reign of fire upon the heads of the Fire Lizards. Boom! Though the Fire Lizards had a high resistance to the Fire Element, they couldn¡¯t withstand the Red Sun World¡¯s environmental boost to Fire Element Spell of twenty percent, which meant that a fireball with an Energy Level of one hundred could even gain an additional twenty Energy Levels. This environmental advantage was enough to offset the Fire Lizards¡¯ resistance to the Fire Element. Watching the fireballs fall from the sky, Harash¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and he turned to look at Mai Han: ¡°Mai Han, send your Corrosive Dragon Army into the sky. Balashar, get your Dragon Head Knights ready to move out.¡± After speaking, Harash refocused his attention on the battlefield. The recent Magic Concentrated Fire was indeed powerful, but for Harash, who was prepared mentally, the scene was fitting for the information he had received from the Fire Lizard King. He called over an Order Officer: ¡°Pass the order down, Dragon Spellcaster Group get ready. Dragon Breath Cannons, fire the Dragon Breath Bombs at will.¡± As the orders were given, tens of thousands of Dragon Breath Cannons began to aim at the sky, where the White Wizard Army was positioned. Huge Dragon Breath Bombs collided with the White Wizard Army¡¯s shield, immediately stirring up ripples. But the White Wizard Army had already understood the strength of the Dragon Breath Bombs from the damage assessment of the Floating City over the past few days. The Magic Shield, though appearing battered and on the verge of shattering, did not let any Dragon Breath Bomb breach its barrier. After the Dragon Breath Bombs, it was the turn of the Mias Empire¡¯s Corrosive Dragon Army. From within the Fire Lizard Army flew forth terrifying black Dragon Beasts. These creatures, known as Corrosive Dragons, appeared like Giant Dragons but were much smaller in size. Despite this, their power could tear apart any creature that underestimated them. Aside from their strength, the Corrosive Dragons also possessed venom glands, and a stench-filled massive maw that even a Komodo dragon would bow down to. The bacteria that lived in their mouths, combined with the venom glands, were enough to severely affect any creature beneath the Third Level. Manning their backs, groups of Dragon Warriors with Dragon Horns and iron helms held the reins, driving these wild beasts toward the White Wizard Army. As the Corrosive Dragons ascended, the White Wizard Army naturally would not just stand by idly. Magic Concentrated Fire appeared once again, as tens of thousands of thunderbolts cut across the sky, instantly clearing the front lines of the Corrosive Dragon Army. But before the Wizards could launch a second wave of attacks, the Corrosive Dragon Army had already breached the range to commence their attack. ¡°Bastards, taste the breath of the Corrosive Dragons!¡± roared one, as black-green breath landed on the Magic Shield in front of the White Wizard Army. This black-green breath carried deadly toxicity and corrosiveness. As it landed on the Magic Shield, it caused the frontline Shield Wizards to expend an immense increase in Magic Power. ¡°Straight ahead, Lightning Chain, cast three times.¡± The intelligent and composed White Wizards issued commands. Against such small batches of clustered enemies, the Lightning Chain, a spell whose quantity could lead to a qualitative change, was most appropriate. As the order was given, over a hundred thousand Wizards waved their Magic Wands, and in an instant, the purple brilliance of thunderbolts almost eclipsed the Heavenly Vault¡¯s three suns. Meanwhile, the command center also issued orders for the Black Wizards to move out. The Dragon Breath Cannons posed a significant threat to both the White Wizard Army and the War Airships. Hundreds of airships simultaneously opened their dropship hatches, with tens of thousands of fireballs plummeting down from the sky. Seeing the red spheres falling from the airships, Harash frowned, his dragon eyes clearly discerning that those fireballs were actually Wizards. He turned to an awaiting Order Officer: ¡°Deploy the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors, three Imperial Guards coupled with one Dragon Spellcaster forming one battle array, three battle arrays to protect one Dragon Breath. Moreover, communicate with his majesty using the Crystal Screen, these millions of troops aren¡¯t enough; if we are to defeat these Wizards, we need at least over five times this number of troops, including the entire Dragon Spellcaster Group, the entire Corrosive Dragon Army, the entire Dragon Beast Knight Order, all the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors, and one hundred thousand Dragon Breath Cannons. We can either extract as much information about the Wizards as possible in this war or preserve our troops as much as we can. I hope his majesty can make a decision.¡± ¡­ The Black Wizards began their assault towards the Dragon Breath Cannon positions immediately after landing, differing from the Slave Army¡¯s scattered soldiers. Although the Black Wizards fought individually, their strength far surpassed those of the slave monsters. The Wizards¡¯ arcane and peculiar spells gave the Fire Lizard Warriors a severe headache. One might discover that the same Wizard who used Fireball Technique in their previous move could next summon a sharp spike from the ground or swing their Magic Wand to explode their heads. Compared to the Wizards, these battle-hardened Fire Lizard Warriors seemed like raw recruits, being disoriented and outclassed by the Wizards¡¯ spells. Soon, the first Wizard to breach the area around the Dragon Breath Cannons appeared. That was an old Second Ring Wizard, whose life force was in a state of decay. He wore a black robe, and his body was mostly elementalized, with white and purple lightning intertwined, making up the majority of his body. He swung his magic wand toward the Dragon Breath Cannon, and his attack was a thunderous bolt out of the blue. Boom! After the lightning passed, the Dragon Breath Cannon remained undamaged, while a Golden Robed Fire Lizard surrounded by three Fire Lizards wearing golden masks took center stage. A barrier, emanating from him, firmly blocked the Wizard¡¯s lightning. At this moment, the Golden Robed Fire Lizard was chanting some ancient and obscure language, but each syllable he uttered caused faint energy fluctuations around him. This old Wizard had experienced many battles and had witnessed countless strange abilities, so he immediately recognized this tactic. ¡°Command center, command center, this is Nasito, new type enemy combat units have appeared on the battlefield. They are estimated to be Psychic Evolvers with Spellcasting abilities, capable of withstanding thunderstorms of at least 4,000 Energy Level.¡± The old Wizard kept his gaze on the Golden Robed Fire Lizard while retreating and reported the intelligence he deduced to the command center. The Golden Robed Fire Lizard, watching the Wizard, suddenly began to chant the syllables at an accelerated pace. And with the final syllable heralded, a crimson flame suddenly appeared beside the Golden Robed Fire Lizard. He watched the departing old Wizard, and as the flame began to weaken, the Wizard¡¯s body suddenly burst into raging flames. The body of the old Wizard, although mostly elementalized, was still important because of the remnants of flesh and blood. As the flame appeared, his body of flesh and blood instantly turned to ashes. And the fire did not stop there; it even attempted to ignite on the Wizard¡¯s elemental body, frightening the old Wizard into hastily dispersing his elemental form, and then instantly reassembling it. After reassembling, the eerie flame finally dissipated. ¡°Such a strange ability, almost like a Curse,¡± said the old Wizard, still fearful, but he then relayed the message to the command center. This was important intelligence, worth a good amount of Magic Essence rewards from the command center. The Dragon Spellcaster Group did not continue the pursuit, allowing the old Wizard to leave freely. Their mission was to protect the Dragon Breath Cannon, and slaughtering Wizards was not part of their task. Compared to the experienced old Wizard, other Black Wizards who attacked the Dragon Breath Cannon were not so fortunate. The Curse Flame of the Dragon Spellcaster Group killed hundreds of Wizards in one strike, including some Second Ring Wizards. However, the command center soon developed a counterstrategy. ¡°Emergency announcement from the command center, the enemy has deployed Psychic Evolver combat units, skilled in Curse Flame. This flame¡¯s Energy Level ranges from six hundred to forty-two hundred. Countermeasures include high-frequency Magic Power vibration or applying optical invisibility to oneself. Furthermore, for the mission to destroy strategic weaponry, it is advised to be led by at least one or more Second Ring Wizards in a squad-based assault. It is not recommended for those below Three Rings to engage in solo attacks.¡± Upon receiving the message, the Black Wizards on the battlefield quickly reacted, with Black Wizard squads swiftly appearing. Overseeing the entire battlefield, the groups of Black Wizards pierced through the Fire Lizard Warrior formations like sharp arrows. Cutting, surrounding, annihilating. Under the command of some experienced old Wizards, the Black Wizard squads dismantled the Fire Lizard Warriors¡¯ defenses at an astonishing pace. The White Wizard Army in the sky further prevented most of the Fire Lizard troops from providing support, only able to watch as their lines were dissolved by the Black Wizards. Collapse was about to begin. ¡­ ¡°Such impressive individual combat capabilities.¡± Harash stood in the strategy room, overlooking the entire battlefield. His position was at the very rear of the battlefield, shaped like an obsidian pyramid carried by a giant Dragon Tortoise, always ready to move if needed. From this position, even the War Airships of the Wizards couldn¡¯t reach, let alone the main cannons of the Floating City. Order Officers kept bringing the latest battle reports; the elite within his Fire Lizard Army were being depleted at an alarming rate. The previous monsters had fought for five days and only lost tens of thousands of Fire Lizards, but as soon as these Wizards appeared, in just half a day, his army had lost over a hundred thousand men, and the number was still increasing at an alarming rate. ¡°Has His Majesty not responded yet?¡± Harash looked to his side, where an Order Officer was anxiously waiting in front of a Crystal Screen. Suddenly, the Crystal Screen lit up with a point of light, and the Order Officer quickly presented the screen to Harash. ¡°Sir, the King¡¯s response has arrived.¡± Harash took the screen, tapped it once, and the next moment, the image of the Fire Lizard King appeared on the Crystal Screen. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Fire Lizard King sat high on a golden throne, his nearly ten-meter-tall majestic body topped with five fierce Dragon Heads, looking terrifyingly formidable. ¡°Harash, bring the army back.¡± Harash, looking at the screen, knelt on the ground. ¡°Your will, my King.¡± ¡­ Before long, watching the beginning retreat of the Fire Lizard Army, Richard turned and left the edge of the Floating City. ¡°Richard, are you going down to join the action?¡± asked Bob casually. Richard did not turn back but casually pulled out a Magic Wand from his pocket. ¡°Of course, this is one of the best opportunities to make money during this war.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 220 - 4: Siege and Capture of Fortresses Chapter 220: Chapter 4: Siege and Capture of Fortresses Descending from the Floating City, Richard immediately rushed to the battlefield. Now was the perfect opportunity to collect heads, as these Fire Lizards were retreating. These Fire Lizards appeared to possess a Giant Dragon Bloodline, which was of great research value to him. The retreat of the Fire Lizards was very swift and unlike a rout¡ªthey retreated with discipline, executing various crossing and blocking tactics. It seemed their Commander was someone skilled in military affairs. Unfortunately, given the technological disparity with Wizard Civilization, his command could only reduce some of the losses; massive casualties still ensued. Richard, holding a Magic Wand, casually cast a black Fireball. With the help of Luck Blessing, the Fire Element-rich environment of the Red Sun World amplified his Fire Element Spells even further, astonishingly by twenty-five percent. A Spell with an Energy Level of four hundred, with layer upon layer of amplification, even reached five hundred and eighty Energy Level. A mere Fireball could easily explode and kill the Fire Lizards, which were Level 1 Creatures. But before Richard could be pleased with himself, a gust of wind struck from behind him. ¡°Hissss, die!¡± A seriously injured Fire Lizard, hiding in a pile of exploded dirt, launched its last attack on Richard. Clang! The spear tip shattered. Compared to the well-prepared Armor Richard wore, the weapon of the Fire Lizard was clearly of much poorer quality. Richard turned back with a ¡°kind¡± smile, ¡°Not bad, one severely wounded; that saves me the trouble.¡± He grabbed the long spear of the Fire Lizard and yanked the creature to his side. Then, with a ¡°smack,¡± Richard swung his hand and harshly slapped the Fire Lizard¡¯s face. Afterward, the Fire Lizard found itself enjoying the sleep of an infant. Richard assessed the Fire Lizard¡¯s injuries: ¡°The injuries are a bit severe, but all minor issues.¡± He casually opened the Secret Realm Rift and threw the Fire Lizard in, instructing, ¡°Don¡¯t let this guy die, I want to experiment on him later.¡± Soon after he threw it in, a rift appeared behind Richard and Ulysses flew out from it. ¡°Gah, to the New World? And you didn¡¯t even call me.¡± Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder and glanced at the surrounding environment. ¡°World with a bias in Fire Element, boring.¡± ¡°Boring?¡± Richard inquired with curiosity, ¡°Then what kind of world is considered interesting?¡± ¡°Gah, all these unbalanced worlds are like they¡¯ve been carved out from the same mould: volcanoes, deserts, wastelands, and at best some Fire Element plants. These things might seem novel at first glance, but after you¡¯ve seen them a few times, you¡¯ll realize that these worlds are nowhere near as fascinating as those with a balance of Elements. At the very least in terms of climate, achoo!¡± Before he could finish, Ulysses sneezed¡ªan uncommon occurrence. Richard asked in surprise, ¡°Your body is already at the Third Level, how can you be so sensitive to the environment?¡± Ulysses shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just a habit of the Soul, like when you drink tea, you also have a habit of blowing on it. Do you blow because the water is hot?¡± Richard had no response. Following the main troops, Richard made his way to a city. It was a massive city, centered around a volcano and spreading out for hundreds of kilometers. The various tall sandstone structures indicated that this native civilization had reached a certain level. Architecture is often an important marker of civilization. Even in this world of transcendent powers, building large-scale stone structures still requires help from structural engineering, material science, and mathematics. A simple conclusion drawn by a Wizard over years of conquest is that the more developed a Race is, the taller their buildings are. ¡°Highly civilized, it seems these Fire Lizards won¡¯t be suitable as slaves,¡± Richard muttered as he watched the city. ¡°Gah, you have such considerations for slaves? Isn¡¯t it enough if a Race is sufficiently excellent?¡± Ulysses asked, puzzled. ¡°This is an unspoken rule among the Great Wizards; I also heard it from some of the older Wizards,¡± Richard explained, ¡°Great Wizards, during their conquest of worlds, would deliberately exterminate certain Races. These Races often possess a notable level of civilization, with sophisticated development of their own abilities, and have significant advancements in fields like mathematics. As long as a Race fits these criteria, no matter how excellent, they would be annihilated.¡± After Richard¡¯s explanation, Ulysses fell silent for a moment and then said gloomily, ¡°Gah, this is probably to maintain the purity within your community, I guess.¡± ¡°Purity?¡± ¡°Gah, I¡¯m not certain, let¡¯s see how it goes. These matters have no impact on you anyway. In the blood of these creatures, that look like lizards, I smell the same scent as the Giant Dragon Blood Serum you showed me last time. The ancestors of these natives are most likely related to those dragons.¡± Ulysses didn¡¯t say much more but shifted the conversation back to Richard. Richard nodded, ¡°I guess so too, let¡¯s see what can be extracted from the Fire Lizards when we get back.¡± ¡­ In the strategy room, Harash reported the Wizards¡¯ intelligence he knew in an orderly manner against the light screen. ¡°¡­Your Majesty, this race is even more terrifying than the entities you know from the Star Realm; with our current situation, the fall of Kafra City is just a matter of time.¡± In the screen, the Fire Lizard King sat high on his throne, looking very calm. But Harash, who was familiar with his own monarch, knew that his liege was already very angry. As the Grand Marshal promoted by the Fire Lizard King himself, he could tell his liege¡¯s mood from the subtle shifts of his scales, the flexing of his spine, the angles of his gaze, and even the swing of his tail. As a close servant, some things were etched into his bones, even without deliberate learning. ¡°Harash, give me some good news. Today, you¡¯ve only brought bad tidings,¡± the Fire Lizard King said calmly. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Harash stood up and waved to a subordinate on the side. Soon, a subordinate brought over a One Ring Wizard who was tied up tightly. This wizard was vibrant with life from what one could tell of his vitality, unmistakably a student soldier freshly out of the Academy. At this moment, a nail was driven into the wizard¡¯s head, and he seemed to be in a comatose state. ¡°Your Majesty, from the soul of this wizard, we¡¯ve gathered a lot of intelligence. There are about over a million wizards involved in this war with two leaders they call Great Wizards leading them. I presume, these so-called Great Wizards should be powerhouses on par with Your Majesty. Thus, we still hold the advantage in terms of high-level power. Moreover, these wizards won¡¯t be able to replenish their troops for a long time. Now, for them, every loss is permanent, whereas we can replenish our forces continuously. As long as we can thoroughly crush them in this period when they can¡¯t reinforce, then these wizards will have to leave in disgrace, or stay here forever.¡± Hearing Harash¡¯s briefing on the war, the Fire Lizard King¡¯s mood somewhat improved. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Harash, you may now command the entire Imperial army, whether it¡¯s the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors or the Dragon Spellcaster Group, even if¡­¡± the Fire Lizard King paused, seemingly making a decision. ¡°Even if it¡¯s the warehouse guards, you can command them. But remember, our enemies are not just the wizards; the other two Empires are constantly thinking of swallowing us up.¡± With that, the screen went dark. Harash handed the screen to an attendant and turned to the window. As he looked at the relentless pursuit of the White Wizard Army, he said quietly, ¡°To be stingy with power at a time like this, this war is likely to drag on.¡± ¡­ ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay put in the Floating City, young man? What business do you have running to the front line?¡± Vladimir said irritably to Richard, who had arrived at the front line. At this moment, the White Wizard Army was preparing for the siege, and the various alchemy components brought from the rear were quickly transformed into alchemy weapons by the Alchemy Wizards. ¡°It¡¯s a great time to make money, isn¡¯t it?¡± Richard chuckled. As a Second Ring Wizard, the pursuit battle posed no danger to Richard. ¡°Making money?¡± Vladimir snorted coldly, ¡°You do have a knack for timing. But you¡¯ve come to the wrong place this time. The natives have a very capable commander, and he managed to save most of his troops in the opening fight. Now they¡¯ve retreated into the city, street fighting is inevitable.¡± ¡°Street fighting?¡± Richard was a bit confused, ¡°Can¡¯t we just bulldoze through them with magic?¡± ¡°Bulldoze? You¡¯re dreaming nicely.¡± Vladimir scoffed at Richard mockingly. ¡°Do you think these natives are just targets? See that huge cluster of buildings? How long are you going to bomb those with magic? Those buildings aren¡¯t flesh; they won¡¯t die from a little shaping magic explosion. The shockwave might kill some, but it won¡¯t suffice. You see those big houses? You won¡¯t be able to destroy them by just draining your magic power if you can¡¯t hit the exact spot.¡± On the battlefield, the old wizard had become even more irritable and odd. After being subjected to Vladimir¡¯s sarcastic comments, Richard could only consult him dejectedly, ¡°So according to the Master, street fighting is going to be tough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tough.¡± Vladimir looked at Richard and suddenly reached into the inside of Richard¡¯s wizard robe. Clank, clank, clank. ¡°Good lad, no wonder you dare to come, your defenses are quite solid,¡± Vladimir said with slight surprise, ¡°If you have this protection, then indeed you might be able to take advantage.¡± Saying that, Vladimir spoke a few words to a crystal ball, and soon after, a squad of White Wizards arrived next to Richard. ¡°This gentleman is our technical consultant. He sympathizes greatly with the hardships of our battle, so he¡¯s come to the battlefield to offer his help,¡± Vladimir told the White Wizard squad in a firm tone, ¡°So he¡¯ll join you in the street fighting cleanup.¡± As an equipment chief, Vladimir had some command authority. Faced with Vladimir¡¯s command, the captain of the White Wizard squad showed a troubled expression but agreed. ¡°Yes, Equipment Chief, Sir!¡± Vladimir looked at Richard: ¡°Go have some fun with these lads inside, and be careful, don¡¯t get yourself killed.¡± Richard nodded and then looked at the captain of the White Wizard squad. ¡°Captain, I will cooperate fully with you in battle.¡± Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 221 - 5 Street Fighting Chapter 221: Chapter 5 Street Fighting Entering the army requires comportment befitting of the military. As an outsider, Richard showed ample respect for the White Wizard squad fighting alongside him. Firstly, several members of this squad were Second Ring Wizards with, presumably, rich combat experience. Secondly, he was there to reap benefits; respecting those who fought to the death seemed only appropriate since he was essentially seizing a slice of their hard-earned pie. The captain of the White Wizards cast a stern look at Richard and said, ¡°Advisor, we are pleased to cooperate with you and will do our utmost to ensure your safety, but you must also fully cooperate with our operations.¡± Ensure my safety? Richard shook his head. ¡°I think you¡¯ve misunderstood something, Captain. I don¡¯t need protection.¡± Then, Richard turned off the effect of his Concealer Cloak, revealing his Life Radiation. The captain of the White Wizards was slightly surprised but his words remained unchanged. ¡°Advisor, your strength is indeed greater than I imagined, but a Second Ring Wizard is not an invincible creature on the battlefield.¡± To these battle-hardened White Wizards, Level and combat power were not always synonymous, especially for a being like a wizard, where the range between the upper and lower limits is vast. A strong Second Ring Wizard could instantly kill a Third Level native creature with a sneak attack, while a weak Second Ring Wizard could just as easily be killed by a native of the same Second Level. Richard felt somewhat helpless; these White Wizards were a tad too disdainful. Speaking of protection, did he really need it with a World Master perched on his shoulder? Looking toward Vladimir, Richard hoped he might help clarify things. However, he saw Vladimir was busy speaking to a Crystal Ball while flying off into the distance. ¡°I¡­¡± Richard wanted to continue arguing but noticed the captain of the White Wizards frown slightly, speaking with a heavier tone: ¡°Advisor, how many Plane Wars have you participated in?¡± Richard hesitated before answering, ¡°¡­My second.¡± The captain of the White Wizards pointed to a One Ring Wizard behind him. ¡°He has the least combat experience in our team, but even he has gone through three wars.¡± Then, the captain of the White Wizards asked again: ¡°May I ask, Advisor, how old you are today?¡± Richard paused briefly, then said somewhat helplessly, ¡°Over three hundred years old.¡± Hearing this age, the captain of the White Wizards seemed to understand something, and his tone became somewhat impatient. ¡°Advisor, while a wizard¡¯s strength does not necessarily correlate with age, in most cases, an older wizard will have stronger combat capabilities than a younger wizard. I believe you have inherited much knowledge from your family, but please trust me, knowledge is one thing and applying it in combat is another.¡± ¡°Family¡­ What family?¡± said Richard, somewhat puzzled. He didn¡¯t understand what had led the captain of the White Wizards to such an association. At this point, the captain of the White Wizards could not be bothered to continue the conversation. ¡°Advisor, we are about to enter the city. I hope you can cooperate as you¡¯ve said.¡± With that, three wizards from the squad surrounded Richard in the center, with a Barrier Wizard bringing up the rear. This was the standard formation for a Guard Team, typically used to transport the wounded. Richard sighed, ¡°Alright then. Have it your way.¡± He couldn¡¯t say anything unpleasant to a group of wizards who intended to protect him. In any case, the battlefield would soon reveal all. Wizards had three types of Alchemy Weapons for urban warfare. One type was a Life Detection Device, which looked like a Crystal Ball and was mainly used by Investigation Wizards to detect the presence of enemies nearby. This device was mainly to check for creatures lurking underground; for wizards, spiritual power investigation was sufficient to detect most enemies. The second type was an Alchemy Hammer designed to demolish buildings, able to emit high-frequency Shock Waves, perfect for breaking down structures. And the last type was a one-time item¡ªa Magic Potion called ¡°The Third Eye.¡± This potion enhanced a wizard¡¯s danger perception, allowing wizards to react in advance to certain fatal attacks. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard looked at the Magic Potion in his hands and sighed. His company should have been in the business of making Magic Potions; instead, it had become an arms dealer. Such is the unpredictability of life. When he returned, he resolved to delve into Magic Potion to see if he could find a scalable way to produce them. The bulk of the Magic Potion business supplied the military needs for expeditions to Otherworlds. If the potions were not cost-effective, the Great Wizard would not simply give Magic Essence to the company for free. Equipped, the squad entered the city. Richard¡¯s squad was only seven members strong, but it was clear from the few Second Ring Wizards in it that this was an elite squad. After years of expeditions to Otherworlds, the White Wizard Army had developed many strategies. For urban combat, the White Wizards would have elites lead the charge, with ordinary wizards sweeping up any stragglers. This strategy was risky for the elite squad, but the rewards were equally lucrative. Apart from the benefits brought by the natives, the army also provided special subsidies for those wizards undertaking dangerous missions. Entering the city, Richard heard nothing but the roar of spells around him. It was as if all the Fire Lizards in the entire city had been cleared out. Above them, War Airships acted as support units, aiding in striking down some enemies, but this assault was minimal, only effective against some obvious foes. The most significant use of the War Airships was as the eyes of the command unit, allowing commanders to observe as much of the battlefield situation as possible. This eerie phenomenon had clearly caught the attention of more than just Richard. The White Wizard Captain extended his spiritual power to its limit, but within the range of his spiritual power, not a single soul could be found. The retreat of the Fire Lizard army to the White Wizards beginning the siege had only been three days, how could this large city, home to millions of people, turn into a city of death within such a short time? Just as the White Wizard Captain was puzzled, a team member holding a Life Detection Crystal Ball came to his side. Within his hands, the Crystal Ball showed several red dots hidden beneath the ground of the houses nearby. ¡°So they¡¯ve been hiding in the cellars.¡± The White Wizard Captain glanced at the locations and the life strength on the Crystal Ball, then sent out commands through the psychic network. ¡°Take out those few Fire Lizards, keep it quiet.¡± A Wizard whose body had undergone metallic transformation entered one of the nearby houses and after a while, he re-emerged, and the red dots on the Crystal Ball vanished. ¡°Just a few old Fire Lizards that couldn¡¯t move. It seems the civilian population of these creatures has already left.¡± ¡°Left?¡± The White Wizard Captain frowned, but then relaxed his expression. ¡°If they¡¯ve left, it¡¯s for the better, reducing interference will make our mission smoother.¡± The conversation between the two was not conducted over the psychic network, so Richard also learned of the Fire Lizard civilians¡¯ evacuation. Unlike the White Wizard Captain¡¯s reaction, Richard¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. This species, temporarily called Fire Lizards, seemed to have strong countermeasures against warfare. Following the squad, they continued to advance in a continuous ¡°L¡± shaped path. Every building they passed was probed repeatedly by a few Wizards using their spiritual power to ensure no Fire Lizards remained. Suddenly, the White Wizard Captain gestured with his hand, and the entire team stopped instantaneously. Within the psychic network, the White Wizard Captain calmly commanded: ¡°Two hundred meters ahead to the left, the building with a black plaque has three First Level Fire Lizards in ambush. When we move in, we must be swift. We¡¯ve got a privileged scion with us now, so we can¡¯t fish around carelessly like before.¡± ¡°Captain, this advisor looks familiar to me.¡± A team member suddenly spoke out in the psychic network, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen him in the Insect Nest World; he was with Master Vladimir repairing a number of Magic Stone Cannons¡­¡± ¡°You must be mistaken, Acker,¡± the Captain interrupted bluntly. ¡°This kid has become a Second Ring Wizard at such a young age and even joined the war as a technical advisor. It¡¯s clear which Wizard Family lacks ability and is vying for favor with their youngest son. What normal Wizard could gather enough resources to advance at that age, and which teacher would allow their student to ascend so early? I¡¯ve seen this type of behavior before.¡± As he spoke, a trace of disgust flashed across the Captain¡¯s face. Such privileged individuals were like unpredictable bombs in war, and any Commander would despise having this uncertain factor in their team. ¡°Moreover, this Master Richard you speak of, I¡¯ve heard of him. He¡¯s a newly graduated One Ring Wizard, and although his teacher is Jolo, Master Jolod has more than one student. If he wants to break through to the Second Ring, he¡¯ll have to fight in at least one Plane War, and even if he amasses enough resources, Master Jolod wouldn¡¯t allow him to advance to the Second Ring so soon.¡± Wizards who follow spiritual evolution do not face the issue of it being harder to advance as they age before reaching the Third Ring. In fact, due to the existence of Soul Darkness, it¡¯s safer for older Wizards to advance. The spirits honed by years are more capable of enduring the endless Soul Darkness. The team advanced steadily, quickly arriving at the location of the ambushing Fire Lizards. The Captain issued orders through the psychic network, and with a flick of their Wizard¡¯s Wands, several Wizards shot groups of crimson fireballs into a house on the street. As there was a loud boom, the Captain gestured, signaling the team to continue forward. Suddenly, Ulysses perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder opened his eyes. ¡°Caw, someone¡¯s coming.¡± Before Ulysses finished speaking, loud crashes were heard as several dark figures burst through the doors of nearby houses and charged at them. So swift their approach, even the White Wizard Captain, vigilant of his surroundings, barely managed to react. ¡°Enemy attack, defensive stance!¡± The White Wizard Captain shouted, his expression cold and composed, showing not a trace of panic. He was battle-hardened; such situations were nothing new to him¡­ Bang! A Wizard¡¯s Magic Barrier shattered, half of his body sliced through by a scimitar in an instant. The attacking creature, over two meters tall, radiated life as vibrant as the sun. He had a golden mask on his face, in his hand wielded a Black Gold Scimitar exuding a fearsome chill. It was that scimitar that had cleaved through the Magic Barrier of a One Ring Wizard at the rear of their formation. A Second-level Creature! The White Wizard Captain¡¯s heart tightened, his spiritual power swiftly swept over the battlefield, and then his heart sank. There were ten Fire Lizards attacking them¡­ and all of them were Second Level! Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 222 - 6 Imperial Guard Dragon Warrior Chapter 222: Chapter 6 Imperial Guard Dragon Warrior Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors, elite troops within the Fire Lizard army, were all Fire Lizard Nobles who had grown Dragon Horns. Thanks to the awakening of their Bloodline, each had reached the Second Level. Setting aside their Bloodlin, their Combat Skills also stood out among the Fire Lizard Warriors; each was a formidable character who could take on ten of their own rank. The exceptionally stringent selection criteria gave these Fire Lizards combat capabilities comparable to those of veteran wizards. And now, ten of these elite troops had appeared simultaneously. Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors moved fiercely and swiftly, their faces behind Gold masks resembling specters. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz¡­ Scimitars fell like rain, the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors¡¯ strikes were relentless. Their coordination was seamless; the continuous slashing waves momentarily rendered a small unit of Second Ring Wizards immobile. At that moment, the few One Ring Wizards became the squad¡¯s weak points. Bang! Bang! In the blink of an eye, the remaining Two One Ring Wizards were breached through their Magic Barriers, one wizard got his arm chopped off, another had his stomach slashed open. ¡°Cast together, Shield!¡± The White Wizard Captain issued commands through the mental network; the White Wizard squad¡¯s formation changed instantly, protecting the few One Ring Wizards at the center. The Magic Barriers among the Second Ring Wizards also merged instantly into a more solid Magic Barrier. The crisis was slightly mitigated. ¡°Not bad,¡± The largest of the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors said quietly. Then, the group of Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors stopped their attack and instantly disappeared into the buildings around. Once inside the buildings, these Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors seemed to become invisible; the wizards¡¯ spiritual power could detect nothing. ¡°Spiritual camouflage, Second Level elite strength, closely coordinated existence.¡± The captain summarized the information about the group of Fire Lizards, his face turning ashen. These Fire Lizards¡¯ individual strength required him to struggle to win even against one; facing two would leave him with only the strategy of running. And now, there were ten such Fire Lizards targeting them. A trace of despair flitted through the White Wizard Captain¡¯s heart. At the same time, Richard was exchanging Spiritual Messages with Ulysses. ¡°These Fire Lizards can evade spiritual detection, the myriad world really is full of wonders,¡± Richard exclaimed. ¡°Gah, that¡¯s nothing, there are many creatures that can fool spiritual power. I once saw a strange creature that could only be observed visually. Moreover, the moment you looked away from it, you immediately forgot about it. Only beings at the level of World Master are immune to its influence, many of my crow grandchildren died because of these creatures.¡± ¡°How did you guys eventually win?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°Gah, I paid a hefty price for that old witch skilled in Curses, had her curse the group so that if they weren¡¯t seen, they couldn¡¯t act. These creatures weren¡¯t strong in combat and couldn¡¯t face us directly. Later, I remember, this batch of creatures was entirely consumed by me, tasted pretty good too.¡± ¡°¡­let¡¯s focus on solving the current issue.¡± Richard patted the White Wizard Captain, wanting to say something. But when the captain turned around, his face was filled with rage. ¡°What are you doing? You scoundrel!¡± ¡°¡­why start cursing right away?¡± Richard¡¯s face grew sour. The captain glared furiously; what was this second generation of the Wizard Family trying to do, didn¡¯t he see that they were surrounded by Fire Lizards? ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± the captain asked, suppressing his anger. He knew the Fire Lizards were probably watching them, and if they discovered internal conflicts among them, they were truly doomed. Their only chance of survival now was to maintain a unified Magic Shield, convincing these Fire Lizards they were solid and then having them leave on their own. ¡°These Fire Lizards are quite valuable, I want to collect a specimen,¡± Richard said calmly. ¡°Collect a specimen!¡± The captain almost laughed in frustration Is this the time to collect specimens, can¡¯t you see those three One Ring Wizards who were almost killed by a single strike? ¡°Yes, just move aside,¡± Richard said somewhat helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re squeezing me into the middle, and I can¡¯t wield my skills properly.¡± At this, a few Second Ring Wizards also cast looks towards Richard. What boldness. Was he implying they were a burden? ¡°Wield your skills properly! Fine!¡± The captain, burning with rage yet laughing, roared out commands through the mental network. ¡°Let this fool go, I¡¯ll explain it to Master Vladimir later!¡± A few wizards shifted slightly, consequently creating a gap in the Magic Barrier. This was also why Richard had greeted the captain. A unified Magic Shield was like a barrier; to get out, there were only two options, either to walk out through an exit or to break the barrier. The Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors inside the building, witnessing this scene, were somewhat perplexed. ¡°What is that wizard doing, stepping out of the barrier?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I caught the pheromone scent of that strongest wizard. It¡¯s quite intense, probably an internal conflict.¡± ¡°Internal conflict, this could be interesting. Get ready to move, let¡¯s deal with this one who stepped out first.¡± ¡­ Step by step, Richard walked toward the surrounding buildings, holding his Magic Wand casually. Suddenly, two dark shadows burst from a building, attacking Richard from both left and right. ¡°Ulysses, leave the right one to me, don¡¯t let these White Wizards think I¡¯m just a man who hides behind his Magic Pet.¡± ¡°Gah, aren¡¯t you?¡± chuckled Ulysses. Ulysses sneered as he flew toward the left-side Dragon Warrior of the Imperial Guard, a pitch-black Crow Claw flashing out like lightning. On the right side, Richard did not dodge or avoid, not even releasing a Magic Barrier, allowing the Dragon Warrior¡¯s Scimitar to chop towards his body. Sizzle¡­ A series of sparks burst from the Armor as the Scimitar struck it. Richard smiled at the Dragon Warrior, ¡°A Scimitar can¡¯t break the Armor.¡± Then, he threw a punch. Boom! The Dragon Warrior stared dumbly at his slightly dented chest before falling backward. With the Dragon Power Gland and Mountain Breaking Fist, this punch had reached a terrifying energy level of fourteen hundred. Meanwhile, Ulysses¡¯s black Crow Claw was grasping the head of another Imperial Guard Dragon Warrior, along with half a spinal column. Silence. Both the White Wizards and the Fire Lizards were plunged into silence. But in the next moment, both sides reacted. ¡°Kill that wizard!¡± ¡°Spells, cover the consultant!¡± Spells roared next to Richard¡¯s ears, the White Wizards¡¯ spells momentarily delaying the Dragon Warrior¡¯s attack. Richard laughed heartily as he stretched and twisted his body in one fluid motion. Bang! Another Dragon Warrior fell backward. Three Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors seized the moment when Richard¡¯s old strength was exhausted and new strength had yet to arise, attacking from the left, right, and back. Their Scimitars, like moonlight sprinkled but carrying the brilliance of the sun. As the Scimitars swung, they actually melted and deformed, turning into a bone spatula by the time they neared Richard¡¯s body. Swoosh! The bone spatula missed. Richard¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared. The nearby Dragon Warrior saw clearly as Richard instantaneously appeared beside a house on the street. ¡°Ulysses, finish them off.¡± ¡°Ga, finally tired of playing.¡± Ulysses sneered, his body flashing black lightning as he swept over the heads of several Dragon Warriors. By the time he returned to Richard¡¯s side, the skulls of four Dragon Warriors who had attacked were completely lifted off. The three Dragon Warriors who hadn¡¯t managed to attack, upon seeing this, immediately fled far away using the buildings as cover. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, three got away.¡± Looking at the fleeing three Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors, Richard felt a bit regretful but did not order Ulysses to continue the pursuit. ¡°But these few are enough.¡± After saying this, Richard turned to look at the squad of White Wizards, spreading his hands helplessly: ¡°See, I told you I didn¡¯t need protection. Why didn¡¯t you believe me?¡± ¡­ ¡°I truly am shortsighted; I failed to see the full strength of Lord Consultant earlier. I have offended you before and hope for your forgiveness,¡± said the Wizard Captain of the White Wizards, respectfully performing a Wizard¡¯s Salute with his head bowed and his expression humble. Who would have thought that this three-hundred-year-old Second Ring Wizard would have such formidable combat prowess, seeming even stronger than his Magic Pet? Richard waved his hand indifferently; he wasn¡¯t one to hold grudges, especially over such a small matter. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, let¡¯s continue moving forward, Captain.¡± The White Wizard Captain raised his head, inwardly relieved. Normally, wizards from wizard families were petty people. Unexpectedly, he had encountered a generous one this time. ¡°Thank you for your magnanimity, your family seems to have gained another impressive figure,¡± the White Wizard Captain remarked. Richard frowned slightly, ¡°What are you talking about with families? I told you, I don¡¯t belong to any family. You should have seen me by now; I¡¯ve been repairing Magic Stone Cannons with Master Vladimir, haven¡¯t I repaired any for you?¡± ¡°You really are Master Richard!¡± exclaimed a One Ring Wizard receiving treatment, ¡°I knew I remembered right.¡± For wizards who had undergone spiritual evolution, so long as their bodies still functioned, wounds were not severe. The injuries the Dragon Warrior had inflicted looked frightening but were in fact easily healable. Richard shrugged; it seemed his work as a battlefield repairman was still remembered. The White Wizard Captain¡¯s face turned red, experience sometimes misled judgment. ¡°Ah, I have offended again.¡± As he spoke, the White Wizard Captain pulled a Black Gold Scimitar from his pocket. The beautifully crafted Scimitar was covered with patterns like ancient tree branches¡ªa clearly top-grade among Scimitars. The White Wizard Captain handed the Scimitar to Richard with a stiff smile, ¡°Please do accept this; my mind is really too muddled.¡± Having offended Richard twice in a row, even a clay sculpture would have a spark of anger. If Richard left the battlefield in a huff, their small team would be in danger. Richard had not been tasked with attacking the city. The White Wizard Captain¡¯s forehead broke out in sweat as he quietly awaited Richard¡¯s response. Richard looked at his stiff smile, understood his thoughts, and then generously accepted the Scimitar: ¡°Since the Captain is willing to part with it, then I¡¯ll accept it.¡± The Captain breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Thank you for your generosity.¡± With that, he began to reorganize the formation, preparing to continue clearing the city. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 223 - 7 Physique Enhancement Gland, Dragon Transformation Battle Body Complete Chapter 223: Chapter 7 Physique Enhancement Gland, Dragon Transformation Battle Body Complete The squad¡¯s exploration mission had lasted for seven days, during which they sporadically encountered attacks from Fire Lizards, but compared to the first day, these attacks were minor. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard didn¡¯t need to take action, as the wizards in the squad handled it. The only pity was that during these seven days, the squad explored civilian areas and aside from some Fire Element Gems used for decoration by the Fire Lizard civilians, there weren¡¯t any significant gains¡ª In this world imbalanced with Fire Element, Fire Element Gems, which are hard to form in ordinary worlds, had become quite common. The quality of the gems used for decoration by the Fire Lizard civilians was almost catching up to the gems embedded in Richard¡¯s staff. After seven days, a White Wizard arriving from the rear began to take over the exploration from the squad. Street fighting required constant vigilance, a kind of mental tension that even wizards found burdensome. When the burden grew too great, negligence could occur. But on the battlefield, negligence often cost lives. Therefore, rotating the exploration was very necessary. After the rotation, the members of the White Wizard squad exchanged contact information with Richard. For them, whether it was a wizard with strong combat capabilities or a reliable repairer during war, both were worthy connections. After the rotation, Richard left the front lines and returned to the Floating City to see what secrets this race, temporarily called the Fire Lizards, truly harbored. The Floating City had already descended, and masses of logistical wizards and engineer wizards began construction around it. Richard had initially wanted to make a small house for himself for research, just like he did in the Insect Nest World. However, upon entering the Floating City, Richard was informed that as a technical consultant and representative of the Wizard Commerce, the command center had reserved a room for him in the Floating City. This saved him quite a bit of work. Following the logistical wizards to the room, which was located on the first underground level of the Floating City. This room was originally supposed to be the residence of a wizard on an expedition, but now that the world had been reached and the war had begun, these rooms were being converted into warehouses, Synthetic Beast breeding bases, and other functional areas. If it weren¡¯t for Richard, this room would likely have been converted as well. ¡°Here is your key, if you have any questions, you can ask at the logistics department.¡± The logistical wizard handed the room key to Richard and then left the room. After the logistical wizard left, Richard checked the entire room. This wasn¡¯t because he suspected the command center might have left any surveillance devices, but rather to handle anything the previous residing wizard might have left behind. Many of the things wizards study are hazardous, and even a Second Ring Wizard could be threatened with life if they were unfamiliar. According to a joke passed among Free Wizards, a Second Ring Wizard once suffered acute allergies triggered by a poisonous insect left by another wizard, destroying a body in just a few seconds. After checking, Richard confirmed there were no items left by other wizards in the room. He then opened the Secret Realm Rift and brought out the Fire Lizard he had thrown in earlier. The injuries on the Fire Lizard had healed under the treatment of the World Mushroom, but it was currently in a deep coma; even with its injuries healed, it was completely at Richard¡¯s mercy. There was no furniture in the room, so if Richard wanted to dissect, he would need to prepare his own dissection table. So, Richard took out a pile of Lun Iron, and under the influence of Alchemy, this pile of Lun Iron transformed into a simple metal dissection table. Richard also conveniently fashioned a few surgical tools from the Lun Iron, to facilitate the dissection. After securing the Fire Lizard on the dissection table, Richard brought out a Wizard-version shadowless lamp for illumination. This shadowless lamp was a product of the Wizard Commerce, and Richard didn¡¯t know the principle behind it, but the effect was certainly impressive. Turning on the shadowless lamp, Richard looked at the Fire Lizard on the dissection table and couldn¡¯t help but praise it. ¡°Truly beautiful.¡± This Fire Lizard was two meters tall, humanoid, and covered from head to toe in fiery-red scales. These scales carried a glaze, reflecting a pale red glow under the shadowless lamp. But this wasn¡¯t the reason for Richard¡¯s praise. Holding a scalpel, Richard traced imaginary lines on the Fire Lizard¡¯s body, mumbling as he did so, ¡°This muscle distribution, simply the perfect proportion.¡± The muscles of the Fire Lizard were hidden beneath the scales, but this didn¡¯t hinder Richard¡¯s observation of them. The muscles of the Fire Lizard were as if drawn by an artist, each part perfectly balanced and symmetrically beautiful. ¡°I¡¯m becoming more and more curious to uncover your secrets.¡± Richard looked at the Fire Lizard, madness in his eyes. Without hesitation, Richard¡¯s scalpel followed the imaginary lines he had traced, slowly dissecting the Fire Lizard bit by bit. The muscle structure, organ placement, organ function, and nervous network of the Fire Lizard gradually became clear to Richard during the dissection. But when Richard had finished dissecting, he found himself deep in thought. Richard took off his gloves and gently touched a cup of Fire Lizard blood he had collected. [Ingredient: Fire Lizard¡¯s Blood] [Refinable Substance: Pure Dragon Blood] [Refinement Cost: 2000 Magic Power] ¡°Indeed, it is the Dragon Blood Species.¡± Richard pondered thoughtfully, ¡°But without the aid of Lun Runes, how could these Fire Lizards suppress the manifestation of dragon blood?¡± Previously, Richard had suspected that the Fire Lizards were of the Dragon Blood Species. However, upon further investigation, he had found that although some characteristics of the Fire Lizards resembled dragons, fundamentally, they greatly differed from the Dragon Blood Species. For example, the blood of the Fire Lizards lacked any corrosive properties, which was impossible for the Dragon Blood Species. Even after many generations of mixed blood, the bloodline of the Dragon Blood Species would exhibit erosive qualities due to the corrosiveness of dragon blood, maintaining a consistent concentration in every generation. Therefore, theoretically, the blood of any creature from the Dragon Blood Species would possess corrosive properties. However, the Fire Lizard before him contradicted all of Richard¡¯s previous understandings of the Dragon Blood Species. ¡°Expeditions to Otherworlds really do bring unexpected findings to Wizards,¡± Richard exclaimed with fervor. After stitching up the Fire Lizard, Richard returned it back to the Secret Realm Space. He then retrieved the corpses of Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors dressed in golden masks from the Secret Realm. These corpses, preserved by the World Mushroom in the realm, looked as fresh as if they had just died. ¡°Second-level creature corpses, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve dissected any.¡± With a sigh, Richard immediately began the dissection. The body structure of the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors was closer to Richard¡¯s understanding of the Dragon Blood Species than the recently dissected Fire Lizard, but only marginally. The organs of the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors, while exhibiting characteristics of dragon transformation, were not complete transformations¡ªit was as if something was restraining the expression of dragon blood. Similarly, the fresh blood of the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors was also non-corrosive. ¡°Strange, could it be that the ancestors of these Fire Lizards underwent a mutation in their Life Core that specifically shut off the corrosive aspect of dragon blood, or that some part of their Life Core can suppress the expression of dragon blood?¡± Richard mused while examining the body of the Imperial Guard Dragon Warrior. ¡°Otherwise, this change is really hard to explain.¡± Mutations in natural evolution are common, but most mutations are harmful; however, life¡¯s evolution often begins due to some benign mutations. Despite not unraveling the secret of the Fire Lizard¡¯s bloodline, the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors provided Richard with another benefit. During the dissection, Richard discovered the existence of a Physique Enhancement Gland, which he found in all the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors he examined. This meant that Richard could potentially extract pure Dragon Blood from the flesh of these Fire Lizards, thereby cultivating the Physique Enhancement Glands. But all this was contingent on the dragon blood having corrosiveness. Richard lightly touched the collected fresh blood of the Imperial Guard Dragon Warrior with his fingertip. [Raw material: Fresh blood of the Fire Lizard] [Refinable substance: Pure Dragon Blood] [Refinement cost: 5000 Magic Power] ¡°Refine.¡± In the next instant, the fresh blood collected in the beaker vanished, and within less than a breath¡¯s time, a drop of golden Dragon Blood, wrapped in Magic Power, appeared on Richard¡¯s fingertip. In this droplet of dragon blood, Richard could distinctly feel an overbearing and vigorous Life Energy. The refined Dragon Blood was corrosive! As long as it was corrosive, Richard could then cultivate the Physique Enhancement Gland. However, at the same time, a new question arose in Richard¡¯s mind. Was the Dragon Blood refined by the Miracle Furnace the most primitive form, or was it a genetically mutated form that had been passed down through generations? If it was the latter, the secret of the Fire Lizards would be evident, but if it was the former, then two possibilities still remained. ¡°Regardless, at least the Physique Enhancement Gland has a solution now, and my Dragon Transformation Battle Body is substantially complete. As for what secrets these Fire Lizards might hold¡­ there is plenty of time to study them.¡± Unable to foresee the progress in Dragon Transformation Battle Body during the Plane War period, Richard had to spend some Magic Stones to obtain active flesh from the logistics department for cultivating a clone. Since this time the dragon blood was not from a young dragon, Richard directly cultivated a Second-Level body. The organs cultivated from a First-Level body differed from those cultivated from a Second-Level body; the higher the level of the body, the stronger the resultant effects of the organs. And for the Physique Enhancement Gland, the most crucial part of his Dragon Transformation Battle Body, cultivating it using a Second-Level body could not be more appropriate. Time flew by, and half a year passed in a blink. In the laboratory, Richard carefully removed the Physique Enhancement Gland from the clone¡¯s body. The gland, about the size of an infant¡¯s fist and pale red in color with a faint fragrance, was tempting to eat. Richard took it out and, using Flesh Control, carefully slit open his own abdomen and inserted the gland. Although the ability of Flesh Control was inconspicuous in battle, it significantly reduced the effort required in experiments involving flesh. If it were someone else, they would need to undergo a soul-separation procedure and use magic-controlled instruments for the surgical augmentation. But for Richard, all he needed to do was insert the gland into his body and then control the flesh internally to easily complete the augmentation. Soon, the gland was transported just below the heart, followed by the connection of blood vessels and nerves¡­ Finally, when the first drop of fresh blood flowed through the Physique Enhancement Gland, its activity finally resumed. The strengthening hormones began flowing through Richard¡¯s limbs via the bloodstream. Richard¡¯s Dragon Transformation Battle Body had ultimately completed its most crucial step. Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Novlove.com Chapter 224 - 8 The Situation of the War Chapter 224: Chapter 8 The Situation of the War The mechanism of action for the enhancement hormones was still a mystery to Richard, but not understanding the black box mechanism didn¡¯t hinder his use of them. As the hormones traveled through his bloodstream, Richard could feel his cells becoming slightly more active than before. Such subtle changes might go unnoticed by anyone who wasn¡¯t a wizard specialized in improving their physique. Yet over time, cells would gradually strengthen, leading to an overall enhancement of physical condition. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s cumulative, a passive evolution. Once you reach a certain level of life, you don¡¯t even need to exercise; just sleeping could bring your physique to its peak. It¡¯s undeniable, Giant Dragons are indeed a nearly perfect race,¡± Richard exclaimed in admiration. But even such perfect creatures like Giant Dragons were merely the biological products left by some Pioneer civilization. Those traits Richard marveled at might just be the result of the Pioneers tweaking biotechnology. At that thought, Richard couldn¡¯t help but shudder. What kind of terrifying adversary had a civilization so powerful encountered that it turned the entire civilization into merely a wave in the river of history? Richard shook his head to clear these thoughts from his mind. He was merely a Second Ring wizard, these issues of the rise and fall of civilizations were too remote for him, pondering them was pointless. Stepping out of his room, Richard prepared to catch up on the current state of the war. After all, he was a technical advisor, and if possible, he intended to drum up more business. Magic Essence was something, after all, that even a Great Wizard would never find excessive. Walking up the metal staircase, Richard quickly made his way to the ground level. Compared to three months earlier, the Floating City had undergone significant changes. The construction belt around the Floating City was essentially complete, with logistics wizards conducting special works on some buildings. Having experienced the Insect Nest World, Richard knew that these buildings themselves were prepared fortresses, representing the Floating City¡¯s last line of defense in dire times. As Richard walked through the Floating City, he felt somewhat out of place among the busily working wizards. After inquiring around, Richard located the whereabouts of the merchants accompanying the army in Floating City. The war had just begun, and the wizards didn¡¯t have enough spoils of war yet, so the merchant area was quite deserted. Richard browsed inside for a while and finally stopped in front of one of the shop doors. He glanced at the signboard and then pushed the door to enter. ¡°Welcome, what would you like to exchange?¡± As soon as the door opened, a poised and beautiful mechanical clerk greeted him. Richard waved his hand: ¡°I¡¯m looking for Bob.¡± ¡°May I ask who is asking for him? To meet with Mr. Bob, you need to provide¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Richard, long time no see.¡± The mechanical clerk was interrupted as Bob walked out from the back of the store. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, have you come back from the front with some good loot?¡± Richard shrugged, his tone slightly exaggerated, ¡°Been back for a while now, those Fire Lizards are no pushover natives. Right when I got to the front, I ran into a squad of Second Level Fire Lizards, almost got left there.¡± ¡°Ssss, impressive. Truly worthy of being a Black Wizard,¡± Bob exclaimed, unable to help himself from giving Richard a thumbs up. In this era of great expansion, wizards greatly respected the strong. ¡°Too kind, too kind. You probably wouldn¡¯t do much worse yourself if you were up there,¡± Richard said modestly. ¡°No, no, no, I definitely would¡¯ve been left there,¡± Bob shook his head repeatedly, ¡°You came back early and might not have heard the news. That squad of Second Level Fire Lizards you ran into are elite troops among them, called the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors. Their battle strength might be somewhat weaker than ours, but when they appear, they come in groups of ten, and in city battles, they¡¯ve killed quite a few of our people.¡± ¡°Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors?¡± Richard asked, curious about the odd term that was clearly a transliteration, ¡°Are those the ones with the gold masks on their faces?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s them. You encountered them, didn¡¯t you?¡± Richard nodded and then asked with curiosity, ¡°With the Fire Lizards targeting us like this, doesn¡¯t the command have any countermeasures?¡± ¡°Countermeasures? Of course, there are.¡± Bob pulled over a stool for Richard, ¡°Command sent the Black Wizards to fight in the city battles. City battles, where individual combat ability is crucial, are just right for Black Wizards. Now, Black Wizards have become the main force at the front line, a first for me to see.¡± Richard wasn¡¯t surprised; his intuition also told him that Black Wizards were better suited for urban combat. Black Wizards had strong individual combat power and survival ability, and even in danger, they had a higher likelihood of surviving than White Wizards. After all, Black Wizards usually operated behind enemy lines, facing such asymmetric battlefields all the time. In some cases, urban combat was even easier than the typical battles Black Wizards were accustomed to. ¡°With Black Wizards deployed, our progress must have sped up, right?¡± Bob waved his hand, ¡°Can¡¯t compare to usual. We¡¯ve hit hard resistance this time. These Fire Lizards are tough to deal with; in over three months, we¡¯ve only taken down about a dozen cities. Moreover, the more we fight, the more dispersed our forces become, and the slower our advance is. At this rate, we¡¯ll have to stop before long.¡± As he spoke, Bob suddenly sighed deeply, ¡°Making money this time seems to be a bit difficult.¡± Listening to Bob¡¯s somewhat disheartened words, Richard couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. These wizards, accustomed to easy victories, were defeatist strategists. It was a good thing Bob was part of the merchant group accompanying the army. If he had been a frontline White Wizard, simply based on his earlier remarks, the difficulty level of the tasks he received would have increased. Undermining the morale of the troops was something commanders despised in any world. ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic, Bob,¡± Richard said lightly, ¡°If we¡¯re fighting hard, the Fire Lizards must be having an even harder time. I heard the Fire Lizards are divided into three nations; that¡¯s a point we can exploit.¡± Once the front line stopped advancing, Black Wizards would be sent behind enemy lines for sabotage missions¡ªat that time, assassinations, destruction, or even manipulating some of the top Fire Lizard leaders were all possible. In past wars, wizards had often taken advantage of conflicts within the natives¡¯ own race to speed up the war and reduce casualties. ¡­ In the heart of the Morick Empire, within a massive Pyramid made of obsidian adorned with gilded patterns of extraordinary beauty. ¡°Harash,¡± the Fire Lizard King Morick asked from his throne of pure gold, his draconic eyes sternly scrutinizing his Grand Marshal he had personally elevated, ¡°why have my Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors suffered such grave losses lately.¡± Kneeling on the ground, Haras trembled involuntarily under the weight of the King¡¯s Dragon Power. He knew his sovereign had grown angry. With his head lowered, Haras narrated the reasons for his actions as calmly as possible. ¡°Your Majesty, it is a strategy to deplete the Wizard numbers. Wizards are far stronger than us individually in combat. Without using elite strategies, our soldiers wouldn¡¯t even have the capacity to reduce the Wizard numbers in small-scale battles.¡± Silence, a long silence. Haras stared at the golden patterns on the obsidian floor, the Dragon Power in the great hall not dissipating in the slightest despite his explanation. The Fire Lizard King was very dissatisfied with his explanation. ¡°Haras, what was the last thing I said to you when I gave you authority?¡± It was only after a prolonged silence that the Fire Lizard King finally spoke. His words sent a shiver down Haras¡¯s spine. He clearly remembered the last thing the Fire Lizard King had said, but he had been trying to minimize the losses. ¡°Your Majesty, I remember,¡± replied Haras with a quiver, ¡°You instructed me to minimize the losses to prepare for the threats from the other two empires. But I¡­¡± ¡°Is this how you minimize losses? Treating my Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors as if they¡¯re stones to be carelessly thrown away?¡± The Fire Lizard King interrupted Haras¡¯s rebuttal and slowly closed his eyes. ¡°Haras, go rest. Leave the battlefield to Donar.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Leaving the palace, Haras handed a Golden Dragon Horn to a servant of the palace. ¡°This is the Grand Marshal Order, give it to Marshal Donar later.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Marshal,¡± replied the hooded servant respectfully. Haras sighed with a wry smile: ¡°I¡¯m no longer Marshal, I am now General Haras.¡± The servant looked up at Haras, his tone gentle yet firm, ¡°My lord, all of Morick Empire¡¯s fire lizards know of your talents. You are simply stepping down from your position temporarily.¡± Haras scrutinized the servant before him and suddenly snatched the hood from their head. ¡°Your Highness, you flatter me,¡± Haras nodded. But the Princess looked at Haras with earnest eyes: ¡°I¡¯m serious, Lord Haras.¡± Haras said no more and turned to walk toward the gates of the palace. Stepping down temporarily? Haras sighed as he gazed up at the two red suns in the sky. Let¡¯s hope so. ¡­ ¡°Father, you¡¯ve been relieved of duty as Grand Marshal?¡± Azuhan looked at the composed Haras before him, feeling that the world was absurd. His father, the great Haras, had been removed from such a vital wartime position and ordered by the Fire Lizard King to go home and rest. Had the Fire Lizard King lost his senses? ¡°His Majesty does not approve of my war strategy and has decided to let Marshal Donar take over,¡± Haras said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I could use a rest. I have fought many years of war, coming home to rest is not so bad.¡± ¡°But Donar compared to you, Father¡­¡± Azuhan wanted to defend Haras, but seeing his father¡¯s tranquil face, he swallowed his words. From a young age, Haras had taught him, events that have already occurred cannot be changed. Instead of dwelling on why things happened, one should focus on solving the issue at hand as efficiently as possible. ¡°Father, I want to join the military!¡± Azuhan suddenly spoke after a moment of silence. ¡°I forbid it,¡± Haras replied calmly. ¡°Why!?¡± Azuhan looked at his father puzzled, ¡°I¡¯m strong enough, even the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors are no match for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple, you¡¯re still not strong enough,¡± Haras seemed to have anticipated his son¡¯s question, ¡°The battlefield now is not like before, even the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors are just slightly larger cannon fodder.¡± After speaking, Haras added: ¡°Don¡¯t think about enlisting secretly, I might no longer be Grand Marshal, but I still have some influence in the military.¡± ¡­ Azuhan puffed up with indignation. Haras looked at his son, unswayed. ¡°Go out if there¡¯s nothing else; socializing with some young ladies is a contribution to the war effort too. Increasing the number of fire lizards is also a contribution to the war. This war¡­ I fear it¡¯s going to last a very long time.¡± Chapter 225 - 9: Origins of Alchemy: Giant Dragon Alchemy Chapter 225: Chapter 9: Origins of Alchemy: Giant Dragon Alchemy From what Bob said, Richard got a rough idea about the situation of the war. The overall situation of the war did not seem too smooth, but the problems of all parties had not exploded yet, and it still seemed to be in a balance of power, with the Wizards possibly even at a disadvantage. However, Richard was neither a Great Wizard nor a hired Wizard; he was a technical consultant who didn¡¯t receive a salary nor need to fight on the front lines. The situation of the war didn¡¯t affect him much. Thus, the topic of conversation between the two quickly shifted from the war to the resources of the Red Sun World. ¡°Richard, my boy, take a look at this.¡± Bob pulled a somewhat incomplete Black Gold Scimitar from his Magic Pocket and adjusted the monocle on his face. ¡°You¡¯re an Alchemy Wizard, do you notice anything different about this scimitar?¡± A scimitar? Richard suddenly recalled that he had several scimitars of relatively good quality on hand. Was there something secretive about this scimitar? Richard took over the scimitar. Fire Lizard Scimitar contained a good amount of Fire Element Minerals, causing their scimitars to naturally emit high temperatures¡ªthe more refined and luxurious the scimitar appeared, the higher its temperature. For those Richard had obtained, he needed to use Magic Power to isolate the scimitars. Although he had high resistance to Fire Element, being unaffected did not mean he felt nothing, and Richard didn¡¯t want to get burned. He briefly examined the structure of the scimitar using Magic Power and then looked at the color of the break. ¡°This scimitar¡­ not bad,¡± Richard commented. ¡°Lad, what do you find good about it?¡± Bob¡¯s eyes twinkled. Richard handed the scimitar back to Bob, a trace of puzzlement flashing across his brow. ¡°The material of this scimitar is an alloy, there are no hidden cracks or voids, which isn¡¯t rare for the native people of a world. But¡­¡± Richard hesitated for a moment, then slowly added, ¡°But I detect something similar to our Alchemy, it seems to be another kind of Enchantment.¡± Bob smiled faintly upon hearing this and returned the scimitar to his pocket. ¡°Brother, you are very observant, our Chamber¡¯s Alchemy Wizard also noticed this. We speculate that these natives possess a technology similar to our Alchemy and have developed it quite extensively. This could be a gold mine.¡± However, after thinking for a while, Richard shook his head. ¡°Bob, if you plan to hoard these scimitars to sell to Alchemy Wizards, I advise you to abandon that idea.¡± Bob¡¯s smile stiffened, and then he asked, ¡°Oh? Richard, my boy, what did you see?¡± Richard remained silent, expression somewhere between a smile and seriousness, watching Bob. Realizing Richard¡¯s implication, Bob quickly pulled out a bag of Magic Essence from his pocket, his face beaming. ¡°Look how forgetful I am, fair trade, equivalent exchange.¡± But Richard did not take the Magic Essence. ¡°Bob, I don¡¯t need Magic Essence for now. You must have collected quite a few scimitars recently, do you have any premium ones I could take a look at?¡± ¡°There are some premium ones, but the price¡­¡± Bob hesitated, clearly, he didn¡¯t think the information Richard had was worth the price of the scimitars. Even if one doesn¡¯t study the underlying craft, these scimitars, either as materials or weapons, are quite a good choice. Richard tapped the counter beside him and laughed, ¡°I¡¯m just observing; I won¡¯t perform any destructive tests, and I¡¯ll return them before the war ends.¡± ¡°Not conducting destructive tests¡­ Richard, you¡¯re quite something.¡± Not conducting destructive tests set a broad range, melting the scimitar would be a destructive test, but using the scimitar to chop some hard materials would also count, even many of the Alchemy Wizard¡¯s investigative methods, which cause damage to the items, would be considered as destructive tests. Not conducting destructive tests, with Bob¡¯s experience, he couldn¡¯t fathom what Richard could do with these scimitars. After pondering for a moment, Bob extended his right hand to Richard. He had nothing to lose in this deal, so it was worth listening to Richard. Richard shook his hand, and the deal was sealed. Bob quickly drafted the contract; after verifying the information, they both signed their true names. As the contract turned to ashes, Richard spoke: ¡°These Fire Lizard¡¯s techniques, for most Alchemy Wizards, don¡¯t hold much significance. These things are fine as collectibles, but if sold under the guise of natives¡¯ special technology, I¡¯m afraid the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce might tarnish its reputation.¡± ¡°Hmm? Brother, what do you mean by this?¡± Bob looked confused, the technology seemed somewhat similar to Alchemy, and even if rudimentary, it surely held some value. ¡°Bob, how much do you know about the origins of Wizard Alchemy?¡± Richard spoke calmly. ¡°Well¡­ I haven¡¯t looked into it, I¡¯d love to hear the details,¡± Bob replied honestly. ¡°Regarding the origins of Wizard Alchemy, very few Alchemy Wizards are aware of it anymore. After all, that history is too distant and doesn¡¯t really aid Alchemy; modern Wizard Academies focus on profit, and apprentices rarely spend money to learn useless knowledge. But if they don¡¯t learn about it during their apprenticeship, they¡¯re even less likely afterward. However, I was quite wealthy during my apprenticeship, so I deliberately learned about the origins of Alchemy.¡± As Richard spoke, flashes of his apprenticeship days in the library came to his mind, bringing a slight smile to his lips. Bob quietly waited for Richard to get to the point. ¡°During the Dark Age, the various systems of the wizards were not yet perfected, and the Dominators of the earth and the sky were the giant dragons. Thus, the first subject of learning for wizards was the giant dragon. The initial wizard alchemy was a crude imitation of the giant dragon alchemy. However, after a long period of time, wizard alchemy had developed its own path on the basis of giant dragon alchemy. These two paths were like two intersecting lines, the further they developed, the farther apart they became. Therefore, these scimitars are basically worthless to most alchemy wizards.¡± After Richard finished speaking, Bob frowned slightly, ¡°So these fire lizards are using¡­ giant dragon alchemy? Dude, although this group of fire lizards somewhat resembles the Dragon Blood Species, they are actually quite different¡­¡± Bob had only spoken halfway when he swallowed his words, as he suddenly noticed that Richard¡¯s eyes were actually dragon eyes. A wizard who could transplant dragon eyes to himself must have studied the Dragon Blood Species. Richard could not possibly be unaware of the condition of the fire lizards. ¡°These fire lizards are of the Dragon Blood Species, I can assure you,¡± Richard said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what changes have occurred in the bodies of these fire lizards, but I found obvious signs of dragonization in those few Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors. Moreover, there are wizards who study giant dragon alchemy; some learned old alchemy wizards have researched it to some extent. You might want to consult a few old alchemy wizards. Or, you could see what those established chambers of commerce think about this stuff.¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s words, Bob suddenly realized that over the past few days, those old wizard chambers of commerce had shown little interest in the scimitars, while only he and a few emerging chambers of commerce had been buying them up in large numbers. At the time, he thought that these old chambers simply disdained the small amount of money, but now it seemed that they likely saw through the origin of the scimitars. Thinking of this, Bob couldn¡¯t help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. It was fortunate that the war was still ongoing, and most wizards were on the front lines, so he hadn¡¯t acquired too many scimitars. If he had waited until the wizards returned, he would have suffered a tremendous loss. Native techniques similar to wizard alchemy, unlike mere blade-shaped metal ingots and native weapons, were at completely different price points. If it weren¡¯t for Richard, he would be looking forward to working for a lifetime to compensate for the losses to his chamber of commerce. ¡°Richard, buddy, you really helped me out big time this time,¡± said Bob, somewhat excitedly. Richard nonchalantly waved his hand, ¡°Equivalent exchange, mutual benefit.¡± Bob entered the back of the shop and took out a magic pocket to give to Richard. ¡°Dude, all the scimitars collected over these days are in here. Take any you like and research them as you wish, without worrying about damage.¡± Richard¡¯s words were a lifesaver for his future livelihood. As Richard took the pocket, he casually tied it around his waist and smiled at Bob: ¡°Don¡¯t stress too much, old man. There are still alchemy wizards who study giant dragon alchemy. As long as it¡¯s not in large quantities, it definitely won¡¯t turn out a loss.¡± Bob smiled with some relief, then quickly changed the subject. The two talked about the resources found in the Red Sun World currently; in this world biased towards the Fire Element, Fire Element gems and various demonized minerals tainted by the Fire Element were quite common. From the decorative Fire Element gems Richard saw in the cities of the fire lizards, it was apparent how rich this world was. Through Bob, Richard learned that numerous Wizard Commerce had sent people to conduct research, planning to submit applications to the Great Wizard as soon as the war ended. As a chamber also qualified to make applications, Richard had some plans for these resources as well. Bob lending him some samples he had collected saved Richard a lot of effort. This is how relationships were gradually strengthened. Leaving Bob¡¯s place, Richard returned to his room with the scimitars. Bob had collected many scimitars, many of which appeared to be of quite good quality. Richard went over these scimitars with bare hands, and soon, information appeared in front of him. [Raw material: Fire Lizard¡¯s Scimitar] [Extractable Skill: Giant Dragon Alchemy (moderately incomplete)] sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Extraction Cost: 3 spiritual power] Looking at the information that appeared, Richard¡¯s mouth curved into a slight smirk. ¡°Next time I encounter these unfamiliar things, I still need to touch them with my hands. I almost missed out on something good.¡± Of the over two hundred scimitars Bob collected, a dozen could be used as raw materials, and by their design, they appeared to be the standard weapons of the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors. Richard piled up these scimitars and began refining them one by one. Richard currently had 112 points of spiritual power, and refining these scimitars only made him somewhat weary. After the refining was finished, Richard took out a Black Gold Scimitar from his pocket, and a slight glow appeared in his palm. Soon, the Black Gold Scimitar turned red-hot, then melted and reshaped, golden patterns growing within it like the intricate branches of an ancient tree¡ªcomplex yet possessing a simplistic beauty. Soon, the scimitar transformed into a longsword, with golden patterns sprawling across the blade like vines. Whoosh! Richard swung the sword, and the tip scraping the wall gave off a hissing sound. After the swing, the tip of the longsword was slightly blunt; the originally sharp tip had now become rounded, while a barely perceptible mark had appeared on the metal wall of the room. It should be noted that the rooms in the Floating City are all crafted from high-strength alloys, and most One Ring wizards, even using spells, find it difficult to leave a mark. But with a casual swing, Richard had left a mark. ¡°The path of giant dragon alchemy truly differs from that of wizard alchemy,¡± Richard murmured as he examined the longsword in his hand. ¡°Melting the metal, killing the metal, and finally transcending the metal. When compared to a wizard¡¯s alchemy, the giant dragon¡¯s is the real ¡®Alchemy.''¡± Chapter 226 - 10 Tree Pattern: Life Drain Chapter 226: Chapter 10 Tree Pattern: Life Drain Giant Dragon Alchemy and Wizard Alchemy are profoundly different, focusing heavily on the metal itself. Giant Dragons smelt metal, shaping it into their desired form, then ¡°killing¡± the metal to alter its properties, and finally elevating the metal, solidifying its characteristics and strengthening it further. Throughout this entire process, the metal remains unchanged in terms of substance. However, the properties of the metal undergo changes; initially brittle metals become more ductile after treatment, and originally soft metals become harder. This technique, while present in Wizard Alchemy, requires a high level of Alchemy Skill and complex Alchemy Arrays. Yet Giant Dragons only need to touch the metal with their claws for this transformation to be completed. Turning stone into gold is no different. But there are flaws in Giant Dragon Alchemy as well; although it can make astounding changes to metals, this technique only works on metals, and not all metals at that. Wizard Alchemy, on the other hand, encompasses everything and is effective almost universally. Richard looked at the longsword in his hands and an idea suddenly struck him. If one were to use Giant Dragon Alchemy to process the metal and then use Wizard Alchemy for Enchantment, wouldn¡¯t he then be able to obtain a more outstanding piece of Magic Equipment? Richard¡¯s thoughts flickered, and a small Alchemy Array immediately materialized in his hand, spirits permeating, Engraving Runes, everything proceeding smoothly. But at the moment the Runes took shape, Richard heard a crisp sound. Snap! A crack appeared on the longsword. The crack was exactly where the Runes were engraved. Seeing this, Richard immediately inspected the longsword. After the inspection, he sighed deeply, ¡°No wonder there are so few Wizards who study Giant Dragon Alchemy; it turns out that the two are incompatible. The Runes interfere with the Giant Dragon Alchemy, causing both Alchemy techniques to fail.¡± Giant Dragon Alchemy, after all, is the domain of the Giant Dragons, and Wizards, even with direct refining techniques like Richard¡¯s, would have to spend a considerable amount of time learning to master it. Given the incompatibility, wouldn¡¯t that time and energy be better spent on researching Wizard Alchemy, which is more suited to Wizards? Wizard Alchemy, having developed over many years, has already become a vast field of study, and even the great Truth Wizard cannot claim to fully comprehend Alchemy. It¡¯s like two gold mines, one shining openly and the other hidden deep underground; even a fool would know which one to choose to mine. Richard set the longsword aside and then took out the few Black Gold Scimitars he had acquired. Upon touching them with bare hands, the Miracle Furnace immediately responded. Richard refined them as well. However, such large-scale refining techniques made Richard discover a problem. While the crafting techniques of these scimitars were all moderately incomplete, the production processes and the craftsmen¡¯s skills were quite similar, causing his skill level to progress only slightly after refining so many scimitars. His skill level did not grow linearly with the number of refinements like an experience bar. Nonetheless, Richard had no complaints; no one would complain about the amount of money found on the ground. When the refining process reached the White Wizard Captain¡¯s Black Gold Scimitar, the information from the Miracle Furnace changed a bit. Below the option for Giant Dragon Alchemy, a new option for refinement appeared. ¡°Ingredient: Fire Lizard¡¯s Scimitar¡±, ¡°Refinable Technique: Giant Dragon Alchemy (Moderately Incomplete)¡±, ¡°Refinement Cost: 4 Spiritual Power¡±, ¡°Refinable Information: Giant Dragon Alchemy Tree Pattern¡±, ¡°Refinement Cost: 5 Spiritual Power¡±, ¡°Tree Pattern?¡± Richard shifted his gaze to the scimitar; the scimitar¡¯s surface had many intricate golden patterns, which were by-products of Giant Dragon Alchemy, comparable to a Wizard¡¯s Runes. ¡°Refine.¡± The Black Gold Scimitar vanished suddenly, then reappeared. A white Light Ball emerged above the Miracle Furnace. Richard absorbed it, and information about the Tree Pattern instantly entered his mind. After a while, Richard opened his eyes. ¡°¡­Life Drain, such a fine thing.¡± According to the information refined by the Miracle Furnace, the effect of the Tree Pattern on the scimitar was Life Drain, which means it could convert the blood of the enemy into Life Energy, nourishing the user. Such effects were achievable by some Spells of the Necromancy School. But Richard had only heard of it. Magic Models ¡ª unless they were common goods, it was rare to find them on the market; they were usually circulated in private transactions. ¡°Plane Wars are truly a good place to make a fortune.¡± Richard exhaled, and collected all the scimitars, then took out his Magic Wand. Inspired by the Tree Pattern, even though the two Alchemy techniques were incompatible, he could physically merge them. The upper half of the Magic Wand used Wizard Alchemy, the lower half used Giant Dragon Alchemy, connected by a pure mechanical structure in the middle. During combat, he would use the upper half to kill the enemy, then use the lower half to insert into the corpse for Life Drain. It was both a weapon and a means of recovery. Richard thought of this and couldn¡¯t help but crack a small smile; he immediately pulled out some draft paper and got to work. Since he was idle, upgrading his equipment to enhance his combat capabilities was just right. ¡­ While Richard leisurely enhanced his strength, the battlefield situation also began to change. After changing their marshal, the Fire Lizard side abandoned their elite strategy and began using a large number of Fire Lizard Warriors paired with a small number of Fire Lizard Nobles for urban alley fighting. This move baffled the command layer of the Wizard side. Harash¡¯s elite strategy had been a major headache for the Wizards, forcing the command center to use Black Wizards for alley fighting, causing many White Wizards to be mere spectators. This seriously slowed the pace of the war. But now with the Fire Lizard Warriors, Black Wizards naturally broke free from alley fighting, and White Wizards finally returned to the familiar battlefield. In just a year, White Wizards had successively conquered over seventy cities, and Black Wizards had started infiltrating the rear of Fire Lizard Empire, carrying out various harassment activities. ¡°Donar is useless!¡± Azuhan couldn¡¯t help but curse loudly as he looked at the map on the wall. The loss of cities in the early stages of the war was due to the Wizards¡¯ forces being too concentrated, which the Fire Lizards couldn¡¯t resist. But as the battlefield gradually expanded, Wizards¡¯ forces also began to disperse, yet their pace of capturing cities showed no signs of slowing. It was clearly a problem of command. ¡°Azhuan, I called you here to examine the map, not to hear you rant about Marshal Donar,¡± Azuhan¡¯s tall father, Harash, draped in a white robe, looked imposing as he spoke. ¡°But father, I can¡¯t make out anything from this situation; we¡¯re constantly retreating! Our losses are also continuously increasing!¡± Azuhan turned around and shouted at his father. As a young Fire Lizard, he was completely overwhelmed by the current state of the battle, his neck bulging like a pufferfish. ¡°Then look again. If you can¡¯t even discern this much, don¡¯t think about joining the army. You¡¯d only be going to your death on the battlefield.¡± Harash¡¯s voice remained unchanged in spite of Azuhan¡¯s anger; he was calm and even leisurely poured himself a cup of lava to savor, as if the invaded country wasn¡¯t Morick. Azhuan angrily turned away, striving to calm himself down. He knew his father never spoke nonsense; if he said not to join the army, then entering the army was out of the question. Looking at the map before him, Azuhan¡¯s heart began to settle, his reason taking the high ground, and he started to analyze the information the map provided. From the frontline, Wizards had invaded nearly one-sixth of Morick Empire¡¯s territory in just a year and a half, and the front was still advancing. Moreover, there was no salient on this line that would allow Fire Lizards to penetrate and encircle. After a long look, Azuhan saw no opportunities that could be exploited from this line. The Wizard¡¯s front, like a copper wall and iron barrier, had all possible seeming vulnerabilities, all traps. ¡°Father, I still can¡¯t see it,¡± Azuhan said somewhat despondently, ¡°the Wizard¡¯s line is too solid, I can¡¯t find any point to exploit.¡± Harash nodded, ¡°Keep looking, the fact that you can tell the line is solid shows much growth. But I¡¯m not asking you just to look at the line; broaden your view.¡± Broaden the view? Azhuan re-examined the map, Harash¡¯s words echoing in his mind. Zoom out a bit¡­ Azhuan took a step back, extending his gaze over the entire map. The place where Wizards first appeared lay at one edge of the continent, and not far behind them, beyond some mountains, stretched the boundless Sea of Lava. Thus, Wizards could only advance forward. And since it was a protrusion, Wizards now only bordered the Morick Empire¡­ In an instant, he understood his father¡¯s point. Azhuan excitedly exclaimed, ¡°I see it now, the Wizards will soon border the Linksa Empire! Marshal Donar is guiding the Wizards to start a war with Linksa Empire!¡± Upon hearing his son¡¯s response, Harash finally nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Correct, Donar is indeed guiding the Wizards to war with Linksa Empire, but have you considered his purpose?¡± ¡°His purpose? Surely it¡¯s to divide the Wizard¡¯s forces,¡± said Azuhan naively. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Dividing the forces is part of it, but there¡¯s a more important aspect.¡± Harash walked up to the map, pointing at the next city Wizards were set to conquer. After taking this city, Wizards would officially border the Linksa Empire. ¡°The losses of this war can¡¯t all be borne by us, the other two empires must also bleed. Only then, after the war, will the continental situation remain balanced. Otherwise, even if we expel the Wizards, internal conflicts due to loss of power may lead to war. If one empire suffers too many losses, its downfall wouldn¡¯t be out of the question. This is what I wanted you to understand.¡± Azhuan looked at his father, his mind somewhat muddled. At this point, why are the empires still plotting against each other? Wizards only have two methods for dealing with Fire Lizards: enslavement or death. Shouldn¡¯t the Three Great Empires unite at this time to drive out the Wizards first? Harash, as if understanding what Azuhan was thinking, said solemnly, ¡°Azhuan, Wizards are harmful, but if used properly, they can also be a blade, a blade to unify the world. Our emperor thinks this way, and so do the other two emperors.¡± Chapter 227 - 11 Merricks Shield Chapter 227: Chapter 11 Merrick¡¯s Shield Listening to his father¡¯s words, Azuhan suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart. For the first time, he felt they might not win this war. ¡°Father, can we win?¡± Azuhan looked towards Harash, seeking a glimmer of consolation. But Harash shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we can make the war develop in a direction where we can win.¡± As he spoke, Harash pulled out a sheet of white paper from his robe pocket. In the Red Sun World, paper was generally made from a plant called the Earth Fire Tree, which produced red paper. If one wanted a white sheet, it had to go through numerous complicated processes, making it very troublesome to produce. But precisely because of this, white paper was used by the Fire Lizard Nobles. Yet Azuhan noticed something different about Harash¡¯s white paper; at its edge seemed to be a hint of gold. ¡°My son, although your wisdom is not yet sufficient to keep you alive on the frontline, the Morick Empire is not limited to a single battlefield.¡± Harash handed the white paper to Azuhan, who saw upon receiving it that the edges were embossed with gold patterns¡ªgold, the most supreme color among the Fire Lizard Clan. When a piece of paper was imprinted with gold patterns, it meant that the paper came from the palace. The content written on the paper was simple: it was an appointment letter, and Azuhan had been appointed as the leader of an organization named Merrick¡¯s Shield. Its main task was to deal with Wizards who infiltrated the Empire¡¯s rear. ¡°Father, this is¡­¡± Azuhan looked blankly at Harash, completely unaware of the existence of this Merrick¡¯s Shield organization before, and now he had suddenly become its leader. Moreover, based on the content of the appointment letter, Azuhan found the organization he was now in charge of had an enormous amount of power. He could even demand cooperation from officials of all levels of internal affairs within the Empire. ¡°Due to changes in war strategy, more and more Wizards, referred to by Wizards as Black Wizards, have emerged within the Empire. These Black Wizards incessantly harass our rear, destroy military supply depots, and assassinate key officials. All these acts are their doing. We must organize a group of people to deal with these Black Wizards.¡± Harash ruffled his son¡¯s hair: ¡°It¡¯s a daunting task. The Emperor has given this task to you, and you need to shoulder this responsibility. Don¡¯t be afraid of failure, don¡¯t be afraid of offending people. Although I am no longer Marshal, I am still a general of the Empire.¡± Azuhan stared blankly at the appointment letter in his hands, feeling the weight of the world upon this sheet of white paper. Harash patted Azuhan¡¯s back: ¡°Go back and think about what you should do. If you need it, I can reallocate some of the army¡­ After all, the advancement of the frontlines depends on Wizards, not on us.¡± ¡­ Carrying the paper, Azuhan returned to his room. Harash¡¯s words echoed in his ears¡ªdon¡¯t be afraid of failure, don¡¯t be afraid of offending people, but how could he not be afraid? His failure would diminish the reputation his father had accumulated over hundreds of years. Pondering in his room, Azuhan felt a sense of frustration coiling in his chest. How could he organize personnel, establish rules, and ensure that such a powerful organization did not become corrupted with power? The more Azuhan thought about it, the more stifled he felt, so he simply left his room and started walking aimlessly through the streets. Azuhan resided in the Royal Capital of the Morick Empire. Even as the Morick Empire was mired in the quagmire of war, the Royal Capital thrived in its bustling prosperity, showing no signs of the war¡¯s approach. As Azuhan walked through the streets, deep in thought about how to address these issues, he didn¡¯t encounter a single pedestrian, even though he was looking down. But when Azuhan raised his head, he realized he was like a boulder in a river, the crowd parting around him. In the Morick Empire, as in every empire, the silver-horned Nobles were seen as just beneath the sovereign¡ªand above tens of thousands. Even as Azuhan walked through the surging crowd, all the Fire Lizards consciously steered clear of him. Watching the fearful gazes around him, an idea suddenly flashed through Azuhan¡¯s mind. There were quite a few silver-horned Nobles in the Royal Capital. If he could get these people to join Merrick¡¯s Shield, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about power corruption or personnel strength issues. Silver-horned Nobles could reach the standards of the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors simply by living long enough, even if they did nothing else. Besides, they have always been lawless, so the powers of Merrick¡¯s Shield, which might be a huge temptation to ordinary Fire Lizards, were nothing more than routine for them. Many empire officials were also related to the Nobles; if they conducted investigations, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for officials to sabotage them. The more Azuhan thought about it, the more he felt his idea wasn¡¯t bad, but now he had a problem before him. How could he recruit these silver-horned Nobles, and how could he manage them? Azuhan walked aimlessly along the street, from the burning sun overhead until it set in the west. As he walked, Azuhan suddenly bumped into someone. ¡°Huh?¡± Azuhan looked up to see a female Fire Lizard in front of him, draped in a gold-patterned white robe. ¡°Azhan, what¡¯s the matter with you today? You¡¯ve been wandering the streets all day, as if you¡¯ve lost your soul.¡± Azhan hurriedly bowed slightly when he recognized the face of the Fire Lizard, ¡°Your Highness, Princess.¡± The Princess eyed Azhan with her golden dragon eyes, showing a trace of dissatisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, you don¡¯t need to bow when you see me! And don¡¯t call me ¡®Your Highness, Princess.¡¯ I have a name, call me Akala!¡± Azhan straightened up, his expression somewhat awkward. ¡°Yes, Pri¡­ Akala, Your Highness.¡± Akala waved her hand resignedly, ¡°Nevermind, just tell me what you¡¯re thinking about. I heard Marshal has found a position for you. What is it, thinking about how to do the job?¡± Azhan nodded, ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ve been pondering. Your Highness, how do you think we could restrain the Silver-Horned Nobles?¡± ¡°Restrain you all?¡± Akala suddenly laughed out loud, ¡°How could you be restrained? Apart from my father, I¡¯m afraid no one can restrain you all.¡± Azhan scratched his head awkwardly. Seeing him like this, Akala couldn¡¯t help but stop laughing, ¡°Are you serious? Why do you want to restrain the Silver-Horned Nobles? Did Marshal find you a position as a Noble Enforcer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Azhan shook his head and proceeded to share his thoughts with Akala. After listening, Akala pondered for a moment, then her eyes lit up suddenly, ¡°I¡¯ve got it, to restrain these nobles, why don¡¯t you just include me? Would they dare to defy me?¡± Akala¡¯s statement wasn¡¯t arrogant. As the only daughter of the Fire Lizard King, her status was indeed higher than that of the Silver-Horned Nobles. This naturally gave her a legal advantage. Moreover, Akala¡¯s strength in the Empire was also among the upper tier, a Second-Level peak soon to step into the Third Level, and there were few Silver-Horned Nobles left at the rear who could beat her. Most importantly, she and Azhan had grown up together, close enough to share a bed without fear of anyone sowing discord between them. ¡°That¡­ might not be so good,¡± Azhan hesitated. What Akala suggested was indeed a solution, but after all, Akala was a princess, and that was a rather special identity. ¡°What¡¯s not so good about it, I insist on joining. What are you going to do about it?¡± Akala looked at Azhan provocatively, her tone quite domineering. ¡°Well¡­ alright then. I¡¯ll go back and prepare the rules, and I¡¯ll come find you tomorrow.¡± Having said that, Azhan turned to leave but after only a few steps, someone caught his tail. He looked back to see that his own tail was entwined with another, and the owner of that tail was looking at him with a smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t go back to your place just yet, I¡¯ve opened a bottle of hundred-year-old Dragon Flame Wine today. How about we share a taste?¡± ¡­ The establishment of Merrick¡¯s Shield indeed added a lot of trouble for the Black Wizards. Under the leadership of two founding members with backgrounds that reached the heavens, Merrick¡¯s Shield received the full support of the Nobility of the Morick Empire, meaning they could have whatever they wanted. Moreover, no one dared to criticize these two. This allowed them free rein in inducting members, unconventionally and imaginatively. Through Harash¡¯s connections, Azhan called in a batch of Fire Lizard Warriors from the front lines as the basic operatives for Merrick¡¯s Shield, then also took on a group of Silver-Horned Nobles as high-end combat power. In addition to these, Azhan also recruited many non-combatants. These non-combatant talents included Royal Blacksmiths, hunters specializing in hunting Flame Giant Beasts, and breeders from the Beast Fighting Arena¡­ These individuals all possessed special abilities. Merrick¡¯s Shield organized them around the purpose of serving the Empire, uniting them to pursue Black Wizards. Their abilities might not be directly related to combat power, but they often proved miraculous in searching for Black Wizards. Through continuing pursuits, Merrick¡¯s Shield gradually matured. Internal structure, personnel composition, logistical support, tactical arrangements ¨C these elements were progressively refined through battles. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This newly established organization was slowly becoming a significant nuisance for the Black Wizards. ¡­ In the bright laboratory, a Black Wizard was busy at the experiment table with his own experiments. He was engraving sesame-seed-sized Runes on a black Rune Base Plate using his Magic Power. Suddenly, the Crystal Ball on the experiment table lit up, and an ice-cold voice emanated from it. ¡°Advisor Richard, Command has decided to deploy the Magic Support Vehicle for a mission. Please immediately join Squad Thirteen of the White Wizards and accompany them in combat.¡± The Wizard glanced at the Crystal Ball and put down the Rune Base Plate he was holding. ¡°Ten years, finally a mission,¡± he said. Richard tidied up the experiment table, then took out a strange Magic Wand from his Magic Pocket. The upper half of the Wand was plain and unadorned, with a black shaft topped with a crimson Flame Treasure Ball. However, the lower half of the Wand was adorned with countless intricate patterns, which looked like vines entwining or like the sprawling branches and foliage of an ancient tree. Chapter 228 - 12: Support Mission Chapter 228: Chapter 12: Support Mission Richard swiftly acquired the location of Squad Thirteen from the logistics Wizard after leaving the room. Squad Thirteen had already collected four Magic Support Vehicles from the armory, and they were now waiting for Richard¡¯s arrival on the outskirts of the Floating City Fortress. ¡°Captain, how do you feel about these Magic Support Vehicles during training? I feel like they are a bit unreliable,¡± asked a member of the squad, a nearly three-meter-tall giant wearing a white Wizard Robe, in a somewhat naive tone. ¡°These things can only shoot for thirty seconds, then they turn into nothing but a heap of metal,¡± responded the Captain as he casually patted one of the Magic Support Vehicles. ¡°These Vehicles are extreme, I can¡¯t tell if they are good or bad. But compared to the Alchemy Weapons we usually use, they are indeed somewhat different. However, they are new weapons, and certainly have several flaws that need adjusting.¡± The Captain¡¯s words were reassuring, but his gaze towards the Magic Support Vehicles was full of distrust. Beforehand, he had merely familiarized himself with the operation of the Magic Support Vehicles by testing them on enslaved monsters. But speaking of real combat, this was his first time. ¡°Captain, these Vehicles are favored by Master Vladimir, so there should be no problem with their quality or specification,¡± said a Wizard in the team, whose body was largely transformed into mechanical parts. ¡°We are just testing out what improvements these Vehicles might need. Plus, the mission this time is merely to rendezvous with an infiltrating Black Wizard returning from behind enemy lines, nothing perilous. Even if something goes wrong, headquarters has allowed us to abandon the Vehicles.¡± The Captain glanced at the speaking alchemy Wizard, a newcomer to the squad who was usually occupied with handling various perilous Shaping Spells and extremely dangerous Alchemy Weapons. Even among Wizards, he was considered a risky individual. Yet, after receiving training in the operation and maintenance of the Magic Support Vehicles, this perilous individual had grown quite fond of them. This made the Captain even more uneasy about the Magic Support Vehicles. Soon, the Captain saw a black-robed Wizard with a raven on his shoulder rapidly approaching the squad. When the Wizard halted, the Captain was startled upon seeing his face. ¡°Are you¡­ Master Richard?¡± The black-robed Wizard smiled and extended his right hand. ¡°I presume you are Captain Iyad. I¡¯m Richard, your technical consultant.¡± ¡­ In the war in the Insect Nest World, Iyad had been part of the ground defense force during the decisive moment, and at that time, the squad¡¯s Alchemy Wizard had just died, and Richard had helped him repair the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon extensively. ¡°Hello, hello, I did not expect that you would be serving as the technical consultant from the Wizard Commerce.¡± Iyad and Richard shook hands, and the worries in his heart about the Magic Support Vehicles also vanished at that moment. He had witnessed Richard¡¯s skills in repairing Magic Stone Cannons during the Insect Nest War¡ªthe craftsmanship, the speed, which would be highly ranked even within the legion. With such a figure as a technical consultant, any problems that might occur with the Magic Support Vehicles could surely be quickly resolved. ¡°Let me introduce you to my team,¡± said Iyad, pointing at the giant Wizard. ¡°This is Sampo, a Wizard who has undergone Physique Evolution.¡± ¡°This is Damir, the Alchemy Wizard of our squad,¡± Iyad pointed at the Wizard who was half-mechanized. ¡°This is Savo, a Second Ring Shaping Wizard skilled in Shaping Magic.¡± A Wizard in a white robe, with a cold expression, nodded at Richard. ¡°These two are the Kor brothers; they are Undead Wizards, our team¡¯s scouts and medics.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One of the Kor brothers looked chubby and pale while the other was a skeleton shimmering with red Soul Fire in its eye sockets. Afterward, Iyad introduced the rest of the squad members to Richard. The entire squad consisted of twenty people, a standard team of White Wizards. But with the operation of the Magic Support Vehicles considered, Richard felt the number was somewhat excessive. The Magic Support Vehicles, according to Richard¡¯s design, did not have the capacity to transport troops. Each Vehicle had only two seats¡ªone for the driver and one for the copilot. This meant that out of the squad, only seven members could ride in the Vehicles; the remaining thirteen would have to fly on their own. ¡°It seems the headquarters has given us too few Vehicles,¡± Richard said to Iyad with a smile. ¡°With only four Vehicles, most of the team will have to fly outside.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± Iyad replied casually. ¡°Normally, we wouldn¡¯t have had these Magic Support Vehicles at all; we would have all had to fly there.¡± Seeing Iyad¡¯s indifference, Richard did not dwell on it further. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll inspect the Vehicles to see if there are any issues.¡± Richard approached a Magic Support Vehicle, and a small Alchemy Array appeared in his palm. The Alchemy Array allowed Richard¡¯s spiritual power to enter the material to perform shaping, Engraving Runes, and other operations. Using this, Alchemy Wizards can also inspect the structures of Alchemy Machines or Magic Equipment. Seeing Richard¡¯s maneuver, Damir¡¯s eyes lit up. He spoke to Iyad through the mental network, ¡°Captain, this Master Richard is impressive! His Battlefield Alchemy skills are even more adept than mine; this method of using an Alchemy Array to inspect the structure of Alchemy Weapons is something I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Iyad replied casually in the mental network without changing his expression: ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that? Last Plane War, Master Richard fought alongside us in the final battle when you weren¡¯t yet part of the legion. During the battle, he directly replaced Master Vladimir as our battlefield repair specialist, helping us fix the Magic Stone Cannons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Damir was startled. The alchemy wizards of the Clear Frost Number One Corps, except for the students who directly joined the corps, were all recruited by Vladimir. These alchemy wizards, recruited from free wizards, all had to pass Vladimir¡¯s test. Moreover, in order to win their hearts and minds, Vladimir always personally demonstrated once before letting them perform the test. Thus, these alchemy wizards were completely convinced of Vladimir¡¯s abilities. Being able to replace Vladimir as a battlefield repair technician, this Master Richard¡¯s alchemy skills must not be much inferior to Vladimir¡¯s. ¡°However, this master seems quite young.¡± Damir looked carefully at Richard. Richard¡¯s energetic and youthful aura clearly marked him as a young wizard. A wizard so young, did he really possess such high skills? Iyad glanced at the new alchemy wizard and replied via the spiritual network, ¡°That¡¯s the most impressive part about Master Richard. In the Insect Nest World, he is actually a Black Wizard. His skills in repairing Magic Stone Cannons were all learned on-site from Master Vladimir.¡± ¡°Learned on-site?¡± Damir¡¯s pupils shook instantly. Learning temporarily and yet able to replace Vladimir, what kind of genius was this? At that moment, Richard had finished inspecting the four vehicles. ¡°There is no problem, let¡¯s set off.¡± With a wave of his hand, Iyad had several trained wizards get in the vehicles, preparing to head to the rendezvous point. After boarding the vehicle, Richard sat in the co-driver¡¯s seat and casually asked Iyad: ¡°What¡¯s our mission this time?¡± ¡°A small task, we¡¯re just going to pick someone up,¡± Iyad responded, pressing his hand on the crystal ball used for control while briefing Richard about the mission. ¡°A Black Wizard was discovered by Merrick¡¯s Shield not far behind the front lines, so he sent a request for support to the command center.¡± ¡°Merrick¡¯s Shield?¡± Richard asked puzzledly. ¡°You should know about the Three Great Empires, right? Merrick¡¯s Shield is a specialized agency set up by the Morick Empire to handle our Black Wizards infiltrating their ranks. They¡¯ve given us quite a bit of trouble over the years.¡± As he spoke, Iyad scoffed coldly, ¡°These Fire Lizards truly are troublesome. Once we conquer this world, we must eradicate their kind.¡± Boom! Boom! The Magic Support Vehicle¡¯s hybrid magic engine roared wildly. ¡°Master Richard, we are departing!¡± ¡­ Five days later, at the Morick Empire¡¯s frontline. Three suns hung in the heavenly vault, adding fervor to the Red Sun World. The dried, red earth was sporadically dotted with crimson bushes. Suddenly, as the three suns crossed the sky, the entire world darkened momentarily. All of a sudden, a mound rose from the red earth, and a Black Wizard emerged from it, his whole body covered in red sand. After surfacing, he quickly looked around and extended his spiritual power to survey his surroundings. Confirming there were no Fire Lizards in ambush, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ve been running for half a month, but I¡¯ve finally shaken off those Fire Lizard bastards,¡± cursed the Black Wizard. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to be hunted down by these natives.¡± The Black Wizard took out a crystal ball and tapped it twice. Soon, a wave of magic power transmitted from the crystal ball. ¡°Phew, the signal has been sent. I can finally return to the rear¡­¡± Whoosh¡ªBoom! A magic barrier suddenly burst out from the Black Wizard¡¯s body, momentarily slowing a flame spear thrown from behind. Using that moment, he dodged the fiery spear in terror. Ambush! ¡°Damn, he actually dodged it.¡± A hundred meters behind the Black Wizard, a Fire Lizard in red camouflage attire clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. With a wave of his hand, dozens of Fire Lizards in red camouflage rose from the ground and drew metal spears from beneath their camouflage. These Fire Lizards appeared well-trained, their movements fluid and in unison. The metal spears in their hands ignited into flames, transforming into a shower of fire that enveloped the Black Wizard in a mist of blood. ¡°A mere One Ring Wizard thought he could escape from Merrick¡¯s Shield?¡± sneered the first Fire Lizard to stand, a pair of dragon horns adorning his head, catching a hint of silver under the firelight. Without waiting for orders, the other Fire Lizards began efficiently cleaning the battlefield and erasing traces of the battle. Then they retrieved a dummy-like object from the rear, placed it where the Black Wizard had died, and draped a black wizard robe over it. ¡°Lord, everything is ready,¡± reported a Fire Lizard with black dragon horns. The Silver Horned Fire Lizard waved his hand, ¡°Good, continue in ambush, let¡¯s see what kind of fish this little shrimp has lured for us.¡± Chapter 229 - 13 Ambush? Artillery Barrage! Chapter 229: Chapter 13 Ambush? Artillery Barrage! Fifty kilometers away from the Fire Lizard ambush site. ¡°Alright, give it a try and start it up.¡± Richard closed the enchanted armor plate of the Magic Support Vehicle and shouted to Iyad. Practical testing was crucial for a weapon, and though Richard¡¯s Magic Support Vehicle was designed with various issues in mind, it still encountered malfunctions after being tested by the extreme conditions of the Red Sun World. The temperature on the Red Soil Plain of the Red Sun World could easily reach sixty degrees during the day, and at noon, it would rise to eighty degrees. However, as the sun set, the temperature of the Red Soil Plain would plummet below zero. Such extreme weather required the engine¡¯s cooling system of the Magic Support Vehicle to operate at its limit during the day, while the sharp drop in temperature at night could easily cause warping of some of its small components. But with Richard, the designer, serving as a technical consultant for the White Wizard team, the issues with the Magic Support Vehicle were all resolved under his operation. After this mission, Richard planned to upgrade all the Magic Support Vehicles to adapt to the harsh environment of the Red Sun World. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give it a start.¡± The hybrid engine roared wildly as it was infused with Magic Power. ¡°Everything¡¯s normal! Ready to set off.¡± Hearing Iyad¡¯s voice, Richard felt relieved. As long as the problem was solved, it was fine. It was Richard¡¯s first time providing after-sales service, and he felt immense pressure. If he failed to address the problems with the Magic Support Vehicle, it would definitely affect future sales of the vehicles. Fortunately, he had some skills, and they hadn¡¯t encountered any insurmountable problems on their journey. He opened the door and sat in the passenger seat, and the team continued towards the location where the signal was emitted. However, for the sake of caution, Richard released Ulysses to scout ahead. After all, they were on the front line, and if any Fire Lizards alerted the Black Wizards and set a trap there, it would be bad. Seeing Richard release Ulysses, Iyad hurriedly tried to stop him: ¡°Master Richard, you shouldn¡¯t let your Magic Pet go out. Those Fire Lizards have beast hunters specifically targeting our Magic Pets. If your Magic Pet hasn¡¯t gone through special modifications, it could be caught by the beast hunters of the Fire Lizards, and you would lose a Soul Seed.¡± But Richard just smiled and shook his head: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my Magic Pet is not weak.¡± Before long, Ulysses returned, holding a small Dragon Beast in its claws that had dragon scales and resembled a pterosaur. ¡°Gah, these little creatures bred by the lizards are pretty fierce, good fighters, tasty too, the bones are crisply delicious.¡± Iyad was shocked by the courage of Ulysses. These beast hunters usually operated in groups, and even a Second Level Magic Pet would be torn to shreds if encountered. And yet, this crow managed to catch a beast hunter and return fully intact. It had the strength that could match some Wizards. Looking at Richard, Iyad felt that this master was becoming more formidable. Alchemy was impressive, the Magic Pet was so powerful, and his own strength must undoubtedly be strong as well. Plus, Richard looked so young¡­ Thinking this, Iyad couldn¡¯t help but sigh. The gap between Wizards could be larger than that between Wizards and the natives. ¡°Just get to the point; are there any Fire Lizards lying in ambush ahead?¡± Richard took the hunted creature from Ulysses¡¯s claws, sealed it with a casual motion, and tossed it into his Magic Pocket. ¡°Gah, there¡¯s indeed an ambush, but not many. However, given your strength¡­¡± Ulysses paused, ¡°a direct assault might be risky. Though I haven¡¯t included your vehicle in the calculation, I wasn¡¯t involved at the time, so I don¡¯t know how powerful it truly is.¡± Richard frowned slightly: ¡°Tell me about the location and strength of the Fire Lizard ambush.¡± ¡°Gah, I took a quick look, several First Levels, three Second Levels, but this lot have Spiritual Camouflage, they are clearly among the elite of the Fire Lizards.¡± ¡°The location?¡± Richard took Iyad¡¯s Crystal Ball map, and as Magic Power was infused, a map hologram appeared in front of Richard. Ulysses made a quick estimate and then pointed at the map with its beak. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard looked at the location and fell silent for a moment. ¡°¡­It¡¯s at the signal emission site. Iyad, our mission has already failed.¡± ¡°Hmm!?¡± Iyad slammed on the brakes and brought the entire convoy to a halt. ¡°Master, we need to find the living or the dead. Without physical evidence, it¡¯s going to be hard to explain to the command center.¡± Commands from the headquarters aren¡¯t always completed, and the Wizards who survive uncompleted tasks need to submit a written report detailing the situation at the time to the command center. While such reports aren¡¯t required to have evidence, this was for those Wizards who were lucky enough to survive. These people often lost companions and were severely injured, so it was normal not to have evidence. But the entire team of Squad 13, with no injuries and even with the Magic Support Vehicle unused, evidently needed to submit some evidence proving either the death of the Wizard or the ambush of the Fire Lizards. ¡°Evidence? That¡¯s easy.¡± Richard remained calm as he took out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball from his Magic Pocket. ¡°The firing range of the Magic Support Vehicle is not short. We¡¯ll launch a thirty-second barrage in the direction of the ambush. It will ensure safety and blast that group of Fire Lizards sky-high. Then my Magic Pet will record the scene with the Image Capturing Crystal Ball.¡± ¡°With this, we now have evidence, and the Magic Support Vehicle has been tested. Two birds with one stone.¡± Upon hearing this, Iyad instantly agreed with Richard¡¯s method. It was indeed a strategy with two-fold benefits, a satisfactory solution for all involved. ¡°Just do as the Master says. Later, our squad will follow the Master¡¯s lead.¡± The various data for the Magic Support Vehicle might be clear to the few Wizards driving it, but compared to Richard, the technical consultant, their proficiency was far from sufficient. Weapons perform differently on a test range and on a battlefield; sometimes, fine-tuning is essential. To achieve precise adjustments, either you have enough experience with the weapon from several battles, or you understand it thoroughly, down to how each part operates and the manufacturing process and materials of those parts. The Magic Support Vehicle was a new weapon; there was obviously no veteran with experience, but as the designer, Richard was able to fulfill the second requirement. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take command later.¡± ¡­ In the ambush spot, the Silver Horned Fire Lizard awaited the big fish to take the bait, somewhat bored. In fact, this wasn¡¯t the first time it had used this tactic. Allow a small fry to escape perilously, then wait for other Wizards to come for support. This strategy was unfailingly effective. It had employed it four times, and each time it yielded unexpected results. The best time, it wiped out an entire squad of White Wizards. For this, it had even received a personal award from Azuhan¡¯s leader and Princess Akala¡ªa Golden Medal. For Silver Horned Nobles, gold wasn¡¯t considered precious, nor was pure gold. But the honor that the medal represented was different. These Silver Horned Nobles had never experienced poverty from childhood; if you applied Maslow¡¯s hierarchy of needs to them, these Silver Horned Nobles were at the very top of the pyramid¡ªself-actualization. And the honor that the medal represented was an acknowledgment, a form of self-actualization. It was something countless Silver Horned Nobles would gladly give their lives for and relish. Suddenly, the Silver Horned Fire Lizard felt a slight trembling underfoot. It pressed its ear to the ground, and the soft rumbling continued to reach its ears. Something was coming! The Silver Horned Fire Lizard tapped the ground with its tail, a signal that the enemy was nearing. The ambushing fire lizards tried to blend in with the environment as much as possible, adjusting their breathing, heartbeat, and body temperature to become virtually indistinguishable. Their disguise was impeccable¡ªRichard standing beside them might not even be able to detect them. Only this time, they were not facing Wizards. ¡­ ¡°North by northeast thirty-two degrees, maximum range.¡± Following Richard¡¯s command, the turrets on the backs of the four Magic Support Vehicles began to adjust positions. With a series of metallic squeaks from inside the turrets, all were ready. ¡°Is everyone prepared? Three! Two! One!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± At Richard¡¯s order, the turrets mounted on the four Magic Support Vehicles instantly spat out a deadly barrage of fire. In thirty seconds, the four vehicles unleashed one thousand four hundred and forty fireballs of three-hundred-and-fifty energy level. These fireballs streaked across the night sky, resembling a meteor shower from a distance. Boom, boom, boom! The rain began to fall. Though launching fireballs at the very edge of their range could cause significant scatter, the sheer volume of one thousand four hundred and forty was enough to compensate for this drawback. The ambush of fire lizards didn¡¯t wait for Wizards to take the bait, and their camouflage could not deceive the fireballs. Thirty seconds later, the rain stopped. The red soil was a mess, the ambush of fire lizards nearly wiped out, with the few survivors barely clinging to life. In the sky, a crow with a Crystal Ball was recording the scene. ¡°Caw, this kid¡¯s contraption isn¡¯t half bad.¡± Ulysses returned to the caravan with the Crystal Ball, and after Iyad confirmed the content of the recording, he gladly accepted the Crystal Ball. It would serve not only as evidence but also as proof of their achievements. ¡°This mission has been a trouble to the Master.¡± Richard waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s my duty; no trouble at all. I need to check the battlefield and collect some data. You go on ahead. We¡¯ve caused quite a stir; let¡¯s not draw the fire lizard¡¯s army here.¡± But as soon as Richard finished speaking, he saw a faint beam of light appear from the site of their artillery fire. The beam exploded in the air into a dazzling firework, and upon seeing it, Richard¡¯s skin immediately tightened. It felt like something had landed on him. And Iyad, who had had many dealings with fire lizards, turned pale upon seeing the firework. ¡°Master, we need to flee instantly; that¡¯s a fire lizard¡¯s distress flare. One of the fire lizards we bombed is a Silver Horned Noble.¡± Chapter 230 - 14 Escape Route Chapter 230: Chapter 14 Escape Route ¡°Silver Horned Nobles?¡± Richard frowned. He had consulted Iyad extensively about Fire Lizards in recent days, including about the Silver Horned Nobles. Among the Fire Lizards, the nobles were indeed much more formidable than the common Fire Lizards. With their Dragon Blood inactive, common Fire Lizards could at most become Level 1 Fire Lizard Warriors. However, these Fire Lizard nobles had ancestors who had activated their Dragon Blood, granting them a partially activated Dragon Bloodline as well. Even without moving, these Fire Lizard nobles could qualify as Level 1 Creatures. As for the Silver Horned nobles, they represented ancestors who were Third Level Creatures; even lying dormant, their inherited bloodline could rank them as Second Level Creatures, making them some of the most powerful and respected among the Fire Lizard nobles. ¡°It seems we¡¯ve run into Merrick¡¯s Shield.¡± Richard rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. The Silver Horned Fire Lizards in the front line were all commanders, and such characters would not stoop low to ambush just their small squad. ¡°Master, we need to leave now.¡± As he spoke, Iyad operated the Magic Support Vehicle, preparing to return to the Wizard¡¯s core area. However, Richard suddenly grabbed Iyad¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Iyad. Open your map and take a good look at the markings of this Red Soil Plain.¡± Iyad¡¯s map recorded all the Wizards¡¯ frontline troop deployments and their scouting of the Fire Lizard line. As the captain of the White Wizard squad, Iyad had memorized this map long ago, and Richard was well aware of it. Seeing Iyad¡¯s puzzled look, Richard spoke calmly: ¡°He mixed something else into that fireworks. If I¡¯m not mistaken, we¡¯ve all been tagged.¡± ¡°Tagged!?¡± Iyad was shocked, unaware that the Fire Lizards¡¯ distress fireworks had such a function. He immediately shared Richard¡¯s theory with the other team members via the mental network; none of them noticed the tag, not even Savo, the oldest and strongest member. But just as Iyad was about to argue against Richard¡¯s idea, Sampo, the only wizard in the squad who had undergone Physique Evolution, spoke up. ¡°Captain, I felt it too. When I saw those fireworks, my body¡¯s cells detected something resembling Energy Radiation, which wasn¡¯t in the distress fireworks before.¡± Sampo¡¯s words tightened Iyad¡¯s heart, and he infused Magic Power into the Crystal Ball map. Soon, a map of the Red Soil Plain appeared in the cab. Though named a plain, the Red Soil Plain was Wizard terminology. In the Fire Lizard¡¯s language, if directly translated into Wizard Language, it would be called the Land Cursed by the Giant Dragon. The Red Soil Plain was more a desert than a plain. The only plant that grew there was the Blade Tree¡ªits leaves sharp as blades and its branches hard as steel. In the Red Sun World, nearly no creature ate this plant, except for some insects. Therefore, except for some ¡°oases¡± with cities in the middle, the vast expanse of the Red Soil Plain was uninhabited by Fire Lizards. Wizards were even less interested in this plain; it held no exploitable resources. Investigation Wizards from the Wizard Commerce came wave after wave but ultimately determined the Red Soil Plain had no value, leading the Wizards to occupy only two cities on the edge of the plain, without further expanding into its interior. Since neither side was interested in this area, it had the least troop deployment of any battlefield. This was also why the Black Wizards chose this location for a rendezvous. But while troop numbers were fewer relative to other battlefields, compared to Richard¡¯s small squad, even a single Fire Lizard¡¯s spit¡ªbeing slightly corrosive¡ªcould dissolve several Wizards. Upon revisiting the map and considering their marked status, Iyad quickly realized how perilous their situation was. Fire Lizards had patrol teams in the Red Soil Plain; these teams would set out from one oasis, cross uninhabited areas, and reach another oasis as a preventative measure against Wizards. Now that the distress fireworks had been shot, these patrol teams would undoubtedly head towards the location of the fireworks, and with the tag on them, choosing the wrong route could easily expose them. Those riding Dragon Beasts, the Fire Lizard Knights, represented a unique military force of the Red Soil Plain; they were exceptionally fast and skilled archers. If they caught up to the squad, it would spell danger. Watching the map, Iyad¡¯s mind raced. He wasn¡¯t sure how far-reaching the effect of the tag was, so he had to choose the safest and most secure route possible. Richard did not rush him; with Ulysses beside him, he still held some confidence in escaping¡­ ¡°Ah, Richard, I¡¯m feeling sleepy. Be careful, it¡¯s all on you soon¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, Ulysses had succumbed to a baby-like sleep. This made Richard increasingly uneasy. ¡°Timing is everything!¡± Richard¡¯s face turned iron blue as he pocketed Ulysses, then quietly waited for Iyad to make a decision. Suddenly, Iyad¡¯s eyes sharpened, his fingers quickly tracing a route on the map. ¡°Take this path!¡± Richard glanced at the map and found Iyad¡¯s planned route somewhat odd; though they were supposed to escape back to the Wizard controlled area, the map surprisingly required them to first head towards the Fire Lizard controlled direction. Without asking Richard, Iyad immediately started the Magic Support Vehicle and drove in the direction plotted on the map. ¡°Iyad, why does this route go deeper in?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask. As Iyad drove the Magic Support Vehicle, he casually explained to Richard, ¡°I don¡¯t know how broad the range of this mark is, so we can only take the road that¡¯s furthest away from all Fire Lizard patrols.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the range?¡± Richard exclaimed, ¡°You don¡¯t know the range, and you think we shouldn¡¯t go and capture that Fire Lizard calling for help to interrogate it about the range?¡± ¡°Nonsense, if I could interrogate effectively, I would definitely go.¡± Iyad, irritated by Richard¡¯s question, replied, ¡°Our soul wizard¡¯s interrogation skills are terrible, he accidentally kills them. Moreover, these Fire Lizards are very tough, it would be a waste of time trying, better we follow my route.¡± ¡°Well then damn it, ask me, I know a bit about interrogation too,¡± Richard said equally annoyed. Saying this, Richard pushed open the car door and flew towards the location where the Fire Lizard was calling for help, leaving Iyad dumbfounded watching him leave. ¡°You damn Alchemy Wizard! You¡¯re so young, who knew you were that versatile?¡± ¡­ After the bombardment, the Red Soil Plain was a mess, scattered with pits created by fireballs. Although 350 energy level isn¡¯t high, the power of Magic Concentrated Fire isn¡¯t about the individual spell¡¯s power. Releasing a large amount of spells at the same location causes elemental turbulence and resonance which sometimes could cause even more damage than the spells themselves. On the battlefield, a Silver Horned Fire Lizard sat dumbly on the ground, with fresh blood dripping from its mouth. Complete, utter failure. The wizards had seen through his ploy and had even mobilized a group of White Wizards to snipe him. He had only seen such a fiery rain at a frontal battlefield. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve angered the wizards.¡± The Silver Horned Fire Lizard strained a smile, ¡°But mobilizing so many wizards for me was not a wise decision.¡± He looked up at the sky, where he had launched a distress firework that was the latest invention of Merrick¡¯s Shield, infused with the power of a dragon curse sorcerer. The group of wizards who had sniped him should all have been marked now. ¡°Hehe, snipe me, and you cannot escape!¡± As he spoke to himself, a dark silhouette suddenly appeared in the distance and flew directly towards him. He sensed this shadow and recognized it as a Black Wizard. ¡°A Black Wizard? Looks quite strong.¡± The Silver Horned Fire Lizard struggled to his feet and picked up two handguns from the ground. ¡°It seems I won¡¯t have to live in disgrace.¡± With flames igniting on the handguns, the Silver Horned Fire Lizard took a deep breath and, using the last of his strength, hurled the handguns towards the wizard. The flaming handguns, carried by his fury, traced a crimson arc through the air, heading straight for the Black Wizard¡¯s face. This was his last strike, his final dignity. Bang! The Black Wizard, facing the handgun, didn¡¯t dodge or move. He simply reached out and caught the meteor-like handgun right in front of his eyes, halting its progress. Then the Silver Horned Fire Lizard watched as the Black Wizard flew up to him, under the black hood, a pair of golden dragon eyes quietly watching him. A Fire Lizard? The Silver Horned Fire Lizard was taken aback. But as the Black Wizard used Rune Chains to bind him securely, he quickly realized. This was a wizard who, like their ancestors, had stolen the power of a giant dragon. ¡°Kill me! Wizard!¡± the Silver Horned Fire Lizard roared, regretting that he had thrown the handgun. He should have used that shot to end his own life, to keep himself away from the wizard¡¯s interrogation. But the Black Wizard just quietly watched him. The Rune Chains sealed his power and his ability to move, preventing even suicide. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After the sealing was complete, the Silver Horned Fire Lizard could only watch desperately as the Black Wizard flew off with him towards the distance. Soon, Richard caught up with the convoy. ¡°This is the Fire Lizard that sent the distress signal; you handle the questioning later, I¡¯ll handle the torture,¡± Richard stood at the top of the vehicle, loudlyn communicating with Iyad. ¡°Huh? Why am I handling the questioning?¡± Iyad said, puzzled. ¡°Because when I arrived, I hadn¡¯t learned the Fire Lizard¡¯s language, I can¡¯t understand what this Fire Lizard is saying.¡± Iyad: ¡°¡­¡± Silver Horned Fire Lizard: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wizard, don¡¯t even think about interrogating me, you will get nothing from me but curses!¡± The Silver Horned Fire Lizard said to Richard in a somewhat clumsy Wizard Language. ¡°Oh, you actually know Wizard Language,¡± Richard was surprised, ¡°Iyad, you¡¯re not needed anymore, this Fire Lizard understands Wizard Language.¡± The Silver Horned Fire Lizard glared fiercely at Richard, shouting in Wizard Language, ¡°You bastard, you will get nothing from me. The Norickxiu Family has no traitors and no novices!¡± Richard turned his head to glance at him, his eyes suddenly flashing a dark red light. ¡°Whether there are traitors, we¡¯ll know soon.¡± Chapter 231 - 15 Interrogation Chapter 231: Chapter 15 Interrogation Cliff felt like he was trapped in a nightmare. In this dream, one second he was being dismembered by a monstrous creature bred by the Wizard, and the next second he found himself back in Morick Royal City, being declared a traitor by the Fire Lizard King. Then the cycle repeated. He couldn¡¯t distinguish what was real and what was illusion; his brain seemed veiled, reality and illusion now merged into one. Yet, the pain didn¡¯t lessen. Cliff could vividly recall the agony of being devoured by the monster; it felt like a red-hot iron was stirring inside his brain, nearly boiling his brains. And the trial in Morick Royal City shattered his faith; everything he had fought for crumbled before his eyes, he was pointed at by thousands, his name etched on a pillar of shame to be despised for ten thousand years. ¡°Ah!¡± Cliff suddenly woke from the nightmare. He stared blankly around him, his sluggish brain finally reminding him of his current predicament. He had been captured alive by the Wizard, who was now interrogating him. ¡°Is this the Wizard¡¯s method?¡± Cliff only felt a chill down his spine, his scales seeming to stand on end. The scenes from the dream were still fresh in his memory, the bone-deep pain, even as a memory, made his body uncontrollably tremble. ¡°It seems to be effective.¡± The Wizard¡¯s cold voice jolted Cliff from his reminiscence. Richard looked at him, the golden dragon eyes under the black robe making Cliff shudder. ¡°Now, can you tell me the exact effect of that ¡®firework¡¯?¡± Firework? Cliff remembered his current situation and was about to curse Richard, But as soon as he opened his mouth, the terrible pain from his memory made his body tremble continuously. Yet, ultimately, honor and loyalty won over the pain, and Cliff glared at Richard, roaring: ¡°The Norickxiu Family harbors no traitors!¡± But the only response from Richard was a cold gaze. ¡°Is that so? We still have plenty of time, I hope you can keep it up.¡± We still have plenty of time? Cliff looked at Richard, not understanding what he was talking about. Although he couldn¡¯t remember how long he had been in the nightmare, he knew it wasn¡¯t brief. Even if time in the illusion passed faster than outside, it couldn¡¯t be by much. The Wizard didn¡¯t have much time left. Richard took out a pocket watch and glanced at the time. ¡°I can tell you now that only one minute has passed. I believe even with our tight schedule, we have a few minutes.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Saying this, Cliff saw a pair of snow-white sharp fangs appear under the black hood. ¡°This Wizard is actually smiling!¡± Cliff screamed in his mind. The next moment, his mind plunged back into the nightmare. ¡­ Waking, Nightmare, Waking, Nightmare¡­ Cliff didn¡¯t know how many times he went through this process. Unlike those who became numb to pain after enduring torture, the nightmares kept thrusting Cliff into his most feared situations. These scenarios even changed with his mental state. This nearly broke Cliff¡¯s psyche. As Cliff woke from the nightmare again, tears uncontrollably flowed from his eyes, his spirit seemed to collapse as he desperately yelled at Richard: ¡°Kill me! Just kill me!¡± But what met him was only a cold question. ¡°Tell me the effect of that firework.¡± Cliff looked at Richard in despair, the balance between relief and honor swaying in his mind. Finally, Cliff made a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll tell, I¡¯ll tell everything! That firework is a new type of distress signal we recently developed, it contains the power of Dragon Spell warriors, capable of marking any Wizards within a ten-kilometer radius.¡± Richard nodded, continuing to ask, ¡°Then what method do you use to track these marks?¡± Cliff looked at Richard with a vacant gaze, clenching his fist, ¡°If I tell you, can you let me die?¡± Richard nodded, calmly stating, ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy torturing people; once you tell me, I¡¯ll let you have your relief.¡± Cliff looked at Richard for a while, then began to describe the tracking method. The Wizards marked by the firework could be detected by a device similar to a compass, with a detection range of about ten kilometers. Meaning, as long as the Fire Lizard patrol team kept a distance exceeding ten kilometers, their troops would basically not be detected. ¡°Good, but I need to confirm the truth.¡± Richard grabbed Cliff and approached the squad¡¯s Soul Wizard. ¡°This is the intelligence he gave me, verify its authenticity. If it¡¯s true, kill him.¡± Richard wrote the intelligence given by Cliff on a piece of paper and handed it to the Soul Wizard, then flew to the Magic Support Vehicle¡¯s artillery section and skillfully disassembled the Magic Conduction Components and the Spell Components. Looking at the casting components that had turned into a mess, Richard scratched his head and casually took out a new one from his Magic Pocket. Using the Magic Support Vehicle was indeed satisfying, but each use required the replacement of casting components and the remolding of conduction components. After repairing the turret, Richard turned and flew to the next vehicle, continuing to replace components. Although he had information on the Fire Lizards, it was still better to have operational turrets in case they encountered any patrol squads. Soon, Richard heard a cry of relief. The Soul Wizard handed over Cliff¡¯s corpse to Richard and asked curiously, ¡°What exactly did you do to him? His mentality seems like a building erected from ruins; he is immune to my psychic spells.¡± Richard placed a finger to his lips, ¡°It¡¯s a secret, so was his information real?¡± ¡°It should be, but his mind harbors a shadow that I couldn¡¯t fully explore.¡± ¡°Shadow?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, a sense of foreboding flashing through his mind. The Soul Wizard waved his hand nonchalantly, ¡°It¡¯s normal, many people have shadows in their hearts, often hiding deep-seated traits or memories of painful, unforgettable experiences. It¡¯s nothing unusual. You¡¯ve shattered his psyche to such an extent, even an iron man would break.¡± Richard glanced at the corpse in his arms and suddenly noticed that the Fire Lizard seemed to be clutching something in his hand. He pried it open and found a golden badge, shaped like a Dragon Claw, deeply embedded into Cliff¡¯s flesh. ¡°Golden Badge?¡± Richard took the badge and examined it, confirming it was merely a finely crafted artifact with no effects. ¡°Strange behavior.¡± Richard shook his head, placed Cliff¡¯s corpse along with the medal into his Magic Pocket, and then continued repairing the turret. ¡­ On the bombarded battlefield, a team of Fire Lizards riding creatures resembling camels was searching through the field. ¡°Commander, it¡¯s confirmed. There are fifty-six bodies, but Lord Cliff specifically is missing,¡± reported a Fire Lizard Warrior to a Fire Lizard with black dragon horns. ¡°Only Cliff is missing?¡± The Black Corner Fire Lizard surveyed the battlefield, which looked as if it had been neatly prepared by the White Wizard Army¡¯s attack. From the corpses on the battlefield, it appeared that the White Wizards hadn¡¯t cleaned up the field. Fire Lizards who had dealings with Wizards knew that Wizards had a special interest in their corpses¡ªoften, even severed limbs would be taken by the wizards. But many relatively intact bodies still remained on the battlefield, which seemed wasteful for the Wizards. ¡°What exactly do these Wizards want? Could it be that they are using Red Soil Plain as a breakthrough point to attack the heart of the Empire?¡± The Black Corner Fire Lizard was uncertain about the Wizards¡¯ intentions. Logically, deploying such a massive force of Wizards meant they had a strategic goal. Yet, in this land of Red Soil Plain, no valuable targets could be found. Nevertheless, the Black Corner Fire Lizard didn¡¯t ponder for too long. He was a mere lower-level commander and only needed to pass the information upward for the higher-ups to consider the Wizards¡¯ intentions. Now, he had a more pressing task at hand. ¡°Contact the nearby patrol squads, have them bring the appropriate equipment, and search around the battlefield centered on locating Lord Cliff. Alive or dead, we need to see him,¡± commanded the Black Corner Fire Lizard to his subordinate, ¡°The rest of you continue searching.¡± Before long, a Fire Lizard hurriedly rushed towards the Black Corner Fire Lizard. ¡°Commander! Come here and take a look.¡± ¡­ The Black Corner Fire Lizard pinched the somewhat firm Red Soil and then stood up. This location was four kilometers away from the distress fireworks launch site and seemed no different from the ordinary Red Soil Plain. However, his scouts had discovered something amiss. There were several well-concealed tire tracks added to the red soil. The disguise of these tracks was almost flawless; had it not been for the Dragon Beasts stepping on them and the Fire Lizards noticing the difference in the depth of the footprints compared to usual, these tracks might have been overlooked. Looking at the several spreading tracks that his subordinates had uncovered, the Black Corner Fire Lizard tentatively guessed something. Aside from the AAirship, Wizards had some movable alchemy vehicles, and he had seen a few of them. The Black Corner Fire Lizard took a horn from his waist and blew it forcefully. The melodious sound of the horn quickly gathered all the Fire Lizards from the patrol team. The Black Corner Fire Lizard pointed at the tracks on the ground: ¡°Follow these tracks; the Wizards brought new weapons this time, be careful. You few, notify the surrounding patrol teams to watch out for similar tracks.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ On the Red Soil Plain, four Magic Support Vehicles were traveling rapidly. The theoretical maximum speed of the Magic Support Vehicle was one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour, but on an actual battlefield, this speed would undoubtedly be reduced due to various factors. The Red Soil Plain, with its flat terrain, was ideal for the high-speed travel of Magic Support Vehicles, but due to a variety of issues over the last few days, the wizards only dared to drive up to eighty kilometers per hour, fearing that the Magic Support Vehicles might break down. Although the command center allowed vehicles to be abandoned to escape, there were conditions attached. Moreover, the ferocity of the Magic Support Vehicle¡¯s firepower was something several Wizards had witnessed. A Magic Support Vehicle essentially acted as a one-time Magic Concentrated Fire. If they happened to encounter a Fire Lizard patrol squad, a coordinated barrage could break them out of an encirclement. As if to confirm their thoughts, a Fire Lizard patrol squad suddenly appeared in front of the convoy. ¡°Enemy attack, prepare to break through!¡± Chapter 232 - 16 Escape from Death Chapter 232: Chapter 16 Escape from Death ¡°Damn it, how could these Fire Lizards be here?¡± As he saw the Fire Lizards appear on the horizon, Iyad cursed and immediately began to adjust the turret of the Magic Support Vehicle. There were over a hundred attackers, and each one was riding a Dragon Beast, which looked like camels and moved with incredible speed, even faster than the Magic Support Vehicle under the control of the Fire Lizards. ¡°What are those four things ahead?¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The leading Black Corner Fire Lizard was somewhat confused as he watched the four Magic Support Vehicles speeding towards them. He glanced at the compass in his hand, which indicated that one of those iron beasts had attacked the Silver Horned Nobles. ¡°A new weapon of the Wizards? No matter!¡± The Black Corner Fire Lizard let out a piercing screech, and hearing the call, the Fire Lizards quickly adjusted their formation ¨C the flanking Fire Lizard Knights sped up, while those in the middle took down their giant bows, as tall as a man. The limbs of the great bows were pitch-black but still revealed faint golden patterns ¨C they were all products of Giant Dragon Alchemy. The Fire Lizards took out equally jet-black arrows from the quivers on their waists. The shaft of each arrow was as wide as two fingers, and their razor-sharp tips could tear apart any enemy standing in their way. The members of the Red Soil Prairie patrol team were all hunters, and aside from patrolling, they also hunted the Flame Giant Beasts that emerged from the Magma Network. Both sides, the Fire Lizard Knights and the Wizards, drew their bows and poised their arrows. ¡°Spread out! Number One, head thirty degrees northeast; Number Two, fifteen degrees northeast; Number Four, thirty degrees northwest. At a distance of three kilometers, fire at will!¡± Following Iyad¡¯s order through the mental network, the Magic Support Vehicles adjusted their formation. The turret let out a silent roar, and again, the sky was filled with the devastating firestorm that had obliterated Cliff¡¯s team. Boom! Boom! Boom! The patrol team was caught off guard by the barrage. When confronted with the Wizards¡¯ Magic Concentrated Fire, the Fire Lizards¡¯ first thought was of a fortress. Hence, their initial response was to encircle, not to break through head-on. No fortress was without flaws; given enough circling, they could always find the weakness. But they learned a lesson from the Magic Support Vehicles¡¯ Magic Concentrated Fire. ¡°Spread out! Spread out!¡± While cleaving a flaming Fireball headed his way with a Scimitar, the Black Corner Fire Lizard then rhythmically blew into the Bone Whistle hanging around his neck. The piercing sound of the Bone Whistle cut through the blast roar and reached the ears of every Fire Lizard. The Fire Lizard patrol quickly dispersed. ¡°Never mind them; push the speed to the max and charge straight through!¡± Richard communicated to Iyad via a Spiritual Message, ¡°This thing has excellent impact resistance; don¡¯t bother with those Fire Lizards!¡± A metal construction weighing tens of tons speeding at 120 kilometers per hour was something even third-level creatures like the Fire Lizards would avoid. Without an Energy Barrier or a refined Physique, even third-level creatures could be crushed by a construction truck. Upon hearing this, Iyad immediately issued a command through the mental network, and the engines of all four Magic Support Vehicles roared and their speed surged. The distant Fire Lizards had also recovered from the Magic Concentrated Fire by now. As their formation was quite loose from the start, they had only lost a quarter of their group to the barrage. This loss was bearable for the Fire Lizard patrol. ¡°Release arrows!¡± The Black Corner Fire Lizard roared in anger as the crisp sound of the bowstrings echoed in the air. But that was just the beginning. Draw, shoot¡­ Draw, shoot¡­ Each Fire Lizard Knight was an expert at mounted archery. With moon-shaped bows and thunder-like strings, they emptied a quiver in just a minute or two. Each arrow, imbued with unstoppable sharpness, struck the armored plates of the Magic Support Vehicles, igniting flashes of Runes. The windshield of the Magic Support Vehicle, seemingly the most fragile part of the machine, was where Richard had purposefully installed the most intricate Defense Magic Array. Where arrows would spark and dent the armored plates, they didn¡¯t even leave a mark on the windshield, which deflected them all without a trace of harm. In an instant, the two forces collided. Agilely avoiding the vehicles, the Fire Lizard Knights hacked wildly at the Magic Support Vehicles with their Scimitars as they passed by. The Fire Lizards were no fools; being hit by such contraptions would certainly mean certain death. Bang! One Fire Lizard Knight failed to dodge in time and was grazed on the thigh by a Magic Support Vehicle. His body flew through the air, with half of it turned to a bloody pulp. After the collision, the Fire Lizard Knights turned around and began to chase the convoy from behind. Arrows struck the Magic Support Vehicles, sparking off them as the leading Fire Lizard Captain angrily shouted: ¡°Damn it, aim for my Identification Arrow!¡± After saying that, the Fire Lizard Captain drew his bow and nocked an arrow, whose tip blazed with ferocious flames. Whoosh! Bang! The arrow struck the armored plate of the Magic Support Vehicle, leaving behind a flaming mark. Soon, several arrows concentrated on the fiery spot, immediately creating a massive dent, as the glow of the Runes began to dim. ¡°Concentrating their fire on one point? These Fire Lizards have quite the eyesight.¡± Richard noticed the Fire Lizards¡¯ tactics and his brow furrowed in an instant. Indeed, this method could breach the armor plating of a Magic Support Vehicle; once there was a gap in the armor, a collapse was only a matter of time. But, with the Fire Lizards so close, the turret was useless even if repaired. ¡°Iyad, tell all Wizards except the driver to come out, we need to deal with these Fire Lizards!¡± Iyad immediately issued commands through the spiritual network upon hearing the order. He had long been wanting his team members to come out and face the enemy, but since Richard was fiddling with the turret, he thought the Magic Support Vehicle might still have some unexpected uses. The armored plates around the turret began to open, and the squad members inside started to attack the nearby Fire Lizards with spells. ¡°Richard, you drive, I¡¯ll take command.¡± Richard erected a Magic Barrier and flew out from behind the armored plate. The moment he showed himself, three black arrows flew toward him. Buzz! The arrows struck the Magic Barrier, causing ripples to spread across its surface, as Richard responded with two casts of the Fireball Technique. Boom! The Fireball Technique exploded, instantly engulfing a Fire Lizard Knight. Upon entering the Stance Room, Richard immediately took over the Magic Support Vehicle, and Iyad likewise left the Stance Room to begin directing the squad members in battle. However, the Magic Support Vehicle was a new weapon, and the White Wizard Army had not yet designed a corresponding combat method. This made Iyad¡¯s command quite awkward. But fortunately, the armored plates of the Magic Support Vehicle provided good cover. Relying on several armored plates, the squad quickly finished off the approaching Fire Lizard Knights, and the remaining Fire Lizard Knights also kept a considerable distance from them. The situation seemed to be improving¡­ Bang! When an arrow struck the connecting point of a track, the Magic Support Vehicle, which was moving quickly, immediately tipped over. That arrow had successfully severed the track of the Magic Support Vehicle. Seeing the Number Three vehicle in such a state, the other three stopped as well. ¡°Damn it!¡± Richard cursed and immediately informed Iyad that the track was destroyed. ¡°Can it be fixed?¡± Iyad asked. ¡°It can, but there¡¯s no need now, we can also¡­¡± Richard didn¡¯t finish his sentence when a batch of black arrows started flying towards the tracks of the Magic Support Vehicle. Clearly, the Fire Lizard Knights had discovered the weakness of the Magic Support Vehicle. ¡°What about now?¡± Iyad swung out a whirlwind stitch, and the high-speed rotating air currents instantly severed the hooves of two Dragon Beasts. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s wipe out this group of Fire Lizards,¡± Richard said somewhat helplessly. Now they either had to kill all these Fire Lizards or abandon the vehicle and flee. But the number of these Fire Lizards was still far from enough for them to abandon the vehicle and escape¡­ Suddenly, a faint rumbling sound came from the Red Soil Plain. On the path that Richard and his team had passed, it seemed something was coming their way. Richard narrowed his eyes and cast the Eagle Eye Technique on himself. Upon seeing clearly what was making the noise, Richard¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°Abandon the vehicle! Abandon the vehicle! The main force of the Fire Lizards is coming!¡± As soon as Richard¡¯s words fell, a dark cloud swiftly approached, and upon closer inspection, the cloud turned out to be a swarm of black arrows. Pupupu¡­ The rain of arrows fell, and Magic Barriers shattered in response, while over half of the squad members were turned into a mist of blood by the arrow storm. And the few remaining Wizards, aside from Richard, Iyad, and Savo, all turned pale with fear. Sampo, the most injured among them, had one side of his body gruesomely mangled, and his writhing flesh kept squeezing the black arrows out of his insides. ¡°Run! Split up and run!¡± Iyad immediately made the decision. Now that the squad had lost more than half its members, the formation could still be used, but a few more waves of arrow storms, and even with a combined Magic Shield, they would die. It was better to disperse their forces and make the Fire Lizards lose interest. Deploying too many troops for one or two Wizards was clearly not worth it. Upon hearing this, Richard rapidly flew to the Magic Support Vehicle without hesitation, and deftly tampered with something underneath the turret. After fiddling around, Richard sent a spiritual message to Iyad: ¡°I¡¯ve turned these vehicles into bombs; they should buy us some time.¡± Then, without any hesitation, Richard swiftly flew into the distance. The remaining members of the squad, aside from the Kor brothers, all fled in separate directions. Within a few minutes, the Fire Lizard Army arrived at the Magic Support Vehicle. ¡°Do you think these Wizards managed to create the effect of Magic Concentrated Fire with this machine?¡± A Silver Horned Fire Lizard walked up to the Magic Support Vehicle, speaking incredulously. ¡°Yes sir, we saw with our own eyes how this thing here launched a Fireball that could compare to Magic Concentrated Fire,¡± a Black Corner Fire Lizard replied. ¡°Well, this certainly is a valuable item. Wrap up these chunks of iron and send them to the rear for the craftsmen to study¡­¡± The Silver Horned Fire Lizard had not finished speaking when it suddenly changed color as if sensing something, and quickly moved backwards. Boom! A white light burst into the sky, but like a shooting star, vanished rapidly. Near the Magic Support Vehicle, the Silver Horned Fire Lizard got up from the ground, continuously spitting out golden blood. Around him, several of the patrol leaders had been reduced to pieces. The Silver Horned Fire Lizard issued orders in a furious rage: ¡°Chase them down! Not a single one of these Wizards can be spared! I will feed them all to the Dragon Beasts!¡± Chapter 233 - 17: In the Depths of the Fiery Sea Chapter 233: Chapter 17: In the Depths of the Fiery Sea Four hours later, the first light of dawn began to appear on the horizon. On the Red Soil Plain, Richard glanced behind at the pursuers doggedly on his tail and cursed, ¡°These damn Fire Lizards have nothing better to do? So many of them chasing after one Wizard!¡± Richard roughly counted the Fire Lizard Knights chasing him¡ªan entire patrol, with over a hundred knights. This number had exceeded the range that Richard¡¯s combat capabilities could handle, and to make matters worse, his main reliance, Ulysses, was still asleep. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ A Magic Barrier suddenly sprang from Richard¡¯s body, blocking the black arrows flying towards him from behind. Although these arrows were not very effective against the Magic Armor Plate on the Magic Support Vehicle, they were surprisingly good against a purely energy-based barrier like the Magic Barrier. The tips of these black arrows had been enchanted with Giant Dragon Alchemy, giving them Demon-breaking properties, and combined with the formidable kinetic energy of the arrows themselves, they were practically Magic Armor-Piercing Bullets. Moreover, every one of the Fire Lizard Knights was a Divine Archer, able to hit the target every time from a kilometer away. Every interception of the arrows with the Magic Barrier consumed a large amount of Richard¡¯s Magic Power. ¡°No good, I need to make a quick escape. If I keep dragging this out, I¡¯m done for.¡± Richard didn¡¯t know what these Fire Lizard Knights were thinking, but he was clear about one thing¡ªhe didn¡¯t memorize the map, and now he was running blind. If he couldn¡¯t get rid of them soon, he was likely to run headlong into a second patrol. Roar! A beastly roar suddenly came from ahead of Richard. A large lizard covered in flames suddenly came into Richard¡¯s view. Behind the lizard, Richard saw a Magma Pool that was not too large. In this world, where the Fire Element was dominant, Magma Pools were as common as ponds, but on the Red Soil Plain, a Magma Pool also meant something else¡ªthat was the spawning point for Flame Giant Beasts. Flame Giant Beasts, a species of Magic Beast unique to the Red Sun World, were half-elemental creatures that could live in magma, subsisting on devouring Fire Elements as well as various animals and plants. They had an extremely wide-ranging diet, even occasionally consuming blade shrubs from the Red Soil Plain. According to Wizard investigations, the Magma Network that ran beneath the Red Soil Plain seemed to be home to some Flame Giant Beasts. These Flame Giant Beasts often attacked Fire Lizard settlements and destroyed their farmlands. For this reason, specialists among the Fire Lizards, known as Giant Beast Hunters, emerged to hunt them. As Richard eyed the Flame Giant Lizard roaring angrily at him, a stroke of inspiration suddenly flashed through his mind. Boom, boom, boom¡­ The Flame Giant Lizard charged toward Richard, its nearly ten-meter-long massive body shaking the ground as it moved. ¡°This Wizard is done for!¡± exclaimed a Fire Lizard gleefully. To them, Richard being attacked by the Flame Giant Lizard meant he would be delayed momentarily, which would be enough for them to close the distance. But in the next moment, they realized something was not right. Richard gripped his Magic Wand, leaped onto the lizard¡¯s back, and then drove the end of the wand violently into the lizard¡¯s spine. In the next instant, the Life Drain pattern began to take effect. The blood of the Flame Giant Lizard was continuously transformed into Life Energy by the pattern, which then flowed into Richard¡¯s body. This Life Energy was gentle, unlike the Frenzy of the Life Energy from the Insect Nest World¡¯s Source Sea Abyss, and upon entering Richard¡¯s body, it swept away his fatigue. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Richard said contentedly. But compared to Richard¡¯s comfort, the Flame Giant Lizard was in suffering. Having a blood-sucking worm on its back was unbearable. It tried desperately to shake Richard off, but Richard clung on as if stuck to it, impervious to its attempts. As its blood drained away, the Flame Giant Lizard grew frantic, while the distant Fire Lizard Knights kept shooting arrows at Richard. He utilized a Deflection Field to deflect all the arrows toward the Flame Giant Lizard. If Richard could still be considered a mere blood-sucking worm, then to the Flame Giant Lizard, the Fire Lizard Knights were like piranhas. Sensing the black arrows, it plunged headfirst into the Magma Pool behind it without a second thought, dragging Richard into the Magma Network beneath the Red Soil Plain. ¡°Has this Wizard gone mad!?¡± exclaimed the pursuing Fire Lizard Knights, their expressions one of astonishment, as they saw Richard enter the Magma Pool along with the Flame Giant Lizard. A Magma Pool was not easy to enter. The magma of a world with such an imbalance of the Fire Element was more violent than in other worlds, and the Fire Elements within the magma would continuously assault all life forms. Even Fire Lizards, native creatures who had adapted over untold years and awakened Dragon Blood in their veins, had to reach the peak of Third Level to disregard the magma. And Richard was but a Second-level Creature; for a Wizard to dive headfirst into the magma was surely a terrible move. The leading Black Corner Fire Lizard, seeing Richard enter the Magma Pool, immediately instructed the Fire Lizard ranks to spread out and guard several nearby Magma Pools. ¡°Keep a tight watch. The moment the Wizard surfaces, launch a combined attack¡ªdon¡¯t give him a chance to retaliate,¡± the Black Corner Fire Lizard said with a cold smile as it watched the Magma Pool. ¡°I want to see how long you can hide down there!¡± ¡­ In the magma network, Richard sustained his magic barrier, following the Flame Giant Lizard as they continuously descended through the magma webs. Even when he had become a level 1 creature, Richard could survive without eating or breathing, relying purely on his cells to absorb energy from the air. Hence, within the magma network, he wasn¡¯t worried about breathing. Richard kept up his magic barrier, taking magic stones out of his pocket and stuffing them into his body without pause. The erosion from the fire element within the magma was terrifying for the magic barrier; it was as if a wizard was casting spells against the barrier incessantly. Under such circumstances, the magic power within Richard¡¯s body was rapidly depleting, so much so that he couldn¡¯t even keep up with the consumption by drawing from the magic stones. But this was enough. Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift, removed all his magic equipment and placed it in his pocket, then threw everything into the Secret Realm. He only kept his magic wand with him. After dealing with his things, Richard¡¯s magic barrier suddenly vanished, and his body was instantly enveloped by the magma. But Richard took no damage at all. ¡°I didn¡¯t invest in these magic stones for my Adaptation Body for nothing; with a five hundred energy-level fire element resistance, even a Three Rings Wizard who doesn¡¯t follow the physique route doesn¡¯t have that,¡± Richard thought to himself with a cold smile. Richard closed his eyes, roaming freely through the magma network alongside the Flame Giant Lizard. There were rumors that Flame Giant Beasts congregated under the Red Soil Plain, but wizards hadn¡¯t found the reason yet. Now, with nothing better to do, Richard decided to explore this untouched virgin territory following the giant lizard. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The magma network under the Red Soil Plain was incredibly complex and vast. Below the network, there laid an immense underground magma sea. Three days later, the Flame Giant Lizard finally stopped moving. The beast wasn¡¯t dying from blood loss caused by Richard; just as Richard said, he was merely a blood-sucking worm. Would a person die from a mosquito¡¯s bite? The spot where the Flame Giant Lizard halted was a massive crystal pillar that seemed to be an enormous Fire Element Gem. It was difficult to imagine such a large Fire Element Gem existed in the world, big enough for a ten-meter-long giant lizard to rest upon. Richard used his spiritual power to probe the gem and felt that it was somewhat different from the Fire Element Gems he had seen before. The gem was continuously emitting fire elements, not showing the usual closed nature characteristic to Fire Element Gems. ¡°It¡¯s curious, even if this thing wasn¡¯t a gem initially, after being saturated with fire elements for so many years, it should have become a mineral of fire elements by now; why is the elemental nature still so unstable?¡± Richard dismounted from the giant lizard and tapped the enormous Fire Element Gem with his magic wand, hoping to break off some fragments for research. However, no matter how hard Richard tried, the strange Fire Element Gem beneath his feet showed no signs of damage. This was starkly different from other Fire Element Gems, which were famously hard and brittle. ¡°This is odd, what exactly is this thing? It¡¯s been in the magma sea for so long and yet hasn¡¯t been eroded or assimilated. Could this be a unique mineral from the Red Sun World?¡± Element erosion was an issue that many alchemy machines had to address, especially fire element erosion. As the most active of the four elements, alchemy machines were easily embrittled in environments with high concentrations of fire elements. If this crystal truly was a unique mineral from the Red Sun World, then both he and the two Great Wizards were about to make a fortune. Richard lowered his body and tapped the crystal pillar with his fingers repeatedly, using techniques from Mountain Breaking Fist, continuously sensing the rebounding force to distinguish that particular frequency. It was a lengthy process. One day, two days, three days, a week passed, and Richard kept tapping on the crystal pillar. Finally, on the eighth day, Richard found that rhythm. He flicked his finger, and a small piece of crystal detached from the pillar. Holding the crystal, Richard raised the magic barrier again, preparing to open the Secret Realm Rift and enter the Secret Realm for study. But just as Richard set up the magic barrier, separating the magma and the crystal, the crystal suddenly ejected a jet of flames¡ªthis was the fire element that had been eroding the crystal. After all the fire element was expelled by the crystal, the piece that originally appeared red turned into a form that Richard recognized. ¡°This is¡­ Pioneer Crystal!¡± As a wizard who had researched Pioneer Crystals for hundreds of years, Richard could not possibly mistake this object. This piece of crystal must be a creation of the Pioneers. In an instant, Richard understood the strange phenomena of the crystal pillar. This crystal pillar was a relic left behind by a civilization that had disappeared into the annals of history, and being built in the depths of the Molten Lava Sea, resistance to fire element erosion was certainly essential. ¡°I never imagined that I would find a Pioneer relic in the depths of this Molten Lava Sea; the Pioneers and I are truly fated,¡± Richard exclaimed, then tossed the crystal into the Secret Realm and began swimming in the Magma Sea. Since the crystal pillar was constructed by the Pioneers, there must be other relics of the Pioneers nearby. Chapter 234 - 18 Test Site Chapter 234: Chapter 18 Test Site The Sea of Lava was vast and boundless, its depth immeasurable. Richard swam down along the pillar continuously, trying to find the starting point of the Crystal Pillar, but after a week of diving, he finally abandoned the idea. It seemed that the Crystal Pillar stretched straight into the deepest parts of the Sea of Lava, but Richard couldn¡¯t dive indefinitely. The Magma Sea was a sea too, and as he dove to a certain depth, each movement of Richard¡¯s body consumed a massive amount of energy. Coupled with the viscosity of the magma, Richard felt like an insect trapped in resin, about to become amber. ¡°Is this Pioneer Relic not meant for me?¡± Richard felt somewhat disheartened. But quickly, Richard adjusted his mindset. At present, this Magma Sea was also a suitable training ground for him. Even if he couldn¡¯t find the Pioneer Relics, enhancing his physique was excellent. With that thought, Richard began swimming at the deepest depth he could endure. As everyone knows, swimming is a very physically demanding exercise. The Magma Sea, where Richard was, not only had viscous fluid but also considerable pressure. Under these conditions, continuously exercising, Richard¡¯s physique slowly began to improve. And the Physique Enhancement Gland that Richard had implanted earlier, under these extreme conditions, began to produce a large output of Physique Enhancement Hormone. The combination of these two factors drastically increased the speed of Richard¡¯s physique enhancement. In just three months, Richard¡¯s physique had improved a notch within the Magma Sea. This speed of enhancement thrilled Richard. However, Richard did not exercise without any control; the growth of his physique was not without a cost. Exercising for a long time under such extreme conditions, every organ in Richard¡¯s body was operating at full, even over capacity, and such operation had a price. And Richard¡¯s body was also constantly battling against the erosion of the Fire Element from the Magma Sea. While the Adaptation Body allowed Richard to resist five hundred energy levels of Elemental Damage, he naturally did not have the Bloodline of a Fire Element creature. Staying in such an environment for a long time, his body inevitably suffered from Fire Element erosion. This accumulated erosive damage could potentially lead to irreversible crystallization of Richard¡¯s body. This would undoubtedly be a significant setback for a Wizard pursuing physique evolution. Expanding his Magic Barrier, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift and plunged in. For Richard, who owned a Secret Realm, recovery could be carried out at any time. Inside the Secret Realm, the sleeping Ulysses had long since woken up. He noticed Richard entering the Secret Realm and curiously asked, ¡°Gah, did you go for a bath in the magma? Why is the Fire Element so heavy on you?¡± When Richard entered the Secret Realm, the ground where his feet touched instantly emitted blue smoke. With each step, a black footprint appeared on the spot. ¡°Pretty much. I¡¯m now in the Underground Magma Sea of the Red Sun World. I¡¯ve also discovered another Pioneer Relic. I¡¯ve been training and searching for the relic simultaneously.¡± After speaking, Richard shouted to the World Mushroom, ¡°World Mushroom, get me a showerhead.¡± A fungal tentacle emerged from the ground near Richard¡¯s feet and transformed into a huge mushroom, from which a continuous stream of warm, gentle water dripped from beneath its cap. The water dripped onto Richard, instantly turning into steam, but it also eroded part of the Fire Element. ¡°Gah, the Magma Sea? Why did you run to that place?¡± Ulysses exclaimed in astonishment. Worlds biased towards the Fire Element often contain Magma Seas, but apart from magma, these seas generally lack other resources. Besides certain Fire Element creatures, no creatures would dive into the Magma Sea. ¡°That, you have to ask our key moment sleeper, the crow,¡± Richard glanced at him and said lightly, ¡°I was being chased by over a hundred Fire Lizard Knights outside. If I hadn¡¯t escaped into this Magma Sea, I would already have been fed to the Dragon Beasts by the Fire Lizards.¡± Hearing this, Ulysses felt somewhat embarrassed: ¡°Gah, I got drowsy, couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Ten minutes later, the Fire Element on Richard was completely eroded. He slapped his forehead, and a layer of green stubble instantly grew out, which in a few minutes turned into black hair. Richard turned to look at Ulysses: ¡°How are your injuries now? I didn¡¯t find this Pioneer Relic, but you might be able to find it faster.¡± ¡°Gah, I¡¯m alright; I can still manage the job of finding things.¡± Saying this, Ulysses opened the rift and plunged into the Magma Sea outside. Under his Divine Statue, Richard found the things he had thrown in, including his Magic Pocket, Concealer Cloak, a few Magic Shield Pendants, and the Magic Wand he had thrown in later. At the moment, several Holy Tree Elves were praying beneath the Divine Statue. After being transformed by the World Mushroom, these little fellows had greatly enhanced Life Energy, and the growth of their strength was no longer limited. After so many years, Richard discovered that among these little fellows, a Level 1 Creature had appeared. Richard put on the cloak and curiously pinched the Level 1 Holy Tree Elf. The little fellow, suddenly caught by Richard, did not panic; instead, it was delighted. ¡°Great Creator God! Do you remember me? I¡¯m Fuzzy Ball! The first Holy Tree Elf you created.¡± Richard¡¯s mind flashed with astonishment; a few centuries had passed since he first encountered Fuzzy Ball, yet this little fellow was still alive and had evolved into a Level 1 Creature. ¡°I remember you, the first Holy Tree Elf,¡± Richard pretentiously said. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after so many years, you would break through the life layers and become a Level 1 Creature.¡± ¡°O great Creator God, we were once lost in false memories and could not recall your grace. Even when you had the great World Mushroom release some of our shackles, we failed to understand your teachings. But ever since the great Crow God revealed the falsehood, we finally recognized the truth and remembered your grace. To not betray your grace, we are striving to grow¡ªrest assured, it won¡¯t be long before Holy Tree Elves like myself fill the entire world!¡± Fuzzy Ball spoke with a fanatical tone, completely deluded by the likes of veteran charlatans like Ulysses. They now fully believed the myths recorded in their scriptures. Richard nodded. ¡°Good, very spirited! Keep it up; I¡¯m really looking forward to that day!¡± ¡­ Two months later, a rift in the Secret Realm suddenly appeared, and Ulysses flew out from the Molten Sea, half his body charred. Upon entering the Secret Realm, Ulysses shouted at the World Mushroom, ¡°Gah, Old Mushroom, help, don¡¯t let this body be destroyed.¡± A mycelium tendril burst from the ground and burrowed into Ulysses¡¯s body, continuously pumping Life Energy into his form. ¡°Gah, it was really not easy finding that relic; I almost turned into a roasted crow.¡± Richard approached Ulysses, surprisingly asking, ¡°Were you attacked by a Flame Giant Beast? Are there creatures in the Molten Sea that can injure you?¡± ¡°Gah, it¡¯s all for finding you a relic.¡± Ulysses ranted, ¡°Those future Pioneer bugs, they seem to have built what you Wizards call¡­ yes, an ecosystem. I ran into a very tricky critter there, nearly reaching the Fourth Level. If I wasn¡¯t a scion of the World Master, I might really have fallen under its spell.¡± As he spoke, Ulysses suddenly coughed, spewing a blue flame from his mouth, instantly melting a patch of the ground. ¡°Such a powerful creature?¡± Richard exclaimed in shock. He was lucky he hadn¡¯t found it earlier; such an encounter could easily have cost him his life. Thinking this, Richard felt a shiver of fear. Soon, Ulysses stabilized his condition, and his charred body began to rapidly recover. ¡°Gah, are you well-rested? Come with me; let¡¯s fetch that corpse. When I returned just now, that sort of Flame Giant Beast was probably still gnawing on it.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Richard quickly took off his Concealer Cloak and, wielding his Magic Wand, opened the rift. The two entered the Molten Sea; Ulysses lay on Richard, leading the way as Richard¡¯s current strength couldn¡¯t reach the ecosystem. Soon, they arrived at the ecosystem Ulysses had mentioned. This so-called ecosystem looked more like an experimental field to Richard. Various bizarre Flame Giant Beasts roamed freely in the Molten Sea, occasionally engaging in fierce one-on-one battles, the loser serving as food for the winner. Ulysses emitted some of the World Master¡¯s pressure to drive away the Flame Giant Beasts. As they delved deeper, Richard soon spotted a giant beast that did not fit in with the ordinary Flame Giant Beasts. This beast¡¯s body was dark blue and shaped somewhat like a mutated sea lizard, nearly twenty meters long, with blue flames burning over its body. The creature was already dead, and the dark Annihilation Flame indicated who had killed it. ¡°Gah, this unlucky creature; if it had another three or four thousand years, who knows, it might have really evolved its mere body to reach the World Master stage.¡± Hearing Ulysses¡¯s high praise, Richard was taken aback. Was this one of the Pioneer¡¯s experimental subjects? However, Richard soon sensed something was amiss. He and Ulysses jointly moved the giant beast¡¯s corpse into the Secret Realm for the World Mushroom to properly preserve. At Richard¡¯s request, the two lingered in this ecosystem. ¡°Gah, what are you looking for?¡± Ulysses asked, puzzled. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This Fire Lizard seems to be a mutated product; I¡¯m looking for whatever caused its mutation in the vicinity.¡± ¡°Gah, how are you so sure this creature is a mutation?¡± Ulysses asked in surprise. Richard casually replied, ¡°Nonsense, the dominant Race of this world are Fire Lizards; if such Flame Giant Beasts weren¡¯t mutations, then Fire Lizards wouldn¡¯t be able to dominate the world. A creature that can physically break through to the Fourth Level would not share the world with other species; the Fire Lizard Clan could only be slaves or livestock to them.¡± ¡°¡­ Gah, makes sense.¡± Chapter 235 - 19 The Magical Blue Flames Chapter 235: Chapter 19 The Magical Blue Flames The Pioneer¡¯s experimental site was somewhat larger than Richard had imagined; thousands of kilometers wide, the Molten Sea was home to various semi-elemental creatures of varying sizes. From Magma Sardines the size of a thumb to Magma Jellyfish the size of a wash basin, and from Flame Giant Lizards over ten meters long to Magma Whales over a hundred meters long¡ªit had a complete range, from the smallest to the largest. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These semi-elemental creatures all possessed the bloodline of fire element creatures, which enabled them to live and reproduce in the Magma Sea. They formed a complete ecosystem in this Magma Sea area, with such delicate design that Richard almost believed it was naturally formed¡ªif it weren¡¯t for the Pioneer¡¯s Crystal Pillars that stood within this domain. Within this area of thousands of kilometers, large and small Crystal Pillars were erected, which was a significant basis for Ulysses to believe this was a Pioneer Relic. Moreover, the nearly perfect biological structure of these semi-elemental creatures also supported the idea that they were artificially designed. Natural evolution couldn¡¯t possibly result in a creature with no redundant structures, which might have provided necessary aid to the organism in the past. But as evolution continued, and the creature no longer needed a specific structure, it wouldn¡¯t immediately disappear but gradually degenerate. These redundant structures were completely superfluous for the current creatures, as if a precise instrument had an unnecessary part, disrupting the beauty of the biological structure. But these creatures had none. After Richard dissected these creatures, he found their body structures had no redundancy; every organ, every system was utterly necessary, and the lack of any would cause a chain reaction. And when the Pioneers designed these beings, they also followed the aesthetics of symmetry, making almost every creature¡¯s body structure symmetrical. Research, search, research, search¡­ Richard had spent a full ten years in such a way; the Pioneer¡¯s creations were simply works of art, intricate enough to drive any Alchemy Wizard who had studied flesh mad. During these ten years, Richard alone made over three thousand specimens, averaging almost a new creature every day. From the bottom of the food chain to the top, Richard had collected a complete range. In the process, Richard¡¯s understanding of semi-elemental creatures deepened, and his knowledge accumulated. Of course, during this process, Richard was also constantly searching for the source that caused the Flame Giant Lizard¡¯s mutation. But to be honest, after ten years of searching without success, even Richard was somewhat discouraged. Perhaps there was no source causing the mutations, or maybe the source had disappeared. ¡­ ¡°Ga, are you sure you¡¯re not going to look anymore?¡± Ulysses asked Richard somewhat skeptically. Richard had only been searching underground for ten years, a period that, while sounding extensive, was equivalent to roughly two or three months for a Wizard that could live for thousands of years. ¡°I¡¯m not searching anymore,¡± Richard waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯ve collected specimens from virtually all the creatures in this ecosystem, and there¡¯s no point in staying any longer. Moreover, my physique has almost reached its limit.¡± Over the past ten years, Richard also used the extreme conditions of the Magma Sea for physical training, gaining a total increase of twenty points in his physique. This was already the limit Richard could reach in the Magma Sea. If Richard wanted to go further, he would need to dive deeper into the magma, but the deeper the Magma Layer, the stronger the erosive power of the Fire Element, and Richard¡¯s Adaptation Body couldn¡¯t handle the deep magma¡¯s burn of the Fire Element. ¡°Ga, you¡¯re the boss, it¡¯s your decision.¡± Ulysses lay lazily in the nest, surrounded by Holy Tree Elves who were using mycelium to massage him. According to Ulysses¡¯s compiled scriptures, he was Richard¡¯s Subordinate God and the guide for the Holy Tree Elves. Therefore, the Holy Tree Elves had no aversion to serving Ulysses; they even considered it an honor. Almost all the Holy Tree Elves were fanatic believers of Richard. But Richard couldn¡¯t be bothered with such matters; the Power of Faith was merely a lifesaver for him at this point, as his growth in strength followed the Wizard system. Opening the Secret Realm Rift, Richard began to ascend. Above the Magma Sea was a rock wall; finding it would allow Richard to return to the surface using spells. However, after ten years of exploration, Richard was somewhat uncertain of his direction; he didn¡¯t know what the surface above him was¡ªcontrolled by Wizards or the territory of Fire Lizards? As he ascended, Richard¡¯s body emitted continuous Magic Fluctuations. These waves came from a creature Richard named the Magma Dolphin, which, like a bat, could emit energy waves to scan its environment. Richard learned about energy waves from its body structure and simulated it using the powers of a wizard. However, as Richard continued to surface, the messages from the magic waves were troubling. Near him seemed to be a black hole swallowing Magic Power. Richard¡¯s heart stirred, and he immediately swam in the detected direction. Half an hour later, Richard looked at the swirling mass of magma mixed with blue flames in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile. ¡°I really am a fool, searching below for so long; why couldn¡¯t I bring myself to look above? This Flame Giant Lizard could have mutated as a juvenile.¡± Richard extended his Magic Barrier and opened the Secret Realm Rift to pull out Ulysses. ¡°Ga, what¡¯s happening¡­ You found that thing!¡± Ulysses caught sight of the magma before him and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim aloud. ¡°Found it, after searching below for ten years, even considering the Mutant Source at the bottom of the Magma Sea, it never occurred to me that this thing could be above.¡± Richard spoke with emotion in his voice, the Mutant Source was nowhere to be found when he searched for it, but once he had given up, he found it. Ulysses led the way, and Richard soon saw the source of the blue flames¡ªa clump of blue flame wrapped in a Fire Element Crystal. The Fire Element Crystal encasing the flame looked very regular, resembling a Crystal Ball, probably the container for this clump of flame before it was eroded by the Fire Element, the product of that erosion. This clump of flame must have been an experiment of the Pioneers, but after the Pioneers vanished and their lab was destroyed, the experiment was eventually exposed to daylight. Richard tried to pick up this clump of flame, but the erosion from the Fire Element in the Magma Sea made his Magic Hand extremely unstable. Moreover, the intensely hot blue flames in the surrounding magma made him retract his hand. ¡°Ulysses, you take it back. I can¡¯t use my Sealing Skill well in the Magma Sea.¡± ¡°Ga, I knew it,¡± said Ulysses, somewhat helplessly. Ulysses stretched out his claw, grabbed the Flame Crystal wrapped around the blue flame, and then tossed it into the Secret Realm Rift. Afterward, Richard returned to the Secret Realm. Inside the Secret Realm, the Flame Crystal wrapped around the blue flame was held aloft by the tendrils of the World Mushroom, and blue flames flickered in the air from time to time. After leaving Ulysses¡¯s protection, Richard could clearly feel a strong Energy Radiation emanating from the flame. This radiation on his skin caused an itchy sensation. Richard scratched and, to his surprise, his skin¡ªstrengthened by the Dragon Skin Hardening Gland¡ªactually bore several blood marks. His epidermal cells were beginning to collapse under this radiation. ¡°Such powerful radiation,¡± Richard exclaimed, and countless Rune Chains sprung from his hands. These chains enveloped the Fire Element Crystal, and within dozens of seconds, a layer of green Ice Crystal formed on the outside of the Fire Element Crystal. Looking at the blue flames inside the green frost, Richard couldn¡¯t help but smile. This was indeed a good find. Based on the abilities of the Mutated Flame Giant Lizard and the recent exploration, this clump of blue flames possessed at least two properties: extremely high temperature and the capacity for energetic combustion. Moreover, from what just happened, the Flame Cup also had a strong radiation. This radiation was likely the cause of the Flame Giant Lizard¡¯s mutation. Ulysses entered the Secret Realm and casually landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ga, this clump of flame looks good, feels even stronger than my Annihilation Flame. You really stumbled upon a treasure this time,¡± he said. Richard glanced at him: ¡°The original version of Annihilation Flame, or your improved version?¡± Ulysses looked at Richard as if he were an idiot: ¡°Ga, obviously the improved version. The original version of Annihilation Flame is just an ordinary Bloodline Talent of our race. We Annihilation Crows are fierce, but when it comes to racial Talents, it¡¯s just barely usable.¡± ¡°Oh, that impressive?¡± Richard¡¯s eyes lit up, surprised by Ulysses¡¯s high regard for this flame. ¡°Ga, if it weren¡¯t impressive, that big lizard wouldn¡¯t have nearly destroyed my body. I suspect that the lizard¡¯s physique got to this stage with the help of the flame.¡± Richard looked incredulously at the flame that was being sealed, a frenzy flashing through his heart. He wanted to study the flame right now. But soon, Richard¡¯s reason suppressed his frenzy. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Richard said calmly, ¡°but this thing is a bit too dangerous. I need to find a sufficiently protected laboratory to study it.¡± ¡°Ga, if you¡¯re not using it now, why not lend it to me for a few days?¡± suggested Ulysses. ¡°Hm?¡± Richard turned to look at Ulysses. This was the first time Ulysses had asked him for something other than items to heal his soul injuries. ¡°Here, take it.¡± Richard casually tossed the sealed blue flame to Ulysses. ¡°Ga, so decisive.¡± Ulysses was surprised, ¡°With your personality, aren¡¯t you going to interrogate me now about what I¡¯m going to do with it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Richard waved his hand indifferently, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for quite some time, and there¡¯s a degree of trust.¡± Ulysses looked skeptically at Richard: ¡°Ga, why do I feel it¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand this thing, nor do you understand the World Master? So even if I told you what I was going to do, you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if it were true or not?¡± Richard¡¯s expression stiffened, his ruse seen through so quickly. But being exposed didn¡¯t hinder Richard¡¯s resolve. ¡°Impossible, absolutely not!¡± Richard frowned and spoke earnestly, ¡°We have hundreds of years of friendship, and we¡¯ve fought side by side as comrades. You really shouldn¡¯t suspect people with such a petty mindset.¡± Ulysses gave Richard another look but said nothing further. Their contract was for ten thousand years, and the days ahead were still long. Chapter 236 - 20 Linksa Empire Chapter 236: Chapter 20 Linksa Empire The small interlude with the blue flames didn¡¯t delay Richard much; after handing the flames over to Ulysses, he returned to the Magma Sea to continue surfacing. Three days passed in the process of ascending, and on the fourth day, Richard finally saw the rocky wall on the upper layer of the Molten Sea. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. All that remained was to carve a tunnel through the rock wall to reach the ground. Richard touched the wall with his Magic Wand, and a Magic Radiance disappeared into the wall, followed by the wall turning into dust and falling into the Magma Sea. ¡°Hmm? Turned directly into dust, not mud. It seems that under different Elemental conditions, some spells¡¯ effects can change.¡± Richard released a few more Fossil to Mud spells, effectively carving a hole in the wall large enough to accommodate his body. He dove into the hole and was instantly out of the Magma Sea. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get out, huh.¡± Once inside the hole, Richard started to proceed toward the surface as planned. ¡­ Twenty years might be just a blink in the life of the world, but the geopolitical landscape had turned upside down in those twenty years. Wizards had taken over one-sixth of the Red Sun World in this time span, and had their numbers been greater, this figure would have increased. Most of the occupied territories were part of the Morick and Linksa Empires, and during the battle against the Linksa Empire, Wizards had even flown a Floating City directly into Linksa territory. With the formidable firepower of the Floating City, complemented by the White Wizard Army, the assembled armies of the Linksa Empire were routed, and their Commander fell in battle. Had Harash not taken command of the volunteer army in time, the elite forces of the Linksa Empire would have almost been decimated in this conflict. Meanwhile, in the rear, infiltrating Black Wizards were continuously engaging in activities behind enemy lines. Spreading rumors, stealing intelligence, assassinating key officials to place incompetents in power, sabotaging military supplies¡­ These activities plunged the Linksa Empire into further turmoil. Linksa¡¯s Eye, modelled after Merrick¡¯s Shield, was disrupted by Wizards and ended up recruiting scoundrels, exacerbating the chaos in an already disordered Linksa Empire. Compared to these scoundrels, even the internal affairs commission from the time of the great purge would have seemed like fair magistrates. Due to multiple disruptions, the Linksa Empire was in disarray, and even the orders from the Fire Lizard King couldn¡¯t be guaranteed to be passed down reliably. There were robbers supported by Wizards all over the Empire, and the infiltrating Black Wizards could have even orchestrated a rebellion if they didn¡¯t fear the Fire Lizard King¡¯s intervention. It¡¯s fair to say that were it not for the continued existence of the Fire Lizard King of the Linksa Empire, the state might have already collapsed. Linksa Empire, Luxor Province. At the heart of Luxor Province was a city named Luxor. During the day, the scorching sun beat down, and Fire Lizards in white robes swarmed the streets. They haggled with vendors, strode towards destinations, or simply enjoyed the increasingly rare peaceful scenes. Luxor Province maintained the most stable public order within the Linksa Empire. Criminals and bandits were all turned into dried lizards, displayed on execution racks by the vigilant Fire Lizard Warriors. Even Linksa¡¯s Eye, which had its way in other provinces, had to keep a low profile in Luxor Province. This was because General Balashar, who was stationed in Luxor Province, wouldn¡¯t hesitate to impale them on execution racks without regard for their ties, drying them into lizard jerky. But keeping their heads down was one thing, Balashar still had to consider the possibility that Linksa¡¯s Eye might receive orders from the Fire Lizard King, so they also had an office in Luxor. And in the underground of this office, a group of robed Wizards were plotting something. A distinctively powerful Black Wizard pointed at a map on the table: ¡°According to the intelligence, the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base of the Linksa Empire is inside this volcano on the outskirts of Luxor.¡± Several Wizards of equally formidable presence scrutinized the map closely. ¡°Are you sure? We don¡¯t want to make a mistake like last time,¡± an Undead Wizard commented. ¡°Our last operation already rattled them. If we make another mistake, all our preparations in Luxor Province will go to waste.¡± ¡°Based on the intelligence obtained from those Fire Lizards, it should be here.¡± ¡°But last time we also acted on their intelligence, and what happened? We were surrounded by the Dragon Beast Knight Order and lost nearly a hundred Wizards.¡± The one who spoke was an Alchemy Wizard whose body had been converted into an Alchemy Puppet, his voice resonating with a metallic hum. ¡°Exactly, I suspect these Fire Lizards have turned traitor, or they have been found out,¡± voiced a Wizard whose body had turned to stone, his rumbling tone echoing like a tremor. ¡°Impossible. If they were exposed or had turned traitor, we would already be surrounded by the Dragon Beast Knight Order,¡± retorted a Wizard whose form resembled a wraith. ¡°How is it not possible? What if Balashar wants to stage a big showdown?¡± ¡°Then what do you propose we do? Why don¡¯t you go and spy for intelligence?¡± ¡°I think we should just assassinate Balashar directly. Why does Linksa¡¯s Eye have to cower in Luxor? Isn¡¯t it because those Fire Lizards fear Balashar? Once we take him out, we can do as we please in Luxor.¡± ¡°Good talk. Then this honorable and challenging task is yours. I have no interest in assassinating a Commander protected by elites, especially when that Commander is a third-level creature¡­¡± ¡°Quiet, all of you!¡± A Wizard emitting a stench of decay whispered sharply. The wizards in the room all turned their gaze toward the elderly wizard whose life was nearing its end. For wizards, age was directly proportional to strength. Without exception, an old wizard like this one, whose aura was decaying and who was at the brink of death but still participated in the Plane War, was among the strongest of the strong, the most ruthless of ruthless. Such wizards, regardless of whether they were of the Black or White, were respected by expeditionary wizards, even the Great Wizard would accord them extra courtesy. Of course, this was only applicable to the wizards of the Second Ring and Three Rings. One Ring wizards had too short life spans and had not yet reached the point where their energy induced a qualitative change. ¡°Master Theodore, what is your view on this matter?¡± the wizard who spoke first asked. ¡°The information about those Fire Lizards should be correct, the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base should be in that volcano. But the fact that they were able to obtain this information is very problematic. Balashar is a cautious man, and the Dragon Beast Knight Order is one of the few armies of the Linksa Empire where we have not embedded any spies. He must be exceedingly careful with information. And the few native fools we support couldn¡¯t possibly have obtained this information.¡± The old wizard Theodore¡¯s voice was very hoarse, as if his throat was filled with sand, but his words plunged the present wizards into deep thought. The information was true, yet it was deliberately released by someone else. It was both a strategy and a challenge letter. Balashar was challenging the wizards, I¡¯ve already told you the information you need, but do you dare to come? ¡°So what do we do, eat this poisoned cake or not?¡± asked a wizard whose body was almost entirely composed of flames. Again, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Theodore, expecting the wizard to come up with an idea. ¡°Eat, why not?¡± Theodore¡¯s face showed a hint of ferocity, ¡°As long as the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base is destroyed, the Dragon Beast Knights of the Linksa Empire will be fewer by the day. It will have a significant impact on the final battle in the future. Moreover¡­ cough cough cough, the base uses [Lost One]¡¯s items, if we get hold of one, even the Great Wizard wouldn¡¯t oppose our claim to a fief.¡± [Lost One] At the mention of this term, the emotions of all the wizards present suddenly surged. ¡°Master, are you certain that there are [Lost One]¡¯s items inside the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base?¡± the Alchemy Wizard couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°[Lost One] is far too distant from our era; how could their items still be operational?¡± ¡°Who knows? We can¡¯t judge the items of the [Lost One] with our experiences,¡± Theodore calmly said, ¡°These Fire Lizards are still using the communication devices of the [Lost One], it¡¯s not strange that the cultivation base also uses something from the [Lost One].¡± The wizards fell silent for a moment, the potential benefits of this action were too vast, causing these battle-hardened wizards to waver internally. ¡°Perhaps we should vote by a show of hands,¡± suggested one of the wizards, ¡°The minority will conform to the majority.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s raise our hands.¡± The wizards consented to this method, but just as they were about to vote, the wizard who had already turned to stone suddenly shouted out loud. ¡°Who¡¯s beneath us!¡± In the next instant, the Stone Wizard stomped his foot forcefully, and a fissure cracked open in the basement floor as he grasped at the void, trying to pull out the little mouse below. He could feel that this little mouse was not even a third-level creature. But in the next moment, his spell was inexplicably disrupted. ¡°Something¡¯s fishy! Everyone, take action, there¡¯s a rat beneath us!¡± the Stone Wizard called out. This meeting¡¯s information was absolutely confidential, even unknown to the Fire Lizards of Linksa¡¯s Eye. And yet in such a secret meeting, a rat had appeared. Although this rat was tens of meters below ground and could have just happened to pass under the basement, all the wizards present would rather kill mistakenly than let go. With such a rat present, they were determined to catch it and take a look. ¡°Come out!¡± Theodore waved his magic wand, and the space around him began to twist, with an incredibly strong gravitational force trying to pull out the little mouse from below. Strangely, their tactics had no effect on the rat below, and even in the Stone Wizard¡¯s perception, the little rat suddenly went from second-level to third-level. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right, prepare to attack!¡± Theodore¡¯s eyes became sharp, and instantly a gravitational shield appeared in front of him. In the next moment, a figure engulfed in black and blue flames erupted from underground. ¡°Gaah, which bastard dares to attack me!¡± Chapter 237 - 21 Joining the Plan Chapter 237: Chapter 21 Joining the Plan In the basement, several Wizards, wands in hand, fixed their gazes tightly on the black crow that had suddenly appeared. They didn¡¯t use their spiritual power to lock on because their probes didn¡¯t detect the crow at all; not through magic power, nor through sonic detection. Had they not been able to see the crow with their own eyes and feel the pressure it exerted on them, they would have almost believed it to be a hallucination. ¡°Ga, why is it a bunch of Wizards?¡± The black crow looked at the Wizards in the basement, seemingly astonished. Hearing the black crow speak in Wizard Language, the Wizards were somewhat baffled. How could this crow speak Wizard Language and, moreover, the black crow didn¡¯t seem to be a species from the Red Sun World. ¡°Could this black crow, with its extraordinary aura, be the Magic Pet of some Wizard?¡± An astonishing speculation flashed through the minds of all the Wizards present. But all the Three Rings Wizards from Luxor Province and the surrounding provinces were currently in this basement, so theoretically, no Three Rings Wizard should be passing through this place. ¡°What are you, and how come you are down here?¡± the old Wizard Theodore spoke up first. ¡°Ga, who are you calling ¡®what¡¯? You old coot,¡± the crow said, sounding a bit angry, ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I am¡­ that I am a crow!¡± Theodore was taken aback by the crow¡¯s tone. What was the background of this crow to dare talk back to so many Wizards? ¡°Master, why bother talking nonsense with this Alien.¡± A Wizard, whose entire body radiated life brilliance like the sun, interrupted. This Wizard eyed the black crow, and the corners of his mouth even revealed a greedy drool. Wizards specialized in Physique Evolution had an innate craving for the Flesh of higher-level creatures; third-level creatures were considered a rare delicacy for them. This was an instinctive reaction from deep within their Bloodline; some Wizards chose to overcome it, like Richard, but others indulged. With that, the Wizard reached out his large hand toward the crow. The mysterious Runes emerged from the flesh in his hand, forming a net of Runes that wrapped around the crow. ¡°Ga, you want to eat me!¡± the crow said, as it saw a Wizard reaching out and drooling at it, the feathers instantly ruffling in anger. ¡°I was really giving you face!¡± With those words, the crow didn¡¯t dodge or flee; instead, one of its claws swiftly enlarged, grabbing the Wizard¡¯s large hand. In the next instant, a scream was heard from the Wizard; black and blue Flames erupted on his palm, which reduced the Third Level Physique Wizard¡¯s hand into a gooey mass of decayed flesh within seconds, and his regenerative abilities were utterly useless against this injury. The Physique Wizard tried to pull back his hand but found it locked tight by the crow¡¯s claw. The other Wizards watching the scene fell silent, not one offering to help. It was clear to the discerning eye that the black crow had not struck a killing blow but merely taught the approachful Wizard a lesson. Before long, nothing was left of the Physique Wizard¡¯s entire hand except bone. Seeing the lesson had been taught sufficiently, Theodore, who had been enjoying the spectacle, finally spoke up, ¡°Crow, bring out your master.¡± The black crow glanced at Theodore and then loosened its claw, returning to the fissure in the ground. Not long after, a Wizard in a black robe flew out from the fissure. The Wizard¡¯s black robe had an aura of concealment so that the other Wizards couldn¡¯t make out his details, but his face was very unfamiliar. The circle of Three Rings Wizards was small, and except for a few, most were acquainted with the rest within a Floating City. However, one thing was certain: the black crow indeed belonged to this Wizard. Because the crow was now perched on the left shoulder of the Wizard in the black robe. This Plane War had put two Floating Cities into action, both permeating the Linksa Empire. Perhaps this Wizard was from the other Floating City. Richard, trying to hide his panic, addressed the Wizards in the basement calmly, ¡°Honored Masters, it is serendipity that brought me here. If I have offended, I ask for your forgiveness. May I inquire, Masters, where is this place?¡± ¡­ Observing this mysterious Wizard in a black robe, the many Wizards present exchanged glances. Eventually, Theodore spoke. ¡°Friend, this is Luxor Province in Linksa Empire, Luxor City. Although this place is not at the core of the Linksa Empire, if one is lost, it¡¯s rather difficult to end up here by accident.¡± Richard was startled to hear this, not expecting to have strayed into Linksa Empire territory. But on second thought, it made sense. The Red Soil Plain was not very far from the Linksa Empire, and he had been submerged in the Magma Sea for such a long time, so it was quite normal to end up lost in the area of the Linksa Empire. ¡°So it turns out I¡¯ve lost my way to Linksa Empire, thank you for your clarification, Master,¡± said Richard, performing a Wizard¡¯s Salute towards Theodore. The old Wizard, nearing the end of his life, generally commanded great respect from those below Great Wizard status. Richard¡¯s politeness was gratifying to Theodore, who was somewhat unable to gauge Richard¡¯s strength, but the formidable crow suggested that this robed Wizard was not weak. After all, it was a common phenomenon in the Wizard World for Magic Pets to be weaker than their Wizards. The respect of the powerful is always pleasing. Theodore chuckled good-naturedly, ¡°Friend, it seems you could use a compass.¡± The other Wizards laughed along upon hearing this. The atmosphere in the underground room also became much more relaxed. ¡°The compass is probably useless to me,¡± Richard said helplessly with a shrug of his shoulders, ¡°Magma Sea has magnetic interference.¡± ¡°Magma Sea?¡± The wizard, whose body seemed almost composed of flames, suddenly asked, ¡°You came from the underground Magma Sea?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Exactly.¡± Seeing Richard admit it, the wizards in the basement instantly had a change in their gaze. This Black Wizard did not seem to be a Shaping Wizard who studied the Fire Element, but aside from Shaping Wizards who studied the Fire Element, who would venture into Magma Sea. And judging from what Richard said, he must have stayed in this Magma Sea for some time, otherwise, he would not be so confused about his bearings. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like the truth.¡± Several wizards simultaneously had the same thought cross their minds. But they were all Black Wizards, and they all had a sense of proportion regarding each other¡¯s secrets. Regardless of why Richard had come to this underground room, he was still a wizard. They were now in Otherworld, and moreover, in the enemy¡¯s rear. At this time, any wizard was a friend, a comrade-in-arms. A wizard appearing suddenly could only be beneficial and not harmful to them. ¡°Since our friend isn¡¯t willing to share, we won¡¯t pry. But since you¡¯ve happened upon our underground room by fate, perhaps you¡¯d like to hear our plans and see if you want to join us,¡± Theodore said with a laugh. ¡°Join the plan?¡± Richard looked at the table in the center of the underground room, where an extremely detailed map was spread out. Without guessing, these Three Rings Wizards must be planning some big move. But his current situation¡­ seemed to leave him no choice to refuse. Not to mention the Physique Wizard beside him watching him with predatory eyes, just his current location made it difficult for him to stay out of the affair. He was now in the heart of Luxor Province, in Luxor City. He had heard from Iyad that this province was a crucial one for the Linksa Empire and that the Dragon Beast Knight Order was stationed here. In such a militaristically significant province, without the help of these Three Rings Wizards, he would find it difficult to return to Wizard Territory unseen. He was now behind enemy lines. If he were discovered, he was certain to face a hunt by the Linksa Empire¡¯s Fire Lizards. Although he had Ulysses to assist him, this helper¡¯s tendency to sleep at unexpected times was somewhat unreliable. After pondering for a moment, Richard made up his mind. ¡°Could you tell me more about this significant plan you gentlemen are contemplating?¡± Seeing Richard not immediately refuse, Theodore knew the matter was as good as settled. He said with a smile, ¡°We are planning to raid the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base of the Dragon Beast Knights. This base is of paramount importance to them, and if we succeed, our future wars against the Linksa Empire will be much easier. We were just about to vote by a show of hands.¡± Theodore then glanced around the entire underground room. ¡°Gentlemen, let¡¯s vote with a show of hands.¡± Several Three Rings Wizards thought for a moment, and four of them raised their hands, making it five votes in favor with Theodore included, against three. ¡°The results are clear,¡± Theodore said with a smile, then he turned to look at Richard, ¡°Friend, do you want to join us?¡± ¡°Ahem, I just knew you gentlemen were not planning a small affair. The only question is the profit¡­¡± Although Richard had decided to participate in this operation, he had to keep up the show. A wizard wouldn¡¯t undertake a venture where the risks did not match the rewards. ¡°As for the profits¡­ Have you ever heard of the ¡®Lost One¡¯?¡± Theodore¡¯s voice was low as if recounting some incredible secret. ¡°The ¡®Lost One¡¯?¡± Richard searched through his memory and was sure he had never heard the name before. ¡°I am eager to learn more.¡± A hint of skepticism flashed in Theodore¡¯s eyes. Normally, a Three Rings Wizard should have encountered some information about the ¡°Lost One.¡± Why would this wizard not know? sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, Theodore did not give it much thought, assuming Richard must have been newly promoted to Three Rings Wizard and had joined the Plane War or that he hadn¡¯t bothered taking a nominal teaching position at an academy after becoming a Three Rings Wizard. The impression Ulysses left on them was too profound; how could the master of such a creature possibly be weak? Theodore gave a brief explanation, ¡°The ¡®Lost Ones¡¯ are difficult to explain in detail. Perhaps you can inquire at an academy after you return. To summarize, ¡®Lost Ones¡¯ refer to beings that dominated this world before our existence. These creatures disappeared due to some unknown reason in the distant past, but the things they created have not vanished. The Dragon Beast Cultivation Base we¡¯re about to attack may possess treasures left by the ¡®Lost Ones.¡¯ These treasures, whether for personal study or to be offered to the Great Wizard, hold immense benefits.¡± After listening to Theodore¡¯s explanation, Richard immediately understood what this so-called ¡°Lost One¡± was all about. It was none other than the Pioneers. He was all too familiar with them. To think that these Fire Lizards actually possessed instruments of the Pioneers¡ªthis was indeed an unexpected pleasure. ¡°So that¡¯s it. I¡¯m in on this plan.¡± Chapter 238 - 22 Night Raid Chapter 238: Chapter 22 Night Raid ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let us sign a contract,¡± said Theodore as he pulled out a black Soul Contract from his pocket and drafted some terms. These terms mainly included the charter of conduct during operations and the distribution of benefits after the actions concluded. After all, everyone involved was a Black Wizard and had reached the Three Rings; saying their hearts were like coal wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement. For them, betraying their own team members for personal gain was typical, and without a contract for assurance, holding back during operations would decrease overall profits. Once the contract was signed, several wizards each demonstrated their Divine Skills as they left the basement, leaving only Theodore, Richard, and the alchemy wizard who had transformed himself into an Alchemy Puppet. Theodore pointed to himself and then to the alchemy wizard beside him, introducing them, ¡°Let me introduce ourselves, I am Theodore, a Shaping Wizard, and he is Staven, an Alchemy Wizard.¡± Richard nodded slightly to the two wizards, ¡°I am Richard, an Alchemy Wizard.¡± ¡°Alchemy Wizard?¡± Staven looked at Richard and said in his odd voice, ¡°No wonder you joined so quickly. Are you from the Flesh Faction?¡± ¡°I dabble in both sides and don¡¯t belong to any faction,¡± Richard vaguely replied. ¡°That makes you practical then.¡± Staven looked at Ulysses on Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It looks like you have quite high achievements in both aspects, as this Magic Pet of yours seems rather extraordinary.¡± Ulysses, using a crow claw, had left all the wizards present in shock as he wrestled with a Physique Wizard. Though it was partially because the Physique Wizard didn¡¯t want to escalate the situation, Ulysses¡¯ formidable strength was a significant factor. Of course, had those wizards known that if Ulysses were to unleash his full might, he could slaughter all the wizards present, they would be terrified. ¡°It¡¯s just luck,¡± Richard humbly said. Acquiring Ulysses¡¯ help was purely luck, involving a critically wounded World Master, a unique geographical condition, plus a mysterious Miracle Furnace, making this nearly impossible feat of a One Ring Wizard enslaving a World Master possible. ¡°Luck is also a part of strength,¡± Theodore added, ¡°Now that the plan has been settled, we should start making arrangements. Since you, Richard, have wandered here by accident, I presume you have no arrangements. If you have no other matters, you may as well stay in this basement for the time being. The basement is located beneath the Linksa¡¯s Eye office; you won¡¯t find a safer place in the entire Luxor.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± Richard replied with a nod. ¡­ After leaving the basement, Theodore and Staven freely walked into the second-floor office of the building. Inside the office, several Fire Lizards were engaged in the critical work of reproducing their species. Squeak. As they pushed the door open, the Fire Lizards were momentarily startled, but then immediately stood straight, giving a Wizard¡¯s Salute¡ªeven though they were still proudly engaged in their tasks. A flicker of contempt passed through Theodore¡¯s eyes; native Aliens were just native Aliens, always ruled by primal desires. ¡°Toin, a guest is staying in the basement. Do not allow anyone to go down there during this time,¡± Theodore said calmly. Although he disliked these Fire Lizards, at the moment, they still had their uses; let them reproduce more, and he could earn more Magic Stones. ¡°Yes, Master,¡± the most robust Fire Lizard replied in broken Wizard Language. ¡°These days, keep an eye on the military movements and report any unusual activity to me immediately,¡± Theodore instructed. Toin hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, ¡°Master, are you planning to take action against that base?¡± Theodore¡¯s brow furrowed, and the next instant, Toin was writhing on the floor in agony. ¡°Toin, I believe I told you not to ask questions,¡± Theodore said emotionlessly, his voice as cold as winter wind, sending shivers through the other Fire Lizards. Soon, Toin stopped convulsing. He crawled pitifully to Theodore¡¯s feet, tears and saliva dripping uncontrollably. ¡°I am sorry, Master. I won¡¯t dare again¡­¡± Theodore looked down on the pitiful Toin with disdain. Natives are just natives; compared to wizards, their wills are as fragile as paper. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without saying anything more, Theodore turned and left the room. Staven took a vial of Magic Potion from his pocket and handed it to Toin. ¡°This potion will ease your pain.¡± After saying that, Staven also left the room. Not long after the two wizards left, Toin chased the other Fire Lizards out of the office, leaving only a female Fire Lizard. He aggressively pinned the female underneath him, their tails intertwining, sometimes relaxing, sometimes tightening. This breeding act continued for an hour, and following Toin¡¯s shudder, he collapsed on the floor, murmuring: ¡°Bili, I regret this now. All these wizards are bastards.¡± The female Fire Lizard, named Bili, lay down on Toin¡¯s chest and spoke in a low voice: ¡°Toin, the die is cast; we have no way back.¡± Both of these Fire Lizards had silver horns on their heads, marking them as almost royal among their kind, yet under the wizards, they were merely slaves, natives, expendables. Their value sometimes was even less than a vial of a wizard¡¯s reagent. ¡°No way back?¡± Toin looked up at the ceiling, his eyes filled with confusion. Suddenly, he stood up, went to the desk, and pulled out a gold-patterned nail from the drawer. He looked at the nail for a long time, while Bili stood up from the ground, curiously looking towards Toin. ¡°Toin, what is this?¡± Toin looked at the nail, his expression changing from puzzled to resolute. He whispered softly, ¡°This is an escape route, and it is redemption.¡± ¡­ As days went by, Richard kept busy in the basement. Spell optimization is a fundamental skill for any wizard, no matter which school they belong to¡ªoptimizing spells is essential, especially for Shaping Magic. Because a major operation was forthcoming, Richard, after a long pause, began optimizing his spells. For wizards, spells are the most commonly used means of attack, and the duration of casting, energy consumption, and energy level are important indicators of a spell. Richard¡¯s proficiency in Plastic Energy Study was not profound, so significantly increasing the energy level of a spell was obviously not possible. However, his years of making Magic Equipment and working with Alchemy Machines had given him a deeper understanding of Rune Arrays. This understanding allowed him to reduce the number of runes in a magic model, thereby lowering the magic consumption, and Richard also planned to incorporate the Pioneer Rune One into the magic model, making drastic changes to it. Optimizing spell consumption took Richard a whole month, and after a month, looking at the complex magic model in the Crystal Ball, a smug smile appeared on his lips. ¡°Hehehe, just by reducing the number of runes and then adding the Pioneer Rune One, I managed to reduce the consumption to half without diminishing the power of the Heart of Annihilation.¡± Heart of Annihilation, the first spell Richard had created, had never been modified since its inception. Thus, this modification essentially amalgamated all the usable knowledge Richard had acquired up to this stage, truly a crystallization of his knowledge. ¡°The only thing left is to modify the Magic Mark.¡± Mentioning the modification of the Magic Mark made Richard¡¯s face fall. Modifying a Magic Mark is like performing surgery on a soul, without anesthesia at that. This experience, even for wizards, is exceptionally painful. That is why Richard took so long before he came around to optimizing the magic model of Heart of Annihilation. If the pain of modifying the magic model could be lessened, Richard would surely revise it whenever he made any progress. Three days later, Theodore and Stalin arrived in the basement. ¡°Richard, the plan is all set. Here is the map and the plan, take a look.¡± Saying this, Theodore handed Richard a huge scroll. Opening the scroll, Richard quickly understood the various wizards¡¯ arrangements for this operation. The main point of this operation was speed, to complete all strategic objectives and retreat before the Dragon Beast Knight Order could encircle them. And to minimize casualties and for more flexibility in the operation. During this operation, the One and Second Ring wizards would serve as distractions to draw fire. They would raid cities near Luxor multiple times to divert Balashar¡¯s attention. These feints were also meticulously planned. If Balashar failed to come to their aid, these feints would turn into real attacks. Meanwhile, the few Three Rings wizards, acting as the main force, would infiltrate the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base as covertly and swiftly as possible to accomplish their mission. After reviewing the entire plan, Richard handed the scroll back to Theodore. ¡°We¡¯re taking action tonight?¡± ¡°Tonight.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Richard immediately began to tidy up the basement and used magic to eliminate any residual traces. As Richard was checking the basement for any remnants, Stalin couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°You really don¡¯t need to clean up so thoroughly; this place is safe enough.¡± Richard smiled, ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡± A few minutes later, the three wizards each showed their divine skills and left the basement, quickly arriving at the predetermined location. A few kilometers from the predetermined location lay the volcano reported to conceal the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base. At the predetermined location, the other Three Rings wizards had already assembled. Theodore glanced at the number of people, ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. But before we proceed, I must reiterate, we need to be quick. All of you are Three Rings wizards and in past wars, you must have seen wizards who died due to their greed. Do not make the same mistakes in front of the Lost Ones.¡± ¡°Haha, Master is still as nagging as ever.¡± ¡°Greed kills, who doesn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°Master, you should save those words for your students.¡± Seeing the other wizards¡¯ indifferent attitudes, Theodore couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. Hopefully, these wizards could really remain as rational as they appeared now when the time came. Soon, the sky darkened. Theodore took out a pocket watch and glanced at the time. ¡°Take action.¡± Chapter 239 - 23 Infiltration Chapter 239: Chapter 23 Infiltration Upon receiving the signal to move, several Wizards began their approach towards the volcano. The Dragon Beast Knight Order had set up numerous secret sentries around the volcano, but over the past days, the Wizards had already figured them all out, and now their movements were as smooth as flowing clouds and water. Richard, relying on his Invisibility Cloak and Shadow Shuttling, bypassed the sentries, cautiously moving closer to the volcano, with Ulysses perched on his shoulder, constantly keeping watch over their surroundings. Before long, several Wizards, as planned, had gathered at the volcano¡¯s edge. Next, they were to infiltrate the interior of the volcano¡ªthe Dragon Beast Cultivation Base. But there was only one entrance to this base, and it was nearly impossible to enter through the passage. However, among the Wizards, there was a Three Rings Wizard proficient in Earth Element Magic; it was the Stoneman Wizard who had discovered Richard that day. This Wizard, known as Mephit, was skilled in both earth and fire Elemental Magic. After inspecting the terrain of the volcano, he proposed a solution. ¡°Just dig a tunnel straight in.¡± For Mephit, digging a tunnel straight down under the volcano was no difficult task. This plan was approved by the Wizards, and even Richard thought it was a good idea. Mephit patted the volcanic rock in front of him, and the next moment, a hole opened up in the rock. Once the Wizards had entered, Mephit touched the wall of the cave, and the volcanic rock returned to its original state. Richard observed this scene with his Energy Vision. Mephit¡¯s maneuver was ingenious; his manipulation of energy, his control over the elements, all impressed Richard greatly, and he also picked up a few tricks in the process. Mephit, sensing someone scrutinizing his work, looked back with some confusion, only to see the black crow on Richard¡¯s shoulder staring intently at him. Recalling the Physique Wizard who had lost a hand that day, Mephit muttered to himself: ¡°Could this crow be holding a grudge? But I didn¡¯t really do much that day.¡± Without dwelling on it too much, Mephit walked ahead of the others and began to forge a way down. In this process, he also used the Shock Waves traveling through the rocks to determine the location of the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base. During this time, Richard was not idle either; he kept learning some of Mephit¡¯s techniques for making a way through. These battle-hardened Three Rings Wizards had almost incorporated these techniques into their bones. Performing the same operations, they were faster, more effective, and consumed less Magic Power. To those experienced Wizards, these tricks might not mean much; they knew them too, just not as adeptly. But for a young and inexperienced Wizard like Richard, these tricks were very useful. The process of making the way lasted nearly half an hour. Following Mephit¡¯s gesture for silence, the Wizards readied themselves. They were about to enter the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base. Mephit took out a bundle of Magic Scrolls from his Magic Pocket and distributed them to the Wizards. These scrolls were enchanted with Mephit¡¯s tunnelling spells, offering an extra means of escape should they be discovered. Everyone took the scrolls, and then Mephit tapped the rock wall. The wall split open just as it had when they entered the volcano. However, what appeared before the Wizards was not the base but a blazing torrent of magma. Mephit reached his hand into the magma, parting the thick layer to form a passage that led to more rock wall. Mephit said in a deep voice: ¡°Prepare yourselves, on the other side of this rock wall lies the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base.¡± ¡­ As Mephit opened a gap in the rock wall, the Wizards entered the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base through it. The Dragon Beast Cultivation Base was vast. While Mephit was probing for its location, Ulysses had determined the location and general layout of the base in his own way. According to Ulysses¡¯ reconnaissance, the area of the base was roughly the same size as the volcano above it. Hearing this, Richard began to doubt whether it was the existing Dragon Beast Cultivation Base that led to the creation of this small volcano. After all, altering landscapes was no difficult task for a World Master. Apart from being large in size, the structure of the base was also quite complex. Their current location was at the outer layer, closest to the volcanic wall, which was why they encountered the Magma Layer. After all, a volcano wasn¡¯t quite right without magma. Starting from their layer, the entire base was divided into four levels. According to Ulysses¡¯ investigation, the Dragon Beast Knight Order was stationed on each of the outer three layers. At this moment, the Wizards were at the end of a passage, with millions of tons of crimson lava held back by an Energy Barrier just above their heads. Seeing this, a flicker of shock passed through the Wizards¡¯ minds. This level of Energy Dome was a bit too high-end for Fire Lizards, therefore it must have been made by the Lost Ones. The Wizards exchanged glances, each seeing greed in the other¡¯s eyes. A Wizard¡¯s thirst for knowledge was like a drunkard¡¯s for fine wine, a lecher¡¯s for a beautiful woman. ¡°This is problematic; the base¡¯s defenses are quite tight,¡± Theodore suddenly spoke up. In front of the Wizards, Theodore¡¯s gravitational barrier twisted the light around them, obscuring their forms from view. ¡°Some Second-level creatures, we could easily slaughter our way through,¡± the Physique Wizard grinned, his white teeth flashing with a bloodthirsty luster. None of the other Wizards objected to this proposal. It would be laughable if a group of Three Rings Wizards couldn¡¯t break through the defenses of some Second-level creatures. ¡°I don¡¯t recommend doing that.¡± The objection caused the Physique Wizard¡¯s face to darken instantly as he looked towards Richard and said somewhat unpleasantly, ¡°Friend, then what bright ideas do you have?¡± He was still holding a grudge about the day Ulysses corrupted one of his hands, being humiliated by a Magic Pet in front of so many wizards had made it difficult for him to look favorably upon Richard. The actions of a Magic Pet are the will of its master. ¡°Although these Second Level Fire Lizards aren¡¯t a concern, at the core location of the base, I discovered ten Third Level Fire Lizards. Assigned to this place as guards, these Third Level Fire Lizards must certainly possess the finest equipment and most exquisite combat skills of the Linksa Empire. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even just a few of them, teamed up with so many Second Level Fire Lizards, may not necessarily annihilate us, but they could easily hold us off until the main force arrives.¡± Richard¡¯s words were logical, but there was one massive problem that needed explaining. How he had come to discover this information. All present were Three Rings Wizards, none lacking in abilities. Even Theodore could only remark on the tight security, leaving the question of how Richard knew about the ten Third Level Fire Lizards on the third floor. But Richard didn¡¯t explain, aware that his level of knowledge wasn¡¯t sufficient, and any attempt could easily reveal flaws. By staying quiet, acting like a know-it-all, the Three Rings Wizards would come up with their own conjectures. After all, no one would want to be the butt of jokes at this time. Sure enough, none of the other wizards questioned the news after hearing it from Richard. ¡°Since Richard has discovered ten Third Level Fire Lizards, a frontal assault is definitely out of the question. Let¡¯s just honestly sneak in,¡± Theodore suggested. But sneaking in posed another problem: everyone had different methods of infiltration, requiring the team to split up. Form smaller squads? The wizards glanced at one another, mindful of the contract they had signed ¨C any gains from the operation had to be observed by at least two wizards to be distributed after it ended. Now that they needed to divide forces, the Three Rings Wizards naturally began to contemplate acting alone. Each one was a battle-hardened veteran, very confident in their own abilities. They felt capable of completing the operation without forming a team. ¡°We split up then, relying on our own skills,¡± the Flame Wizard spoke up. ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Fine by me.¡± ¡°Relying on our own skills.¡± ¡­ Theodore removed the gravitational barrier, and the wizards began to move freely. Mephit was adept at Earth Element Magic, becoming one pile of gravel and moving stealthily along the edges of the corridors. The Flame Wizard wrapped himself in his Wizard Robe, instantly diminishing his presence so much so that even as Richard deliberately watched him, his gaze would unconsciously drift to the side. Theodore floated slightly, an Energy Barrier enveloping him, distorting the light and masking his aura, while Stalin seemed to disappear entirely, his body marked with a superbly layered Invisibility Technique. Among these wizards, the most miraculous was the Physique Wizard, who emitted a subtle noise from within his body, suddenly shrinking and growing red scales akin to those of a Fire Lizard. In just tens of seconds, the Physique Wizard had transformed into a flawless Fire Lizard. Once disguised, the wizards began to act separately, with only Richard remaining. Although he wanted to showcase his skills, as a young Second Ring Wizard, his methods were indeed limited. ¡°Ulysses, help me conceal my form,¡± Richard said, a bit embarrassed. ¡°Ga, hahaha, understood.¡± As the World Master, Ulysses had far more tricks up his sleeve. As a faint energy ripple emanated from Ulysses, the environment before Richard changed abruptly, the surroundings seeming to drain of color in an instant, leaving only black and white. ¡°Ga, kid, we¡¯re now in the crevices of shadows, boldly go ahead, without the power of a World Master, few can see through this,¡± Ulysses said, somewhat smugly. ¡°But there are still some who can see through it?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Ga, those who can see through it have extremely special talents,¡± Ulysses replied tersely, ¡°Talents are so strange and varied, the more you see, the more likely you are to encounter something that counters your abilities.¡± Walking within the crevices of shadows felt incredible, every plant and creature around Richard was replicated one-for-one with the Material World. Richard faced a black and white Fire Lizard riding a fierce Dragon Beast headed his way. His instinct was to dodge, but he heard Ulysses say, ¡°Ga, don¡¯t bother dodging, it¡¯s just a shadow.¡± As he spoke, the Fire Lizard passed directly through Richard, and he couldn¡¯t feel a thing. ¡°Wonderful, amazing, Ulysses, teach me the principles behind this when we get back. It¡¯s too useful for infiltrations,¡± Richard said, clearly excited. ¡°Ga, can¡¯t teach this.¡± ¡°Huh? Why not?¡± ¡°Ga, it requires rules.¡± ¡°¡­then never mind, let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Chapter 240 - 24 The Holy Guard Chapter 240: Chapter 24 The Holy Guard The Dragon Beast Cultivation Base was divided into four levels, where the outermost layer was the place guarded by the majority of Dragon Beast Knights and also served as the storage area for the base. Huge rooms contained the corpses of various Flame Giant Beasts, and within these rooms were alchemy tools made by Giant Dragon Alchemy. These tools formed a field within the rooms that could slow down the decay of the corpses and the loss of their essences. From within the shadow gaps, Richard emerged from a storeroom and then marked a spot on the map he held in his hands. His map was a rough one based on the explorations of Ulysses. Richard was marking it to make it easy for him to grab some loot when they retreated later. In these shadow gaps, although creatures of the Material World could not detect Richard, he also couldn¡¯t interact with objects in the Material World. He could only touch these things once he emerged from the gaps. The second layer of the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base was the nurturing grounds for the dragon beasts; these beasts, not yet fully grown, needed to be raised in the nurturing grounds for a while before they could serve as mounts for Dragon Beast Knights. Upon entering the third layer, it seemed to function as a laboratory. Richard saw several Fire Lizards tie a somewhat deformed dragon beast to a table and then skillfully insert several metal pins into the creature¡¯s body. As the pins entered the flesh, the dragon beast ceased its struggles. Afterward, Richard saw a Fire Lizard take out tools and expertly dissect the dragon beast. The deformed parts were cut away and then stored in golden material jars. The remainder, after being examined and recorded by the Fire Lizards, was hauled away by Dragon Beast Knights and chopped up to feed the younger dragon beasts. ¡°This is dissection for research? The Fire Lizard Clan¡¯s level of civilization isn¡¯t low,¡± Richard exclaimed in surprise. The whole operation by the Fire Lizards was smooth and standardized, clearly the result of much practice. But the more civilized they were, the more completely the Wizards would destroy them. Passing through the third layer, Richard quickly reached the fourth layer, where he finally saw the heart of the cultivation base. In front of him, a nearly one-square-kilometer plot of land held towering Crystal Cultivation Chambers, which contained dragon beast embryos. ¡°Indeed, they are relics of the Pioneers. These Fire Lizards actually have so many Pioneer Relics!¡± Richard looked at the cultivation chambers in front of him, his expression indescribably excited. Compared to this base, the Pioneer Relics he had acquired before were practically garbage. But just as Richard was getting excited, Ulysses suddenly threw a bucket of cold water on him. ¡°Caw, don¡¯t get too excited yet. Take a closer look at these things.¡± ¡°Take a closer look?¡± Richard approached the cultivation chambers and suddenly realized that the control panels beneath them were not made of crystal, but metal. In Richard¡¯s previous encounters with Pioneer relics, those items were special crystals; he had never seen Pioneers use metal. Ulysses expressed his guess: ¡°Caw, I¡¯m guessing these are devices left by the Pioneers for their servant army. Otherwise, after so many years, these instruments would have broken down long ago. I don¡¯t believe these lizards could fix Pioneer technology. Take a closer look. Even among the devices they can maintain, some are broken.¡± Richard moved among the cultivation chambers and found, just as Ulysses had said, that a considerable number of machines in the square were broken. Ulysses sighed: ¡°Caw, time is the most terrifying poison. It can bring Gods to their knees, cause machines to decay, transform great Pioneers into natives, and silence the brilliant starry skies.¡± ¡°Pioneers can degenerate into natives?¡± Richard asked offhandedly. ¡°Caw, of course they can. A few ambitious individuals plus a civil war can fracture a civilization¡¯s vast territory. The ambitious ones hold each corner and war with each other. Thus, craftsmanship begins to be lost, technology becomes disjointed, until they expend the last vestige of civilization, and the last vessel capable of taking mortals out of this world turns to scrap iron. Thus, the great Pioneers regress into natives.¡± Ulysses¡¯s narrative flowed with ups and downs, as if singing the end of a civilization. ¡°So your Gods Civilization was born from the corpse of this civilization?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°Caw, no, that¡¯s what I heard from a Minstrel in a tavern world. The tavern world is an Illusion World, where a creature known as a Minstrel lives. These creatures collect interesting stories from various worlds and sing them in taverns to reap praise and shock from guests. Incidentally, they feed on this praise and shock. If you encounter these creatures, consider telling them a story. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These little guys will trade what they consider useless for a good enough story, like shards of rules or the like.¡± A tavern world, Minstrels that fed on shock and praise. Richard felt this world was truly wondrous, full of too many things he had never seen. Richard walked around the machines, but did not take action. He was waiting, waiting for other Wizards to make a move and draw fire for him. Even with Ulysses¡¯s help, Richard, after all, was a Second Ring Wizard; burdened by such a nuisance, Ulysses would also be somewhat cautious in his actions. Suddenly, Richard noticed that the Fire Lizards operating the machines in the square began to stir. A Wizard was discovered by the Fire Lizards! ¡­ At the junction between the third and fourth layers of the base, Mephit transformed into a Stone Giant over three meters tall, each punch turning a Second Level Fire Lizard into a patty. And the reason he was discovered was quite simple. ¡°Damn it, you Fire Lizards even have dust prevention measures!¡± With Mephit discovered, the entire base¡¯s security sprang into action, as Fire Lizard Knights mounted on Dragon Beasts charged down the broad corridors toward the inner core, while those tasked with guarding the inner ring, the Third Level Fire Lizards, revealed their true forms. ¡°Target detected.¡± ¡°Target detected.¡± The third layer¡¯s several sealed rooms suddenly shattered, and ten massive creatures nearly four meters tall walked out. From the outside, these beings vaguely resembled the shape of Fire Lizards, but their bodies were covered in a layer of armor similar to exoskeleton armor. Constant reports from the armor streamed into the Fire Lizard¡¯s ears. In its vision, a marker locked onto Mephit, who was making Fire Lizard Cakes with his punches, accompanied by streams of information. ¡°Target: Semi-elemental creature.¡± ¡°Energy intensity: Thirty-seven levels; Physique equivalent to 245-250; spiritual power at 299.¡± ¡°Danger rating: Dangerous.¡± ¡°Killing strategy: Recommend using high-frequency vibration punches for close combat or deploying the Element Annihilation Cannon.¡± The Fire Lizard ignored the information he couldn¡¯t understand. The language used by the Holy Armor was that of the Giant Dragons, the language of their former masters, which was abolished when the first Fire Lizard King killed the Dragon King. Although the first Fire Lizard King ordered the scribes to pass down this language, the uncertainties over the long years were enough to cause any precise program significant errors. By the time he received his Holy Armor, only fragments of the Dragon Language remained. The Fire Lizard spoke to the armor in the Dragon Language: ¡°Ignore!¡± The next moment, all the information about Mephit disappeared from its view. It stretched its body and took large strides towards Mephit. Bang! Mephit was sent flying several meters back with a punch, his arm, used to defend against the punch, now showing a huge crack, and the resulting shock wave caused the surrounding Fire Lizards to stagger dizzily. ¡°This is a¡­ Lost Relic!¡± Mephit, eyeing the metal monster before him, felt a flicker of greed. If he could take this thing and present it to the Tower of Truth, he would earn enough merit to apply for the Great Wizard Trial! ¡°Natives, you truly are my lucky star!¡± As Mephit sized up the Armored Fire Lizard, astonishing energy fluctuations erupted from his body. Runes appeared on him, and in a few seconds, Mephit had transformed into a Rune Stone Giant. But in the next instant, Mephit¡¯s body was flung backward. ¡°Armor, Extreme Combat Mode.¡± The Fire Lizard uttered in Dragon Language¡ªa language it too knew the meaning of¡ªand immediately, holy Potions injected into its body, making it feel lighter as a seemingly endless vigor surged within. With a flick of the wrist, its arm armor extended a Chain Saw Sword wrapped in arcs of energy. ¡°Wizard, today will be your end!¡± ¡­ While Mephit was engaged in battle, the other Wizards were not idle either. They took advantage of the chaos to approach the central area, intent on destroying the cultivation chambers, but before they could get close, several other Holy Armored Fire Lizards found them. Through the eyes of the Fire Lizards, all these concealed Wizards were marked. In the face of the Pioneers¡¯ creations, Wizardly tactics were clearly not secret enough. Streams of information about the Wizards popped up quickly and were dismissed just as swiftly by the Fire Lizards. Thus, the battle began. The Fire Lizards activated Extreme Combat Mode, fighting like mad dogs. The Wizards tried to resist but found the magical resistance of the Fire Lizard¡¯s armor incredibly high. Fireball spells exceeding five thousand energy levels hit the armor without causing a scratch, merely pushing the Fire Lizard back two steps from the impact. ¡°Stalin, do you have a way to deal with these Fire Lizard¡¯s armors?¡± Theodore, while grappling with the Armored Fire Lizards using gravity, discussed strategies with Stalin, the most proficient in Alchemy Machinery among the Wizards. But he didn¡¯t receive an answer. Because by that moment, Stalin had been disassembled into parts by two Armored Fire Lizards, even his soul captured by the armor. The situation was developing unfavorably for the Wizards. ¡­ Outside the Cultivation Base, in his office in Luxor City, Balashar watched the battle between the Wizards and the Armored Fire Lizards through a light screen. Beside him, Toin waited, trembling with fear, for Balashar¡¯s judgment, his forehead faintly showing a nail mark. ¡°The battles of the Holy Guard are truly never tiresome, no matter how many times one watches.¡± Balashar sighed, then turned to Toin at his side. With a slight smile and an unhurried tone, he said, ¡°Toin, you¡¯ve been a great help this time. If you hadn¡¯t switched sides, these Holy Guards would still be living off the king in his palace.¡± Chapter 241 - 25 Combat Alchemy Chapter 241: Chapter 25 Combat Alchemy Toin looked at Balator, who wore a faint smile, and responded with a stiff laugh, ¡°For¡­ for the service of the country, it¡¯s only right, only right.¡± Theodore had seriously underestimated this Fire Lizard Slave, whom he had easily subdued. The Wizard¡¯s arrogance blinded him to an important fact. Toin was of the Silver Horned Nobles, and even though he, with the help of a Wizard, had become a member of Linksa¡¯s Eye, the past splendor and pride of Nobility still bred resentment towards the Wizards. This resentment was buried deep in their hearts because they had been implanted with Soul Seeds. They numbed their minds with all manner of debauched behavior, never daring to show their true feelings. But Theodore mistook these acts as the inherent inferiority of a native race. Arrogance was one of the most despised traits in a Wizard. ¡°For the service of the country, haha, indeed it is for the service of the country.¡± Balashar stood up and vigorously patted the shoulder of the youngster beside him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the information you provided this time is very important, so I won¡¯t have you put on the execution rack.¡± Toin let out a small sigh of relief. ¡°But¡­¡± Balashar¡¯s tone shifted abruptly, becoming stern, ¡°your betrayal has caused significant losses to the Empire, and you need to make up for this! There are many Fire Lizards like you in Linksa¡¯s Eye, and I want you to root them out one by one!¡± Toin swallowed hard, his voice quivering, ¡°Me? How can I do that?¡± Balashar smiled, drawing a Black Gold Scimitar from his waist. The cold light reflected on his face, sending a shiver down Toin¡¯s spine. ¡°Believe me, you can. If you sacrifice yourself, the Empire will bestow a Medal upon you, just like the Flame Medal of Merrick¡¯s Shield. Your name will be carved on the monument, remembered for ten thousand years.¡± Toin looked miserable; he didn¡¯t want to be remembered by posterity. All he wanted was to live out his life in wealth and honor. But did he have a choice? Balashar paid no attention to Toin. He picked up the light screen again, wanting to enjoy the sight of the Wizards¡¯ death. But before long, he rushed out of the room. Soon after, Toin heard the sound of a long, drawn-out horn. ¡°Is that the assembly call?¡± Toin couldn¡¯t believe his own ears. Could it be that ten Holy Guards plus so many Dragon Beast Knights failed to annihilate these Wizards? ¡­ At the Dragon Beast Base, Richard watched the Wizards getting overpowered by the Holy Guard, feeling somewhat of a headache. He desired those breeding tanks, but with the Holy Guard¡¯s overpowering might, even with Ulysses defending him, Richard feared that a casual blow from the Holy Guard could kill him. However, Richard¡¯s headache didn¡¯t last long as soon a Holy Guard spotted him. [Alert: Entities detected in the Shadow Rift] [Alert: Entities detected in the Shadow Rift] [Initiate interference system?] Seeing the highlighted icon in his vision, the Fire Lizard didn¡¯t hesitate to choose yes, despite not knowing what the Armor¡¯s alert entailed. The next moment, the space around Richard became chaotic, the monochrome tones faded rapidly, and the rich colors of the Material World instantly entered Richard¡¯s field of view. ¡°F*ck, this Mecha is defying the heavens.¡± Cursing, Richard instantly used Shadow Shuttling. Then, with a ¡°bang,¡± the spot where Richard had been standing was smacked to pieces by a fist. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect another rat to be here,¡± the Holy Guard sneered. He turned quickly, spotting Richard who had just Shadow Shuttled, and with a swift motion, appeared right in front of him. Such a massive creature, nearly four meters tall, moved frighteningly fast. The Chain Saw Sword swung, its buzzing sound like the tolling of the Death God¡¯s bell, but the next moment, a Crow Claw blocked it. ¡°Wretched mortal, kneel before me!¡± As thunderous as the wrath of a god, Ulysses¡¯ voice boomed at this crucial moment as he once again used the Divine Speech Skill. As he spoke, the Fire Lizard heard his Armor¡¯s alerts ringing in his ears, warning him of a rule violation and to avoid it quickly. As for himself, his legs gave out, and he knelt heavily to the ground. Seeing this, Richard¡¯s heart leaped with joy. These Holy Guards were formidable, but they still fell short compared to Ulysses. Without a word, Ulysses stretched out his Crow Claw, which, by the time it neared the Fire Lizard¡¯s head, had grown large enough to grasp the entire skull. Under the effect of the Divine Speech Skill, the Fire Lizard just knelt there, watching the Crow Claw draw nearer. Bang! Hiss hiss hiss¡­ But the anticipated uprooting that Ulysses expected did not happen. The Crow Claw scraped across the Armor with grating noises, yet the Fire Lizard¡¯s head remained in place. Ulysses withdrew his Crow Claw and immediately grabbed Richard, rapidly flying backward. ¡°Caw, these fellows¡¯ Armor is even tougher than a turtle shell. Forget about those things; let¡¯s focus on saving our skins.¡± The Holy Guard that had appeared somewhat dazed watching Ulysses fly away felt a hint of relief at surviving the ordeal. It seemed that the crow had no way of dealing with Holy Armor. ¡°Communications, prepare for interception!¡± The survivor among the Holy Guards didn¡¯t opt to hunt the other Wizards but activated the communication function of their Armor, calling the Dragon Beast Knight Order outside to delay Ulysses. Right after, Richard saw hundreds of Dragon Beast Knights, aiming javelins at him. The next instant, javelins poured down like rain. After the barrage of javelins, Richard went pale. In just a moment, his Magic Barrier had almost drained all of his Magic Power. But before he could catch his breath, he saw hundreds more Fire Lizards aiming javelins at him. ¡°Sh*T, that¡¯s vicious! Ulysses, save me!¡± ¡°Caw, got it!¡± An Energy Barrier materialized instantly beneath Richard, blocking the incoming javelins. Seeing that the Dragon Beast Knights were ineffective, the Holy Guard suddenly raised a hand, chanting, ¡°Capture mode!¡± The next instant, an Energy Chain shot out from his Chain Saw Sword, streaking straight towards Richard below. He saw it clearly, the wizard below was the key target. As long as the wizard was detained, the crow above would certainly not escape. Zzzzz¡­ Energy chains contacted Ulysses¡¯ energy barrier, emitting a crackling sound. In the energy vision, the two were colliding fiercely. In other words, Ulysses¡¯ energy was being rapidly depleted. ¡°No good, I¡¯ve got to deal with this thing.¡± Richard took a closer look at the guard. Ulysses¡¯ claw attack had not been entirely ineffective; on the guard¡¯s helmet, Richard saw two distinct scratches. ¡°Like a turtle shell, huh? All that for a few scratches of paint?!¡± Items made by Pioneers really are unreasonable. Richard examined the scratches closely and noticed gold patterns emerging beneath them. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gold patterns? It dawned on Richard immediately¡ªthe gold patterns from the products of Giant Dragon Alchemy¡ªand combining this with Ulysses¡¯ earlier speculation, he suddenly communicated with Ulysses using a spiritual message: ¡°Ulysses, can you keep this tin can tied up for a while? I¡¯ve got a plan that might just finish this thing off.¡± ¡°Caw! You¡¯ve got that kind of skill? Don¡¯t end up killing yourself!¡± With that said, Ulysses paused for a moment, put down Richard with its claws, and with a flap of its wings, a cluster of dark blue flames followed the energy chains towards the guard. Meanwhile, he himself flickered and began to struggle with the Holy Guard. In an instant, Ulysses was engulfed in continuous rising dark blue flames, using various odd and unique methods to attack the Holy Guard. The effectiveness of these methods was manifested by the continuous warning alarms buzzing by the Fire Lizard¡¯s ears. [Warning: Subject to intense radiation attack, please activate protective stance] [Warning: Struck by shock wave, please activate protective stance] [Warning: Struck by shadow infiltration attack, please activate protective stance] ¡­ Inside the armor, the Fire Lizard did not know what this so-called ¡°protective stance¡± was. In the legacy he received, there was no ¡°spell¡± related to this. In the ancient past, to avoid rapid energy depletion of their armor, the Holy Guard deliberately refrained from using the protective stance. Because in the Red Sun World, battles were of two kinds: one was where basic armor protection was enough for an easy fight, the other was when, despite starting protective stance, defenses would still be breached, or the stance was of no use in a desperate fight. And the latter was rare over the long years. Over time, the command to activate protective stances, also the ¡°spells¡± learned by the Fire Lizard, had been lost. So now, he could only rely on the armor¡¯s excellent basic protection to withstand these attacks. Suddenly, Ulysses spewed a chain from its mouth, firmly tying up the Holy Guard, and created a cluster of shadows around the guard. ¡°Caw, now¡¯s the time.¡± The next moment, Richard appeared beside the Holy Guard. ¡°You bastard, take my Giant Dragon Alchemy Palm!¡± A glow appeared in Richard¡¯s hand, and a mysterious force, along with Richard¡¯s spirit, entered the armor¡¯s shell through the gap left by Ulysses. [Severe Warning: Encounter with Alchemy Strike, please activate protective stance!] [Severe Warning: Encounter with Alchemy Strike, please initiate protective stance!] But the Fire Lizard didn¡¯t know how to activate it and could only futilely shout every spell he had learned. ¡°Tactical Invisibility!¡± ¡°Energy-saving mode!¡± ¡°Chain saw sword third level speed!¡± However, these unrelated spells couldn¡¯t solve the immediate problem. The Fire Lizard began to sweat profusely from his head, and for the first time, his heart filled with fear. Was he going to lose? As the power of Alchemy seeped deeper into the armor, the complex inner workings of the armor flashed into Richard¡¯s mind. If this were another time, Richard would have treasured these structures, even recording them one by one. But at this critical moment, Richard, not caring about the consequences, directly used Alchemy to completely destroy these structures. [Severe Warning: Armor damage exceeds 80%, armor crippled, rescue has been automatically requested] [Severe Warning: Armor damage exceeds 80%, armor crippled, rescue has been automatically requested] At the same time, other members of the Holy Guard received a message. [Combat sequence u341 armor crippled, please rescue promptly] ¡°Ignore!¡± ¡­ Watching the motionless Holy Guard, Richard burst into joyful madness. ¡°Ha ha ha, got myself a good thing!¡± He grabbed the now immobile Holy Guard and opened the Secret Realm Rift, planning to throw it in. But at the very last moment, the Fire Lizard inside the armor finally realized which spell it needed to recite. ¡°Self-destruction!¡± [Please confirm the command] ¡°Yes!¡± [Command confirmed, countdown initiated] [Three] The World Mushroom sensed that something wrong with the object thrown into it. [Two] Strands of mycelium tendrils tightly wrapped it into a ball. [One] Mycelium tendrils infiltrated the armor, locating the reactor that had melted down and was about to explode. And then¡­ bang. The armor returned to silence. Chapter 242 - 26 A Mans Great Harvest Chapter 242: Chapter 26 A Man¡¯s Great Harvest In the base, Richard¡¯s overwhelming victory immediately caught the attention of several Wizards. They didn¡¯t know exactly what method Richard had used, but the fact that he had immobilized a Holy Guard with a slap and then tossed it into the Secret Realm was reality. When Theodore witnessed this scene, his heart jumped with alarm. All the Wizards present knew how troublesome the Holy Guards could be. Even an old Wizard like him, close to death¡¯s door, could only manage to remain unbeaten by using Gravity Magic, yet Richard had dealt with a Holy Guard so effortlessly. Such strength was truly frightening. If Theodore was shocked, the other Wizards were even more so. A Physique Wizard, standing four meters tall and covered in a chitinous shell, was also shaken by this sight. He hadn¡¯t expected Richard¡¯s strength to be so formidable that he could dispose of a Holy Guard so easily. This caused him to regret his enmity with Richard. Having already made an enemy of Richard, obtaining the knowledge to counter the Holy Guard would undoubtedly cost him dearly. And while he was slightly distracted, the Holy Guard seized the opportunity to exploit his weakness. With a buzz, the Physique Wizard¡¯s chest was suddenly cleaved open with a deep, charred wound so deep that even his heart was visible through the gash. The other Wizards were shocked or delighted by this turn of events, and Mephit, who was closest to Richard, swiftly approached him, sending a Spiritual Message to Richard at the same time. ¡°Richard, I¡¯ll give you one million Magic Essence plus the blueprints for the Tesla Model 9 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet in exchange for the knowledge to beat this Armored Fire Lizard!¡± Richard, who was in the middle of fleeing, suddenly turned back. A Three Rings Wizard really lived up to their name, making such a generous offer was frightening. But the technique Richard used to defeat the Holy Guard was Giant Dragon Alchemy, an art he had extracted from the Scimitar. He hadn¡¯t studied it himself. Right now, translating those skills into understandable written information was like a fool daydreaming. ¡°This is a special ability and cannot be traded for now. However, I can help you deal with this problem in exchange for the blueprints of the Tesla Model 9 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet,¡± Richard immediately transmitted back. ¡°Special ability?¡± Mephit¡¯s heart sank, but hearing that Richard could help him solve the issue with the Armored Lizard, he instantly breathed a sigh of relief. Helping was also acceptable. ¡°Deal!¡± Once the deal was struck, Richard immediately called Ulysses over to repeat the same tactic. Ulysses temporarily trapped the Holy Guard while Richard used Alchemy to penetrate the interior of the Guard, sabotaging its structure. As Richard destroyed most of the Guard¡¯s internal structure, the Armor instantly stopped moving. ¡°Done!¡± Richard exclaimed excitedly, about to open the Secret Realm Rift to throw this Holy Guard into the Secret Realm as well. But before he could, he heard Ulysses cry out in panic: ¡°Gah, let go, this thing¡¯s gonna self-destruct!¡± With that, Ulysses quickly flew backward, grabbing Richard. Mephit, who also sensed something wrong with the Holy Guard, curled up into a ball with multiple layers of Magic Barriers enclosing him tightly in the center, like an onion. Buzz! Richard, still fleeing, suddenly experienced ringing in his ears. Looking back, he saw radiant light seeping from the Holy Guard¡¯s Armor, dazzling and piercing like the first glimmer of light that slices through the dark night, making him squint. Then¡­ Boom! A thunderous explosion, accompanied by a blast wave powerful enough to blow people away, swept through the base. Large sections of buildings were toppled, and debris flew through the air like bullets. Mephit, who was closest to the explosion, saw all his Magic Barriers shatter, and his runic-imbued elemental body was half melted away. Fortunately, he survived. The residual effects of the explosion caused both the Wizards and the Holy Guards to halt their actions. The Wizards were shocked by the power of the Armor¡¯s explosion, and lamented the loss of the Lost Relic, while the Holy Guards were filled with a single emotion ¨C anger. ¡°Vengeance!¡± a Guard cried out. The other Holy Guards began chanting in unison. ¡°Vengeance!¡± ¡°Vengeance!¡± ¡°Vengeance!¡± The Holy Guard hadn¡¯t suffered losses in many years, and the loss of two today was a great dishonor. This shame had to be washed away with blood. Blood ran from Richard¡¯s ears, and all was silent around him. He was deaf. ¡°Ulysses, use this.¡± Richard tossed the scroll from Mephit to Ulysses, which temporarily gave the ability to use the Earth Escape Skill. Ulysses caught the scroll: ¡°Gah, what¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going out the usual way; we¡¯ll continue through the Magma Sea. You distract them, then meet in the Secret Realm.¡± ¡°Gah, got it.¡± The next moment, the scroll was torn apart, and both of them entered the stone walls on the edge of the base, Richard and Ulysses split up in the magma layer, he had to follow the magma back to the Sea of Lava. During this time, he had already memorized the map by heart; navigating the Sea of Lava, he could also return to the Wizard Control Area. ¡­ In the Sea of Lava, Richard dived quickly downward, all his Magic Equipment had been thrown into the Secret Realm, and right now, he felt like he was back to the days of studying and training in the Sea of Lava. The dive lasted for three days, and Richard finally emerged from the complex network of molten rock into the Sea of Lava. Here, Richard propped open the Magic Barrier and entered the Secret Realm. Inside the Secret Realm, Ulysses was already leisurely enjoying the service of the Holy Tree Elves in the Bird Nest. ¡°How is the situation outside?¡± Richard asked curiously while taking a shower. ¡°Gah, it¡¯s bad for you guys out there.¡± ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Gah, five of you Wizards died, and not even their souls made it out. Only that stone guy, the fire person, and that old man managed to escape.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°That bad?¡± Richard exclaimed in shock. ¡°Tell me more in detail.¡± On the day Richard escaped through the magma network, Ulysses, thanks to the effect of the Magic Scroll, wildly dashed through the mountains, drawing the attention of the Fire Lizards. Sure enough, not long afterward, the Holy Guard Army, by carving tunnels, found Ulysses in the rock walls. Taking the opportunity, Ulysses bolted outside, only to see, outside the volcano, tens of thousands of Dragon Beast Knights already in formation, waiting for the Wizards to break through. Realizing this, Ulysses quickly understood the situation. ¡°Well well, looks like the Wizards got duped this time, marshaling so many Dragon Beast Knights in such little time. The Wizards¡¯ intelligence is always problematic.¡± Mobilizing an army of tens of thousands is no easy task, from the moment Mephit was discovered to Ulysses breaking out of the volcano took less than fifteen minutes. In such a short span, the Dragon Beast Knights had already lined up outside the volcano; this clearly had been prepared in advance. Upon seeing the Holy Guard emerge, Balashar¡¯s heart sank. As expected, the Holy Guard could not annihilate this group of Wizards. ¡°Prepare to throw spears,¡± Balashar ordered. Seeing so many troops outside, Ulysses naturally would not foolishly charge; without Richard, he had plenty of ways to shake off the Holy Guard. Suddenly, darkness enveloped him, and his entire figure disappeared into thin air as he slipped through the shadows and entered the Shadow Plane. In this way, even the Holy Guard¡¯s Armor could not trace Ulysses. ¡°He disappeared!¡± exclaimed the operator of the Armored Fire Lizard, astonished. It was his first time encountering such an event. Ulysses, who had entered the Shadow Plane, quietly observed the development of events through projections. Mephit, the Flame Wizard, and the Physique Wizard didn¡¯t go outside but decided to flee through the magma network. The remaining Theodore, Undead Wizard, Ghost Wizard, and another Shaping Wizard took the outside route. Facing the army, the Wizards who chose to flee above ground had no choice but to charge. The Wizards¡¯ escape plan was an overt strategy, and the best Balashar could do was to muster that many troops. The rest were acting as fire brigades in nearby provinces. Therefore, if they broke through this encircling net, the Three Rings Wizards would be free as fish in the vast ocean, birds in the high sky, never again shackled. Meanwhile, the Wizards who took the magma network were being hunted by the Holy Guard. The Holy Guard seemed invulnerable in the magma, chasing the fleeing Wizards for two days. The Physique Wizard was killed by the Holy Guard and brought back, while the two Shaping Wizards managed to escape. ¡°Gah, by the way, when those Armored Fire Lizards were chasing the Wizards, the closest they got to you was less than five meters. I almost left the Shadow Plane to rescue you,¡± Ulysses said with a hint of emotion in his voice. ¡°Lucky for you, you were clinging onto a Flame Giant Beast, which made that Armored Fire Lizard overlook you.¡± Richard was startled upon hearing this, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. He had simply been hitching a ride, eager to return quickly to the Sea of Lava, without realizing he had narrowly dodged a bullet by sheer coincidence. ¡°Huuh, looks like I¡¯m pretty lucky,¡± Richard said somewhat relieved. ¡°What happened next?¡± he asked right away. ¡°Gah, do I really need to say the rest?¡± Ulysses cocked his head, ¡°I already told you about the Wizards who survived. Besides that golem and the fire person, the four on the ground only that old man clearly made it out.¡± Richard was stunned, not expecting the mission to result in the loss of five Three Rings Wizards. The last action at the Mother Worm Temple had also resulted in the loss of just one Three Rings Wizard. After this operation, the entire Luxor Province and several surrounding provinces¡¯ Black Wizards operations would likely suffer a brief vacuum. ¡°Gah, I think you¡¯d be better off not participating in these big activities anymore,¡± Ulysses mocked, ¡°You¡¯ve only been in two wars, and both times you were duped on these behind-enemy-lines missions. For your safety, and for the safety of your fellow Wizards, I suggest you steer clear of these big activities.¡± Richard was taken aback, then dismissed the idea nonchalantly: ¡°Just a coincidence.¡± With that, he stepped from under the shower mushroom, approached the Holy Armor that had been placed by the World Mushroom in the corner of the Secret Realm. ¡°The person who planned this operation took a major hit, but it turned out to be a fortunate break for someone like me who joined halfway.¡± The Holy Armor in front of him, although he had damaged many parts, the Power Furnace providing energy and the main control chip were intact. These things were treasures! Thinking of this, Richard couldn¡¯t help but curl a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. However, the voice of the World Mushroom suddenly reverberated in his mind: ¡°Master, there has been a slight issue with this Armor since you threw it in here. It seems to have¡­ self-destructed.¡± Richard¡¯s smile froze instantly. Chapter 243 - 27 Chain Saw Sword and Armored Plate Chapter 243: Chapter 27 Chain Saw Sword and Armored Plate ¡°What¡­ what did you say?¡± Richard could sense his voice trembling. This was no mere fragment of Pioneer equipment; it was a genuine single soldier armor provided by the Pioneers to their servant army. In the hands of any other Wizard, it could have served as a legacy, studied by generations of Wizards for decades, but in Richard¡¯s hands, he could extract all the technology from this thing with the Mysterious Technique Furnace. Although he might not understand all the technology, being unable to spend gold yet having it as decor at home was still delightful. But now¡­ it was all gone! Richard took a deep breath and began to inquire about the circumstances surrounding the World Mushroom. When he found out that the armor had started to self-destruct as soon as it was thrown in, Richard paused and sighed deeply. The items of the Pioneers certainly weren¡¯t easy captives. Even if the various structures inside the armor were almost ruined by his alchemical techniques, it could still endure self-destruction. Settling his emotions, Richard started examining the single soldier armor with a heavy heart. Although the World Mushroom¡¯s mycelial tentacles absorbed a large portion of the self-destruction, the remaining force still pulverized the operator of the armor into a mix of bone and flesh, causing further destruction to the already jumbled internal structures. Using Giant Dragon Alchemy, Richard disassembled the armor and separated the components that could trigger the Mysterious Technique Furnace from the scrap parts. During the disassembly, the mix of flesh and bones of the Fire Lizard flowed out of the cracks in the armor, making Richard regret the loss of a good specimen. The Fire Lizard was a doomed species; a sample of a Third Level Fire Lizard would surely be unobtainable in the future. The mycelial tentacles absorbed those flesh and bones as nutrients cleanly, as the World Mushroom was not picky about its nutrients. Repairing the armor took Richard a month. Throughout this process, Richard unexpectedly discovered that the destruction he caused to the armor structure to capture the Holy Guard Army had actually reduced some of the destructive power during the self-destruction. Some components within were surprisingly not destroyed and even retained their complete structure. This result delighted Richard beyond measure. After the disassembly, Richard successfully gathered a pile of metal scrap. Although the material was of high quality, the patterns on it were utterly destroyed. Even so, Richard planned to use this scrap in something like the outer shell of an Alchemy Golem. The scrap from the Pioneer civilization was a treasure to Richard. Apart from the scrap, the remnants were elements that involved Pioneer technology. Two components in the armor still had refining functions. One was an arc chain saw sword disassembled from the armor¡¯s left arm. [Ingredient: Arc Chain Saw Sword] S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Refinable Information: Chain Saw Sword Design Diagram] [Refining Cost: 70 spiritual power] This device had a formidable ability to penetrate both physical and energy defenses. Even the Magic Barrier of a Three Rings Wizard could hardly withstand its continued assault. But the downside was its ridiculously high energy consumption. Richard tried to activate the chain saw sword with his magic, but his entire magic reserve as a Second Ring Wizard could only support the use of the sword for thirty seconds. This energy consumption was astonishingly high. Aside from the chain saw sword, another functional component was the Shield Generator, which seemed to have been located next to the Power Furnace initially. However, due to Richard¡¯s damage, it was blocked by many twisted parts, retaining only partial functionality. [Ingredient: Damaged Shield Generator] [Refinable Information: Shield Generator Design Diagram (Partially Incomplete)] [Refining Cost: 200 spiritual power] It was another massive energy consumer; Richard¡¯s overdrawn magic could only power it on for two seconds. Apart from these two components, Richard also found a repaired armored plate on the outer layer of the armor. On this armored plate, Richard found the technology for making the material of the armored plate. [Ingredient: Unknown Battle Armor¡¯s Armored Plate] [Refinable Information: Special Steel Manufacture] [Refining Cost: 50 spiritual power] [Refinable Information: Giant Dragon Alchemy Tree Pattern] [Refining Cost: 20 spiritual power] [Refinable Information: Giant Dragon Alchemy (Incomplete)] [Refining Cost: 20 spiritual power] Looking at the benefits this single soldier armor brought him, the heartache from its destruction was suppressed. Though he did not find the Power Furnace and central control chip he desired, the information from these components was still pretty good. Judging from the refining cos According to this information, given enough resources, Richard could amass a chain saw sword using Giant Dragon Alchemy. After meditating for a while, Richard began the refining process again. This time, it was the creation of special steel. ¡°Refine.¡± The weight of the hammer had been reduced significantly, allowing Richard to also refine the skills and patterns of Giant Dragon Alchemy. The effect of the pattern was simple, similar to the Wizard¡¯s defensive enchantments. However, when combined with the strong metal produced by Giant Dragon Alchemy, it improved the armor plate¡¯s capability to withstand forces dramatically. A fireball from a five-thousand energy level Fire Wizard struck the armor plate leaving no mark. While it wasn¡¯t solely due to the armor plate, it still accounted for sixty percent of this capacity. Following the pattern was the skill of Giant Dragon Alchemy. The skills of a repair artisan from many years ago were nothing short of miraculous; even his incomplete skills left Richard in awe. Blending his expertise, Richard¡¯s skill in Giant Dragon Alchemy immediately advanced to a new height. Solely in terms of proficiency and technology mastery, Richard¡¯s Giant Dragon Alchemy even surpassed Wizard Alchemy. Once the refinement of the Giant Dragon Alchemy skills was complete, Richard lay on the ground, quietly watching the sky of the Secret Realm. In his mind, the knowledge extracted from the parts of the battle armor constantly swirled, clashing with Pioneer and Wizard knowledge. A sense of satisfaction surged in his heart. Soon, Richard stood up from the ground and approached the pile of scrap materials. The materials in the scrap pile were of excellent quality, just with damaged patterns. Now that Richard had the patterns, it was the perfect opportunity to practice. Richard picked up a piece of scrap, enveloping it with Alchemy power as he entered a spiritual state. Under Richard¡¯s skillful manipulation, the scrap quickly transformed, and golden patterns blossomed upon it. Soon, the scrap turned into a neat armor plate. The intricate patterns looked dense, and under the light, they shimmered with golden brilliance. To the unfamiliar eye, these lines might seem like some opulent decorative pattern. After tossing the armor plate aside, Richard sat down heavily on the ground. Engaging the patterns drained more spiritual power than Richard anticipated; a palm-sized armor plate nearly exhausted his remaining spiritual power. Moreover, unlike Wizard Alchemy, once started, the pattern engraving of Giant Dragon Alchemy couldn¡¯t be stopped, somewhat akin to certain processes in creating Magic Equipment. After meditating to restore some spiritual power, Richard picked up the armor plate. Using Magic Hand, he levitated it and casually threw two Hearts of Annihilation towards it. Buzz! The spherical black hole created by the Hearts of Annihilation swallowed the armor plate momentarily. Once the black hole disappeared, the armor plate fell to the ground, and Richard went to inspect it, finding no damage. However, when he touched it, he felt that the armor plate was terribly hot. He conducted further tests on the armor plate against blunt force, shock waves, and low temperatures. With the enhancements from the patterns, the armor plate displayed impressive resistance to elemental attacks, with two thousand energy level Hearts of Annihilation having no effect. However, against physical attacks like blunt force, the armor plate¡¯s performance was not satisfactory. The armor plate lacked energy absorption capability and was not particularly hard; blunt force damage exceeding a thousand energy levels could deform the armor plate and thereby affect the pattern¡¯s efficacy. Richard speculated that in the original battle armor, these armor plates likely had other enchantment-like methods that could reduce the impact force received. Of course, it was also possible that the original armor¡¯s patterns were not the same one Richard had acquired. After all, Richard had obtained the patterns from armor plates that were repaired by later generations. Looking at the current craftsmanship of the Fire Lizards, it seemed their techniques had degraded significantly over time. Using slightly inferior patterns for repairs was quite normal. After all, these Fire Lizards no longer even knew how to activate shields. After testing the armor plate, Richard engaged in deep meditation to fully recover his spiritual power. Then, he left the Secret Realm and plunged towards the Wizard-controlled area through the Magma Sea. ¡°Master, Balashar is growing more suspicious of me.¡± In the basement of Linksa¡¯s Eye office, Toin humbly stood before his much shorter Wizard. The Wizard¡¯s body continuously emitted chaotic magic fluctuations, which were virtually impossible for any Three Rings Wizard¡ªunless he was severely injured. Theodore looked at the lowly Fire Lizard before him, somewhat irritably said, ¡°I know, go apply for a transfer, and let¡¯s leave this accursed place.¡± Hearing this, Toin turned to leave, but suddenly Theodore stopped him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with your head?¡± On Toin¡¯s forehead, there was a patch of freshly grown small scales. Frozen, Toin turned back, trembling, and said, ¡°It happened when I was on a mission, I bumped into something.¡± ¡°You lost the scales of a Second Level Fire Lizard so easily?¡± ¡°It happened when I bumped into a scimitar. We were playing dress-up, and Bili was dressed as a Palace Guard.¡± ¡°¡­Alright then, you can go.¡± As Toin walked out of the basement, he touched the new scales on his forehead. Beneath that patch of scales, a nail that could temporarily shield the Soul Seed¡¯s control had once been embedded. ¡°Finally, I can leave this place.¡± Chapter 244 - 28: Return Chapter 244: Chapter 28: Return Traveling through the Magma Sea with a map for guidance was actually a very safe route. Above the Magma Sea, Richard held up a Magic Barrier and, comparing his position to the map he had drawn from memory, ascertained his current location. Beneath him, a Flame Giant Beast shaped like a catfish slowly swam through the Magma Sea. Ulysses held onto the two whiskers of the catfish like reins. The upper layer of the Magma Sea was teeming with numerous Flame Giant Beasts. Most of these beasts were Level 1 Creatures, posing no threat to Richard. These creatures, having lived in the Magma Sea for many years, moved with great agility. Therefore, Richard, seeking to save effort, had captured one to use as his means of transport. Under Richard¡¯s taming, the flame catfish quickly came to terms with its situation and began to obediently follow Richard¡¯s commands. As for Ulysses, who was now holding the two whiskers, he had whimsically decided to try racing in the Magma Sea ¨C no, it should be fish-racing. ¡°Gaah, are we sure yet? Once we¡¯re sure, let¡¯s speed up!¡± Ulysses, holding the two whiskers, looked excitedly ahead at the sea area. In his perception, there were many Flame Giant Beasts ahead in the Magma Sea. These beasts¡¯ strength was negligible to Ulysses, but at this moment, they served as a test of his ¡°driving¡± skills. Richard put away the map, casually opened a Space Rift, and threw it in. ¡°Confirmed, that¡¯s the direction. Another fifty kilometers and we¡¯ll reach the Wizard-controlled area.¡± ¡°Gaah, fifty kilometers? That¡¯s hardly satisfying. Let¡¯s go further,¡± Ulysses said with some excitement. Racing with a tamed half-Element creature in the Magma Sea was indeed a peculiar experience that even he, the widely-traveled World Master, had never encountered before. ¡°Suit yourself, just don¡¯t venture into the Magma Sea at the edge of the world.¡± ¡°Ha, got it!¡± Ulysses let out a loud shout and gently tugged the two whiskers he held, prompting the catfish beneath him to emit a deep roar. ¡°Off we go, Murder of Crows! We still have a long way to travel!¡± Above the Magma Sea. Ulysses, completely focused, steered the ¡°Murder of Crows¡± deftly through the churning magma. Around him, immense Flame Giant Beasts growled deeply, their bodies engulfed in intense flames, warily watching this slightly mad peer. Fire Element was the most volatile element, and creatures with Fire Element flowing in their blood were like powder kegs, ready to explode at a moment¡¯s notice. The slightest provocation would cause them to attack. And Ulysses, in pursuit of that extra thrill, continuously used his energy and his raspy voice to provoke these Flame Giant Beasts. ¡°Ha, you fools, try and catch me!¡± ¡°That one over there, yes, you! What are you looking at? If you dare, come over and bite me!¡± ¡°Ha, Murder of Crows, bite him, yeah, bite his tail!¡± While taunting, Ulysses moved gracefully like a dancer, nimbly weaving through the Flame Giant Beasts. His expertise allowed him to narrowly evade the beasts that tried to block his way. Each time, the Flame Giant Beasts almost grazed him, but even the slightest gap seemed as insurmountable as a chasm. Sometimes Ulysses would accelerate swiftly, cutting through the Magma Sea like a bolt of lightning; other times, he would slow down and meander, playing a clever game of hide-and-seek with the beasts. For many creatures comparable to Hell, the Magma Sea was a fearsome place, but to Ulysses, it appeared more like a playground. Ulysses played to his heart¡¯s content, while Richard pondered on the side how to simplify the technology of the Pioneers. The technology of the Pioneers was truly superior, but it consumed too much energy. Perhaps the civilization of the Pioneers had reached a level of energy freedom, but Richard did not yet possess such advanced technology. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thus, reducing energy consumption was his primary task at the moment. Although it wouldn¡¯t be bad to use the gold he couldn¡¯t spend on decoration, it was clear that the silver he could spend would be far better. After much contemplation, Richard sighed deeply: ¡°Alas, it¡¯s a pity that Giant Dragon Alchemy and Wizard Alchemy are incompatible. If they were, this modification would be much easier.¡± After much thinking, the only solution Richard could come up with was to use Alchemy Machines for power, then attach the Chain Saw Sword¡¯s teeth using a purely mechanical structure to reduce consumption. But this required Richard to have a profound knowledge of Alchemy Machines. Creating large-scale Alchemy Machines was difficult, and creating small ones was even more challenging. Especially these small, harshly conditioned Alchemy Machines¡ªthe difficulty of crafting them was not unlike asking a Wizard who had never learned Alchemy Machines to start creating a humanoid Alchemy Puppet from scratch. ¡°Ah! At this rate, I¡¯m going to turn into an Alchemy Wizard from the Mechanical Faction.¡± The race continued for an entire day. After traveling four hundred kilometers, Ulysses was finally satisfied and decided to return to the surface. Looking at the thick upper crust of rock, Richard sighed again. He hoped that nothing unusual would happen during this excavation. The scorching sunlight bathed the Earth, and for the Wizards residing in the rear, today was yet another peaceful day. Kain, a White Wizard on rotation leave. As long as the number of Wizards was not critically low, front-line White Wizards could apply every year for a three-month rotation leave to the rear. During this time, Wizards could stay away from the front lines and undertake some patrolling missions in the rear that were free of danger. For Wizards, this was essentially no different from being on vacation. However, as the war dragged on, Kain could distinctly feel that there was a shortage of Wizards. At the outbreak of the war, if one wished to take rotation leave, one needed only to file a report, with no need for approval, and could directly return to the rear. For his leave this time, not only did he wait nearly half a month for approval, but his recent combat performance was also scrutinized. According to his direct superior, had it not been for his squad recently suffering heavy casualties, his application for rotation leave would certainly have been rejected. ¡°Ah, those Fire Lizards are really tenacious,¡± Kain said offhandedly. ¡°Exactly,¡± echoed a fellow White Wizard on rotation leave beside Kain. ¡°I heard from a Black Wizard coming from behind the lines that in a recent operation against the Fire Lizards, we lost six Masters of the Three Rings all at once.¡± ¡°Sss, that many!¡± Kain gasped in shock. ¡°Six Three-Ring Masters, were they ambushed by Fire Lizards?¡± ¡°God knows.¡± The other White Wizard shook his head. ¡°They say the Fire Lizards deployed an elite troop that had never seen action before, whose single combat power was even stronger than that of the Three-Ring Masters.¡± Kain was taken aback. In his mind, Wizards should be overwhelmingly dominant against these natives, or at the very least, on par. How could there be natives stronger than Wizards? After saying this, the conversation-partner White Wizard continued with a secretive air, ¡°And what¡¯s more, I heard that if it wasn¡¯t for the astonishing strength of one of the Three-Ring Masters involved in the operation, who dealt with two of those elites as soon as he made a move, not one would have escaped the operation. And the strangest thing, you know what? That powerful Three-Ring Master was there by accident. None of the Three-Ring Masters who were meant to be on that operation included that Master. He suddenly burrowed out of the ground while the other Masters were discussing their plans!¡± ¡°Huh? Three-Ring Masters discussing plans, how could someone just burrow up from underground?¡± Kain exclaimed in amazement. ¡°This rumor is too half-hearted!¡± The conversing Wizard shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s what the rumor says, but who knows the real situation.¡± Kain was about to ask more when he suddenly sensed a fluctuation of magic power beneath his feet. On reflex, he levitated instantly, and the Magic Wand in his hand fired off a jet of flames with an energy level of five hundred. The Wizard patrolling alongside him also caught on, casually tossing two fireballs into the mix. Boom! The fireballs exploded into a cloud of dust and, as the dust cleared, a Wizard with a soot-covered face stood at the location of their spell attack. ¡°This welcome ceremony is a bit special,¡± Richard, brushing the dust off his face, said with an awkward smile to the two Wizards who attacked him. Having run into Patrol Wizards upon emerging, Richard wasn¡¯t sure if he was lucky or just very unlucky. Fortunately, neither of the two Wizards¡¯ spells was of high energy level; Richard could withstand them with just his body, escaping without injury from the sudden attack, though he did swallow some dust. Looking at the Black-Robed Wizard who had appeared from underground, the two Patrol Wizards tensed up, gripping their Magic Wands cautiously. ¡°What kind of Wizard are you, coming out of the ground?¡± The Fire Lizards¡¯ infiltration into the Wizard-controlled territory had never ceased; some of the infiltrating Fire Lizards even possessed illusionary abilities that allowed them to appear as Wizards. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a long story. In short, I¡¯m a Black Wizard returning from the rear. As for my identity¡­¡± Richard gave a wry smile, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you.¡± Ignoring the two Patrol Wizards, Richard took out a map from his Magic Pocket and, trusting his instincts, figured out his bearings. Digging his way from the Magma Sea to the surface, Richard certainly hadn¡¯t traveled in a straight line. Arriving at the surface, he definitely needed to determine his position. ¡°Excuse me, is the Floating City in this direction?¡± Richard held the map and, with a swift move, approached the two Patrol Wizards, casually pointing out a direction. The bodies of the two Patrol Wizards stiffened slightly; Richard¡¯s speed was so fast, they could barely react. Kain glanced at the detailed map in Richard¡¯s hand, swallowed hard, and nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the direction.¡± Richard gave a smile, casually pulled something from his pocket, and handed it to Kain: ¡°Thank you. This is for your troubles.¡± Without another word, Richard rapidly flew off toward the Floating City. Kain was taken aback, looking down at the thing that this enigmatic Master had given him¡ªa Fire Element Gem of exceptional quality. Seeing the gemstone in Kain¡¯s hand, the other Wizard exclaimed in surprise: ¡°Such a pure Fire Element Gem, this quality is likely only found in the magma from deep underground, not even guaranteed in regular active volcanic magma-st least worth dozens of Magic Essence! Kain, you¡¯ve made a fortune this time.¡± Kain looked at the gemstone in his hand, dumbfounded, and couldn¡¯t help but recall the rumor they discussed earlier. A powerful Wizard emerging from the ground¡­ Could it be that he had encountered the storied Three-Ring Master? Chapter 245 - 29: Trading Chapter 245: Chapter 29: Trading The Floating City Fortress was as majestic as ever, but unfortunately, this floating city did not belong to the Great Wizard Qing Shuang. The academy that fought alongside Great Wizard Qing Shuang was called the Prison Fire Wizard Academy, led by the Prison Fire Great Wizard, who was a Five-Ring Great Wizard that had explored the path of great wizards for a long time. Inside the fortress, Richard identified himself and obtained a map of the wizard-controlled area from the logistic wizards. He also entrusted the logistic wizards to send a message to him when Mephit returned. Following the map, Richard spent a week traveling back to the Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s Floating City. By this time, ten years had passed since Richard had embarked on his mission. Upon returning to the floating city, Richard drafted a weapon test report and submitted it. As a technical advisor to the army, this was his regular duty. But when he approached the logistic wizard to submit the report, he was surprised to find the logistic wizard looking at him in astonishment. ¡°Technical advisor Richard?¡± He compared the image in his hand with the crystal ball, scrutinizing Richard thoroughly. After confirming it was indeed Richard, he said with admiration, ¡°Master, I didn¡¯t expect you to have made it out. I will submit your report right away. Also, if you aren¡¯t occupied, you might want to check with Master Vladimir, the equipment chief. He has come more than once to ask if there were any news about you.¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard was startled; he didn¡¯t expect this old wizard to have such confidence in him. ¡°Master Vladimir, yes, I will.¡± The logistic wizard nodded, ¡°Master Vladimir never believed you had fallen. Every time he returned to the rear, he would come to us looking for news about you.¡± With a hint of emotion in his voice, the logistic wizard added, ¡°We thought he was just unwilling to face reality. It seems now that we were the ones being shallow.¡± Richard smiled, inquired about the outcome of that old mission, and then turned to leave. In that mission, Alchemy Wizard Damir, squad leader Iyad, and Shaping Wizard Savo all survived, albeit relying on soul boxes. But surviving was undoubtedly a good thing; the effectiveness of the Magic Support Vehicle was confirmed by people, much stronger than a mere report of his. Returning from the logistic wizard, Richard casually visited the Army Commerce Guild. These commerce guilds must have made a fortune over the years. Richard wanted to see if he could get something that could be refined. Besides, Richard also lacked some knowledge of alchemy machinery, and the Wizard Commerce sometimes acted as a broker, facilitating transactions between wizards. With the war being so intense currently, there would definitely be wizards who had suffered soul injuries. Richard¡¯s improved Sacrificial Fungus was undoubtedly a great trading asset. Arriving at the commercial district, Richard headed straight for the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. Most wizards were still on the frontline, and due to the pressing issue of wizard shortages, the White Wizards coming back for rest had also become rare, causing these chambers¡¯ business to slow. Entering the store, the mechanical clerk immediately recognized Richard. ¡°Lord Richard, welcome.¡± Richard waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Bob.¡± The clerk turned and went into the back office, and shortly after, Bob, wearing a monocle, came out from the back. ¡°Richard, brother, long time no see.¡± Bob opened his arms for a hug, immediately making Richard sit down, and instructed the mechanical clerk to prepare a pot of fine Magic Tea. ¡°Brother Richard, your skills are quite impressive, being able to come back intact from such a scenario.¡± Richard chuckled, ¡°You flatter me, old brother. It was just that I had some tricks that happened to suit the environment of the Red Sun World.¡± Soon, the Magic Tea was ready. Bob poured Richard a cup, and the faint fragrance of the tea instantly filled the entire shop. ¡°Brother must have just returned, coming to my shop first thing. Could it be that over these years, brother has encountered some treasures he wants to share with me?¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°What treasures could I have? I¡¯ve been evading the Fire Lizards for ten years; I didn¡¯t get anything but some slightly better-quality Flame Gems.¡± Bob¡¯s eyes sparkled upon hearing this. Although Richard¡¯s statement sounded like an excuse, Bob discerned some different information from it. Richard being trapped behind the Fire Lizards for ten years did not seem normal. Richard had been assigned on the Red Soil Plain, a place Bob had personally explored, which had no places to hide. Furthermore, the Fire Lizards¡¯ patrol teams were renowned for their speed and marksmanship. Surviving their pursuit would obviously not be possible just by running. Bob was speculating how Richard had escaped the Fire Lizards, but when he heard about the decent-quality Fire Element Gems, a guess suddenly formed in his mind. Richard must have escaped through the Magma Network beneath the Red Soil Plain, and most likely had some fortune in the Magma Network. Otherwise, Richard wouldn¡¯t have delayed for ten years. In a flash of thought, Bob gave Richard a slight smile and said, ¡°Decent-quality Fire Element Gems? If these are gems that brother you took interest in, they must be more than just decent. Why don¡¯t brother take two out for me to see?¡± Unaware that Bob had guessed his fortune from his offhand excuse, Richard felt a sudden suspicion when he heard Bob wanted to see the gems. Bob might lack anything in the Red Sun World, but surely not the Fire Element Gems. ¡°Fire Element Gems are something Bob should be tired of by now,¡± Richard pondered momentarily, ¡°otherwise he wouldn¡¯t use them as an excuse.¡± He quickly came to a conclusion that Bob may have guessed that he had escaped through the Magma Sea and even speculated that Richard had chanced upon something there. By asking for the gem, Bob wanted to confirm his guesses. Having realized this, Richard already had a strategy in mind. Although he couldn¡¯t monopolize the ecosystem of the Flame Giant Beasts, he could still use the information to trade for some Magic Essence. Consequently, Richard pulled out a Flame Gem from his pocket. Even though it was decent looking, it was not top quality. ¡°Here, this is it.¡± Upon seeing the gem, Bob frowned slightly. This wasn¡¯t what he expected. If Richard had entered the Magma Network, the gem should have been pristine. Why was it this mediocre? Had he guessed wrong? Bob glanced at Richard and saw him sigh before he picked up his Magic Tea and started sipping it. Bob couldn¡¯t figure out Richard¡¯s thoughts and had to keep his suspicions to himself for the moment, he tentatively said, ¡°Little brother, did you get the wrong one? This gem is too ordinary.¡± ¡°Sigh, big brother, don¡¯t mention it; it¡¯s good enough to have anything at all,¡± Richard responded regretfully, ¡°If only¡­ Ah, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore.¡± When asked what behavior is most annoying in the world, leaving a statement half-said definitely ranks high. Bob was intrigued by Richard¡¯s half-statement and couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡°Little brother, you can¡¯t just leave it hanging like that. What exactly happened?¡± But Richard simply waved his hands disapprovingly, ¡°Forget I said anything.¡± Seeing Richard act this way, and recalling that Richard had come straight to him upon returning, Bob speculated, ¡°Richard is always careful in his dealings. Was his remark just now not accidental, but rather a deliberate bait? It seems he encountered some fortune in the Red Soil Plain and, unable to handle it alone, has come to me to trade for Magic Essence or perhaps to seek cooperation.¡± Unaware of Bob¡¯s thoughts, Richard indeed had a ¡°fortune¡± prepared for him. He had quite a stash of the flesh of a Mutated Flame Beast, whose potential would definitely catch the attention of the Wizard Commerce. Feeling he had figured out Richard¡¯s intention, Bob directly said, ¡°Little brother, let¡¯s be straight. You came directly to me as soon as you got back, you must need something. What exactly did you discover on the Red Soil Plain?¡± Seeing Bob address him so openly, Richard was straightforward as well and took out a blue ice cluster from his pocket. Inside the ice, there was a lump of flesh from a Mutated Flame Lizard. ¡°Hmm? The Dead Silence Ice Mountain Sealing Technique of the Great Wizard Qing Shuang!¡± Bob clearly recognized the Sealing Skill of the Great Wizard and exclaimed upon seeing the blue frost in Richard¡¯s hand. He quickly realized, however, that it was just an imitation. Bob wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: ¡°Little brother, that sealing technique was really terrifying; I almost thought you were a student of the Great Wizard.¡± The thought of a familiar face suddenly becoming the student of a high-ranking superior was indeed frightening. ¡°Haha, big brother, you flatter me; it¡¯s just a facade,¡± Richard chuckled. Richard then broke the seal, and a strong Life Radiation immediately filled the entire shop. Though just the size of a fist, the contained Life Energy was not less than that of a One Ring Wizard. Bob¡¯s eyes widened, and he adjusted his single lens eyeglass. Data began to appear in his eyeglass. ¡°This lump of flesh has a Life Force surpassing third-level creatures!¡± ¡°What kind of creature does this flesh belong to, its Life Energy is incredibly powerful,¡± Bob murmured. Without answering, Richard tapped the table beside him. ¡°Big brother, my sincerity is shown; what about yours?¡± Coming out of his reverie, Bob hurried to the back room and threw a Magic Pocket to Richard. The pocket contained all the fine items Bob had collected over the years. ¡°Little brother, quote your price. Where did you get this from?¡± Richard checked the contents of the pocket with his spiritual power, then shook his head. ¡°What, is this not enough?¡± At this moment, Bob lost his earlier composure, the value of the flesh completely overwhelming his senses. ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know where this thing was obtained from. The reason I escaped was that the owner of this lump of flesh suddenly appeared and wiped out those Fire Lizards. I was caught in the aftermath and fell into a feigned death, losing track of it. I¡¯ve been searching in the Magma Network for years, but aside from this piece of flesh, I found nothing.¡± Richard¡¯s explanation instantly cooled Bob¡¯s excitement. Yes, if such a creature had a fixed location, it probably would have been captured by the Fire Lizard King long ago; it wouldn¡¯t be possible for wizards to find it. Calming down, Bob adjusted his monocle and exhaled, slowly saying: ¡°Little brother, then quote a price for this piece of flesh.¡± Pleased, Richard nodded and began pulling various items from his pocket. Among these treasures were top-quality Fire Element Gems, masterfully crafted Alchemy Sabers, and various Flame Artifacts, including a sealed golden flame in a Crystal Ball and an immortal fire tree sealed inside a gem. Each of these items was extremely valuable. Regrettably, Richard did not find any relics of the Pioneers, not even a fragment. ¡°Seeing as you¡¯re so straightforward, big brother, I won¡¯t hold back.¡± Chapter 246 - 30 Thoughts of the Puppet State Chapter 246: Chapter 30 Thoughts of the Puppet State Leaving Bob¡¯s place, Richard had successfully traded that piece of flesh for a bunch of things he valued highly. This included, but wasn¡¯t limited to, the limited research rights to all alchemy sabers before the end of the war, an unusually high-quality fist-sized flame gemstone, a third-level Fire Lizard¡¯s heart, as well as the body of a second-level dragon-cursed sorcerer. Richard had managed to exchange for these items not only because the flesh he held was of exceptional quality but also because such flesh was exceedingly rare. The rarer an item, the more valuable it is, and as long as it¡¯s sufficiently rare and useful, the Wizard Commerce could make up for any losses incurred in the deal with Richard by profiting off other wizards. Of course, that was assuming Richard didn¡¯t mass-produce and sell these items. And right now, Richard had an abundance of magic essence and had no plans to engage in such a damaging act to both parties. Leaving the commercial district, Richard asked around and eventually found the location of Vladimir¡¯s camp. Since Vladimir had taken such interest in him, it was only right for Richard to return and pay a visit after coming back. ¡­ The war had already lasted for twenty years, a duration in which the battle for the Insect Nest World would¡¯ve already concluded, leaving nothing but the Great Wizard Qing Shuang and a bunch of White Wizards bulldozing through weaker opponents. However, in the Red Sun World, the war had only just entered a stalemate. The relatively scarce number of wizards compared to Fire Lizards severely limited the area under wizard control. Although the wizards had built many fortresses along the border of the Wizard Control Zone, anyone with clear eyes could see that the wizards were actually running short on manpower. On the border, hundreds of thousands of Fire Lizards would enter the Wizard Control Zone from various nooks and crannies every day, some of which were elite squads from the Fire Lizard Empire out to gather intelligence or mimic the Black Wizards in sabotaging behind enemy lines. But the vast majority of them were ordinary Fire Lizards. War costs money. Twenty years of war had forced the Fire Lizard Empire to exploit its citizens to maintain extensive military expenses, and with Black Wizards intentionally elevating some dregs to power within the Fire Lizard society, various degrees of civil unrest had erupted throughout the Empire. Harsh taxation and corrupt officials led some Fire Lizards to prefer risking their lives to enter the Wizard Control Zone over living within the Empire. The wizards couldn¡¯t be bothered to clear out these Fire Lizards who didn¡¯t even measure up to the first level. Thus, an absurd situation arose: Fire Lizards lived better under the very wizards seeking their extinction. Richard observed a Fire Lizard village not far from himself, where the children of Fire Lizards were playing, and many adult Fire Lizards were tilling the fields nearby. On this land not illuminated by the Fire Lizard King, the Fire Dragon Grass was growing even better. Richard watched the scene intently, a vague idea beginning to take shape in his mind. Why didn¡¯t the wizards try to support a Fire Lizard Kingdom as a puppet state? S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The wizards didn¡¯t need these lower-class Fire Lizards, but the Fire Lizard Empire did. If they could get these lower-class Fire Lizards to come to the Wizard Control Zone, the Fire Lizard Empire¡¯s combat capability would undoubtedly decrease. Furthermore, the wizards could train their own Fire Lizard army and let Fire Lizards fight amongst themselves. With this approach, the wizards¡¯ own losses were certain to decrease, and the speed of the war would also increase. After all, nobles are assholes irrespective of race, and the wizards could fully exploit this fact. Supporting puppet states was a strategy his previous life¡¯s major powers had played out to exhaustion. Leaving the airspace above the village, Richard quickly arrived at Vladimir¡¯s position. Inside this battlefield comprised of War Fortress constructions and alchemy machines¡ªa small city of Fire Lizards. This city had been transformed by the White Wizard Army into a fortress complex bristling with alchemy weapons and magic array traps, making it an absolute tough nut to crack. Within Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s army, Richard had quite a respectable reputation. The decisive battle in the Insect Nest World had made many wizards aware of him, so he encountered no obstacles in proving his identity. Entering this fortified city, Richard, guided by a White Wizard, found Vladimir tinkering with a Magic Stone Cannon. ¡°Master Engineer, Great Master Richard has come to see you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother me¡­ Who did you say is looking for me?¡± Vladimir¡¯s head shot up abruptly, and he saw Richard, clad in a black robe, smiling and watching him. ¡°Master, long time no see.¡± Vladimir stood up and came over to Richard, looking him over from the left and right. ¡°Good lad, you managed to return safe and sound even after being chased by a patrol. Even I wouldn¡¯t be able to accomplish that.¡± Richard laughed, ¡°You flatter me, Master. It was just the environment being conducive.¡± Vladimir narrowed his eyes, ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve utilized quite a bit of magic essence on this job; your progress with the Adaptation Body must be significant.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard immediately knew why Vladimir was certain he¡¯d return. The Adaptation Body¡¯s capacity to adapt to elements could allow Richard to escape via the Magma Network. Vladimir and Jolod were old acquaintances, naturally aware of the effects of the Adaptation Body, and combined with the Magma Pools on the Red Soil Plain, escaping was certainly a very normal affair. ¡°Haha, indeed quite substantial.¡± After exchanging pleasantries, Richard began to share the idea he had conceived on the road with Vladimir. This idea, if put into practice, would definitely enhance the efficiency of war. But after hearing it, Vladimir frowned and took a deep drag from his pipe. ¡°Not bad,¡± he said, ¡°no wonder Jolod said you have a lot of clever tricks up your sleeve. But¡­¡± Vladimir¡¯s tone shifted, ¡°Your idea has already been proposed by others, but it was abandoned by the Great Wizard after just a few battles.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Richard was somewhat dumbfounded. Could there be some flaw in the plan that he hadn¡¯t noticed? Vladimir tapped his pipe: ¡°It¡¯s simple, while this approach can quickly end a war, does the speed of war really matter to a Great Wizard?¡± Richard looked around at the bunkers and the traps set with magic arrays. All of them cost money. Ending the war sooner meant that this money would no longer be needed. ¡°Heh, how much could setting up a position cost?¡± Vladimir saw through Richard¡¯s thoughts and scoffed, ¡°That money is nothing compared to what a Great Wizard spends on hiring wizards. ¡°For a Great Wizard, the pace of war is irrelevant. ¡°The wars of nowadays are fast already; a small world can be subdued in just over a hundred years. For a Great Wizard, that¡¯s shorter than a nap. ¡°Moreover, such a plan would inevitably leave behind a relatively intact society after the war¡¯s end. ¡°For wizards, this is a ticking time bomb. ¡°You must understand, we are invaders, and under this premise, any actions taken by the natives against us are naturally justified. ¡°Even if you think you¡¯ve been kind enough to these natives.¡± While speaking, Vladimir pinched some tobacco, filled his pipe, and lit it with a spell. ¡°Besides, we can never be kind to these natives. We¡¯re wizards, not saviors. We embark on planar expeditions for resources and slaves. It¡¯s better to crush these natives completely than to waste effort on a ticking bomb. ¡°After crushing them, we can shape them however we wish.¡± Vladimir was indeed an experienced wizard, veteran of many battles; he identified a multitude of problems with Richard¡¯s idea. After listening to him, Richard too realized that his plan was worthless to a Great Wizard. ¡°However, your plan does have some merit,¡± Vladimir felt his words might have been too harsh and added, ¡°It¡¯s pretty good for a newly promoted Great Wizard. New Great Wizards are broke, so this method could save some wizard hiring costs, easing the financial pressures on a Great Wizard.¡± Feeling somewhat dejected, Richard exhaled, ¡°Master, you don¡¯t need to comfort me. I was just being presumptuous.¡± Vladimir raised an eyebrow and then steered the conversation toward Magic Support Vehicles. Now that Richard was back, it was time to schedule the design and optimization of the Magic Support Vehicles according to their performance in battle. Vladimir hadn¡¯t forgotten his promise; he clearly remembered his commitment to help Richard iron out some minor issues. ¡°The Magic Support Vehicles performed decently on the battlefield. Our four vehicles fired at their limits, killing about a dozen Fire Lizards, including one Second Level Fire Lizard that was critically injured. If we increase the number of Magic Support Vehicles, the impact they can have will naturally grow. The main issue with the Magic Support Vehicles lies in their mobility.¡± Richard took out a bundle of draft papers from his pocket. Over the years, when he had the time, he had pondered optimizations for the Magic Support Vehicles, and these papers were the result of his efforts. Vladimir took the drafts and started to look them over, nodding slightly with each one he reviewed. After finishing the bundle, Vladimir pulled out a feather pen from his pocket and began making some changes to a few of the drafts. After making the changes, Vladimir handed the drafts back to Richard: ¡°Not bad optimization, but some areas could be improved.¡± Richard looked at the changes Vladimir made and couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. An experienced old wizard certainly had his ways; he improved upon the optimization plan that Richard had taken so long to develop after just a brief review. ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± Richard respectfully said. Vladimir waved his hand nonchalantly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go back on my word.¡± Returning from the front lines, Richard began to undertake upgrades and substitutions for the Magic Support Vehicles that had already been delivered, providing technical support while the Legion supplied the materials. With the Magic Support Vehicles thoroughly tested, Richard¡¯s life became peaceful. After upgrading over four hundred Magic Support Vehicles, Richard submerged himself in the laboratory. There was much he could work on. He could replace the gemstone on his staff with a high-quality Flame Gem obtained from Bob, refine the patterns and skills on the Alchemy Sabers, alter the Pioneer¡¯s technology, research the blue flames from the Magma Sea, as well as the flesh of the Mutated Flame Giant Beast. Reflecting on his gains, Richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh to himself: ¡°Plane wars really are great places to make a fortune!¡± Chapter 247 - 31 The Mountain Rain is about to Fall Chapter 247: Chapter 31 The Mountain Rain is about to Fall ¡°Crawl, grasp my hand.¡± At the border between the Wizard Control Zone and the Morick Empire, a female Fire Lizard called out to her child to grasp her hand, while below the child, a male Fire Lizard was lifting his child up as high as he possibly could. Around the female, a group of Fire Lizards, whose strength was at most that of a senior Knight, waited for the last family in the group. Although this family had slowed down the group¡¯s pace, they still had not been abandoned by the group. Speeding up the march would not allow them to evade the patrol teams, but that child named Crawl, who appeared a bit silly, had a way of uplifting everyone¡¯s spirits. Their location was at the corner of the Ashen Mountains of the Morick Empire, a mountain range extending thousands of kilometers which served as a natural dividing line for both the Fire Lizards and the Wizards. What this group of Fire Lizards was doing was the legendary act of smuggling. The war between the Wizards and the Fire Lizards had been ongoing for thirty-five years, and taxation within the Fire Lizard Empire had been increasingly incremented. In certain regions, under the demands of some corrupt officials, seventy percent of the yearly revenue had to be surrendered to the Empire. Very few Fire Lizards could withstand this level of taxation. Uprisings and civil unrest broke out intermittently within the Three Great Empires, with those in the Linksa Empire even spreading across half of the Empire, requiring Commander Balashar of the Dragon Beast Knight Order to dispatch troops personally for suppression. Under the oppressive taxation, the brilliance of the Fire Lizard King had dimmed, and among the Fire Lizards, there was a rumor that the Wizards had no interest in ordinary Fire Lizards. In that dark realm, untouched by the Fire Lizard King¡¯s light, even the Fire Dragon Grass grew more luxuriantly. The female Fire Lizard pulled with all her might, bringing her child into her embrace, and as soon as the male Fire Lizard below saw that his child was safe, he quickly climbed up. The group eyed the gray mountain hollow not far off¡ªonce they passed through this hollow, they would be entering the Wizard Control Zone. At that point, a vast land awaited them, free to move about and live as they pleased. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said the Fire Lizard leading the group. ¡°We need to move quickly and try to get through this hollow before sunset.¡± Hearing this, the others remained silent, only gripping the sticks for climbing tighter in their hands. It was finally coming to an end. The leader of the group went first, and the others followed. The Ashen Mountains were rife with obsidian, which, when shattered, was as sharp as a steel blade. If one were to roll down the mountain, they¡¯d be lucky to die halfway down; the less lucky ones would be as if they¡¯d rolled down a hill of knives, their bodies lacerated as if they¡¯d been put to death by slow slicing. Suddenly, a Fire Lizard slipped and tumbled down the slope, quickly becoming bloodstained from abrasions against the obsidian. ¡°Save me! Save me!¡± But all the other Fire Lizards silently turned their gaze away¡ªthe Fire Lizard was beyond saving. Shortly, the Fire Lizard collided with a massive piece of obsidian, and its head bore a gaping bloody hole. There were sighs among the Fire Lizards; they had seen such scenes many times and had grown numb inside. After half a day¡¯s journey, the group finally came down the mountain. Past this hollow, they would escape the harsh taxation and encounter a new life. ¡°Halt, you traitors!¡± A voice echoed from the mountain top, and the Fire Lizards turning around saw an individual clad in a red robe, with a golden Dragon Claw Shield emblazoned on their chest, looking at them. ¡°Cease your movement now, or I will treat you like the traitors you are!¡± The Fire Lizard leader saw the emblem on the red-robed Fire Lizard¡¯s chest and went pale. ¡°It¡¯s Merrick¡¯s Shield!¡± Merrick¡¯s Shield, an organization that had rapidly risen amidst the war against the Wizards. Under the leadership of Azuhan and Akala, Merrick¡¯s Shield had become the Jinyiwei of the Morick Empire, encompassing investigations, arrests, trials, and imprisonment. Completely independent of the judiciary, it answered directly to the Fire Lizard King. In the campaign against the Black Wizards within Morick, Merrick¡¯s Shield had shown remarkable effectiveness. Among the Three Great Empires, the Morick Empire was the least affected by the Black Wizards, followed by the Mias Empire, which had the shortest frontline with the Wizards. As for the Linksa Empire¡­ the Black Wizards could even control the candidates for Linksa¡¯s Eye. Had it not been for the operations of the Dragon Beast Base causing heavy losses to the Black Wizards, the Linksa Empire would by now have become a garden for the Black Wizards. To reduce the efficiency of Merrick¡¯s Shield, the Black Wizards began spreading rumors among the populace, painting Merrick¡¯s Shield as a dark organization that wantonly took lives and killed at whim. In the present Morick Empire, fearmongering phrases such as ¡°Behave, or Merrick¡¯s Shield will take you away¡± had even begun to scare children. The group, staring at the Fire Lizard at the mountain top, suddenly heard someone shout. ¡°Run! Better to die here than to be captured by them!¡± In an instant, the entire group scattered in all directions, running desperately towards the dark lands beyond the hollow, not illuminated by the Fire Lizard King. Seeing this, the Fire Lizard standing atop the mountain couldn¡¯t help but show a wry smile. Had you stayed, this could have been as if it had never happened. But now that you¡¯re fleeing, I can only fulfill my duty. He drew a Black Gold Scimitar from his waist, then leaped from the summit. Before Merrick¡¯s Shield¡¯s elite forces, these ordinary civilian Fire Lizards stood no chance. Before long, the Fire Lizard reached the last one in the group. The small fellow looked around dumbly, seemingly not understanding what was happening. Beside him, a female Fire Lizard lay on the ground, her neck half-severed by a sharp piece of obsidian. ¡°Child, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­ Crawl.¡± ¡°Crawl, huh? That¡¯s a good name; my son is also called Crawl.¡± ¡°Mister, what¡¯s wrong with my mom? She¡¯s bleeding a lot.¡± The Fire Lizard did not reply; he did not know how to explain the meaning of death to the little one before him. He walked over to Crawly and lifted him up from the ground. There wasn¡¯t a trace of hesitation in his heart about killing these traitors. Treason was treason, no matter the reasons behind it. But children should be innocent. ¡°Uncle, where are you taking me? My mom told me not to go with strangers.¡± Crawly didn¡¯t struggle when suddenly picked up; he still wore that dumbfounded expression, gazing cluelessly at the Fire Lizard who lifted him. The Fire Lizard didn¡¯t answer. He flicked his finger lightly, knocking Crawly out cold. He really had no expertise when it came to childcare. The questions Crawly asked should be left to those professional Fire Lizards in the rear. ¡­ The Royal Capital of the Morick Empire featured a very lavish Pyramid structure. ¡°Azuhan, there have been more and more smuggling cases recently.¡± Akala draped herself over the desk, speaking listlessly to the male Fire Lizard opposite her. This was the headquarters of Merrick¡¯s Shield, and also Akala¡¯s former bedroom. The Azuhan across from her was flipping through documents. Hearing Akala¡¯s words, he sighed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s normal. The Empire¡¯s taxation has reached its limit, and those Black Wizards continue to wreak havoc within the Empire¡¯s borders. The smuggling cases will only increase over time.¡± ¡°Is there any solution, Azuhan?¡± Like a deflated fish, Akala flipped over, ¡°People below have been coming to me with suggestions non-stop. They¡¯d rather pretend to be slaves and infiltrate the inner circles of the Black Wizards than to hunt down smugglers. Is it that difficult to crack down on smugglers?¡± Azuhan looked up at Akala: ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Slaughtering the defenseless is a burden for most people. Only scum can massacre those who are utterly powerless without feeling stressed.¡± With that, Azuhan sighed again. ¡°Who would have thought that one day having strict recruitment standards would become a burden? If it were Linksa¡¯s Eye from next door, they would probably compete for the job.¡± ¡°So what, do we need to recruit some scum to deal with border enforcement too?¡± Azuhan shook his head: ¡°No need. If we really recruited scum, it would just prove the Black Wizards¡¯ rumors true. Besides, cracking down on smugglers is a short-term fix, not a solution. As long as the domestic taxes aren¡¯t lowered, the number of smugglers will only increase.¡± As he spoke, Azuhan took a document from a drawer and threw it to Akala. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Akala caught the document blankly and started flipping through it. Her lazy expression quickly turned serious. ¡°You¡¯re closing the net?¡± Akala put the document down, her gaze sharp as a blade. Azuhan nodded: ¡°It¡¯s getting late already. My father and Marshal Donar¡¯s plan is complete. What remains is resource mobilization and troop deployment. During this period, we must ensure the security of the Empire¡¯s internal intelligence.¡± ¡°What about the other two Empires?¡± ¡°The Minar Empire is still hesitating, while Marshal Balashar of the Linksa Empire has responded, saying he will fully support our operation.¡± Akala frowned: ¡°Minar is still hesitating?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Azuhan spoke indifferently, ¡°The bunch of bastards still hopes to bleed us more through the Wizards, hoping to reap a windfall later.¡± Akala couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. With such calculations at a time like this, could their counterattack really achieve the anticipated effects? ¡°I¡¯ll handle the closing of the net. Some of these Black Wizards are tricky, the common Silver Horns will likely not suffice.¡± ¡°Oh ho, our Princess wants to enter the battlefield personally?¡± ¡°Azuhan! Address me by my title when we¡¯re working!¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha, may you triumph and return, my Deputy Director.¡± ¡­ Nine Star Chamber of Commerce shop. ¡°Our Black Wizards in the Morick Empire have been hit hard?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard looked at Bob next to him in astonishment. ¡°Not just Morick,¡± Bob said with a mysterious face, ¡°our arrangements in Linksa have also suffered significant damage. I heard that several Three Rings Masters have died.¡± Richard took a sharp breath. What¡¯s happening to this world? Were these Fire Lizards trying to defy heaven? ¡°No, something¡¯s not right. How could the Fire Lizards suddenly launch such a widespread attack on Black Wizards, unless¡­¡± Richard didn¡¯t finish his sentence because Bob across from him had already voiced his speculation. ¡°Exactly, the Fire Lizards are beginning their counterattack.¡± The 35th year of war, the Fire Lizards¡¯ first wave of counterattack was finally coming. Chapter 248 - 32 The Counterattack Begins Chapter 248: Chapter 32 The Counterattack Begins ¡°Technical consultant Richard, due to the critical war situation, you have been urgently conscripted by the command center. Coordinates for your station have been sent to your Crystal Ball. Please be in position within three days, detailed handover will be conducted on site.¡± The indifferent female voice from the command center echoed through the crystal ball, and Richard looked up at it for a moment before standing, stretching his limbs. ¡°Half a year has passed, has the counterattack finally begun?¡± Half a year earlier, Richard had received news from Bob that the Fire Lizard Empire was about to counterattack. The heavy blows suffered by the Black Wizards behind the Fire Lizard lines, the frequent movements of the Fire Lizard troops, and the terrifying aura occasionally emanating from the Fire Lizard Empire¡¯s royal capital, all made it clear to both sides that a great war was about to commence. ¡°However, this is also just right. I can finally test the effectiveness of this thing.¡± Richard glanced at the experimental platform where a strangely shaped long knife, completely black with serrated edges, lay quietly. With Bob¡¯s help, Richard had acquired much knowledge about alchemy machines from three One Ring Alchemy Wizards using the upgraded Sacrificial Fungus in exchange. It took him ten years of spare time to learn this knowledge, and another five to design and simplify the components of the chainsaw sword he¡¯d developed to ensure it wouldn¡¯t malfunction during intense combat. Now, the time to test the results had come. After preparing his magic equipment, Richard walked out of the laboratory. Within the Floating City Fortress, streaks of light flashed across the sky¡ªone after another, wizards busy at work, as the start of the war had also busied these logistic wizards who had been at ease for over a decade. Richard took out a map and matched it with the coordinates the command center had given him. ¡°Strange, why are these coordinates so close to the Floating City Fortress? Surely the war hasn¡¯t reached this point.¡± The coordinates given by the command center were only thirty kilometers away from the Floating City. If the Fire Lizards had advanced to this position, they should be fighting for the defense of the Floating City by now. With his doubts, Richard quickly reached his assigned position. Upon arrival, Richard instantly understood what was going on. In front of him, more than four hundred Magic Support Vehicles were neatly arranged in a huge parking lot. ¡°Master Richard, long time no see.¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A wizard descended from one of the vehicles, greeting Richard familiarly. Richard took a closer look; it was Damir, who had carried out a support mission with him back in the day. ¡°Damir, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Richard responded. ¡°And me, Master Richard.¡± Another wizard hopped down from the vehicle next to Damir. Upon further inspection, wasn¡¯t this Iyad, the captain of the squad? Was this a mission that turned the squad into specialists? ¡°Captain Iyad, what¡¯s going on here? Has your White Wizard squad turned into a dedicated battlefield fire brigade?¡± Richard asked with some astonishment. Iyad smiled, ¡°Pretty much. The squad had too many losses to recruit new members easily. We didn¡¯t want to join a new squad, so we applied to the command center to join the support vehicle team.¡± Speaking of the past, Iyad¡¯s face visibly darkened¡ªthe Fire Lizards¡¯ barrage of arrows had wiped out half of the squad, and the subsequent pursuit had resulted in the annihilation of the entire team, with only three reviving from the soul box. Seeing his expression, Richard also heaved a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past,¡± Iyad waved the topic away, ¡°Master, your coming here must be because you received the command center¡¯s urgent conscription. Let me introduce to you our mission, and yours as well.¡± Iyad led Richard to an empty Magic Support Vehicle, ¡°Master, our mission is just as you said, we¡¯re the battlefield¡¯s fire brigade. Wherever there¡¯s a problem, we¡¯ll go to support. Once the support is done, we can retreat to a safe location to maintain the Magic Support Vehicles, then wait for new orders from the command center. Your task is to follow us on missions and handle repairs whenever a Magic Support Vehicle is damaged. We only have so many vehicles; lose one, and it¡¯s one less. Right now, the Teleportation Gates aren¡¯t open, and materials from the Wizard World can¡¯t be transported over. We have to cherish these war machines.¡± Richard nodded after hearing this, ¡°Sounds quite relaxing.¡± ¡°Relaxing, indeed.¡± Iyad smiled, ¡°But our easy days all depend on how the frontline combat goes. As an advisor to the Wizard Commerce, you must know how many casting components the army has purchased. Casting components aren¡¯t as easily restored as Magic Conduction Components. Once we run out of casting components, we have to join the frontline and fight those Fire Lizards.¡± Richard Jolod¡¯s commerce with the White Wizard Army did not cease with the start of the war. Before it began, Richard had moved all the materials for producing Magic Support Vehicles into the Secret Realm. In the ten years leading up to the war, he had delivered the remaining Magic Support Vehicles. After Richard returned from disappearing, the army purchased three thousand casting components from him. These components were priced at five Magic Essences each, but once they melted, the Wizard Commerce had to recycle them at two Magic Essences, putting the effective purchase price at three Magic Essences. The price was low, profit margins weren¡¯t high¡ªit was all about volume and a continuous flow. ¡°Let¡¯s hope these Fire Lizards are a bit more foolish,¡± Richard said with a laugh. ¡­ The Fire Lizard¡¯s counterattack was extremely sharp, starting from the Linksa Empire in the east to the Minar Empire in the west, every battlefront maintained by the Wizards was under assault. Seas of Fire Lizard Warriors relentlessly stormed the fortress clusters, which had originally been cities belonging to the Fire Lizards. After the transformation by the White Wizards, these cities had become fortresses. Alchemy Weapons poured deadly fire from the bunker¡¯s gunports, but after prolonged combat with the Wizards, the Fire Lizards had already devised methods to counter the Alchemy Wizards. They dispersed their formations, maintaining a certain distance between each warrior, and this distance was conveniently the limit of the Wizards¡¯ Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons. Under the provocation of the Wizards, the Fire Lizards had even developed something akin to skirmish lines. But despite this, attacking the fortress clusters still resulted in heavy casualties for the Fire Lizards. The Spells fired by the Alchemy Weapons were still Spells, once concealed, could cause a Magic Concentrated Fire effect. A large number of Fire Elements gathered due to the Spells, causing the temperature across the battlefield to continuously rise, even resulting in phenomena such as Fire Element Storms. Elemental Storms were troublesome for both sides, causing vast casualties among the Fire Lizards and also gradually wearing down the enchantments on the fortress clusters and triggering Magic Array traps. Behind the Fire Lizard lines, giant Dragon-turtles carrying Dragon Breath Cannons were slowly approaching the battlefield. To avoid revealing their main thrust, the movement of such strategic weapons had only begun on the eve of war. ¡°Report to the command center, tell them observation post 23 has spotted at least thirty strategic weapons.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With the emergence of the Dragon Breath Cannons, naturally, the Wizards¡¯ fortress clusters raised Magic Barriers one after another. These Magic Barriers were meticulously designed to withstand the might of Dragon Breath Cannons. ¡°Wu¡ª¡ª¡± The melodious sound of horns came from the Fire Lizard¡¯s rear, and the Fire Lizards operating the Dragon Breath Cannons started to act according to the melody of the horns. ¡°Three rounds of firing, fire at will.¡± It was hard to imagine, operating such colossal Dragon Breath Cannons required only a single Fire Lizard. The Fire Lizard operating the Dragon Breath Cannon touched its head to a piece of black crystal on the back of the Dragon-turtle¡¯s neck, and in an instant, massive amounts of information flowed into the Fire Lizard¡¯s brain through the black crystal. At this moment, its spirit was connected with the Dragon-turtle; it felt what the Dragon-turtle felt, and without the Dragon-turtle¡¯s huge brain to process this information, upon connection, it felt as if its own brain was boiling. ¡°Focus, focus!¡± The Fire Lizard, well-trained and familiar with this sensation, concentrated hard and then controlled the volcano on the Dragon-turtle¡¯s back to fire. In truth, the so-called Dragon Breath Cannon was merely a tremendous Dragon Beast¡¯s Talent Ability. Golden Fireballs erupted from the volcano on the Dragon-turtle¡¯s back, fiercely striking the Magic Barrier of the fortress clusters, creating ripples after ripples. The Wizards had conquered so many worlds; if their constructed Magic Barriers were said to withstand Dragon Breath Cannons, they would withstand them. But as the Dragon Breath Cannons kept bombarding, the Wizards gradually realized something was wrong. These Fire Lizard attacks seemed to intentionally tempt the fortresses to use Spells for attack, with the concentration of Fire Elements on the battlefield continuously soaring, to the extent that some Elemental creatures enslaved by Wizards felt as if they were back in their home. And with such a high concentration of Fire Elements, it naturally resulted in fiercer Fire Element Storms. Boom boom! The Fire Element hurricanes continuously attacked the Magic Barriers, and under the bombardment of the Dragon Breath Cannons, the Fire Element Storms even showed signs of intensifying. At this moment, the Wizards finally understood what these Fire Lizards were up to. Within the fortress clusters, a White Wizard elder watched the continually rippling Magic Barrier and calmly said, ¡°Thinking to use Elemental Storms to break the Magic Barriers, these Fire Lizards are quite clever.¡± Behind him, several Wizards with extraordinary presences were sitting in the room, receiving intelligence from various parts of the battlefront. A young Wizard approached the elder, his expression somewhat tense. ¡°Master, what do we do in this situation? The Magic Power consumption of the Magic Barrier is too great; if this continues, our Magic Power reserves will be exhausted in just a few days.¡± The elder Wizard glanced at his pupil, speaking in a stern tone, ¡°What¡¯s the panic about? Among the worlds the Wizards have conquered, there are countless races smarter than these Fire Lizards. This strategy of theirs is nothing but a trifling trick.¡± With that, he took out a Crystal Ball and issued several commands. ¡°Prepare the Elemental Puppets, I want to see them on the battlefield in half an hour.¡± The curious young Wizard asked, ¡°Master, what¡¯s an Elemental Puppet? I haven¡¯t heard of it before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± replied the elder Wizard dismissively, ¡°Just a small trick to deal with an Elemental Storm.¡± Chapter 249 - 33: The Meat Grinder Chapter 249: Chapter 33: The Meat Grinder Twenty minutes later, a group of Alchemy Wizards arrived at the edge of the Magic Barrier with a huge metal skeleton. The metal skeleton was enormous, measuring a full four meters in length, and its center was filled with dense, human-like metal structures. The Wizards set the skeleton down, and the leading Wizard took out a scorching Element Core from his pocket and placed it in the very center of the structure. The Element Core was the heart of an Elemental creature, and as it was integrated, mystical Runes began to light up on the metal skeleton. Thirty seconds later, all the Runes on the skeleton were activated. At the moment of full activation, the Wizards could distinctly feel a wave of heat rushing toward them. Near the skeleton, Fire Elements were gathering towards it. The leading Wizard gestured, and all the other Alchemy Wizards except him retreated deep into their position, leaving him alone. He leaned on his Magic Wand, silently watching the Fire Elements wrap around the skeleton. Five minutes later, a thick layer of Crimson Flames formed over the skeleton due to the rich Fire Elements. The remaining Wizard waved his Magic Wand, and the skeleton stood up from the ground. No, it could no longer be called just a skeleton. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Fire Elements had given the skeleton the power to move, acting as its muscles and sinews, and it now also had a ¡°heart.¡± At this moment, the skeleton had become a man-made Flame Giant. The Wizard pointed forward with his Magic Wand, and the Flame Giant took steps out of the Magic Barrier. Outside the Magic Barrier, an Elemental Storm raged fiercely. The violent Elemental Storm battered the newly formed skin and flesh of the Flame Giant, as if slashing it with a steel knife. The Flame Giant emitted a silent roar and then drew a breath. Inhale! In the next instant, the flames that made up the Flame Giant¡¯s flesh increased significantly. Facing the all-encompassing Elemental Storm, the Flame Giant resembled Don Quixote charging at windmills. The intense battlefield Fire Elements were continuously absorbed by the Flame Giant, these Elements filled the Giant¡¯s body, transforming it from skeletal to immensely robust. But even so, the Flame Giant was still like Don Quixote. The Elemental Storm was too vast; even when combined, the Magic Barriers of the positions could barely withstand it. The Elements absorbed by a single Flame Giant were merely a drop in the bucket for the Storm. To solve this issue, the Battlefield Command had their answer. ¡°Release all of the Elemental Puppets from storage.¡± The white-bearded old Wizard ordered calmly, then chuckled to his colleagues, ¡°You see, I told you these things would be useful. Let¡¯s see who dares say I¡¯m carrying unnecessary items now.¡± One wasn¡¯t enough, so send ten. If ten weren¡¯t enough, then send a hundred! One by one, Flame Giants were dispatched, and the concentration of Fire Elements on the battlefield began to drop steadily. As long as the Elemental concentration decreased, the Elemental Storm would cease on its own. ¡­ ¡°These Wizards are not simple, huh.¡± In the Fire Lizard Command, the Commander stood at the observation point, quietly watching the Wizards dismantle their meticulously prepared Elemental Storm using Elemental Puppets. ¡°Sir, what should we do next?¡± A Fire Lizard staff officer stepped forward and asked, ¡°Without the Elemental Storm to break through that barrier, our attack would take a very long time.¡± The Commander glanced at his subordinate, a young Fire Lizard who had come from the rear and hadn¡¯t fought against the Wizards much. ¡°Why do you think that without that barrier, we would be able to quickly conquer this city made up of fortresses?¡± The Fire Lizard staff officer was at a loss for words. ¡°Kid, you haven¡¯t dealt with these Wizards much, so I¡¯ll forgive you for that foolish remark,¡± the Fire Lizard Commander spoke indifferently. ¡°My father fought against these Wizards for twenty years, and at that time, I was his deputy. After his death, I took over his position and have been fighting these Wizards for another fifteen years. Do you know what conclusion I¡¯ve drawn from thirty-five years of war?¡± The Fire Lizard staff officer shook his head. The Fire Lizard Commander grinned widely, revealing his sharp fangs. ¡°If you want to reduce casualties in a war with the Wizards, you need to think strategically. But if you want to win a war against the Wizards, you can¡¯t care about casualties. Our biggest advantage over the Wizards is that we have more troops!¡± The Fire Lizard Commander¡¯s eyes were as fierce as an Evil Ghost as he spoke, with decades of warfare having turned him into a monster clad in Fire Lizard skin. He summoned the Order Officer and conveyed his command. ¡°Pass the word to continue the assault as planned. The Elemental Storm was just support; real breaches in their defenses can only be made with warrior¡¯s Flesh and Blood!¡± ¡­ The Fire Lizard¡¯s counterattack line stretched long, from the Linksa Empire in the east to the Minar Empire in the west. Yet, on this vast line of battle, commanders of different nations, backgrounds, and statuses made the same decision. The Blood of Fire Lizard warriors could fill the capitals of the Three Great Empires, and piles of their bodies could reach higher than mountains. Yet, still, the counteroffensive continued. The Magic Barrier dimmed under the bombardment of Dragon Breath Cannons and eventually vanished completely. Then the Dragon Turtles began moving towards the battlefield¡ªthese Dragon Turtles were not only moving artillery but also War Beasts for besieging. Thud! Thud! Thud! The dragon turtle, colossal as a hill, approached the battlefield step by step, and the Wizards within the fortress could even feel the fortress trembling. Alchemy Weapons let out a silent roar, but it was not just the dragon turtle that was moving forward. A group of shield-carrying Samurais with specially crafted metal large shields advanced alongside the dragon turtle, and behind them, tens of thousands of Fire Lizard Warriors were ready to storm the fortress at any moment. The shield-carrying Samurais acted like a living shield, continuously fending off the powerful Spells for the dragon turtle. As for those Spells of average power, when they landed on the dragon turtle, they merely broke a few scales, causing minimal damage to the dragon turtle. Spells fell, shields shattered, warriors perished, and then new warriors joined the ranks. The Wizards¡¯ Magic Power was depleting every second, while the Fire Lizard Warriors seemed infinite. Thud! Thud! Thud! The dragon turtle drew closer, and the Wizards within the fortress could now see the fierce and frantic expressions of the Fire Lizards atop it. These Fire Lizards gnashed teeth and lapped at blood with a look in their eyes that was both ferocious and insane. The Wizards could assert that these Fire Lizards would not hesitate to die, even if it meant trading one for one or even two for one with them. ¡°The fringe squad retreat, the fringe squad prepare to retreat.¡± Orders from the battlefield command center came through the Communication Crystal Ball, and the White Wizard squad that received the orders immediately began to dismantle the Alchemy Weapons, preparing to enter the rear fortress. The entire city had been transformed by the White Wizards into a fortress; the loss of the forward fortress didn¡¯t matter. But before the White Wizards had completed their withdrawal, the War Beasts revealed their fangs. The dragon turtles opened their massive jaws, and terrifying Dragon Breaths spewed forth from their mouths. After all, the dragon turtles carried the word ¡®dragon¡¯, and what Giant Dragon did not have a Breath? However, the central battlefield command center suddenly became eerily calm. ¡°It seems these natives have also made quite some progress,¡± the white-bearded old Wizard said solemnly, ¡°These dragon turtles have been modified by them; I suspect this modification to be the result of the hidden Lost Heritage of the Morick Empire.¡± The other Wizards in the command center remained silent, for the Morick Empire was the strongest among the Three Great Empires, and the reason for this, aside from their Fire Lizard King being slightly stronger than the other two Fire Lizard Kings, was that the Morick Empire had more Lost Heritage in its possession than the others. According to intelligence from the Black Wizards, the Lost Heritage of the Morick Empire, besides the Dragon Curse Sorcerer modifications, contained another portion that was hidden. Now it seemed that the hidden portion was most likely the modification of the dragon turtles present. ¡°Master, the frontline Wizard¡¯s evaluation report is out,¡± a Wizard suddenly stood up, his Crystal glowing faintly in hand. ¡°Read it.¡± ¡°These dragon turtles have increased their defense by a hundred Energy Levels, their Physique has reached the limit of third-level creatures, and the intensity of their Breath is between twelve hundred to eighteen hundred Energy Levels.¡± The white-bearded old Wizard furrowed his brows, looking at the dragon turtles that continued to advance, he issued an order: ¡°Bring out the Minor Disintegrator Cannon; if we don¡¯t deal with this thing, our fortress cluster will be a joke.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After the command, the white-bearded Wizard refocused his gaze on the battlefield. Behind the dragon turtles, like a tide, dense masses of Fire Lizards were entering the city through the breach. ¡°This battle is not going to be easy.¡± ¡­ The frontline war raged fiercely, while the rear battlefield fire brigades had it much easier. After thirty-five years of warfare, the defensive lines could not be called impregnable, but breaching them in a short time would be impossible. Therefore, the support vehicle squadron also had nothing to do for the time being. Richard roamed the Magic Support Vehicle workshop, occasionally using Alchemy to check whether there was anything amiss with the vehicles. This was already his tenth time doing so in the last seven days. And behind him, Damir followed him like a shadow. Richard turned around, somewhat helplessly looking at this somewhat obsessive Alchemy Wizard. After Damir learned that the Magic Support Vehicle was designed by Richard, he hung onto Richard like an adoring fan encountering a star, barraging him with questions. Some questions were quite peculiar, like whether Richard preferred gears or levers, and some were a bit over the top, even touching upon some of the technical aspects of the Magic Support Vehicles. Luckily, Iyad was also in the team, and after Richard found him, he quickly reprimanded Damir. With his former superior keeping him in check, Damir had somewhat reined in his behavior, but today, for some reason, he started pestering Richard again. ¡°Damir, what exactly do you want?¡± Richard said with an unpleasant tone. If not for the fact that, before the war, all Wizards had signed a Soul Contract prohibiting subjective harm on one another, Richard would have long ago smacked this inconsiderate Alchemy Wizard to death with his Magic Wand. No Black Wizard liked having another Wizard behind his back. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Master Richard, just go about your business,¡± Damir said, shrinking back a bit sheepishly. Richard pulled out his Magic Wand, releasing the pressure of a Second Ring Wizard: ¡°You¡¯d better make your purpose clear, I don¡¯t like people following behind me.¡± Although Wizards could not harm each other subjectively, Sealing Skill was not included in that prohibition. ¡°Well¡­ I have an idea I¡¯d like to discuss with you, Master¡­¡± Before Damir could finish his sentence, the command center issued orders through the Communication Crystal Ball. ¡°Position Thirteen has been breached, Number One and Number Two support vehicle squadrons move out.¡± Chapter 250 - 34 Your Requested Fire Support is in Place Chapter 250: Chapter 34 Your Requested Fire Support is in Place The order from the Communication Crystal Ball interrupted Damir¡¯s words. In times of war, missions were the utmost priority, and Richard did not continue to tangle with Damir, quickly returning to his own Magic Support Vehicle, ready to head to Position Forty-three along with Vehicles One and Two to provide support. According to the headquarters¡¯ planning, these more than four hundred Magic Support Vehicles were divided into nine teams, each team consisting of fifty Magic Support Vehicles, and the remaining vehicles were reserves, used to maintain the number of the fleet in case any Magic Support Vehicle suffered irreparable damage. Soon, with the roaring of engines, Teams One and Two started moving. Richard followed behind the two teams and casually pulled Ulysses out of the Secret Realm. As soon as Ulysses entered the Red Sun World, he shivered all over, looked around at the environment, and asked, ¡°Caw, has the war started again?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°It has, the Fire Lizards have started a major counteroffensive, and this battle should be the toughest one of this expedition. If we win, the path ahead will be smooth. If we lose, we can only beat a humiliating retreat.¡± ¡°Caw, those are not bad terms,¡± Ulysses flew onto Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°When I was conquering worlds in our place, if I failed, only I could leave. All my crows and their descendants had to stay in the Otherworld. You at least have a Floating City to take you away.¡± Although entering a world with the Floating City consumed a great deal of time, that was the most reliable and safest way. But if one needed to flee, there wasn¡¯t a need to be so particular. Forcibly tearing through the World Barrier to fly out of the world was also possible, but the cost could be the entire Floating City being shredded by the Power of World Origin. ¡°Don¡¯t your invasions into worlds have fortresses like Floating Cities?¡± Richard curiously asked. ¡°Caw, no, we would drop our soldiers into the Divine Country, and then the World Master would enter the world alone.¡± ¡°Then when you fled, why didn¡¯t you take those crows and their descendants with you?¡± Ulysses looked at Richard as if he were a fool, ¡°Caw, being distracted when fleeing, are you asking to die even faster?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Position Thirteen was about three hundred kilometers from Richard¡¯s starting point; the Magic Support Vehicles, operating at full speed, could reach their destination in less than three hours. On the way, Richard unexpectedly saw Wizards with Synthetic Beasts moving in the wilderness, seemingly searching for something. ¡°Ulysses, go see what these Wizards are doing,¡± Richard said. At his words, Ulysses flew out of the cockpit, and soon, he came back. ¡°Caw, it¡¯s nothing, they¡¯re just cleaning up Fire Lizards living in your control area,¡± he reported. ¡°Cleaning up Fire Lizards?¡± Richard suddenly thought of a Fire Lizard village he had passed by accidentally more than a decade ago. ¡°Are they clearing out those ordinary Fire Lizards?¡± ¡°Caw, seems like it; I didn¡¯t see any Level 1 Creatures among the Fire Lizards,¡± Ulysses replied. Richard didn¡¯t ask any more. He knew that the command headquarters could tolerate the existence of these ordinary Fire Lizards before the war started, but now, they must ensure absolute safety within their control zone. These Fire Lizards living in the Wizard¡¯s Control Zone, although mostly ordinary Fire Lizards who couldn¡¯t survive within the Fire Lizard Empire, would not be spared by the command if there were any chance that they were infiltrators from the Fire Lizard forces. ¡°Sigh, what a pity,¡± Richard suddenly sighed. ¡°Caw, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve developed some sort of sympathy for those Fire Lizards?¡± Richard cast him a glance, ¡°If my Puppet State plan could have been implemented back then, these Fire Lizard civilians would not only have not drained our forces but would have increased our combat power. But unfortunately, no matter how good my plan is, it¡¯s garbage if the Great Wizard doesn¡¯t need it.¡± Ulysses expressed some confusion, ¡°Caw, if you think your plan is good, just use it yourself when you become a Great Wizard. Hoarding good stuff for oneself is the proper way, why give it away to others?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m sighing,¡± Richard said helplessly, ¡°This plan is useless to the Great Wizard. Would it become useful once I¡¯m a Great Wizard? Your position decides your perspective. Once I become a Great Wizard, I won¡¯t use this plan either. This plan is likely to remain just a plan forever.¡± ¡­ Position Thirteen. A massive Dragon Turtle wreaked havoc in the midst of the fortress cluster. Under the immense power of the War Beasts, even the Wizard¡¯s fortresses could not withstand and toppled one by one. Around the Dragon Turtle, shield-bearing Wizards continuously blocked those trying to attack it, while Fire Lizard Warriors engaged in a bloody street fight with Wizards amidst the rubble of fallen fortresses. Even without the support of bunkers, Wizards could still obliterate these Fire Lizards, but there were too many of them. No matter how formidable the Wizards¡¯ individual combat strength was, they could only humiliatingly be traded for lives in the face of the Fire Lizards¡¯ determination. The Commander of the position had already issued a retreat order, hoping to ensure as many Wizards¡¯ survivors as possible. For the Wizards, these fortress cities were only tools for bleeding the Fire Lizards dry; if the tools no longer served their purpose, abandonment naturally followed. ¡°How many have been evacuated?¡± Outside the city, the White Wizard Commander watched the rampaging giant Dragon Turtle, feeling as if his heart was bleeding. Position Thirteen might have been just a small city, but it was a place he had managed for over a decade, every bunker, every trap in the Magic Array, had been personally designed by him. And now, simply because his small position was not equipped with minor disruptor cannons, his position had become the Dragon Turtle¡¯s toy. The Commander knew that although the Dragon Turtle was still within the city, once the Fire Lizards realized there were no more Wizards in the city, they would immediately redirect the beast. ¡°My lord, three hundred have evacuated,¡± someone reported. ¡°Three hundred.¡± The Commander¡¯s face darkened upon hearing the numbers; his position had a total of six hundred people. It had been nearly an hour since his request for support, and only three hundred had been evacuated. Could it be that the rest had all died in battle? The Commander dared not contemplate any further. Headquarters had issued every commander a strategy to preserve manpower, which meant that while positions could be sacrificed when necessary, the number of Wizards had to be maintained. For most Wizards, injuries were merely a matter of two healing spells from an Undead Wizard, or at worst, a matter of swapping out a couple of organs, or even an entire body. As long as the person remained alive, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they became once again a lively fighting force. The bottom line set by Headquarters for these commanders was half; if the number fell below that, the Commanders would be held accountable. The Commander comforted himself: ¡°Perhaps those Wizards are just temporarily entangled and will be able to break free before long.¡± Seconds and minutes passed, and in the blink of an eye, an hour had elapsed. By now, the number of Wizards who had withdrawn reached three hundred and fifty. This number wasn¡¯t high, but it was just above the critical line. The Commander glanced at his pocket watch and waved his hand grandly: ¡°Wait no longer, everyone prepare to retreat to the second line of defense.¡± Upon hearing the order, the withdrawn Wizards immediately formed a formation and began to retreat. However, less than twenty minutes after he had left, a group of Wizards withdrew from the city. This group of Wizards was in very poor condition; most had injuries severe enough to be missing arms or legs, and the others were critically wounded Wizards in a state of near death, with only parts of their bodies remaining. The leading Wizard, seeing the empty gathering point, immediately took out a map Crystal Ball. After confirming multiple times they hadn¡¯t taken a wrong turn, the lead Wizard¡¯s face turned pale, nearly dropping the Crystal Ball to the ground. A Wizard noticed the team leader¡¯s expression and felt a sudden sense of foreboding. ¡°Captain¡­ have we arrived too late?¡± The leading Wizard closed his eyes and gently nodded his head. They were too late; the main force had already retreated towards the second line of defense. But when fortune does not arrive in pairs, misfortune does. Just as they confirmed that the main force had already retreated, a squad of Fire Lizards began to chase them down on their retreat path. Upon seeing the group of Wizards, the Fire Lizards instantly became excited. The leading Fire Lizard reached for the horn at his waist to summon comrades, while the Wizards tried to stop him, but as soon as the spell was cast, a shield-bearing Wizard appeared beside the Fire Lizard blowing the horn. ¡°We¡¯re done for, we¡¯ve been spotted,¡± a Wizard said with a wry smile. The team leader, seeing that the Fire Lizards had discovered their trail, couldn¡¯t help feeling dizzy for a moment. But as captain, duty prevented him from giving up immediately. ¡°Retreat, pay no attention to this group of Fire Lizards,¡± the captain ordered with a steady tone. Hearing the command, the squad of Wizards looked towards their captain, whose orders became their mainstay, making them feel as though there was still hope of survival. They could not see the captain¡¯s despair, or perhaps they did, but chose to ignore it. In a desperate situation, even a straw would be clutched at tightly. The Wizards silently formed up, with the healthiest Wizards at the rear dealing with the approaching Fire Lizards. As soon as their formation was set, they saw a group of Fire Lizard Warriors riding Dragon Beasts appearing at the end of the road. ¡°Go!¡± The captain ordered through clenched teeth, as if he had not seen the approaching Fire Lizards. He did not want to die; he wanted to live. The formation activated, and the gathered Wind Element made every Wizard feel lighter. A pushing force emerged from the Array, making their Flying Technique swifter. But as fast as the Wizards were, the Fire Lizards were faster. The Fire Lizard Warriors on Dragon Beasts wielded their Scimitars, issuing excited roars at the fleeing Wizards. The Wizards were fleeing! Those Wizards who had killed countless Fire Lizards were now fleeing! They excitedly whipped their mounts, urging the Dragon Beasts to go faster, determined to cut off the heads of these Wizards as a symbol of their honor! And behind them, more and more Fire Lizards started to appear. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± The captain closed his eyes in despair. ¡°Hey, hey, can you hear me?¡± Hmm? S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The captain¡¯s eyes snapped open, and he brought the Communication Crystal Ball to his ear. ¡°Hey, hey, can you hear me?¡± ¡°I can hear you, I can hear you!¡± the captain shouted excitedly. ¡°If you can hear me, keep up your current speed, don¡¯t slow down. I see that you¡¯re not in great shape, but remember, do not slow down.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, we absolutely won¡¯t slow down,¡± the captain¡¯s hands trembled with excitement as he asked, with a quivering voice, ¡°Are you reinforcement?¡± There was no response from the other end of the Crystal Ball, only some unclear noise came through. ¡°That¡¯s it, that angle, don¡¯t touch him, this device is my design, I know it better than you. Hey, what did you say just now?¡± ¡°I asked if you¡¯re reinforcements?¡± ¡°Yes, we are your support. The fire support you called for is in position, just be ready to receive!¡± Chapter 251 - 35: Unexpected Gains Chapter 251: Chapter 35: Unexpected Gains Fireballs streaked across the sky from the distant horizon like falling meteors, tracing scorching hot paths in the air and shimmering with a heart-pounding red light. They fell like a rain of world-ending fire, bringing suffocating heat waves and descending fiercely upon the densely pursuing Fire Lizard squad below. The Fire Lizards, already somewhat scattered in their formation due to the pursuit, disbanded under the sudden onslaught of fireballs. The huge impact force and the rampant currents of the Fire Element mercilessly devoured everything. The Fire Lizards ran in panic, but the relentless fireballs left them nowhere to hide. The air was filled with the smell of charring and the piercing cries of the Fire Lizards, transforming the whole scene into a veritable hell on earth. The captain watched in a daze, suddenly understanding why the Crystal Ball had kept repeating not to decelerate. If they had slowed down, it wouldn¡¯t have been just the Fire Lizards enveloped by this fire rain. Had the command sent an entire legion to support them? At the origin of the fireballs, Richard, wearing Eagle Vision Skill glasses, quietly observed the effects of the Magic Support Vehicle. In thirty seconds, these two squads had launched thirty-six thousand fireballs, almost equivalent to a concentrated fire spell from a White Wizard Army. And his cost was just three hundred Magic Essences. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The other Alchemy Wizards watching the scene were incredulous, having only learned how to operate and repair the Magic Support Vehicle. This was their first real combat experience. Before this real fight, they had estimated the potential of this new weapon, but they never imagined the terrifying effectiveness of the Magic Support Vehicle¡¯s concentrated fire. ¡°Gentlemen, come back to your senses.¡± Richard¡¯s voice, tinged with pride, roused the Alchemy Wizards from their shock, and they looked at him with disbelief and¡­ respect. This respect was not for Richard¡¯s strength, as among them were Alchemy Wizards of Second Ring. They respected Richard¡¯s wisdom, utterly convinced by the firepower of the Magic Support Vehicle in an era when every Academy was a military institution, and every Alchemy Wizard was deeply ingrained with the pursuit of weaponry. ¡°Master Richard.¡± ¡°Master Richard.¡± ¡°Master Richard.¡± ¡­All the Alchemy Wizards present gave Richard a Wizard¡¯s Salute, and the call of ¡°Master Richard¡± was no longer a mere formality but a genuine expression of respect, making Richard somewhat embarrassed. In his view, he was just lucky, and probably less knowledgeable compared to the other Alchemy Wizards present. After all, he was only about three hundred years old. ¡°Master Richard, what do we do next?¡± one wizard asked. ¡°Cough, gentlemen, there¡¯s no need for that,¡± Richard said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m just a technical advisor, responsible for handling those difficult repairs. However you were trained to operate, continue just like that. This is making me somewhat embarrassed.¡± Hearing this, the wizards laughed heartily, and everyone began to operate according to their training procedures. The Magic Support Vehicle team¡¯s first support mission was successfully completed. ¡­ The situation in the war continued to evolve. Initially, the Fire Lizards, due to their strikes on the Black Wizards, caused the Wizards to lose their intelligence advantage, something they were not accustomed to. This unease led to weaknesses in their defenses being exploited by the Fire Lizards. But every wizard in the command was battle-hardened, and after suffering initial losses, they immediately remedied the situation. According to the Fire Lizards¡¯ plan, these breaches were supposed to collapse the entire defensive line. However, the wizards had anticipated this possibility. Under the command¡¯s operations, a second line of defense beyond the first was rapidly employed, greatly delaying the advance of the Fire Lizards. Though the Fire Lizards¡¯ plan to collapse the defensive line was indeed successful in terms of intent, it was as if it had not succeeded. Though they regained a lot of lost territory, the wizards¡¯ defensive line did not collapse. And those heavily fortified wizard cities, armed to the teeth, acted like spikes continuously bleeding out the already weakened Fire Lizard Empire. Suddenly, the war fell into a strange state of stalemate. The Fire Lizards began to replan their offensive, while the wizards stabilized the second defensive line and started building a third. No one knew how long this stalemate would last¡ª it could be over tomorrow, in a week, or perhaps the next second they would be notified to start a new round of warfare. For Richard¡¯s battlefield rescue team, this stalemate provided a rare period of relief. The rescue team¡¯s performance was spread by word of mouth among the supported wizards, praising it as a brilliant weapon, and top military echelons indeed recognized a gem. Naturally, such performances reached the ears of the command through various channels. Thus, the rescue team¡¯s missions during this time became increasingly perilous. After all, there were only so many spell components purchased by the legion, and it was unrealistic to expect Richard to produce a large quantity of them on short notice. Therefore, adhering to the principle of using the best steel on the cutting edge, the tasks assigned to the rescue team became more and more dangerous. Before entering this phase of stalemate, the rescue team had already been deployed twelve times, with enough remaining spell components for three small squads to deploy once more. Therefore, most team members had already returned to the White Wizard squads, as every wizard was crucial at this juncture. In the parking lot, Richard lay on the driving cab of the Magic Support Vehicle, leisurely basking in the sun. Currently, it was December in the Red Sun World, a month where only one sun graced the sky, and its sunlight intensity was perfect for sunbathing. ¡°Ugh, that kid is looking at you again.¡± Ulysses lay beside Richard, under a mushroom fiber sunbed. ¡°Who, Damir?¡± ¡°Ugh, that kid.¡± Ever since their last conversation was interrupted by a task, Damir had never approached Richard again, and Richard was quite happy about it. Richard frowned slightly, ¡°What does this guy want now?¡± ¡°Ugh, who knows. Want to ask him yourself?¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Not far from Richard, Damir was organizing his thoughts from this period, striving to explain his purpose to Richard in just a few words. He took a Magic Potion from his pocket, drank it all in one gulp, and then strode toward Richard. But he had only taken a few steps when Richard suddenly appeared in the shadow in front of him. ¡°Damir, what do you want from me?¡± Damir was startled; how had Master Richard come over by himself? Could it be that Master Richard had been paying attention to him all along! ¡°Master Richard, do you remember I wanted to discuss an idea with you last time¡­¡± Richard waved his hand abruptly, somewhat rudely interrupting, ¡°No need for chatter, get straight to the point. What do you want?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ simply put, I was hoping to get academic funding from you.¡± ¡°Academic funding?¡± Richard was stunned for a moment; academic funding was an investment by Wizard Society. Many wizards, despite having good ideas, were hesitant to enter the Plane Battlefield to earn big money due to insecurities about their own power, causing their research to stall due to a lack of funding. At this time, if wizards wanted to continue their research, they had to find an academic sponsor¡ªthat is, a financier. Then, they would present their ideas and the potential outcomes to the academic sponsor¡ªto paint a big picture, so to speak, to attract investment. Sponsors often signed a contract with wizards, giving them a large amount of Magic Essence either in lump-sum or in stages, and in return, the wizard would share the results of their research after completion. The reason Richard was stunned was simple; such funding was usually a task for major Wizard Commerce companies. His small recently-established commerce had little profit, let alone extra money to sponsor others. And since Damir himself had been on the battlefield, how much money did his research need to burn that he was looking for another academic sponsor? ¡°Uh, Damir, I think you¡¯re misunderstanding our commerce¡­¡± ¡°Master, please don¡¯t rush to reject it. Take a look at my results first.¡± Damir said while taking a metal sphere the size of a human head out of his pocket. The surface of the sphere was densely engraved with Runes, and at both ends, two pieces of Magic Essence were powering the sphere. ¡°Master, look at this.¡± Richard took the sphere and briefly examined it with his spiritual power, to see what exactly it was. However, this brief inspection scared Richard so much that his hand trembled, and he nearly didn¡¯t secure the sphere. Inside the metal sphere, there were two high-density clusters of Water and Fire Elements, isolated by a robust Magic Barrier, preventing an Annihilation Reaction. But given the concentration of the two elements inside, should a reaction occur, both he and Damir nearby would be vaporized instantly. Richard carefully handed the metal sphere back to Damir, instructing him to put it back into his pocket. ¡°This is what you wanted to show me? A big bomb using a Water and Fire Annihilation reaction?¡± Richard wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and immediately called Ulysses over with a Spiritual Message. Although Damir¡¯s protection was sufficient, Richard was still terrified. ¡°Yes, Master, isn¡¯t this device beautiful?¡± Damir said somewhat excitedly, ¡°Master, I¡¯ve found a fantastic method to concentrate these two elements to an astonishing level. Next, we just need to perfect the Rune Array to keep these two elements separated and¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Richard raised his hand, interrupting the ongoing Damir, and pulled out an Annihilation Bomb from his pocket. ¡°Take a look at this.¡± Damir received the Annihilation Bomb with a puzzled look, then his face showed a shocked expression. ¡°This this this¡­¡± Damir pointed at the Annihilation Bomb, unable to utter a complete sentence for a while. ¡°This is a small gadget I made during my apprenticeship,¡± Richard said nonchalantly, ¡°Back then, my Rune skills weren¡¯t enough, so I used physical materials for containment. Considering the results, it¡¯s quite good, though the damage radius is a bit small.¡± Damir felt like his brain was smoking; he hadn¡¯t considered such a simple solution, using physical materials for containment, in the past few centuries. But this wasn¡¯t his fault; most wizards had a dependency on Runes. Richard took back the Annihilation Bomb and simultaneously snapped Damir out of his reverie. ¡°However, your method of concentrating elements is quite interesting. How about we discuss it in detail after the war?¡± Since Richard had always been unable to press the cost of the Annihilation Bomb to a reasonable price, Damir¡¯s appearance had given him a new idea. Since he couldn¡¯t reduce the cost, why not try to increase the power of the Annihilation Bomb? Chapter 252 - 36 The Storm Has Arrived Chapter 252: Chapter 36 The Storm Has Arrived ¡°Discuss the war with me after it¡¯s over? No problem, Master. Please leave me your address, and after the war, I¡¯ll come to find you.¡± Damir was very pleased with Richard¡¯s suggestion and readily agreed. In his eyes, Richard completely embodied the image of an Alchemy Master. Richard proactively seeking him out to discuss research was more than he could have asked for. Richard left him an address and then returned to the vehicle to continue basking in the sun. Richard had gradually adapted to the lifestyle of longevity species. The standstill of the war was very brief, and rather than doing research, it was better to soak up the sun. He wasn¡¯t short on those few days¡¯ time. But the good times were doomed to be brief. Not long after Richard returned to the vehicle, an order from the headquarters came through the Communication Crystal Ball. ¡°Number seven, eight, and nine squads, headquarters needs you to head to position nineteen and stand by. The specific orders will be issued by the Battlefield Commander at position nineteen.¡± ¡°Position nineteen? And the orders need to be issued by the Battlefield Commander.¡± Richard frowned slightly. It seemed that the standstill on the battlefield was about to end. Returning to the cockpit, Richard started the Magic Support Vehicle and began to follow the convoy towards position nineteen. Along the way, the landscape around the Magic Support Vehicle gradually took on a gloomy hue. The sky darkened imperceptibly, with heavy clouds gathering overhead like silent giant beasts, slowly moving to obscure the sole sun in the sky. The sunlight was devoured bit by bit by these clouds, leaving only a barren grey wasteland behind. The wind suddenly picked up fiercely, sweeping up roadside pebbles and dust before viciously pelting the cockpit windows with a pit-a-pat sound. All around the road lay abandoned Fire Lizard villages. The desolate scenery seemed even more desolate amidst this dimness and oppression, as if the whole world was enveloped in a layer of gloom. ¡°This is a good omen.¡± Looking at the scenery that seemed to herald the coming of the apocalypse, Richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Ga? Did I hear wrong? How is this atmosphere in any way a good omen?¡± Ulysses was somewhat astonished. If his sense of aesthetics was in no error, this scene was in no way a good sign. In his memory, only those Abyss rabble would find this atmosphere pleasant. ¡°Ulysses, you need to understand our position,¡± Richard laughed. ¡°We are the outsiders, and the Fire Lizards are the natives. In the mythology of the Fire Lizards, the three suns in the sky represent the three Fire Lizard Kings. Now, with the sun covered by clouds, it¡¯s a bad omen for the Fire Lizards, but for us, it¡¯s an excellent one.¡± ¡°Ga, don¡¯t say it, but now that you explain it like that, it kind of makes sense,¡± Ulysses exclaimed, somewhat surprised. ¡°But unfortunately, this situation is man-made.¡± ¡°Man-made?¡± Richard was slightly startled; could this be the Fire Lizards¡¯ weather weapon? But then he thought of another possibility. ¡°Are you talking about the Fire Lizard King or the Great Wizard?¡± ¡°Ga, it¡¯s both.¡± Ulysses looked up towards the horizon, his gaze seemingly able to traverse space and see the Royal Capital of the Morick Empire. ¡°Ga, the World Master of this world is about to step down from the throne, and your Great Wizards will also come out of Iron City. The war is about to truly begin.¡± ¡­ Position nineteen: The Battlefield Commander listened to the reports coming through the Communication Crystal Ball. ¡°Your Excellency the Commander, the support convoy has reached three kilometers behind position nineteen, and the range of the magical support covers the entire position.¡± After hearing this, the Commander¡¯s voice was calm as he said, ¡°Good, wait there for my orders.¡± He put down the Crystal Ball and picked up a pair of special Eagle Vision Skill binoculars to observe intelligence from the opposing Fire Lizard position through a window. Although Merrick¡¯s Shield had dealt a heavy blow to the Black Wizard network within the Morick Empire, some Black Wizards managed to survive. Because these Black Wizards were located in the rear or in some special places, they couldn¡¯t be withdrawn to the Wizard-occupied zone, so the headquarters had issued them an order to lie low temporarily. But now with the war at a standstill, the headquarters had no choice but to activate some of the Black Wizards to scout out Fire Lizard intelligence. Not long ago, the activated Black Wizards sent back a message: The Fire Lizards had settled on position nineteen as their main target and would soon launch an attack. Through the telescope, position nineteen appeared as usual, with no changes. Fire Lizards continued their patrols and drills, and the giant dragon tortoises, burdened with Dragon Breath Cannons, lay lazily on the ground, yawning with open mouths and consuming Fire Dragon Grass by the cart-load with their tongues. If the Commander hadn¡¯t known the intelligence, the false front that the Fire Lizards had put up in front of him would¡¯ve surely deceived him. The Commander picked up the Communication Crystal Ball and operated it a few times, calling out: ¡°All Wizards, be alert, all Wizards, be alert. In the coming days, strengthen your guard and watch for the movements of the Fire Lizards. If there¡¯s anything special, report to the Battlefield Headquarters promptly.¡± As the sky dimmed, the temperature in the Red Sun World began to drop quickly. Though Fire Lizards weren¡¯t cold-blooded, they would naturally become sluggish when the temperature plummeted. Therefore Fire Lizards rarely launched relentless attacks day and night. Wizards were aware of this, but also knew the consequences of placing too much faith in this fact, so Wizard scouting was continuous, day and night. Three kilometers behind position nineteen, the support convoy. Richard lay in the driver¡¯s seat, eyes fixed on the night sky outside the window, lost in thought. Suddenly, a black crow flew into the cockpit from the window. ¡°How does it look, any signs of the Fire Lizards making a move tonight?¡± ¡°Caw, it doesn¡¯t seem like it. I haven¡¯t seen any army formations, but your intelligence is indeed correct. Many troops are converging here from other places, expected to arrive at the location just before sunrise.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Richard replied lazily, ¡°Looks like the battle won¡¯t start until tomorrow.¡± Time ticked away, and a ray of dawn pierced the darkness, bringing a hint of heat to the land of the Red Sun World. Watching the rising sun, Richard suddenly thought of the myth of the Fire Lizards. In the myth of the Fire Lizards, the three Kings of the Fire Lizards were incarnations of the sun. Suddenly, Richard sat up, a bad premonition flashing through his mind. ¡°Ulysses, you said earlier that the Fire Lizard King would step down from his throne, right?¡± ¡°Caw, that¡¯s right. What have you thought of?¡± ¡°What do you think about our positions here in reference to the Fire Lizard King?¡± ¡°Caw, probably not much different from being made of paper,¡± Ulysses nodded, ¡°I think I understand what you mean. Don¡¯t overthink it. If the Fire Lizard King takes action, your Great Wizards will too. In a Plane War, it¡¯s king against king, general against general. Unless the king is dead, you lot won¡¯t even get near the king.¡± ¡°But Ulysses, have you considered that there are three Fire Lizard Kings, while there are only two Great Wizards?¡± Richard said darkly. ¡°Unless a Great Wizard can quickly slay a Fire Lizard King, a single Fire Lizard King acting alone is enough to kill all of us wizards.¡± No sooner had Richard finished speaking than a terrible aura came from the horizon. The owner of the aura was thousands of miles away from Richard, yet its presence stood out as conspicuously as the sun. Richard quickly put on the Eagle Vision Skill glasses and looked in the direction the aura was coming from. He saw a very blurry shadow on the horizon, a shadow that pierced the sky and the earth, looking like a hybrid of a giant dragon and a fire lizard. This bizarre creature was entirely crimson, with five dragon heads neatly lined up on its shoulders. The dragon opened and closed its mouth, sending a long dragon roar throughout the Red Sun World. After the dragon roar, another massive shadow appeared on the other side of the battle line. This figure also reached through the heavens and earth, also bearing five dragon heads on its shoulders. The Fire Lizards had dragon blood flowing through them, and with each additional head a dragon grew, it would transcend a level of life. Five heads signified that both these looming figures were Level 5 Creatures. ¡­ The Fire Lizard King stepping down from the throne was an unprecedented event for the entire Red Sun World. There were indeed ancient instances where a Fire Lizard King had descended from the throne to personally go to war in the distant past. But those events were so ancient that the Fire Lizards regarded them as mythical legends. Watching these two giant figures, the Fire Lizards let out excited roars. The Fire Lizard King is an incarnation of the sun, and the sun is the divine of the Fire Lizards. Now that the Fire Lizard King had stepped down from the throne to go to the battlefield, it was as if the divine were with them. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With the divine fighting alongside them, what was there to fear? The appearance of the Fire Lizard King tightened the hearts of the wizards; the Fire Lizard King had appeared, and so the Great Wizards should also make their appearance. Although the organized White Wizard Army indeed had strategies to confront the World Master, no one wanted to battle a divine with a mortal body unless absolutely necessary. Soon, under the hopeful gaze of the wizards, two figures appeared on the battlefield. One figure was the familiar Great Wizard Qing Shuang, draped in a white Wizard Robe made of blue ice, hovering in the air. Just one glance was enough to feel the bone-piercing coldness. He held a Magic Wand made of Ice Crystal in his hand, on which countless mystical Runes circulated endlessly. On the other side of the battle line, Richard finally saw the Wizard known as the Alchemy Master. Richard had only read about the Alchemy Master in records. According to the records, this Wizard became known during the Wizard Wars and quickly amassed resources during the period of expansion, becoming one of the first Great Wizards of that era. It was said that this Great Wizard started as an Undead Wizard, then moved onto the Soul School, the Shape-shifting School, and even the Curse School, merging the knowledge of these Schools to create a witchcraft known as ¡°Alchemy Master.¡± This was also the origin of his name. Richard did not believe this rumor at first; after all, in the early days of the period of expansion, the various Schools held deep-seated grudges against each other. How could a regular wizard move between several Schools? But upon seeing the face of this Great Wizard, Richard realized that the rumor seemed to be true. This skeletal figure bathed in the green fire of Evil Power perfectly matched the rumor. ¡°Caw, I think we might want to hide for a bit,¡± Ulysses suddenly said. After regaining his Third Level strength, his ability to hide had greatly improved, and he could now move right under the noses of World Master Level powerhouses ¡ª as long as he didn¡¯t fight. ¡°Hide?¡± Richard was stunned. In the next instant, a huge divine shadow appeared in front of position number nineteen. Chapter 253 - 37: 3 Kings Battle 2 Wizards (Part 1) Chapter 253: Chapter 37: 3 Kings Battle 2 Wizards (Part 1) The situation developed just as Richard had guessed, with the Kings of the Fire Lizards from the Linksa Empire and the Minar Empire each drawing the attention of a Great Wizard, leaving the one from the Morick Empire an unchecked and terrifying existence. Fire Lizard King Morick, the most formidable of the three Kings, was the first to become King in the distant past. At that time, Fire Lizards were the slaves of Giant Dragons, building palaces for them, providing tamed Giant Beasts, and occasionally serving as a snack to supplement the dragons¡¯ meals. It was a dark era, and thus Morick was born. Exactly how Morick became the King of Fire Lizards was no longer traceable, but what was certain was that Morick was the first Fire Lizard to rebel against the Giant Dragons, the first King of Fire Lizards. It was also in that era that the other two Kings raised their banners in rebellion after Morick, emerging one after the other. The Fire Lizards of the present day were unaware that, in the distant past, the three Kings were actually as close as brothers, covering each other¡¯s backs on battlefields against the Giant Dragons. But after the fall of the dragons¡¯ dominion, everything changed. Power is the most terrifying of demons, capable of turning comrades as close as siblings into enemies at each other¡¯s throats. The reasons for the split between the three Kings hadn¡¯t been passed down, but in the second millennium after the dragons¡¯ rule ended, the Three Great Empires appeared, marking the beginning of their interminable wars, which spanned several epochs. Fire Lizard King Morick stood before Position Nineteen somewhat dazed. How long had it been since he had come down from his throne to fight? A thousand years? Two thousand years? He couldn¡¯t remember. He looked around, finding the faces of Linksa and Minar somewhat unfamiliar. Since the fall of the dragons¡¯ rule, he and his brothers had never fought side by side again. Overthrowing the dragons¡­ such a distant memory. Snapping back from his reminiscence, Morick glanced at Position Nineteen and a slight bloodthirsty smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Taking a deep breath, the giant phantom that was a symbol of his status disappeared. Around him, within a radius of several dozen kilometers, the magic power, like encountering a black hole, was sucked into his body. The flesh beneath Morick¡¯s phantom towered ten meters tall, but after taking a deep breath, his body saw another growth spurt, quickly reaching twenty meters. After he finished inhaling, every living being present, whether wizard or Fire Lizard, fell into an extremely uncomfortable sensation. Morick¡¯s deep breaths had nearly created an energy vacuum, depriving their body cells of any energy from the air, even causing an outward flow of energy. ¡°Huff, it¡¯s been quite some time since I last moved, my body feels somewhat unaccustomed,¡± Morick said as he stretched out, his life radiation dazzling like the sun itself, and his dragon power causing many Fire Lizard warriors to faint on the spot. Even the wizards turned pale and could not stop trembling under this dragon power. Though Fire Lizard King Morick disdained to use dragon power, as a Level 5 Dragon Blood Species, the dragon power he naturally radiated could make pure-blooded Giant Dragons bow their heads. ¡°So this is the Fire Lizard King of the Morick Empire, the World Master of the Red Sun World, a Level 5 Life from the endless Star Realm,¡± Richard mumbled, swallowing hard as he stared at the fearsome figure before the position. This Fire Lizard King was more terrifying than any Mother Worm God Richard had ever seen, refreshing his understanding of what a World Master could be. Such was merely a Level 5 Life, what horrors would a Level 6 or even Level 7 Life behold? ¡°Gah, stop standing there dumbfounded, hurry up and get into the Secret Realm to save your life,¡± Ulysses urged beside him. Ulysses¡¯ words snapped Richard out of the shock of his first encounter with the Fire Lizard King. He frantically opened the Secret Realm Rift, intending to take refuge in the Secret Realm. But before he could enter, a supremely terrifying force descended upon him, or rather, upon all the wizards present. This force seized Richard¡¯s spirit, imposing like an incredibly powerful human Intimidation Technique, leaving him petrified. Morick pulled his arm back, gearing up as if to charge his power while his target was all the wizards before him. Suddenly, a warm current emerged from within Richard¡¯s soul, freeing him from the intimidated state. The Courage Badge he had obtained in the Nightmare World was taking effect at this critical moment. Having shaken off the intimidation, Richard leaped forward with all his might, aiming to enter the Secret Realm through that effort. But at that moment, Morick swung his fist. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Buzz! In an instant, there was silence, with only a piercing buzz ringing in the ears of the multitude of wizards. A pitch-black Space Rift suddenly appeared in the previously empty sky. A torrential and formidable energy flood emerged as if containing the power to destroy heaven and Earth, slightly overwhelming even space itself with constant distortions. It was like a flood that had breached its dykes, charging with unstoppable momentum towards Morick. Before this sudden onslaught of energy, Morick had no choice but to redirect the force of his punch, counteracting the abrupt energy torrent. Richard swallowed hard; he recognized this abrupt energy flood, which was the Energy Torrent unleashed by the Floating City Main Cannon. Indeed, the Great Wizard had his strategies for dealing with this unexpected World Master. As the flood subsided, Morick stood unscathed, his scales just a bit less luminous. All beings present were stunned by this scene. Wizards marveled at the prowess of this Level 5 World Master, while the Fire Lizards were even more astonished by the strength of their Emperor. Is this the might of the Fire Lizard King? The last time the Fire Lizard King left his throne was so long ago that his existence had become a myth to the common Fire Lizard. Even among the Fire Lizards, there were rumors that the Fire Lizard King didn¡¯t truly exist, and that it was merely a fabrication by the Silver Horned Fire Lizards to deceive others. And now, the deity of legends, stepped into reality. Morick gazed into the distance where, behind the Wizards, the steel city rose once again into the air, and that torrent of energy had just been unleashed by the steel city. ¡°A weapon of the Divine? No, a weapon of the Divine wouldn¡¯t be this weak. If it were a Divine weapon, I¡¯d be dead by now.¡± Morick looked at the Floating City, and ancient memories flooded his mind. In the times before the Fire Lizards dominated the Red Sun World, the Divine¡¯s legacy was not as cherished as it is now. He vividly remembered how the Giant Dragons, with weapons left by the Divine, turned the King of the Flame Giant Beasts that emerged from the ground into ash. And the first thing he did before raising his army was to throw the Giant Dragons¡¯ armory of Divine weapons into the Void. Now, the Floating City¡¯s main cannon reminded him of those weapons of the Divine. ¡°Do the Wizards aspire to become the next Divine Race?¡± Morick looked at the Floating City and sneered. How could those from the Mortal Clan ever hope to rival the grandeur of the Divine? He gathered his strength again, with his target still being the Wizards within the ranks; he was keen to see how many more times that hunk of metal could fire the energy deluge. ¡­ In the sky, two immense wills communicated silently. ¡°Teacher, this native World Master doesn¡¯t seem to have mastered any Space Rules. Our plan number one should work.¡± The Great Wizard Clear Frost confronted Minar, the Fire Lizard King. Although the Great Wizard Clear Frost had not yet advanced to Five-Ring Great Wizard, as a Wizard, it was no trouble to hold off Minar before him. ¡°Good, get ready to make your move.¡± The Great Wizard Ulysses looked at the figure before him, Linksa, barely concealing a disdainful smirk on his skeletal face. If it wasn¡¯t for the enhancement of the Power of the World, a Level 5 Creature like this would never be qualified to stand before him. Sensing the Great Wizard Ulysses¡¯s attitude, Fire Lizard King Linksa was beside himself with rage. The proud Fire Lizard King, one-third ruler of the Red Sun World, was being looked down upon. To Ulysses, the gaze directed at him was like looking at a pig, an animal that could be easily slaughtered for its flesh with a little effort. Linksa, much like Morick, took a deep breath. Magic Power rushed towards him from miles around, while Great Wizard Ulysses made no attempt to block it. Leisurely, he pulled open a Space Rift and drew out a goat-headed Magic Wand made of bone. The wand appeared crude, the bones seemingly roughly fused together with no artistic finesse. Any Apprentice slightly schooled in Alchemy could craft a more delicate wand. But the mere sight of this wand extinguished the rage in Linksa¡¯s heart. The materials of this wand all belonged to beings of the same rank as a Level 5 Creature, and the goat head at the top emitted an aura even more terrifying than that of a Level 5 Life. ¡°Monster!¡± Linksa thought, a trace of panic in his heart. Great Wizard Ulysses wielded the wand lazily, swinging it and allowing runes to emerge from it and vanish into the Void. Without delay, a Space Rift appeared in front of Morick once more, and the Floating City Main Cannon caused him to divert his punches to deal with it again. While Linksa stood motionless before him. He didn¡¯t even have the courage to throw a punch. ¡°Be grateful, Fire Lizard,¡± Great Wizard Ulysses suddenly said. ¡°If not for the Floating City¡¯s expense and the potential inquiries from the Truth Council over excessive Wizard casualties, today you would have ended up on my dissection table.¡± The next moment, a spatial shockwave emanated from Great Wizard Ulysses and spread outward. Similarly, from the other side of the battlefield, the same wave of spatial energy emitted from the body of Great Wizard Clear Frost. Minar took a step forward, suddenly appearing before Clear Frost. He threw a punch, his fist covered in dragon scales and shining brilliantly. Each ray of light was a manifestation of the Red Sun Rules of the Red Sun World, with each one carrying a horrific heat capable of warping space itself. Without a shred of panic at the sight of the oncoming fist, Great Wizard Clear Frost cackled, ¡°Heh heh, don¡¯t rush, we¡¯ll have plenty of fighting soon enough.¡± Suddenly, a turquoise figure appeared before the punch and then exploded into a burst, engulfing Minar in a storm of frost close to Absolute Zero. Great Wizard Clear Frost actually sacrificed a clone to delay Minar¡¯s attack. Then, the spell took shape. A pitch-black Space Rift opened beneath Morick¡¯s feet swiftly, and chains burning with green flames stretched out from the rift like tendrils, wrapping around Morick¡¯s legs and instantly spreading across his entire body. Morick shuddered as the green flame chains burst into clusters of green fire. With a touch of disdain in his heart, he thought these would not be enough to drag him in. However, the next instant, he found himself standing before a skeletal figure ablaze with green fire. The figure spoke to him in a taunting tone: ¡°Fool, who said chains were meant only for pulling?¡± Chapter 254 - 38: 3 Kings Battle 2 Sorcerers (Part 2) Chapter 254: Chapter 38: 3 Kings Battle 2 Sorcerers (Part 2) Richard stared blankly at the spot where Morick had been, the moment the chains collapsed. The space rift beneath Morick¡¯s feet suddenly surged upward, swallowing him like a bag. ¡°Is that¡­ it solved?¡± Richard voiced in disbelief. To think that the Fire Lizard King, Morick, had been transported away so simply, seemed rather hasty. ¡°Ga, don¡¯t underestimate this method. Your Inferno Great Wizard is highly adept at controlling spatial rules¡ªmany of those among us titled ¡®Space God¡¯ are not as clever as him.¡± As a former World Master, a divine being from the World of Gods, Ulysses had a deeper understanding of the Great Wizard¡¯s methods than Richard. Richard casually closed the Secret Realm Rift; without the Fire Lizard King, this spot was quite safe. Besides, the battlefields of the two Great Wizards were far from them, allowing Ulysses to act. Once the battle began, he might be able to secure some specimens. Opposite the position of Zone 19, a considerable number of fire lizards had gathered, including elite troops like the Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors and Dragon Charm Sorcerers. These elite fire lizards would definitely be irreplaceable specimens, excellent for both collection and research. In the Fire Lizard Camp, the Fire Lizard Commander, upon witnessing the sudden disappearance of the Fire Lizard King, looked rather grim. According to their plan, the Fire Lizard King was supposed to demolish the city, which was fortified like a wall of bronze and iron, and then their army would march straight in, striking at the heart. Though they had anticipated many scenarios, the Fire Lizard King being transported away by a Wizard without making a single move was completely unexpected. ¡°My lord, good news,¡± said a fire lizard clad in golden armor as he entered the command room. ¡°Hmm?¡± The Commander turned to look at the newcomer, his neck creaking as he spoke, ¡°What good news could there possibly be at this time?¡± The Golden Armored Fire Lizard nodded, ¡°My lord, His Majesty¡¯s attacks were not entirely ineffective. According to observations from the front-line fire lizards, although His Majesty did not fully unleash his punch, it still managed to kill some Wizards. Some Fire Lizards witnessed many Wizards exploding to death.¡± The Fire Lizard Commander was momentarily stunned, then filled with immense joy. ¡°Immediately notify the soldiers to attack using the contingency plan!¡± The Commander walked to the observation post, a hint of a cold gleam in his eyes. Thirty-five years of war¡ªit was time to bring it to an end. ¡­ The appearance of the Fire Lizard King marked the climax of this great counteroffensive. After the first round of the offensive, the fire lizards had recaptured a vast expanse of land. However, consequently, the frontlines that the Wizards had to defend had significantly shortened. The density of Wizards at the second defense line was somewhat less than the first, signifying a steep increase in the difficulty for the fire lizards to breach the defenses. With the plan of the Fire Lizard King breaking through the defense line dashed, the fire lizards had no choice but to continue this grueling battle. ¡°Support vehicle team, I need you to cover position a with your firepower, all support vehicles fire at will.¡± Through the Communication Crystal Ball came the Battlefield Commander¡¯s order. The Wizards operating the Magic Support Vehicles quickly adjusted the angles of the turrets, which served two purposes: to ensure the fireballs hit their designated spots accurately, and to distribute the fireballs more evenly to avoid concentrating all fireballs on a palm-sized area. After the support vehicle team assumed their formation and adjusted their angles, the captains of the three teams issued the firing order. ¡°Target a position, angle 32, distance fifty-two. Three, two, one, Fire!¡± ¡­Boom, boom, boom! Three squads of Magic Support Vehicles, totaling fifty-four thousand fireballs, were launched within thirty seconds onto the vanguard of the attacking fire lizards. The shield-bearing warriors raised their large shields, forming a shield wall to try and fend off this terrifying bombardment, but fifty-four thousand fireballs were somewhat beyond their limits. Wizards had not deployed the White Wizard Army en masse since the war had turned into a static battle, and these fire lizards had somewhat forgotten how the Wizards had gradually usurped their lands, how they had harvested their lives with spells bit by bit! Boom, boom, boom¡­ The Battlefield Commander, watching the Magic Support Vehicle¡¯s barrage, was momentarily stunned. This was his first time using a support vehicle team; before this, he had heard from many wizards how useful these Magic Support Vehicles were. Looking at it now, those wizards were damn right. ¡°No, I must report back after this and request more of these excellent weapons be procured. Their effects are too good.¡± The barrage from the support vehicle team lasted only thirty seconds. After thirty seconds, the seemingly endless army of fire lizards reappeared in the Commander¡¯s vision, and behind them, giant dragon turtles were slowly approaching the position. The Commander took out a crystal ball and commanded to a wizard on the other side: ¡°Bring out the small Disruptor Cannons and aim them at those big fellows.¡± ¡­ While the mortal combat raged fiercely, the battle among the ¡°divine beings¡± was naturally no less intense. In the sky, the Inferno Great Wizard, wielding a Skeletal Magic Wand, faced two adversaries single-handedly without faltering. As an old Wizard born during the Enlightenment Era, he had witnessed Wizards emerging from their cradle and vying across the stars. In that time, he had seen too many powerful natives. Some of these natives were World Masters by nature, wielding rules as easily as eating and drinking; others wielded terrifying weapons left by the Lost Ones, which could easily kill a Great Wizard; while some natives were outright biological weapons created by the Lost Ones¡­ Compared to these mighty natives, the two Fifth Level World Masters in front of him were rather unremarkable. He had specimens of Fifth Level pure-blooded giant dragons; two Dragon Blood Species tainted with dragon¡¯s blood hardly caught his eye. Watching Morick¡¯s fist swing towards him, the Inferno Great Wizard lightly waved his Magic Wand, and a Magic Shield perfectly blocked it. On the other side, Linksa aimed the heads of all five of his dragon necks at the Inferno Great Wizard, and five golden Dragon Breaths instantly engulfed the Inferno Great Wizard¡¯s figure. But before he could rejoice, a Skeletal Magic Wand emerged from the Dragon Breath, striking one of Linksa¡¯s heads and sending it flying askew. Then, as the Dragon Breath dissipated, the Inferno Great Wizard, holding a Crystal Ball that had sealed the golden flames, nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Integrating the Red Sun Rules of the Red Sun World into the Dragon Flame, this is indeed useful.¡± Linksa¡¯s face darkened; such Dragon Breath was something even the other two Fire Lizard Kings hadn¡¯t seen. Yet this wizard, encountering it for the first time, seemed to deflect it effortlessly. He was sure that if it wasn¡¯t a two-on-one, today he would surely perish here. ¡°Aren¡¯t we getting serious then?¡± the Inferno Great Wizard said indifferently, ¡°I know about your past relationship. I¡¯ve seen the memories of those giant dragons that escaped the Red Sun World. If those dragons weren¡¯t senile, then you should have a combined technique back then. Has it been so long that you¡¯ve forgotten, or do you think I¡¯m not worthy of witnessing it? If it¡¯s the former, then I won¡¯t hold back.¡± With that, the Inferno Great Wizard¡¯s body suddenly enlarged, transforming into an elemental true form over a hundred meters tall, each movement stirring a faint Elemental Storm. Upon seeing this, the hearts of the two Fire Lizard Kings sank. The power of the Inferno Great Wizard far exceeded their expectations. Linksa looked at Morick and uttered a long-forgotten title. ¡°Big brother, it¡¯s all up to you now.¡± Morick was startled by the words, then burst out laughing, his momentum climbing with his laughter. He turned to Linksa, his eyes resolute, ¡°Little brother, leave the rest to me!¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With that, he lunged toward Linksa, and as their bodies collided, they merged into one. Intricate golden patterns began spreading from Morick¡¯s heart, swiftly enveloping his entire body in gold. ¡°Oh? Is this¡­ Giant Dragon Alchemy?¡± The Inferno Great Wizard watched this incredible scene, his interest finally piqued. He recognized the essence of the fusion immediately; it was a fusion of flesh and spirit, entrusting everything to another person. Such a fusion could cause a creature¡¯s power to soar instantly, perhaps even breaking through life levels. The merged Morick, whether in strength or aura, had reached his peak. At that moment, Morick possessed the capability to kill the Inferno Great Wizard. Morick looked at the Inferno Great Wizard, his voice layered as if two were speaking together. ¡°Wizard, I¡¯ll place your head atop my pyramid, as my most glorious, most precious trophy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± the Inferno Great Wizard responded blandly, ¡°So will your head go on Linksa¡¯s pyramid or Morick¡¯s pyramid?¡± ¡­ Morick fell silent for a moment, then suddenly flashed in front of the Inferno Great Wizard, his golden fist alone powerful enough to cause slight fissures in space. ¡°We¡¯ll create another pyramid!¡± ¡­ On another front, Great Wizard Qing Shuang and Minar were ¡°exchanging integrity.¡± One was attacking while the other defended, turning the skies of the Red Sun World into a snowy spectacle, a scene unseen by the Fire Lizards for many generations below. Great Wizard Qing Shuang raised his Magic Wand, and a massive Magic Array instantly appeared beneath his feet. With a wave of his wand, accompanied by a thunderous sound, an immense ice mountain formed instantaneously beside him. However, just as the ice mountain formed, an even more domineering force abruptly descended. Minar¡¯s fist, carrying a destructive fury, heavily struck the middle of the ice mountain. Within less than a millisecond, the entire ice mountain crumbled like glass shattered by a giant hammer. But Great Wizard Qing Shuang had already seized the moment to escape thousands of meters away. Minar watched Qing Shuang coldly, feeling clearly that the wizard before him wasn¡¯t as strong as he was; one solid punch could kill him. Yet the wizard was slippery like an eel, eluding every ingenious attack, making it increasingly frustrating. Great Wizard Qing Shuang said leisurely: ¡°Minar, are you going to continue? This battle is meaningless. You won¡¯t kill me in a short time, but if you can¡¯t kill me quickly, you won¡¯t affect the outcome of the battle. The real decisive battleground is elsewhere.¡± Facing a Fifth-Level World Master, although Great Wizard Qing Shuang appeared relaxed, he was extremely tense inside. To him, Minar was like a one-punch man; one hit, and even the Inferno Great Wizard wouldn¡¯t be able to save him in time. Minar remained silent, his right fist once again glowing brightly. He spoke resolutely: ¡°Then I¡¯ll quickly kill you and go help my brother!¡± Chapter 255 - 39: The Sunset of the Kings Demise Chapter 255: Chapter 39: The Sunset of the King¡¯s Demise Big Shots¡¯ battles had little impact on the ground war, as Fire Lizard armies continued to pour into the Wizard¡¯s fortress city, wearing down the number of Wizards with a casualty rate of five or even ten to one. It was a profitable affair for the Fire Lizards. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There were only so many Wizards in the Red Sun World; one less Wizard with every death. As long as enough of them died, the Wizards¡¯ front line would eventually collapse. Wizards were not robots; high casualty rates could also lead to a collapse in Wizard morale. Boom! A fireball exploded, the black flames turning the last Fire Lizard Warrior in the alley into ashes. Having dealt with the last enemy, Richard leaned against the wall, somewhat exhausted. A black crow flew in from outside the alley, its claws still clutching a steaming, fresh heart. ¡°Caw, a Dragon Cursing Sorcerer¡¯s heart, nearly at Level 3.¡± Richard casually took it and pulled out a bottle filled with preservative from his pocket, tossing the heart into it. ¡°Have the Big Shots shown no intention of ending the fight yet?¡± Richard casually asked. It was the fourteenth day since the outbreak of war, and Richard had been reassigned from a technical advisor for the support convoy to a combat alchemist of the White Wizard Army, mainly responsible for repairing Alchemy Weapons for squads that had lost their Alchemy Wizards. This was a highly dangerous position, as it required moving between various squads¡¯ defensive zones, constantly facing confrontations with Fire Lizards. Although Richard, as the designer of the Magic Support Vehicle, had initially been entitled to demand a change in position from the headquarters, they had offered him a condition he couldn¡¯t refuse¡ªa deed granting eternal land rights. Land was an important form of wealth accumulation for Wizards. Its value lay not only in its yield or what resources lay beneath it but also in the access it granted to the world. Because such eternal land would not be extensive, having resources wouldn¡¯t fetch much of a price. The real value of land lay in the fact that owning it was tantamount to owning a ticket into this world. After a Great Wizard conquered a world, many of those worlds were closed to outsiders. To enter these worlds, one either had to join the Great Wizard¡¯s Academy or some Wizard Commerce that cooperated with them. But for a Wizard with a piece of eternal land, the Teleportation Gates to that world were always open to them. Moreover, this rule came from the Truth Council, which every Great Wizard would comply with. The Red Sun World was nothing special, but there was still much to explore inside it, particularly the Pioneers¡¯ testing grounds underground. In ten years, Richard had only explored part of it, and a substantial area still awaited his exploration. ¡°Caw, soon,¡± Ulysses said, eyeing the continuously changing celestial phenomena. Every move of a World Master Level entity could cause variations in the heavens, ¡°That old guy enveloped in green fire has already gained the upper hand. Once he fully understands that Fire Lizard King¡¯s tricks, the Fire Lizard will be done for.¡± ¡°Phew, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Richard straightened up with the support of his magic wand, ¡°When I saw him taking on two at a time, I was really sweating for that Inferno Great Wizard.¡± Ulysses said indifferently, ¡°Caw, below Level 6, World Master Level entities produced by civilizations are far stronger than ordinary World Masters. If they don¡¯t have the Power of the World to bolster them, those three Fire Lizards wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against that green fire skeleton¡ªeven together, they¡¯d just be getting whipped.¡± ¡°Huh? Below Level 6?¡± Richard noticed the qualifier, ¡°Is there something special about Level 6?¡± Ulysses fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, ¡°Caw, Level 6 is often the final tier in a power path. Those who reach this tier either have walked a path to its very end. Such beings, with one more step, become the forebears of a civilization. Or they are those divinely endowed children of the world, naturally World Masters capable of manipulating the rules as easily as breathing.¡± ¡°The end of a path, Level 6 is the end?¡± Richard was a bit puzzled; there were Levels above 6¡ªLevel 7, Level 8, and even the legendary Level 9. How could that be the end? ¡°Caw, reaching Level 6 theoretically doesn¡¯t require any special Talent. One only needs sufficient resources and enough experience to get there,¡± Ulysses spoke with a hint of emotion, ¡°And every powerhouse above Level 6 possesses Talent, effort, and even luck far beyond ordinary people. Their experiences are not replicable, not something you can learn from.¡± Richard was astonished; Ulysses¡¯ words completely overturned his understanding. Becoming Level 6 required no special Talent? Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Where did you hear these words? I remember you¡¯re not Level 6.¡± Ulysses glanced at him and replied coolly: ¡°Caw, the Eternal God King.¡± ¡°¡­Well, nothing then. It can only be said the Divine King¡¯s vision was lofty.¡± Stepping out of the alley, Richard collided with two Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors head-on. Seeing Richard, the two Fire Lizards immediately attacked from both sides. Two Black Gold Scimitars cut through the air, one aimed at Richard¡¯s neck while the other targeted his heart. Clang! Ssssssss¡­ The scimitar aimed at his neck was blocked by Richard¡¯s magic wand, while the one aiming for his heart scraped a series of dazzling sparks across the armor, The Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors were about to strike again, but a flash of dark light passed by, and they found themselves gazing upon two very familiar headless corpses. Ulysses suspended the two heads at his side, tilted his beak up, and with a slurp sound akin to sipping bubble tea, he sucked the brains out of the skulls thoroughly. ¡°Caw, want a taste? These Fire Lizard brains can get the body going,¡± he offered. Richard waved his hand dismissively, ¡°No thanks, I don¡¯t like raw food.¡± Pulling out the map, Richard prepared to head to the next small outpost. All at once, a mighty ¡°voice¡± entered Richard¡¯s perception, causing him to clutch his ears in pain instantly. But the voice was just an illusion; regardless of his covered ears, the sound still lingered beside him. That was¡­ a cry! It wasn¡¯t just Richard who heard the cry; the creatures of the Red Sun World all heard it too. The battling Fire Lizards suddenly stopped in their tracks, nearly all of them looking in the same direction at once, as an inexplicable sadness welled up from within their hearts. Most Wizards, like Richard, were in agony, covering their ears. King of the Fire Lizards, Minar, looked towards the other end of the battlefield in shock. A few kilometers in front of him, Great Wizard Qing Shuang, who was in a miserable state, began to laugh. By Richard¡¯s side, Ulysses calmly said, ¡°Gah, Richard, this is the Heavenly Tears, a World Master is about to die.¡± ¡­ In the sky, Great Wizard Yuhuo pulled his Skeletal Magic Wand out of one of Morick¡¯s skulls. ¡°Fire Lizard, if you tell me how you managed to do this fusion technique, I¡¯ll make sure you die a swift death.¡± The Great Wizard Yuhuo¡¯s voice was very calm; after more than a dozen days of intense battle, his Wizard Robe was only a bit tattered, and the green on his body had dimmed slightly. It seemed like he didn¡¯t even have a scratch. Morick, on the other hand, was close to death. Of Morick¡¯s five heads, only one remained intact. The others were either crushed or torn off completely. The golden scales on his body were dull and lackluster, with large chunks of scales shattered, and golden blood seeping continuously. The green flames burned quietly on his wounds, rendering Morick¡¯s healing abilities ineffective under their influence. Although for a World Master, a skull isn¡¯t a vital part, since the skull is an important node for controlling the body with the soul, if it gets smashed, Morick¡¯s body will inevitably lose control for a moment. That moment might be brief, but for Great Wizard Yuhuo, it was enough time to destroy Morick¡¯s heart. Without his heart, Morick would be left with no ability to resist. Morick looked at Great Wizard Yuhuo, his eyes no longer as resolute as before. Too strong, this Wizard¡¯s power completely exceeded his expectations. An endless array of tactics, a body with the strength of a Level 5 Creature¡¯s physical limits, and that vast experience in combat. Compared to this wizard, he was like a child who had just learned to fight. He was going to lose. ¡°Big brother, are you going to give up?¡± A voice emerged in Morick¡¯s mind, it was Linksa¡¯s voice. Their fusion technique was essentially a fusion of flesh and a unification of spirit; Linksa¡¯s consciousness had never disappeared, his will had been helping Morick fight all along. ¡°My brother, I¡¯m about to lose.¡± Morick¡¯s voice was filled with bitterness; Great Wizard Yuhuo was even more formidable than the Giant Dragons he had once overthrown. Both his body and spirit were now facing defeat. ¡°Big brother, is this your choice?¡± Linksa¡¯s voice held no anger; both of them had experienced the battle and were well aware of how terrifying that wizard opposite them was. At this moment, their minds were as one. ¡°I¡­ have lost.¡± Morick gave his response, and so did Linksa. Morick¡¯s body began emitting a golden light, and two figures slowly separated within it. Great Wizard Yuhuo watched this scene with interest, constantly analyzing the mystery within. At this moment, he held the winning ticket; there was no possibility for Morick to turn the tables. The golden light faded, and the figures of Linksa and Morick reappeared on the battlefield. Morick remained as before the fusion, while Linksa took on all the injuries that came after the fusion. ¡°Wizard, you¡¯ve won,¡± Linksa slowly said. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s obvious. So what¡¯s your decision?¡± Great Wizard Yuhuo held his Magic Wand, its tip surrounded by chains of Yuhuo flame woven into a ball, within which countless runes seemed to flow endlessly. If Linksa¡¯s answer did not align with his wishes, the only thing awaiting him was sealing. ¡°¡­But you are too arrogant, wizard.¡± Linksa suddenly began to laugh, Great Wizard Yuhuo¡¯s face changed abruptly as a green firewall formed instantaneously from the wand¡¯s Sealing Skill at the tip. Linksa looked at Morick and laughed, ¡°Big brother, I secretly kept one of the Divine weapons. It¡¯s just a pity that the condition to activate it was too finicky, and I never got the chance to use it.¡± A light appeared from the Void, Linksa¡¯s figure gradually disappearing in the glow as the only sun of the Red Sun World¡¯s winter slid down towards the horizon. The sun had set. Chapter 256 - 40: The Fall of the Linksa Empire (Part 1) Chapter 256: Chapter 40: The Fall of the Linksa Empire (Part 1) The Wizard enveloped himself in more barriers, but at that moment, the surrounding space was locked by a weapon positioned nearby. He couldn¡¯t move or escape, merely a target for the weapon¡¯s assault. Yet, in this perilous moment, the Wizard felt no fear. His gaze pierced through the spatial veil, directly beholding the weapon hidden in the spatial crevice. It was a golden Crystal Creation, resembling a towering spire. If he could survive, this weapon would be his! The value of this weapon exceeded that of the entire Red Sun World. The Crystal Tower had finished charging, and a beam of golden light shot from its apex into the void, enveloping the Wizard like Holy Light. Under the gold radiance, the Wizard¡¯s barriers melted away like ice. One layer, two layers, three layers¡­ The golden light broke through thirty-six barriers and struck the Wizard himself. In an instant, a horrific, inhuman scream erupted from the Wizard which, amid the howls of agony, some thought they heard¡­ laughter. Morick, somewhat dazed, watched this unfold. Memories of old wiped away their dust, vividly returning to his mind. Linksa, the Fire Lizard King of the Linksa Empire, his once brother, his closest comrade in arms. Together, they had once rebelled against the Giant Dragons, yet fell out over the power struggle. Now, he had forsaken his empire, his life, choosing to die alongside the Wizard. He imagined many possible death scenarios for the both of them, but this scene was something he had never contemplated over the eons. A tear trickled down Morick¡¯s cheek. The game for supremacy had to end. ¡°Keh keh keh keh keh¡­¡± Just as Morick came to this realization, a strange laughter caused his scales to bristle. The Wizard wasn¡¯t dead yet! The golden light faded, and there, the Wizard, now just a skull, laughed heartily towards the source of the light. His Wizard Robe had vanished, the Skeletal Magic Wand crafted from the bones of various World Masters had melted significantly, and his body was reduced to just a skull, a fraction of its former strength. But he was still laughing. Morick blinked next to the Wizard, radiating an intense glow. Since he wasn¡¯t dead, finish him off! However, a sudden Space Rift appeared before him, and countless tentacles stretched out, swallowing him whole. Beside the Wizard, a leather scroll had mysteriously appeared, its aura so potent it caused the very space to tremble. ¡°What an ignorant fool, making me waste a Truth Scroll.¡± With an arm conjured, the Wizard opened a Space Rift, stepped through into the crevice where the golden Crystal Tower stood. He tried to claim it, but found the tower seemingly fused with the crevice. He couldn¡¯t take it with him for now. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll come back when I¡¯ve healed a bit.¡± The Wizard dispersed his arm, and instantly a Space Rift appeared before him, leading to the Great Wizard Qing Shuang. Minar, sensing trouble, spontaneously grew a set of Dragon Wings. The Wizard, with only a skull left, ablaze with Demon Flame, descended next to Qing Shuang like a demon from hell. Qing Shuang wasted no words; with a wave of his Ice Crystal Wand, several Magic Arrays appeared around Minar. Ice Crystal chains emerged from the arrays, ready to bind Minar in place. The Wizard regenerated his body; the half-melted Skeletal Magic Wand, covered in Mysterious Runes, appeared to be preparing a powerful Spell. Minar, unsure of their strength, hesitated whether to continue the battle. In the next moment, two Space Rifts opened before him, and a massive energy surge burst forth. The Floating City Main Cannon had already been prepared. The bombardment from the main cannon was the final straw for Minar; he broke the Ice Crystal chains and, with a flap of his wings, moved beyond the range of the Floating City Main Cannon. Minar, gazing at the Wizard brewing his spell, roared like a dragon and retreated to the Royal Capital of the Minar Empire. Seeing this, the Wizard breathed a sigh of relief. Continuing this battle, he wasn¡¯t very sure he could defeat this Fire Lizard. ¡°Qing Shuang, I need to rest for a while. That Fire Lizard named Morick is trapped in a Space Fragment for thirty years by my Truth Scroll. During these thirty years, conquer the entire Linksa Empire. Moreover, open the Teleportation Gate of the Floating City and replenish our Wizard forces. Don¡¯t worry about the cost, we have enough for this world.¡± The Wizard¡¯s voice was weak. The Pioneer¡¯s weapon had severely wounded him, and it would take millennia for him to recover fully. But the Crystal Tower was valuable enough to compensate for his losses. ¡°Fine, should I ask other Masters for help? Teacher, your injuries¡­¡± Qing Shuang expressed concern. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s only a matter of rebuilding a body, which isn¡¯t enough to put me to sleep,¡± the Wizard nonchalantly replied, ¡°Just let me know when you¡¯re ready.¡± Qing Shuang was momentarily stunned but then understood his teacher¡¯s intention. Even Qing Shuang felt the Wizard might need to rest, let alone Minar, a native, and he could exploit this. Praising inwardly, Qing Shuang repeatedly agreed. The Great Wizard of Hellfire nodded, then opened a Space Rift and disappeared from the battlefield. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was still quite confident in his student. ¡­ The battle of the big shots ended just like that. The Fire Lizard King Linksa fell, Fire Lizard King Morick vanished, and the Wizards¡¯ side also suffered tremendous losses. The severe injuries of the Great Wizard of Hellfire directly caused the Wizards to lose their ability to conquer the world. The conflict seemed about to enter a stalemate once again. However, contrary to most people¡¯s expectations, the anticipated stalemate did not occur. Not long after the great battle ended, all the Wizards within the Morick Empire withdrew into the Floating City and moved toward the Linksa Empire. The Minar Empire didn¡¯t react to this move. The Fire Lizard King Minar stood at the top of a Pyramid, gazing at the Floating City where the Great Wizard of Hellfire resided. He was waiting. The aura of the Great Wizard of Hellfire weakened day by day, and when it completely disappeared, it would be the time to sound the charge for a counterattack. During this period, he had to stabilize the internal affairs of the Fire Lizards. A thought crossed his mind, and a Third Level Fire Lizard approached him. ¡°Your Highness, what are your orders?¡± Minar glanced at him and slowly said, ¡°Mai Han, take your men and take over the Morick Empire. Morick is trapped by that Wizard and who knows when he will come out, his empire should naturally be used by me.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, and bring me that Fire Lizard called Harash, and his son Azuhan, and my little niece Akala. They are all talents of our race.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡­ Linksa Empire With the landing of the second Floating City, an endless stream of Synthetic Beast Army emerged from within. The Synthetic Beast Army served as cannon fodder for the offensive. In defensive battles, these synthetic beasts were not very useful. Over the years, the defensive Wizards had accumulated who knows how many synthetic beasts. Now that they were on the offensive, these synthetic beasts poured out of the Floating City like a sea. The War Airships were reactivated, the White Wizard Army took formation again, and the Fire Lizard King of the Linksa Empire had already fallen. When he fell, a considerable part of his fire lizard lieutenants followed him in demise. But the vast remainder of the Fire Lizards were well aware of one thing. The world of Red Sun was about to change. Without the Fire Lizard King, just these ordinary fire lizards could not sustain a Fire Lizard Empire. They had to quickly find a way out for themselves. Thus, many nobles of the Linksa Empire fled to the Minar Empire, among them many generals and ministers. And those ordinary fire lizards who couldn¡¯t make it to the Minar Empire completely degenerated during this time. Many fire lizard troops, lacking leadership, transformed into bandits and marauders en masse. The combat strength of these fire lizard warriors was a dimensional strike against ordinary civilians; even if the civilians had the will to resist, their resistance was nothing more than child¡¯s play in face of absolute power. Among the military of the Linksa Empire, there were also quite a few who maintained order, such as Balashar, the commander of the Dragon Beast Knight Order. But the Empire was so vast, and with the Wizards attacking from the outside, Balashar could only ensure the security of Luxor Province and a few surrounding provinces. He was powerless beyond that. The fall of the Empire was already a foregone conclusion. ¡­ ¡°Are you going to hibernate?¡± Richard looked at Ulysses, and his brows involuntarily furrowed. Up until now, Ulysses had always talked about taking a short nap, but this time he mentioned going into hibernation. That was unusual. ¡°Gah, it won¡¯t be for very long, just about a dozen years,¡± Ulysses replied weakly. He was straining to hold up even the conversation. ¡°A dozen years¡­¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but rub his temples. At this time, right now in the Linksa Empire was the best opportunity to make money. Without Ulysses by his side, his money-making plans would definitely be greatly reduced. ¡°Gah, just be careful. You guys have already won this war. That green fire skeleton was deceiving that fire lizard.¡± As Ulysses spoke, his eyes gradually closed. Just when his eyelids were almost shut, Ulysses offered his last piece of advice. ¡°Gah, save me some fire lizard heads during this time. They taste really good¡­¡± Richard¡¯s face fell at the comment. Even in hibernation, he hadn¡¯t forgotten about eating. He placed Ulysses back in his usual bird nest and instructed the Holy Tree Elf nearby to serve Ulysses as usual during this period. Exiting the Secret Realm, the White Wizard Army in the distance continuously cast spells. The roaring of Spells and the Fire Lizards¡¯ screams traveled with the light breeze into Richard¡¯s ears. He took a deep breath and slowly flew toward the battlefield. Chapter 257 - 41: The Collapse of the Linksa Empire (Part 2) Chapter 257: Chapter 41: The Collapse of the Linksa Empire (Part 2) Before the great counterattack, the Linksa Empire had already lost one-fifth of its territory to the Wizards, second only to the losses of the Morick Empire. The long-term ravaging of the Black Wizards within the empire¡¯s borders had filled the Fire Lizard civilians with distrust towards the empire¡¯s bureaucrats, and the actions of the corrupt militia only worsened this sentiment. After losing the Fire Lizard King, a leader nearly divine, a slight push from the Wizards caused the contradictions between the Fire Lizard civilians, bureaucrats, and military to explode instantly. This caused the Fire Lizards within the Linksa Empire who had the intention of organizing an army to resist completely lose hope. However, the Wizards soon discovered that this situation wasn¡¯t beneficial for them. ¡­ Boom! A black fireball burst open, instantly turning a Fire Lizard Warrior into ashes. A Wizard clad in a black robe strolled casually through the Fire Lizard camp, holding a metal Magic Wand that was half gold and half black, which looked particularly strange. This was a camp of Fire Lizard bandits, where hundreds of corrupt Fire Lizard Warriors camped, living carefree days by plundering nearby towns. Inside the camp¡¯s tents, many female Fire Lizards bore scars and filth, while at the rear of the camp, several dead or nearly dead female Fire Lizards were piled up like small hills. For these Fire Lizard Warriors, ordinary female Fire Lizards were simply consumables. The Black Wizard¡¯s spiritual power surveyed the environment effortlessly, his brow slightly furrowed as the frequency of fireball release increased. ¡°There are Wizards! There are Wizards!¡± Terrified cries echoed across the camp, pulling the Fire Lizards from their abuse. The corrupt Fire Lizard Warriors frantically picked up their weapons, their Armor on crookedly. Admirably, while these Fire Lizard Warriors bullied ordinary Fire Lizards, they showed no fear when facing Wizards. Seven or eight Fire Lizard Warriors attacked Richard from all directions, their eyes wide, voices hoarse, and their Black Gold Scimitars swift as lightning. ¡°Die!¡± But the next moment, a Magic Barrier deflected their scimitars. ¡°You think you can kill me with that few?¡± The Black Wizard said lazily, blocking the Fire Lizards¡¯ attack. With a wave of his Magic Wand, several black fireballs emerged from the air, smashing towards the Fire Lizards like meteorites. Boom, boom, boom¡­ The roar of the Spell drowned out the Fire Lizards¡¯ screams. The Wizard took a turn around the camp, using Spells to cleanse all the Fire Lizard Warriors cleanly. Some Fire Lizard Warriors seeing the situation turn south immediately fled towards the dense forest outside the camp. The Black Wizard didn¡¯t chase them but instead, a mocking smile appeared on his lips. Soon, a scream was heard, and several armored Hunting Dogs, covered in golden engraved armor plates and bloodied mouths, emerged from the woods. The Hunting Dogs walked up to the Wizard, lay down beside him, and wagged their tails continuously, occasionally making a few pleasing sounds. The Wizard petted their heads and absentmindedly took out some mushrooms from his pocket to feed them. Afterward, the Wizard pulled out a Crystal Ball and murmured, ¡°The clean-up of the bandits in Flag Town is complete, 109 people cleaned up, cleaner, Richard.¡± After reporting his mission, Richard returned to the camp and began checking tent by tent. The bandits had once been regular soldiers of the Linksa Empire; their camp still held value for plundering. Entering the main tent at the center of the camp, inside, several female Fire Lizards lay on beds, seemingly unharmed and possibly newly captured. Richard glanced at them, then ignored them as he roamed the tent. These ordinary Fire Lizards were not within the cleanup scope, and Richard didn¡¯t want to waste his Magic Power. Seeing the Wizard, the female Fire Lizards immediately hid in terror in the corners of the tent, the braver ones trembling as they picked up a scimitar from the floor, but held the blade to their own necks. While the bandits were villains, the Wizard was no saint. The bandits¡¯ cruelty they could understand, but many rumors about Wizards were more terrifying than the demons of Hell. Those Fire Lizards captured by Wizards seemed completely changed, those who had despised the Wizards became their sycophants. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Such tactics were chilling. The tent was in poor condition, and many looted items were piled up. Among these items were numerous Gold Coins and intricately crafted Fire Element Gems, highly valuable in Fire Lizard society. But to Richard, they were worthless. After searching among these items, Richard finally found something of value¡ªa Wizard¡¯s Magic Pocket. He checked the contents with his spiritual power¡ªthe owner of the pocket had died, and now it belonged to no one, open to any Wizard. The pocket didn¡¯t hold much, just a few Magic Essences and some Fire Lizard specimens along with a few notebooks. ¡°Still some gains.¡± Richard muttered, then moved on to search other tents, his gaze never lingering on the Fire Lizards for more than a second. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t this Wizard kill us?¡± a female Fire Lizard whispered. The questioned Fire Lizard shook its head: ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t feel any malice from him towards us; he looks at us¡­ like we are stones.¡± ¡°Stones? That would be great, I want to go back to see my parents¡­¡± A female Fire Lizard¡¯s voice grew softer and she suddenly burst into tears. She suddenly remembered that her parents had been killed by the group of Fire Lizard Warriors. The Fire Lizards around her hurriedly covered her mouth, fearing that her crying would attract the Wizard again. After a long time, a female Fire Lizard poked her head out of the tent. The entire camp was silent, and the Wizard who had destroyed the gang seemed to have already left. ¡­ In the night sky, Richard flew unhurriedly. In the sky, the giant War Airships moved swiftly like whales. It had been ten years since the great counteroffensive began. The Wizards had occupied most of the territory of the Linksa Empire, leaving only Luxor Province and a few surrounding provinces still under the control of the Fire Lizards. The Wizards¡¯ attack was very rapid at the beginning of the war, achieving the current territorial extent in less than two years, with almost no fierce resistance encountered during the process. A large number of rogue soldiers caused the combat effectiveness of the Fire Lizard army to plummet, and the lack of strategic leaders allowed the remaining Fire Lizard forces to be defeated one by one by the Wizards. But soon the Wizards discovered that those rogue soldiers were even more aggravating than a regular army. The assembly of the Teleportation Gate was completed, but igniting the Teleportation Gate required a huge amount of Energy, and the Power Furnaces of the two Floating Cities alone were not sufficient. So the Wizards began to mine Energy Ore extensively in the Linksa Empire to help ignite the Teleportation Gate. The Wizards could not mine themselves, and Synthetic Beasts were not suitable for mining, so the task naturally fell to the Fire Lizards in the Wizard Control Zone. To maintain a large number of mining slaves, the Wizards needed to provide basic food and housing. And all these required a continuous flow of resources. The Wizards wouldn¡¯t farm or act as mules to transport goods for the slaves, and the presence of the rogue soldiers severely impacted the material transportation in the mining areas. To resolve this issue and stabilize their control zones, the headquarters stopped the offensive and instead directed a large number of Wizards to eliminate the rogues. This was also the reason why the resistance zones in Luxor Province still existed. Soon after, Richard arrived at a Wizard City closest to the camp. Above the city, streaks of light continually flashed across the sky. Whoosh! A Wizard flew past Richard at high speed, causing him to involuntarily activate his Magic Barrier. ¡°These Meteor Party members, the headquarters should really issue a ban,¡± Richard muttered frowningly. Meteor Party was a term used for Wizards like the one who had just flown past at extreme speed; because their speed was so fast that from the ground they looked like shooting stars, they were thus named the Meteor Party. These individuals were the street racers of the Wizard World. In the highly autonomous task of rogue elimination, they started racing for entertainment besides their official duties. Richard had heard that these Wizards had even held flying competitions in the Wizard World, with a quite large scale. At times, hundreds of thousands of Wizards participated, and the prize was merely the honorary title of Flying Master. Descending from the sky, Richard, familiar with the route, arrived at a commercial street. On both sides of the street, Wizards of varying strengths stood together harmoniously, selling their spoils of war. Bargain hunting was one of Richard¡¯s small hobbies; finding something undervalued amidst the junk always brought him joy. The lifespan of a Wizard being so long, everyone had some hobbies. The commercial street was not long, and Richard quickly took a look around. Regrettably, he didn¡¯t find anything that met his liking. Walking to the end of the street, having found nothing, Richard was ready to leave the commercial area to check out that unfortunate Wizard¡¯s notes. Suddenly, a voice called out to him. ¡°Master Richard.¡± Richard turned around to see a Wizard in a white robe looking at him. ¡°Iyad? Long time no see.¡± Richard greeted the Wizard happily; he hadn¡¯t seen Iyad since they had separated from the support caravan. ¡°It has been a while,¡± Iyad sighed with some emotion. ¡°It¡¯s been ten years since we parted from the support caravan.¡± After saying this, Iyad changed the subject: ¡°There¡¯s a nice restaurant in town, how about it master?¡± ¡°Restaurant?¡± Richard laughed heartily. ¡°Then you¡¯d better be prepared to bleed, my Physique is not low.¡± Iyad¡¯s face turned awkward. Oh no, he had forgotten Richard had followed the Physique Evolution path. He should have suggested a tavern. But since the words were already out, it was awkward to take them back, so he could only smile wryly and say to Richard: ¡°Master, please take it easy, I¡¯ve put all my Magic Essence into this body.¡± Walking along the commercial street for about three or four kilometers, the two arrived at an unmarked restaurant. The restaurant¡¯s patrons were all Wizards, and the raw ingredients of the dishes were all powerful Magic Beasts; even made into dishes, Richard could still feel their former majesty. Finding a table, they sat down. A Magic Pet owl brought over the menu. Iyad glanced at the menu and ordered two dishes with the largest portions of meat steak. After the owl left, Richard communicated with Iyad using a Spiritual Message: ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°Nothing major, I just heard through the grapevine that the headquarters are planning to take action in Luxor Province soon. So I thought it a good opportunity to cooperate with the master and scoop up some benefits.¡± Chapter 258 - 42: The Fall of the Linksa Empire (3) Chapter 258: Chapter 42: The Fall of the Linksa Empire (3) ¡°Work with me?¡± Richard was somewhat puzzled by Iyad¡¯s words. A White Wizard like Iyad was accustomed to military operations; how could he collaborate with a Black Wizard like himself? ¡°Sigh! Yes, collaboration.¡± With a sigh, Iyad began to explain the reason to Richard. After years of war, the number of White Wizards had drastically decreased to half of what it was before the war. The remaining White Wizards had been reorganized by headquarters into several complete combat sequences, and the excess White Wizards had been temporarily reassigned to the Black Wizard sequence. ¡°Temporarily reassigned to the Black Wizard?¡± Richard exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°Is that even possible? The difference between Black Wizards and White Wizards isn¡¯t minor.¡± ¡°It sure isn¡¯t,¡± Iyad complained, ¡°But that¡¯s the order from headquarters. In this reorganization, the kids from my team were drafted into the White Wizard Army, and ironically, I, the captain, was reassigned to the Black Wizards. Annoying, isn¡¯t it?¡± Richard was speechless and, after a moment of silence, he comforted Iyad with a smile, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you, big brother, have such formidable individual strength that the headquarters thought it would be a waste to put you in the White Wizard Army, so they assigned you to the Black Wizards instead.¡± The difference between Black and White Wizards was greatest at the One Ring level, but as a Wizard¡¯s strength and age increased, the difference between the two would continually diminish. Even White Wizards sought to improve their personal strength. ¡°Sigh, perhaps.¡± Iyad¡¯s voice was filled with helplessness, being just a Second Ring Wizard meant he didn¡¯t have the slightest room to resist the orders from headquarters. He said with some self-deprecation, ¡°I used to envy the high income of you Black Wizards when I was in the army, and now that I¡¯ve become a Black Wizard, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve got what I wished for.¡± In no time, the steak was served. The brown steak the size of a washbasin was slightly charred and the rich aroma of the meat combined with the scent of spices was mouthwatering. With a slice, the inside of the steak remained succulent and juicy. Richard took a bite of the steak, and instantly, Fire Element burst forth, powerfully striking his mouth and tongue, and a strange sensation surged into Richard¡¯s brain along his nerves. Spicy! So spicy! Richard kept chewing on the steak, streaks of flames seeping through the gaps in his teeth. Soon, he swallowed the chewed-up mince and let out a breath. ¡°Whew!¡± A burst of flame exhaled from his mouth. Richard said with some delight, ¡°This thing is truly a delight to eat!¡± Across from him, Iyad¡¯s face was beet red, and he was sweating profusely. Hearing Richard¡¯s praise, he took in cool breaths and also gave a thumbs-up. ¡°Sss¡­ indeed not bad¡­ Sss.¡± Iyad called for the owl-recommended chilled wine to accompany the meal. As soon as the wine arrived, he opened the bottle and drank deeply. The steak was indeed a tantalizing concoction. Seeing Iyad in such a sorry state, Richard burst into hearty laughter, then cut another piece of steak and placed it into his mouth. Sss¡­ truly enjoyable. The meal was immensely satisfying for both. Of course, the price was also quite steep, with each piece of steak worth five Magic Essences. After the meal, they hammered out the details of their cooperation. Since it was Iyad¡¯s first time acting as a Black Wizard, he would need to follow Richard¡¯s arrangements during their mission. As for the spoils, they agreed on a split of sixty-forty, with Richard getting sixty percent and Iyad forty. In truth, Richard had proposed an even split of the spoils. However, Iyad insisted on giving the extra ten percent as compensation for Richard¡¯s guidance, leaving Richard no choice but to accept. Little did Iyad know that the Master Richard opposite him was a novice Wizard who had just fought a Plane War. One could only wonder what Iyad would think if he knew. After parting with Iyad, Richard found a house to check the Wizard¡¯s notes he had captured. This city used to be the Fire Lizards¡¯. After the war started, the wealthy either fled to other empires or to Luxor, and the remaining commoners were taken by the Wizards to work in mines. Thus, the city had become abandoned, later used by Wizards as a gathering point. Richard found an empty house and took out a few of the notes. Each note began with a name on the first page, ¡°Victor Ruse,¡± presumably the owner of the Magic Pocket. Richard briefly flipped through the notes, finding that although most of them were written in Wizard Language, one had many parts written in encrypted script. Seeing those encrypted notes, Richard couldn¡¯t help but smile. Wizards wouldn¡¯t bother writing in code for no reason, especially not when the majority of a book was written in Wizard Language. Richard tore out the pages with the encrypted notes, and soon, the Mysterious Technique Furnace transmitted information. ¡°Ingredient: Victor Ruse¡¯s Encrypted Notes¡± [Extractable Information: Trial Version Dragonification Potion Formula] [Extraction Cost: 2 Spiritual Power] ¡°Dragonification Potion?¡± Richard looked at the message coming from the Miracle Furnace, somewhat puzzled. The connection between ¡°dragonification¡± and ¡°potion¡± was baffling to him. Dragonification was a domineering and irreversible Bloodline change, one that required no other substances but a single drop of a dragon¡¯s fresh blood. Richard chose to extract. Soon, a sphere of white light appeared above the Miracle Furnace, and after merging, the information about the Dragonification Potion instantly flowed into Richard¡¯s mind. ¡°Hm? This Wizard actually found a substance in Fire Lizards that suppresses the expression of Dragon Blood!¡± The moment he obtained the potion formula, Richard exclaimed in astonishment. The effect of the Dragonification Potion was simple: by consuming it, a Wizard could temporarily undergo dragonification, gaining the speed and strength of the Dragon Blood Species and the abilities of certain dragonified organs. The potion¡¯s effect lasted for three minutes, after which it would lose its effectiveness, the Wizard would return to his original state, and become weakened. Furthermore, Wizards with a Physique below one hundred could not consume it again within a month, and those with a Physique reaching one hundred could not do so within three days. In the effect of this potion, the most crucial part was the return to the original state. The most terrifying aspect of dragonification was its irreversibility, yet this potion could reverse it. This was against the mainstream understanding among most Wizards about Dragon Blood. Richard immediately picked up those several notebooks and began to read them carefully. The more he read, the more he marveled at the wisdom of a Wizard named Victor Ruse. Whether Victor Ruse was powerful, Richard did not know. However, from his notes, it was evident that this must have been a Master skilled in the creation of Synthetic Beasts and knowledgeable about Magic Potion. Some experiments on Fire Lizards, while somewhat inhumane, had impressive results. In the cells of a gland within a Fire Lizard¡¯s body, he discovered a special substance. This substance could suppress the expression of Dragon Blood, and even induce apoptosis in cells expressing the Dragon Blood. After the gland was removed, a common Fire Lizard quickly started to show dragonification traits. But following the emergence of these traits, the Fire Lizards quickly began to suffer cellular collapse. This situation was not just limited to ordinary Fire Lizards; Fire Lizard Warriors and Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors also demonstrated this condition. Moreover, intriguingly, the more powerful the Fire Lizard, the stronger their gland and the more of this substance that suppressed Dragon Blood expression could be found in their bodies. This was in stark contrast to the phenomenon of Fire Lizards growing stronger with more awakened Dragon Blood within. This forced one to marvel at the marvels of biology. After reviewing Victor Ruse¡¯s research notes, Richard was filled with admiration. This was a Master with profound knowledge at his foundation, yet with remarkably agile thoughts. Had he survived the Plane War, he might have become a Great Wizard. Unfortunately, he was dead. His crystallized notes of knowledge had fallen into the hands of Fire Lizards. If it weren¡¯t for Richard finding this Magic Pocket in that pile of rubbish, not a single person would know of his research, nor would it have influenced the Wizard World in the slightest. ¡°Alas, the world is so unpredictable,¡± Richard sighed. He collected the notebooks. He didn¡¯t have the materials needed for the Dragonification Potion at hand, and could only test the potion after the Teleportation Gate was activated. However, judging from these notes, the effect of the Dragonification Potion was likely to be without issue, except perhaps that the prohibitions when taking it would require several more experiments. As for this, one of Richard¡¯s clones was just perfect for testing. Having packed away the notes, Richard then opened the Secret Realm Rift and entered the Secret Realm. Inside the Secret Realm, Ulysses was still slumbering, but throughout his sleep, Richard could clearly sense the energy fluctuations within him growing stronger, as was the Life Radiation he emitted. Ulysses¡¯ power was gradually increasing as his Soul¡¯s injuries healed. Even without Richard¡¯s help, in a few thousand years, Ulysses could return to his World Master status. In the Secret Realm, several Armored Hunting Dogs were playing with Holy Tree Elves. These Armored Hunting Dogs were Synthetic Beasts given by the Floating City to all Wizards participating in the bandit eradication mission, of course, the Armored Plates were replacements by Richard¡ªthe original Synthetic Beasts did not have metal Armored Plates, only bone plates connected to the muscles. Over the years, via the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, Richard had refined many Giant Dragon Alchemy Products. These Alchemy Products included Armor, Scimitars, and items both contemporary and ancient relics. In any case, none of these items was ordinary. By refining these objects, Richard¡¯s Giant Dragon Alchemy skills had greatly improved. His current proficiency in Giant Dragon Alchemy was even enough to outclass a master in Fire Lizard Alchemy. After all, these Alchemy Products were the works of the masters from the Fire Lizard Clan. Merging the skills of so many masters, even if Richard were a pig, Giant Dragon Alchemy would have become an instinct. The Armored Hunting Dogs had several mycelium filaments connected to them. Synthetic Beasts had a very short lifespan and Richard, not wishing to make new ones, requested the World Mushroom to use its mycelium to transmit Life Energy to these Armored Hunting Dogs, extending their lifespan as much as possible. Richard approached the World Mushroom and the mycelium on the mushroom stem contracted, revealing a passage. Along the passage, Richard came to a window of a room filled with blue luminescence. Inside the room, a blue flame burned continuously, and against the radiation of the flame, a clone of Richard was constantly disintegrating and regenerating against the wall. ¡°Still no resistance?¡± Richard said, looking at his clone with some disappointment. After utilizing the blue flame obtained from the Molten Sea, Ulysses had made a suggestion to Richard to expose a First Level clone to the radiation of the blue flame. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He claimed this blue flame possessed a peculiar property; it inherently countered flesh and blood creatures, but its effect on elemental, undead, and mechanical beings, those without flesh and blood, was minimal. Moreover, the higher the Physique of a creature, the stronger its resistance to the flame¡¯s radiation. Thus, Ulysses hypothesized that if a creature could develop resistance to the radiation from this flame, then its Physique should undergo enhancement. This was the origin of the experiment. But decades had passed and there had been no progress in the experiment. ¡°World Mushroom, adjust the radiation level again, make it a little lesser.¡± ¡°As you command, Master.¡± Chapter 259 - 43 The Fall of the Linksa Empire (4) Chapter 259: Chapter 43 The Fall of the Linksa Empire (4) Having adjusted the experimental conditions, Richard observed for a while longer. Unfortunately, no miracle occurred; his clone¡¯s disintegration rate was merely slower than before. Gazing at the blue flames, an idea suddenly struck Richard. ¡°It seems this thing is better suited as a weapon. Contain the radiation, focus the blast, and it could disintegrate the body of a third-level creature in an instant.¡± For the vast majority of native creatures, losing their body was no different from death. Richard casually took out a notebook and recorded his idea. A mature wizard always had a tool for recording inspirations, be it a notebook, a magic book, or an Image Capturing Crystal Ball, among others that could record information. Wizards had ample time and sufficient ability to realize these inspirations. For the longevity species, thought rigidity was an inevitable problem; at this time, any inspiration was incredibly precious. Leaving the laboratory, Richard went through a deep meditation session in the Secret Realm, then returned to the Red Sun World. According to Iyad, the Fire Lizard bandits within the Wizard Control Zone should have been almost eradicated by now; otherwise, the headquarters would not have rashly moved against Luxor. If this was confirmed, what he needed to do now was to head to the border as soon as possible, lest after the advances made by the White Wizard Army, he wouldn¡¯t even get to sip the soup¡ªthe Fire Lizard Resistance Army of Luxor was no big trouble for wizards, and the well-organized White Wizard Army had more than enough strength to wipe them out. This process did not require the help of Black Wizards, and those White Wizards did not wish for Black Wizards to participate. A battle destined to be victorious was like a cake already made; naturally, the White Wizard Army wanted as few people as possible to share the cake. Following the map¡¯s guidance, Richard started to move toward Luxor. During this journey, Richard saw many Black Wizards who were just as informed. For some reason, after entering Linksa Empire, the headquarters had not assigned the Black Wizards infiltration tasks. A large number of Black Wizards were all eliminating bandits within the Linksa Empire, an apparent underuse of their capabilities. A month later, Richard¡¯s Communication Crystal Ball suddenly conveyed a message. [The war involving Luxor Province and its surrounding regions will commence in one day. Wizards may freely choose whether to participate in this war.] Listening to this message, Richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh sardonically, ¡°A free choice, that¡¯s a nice phrase. But when it comes to gnawing on a tough bone, where was the free choice?¡± Pocketing the Communication Crystal Ball, not far from Richard, ten battle groups of ten thousand each were already assembled. According to the White Wizard Army¡¯s battle array, the ten thousand unit was the largest combat entity. Ten of these groups, along with their accompanying War Airships and Synthetic Beast Army, were sufficient to crush the Fire Lizard Resistance Army of Luxor. But it wasn¡¯t just ten thousand units that the wizards were deploying this time. Rumors suggested that to the southwest of Luxor, there was another White Wizard Army of around one hundred thousand. If the rumors were true, this war would involve nearly half of the White Wizards from the Wizard Control Zone. The well-informed Black Wizards had already formed a small town on the periphery of the White Wizard Army, and among them, Richard easily found Iyad, robed in white. At the moment, he was huddling with a few other White Wizards, looking sullenly at the nearby White Wizard Army. Upon seeing Richard, Iyad seemed somewhat pleased to greet him. ¡°Master Richard, I¡¯ve finally waited for you. I thought you might have gotten lost.¡± ¡°Lost? What made you think that?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°Nothing much. While conversing with these few friends of mine, I heard a rumor that their Floating City also had a Master named Richard who¡¯s quite something. As a Black Wizard, he supposedly got lost inside Linksa Empire during his infiltration period.¡± Saying this, Iyad couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°How ludicrous must these rumors be before they get shaped into this? A Black Wizard that gets lost behind enemy lines, how could such a wizard possibly reach Third Ring?¡± Richard also laughed, but his smile was somewhat awkward. Ha-ha-ha, indeed, that foolish wizard is only at Second Ring, far from reaching Third Ring. Through Iyad¡¯s introduction, Richard also got to know the other White Wizards. These were friends of Iyad in the army, who had all been reassigned to the Black Wizard sequence in this reorganization. After mingling with these wizards, Richard discovered that these White Wizards were no weaklings. And according to them, many powerful White Wizards had been reassigned to the Black Wizard sequence. What was even stranger was that the information about this offensive was kept highly confidential within the White Wizard ranks, so much so that even Iyad¡¯s information came from White Wizards recruited by the Great Wizard Yuhuo. ¡°This is quite strange.¡± A trace of unease flickered through Richard¡¯s mind; the headquarters¡¯ actions were too peculiar. Using so many White Wizards for eliminating bandits, being so stringent with information security, and reassigning these elite White Wizards to the Black Wizard sequence. When combining these three together, it all seemed strange no matter how one looked at it. Suddenly, Richard recalled the words Ulysses had said to him before falling asleep. ¡°You¡¯ve already won this war; that green bone skeleton is trapping that Fire Lizard.¡± Why would Ulysses say the wizards had already won? Although the Fire Lizard King Morick had temporarily disappeared, the remaining Fire Lizard King Minar was also a Level 5 Creature. The Great Wizard Yuhuo was severely injured, Great Wizard Qing Shuang was a Four Rings wizard, and the number of the Wizard Army had dropped to half of what it was before the war began. No matter how one looked at it, the wizards seemed to be at a disadvantage. But Ulysses told him the wizards had already won¡­ If Ulysses was not mistaken, then there was only one possibility¡ªGreat Wizard Yuhuo and Great Wizard Qing Shuang had the ability to kill Minar. Thinking about this, Richard suddenly asked Iyad: ¡°Iyad, does your White Wizard Army have any means to resist the World Master?¡± Iyad paused, ¡°Hm? Why do you suddenly ask this?¡± Richard¡¯s face was serious, ¡°Just tell me whether you do or not, and whether this method requires the formation of units of ten thousand to use,¡± Iyad and a few White Wizards around him changed their expressions, clearly, Richard was right. ¡°Master, what have you realized?¡± Iyad asked seriously. At this moment, he vaguely guessed that he might have made a mistake. ¡­ In the Royal Capital of the Minar Empire, at the top of the Pyramid where Minar had stood for ten years, his eyes suddenly opened. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He could feel that the aura of the terrible Great Wizard known as Inferno had just weakened to the point of nearly vanishing. ¡°Finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore?¡± Minar¡¯s gaze turned towards the Floating City as if he could see through the spatial barriers to the Inferno Great Wizard at the heart of the Floating City. ¡°Such severe injuries and yet he managed to hold on for ten years, truly a terrifying creature.¡± Dragon Wings sprouted behind Minar once again. He had waited ten years, just to wait for the Inferno Great Wizard to fall into slumber. Now, at last, he could expel these wizards! ¡°Mai Han, Harash.¡± Two figures flew out from the Royal Capital and quickly arrived beside Minar. ¡°Immediately mobilize the troops, the Great Wizards of the wizards have fallen into slumber; today is the day we counterattack!¡± Upon hearing this, Mai Han immediately shouted in agreement, but Harash hesitated for a moment before advising, ¡°Your Majesty Minar, wizards are not reckless creatures; they are always meticulous and cautious. If their situation is this dire, they should have left the Red Sun World long ago. Your Majesty, I suspect this is a ruse.¡± Minar shifted his gaze to Harash, the immense Dragon Power pressing down on Harash like a mountain. Yet, Harash showed no reaction and maintained his advising stance. Mai Han was somewhat terrified; wasn¡¯t Harash¡¯s advice blatantly calling Minar foolish? Minar was not angry, as he was well aware of Harash¡¯s reputation. ¡°Harash, your words make sense, but your power is too insignificant; there¡¯s much you cannot see. Carry out the orders.¡± With that, Minar spread his Dragon Wings, and his figure vanished from the top of the Pyramid. Mai Han straightened up, his face showing relief as if he had just survived a disaster. ¡°My Marshal Harash, you truly are fearless.¡± Harash stood up straight, his expression unchanged. ¡°This is our duty, Mai Han.¡± Seeing Harash¡¯s composed face, Mai Han almost believed he was the one from the old Morick Empire and that Harash before him was Minar¡¯s Grand Marshal. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re ruthless. Which plan shall we follow?¡± Mai Han casually asked. Harash was silent for a moment before speaking, ¡°Use the backup plan. This move by His Majesty is definitely a trap. After dealing with these wizards for so many years, their favorite tactic is to exploit cognitive differences to calculate against us.¡± Upon hearing this, Mai Han¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Have you lost your mind? This is disobeying His Majesty¡¯s orders. If your conjecture is wrong, we are both dead!¡± Harash¡¯s gaze moved towards the Linksa Empire, speaking solemnly, ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll knock you out later. If there¡¯s an issue, it¡¯ll be my responsibility. This concerns the future of the Fire Lizard Clan; I cannot afford to gamble.¡± ¡­ ¡°Phew, this operation is probably the Great Wizard fishing,¡± Richard said with a wry smile on his face. ¡°This operation is likely to be very dangerous; even the entire Legion might face the risk of annihilation. That¡¯s why Great Wizard Qing Shuang temporarily reassigned you all to the Black Wizard sequence. If the Legion is annihilated, you should serve as the seeds for its reconstruction.¡± As soon as Richard finished speaking, a dreadful pressure suddenly emanated from deep within the Fire Lizard Empire. The Black Wizards in attendance sensed it and scattered in horror. Although they didn¡¯t guess the Great Wizard¡¯s plan, they knew one thing for certain: the smaller the target, the better. A few White Wizards reassigned to the Black Wizard sequence quickly formed up into an array, preparing to flee the area. However, when Iyad invited Richard to join the formation, Richard casually tore open a Space Rift and pulled out a lively, armored hound. A Secret Realm Fragment, and not a low-quality one at that. Richard¡¯s face beamed with a smile like a wealthy dog breeder: ¡°No need to worry about me, I have a Secret Realm Fragment to take refuge in.¡± Chapter 260 - 44: The Collapse of the Linksa Empire (Part 5) Chapter 260: Chapter 44: The Collapse of the Linksa Empire (Part 5) Watching Richard open the Space Rift, Iyad was taken aback. Secret Realm Fragments, although available for purchase at some old Wizard Commerce organizations, were rarely bought by wizards. Besides their exorbitant prices, the most important reason was their low cost-effectiveness. Most of the Secret Realm Fragments sold by these organizations had energy environments barely better than the Wizard World, and their areas were minuscule, typically used at most as storage spaces. But for storage space, wizards could simply carry a couple more Magic Pockets, and they weren¡¯t going on holiday when heading into battle¡ªthere wasn¡¯t that much to bring along. The fragments with slightly better energy conditions would have their prices increased manifold compared to those of the same volume, making them a seldom purchase even for a Three Rings Wizard. And yet, Richard actually owned a decent quality Secret Realm Fragment¡ªthis was totally a rich man¡¯s move. ¡°Really rich, Master Richard.¡± Iyad¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm as he turned and fled with a few other White Wizards into the distance. Richard placed the armored hound on the ground and immediately dove into the Secret Realm, closing the rift behind him. Why had Richard left an armored hound outside? The answer appeared swiftly. With the appearance of the Fire Lizard King, Minar, the armored hound instinctively cowered on the ground, its throat continuously emitting whines. Inside the Secret Realm, Richard instantly took control of the armored hound¡¯s senses through the Soul Seed, beginning to use its field of vision to watch the battle unfold. Richard could be sure of this battle¡ªthe victor would definitely be Great Wizard Qing Shuang. The armored hound¡¯s role was to observe the fight, allowing Richard to go out and collect some spoils of war immediately after its conclusion. The Flesh of the World¡¯s Dominator was of little use to the average wizard, but to Richard, these items were treasures. ¡­ Minar¡¯s aura did not hide in the slightest as he boldly declared his intent to battle Qing Shuang, the Great Wizard. Though the Great Wizard could engage him, without the help of that green-flame wizard, Qing Shuang¡¯s ultimate fate would be nothing but a dead end. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As soon as Minar entered the Linksa Empire territory, Qing Shuang appeared before him; two World Master Level beings confronting each other in the sky, their emanating pressure silencing the surrounding kilometers. Creatures within this radius either stayed motionless out of instinct or simply fainted or died from fright. ¡°You still dare to obstruct me?¡± Minar¡¯s body emitted a scorching glow, like a blazing crimson sun. Opposite him stood Qing Shuang, immovable like an iceberg, his expression grave. In both aura and strength, he was severely suppressed. With the death of Linksa and the disappearance of Morick, the Power of the World from the Red Sun World, after ten years of transfer, now augmented Minar. At this moment, Minar had surpassed Morick to become the most powerful among the three Fire Lizard Kings. Seeing Qing Shuang remain silent, Minar¡¯s gaze shifted beyond him, looking toward Luxor Province. At this moment, the White Wizard Army gathered in Luxor Province was rapidly retreating toward the Floating City. ¡°Retreating now? Too late!¡± A mocking smile appeared on Minar¡¯s fierce dragon face. Qing Shuang¡¯s complexion changed, and he was about to wield his Ice Crystal Wand, but Minar had no intention of tangling with him. His Dragon Wings unfurled, and he vanished from Qing Shuang¡¯s view. He was not in a hurry to kill Qing Shuang; he intended to slaughter all the wizards who ravaged the Red Sun World right in front of the Great Wizard. But he did not notice the slight, barely perceptible smile that suddenly appeared on Qing Shuang¡¯s face as he disappeared. White Wizard Army Central Command. Several Three Rings Wizards were sitting in the room, awaiting orders from Qing Shuang. Suddenly, the Crystal Ball before them illuminated, and Qing Shuang¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Take action.¡± The wizards exchanged glances and immediately set to work. In an instant, a mind network of a hundred thousand White Wizards, centered on the command post and connected through the War Airships, linked together. The Army mind network activated. The next moment, Minar appeared before the army, and his terrifying presence mingled with the Dragon Power instantly assaulted the psyches of numerous wizards. However, these Spiritual Shocks were immediately dispersed among all the wizards through the mind network. ¡°Oh, you can resist?¡± Although Minar was a native, as a World Master, his high strength allowed him to see through many things. At this moment, he could feel that all the souls of the wizards before him were linked together. ¡°But what¡¯s the use?¡± A sneer appeared on Minar¡¯s face, his radiance becoming even more blinding. ¡°The unity of the weak only makes it easier for the strong!¡± The command post paid no mind to Minar¡¯s taunts and calmly issued orders. ¡°Activate the Magic Shield.¡± Next, a Magic Barrier encompassing all the White Wizards appeared beside them. The Legion Magic Shield activated! Minar suddenly threw a punch, and at the moment it was unleashed, a sun-like heat and brilliance erupted from his knuckles, a blinding light so intense it was unbearable to look at, like a miniature sun. This sun smashed heavily onto the Legion Shield. Buzz¡ª The Magic Barrier set off tumultuous waves, and the colossal Legion Shield was nearly shattered by a blinding burst of light. The faces of all the wizards in the legion paled as they expended a massive amount of Magic Power to fend off the attack. ¡°We actually blocked it.¡± Minar was shocked. He had used seventy percent of his strength in that punch, which would have been equivalent to his full power before. But it had not broken through the Shield. A sinister premonition suddenly flashed through his mind. ¡°Hehehe, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m hearing someone call a wizard weak.¡± The figure of Great Wizard Qing Shuang appeared at the center of the legion. He tore a scroll, and an enormous Magic Array rapidly spread from his feet throughout the legion, with the wizards in the Array almost merging into one with it. If Richard were present and observed with his Energy Vision, he would certainly notice that all hundred thousand wizards in the legion were standing on energy nodes. Legion Magic Array, activate! With the legion¡¯s enhanced power, Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s aura surged instantaneously, skyrocketing and exploding in strength. Already nearly a Three Rings Wizard, under the legion¡¯s Magic Array¡¯s enhancement, he broke through to Four Rings in an instant, arriving at a pseudo-Five Rings level. He was considered pseudo-Five Rings because although Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s energy intensity reached the level of a Level 5 Creature, he lacked the special abilities possessed by creatures of Five Rings. But as a wizard, even at pseudo-Five Rings, Great Wizard Qing Shuang was more than adequate to handle Minar. Moreover, Great Wizard Qing Shuang had more than just these preparations. He opened a Space Rift and from within, he took out an Ice and Fire Spear burning with blue ice flames. The ice flames shattered continuously, turning into pure Magic Power that dissipated into the space. Inside the spear shaft, countless mysterious Runes flowed endlessly, seemingly forming an extremely complex Magic Model. ¡°Hehehe, you fool really thought I had no way to deal with you. Are your brains even less useful than those underlings of yours?¡± Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s face was full of mockery. To his perception, the Fire Lizard Empire¡¯s legion was actually retreating instead of attacking¡ªa move that was clearly not the idea of the fool before him. There were indeed some wise beings among the Fire Lizards. ¡°Heh, reaching a new level by relying on external objects, is this how you plan to defeat me?¡± Minar was both shocked and furious, realizing that this was indeed the trap the wizards had prepared for him, as Harash had described. ¡°But that¡¯s not all.¡± A faint voice came from behind Minar. Unknown to him, a Space Rift had opened behind him, from which a skull burning with green flames had crossed spatial barriers to arrive behind him. Minar¡¯s pupils constricted. The Great Wizard of Infernal Fire, who should have been injured and sleeping, was not asleep at all. Judging by the stable aura on him, there were no signs of the injuries flaring up. His attack was completely within the wizards¡¯ calculations! ¡°A counterfeit boosted by false items, a skeletal frame bearing grievous injuries, this is how you plan to take me down!?¡± Minar suddenly grew in size, his aura growing even stronger, almost breaking through Level 5 Creature and entering the category of a Level 6 Creature. At this moment, Minar was devouring the Power of the World to enhance his own strength. Such actions greatly harmed the World Origin. If one compared life¡¯s origin to a creature, then Minar was incessantly sucking the fresh blood of the World Origin. ¡°Like a cornered dog jumping over a wall, Qing Shuang, finish him.¡± The Great Wizard of Infernal Fire let out a furious shout, the second strongest display of emotion he had shown in this Plane War. He already considered the Red Sun World as his, and Minar was destroying his property! Infernal fire surged from the Great Wizard of Infernal Fire and instantly formed a domain that firmly trapped Minar. However, Minar¡¯s strength at that moment was almost at Level 6 Creature. He shook his arms, and the intense radiance on his body carved out a sanctuary within the domain. ¡°Wizard, taste this!¡± A Light Spear appeared in Minar¡¯s hand, its shaft circulating with intense light, as if capturing a sliver of the sun¡¯s soul, too dazzling to look at directly. With a forceful swing, the Light Spear tore through the sky, heading straight for the Great Wizard of Infernal Fire. And behind Minar, Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s Ice Crystal Spear was also hurled at him. Minar intended to go down with the Great Wizard of Infernal Fire! The terror of the Light Spear was such that even a slight fluctuation caused rifts to appear in space. If hit by this spear, there was no chance for the Great Wizard of Infernal Fire to survive! ¡°Hehehe, you just won¡¯t believe you¡¯re a fool, not even discerning real from fake.¡± The Great Wizard of Infernal Fire in the domain cackled twice, then suddenly transformed into a clump of green flames, disappearing within the domain. What¡¯s false can be true, and what¡¯s real may also be false. Minar, once again a Level 5 Creature, would not be underestimated by the Great Wizard of Infernal Fire in his prime, especially with the support of the World¡¯s Power. Plus, the Great Wizard of Infernal Fire was severely injured, so how could he possibly venture to the scene, let alone be so close to him? But it was too late for Minar to realize this. The Light Spear streaked across the sky, plummeting like a meteor into the Sea of Magma at the edge of the world, raising mountainous waves of molten lava. Meanwhile, the Ice and Fire Spear struck him squarely from behind, and the dreadful Sealing Power burst forth instantly from the spear, freezing him solid within an ice mountain. No matter how he struggled, the ice mountain stood unmoving. Great Wizard Qing Shuang had spent ten years crafting this Ice and Fire Spear. Contained within it was the Dead Silence Ice Mountain Sealing Technique, powerful enough to seal a Level 5 Creature for fifty years. Fifty years was but a mere moment for a World Master, but it was enough for the wizards to conquer the entire Red Sun World. Even if Morick returned, the moment he set foot in the Red Sun World, he would be met with a trap meticulously prepared for him by two Great Wizards. The fate of the Red Sun World was sealed the moment that Minar decided to make his move. Chapter 261 - 45 The Fall of the Linksa Empire (Complete) Chapter 261: Chapter 45 The Fall of the Linksa Empire (Complete) In the towering blue mountains of Ice, the enormous Fire Lizard King continued to struggle, each of his attempts causing the ice mountain to roar loudly, with white cracks constantly appearing throughout its icy expanse. However, in the gaps of his struggling, the ice mountain seemed to come to life, incessantly healing these cracks. Although the healing speed was not as fast as the cracks appeared, the Great Wizard Qing Shuang was not at all dissatisfied. As a Four Rings Wizard, being able to seal a Level 5 Creature was already bullying the ignorant natives. To achieve a permanent sealing, he would need to advance to a Five Rings Wizard. After dealing with Minar, Great Wizard Qing Shuang waved his Magic Wand, and the White Wizard Army instantly changed direction, marching toward Luxor Province. Now, in the entire Red Sun World, there remained no life capable of contesting the wizards¡ªit was time to handle the Fire Lizards. The army of a hundred thousand from the White Wizard Army was already enough to flatten Luxor, and now with Great Wizard Qing Shuang joining, the speed of annihilation was even faster. Great Wizard Qing Shuang waved his Magic Wand, and a Spell capable of enveloping an entire city materialized. A piercing cold wind from the Water Element Territory surged through the magical gateway created, and in an instant, it transformed an entire city into ice sculptures. Creatures of all levels within the city died instantly. In the face of such near-miraculous power, the morale of the Fire Lizards instantly collapsed; even the Dragon Beast Knight Order couldn¡¯t maintain their spirits and began to rout massively. In just one day, the spearhead of the White Wizard Army had moved from the borders of Luxor Province to the outskirts of Luxor City. As the commander of the Dragon Beast Knight Order and the last general of the Linksa Empire, Balashar stood atop the pyramid in the center of the city, quietly watching the advancing Wizard Army. A leader from the Dragon Beast Knight Order approached Balashar, his voice filled with tragic resolve, ¡°Sir, what shall we do?¡± Balashar glanced at him, his tone utterly calm as he spoke, ¡°What to do? I have already ordered the dissolution of the Knight Order. If you want to resist, play hide and seek with the wizards. If you don¡¯t want to resist, then find a deep forest to hide in. The wizards have already won. If you hide well enough, you should be able to live until death.¡± The leader looked up at Balashar, his golden pupils tinged with blood, ¡°Sir, we have not lost yet, Lord Morick is not dead yet! He will surely lead us to drive this horde of wizards out!¡± Balashar sighed, gently shaking his head, ¡°Enough, you may leave now, I have already told you what to do.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± the leader exclaimed, ¡°We need a leader!¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need a leader,¡± Balashar¡¯s voice suddenly turned sharp, ¡°The Dragon Beast Knight Order will only trouble the wizards if it disbands; if you gather, a single spell from the Great Wizard will wipe you out. Though I have disdain for those degenerate bandits, I must admit, they bring more trouble to the wizards than we do.¡± As he spoke, Balashar¡¯s face suddenly showed a smile tinged with mocking bitterness. ¡°Boy, do you know? If you want to cause the wizards significant losses, what you should do now is go kill.¡± ¡°Kill the wizards? We definitely¡­¡± ¡°No, kill the Fire Lizards.¡± Balashar drew his Scimitar from his waist, its blade smooth as a mirror, reflecting the withered visage of a Fire Lizard on it. These ten years, every day Balashar had lived in terror, constantly considering what to do if the wizards attacked. Now he could finally stop thinking. Balashar continued, ¡°To the wizards, Fire Lizards are wealth. If you want to inflict heavy losses on them, go kill the Fire Lizards, and then commit suicide when they capture you.¡± The leader¡¯s face turned horrified; Balashar¡¯s words had frightened him. Balashar saw his expression and laughed, shaking his head. ¡°Don¡¯t daze off, do whatever you want. I have fulfilled my duties, it¡¯s time for me to follow His Majesty.¡± With that, Balashar swung his Scimitar, drawing it across his own neck. In the 45th year of the war, Balashar, the last general of the Linksa Empire, died, thus marking the complete downfall of one of the Three Great Empires of the Red Sun World, the Linksa Empire. The destruction of the Fire Lizard Clan was now ticking down to its final moments. ¡­ Outside Luxor City, Richard stealthily made his way to the volcanic location of the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base. The Linksa Empire was initially managed by the Floating City of the Great Wizard of Inferno, and the infiltrating Black Wizards were all those recruited by the Great Wizard of Inferno. But the current attack on Luxor was conducted by the Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s White Wizard Army, which did not approach the base. Richard contemplated that the intelligence about the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base probably hadn¡¯t been shared by the command of the Great Wizard of Inferno. Even the few Three Rings Wizards who initially operated might not have reported this information. Richard had not run during the battle between the Great Wizard and the Fire Lizard King. Now that the Great Wizard was attacking, Richard, being the closest, became one of the first wizards to enter Luxor. For a time, Richard was the only one aware of the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base. ¡°Haha, although I didn¡¯t manage to get the flesh of the Fire Lizard King, obtaining technology from the Pioneer is also great.¡± Richard searched around the periphery of the volcano and quickly found a concealed entrance. At the entrance, two Dragon Beast Knights had already committed suicide by poisoning, their bodies beginning to decompose under the effect of the toxins. ¡°Suicide¡­ sigh.¡± Richard entered the passage and soon arrived at the outskirts of the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base. This place, once a crucial site of the Linksa Empire, now lay in utter silence. Suicidal Fire Lizards were visible throughout the base, all using the same poison as the Dragon Beast Knights at the entrance. To be honest, looking at this scene, Richard was momentarily stunned. This scene was more shocking than the severed limbs and remains on the battlefield. Soon, Richard regained his composure and started flying towards the core area of the base. Along the way, he saw dead Dragon Beasts and Fire Lizards that had committed suicide, which agitated him. He hated this scene. If these Fire Lizards had fought with him, their deaths wouldn¡¯t have caused any stir in his emotions. But their suicide instilled an indescribable sense of guilt in Richard. Richard felt extremely hypocritical. Who were these crocodile tears for? Richard flew in silence, and suddenly, he sensed a living creature in his perception. It was a Fire Lizard! Richard clenched his Magic Wand, his face appeared relieved, and it felt like he had unloaded some burden from his heart. He stepped over the bodies and found the living Fire Lizard¡ªit was an old Fire Lizard, its dull, lackluster scales and eyes as brilliant as gold clearly showed his age. This Fire Lizard had not committed suicide; he was currently organizing a stack of documents. Upon seeing Richard, he was startled for a moment. ¡°Have you already arrived in Luxor?¡± Richard scanned the old Fire Lizard with his spiritual power; he was just a Level 1 Creature, and an elderly one at that. There was no resistance. After a moment of silence, Richard asked, ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°Sorting documents.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t your superior order you to destroy the documents?¡± ¡°He indeed did, but he¡¯s already dead,¡± the Fire Lizard pointed to a decaying corpse beside him. ¡°This is him, dead for half a day already.¡± The Fire Lizard¡¯s calmness left Richard somewhat bewildered; at this moment, they did not seem like invaders and the invaded, but rather like two passersby casually chatting on the street. ¡°¡­Can I take a look at the documents?¡± Richard asked. The Fire Lizard pointed to a neatly stacked pile of documents on the other side, ¡°These are the organized ones; you can look at these.¡± The Fire Lizard¡¯s attitude sparked a bit of anger in Richard. The Fire Lizard shouldn¡¯t be this calm. Why wasn¡¯t he resisting? Shouldn¡¯t he be browsing through blood-stained documents over their corpses? ¡°You are very angry.¡± The old Fire Lizard suddenly spoke. ¡°Indeed.¡± Richard spoke coldly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you resist? Wizards slaughtered your people, destroyed your city, ruined your country. Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± ¡°What good would anger do?¡± The old Fire Lizard retorted, ¡°Can my anger allow me to kill you? With these old limbs of mine.¡± Richard fell silent. ¡°You see, you also know I can¡¯t kill you. So why should I be angry? Getting angry might end me. Who would sort these documents then?¡± ¡°Why are you sorting these documents?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are these, for you to still need to sort them at this time?¡± Richard picked up the documents and started browsing through them, but the contents took him by surprise. ¡°This is about the breeding process of Dragon Beasts!?¡± The Fire Lizard dragged a stack of documents from a cabinet beside him, casually replying, ¡°Good eye, are all Wizards as well-versed as you?¡± Richard looked shocked at the old Fire Lizard, ¡°This is useful to Wizards, you should have destroyed it.¡± ¡°Destroy? Hehe.¡± The old Fire Lizard suddenly laughed, ¡°I know it should be destroyed, but I spent three hundred years studying these Dragon Beasts, most of my life was spent in this base. These documents are like my children, how could I bear to destroy them?¡± The old Fire Lizard¡¯s voice grew increasingly angry but suddenly softened at the end. ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t it good for you to have these?¡± the old Fire Lizard put a stack of sorted files aside, ¡°I¡¯ve heard you Wizards don¡¯t care much for Gold Coins or gemstones, but you do care immensely about knowledge. These documents, if kept with you, should be well-treated. Many years from now, when Fire Lizards have been exterminated by you. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These documents could prove to the future generations that there once was a race called the Fire Lizard among the stars.¡± ¡°¡­How do you know we are going to exterminate the Fire Lizards.¡± The old Fire Lizard¡¯s lips curled into a mocking smile. ¡°Fire Lizards who become slaves are no longer Fire Lizards. Since the Fire Lizard King took up the banner of resistance against the Giant Dragons, Fire Lizards are no longer slaves. Even the name Fire Lizard came into being after the fall of the dragons. Before that, in the Red Sun World, there were only Giant Dragons and slaves.¡± Richard remained silent. Fire Lizard was a name given by Wizards; the name Fire Lizards call themselves, if translated from their language, should be¡ª Free Man. Chapter 262 - 46 Dragon Beast Breeding Technology Chapter 262: Chapter 46 Dragon Beast Breeding Technology The old Fire Lizard finished cleaning up, finally arranging all the materials. After organizing everything, he picked up a Black Gold Scimitar from the ground and calmly looked at Richard. ¡°Wizard, I didn¡¯t interfere with the research of others, but all the things I¡¯ve been busy with over the years are here.¡± Richard placed the materials into the Magic Pocket, silently giving the old Fire Lizard a Wizard¡¯s Salute. The transfer of knowledge is always worthy of respect. Then Richard, somewhat conflicted, spoke: ¡°Fire Lizard, don¡¯t rush to die. I think you are very valuable. Would you be interested in working for me for a while? We could sign a fair employment contract¡­¡± ¡°Wizard, are you insulting me?¡± the old Fire Lizard interrupted loudly, ¡°You destroyed my country, enslaved my people. I may be a bastard, but I¡¯m not that much of a bastard.¡± With that, the old Fire Lizard swung his scimitar, the sharp blade of the Dragon Beast Knight effortlessly severing his neck. Richard watched this scene, a heavy sigh stuck in his chest for a long time before he finally exhaled it. Then Richard came to the core area of the cultivation base, but upon seeing the core area, he was stunned. The entire core area was occupied by several huge pits; almost all of the Dragon Beast breeding machines were destroyed. Booming noise! Richard suddenly looked up at the sky, where he noticed that the huge Energy Dome above the base had become very weak compared to when he had last visited. The noise he had just heard was the movement of the upper layer of magma. If some more time passed, this Energy Dome would probably disappear. At that time, tens of millions of tons of magma would submerge the entire Dragon Beast Cultivation Base, erasing the last bit of its value. Richard shook his head: ¡°These Fire Lizards did a thorough job.¡± Richard then quickened his searching pace, and in a matter of minutes, he had inspected the entire core area along with the third layer. Eventually, on the third layer, Richard found half of a breeding machine blown away by the explosion¡¯s aftermath. Most parts of the machine were damaged, but Richard still found something usable within it. [Material: Giant Dragon Alchemy Chip] [Refinable Information: Half-Elemental Creature Flesh Transformation Technology] [Extraction Consumption: 20 Spiritual Power] Looking at the palm-sized metal plate covered with golden patterns in his hand, Richard¡¯s eyes flashed with surprise. He hadn¡¯t expected such an important component to have survived intact. Without hesitation, Richard chose to extract and quickly acquired this technology left by the Pioneers. The function of this technology was simple, to transform the flesh of half-elemental creatures like Flame Giant Beasts into a special kind of half-elemental Firestar Flesh. Wizards had the technology to transform the flesh of half-elemental creatures into active flesh, but Richard had never heard of this kind of half-elemental active flesh before. According to the technology¡¯s description, a thousand kilograms of first-level half-elemental creature¡¯s flesh could be turned into ten grams of half-elemental active flesh. Although he did not know the activity level of this half-elemental active flesh, even the lowest-level first-level active flesh was far superior to Jolod¡¯s technology. In Richard¡¯s perspective, the flesh of half-elemental creatures was among the worst materials for producing active flesh, as the Elemental Bloodline it contained polluted the flesh. To make it into active flesh, great efforts must be made to remove the Elemental Bloodline. Jolod¡¯s technology could only produce one gram of normal active flesh from a thousand kilograms of half-elemental creature flesh. After storing the Giant Dragon Alchemy Chip, Richard immediately flew out of the base. On his way, he casually took a considerable number of Flame Giant Beast corpses from the outer ring warehouse. As for the Energy Dome in the sky, Richard had no intention whatsoever of investigating it. The Fire Lizards couldn¡¯t destroy it, and it was likely a legacy of the Pioneers, something he couldn¡¯t take even if he went up. Moreover, the technology of the Energy Dome looked very complex; if he went up and found out he couldn¡¯t refine it, he would be utterly frustrated. Soon, Richard walked out from the entrance he had used to enter the base. As he stepped out, thunderous noise followed him through the passage. The Energy Dome disappeared and tens of millions of tons of magma crashed into the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base, completely burying this once treasure of the Linksa Empire. Richard looked back at the entrance where faint firelight was visible and felt somewhat relieved: ¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t try to study that Energy Dome. If I had, I probably wouldn¡¯t have made it back.¡± Below the World Master, no one could withstand the impact of tens of millions of tons of magma, not even a Wizard. In the distance, Luxor had already been conquered; the White Wizard Army began skillfully scavenging spoils of war within the city. Alchemy creations? Take them! Fire Element Gems? Take them! Flame Artifacts? Definitely take those! The Wizards laughed as they looted from room to room, marking the civilian Fire Lizards with Slave Marks using the Slave Seals. As Balashar had said, Fire Lizards indeed were wealth for the Wizards; each Fire Lizard slave could be exchanged for varying amounts of Magic Stones from the Great Wizard. To kill a Fire Lizard was to destroy wealth. Unfortunately, Balashar¡¯s idea was a bit too extreme, even he himself just talked about it more than he practiced it. The Dragon Beast Knights he once commanded wouldn¡¯t act in this way. These elite troops of the former Linksa Empire, under the command of their leader, had now dispersed into small teams, hiding in various deep mountains and forests. ¡°They still believe that everything will get better as soon as Morick, the Fire Lizard King, returns.¡± Looking at the distant Luxor City, Richard chose not to go in and scavenge for spoils. His gains had already been significant, and it didn¡¯t seem worthwhile to plunder those minor benefits. Moreover, the tragic state of the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base had indeed struck a chord in his heart, and he needed to find a place to calm his emotions. Opening the Secret Realm Rift, Richard entered it, ready to study the materials organized by the old fire lizard. Shortly after he entered the Secret Realm, two figures arrived beside the cultivation base. These two figures, one as robust as a stone giant, the other shrouded in fierce flames resembling a fire elf. These were the two Three Rings Wizards who had previously attacked the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base and escaped. Sensing the magma continually surging up in the passage, Mephit, somewhat regretfully, said: ¡°We are still too late.¡± The Dragon Beast Cultivation Base had already been completely annihilated by a massive amount of magma. In contrast to his calmness, the nearby flame wizard was highly volatile. ¡°Those damn natives, do they not realize what they have destroyed? That was the knowledge of the Lost One!¡± The Flame Wizard roared furiously, his flames leaping violently with his roar. ¡°The thing is already destroyed, being volatile won¡¯t bring it back.¡± Mephit glanced at the volcano and then flew towards Luxor City. Since the last time the Holy Guard nearly killed him, Mephit realized there was something wrong with his mindset. As his power grew, his attitude had also become somewhat arrogant, which was bad for a wizard. Because of this, he had been cultivating his temperament lately. Had it been before, he might have been furious at the destruction of the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base, but now, he could only lament his bad luck, even somewhat relieved. If the base hadn¡¯t been destroyed, he definitely would have gone in. What if he encountered the Holy Guard that he had met before? The Black Wizard must restrain his greed. The Flame Wizard watched Mephit¡¯s departing figure and, somewhat angrily, threw a few fireballs at the mountain wall. But then he also turned direction and headed towards Luxor. The Dragon Beast Cultivation Base was already destroyed; venting was meaningless. It might be better to plunder some spoils in Luxor. But what both Three Rings Wizards couldn¡¯t have expected was that, before them, a Second Ring Wizard had already taken a tour of the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base. ¡­ Inside the Secret Realm, Richard took out the documentation, which was taller than two people when stacked, from his pocket and began to understand what a Dragon Beast really was. According to the document, Dragon Beasts are also a type of Synthetic Beast, only far more stable than most Synthetic Beasts created by wizards. Except for their inability to reproduce, they were almost indistinguishable from normal creatures. A typical Dragon Beast¡¯s lifespan ranged from one hundred to two hundred years, and its physique should be between 150 and 200, occasionally breeding those within the three-level creatures¡¯ range. According to records left by the old fire lizards, in ancient times, they were able to mass-produce third-level Dragon Beasts. But later, these technologies were lost for various reasons; ancient documents, because they contained a lot of Dragon Language, remain undecipherable until now¡­ So those fire lizards just burned those documents. When Richard read this, he was so angry he almost got a toothache. Such a waste of heavenly gifts! Knowledge of Dragon Language wasn¡¯t difficult to obtain among wizards; even if there were differences between languages, he had the Miracle Furnace to directly refine the information. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Continuing to read, the fire lizards used many techniques to cultivate Dragon Beasts, each recipe producing Dragon Beasts with different characteristics. Like the current Dragon Beast Knights¡¯ mounts, they used a very balanced type of Dragon Beast, its speed, strength, endurance, and even intelligence, none outstanding, but all above average. And the old fire lizard had been researching a new type of Dragon Beast craft, his type, with outstanding speed and endurance, and strength above average, only lacking in intelligence, requiring long-term taming before it could be used as a mount. Moreover, this type of Dragon Beast also had relatively low defense, even ordinary Fire Lizard Warriors could easily break through. ¡°Hmm, the strengths and weaknesses are quite apparent.¡± Richard looked at the documents in his hands; his gaze involuntarily shifted towards a hunting dog in the Secret Realm, playing with Holy Tree Elves. ¡°Intelligence is not a problem, just takes some time to work on, or else soul witchcraft can help with that. As for defense¡­ perhaps a secondary modification on the Dragon Beasts, accompanied by these armored plates, would work. But the issue is whose hands to use them in.¡± Richard stroked his chin, shifting his gaze to the final section of the document. According to the document, making a Dragon Beast required the blood of a Fire Lizard, and the Dragon Beast would naturally bond with the Fire Lizard that provided the blood. When fighting side by side, there might even be a mental union, achieving Man and Horse Unity. Reading this passage, Richard suddenly remembered the Dragonification Potion he had acquired before. One of the ingredients of this potion was the fresh blood of a Fire Lizard. Richard murmured, ¡°It seems the heavens haven¡¯t abandoned you, Fire Lizards.¡± Chapter 263 - 47 Fire Lizards Response Chapter 263: Chapter 47 Fire Lizard¡¯s Response Over two hundred years had passed since the World Mushroom had taken root in Richard¡¯s fragment of the Secret Realm. During this time, as the World Mushroom continued to grow, it also ceaselessly expanded the space of the Secret Realm. The larger the World Mushroom became, the faster it expanded the space. After more than two centuries of growth, the World Mushroom had reached nearly two hundred meters in height. Through its expansion efforts, Richard¡¯s fragment of the Secret Realm had grown to about one square kilometer in size. To a Great Wizard, this area was still within the domain of a Secret Realm fragment, but for Richard, it felt somewhat empty and desolate. Although the Secret Realm was home to Holy Tree Elves, these tiny creatures were practically indistinguishable from insects and quite unremarkable. Richard had originally intended the Secret Realm to serve as a field for cultivating potions. However, the emergence of the World Mushroom had made the cultivation plans almost redundant. The Demonized Plants Richard had planted were nothing compared to the yield of just a couple of Aldo Fungi from the World Mushroom. Now, Richard had a new idea in mind. He wanted to breed a group of Fire Lizards within the Secret Realm as his slaves, or rather, his aides. Dragon Beast Knights were a formidable type of soldiers. A standard squad of trained Dragon Beast Knights could easily encircle and defeat a single Second Ring Wizard without any losses. Although their strength was no match for Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors, they far outnumbered them. Furthermore, if Richard wanted to sell his Dragonification Potion as a product, breeding Fire Lizards was an indispensable task. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The substance within the bodies of Fire Lizards was something Richard couldn¡¯t synthesize artificially; making the potion required the blood of Fire Lizards. Having gathered up the documents strewn about the place, Richard stood up, prepared to leave the Secret Realm. His mood had lifted after reading the documents. Opening the Rift to the Secret Realm, Richard returned to the Red Sun World. In the few hours he had been reviewing the documents, the White Wizard Army, along with Black Wizards who had caught up, had already pillaged Luxor thoroughly. Great Wizard Qing Shuang had returned to the Floating City. After the collapse of the Dragon Beast Knight Order, there was no longer any army within the Linksa Empire that could stand against the White Wizard Army. Great Wizard Qing Shuang couldn¡¯t be bothered to expend more energy. Though World Masters were incredibly powerful, every action they took still consumed a significant amount of energy, and energy meant Magic Stones. Expeditions to other Planes were already costly, so naturally, Great Wizards saved where they could. Entering Luxor, Richard found the streets littered with injured Fire Lizards. Most exhibited superficial skin wounds, yet some bore the scars of elemental damage inflicted by spells. These Fire Lizards now bore the Slave Mark, and upon seeing Richard, they respectfully bowed their heads, some even prostrated before him. They were no longer ¡°Free Men.¡± The moment the Slave Mark was stamped on them, they had transformed from ¡°Free Men¡± into mere ¡°Fire Lizards.¡± Hurrying down the streets, Richard noticed that the majority of the Fire Lizards he encountered bore Slave Marks, while those without carried Magic Seals left by Wizards. This served as ¡°proof¡± that the slaves belonged to them. With the Wizards currently following the White Wizards to other provinces for plunder, they had left these ordinary slaves behind in their hurry. This reminded Richard of a classic taunt from World War II when Germany swiftly invaded France: ¡°We don¡¯t have time to take you prisoner. Drop your weapons and leave the highway; don¡¯t impede our progress.¡± Walking along, Richard shook his head and said, ¡°It seems there¡¯s not much Magic Stone left to be found in Luxor.¡± However, the Wizards currently held a huge advantage. Once the Linksa Empire was dealt with, their focus would immediately turn to the other two Empires. The war had now entered an effortless phase. ¡­ On the fourteenth day since Minar had been sealed, the Wizards, who had already taken over all the resisting provinces within the Linksa Empire, were finally turning their offensive towards the Morick Empire. No, it should now be called the Minar Morick United Empire. These two Fire Lizard Empires had already undergone a military integration while the Wizards were conquering the Linksa Empire. Military officers, once at sword¡¯s point, now found themselves together in a meeting room, jointly deliberating over the fate of the Fire Lizards. In the meeting room, Harash took the principal seat. Beside him were two others: the one was Mai Han, the former Grand Marshal of the Minar Empire, and the other was his son, the commander of Merrick¡¯s Shield, Azuhan. ¡°Everyone, the current situation is quite dire for us,¡± Harash said with a serious expression and an intimidating presence in his draconic eyes. ¡°The Wizards have purged their ranks and have set their sights on us. But we lack the upper-echelon strength to contend with them. Emperor Linksa has been gloriously summoned to Heaven, Emperor Morick is missing, and Emperor Minar has been trapped by a Wizard¡¯s snare. I am at my wit¡¯s end and would like to know if any of you have any solutions.¡± Everyone attending the meeting was an elite among the Fire Lizards; they were powerful and intelligent. However, they all remained silent in the face of this question. Before such absolute strength, all tactics were futile. The meeting room fell silent. After a lengthy silence, a young voice broke the quiet. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I have a suggestion.¡± The attendees turned their eyes onto Azuhan, Harash¡¯s son, who broke the stillness. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, since we cannot win in a head-on clash, perhaps we should consider changing our strategy.¡± After a few decades of maturation, Azuhan had shed his youthful naivety, adopting a more mature demeanor. Dressed almost identically to his father, he spoke with a stable and assured voice. ¡°In the past ten years, the Wizards found themselves embroiled in an enduring slum war within the Linksa Empire. The disintegrated provinces of the Linksa Empire constantly harassed their supply lines, rendering their mining districts utterly chaotic. The Wizards even had to pull the majority of their forces to eradicate the bandits. Now, if we can¡¯t withstand a direct confrontation, why not consider breaking our armies into small teams and scattering them across every corner of the Empire? We are easily dealt with by the Wizards¡¯ large armies and Great Wizards as a united force, but dispersed into small units, their greatest advantage disappears. Emperor Morick has only disappeared, and Emperor Minar has only been trapped.¡± ¡°Just as long as we drag this out long enough, victory will surely be ours!¡± After hearing Azuhan¡¯s suggestion, the Fire Lizards in the conference room fell into deep thought. Azuhan was indeed proposing a solution¡ªthey didn¡¯t need to expel the Wizard; they just needed to buy enough time. ¡°But how do we resolve the issue of military discipline?¡± a Fire Lizard general asked, ¡°Once we divide the troops into small units, widespread degeneration into banditry is bound to occur.¡± Azuhan looked at the speaking general and uttered a cold answer. ¡°We won¡¯t resolve it. If they degenerate, so be it. Our primary task is to conserve our strength and hold off the Wizards. To achieve this goal, we are prepared to pay any price.¡± Upon hearing this, Harash turned his head to look at his son. As Azuhan spoke, there was no expression on his face, as if he were discussing what to eat later that afternoon. The Fire Lizard general said no more, and before long, Harash spoke: ¡°Gentlemen, please raise your hands to vote.¡± The generals sat in silence, yet their arms rose soundlessly. One by one, the hands went up, from the entrance of the conference room to beside Harash, every Fire Lizard general¡¯s hand was raised¡ªeven Mai Han was no exception. Only Harash had yet to raise his. Azuhan looked at his father. Harash¡¯s expression was calm, and it was unclear what he was thinking. ¡°Since everyone agrees, let us prepare the plan.¡± In the end, Harash didn¡¯t raise his hand, but he approved the plan. As the Marshal, the plan could only be implemented with his permission. The meeting ended, and the Fire Lizard generals filed out, leaving only Harash and Azuhan in the room. ¡°Father, do you disagree with my view?¡± Harash didn¡¯t answer immediately but turned to look at a map hanging on the wall. The area that used to be the Linksa Empire on the map had now changed color. After a long while, Harash finally said, ¡°Azuhan, your method is very good, and it¡¯s the only one we can use right now. So, I agreed to the plan. But this does not mean that the plan is not disgraceful. Our army can¡¯t defend our territory, can¡¯t protect our people. Faced with a mighty foe, all we can do is to disintegrate into grains of sand. This is a great disgrace.¡± A rare trace of pain appeared on Harash¡¯s face. His golden vertical pupils glimmered with blood, and a grinding sound came from between his sharp teeth, as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Azuhan had only seen such an expression on Harash when the King of the Fire Lizards, Linksa, had fallen. This most distinguished commander among the Fire Lizards was in immense pain at the moment. In the face of absolute power, his little tricks were useless. Without sufficient high-level strength, countless Fire Lizards were nothing but cannon fodder. This Fire Lizard, who had defeated countless enemies in his life, had now run out of options. ¡°Father, this is not your fault,¡± Azuhan said softly. ¡°¡­Go and arrange the plan, Azuhan.¡± Harash regained his composure, transforming back into the Marshal of the Minar Morick United Empire. ¡°Yes, Marshal,¡± Azuhan replied. As Azuhan left the room, just a moment before exiting, Harash suddenly asked, ¡°I heard the Princess is pregnant?¡± Azuhan stiffened, turning back slightly rigidly to respond, ¡°Indeed, she is.¡± A trace of a smile crossed Harash¡¯s face, ¡°Then don¡¯t just busy yourself with work, spend more time with her. The child is our future.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ Azuhan¡¯s residence in the Minar Royal City was a newly built pyramid next to the Royal Palace. More precisely, the pyramid was Akala¡¯s dwelling. Minar had accorded his niece enough honor, even personally shaping the foundation of the pyramid himself. Through a long corridor, Azuhan entered a room deep within the pyramid. The room was large, at its center stood a black obsidian bed adorned with gold, covered with luxurious satin interwoven with golden threads. Lying serenely on the satin, a female Fire Lizard¡¯s scales shone like rubies. ¡°You¡¯re back, Azuhan.¡± Akala sat up, her face expressing lethargy and boredom. ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°How did the meeting go?¡± ¡°Our plan was approved.¡± Azuhan walked over to Akala¡¯s side, gently caressing her slightly swollen belly. ¡°How do you feel today?¡± Akala leaned against Azuhan¡¯s shoulder, her eyes half-closed, as if she were about to fall asleep, ¡°Same as usual. I¡¯m getting lazier. Is this what being pregnant is like? It¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this the first time.¡± ¡°Mhm, then I¡¯ll sleep a bit more¡­ Oh, right,¡± Akala, who was about to fall asleep, suddenly remembered something, opened her eyes wide, and said to Azuhan, ¡°The teams you sent out have returned, they¡¯re waiting for you in the reception room.¡± Chapter 264 - 48: The Returning Expedition Team Chapter 264: Chapter 48: The Returning Expedition Team ¡°They are back!?¡± Azuhan exclaimed with joy. ¡°Um, they returned today, go and see for yourself,¡± Akala yawned, a golden flame spurting from her mouth, ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡± Azhuan nodded and quickly left the room, making his way to the parlor. In the parlor, several Fire Lizards with remarkable presences sat silently on chairs, exuding an aura that strangers should keep their distance. The maid from the Pyramid, standing beside them, trembled with fear. Azhuan entered the living room, ¡°Gentlemen, you have worked hard during this period!¡± Upon seeing Azuhan enter, the Fire Lizards immediately stood up from their chairs and gave him a military salute. Azhuan gestured, and the maids left the room. With a thunderous sound, the heavy obsidian door plated with metal was shut securely. A unique field immediately enveloped the entire room. ¡°My lord, fortunately, we did not disgrace ourselves. During this overseas exploration, we found what you were looking for.¡± Among the Fire Lizards, the most powerful one removed a metal tube from his belt, intricately engraved with gold ¨C clearly a creation of Giant Dragon Alchemy. The Fire Lizard opened it and poured out a leather scroll. The scroll contained a map that recorded several shipping routes and a few islands sprinkled across the ocean. Azhuan took the map, examining it repeatedly for a long while. After a long time, he rolled the scroll back up and solemnly addressed the Fire Lizards, ¡°Gentlemen, you are the great heroes of the Fire Lizard Clan. Your contributions will be eternally recorded in history books, to be sung about for millennia.¡± Azhuan spoke earnestly; the map represented something of tremendous importance. In the outer realms of the main continent of the Red Sun World was the boundless Sea of Lava, where even the most audacious Fire Lizards only dared to hunt some Flame Giant Beasts in the shallows during regular times. The depths of the Molten Sea, however, had never been visited by any Fire Lizards. But after the conflict of the Three Kings began, Azuhan had to face a reality¡ªthey might very well be defeated. At that time, the entire Red Sun World would become the Wizard¡¯s backyard, and all Fire Lizards would be slaves to the Wizard. Thus, Azuhan began contemplating how to preserve their lineage should the Fire Lizards be defeated. And so, the plan to explore the Molten Sea was conceived. According to ancient Fire Lizard legends, the Molten Sea was not just lava. Myths suggested that there were many islands atop the Molten Sea, inhabited by reclusive, peculiar Giant Dragons who shunned the outside world. Rumors even claimed these islands were inhabited by living dragons. For this mission, Merrick¡¯s Shield spent a vast amount of resources to construct the Golden Ship that could traverse the Molten Sea and dispatched the most loyal, reliable operatives from Merrick¡¯s Shield to explore. The fierceness of the Molten Sea was no less daunting than the Wizard, inhabited by numerous Flame Giant Beasts and Fire Element creatures, which caused significant trouble for the fleet.. An expedition where five out of ten ships returned was considered a great fortune. Fortunately, after the merger of the two great empires, Merrick¡¯s Shield¡¯s available personnel and resources were greatly enhanced. With the silent approval of Harash and Mai Han, this costly exploration mission was conducted repeatedly. The Fire Lizards who returned now constituted the tenth expedition team. They spent the most extended period this time and finally found the legendary islands. Moreover, they discovered dragon skeletons on the islands. This further verified the credibility of the legends. The Molten Sea seed-preserving project, after paying a tremendous price, was finally successful. Hearing Azuhan¡¯s praise, a few Fire Lizards couldn¡¯t help but shed tears of old age. During their exploration, they lost too many comrades. Devoured by Flame Giant Beasts, blown to cinders by Fire Element creatures, turned to ash by the Burning Winds of the Molten Sea¡­ Each voyage meant a near-certain death. The fear of the unknown ahead constantly overshadowed every Fire Lizard who set sail. They would even prefer to fight the Wizard rather than venture into unknown territories of the Molten Sea. Now, at last, it was over. ¡°Gentlemen, due to the special nature of this mission, I can¡¯t award you medals or host a victory feast,¡± Azuhan said with a complex expression as he opened the door of the parloring room, instructing a maid outside. Soon, the maid came in carrying heavy bags. ¡°Since there are no spiritual honors, I can only compensate you materially. Here is a little money; take it and rest for a while. A lot has happened in the Empire recently.¡± The Fire Lizards looked at each other, taking the bags filled with shimmering gold coins. These gold coins, even for Silver-horned Nobles, represented a substantial sum. None of them were Silver-horned Nobles, and faced with material rewards, they did not decline but accepted them. Seeing that they had all accepted, Azuhan nodded, satisfied, smilingly telling the Fire Lizards, ¡°Gentlemen, forgive me for having matters to attend to and for not being able to entertain you further. Akala is pregnant recently, and my work schedule is quite tight.¡± The Fire Lizards were startled upon hearing this. Princess Akala is pregnant? It seemed indeed that a lot had happened in the Empire during their exploration of the Molten Sea. After offering their congratulations, the Fire Lizards left the palace. Watching the Fire Lizards coming and going on the streets, the expeditionary Fire Lizards felt as if they had been away for ages. Soon, the lead Fire Lizard asked his companions, ¡°With all this money Lord Azuhan gave us, what do you guys plan to do?¡± As he spoke, a knowing smile appeared on his face. ¡°I have lots of connections, and the price is right. I can even get a date with the daughters of Silver Horn nobles.¡± Several team members smiled at these words, but only one shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t, my son is currently learning alchemy from Master Haye. It requires a lot of money.¡± Saying this, the Fire Lizard sighed, his demeanor akin to that of a middle-aged worker burdened with both young and old family members, with his son enrolled in a private noble school and his wife unemployed. The other Fire Lizards looked at him with sympathy¡ªalchemy is indeed an expensive craft. Even though they had a lot of money, to study alchemy for a long period, this amount was still not enough. ¡°Luo Jia¡¯er, your kid seems a bit slow, is he really cut out for learning alchemy¡­¡± The Fire Lizard who spoke didn¡¯t finish, but everyone understood his implication. Luo Jia¡¯er waved his hand, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Master Haye is very pleased with his talent, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t continually support his studies.¡± The other Fire Lizards said no more. They parted ways on the road, with Luo Jia¡¯er heading back to his residence, while the others walked arm-in-arm toward the tavern, ready to drink through the night. Luo Jia¡¯er¡¯s home was in the suburbs of the Royal Capital. As he opened the door, he saw a young Fire Lizard manipulating a lump of metal that continuously changed shape. The Fire Lizard turned around and said somewhat blankly: ¡°Luo Jia¡¯er, you¡¯re back.¡± After speaking, he got up and hugged Luo Jia¡¯er. Luo Jia¡¯er smiled and hugged the Fire Lizard, then entered the house. The house wasn¡¯t big, but it was very clean. A portrait of a family of four hung on the wall, and the frame was spotless. Luo Jia¡¯er handed the bag of gold coins to the young Fire Lizard, saying softly: ¡°Climb, go find Master Haye later with this money.¡± ¡°¡­Luo Jia¡¯er, Master Haye said I don¡¯t need to see him anymore. He said he has nothing more to teach me.¡± Luo Jia¡¯er was stunned. Although Master Haye wasn¡¯t the most powerful Alchemy Master in Merrick¡¯s Shield, he was certainly among the top ten. Before he had set out to sea, Clim climb had just started learning alchemy with him. It had been only slightly over two years; how could it be that there was nothing left to teach? Luo Jia¡¯er thought for a long time and then two possibilities popped into his mind. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Did you make Master Haye angry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he always looked at me strangely. He kept mumbling ¡®impossible, impossible.¡¯ I don¡¯t understand what he meant since I was only doing as he taught me.¡± Luo Jia¡¯er was speechless. Now, only one possibility remained. This ¡°son¡± of his was an alchemy prodigy. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go ask him about it tomorrow. You go play with your stuff.¡± With that, Luo Jia¡¯er, carrying his weary body, went upstairs. Entering the bedroom, Luo Jia¡¯er lay on the bed and then picked up the portrait from the bedside. The family in the portrait looked joyous, but upon closer inspection, one could notice that a little Fire Lizard on the edge of the portrait seemed somewhat out of place. It looked like an afterthought. As Luo Jia¡¯er looked at the portrait, tears involuntarily fell from his eyes. He muttered, ¡°It¡¯s been ten years, Mishan. Are you and Climb doing well in the Netherworld?¡± ¡­ Azuhan¡¯s ideas quickly turned into a concrete plan, and the entire United Empire¡¯s Fire Lizard Army was divided upon a single order into countless squads of twenty. These squads were ordered to stay hidden, then spontaneously ambush the wizards. Thanks to the prior reduction in forces, this order quickly reached all Fire Lizard Army divisions, and the Fire Lizard Warriors were split into countless squads within a month. Thus, the wizards encountered a strange phenomenon. Their forces were unstoppable, but they could never find the Fire Lizard¡¯s main troops. Under interrogation by Soul Wizards, they learned of the Fire Lizard¡¯s plan. ¡°All split into squads of twenty?¡± Richard, hearing Vladimir¡¯s news, was genuinely surprised. These Fire Lizards were quite clever and bold. By dispersing their forces, the wizards¡¯ biggest advantage¡ªthe Great Wizard¡ªwas nullified. ¡°What does the command say, Master?¡± Vladimir, puffing on his pipe, said slowly: ¡°What else can they say but to spread out and suppress the bandits? These Fire Lizards have a good head on their shoulders; this tactic is truly clever. With the army spread out, the influence of the Great Wizard is minimized, preventing them from being annihilated en masse. However, this doesn¡¯t really disadvantage us; these small squads of Fire Lizards are not difficult for us to hunt, whether for specimens or for capturing slaves.¡± Richard agreed with the logic. ¡°This is quite good; I just need to capture a few Fire Lizard slaves. This plan of the Fire Lizards really is a win-win.¡± Chapter 265 - 49 Resource Development Rights Chapter 265: Chapter 49 Resource Development Rights ¡°You want a Fire Lizard Slave?¡± Vladimir raised an eyebrow, ¡°Ordinary ones, or Fire Lizard Warriors? If it¡¯s the ordinary kind, I have a few here, I can give them to you if you want.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard smiled upon hearing this, ¡°Are you looking to clear some space in your pocket for those Fire Lizard Warriors?¡± Not everyone had something like Secret Realm Fragments as a personal storage space; most wizards, when capturing slaves, would store them in Slave Pockets. Such pockets were modified Synthetic Beast Pockets capable of storing living creatures. And to clear a pocket meant to purge it of low-value slaves to make room for higher-ranked ones. Vladimir sighed, ¡°I¡¯m nowhere as rich as you are; I still need to make money from selling slaves.¡± ¡°What kind of rich man am I?¡± Richard waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Just scraping by on army rewards.¡± Vladimir glanced at Richard and tapped his head with his pipe. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re a representative of the Wizard Commerce; in the Red Sun World, you could simply acquire mining rights to any mine, and Magic Essence would flow into your pockets like water.¡± Richard remembered upon Vladimir¡¯s reminder; he was not a hired mercenary but a technical advisor for the Wizard Commerce, having joined the battlefield only due to a temporary conscription. ¡°Haha, I¡¯d forgotten if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Master.¡± Richard smiled awkwardly and then steered the conversation toward the specialty produce of the Red Sun World. With a hint of ingratiation, Richard asked, ¡°Master, I lack experience; which of the Red Sun World¡¯s minerals would you say sells the best?¡± Resource development wasn¡¯t a simple matter; resources varied by rarity, effect, and scope of application, and they were graded accordingly. A resource only needed to excel in one of these aspects to be valuable; if it excelled in two, major merchant guilds would fight over it. As for those that excelled in all three: rare, widespread in application, and significantly effective. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Such resources would definitely not be available to the Wizard Commerce; they would be devoured solo by a Great Wizard. Vladimir took a drag from his pipe, the corner of his mouth revealing a mischievous smile. ¡°Kid, the answer to your question is all about those dark, shiny Magic Stones.¡± Richard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as he took out a pouch of Magic Essence from his pocket. ¡°An equivalent exchange, Master; please see if it¡¯s enough.¡± Vladimir chuckled and waved his hand, not accepting the pouch of Magic Stones Richard offered. ¡°No need for money, lest Jolod that old guy accuses me of conning money from a kid. If you want to talk about resources, you need to ask more precisely. If it were someone else, asking like you¡¯d be like handing out money for free. There are plenty of things that sell, but just because they¡¯re marketable for established Wizard Commerce doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re the same for new ones like yours.¡± Richard quickly grasped the underlying principle. Established commerce guilds, due to their long history, had sufficient reputation, a steady customer base, and ample distribution channels. They were present in places like the Wizard Academy, the Tower of Truth, as well as various scattered Wizard Gatherings in the Wilderness. As long as a resource wasn¡¯t completely worthless, the old commerce guilds could surely sell it. But the new ones couldn¡¯t. Lacking sufficient reputation and a stable customer base, with only limited distribution channels, they would inevitably encounter stockpile issues if their chosen resource wasn¡¯t in broad demand. Mismanage this, and a venture that should have made a fortune might even end up costing money. ¡°So, Master,¡± Richard asked with a smile, ¡°considering our commerce guild¡¯s situation, are there any mineral resources in the Red Sun World suitable for new commerce guilds like ours?¡± Vladimir took a puff from his pipe and slowly began, ¡°There are, but you¡¯ll probably have to shed some blood to secure them.¡± Richard felt a tremor in his heart upon these words. Vladimir continued, ¡°There¡¯s a mineral in the Red Sun World called Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone. Once processed, it can be used as the main material for high-grade Alchemy Ink. The Enchantment effects are excellent, no worse than any other company¡¯s high-grade Alchemy Ink.¡± Alchemy Ink was essential for any Alchemy Wizard. Whether crafting Magic Equipment, writing Magic Scrolls and Magic Books, or drawing intricate Magic Arrays, they all required the aid of Alchemy Ink. A good bottle of Alchemy Ink could even directly affect the final product¡¯s effectiveness. ¡°But several commerce guilds have their eyes on this mineral. Although the ore isn¡¯t particularly rare, it¡¯s still too scarce in comparison to the appetites of these guilds. Moreover, your commerce guild is too weak, known for taking shortcuts, lacking any real competitive edge. In a fair competition, you wouldn¡¯t even get the scraps.¡± Richard sighed helplessly, inquiring somewhat painfully, ¡°How much blood do you think it¡¯ll take, Master? I don¡¯t have much Magic Essence on me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± said Vladimir with a smile, ¡°During war times, the Wizard Commerce¡¯s funds are tight; no one will demand immediate payment from you. As per the norm, if you can strike a deal, you would need to hire them as consultants for your commerce guild, paying them a sum of Magic Essence every five or ten years. As for the duration, it depends on the negotiated price.¡± Richard was slightly startled to hear this. ¡°Master, it sounds like such affairs are common, even standardized. Doesn¡¯t the Great Wizard care?¡± Vladimir narrowed his eyes, his smile turning cryptic. ¡°We little wizards are well aware of the ins and outs; the Great Wizard surely knows it all. But you must realize, those involved in resource development auditing are all the Great Wizard¡¯s confidants. So long as it doesn¡¯t violate principles, the Great Wizard turns a blind eye to this sort of thing.¡± ¡°These people sit in the command post and can¡¯t make money on the battlefield, so it¡¯s only reasonable that they want to earn a little extra on the side. Plus, they know their limits; as long as we win the war, the Great Wizard won¡¯t let any investor lose out¡ªthat¡¯s a principle.¡± ¡°If someone were to violate this principle, well¡­ to be honest, I¡¯ve yet to see such a fool.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard could only sigh in his heart, realizing that wizards are humans too, and human flaws are just as present in wizards. ¡°Then I would like to ask the Master to introduce me, and when I return to the Wizard World, I will make sure to express my profound gratitude.¡± Vladimir waved his hand dismissively, ¡°No need for profound gratitude. Just look after that stupid student of mine when I¡¯m gone.¡± Richard was taken aback by Vladimir¡¯s words; it was then that he noticed the increasing scent of decay emanating from him. He estimated that after this war ended, Vladimir¡¯s life would reach its conclusion. Richard earnestly said, ¡°Master, rest assured, if my senior brother ever needs my help in the future, I will do my utmost to assist him.¡± Vladimir just smiled without saying anything more and turned to beckon Richard back to the Floating City. ¡­ The Floating City was bustling with people coming and going. Following Vladimir¡¯s twists and turns through the city, they eventually arrived at a bar-like establishment underground in the Floating City. In the bar, several creatures that looked like octopuses were mixing drinks. In front of them, a few wizards clad in white robes were chatting leisurely. ¡°Villefort, have you seen the resource application from the Jiuyao Chamber of Commerce? It¡¯s hilarious,¡± one commented. The addressed White Wizard downed his drink and casually replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen it. They sure are bold to ask¡ªfor Red Sun Crystal Iron Ore, they even want exclusive rights. If we gave it all to them, Chalake, Volga, and a few other chambers would be up in arms.¡± ¡°Exactly. So I rejected it. Their person in charge really needs to cast an Awakening Technique on their brain before writing applications¡­hmm?¡± The White Wizard squinted at the two wizards approaching him and said uncertainly, ¡°Master Vladimir? Am I drunk?¡± Immediately, a wave of Magic Fluctuation emanated from the wizard, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted off him. ¡°Gano, it¡¯s me; no need to sober up in a hurry,¡± Vladimir said. ¡°Sigh, Master, you¡¯re too late. I¡¯m already sober.¡± After sobering up, the White Wizard¡¯s demeanor changed in an instant, transforming from a tipsy coworker sharing amusing tales of the workplace to a serious and no-nonsense corporate professional. Gano quickly assessed Richard, who stood next to Vladimir. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Gregory? Master, have you taken on a new student?¡± Vladimir sat down beside Gano and responded: ¡°No, this is a friend¡¯s student. He¡¯s come to talk about some ¡®serious business¡¯ with you.¡± As soon as Gano heard Vladimir mention serious business, he instantly caught on. He stood up and extended his right hand to Richard, ¡°My friend looks somewhat unfamiliar; you must be Advisor Richard.¡± Richard shook hands and nodded, saying, ¡°Indeed, I am. The Master certainly has an impressive intellect.¡± Gano laughed, ¡°It¡¯s not really about impressive intellect; it¡¯s just that my position allows me to deal with Chamber folk often. You look like a new face who has come to discuss serious matters. In the entire Floating City, you¡¯re the only Advisor Richard I haven¡¯t met yet who fits the bill.¡± With that, the two released each other¡¯s hands. Vladimir introduced Gano, ¡°This is Master Gano, the youngest student of the Academy¡¯s headmaster. Don¡¯t let his age of just over two thousand years fool you; his strength has already reached that of a Three Rings Wizard.¡± ¡°Ah, Master, such things are not worth mentioning; after all, we¡¯re not natives, and early promotion isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing.¡± Although he said this, anyone could see a hint of pride on Gano¡¯s face. Advancement for wizards requires vast resources and sufficient spiritual cultivation¡ªneither of which is a simple matter. Even though Gano was a student of Great Wizard Qing Shuang, when it came to resources, a Great Wizard would only ensure that his students had the opportunity to obtain them; whether they could actually succeed depended on their own abilities. In the current Wizard World, no wizard would nurture hothouse flowers. After some casual conversation, Vladimir got down to business. ¡°Gano, the shares of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone haven¡¯t been completely allocated yet, have they?¡± Upon hearing this, Gano pulled out a Magic Book from his pocket, flipped through it for a moment, and then looked up: ¡°No, there¡¯s still some left. Are you, Advisor Richard, looking for a share as well?¡± Richard¡¯s face showed a trace of helplessness: ¡°As the Master knows through dealing with the Chamber, us new chambers are in a tight spot. Developing niche items is just losing money for us.¡± Gano nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed, new chambers certainly face many inconveniences. But¡­¡± Gano changed his tone, ¡°while there are shares for Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone, the sites of these mines are very deep and require a considerable number of slaves and Alchemy Machines for assistance. Forgive my frankness, but these conditions are somewhat too difficult for a new chamber.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard looked at Vladimir, whose brow furrowed slightly before he nodded again. Gano was not being difficult; the situation was indeed as he described. The remaining veins of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone, in actuality, presented significant challenges for a new chamber to mine. Chapter 266 - 50: The 50,000-Ton Vein Chapter 266: Chapter 50: The 50,000-Ton Vein The situation had reached an impasse. Though resource development could bring in a handsome profit daily, developing resources was not as simple as touching one¡¯s upper lip to the lower. If one wished to develop resources, slave labor was indispensable, yet apart from slave labor, the mining of such mineral resources also required the assistance of alchemy machines. For these deep-seated mine veins, just the rental cost for the necessary alchemy machinery was a major expenditure. And the most laughable part was, he might not even be able to rent them. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Such behemoths weren¡¯t something one could simply lease upon request¡ªthe Merchant¡¯s Guild needed a sufficient foundation of power to qualify for renting such large alchemy machinery. And so, things had come full circle. Richard tentatively asked, ¡°Master, have all the other mine veins already been approved?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case, their applications are still with me. After all, the teleportation gate hasn¡¯t been opened yet, and I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb my teacher with these matters.¡± Gano made a gesture to the bartender behind him, and a marvelous drink with continuously changing colors was promptly delivered to his hand. Beside him, the familiar Vladimir furrowed his brow. Gano never drank during work hours. Now that he had asked for a drink, it meant that he thought there was no more room for negotiation in this trade. Although Richard was unaware of Gano¡¯s habits, from the expression Gano gave him, he could see a hint of regret. Was he regretting missing out on some magic essence? ¡°Master, I don¡¯t have a large appetite,¡± Richard said, his eyes flickering, ¡°A small mine vein would be sufficient.¡± Gano¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly as he spoke indifferently, ¡°Truth be told, although I could spare a little from the stacked applications of those Guilds, they are friends of mine. And you, Consultant¡ª¡± Gano pointed at Richard, ¡°We¡¯ve only just met, and I hadn¡¯t even seen you before this.¡± Gano held his glass in front of him, agitating the drink as he watched the colors change. If Richard¡¯s next words couldn¡¯t change his mind, then there was no point in continuing the discussion. Unfazed, Richard said, ¡°Since the Master is friends with those wizards, surely they would be happy to see the Master profit as well. Recently, I acquired something from Fire Lizards, but being at leisure, I find some things hard to understand. Would the Master honor me by taking a look for himself?¡± Gano revealed a hint of an amused smile, ¡°Oh? What might that be?¡± Whatever Richard was about to present at this juncture, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be anything ordinary. Richard rummaged through his pockets, finally extracting a lump of green ice. And as soon as Gano laid eyes on the ice, his expression instantly changed, with a droplet of the swirling drink spilling out. ¡°Dead Silence Ice Mountain Sealing Technique, how could you! No, it¡¯s only similar.¡± Gano¡¯s expression fluctuated wildly before he finally spoke with a joking tone, ¡°Consultant, you seem to have considerable research in sealing skills. Your sealing skill and my teacher¡¯s are quite similar. I almost thought my teacher had taken a new disciple outside.¡± Richard smiled and said, ¡°I had the good fortune to witness Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s sealing in the Insect Nest World. After observing for several decades, I gained some insights.¡± Richard spoke casually, but as a student of Great Wizard Qing Shuang, Gano felt a tremor within. The Dead Silence Ice Mountain Sealing Technique was one of his teacher¡¯s proudest creations, and as his student, he was all too aware of its complexity. To reach the effect in front of him solely by observing the results of a sealing technique for decades was something he himself couldn¡¯t achieve. Gano gave the wizard before him another look; Richard, although dressed in a Cloak of the Hidden, was radiating life energy that suggested he should be a Second Ring Wizard, and quite young at that. So young, and yet able to design the magic support vehicle, the kind of alchemical weapon that had earned endless praise from the command department. This wizard before him, his future was boundless. ¡°Should I invest?¡± Gano wondered. Richard unsealed the skill, and a piece of blue flesh was immediately exposed to the air. In an instant, with a slap, the bartender behind the counter simply went weak in the knees and knelt on the floor. The few White Wizards present paid no mind to the alien slave¡¯s faux pas, their gazes were all focused on the piece of flesh in Richard¡¯s hand. Gano stared intently at the thumb-sized piece of flesh in Richard¡¯s hand, on which he felt an oppression originating from the hierarchy of life. He was now a Three Rings Wizard, a third-level creature. For something to oppress him on the hierarchal level of life, could this piece of flesh belong to the World Master? No, the aura of the World Master¡¯s flesh wouldn¡¯t be so weak. In a moment, Gano had made a decision. ¡°There is a Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone mine vein with an estimated yield of fifty thousand tons. The location is rather remote, which makes transportation somewhat inconvenient. I reckon my friends wouldn¡¯t be interested in that vein. What do you think, Consultant?¡± Richard gave a slight smile, the tables had turned. ¡°If the Consultant¡¯s friends aren¡¯t interested in that mine vein, then there should be no problem.¡± Richard took out an enchanted quartz tube, stuffed the piece of flesh into it, and handed it to Gano. ¡°This object baffles me, take it as a gift to you, Master.¡± Gano received the tube, and immediately in his hands appeared a lump of green ice that seemed alive. As the ice touched the tube, it rapidly spread over it. Before long, the tube had been turned into a block of ice. That was the genuine Dead Silence Ice Mountain Sealing Technique. Gano gestured towards the back, and the bartender immediately passed him another glass of the same mysterious drink. He handed the glass to Richard, ¡°Advisor, this one¡¯s on me,¡± Richard took the glass and asked while looking at the constantly changing liquid: ¡°Why does the color of this drink keep changing? Is there any significance?¡± ¡°This drink is called ¡®Mood¡¯; each color represents a different flavor. The changing colors are like a person¡¯s mood, unpredictable.¡± Gano raised his glass to clink with Richard¡¯s, and Richard lifted his and downed it in one gulp. ¡°Not bad, it¡¯s quite sweet.¡± ¡­ The matter of resource development was settled in a tavern, a place where a logistics wizard whiled away his time. For a small piece of Mutated Flame Giant Beast flesh, Richard had traded for fifty thousand tons of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone. For Richard, the deal was a windfall. And for Gano, the trade was just as profitable. It was a win-win transaction; the only ones who lost out were a few Wizard Commerce that had already filed applications. However, they were large corporations with vast interests, and such small losses were negligible to them. Upon leaving the tavern, Vladimir looked at Richard with some admiration and said: ¡°You really didn¡¯t come here for nothing this time, snatching up such a great item.¡± Richard smiled slightly and replied, ¡°Just good luck. If the Master isn¡¯t busy, care to accompany me to see the vein of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone?¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re afraid Gano will cheat you?¡± ¡°Not at all. I just want to get a glimpse of the Magic Essences buried in the ground beforehand.¡± ¡°You little rascal!¡± Vladimir laughed and scolded, ¡°Go show off your wealth to someone else. This old man is off to catch slaves.¡± With that, Vladimir pulled out a Magic Carpet from his Magic Pocket, sat on it, and in a flash of light, sped off into the distance. ¡°Ai, this old man.¡± Richard chuckled and shook his head, then pulled out a map and began flying to the marked location. Half a month later, Richard found the vein in the western part of the Morick Empire. It was a dead volcano at the foot of which, in a rock cave, a wizard exploring for minerals had found the vein and roughly estimated its reserves. Richard landed on the ground, ready to enter the cave and see for himself what this Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone was all about. The entrance to the cave was small, barely allowing a person to pass. But looking at the entrance, Richard wasn¡¯t in a hurry to go inside. He casually summoned a breeze to blow away the volcanic ash on the ground. Beneath the layer of ash that had covered the cracks in the rocks, a metal plate with golden patterns was wedged in place. ¡°An alarm mechanism. Seems like something¡¯s entered the cave.¡± Richard didn¡¯t remove the metal plate, instead took out a piece of metal from his pocket and using Giant Dragon Alchemy, he crafted a similar plate and wedged it above the existing one. After refining many Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters¡¯ techniques, Richard¡¯s Giant Dragon Alchemy had become the most top-tier in the entire Red Sun World. The metal plate before him was a mere trick; he could come up with a dozen ways to circumvent it without even thinking. Taking his Magic Wand out of his pocket, Richard bent over and entered the cave. The cave was low and covered in volcanic ash. As Richard moved through it, he soon became covered in ash. However, Richard didn¡¯t mind this at all; he occasionally bent down to disarm the little tricks left by the Fire Lizard that had entered the cave. The tricks revealed that the Fire Lizard who had entered this cave was highly vigilant and also proficient in Giant Dragon Alchemy. Moreover, underneath the volcanic ash, Richard found a few drops of black blood. This signified that the Fire Lizard had been in the cave for some time and that there were definitely injured parties. Injuries indicated that this group of Fire Lizards had clashed with wizards and had hidden here instead of being pursued and killed. This implied that none of the Fire Lizards in this group were particularly powerful; if there had been a third-level Fire Lizard, these people definitely would not have escaped. With no third-level Fire Lizards, there was no reason for Richard to feel any fear. Following the cave down, Richard encountered many forks in the path, but he noticed that the Fire Lizard had only set up traps on the routes they took. This saved Richard a lot of trouble. Soon, Richard arrived in front of a cave that wasn¡¯t very big. The cave walls were marked with golden lines and emitted a faint warmth¡ªpresumably the so-called Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone. Seated at the center of the cave were two Fire Lizards, one young and another middle-aged with injuries. The injured Fire Lizard was severely hurt, his body full of black lines from an Undead Magic that constantly consumed Life Energy. The injured Fire Lizard¡¯s body temperature was very low, a near-death sign for a Fire Lizard. But Richard paid him no mind and kept his gaze locked on the young Fire Lizard after spotting the two. The young Fire Lizard was manipulating a piece of metal which seemed alive in its hands, fluidly moving and occasionally transforming into various shapes. Without a doubt, all the little tricks he had encountered along the way were crafted by this young Fire Lizard. ¡°Such skilled Giant Dragon Alchemy. This one is a talent.¡± Richard made no effort to conceal his approach, boldly walking into the cave. The Fire Lizard lying on the ground saw Richard and immediately tried to get up, but his injuries were too severe and nowhere near enough to sustain further combat. After a futile attempt, he collapsed on the ground, his mouth opening and closing as if saying something to the young Fire Lizard. Richard spared him a glance and stepped past him to the young Fire Lizard¡¯s side. ¡°Fire Lizard, what¡¯s your name?¡± Chapter 267: 51: Talent Recruitment Plan Chapter 267: Chapter 51: Talent Recruitment Plan S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Fire Lizard looked at Richard, seemingly bemused by what he was saying. After a long while, the Fire Lizard finally spoke blankly, ¡°My name is Crawl Crawl, aren¡¯t you a wizard? Why are you asking for my name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite the same as the others.¡± Richard watched Crawl Crawl, and the reaction of the Fire Lizard before him gave him a strange feeling. Its reaction was not like that of a normal creature. While speaking, Crawl Crawl¡¯s emotions remained unchanged apart from a hint of confusion, and even as it answered Richard¡¯s questions, the metal block in its hand continued to shift shapes ceaselessly. This indicated it didn¡¯t care about Richard. But it recognized Richard as a wizard. The reputation of wizards among Fire Lizards didn¡¯t need to be mentioned¡ªevil, cruel, demon; these negative words often appeared in abundance when describing wizards. Yet, the Fire Lizard before him showed no fear or revulsion. This was indeed worth studying. ¡°You are very strange, if it were before, I might have made you into a specimen. But now, I want to propose a deal with you.¡± ¡°¡­A deal?¡± This time, Crawl Crawl replied much quicker than before. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what this means, Luo Jia¡¯er never taught me what ¡®trade¡¯ means.¡± ¡°Luo Jia¡¯er? Is that the name of this Fire Lizard?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, can you save him? He is about to die.¡± Richard turned his gaze to the Fire Lizard behind him; Undead Magic was continuously draining his Life Energy. His life was like a candle flickering in the wind. ¡°I can save him, but in exchange for that, you must make a deal with me. To give something in exchange for something else, this is what trade is.¡± At this moment, Luo Jia¡¯er could still hear Richard¡¯s voice. He struggled to move his mouth, wanting to tell Crawl Crawl that all wizards were demons and not to agree to this deal. But despite his efforts, he couldn¡¯t make any sound. He was dying; his body was no longer able to sustain speech. ¡°¡­Oh, so this is what a trade is. In that case, I will make a trade with you. Can you save Luo Jia¡¯er?¡± Crawl Crawl¡¯s answer made Richard smile. He pulled out a Soul Contract from his pocket, made a few modifications to the terms, and handed it to Crawl Crawl. ¡°This is the contract. Just sign your name on it.¡± Crawl Crawl took the feather pen and contract handed over by Richard, looking somewhat bewildered. ¡°If I sign my name, you will save Luo Jia¡¯er? You aren¡¯t deceiving me, are you?¡± Richard chuckled, ¡°No, healing him is actually very simple. There¡¯s no need for me to deceive you.¡± Crawl Crawl fell silent for a long while, and then awkwardly wrote down ¡°Crawl Crawl¡± on the contract with the feather pen. ¡°Wizard, you are really nice. If you were there earlier, my mother wouldn¡¯t have died.¡± As the signature was completed, the Soul Contract turned into a blaze and vanished without a trace. Seeing this, Richard was quite pleased and immediately opened a Secret Realm Rift, throwing the Luo Jia¡¯er on the ground into it. ¡°World Mushroom, heal this Fire Lizard.¡± With that, Richard grabbed Crawl Crawl and entered the Secret Realm together. ¡­ Suddenly entering the Secret Realm, Crawl Crawl¡¯s eyes instantly widened. It had never seen such magnificent scenery in its life. That weirdly shaped big tree was huge. What were those flying things beside it, insects? There were so many flowers on the ground, and over there, was that a statue of this wizard? What¡¯s that thing standing on its shoulder? Crawl Crawl took in every plant and detail of the Secret Realm, feeling as if it had entered another world. Indeed, it had. The Luo Jia¡¯er that was thrown in was now being bound by the mycelium of the World Mushroom; the Undead Magic on him had been dispelled, and a steady Life Energy flowed through the mycelium into his body. In a short time, Luo Jia¡¯er¡¯s body was healed from its serious injuries and looked even healthier than usual. But, to prevent the Fire Lizard from acting rashly, the mycelium of the World Mushroom did not release him after the healing. ¡°Crawl Crawl, go and see that Luo Jia¡¯er you spoke of.¡± Crawl Crawl walked over to Luo Jia¡¯er and looked at him closely. After finishing his inspection, he turned to Richard with a look of amazement: ¡°Incredible, he is really healed.¡± Richard smiled and then called over a few Holy Tree Elves, who took Crawl Crawl aside. Then, he approached the Fire Lizard who looked as though it would kill him with its glare. This Fire Lizard wore a robe stained with blood, but on the right chest of the robe, one could still make out the symbol of a shield. Richard recognized this mark; it was the emblem of Merrick¡¯s Shield. Ignoring Luo Jia¡¯er¡¯s murderous gaze, Richard casually checked him over. Soon, he found a folded white sheet of paper underneath the scales. The paper was edged with golden filigree. ¡°Oh, an unexpected find.¡± Richard unfolded the paper, which was written on with cryptic text. Luo Jia¡¯er watched Richard, his glare as fierce as that of a wild beast. ¡°You won¡¯t get anything from me!¡± Richard glanced at the overly self-aware Fire Lizard, and immediately a message appeared before him. [Material: Fire Lizard¡¯s Cryptic Paper] [Extractable Information: Fire Lizard¡¯s Task] [Extraction Cost: 1 Spiritual Power] ¡°So it¡¯s an Execution Officer,¡± Richard said, the corners of his mouth revealing a faint smile. He then chose to extract. Soon, Richard knew the task of the Fire Lizard. ¡°Assisting Alchemy Master Calion in his retreat.¡± Richard read the content of the paper in front of Luo Jia¡¯er. Although Luo Jia¡¯er hid his shock well, it did not escape Richard¡¯s gaze. ¡°Heh, it seems that it¡¯s true.¡± Looking at Luo Jia¡¯er, Richard spoke calmly, ¡°Listen, Fire Lizard. You¡¯re worth next to nothing compared to that young fellow. I have a contract here; you¡¯d better sign it. It¡¯ll be good for both of us. Of course, you can choose not to sign, provided you can withstand what I¡¯m about to do.¡± Luo Jia¡¯er¡¯s gaze was fiery as he stared at Richard, his anger seeming like it could shoot out of his eyes and burn Richard to ashes. ¡°Wizard, you had better kill me now. Otherwise, once I escape, I will definitely make you¡­¡± Luo Jia¡¯er couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as he was interrupted by a burst of intense pain. Tiny white mycelium, like numerous brushes, was burrowing into his body through the gaps between his scales, rubbing against Luo Jia¡¯er¡¯s nerves over and over. It felt like countless steel needles thrusting into his flesh, and the excruciating pain instantly robbed Luo Jia¡¯er of the ability to speak. Richard looked at him calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your threats, and you can¡¯t do any of what you¡¯ve said.¡± He gestured, and the World Mushroom controlled the mycelium to carry Luo Jia¡¯er into the mushroom¡¯s stalk. In fact, even if Luo Jia¡¯er could withstand the torture, Richard still had ways to make him work for him. The World Mushroom could produce a type of zombie fungus, a fungus that can erode the nerves and even the brain of living beings. Once the erosion is complete, the original creature naturally dies, but its husk becomes something akin to zombies or clay automatons under the action of the zombie fungus. Moreover, the World Mushroom could influence and control these husks created by the zombie fungus. Although this fungus takes a very long time to work, and creatures with energy circulation can easily counteract it, Luo Jia¡¯er obviously had no capacity to resist in the hands of the World Mushroom. If Luo Jia¡¯er remained unwilling, his fate would be as just described. Richard walked over to CrawCraw, who was carefully communicating with the Holy Tree Elf. Perhaps because their intelligence was on the same level, the communication between CrawCraw and the Holy Tree Elf was surprisingly smooth. CrawCraw gesticulated at the Holy Tree Elf, who then sprinkled a cloud of glowing magic power dust, seemingly to show CrawCraw his capabilities. ¡°World Mushroom, check if there¡¯s any problem with this Fire Lizard¡¯s brain.¡± ¡°Yes, my master.¡± Myriad mycelium emerged from the ground, latching onto CrawCraw¡¯s scales, and burrowed in through the gaps between them. CrawCraw felt an itch on his back and reached to scratch it, but Richard stopped him. ¡°CrawCraw, don¡¯t move, I¡¯m going to perform another check on you.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± In a while, the mycelium withdrew from CrawCraw¡¯s body. ¡°Master, there is an abnormal growth in the thinking organs of this Fire Lizard. It has compressed his thinking organs and caused some underdevelopment,¡± the World Mushroom informed. Richard nodded, his thoughts clear, ¡°No wonder this Fire Lizard acts so strangely. It turns out there¡¯s a tumor in his brain.¡± ¡°Can this tumor be removed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. But his thinking organs have been compressed by the growth for a long time and have become somewhat deformed. Removing it may cause issues with his spirit.¡± ¡°Will it kill him?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Will it affect his talent?¡± ¡°It might.¡± Richard frowned, if it might affect the talent, then there was no need to remove the tumor. He had contracted CrawCraw for his Alchemy talent. ¡°Can this tumor keep growing?¡± ¡°The growth rate is very slow.¡± ¡°Then leave it,¡± Richard said indifferently. Since the tumor was benign for now, there was no need for change. Richard tended to be nicer to these Fire Lizards compared to other wizards. But in his heart, these creatures that looked like lizards, covered in scales, were still considered alien. ¡°Not of my race, their hearts must be different,¡± while somewhat absolute, this saying often described a common phenomenon. Differences in race and life environments meant that two groups would have vast cultural and customary differences. Adding to that the varying physical characteristics caused by their different anatomies, trusting an alien race was an oddity. ¡°CrawCraw, you¡¯ll stay here for a while. If you need anything, just let the Holy Tree Elf relay it to the World Mushroom.¡± With that, Richard pulled out a gold-veined Armored Plate from his Magic Pocket and handed it to CrawCraw. ¡°If you get bored in the meantime, you can take a look at this.¡± As soon as CrawCraw saw the Armored Plate, his eyes went wide. ¡°Wizard, is this for me? This item is even better than Master Haye¡¯s work, even more¡­¡± CrawCraw struggled for words, finally coming up with an adjective. ¡°Even better-looking!¡± Richard chuckled, laid down the Armored Plate, and left the Secret Realm. The paper held not just a task but also coordinates, the location of which was presumably where Master Calion could be found. Richard was curious to try and see if he could also make a contract with Master Calion. Among so many Fire Lizards, there had to be a few soft-hearted ones. Chapter 268: 52 Talent is also a kind of wealth! Chapter 268: Chapter 52 Talent is also a kind of wealth! Merrick¡¯s Shield¡¯s coordinate system had already been cracked by the Wizard, and after Richard arrived at the Floating City, he spent some Magic Stones at the logistics Wizard to get this intelligence. According to the intelligence, it took Richard almost a month to find the corresponding place based on the coordinates provided in Luo Jia¡¯er¡¯s intelligence. Mostly, it was returning to the Floating City that took Richard nearly half a month of that time. The corresponding location was a group of extinct volcanoes, which used to be a mining field for Fire Lizards, mainly producing various Fire Element metals and high-quality Fire Element gems. But after the Wizard entered this world, this mining area, which had been exploited for who knows how many years, finally ran out. After discovering there were no more minerals, the area was quickly abandoned. However, the complex mining tunnels left from years of mining provided the Fire Lizards with a quite good hiding place. A large number of Fire Lizards fled into the mining tunnels, using them to evade the enslavement of the Wizards. From the look of it, their strategy was quite correct. Nowadays in the Red Sun World, there are countless Fire Lizard slaves that can be captured, and Wizards would not bother to burrow into the mining tunnels to catch these groups of Fire Lizards like hunting mice. However, as the free Fire Lizards in the Red Sun World become fewer and fewer, those hiding in the tunnels would sooner or later catch the Wizards¡¯ eyes. ¡­ Amid the tranquility of the extinct volcanoes, Richard was flying unhurriedly. His spiritual power was continuously in an outward state throughout this process. This was his third day entering this group of extinct volcanoes, and he was looking for something¡ªa mark left by a Fire Lizard. The extinct volcano group was immensely large, and without a mark, finding a Fire Lizard was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Suddenly, Richard opened his eyes, his body falling straight to the ground, stirring a cloud of volcanic ash. A breeze dispersed the volcanic ash, revealing a mining cave entrance in front of Richard. Richard walked to the entrance of the mine, summoned a breeze to blow away a thin layer of volcanic ash on the ground, revealing the dark gray rocks underneath. The rock seemed ordinary, but through Richard¡¯s dragon eyes, a golden shield symbol appeared on the rock. ¡°Interesting, almost missed it.¡± The symbol used a special paint, invisible to the naked eye, only visible clearly through dragon eyes. If it weren¡¯t for the faint energy radiation carried by the paint that caught the attention of Richard, a person keen on tracking, other Wizards would never have discovered such a concealed mark. Entering the mine, the same mark continued to extend within. But at a fork, Richard stopped. He bent over and swept the ground at the marked fork on the left twice. After sweeping away the dust, a familiar metal piece appeared in front of Richard. ¡°It seems this Fire Lizard is smarter.¡± Richard ignored the metal piece and turned to walk down the right fork. Soon, he reached another fork. This time, Richard found a warning device on the unmarked side. ¡°This Fire Lizard is very cautious.¡± Following the tunnel without the warning device, Richard soon encountered another fork. This time, all forks had warning devices installed. This time, Richard frowned. ¡°Sly fellow, looks like I¡¯ll have to try them one by one.¡± Richard took out a piece of metal, casually made a shielding device to cover it, and then started checking from left to right. The left most fork led to a four-way junction. On the road, Richard found several simple alchemy devices, designed as traps that would blast the entire mining tunnel if triggered. Underground, such traps were lethal even to Wizards. A Three Rings Wizard caught here would die under. But for Richard, these devices were too crude. Though valuing ancient knowledge over the new is common among Wizards, it was different for the Fire Lizards; the alchemy masters of ancient times were indeed superior to today¡¯s alchemy masters. Having refined so many ancient alchemy master techniques, even just incomplete ones, combined together, was enough for him to outclass the current Fire Lizard alchemy masters. If the left fork was wrong, then he would try the middle one. There were only three forks in total, one had to be the right one. The middle fork also had traps, but those were more of a warning and not very powerful. After walking a distance, the traps disappeared, replaced by signs of Fire Lizard habitation. Richard bent down and picked up a scale from the ground. The scale was dull, clearly from an old Fire Lizard, fitting the profile of the Fire Lizard he was looking for. Following the mining tunnel all the way down, the temperature around Richard kept rising, and as he arrived at an underground cavern, a Magma Lake appeared before him. At the lake¡¯s shore, several old Fire Lizards were gathered, drinking wine heavily, seemingly in a gathering. On the shore, Richard saw a considerable amount of supplies, which, if depended on these few old Fire Lizards, might not even be finished in fifty years. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve caught a big fish this time.¡± On the shore, the few old Fire Lizards had not yet noticed Richard¡¯s arrival. Or rather, they never imagined that a Wizard would bypass their layered alarms and silently arrive beside them. They were all alchemy masters from Morick Empire, who could surpass their alchemy? ¡°Calion, you¡¯re nurturing a Flame Giant Beast!¡± an old Fire Lizard pointed at Calion, whose cup was almost big enough to be a small bucket, and shouted. ¡°Leave me alone, can¡¯t I rest a bit?¡± Calion, the Fire Lizard referred to, had a somewhat blurred look, apparently already drunk. Suddenly, he stood up, stumbling to the edge of the Magma Pool. ¡°What are you doing, Calion? Don¡¯t fall in!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Calion waved his large hand, ¡°I¡¯m just taking a leak, wait till I get back¡­ I¡¯ll drink you all under the table!¡± Calion reached under his leather skirt and pulled out little Calion, but just as he was about to relieve himself, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of a dark figure standing next to a few of his old buddies. The figure looked quite like one of those Black Wizards. Black Wizards¡­Wizards! Calion was shocked, his body trembled, and he almost slipped into the magma pool. But just as he was about to fall, someone grabbed him. ¡°It seems your friend¡¯s concern for you was justified, Master Calion.¡± Calion pointed at the figure who had grabbed him, his finger trembling continuously. He wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was a Black Wizard! A Black Wizard had arrived silently beside them, and their alarm system had not reacted at all! ¡°Calion, how did you¡­Wizard!¡± Only then did the old Fire Lizards see that a black-robed wizard was standing next to their old friend who had just gone to relieve himself. What about their alarm system? Why hadn¡¯t it reacted at all? As they were shocked, Richard pulled Calion away from the edge of the magma lake. ¡°Gentlemen, do not be alarmed, I am not quite like the other wizards. Moreover¡­¡± Richard suddenly burst into a fierce magic fluctuation. The old Fire Lizards felt it and stiffened. It was a Second Ring Wizard! ¡°Moreover, it would be best if you gentlemen do not do anything foolish, or I might have to get a bit rough.¡± The old Fire Lizards looked at each other, seeing shock and confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. What does this wizard want? Richard pulled Calion over to the old Fire Lizards and then slowly said: ¡°Gentlemen, could you introduce yourselves? The information I obtained from the Execution Officer at Merrick¡¯s Shield stated that Master Calion was the only Fire Lizard here.¡± Upon hearing this, Calion¡¯s face changed instantly. He hadn¡¯t expected his information to be leaked like this. The other Fire Lizards were even more regretful. Why did they have to choose today for their gathering? Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to play for two more days! ¡°Ahem, I am the nearby¡­¡± Just as an old Fire Lizard was about to speak, Richard¡¯s voice stopped him from uttering his prepared pretense. ¡°You gentlemen had best not lie to me, as I can¡¯t be bothered to discern which statements are false. I will treat valuable Fire Lizards well, but if you gentlemen are just wealthy local gentlemen or just ordinary friends of Master Calion¡­ then don¡¯t blame me for throwing you into this magma pool.¡± Richard¡¯s words tightened the hearts of the old Fire Lizards, as they were unclear about his intentions. After a moment of silence, one Fire Lizard slowly spoke: ¡°I am Cliff, an Alchemy Master and Forging Master of the Morick Empire.¡± Hearing this introduction, Richard¡¯s eyes lit up, seeing an unexpected gain. ¡°Very good, Master Cliff, please stand aside with Master Calion.¡± Seeing Richard¡¯s attitude, the remaining two old Fire Lizards also spoke up. ¡°I am Patelin, also an Alchemy Master.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Talgar, the same as them.¡± After the introductions, Richard nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Very good, it seems Master Calion¡¯s friends are no ordinary folks.¡± Saying this, Richard pulled out four Soul Contracts from his pocket. ¡°I suppose you gentlemen are curious about what I plan to do, why I haven¡¯t screamed for a fight or tried to capture you as slaves like the other wizards. This contract is the answer. I hope you will consider this contract carefully. If you have any questions, you may ask me.¡± The old Fire Lizards took the contracts, their expressions changing from confusion, to shock, to doubt. Calion carefully read the contract, then pulled out a magnifying glass from his waist pouch and scrutinized it inch by inch. Finally, Calion asked with a puzzled tone: ¡°You want to¡­employ us?¡± Richard nodded: ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Cliff, who was next to Calion. ¡°Why would you want to employ us? Aren¡¯t the Fire Lizards that you wizards like best either dead or slaves?¡± Richard shrugged: ¡°I¡¯m not quite like them. They think you Fire Lizards are just a bunch of newly civilized natives, a group of aliens only fit to be slaves. But they fail to realize one thing, that Fire Lizards also have brains, and among the Fire Lizards, there are many talents. Talent is also a form of wealth!¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 269: 53 I Sign! I Sign! Chapter 269: Chapter 53 I Sign! I Sign! Richard¡¯s words were not pleasant, but the old Fire Lizards understood their meaning. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This Wizard was a pragmatist who valued abilities far more than he despised Bloodlines. But now a problem lay before the Fire Lizards¡ªwould they choose death, or would they choose to defect? No matter Richard¡¯s attitude, the essence of what he required was for them to defect. If those soldiers who fought against the Wizard had been given this choice, there would have been no hesitation¡ªthey often shared irreconcilable enmities with the Wizard. But the Fire Lizards before Richard were somewhat different. They were considered big shots among the Fire Lizards, especially Calion; even Merrick¡¯s Shield had sent someone specifically to evacuate him. The bigger the shot, the more they cherished their lives. They were not soldiers with firm wills. Moreover, the terms Richard offered were not harsh. They only needed to document their Alchemy skills and give it to Richard, and work for him as his personal craftsmen until their deaths. The second condition might sound harsh, but Richard added a clause to the contract stating they only needed to work eight hours a day. If it were not for the many restrictions on their freedom in the contract, such as not leaving the workplace without Richard¡¯s permission, Calion and the others might have thought Richard was mocking them. The terms were too lenient. This was almost like a collaboration. Richard, with a smile on his face, was in no hurry to press them to make a decision. Soon, a Fire Lizard named Patelin spoke: ¡°Wizard, the contract is very lenient, but how can I be sure you¡¯ll uphold it?¡± These Fire Lizards had never seen a Soul Contract. ¡°It¡¯s simple, once you sign the contract, you¡¯ll know.¡± Richard pulled a few feather pens from his pocket and placed them before the Fire Lizards. ¡°Sign the contract, or take a swim in the Magma Lake. Your fate is in your own hands.¡± Richard¡¯s words bore no spells, but when they entered the ears of the Fire Lizards, they resonated like a curse, continuously swirling in their minds. Though they were old, they were not ready to die. The taste of fine wine still lingered on their tongues, and if they died, they would never taste it again. Could the returning Fire Lizard King truly save the Fire Lizards? Could the Fire Lizard Clan endure until then? Alchemy was so beautiful; if they died, they could no longer explore its mysteries¡­ Mixed thoughts cluttered the Fire Lizards¡¯ minds; before survival, countless thoughts attached themselves to their hearts like inner demons. Their expressions alternated between fierce and defeated, until finally, the first one to decide emerged. A Fire Lizard named Cliff grasped the feather pen and signed his name on the contract, trembling. The moment he signed, the contract burst into Flames and disappeared into thin air. A subtle connection formed between Richard and Cliff. ¡°Is this¡­ a Soul Oath?¡± Cliff uttered a term in Dragon Language, and the term, heavy as a hammer, struck the other Fire Lizards¡¯ hearts. A Soul Oath was a means used by the Giant Dragons in ancient times to enslave powerful Fire Lizards. Cliff¡¯s knowledge of this term meant that the contract indeed had binding power. ¡°I¡¯ll sign too!¡± An old Fire Lizard named Talgar grasped the pen and fiercely signed his name on the contract. Following him, Patelin also signed the contract. Now, of the four Fire Lizards, only Calion had not signed. Suddenly, as if making a difficult decision, Calion pushed the pen away and said firmly, ¡°Wizard, I do not crave life that much, kill me instead.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard was slightly startled, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you, Master Calion, to be a Fire Lizard of such integrity.¡± Calion looked at Richard, his face neither sad nor joyous; in the moment he made his decision, he felt his soul ascend. ¡°I have no particular integrity, but I¡¯m just an ordinary Fire Lizard with some knowledge of Alchemy. I should have died decades ago, but Harash, that boy, pulled me from perdition and gave me a mission, a reason to live. Now, my mission is over. Death is but an old friend.¡± Calion¡¯s tone carried a note of lament, as if delivering his final words. But Richard¡¯s response made him change his expression. ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling to sign the contract, I must resort to other methods. Among you, only you are most important.¡± Richard¡¯s expression was unreadable; a Fire Lizard who Merrick¡¯s Shield would send someone to evacuate must be a talent, and might even know much of Merrick¡¯s Shield¡¯s internal intelligence. Such a Fire Lizard, Richard would never let go. Since he was unwilling now, Richard had to employ a special method. Calion¡¯s face suddenly changed, and before he could react, Richard appeared beside him. ¡°Fire Lizard, take a nap.¡± Bang. The metal Magic Wand heavily struck the back of Calion¡¯s head, rendering him instantly unconscious. The other three Fire Lizards who witnessed this scene instinctively bristled. If they hadn¡¯t signed, would this have been their fate? Richard gave a slight smile to the three cooperative Fire Lizards: ¡°Gentlemen, let¡¯s speak somewhere else.¡± With that, Richard immediately opened a Secret Realm Rift, leaving the Fire Lizards agape in awe. ¡°What is this?¡± Richard stepped into the Secret Realm, ¡°You¡¯ll know once you¡¯re inside.¡± ¡­ Inside the Secret Realm, Craw-craw was playing with the Holy Tree Elf. When he saw Richard bringing in a Fire Lizard, he immediately ran over in surprise. ¡°Wizard, who is this?¡± Richard threw the Fire Lizard he was holding onto the ground. ¡°Calion.¡± ¡°Is he Master Calion? I¡¯ve heard Master Haye mention him before, he said his Alchemy could rival the ancient Alchemy Masters.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Richard smiled, turned, and instructed World Mushroom to tie up Calion and wake him up. Behind him, the other three Fire Lizards also gradually entered the Secret Realm. Once they were all inside, Richard casually closed the Secret Realm Rift. ¡°Everyone, this is my Secret Realm, your workplace for the foreseeable future,¡± Richard introduced to the Fire Lizards. The Fire Lizards were struck by the landscape, completely different from that of the Red Sun World, and were visibly shocked. These were not naive Fire Lizards like Craw-craw. These Fire Lizards were important figures among their kind, with access to many ancient texts. Thus, they knew; this place was an entirely different world. ¡°Is this¡­ a world fragment?¡± Talgar uttered a clumsy Dragon Language term. Richard was slightly surprised, ¡°Oh, you have information on this?¡± Flashes of ancient fragments he had seen in old texts crossed Talgar¡¯s mind. Legends from ancient times spoke of Divine beings and Giant Dragons collecting world fragments to forge Divine Countries or ships that could traverse the stars. Had the Wizard mastered such a method? Were they to become the next Divine beings? Talgar¡¯s mind reeled with this conjecture, but he was sure that signing the Soul Contract was the right decision. Fire Lizards would never defeat a Wizard. Unaware of Talgar¡¯s thoughts, Richard said, ¡°This Fire Lizard is Craw-craw. During this time, you¡¯ll teach him Alchemy, and also work with him on that Armored Plate.¡± Saying this, Richard patted Craw-craw. ¡°Go, bring me that plate.¡± Craw-craw immediately fetched the plate, and the moment the Fire Lizards saw it, they recognized what it was. ¡°You¡¯ve obtained Holy Armor! Impossible, all Holy Armor was destroyed when His Majesty Minar was imprisoned. Even the remnants were thrown into the Sea of Lava.¡± Hearing this, a pang shot through Richard¡¯s heart. These damned Fire Lizards, destroying such fine creations just so the Wizards wouldn¡¯t have them. ¡°I acquired it before the Battle of the Three Kings began,¡± Richard replied somewhat stiffly, ¡°Your task for now is to understand this plate thoroughly. Your future task will be to manufacture these Armored Plates.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible, Holy Armor is a creation of the Divine beings, how could we possibly master it?¡± the three Fire Lizards said in unison. ¡°Nothing is impossible,¡± Richard stated lightly. Speaking thus, Richard took out a piece of metal from his Magic Pocket and began using Giant Dragon Alchemy. The metal deformed and stretched in Richard¡¯s hands, eventually forming a small Armored Plate. The complex golden patterns on its surface, both intricate and strangely beautiful, attested to its Alchemical origins. This action left the Fire Lizards dumbfounded. They pointed at Richard, speechless. They couldn¡¯t believe that this Wizard understood Giant Dragon Alchemy better than they did. ¡°You see, nothing is impossible.¡± Richard tossed the Armored Plate among the Fire Lizards, then approached Calion. ¡°Master Calion, I can still offer you a chance. If you sign the contract, the terms remain the same. However, if you continue to resist, then I¡¯m afraid I will have to use some special means.¡± With a wave of his hand, World Mushroom enveloped Calion and took him into the fungal stipe. In a secret space underground, one that no one could detect. Luo Jia¡¯er¡¯s roars echoed incessantly within the space. Under World Mushroom¡¯s torment, Luo Jia¡¯er¡¯s reason was nearly shattered, his mind assaulted incessantly by sensations far beyond a Fire Lizard¡¯s threshold of perception. If not for that deep-seated hatred, Luo Jia¡¯er would have already submitted. Outside that space, Calion watched Luo Jia¡¯er in horror. Luo Jia¡¯er appeared very healthy, even healthier than a normal Fire Lizard. But the unnatural roars echoing through the space chilled Calion to the bone. What kind of torture was this Fire Lizard enduring? By his side, World Mushroom thoughtfully explained Luo Jia¡¯er¡¯s current situation. ¡°Fire Lizard, if you don¡¯t submit to the great master, your fate won¡¯t be much better than his. I can make you live until your soul collapses.¡± World Mushroom¡¯s calm voice smashed Calion¡¯s last defenses like a hammer. He wasn¡¯t afraid of death; sometimes, being alive was more terrifying than death itself. In terror, Calion shouted: ¡°I¡¯ll sign! I¡¯ll sign!¡± Chapter 270: 54 Fire Lizard Alchemy Workshop Chapter 270: Chapter 54 Fire Lizard Alchemy Workshop ¡°Why didn¡¯t we do this earlier?¡± Richard handed over the Soul Contract to Calion with a smiling face, and as soon as Calion received it, he immediately signed his name with a trembling hand. As the contract turned into flames and vanished into the air, a sense of calm finally settled in Calion¡¯s fearful heart. At least now he wouldn¡¯t have to endure thousands of years of torture in that room. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve signed the contract, we are all on the same team. Master Calion, I¡¯ve heard that your Alchemy skills are very high, almost comparable to the ancient Alchemy Masters. I wonder if that is true.¡± Looking at Richard¡¯s smiling face, Calion dared not hide anything and truthfully said, ¡°My skills are indeed among the top in the current Alchemy Masters, but compared to those ancient Alchemy Masters, I am far inferior.¡± ¡°Haha, Master, there¡¯s no need for modesty. I believe your talents are not inferior to those of the ancients.¡± As he spoke, Richard shifted the conversation to inquire about Merrick¡¯s Shield. ¡°Master Calion, you must have worked for Merrick¡¯s Shield for a long time, so you might know some internal details about them. Do you have any interesting stories to share with me?¡± Looking at Richard¡¯s smile, Calion felt as though this wizard was a devil from hell. He was almost certain that if his information did not satisfy Richard, his future days would be miserable. The terms of the Soul Contract stipulated that Richard could not arbitrarily kill these Fire Lizards. But sometimes, living can be harder than dying. ¡°My lord, I work in logistics and don¡¯t know much about their missions. If I have to say something interesting, Merrick¡¯s Shield asked me and a few other old folks to make a huge thing a few years ago. Although they only gave me the blueprints for the parts I needed to make, I could still tell it was supposed to be a component for a ship.¡± ¡°A ship?¡± Richard stroked his chin, deep in thought. In the Red Sun World, the only place that might require a ship was the Sea of Lava beyond the mainland. What would the Fire Lizards be doing in the Sea of Lava? Richard noted this information to himself, and when the opportunity arose later, he planned to visit the Sea of Lava. The Sea of Lava was home to many Flame Giant Beasts, which were also a kind of resource. Richard, reflecting on this, pulled out several design blueprints from his pocket and handed them to Calion. ¡°Master, your information was very intriguing; I¡¯ve taken note of it. Here are the items you will need to make going forward; I have already given you a sample. I hope you can study it thoroughly. If you masters have any questions, jot them down, and I¡¯ll answer them all after some time.¡± After saying this, Richard opened a rift and left the Secret Realm. Calion looked at Richard¡¯s design diagrams, which depicted the three views of an armored plate. ¡°Is this¡­ a shield?¡± Calion, judging from his experience, then approached several other Fire Lizards. ¡°Let me see that thing.¡± The other Fire Lizards handed the armored plate to Calion, who stared at the elaborate gold patterns and felt as if he had been struck by lightning. ¡°Is this what we are supposed to make?¡± Calion¡¯s tone was tentative; he had just been awakened and many things were not clear to him. Now that he saw the armored plate up close, Calion realized the kind of insurmountable task they were to undertake. This was none other than the armored plate of Holy Armor! ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what the wizard said,¡± Calion, looking at the armored plate and recalling the scene he had just witnessed, shuddered uncontrollably. If they failed to meet this wizard¡¯s demands, their fate might not be much better than that of the other Fire Lizard. He sighed resignedly and said: ¡°Fellows, bring out all the skills you have. If we can¡¯t complete this wizard¡¯s task, we might as well prepare to go to hell.¡± ¡°To hell?¡± Calion somberly stated: ¡°Yes, to hell, and while still alive at that.¡± ¡­ The departing Richard didn¡¯t know that he had become a terrifying figure in Calion¡¯s mind, but even if he knew, Richard wouldn¡¯t bother to explain. The fact that the Fire Lizards were working hard was exactly what he desired. After leaving the Secret Realm, Richard moved all the supplies from beside the Molten Lava Lake into the Secret Realm. World Mushrooms could fill a few Fire Lizards¡¯ bellies, but that was about it. Indeed, the World Mushrooms, originating from the Insect Nest World, could meet some living needs of the Fire Lizards, but their items would surely not compare to the native food of the Red Sun World. His past life experience as a wage worker taught Richard that a good meal could make life much better. For these Fire Lizards in the Secret Realm, they were exactly the wage workers under Richard. A contented Fire Lizard wouldn¡¯t necessarily work harder, but the likelihood of them slacking would definitely decrease significantly. And to achieve this, Richard only needed to spend a little time throwing things into the Secret Realm. Richard was a man who sought efficiency in everything¡ªwhy wouldn¡¯t he want to spend a little to achieve a lot? After leaving the mining caverns, Richard also joined the slave-hunting forces of the Red Sun World, starting to hunt Fire Lizards on land. Technical talents were hard to come by, and Richard would need a large number of slaves for the future extraction of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone, as well as for assistance in the Fire Lizard Alchemy Workshop. Yes, Richard planned to organize a Fire Lizard Alchemy Workshop with these few Fire Lizards as the core, specializing in the production of Giant Dragon Alchemy Creations. Giant Dragon Alchemy was quite unpopular among wizards, yet this didn¡¯t mean there was no market for the products of Giant Dragon Alchemy. The super alloy metals produced through Giant Dragon Alchemy certainly had a vast market waiting to be tapped in Alchemy Machines. If he could develop this market, the future would certainly be bright. Holding expectations for the future, Richard began his slave-catching life in the Red Sun World. ¡­ Boom! In the cave, a black fireball suddenly exploded, instantly sealing the escape route of the Fire Lizard. A fierce beast, clad in steel, pounced on the Fire Lizard the moment the flames vanished, its mouth, dripping with saliva, aimed at the Fire Lizard¡¯s neck, ready to snap shut. Bang. The steel beast was suddenly sent flying by a black metal stick, and a dark figure appeared next to the Fire Lizard. ¡°How many times have I told you not to bite the neck, not to bite the neck? What about the claws I gave you? Can¡¯t you sever its muscles?¡± The dark figure scolded the armored beast, then nonchalantly drove a two-inch nail into the Fire Lizard¡¯s chest. ¡°Ow!¡± The steel beast let out a pitiful yelp or two, and seeing it like this, the dark figure could only sigh. ¡°You stupid dog, after teaching you for so long, you still go for the neck when panic hits.¡± The dark figure bent down, grabbed the Fire Lizard from the ground, and despite its struggles, stuffed it forcefully into a bag no larger than a human head. A few seconds later, a white-robed Wizard arrived at the side of the black-robed Wizard. ¡°Master Richard, has the Fire Lizard been taken care of?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Handled.¡± The white-robed Wizard respectfully performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute, ¡°Thank you for your help, Master. Without it, I might have been killed by that second-level Fire Lizard.¡± Richard waved his hand dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s nothing major. However, I would advise you to travel with other One Ring Wizards. It¡¯s still quite dangerous for a One Ring Wizard to capture Fire Lizards alone. These years, the surviving Fire Lizards are the strong and cunning ones, and even we Wizards can fall victim to their schemes.¡± The white-robed Wizard nodded, ¡°Master is right, I¡¯ll join my team for slave-catching once I return.¡± Richard nodded, then put the armored hunting dog into his pocket and flew out of the cave. Nearly twenty years had passed since Minar had been sealed. Over these two decades, Wizards had run amok in the Red Sun World, and the number of Fire Lizards above first level had dwindled. The remaining Fire Lizards were all experienced in battling Wizards. The good old days when one could catch a Fire Lizard Slave with just a few steps in the Red Sun World were gone. Leaving the cave, Richard continued his flight with the newly captured Fire Lizard. Three days later, he arrived at the Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone mine he had applied for. The narrow cave had now become a spacious mining tunnel. Periodically, carts of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone were being transported out of the tunnel. Ten years ago, the teleportation gate between the Red Sun World and the Wizard World had been opened, allowing a massive transfer of goods and equipment to the Red Sun World, and naturally, resource extraction now took priority. The Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone mine, under the management of Gano, had naturally been approved. Richard landed, and a Fire Lizard, seeing him, immediately approached. ¡°Lord Richard, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Heskan, has anything happened at the mine?¡± This Fire Lizard was one of the many Fire Lizard slaves Richard had captured over the years. However, unlike the others, he immediately showed his talent for bootlicking upon being captured. Since the war in the Red Sun World had not ended, and for the benefit of the War Wizards involved, the teleportation gate was still not open to outsiders. Participating Wizards were allowed out, but uninvolved Wizards weren¡¯t allowed in. To efficiently develop the mines, Richard had thought of managing Fire Lizards with Fire Lizards. Thus, Heskan, who had shown a talent for bootlicking, had become the manager of the mine. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No, everything is fine at the mine. Everyone is working hard, just look in the warehouse and you¡¯ll see.¡± Heskan, grinning broadly, led Richard to the warehouse. The guarding Fire Lizard, seeing Richard, immediately performed a respectful salute. ¡°Lord Richard!¡± Richard nodded and then entered the warehouse. Inside, several Fire Lizards were using machines to cut Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone from the mining tunnel into regular blocks, which were neatly stacked in boxes. The boxes filled with Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone were placed in the back half of the warehouse, which was now nearly full. ¡°Good, very good,¡± Richard nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Let the mess hall serve extra tonight, limitless Flame Giant Beast Meat.¡± Heskan brightened at the news but then asked somewhat worriedly, ¡°Master, isn¡¯t that a bit too generous? It¡¯s not easy for you to obtain this meat. I think one extra steak per person would be sufficient.¡± Richard glanced at him, saying calmly, ¡°Heskan, just follow orders. You don¡¯t need to worry about resource matters.¡± Heskan looked slightly fearful, ¡°I spoke out of turn.¡± Leaving the warehouse, Richard casually threw the Fire Lizard he had caught on the road to Heskan. ¡°Same rule as always, execute the obstinate ones.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Watching cart after cart of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone being transported from the mine, Richard¡¯s heart was filled with joy. These carts were all full of Magic Essence. Suddenly, a strong spatial fluctuation swept through Richard¡¯s senses. A space rift tore open in the sky, and a familiar figure burst through with an overbearing aura. ¡°Wizard! I¡¯m back!¡± Chapter 271: 55: The Fleeing Fire Lizard King Chapter 271: Chapter 55: The Fleeing Fire Lizard King Seeing the Fire Lizard King Morick suddenly appear in the sky, a flicker of excitement passed through Richard¡¯s heart. Morick had finally returned. If he hadn¡¯t come back soon, the war in the Red Sun World would have been over. ¡°Heskan, go and call the miners up from below, and make it quick,¡± Richard ordered loudly to Heskan. Upon hearing the order, Heskan¡¯s face was full of astonishment. He trembled and said, ¡°My Lord, the news of Emperor Morick¡¯s return must not be let known to the workers below. They¡¯ll revolt!¡± ¡°Revolt?¡± A cruel smile flashed across Richard¡¯s face, ¡°Trust me, Heskan. They won¡¯t revolt. Hurry up and call them all out.¡± Seeing Richard¡¯s firm stance, Heskan could only tremblingly take the minecart to notify the miners underground. Being in charge of the mining district was not without its price; the Soul Contract he had signed with Richard had very strict terms. If he did not obey Richard¡¯s orders, Richard could shatter his soul with a single thought. ¡°Right, take this with you.¡± As if remembering something, Richard flashed beside Heskan and pulled out a scroll from his pocket. ¡°This is a Short-Distance Space Jump Scroll. Tear it open and it will transport you to my side. Those fire lizards below might have a few fanatics among them, so be careful not to die down there.¡± Gratefully accepting the scroll with tears, Hesman, the servile follower, hadn¡¯t served in vain; Lord Richard still had him in mind. ¡°Yes, my Lord. I will be careful.¡± In the sky, the incredibly imposing Morick drew the attention of all beings in the Red Sun World as soon as he appeared. Both Wizards and fire lizards now focused their gaze on this World Master who had vanished for thirty years. The mountains of the Minar Empire, the mining tunnels of the Morick Empire, the islands above the Molten Sea¡­ all hidden areas of fire lizards watched Morick¡¯s return with tears streaming down their faces. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thirty years, and their king had finally returned! But in the next moment, an immensely large and complicated Magic Array emerged from the Void, and two Space Rifts appeared right in front of Morick, as Great Wizard Qing Shuang and the Great Wizard of Prison Fire both descended onto the battlefield. ¡°Wizard! I¡¯d like to see what tricks you have up your sleeve this time!¡± Morick, upon seeing the appearance of the Great Wizard of Prison Fire, suddenly radiated a scorching light. He reached out and caught a Light Spear in his hand, the terrifying power making even space struggle to hold, with tiny Space Rifts continuously appearing around the spear. Compared to Minar, Morick had become much more skilled in harnessing his own strength. The same move, Minar struggled with, but Morick did it with ease. ¡°Die!¡± The Light Spear was thrown, its terrible power instantly tearing open the space in front of him. But upon seeing the Light Spear sink into the Void, the Great Wizard of Prison Fire¡¯s face showed a hint of surprise. ¡°To think that you¡¯ve grasped some of the rules of space in thirty years. Impressive, indeed.¡± A sinister Space Rift suddenly appeared in front of the Great Wizard of Prison Fire, and behind the rift was the Light Spear carrying a terrifying aura. ¡°But I¡¯m not your teacher, and your shallow application of the rules won¡¯t earn my praise.¡± With an unchanged expression, the Great Wizard of Prison Fire moved his melting Skeletal Magic Wand slightly, and the terrible Light Spear paused in the Void for a moment. In that instant, the Great Wizard of Prison Fire calmly dodged it. Like a meteor streaking across the sky, the Light Spear eventually landed on the World Barrier at the edge of the world, turning into a dazzling burst of light, as if the third sun that had fallen with Linksa¡¯s death had risen once again. With his attack failing, Morick knew he no longer had a chance to strike. In the blink of an eye that he launched his attack, the huge Magic Array beside him had already begun to activate. Two Great Wizards had spent twenty years on this massive Magic Array, and its effects were naturally terrifying. As it activated, the space around Morick suddenly solidified, followed by a rapid weakening of his aura. This Magic Array actually cut off the Power of the World bestowed upon Morick by the world itself, and although this was only temporary, a World Master without the enhancement of the Power of the World was nothing more than a tooth-less rabid dog before a Wizard, with no outcome but death. ¡°Cackle cackle cackle, I haven¡¯t forgotten you over these years.¡± The Great Wizard of Prison Fire chuckled strangely, then opened a Space Rift and took out a Crystal Ball from it. Something seemed to be sealed within the Crystal Ball, with countless mysterious Runes appearing and disappearing inside it. The moment it appeared, all the Magic Power in the sky seemed to flow towards it like rivers into the sea. An even larger Magic Array rapidly extended from the Crystal Ball, covering half of the sky in the blink of an eye. But Morick¡¯s expression did not change; his aura remained wildly dominant, his light nearly outshining the sun in the sky. In his mind flashed countless years past, when there were no ¡°Free Men,¡± and the Red Sun World consisted only of giant dragons and their slaves. He was just reaching adulthood then. The battle among giant dragons triggered a volcanic eruption; a massive amount of red-hot magma and volcanic ash erupted from the caldera, instantly engulfing his family. His parents and wife all perished in this ¡°disaster,¡± leaving only the egg cradled in his wife¡¯s arms. It was in this ¡°disaster¡± that he found the object that would change his life and the future of the Fire Lizard Clan. His Talent actually wasn¡¯t very good. Before this disaster, he hadn¡¯t even awakened his Dragon Blood. But after the disaster, he found a peculiar Fire Element Gem in the magma. The Fire Element Gem looked like a test tube, and when he opened it, a drop of crimson blood flowed out from the tube into his body. This drop of blood changed his body and his destiny. From that point on, his strength soared, passing through First Level, Second Level, Third Level. His pace of Evolution grew faster and faster. In the end, he became the Fire Lizard Clan¡¯s first World Master, thus starting the prelude to their rebellion against giant dragons. But after becoming a Fifth Level World Master, the effects of that drop of blood seemed to fade away. Until he lived for thirty years in that pitch-black Void, full of fearsome beings, wrestling with the internal interrogation of his brother¡¯s death and the tragedy of the Fire Lizard Clan. In those thirty years, he had constantly thought of taking revenge on the Wizard, and that drop of blood had revived once more within this utmost conviction. It was only then he realized that it wasn¡¯t that the blood had lost its effect, but rather, after overturning the Giant Dragon, he no longer possessed that firm conviction. Morick said silently, ¡°My brother, come back and help me.¡± The next moment, the Great Wizard¡¯s face changed drastically. ¡°Qing Shuang, prepare the Sealing Skill!¡± He saw Morick, trapped in the center of the Magic Array, from whose body a golden shadow emerged, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the fallen Fire Lizard King Linksa. No, not exactly alike. This golden figure looked noticeably younger than Linksa. ¡°Big brother, I¡¯ve come to help you.¡± The golden figure, seemingly the dead Linksa himself, raised his arms high and smashed them down forcefully. The space around Morick, which had been solidified by the Magic Array, instantly shattered into fragments. Upon seeing this, the Great Wizard¡¯s eyes shifted from shock to fervor, and he called out loudly to Great Wizard Qing Shuang. ¡°A World Master Level True Illusion! Excellent, truly excellent! Qing Shuang, help me hold him off for a moment!¡± The Great Wizard tore open a Space Rift and continuously pulled out various objects from within. These objects looked bizarre: a Crystal Skull that kept screaming, a branch burning with black Flames, a mummified corpse wrapped in bandages, a withered claw from some unknown creature¡­ These items seemed unrelated but were all brought out by the Great Wizard at this moment. The Great Wizard murmured an incantation and ultimately pulled out something from his pocket that Richard hadn¡¯t expected¡ªa Curse Worm covered in black patterns! The Great Wizard was also a Curse Wizard! Morick had no idea what the Great Wizard was doing, but he detected an extremely dangerous aura in his actions. He lifted his arm and threw a punch, a glow on his knuckles shining bright as the Great Sun illuminating the world. Great Wizard Qing Shuang tried to intercept but was stopped by Linksa¡¯s phantom. ¡°Wizard, you face me!¡± Great Wizard Qing Shuang coldly replied, ¡°Is that so?¡± The next moment, a Space Rift opened beside the Great Wizard, and another Great Wizard Qing Shuang stepped out from the rift, rushing straight towards Morick. And Morick threw his punch once more. Boom¡­ Boom¡­ The thunderous roar exploded in the sky, and Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s clone burst apart, merely to withstand Morick¡¯s punch. Even so, the punch hadn¡¯t been blocked. The searing light passed through the fog and reached the Great Wizard in the blink of an eye. But the Great Wizard made no move to react, continuing to recite the ancient chant. Suddenly, Morick¡¯s face turned pale with fear as he scanned his surroundings as though searching for something. And the ball of light he had cast also dissipated right in front of the Great Wizard. Within the ancient chant of the Great Wizard, an illusion of a Balance appeared before him, and the various items he had taken out were all placed on one side. After the light dissipated, parts of those items had disappeared without a trace. ¡°Great Nameless Dominator, I offer these sacrifices to you, and I hope you will Seal this Fire Lizard.¡± The Great Wizard addressed his plea to the Nameless Dominator as the Balance illusion started to tilt following his words. Eventually, the empty side touched the ground. His sacrifice was insufficient. The Great Wizard frowned in concentration, tore open space again, and took out more strangely-auraed items, hoping to continue the exchange. But Morick wasn¡¯t planning to indulge him any longer. Morick watched the Balance illusion in terror; he could feel that a terrifying and grand entity had set its gaze upon this place. His previous attack had been nullified by that grand being. One word flashed through Morick¡¯s mind. Escape! Better to preserve the green mountains than worry about no firewood. Morick tore through space, and his form along with Linksa¡¯s phantom vanished from the Red Sun World in an instant. The Great Wizard, in a rush, quickly placed those strange items onto the Balance. ¡°Great Nameless Dominator, I offer these sacrifices to you and ask that you leave a mark on that Fire Lizard for me to track.¡± The Balance tipped, and this time it finally leveled out. In the Star Realm, Morick, having fled the Red Sun World, tensed as a mark of the Balance slowly emerged behind him. Back in the Red Sun World, the same mark of the Balance also appeared on the Great Wizard¡¯s arm. ¡°Fire Lizard, you can¡¯t run!¡± Chapter 272: 56: Truth, Treating Every Creature Equally Chapter 272: Chapter 56: Truth, Treating Every Creature Equally The battle ended somewhat anticlimactically, but the outcome was all too clear. The last hope of the Fire Lizard Clan, the Fire Lizard King Morick, had been defeated. At the mouth of the mineshaft, the miners called up by Lord Richard had despondent expressions. They knew that the Fire Lizard Clan had completely lost all hope. Standing to the side, Richard watched the scene and nodded imperceptibly. This was the effect he had wanted. He knew that before this moment, these Fire Lizards had still harbored impractical fantasies, believing that the Fire Lizard King could lead them once more to expel the Wizards. But now, that fantasy was shattered. A younger Fire Lizard, upon seeing Morick flee, suddenly drew a small knife from his belt and stabbed viciously at his own throat. ¡°Herar, what are you doing!¡± Upon seeing this, the surrounding Fire Lizards immediately moved to stop the young one from his folly. But before they could lay a hand on him, they saw Herar¡¯s body freeze in place, immobile, as a chain of Magic Power burrowed out from under his feet, binding him so that he could not move. The Fire Lizards looked toward Richard, just as Richard silently retracted his finger, speaking in a calm tone, ¡°Suicide is really quite foolish. I told you when I took you in to abandon those impractical fantasies and strive to live well in the present. Clearly, some of you did not pay heed to my words.¡± The Fire Lizards silently turned their gaze toward Richard, who reminded them of the words he had said when he first brought them to the mining fields. ¡°Work hard here, give up on impractical fantasies. Working for me will certainly be ten times better than working under the hand of Fire Lizard Nobles.¡± Back then, they had brushed off his words as inconsequential. Now, those dismissed words had turned into a storm. Richard moved his fingers again, dispelling the Spell that bound Herar, and the surrounding Fire Lizards seized the opportunity to wrest the knife from his hand. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After his failed suicide attempt, Herar covered his face and wept bitterly. His cries quickly spread throughout the entire mining field, even Heskan, who had become utterly loyal to the Wizards, felt a pang in his heart. If they had a choice, who would wish to be a crony? Richard watched the scene in silence. This was what wars between Races entailed. ¡°Heskan, take half a day off. Tonight¡¯s food remains unchanged; Flame Giant Beast meat is still unlimited.¡± Heskan was startled by the words and looked at Richard somewhat bewilderedly before bowing his head and responding, ¡°Yes, my lord. You treat us even better than our own kin.¡± Richard merely smiled and said nothing more. These Fire Lizards were not merely miners; in the future, they were also to shoulder the responsibility of producing Magic Potions and forming the ranks of the Dragon Beast Knights. If he did not win over their hearts now, how would he carry out his plans later? Richard took a box of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stones and turned to enter the Secret Realm. Under Richard¡¯s development over these years, the Secret Realm had been vastly transformed. The Secret Realm¡¯s center was still occupied by the World Mushroom, but outside the cap of the World Mushroom, an invisible line divided the realm in two. On the east side of the Secret Realm was the domain of the Holy Tree Elves, where they cultivated flowers and Demonized Plants. On the other side, several huge alchemy machines connected by conveyer belts took up nearly half the space, with several Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters leading hundreds of Fire Lizard Alchemy Apprentices working in shifts on the conveyer belts. Over these years, the rudimentary form of the Fire Lizard Alchemy Workshop that Richard had planned had taken shape. He had spent a considerable amount of Magic Essence over the years, trading with other Wizards for Fire Lizards who understood Alchemy. The Alchemy Workshop in the Secret Realm had grown from a few Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters to the current assembly line. However, for now, this Alchemy Workshop could only produce items with relatively low technical content, such as the Cross Pickaxes used by the Fire Lizards for mining and certain mechanical components for the Magic Support Vehicles. Yet, the mass production of the Armored Plates Richard had planned had not even shown the slightest sign of starting. But Richard had long been prepared for this, as he knew that those high-tech items certainly could not be produced on an assembly line for quite some time. Richard, carrying the box, strode over to the other half of the Alchemy Workshop¡¯s space. This space housed the Fire Lizards¡¯ dormitories and material storage. Richard tossed the Red Sun Gold Pattern Stones into the storage and turned to find a Fire Lizard Alchemy Master. ¡°Talgar, I¡¯ve brought the Red Sun Gold Pattern Stones, what do you need them for?¡± Talgar was inspecting the work area at the moment, the alchemy machines¡¯ clamorous symphony forced Richard to communicate with Talgar using telepathy. Seeing Richard, Talgar immediately made an obeisant bow and then gestured for Richard to leave the work area. In the Fire Lizards¡¯ usual resting area, there was a soundproof Magic Array. The moment they entered the resting area, Richard¡¯s ears were met with blissful silence. ¡°Lord Richard, you¡¯ve brought the items, haven¡¯t you?¡± Talgar said loudly, his voice making Richard¡¯s scalp tingle. Due to spending a long time in the work area, Talgar had developed a very loud voice, and this up-close conversation was almost as deafening as some Wizard Apprentice¡¯s sonic wave witchcraft. ¡°Quieter, I can hear you,¡± Richard said somewhat helplessly. He then pulled from his pocket a small piece of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone and handed it to Talgar. ¡°What do you need this for? Could it be that this thing could be used to make an alloy?¡± In Giant Dragon Alchemy, creating alloys was one of the most basic skills. Although Giant Dragon Alchemy could alter the properties of metals, these alterations had their limits. Moreover, different materials had different limits in different aspects. Therefore, creating alloys had become the most fundamental skill in Giant Dragon Alchemy. ¡°My lord, that idea might be worth a try; I haven¡¯t yet attempted to use this material to produce alloys.¡± Talgar¡¯s volume decreased a bit, but his voice was still loud. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business!¡± Seeing that Richard was getting somewhat angry, Talgar hurriedly ran to his bed and pulled out a box filled with soft mushroom mycelium. Inside the box, instead of any rare treasures, lay an ordinary ink bottle. ¡°Lord, have a look at this. I made it using the Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone you brought before.¡± Richard took the ink bottle with a puzzled look and opened it, a rich burst of Fire Element instantly spraying out, nearly singeing Richard¡¯s eyebrows. Looking at Talgar, Richard saw the simple-minded Fire Lizard somewhat embarrassedly laugh: ¡°Haha, the Fire Element was released, an accident, a pure accident.¡± Richard touched the bottle with his Magic Power, drawing out a drop of liquid. The liquid appeared as red as fresh blood, also emitting a scorching aura. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°My Lord, this is ink.¡± ¡°Ink?¡± Richard was startled, then quickly pulled out a quill from his pocket. He dipped it in the ink and then infused it with Magic Power, which, mixing with the ink in the quill, caused flames to ignite at the tip. Richard took out a metal plate from his pocket and began inscribing Runes on it using the feather quill with flames at its tip. The quill glided softly across the metal plate, leaving behind a clear trail of fire where it touched. As Richard drew the last stroke, a Rune burning with flames took shape on the metal plate. Richard infused the Rune with Magic Power, and under its influence, the Rune¡¯s flames gradually intensified, finally maintaining a rather dazzling strength. At this intensity, the Rune was running at full load. But it wasn¡¯t long before the flames on the Rune began to dim and eventually faded away. ¡°Incredible, this is unbelievable.¡± Looking at the Rune, Richard¡¯s expression shifted from shock to horror. Talgar had actually concocted Alchemy Ink that could only be created with Wizard Alchemy! This Fire Lizard had managed to accomplish what Wizard Ancients had once done in stealing fire. ¡°How did you do it?¡± Richard suppressed the astonishment in his heart and asked as calmly as he could. Talgar scratched his chin, a sheepish look on his face, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, my Lord, as you know, we¡¯ve tried making ink before. Although unsuccessful, there were still some materials left in the storehouse. One day, I had too much to drink and nothing to do, so I took some and followed the ink-making procedure once through. But manufacturing this ink requires that Alchemy Array of yours, doesn¡¯t it? I was quite drunk at the time and ended up operating that Alchemy Array part you made before. I can¡¯t remember how I started it, but it started nonetheless. I don¡¯t remember much after that, but when I woke up, this thing had formed.¡± After listening to Talgar, Richard rubbed his furrowed brow, Talgar didn¡¯t seem to be lying. It appeared this thing was truly created in his drunken mess. This Fire Lizard¡¯s luck was truly amazing ¨C a mess without accident and still getting a finished product. Casting aside the random thoughts in his mind, Richard said confidently to Talgar, ¡°Very well, this thing is very useful. I¡¯ll supply you with an unlimited amount of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone. Don¡¯t busy yourself with anything else for now, and quickly work out the formula for this ink, as well as the production process. Once you have that sorted out, I¡¯ll give you a half-year holiday!¡± Talgar was startled upon hearing this, then joyously said: ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± He hadn¡¯t expected that something he¡¯d come up with while drunk would be taken so seriously by Richard. Watching the elated Talgar leave, a hint of conflict flashed through Richard¡¯s mind. The capabilities of the civilized races really were incomparable to those of common natives. Talgar might not see the amazing qualities of this bottle of ink, but Richard, a Wizard, clearly could. Not only did this ink reach the standards of high-level Alchemy Ink, but it also had an additional feature of displaying Rune integrity. Enchantments can¡¯t possibly last forever; any piece of Magic Equipment has a potential number of uses. Rune integrity serves as one standard to measure the newness and wear of Magic Equipment. Ink used for Rune drawing from Alchemy would gradually wear out and fade over time and environment, but if it¡¯s common Alchemy Ink, such wear is often hard to detect. However, the Runes drawn with this ink could reflect subtle changes in the Rune through the strength of the flame. Ink with such functionality was used extensively in large Alchemy Machine manufacturing, with a considerable market. But this excellent ink wasn¡¯t created by a Wizard, its creator was a native slave looked down upon by Wizards. This was like a provocation. This was a trampling on Wizard intelligence by an Alien creature! If it were any other Wizard who encountered this, Talgar would already be a corpse by now, and the rest of the Fire Lizards would¡¯ve been eliminated along with him. Wizards¡¯ attitudes towards Aliens were always to err on the side of killing rather than to let one escape. However, these Fire Lizards had met Richard, a humble Wizard. He didn¡¯t view this as a provocation. Knowledge wouldn¡¯t just emerge because the Explorer was a Wizard, nor would it hide because the Explorer was a Fire Lizard. Truth treats every creature equally. Chapter 273: 57: The Stranger Road of the Fire Lizard Chapter 273: Chapter 57: The Stranger Road of the Fire Lizard After resolving the issue in Talgar, Richard came to the area beneath the canopy of the World Mushroom. This region was the ¡°Holy Domain¡± of the Holy Tree Elf, void of any buildings except for the Holy City built by the Holy Tree Elves, who had even relocated their buds. In the central nest of the Holy City, a black crow was deeply asleep. Ulysses had made a miscalculation years ago; he had predicted a few decades, but he had now been asleep for nearly thirty years. During these thirty years, the energy fluctuations within Ulysses had continually increased. According to Richard¡¯s prediction, today, Ulysses¡¯ energy would reach the limit for third-level creatures. If Ulysses didn¡¯t wake up now, Richard would have to prepare for the worst¡ªUlysses might sleep until he became the World Master. Watching the black crow, whose energy fluctuations were gradually intensifying, Richard could only pray and wait, considering Ulysses was also a ¡°God¡±; thus, Richard did only the latter. Buzz! A violent energy fluctuation erupted from Ulysses, instantly stirring up a magic breeze in the Secret Realm. In an instant, Richard saw a vision appear before his eyes. A dark, terrifying beast shrieked towards the sky, its voice almost shattering the space. It spread its wings, blocking the sun with its massive wingspan, and countless black crows emerged, engulfing the entire sky like the night. ¡°Is this¡­ Ulysses?¡± Richard watched the frightening beast in the vision, a trace of astonishment flashing through his mind. Indeed, every World Master was a terrifying creature. The vision gradually dissipated in front of Richard, and he felt a weight on his shoulder as Ulysses¡¯ raspy voice suddenly sounded in his ear. ¡°Ga, this sleep was truly comfortable; I feel much better now.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± Richard suppressed his excitement, responding calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve slept for a whole thirty years; I almost thought you were recovering from an injury.¡± ¡°Ga, thirty years!?¡± Ulysses exclaimed. ¡°Then you must have almost finished the war!¡± ¡°Pretty much, the last King of the Fire Lizard was just driven off; he probably won¡¯t return to the Red Sun World in his lifetime. After cleaning up the remaining resistance forces of the Fire Lizards, the war will be considered over.¡± ¡°Ga, that quickly? You wizards are quite efficient.¡± Ulysses was surprised by the speed with which the wizards handled the King of the Fire Lizards, but before he could finish his surprise, changes in the Secret Realm caught his attention again. ¡°Ga, why are there so many Fire Lizards in the Secret Realm, are they yours?¡± Ulysses looked at Richard, his face showing a mix of embarrassment and shamelessness. ¡°Ga, you¡¯re too polite; just let Old Mushroom take care of your brain, how did you even start breeding them?¡± Listening to Ulysses¡¯ ruthless words, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel exasperated. ¡°These aren¡¯t for you to eat; they are employees I¡¯ve collected over the years, all skilled professionals!¡± Ulysses looked slightly disappointed: ¡°Ga, I thought you had prepared a surprise for me.¡± Yet his disappointment didn¡¯t last long, for the next moment, the World Mushroom transmitted a Spiritual Message to Ulysses. Richard still remembered Ulysses¡¯ words. Although he had been capturing slaves over the years, the Fire Lizards he killed had all had their brains collected and given to the World Mushroom. The number of brains was enough for Ulysses to have a feast. ¡°Ga, very noble of you! Then I¡¯ll go have a feast first.¡± Richard nodded: ¡°Suit yourself, just remember to come out after you¡¯re done, I need you to protect me on a journey.¡± ¡°Ga, no problem at all.¡± ¡­ The defeat of the Fire Lizard King, Morick, undoubtedly struck a massive blow to the resistive forces of the Fire Lizards; they had held on until now, largely because Morick had not yet returned. Now that Morick had fled, the Fire Lizard Clan had no more hope of expelling the wizards. Located in the Yajilite Mountains of the Minar Empire, the remnants of the high-ranking officials of the Fire Lizard Empire watched the sky with earthy faces. Although they had anticipated this possibility, witnessing it firsthand made them realize their faith was insufficient to accept the outcome. Squelch! A Fire Lizard general decapitated himself with a sword, his blood spraying and staining the surrounding Fire Lizards red. Harash, expressionless, bowed his head and spoke indifferently: Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Go back, there¡¯s nothing more to see here.¡± With that, Harash walked into a mountain cave behind him without looking back. Deep in the cave, the expressionless Azuhan waited in a conference room for his father. Rumble rumble rumble¡­ The stone door of the conference room was pushed open, and Harash entered calmly, then closed the stone door. The moment the door shut, Harash collapsed to the floor like a puppet that had lost its support. He propped himself up on his arms, but they trembled uncontrollably. The Fire Lizards were finished. Azhuan walked over and helped his father up from the ground. ¡°How is the princess?¡± Harash suddenly asked. Azhuan shook his head: ¡°She¡¯s sleeping, not aware of what¡¯s happening outside.¡± Azhuan helped Harash to the nearest chair; his father¡¯s body continued to tremble. On the chair, Harash had a vacant look, his face showing a blank expression that Azhuan had never seen before. Azhuan sat opposite Harash, his heart equally anxious and fearful; the Fire Lizard Clan no longer had hope, only a future of struggling to survive and approaching extinction. ¡°Father, initiate the Fire Seed Plan.¡± ¡°¡­Initiate it.¡± Harash stood up, and several Fire Lizard generals entered through the door. Seeing Harash, one general, looking nervous, cried out: ¡°Marshal, the Fire Lizards below are uncontrollable; they want to fight the wizards to the death.¡± These remaining resistors were all elite Fire Lizards, also the most stubborn ¡°Free Men.¡± They would rather die than live as slaves to the wizards. Now the hope of driving out the wizards was utterly shattered. The best ending the somewhat crazed Fire Lizards could think of was to die gloriously on the battlefield. ¡°Um, I know,¡± he said, ¡°tell them not to make a move yet, I will personally lead them into battle shortly.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Two Fire Lizard generals looked at Harash in astonishment. They hadn¡¯t expected such a response. ¡°Marshal, you¡­¡± Harash looked at the two Fire Lizard generals in front of him, and asked in a flat tone: ¡°Is there a problem?¡± One general spoke, ¡°Marshal, they might give up, but you absolutely must not. Emperor Morick has not yet died in battle, we still have hope¡­¡± Psst! A massive amount of blood spurted out from the severed neck of the Fire Lizard general. Harash, holding the head of the Fire Lizard general, looked expressionlessly at the other general. ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡± The remaining general stepped back continuously in fright, his face a picture of terror, his mouth opening and closing, but he couldn¡¯t utter a word. Harash had gone mad! He had just killed a Fire Lizard general without a word! Harash approached him with an expressionless face and said in an extremely calm tone: ¡°No problem then, carry out the orders.¡± The Fire Lizard general nodded frantically and then fled the conference room as if escaping. Azuhan walked up to Harash and asked softly, ¡°Father, have you decided?¡± Azuhan¡¯s eyes might have been calm, but the plea in his eyes could not escape Harash¡¯s notice. Azuhan hoped he would change his mind. ¡°Azuhan, you¡¯ve grown up.¡± Harash, just as when Azuhan was a child, vigorously rubbed Azuhan¡¯s head. ¡°An adult needs to stand on his own and shoulder those responsibilities. I¡¯m already old, there are some responsibilities I can¡¯t bear, and don¡¯t want to bear anymore. Also, the New World needs the seeds, an old thing like me going there would just be a hindrance.¡± Harash spoke in a very lighthearted tone, as if he had shed a heavy burden. He looked at Azuhan, a relieved smile on his face. But Azuhan was looking down, tears continuously sliding down the corners of his eyes. ¡°Azuhan, an adult should not cry, especially a leader!¡± Harash¡¯s voice suddenly turned stern, just like in the past when he was teaching Azuhan. Azuhan looked up, his golden dragon eyes brimming with blood, filled with a sorrow as deep as the ocean. Harash said solemnly: ¡°Azuhan, the future of the Fire Lizards is now in your hands. Whatever method you use, whatever means, even if you go to ally with the wizards, become the most shameful traitor! You must ensure the survival of the Fire Lizard Clan! Now tell me, do you have the determination?¡± Azuhan, choking: ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Harash showed a satisfied smile, he patted Azuhan on the shoulder, his voice carrying hope and blessing: ¡°The future of the Fire Lizards is in your hands.¡± Azuhan watched as Harash walked out of the conference room with brisk steps, as light as when he had been summoned by the Fire Lizard King in his younger days. That year, he had been promoted from Dragon Warrior to a Horned Noble, and had defeated the genius general Balashar of the Linksa Empire on the battlefield. Harash had been just like this, light-footed and smiling. Azuhan stood there, watching his father¡¯s figure gradually disappear at the end of the cave. He knew that this farewell was forever. Afterward, he turned and left the conference room from the other side. ¡­ Record of the Red Sun World expedition: Three days after Fire Lizard King Morick was expelled by the Great Wizards Qing Shuang and Hellfire, the Fire Lizard Resistance hidden in the Yajilite Mountains launched a desperate battle. In this battle, the former Marshal of Morick Empire, Harash, led the Fire Lizards, killing one thousand five hundred and seventy-two wizards, with all Fire Lizards perishing, none surviving or enslaved. This battle marked the conclusion of the Red Sun World expedition, as the Red Sun World had now been incorporated into the grand domain of the Wizard Civilization. ¡­ On the edge of the Yajilite Mountains, a place connected by the Molten Sea, an underground Molten Lava Lake. Above the Molten Lava Lake, a huge metallic object, like a golden shuttle, floated quietly. Soon, several Fire Lizards dressed like astronauts emerged from the Molten Sea. One of them removed his strange outfit, revealing the uniform of Merrick¡¯s Shield beneath. He quickly walked to a Fire Lizard at the shore and reported in a low voice: ¡°Lord Azuhan, the New World fleet has been fully calibrated.¡± Azuhan nodded slightly, ¡°I know.¡± He looked back in the direction of the desperate battle, his voice barely discernible: ¡°Father, farewell forever.¡± A nearby Fire Lizard, not hearing Azuhan¡¯s words clearly, quickly asked: ¡°My lord, what did you say?¡± Azuhan shook his head: ¡°Nothing, notify the fire seeds to board. We are heading to the New World!¡± Chapter 274: 58: Molten Sea Chapter 274: Chapter 58: Molten Sea Above the Molten Sea, a thin Wizard Apprentice was flying at a leisurely pace not far above the surface. The term ¡°Molten Sea¡± refers to the magma seas outside the Main Continent of the Red Sun World, occupying one-third of the entire area of the Red Sun World. Countless powerful Flame Giant Beasts and elemental creatures that escaped from the Elemental Territory dwell within. Despite its vastness, however, the Molten Sea yields pitifully few resources. Broad as the Magma Sea might be, besides the Flame Giant Beasts and Fire Element Gems, this vast sea area yields practically nothing. The Flame Giant Beasts have limited uses; besides being experimental subjects, their main purpose is to serve as ingredients. But this market is too small; the Flame Giant Beasts near the coast are more than enough. As for the Fire Element Gems, they are abundant in every Fire Element-biased world, including the Red Sun World. If a Great Wizard wished, a single Fire Element Gem from the Red Sun World could collapse the entire Fire Element Gem market of the Wizard World. But aside from bringing trouble to the Great Wizard, there¡¯s no benefit in doing so. Thus, many Fire Element Gem mines on the Main Continent of the Red Sun World have been sealed by the Great Wizard, and only some are being exploited. Moreover, most of the gems produced from these mines are fuel-grade Flame Gems, mainly used as a power source for alchemy machines. The production of Fire Element Gems suitable for use at the tip of staves is strictly limited. A steady trickle is the right path. Therefore, to Wizards, the Molten Sea is like a vast desert, with very few willing to spend time exploring it. Splash! Suddenly, from the calm sea burst a Flame Shark with an open mouth, nearly ten meters in length. The energy fluctuations it emitted had already reached the standards of third-level creatures. Such a creature, if found on the Main Continent of the Red Sun World, would require a White Wizard squad to deploy, led by a Three Rings Wizard, for a swift resolution. And its target as it leapt from the sea was the Wizard flying just above, whose energy fluctuated no more than that of a Second Ring. ¡°Caw, yet another fool who doesn¡¯t see.¡± A black crow flew up from the Wizard¡¯s shoulder, its Crow Claw suddenly enlarging, snatching the leaping Flame Giant Shark. Despite being captured, the Giant Shark thrashed violently, its enormous third-level arsenide body twisting and struggling with prodigious force at every movement. But the crow¡¯s claw seemed forged from bronze and iron, and no matter how the shark struggled, the claw did not budge. The crow¡¯s claw shrank continuously, and the Flame Giant Shark trapped within it shrank along with the claw. The ten-meter-long Flame Giant Shark gradually shrank to five meters, then slowly to one meter. Eventually, it turned into a small fish the size of a palm and was tossed into the crow¡¯s mouth and swallowed whole. ¡°Burp,¡± The crow let out a satisfied belch, exhaling a fierce burst of Elemental Flame. After eating, it looked at the Wizard beside it and asked, ¡°Caw, tell me, Richard, does the thing you¡¯re looking for even exist? I¡¯ve almost grown sick of eating these Flame Giant Beasts.¡± Richard glanced at Ulysses with a somewhat helpless tone, ¡°Ulysses, how come you¡¯ve become so impatient after waking up? I¡¯ve already said there must be islands on the Molten Sea. Those Fire Lizards surely sent someone over.¡± ¡°Caw, but we¡¯ve been searching this sea for three years now.¡± Richard felt helpless, and so did Ulysses. Three years ago, when Ulysses awoke from his slumber, after feasting on Fire Lizard brains, Richard summoned him to act as a protector over the Molten Sea. The task was to search for islands in the Molten Sea. Honestly, if not for the sake of so many Fire Lizard brains, Ulysses would have sworn long ago. The term ¡°Molten Sea¡± doesn¡¯t merely suggest molten; even the word ¡°sea¡± itself is a literal description. Searching aimlessly for islands in a vast sea area is nearly as fruitless as finding a needle in a haystack. Moreover, Ulysses was particularly sensitive to such a Fire Element-imbalanced environment. Because the Molten Sea was everywhere molten, the concentration of Fire Elements was several times higher than that on the continent, making these three years quite unbearable for Ulysses. ¡°The Fire Lizards probably searched the sea for about ten years, with several fleets at that. We¡¯ve only been at it for three years, what¡¯s the rush?¡± Richard maintained a peaceful mindset, the quest for islands in the Molten Sea reminiscent of his experiences roaming the distant seas during his days as a Wizard Apprentice. Back then, he had just qualified as a Wizard, and Jolod advised him to relax a bit. Now, looking back, it had been over three hundred years. ¡°Caw, those Fire Lizards are real jerks. They could just stay on their continent without trouble, but no, they run off to the sea. And now, of all things, you had to discover them.¡± Ulysses¡¯s tone was full of sorrow; days in the Molten Sea were indeed agonizing, even worse than the days spent in the underground Magma Sea. Back then, Richard would often return to the Secret Realm with an unseen creature, claiming to be exploring, when in fact, he probably spent most of the day within the Secret Realm. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Moreover, during explorations of the Molten Sea, he would always have an energy shield activated. But now, Richard was flying over the sea all day, occasionally returning to the Secret Realm for meditation, and Ulysses had no choice but to follow. To collect specimens, Ulysses wasn¡¯t allowed to activate an energy shield, as it would scare away the Flame Giant Beasts of the Molten Sea. Life had become unbearably difficult¡­ Achoo! Seeing that Richard ignored his complaints, Ulysses had no choice but to return to Richard¡¯s shoulder. A glint flashed in his eyes as he swept a gaze over the surrounding sea, hoping to spot traces of islands and put an end to this miserable exploration. Whether it was Ulysses¡¯s luck or the Fire Lizards¡¯ misfortune, his casual glance indeed caught sight of something quite out of place in the Molten Sea. ¡°Caw, Richard, fly that way! I see something strange!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard was startled, ¡°What strange thing?¡± ¡°Gah, hard to describe, it¡¯s pointed at both ends and bulged in the middle, and it seems to be made of metal. But I can assure you, that thing definitely isn¡¯t a part of the Flame Giant Beast.¡± Richard immediately changed direction and flew towards where Ulysses had indicated, midway through his description. The thing Ulysses described was precisely what he and Calion had deduced about the appearance of the long-range ships. After subduing Calion, Richard had found several Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters in succession. Among these masters, some had also participated in the outsourcing project for Merrick¡¯s Shield. Having gathered information from several Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters, Richard concluded that the Fire Lizards must have been exploring the Molten Sea. And they most likely discovered something. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have kept building long-range ships for seven or eight years without stop. Although his process was wrong, his speculative conclusion was accidentally correct. For this reason, once Ulysses had awakened, Richard had immediately begun a search operation. He knew that if the Fire Lizards had fled to the sea, they would certainly bring many talents with them. If he could subdue them, these Fire Lizards would greatly enhance his power. The people viewed as the seed of hope by the Fire Lizard Empire wouldn¡¯t just be a bunch of useless relatives. ¡­ Above the Molten Sea, a giant metal shuttle floated quietly on the surface. Beside it, the Flame Giant Beasts passed by the metal shuttle as if it were a mere stone. Inside the shuttle, the Fire Lizard captain¡¯s brow was furrowed as he quietly listened to the report being delivered. ¡°¡­Hull damage is at eighteen percent, the isolation chamber has been activated. But the ship¡¯s eastern parts are severely damaged. According to the craftsman¡­¡± The reporting Fire Lizard paused, and the captain looked up at him, asking, ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°¡­He said that the propulsion components might be irreparable, and even if fixed, with the deviation from our course during the Fire Element Storm, the remaining fuel would hardly support our return to the ¡®New World.''¡± The captain looked at the reporting Fire Lizard for a long time without speaking. ¡°¡­I understand. Order the crew to repair the damage as soon as possible and tell the craftsmen to fix the propulsion components as soon as they can. As for the fuel issue¡­ I will deal with it.¡± The captain¡¯s composed demeanor reassured the reporting Fire Lizard, who respectfully saluted the captain before leaving the cabin room to pass along the orders. Bang. The door of the captain¡¯s quarters closed. The captain, somewhat agitated, looked out the observation window at the endless Molten Sea. He couldn¡¯t believe his bad luck to have encountered a Fire Element Storm. Although he had assured his First Mate that he would take care of the fuel, the type of fuel required for the ship was Fire Element Gems, and to obtain these, he would have to dive into the Molten Sea himself. Inside the Molten Sea, countless powerful Flame Giant Beasts roamed. Even as a silver-horned noble, his chances of survival against those monsters would be practically nonexistent. But this was still the highest chance for survival he had. ¡°Ah, shouldn¡¯t have been greedy for that Fire Whale. If we had set sail earlier, even if we encountered the Fire Element Storm, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this godforsaken place.¡± The captain sighed, moved to his table, and took out a charcoal pencil to begin writing his last will. But before he could write more than a few words, a rapid knock sounded at the door. Thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump! Bang! Before the captain could answer, the First Mate who had been conveying his orders burst into the room, his face filled with terror. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, to be in such a panic?¡± the captain frowned, his tone commanding. The First Mate looked at the captain, panic-stricken, and gave an answer he¡¯d never considered. ¡°A wizard! Sir, a wizard is coming!¡± ¡­ On the metal shuttle, Richard easily found the entrance and opened it effortlessly with Giant Dragon Alchemy. At the entrance, a Fire Lizard just happened to be passing by. Its expression went from astonishment to fright upon seeing Richard. A wizard! Had they come to the nearby sea? How did they encounter a wizard here? Richard saw the Fire Lizard and couldn¡¯t help but be pleased. ¡°Ulysses, you¡¯ve done a great service this time.¡± ¡°Gah, let¡¯s get moving, I don¡¯t want to stay in this dump for another minute.¡± Entering the ship¡¯s cabin, Richard quickly encountered a group of Fire Lizards carrying weapons, but their expressions were one of sheer fright. Having dealt with wizards for so many years, the Fire Lizards could still discern the strength of a wizard. The energy fluctuations emanating from Richard had reached the realm of a Second Ring Wizard, and in front of him, this group of Fire Lizards amounted to nothing more than a few spells. The might of wizards had long become the nightmare of the Fire Lizards. Unexpectedly to them, this wizard did not attack; instead, he said to them calmly, ¡°Fire Lizards, I have no intention of killing you. Call out your captain, I wish to speak with him.¡± Chapter 275: 59: As the thought of casting spells arises, the world suddenly feels more expansive. Chapter 275: Chapter 59: As the thought of casting spells arises, the world suddenly feels more expansive. ¡°Looking for me?¡± The captain¡¯s face shifted between light and shadow as he listened to the first mate¡¯s message. What did the Wizard want? The captain was not blinded by hatred. In the battle of life and death, all the Fire Lizards who longed for revenge and glory had perished on the battlefield. Those involved in the Ember Plan, each was a person whose rationality outweighed their emotions. They bore the responsibility of inheriting the legacy of the Fire Lizard Clan and could not afford the slightest impulsivity. But after thinking for a long time, the captain still couldn¡¯t fathom what Richard was up to. Wizards seeking slaves would typically beat them half to death and then throw them into a slave sack. If a Wizard wanted information, they would beat a Fire Lizard half to death and then interrogate them with Soul Magic. If the Wizard desired wealth or specimens, it was even simpler; there was no need to control the force and beat them halfway¡ªjust killing them outright would suffice. The captain really couldn¡¯t figure out what Richard would want with him. Thump, thump, thump! Suddenly, the door to the captain¡¯s quarters was knocked upon. ¡°Captain sir, I believe we can have a conversation.¡± The captain¡¯s face stiffened; the Wizard had arrived at his cabin door without a sound, and he hadn¡¯t noticed at all. The captain nodded to the first mate, who, with a tense expression, approached the door to open it, while the captain drew his scimitar, ready to act at any sign of trouble. Creak! Perhaps due to a lack of lubrication, or perhaps because the first mate was a bit too nervous, thus applying too much strength unintentionally. When the door to the captain¡¯s quarters opened, the hinges made a piercing noise. And in the highly tense atmosphere, the captain instinctively struck. His Black Gold Scimitar suddenly erupted in golden flames, with all the energy in the room being drawn into the blade, rushing like rivers into the sea, causing the golden flames to surge like a volcanic eruption. Wind aided the fire¡¯s ferocity! Ting! The scimitar sliced through the air, leaving a clear trail as it struck straight into the metallic wall of the captain¡¯s quarters, sinking in completely. The captain stared blankly at his scimitar. At the blade¡¯s pointed direction, a dark Crow Claw had thwarted its path. ¡°Captain sir, this welcome ceremony is rather impolite, isn¡¯t it?¡± The captain looked towards the door and saw a Wizard in a black Wizard Robe standing quietly, watching him, and on his shoulder, a black crow retracted its claws. A thought suddenly flashed through the captain¡¯s mind. Incontestable. ¡°Wizard, what do you want with me?¡± the captain asked somewhat stiffly. He knew he couldn¡¯t defeat the Wizard, but as a Fire Lizard, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to grovel before the Wizard. At least not now. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the fate of you and your crew,¡± Richard replied indifferently. ¡°Fate?¡± ¡°Yes, your fate from now on depends entirely on yourselves.¡± Richard took out a Soul Contract from his pocket and handed it to the captain. ¡°Sign this, and you can live; don¡¯t sign, and you all must die.¡± The captain took the contract and glanced at its contents. The text of the contract was written in Fire Lizard script and adorned with the elegance of noble silver horns; it was hard to imagine that these words came from a Wizard¡¯s hand. The contents of the contract were simple; in brief, once they signed the contract, they would be native employees of the Richard Jolod Wizard Commerce. As employees, they would need to abide by the company¡¯s regulations, and if they violated the rules, the Wizard would impose punishment as per the content of the regulations. Most of the contract was about the company¡¯s policies, which, to the captain, seemed remarkably lenient. Any Fire Lizard noble would have rules and punishments for their servants ten times stricter. The contract even stipulated that a Fire Lizard only needed to work eight hours, which was ludicrous; even Fire Lizards would not set such lenient rules for their own kind. If it were so among their own, how could a Wizard set such rules for Fire Lizards? The captain put down the contract, his voice a bit rough: ¡°Wizard, not a bad joke.¡± ¡°Joke?¡± Richard laughed and shook his head, ¡°This is no joke. The contract you have to sign is indeed this one. Let me add, signing this contract is akin to what you call a ¡®Soul Oath,¡¯ quite binding.¡± The captain looked coldly at Richard: ¡°You mean to say you plan to employ us, and then have us work eight hours a day out of twenty-four, even granting a day of rest every six days? During this, you will provide us with food and accommodation, and if we perform well, we may even dine on Flame Giant Beast Meat. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Moreover, if a Fire Lizard works for a certain number of years, you will even grant him freedom¡­¡± The captain recited the contents of the contract point by point. As he spoke, an icy laugh escaped him with each line. Believing that a Wizard would treat Fire Lizards so well was more implausible than believing that the Fire Lizard King would return like lightning tomorrow, sweep through the Wizards, march right into the Wizard¡¯s homeland, and enslave their entire race. At least the latter thought was more exhilarating. ¡°I repeat once again, this contract is real. Indeed, this is what you have to sign,¡± Richard said impatiently. The captain¡¯s attitude did not surprise Richard; in fact, quite a few of the Fire Lizards under him had the same reaction upon seeing the contract. Richard¡¯s terms were too good, they seemed like a joke. Yet some were smart enough to see the hidden traps in the contract. Take the most attractive aspect of freedom, for instance. The freedom promised by Richard would indeed be realized, but by that time, the Fire Lizard would have been squeezed dry of all remaining value by Richard. Fire Lizards of that age were of no use to Richard, and granting them freedom was actually a rather good option. This practice seemed quite unscrupulous to Richard. But when comparing evils, the method of squeezing out the remaining value and then discarding it appeared quite humane next to the wizard¡¯s and even the fire lizard¡¯s standard, after all, it allowed the fire lizard to live until the day it held no value. The captain stared at Richard for a long time, realizing that the wizard before him was not joking. Is this contract for real? The captain brought the contract to his eyes again, painstakingly reading over the fire lizard script one word at a time. He even scrutinized the patterns along the edges of the contract, fearful that Richard had disguised the text as decoration and hidden it within. Coming from Merrick¡¯s Shield, the captain, who often dealt with wizards, was naturally familiar with the Soul Contracts used by wizards to enslave fire lizards and could discern their authenticity. The contract before his eyes was indeed genuine. ¡°Why,¡± the captain put the contract down, ¡°wizard, why would you do this?¡± The captain, with his feudal noble mindset, racked his brains but couldn¡¯t understand why Richard would offer these terms. ¡°Fire lizard, I have already explained enough,¡± Richard replied calmly, ¡°If you keep asking such foolish questions, I¡¯ll feed you to my crow.¡± Upon hearing this, Ulysses looked somewhat eagerly at the captain, his greedy gaze sending shivers down the captain¡¯s spine. This crow had set its sights on him. The captain took in a deep breath, knowing he had to make a choice now. Was he to sign the contract, or become food for that crow? As a fire lizard, he harbored a deep-seated hatred for wizards. Yet, his reason told him that hatred wouldn¡¯t solve anything. The wizard would not die because of his hatred, nor would his crew live on because of it. The Fire Lizard Clan was on the brink of extinction; every free fire lizard was now incredibly precious. They carried the responsibility of passing on the culture of the Fire Lizard Clan! Moreover, the wizard had promised freedom in the contract, and the terms he offered were quite favorable; under this wizard, they might live even better than in the ¡°New World.¡± Once a Soul Contract was signed, it could not be changed; if they signed, the wizard would be bound to fulfill the terms. With these thoughts, the captain steeled his heart and made his decision. ¡°Give me a pen.¡± Richard nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve made the correct choice. The legacy of the fire lizard shall continue because of your decision.¡± The captain, gripping the pen, signed his name on the contract with difficulty. He repeatedly told himself that this was for the sake of the fire lizard¡¯s legacy. However, he deliberately overlooked something. His ship wasn¡¯t the last of the fire lizards; their extinction wouldn¡¯t hinder the continuation of the Fire Lizard Clan. The captain didn¡¯t want to admit that he was afraid of dying. But that didn¡¯t stop this from being a correct decision. Because Richard had already discovered their trace, it was only a matter of time before the ¡°New World¡± was found. If the leaders of the New World didn¡¯t make the right decision, extinction awaited them. As his name was completed, the contract burst into flames and vanished into the air. An intangible connection now linked Richard and the captain. Richard¡¯s face beamed with a smile as he pulled out a stack of Soul Contracts from his pocket. ¡°Captain, the rest is up to you now.¡± The captain, taking the contracts, now had no psychological burden, or rather, there was no turning back. ¡°Yes, Lord Richard.¡± ¡­ An hour later, the captain returned to his cabin with several unused contracts. ¡°Lord, there were five fire lizards that refused to sign the contracts; I¡¯ve dealt with them.¡± Richard nodded, putting the spare contracts back into his pocket. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll do some repairs on this ship for you. You ought to have sea charts, right? Prepare to set sail to your headquarters soon.¡± The captain tensed up, asking with a slightly faltering voice, ¡°Lord, I¡¯m a bit confused by your words?¡± ¡°Confused?¡± Richard looked at the captain, his smiling face appearing to the captain like the devil¡¯s sinister grin. ¡°Why do you think I would come to the Deep Sea of the Molten Sea?¡± A chill coursed from the captain¡¯s tail to his crown. Indeed, why would a wizard come here to the depths of the Molten Sea? The captain stiffly looked up at Richard, ¡°Lord, did you come specifically to find us?¡± Richard nodded with a smile, ¡°I have been searching this sea area for you for three years now. If it weren¡¯t for your appearance, I might have had to spend more time. But none of this matters anymore.¡± Yes, none of it mattered. What mattered was that the wizard now knew they had fled to the Deep Sea of the Molten Sea. Richard patted the captain, speaking earnestly, ¡°Captain, you should be thankful that it was I who found you. Had it been other wizards, you wouldn¡¯t have had even the chance to be enslaved.¡± The captain collapsed to the floor, mumbling tremulously, ¡°The flame, it¡¯s extinguished.¡± Chapter 276: 60 Im Just a Native Employee of Richard Jolods Commerce Chapter 276: Chapter 60 I¡¯m Just a Native Employee of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce The repair of the ship was not a difficult task for Richard. He didn¡¯t even have to do the work himself; by pulling two Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters from the Secret Realm, the job was done. ¡°My lord, it¡¯s been repaired,¡± Calion and another female Fire Lizard Alchemy Master named Sulina reported to Richard respectfully. Sulina was a Fire Lizard Alchemy Master Richard had taken under his wing in the last twenty years, and she had also been involved in the construction of the ocean-going vessel. ¡°Very well, you¡¯ve both worked hard.¡± Richard nodded, opened the Secret Realm Rift, and let the two return to the Secret Realm. Meanwhile, the ship¡¯s captain and the first mate stared agape at the scene. They were not shocked by the treachery of Calion and Sulina; after all, the captain had done the same himself, so there was no reason other Fire Lizards wouldn¡¯t do the same. ¡°What is this thing? How can it¡­ store living creatures?¡± Richard glanced at him: ¡°This is a Secret Realm Fragment; I mentioned it in the contract. If all goes well, many of you will also enter it.¡± ¡°Secret Realm Fragment?¡± Details from the contract flashed in the captain¡¯s mind¡ªhe indeed remembered mention of this thing, though at the time, he had been attracted to other terms and hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it. ¡°Set sail,¡± Richard commanded. Upon hearing this, the captain nodded slightly and immediately signaled to the crew to start the ship. The power of this ocean-going vessel came from four Alchemy Engines installed at the stern of the hold, which were not purely Fire Lizard creations; their structure incorporated many aspects of the Wizard¡¯s Alchemy Weapons. The ¡°fuel¡± for the Alchemy Engines was Fire Element Gems, a feature that coincided with the power sources of many Alchemy Machines used by Wizards. However, the Fire Lizards¡¯ technology was more primitive, their utilization of Elements was rougher, and their demand for fuel was higher. But any technology starts with the primitive, and based on these prototypes, it wasn¡¯t impossible for the Fire Lizards to develop new branches of Alchemy. Driven by the engines, the shuttle-like ship began sailing across the sea surface. More precisely, it was flying close to the sea surface. Behind the ship, several jets spewed blue flames four or five meters long. With this force, the contact between the ship and the Molten Sea was minimal, and the speed was extremely fast. Richard, looking around the ship, had to admit that the Fire Lizards¡¯ fusion of Wizard Alchemy and Giant Dragon Alchemy was indeed a creative move. And since Wizard Alchemy was derived from Giant Dragon Alchemy, the two shared some cunningly similar techniques in certain areas. This reminded Richard of the bottle of Alchemy ink that Talgar had made. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of it before? Wizard Alchemy is developed from Giant Dragon Alchemy, and there must be commonalities between the two in certain areas. That time, Talgar must have used the techniques of Giant Dragon Alchemy to activate the Wizard Alchemy Array, which is probably why the Alchemy ink mutated.¡± Having realized this, Richard took out a metal plate from his pocket, drew an extremely simple Alchemy Array on it, and then tried to activate it using the method of Giant Dragon Alchemy. One second, two seconds¡­ Soon, ten minutes had passed, and the Alchemy Array hadn¡¯t budged. During this time, Richard had tried all the Giant Dragon Alchemy techniques he knew, but the array would not activate. Richard put away the metal plate and pondered for a moment: ¡°Perhaps the issue lies in the Bloodline.¡± The body and the Soul are connected in a way that creates the Rebound Effect. But the function of this connection isn¡¯t limited to that alone. While researching Spiritual Information Compression, Richard learned a lot about soul studies; the connection between soul and body is much closer than imagined, as studied by the Soul School. In joint research with the Shape-shifting School, it showed that the energy environment in most worlds of the Star Realm is fundamentally the same, meaning the Element in most worlds is undifferentiated. Both Wizards and natives are able to use these Energies without any hindrances. However, once living beings absorb these Energies, they transform it into different types, each with distinct properties. The Magic Power of Wizards and the Energy within Fire Lizards are not the same. This research, once concluded, was widely disseminated to dispel the fears of Wizards embarking on expeditions to Otherworlds. After all, the notion that Wizards might be unable to use local energies when they set out to conquer a world is a terrifying prospect. According to this research, the Soul School concluded after studying several native species: The body, or rather the Bloodline, affects the Soul. And the Soul, in turn, further influences the Energy properties within the living organism. This conclusion also explained why many Wizards experienced significant personality changes after integrating the Bloodlines of other creatures. Jotting down this thought, Richard continued to wander around the hold. The collision of different cultures had the potential to spark numerous inspirations for him. ¡­ A month later. At the port of the New World, one by one, the ocean-going ships returned to the New World, all except Oceanic Vessel Number Thirteen. In the port office, Azuhan looked grimly at the captains before him. ¡°You say Oceanic Vessel Thirteen was blown off course by a Fire Element Storm, and it¡¯s unlikely to return.¡± Azuhan¡¯s voice was calm, but each captain could hear the barely contained rage simmering beneath, like a volcano on the verge of eruption. The materials needed for the ocean-going ships were unobtainable at present, and most of the craftsmen who had built them perished in the Old World. Now, every ship destroyed means one less asset¡ªthese vessels are among the most precious treasures of the New World. ¡°My lord, that¡¯s indeed the case. I saw with my own eyes as they steered away from the eye of the Fire Element Storm to avoid it,¡± one captain reported. Azuhan¡¯s gaze swept fiercely over the faces of the captains before finally saying: S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Alright, I understand. You can go back now; don¡¯t forget to maintain the ships.¡± The captains, looking relieved, nodded hastily and scurried out of the office. As they left, Azuhan finally couldn¡¯t hold his composure anymore. He was so angry his neck bulged thicker than his skull. He was never a good-tempered Fire Lizard, but in the past, with Harash watching over him, there was seldom a need for such temper. But now that he had to take on the responsibility of the entire Fire Lizard heritage by himself, the overwhelming pressure was almost suffocating. ¡°He actually destroyed one!¡± Azuhan was so furious he wanted to sweep everything off the table, but halfway through, he stopped himself. Resources in the ¡°New World¡± were extremely scarce, and many things were irreplaceable once destroyed. He looked at the cups and documents on the table, things that in the past would have been considered trivial even if destroyed for fun. But now, he treated these items with utmost caution and care. Azhuan collapsed powerlessly into his chair, as images of Harash, Mai Han, and those Fire Lizards he regarded as elders kept flashing before his eyes. In the past, Merrick¡¯s shield never had to worry about resources, and the allocation of resources to him was even prioritized over the Fire Lizard army. Back then, he had not realized how difficult resource management was. Now, he wondered how his elders had managed to provide him with so many resources, even as the army kept losing ground. ¡°Father, I miss you,¡± Azuhan said faintly, with no strength in his voice. Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump! Urgent knocking sounded at the office door. ¡°Come in.¡± A Fire Lizard rushed in, his face alight with ecstatic joy. ¡°My lord! Number Thirteen has returned!¡± Azhuan was stunned, then overwhelmed with joy. Number Thirteen had actually come back! He rushed out of the office like the wind, immediately arriving at the dockside. On the distant Molten Sea, a long-distance ship was swiftly approaching the dock. ¡°It¡¯s good that it¡¯s back, good that it¡¯s back.¡± Azhuan watched the long-distance ship draw closer to the dock, feeling a pang in his heart and almost shedding tears. There were only a few long-distance ships, and each one was precious to him. Now that Number Thirteen had returned, it was like his lost child had come home. But soon, Azuhan sensed something was amiss. According to several captains¡¯ descriptions, the ship wasn¡¯t supposed to make it back. These captains were veterans who had taken to the seas even during the exploration period and knew their ships intimately. It was unlikely for such a mistake to happen, especially not with several of them at once. Moreover, the long-distance ship in front of him showed no signs of damage. Its structure was intact, and even the outer deck was unblemished. This ship hardly seemed like one that had been through a Fire Element Storm. But Azuhan didn¡¯t think too much of it; after all, it was in the depths of the Molten Sea. What could possibly go wrong? Surely there wasn¡¯t a Flame Giant Beast lurking inside the long-distance ship, preparing to ambush him suddenly. Soon, Number Thirteen docked. After it was securely anchored, the cargo doors were opened. Azhuan smiled as he watched the opening doors, his mind already filled with the forthcoming praise and commendation. In the midst of the terrifying Fire Element Storm, a great captain had fought valiantly to protect the last of the Fire Lizards¡¯ wealth, managing to escape and return the ship unscathed. What a tremendous feat! Had this been in the past, and secrecy was not a concern, this feat would have been rehearsed at the theater that very morning and performed by the evening. The captain would appear as the grand finale at Merrick¡¯s Shield¡¯s commendation ceremony. And then¡­ a cloaked Wizard stepped out. Richard smiled at the island before him, and then at Azuhan on the dock, saying, ¡°So this is your New World; it looks quite nice.¡± ¡­ The Wizard¡¯s appearance set off a bomb among the Fire Lizards on the shore. Warriors drew their scimitars, while the support staff quickly retreated. Only Azuhan stared calmly at Richard. Because at first glance, he realized one thing¡ªthe Fire Lizards were finished. ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s no need to be nervous. I¡¯ve come to discuss a potential collaboration with you all,¡± Watching the Fire Lizards on the dock, Richard stepped off the ship with a smile, the captain and the first mate following closely behind. ¡°A collaboration, a Wizard discussing collaboration with the Fire Lizards?¡± Azuhan stared coldly at the Wizard in front of him as energy began to gather towards his heart. He had no intention of discussing any sort of collaboration; he was merely buying time for his self-destruction. Free men would never be slaves. ¡°Don¡¯t get worked up, take a look at this. Your old subordinates have all signed it; I¡¯ve offered you some pretty good terms.¡± Richard¡¯s tone was light, although his Energy Vision had already told him that the Fire Lizard in front of him intended to self-destruct. He was unafraid, with Ulysses for protection. Richard handed the Soul Contract to the captain behind him, who then passed it on to Azuhan. Azhuan looked coldly at the captain transferring the contract, his voice as cold as Ice, ¡°How does it feel to be a slave? Makar. Is life more important to you than honor and freedom?¡± Makar bowed his head, calmly handing the contract to Azuhan. ¡°Lord Azuhan, I¡¯m not a slave, merely a native employee of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce.¡± Chapter 277: 60 Subduing Chapter 277: Chapter 60 Subduing Azuhan¡¯s face showed scorn, ¡°Changing your name means you¡¯re no longer a slave? Then why don¡¯t you change your title to Fire Lizard King? That would sound even more majestic.¡± Makar¡¯s expression remained unchanged. In this half month, he had communicated with the fire lizards of the Secret Realm many times and successfully reconciled with himself. Working for fire lizards was just like working for wizards. Working for someone is working for someone, but at least working for wizards was somewhat safer. Although wizards and fire lizards had deep-seated hatreds, considering the current situation, forgetting these hatreds was the best choice. The continuation of the race was more important than anything else. Wasn¡¯t the essence of the ¡°Fire Seed¡± plan to ensure the survival of the fire lizard race? ¡°Lord Azuhan, perhaps you should look at this contract before making a decision.¡± Makar pushed the contract toward Azuhan, only to see a flash of cold light in Azuhan¡¯s eyes as the Black Gold Scimitar instantly slashed towards Makar¡¯s neck with lightning speed. The speed was so swift that even Richard did not react in time. Clang! Half of the scimitar¡¯s blade, spinning, flew into the sky, met by a Crow Claw that silently stood in its way. Azuhan¡¯s pupils shook violently. This martial skill was Merrick¡¯s Shield, an ultimate killing technique created by synthesizing the skills of over a hundred Martial Skill Masters and integrating the inherited techniques of Imperial Guard Dragon Warriors. And Azuhan himself had also become a third-level creature. Even Three Rings Wizards had been slain by him with this technique. Yet this wizard before him had merely used his magic pet to block that deadly blow. Azuhan felt a tightness in his chest, understanding that a wizard who dared come alone was certainly no weakling. It seemed that Makar had anticipated all this; he calmly repeated, ¡°Lord Azuhan, perhaps you should look at this contract before making a decision.¡± After speaking, he turned and returned to Richard¡¯s side, while that black crow¡­ Azuhan watched the black crow. In the presence of this crow, he felt a pressure greater than facing his own father. This black crow seemed like an emissary of the Death God, with everyone present being mere unharvested Fire Dragon Grass to it. The crow silently flew back to the wizard¡¯s shoulder. Azuhan watched as the wizard smiled at him and mouthed, ¡°Why not take a look, Mr. Azuhan?¡± Why not take a look¡­ Azuhan felt the contract in his hand was searing hot, as if it were a chunk of lava that had not yet cooled, scorching his soul every moment. If he looked down at the contract, his prestige among the many fire lizards on the docks would undoubtedly decrease a notch. The fire lizards and the wizards had such deep hatred, yet you still consider the conditions offered by the wizards. Such faith is far too unsteady. How could someone with unsteady faith lead the fire lizards, or become a leader of the New World? Previously, Azuhan needn¡¯t have pondered this question, for there were others above him, others who would pay for his actions. But now, there was no one above him¡­ Yet if he did not look, the fire lizards might be doomed. If one wizard could find this place, then a second, a third wizard finding this place would not be impossible. The wizard before him was still offering terms; there was no guarantee the next wizard wouldn¡¯t aim to exterminate the entire Fire Lizard Clan. Right now, he was carrying the fate of the fire lizard race¡¯s continuity. Besides, they might not even survive long enough for the next wizard to arrive. Richard did not urge him, clearly understanding that this fire lizard was going through a fierce internal struggle. And the outcome of this struggle would undoubtedly be the signing of the contract. During this period, he had learned of the situation in the New World from Makar, and it could be bluntly said that the environment of the New World was quite dire. On this small island called the New World, there lived about ten thousand fire lizards, with nearly two hundred thousand fire lizard eggs stored. These fire lizards were the seeds of their race, retaining the fire lizard script, history, art, and various skills. The fire lizards put everything that could prove they were an independent race onto ships and brought them all to this New World. But these possessions could not solve the pressing concerns of the fire lizards¡ªfood. On this small island, the dense Fire Element, along with sporadic Burning Winds, demanded that the group of fire lizards be constantly vigilant. This kind of consumption could not be satisfied merely by the cells absorbing energy from the air. They needed food¡ªenough meat. And the surrounding seas of this small island seemed barren of Flame Giant Beasts, possibly due to giant dragons once inhabiting the area. Although they brought a substantial amount of food with them, after three years of consumption, it inevitably fell to critical levels. Therefore, Azuhan ordered the long-distance fleet to set sail and hunt in the distant seas. But Richard knew this was just a temporary fix. The fleet would suffer damage, but their materials were scarce. Once the ships sustained damage, their source of food would plummet. Although they could grow Fire Dragon Grass on the island, the harvest was barely serviceable. While Fire Dragon Grass could sustain so many fire lizards, what if a natural disaster struck? Above the Molten Sea, Burning Winds and Fire Element Storms appeared like summer showers, potentially arising at any moment. The fire lizards could withstand these disasters, but Fire Dragon Grass could not. In fact, a part of Makar¡¯s quick reconciliation with himself came from this scenario. Now that the fire lizards were trapped in a dead end, this wasn¡¯t surrendering; this was a strategic move to save his race! In the end, Azuhan chose to look at the contract, the last words Harash spoke to him echoing continuously in his mind. ¡°No matter what method you use, what means you resort to, even if you turn to the Wizard and become the most shameful traitor! You must ensure the survival of the Fire Lizard Clan!¡± ¡°Even becoming a traitor is worth it to ensure the survival of the Fire Lizards. Father, had you already foreseen this situation?¡± Azuhan¡¯s actions affected the hearts of all the Fire Lizards on the dock, and when he picked up the contract, many Fire Lizards were visibly agitated. But before they could act, a dark shadow knocked them all unconscious. Azhuan looked towards the seemingly unmoved black crow. Others couldn¡¯t see clearly, but he saw everything perfectly clear. It was this black crow that had knocked out the Fire Lizards in an instant. Azhuan said nothing. He bowed his head and read through the entire contract meticulously. The more he read, the more evident the rage on his face became. By the time he finished, his neck was swollen, thicker than his head. ¡°Wizard, this joke isn¡¯t funny!¡± Richard sighed helplessly, feeling like a saint in this world where slavery was rampant, despite being such a black-hearted employer. ¡°Makar, you go explain to him¡­ No, wait, I¡¯ll call out the others too. You all go and explain to him together.¡± With that, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift and brought out several Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters. Upon seeing these Fire Lizards, Azuhan immediately understood how the Wizard had found them. ¡°Calion! Sulina!¡± Azhuan gritted his teeth as he stared at the two Alchemy Masters who had participated in building the far-voyaging ship, unable to believe that such Alchemy Masters would willingly become slaves to a Wizard. Calion looked somewhat embarrassed; he had always felt guilty towards Azuhan. But the other Alchemy Masters were not so polite. ¡°Azhuan, you needn¡¯t be so dramatic. You abandoned us, are we not allowed to find our own way out?¡± Patelin looked mockingly at Azuhan, still harboring resentment about Merrick¡¯s Shield accepting Calion but not him. Now faced with Azuhan again, he naturally showed no kindness. ¡°When did I ever abandon you?¡± countered Azuhan. ¡°You think we don¡¯t know about you sending someone for Calion?¡± another Fire Lizard Alchemy Master chimed in. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Except for Calion and Sulina, who were picked up by Merrick¡¯s Shield, the rest of the Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters had not received such treatment. They were not on the priority rescue list of Merrick¡¯s Shield. Before Azuhan could argue further, Richard interjected impatiently: ¡°I¡¯m not interested in hearing about your past squabbles. Just tell him now whether the contract is real or not.¡± His shoulder-perched Ulysses also spoke up, ¡°Caw, exactly. Hurry up and tell us, I¡¯m still waiting to eat.¡± Several Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters looked at Ulysses in silence, aware of the black crow¡¯s fondness for eating Fire Lizard brains. ¡°Azhuan,¡± Calion began, ¡°the contract is real. Though we are afraid of death and greedy for life, we wouldn¡¯t just abandon everything to become someone¡¯s slave. Lord Richard has been exceedingly kind to us. If you truly want the Fire Lizards to survive, then sign the contract. If you don¡¯t sign it¡­¡± Sulina continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t sign, then death is your only option. There¡¯s not a single creature on your island that can withstand Lord Ulysses.¡± Calion and Sulina¡¯s words struck Azuhan like a hammer to the heart. If the contract was real, then perhaps signing it was the best choice. Suddenly, the crowd began to murmur as a magnetic Fire Lizard with a massive frame hurriedly made its way to the dock. The moment Ulysses saw this Fire Lizard, his eyes lit up. ¡°Caw, Richard, this Fire Lizard is impressive. There are remnants of rules inside its body; it must be the offspring of some World Master.¡± Richard searched through the intelligence he had and quickly, a name popped into his mind. ¡°The Princess of the Morick Empire, the daughter of the Fire Lizard King Morick, who was brought back from the Netherworld, the Fire Lizard Princess Akala.¡± As soon as Akala arrived at the dock, her gaze was locked on Ulysses. Compared to these ¡°mortals,¡± she could sense the frightful aura of Ulysses far more acutely. She sensed an authority in this black crow similar to that of her father. She approached Azuhan, who had a furrowed brow, and whispered to him: ¡°Why have you come? Hurry back.¡± But Akala shook her head: ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a difference between going back now and staying here?¡± She took the contract from Azuhan¡¯s hands. After reading the contents, she suddenly struck Azuhan on the back of the head, and he blacked out from the tremendous force. As Azuhan lost consciousness, he looked at Akala in utter shock. Akala looked back at her husband and mouthed: ¡°Forgive me, Azuhan, for our children¡¯s sake.¡± Richard watched the scene with interest, curious about what the Fire Lizards were playing at. Akala carefully laid Azuhan on the ground, then turned to kneel on one knee before Richard, or rather Ulysses. ¡°Great being, I agree to this contract. Your kindness to the Fire Lizards shines as brightly as the sun.¡± Richard glanced sidelong at Ulysses: ¡°Did you do this on purpose?¡± Ulysses¡¯s disguise was not even thinly scrutinized by the World Master, so how could this Fire Lizard Princess possibly see that Ulysses was a World Master? Ulysses explained, ¡°Caw, this is faster. I don¡¯t want to stay a minute longer in this dump.¡± Richard walked over to Akala and helped her up from the ground. ¡°Very well, Your Highness. You¡¯ve made the right decision.¡± Chapter 278: 62 Fire Dragon Turtle Egg, Dragon Curse Holy Coffin Chapter 278: Chapter 62 Fire Dragon Turtle Egg, Dragon Curse Holy Coffin Under the leadership of Princess Akara, the island¡¯s fire lizards gradually signed contracts. However, a small number of fire lizards preferred death over signing, and most of these were devoured by Ulysses, while a few became Richard¡¯s specimens. Under Richard¡¯s absolute force, the entire New World quickly became his territory. This island wasn¡¯t small. If the fire lizards hadn¡¯t miscalculated the environment of the Molten Sea, this place could have truly allowed them to flourish. ¡°Princess Akara, you have travelled across the Molten Sea to come here; you must have brought many treasures with you,¡± Richard said. As Richard strolled across the island, Ulysses, perched on his shoulder, was leisurely sucking on a fire lizard¡¯s skull, protected by an energy barrier. Witnessing this scene, Akara, despite her heartache and anger, could only watch silently. She was more aware than the other fire lizards of her father¡¯s tremendous strength. Even if the crow in front of her seemed gravely wounded, it could easily eradicate all the lizards on the island if it wished. ¡°Indeed, we did bring some things,¡± Akara spoke as calmly as possible. ¡°The storeroom is this way, please follow me.¡± Richard smiled slightly at her: ¡°Thank you for the trouble, Your Highness.¡± In the center of the island was a lone peak, not too tall at just a hundred or two hundred meters. Atop the lone peak lay a vast dragon nest, which also contained the skeleton of a giant dragon. This skeleton had been subjected to years of Burning Wind over the Molten Sea and the erosion of the Fire Element Storm. Most of it had undergone elemental crystallization, rendering it valueless even for reviving by an Undead Wizard. Beneath this dragon nest, the fire lizards had carved out a storeroom within the mountain to store precious items brought over from the Main Continent. Akara opened the stone door, leading Richard into the storeroom. Inside the storeroom, instead of the heaps of treasures Richard had imagined, there were piles of stone tablets and artistic pieces like paintings and sculptures. Such items might be considered unparalleled treasures by those wizards studying the cultural history of fire lizards, but to Richard, they were worthless. ¡°Is this all you brought?¡± Richard asked, somewhat incredulously. Akara calmly replied, ¡°Lord Richard, these things may be worthless to you, but to us, they are treasures beyond price. They are our history, our civilization. We fled the continent to come here not to counterattack but to preserve our race and our civilization. Most of the items you¡¯re looking for have been expended on the battlefield.¡± Richard rubbed his forehead. Indeed, it made sense that the fire lizards, facing extinction, would not have saved any treasures without using them. But he noticed Akara used the word ¡°most.¡± ¡°Most, so that means some were brought here.¡± Akara nodded: ¡°Please follow me this way.¡± The mountain¡¯s treasury was not limited to one level. At the end of the storeroom, there was a passage leading downward. After a long walk down the passage, Richard arrived beside a man-made Magma Lake. In the Magma Lake, three giant eggs, each the height of a person, floated on the surface. ¡°Lord, these are Volcano Turtle eggs. They are among the most precious treasures we brought from the Main Continent,¡± Akara introduced. The Volcano Turtles were those Giant War Beasts used by the fire lizards in warfare. Their performance on the battlefield was outstanding, and wizards had always wanted to capture a couple alive for research. Sadly, even until the battle of life and death, the wizards failed to capture a living Volcano Turtle. There were many dead Volcano Turtles, but as giant war beasts, they only held value when alive. Once dead, without the energy cycle, their body structure would collapse instantly, and their internal organs would turn into a mush of flesh under gravity in a very short time. ¡°Not bad, not bad at all.¡± Richard¡¯s eyes shone as he looked at the Volcano Turtle eggs. These were great items. If he could raise them, he could sell them for a fortune. Even without raising them, the eggs alone could fetch a good price. ¡°But why are the eggs in the lava? To maintain their vitality?¡± Akara nodded: ¡°Yes, my lord. The Volcano Turtle eggs need to be immersed in lava to retain their vitality. Once removed from the lava, the eggs will deactivate within three hours.¡± Richard nodded, and then asked: ¡°Is there anything else? I recall your Dragon Curse sorcerers improved the fire lizard warriors using some kind of technology. Did you not bring that over?¡± ¡°The Dragon Curse Holy Coffin is this way, please follow me.¡± Past the Magma Pool, the passage turned, and they entered a brightly lit stone room. Several large luminous gemstones were embedded in the walls of the room. In the center of the stone room, Richard saw a Crystal Coffin resting quietly. From the very first glance, Richard was certain that this was a Pioneer¡¯s creation. But before Richard could rejoice, he noticed many fine cracks on the Crystal Coffin, which upon closer inspection, spread throughout the entire coffin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this thing? Has it been damaged?¡± Akara explained: ¡°Lord, every time the Holy Coffin is used, it accumulates more cracks. Once it reaches three thousand seven hundred to three thousand nine hundred uses, the Holy Coffin will shatter into Crystal Sand. This one has the fewest uses among the remaining coffins.¡± Richard approached the Crystal Coffin and gently touched it with his hand. [Raw Material: Broken Crystal Coffin] [Extractable Information: Dragon Curse sorcerer transformation technology] [Extraction Cost: 250 spiritual power] Seeing the information provided by Miracle Furnace, Richard let out a sigh of relief. Not bad, the item might be broken, but the technology within was still intact. ¡°I¡¯ll take this coffin,¡± he announced. Akara stood by with her head lowered, her voice calm: ¡°We have chosen to follow you, my lord. Naturally, these things belong to you.¡± Richard stored the Crystal Coffin in his Secret Realm: ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°My lord, the rest are just materials, they are in another warehouse.¡± Hearing they were just materials, Richard instantly lost interest. Red Sun World didn¡¯t have any particularly scarce materials; as long as Lord Richard was willing to spend money, he could obtain whatever materials he wanted. ¡°Then let¡¯s just forget it, let¡¯s go up.¡± Back on the surface, Richard made some arrangements for the entire New World Island. A large part of New World Island was made up of technology personnel, and Richard arranged for all those with Alchemy Technology to be assigned to the Secret Realm¡¯s Fire Lizard Alchemy Workshop. As for the remaining Fire Lizards, those with formidable military prowess, Richard formed a hunting fleet specifically for hunting Flame Giant Beasts. Not only could these Flame Giant Beasts provide extra meals for the Fire Lizards, but they could also be used as experimental materials for Richard. Richard now also had the qualifications to form a unit of Dragon Beast Knights that he had planned. As for the remaining technicians, those who could farm were assigned the position of agricultural technology advisors by Richard; once they returned to the Main Continent, they would be responsible for the miners¡¯ food. However, for those artists, sculptors, teachers, writers, scholars on ancient books, and other ¡®useless¡¯ technical personnel, Richard had not arranged any particular positions for the time being. For now, these people¡¯s duty was to survive. Once the Fire Lizard Eggs hatched, all of them would go and become teachers. In terms of the inheritance of Fire Lizard civilization, these people were still useful. However, the content they would teach would certainly be modified by Richard to some extent. After arranging for everyone, Richard set off to return to the Main Continent. ¡­ Two months later, Richard returned to the Main Continent. The war was now at its tail end, and many Wizards had already left Red Sun World, heading back to Wizard World. However, Richard wasn¡¯t in a rush to return. He came to the Floating City and found an acquaintance¡ªWizard Gano, who had helped him secure the mining rights. ¡°Lord Richard, you¡¯re finally here, we were just waiting for you.¡± In the Floating City, the moment Gano saw Richard, he immediately greeted him warmly. Richard had contributed such an excellent specimen to him, so naturally, Gano was friendly towards Richard. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I¡¯ve been held up by some things recently,¡± Richard said as he shook hands with Gano, his face showing an apologetic look, ¡°I apologize for delaying Master¡¯s return to Wizard World.¡± Saying this, Richard took out a bag of Magic Essence and stuffed it into Gano¡¯s hands. Gano weighed the bag and immediately understood Richard probably needed something from him. He casually pocketed the bag of Magic Essence and then motioned for Richard to take a seat. Once seated, Gano asked with a smile: ¡°Lord Richard, which piece of land have you set your sights on?¡± The permanent land promised to Richard by the headquarters had not yet been delivered, and Gano had stayed behind in Red Sun World for this reason. Richard replied with a smile, ¡°Talking with the Master is always straightforward, but before that, I¡¯d like to consult the Master about something.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Richard took out a map of Red Sun World and placed it in front of Gano. ¡°I would like to ask the Master if I can choose my fiefdom in the sea.¡± Gano was stunned for a moment: ¡°The sea? What do you want with the sea? There¡¯s nothing in the Molten Sea besides Flame Giant Beasts¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence before suddenly stopping. Then, with a sharp look in his eyes, he said: ¡°You¡¯ve discovered an island in the sea, haven¡¯t you, Lord Richard?¡± Richard didn¡¯t hide it and simply nodded. ¡°Indeed. What does the Master wish to do?¡± ¡°What to do¡­¡± Gano frowned, looking at the Molten Sea at the edge of the Red Sun World; his mind raced. Finally, he uttered one word: ¡°Not enough.¡± ¡°Not enough?¡± Richard was startled and then understood that Gano meant the money was not enough. The money he offered wasn¡¯t sufficient for this task. ¡°Master, that island has no resources,¡± Richard explained, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I can take you to see.¡± ¡°No resources?¡± Gano looked at Richard, somewhat astonished, ¡°If there are no resources, why would you want it?¡± Richard explained, ¡°It¡¯s just that the island, standing alone in the sea, is very suitable as a testing ground. Besides, the Flame Giant Beasts in the Molten Sea are of some use to me; one can find richer Flame Giant Beasts overseas.¡± Richard¡¯s explanation was logical, but obviously, Gano couldn¡¯t simply take Richard¡¯s word for it. ¡°I need to go there myself.¡± Richard had no objections and immediately marked the location of New World Island on the map: ¡°It¡¯s here, at Master¡¯s convenience.¡± Seeing the location that Richard marked, Gano was taken aback again. ¡°It¡¯s so far away; how did you find this place?¡± Richard said casually, ¡°Some Fire Lizard Nobles knew about this place. After Minar was sealed, they used this place as a refuge and escaped there. I happened to get some news and found this place.¡± Richard¡¯s explanation was simple, and Gano knew a lot was hidden. But this was a trophy Richard had earned with his own ability, and it wasn¡¯t Gano¡¯s place to dispute it. Gano looked at the location on the map, hesitated for a moment, and then pulled out a Soul Contract. ¡°Little brother Richard, I won¡¯t bother visiting the place, but you have to sign this contract. If the Master later discovers any resources on that island, I¡¯ll have a justification.¡± Richard took the contract with a smile: ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t want to make it difficult for the Master.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 279: 63 Return Chapter 279: Chapter 63 Return After signing the contract, Gano immediately processed the fiefdom documentation for Richard. Deep in the Molten Sea, a significant area of the sea was delineated as Richard¡¯s fiefdom. The land was so vast that even Richard himself felt a twinge of guilt. ¡°Master, isn¡¯t this too much?¡± Gano, who was busy tracing on a Magic Book, glanced up at Richard, then lowered his head again and continued to write vigorously on the book. ¡°Advisor Richard, you have participated in too few wars and your experience is too limited. Whether it¡¯s for my mentor or for my Elder, the greatest use of these resourceless lands in the Red Sun World is as testing grounds. Plus, they have more than one of these testing grounds. So to them, as long as your fief doesn¡¯t catch their eye, and there are no resources on it, it can be as big as you want. Land is the least valuable thing.¡± Gano¡¯s voice was somewhat somber, but it sounded like thunder in Richard¡¯s ears. Land¡­ worthless? Richard felt an instinctive resistance to this statement but had to admit that it was indeed true. For a Wizard, land is not valuable; what¡¯s valuable is the eligibility to acquire it. No matter how worthless the lands of the Red Sun World are, without battle merits, ordinary Wizards could not obtain them. Soon, Gano finished writing all the documents. Richard took the deed from Gano, signed his own name on it, and then handed it back to Gano. ¡°Very well, Advisor Richard, I¡¯m delighted to be doing business with you.¡± Gano received the deed, his face showing a trace of relief. ¡°Excuse me for having other matters; I won¡¯t invite you for a drink.¡± Richard nodded to show his understanding, and the two parted ways. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the Floating City, the army caravan¡¯s shop was still open; after all, the Floating City¡¯s shops don¡¯t need to pay rent, and as long as the Floating City is there, these shops can earn for an extra day. In the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, the mechanical clerk was still greeting customers with a smile on his face. But upon seeing Richard, it immediately notified Bob in the back. Bob soon came from the back room, his complexion very rosy, a clear sign of good fortune. ¡°Brother Richard, it¡¯s been a while. Look at you, glowing with health, you¡¯ve surely made a fortune recently?¡± Richard stepped forward and hugged Bob, replying with a smile: ¡°Bro, it¡¯s you who must have made a fortune, right? I¡¯ve heard that your chamber got hold of a Red Sun Crystal Iron Ore vein, that stuff¡¯s really valuable.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s just a small vein.¡± Upon hearing Richard mention the ore vein, Bob¡¯s face, despite his attempts to suppress it, betrayed an unavoidable pride. No helping it, that Red Sun Crystal Iron Ore was something that the Old Chamber of Commerce would feast on, but due to their internal strife, the small vein ended up benefiting the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. As a result, Bob¡¯s status within the chamber had substantially risen. Richard had also heard that the lifespan of the caravan¡¯s president wasn¡¯t very long, and a successor might need to be chosen from within the chamber. With Bob¡¯s significant achievement at this time, he was sure to catch the president¡¯s eye. After exchanging pleasantries, Richard started to discuss the real business. ¡°Bob, your chamber should have dealings in Alchemy Machines,¡± Richard said. Bob paused for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Indeed, the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s main businesses include Alchemy Machines. Why, are you looking to do business with me, Richard?¡± When it came to serious matters, both dropped the familial informalities. Even true brothers must settle accounts clearly, let alone two individuals representing their respective chambers. ¡°Take a look at these parts.¡± Richard pulled out a handful of alchemy parts from his pocket and handed them to Bob. Bob took them and examined each part carefully in front of his monocle. ¡°This part¡­ it¡¯s not Alchemy, or rather, it¡¯s not Wizard Alchemy,¡± Bob said, putting the part down. ¡°These things are made using that Giant Dragon Alchemy you mentioned before, aren¡¯t they?¡± Richard snapped his fingers, ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s Giant Dragon Alchemy.¡± Bob set the parts aside and shook his head slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand this stuff; I¡¯ll have to ask a few elders from the chamber to take a look. Do you have more samples? Bring some more.¡± At this, Richard took out a small box from his Magic Pocket. ¡°All the parts in here are commonly used in Alchemy Machines; take them back and play around.¡± Bob took the box, his expression once again relaxed. ¡°Looks like, brother, you¡¯ve got your hands on some good stuff in the Red Sun World. I¡¯ve done some research on Giant Dragon Alchemy, and even among Alchemy Wizards, it¡¯s a niche field. That you can do business with these things is impressive.¡± At Bob¡¯s words, Richard just smiled and did not continue the topic. A money-making scheme couldn¡¯t be shared carelessly. After a few more words with Bob, Richard excused himself and left. Before leaving, Richard also took a few Master-made Fire Lizard Swords from Bob. Wizards had already set their sights on the tombs of the Fire Lizards, and a vast number of their ceremonial swords had been unearthed, many of which were masterpieces. The ones in his hands were just such examples. Material: Fire Lizard Scimitar Skills that can be extracted: Giant Dragon Alchemy (slightly incomplete) Extraction cost: 10 spiritual power Information that can be extracted: Giant Dragon Alchemy Tree Pattern Extraction cost: 5 spiritual power ¡°Slightly incomplete?¡± Richard looked at the unassuming scimitar in his hands, marveling that he could still find such treasures at this time. Slightly incomplete meant that the Fire Lizard craftsman who forged this scimitar had almost imbued it with all the skills he had learned. If extracted, Richard would effectively possess all the skills of this Fire Lizard craftsman. ¡°Extract.¡± The Fire Lizard Scimitar disappeared from Richard¡¯s hand for an instant, reappearing again, with a burst of white light representing the skills leaping continuously on the Miracle Furnace. Richard devoured the white light representing the skills, and his gaze suddenly flickered with countless illusions. For a moment, Richard felt as if he had become a Fire Lizard himself; from a young age, he had been exposed to Alchemy. As he grew, his elders and teachers continuously imparted Alchemy to him, and his Alchemy skills grew rapidly in the process. Soon, there was nothing more for his elders to teach, and he began to explore Alchemy on his own. After who knows how many years, he had transformed from a youth to an old and decrepit being. His pursuit of Giant Dragon Alchemy had reached transcendence. However, an invisible barrier stood before him, and his Alchemy skills could no longer progress. At the end of his life, he forged this scimitar, which condensed his lifetime of skills, and departed with regrets. ¡°Phew, what a marvelous life,¡± Richard commented with a touch of emotion as he emerged from the illusion. To others, the life of this Fire Lizard might seem monotonous, nothing but Alchemy, but to a Wizard, this Fire Lizard was simply a Wizard in the guise of a Fire Lizard skin. His thirst for knowledge in Alchemy perfectly aligned with the pursuit of a Wizard. ¡°It seems that the barriers of Alchemy were not created by Pioneers, or rather, it should be said that it was a skill perhaps created for the Giant Dragons by the Pioneers.¡± Richard was certain that if it were a skill of the Pioneers, this Fire Lizard could not have possibly touched its boundaries in his entire life. Even Wizards not as accomplished as Pioneers couldn¡¯t fathom the vastness of Wizard Alchemy, let alone a Fire Lizard without the status of a World Master. Perhaps this was also a part of the reason why Wizards abandoned Giant Dragon Alchemy in the past. Arriving at the mines, Richard released several agricultural experts from the Secret Realm, assigning them to Heskan. ¡°These are all agricultural experts; the farmlands of the mine should all be handed over to them,¡± Richard said, pointing to a few Fire Lizards beside him. The agricultural experts looked at the familiar Main Continent and couldn¡¯t help burying their heads and weeping bitterly. After hearing the instructions, Heskan repeatedly agreed and immediately wanted to arrange for the agricultural experts to have a look at the farms. Heskan had no sympathy for the weeping agricultural experts; on the contrary, his face was full of mockery. ¡°What¡¯s there to cry about! Cowards too afraid to face death with Marshal Harash. Throwing the rest of us on the Main Continent, and running away overseas yourselves¡ªgutless bastards!¡± Heskan had no affection for these Fire Lizards involved in the preservation of their legacy. His knowledge wasn¡¯t vast, and he couldn¡¯t understand the talk of preserving legacies, but from Richard¡¯s words, he grasped something. These cowards had abandoned them and fled overseas to hide from Wizards. No matter the reason, every Fire Lizard remaining in the Continent was furious. Why should you be the legacy while I am discarded? It wasn¡¯t the lack of numbers that was troubling, but the inequality. Richard paid no mind to Heskan¡¯s attitude, and after reminding him to work diligently, he returned to the Floating City. He was preparing to return to the Wizard World. Now that he had his territory, he could come and go from the Red Sun World freely. But this was only limited to himself. If he wanted to transport goods through the Teleportation Gate, he still needed to pay a portion of the gate tax to the Great Wizard. If he wanted to bring others in, he also needed to pay additional observation and research taxes, and make applications to at least one Academy. After all, the Red Sun World was the private property of the Great Wizard; it wasn¡¯t open for just anyone to enter. Moreover, he was still assembling a long-distance Teleportation Array, for transportation between the mine and the New World. Otherwise, each time Richard went to the New World, he¡¯d have to fly across the vast Molten Sea with Ulysses. Even if Richard didn¡¯t mind the hassle, Ulysses would have objected. In front of the Teleportation Gate, many Wizards were queuing up to leave the Red Sun World. They smiled broadly, their spoils bountiful, but after them, even more Wizards were buried in this Exotic Realm. In this era of exploration, every Wizard was a navigator. Countless Wizards risked their lives to explore new lands in the vast sea of Star Realm, hoping to find ¡°Gold¡± and ¡°Spices¡± in the New Worlds. Numerous Wizards became rich overnight, but tenfold more were left to rest in foreign lands. Suddenly, Richard remembered a saying from his past life. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Soon, it was Richard¡¯s turn in line. As he looked at the massive Teleportation Gate before him, Richard took a step. And then, his figure vanished from the Red Sun World. Chapter 280: 1 Ring 3 Wizard Jolod Chapter 280: Chapter 1 Ring 3 Wizard Jolod The Wizard World remained the same as before, and more than sixty years isn¡¯t considered particularly long for wizards. After returning to the Wizard World, Richard immediately renewed the lease on his Wizard Tower. The Tower of Truth had specific policies for wizards participating in expeditions to other planes. If a wizard had to leave the Tower of Truth for an extended period due to such expeditions, they could choose to have their lease on the residential floors refunded and the Wizard Tower mothballed. If a wizard died in battle, the Wizard Tower would be reclaimed by the Tower of Truth, and the items within would be distributed according to the wizard¡¯s will. If they did not die, the wizard only needed to renew the lease to continue using the Wizard Tower. After renewing the lease, Richard returned to his Wizard Tower. Looking at the two new graves in the backyard of the Wizard Tower, Richard sighed. ¡°Ah, non-human servants are great, it¡¯s just that their lifespans are too short.¡± Richard also experienced the helplessness of the longevity species. The war in the Red Sun World felt to him like it had only been a few years, but for short-lived species, it was a major part of their lives. ¡°I need to change servants in the future. Even without naming them, just looking at these graves feels quite saddening.¡± Due to the death of the non-human servants, Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower had been unattended for decades; weeds overran the front and back yards, and dust covered the rooms. Richard had no choice but to clean up himself. Just as he was clearing the weeds in the front yard, a surprised voice suddenly came from behind him. ¡°Richard, you¡¯re back!¡± Turning around, Richard saw Ali, clad in flames, looking at him excitedly. She clearly knew about his role as a technical advisor in the Plane War, and before he had left, they had been intimately together for a long time. Ali was even scared that Richard might not return and wanted to have a child, but Richard had firmly refused. He was still young, only a little over three hundred years old; taking on such ties would just be asking for trouble. ¡°Yes, just got back,¡± Richard pointed to the cut grass on the ground, ¡°I¡¯m tidying up the house.¡± ¡°Why are you cleaning up by yourself¡­ Oh right, your two little ones died. Stop for a moment, I¡¯ll call mine over to clean up.¡± Richard waved his hand, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I haven¡¯t cleaned by myself since I became a wizard, doing it occasionally is quite novel.¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± Ali walked up to Richard. With a casual wave, she turned the grass on the ground to ashes, ¡°You just got back, you probably don¡¯t know. Master Jolod has successfully advanced to the Three Rings, and the Academy is currently organizing a banquet for him.¡± Richard was delighted upon hearing this, ¡°The instructor advanced to the Three Rings? That¡¯s fortuitous!¡± It had been over a hundred years since Jolod¡¯s advancement to the Three Rings, and by now, it was indeed time for him to emerge. Richard set aside his work, ¡°At the academy, right? I¡¯m heading back now.¡± With that, Richard transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky, but he soon returned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back, Ali?¡± Richard asked, puzzled. Ali rolled her eyes at him, teasing, ¡°Idiot, I¡¯m not not going back, I¡¯ve already come back. These kinds of banquets can go on for months.¡± Richard was slightly stunned, then quickly understood. The Wizard World was vast, and wizards often immersed themselves in research without concerning themselves with worldly affairs. If the banquet were set for just one day, many wizards might not be able to attend. ¡°Let¡¯s go back since I¡¯m here. It¡¯s been so long, I¡¯m not even familiar with the way back.¡± Saying this, Richard grasped Ali¡¯s slender waist and once again transformed into a streak of light, flying off. ¡­ Today, the Black Tower Wizard Academy was as calm as ever. However, in the past two months, the Academy had suddenly issued a decree to all apprentices, prohibiting any student from flying higher than three meters using their Flying Technique. At first, the apprentices didn¡¯t understand, but as they watched streaks of light cutting across the sky both day and night, they naturally realized the reason for this decree. Flying too high could lead to trouble if they encountered a wizard. Concerning the wizards coming to the Academy, the apprentices had various opinions, but soon, an official apprentice shared the truth with them. The Black Tower Wizard Academy was about to gain another Deputy Dean. Inside the Central Black Tower on the two hundred and seventy-second floor, Jolod was moving among the guests with a smile on his face. He didn¡¯t recognize many of these guests, but mingling was necessary. Many guests were former students of the academy who had left for various reasons. However, as long as they had not joined another academy, the Academy always welcomed them back. Apart from former students, a significant portion of the guests were members of wizard families. These families had collaborations with the Academy, and family members also held teaching positions there. Now that the Academy was about to have another Deputy Dean, they naturally had to show their support. Moreover, Jolod was an Alchemy Master, and getting acquainted now might make it easier to ask for favors later. After greeting the guests, Jolod, feeling somewhat exhausted, made his way to the balcony. Before long, his old friend, Alex, came to the balcony with a drink in hand. ¡°So tired already? My banquet went on for a full three months back in the day.¡± Jolod looked at his old friend with a wry tone, ¡°Yes, our Deputy Dean Alex was so impressive, able to enjoy a three-month-long banquet.¡± Alex retorted with a laugh, ¡°Go away, I wanted to die of boredom back then. I hated banquets the most. It¡¯s the last day, hang in there!¡± Jolod remembered those days and couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly. ¡°Old friend, we¡¯ve both changed, haven¡¯t we?¡± A trace of melancholy flashed across Alex¡¯s eyes before he swiftly changed the subject. ¡°My friend has returned from the Plane Battlefield,¡± Ali said. ¡°The Great Wizard Qing Shuang¡¯s expedition to the planes is almost over.¡± Jolod was taken aback, ¡°The war is about to end? The timing is quite good.¡± Seeing that Jolod had no reaction, Alex reminded him: ¡°Have you forgotten? Your apprentice went on that expedition with Great Wizard Qing Shuang.¡± With Alex¡¯s reminder, Jolod suddenly realized, ¡°Right, right, right, Richard was involved in that war. That means Richard will be returning soon.¡± Alex sighed, ¡°That would be the best outcome. But from what I heard, the war was quite devastating. Although they made a fortune, more than half of the wizards who went there died. I knew an old guy who died there.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Jolod asked curiously. ¡°Theodore, an old guy who was about to die of old age.¡± Hearing this, Jolod¡¯s expression changed slightly. He had heard of Theodore; the circle of Three Rings Wizards isn¡¯t very large, and those who lived to be that old were even fewer. An old wizard of such caliber dying on the battlefield¡­ what about his student¡­ Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the hall. Jolod and Alex exchanged glances and immediately left the terrace. Logically, no one should be causing trouble at this kind of event, but just in case they encountered a few hotheads, it would be easier to handle if they were present. The combat power of a Three Rings Wizard, in a world where the Great Wizards weren¡¯t allowed to intervene, was top-notch. At the banquet, a black-robed wizard was being surrounded by several white-robed wizards. Jolod did not see the face of the black-robed wizard, but he recognized the wizards surrounding him. These were all high-ranking members of the White Wizard Army, by rank, they were counterparts of Alex. By strength, they were also Three Rings Wizards. If these individuals were in conflict, it really wouldn¡¯t be easy to handle. Jolod¡¯s heart tightened, not expecting such a scene as the banquet was coming to an end. He exchanged glances with Alex and quickly walked up to the group of wizards, ready to make use of his authority. But as soon as he saw the face of the black-robed wizard being surrounded, he froze in place. The black-robed wizard, seeing Jolod, immediately squeezed out from the group of Three Rings Wizards and loudly said: ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m back!¡± Jolod smiled and patted the black-robed wizard on the shoulder: ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, good to have you back.¡± The black-robed wizard was none other than Richard, who had hurried back from the Tower of Truth. Following Richard, a few high-ranking officials of the White Wizard Army exchanged glances, and one of them congratulated Jolod: ¡°It seems the Master is about to receive double happiness.¡± Jolod was surprised. The speaking Three Rings Wizard was the Legion Commander of the Sun Legion. But he did not remember having any interactions with this commander. Could it be Richard? Jolod turned his puzzled gaze to Richard, only to see Richard smiling slightly and saying: ¡°Mr. Chairman, Commander Bafford is planning to order a batch of Magic Support Vehicles from us, not less than a thousand.¡± Ordering Magic Support Vehicles? Jolod lowered his head, tapping his fingers against his forehead. Soul Darkness had a great impact on a wizard¡¯s psyche, and Jolod¡¯s memories were a bit blurry since his recent advancement. After a moment, Jolod suddenly lifted his head, shocked. ¡°A thousand Magic Support Vehicles!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a thousand,¡± someone interjected. Jolod turned toward the speaker, another high-ranking official of the White Wizard Army. ¡°If your association¡¯s production capacity is sufficient, our Ice Wind Army would also like to order a thousand units.¡± Another thousand units. Jolod¡¯s head started to spin; if his memory served correctly, the external selling price of a Magic Support Vehicle was around eight hundred fifty Magic Essence. The gross profit of the product was about four hundred Magic Essence. For a thousand units, that meant a gross profit of four hundred thousand Magic Essence. And judging by the posture of these legion high-levels, it seemed they all intended to place substantial orders. Jolod felt as if his brain was boiling. What was happening to this world? He had merely advanced to a Three Rings Wizard, but it felt as if the whole world had changed. Had Magic Essence devalued? Alex, standing beside Jolod, noticed his old friend¡¯s brain crash and quickly signaled Richard with his eyes. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing Alex¡¯s look, although somewhat puzzled, Richard still led the legion officers elsewhere to discuss the details of the orders. Alex led Jolod to the terrace, and it was a while before Jolod finally recovered. He blurted out to Alex, ¡°Has Magic Essence devalued?¡± Hearing this, Alex couldn¡¯t help but punch him. ¡°Devalued my ass, you old fellow, you¡¯ve struck it rich! Do you realize it? Looking at the situation, your student¡¯s creations must have shone brilliantly on the battlefield!¡± Chapter 281: 2 Space Beacon Chapter 281: Chapter 2 Space Beacon When Jolod returned to the lobby, Richard was still discussing orders with a few of the White Wizard Army¡¯s top brass. Facing several high-ranking members of the White Wizard Army, Richard spoke calmly, ¡°If the master isn¡¯t in a hurry, we could wait a few more years. I am about to upgrade the structure of the Magic Support Vehicle. After the upgrade, the performance of the Magic Support Vehicle will be much better.¡± ¡°Oh? It seems the master has reaped considerable benefits from this war,¡± laughed the Legion Commander of the Red Sun Army. The power of the Magic Support Vehicle had become known amongst the White Wizard Army by the end of the wars in the Red Sun World. This device, operable with just a few hundred Magic Essences, could perform Magic Concentrated Fire while being movable ¨C all army members recognized its value. Especially since this weapon had been tested on the battlefield, its performance reliability had been witnessed by many wizards. Richard modestly said, ¡°The gains were decent, but it¡¯s nowhere close to those actually fighting on the battleground.¡± ¡°Then we shall eagerly await good news from the master.¡± The group of high-ranking officers dispersed, and Jolod seized the opportunity to approach Richard. ¡°Master Richard, you¡¯ve become a big shot now,¡± Jolod teased. Richard shook his head at this, ¡°Teacher, please don¡¯t mock me. What kind of master am I? I¡¯m just a little wizard over three hundred years old who happens to be good at schmoozing the big shots. In terms of knowledge, I¡¯m just a grown-up apprentice.¡± Hearing his student¡¯s excessive modesty, Jolod gestured dismissively, ¡°Too much modesty is pride. Your creations are popular; that is a representation of your capabilities. Besides¡­¡± Richard scanned his teacher intently, squinting as he said, ¡°I wondered why I couldn¡¯t see through you before. When did you secretly advance to the Second Ring without making any noise? I don¡¯t remember giving you the ceremony for advancing to the Second Ring.¡± ¡°Is that so? You must¡¯ve remembered wrongly,¡± Richard feigned ignorance, ¡°It¡¯s very normal to forget some things right after your own promotion.¡± Jolod glared at him, ¡°Yes, I have become forgetful indeed, not even knowing about my own student¡¯s advancement.¡± ¡°Not at all, coming out of the ¡®Soul Darkness¡¯ and losing memories is a normal phenomenon,¡± Richard hastily agreed, laughing, ¡°You were promoted to the Three Rings, and this is your prime.¡± Jolod¡¯s irritation faded with those words, and he did not press the issue further. How Richard advanced to the Second Ring was his own matter; prying too much as a teacher was a bit overstepping. The two moved to the terrace. ¡°Did that old man, Vladimir, tell you about the resource development when you were there?¡± Jolod asked seriously on the terrace. Richard nodded and took out a contract from his Magic Pocket to hand it to Jolod. ¡°Master Vladimir really went out of his way this time. Without his connections, that vein of Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone would have never come into my hands.¡± Jolod glanced at the contract and looked up, Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Fifty thousand tons? The reserves seem a bit low. From what you¡¯re implying, this material is in good demand?¡± Richard didn¡¯t speak but instead took out a bottle of ink that Talgar had given him. ¡°Teacher, take a look at this. I made it unintentionally.¡± Jolod took the ink and used his magic to pull up a drop. ¡°Hmm, the quality is good, high-grade Alchemy ink. Indeed, this thing wouldn¡¯t be hard to sell.¡± Hearing Jolod¡¯s comment, Richard smiled slightly, and mysteriously instructed, ¡°Take a closer look, teacher. Try writing a Rune with it.¡± ¡°Hmm? Is there something special about this?¡± Jolod took a quill, dabbed it in the ink, and was about to write. However, as he infused magic into the quill, flames burst out impressively from the tip. ¡°Hmm? Interesting.¡± Jolod looked mildly surprised, then drew a Rune on the railing of the terrace. Seeing the flames intensify with his magic input, Jolod instantly recognized the additional use for this ink. ¡°Very good!¡± Jolod looked at the flaming Rune, repeatedly uttering praise. As an Alchemy Wizard, he knew all too well the benefits of having ink that could show the wear on a Rune. Jolod laughed and told Richard, ¡°And you say you¡¯re not a master. Your single creation could support our entire trading house.¡± Richard scratched his head, ¡°But I haven¡¯t completely figured out the formula for making this thing yet, so it can¡¯t be sold for the time being.¡± Jolod was nonchalant, ¡°Then explore the formula. There are just the two of us in the trading house currently, and we don¡¯t need to pay salaries. Plus, I have my own Alchemy Workshop and am not short on Magic Essence. One Magic Support Vehicle is enough for us to make a fortune.¡± Richard nodded and then initiated a new topic. ¡°Teacher, how much do you know about Magic Arrays? I¡¯m planning to customize a long-distance Transmission Array to place in the Red Sun World.¡± ¡°Transmission Array? Let me think.¡± Jolod knocked on his skull, searching through his sea of memories for information about Transmission Arrays. ¡°Oh, I remember now. I have a friend in the association who¡¯s quite good at this. I¡¯ll go look for him in a couple of days, see if he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°Still alive?¡± Richard exclaimed. Jolod stroked his beard, a trace of reminiscence in his eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t been in touch with that old fellow for a while. He¡¯s a few hundred years older than me and hasn¡¯t had the materials for the Three Ring ceremony. Counting the days, his time might not be much longer.¡± Richard was silent for a moment before suddenly saying, ¡°It seems Master Vladimir is nearing his end, too.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed, old man Vladimir is also about to die.¡± A trace of melancholy suddenly appeared on Jolod¡¯s face. All these old friends of his were about to die. For the longevity species, the death of a friend left a deeply etched memory. Wizards often spent a great deal of time wandering among their friends¡¯ graves, walking from one grave to the next, continually reminiscing about the past, and ultimately dying on the way to the next grave. Such somewhat mad wizards were called wanderers by the Wizards, also known as the living undead. The people who knew their past were all dead; they had become lone shadows in this world. However, Jolod was clearly not such a wizard; he had once discussed these wizards with Richard, referring to them as people with unsteady beliefs. Wizards should spend their lives in pursuit of truth, with friends merely as fellow travelers. They should not stop moving forward just because a fellow traveler died. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave it up to you then, teacher.¡± Soon, the banquet came to an end. At the end of the banquet, the wizards who had arrived over the days gathered in the hall, where the Black Tower Great Wizard personally announced that Jolod would become the deputy dean of the Black Tower Wizard Academy. Jolod, standing beside the Black Tower Great Wizard, was full of smiles, and Richard took the opportunity to capture the moment with the Image Capturing Crystal Ball. ¡­ Three days after the banquet ended, on the fifty-sixth floor of the Central Black Tower. Knock knock knock! A knocking sound woke Richard from his sleep. ¡°Who is it?¡± A lazy female voice came from Richard¡¯s embrace. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll go check.¡± Richard moved Ali aside and casually put on a Wizard Robe before heading to the door. Upon opening the door, Richard immediately perked up. Outside, Jolod was stroking his beard, smiling at him. ¡°Teacher, what brings you here?¡± Jolod, with the air of someone experienced, said with a smile, ¡°It seems I¡¯ve come at an inopportune time, but then again, you¡¯ve just returned from the battlefield.¡± Richard gave an awkward smile, ¡°You were saying?¡± Jolod waved his hand dismissively, ¡°About that Transmission Array you mentioned earlier, my old friend is still alive. If you have time in the next few days, we should go see him.¡± Richard immediately returned to his room and changed into his full set of clothes. ¡°Does Master Jolod want something from you?¡± Ali yawned, and sunlight streaming through the windows bathed the bed, her naked graceful form even more enticing in the sunlight. ¡°Yes, I need to handle some business with a master who¡¯s almost at death¡¯s door; if we¡¯re too late, the person might already be gone.¡± Richard showed no reaction to the scene, quickly changed his clothes, and walked over to Ali for a soft kiss. ¡°You head back first. You haven¡¯t lost the key to my Wizard Tower, have you? Tidy up a room; I¡¯ve been having some ¡®ideas¡¯ lately, and I¡¯ll need your assistance.¡± Richard emphasized the word ¡®ideas¡¯, evoking a blush on Ali¡¯s charming face. She whispered softly with a coquettish tone, ¡°You primitive man driven by Physique Evolution, what ¡®ideas¡¯ do you have now?¡± Richard smiled mysteriously, ¡°You¡¯ll find out later.¡± ¡­ Jolod¡¯s old friend did not reside in the Tower of Truth; in fact, a considerable number of wizards in the Wizard World did not live in the Tower of Truth. After all, the annual rent of ten Magic Essences, although not expensive, was not cheap either. After flying over the wilderness for nearly a month and altering their course several times, Jolod finally located his old friend¡¯s residence. It was a black Wizard Tower standing in the wilderness. Around the Wizard Tower, there was a small city with a substantial population. This Wizard Tower was not within any Wizard Academy¡¯s sphere of influence, standing independently outside a human settlement, a sight Richard was seeing for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special; wizards also need assistants,¡± Jolod said indifferently, ¡°These wizards who settle in the Wizard Continent generally establish a small city around the Wizard Tower to select Wizard Apprentices. However, these apprentices are not as fortunate as you, as they hardly have any chance of becoming wizards.¡± The two landed in front of the Wizard Tower, and Jolod knocked on the door. Soon, a middle-aged Apprentice opened the door. Upon seeing Jolod, the middle-aged Apprentice immediately greeted respectfully, ¡°You must be Master Jolod, the teacher has been waiting for you for a long time.¡± The two entered the Wizard Tower, and on the first floor, an old wizard with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses was flipping through a thick Magic Book. ¡°Leo, long time no see.¡± Jolod greeted him, and the old wizard reading the book set it aside, his voice carrying a tone of resignation: ¡°Jolod, you¡¯re still the same. Can¡¯t you wait a bit while I¡¯m reading?¡± Leo stood up and hugged Jolod, then shifted his gaze to Richard standing behind Jolod. ¡°Is this your student? You old rascal, how come you always have such good luck with students?¡± Leo punched Jolod lightly, then sat back down in his chair. Only then did Richard see that the chair Leo was sitting in was actually a wheelchair. Behind the wheelchair, Alchemy Machines continuously operated, supplying Magic Potions through tubes and needles directly into Leo¡¯s body. It seemed to be a life-support device. The life energy of Wizard Leo had decayed to the point of nearly withering away. Leo took out two human-head-sized transparent crystals from his Magic Pocket, within which countless Runes seemed to be continuously flowing. ¡°These two are Space Beacons. With the Space Beacons, any wizard knowledgeable about Transmission Arrays can construct one. As for me¡­¡± Leo patted the wheelchair beneath him. ¡°My old bones can¡¯t handle the ordeal of visiting another world anymore.¡± Chapter 282: 3 Transmission Array Chapter 282: Chapter 3 Transmission Array Seeing his old friend in the wheelchair, Jolod fell silent for a moment and sighed. Leo¡¯s condition was like an oil-lamp sputtering out, his soul structure had undergone irreversible collapse. Moreover, this collapse, through its connection with the body, had already reflected on his physical form. Those alchemy machines weren¡¯t even treating Leo; their purpose was to numb his senses, to spare him the pain of his body¡¯s collapse. Jolod took the Space Beacon and passed over a bag of Magic Essence, then slowly spoke. ¡°Old friend, do you need my help with anything?¡± Leo pondered for a moment and calmly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t need your help with anything. I still have a student who hasn¡¯t died. If I pass away, he will come to collect my body and, by the way, inherit this Wizard Tower.¡± Jolod nodded, ¡°It¡¯s good to have someone collect your body, remember to give your student the address of your grave.¡± Leo picked up the Magic Book again and turned the pages back to where he had been reading. ¡°I will. But don¡¯t pour alcohol on my tombstone, I hate alcohol.¡± Jolod turned and left. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Leaving the Wizard Tower, Jolod¡¯s mood had noticeably darkened. He handed the Space Beacons to Richard with a somewhat low voice, ¡°The Space Beacon is crucial for the Transmission Array. With the beacon, setting up the Transmission Array isn¡¯t a difficult task¡­ Are you listening to what I¡¯m saying?¡± The distracted Richard suddenly came back to reality, ¡°Oh, I know; I¡¯ve studied the structure of Transmission Arrays.¡± Richard looked at the Space Beacon in his hand. At that moment, an information floated before Richard¡¯s eyes. [Material: High-quality Super Long Transmission Array Space Beacon] [Extractable Information: Super Long Transmission Array Space Beacon Diagram] [Extraction Cost: 50 spiritual power] [Extractable Skill: Space Beacon Crafting] [Extraction Cost: 20 spiritual power] ¡°Is it really a high-quality product?¡± Richard glanced at the Wizard Tower not far away, surprised that Master Leo, who was close to death, still had such exquisite alchemy skills. ¡°This money is well spent.¡± Richard stuffed the beacon into his pocket. During the process, he used the Wizard Robe to block Jolod¡¯s line of sight and extracted the information and skill. After extracting, Richard couldn¡¯t help but let a slight smile curl at the corner of his mouth. ¡°With this, I won¡¯t have to depend on others for Transmission Arrays in the future.¡± Seeing Richard suddenly smile, Jolod couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± ¡°Nothing, just thinking about some happy things.¡± ¡­ After spending a good half-month, the two returned to the Tower of Truth. On the living floor, the two departed; Richard went to the Wizard Commerce to purchase a Teleportation Array installation service, while Jolod went to handle the procedures for entering the Red Sun World. Finding a Teleportation Array installation service was not difficult; Richard quickly found a commerce that could set up a Super Long Distance Transmission Array. In the store, a mechanical clerk placed a Crystal Ball in front of Richard and respectfully asked, ¡°Master, which installation service would you like?¡± Inside the Crystal Ball, there were three schemes from the Commerce. The first scheme required the customer to do nothing but provide the address and Magic Essence to the Commerce, who would then construct the Transmission Array according to the customer¡¯s specifications. This scheme was very convenient. The only flaw was that it was expensive. The Space Beacon for a Transmission Array was quite valuable. Jolod managed to buy a set of the beacons at cost due to his connections, and it still cost him two thousand Magic Essence. But at the Wizard Commerce, the Space Beacon necessary for a super long-range Transmission Array cost five thousand Magic Essence per set. Looking at the plans offered by the Wizard Commerce, Richard felt fortunate that he had been lucky enough to buy two at cost price. The second scheme, provided by the Commerce, was the Space Beacon, but the wizard had to set up the Transmission Array. This scheme was slightly cheaper than the first, but the major expense, buying a Space Beacon, remained. Richard shifted his gaze to the third option, which was the least expensive, costing only five hundred Magic Essence. It required the customer to provide the Space Beacon, after which personnel from the Wizard Commerce would go and set up the Transmission Array. Below this option, the Wizard Commerce included a disclaimer¡ªsince the Space Beacon was provided by the customer, any accidents caused by the Space Beacon during transmission were not the responsibility of Wizard Commerce. The core component of the Transmission Array was the Space Beacon, so the disclaimer from the Wizard Commerce was only natural. ¡°I¡¯ll choose the third option.¡± The mechanical clerk took back the Crystal Ball and bowed to Richard, ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± Soon, a One Ring Wizard came before Richard. ¡°You are the master who purchased the third Transmission Array installation service, right? I¡¯m Gao Wen, pleased to be at your service.¡± Gao Wen still appeared human, but behind him, four mechanical tentacles were continuously wriggling. ¡°Yes, any problems with choosing the third option?¡± Richard questioned. Gao Wen shook his head, ¡°Certainly not, but I must remind you, the Space Beacon for the third service is not provided by our Commerce, if there are any issues with the Space Beacon, we are not responsible.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard nodded and pulled out two Space Beacons from his pocket. Seeing the beacons, Gao Wen¡¯s mechanical tentacles suddenly stiffened. ¡°How are these two beacons?¡± Gao Wen took the beacons, fiddled with them for a while, and then respectfully said: ¡°Master¡¯s technique is truly remarkable; these two beacons are definitely top quality. I¡¯ll draft the contract for you right away.¡± Soon, the contract was signed. Richard paid the Wizard Commerce five hundred Magic Essence and then, accompanied by Gao Wen, arrived at the Clear Frost Wizard Academy¡¯s station. There was a Teleportation Gate leading to the Red Sun World here. The Red Sun World was still calm despite the imminent breaking of the Fire Lizard King Minar¡¯s seal because the Great Wizard Qing Shuang had already set up numerous Magic Arrays around him. Even if he broke free now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to cause much chaos. Thanks to Richard arranging for agricultural experts, several farms had sprung up around the mines to cultivate various fruits and vegetables for the Fire Lizards¡¯ daily consumption. The agricultural experts, resigned to their fate upon returning to the continent, managed the farms in such a promising way that the morale among the mines¡¯ workers softened toward them. People always respect the capable. Looking at the landscape of the Red Sun World, Jolod pinched his nose. ¡°A world unbalanced by the Fire Element always looks like this.¡± Richard chuckled, having heard this complaint before. Richard, along with Jolod and Gao Wen, went to the mines where Gao Wen, with his instruments, began to carefully survey the area. The location for setting up a Teleportation Array was crucial. After surveying for several days, Gao Wen chose a spot. According to him, there was a small Earth Vein node beneath this spot, which would allow the free use of the Teleportation Array. However, this place was a bit far from the mines¡ªabout several kilometers. Jolod, looking at the selected site, frowned. ¡°Richard, did you secure another vein?¡± ¡°Not exactly. But I did acquire a fiefdom in the Red Sun World.¡± ¡°A fiefdom!¡± Both Jolod and Gao Wen looked at Richard in surprise, as a fiefdom was not something a Great Wizard would grant lightly. Wizards had to make significant wartime contributions to be awarded a fiefdom by the Great Wizard. Richard casually remarked, ¡°Just got lucky, let¡¯s set it up here.¡± Despite his words, neither Jolod nor Gao Wen believed him. Luck is a strong person¡¯s modesty. Seeing Richard make a decision, Jolod did not argue. Without hesitation, Gao Wen pulled various materials from his Magic Pocket and began to set up the Teleportation Array. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t allow others to watch this process. Richard and Jolod had to avoid the area temporarily. The duo went to the mine, and the mine supervisor, Heskan, came forward to greet them. ¡°Lord Richard.¡± Richard introduced Jolod, ¡°This is Heskan, the supervisor of the mine. He manages it quite well.¡± Jolod nodded; using natives to manage natives was a common strategy among wizards. Then, Richard explained the rules he had set for the mine to Jolod, but the more Jolod heard, the deeper his frown became. Once Richard finished speaking, Jolod paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Your management method¡­is quite innovative. Is there any study behind it?¡± An eight-hour workday, team competition, additional rewards for increased production¡ªeven freedom! The rules Richard had set seemed too lenient to be called mere kindness by Jolod¡¯s standards; even a wizard¡¯s alchemy factory wouldn¡¯t have such relaxed work policies. Yet these rules were well thought out, not seeming like they were made up on the spot. So, Jolod did not question them immediately. After all, his student¡¯s ideas were always different from those of ordinary wizards, and some of his experiences might be wrong in Richard¡¯s case. ¡°These rules are designed to stimulate their productivity,¡± Richard explained. ¡°I¡¯ve observed that a pure slave Fire Lizard must be constantly supervised to avoid slacking off significantly. That¡¯s too wasteful for us.¡± ¡°Wasteful?¡± Jolod asked, puzzled. It seemed a normal phenomenon to him. Slaves needed to be driven with a whip to work. ¡°Teacher, we don¡¯t have many slaves,¡± Richard explained, ¡°Slaves are seen as expendables by many wizards because they have the financial means to afford treating them as such. But our financial resources aren¡¯t that strong, and it would be too regrettable to invest most of our hard-earned Magic Essence on slave labor. So I set these rules, giving them small incentives which encourage them to work harder for us. Compared to the profits they bring us, our investment is minimal. The return on investment is quite astonishing.¡± Seeing Jolod still confused, Richard didn¡¯t bother explaining further, as it was like casting pearls before swine to these slave-owning wizards stuck in their ways. He opted for a more direct approach¡ªtaking Jolod to the warehouse. The warehouse, filled with Red Sun Gold Pattern Stones, immediately resolved Jolod¡¯s doubts. As long as the output is high, let the rules be peculiar; Jolod was a pragmatist after all. After three days at the mine, Gao Wen finally completed the setup of the Teleportation Array. Looking at the vast circular Teleportation Array, with a Space Beacon floating in the center and spanning over three hundred square meters, Richard nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Very good, next we¡¯ll head to the other side.¡± Saying this, Richard pulled out a map and marked a point on it. ¡°This is where we¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Molten Sea?¡± Gao Wen asked, puzzled. Richard smiled, ¡°You¡¯ll know once we get there.¡± Chapter 283: 4: Active Flesh Factory Chapter 283: Chapter 4: Active Flesh Factory Over the Molten Sea, a giant whale let out a mournful cry. This third-level creature was now approaching the end of its life. A massive wound had nearly flayed open half its body, and its fresh blood, burning with flames, gushed continuously from the wound. ¡°Order the nets to be drawn in.¡± Next to the giant lizard, a majestic third-level Fire Lizard wielding a huge scimitar and carrying an enormous javelin on its back issued the command imperiously. The sailing ships nearby cast iron hooks connected to thick steel cables, which landed on the giant whale. The hooks, with the assistance of tree pattern engravings, sank into the flesh and securely snared the whale. The whale struggled to resist, but in an instant, the third-level Fire Lizard flashed into place above its head. Its scimitar now conveyed its intent. Following the ancient ceremony of the Flame Giant Beast Hunters, the Fire Lizard cut an ¡°#¡± mark on its chest, then hurled its javelin with ruthless force. Boom! In its death throes, the giant whale caused ripples across the Molten Sea, but these were of no consequence to the ship, now more aptly called a Beast Hunting Ship. The crew aboard the ship cheered and chanted as they tightened the steel cables, starting their journey home with the whale¡¯s carcass in tow. This whale could feed the island¡¯s Fire Lizards for a good while. ¡­ At the dock, Akala was eagerly awaiting the return of the Beast Hunting Ship. After losing their agricultural expert, their plan to cultivate Fire Dragon Grass had fallen apart, and now the entire island¡¯s food depended solely on the prey brought back by the sailing ships. Before long, a cheer rose from the crowd. In the distance, a sailing ship was slowly approaching the dock, dragging an enormous Flame Giant Lizard. Following the appearance of one ship, the rest of the fleet also began to gradually return. Akala watched the fully-laden fleet return and couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit of joy. This meat would be enough to feed the island¡¯s Fire Lizards for half a year. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The crew threw the steel cables ashore, and the Fire Lizards on the land caught them, working together to drag the colossal Flame Giant Beasts onto the shore. On the shore, many Fire Lizards had already set up frying pans and bonfires. Tonight was destined to be a night of revelry. Suddenly, one Fire Lizard froze in place, the chunk of meat in his hand dropping to the ground. He seemed to have seen something. The Fire Lizards looked in the direction of his gaze, only to see three black dots gradually approaching New World. ¡°Carry on with what you were doing,¡± Akala shouted to the Fire Lizards on the shore after seeing the three black dots. Then, with dragon wings sprouting from her back, she flew toward the three black dots. ¡°Lord Richard,¡± Akala said respectfully. Jolod looked at Akala with some wariness. As a Three Rings Wizard, he could clearly sense that this Fire Lizard was exceedingly powerful, even surpassing him. He had no idea how Richard had managed to subdue these natives. Richard nodded and introduced her to Jolod, ¡°This is Princess Akala, leader of New World Island. I¡¯ve reached some trade agreements with the Fire Lizards here. Now, these people are our Trading Company¡¯s native workers.¡± Native workers¡­ Jolod heard this term for the first time. ¡°Princess Akala, I¡¯ve come to set up a Teleportation Array,¡± Richard explained, ¡°With the Teleportation Array, you¡¯ll be able to freely return to the Main Continent.¡± Akala was momentarily stunned, then bowed her head and said, ¡°Your kindness.¡± After landing on the island with Gao Wen, Richard did not disturb the Fire Lizards and let Gao Wen survey for a suitable place on his own. Meanwhile, he took Jolod for a walk around the island. ¡°Richard, why have you chosen this godforsaken place for your fief?¡± Jolod asked, puzzled. After walking around the island, Jolod realized there were no resources or phenomena worth studying. He did not quite understand Richard¡¯s thinking. Richard pointed at the Flame Giant Beasts on the shore, ¡°Teacher, what do you think of those giant beasts?¡± Jolod glanced at them, ¡°Half-elemental creatures, all of them quite strong. Are you going to focus on researching these half-elemental creatures?¡± Richard shook his head and pulled out a piece of active Flesh sealed in an Enchanted Quartz Tube from his pocket. ¡°Take a look at this, teacher.¡± Jolod took the tube, opening its sealed top. The next moment, a wave of Fire Element assaulted him from the tube. Jolod furrowed his brow, ¡°Such a strong presence of Fire Element. What¡¯s with this active Flesh?¡± He might not be familiar with other things, but having studied Synthetic Beasts half his life, he recognized active Flesh all too well. The piece in front of him was unlike any active Flesh he had ever encountered. ¡°This was made using the technology of these Fire Lizards. They used these Flame Giant Beasts as raw material to create this kind of active Flesh, and then used it to create their Synthetic Beasts.¡± ¡°Synthetic Beasts! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!¡± Jolod looked somewhat agitated, vehemently denying, ¡°How could these natives possess the technology to create Synthetic Beasts? If they had such technology, you couldn¡¯t have won the war.¡± As a Wizard, Jolod couldn¡¯t tolerate the thought that something he¡¯d spent half his life researching could also be known by natives of some obscure world. ¡°Calm down; this technology is a legacy left behind by the ancient Fire Lizards. Their civilization has regressed,¡± Richard refrained from mentioning the Lost Ones; though he trusted Jolod, some things were better left untold. As he spoke, Richard also took out a stack of design papers from his pocket. ¡°These are their Synthetic Beasts.¡± Jolod took it and looked it over, his expression turning extremely ugly. The design of the Synthetic Beast on these blueprints was flawless, even tantamount to a masterpiece. If it were the work of some Wizard, Jolod would have lavished praise on the creator without stint. But now he was being told it was designed by a group of natives, and he found this somewhat unbearable. ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t be too arrogant,¡± Richard said coolly, ¡°The Star Realm is vast, and witchcraft is not an unbreakable secret. It¡¯s quite normal for natives to grasp some primitive witchcraft.¡± Jolod¡¯s face remained sullen. For most Wizards, natives were nothing more than uncultivated, inferior beings. They often felt a sense of superiority over these natives. Now, Jolod¡¯s superiority had been shattered. After sulking for a while, Jolod once again picked up a piece of living flesh. ¡°This is good stuff, vibrant and active, an excellent material for making Synthetic Beasts,¡± Jolod commented earnestly, ¡°Plus it possesses some qualities I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± After all, Jolod was an experienced Wizard, and he quickly came to terms with the situation. ¡°It certainly possesses some special attributes,¡± Richard continued, ¡°but my abilities are limited, and I can¡¯t fully exploit the potential of this active flesh. So¡­¡± ¡°So you want me to help you research it, and ideally, to produce some results, right?¡± Jolod interrupted. Jolod put the living flesh back into the Enchanted Quartz Tube, and then stretched out his right hand in front of Richard. Richard, not understanding, asked, ¡°Teacher, what are you¡­¡± ¡°The rest of the blueprints, and a sufficient amount of flesh,¡± Jolod declared righteously, ¡°You don¡¯t think this tiny bit of flesh is going to enable me to research anything, do you?¡± Richard was taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter, handing over all the documents that the old Fire Lizard had given him to Jolod. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it in your capable hands, Teacher.¡± Three days later, the Teleportation Array was completed. Jolod and Gao Wen returned to the Wizard World, while Richard began construction on New World Island. Richard hadn¡¯t chosen his fiefdom just because it was located far out to sea where he could claim a vast swath of land; his initial goal was to establish an active flesh factory on the island. New World Island was not just remote and inconspicuous. Its greatest advantage lay in its position deep within the Molten Sea, where capturing Flame Giant Beasts was remarkably easy. The half-Element active flesh he had obtained from Linksa needed copious amounts of half-Element blood. If the factory were built on the Main Continent, supplying such massive amounts of half-Element blood would indeed be quite challenging. After all, behind the initial Dragon Beast Cultivation Base was the Fire Lizard Empire. Naturally, the construction of the factory required assistance from Alchemy. The Fire Lizard Alchemy Workshop in the Secret Realm ceased operations, and all Fire Lizard Craftsmen came to New World Island to work on the factory. The construction of a factory required materials, and Richard returned to the Main Continent to get a large batch of supplies from logistic Wizards. These building materials were originally for constructing fortresses and works; but now the war had ended, and these leftover building materials were without a use. With a small amount of money, Richard managed to buy a large batch of materials from the logistic Wizards. With the help of Wizard construction materials and Giant Dragon Alchemy, the factory¡¯s shell soon began to take shape in less than a day. After all, none of these Fire Lizards were below First Level; in terms of physical fitness, each of them was superhuman. Once the shell of the factory was built, Richard began to work on filling out the internal equipment. Although Richard had the technology, to use it, it had to be turned into machinery. Richard decomposed the technology and conceptualized it into a complete set of machinery. Then, over five years, he worked as the chief designer, with several other Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters under his lead as minor contributors. They put in enormous effort and finally designed and produced a complete set of machinery. This technology, after all, was obtained from the Fire Lizards, and their Giant Dragon Alchemy was particularly well suited to it. Moreover, because Richard¡¯s skills were so superior, under his guidance during this period, the Alchemy Technique of the other Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters improved by leaps and bounds. As the equipment was perfected, the factory was officially completed. Although the factory wasn¡¯t large, occupying only about a thousand square meters, from the outside, it looked like an oversized, low-slung bungalow. Because it wasn¡¯t painted, the exterior of the factory appeared dull and gave an impression of being hastily put together. But only the Fire Lizards who built the factory knew that the defense of this unassuming building had surpassed that of a Wizard¡¯s War Fortress. The factory¡¯s output was not high, operating at full capacity, it could only produce a hundred kilograms of active flesh per day. But for Richard, this factory was already enough to meet his needs. Richard instructed Akala, ¡°Run the factory at the lowest possible level on most days; your current strength isn¡¯t enough to support the factory¡¯s full operation.¡± Akala bowed slightly, saying with a trace of gratitude, ¡°Your mercy shines as brightly as the sun.¡± Richard waved his hand, ready to leave when something seemed to occur to him. He turned back to ask Akala, ¡°I recall this island was managed by your husband, where is Azuhan?¡± Akala¡¯s face fell, but she quickly composed herself. ¡°After learning that I took the lead in signing the contract, he locked himself away, and he hasn¡¯t come out these past days.¡± Richard narrowed his eyes and suddenly opened up a Secret Realm Rift, calling out for Ulysses. ¡°Take me to see him.¡± Akala panicked slightly and quickly said, ¡°Your Lordship, Azuhan is just struggling to come to terms with things; he will understand the reality in time. Please grant him some time.¡± Richard waved his hand again, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, I¡¯m not going to kill him. I managed to get something on the Main Continent from the logistic Wizards, something that relates to him, and I want to give it to him personally.¡± With that, Richard took out a battered helmet from his pocket. Akala looked at the helmet, momentarily stunned. She recognized this helmet¡ªit belonged to Harash. Chapter 284: 5: Tesla Type 9 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet Chapter 284: Chapter 5: Tesla Type 9 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet In the deep recesses of Island Heart Peak, there lay a dark secret chamber known to almost no one. Azuhan sat on the ground, his spirit devoid of substance. This was the Meditation Technique Harash had taught him, originally intended to cope with the animalistic backlash of the Bloodline awakening, but now it had become Azuhan¡¯s tool to escape reality. His most trusted wife had knocked him out and, with the entire island¡¯s Fire Lizards, surrendered to the Wizard, their sworn enemy. Such an event was unbearable for any Fire Lizard. Although Akala later explained to him that the Wizard had brought a terrifying presence capable of rivaling the Fire Lizard King, Azuhan¡¯s heart still ached deeply. An honorable death was not unacceptable to him, but if it weren¡¯t for the fire seed plan and the egg Akala had borne for him, he would have already died in battle alongside his father. Boom, boom, boom¡­ The stone door to the quiet room opened. Azuhan opened his eyes and emotionlessly stared at the stone door. Outside, Akala looked at him with a complex expression, and next to her, the Wizard who had destroyed the last hope of the Fire Lizards quietly watched him. ¡°Lady Akala, please step aside for a moment, I have something to say to him.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Watching Akala obediently leave, Azuhan felt both heartbroken and furious. Akala was a princess of the Empire; when had she ever been so humble? This was the price of signing the Soul Contract! Richard looked at the Fire Lizard before him, with his swollen neck and bared sharp teeth, and threw a helmet at him. ¡°Your father¡¯s helmet.¡± Azuhan stiffened, then clumsily caught the helmet. It was indeed his father¡¯s helmet. As he looked at the helmet, tears of blood streamed from the corners of Azuhan¡¯s eyes. His father had died honorably in battle, yet he had failed to meet his expectations. ¡°Azuhan, you should be aware of the current situation. Don¡¯t bury your head like a coward and pretend that nothing has happened.¡± Richard calmly watched Azuhan, his tone as casual as if asking what to have for dinner. ¡°Your wife has endured humiliation for you, keeping your aura still sacred. But she was wrong about one thing¡ªthat your aura could ever remain immaculate. Although I have not seen the specific details of the fire seed plan, I can imagine the conviction of the person who designed it.¡± Azuhan abruptly looked up, glaring at Richard, and spoke through clenched teeth: ¡°You don¡¯t know!¡± With a serene expression, Richard responded, ¡°No, I do know. This is a plan to perpetuate the civilization of the Fire Lizards, and as its executor, you must forsake all unnecessary things and devote yourself entirely to the ultimate goal of continuing civilization. Dignity, hatred¡ªthese are too trivial compared to the continuation of civilization. You bear the weight of over a hundred thousand years of Fire Lizard history.¡± Pausing, Richard changed his tone. ¡°But in my view, the person who designed this plan chose the wrong executor¡ªyou are far from accomplishing this. You are more suited to dying in the last battle, your corrupt honor vanishing in flames by a spell. You are far from having the awareness and responsibility needed to execute this plan.¡± Although Richard¡¯s voice was calm, to Azuhan, it sounded like thunder. He was so angry he wanted to kill Richard, but a single glance from Ulysses froze him in place. Mockingly, Richard looked at Azuhan: ¡°You see, you even wish to kill the person helping you continue the Fire Lizard civilization. Go and take a look outside, fool. Under my hands, the Fire Lizards are faring better. Akala has even ordered the incubation of the Fire Lizards.¡± Having said that, Richard turned and left. ¡­ Holding the helmet, Azuhan walked out of the secret chamber and climbed to the summit of Island Heart Peak. From the summit, he could see the entire island. The once desolate New World Island had drastically changed in recent years. What had been wooden huts were now neatly arranged concrete buildings. Living in these houses, the Fire Lizards need not worry about Burning Winds or minor Fire Element Storms. In the residential area was a massive square, which had not existed when he entered the secret chamber, but now, many Fire Lizards were exercising and practicing martial arts there. ¡°Training Ground,¡± Azuhan murmured. Under his rule, the island faced severe food shortages, and all unnecessary consumption had been prohibited. Even he would not have engaged in such an energetically taxing activity as physical exercise. But now there was a Training Ground on the island. Besides the Training Ground, there was also an open-air Flame Giant Beast processing square he had never seen before. Mountain-like Flame Giant Beasts were dragged by the Fire Lizards to the open square, where skilled Fire Lizards efficiently separated the useful parts and dumped the useless parts into an iron garbage truck. Rails were laid under the truck, towed by a juvenile Volcano Turtle along the tracks toward an inconspicuous large shed. What he found most unbelievable was that the working Fire Lizards all had smiles on their faces. Azuhan turned to look beside him, and without his knowing when, Akala had already come to his side. ¡°What is all this?¡± he asked. Calmly, Akala replied, ¡°After Lord Richard saw the damage caused by the Burning Winds, he obtained many building materials from the Wizard World and then personally planned and supervised the construction of this new residential area.¡± Azuhan pointed towards the Flame Giant Beast processing facility. ¡°What about that?¡± ¡°Lord Richard¡¯s Fire Lizard craftsmen have upgraded the longship, making it more suitable for hunting Flame Giant Beasts. However, after leaving the magma, the Flame Giant Beasts rot easily. Therefore, he established this separation base for processing and storing Flame Giant Beasts¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Azuhan interrupted rudely, ¡°Why do those Fire Lizards have smiles on their faces? Is dignity worthless?¡± Akala remained silent for a long time before slowly starting, ¡°Azuhan, they are not slaves. They are living by their own hard work!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Azuhan suddenly laughed, but his laughter was bitter. ¡°That wizard was right, I really am not fit to lead the Fire Seed Project.¡± Azuhan turned to face Akala, ¡°That wizard must have left you something.¡± Akala nodded and took out a Soul Contract from the pocket at his waist. Azuhan took the contract and looked it over, then scoffed bitterly: ¡°It¡¯s still the same one, unchanged.¡± After saying this, Azuhan¡¯s fingertips oozed blood, and he signed his own name on the contract. Upon completion of the contract, a faint smile appeared on Richard¡¯s face far away on the Main Continent. The last unstable factor among the Fire Lizards was eliminated. ¡­ Returning to the Wizard World, Richard¡¯s Communication Crystal Ball suddenly received an unfamiliar message. Looking at the content of the message, Richard¡¯s lips curled up slightly. He replied to the message and then flew towards the teleportation gate of the residential layer. Before long, Richard arrived on the twelfth floor of the residential layer, in front of a pub named ¡°Volcanic Eruption.¡± The pub¡¯s door had a sign hanging that said it was closed for the day, but Richard pushed the door open and entered. Inside the pub, a tall wizard appeared to be waiting for someone. Underneath the wizard¡¯s black robe, his rock-like skin faintly glowed with firelight. Richard greeted him cheerfully. ¡°Master Mephit, long time no see.¡± The wizard who sent the message was Mephit, the Three Rings Wizard who had gone to the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base with Richard years ago. Mephit set down the bucket-like cup he was holding and pulled out a crystal ball from a large pocket at his waist, placing it on the table in front of him. ¡°Master Richard, long time no see. I thought you might have died in the Red Sun World since you didn¡¯t reply for so long.¡± Mephit had sent that message to Richard three years ago, but at that time, Richard was in the Red Sun World building a Flesh Factory, so this Magic Power message had never been received. ¡°Haha, Master is joking. We had smooth sailing in the subsequent wars. After getting through huge storms, I couldn¡¯t possibly get drowned in a small puddle, could I?¡± Richard walked up to Mephit and pocketed the crystal ball. The crystal ball contained the blueprint of a Tesla Type-9 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet, which Mephit had promised years ago. ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious, what method did you use to control that Armor?¡± Mephit suddenly asked, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a Sealing Skill, nor did it look like witchcraft. I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable, but I couldn¡¯t tell what you used to paralyze that Armor.¡± ¡°Do you want to know?¡± Richard asked in return. Mephit nodded, ¡°How much Magic Essence?¡± Richard chuckled and shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t need your Magic Essence, Master.¡± Mephit was stunned for a moment, his voice low, ¡°No Magic Essence? My favor isn¡¯t worth a witchcraft, and I don¡¯t like owing favors.¡± Richard spoke lightly, ¡°A small favor, let¡¯s just make it a friendship with the Master.¡± Mephit was silent for a long time, then spoke, ¡°What witchcraft?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not witchcraft, it¡¯s Alchemy,¡± Richard revealed with a smile, ¡°And it¡¯s the obscure Giant Dragon Alchemy.¡± On hearing this, Mephit was initially stunned, then smacked his forehead in sudden realization: ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t recognize what witchcraft it was; it turns out it was Alchemy.¡± Saying this, Mephit summoned a cup of liquor to his hand. ¡°Richard, you are a clever man. This drink¡¯s on me.¡± Richard took the bucket-sized cup, the amber-colored liquor exuding a rich aroma, and he could even smell a hint of Magic Potion in the fragrance. This was no ordinary drink. Richard raised the cup, and the amber liquor was swallowed to the last drop. Then, Richard slammed the cup heavily on the table in front of Mephit, shouting loudly, ¡°Good drink!¡± Mephit likewise raised his cup high and drained it in one gulp, slamming it down powerfully on the table. He laughed heartily, ¡°Great, today Mephit has made a new friend!¡± Leaving the pub, Richard felt a bit dizzy. Mephit¡¯s drink wasn¡¯t just a simple brew; he had mixed in many Magic Potions, which could even affect the soul. Richard felt as if an intense hearth fire had kindled in his belly, making his body perspire incessantly. ¡°Ulysses, what¡¯s happening with me?¡± Richard asked dizzily. Ulysses had been perching on his shoulder while he was drinking. ¡°Squawk, nothing much, you¡¯re just drunk. That stone creature¡¯s drink is very good, with lots of nice stuff mixed in.¡± Richard felt his vision blur somewhat, followed by his eyelids feeling like they were weighed down with lead, continuously drooping. ¡°Ulysses, take me to the Secret Realm.¡± With that, Richard fell asleep in the sky. Ulysses caught Richard, hardly suppressing his laughter: ¡°Squawk, knocked out by one drink¡ªwhat a lightweight.¡± Chapter 285: 6: Your Own Holy Armor Chapter 285: Chapter 6: Your Own Holy Armor Mephit¡¯s drink was strong, and Richard had slept soundly for seven days. On the eighth day, Richard woke up from his deep slumber, not feeling any hangover headache but rather feeling refreshed and invigorated. ¡°Wow, that drink was really strong,¡± Richard exclaimed. Ulysses flew up to him and loudly mocked: ¡°Ha, it¡¯s not the drink that¡¯s strong, it¡¯s your low tolerance. One drink and you¡¯re out, next time sit at the kids¡¯ table.¡± Richard¡¯s face turned red, and he glowered at Ulysses. ¡°I said it was the drink!¡± Ulysses said nothing more, just kept laughing loudly with his hoarse voice, soaring through the air. Richard temporarily ignored this boring World Master and took out two crystal balls from his pocket. Upon waking up, Richard felt both his spiritual power and physique had enhanced. [Spiritual Power: 120, Physique: 141, Magic Power: 24000] ¡°My spiritual power actually increased by four points, and my physique by three points.¡± Richard was somewhat surprised as he looked at the data; in the Red Sun World where he had stayed for over sixty years, his spiritual power had only increased by six points. His physique, meanwhile, had increased by twenty-six points due to the effects of the Molten Sea and the Physique Enhancement Gland. Yet this single drink had added four points to his spiritual power and three to his physique. If this drink were sold on the market, it would definitely not be available for less than seven or eight hundred magic essences. In fact, Richard still didn¡¯t fully understand the prices. Put up in Mephit¡¯s bar, this drink sold for a thousand magic essences, and it was only available once a week; it was a priceless item. Among wizards, any item that could directly increase physique and spiritual power was extremely precious, especially those boosting physique. Because it doesn¡¯t require any intelligence, just ingestion. And a strong body, even for a wizard focused on spiritual evolution, represents a boost in strength. Putting the crystal balls back into his pocket, Richard took out the other crystal ball which contained the blueprint for the Tesla Type 9 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet. This puppet, starting with ¡®Tesla¡¯, must be from the Wizard World¡¯s largest arms dealer, the products of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce. Products from the Tesla Chamber of Commerce are known for their high quality and stable performance, which is also the origin of this quality-chasing trend among Alchemy Wizards. How the blueprint ended up in Mephit¡¯s hands was unknown to Richard, and he was too lazy to find out. For now, as long as the blueprint was in his hands and he didn¡¯t run into a technician wizard from the Tesla Chamber of Commerce, he was safe. Moreover, as an Alchemy Wizard, he certainly had the capability to make some modifications to the Alchemy Puppet. ¡­ Richard studied the blueprint of the Tesla Type 9 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet for half a month, during which he constantly reproduced the diagrams on paper. The Alchemy Puppet, indeed an advanced version of the Alchemy Golem, far exceeded the traditional golem in performance in both offense and defense. Of course, these performance improvements came at a significantly high cost. After studying the blueprint, Richard estimated the material costs for this Alchemy Puppet. Just the materials alone would cost five thousand magic essences. Plus, many parts of the puppet required a high level of alchemy skill to manufacture. Hiring such skilled wizards meant the labor costs would also be astonishingly high. Richard calculated that he would need to sell the puppet for at least ten thousand magic essences to break even. Yet, the performance of this puppet was only equivalent to that of a One Ring Wizard. While many One Ring Wizards could be instantly killed by him, some experienced old wizards could also figure out how to handle it. ¡°Only because the Wizard Civilization is still expanding can such an Alchemy Puppet army be utilized. Should the expansion stop, these puppets would definitely be the first to be abandoned,¡± Richard criticized after pricing it. The Wizard World was still expanding; unexplored worlds awaited wizards, thus these expensive Alchemy Puppet armies weren¡¯t necessarily impractical. After all, these puppet armies did possess formidable strength. But if the expansion ceased, or if they encountered a civilization on par with themselves, these costly Alchemy Puppets would have to face extremization¡ªeither reverting to the cheaper production of Alchemy Golems or disregarding costs altogether to pursue maximum combat ability. But complaints aside, the Tesla Type 9 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet was indeed a very elaborate creation. Worthy of being a product iterated through nine generations by the Tesla Chamber of Commerce. Richard called over some Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters from the other side of the Secret Realm and handed them the blueprints. ¡°This is a wizard¡¯s Alchemy Puppet,¡± Richard explained. ¡°Although Wizard Alchemy is quite different from Giant Dragon Alchemy, the design philosophy is still very much worth learning from. Take these blueprints back and see if you can learn anything.¡± The Fire Lizards took the thick stack of draft papers Richard handed them, and respectfully responded: ¡°Understood, sir.¡± ¡­ sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leaving the Secret Realm, Richard suddenly remembered that he seemed to have an agreement with a wizard named Damir. He remembered that Damir had mastered a more efficient way of compressing elements. He went to the location of the Clear Frost Legion, hoping to find this wizard, but the outcome was rather disappointing. ¡°Master Richard, Damir is dead,¡± Iyad said regretfully. Richard could hardly believe it: ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°Yes, he was a bit unlucky; he encountered an Imperial Guard Dragon Warrior during a slave raid.¡± Richard sighed: ¡°Alright, did he leave any relics?¡± Iyad furrowed his brows, his tone serious as he spoke, ¡°Master Richard, the relics of the wizards who have fallen in the legion must be distributed according to their wills. This is one of the most strictly enforced regulations in the legion. Anyone who violates this will be burnt to death by the Soul Fire.¡± Richard realized his mistake and repeatedly apologized. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it. I would like to ask for your help; if someone comes to claim his relics, please contact me.¡± As he spoke, Richard handed a small bag of Magic Essence to Iyad. Iyad didn¡¯t accept the Magic Essence, instead, he just asked Richard for a contact method. ¡°This kind of thing is just a trivial effort; you needn¡¯t go so far, Master.¡± After leaving the Clear Frost Legion¡¯s base, Richard returned to the Wizard Tower, where Ali had been waiting for him for a long time. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t come back, I would have thought you had forgotten about me,¡± Ali said with a hint of resentment. Richard gave an awkward laugh, as no one had expected that designing a set of equipment could take so long, even with clear technology and a group of Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters. ¡°Sorry, sorry, there was a little mishap.¡± Ali did not press on. She walked over to Richard and whispered in his ear: ¡°So, what¡¯s your new idea?¡± Ali was very close, her fiery body pressing against Richard, igniting his passion. ¡°¡­I obtained some Fire Element artifacts in the Red Sun World and wanted to ask for your help in analyzing them. Some of these artifacts have quite unusual properties.¡± Ali stiffened, her eyes turning resentful again. ¡°Is that it?¡± Richard nodded affirmatively, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. What did you think it was?¡± Ali¡¯s face turned a sudden shade of red, and she punched Richard hard in the chest. ¡°You, you, you¡­ where are your things! You¡¯ve left me hanging here so long, no discounts this time!¡± Richard pulled out several sealed Flame Artifacts from his pocket, some obtained from Bob, and others from the Fire Lizards. These so-called artifacts are extraordinary items that defy common sense, such as flames that burn underwater, rocks that replicate without absorbing energy or elements, and magical conches that play music without any skill¡­ These all qualify as artifacts. At first glance, these items seem impossible, thus earning them the title of artifacts. Of course, these artifacts do not truly defy logic; they just possess certain unusual qualities that give the appearance of defying logic. Each artifact holds a secret and is a natural subject for study. ¡°Charging for studying artifacts, you can¡¯t just exploit our relationship to overcharge me for Magic Essence,¡± Richard complained. But seeing Ali¡¯s flushed and lovely face, Richard decided to overlook the matter for now. After all, many of their dealings often ended up being settled more¡­ personally. He could bear a little more burden. ¡­ While Richard and Ali studied the Fire Element artifacts, the Alchemy Masters of Fire Lizards in the Secret Realm were enthusiastically studying the blueprints. The completion of the Flesh Factory not only provided Richard with an endless supply of semi-elemental active flesh but also significantly advanced the craftsmanship of his Fire Lizard artisans. Several Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters had already reached a bottleneck in their Alchemy skills, but under Richard¡¯s guidance, they had all breakthrough to new heights. This skill enhancement expanded their horizons. Furthermore, Richard had given them blueprints for Alchemy Puppets, and the collision of two different Alchemy skills inspired a resurgence in their previously exhausted wells of inspiration. ¡°It¡¯s amazing! The mechanical structure can be so intricate,¡± exclaimed Calion as he looked at a blueprint in his hands. On the other side, Sulina, whose skill level rivaled Calion¡¯s, also spoke up, ¡°Indeed, I had never thought that mechanical creatures could be more agile than living ones. These blueprints even remind me of the intricate structures on the Holy Armor. However, compared to the incomprehensible structures of Holy Armor, wizard designs are a bit cruder and more suited to our level.¡± Suddenly, a Fire Lizard Alchemy Master, engrossed in studying the design, looked up. His eyes shining, he addressed Sulina and Calion: ¡°Right, Holy Armor! Many of these structures can be applied to the armor!¡± With that, the Fire Lizard Alchemy Master ran to the rest area like a madman and pulled out a leather scroll from a pile of ancient tomes. He approached the gathering of Alchemy Masters and unfurled the ancient leather scroll. On the scroll was a sketch of an incomplete exoskeleton armor containing unreasonable structures. Nevertheless, the eyes of the Alchemy Masters were fixed on the armor depicted. This scroll opened up new avenues of thought for them. The Fire Lizard with the scroll, speaking somewhat feverishly, proclaimed: ¡°My fellows, in ancient times, we bore a sacred title¡ª¡¯Mechanics¡¯! We were tasked with maintaining the Holy Armor and various Divine Relics. But as our skills regressed, we couldn¡¯t even understand the structure of our own armor, let alone fabricate a single armor plate. Thus, we lost this sacred title. Now our skills have improved, but we¡¯ve lost the Holy Armor and the Divine Relics. We can no longer prove we deserve this sacred title. But now, we have a chance.¡± The eyes of the many Alchemy Masters sparkled with a somewhat crazy notion. ¡°Perhaps we can forge our own set of Holy Armor!¡± Chapter 286: 7: Exoskeleton Armor Chapter 286: Chapter 7: Exoskeleton Armor As is well known, when more than three men gather together, a king of ideas is born. At the moment, among this group of Fire Lizards, there was only one female, Sulina, and they all possessed considerable hands-on ability. So, an excellent idea was born. ¡°This design has a problem, everything needs to be changed except for the external shape.¡± As one of the Fire Lizards with the highest level of alchemy in the group, Calion was the first to offer his opinion. Sulina followed closely behind, commenting on the design. ¡°I¡¯ve tried maintaining Holy Armor before, and although I couldn¡¯t understand the internal structure, I could still grasp some of the design philosophy. I¡¯ll go and draw the structure I saw back then right away.¡± As the only female among the Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters, Sulina had long since put the matter of gender to the back of her mind. She was virtually indistinguishable from the male Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters¡ªexcept that she had her own room and her own toilet. Sulina quickly drew the structure of the Holy Armor she had seen, and thanks to Lord Richard¡¯s training, each of the Fire Lizards was incredibly accurate in drawing. Looking at the structure Sulina had drawn, one of the Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters muttered: ¡°How does this thing look like the outer shell of an insect?¡± ¡°No, not an insect¡¯s carapace.¡± Patelin, who had been recruited alongside Calion, suddenly spoke up. ¡°How much do you know about anatomy?¡± Patelin asked. The Masters looked at one another and shook their heads. Giant Dragon Alchemy didn¡¯t require the study of anatomy; among the Fire Lizards, the dissection of corpses fell under the field of funerary studies. Because Fire Lizards made mummies for burial, this process required removing the organs from the body and then wrapping them in spices and placing them in metal containers. Patelin explained, ¡°Before I studied alchemy, I learned how to make mummies, so I¡¯m quite familiar with the anatomy of Fire Lizards. In my opinion, this structure is not an insect¡¯s carapace but resembles a special skeletal structure. And those structures we can¡¯t understand are probably the ¡®muscles¡¯ of the Holy Armor.¡± As Patelin spoke, his eyes grew brighter, and he began excitedly: ¡°So the Holy Armor is a powerful body without a brain, and the Fire Lizard wearing it is its brain! If we continue with this line of thinking, we¡¯ll need to use¡­¡± The surrounding Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters exclaimed in unison: ¡°A nerve control system.¡± Calion immediately ran towards the World Mushroom at the center of the Secret Realm. In the Holy City under the World Mushroom¡¯s cap, Ulysses was leisurely napping. ¡°Lord Ulysses! Lord Ulysses!¡± Calion¡¯s voice awoke Ulysses from his nap; he opened his eyes, and his emerald gaze made Calion shudder. The fact that Ulysses liked to eat the brains of Fire Lizards was well known to every Fire Lizard in the Secret Realm. ¡°Gah, what is it, Fire Lizard?¡± Calion bowed his head and said humbly: ¡°Lord Ulysses, we need to contact Lord Richard. We have a brilliant idea that requires Lord Richard¡¯s decision.¡± Ulysses glanced over Calion¡¯s shoulder to see the rest of the Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters looking eagerly at Calion. Richard had once told him that these Fire Lizards were all technicians, and now that they were gathered together, it seemed the matter was indeed urgent. Ulysses yawned: ¡°Gah, I understand.¡± With that, Ulysses opened the Secret Realm Rift and came to Richard¡¯s side. Richard was currently in the intermittent Wise Time, and as he had not made any modifications to his body, human reactions were all present. Seeing Ulysses, Richard asked curiously: ¡°Why have you come out?¡± Ulysses lazily replied, ¡°Gah, I didn¡¯t want to come out, but those Fire Lizards you¡¯re raising suddenly wanted to see you. When you have time, head back to the Secret Realm.¡± After speaking, Ulysses opened the Secret Realm Rift again and returned to the Secret Realm. Richard frowned. The Fire Lizards wanted to see him; could there be problems with the workshop in the Secret Realm? Richard was about to get up when he suddenly remembered that he was currently engaged in a certain activity with Ali that was beneficial to body and mind. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Ali¡¯s voice sounded in his ear. Ali sat up, her brows still carrying traces of spring. She lazily leaned on Richard¡¯s shoulder, her warm breath gently blowing in Richard¡¯s ear, giving rise to a tickling sensation. ¡°Work comes first, and I¡¯m not some harlot fused with a Succubus Bloodline.¡± ¡­ In the Secret Realm, the Fire Lizards saw Ulysses return and gathered to discuss how to vividly describe their idea when they met. Without a doubt, their idea was excellent. But an excellent idea did not guarantee its realization. The complex and exquisite structure of the Holy Armor stood before them like a mountain. Even though they were resolutely determined, they still had some reservations. Could they really make their own Holy Armor, even a highly simplified version? A worried Fire Lizard Alchemy Master spoke up: ¡°What if Lord Richard rejects our idea? Lord Richard likes stability, and such highly unstable projects are probably the least welcome in his eyes.¡± ¡°If he rejects it, we¡¯ll build it ourselves,¡± Sulina said. ¡°We have enough spare time, and Lord Richard has given us authority over the materials.¡± ¡°He rejected the project, we just lost a lot of resources, that¡¯s all, not that we can¡¯t do it at all.¡± Ali¡¯s words ignited a fire in the hearts of all the Fire Lizards. Indeed, Richard¡¯s rejection of the project meant only losing resources, but their most valuable and important wisdom could still be utilized. As long as they were willing to research, resources would merely slow their progress, not prevent them from reaching their ultimate goal. At that moment, all the Fire Lizards made up their minds. If Richard didn¡¯t agree with the project, then they would rely on themselves to research it. Even if doing so meant they might spend their entire lives without achieving the final goal, a beautiful future was enough to let them die smiling. For a craftsman, there is nothing more important than a superb work of art. Soon, a rift opened in the Secret Realm, and Richard, wearing a black Wizard Robe, arrived in the Secret Realm. Richard, noticing his nurtured Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters congregating, expressed his surprise: ¡°Wow, you¡¯re all here. What exactly happened in the workshop that brought you all together?¡± A few Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters looked at each other and finally, it was Calion who stepped forward to share their thoughts with Richard. ¡°It¡¯s like this, Lord Richard. The blueprints you gave us for the Alchemy Puppet have inspired us greatly. So, we came up with an idea to design our own Holy Armor, and we need your technical and material support.¡± Richard frowned upon hearing this: ¡°Hmm? Your own Holy Armor? The technology is much more complex than you think, you can¡¯t make it.¡± Calion hastily explained: ¡°No, no, no, we don¡¯t want to replicate the Holy Armor; we want to make a set of Armor similar to it.¡± ¡°Oh, I see now. I couldn¡¯t make the Holy Armor myself,¡± Richard said, finally understanding. Having said this, Richard asked with interest, ¡°You can¡¯t just talk the talk if you want funding; at least tell me your design ideas and what the final product can do.¡± Calion was momentarily stunned, realizing they had only thought of asking Richard for support and had forgotten that their idea was still just that¡ªan idea. But seeing Richard¡¯s gaze, Calion didn¡¯t dare to directly admit they had nothing yet. Such risky projects with long development times were not Richard¡¯s favorite; if Richard felt he was being played, the project might truly be rejected. Calion glanced at his colleagues out of the corner of his eye and noticed Ali holding the blueprint for the Holy Armor, subtly signaling him with her eyes. Remembering what Patelin had said earlier, Calion bit the bullet and told Richard: ¡°It¡¯s like this, my lord, we currently have a rudimentary idea. Based on what we know of the Holy Armor, we¡¯ve tentatively decided the design approach for this set of Armor is¡­ Exoskeleton Armor.¡± Having said this, Calion repeated what Patelin had said earlier and spontaneously added much of his own interpretation, trying to make the idea as appealing and convincing as possible. After Calion finished, he watched Richard nervously. He didn¡¯t know if the picture he had painted would attract Richard. Richard was silent for a moment, then he said: ¡°Exoskeleton¡­ Interesting. Your approach is good; I agree. What resources do you need?¡± Exoskeleton Armor, this design idea Richard had almost forgotten. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The crazed wizards of the Wizard World simply transformed their bodies into machinery, and after seeing so many insane wizards, Richard had forgotten about the brilliant thing that was the exoskeleton. Moreover, the Holy Armor also used an exoskeleton. This showed that the design idea was not wrong, at least not once the technology had reached a certain level. Seeing Richard agree to the project, all the Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters showed their joy. Calion said eagerly: ¡°My lord, right now we need technology in nerve control, which used to communicate with the Volcano Turtle to transform it into the Dragon Breath Cannon. The current New World Island has Volcano Turtles, so someone must have inherited this technology.¡± Richard nodded: ¡°Good, you first work on the design, and I will return to the Red Sun World as soon as possible.¡± With that, Richard was about to leave the Secret Realm. But before entering the rift, he suddenly stopped, turning to ask Talgar, who was celebrating the project approval among a group of Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters: ¡°Talgar, what¡¯s the status of the thing I asked you to research?¡± While Talgar was celebrating with those around him, Richard¡¯s sudden questioning caused him to freeze in place, stuttering: ¡°That that that¡­ the project, it¡¯s close, my lord. I¡¯m about to figure it out.¡± Richard¡¯s expression cooled; Talgar¡¯s response clearly wasn¡¯t right. Although the Exoskeleton Armor indeed had a bright future, they couldn¡¯t neglect the present for it. The Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone piling up at the mines was becoming a mountain; if they didn¡¯t figure out the special Alchemy ink technique soon, he would have to build another warehouse for storage. While building a warehouse wasn¡¯t particularly troublesome, it was an unnecessary action. He felt it necessary to expedite this project¡¯s progress. Richard commanded the Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters surrounding Talgar: ¡°Put aside the Exoskeleton Armor business for now and help Talgar finish the ink project. The ink project directly affects the resource abundance for your¡­ Armor project.¡± The surrounding Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters who had been amused by the spectacle could no longer laugh. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± (In unison) Before leaving the Secret Realm, Richard suddenly asked: ¡°By the way, Calion, what is the name of your project?¡± Calion thought for a while and, after discussing with a few nearby Fire Lizards, told Richard: ¡°My lord, we have named our project ¡®Mechanic¡¯.¡± Chapter 287: 8 Bobs Invitation Chapter 287: Chapter 8 Bob¡¯s Invitation Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, thirty years had passed. On the experiment table, a golden flame silently burned within a magic array. ¡°Such intricate energy structure in this flame, applying this structure to spells could increase the energy level by at least a hundred or two hundred.¡± Ali, looking at the successfully simulated golden flame, her pretty face was full of joy. The two¡¯s research on the unusual fire element artifacts had been very successful, and in this short period of thirty years, all the strange artifacts Richard had brought back were thoroughly studied. The secrets they contained allowed Richard and Ali to make significant advances in their knowledge of Shaping Magic. Under the enhancement of this knowledge, Richard¡¯s Fireball Technique had reached the power of seven hundred energy levels. Including the amplification from the magic wand, Richard¡¯s Fireball Technique had now reached eight hundred and sixty energy levels. Besides, in these years, Richard had modified several Shaping Magic spells. These spells were not outstanding in power, mainly incorporating the research findings of the strange artifacts, as well as dealing with some special situations. Richard went over to Ali¡¯s side, looked at the flame on the experiment table, and casually said, ¡°This is the last of the strange artifacts, you¡¯ve been troubled with this for years.¡± During the research process, Ali had always been the main researcher. After all, Susanna was a student of the Black Tower Great Wizard, and her knowledge¡¯s depth and breadth were astonishing. Even though Ali had become a Wizard, she could only parrot many of Susanna¡¯s research findings. She had to make a huge effort to fill in her knowledge gaps to fully understand the mysteries within. And this also made Ali¡¯s knowledge in Shaping Magic far exceed an average wizard¡¯s. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, had Richard been extraordinarily talented in the field of Synthetic Beasts, capable of inheriting Jolod¡¯s mantle, his situation wouldn¡¯t have been much better than Ali¡¯s. But unfortunately, like Anna, Richard had not chosen Jolod¡¯s path and thus had to find his way on his own. Ali turned off the magic array, and the golden flame vanished. ¡°How time flies, thirty years past in a blink of an eye,¡± Ali sighed, ¡°The progress of these thirty years feels like it¡¯s more than what I would have achieved studying alone for three hundred years.¡± Richard laughed and said, ¡°We¡¯ve completed the study on a few strange artifacts in thirty years, if we didn¡¯t make great progress, that would be absurd.¡± Ali pulled a face, then began to gather up the notebooks from the experiment table. ¡°Now that the research is done, it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re running away as soon as the research on the artifacts is over?¡± Ali gave Richard a look, then leaned into his arms, her tone coquettish, ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay a bit longer, but you better not run away.¡± Richard¡¯s expression stiffened, and he said somewhat sheepishly, ¡°Let¡¯s not, being together too often isn¡¯t conducive to the development of feelings. There¡¯s a common saying in my hometown, ¡®Absence makes the heart grow fonder.¡¯ Let¡¯s just give each other plenty of space.¡± Ali glared at Richard and reproached, ¡°Coward.¡± With that, Ali opened the window and flew out. Richard stood in place and grumbled in a voice only he could hear, ¡°Me, a coward? If it were any other wizard being tormented by you, they¡¯d have run away howling by now.¡± Over the years, Richard had finally learned what Bloodline Ali had fused with. The Bloodline Ali had fused with was a unique creature that the Black Tower Great Wizard had exchanged from a being in another world during a journey through the Star Realm. The Black Tower Great Wizard referred to this creature as the Fire Dragon Demon. This creature was a hybrid of a Giant Dragon and some otherworldly creature, but in this instance, the dragon bloodline did not dominate; instead, it merged with the blood of that otherworldly creature, causing a mutation. The advantages of the dragon bloodline were retained, while the greatest flaw¡ªthe erosive nature¡ªcompletely disappeared. Black Tower Great Wizard handed the specimen of this creature to Susanna. After studying the creature, Susanna found the powers brought by its Bloodline quite impressive, so she fused it into her body. After the fusion, Susanna didn¡¯t feel any dangerous side effects. Thus, she incorporated it into her wizard legacy, and after taking Ali as an apprentice, she passed this Bloodline to Ali after she became a Wizard. When in the Insect Nest World, Ali had just fused with the Bloodline and hadn¡¯t completely integrated it, so the Bloodline¡¯s abilities weren¡¯t apparent. But during the years that Richard campaigned in the Red Sun World, Ali finally fully integrated the Bloodline. Her physique, strength, agility, and even control over energy greatly improved. If Richard hadn¡¯t become a Second Ring Wizard, he really wouldn¡¯t have been able to suppress her. Moreover, what puzzled Richard the most was that Ali seemed to possess some sort of adaptability. Because as time went on, Ali could fight him to a standstill and recently even showed signs of overpowering him. For this reason, Richard had specifically asked Ali for some Fire Dragon Demon Bloodline, planning to study it when he had the time. If fusing with a Bloodline could give him abilities like an Adaptation Body, then there was no need for him to research an Adaptation Body any further. After Ali left, Richard tidied up the laboratory. Over the years, as the lab had been used by the two of them, some of the arrangements had inevitably changed. Now it was time to restore it to its original state. But as Richard was clearing up, a surge of Magic Fluctuation caught his attention¡ª His Communication Crystal Ball lit up. ¡°Who could be looking for me at this time, could it be Iyad?¡± He had asked Iyad to notify him when someone came to claim Damir¡¯s legacy, but thirty years had passed, and there had been no word from Iyad. Richard walked to the next room and looked at the message on the crystal ball. However, the sender of the message surprised him. ¡°Bob, why is he sending me a message?¡± Although Richard had given Bob some sample parts, hoping to do business with alchemy parts, Bob never got back to him, so he had put that out of his mind. No matter, his orders for the Magic Support Vehicles were already full. During these thirty years, Richard had casually completed the structural optimization of the Magic Support Vehicle, replacing all non-enchanted parts with products of Giant Dragon Alchemy. Now the Magic Support Vehicle had evolved to the Richard II model. This model outperformed the previous one in stability and function, with no change in price. A Magic Support Vehicle costs eight hundred and fifty magic essences, fair to both young and old¡­ Even with Richard¡¯s optimizations, the material cost of the Magic Support Vehicle had been reduced by nearly a hundred magic essences. Jolod naturally felt some dissatisfaction with this. ¡°The performance has improved, so your price should also increase. Otherwise, how can we justify ourselves to the legions who first bought the Magic Support Vehicles?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t increase the price, how are we going to charge for the upgrades to the first batch of Magic Support Vehicles?¡± ¡°We are a commerce, your mentality is wrong; a Great Wizard won¡¯t miss this bit of money.¡± Note: All the above statements were made by Jolod after learning that Richard had optimized the material cost by nearly a hundred magic essences. After opening up for orders, the White Wizard Army¡¯s orders came fluttering in like snowflakes. The effectiveness of the Magic Support Vehicles had spread among the White Wizard Army, and the on-call concentrated magic fire was something that wizards found incredibly reassuring. So, they strongly recommended that the upper echelons of the legion make a purchase. For the White Wizard Army, who had the backing of Great Wizards, spending a few hundred thousand magic essences on weapons was merely pocket change. If the effectiveness of the weapons was good enough, the Great Wizards would not only not blame them but would also appreciate their meticulous work. Therefore, they were also willing to buy a batch of Magic Support Vehicles to test the waters. Consequently, with their enthusiasm, Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce¡¯s orders for the Magic Support Vehicle were even backed up to a thousand years later. A steady stream of magic essences kept pouring towards Richard. To fulfill these orders, Jolod had already pulled Anna, Chax, and several of his apprentices into the commerce to work, and Richard¡¯s Fire Lizard Alchemy Workshop was also operating at full capacity. He now lacked the energy and interest to deal with Bob¡¯s small business. However, Bob¡¯s message did not explain the situation; it merely said that Nine Star Chamber of Commerce was about to hold an auction and hoped Richard would honor it with his presence and discuss some matters. So Richard didn¡¯t mind making a trip. Having researched for thirty years, it was good to go out and get some fresh air occasionally. And the auction itself was a good place; Richard, now flush with funds, didn¡¯t mind bidding for things that caught his eye. Maybe he could even find a bargain. Finding bargains was one of his favorite pastimes. Moreover, although the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce where Bob worked was an emerging commerce, it was already quite powerful compared to Richard¡¯s commerce. The ink that Talgar accidentally made, with Richard¡¯s help, had been deciphered by Fire Lizard Craftsmen seventeen years before. Although the solution was somewhat unclear, they were finally able to produce the ink stably. Currently, as Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce¡¯s stores had not spread out, Richard had an excess inventory of alchemy ink. Richard also wanted to take this opportunity to clear out some inventory. Pocketing the crystal ball, Richard returned to the laboratory to tidy up the unfinished parts. With some time left until the auction, it was most important to clean up the lab for now. ¡­ Nine Star Chamber of Commerce was not located at the Tower of Truth, so Richard had to leave the Tower of Truth and came to the real Wizard World. Checking the map, Richard found that the headquarters of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce was located at the intersection of two busy sky travel routes¡ªin a city named Paradise City. ¡°This is quite good; I don¡¯t even need to fly there myself.¡± Richard, looking at the map, found a high-speed Flying Airship bound for Paradise City at an airship port outside the Tower of Truth. To Richard¡¯s surprise, the airship¡¯s pilot turned out to be a wizard. Even the flight attendants aboard were high-ranking Wizard Apprentices. ¡°Master, is this your first time on the express airship?¡± The pilot, noting Richard¡¯s surprised expression, began with a laugh. ¡°Indeed, it is,¡± Richard nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the pilot of a Flying Airship to be a wizard.¡± The pilot chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not as powerful as the master who dares to fight on the Plane Battlefield, I¡¯m just a small fry with neither guts nor strength, trying to earn some magic stones by doing this kind of job.¡± Richard curiously asked, ¡°How much do you earn from one round trip?¡± ¡°One trip nets one magic essence.¡± ¡°How many trips can you make a year?¡± ¡°Five trips a year, guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood.¡± Richard nodded and handed a bag of magic stones to the pilot. ¡°Good job, very stable. Here are a hundred magic stones; check if there¡¯s anything missing.¡± The pilot caught the bag, didn¡¯t even bother scanning it with spiritual power, and casually tossed it into his Magic Pocket. ¡°Master, it¡¯s clear you¡¯re a big shot; you wouldn¡¯t be short on a few magic stones.¡± Richard looked at his attire somewhat strangely: ¡°Do I look wealthy? Or do I look fierce and intimidating?¡± ¡°Master, you normally reside in the Tower of Truth, surrounded by capable wizards who dare to go to the Plane Battlefield for a better future. So, you don¡¯t realize how special you are. But the formidable aura you carry is too conspicuous out here.¡± Richard frowned. A Black Wizard having a distinctive aura wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. They were usually infiltrating the enemy¡¯s rear, striving to emit no notable presence. He communicated with his shoulder-bound Ulysses via a spiritual message: ¡°Ulysses, do I have any particular aura?¡± ¡°Gaah, it happens when you¡¯ve killed too many; in our place, you just get baptized by a priest and you¡¯re good. Here, you probably need those Soul Wizards.¡± The pilot handed over the room number and key; even on the express airship, it would take a month to reach Paradise City. He would definitely have to stay on the airship for that time. Richard took them and glanced at the room number. ¡°Room 225, interesting.¡± Chapter 288: 9 The Storm is Brewing Chapter 288: Chapter 9 The Storm is Brewing Paradise City was located at the junction of two flying airship routes, which gave it a geographical advantage. The incessant flow of flying airships brought the city a wealth of goods and a vast amount of wealth, but wealth bred corruption. In Paradise City, none of the laws of the mortal world existed. The dominators of Paradise City were the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce, and the Chamber was a wizard company, which was only bound by the laws issued by the Truth Council. Thus, the Mortal Zone of Paradise City became a city synonymous with sin. As long as you had money and were a mortal without transcendent powers, you could do anything you wanted in Paradise City. Hallucinogens, slave trade, murder paradise¡­ all the corrupt acts you could think of as a mortal were possible in Paradise City. If that wasn¡¯t enough, you could even find wizards to serve you¡ªprovided you could afford the price. Such pleasures were extremely dangerous, for with just a bit more force in their actions, a wizard could break a mortal¡¯s bones. A little displeasure could ¡°scare¡± a mortal to death with life radiation. And yet, many tycoons who had started their fortunes through trade would still throw in fortunes just to enjoy the sensation of reigning over wizards. ¡­ On the flying airship, Richard sat in his room, silently arranging the rune array in front of him. In the air, symbols formed from concentrated magic power shifted positions, creating the special model of a Ghost Work Ball. As Richard moved the position of one rune, the entire model suddenly became extremely unstable. The runes drifted from their original positions under the influence of magic power, which further exacerbated the influence. In just a few milliseconds, the originally stable rune model suddenly turned into a magic power bomb about to explode. ¡°Ga, you¡¯ve failed again,¡± The out-of-control rune golem suddenly solidified in the air, after which a shadow wrapped around the entire model and shrank it to the size of a jellybean, which Ulysses then swallowed in one gulp. Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged, ¡°What experiment doesn¡¯t have failures? Besides, I¡¯m modifying the model of the Heart of Annihilation; you know its principle.¡± ¡°Ga, honestly, I don¡¯t recommend you continue studying this annihilation reaction. Not only is it high in the danger index, but its ceiling is also quite limited,¡± Ulysses rarely offered advice to Richard. ¡°The basic principle of your spell is the annihilation of two elements, but controlling high concentrations of elements is very energy-consuming. If the efficiency of your element compression is not high, then the power of the spell will be diminished. If you pursue power, then you must seek more efficient compression methods. But there are limits to compression. When you reach a peak, it will be difficult to advance further while the gains are very minimal.¡± Richard once again congealed a rune in his hand, as if not hearing Ulysses¡¯ advice. ¡°I¡¯ve known this for a long time, but you can¡¯t deny, this spell is very useful at the mortal stage. I didn¡¯t avoid you with the news from three days ago. You should know my current situation.¡± Three days ago, Richard had received several magical messages. The senders were from Jolod, Anna, Chax, and Ali. And all these messages mentioned one thing, the Academy War. The Black Tower Wizard Academy was about to face an Academy War. Due to the terrible consequences of the Great Wizard conflict during the Enlightenment era, the Wizard World now not only forbids Great Wizards from taking action within the Wizard World, but they are even prohibited from walking with their real bodies within the Wizard World. In such cases, if two Great Wizards had a grudge, there were only two ways for Great Wizard conflicts. One was to start a true man¡¯s 1v1 battle in the Star Realm. And the other was the Academy War, as mentioned in the messages Richard received The so-called Academy War meant Great Wizards would not act directly but would have their subordinates, the junior wizards, fight amongst themselves. Each wizard academy had a large number of faculty and staff, and Great Wizards recruited these people not only to facilitate expeditions to different planes but also to prepare for the Academy War. Once the Academy War began, the World Guardians would transfer both academies, along with all their wizards, into a Truth-Level Magic Equipment known as the World Realm. At that time, the two academies would engage in a fifty-year-long Academy War in a space similar to a secret realm. Any actions carried out in the war did not violate the laws instituted by the Truth Council. After the war, the two Great Wizards could not initiate an Academy War again for a thousand years. ¡­ There was no judgment of winning or losing in the Academy War, each side had its own standards. The most common was to consider the destruction of the other academy¡¯s Core Wizard Tower as a victory. The Core Wizard Tower was the heart and soul of an academy. It was not only the core of a Wizard Academy but also one of a Great Wizard¡¯s foundations. The Wizard Tower was the everyday dwelling of a Great Wizard, a symbol of the Great Wizard¡¯s presence in the Wizard World. Without the Wizard Tower, the Truth Council would not recognize your status as a Great Wizard. Moreover, almost all Great Wizards would leave safeguards within the Wizard Tower to prevent a complete fall in Otherworld expeditions or walks in the Star Realm. If the Wizard Tower was destroyed, these contingencies would certainly be compromised. Moreover, because of the principle that Great Wizards were not allowed to act, reconstruction of the Core Wizard Tower had to rely on other wizards and would be a prolonged process. During this period, Great Wizards could not recruit students, partake in Otherworld expeditions, or even attend any events held by the Truth Council. Furthermore, if a Great Wizard failed to reconcile with the victorious Great Wizard after the Academy War, It was likely that after the thousand-year war cooldown period had passed, another war declaration would come. The Great Wizard would then fall into a cycle. ¡°Ga, I must say, your Academy War is indeed a clever approach,¡± commented Ulysses. ¡°For a civilization, those at the World Master Level are the core forces. The death of a strong person at this level due to infighting is a loss to any civilization. And you ¡®mortals¡¯ are not so precious. Moreover, I estimate that although this Academy war is not mandatory, every Great Wizard will choose to fight in the Academy war. This war is akin to a stepping stone. Losing the war is just a sign that the underlings are not up to par, not that the Great Wizard is inadequate. It looks better for both sides in terms of saving face.¡± Richard remained silent for a moment, his tone full of resentment as he said, ¡°No matter how much I analyze it, how wise the decision is, or how good it is for the Wizard civilization, it¡¯s useless. For me at present, it¡¯s the worst strategy.¡± ¡°Gah, that¡¯s for others, not for you,¡± Ulysses countered, ¡°You¡¯re fighting Wizards this time. If you¡¯re a bit luckier and with your furnace, your strength will skyrocket afterwards.¡± Richard glanced at him and said irritably, ¡°I have to survive first. The World Mirror cannot admit those at the World Master Level strength, so you¡¯ll just be a cheerleader in this war.¡± Ulysses scratched his head with a gaggling sound: ¡°¡­Gah, this is a situation with both risks and opportunities. Go for it; I¡¯m rooting for you.¡± ¡­ [Paradise City has arrived. Passengers destined for this location, please disembark.] [Paradise City has arrived. Passengers destined for this location, please disembark.] Hearing the announcement in the Flying Airship, Richard scattered the runes in front of him and collected the scattered Magic Books in the room. He then opened the window and flew out of the Flying Airship. Outside the Flying Airship, thousands of Flying Airships ascended and landed in the vast airship field. Passengers continually disembarked from the airships, converging together like a hundred rivers flowing into the ocean. Richard took out a Crystal Ball and sent a message filled with Magic Power. In less than half an hour, a spherical flying vehicle with a rather lavish shell landed next to the Flying Airship Richard was on. Passengers coming and going around the Flying Airship looked at the flying vehicle with astonishment, but some extravagantly dressed tycoons, upon seeing the symbol on the vehicle, immediately bowed their heads in a slight bow, not daring to take another glance. ¡°What is your lordship doing¡­¡± ¡°You fool, that is a VIP flying vehicle from the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. The person it¡¯s picking up is not someone you can afford to look at!¡± The flying vehicle door opened, and Bob, wearing a monocular, emerged. Upon seeing Bob¡¯s Wizard Robe, even the dullest person knew to show respect. In such a crowd, Richard, who was looking around, stood out particularly. ¡°Haha, brother Richard, you¡¯re finally here.¡± Seeing Richard, Bob immediately opened his arms, and Richard walked over with a smile, and they hugged each other tightly. ¡°Brother Bob, you are as splendid as ever. Seeing how happy you are, I imagine you¡¯ve been promoted recently?¡± ¡°Haha, it was just luck, just luck.¡± While chatting with Richard, Bob ushered him into the flying vehicle. Then the hatch closed, and the vehicle became a ray of light flying toward the center of Paradise City. From beginning to end, Bob never glanced at the mortals on the ground, even though some of them were wealthy enough to rival nations, while others had the power to decide the life or death of thousands with a single command. Among the crowd, someone muttered, ¡°Who is this big shot who could make Vice-President Bob come out to meet them personally?¡± ¡­ In the flying vehicle, Richard and Bob sat in a room that was obviously larger than the dimensions of the vehicle would suggest. Around them, it was as though the vehicle had no metal shell at all, as they had an unobstructed view of the outside scenery. ¡°Brother Richard, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve struck it rich lately. Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce¡¯s name, in our circles, is about to become a smaller version of Tesla¡¯s.¡± Bob sat opposite Richard, holding a thick cigar in his hand, his smile on his face very affable. Hearing this, Richard replied modestly, ¡°Not at all, you¡¯re giving me too much credit. We just got lucky making a weapon, and it happened that some important figures in the White Wizard Army took a liking to it. Tesla Chamber of Commerce leads the Alchemy Weapon industry. Our little endeavors can¡¯t even compare to one of their fingers.¡± Bob took out a box of cigars from his pocket and offered it to Richard, ¡°You¡¯re too modest, brother. Here, try this, it¡¯s top-notch stuff our chamber offers exclusively to VIPs.¡± Richard accepted and opened it, finding a row of brown cigars. He picked one up and sniffed it in front of his nose, frowning slightly. ¡°This has been laced with Heavenly Hemp stems. If I remember correctly, it¡¯s meant to be hallucinogenic and to stimulate the brain to secrete endorphins.¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bob nodded, praising him, ¡°Not bad, being able to design the Magic Support Vehicle makes you an Alchemy Master. You know your alchemy materials inside and out.¡± Richard stuffed the cigar back in and pocketed the whole box. ¡°This stuff can impair judgment; I think I¡¯ll enjoy it some other time.¡± Bob smiled slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be so serious, brother. As a Wizard, you should indulge a little more.¡± Richard didn¡¯t take the bait, asking calmly instead, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of time for enjoyment later. Brother Bob, you didn¡¯t invite me all this way just to attend an auction and show me around Paradise City, did you?¡± Chapter 289: 10: Inheritance Rights of the Chamber of Commerce Chapter 289: Chapter 10: Inheritance Rights of the Chamber of Commerce ¡°Richard, you still have the character of a battlefield,¡± Bob said, picking up his cigar and taking a puff, slowly exhaling. Behind the smoke, Bob¡¯s gaze seemed uncertain. Richard frowned again. He waved his hand, and the Wind Element in the room gathered the smoke into one place. ¡°Bob, I think we should talk another time,¡± Richard suggested. ¡°The Zealot Leaf in that cigar is messing with your brain.¡± What Bob held in his hand was the cigar he had passed to Richard, only his had a special additive. Richard took a whiff of the smoke and realized the concentration of Zealot Leaf in Bob¡¯s cigar was at least five times that of the regular one, an amount that would create intense hallucinogenic effects even in a Wizard. Richard even began to doubt whether the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce was actually holding an auction. After all, considering Bob¡¯s current state, it seemed like he had been smoking those cigars for quite a long time. ¡°No, since you¡¯ve brought it up, Richard, let¡¯s talk about it here,¡± insisted Bob, sitting upright, his gaze suddenly sharp. Richard noticed this change and furrowed his brows even more. He had developed a tolerance. Bob hadn¡¯t even done this on the battlefields of the Red Sun World, and Richard wondered what experiences Bob had gone through lately that he needed such substances to relieve the stress. ¡°Richard, you must have heard about the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s old Chairman nearing his end,¡± Bob said. Richard nodded, relaxing his brows slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard.¡± Bob nodded and used a Wind Blade to snip off the tip of his cigar. ¡°Good you¡¯ve heard. In reality, the old Chairman¡¯s condition is far worse than what¡¯s been rumored. He won¡¯t last much longer.¡± Richard nodded again but remained silent. At this moment, he guessed why Bob was acting this way. Bob smirked at Richard, ¡°Normally, this kind of issue wouldn¡¯t concern someone of my level. After all, I was just middle management in the Chamber. Such matters of succession simply required me to await the new Chairman and then follow their lead.¡± With that, a hint of regret passed over Bob¡¯s face. ¡°But unfortunately, at this juncture, I¡¯ve acquired a small vein of Red Sun Crystal Iron Ore. Upon learning this, the old Chairman promptly moved me from the middle to the upper echelons and tasked me with spearheading the Chamber¡¯s efforts in Otherworld resource development.¡± Bob spoke with a tone filled with disbelief toward the end. Resource development was a lucrative position¡ªinevitable ¡°losses¡± in the process, if managed well, could translate to a significant income. ¡°And this promotion implies one thing: I have become one of the old Chairman¡¯s potential successors.¡± Richard stroked his chin, seemingly confirming his suspicions. With the old Chairman¡¯s life dwindling, the struggle for succession amongst the candidates had begun. As the contender with the shallowest foundation, Bob was likely to have the toughest time in this battle for succession. Barring any surprises, he would likely be the first to be eliminated. At this point, Richard was regretting his visit. While Bob¡¯s friendship was valuable, a power struggle for the control of the Wizard Commerce was definitely beyond the price of friendship. The conflicts between Wizards were not limited to underhanded schemes; a considerable number embraced the brutal succession method of Xuanwu Gate. If all rivals died, regardless of any will, the right of succession would surely fall to oneself. ¡°Little brother, I¡¯ve been afraid even to dive into meditation these days. My heart is in my throat all the time, fearing I won¡¯t see another day. This agony is worse than a battlefield.¡± Bob seemed like he hadn¡¯t poured his heart out to anyone in a long while. His emotion grew more intense, as if purging all the suffering he had endured recently. ¡°So what exactly do you need from me?¡± Richard asked bluntly. ¡°Our commerce doesn¡¯t offer security services.¡± Bob¡¯s attempt to involve Richard in this whirlpool of strife through the auction was irking him. ¡°No, little brother,¡± said Bob, with evident agitation, ¡°Even if we don¡¯t offer security services, you can undoubtedly save my life!¡± ¡°I can save your life?¡± Richard pointed to himself, his face confused. ¡°I had no idea I had such power.¡± Bob suddenly stood up, waved his hand, and a light screen materialized in the air. The screen displayed a dense list of names, all too familiar to Richard. ¡°How did you get your hands on this list?¡± Richard stood, looking at Bob with shock. This list contained the names of all the top-tier members of the White Wizard Army who had purchased Magic Support Vehicles. ¡°Little brother, your commerce is more attractive than you think!¡± Bob spoke somberly, ¡°Just with this list, if you¡¯re willing to vouch for me, no one will bother me. I¡¯m just a smoke bomb. The old Chairman definitely has his preferred candidate, and my promotion was merely to distract. As long as you¡¯re willing to protect me¡­¡± As he spoke, Bob tore off his Magic Pocket and handed it to Richard. ¡°All of this is yours. And if it isn¡¯t enough, I can take out loans from the Magic Essence banks.¡± Richard stared at the pocket Bob offered, contemplating whether to assist him. If Bob¡¯s words held sway as he claimed, then this favor was worth considering. With this act of goodwill, his commerce could definitely forge a strong partnership with the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. Yet, Richard worried if saving Bob would send the wrong signal to others, potentially triggering a chain reaction. After all, from what Bob had revealed, every move of Richard Jolod¡¯s commerce was under scrutiny. Time ticked away by the second, beads of sweat continuously trickling down Bob¡¯s forehead as his gaze remained tightly fixed on Richard, hoping for an answer. ¡°I¡¯ve decided,¡± Richard suddenly clapped his hands. ¡°This favor of yours I¡­ ¡± Boom! A loud booming noise interrupted what Richard was about to say next; the spacecraft he was in jerked violently, and the transparent walls around them reverted to their original appearance¡ªcold metal. Bob yelled at the ground, ¡°What¡¯s going on, was there an accident¡­?¡± Before Bob could finish his question, a second explosion sounded. This time, the entire spacecraft¡¯s walls deformed and shattered, with metal fragments splattering like bullets throughout the cabin. ¡°What the hell is this, Bob!¡± Richard shouted, propping up a Magic Barrier. Ulysses on his shoulder had already surveyed the surrounding environment. According to Ulysses, there were at least five Second Ring Wizards casting spells around the spacecraft. And the attack they were facing was coming from them. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just a damn Smoke Bomb! How could someone attack you!¡± Bob was also dumbfounded at the moment; he was indeed a Smoke Bomb. It¡¯s not possible that the old chairman had suddenly promoted him just to pass on his seat to him, right? He hadn¡¯t even met the old chairman face to face; how could such a thing be possible? Boom! The third explosion sounded. The entire spacecraft split into pieces in an instant, and the Wizard Apprentice in the cockpit was torn to pieces by the flying debris. ¡°Damn it, Ulysses, attack! Take down all these bastards for me!¡± Richard was ignited with anger; after all, he was a Black Wizard who had fought in the Plane Battlefield. Even if he didn¡¯t have a great malice, the current situation would make a mud figure spark some rage. ¡°Ga, I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say that!¡± Ulysses, having received the order, immediately flew up from Richard¡¯s shoulder and darted towards the assaulting wizards like a bolt of lightning. At the moment, Richard was located at the boundary between the Mortal Zone and the Wizard District. The structure of Paradise City was nested: at the center of Paradise City was the Wizard District, surrounded by a transitional zone, and then the vast Mortal Zone. And in the transitional zone, where the situation was mixed, both mortals and wizards were active, so the appearance of a few wizards was not unusual. Seeing Ulysses fly towards them, a hint of disdain flashed across the corners of the attacking wizards¡¯ mouths. Thinking they could use a Magic Pet to harass and delay time, such a tactic would only affect the natives¡­ Dark Crow Claws tore through the Magic Barrier instantly and then grasped his heart with a single claw. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ga, the first one.¡± The wizard looked unbelievingly at the black crow; how could a Magic Pet be so powerful? Could he have encountered a Master of Synthetic Beasts? The intelligence didn¡¯t mention any of this! Immediately after, this wizard saw the black crow similarly claw out the hearts of his four companions. You should know that the strongest of them was almost ready to ascend to the Third Ring! ¡°This is definitely a third-level creature!¡± the attacking wizard screamed crazily in his heart. But now, it was a bit late. Because a wizard had already appeared before them, with Rune Chains glowing with blue light drilling out of his body. Sealing Skill! The attacking wizard had the will to resist, but at this moment his heart had already been grasped by Ulysses, and the circulation of magic power in his body had fallen into chaos. Even if one became a wizard, the heart was still the starting and end point of most wizards¡¯ Magic Rebound. Losing the heart would cause a temporary loss of control over magic power. Watching Rune Chains wrap around his body, the attacking wizard felt an ice-cold chill. It wasn¡¯t just from the miserable fate he could already foresee; it also came from the coldness inherent in the Sealing Skill itself. The Rune Chains on their bodies were turning into blue frost. Soon, the sealing was complete. Richard stood in place, continuously drawing Energy from Magic Stones to replenish his Magic Power. The Sealing Skill was a major energy consumer, and casting five Sealing Skills at once, all on Second Ring Wizards who were not much different in strength from him, nearly drained Richard¡¯s internal Magic Power, along with his reserve energy. After establishing a good Magic Rebound, Richard grasped one of the wizards and temporarily lifted his sealing. ¡°Who sent you?¡± Richard asked with a murderous look. The wizard, whose sealing was lifted, glanced at Richard with his Magic Power surging within him, whether he was rebuilding his Magic Rebound or preparing to release a Spell. Clearly, he had no intention of cooperating with Richard. ¡°Not talking? No problem if you won¡¯t talk.¡± A streak of black and red light flashed in Richard¡¯s vertical pupils, and the wizard he was gazing at was instantly dragged into a nightmare. At this time, Bob also arrived next to Richard, looking at the wizard Richard was interrogating, and said: ¡°Bro, there¡¯s no need to interrogate these scum. They are a group of Mercenaries who do dirty jobs, and they all signed a Soul Contract before undertaking the mission. You won¡¯t get anything out of them.¡± Richard turned to him, ¡°Do you have any idea? It¡¯s not like a Smoke Bomb to be assassinated on the street.¡± Bob took out a Crystal Ball and handed it to Richard with a bitter smile, saying: ¡°This is a message from one of my insiders; I just received it.¡± There was a message inside the Crystal Ball. ¡°My lord, the old chairman is about to pass away, and he has designated you as the successor to the Commerce.¡± Chapter 290: 11: Building Momentum Chapter 290: Chapter 11: Building Momentum ¡°It seems your guess wasn¡¯t quite accurate,¡± Richard remarked with a cold smile as he returned the crystal ball to Bob. Bob¡¯s face was full of bitter smiles, ¡°Brother, I swear by the Sea of Souls, everything I told you is the absolute truth. I hadn¡¯t even met the old chairman before. Who could have expected the old chairman to choose me as his successor?¡± Richard didn¡¯t continue to press the matter, as brooding over these things was pointless now. These heirs had already started to resort to fighting over the position of chairman. Although according to the laws issued by the Truth Council, wizard battles outside of academy wars were forbidden. But this law was hardly enforceable and did not hold much weight. The Wizard World was vast, and the World Guardians of the Wizard World not only had to hunt down those insane wizards, prevent them from massacring the mortals, but also needed to find time for research to enhance their own combat capability. Such small-scale wizard battles, as long as they didn¡¯t occur right before their eyes, were as if nothing happened. With so many wizards in the Wizard World, the death of some non-combatant wizards was even considered beneficial for Wizard Civilization. ¡°Bob,¡± Richard¡¯s voice was as cold as the December wind, ¡°I think we can collaborate more deeply. I¡¯ve recently stockpiled a batch of alchemy ink, and I hear Nine Star Chamber of Commerce has many sales channels.¡± Seeing Richard say this, a smile instantly lit up Bob¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once this is successful, the sales channels of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce will be completely open to Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce, and your chamber¡¯s products will be sold in all stores of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce without any channel fees.¡± Richard nodded, then gestured to bring a few wizards over to his side. ¡°Brother, have your people take care of these wizards.¡± As he spoke, Richard gestured towards several star airships that were rapidly approaching. The airships arrived beside the duo, and several black-robed wizards stepped out. One of them, a fat, bristly-haired Three Rings Wizard, gave Richard and Bob a glance and arrogantly said: ¡°Vice Chairman Bob, what is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°What does it look like?¡± Bob sneered, ¡°Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯ve been attacked at our headquarters! Aimen, you¡¯re doing a really good job as the head of security, aren¡¯t you?¡± After hearing this, Aimen feigned a sudden realization and loudly reprimanded the Black Wizards beside him: ¡°What are you all doing, allowing the vice-chairman to be attacked on our territory! You¡¯ve wasted your Magic Essence!¡± The Black Wizards bowed their heads in silence, but it was clear to anyone that Aimen was just putting on an act. This attack was not necessarily orchestrated by Aimen, but it definitely had his tacit approval or participation. Otherwise, given the security level of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, higher-ups would likely have been assassinated long before. Bob was probably the last to know he had been designated as the successor of the Chamber of Commerce. At present, it seems internal interest groups within the commerce had reached a temporary cooperation¡ªto eliminate Bob first. Bob¡¯s face turned ashen as he watched the scene unfold, realizing that Aimen didn¡¯t even plan to impose a proper penalty, evidently certain of his death. Richard looked at Aimen and sent a Spiritual Message to Ulysses: ¡°How long would it take to take down this fool?¡± Ulysses glanced at Aimen and confidently replied: ¡°Caw, ten seconds, no more than thirty seconds at most.¡± Upon hearing this, a slight smile curled the corners of Richard¡¯s mouth. Aimen, standing opposite him, suddenly felt a chill down his spine as if a terrifying creature had set its sights on him. ¡°Then take him down.¡± Ulysses chirped somewhat gleefully: ¡°Caw, that¡¯s fierce, not like your usual temperament.¡± Richard narrowed his eyes: ¡°If I don¡¯t show some strength, things like this will keep happening.¡± ¡°Caw, got it.¡± Aimen, looking at the somewhat unfamiliar face of the wizard opposite him, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, involuntarily stepping back two steps. And as he took the first step back, a pitch-black crow claw suddenly appeared at the position of his heart. ¡°How dare you!¡± Aimen was horrified, not expecting anyone to dare to make a move against him in front of so many people. He was, after all, a Three Rings Wizard, and for someone to attack him at the headquarters of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, wasn¡¯t that seeking death? But before he could finish his threat, Ulysses¡¯s figure had already appeared before him. ¡°Caw, too much talk.¡± Saying this, a crow claw tore through the hastily erected Magic Barrier by Aimen and struck at his heart again. Aimen¡¯s body, seeing this, surged with magic power, a massive amount of magic entering his limbs and all his extremities, causing his already corpulent body to suddenly expand like a small mountain. The crow claw effortlessly pierced into his body, but due to the sudden expansion, it grabbed only a handful of fat. ¡°Caw, too greasy, you fat pig,¡± Ulysses shouted as he withdrew his crow claw, loudly mocking. ¡°Bastard!¡± Aimen¡¯s skin turned blood-red, his whole person like a piece of blood jade. He swung a punch at Ulysses with terrible force, even creating a vacuum strip in the air, causing the air to ripple like water waves. Bang! A loud bang echoed in the air. Aimen couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. His punch, so heavy and powerful, was calmly caught by Ulysses with one claw. The pitch-black crow claw, like a pair of iron tongs, firmly grasped his fist, unmovable no matter how hard he tried. ¡°Caw, insect, got you.¡± Ulysses cackled as he reached out with his crow claw again. Facing this seemingly ordinary strike, Aimen used all the tricks he knew, a spell not less than three thousand energy levels bursting in the air like fireworks, and he tore another Space Jump Scroll after another. His body remained stuck in place, unable to move, while the black crow claw, like an unstoppable steamroller, crushed all his means of resistance. He watched helplessly as the crow claw plunged into his chest, extracting his large heart. As his heart was removed, Aimen¡¯s face went instantly pale; he watched the black crow fly to the side of the Black Wizard Bob, his lips trembling but unable to utter a single word. It was only then that he noticed the terrifying aura of murderous energy emanating from the Black Wizard beside Bob. He was definitely one of the War Wizards from the Tower of Truth who delighted in expeditions across different planes. Aimen suddenly remembered that Bob, when he wasn¡¯t commanding the resource development department, seemed to be part of the military chamber of commerce participating in plane expeditions. Bob¡¯s face stiffened as he watched this scene unfold; Aimen, as the head of security, was a genuine Three Rings Wizard who had participated in numerous plane wars in his earlier years. Yet such a formidable figure had just been subdued by Richard¡¯s unassuming pet crow. Has this world gone mad? He had always thought that the crow was Richard¡¯s Magic Pet. ¡°You are Aimen, right?¡± Aimen watched as the Black Wizard spoke to him calmly. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You may not know, but I was also on the airship earlier. Bob invited me to attend the auction hosted by the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, and yet this is how you welcome guests. I¡¯m not pleased about this.¡± At his words, Aimen¡¯s face paled again. He knew Bob had arranged for a VIP airship to pick up guests at the airship field, but who would have known that Bob could bring back such a ruthless figure? If he had known, he would have ensured that Bob¡¯s airship had no turbulence whatsoever and arrived at the auction smoothly. Richard, holding Aimen¡¯s still-beating heart, slowly walked up to him. ¡°Minister Aimen, I think there¡¯s an issue with how you¡¯ve handled this situation. What do you think?¡± Richard¡¯s fingers tightened slightly, and Aimen¡¯s large heart distorted slightly. Seeing this, Aimen couldn¡¯t help but wince in sympathy. ¡°I understand, I understand your point, Master,¡± said Aimen repeatedly. He turned to look at the several Black Wizards who had accompanied him, speaking angrily: ¡°You worthless things, to have such a distinguished guest attacked, you¡¯re all fired!¡± With that, the wizards felt their soul contracts with the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce being severed. The Black Wizards looked at each other in dismay, suffering the consequences of their superiors¡¯ quarrel. The small figures, merely following orders, were the ones really affected. Aimen turned back to Richard, his face adopting a flattering smile: ¡°Master, do you find this arrangement acceptable?¡± Richard didn¡¯t reply; he just tossed the heart back to Aimen and then returned to Bob¡¯s side. Aimen carefully caught his own heart, then stuffed it back into the bloody hole in his chest; his complexion immediately improved significantly. He took out a crystal ball and sent out several messages. Soon, a new VIP airship arrived beside Bob. Aimen approached Richard, opened the cabin door, and made a gesture inviting him to enter: ¡°Master, please.¡± Richard glanced at him, ¡°There won¡¯t be any more attacks, will there?¡± Aimen shook his head repeatedly, smiling obsequiously: ¡°No, no, there won¡¯t be. From now on, I will ensure your escort, guaranteeing not even a jolt.¡± Richard nodded and gestured for Bob to enter. ¡°Chairman Bob, please.¡± Bob looked startled at first, but understanding Richard¡¯s intent from his expression, he straightened his Wizard Robe and smiled at Richard: ¡°Master, you are too polite.¡± Bob walked briskly into the airship, and Richard followed closely behind. After the cabin door was closed, Aimen quickly flew to the airship he had arrived in. He took out a crystal ball that could connect to the pilots of these airships. ¡°Lead the way, and if this distinguished guest experiences even the slightest jolt, don¡¯t bother showing up to work anymore.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡­ Aimen¡¯s experience was swiftly turned into a document that landed on the desks of various potential heirs. ¡°A Black Wizard from the Tower of Truth, using only a Magic Pet, extracted Aimen¡¯s heart with ease,¡± Rother looked at the intelligence on his desk, frowning. ¡°Teacher, it seems the smoke bomb you chose is about to become the master here.¡± Rother pulled out a crystal ball from his pocket and sent two messages. Soon, a Black Wizard arrived in Rother¡¯s office. ¡°Sir, what do you need me to do?¡± Rother took out a gorgeously crafted, magnificent chairmanship badge from his pocket. On the back of the badge, a blood fingerprint was imprinted. ¡°Take this item to Roma Ha City and invite that Master over.¡± The Black Wizard¡¯s body shuddered; others might not know about Roma Ha City, but as Rother¡¯s confidant, he was very aware. That place seemed to be territory of a One Ring Wizard on the surface, but in reality, it concealed a Three Rings mad Wizard. Seeing his subordinate¡¯s lack of response, Rother¡¯s tone became a bit harsher. ¡°What, is there a problem?¡± The Black Wizard shook his head repeatedly: ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll go right away.¡± Chapter 291: 12 Single Soldier Armor Chapter 291: Chapter 12 Single Soldier Armor ¡°Mechanic Under Aimen¡¯s guidance, Richard¡¯s subsequent journey was smooth and unobstructed. Soon, the flying vehicle arrived at the center of Paradise City, in the Wizard District. As the name suggests, the Wizard District is where wizards reside, and compared to the enormous Mortal Zone, it was like the red dot at the center of a target. Within this area, a small portion of the residents were employees of the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce, while the vast majority of the wizards were outsiders. These wizards often came to Paradise City for certain materials or specimens and did not stay long. Therefore, the population turnover in the Wizard District was extremely high. But this was not necessarily a bad thing. High turnover led to nearly unlimited possibilities. The Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce often took advantage of trading opportunities to acquire these wizards¡¯ skills and contact information. This brings us to the most important service of the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce¡ªWizard Support. A wizard in need could spend some Magic Essence to check if any known wizards could solve their problem. If so, the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce would charge a commission to connect the two wizards. Just like when Richard gathered knowledge about Alchemy Machines in the Red Sun World. This business was crucial for the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce; wizards lacked most in the exchange of information, and with such a platform, even if the fees were high, it was a great benefit for wizards. Countless wizards, unable to find someone to solve their problems, had been stuck on issues for a lifetime. Such a crucial business naturally wouldn¡¯t be managed by an outsider. Before the old chairman¡¯s lamp ran out of oil, he personally commanded this department. Now as the old chairman was about to pass away, the acting head of this department was his student¡ªRother. In fact, even when the old chairman was in command, Rother had already been working in this department as the vice head. Before Bob appeared, almost everyone thought Rother would be the successor of the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce. That Bob was alive today was also thanks to him; before the old chairman determined his successor, hardly anyone specifically targeted Bob. Because they were all busy dealing with Rother. Otherwise, the foundationless Bob would probably have turned to ash. ¡­ The most conspicuous part of the Wizard District was a white hexagonal tower at its center. Its beautiful reliefs paired with a geometrically appealing structure brought immediate mental comfort to onlookers. ¡°Is this the headquarters of the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce?¡± Richard asked, looking at the white tower. Bob shook his head, ¡°Of course not, our headquarters are those four shorter buildings around this tower. This tower serves as our auction house and the place where some rare items are sold. The residences for VIPs are also inside this tower.¡± The auction Bob mentioned was not a hallucination embellished by him; the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce was indeed going to hold a grand auction in three days. The highlight of the auction was the mutated Fire Lizard flesh that Richard sold to Bob in the Red Sun World. The flying vehicle stopped on a vast terrace at the top of the White Tower, Richard stepped out of the flying vehicle and entered into the tower. The level where the flying vehicle landed was a hall, and upon entering, several Puppet Servants¡ªalmost indistinguishable from any machine¡ªapproached Richard. A Mechanic Servant handed Richard a black metal badge, beautifully crafted and slightly enchanted. Bob explained from the side, ¡°This is our Chamber¡¯s VIP badge, mainly for identity recognition and for granting access to certain VIP areas. The black badge is the highest level; with this badge, there¡¯s nowhere in this tower you can¡¯t go. Any staff will do their utmost to satisfy your requests.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Where will I be staying these days?¡± Bob smiled mysteriously, ¡°Brother, activate your badge and you¡¯ll find out.¡± Curiosity piqued, Richard used his spiritual power to probe the badge. The manufacturer had left usage instructions inside the badge; Richard followed them and infused a bit of Magic Power. Immediately, a special frequency of Magic Fluctuation emitted from the badge, and a faint white light emerged under Richard¡¯s feet. ¡°Teleportation Array?¡± Richard glanced at the carpet covering the hall floor, initially thinking it was for aesthetics, only to realize it also concealed a Magic Array. Soon, Richard¡¯s surroundings blurred, and when the view cleared, he found himself in a luxuriously decorated room. Exquisite murals, fine tapestries, and lavish Magic Lights illuminated the entire room brightly. Approaching the window, he saw clouds flowing beneath him, and the whole Paradise City was visible at a glance. ¡°The view is indeed nice.¡± Leaving the window, Richard noticed a Crystal Ball placed on the living room¡¯s table. He picked it up to examine its contents, and his expression immediately turned very strange. ¡°These wizards know how to have fun,¡± Richard murmured. The information in Crystal Ball, aside from the layout of the tower, was entirely comprised of various leisure activities. Some activities included common forms of entertainment, alongside some services that were downright slothful. What kind of wizard would opt for something like tentacle monster organ massages? Moreover, this strong electric stream mental cleansing service looked suspiciously like electrocution. Even the service props included a chair. Seeing the services provided by the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce, Richard realized his understanding of wizards was still too superficial. This group, with their lengthy lifespans and rich imagination, pursued thrills and pleasures to incredible extents. Long years were enough to make any joy taste bland, the once delicious food now as tasteless as wax, and previously enjoyable couplings become utterly flavorless. In this process, some wizards chose to seek truth through information by endlessly exploring the unknown to keep themselves joyful. The rest pursued ever more extreme pleasures. Putting down the Crystal Ball, Richard was about to browse through the auction catalog Bob had given him to see what good items were available at the auction. But a message from his soul made him put down the catalog. ¡°O great Creator God, your people have completed a masterpiece, the Holy Armor has been crafted.¡± Richard was momentarily stunned, then he realized what Fuzzy Ball was referring to. ¡°These Fire Lizard Armors are actually done!¡± Richard marveled internally, thinking that the work efficiency driven by ideals was truly different. Over the past thirty years, with Richard¡¯s support, Fire Lizard Craftsmen in the Secret Realm had initiated the ¡°Mechanic¡± plan to create their own Holy Armor. The process of this plan was not smooth sailing, but it was at least fraught with difficulties. Neural control technology did indeed have a heritage in New World Island, but essentially, it was a biological modification technology, completely different from the Alchemy used by the Fire Lizard Craftsmen. The Fire Lizards had to transform this technology into Alchemy Technology. Besides neural control technology, there was also endless debate over Armor design. Each Fire Lizard Alchemy Master wanted to include their proudest work, but their skills were far from balanced enough to incorporate all these elements. This led to the initial design of the Armor being very cumbersome, which Richard outright rejected and demanded a redesign. Later, the Fire Lizard Craftsmen optimized several drafts, but none were satisfactory. Out of necessity, Richard went to New World Island and brought Makar into the Secret Realm to teach these Fire Lizard Craftsmen what was essential and what was supplementary. With Makar¡¯s help, the design was finally finalized. But after finalization, the Fire Lizard Craftsmen encountered technical issues. Many things seemed simple on paper, but once it came to actual implementation, there were all sorts of problems. Fortunately, there were enough Fire Lizard Craftsmen, and their skill levels were strong. They overcame these technical issues one after another through collective wisdom. When Richard last entered the Secret Realm, these Fire Lizard Craftsmen told him there was only one issue left unresolved. Now, only one month had passed, and unexpectedly, this issue was resolved so quickly. Richard entered the Secret Realm Rift. Upon entering the Secret Realm, Richard saw a majestic steel Giant Beast standing not far from him. As a Third-Level Fire Lizard, Makar was already three meters tall, and wearing this set of Armor, he was even taller by a head. His already strong body wrapped in Armor was like a wall of sighs. In Makar¡¯s right hand was a golden Chain Saw Sword, its meter-long sawtooth blade seemed capable of tearing through any defense. And in his left hand, a thick metal shield that would make any rational creature give up the thought of attacking. Seeing Richard enter the Secret Realm, Makar immediately moved towards him, aided by the Gravity Enchantment, the several-ton-heavy Makar walked on the soft ground without even leaving footprints. Yes, this Armor didn¡¯t just utilize Giant Dragon Alchemy, some functions that Giant Dragon Alchemy couldn¡¯t achieve, were substituted with Wizard Alchemy by Richard. ¡°My lord.¡± Makar knelt on one knee. The Fire Lizard Craftsmen also quickly gathered around Richard, their faces worn but excited. To complete this Armor as soon as possible, they had been working almost tirelessly these days. Calion came up to Richard, his voice filled with excitement, ¡°My Lord, we have completed it.¡± Richard nodded, slightly acknowledging the tired Fire Lizard Craftsmen. ¡°Folks, you have worked hard these days. As a reward for your labor, all staff of the Alchemy Workshop will have three months¡¯ holiday.¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s reward, a few Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters felt indifferent, but the Fire Lizard Workers who worked in the workshop rejoiced. ¡°Thank you, my Lord!¡± ¡°My lord, you truly are the embodiment of kindness!¡± ¡°My lord, I actually don¡¯t need to rest¡­¡± This was quickly interrupted, as a group of Fire Lizards pinned him down and gave him a good beating. Richard did not pay attention to these Fire Lizard Workers¡¯ performance. His reason for shutting down the Alchemy Workshop was simple, the Alchemy parts produced by these Fire Lizards were already sufficient for Richard¡¯s use for quite some time. Continuing would only take up warehouse space with no other purpose. ¡°Who can brief me on the data of this Armor?¡± Richard asked an Alchemy Master standing nearby. Sulina, holding a data sheet, squeezed next to Richard, ¡°Sir, here are the test data sheets.¡± Richard took the data sheet and immediately drew in a sharp breath. Being the Prototype, many aspects of the Armor were made without regard to cost, resulting in very high performance specifications. The Armor¡¯s protection capabilities were extremely strong; spells below four thousand Energy Levels would not cause structural damage to the armor body. And the shield he held could resist Elemental Attacks of up to six thousand Energy Levels. In terms of offense, Makar, bolstered by the Armor, could deliver two thousand Energy Levels of blunt damage with a regular punch. The Chain Saw Sword combined Demon-breaking and Cutting damage. The only downside of the entire Armor was its lack of ranged damage and too meager offensive means. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But this was Richard¡¯s issue; he had declared that he would handle the offensive weapons himself. Aside from attack and defense, the Armor had no issues with flexibility. Wearing the Armor, Makar¡¯s speed was even faster than his unarmored self. Furthermore, the Armor also had the function of concealing Qi, rendering most spiritual power probes ineffective once fully armed. One could say, as a Guard Armor, except for being expensive, it had no flaws. Richard folded the data sheet neatly and put it in his pocket, then asked Sulina: ¡°What is this Armor called?¡± Sulina looked up at Richard, her eyes seemingly sparkling, ¡°My lord, it¡¯s called ¡®Mechanic¡¯.¡± Chapter 292: 13 Auction Chapter 292: Chapter 13 Auction ¡°Mechanic¡­ alright, it is now the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor.¡± Richard patted the armor and continued to ask, ¡°How long can it last in combat?¡± Calion replied, ¡°If combat mode isn¡¯t activated, the armor¡¯s current battery life can theoretically last a year. However, if combat mode is engaged, this duration will rapidly decrease. Based on our estimates, if Makar fights at full capacity, half an hour will deplete all the armor¡¯s energy and his own body¡¯s as well.¡± ¡°Half an hour¡­¡± Richard touched the armor, a slight smile lifting the corners of his mouth. ¡°Half an hour is enough.¡± Having said that, Richard addressed the group of craftsmen who had created the armor: ¡°Have you left your names on it? If not, do it quickly; I¡¯m about to take it out of the Secret Realm.¡± Hearing this, the Fire Lizard Craftsmen around Richard all revealed smiles. One Fire Lizard Alchemy Master laughed loudly: ¡°Master, you needn¡¯t worry about that. This is a prototype; how could we possibly not sign our names?¡± Richard was taken aback for a moment, then also broke into laughter. Indeed, he didn¡¯t need to worry about such things; the armor project was proposed by these Fire Lizards. It was their way of proving their capabilities. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take it out for a spin. You guys rest here in the Secret Realm; I¡¯ll bring you back to the Red Sun World in a couple of days.¡± Richard waved his hand, signaling to Makar to follow him out of the Secret Realm. Makar was somewhat nervous; until now, none of Richard¡¯s Fire Lizards had entered the Wizard World. Their understanding of the Wizard World still rested on information obtained during the war and their imagination. What kind of world could breed such terrifying creatures as wizards? Stepping out of the Secret Realm, Makar instantly felt a suffocating sensation. It wasn¡¯t that the air of the Wizard World was toxic to Makar. In fact, his full helmet was equipped with an air purification system to ensure every breath he took was completely harmless. The suffocation he felt stemmed from the energy density of the air. The high tower of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce was no Tower of Truth. Although the energy density inside the tower was higher due to the numerous Magic Arrays, this increase was paltry compared to the Red Sun World or Richard¡¯s Secret Realm Fragments. Makar¡¯s body cells instinctively craved more energy, and the air¡¯s energy density couldn¡¯t satisfy this need, hence the feeling of suffocation. ¡°Master, is this the world you come from?¡± Makar endured the discomfort and respectfully addressed Richard. ¡°This environment is a bit¡­ too barren.¡± It was hard to imagine that such a desolate world could nurture wizards, such terrifying beings. Richard noticed Makar¡¯s discomfort and pulled out a Magic Potion from his pocket, handing it to him. ¡°Drink this, then switch the armor to sealed mode.¡± Makar¡¯s condition was quite common; to otherworldly beings, the Wizard World¡¯s low-energy environment was hellish. The stronger an otherworldly creature was, the more intense their reaction to the low-energy environment of the Wizard World. To address this condition, known as ¡°Low Magic Syndrome¡± by wizards, many Wizard Commerce had developed Magic Potions to alleviate the symptoms. Makar opened his helmet, tossing the entire bottle of Magic Potion, along with the bottle itself, into his mouth. Then he closed his helmet and, following Richard¡¯s orders, activated sealed mode. After sealed mode activated, some metallic friction sounds emanated from within the armor. Although the exterior of the armor remained unchanged, it was now completely sealed. In this state, Makar would not be able to absorb energy from the external environment; similarly, the energy emitted from his body would be trapped inside the armor. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Richard inquired. Makar¡¯s deep voice came through the armor. ¡°Master, I feel much better now.¡± Richard nodded; he had designed the closed mode and insisted that the Fire Lizard Craftsmen equip it. This idea was originally to prevent wizards from venturing into low-energy worlds, which could lead to the Fire Lizards inside the armor struggling to adapt and potentially losing combat effectiveness. However, upon receiving news of the conflict at the Academy, Richard had new ideas about this feature. The war at the Academy prohibited strategic-level Magic Equipment and the use of Slave Armies and Synthetic Beast Armies by Great Wizards. But the use of small-scale Otherworldly slaves was entirely allowed. Richard brought Makar out to see how effective the armor would be against wizards. If it proved significant, Richard would consider creating a Fire Lizard combat squad for his own security during the Academy war, regardless of the cost. After all, Ulysses couldn¡¯t enter the World Mirror. Without Ulysses, the bodyguard, Richard, a Second Ring Wizard, was hardly safe on the battlefield. Richard instructed Makar: ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re feeling better. In the coming days, keep an eye on the armor¡¯s various statuses. After we return, these data will directly influence subsequent improvements to the armor. Also, you might have a few battles to fight in the next few days, so prepare yourself in advance.¡± Makar¡¯s heart tightened as he knelt on one knee and said, ¡°Yes, Master! I will do everything in my power.¡± Richard nodded, telling Makar he was free to move about before locating the laboratory equipped in his room; he closed the door and began to continue refining his magic model. After the door closed, Ulysses suddenly spoke up. ¡°Ga, do you really intend to use him against your own kind? Your wizards have an unfriendly attitude towards these natives; if your actions are discovered, it is likely to cause a lot of trouble.¡± Richard, focused intently on converging runes, calmly said without turning his head, ¡°Without a soul contract, my actions would be considered treason, and I would be deemed a mad wizard by the Judicial Department¡¯s Law Enforcement Wizards. But with a soul contract, my actions are nothing but an Alchemy Wizard using his creation in battle. I have a soul contract with Makar, so there is no need to worry about that.¡± After speaking, Richard paused before adding, ¡°I must say, you have been taking an increasing interest in my affairs recently, which pleases me.¡± Ulysses was silent for a moment before he spoke slowly, ¡°Ga, you have great potential, and I have high hopes for you. If you continue to grow successfully, your future will be boundless¡­ I very much look forward to the day I can stand on your shoulder as a ¡®Subordinate God¡¯ to the creator Richard.¡± Richard smiled and said no more. ¡­ Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Richard, wearing a mask over his face, appeared at the scene of the auction with Ulysses and Makar amidst a flash of white light. Bob and Aimen had already been waiting for a long time. ¡°Master, you¡¯ve arrived.¡± Seeing Richard approaching, Aimen immediately came forward respectfully to greet him. Richard shook hands with Aimen and smiled, ¡°Minister Aimen, there is no need for such courtesies. I am merely a guest; how could I trouble such a great personage to come and receive me personally.¡± Aimen, looking at the smiling face of Richard, thought to himself, Why are you acting this time? You weren¡¯t so polite when you were taking my heart that day. At this moment, Bob also approached Richard. Seeing the obviously concealment-feature-equipped mask on Richard¡¯s face, he felt slightly relieved. After escorting Richard to the White Tower, Aimen inquired about his identity, only to find out that Richard was actually one of the chairs of the renowned Richard Jolod in the Wizard Commerce circle. Upon learning this news, Aimen immediately decided to support Bob for the chairmanship and quickly suppressed the information that the Black Wizard was Richard. He only let out that Bob had brought in a formidable Black Wizard from the Tower of Truth. Otherwise, if this news was not kept a secret, the other wizards vying for the chairmanship would likely seek help from other Wizard Commerces. In such a case, no matter who the final chair would be, the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce wouldn¡¯t gain any advantage. The price of the other Commerce Wizards would definitely be much higher than Richard¡¯s demands. As the head of security for the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, Aimen didn¡¯t care who the chair would be, but he did care about the strength of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The stronger the chamber, the more benefits he as the security chief would receive. ¡­ The attendees of this auction were all VIPs of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. Upon seeing two high-ranking officials from the Nine Star Chamber welcoming a single wizard, they inevitably became quite curious. Who was this masked Wizard? ¡°Has Aimen lost his nerve?¡± a Three Rings Wizard said disdainfully to the person next to him, ¡°He¡¯s been beaten once and is now groveling like this.¡± The person at his side glanced at him and spoke unhurriedly, ¡°Lost his nerve, hardly. He is making a statement.¡± ¡°A statement?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a change coming to the chair of the Nine Star merchants. I heard that his designated successor is a newcomer just promoted. Aimen is making a stand for this newcomer.¡± The Three Rings Wizard exclaimed, ¡°A newcomer! Has Abalo gone senile?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not senile; he just refuses to face reality,¡± the other said coolly, ¡°He thinks by letting a newcomer take over the chair, he can slow down the internal strife within the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. He hopes to spare the chamber the loss of more talents. But none of those under him would agree with that. His wishful thinking is doomed to fail.¡± ¡°Slow down the internal strife?¡± The Three Rings Wizard looked puzzled, ¡°I don¡¯t see how this is slowing down the internal strife. The newcomer can¡¯t suppress the old timers, so the strife surely won¡¯t stop.¡± The person beside him sighed, ¡°That¡¯s why I say he refuses to see reality. We¡¯ve both known Abalo for so many years, just think about it a little and you can see what he¡¯s thinking.¡± The Three Rings Wizard was taken aback and said angrily, ¡°Are you saying I don¡¯t think?¡± ¡°Cough cough, don¡¯t waste time. The auction is about to start, let¡¯s get inside.¡± Chapter 293: 14 Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace Chapter 293: Chapter 14 Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace The auction venue was a huge circular hall, with massive Crystal Magic Stone Lamps illuminating the entire hall brightly. One side of the hall featured the auctioneer¡¯s platform, and the remaining half was filled with elaborately decorated chairs. Richard entered the hall, but he did not sit down in the chairs of the hall. Aimen led the way ahead of him and soon brought him to a private room. From the room¡¯s window, the whole auction hall could be seen at a glance. ¡°Master, as a VIP of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, you naturally do not need to bid against others below. This is your private room, if you are satisfied with this room, it will be yours exclusively whenever you attend auctions held by the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce.¡± Having said that, Aimen gave Richard an apologetic smile, then left the private room. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He had come merely to show his presence, as security work was naturally of utmost importance during auctions held by the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. There were many places he had to inspect to prevent any mishaps. In the private room, Richard and Bob were seated. Compared to Richard¡¯s composure, Bob seemed somewhat restless. ¡°Bob, old friend, what¡¯s got you so flustered?¡± Richard flipped through the auction catalog, asking with his head lowered. Bob took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Little brother, you haven¡¯t reached my position. These past couple of days, I¡¯ve been unusually calm, which is so out of the ordinary. Those old fellows who have the qualifications to compete for the chairman position are definitely planning some scheme right now. Right now, it¡¯s as if there¡¯s a knife hanging over my head.¡± Richard closed the auction catalog, his expression calm as he said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fear, old friend Bob. This battle, in the end, is still a contest of strength between you all. Trust me, unless they invite a Great Wizard or a Wizard World Guardian to support them, they won¡¯t stand a chance against you. You should actually be more arrogant now. You are suffused with confidence, why fear a bunch of losers doomed to fail?¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s slightly arrogant speech, Bob forced a bitter smile, offering no rebuttal. After all, at his core, he was a businessman, lacking the ruthlessness that Richard, as a Black Wizard, had honed on the battlefield. ¡°Little brother, what do you think of these auction items?¡± Bob changed the subject. ¡°¡­To be honest, looking at your auction catalog, I feel like I need to seriously brush up my knowledge in natural history.¡± Richard held the auction manual, his tone humorous and playful. The majority of items in the manual were things Richard had never even heard of, an array of strange and curious oddities from other worlds, leaving Richard unable to catch a breath. ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t mention you, little brother, even those old Alchemy Wizards who have lived for thousands of years. They, too, find things they don¡¯t recognize at auctions of this caliber.¡± Bob laughed as he took out a new auction catalog from his pocket and handed it to Richard. Looking at it, Richard found this new auction catalog contained detailed appraisal reports for many of the items. These reports were many times better than the simplistic introductions in the other auction manual. ¡°This is our internal material; you can take a look, little brother.¡± Richard browsed for a while, then suddenly noticed an item on one of the pages which he hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Why isn¡¯t this auction item included in the public catalog you distributed?¡± Richard pointed at the manual, the page¡¯s content showing an irregular polyhedron covered in strange patterns. The appraisal result indicated an unknown power source, capable of outputting the energy of a standard Magic Stone every minute, with its duration unknown. ¡°Oh, that one,¡± Bob looked at the page Richard had opened and explained, ¡°That item was added in at the last minute; a Three Rings Wizard acquired it for a hefty sum while trading with a Star Realm creature. But he couldn¡¯t figure it out, and recently he amassed a huge amount of debt, so he had no choice but to auction this item.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°I see.¡± But just as he was about to turn the page, Ulysses¡¯s voice suddenly rang in his ear. ¡°Gah, wait, don¡¯t turn the page yet. Why does this thing look so familiar to me?¡± Familiar? Richard was momentarily taken aback¡ªUlysses¡¯s Gods Civilization was incredibly distant from the Wizard Civilization. Apart from some high-grade materials, Richard had never seen Ulysses recognize an item from the Wizard World before. ¡°Gah, this thing looks so much like the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace produced by the Deceitful Great World.¡± Hearing Ulysses actually come up with something similar took Richard aback with incredulity. ¡°How can the Wizard World have items from your Gods Civilization, considering how far apart our civilizations are? Even if it was exchanged from a Star Realm creature, it couldn¡¯t possibly be something from your side, right?¡± Ulysses stared at the picture in the manual for a long time, eventually saying with some uncertainty: ¡°Gah, I can¡¯t be sure. The distance between the two civilizations is indeed too vast. Let¡¯s see what the actual object looks like later. If it truly is a Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace, then it would be of great use to you. In our world, this power furnace is famously reliable; many tools akin to your Magic Equipment rely on this thing for energy. However, the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnaces I¡¯ve seen were never this small. The smallest I¡¯ve seen was as big as you, able to hold three hundred and sixty Powerful Ghosts, providing enough power to drive a standard Flying Ship.¡± Dong dong dong. A series of pleasant bell chimes suddenly sounded. Richard closed the auction catalog, his gaze shifting to the auction platform below. A white-haired old man wearing a white Wizard Robe emerged from backstage and slowly ascended the auction platform. Chapter 294: 14 Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace_2 Chapter 294: Chapter 14 Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace_2 ¡°This is our Chief Auctioneer, Master Brown, a soul, an Alchemy Dual-School Wizard, particularly skilled in the field of Alchemy, especially Natural History. He can identify all sorts of strange and rare items. And in the area of Soul Studies, his major is¡­¡± ¡°Charm,¡± Richard interrupted. ¡°He had a very approachable feel the first moment I saw him, which makes one can¡¯t help but want to befriend him. Honestly, I find such wizards annoying; they can influence our perceptions.¡± Richard said as he frowned at Bob: ¡°Can such a wizard really be your chief auctioneer without any wizards complaining about his spells?¡± Bob grinned sheepishly, ¡°Well¡­ there have been complaints. But since Master Brown always manages to fetch the highest prices, we just let those complaints go. Plus, Master Brown is very discreet; he only casts Mind Suggestions, which are far from manipulating the mind.¡± On the auction stage, Brother first exchanged pleasantries with a few old customers to warm up the atmosphere. Then he promptly presented the first auction item¡ªa beautifully crafted Silver Wand. ¡°This is today¡¯s top item, a Elemental Enhancement Wand crafted by Master Ekrol, made from a low-purity secret silver alloy with a ten-centimeter diameter elemental crystal ball mounted on the tip. The wand enhances Four Elements Magic up to a thousand energy levels, making it a rare high-quality wand. Starting bid, five thousand Magic Essences, does any master want to bid¡­ five thousand five hundred Magic Essences; Master Thirty-Five bids five thousand five hundred Magic Essences.¡± The auction, hosted by the Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce, featured items impressive enough to be centerpieces at lesser auctions. After Brown finished detailing the wand, wizards in the hall immediately began to bid. Soon, the price of the wand, enhancing all attributes by a thousand energy levels, had soared to ten thousand Magic Essences. Richard, in the room, was also greatly keen on this piece. Undoubtedly, it was a fine wand. If he could win it, he would not just acquire the wand itself but also the artisanship behind it. Even without the technique, a wand that could enhance Four Elements Magic by a thousand energy levels was an urgently needed item for Richard, about to enter the Academy Wars. ¡­ After reaching ten thousand Magic Essences, the bidding pace of wizards in the hall considerably slowed. It wasn¡¯t long before the price of the wand stalled at eleven thousand five hundred Demon Crystals. ¡°Eleven thousand five hundred Demon Crystals, does any master wish to bid further? This wand can enhance the power of Four Elements Magic by a thousand energy levels, a top-grade item among wands¡­ Twelve thousand Demon Crystals! Guest number twelve bids twelve thousand Demon Crystals!¡± Brown nodded slightly towards the guest rooms on the second floor of the auction hall, and the wizards in the hall also followed Brown¡¯s gesture with their gazes. At the window of the guest room, a masked wizard in a black robe was holding a sign. ¡°Twelve thousand Demon Crystals, twelve thousand Demon Crystals, does any master wish to bid? If not, then this fine wand crafted by Master Ekrol will belong to guest number twelve.¡± The hall was silent. Brown slammed down his auction gavel, smiling and nodding at Richard: ¡°Congratulations to guest number twelve for winning this fine wand crafted by Master Ekrol.¡± Bob, sitting next to Richard, somewhat puzzled, asked: ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t you an Alchemy Wizard? Don¡¯t Alchemy Wizards really dislike using wands crafted by other wizards?¡± For an Alchemy Wizard, making a magic wand is a basic skill. An Alchemy Wizard who can¡¯t make a good magic wand would be laughed out of town. ¡°Alchemy necessitates learning from a variety of sources. I¡¯m not deeply versed in the creation of magic equipment, so looking at the Master¡¯s work should help me progress in alchemy.¡± Richard found a casual excuse and then returned to his seat. According to the order of the auction manual, none of the next items were of much use to him. Items came up for auction one after the other but compared to the fiery competition for the first magic wand, these items seemed rather lackluster. Even so, none of the items sold for less than seven thousand Magic Essence. As the items were auctioned off one by one, it soon came to lot number thirty-nine that Richard was interested in. ¡°Lot thirty-nine, a mysterious object made by a creature from the Otherworld. This item comes from a distinguished guest of our Chamber of Commerce who joined us at the last minute, and it was not mentioned in the previous auction manual. I must apologize for this.¡± Brown bowed slightly to the many customers and then began to introduce this special item. ¡°The owner of this item is a Three Rings Wizard, and its origin is quite mystical. Our guest was researching an ancient ritual when he accidentally communicated with a distant Otherworld creature. In that communication, he spent no less than five thousand Magic Essence to obtain this item from that Otherworld creature. If he were not currently deep in debt, I believe he would never have put this item up for auction.¡± Instead of describing its capabilities, Brown focused on telling its backstory while presenting lot number thirty-nine. To those in the know, this was a very clear signal. If not for the story behind it, the item wouldn¡¯t have a selling point. An Otherworld creation that loses one Magic Stone¡¯s worth of energy per minute might find buyers at a general auction with the hope of finding a bargain. But at a top-tier auction hosted by the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, where countless superior items are available, no one would waste their money on something with unknown uses. As Brown expected, after he finished introducing the item¡¯s capabilities and price, not a single Wizard raised their paddle. Wizards have limited funds, and at this auction where the starting price was five thousand Magic Essence, no one wants to be the fool. After a brief silence, Brown turned his gaze to the upper tier of private booths. At this moment, only these distinguished guests might place a bid. ¡°Is there a distinguished guest willing to bid on this item, an artifact even a Three Rings Wizard couldn¡¯t fully research, which definitely harbors great secrets?¡± As his gaze swept over each private room, he was met with continued silence. While the guests were wealthy, they were no fools. Who would spend five thousand Magic Essence on such an item? Even the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s appraiser could only provide such a basic appraisal, lacking any additional selling points. Most likely, they would end up using it as a mere decorative piece. Decorative items for five thousand Magic Essence were a luxury only a Great Wizard could afford. The room fell silent once again. ¡°Well, it seems the esteemed masters aren¡¯t too fond of this item. I am regretfully going to announce¡­¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But just as Brown was about to declare the item unsold, a paddle suddenly caught his eye. Brown¡¯s face brightened slightly, and his voice was a bit louder than usual. ¡°Guest number twelve bids five thousand five hundred Magic Essence!¡± Chapter 295: 15 Fishing Chapter 295: Chapter 15 Fishing Richard stood by the window, silently raising his bid sign. Just seconds before, Ulysses had confirmed that the item up for auction was the very Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace he had encountered previously. ¡°What a surprise, those ghost craftsmen masters have actually created something new after all these years.¡± Ulysses watched the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace on the auction stage, unable to resist exclaiming. Richard glanced at him and asked casually, ¡°Why, isn¡¯t it normal for craftsmen to improve things?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. You have no idea how rigid the creatures that make this thing can be,¡± Ulysses explained. ¡°The Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace comes from the Monster World¡¯s deceitful ghost craftsmen. Those ghost craftsmen are innate rule creatures, with lifespans that are nearly eternal, so their thinking is extremely stiff. I¡¯ve been dealing with them for three or four epochs, and I¡¯ve never seen them come up with anything new.¡± ¡°Eternal life?¡± exclaimed Richard. ¡°Are there such unreasonable races in this world?¡± ¡°Nearly eternal,¡± Ulysses corrected. ¡°The lifespan of these ghost craftsmen is bound to the Deceitful Great World. As long as the Deceitful Great World doesn¡¯t perish, they won¡¯t die. The lifespan of a great world can practically be called eternal compared to us creatures. Secondly, this nearly eternal life is not without a price. The individual number of ghost craftsmen is set. Only when one ghost craftsman chooses to die will a new ghost craftsman be born in the Deceitful Great World. Moreover, these ghost craftsmen cannot leave the Monster World throughout their lives; the World Barrier is for them an insurmountable wall of sighs. With that coupled with their eternal life, they are practically imprisoned. It¡¯s just that their prison is a bit larger.¡± After listening, Richard sighed and thought to himself that nothing good in this world comes for free. Everything granted by fate had a price set in secret. ¡°Guest number twelve bids 5,500 Magic Essence; does any Master wish to bid higher?¡± Brown surveyed the entire hall; all the wizards remained motionless. ¡°Very well, then this treasure will go to¡­ Guest number thirty bids 6,000 Magic Essence!¡± Just as Brown¡¯s auction hammer was about to fall, someone from one of the private rooms suddenly chose to bid. Richard looked toward the thirtieth guest room to his opposite left, where a wizard wearing a mask stood by the window holding up a number card. ¡°Who is this person?¡± Richard frowned slightly and turned to ask Bob. Bob shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m not sure; the thirtieth private room doesn¡¯t have a fixed guest. The complete list of bidding wizards is in Rother¡¯s hands; I only have a part of it.¡± Richard rubbed his eyebrows, not understanding why the wizard opposite wanted to compete with him. Had he also recognized the origin of this item? But regardless, since he wanted to compete, Richard was ready to go all the way. Richard picked up his bidding sign and raised it again. Brown on the auction stage immediately announced, ¡°Guest number twelve bids 6,500 Magic Essence.¡± The wizard in room thirty looked toward Richard. Although he wore a mask, Richard could clearly feel that the wizard held a bitter malice toward him. Richard found the gaze to be distasteful; the wizard looked at him as if he was a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. ¡°Bob, check out the wizard in room thirty. I think he must be an assistant hired by one of your opponents.¡± Bob was startled by the remark, then immediately got up and left the room. ¡°I¡¯ll check it out right away.¡± ¡­ In room thirty, Rother leaned back in his chair, speaking unhurriedly, ¡°Master Levi, why bother competing with him? Once you¡¯ve dealt with him, won¡¯t this item still be yours?¡± Levi, standing by the window, turned to look at Rother. ¡°I really want this item, so I don¡¯t want to take risks. What¡¯s the matter, you can¡¯t afford the price?¡± Levi¡¯s voice was as hoarse as that of an evil ghost from hell; as he spoke, streams of black qi flew out of his mouth, like resentful souls, swirling continuously around the room, emitting faint screeches. ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t afford it; it¡¯s simply unnecessary.¡± Rother stood up from his chair and bowed slightly to Levi. ¡°If Master desires it, I can have the back end hold onto the item and give it to the Master after you¡¯ve taken action. Please, Master, refrain from bidding.¡± Levi looked at Rother as if he were looking at a dead man. He hated to be refused. But currently, he had a Soul Contract with the boy and couldn¡¯t take action against him. This made him quite uncomfortable. He regarded Rother for a long time before finally speaking coldly, ¡°Then do as you wish. But remember, I owe you only this favor.¡± Rother stood up straight, his demeanor proper, ¡°Rest assured, Master, I will remember this.¡± After speaking, Rother quickly exited the room, and the moment he closed the door behind him, his expression instantly darkened. He leaned against the door, trying to calm himself down. Inside his chest, his heart was pounding like a drum. Sharing a room with a mad Three Rings wizard, Rother was far from as relaxed as he appeared. He casually touched the inner lining beneath his wizard robe, finding it soaked with cold sweat. Soon, a black-robed wizard approached Rother and said in a low voice, ¡°My lord, Bob¡¯s men have started investigating Master Levi¡¯s identity.¡± Rother stood up straight, his face returning to calm. ¡°Feed them some false information.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The black-robed Wizard responded and swiftly departed. Rother straightened his Wizard Robe and its inner lining before proceeding in the opposite direction of the corridor. Just before leaving, he turned back to look at VIP Room number thirty. He murmured in a low voice, ¡°Madman, once you¡¯re done with your business, Paradise City will be your grave!¡± ¡­ After Richard made his second bid, Levi didn¡¯t bid again. Thus, Richard naturally won the Power Furnace. Richard looked curiously at room number thirty, muttering to himself, ¡°Just one bid, was it really just a spur of the moment?¡± Richard pulled the curtains shut and sat back down in his chair. The rest of the auction had nothing to do with him. One after another, items were auctioned off. Following the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace, Brown auctioned off hundreds of items. The auction items ranged from specimens of creatures from Otherworlds to special ores that had been exhausted from mining, truly encompassing everything. Richard even saw Secret Realm Fragments up for auction. Although the area of that Secret Realm Fragment was much larger than the one Richard had initially obtained, spanning three square kilometers, the quality was not as good as Richard¡¯s. Even so, the final bid for this fragment reached thirty thousand Magic Essence. That price instantly made Richard understand why several Wizards had been so surprised when they had acquired a Secret Realm Fragment years ago. Black Tower Great Wizards are indeed spending lavishly. As the auction progressed, it soon reached the end. The mutated Fire Lizard flesh that Richard had sold to Bob was the grand finale, and its appearance immediately set the entire auction house ablaze. Over two-thirds of the Wizards from the Three Rings had been attracted by this piece of flesh. A piece of Flesh, emanating Life Radiation higher than third-level, yet not reaching forth level. For those Three Rings Wizards, it was more tempting than a fragment of the rules. Because it contained the terrifying secret of breaking through to become a Great Wizard. In the Wizard World, knowledge about breaking through to become a Great Wizard was closely guarded, and a Three Rings Wizard must be selected by the Tower of Truth and sign a non-disclosure agreement with the Tower of Truth if they wish to obtain breakthrough knowledge. Although there are other ways to gain this knowledge, those paths are no less difficult than this one. And this is still just knowledge; whether Wizards can break through to become Great Wizards after getting that knowledge is still an unknown. Such demanding conditions naturally mean that a large number of Three Rings Wizards are stuck at the level of third-level creatures, slowly watching themselves approach the end of their lives. So, faced with something that might let them glimpse the secret to becoming a Great Wizard. Their rational brains naturally started boiling over. Richard watched these Three Rings Wizards frenetically bid and silently left the VIP room. Shortly after his departure, a Wizard informed Levi in room thirty about Richard¡¯s exit. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°He¡¯s gone? Alright, I got it.¡± Levi waved impatiently, his eyes locked onto the blue Flesh on the auction stage. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the Three Rings Wizards present were enough to instantly blow him away, he would have charged the stage for a zero-cost acquisition. Ordinary Three Rings Wizards might be sifted by the Tower of Truth, but the mad Wizard wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to be filtered. Watching the bids rapidly escalate, Levi angrily pulled the curtains and left the room. ¡°After this matter is settled, I¡¯ll have that Rother kid give me the info on the Wizard who bought this piece of Flesh.¡± ¡­ After leaving the auction house, Richard didn¡¯t return to his room in the White Tower but instead wandered around the Wizard District. Because of its closed mode, Makar, a third-level creature, walked beside Richard, looking no different from an Alien Magic Statue, attracting no attention from the other Wizards. It¡¯s quite normal for an Alchemy Wizard to have a Guard Magic Statue. The Wizard District wasn¡¯t large, and Richard soon finished walking through it. After completing his tour of the Wizard District, Richard immediately headed toward the transition area. It seemed he intended to wander through the entire Paradise City. Thousands of kilometers above Richard¡¯s head, a powerful Magic Pet eagle was silently monitoring his every move. Rother, sharing the eagle¡¯s vision, muttered to himself, ¡°He¡¯s heading to the transition area. Truly the ace up Bob¡¯s sleeve, skilled and bold.¡± He knew very well that Richard was fishing for a response. Upon entering the transition area, Richard suddenly looked up at the sky, then gestured with his hand. Rother recognized the gesture; it was a common combat signal among the White Wizard Army¡ªmeaning to take action. ¡°Heh, quite confident in his own strength,¡± Rother sneered, then instructed his subordinate to send Richard¡¯s coordinates to Levi. ¡°I really hope you¡¯re still so arrogant when you see a Three Rings mad Wizard.¡± ¡­ Within the transition area, Richard lowered his head and released his right hand to start examining the map. As an Apprentice who had used Magic Pets for scouting, Richard had noticed Rother¡¯s tactics the moment he left the White Tower. ¡°Hope it¡¯s quick.¡± Richard eyed the map, not lifting his head as he quickly walked toward a marked spot. This location was an empty area that Richard had asked Aimen to prepare. Within this area, there were no Nine Star Chamber of Commerce Wizards. If someone wanted to make a move, this spot would be the perfect place. Soon, Richard arrived at the designated area. He looked around, somewhat bored, and said to himself, ¡°These guys are really slow; I¡¯m still waiting to go back and settle the final payment.¡± But he didn¡¯t notice that behind him, a figure emerged silently from the shadows. Chapter 296: 16: The Fish Took the Bait Chapter 296: Chapter 16: The Fish Took the Bait Levi thought the world must have gone mad. As a Three Rings mad wizard, Levi had been identified as a mad wizard by the Judicial Department from his days at the One Ring. But with extraordinary vigilance and incredible luck, Levi had advanced from the One Ring to the Three Rings. In this process, he had killed Black Wizards, White Wizards, War Wizards of the Tower of Truth, and Law Enforcement Wizards of the Judicial Department. These wizards¡¯ methods were varied and filled with all sorts of bizarre and mysterious spells that were hard to defend against. But Levi had survived them all, and those wizards had become the nourishment that allowed him to progress further. Levi considered himself, in terms of battling wizards, to undoubtedly be a master. But today, his belief was somewhat shaken. ¡­ Thud! A massive metal square shield blocked the shadows in front of him. The black Dark Corrosive Energy Arrows sputtered against the large shield as if they were merely water pistols. Levi looked at the Iron Giant blocking his path, a trace of disdain flashing through his mind. Just a Guard Magic Statue, he had seen plenty of these, and there were many ways to break them. The next moment, Levi¡¯s body suddenly melted into a shadow and then split into five identical clones. These five clones looked the same, had the same stature, and even the Magic Fluctuations emanating from their bodies were exactly the same. And this was the simplest and most practical method Levi had discovered for dealing with Guard Magic Statues. After all, the Alchemy Golems were not human; they lacked true thinking capabilities. When multiple targets with the same attributes appeared simultaneously, its rudimentary thinking module would fall into chaos and then trigger a self-check. And this method was effective against any Alchemy Golem, no matter how advanced its thinking module; falling into confusion was inevitable. It was just a matter of how long the self-check took. The five Levis simultaneously sneered, and five different spells were released at once. Space Anchor! Human Immobilization Technique! Shadow Chains! Soul Shock! And then¡ªDeath Finger! A black light streaked across the space, and the corners of all five Levis¡¯ mouths curled into a smirk. Space Anchor restricted Richard from using the Space Jump Scroll, Human Immobilization Technique could temporarily control any human-shaped being, Shadow Chains completely restricted Richard from dodging, while Soul Shock scrambled Richard¡¯s use of spells in defense. Finally, Death Finger, with its probability of instant death, finished him off. This set of procedures would mean certain death even for elite Law Enforcement Wizards from the Judicial Department. But just as Levi was about to collect his spoils and flee the scene, He found that Richard, who should have been dead, was looking at him with an almost smiling expression. ¡°This procedure is nice, efficient, and quick; I¡¯ve learned something.¡± And on his shoulder, a green-eyed black crow mocked him. As a forbidden spell from the Undead School, Death Finger possessed some characteristics of Curse Magic. As long as the spell hit, any being below the Forth Level would likely die instantly. And the probability wouldn¡¯t change regardless of the target¡¯s strength. If one wished to increase the instant death probability, a substantial slaughter of the target¡¯s race was required. Although wizards and mortals hardly seemed like the same species, they indeed were of the same race. And as a mad wizard, Levi had killed countless mortals. But unfortunately, this type of spell had no effect on beings above the Third Level and did not possess tracking abilities. Ulysses shifted slightly, rendering the Death Finger utterly useless. ¡­ Levi¡¯s heart sank, thinking he had encountered a tough nut to crack. He had never seen a wizard who could withstand his combination without any harm. But soon, there was one more thing he had never seen. ¡°Makar, you take care of this guy. Don¡¯t worry about how much noise you make, just go ahead,¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard finished speaking, and before Levi could act, Richard along with Ulysses disappeared from the spot. Levi¡¯s pupils shrank, and he was stunned for a moment. His Space Anchor was still in effect; had this wizard invented a Space Magic that could ignore Space Anchors? Had the world gone mad? But before Levi could think further, a buzzing golden Chain Saw Sword swung towards him. Levi did not dodge; a solid Magic Barrier immediately appeared in front of him. ¡°An automatic magic statue? Doesn¡¯t seem like it. A Curse Magic Statue? No, that technique has already been classified as a mad wizard¡¯s technique¡­¡± Levi looked at Makar, his mind flashing through various Magic Statues he had encountered before. As long as he could identify the technology of this Magic Statue, he would have a corresponding plan to counter it. But within a few seconds, while Levi was contemplating, his pupils shrank again, and his body transformed back into a shadow. The next moment, the Chain Saw Sword slashed through him. Levi flickered, reappearing in a patch of shadow not far away. ¡°What kind of monster is this, with such strong demon-breaking effects.¡± Levi frowned tightly; this Guard Magic Statue¡¯s weapon had a powerful demon-breaking effect, seemingly specially tailored. In mere three seconds, his Magic Barrier, which could defend against four thousand units of Elemental Damage, was shattered. Makar quietly watched the black-robed wizard opposite him, the roaring of the Chain Saw Sword momentarily paused. The Chain Saw Sword was a big energy user. To save energy, Richard, along with a group of Fire Lizard Craftsmen, modified the Chain Saw Sword slightly, installing a trigger-like switch. If one did not press the switch, the Chain Saw Sword would not operate. ¡°No, you¡¯re not a magic statue.¡± Chapter 297: 16: The Fish Took the Bait_2 Chapter 297: Chapter 16: The Fish Took the Bait_2 Through the completely enclosed metal helmet, Levi caught a whiff of something unusual. The magic statue was too intelligent, and its flexibility was far too great. Makar did not answer, but silently switched the chain saw sword¡¯s mode, and then activated the armor¡¯s battle mode. In the next instant, Levi¡¯s hair stood on end, and he immediately turned his body into a shadow again. But this time, his shadow trickery failed. ¡­ ¡°Shadowing as a tactic, how could the Pioneer¡¯s weapons not have a countermeasure?¡± From within the shadows¡¯ crevices, Richard mockingly laughed at Levi, who had half his body sliced off by Makar¡¯s sword. Space anchors, although useful, were not good enough for someone like Ulysses who had mastered the rules. To restrain Ulysses, one would need a rule-level space anchor. ¡°Gaah, I must say, the thing these fire lizards came up with isn¡¯t half bad.¡± Ulysses, watching Makar pursue Levi, couldn¡¯t help but express his appreciation. ¡°Your decision to take in these fire lizards was indeed wise, no, astoundingly smart.¡± Richard smiled somewhat proudly: ¡°The fire lizard race does not suffer from any innate intellectual deficiencies, and the truth is open to all beings.¡± Gathering talents from among the fire lizards was absolutely the best decision he had made in the Red Sun World. As for the armor at present, it might have taken him thousands of years to design it on his own. And a third-level creature like Makar would never submit to him to become a slave in the conventional sense. A right decision had brought him unimaginable wealth. ¡­ In the Material World, Levi desperately dodged the chain saw sword¡¯s serrated blade. He looked at Makar in horror. This iron giant seemed to anticipate his every move, always arriving a step ahead to wherever he tried to dodge. And that buzzing chain saw sword, it was like it had been developed specifically for wizards. Whether he turned to shadow, became elemental, or tried to withstand with a magic barrier. None of these methods were effective against the chain saw sword. Across from him, Makar took his steps with leisurely ease, toying with Levi like a cat with a mouse. He was now testing as much data about the armor as possible¡ªif he had been serious, Levi would already be dead. Before serving under Richard, Makar was a member of Morick¡¯s Shield Execution Department. This organization, tasked with dealing with black wizards behind the lines of the Fire Lizard Empire, didn¡¯t see less action than the fire lizards at the front. And as an elite member of the execution department, countless wizards had died by Makar¡¯s hand, among them Three Rings Wizards. These black wizards, who were active in the Plane War for years, had far more combat experience than Levi, who was nothing more than a cornered rat. Compared to these truly ruthless individuals, Levi¡¯s abilities were simply negligible. Indeed, wild wizards like Levi, aside from their talent in combating other wizards, had no particular strengths to speak of. Once a wizard survived their initial onslaught, any war wizard of the Tower of Truth could easily kill them. A wizard who is always on the run from law enforcement wizards, so frugal with magic stones¡ªhe couldn¡¯t possibly have the combat strength of wizards who regularly participate in the Plane War and are rich in resources. Boom! As Levi dodged, he crashed into a house. Inside, a person devoid of magic power was trembling and watching him. A look of joy came over Levi¡¯s face, and an idea immediately struck him. Rumble rumble rumble¡­ Makar¡¯s blade once again closed in on Levi, but this time, the blade came to a hard stop in midair. In front of the blade, an ordinary person with a pale face stared at Makar. ¡°What a despicable Wizard, using one of his own kind as a shield.¡± Holding the ordinary person hostage, Levi cackled as he glared at Makar. ¡°Ha ha ha, I knew it, you couldn¡¯t attack an ordinary person. You definitely couldn¡¯t lay a hand on an ordinary person!¡± As he spoke, suddenly, a dozen Dark Corrosive Energy Arrows appeared beside Levi, each one aimed at Makar¡¯s joints. As a mad Wizard, he was very clear. No matter what the thing opposite him was, as long as it had a humanoid form, the joints would surely be weak points. If he could just destroy the joints, then he could¡­ Bang! Suddenly, a sea of blood red filled Levi¡¯s vision. An iron fist flew past the hostage and smashed his head to pieces. Although his theory was correct, in front of a four-thousand Energy Level elemental defense, the three-thousand Energy Level Dark Corrosive Energy Arrows would at most add a bit of rust to the Armor. Makar caught the hostage, who had already wet himself, with one hand, and with a quick touch to his waist, a ten-centimeter long metal nail appeared in his hand. With a forceful throw, a dozen nails shot like bullets into Levi¡¯s body¡ªby this point, Levi was so dazed from the blow that he didn¡¯t even react to defend himself against the nails. These were Forbidden Magic Nails, and once they pierce the body, they would completely stop the Wizard¡¯s energy from circulating. Soon after, Richard appeared beside Levi, casually casting a Sealing Skill to completely neutralize him. Richard took out a Crystal Ball and pressed a few spots on it, speaking in a light tone, ¡°It¡¯s settled, although it was a bit loud, the other guys probably wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move. Come over and take care of this guy.¡± After speaking, Richard began inspecting the condition of his Armor. ¡°Not bad, not bad at all. Worthy of being an elite of Merrick¡¯s Shield, after equipping properly, killing a Three Rings Wizard is as easy as slaughtering a chicken.¡± S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Listening to Richard¡¯s praise, Makar felt a strange sense of incongruity. To be complimented by a Wizard for efficiently killing Wizards. Such a scenario would be unimaginable even for a madman decades ago. Shortly thereafter, several spherical flying devices arrived beside Richard, and Aimen was the first to step out. Looking around at the surroundings, he joked, ¡°Master, you¡¯ve made quite a stir here.¡± Makar¡¯s battle with Levi had torn up half a street, even exceeding the bounds Aimen had set. Otherwise, Levi wouldn¡¯t have been able to take a hostage. Aimen had evacuated all nearby residents before fishing for their target. Richard patted Makar on the back with a bit of pride, saying, ¡°The main thing was testing out the creation.¡± Saying this, Richard pointed to Levi lying not far away and said calmly, ¡°The man is over there; you see how you want to deal with him.¡± Aimen gestured, and a few black-robed Wizards approached Levi, ready to wrap things up. But before they could begin, a streak of light shot across the sky and heavily crashed next to Levi. Richard narrowed his eyes; this streak of light was a Wizard, and not a weak one at that. Arriving here at this time, perhaps¡­ The Wizard who appeared abruptly straightened out his Wizard Robe, then took a scroll from the pocket at his waist. As he opened the scroll, all the Wizards present lowered their heads slightly. He then shouted loudly, ¡°I am Law Enforcement Wizard Calord, who sealed ¡®Derek the Butcher¡¯?¡± Chapter 298: 17 President Bob Chapter 298: Chapter 17 President Bob In movies, police always show up last. When faced with the inquiries from the suddenly appearing Law Enforcement Wizard, Richard stood out silently. ¡°It was I who sealed it.¡± Calord looked toward Richard, sizing him up carefully. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right, you¡¯re a Second Ring Wizard; it couldn¡¯t have been your doing.¡± Calord suddenly shook his head and then shouted to the wizards present, ¡°Who exactly did the sealing? ¡®Derek the Butcher¡¯ is marked as a red-level insane wizard by the Judicial Department, and it is not against the laws of truth to fight him. The Judicial Department issued his bounty notice a hundred years ago, and now that you¡¯ve sealed him, it counts as completing the bounty.¡± As he spoke, Calord took out another scroll from his pocket. It was written on the scroll: ¡°Due to Derek the Butcher¡¯s strength having risen to the Three Rings, and his numerous attacks on Law Enforcement Wizards, the Judicial Department hereby issues a notice to all wizards. Whoever seals or kills Derek the Butcher shall receive a Second Level Honor Badge of the Wizard World.¡± At the bottom right of the scroll, there was a record of the date the bounty was issued, and it was also stamped with the exclusive Magic Seal of the Judicial Department. This was indeed a bounty notice issued by the Judicial Department. Holding the scroll, Calord surveyed the wizards present again, finding still no one had stepped forward. ¡°How strange. Is there actually someone who doesn¡¯t want the Honor Badge?¡± Calord wondered to himself. The Honor Badge processed by the Judicial Department was not just a simple honor; it also affected the promotion and selection of the Great Wizards of the Tower of Truth. A wizard capable of sealing a Third Ring insane wizard would by all logic not pass up this reward. ¡°Ahem, my lord, this was indeed my sealing,¡± Richard spoke somewhat awkwardly, ¡°although I was only responsible for the sealing, it was my creation that defeated him.¡± As he spoke, Richard tapped the Armor. Makar quickly deactivated the sealing mode, and the presence of third-level creatures instantly entered the perception of the wizards present. Aimen was taken aback. He did not expect that the thing which seemed like a guardian Magic Statue to Richard, actually harbored a third-level creature inside. ¡°Oh? A Second Ring Wizard actually enslaves a third-level creature.¡± Calord noticed Makar but did not show any surprise. Although the sealing mode was impressive, these Law Enforcement Wizards were considered Guardians of the Wizard World, and they definitely had the ability to detect a foreign creature. However, he had not expected that this third-level creature would actually be Richard¡¯s slave. ¡°Since it was you who did the sealing, then leave your name and address. In some time, a wizard from the Judicial Department will deliver the Medal to you.¡± With those words, Calord handed over the bounty scroll to Richard and even passed along a feather pen. Richard checked the bounty scroll and then left his name and address. Calord took the scroll, pocketing it. ¡°Very well, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± With that said, Calord intended to leave Paradise City with Levi. Watching Calord leave, Aimen couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief. ¡°Glad he¡¯s gone; today was really unlucky, to have Law Enforcement Wizards nearby.¡± Listening to Aimen¡¯s complaints, Richard asked out of curiosity, ¡°What, Law Enforcement Wizards and your Chamber of Commerce don¡¯t get along?¡± Aimen nodded and sighed, ¡°Master, you know that our Chamber has a Wizard Mutual Assistance service. This service was intended to help those wizards who face difficulties, so that they aren¡¯t stuck on a problem to death. But some insane wizards have also taken advantage of this, often using our platform for certain exchanges. And so these Law Enforcement Wizards come knocking three days a week, demanding our cooperation.¡± Richard stroked his chin, still a bit puzzled. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t quite sound like they don¡¯t get along. Cooperating with Law Enforcement Wizards is an obligation prescribed by the Truth Council.¡± Aimen waved his hand, indicating Richard should drop the subject. Both boarded the flying machine, and once the hatch closed, Aimen spoke: ¡°Of course we follow the council¡¯s regulations, but you have to know, these at-large insane wizards only have nicknames and some distinctive wizardly traits. These things can be easily concealed. Therefore, we often, unknowingly, collaborate with insane wizards. Although these collaborations might be inadvertent, strictly speaking, they could be construed as providing assistance to insane wizards. If the Law Enforcement Wizards take it seriously, we can¡¯t escape paying a hefty fine.¡± Hearing this, Richard could guess what Aimen was about to say. ¡°So to avoid paying fines, you resort to private bribery, and consequently more and more Law Enforcement Wizards come here trying their luck?¡± Aimen nodded quickly, ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. Ever since we did such a thing once, these Law Enforcement Wizards, whenever they encounter an insane wizard coming our way, would flock here every couple of days. There are even some Law Enforcement Wizards who deliberately drive insane wizards to us. Our Chamber of Commerce, ah, we¡¯re just an easy mark!¡± Listening to Aimen¡¯s complaint, Richard did not respond, but his face instead revealed a strange smile. ¡°Alright, Director Aimen,¡± Richard said lightly, ¡°you can¡¯t just talk about taking a hit without mentioning eating meat. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must have gained quite some research materials from these insane wizards.¡± Aimen¡¯s expression froze at the complaint, and he began shaking his head. ¡°Master, you can¡¯t slander our Chamber! Uninformed collaboration may require a fine, but knowingly not reporting and still cooperating, that could get someone killed.¡± Richard looked at Aimen with a slight smile and said, ¡°When did I say you intentionally collaborated with insane wizards? With so few Magic Stones on insane wizards, they definitely have to pay with knowledge for your help. Director Aimen, your thinking is broad indeed.¡± Aimen, realizing his slip of the tongue, froze and waved his hands. ¡°Master, please consider what I just said as nonsense,¡± he said. Richard laughed heartily and then steered the conversation away. ¡­ The news of Levi¡¯s capture spread rapidly. By all rights, the internal attack by a Three Rings insane wizard in Paradise City should have been a major scandal for the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. But at this critical moment, the entire Paradise City remained eerily quiet. The wizards all knew that the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce was undergoing a leadership change. The occurrence of such an incident at this crucial time was likely the doing of a contender for succession. While the outside wizards were watching the spectacle, changes were also quietly unfolding within the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. Three days after Levi was captured, the head of the personnel department at the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce publicly stated his support for all the arrangements made by the old chairman. On the same day, the head of the Alchemy Machinery Department of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce was killed. When the Security Wizards of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce arrived at the scene, the head of the Alchemy Machinery Department was already dead. His body had been chopped into two, with significant parts of it looking as though they had been smashed by a heavy hammer. At the scene, the Security Wizards found a lot of metallic shrapnel. Some wizards speculated that the head of the Alchemy Machinery Department seemed to have been slain by a weapon resembling a saw. On the fifth day, the head of the Slave Trade Department declared his support for all the arrangements of the old chairman and expressed his hope that the transition of chairmanship could proceed more smoothly. On the seventh day, the last wavering department head¡ªthe head of the Sales Department¡ªmade his decision, stating that he would comply with all the arrangements of the old chairman. At this point, all the department heads of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, except for the Wizard Mutual Assistance Department, had sided with Bob. Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, at the top of the White Tower A flash of white light passed, and several wizards appeared in the hall at the top of the White Tower. They were all dressed in formal Wizard Robes, meticulous even in the lining. The old chairman was about to rest in eternal peace, and before his eternal rest, he wished to see the old friends who had fought alongside him for over a thousand years. Bob straightened his Wizard Robe, his face adorned with heavy sorrow. And in front of him, a wizard with a somewhat frenzied temperament was staring at him with bloodshot eyes, as if he wanted to tear him apart. ¡°Rother, long time no see.¡± Bob, unconcerned with Rother¡¯s gaze, which seemed to devour him alive, greeted him with composure. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± Rother¡¯s voice squeezed through his teeth, carrying enough venom to drag someone into hell. In just a short half a month, he had gone from being the almost certain next chairman to a hopeless wretch. Bob, along with Richard, had persuaded all the chairmen except for him, using a carrot-and-stick approach. Now, even if his teacher Abalo changed his nomination at the last minute, there was no chance for him to obtain the position of chairman. The substantial drop was no wonder a strong bitterness had arisen in his heart. A wizard in a white robe stepped out from a small door at the edge of the hall; behind this door lay the dwelling of Abalo, the old chairman of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. ¡°Please come in,¡± the white-robed wizard said softly. Everyone entered in an orderly fashion through the small door. Behind the door was a small room that was strikingly different from the outer hall. All the furniture inside was miniature-sized, and in the middle of the room, a short-statured, green-skinned old wizard with pointed ears lay on a bed. This was the chairman of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, Abalo. ¡°Oh, you are all here,¡± he remarked as he saw several department heads entering the room and sat up from his bed. ¡°Mr. Chairman.¡± ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°Green Bean!¡± ¡°Abalo.¡± ¡­ The few department heads who had arrived greeted Abalo each in their way. Rother, in particular, was looking at Abalo with teary eyes; he was the last among the department heads to wish for Abalo¡¯s death. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. From the perspective of both a student and his self-interest, he did not want Abalo to die. ¡°Why is one missing? Why didn¡¯t the head of the machinery come?¡± Abalo counted the heads of the department figures and noticed the absence of the head of the Alchemy Machinery Department. ¡°Chairman, department head Akim was attacked by a mad wizard a few days ago and died on the spot,¡± Bob carefully reported the death of Akim. Being the one behind the scenes, he inevitably felt somewhat guilty as he spoke. ¡°He¡¯s dead? It seems the machine head¡¯s brain indeed had rusted,¡± Abalo said without any excess emotion showing on his face. His gaze shifted onto Bob, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. ¡°To be honest, this outcome is somewhat surprising to me. The machine head is dead, yet you are alive. It seems you have pacified the entire Chamber, little Bob.¡± Bob bowed his head, saying modestly, ¡°The chairman entrusted me with such a heavy responsibility, naturally I did my utmost.¡± Abalo sighed, ¡°Ah, Rother. You have lost.¡± Upon saying that, Abalo rummaged under his pillow and eventually pulled out a black scroll and handed it to Bob. Bob¡¯s hands trembled as he accepted the scroll. He recognized this scroll; it was the Commerce Scroll of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, the legal foundation of the Chamber¡¯s authority. Receiving this scroll meant that at this moment, Abalo was handing over the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce to him. ¡°Kid, this is what you deserve. I leave the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce in your hands,¡± Abalo spoke weakly to Bob. His eyes were rapidly losing their spark, and his whole body began to wither at a visible rate. ¡°Teacher!¡± Rother cried out as he dashed to Abalo¡¯s side, tears continuously streaming down his cheeks. ¡°Rother, do not grieve; death is a necessary part of life¡¯s cycle,¡± Abalo said with a gentle look and an even tone. He patted Rother¡¯s head just as when Rother was still a child. ¡°However, before I die, I have to give you some advice: resign from your position as a department head and go study in a Wizard Tower. With my shares, the dividends from the Chamber will be enough for you. You have been defeated, so make way quickly. My legacy¡­ you must not¡­ let it be¡­ severed¡­¡± Abalo¡¯s body completely withered away, and in an instant, he turned into a pile of black dust. Rother, looking at the dust on the bed, cried out with a vacant gaze, tears streaming down. The other department heads also shed tears, as they had had friendships with Abalo for over a thousand years. After a long while, Rother stopped crying. He collected the dust into a bottle and then said to Bob in a low voice: ¡°You¡¯ve won, Chairman Bob.¡± Chapter 299: 18 Witch Hunting Team Chapter 299: Chapter 18 Witch Hunting Team After President Abalo passed away, the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce officially entered the Bob era. And the time had come to fulfill his agreement with Richard. In Bob¡¯s office, or rather, the President¡¯s office, Bob sat behind the desk with a cigar in his hand, smiling fully at Richard. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother Richard, all of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s sales channels will list your ink for sale. And we won¡¯t charge you any channel fees at all. As long as I¡¯m president, any product from your Chamber will enjoy this treatment.¡± To the left front of Bob, Richard was sitting on a couch, fiddling with a floral-patterned metal polyhedron in his hand. Beside him, the immense Iron Giant stood still as a statue. Richard sat up straight, smiling at Bob: ¡°That¡¯s great, brother Bob. You¡¯re a man of your word. However, there is another matter for which I need your assistance.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Richard pulled a sheepskin scroll from his pocket and handed it to Bob. Bob opened it and, somewhat astonished, looked up: ¡°So many alchemy materials. At a glance, gathering all these would cost you at least a hundred thousand Magic Essence. You haven¡¯t got the wrong list, have you?¡± Richard sighed slightly: ¡°No matter how much Magic Essence, it has to be spent! Our Academy is about to fight an academy war; without ample preparations, it won¡¯t matter how much Magic Essence you have if you die.¡± Hearing about the academy war, Bob immediately understood why Richard was willing to spend so freely. Bob solemnly said: ¡°Take good care of yourself, brother. I will gather these items for you as quickly as possible. If you are short on money, you can take your time paying.¡± Bob¡¯s words warmed Richard¡¯s heart, and he smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I definitely have enough money.¡± After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Richard excused himself and left. Bob had just become the president, and there were many aspects of the Chamber¡¯s business he needed to become acquainted with. Richard couldn¡¯t be of much help with those things. He sent Makar back to the Secret Realm and once again took the express airship back to the Tower of Truth. Upon returning to the Tower of Truth, Richard hung a ¡°Experiment in Progress¡± sign on his Wizard Tower¡¯s door and then dove into the laboratory. ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s incredible, just unbelievable.¡± Richard expressed his amazement sincerely as he looked at the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace on the experiment table. Because the impact of this power furnace on Richard was simply too great. The Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace could produce energy equivalent to one standard Magic Stone every minute, which sounded ordinary enough. But what if this function was nearly eternal? According to Ulysses, as far as he remembered, except for damage caused by external impacts, no power furnace had ever had an issue with its operation. In the Gods Civilization, such a power furnace could practically serve as a perpetual motion machine. Next was its casing. Since the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace tended to only have issues due to external interference, the Ghost Craftsman Forging Skill artisans who created them had put considerable effort into its casing. The casing of the power furnace in Richard¡¯s hands, under Ulysses¡¯ testing, could withstand Elemental Attacks of almost Ten Thousand Energy Level, and up to five thousand Energy Level in physical attacks. Moreover, according to Ulysses, this was considered an average performer. If it were the work of a Master, the casing¡¯s defensive capability could increase several times over. After testing the data, Richard took off his gloves and touched the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace barehanded. In the next moment, the Miracle Furnace provided information. [Raw Material: Small-Scale Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace] [Refinable Information: Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace Blueprint] [Refinement Cost: 230 spiritual power] [Refinable Skill: Ghost Craftsman Forging Skill (incomplete)] [Refinement Cost: 130 spiritual power] [Refinable Rule: Deceit Rule] [Refinement Cost: 20 Soul Power] ¡°Indeed, there are rules mingled within.¡± Seeing the information from the Miracle Furnace, Richard was not surprised. According to Ulysses, over the years, the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnaces had only been produced by the Deceit Master Realm. And after all these years since their appearance, not even a replica had emerged on the market. This highlighted that the technology required to produce the power furnace was incredibly sophisticated, and the materials needed were extremely rare, beyond the reach of ordinary people and even some World Masters. Incorporating special rules was a logical conclusion. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Deceitful Great World was one of the few worlds inside the Gods Civilization without Divine presence. It maintained a cooperative relationship with the Gods Civilization. Those age-old Ghost Craftsmans were as old as the heavens, with the eldest among them even having witnessed the civilizations of the previous cycles of world clusters. It was indeed not a wise decision to be enemies with them. And according to their agreement with the Gods Civilization, no Divine being was allowed to enter the Deceitful Great World in any form, whether it be their actual body, incarnations, or any other guise. Without access to the internal workings of the Deceitful Great World, learning about the Deceit Rule became impossible, and thus replica production was not feasible. However, for Richard, this wasn¡¯t particularly bad news. A Wizard¡¯s yearning for knowledge was as great as a person¡¯s need for air. Regardless of the type, a Wizard would accept all knowledge. Moreover, Wizards were most adept at learning abilities from others and then modifying them to fit into their own power systems. If he could adapt Pioneer technology, why not a power furnace technology that hadn¡¯t seen updates for who knows how many years? ¡°Since I can¡¯t refine it for the time being, I might as well install it in my Armor.¡± There was no use for it in his hands; better to directly place it into the Single Soldier Armor to boost Combat Skills. Richard opened a rift into the Secret Realm, and on the other side, Makar was wrapped in a leather skirt, wielding a Chain Saw Sword, continuously battling imagined foes in his mind. The Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor had undoubtedly given him a tremendous boost in strength, but this increase in power gave him a sense of security. So when he took off the armor, he immediately felt a sense of insecurity. This feeling made Makar both anxious and ashamed. In order to overcome this feeling, Makar decided to begin training. Of course, this training included honing his combat skills. Watching Makar train with focused determination, Richard did not disturb him but silently moved to the workshop area and handed the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace over to a few Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters. ¡°This device is a power source. It can produce the energy of one Magic Stone every minute and has extremely strong defensive capabilities. You need to find a place on the armor to install it, then add some energy storage devices.¡± Looking at the Power Furnace that was continuously emitting energy, the Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters were all a bit curious. Calion tapped on the Power Furnace and asked casually, ¡°Sir, how strong can its defense be? If it¡¯s over four thousand, I might as well leave it exposed.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed, you could. Its defensive capability is stronger than the armor itself.¡± The Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters were stunned, then their eyes lit up as they looked at the Power Furnace in Calion¡¯s hands. ¡°Sir, can we study this thing?¡± one of the Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters asked. Richard glanced at him and said, ¡°If it was possible to study, do you think I wouldn¡¯t have done it? Don¡¯t think too much, just hurry up and install it. In a couple of days, I¡¯ll take you to the Red Sun World. After the vacation, there¡¯s a big job waiting for you guys.¡± ¡°Sir, what kind of big job?¡± Calion asked. Richard responded indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered the materials for three sets of armor. After your break, the materials should be arriving. Enjoy your vacation for now. Akala has been hatching Fire Lizard Eggs in the past few years; you might have some romantic encounters when you go back this time.¡± At these words, a cheer erupted from the workshop area. Dragons by nature are licentious, and as a race with Dragon Blood, this quality in the Fire Lizards was only growing as their Bloodline awakened. Having spent so many years in the Secret Realm, the older Fire Lizard Alchemy Masters were still alright, but the young and strong Fire Lizards were feeling extremely frustrated. Looking at the cheering Fire Lizards, Richard stroked his chin and thought, ¡°It looks like we need to bring in a batch of female Fire Lizards to the Secret Realm.¡± ¡­ Two months later, the first batch of materials Richard ordered arrived. The vacation-over Fire Lizard Craftsmen immediately threw themselves into production. To forge the armor parts more quickly, the entire Fire Lizard Alchemy Workshop was restructured. In the massive Melter flowed molten metal, and the giant mechanical forging hammer roared day and night without pause. To accelerate the work pace of these Fire Lizard Craftsmen and ignite their production enthusiasm, Richard provided everything they needed. From refined honey wine to Flame Giant Beast roast meat, Richard even ordered a batch of cigars with invigorating effects from the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. These cigars were widely praised among the Fire Lizards, and some even took the initiative to add a type of Demonized Plant from the Red Sun World to the cigars, giving them a more aggressive flavor. Richard even promised them a year off after this forging was complete! Under the dual stimuli of material and spirit, the workshop¡¯s efficiency saw a massive increase. In just half a year, the first Mechanic Single Soldier Armor was forged. At Richard¡¯s request, this set of armor was coated with an Alchemy Paint. The entire suit of armor changed from its original golden hue to a pitch black as dark as the night. This change by Richard left all the Fire Lizard Craftsmen somewhat puzzled. What was wrong with the glittering armor? It had to be shining gold to be magnificent and imposing! After the first suit of armor was forged, the speed to forge the second suit noticeably increased. This time, it only took the Fire Lizard Craftsmen five months to complete the armor. And the third suit of armor¡¯s forging time was directly shortened to three months. As the Fire Lizard Craftsmen grew familiar with the forging process, the parts for the armor were made more skillfully and efficiently. Richard could already envision the sight of the workshop mass-producing armor once the structure was simplified. ¡­ ¡°How do three of you feel?¡± In the Secret Realm, three Fire Lizards whom Richard had brought from New World Island were adapting to the armor. By their side, Makar was explaining the various functionalities of the armor. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d one day wear Holy Armor,¡± one of the Fire Lizards said excitedly. They were all Silver-horned Nobles and naturally knew about Holy Armor. The selection for the Holy Guard was extremely strict, and once selected, new members would not be recruited unless one of the Holy Guards died. Thus, most of these Silver-horned Nobles could only watch the Holy Guards slaughter the enemy on the battlefield. Although Richard¡¯s armor was a knockoff version of the Holy Armor, it was enough to satisfy the fantasies in their hearts. Which Silver-horned Noble hadn¡¯t dreamed of becoming a member of the Holy Guard? ¡°It feels good, sir,¡± one of the Fire Lizards said as he moved his body, ¡°This armor doesn¡¯t affect my agility much, and it¡¯s even increased my strength. Wearing this armor, I feel like I could fight five of my former self without armor.¡± ¡°I feel the same!¡± the last Fire Lizard interjected, ¡°This is incredible. Sir, what enemies will I be facing next?¡± Richard looked at the four Fire Lizards with satisfaction and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll definitely be satisfied with the enemies this time.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The three newcomers were slightly taken aback, while Makar¡¯s lips curled into a mysterious smile. ¡°Your enemies this time are your old rivals¡ª Black Wizards.¡± Chapter 300: 19 The War is Imminent Chapter 300: Chapter 19 The War is Imminent sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Black Wizard?¡± Several Fire Lizards looked astonished and unsure. One Fire Lizard awkwardly laughed: ¡°Hahaha, my lord, that¡¯s quite the joke you¡¯ve made.¡± ¡°I am not joking,¡± Richard said sternly. ¡°You are indeed going to be killing Black Wizards. Only two Academies from the Wizard World have invaded the Red Sun World, and there are over a thousand such Academies in the Wizard World. The Academy I am currently affiliated with has come into conflict with another, and we are on the verge of Academy warfare. At that time, you will join me in fighting against the Black Wizards from the other Academy.¡± Richard¡¯s words left the three Fire Lizards stunned, as they struggled to imagine that the wizards who conquered the Red Sun World were just a small part of the Wizard World. The figure of over a thousand Academies made the three Fire Lizards shudder with fear. Although they were aware of the strength of the Wizard World, they had never imagined it to be so formidable. The conquest of the Red Sun World was merely one tendril of this colossus of the Wizard World. However, they quickly accepted this reality. After becoming Richard¡¯s subordinates, their ability to adapt was much stronger than before. A confident Fire Lizard said, ¡°Rest assured, my lord, we may not be good at much else, but when it comes to killing Black Wizards, we are quite experienced.¡± Excitement flickered across the faces of the three Fire Lizards. In the past, they had either been elite Execution Officers for the Merrick¡¯s Shield or seasoned elite commanders on the front lines. Killing wizards was something they enjoyed far too much. Richard nodded, satisfied with this effect. ¡°Good, then you will join Makar in the Secret Realm, to adjust your Armor and familiarize yourselves with combat. When the time comes that you¡¯re needed, I will inform you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± (¡Á4) ¡­ Upon leaving the Secret Realm, Richard took out his Communication Crystal Ball to send a message, and soon after left the Wizard Tower. Before long, he appeared in front of a black Wizard Tower radiating intense heat. Richard knocked on the door, and quickly, a fire-engulfed sub-human maid opened the grand doors of the Wizard Tower. ¡°Lord Richard, Mistress Ali has been waiting for you in the reception room.¡± This heat-radiating black tower was Ali¡¯s Wizard Tower. Because Ali had fused with the Bloodline of the Fire Dragon Demon, she preferred to be in an environment rich with the Fire Element. To accommodate this preference, she had specially converted her Wizard Tower, replacing the building materials with volcanic stone bricks sourced from an Element-biased world of the Fire Element. These stones released small amounts of the Fire Element and were the building materials of choice for many Wizards who had fused with Elemental Creature Bloodlines. Entering the Wizard Tower. In the reception room, Ali lay naked on the couch, a pair of gold-framed glasses resting on her face, casually flipping through a thick Magic Book in her hands. Upon seeing Richard enter, Ali put the book down, adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose, and her fair cheeks took on a slight, charming red hue. ¡°You coming to see me is a rare occurrence. What is it, do you miss me?¡± Richard took a seat naturally across from Ali, and the sub-human maid timely served him some freshly brewed Magic Tea. ¡°Let¡¯s stick to business. What do you know about the upcoming Academy warfare?¡± Ali gave Richard a blank look, then sat up straight. ¡°I heard from my teacher that the cause of this Academy warfare is that the headmaster and another Great Wizard encountered some valuable item while traveling in the Star Realm. Both Great Wizards wanted it, so they started arguing. In the end, our headmaster outsmarted the other and took the item, which angered the other so much that they started Academy warfare. Since the two Great Wizards don¡¯t have deep hatred, the intensity of the war shouldn¡¯t be too high.¡± Relieved, Richard thought to himself that there¡¯s a saying: war is the continuation of politics. The two sides of the Academy warfare were an extension of the wills of the two Great Wizards. As long as there was no deep-seated enmity between the two Great Wizards, the intensity of the war would not escalate. But if the two Great Wizards hated each other deeply, wanting to devour each other alive, then the Academy warfare would turn into a bloody slaughterhouse. ¡°The opposing Academy is a new one as well, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It was established five hundred years before ours, so roughly from the same time period.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°That¡¯s a relief then, our combat strength difference shouldn¡¯t be too vast. Since they are the attacking side, our numerical disadvantage in defense isn¡¯t much of an issue.¡± But Ali shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve guessed wrong. The Meteor Star Great Wizard has had bad luck recently, not having received any world coordinates for years, and this has led to their Academy having many more surviving wizards than ours. According to the current intelligence, the number of people in Meteor Star Academy should be about twice ours.¡± ¡°Twice!¡± Richard exclaimed in shock. Only because they were Black Wizards could they handle such a discrepancy. If it were the White Wizard Academy, they would virtually declare a defense battle for the Core Wizard Tower right away. But even for Black Wizards, this numerical gap was enough trouble. ¡°Sigh, my teacher is quite troubled by this,¡± Ali sighed, ¡°although many of their wizards have never seen battle, their numerical superiority has already compensated for that. The Academy is now intensively preparing various defenses, hoping that the other side won¡¯t be too serious. Otherwise, this war will be tough for us.¡± Richard frowned slightly, ¡°How long until the war starts?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bit over a year left. The World Guardians are currently using the World Mirror; once the World Mirror has been fully restored, the war will begin.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ve got it.¡± Richard stood up and asked, ¡°Would you like to upgrade your magic wand? I¡¯ve had an epiphany recently and my alchemy technology has improved a lot.¡± Ali¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Of course.¡± Saying this, Ali beckoned with her hand and a fire elemental elf brought a metallic magic wand over to Richard. Richard took the magic wand and turned away from the Wizard Tower. [Material: Secret Silver Wand] [Extractable Information: Four Elements Combined Enhancement Rune Array] [Extraction Cost: 120 spiritual power] [Extractable Skill: Magic Wand Making (incomplete)] [Extraction Cost: 50 spiritual power] Looking at the information provided by the Miracle Furnace, Richard couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself, feeling that the twelve thousand magic essences he had spent were truly worth it. This magic wand, named the Secret Silver Wand, was the premium magic wand that amplified the four elements magic by a thousand energy levels, which Richard had won at the auction. This magic wand truly gave Richard a pleasant surprise. Not to mention how precious the Four Elements Combined Enhancement Rune Array was, even the skill of magic wand making was worth the twelve thousand magic essence. The extraction cost of fifty spiritual power made him wonder just how proficient the master who had crafted the magic wand must have been. Richard chose to extract the skill first, and after using up fifty spiritual power, his vision began to flash with intermittent illusions. In the illusion, he was an alchemy wizard, and not just any, but one with excellent talent. He could grasp what his instructor taught at once, much like the most profound knowledge seemed no different from simple arithmetic in his eyes. Soon, he made his first magic wand in life. Looking at the magic wand, Richard could even feel the joy from the illusion. At that moment, he set himself a goal¡ªhe wanted to make a perfect magic wand. Then he began to learn new knowledge, continuously improving the magic wand. To get a perfect magic wand, he started endless experiments, from choosing materials for the wand to its crafting techniques. One by one, magic wands with different styles were produced by him, and during this time, he came to be honored as a master. Then, the illusion abruptly ended. This Secret Silver Wand was merely a byproduct from the master¡¯s exploration of the perfect magic wand. Richard woke from the illusion and slowly said, ¡°A seeker on the path of truth, a master worthy of respect.¡± Even though it was just an illusion he had experienced, he could feel that wizard¡¯s pursuit of a perfect magic wand. Setting the magic wand aside, Richard engaged in deep meditation on the spot for eight hours, replenishing his spent spiritual power. He then proceeded to extract the Four Elements Combined Enhancement Rune Array. After the extraction, Richard felt as if his head had been struck by a heavy hammer; he saw darkness before his eyes and his limbs wouldn¡¯t respond properly. The hundred and twenty points of spiritual power had nearly drained his soul. Richard lay down by instinct, his instincts telling him that it was time to sleep, and he did not resist himself. His eyes slowly closed, and in a short while, he fell into deep sleep. Three days later, Richard climbed up from the laboratory floor, starting to consume the knowledge brought about by the extraction. The rune array of the Secret Silver Wand could be said to be the most excellent he had ever seen in all the magic wands he had encountered. The clever combination of runes, the geometric beauty of their arrangement, all made Richard, the alchemy wizard, feel as though he were back in his apprentice days. Compared to this magic wand, his own creations were like the clumsy work of an apprentice. Moreover, the core rune of this rune array was a rare rune; the magic wand¡¯s ability to simultaneously amplify the four elements magic by a thousand energy levels was all thanks to this core rune. He spent three months digesting this rune array. After three months, Richard closed several notebooks, thick as dictionaries and full of information, and then paused his digestion of the rune array. No other reason, the knowledge involved in this rune array was extensive; even tapping into all of his lifelong learning, he could only penetrate part of its mysteries. To digest the remaining content, Richard needed to supplement his knowledge. Beyond that point, if he kept digesting, he would not be able to complete the promised magic wand upgrade. After absorbing the skill of magic wand making and digesting part of the knowledge of the Four Elements Combined Enhancement Rune Array, Richard made swift and substantial progress in making magic wands. Under his upgrade, Ali¡¯s magic wand now augmented fire element spells by an additional five hundred energy levels. This figure was a multiple increase over the previous one. After hearing this number, Ali immediately offered to repay him with her body. However, Richard stopped her. In all fairness, the one losing out on this kind of deal would actually be him. Shortly after the magic wand had been upgraded, a notice from the academy arrived in Richard¡¯s hands. [Due to the frustration and rage of the old bastards from Meteor Star, the shameless Meteor Star Wizard Academy has instigated a war of academies against our Black Tower Wizard Academy. This war will commence in a month. Wizards of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, grab your magic equipment and defend our academy. After the war, my treasure vault will be open to you! ¡ª Black Tower Great Wizard] Chapter 301: 20 Academy War Chapter 301: Chapter 20 Academy War Upon receiving the news, the community at the Black Tower Wizard Academy within the Tower of Truth bubbled with excitement. Beams of light shot into the sky; some rode brooms, others sat on flying carpets, some spread their wings wide, and some galloped through the air. The multitude of wizards employed their divine skills as they raced toward the Teleportation Gate. Richard casually counted and saw tens of thousands of beams of light rising just within the community. If one also considered the faculty of the Academy currently on expeditions now being recalled, a rough estimate suggested that the Black Tower Wizard Academy could mobilize fifty thousand wizards for this war. Though this number seemed small compared to the number of wizards involved in Plane Wars, it was still formidable. And they were Black Wizards; they did not move in groups like the White Wizards. Fifty thousand wizards were already a significant force. Richard joined the radiant army, following these wizards as they flew toward the Black Tower Wizard Academy. After becoming a Second Ring Wizard, Richard¡¯s flying speed had greatly increased. In less than half a month, he arrived at the Black Tower Wizard Academy. In the Black Tower Wizard Academy, the wizards and faculty recalled over the years hovered in the sky. Above them, an immense mirror reflected a vast expanse of land. Richard looked around among these wizards and surprisingly, did not find his teacher, Jolod, only seeing a few fellow apprentices gathered together. ¡°Sister, where did Teacher go?¡± Richard approached Anna and quietly asked. When Anna saw her long-missed junior apprentice brother, she couldn¡¯t help but show a slight smile. ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived. Teacher is now a Three Rings Wizard and has become a member of the command center. All the command center members are inside the Central Black Tower, communicating with the Dean about the war.¡± Richard looked at Anna. Since he had gone to the Red Sun World, he had never seen Anna again. Almost a century had passed, and she had undergone significant changes. Anna¡¯s mechanical arm had become more refined; the once clunky design was now covered with a layer of flexible metal acting as skin. Besides the arm, this silver-grey flexible metal skin covered most of her body, with only her cheeks still composed of flesh and skin. Richard curiously touched Anna¡¯s metal skin and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Sister Anna, this skin of yours is quite special.¡± Anna¡¯s face lit up with pleasure, somewhat proudly saying, ¡°Hehe, pretty good, right? This layer of flexible metal skin is my recent research and has quite a strong defense against elemental attacks.¡± Richard was curious, ¡°How much can it defend?¡± With a touch of pride, Anna answered, ¡°A thousand energy levels!¡± A thousand energy levels¡­ Richard stroked his chin, his mind not quite catching up. He had grown accustomed to Giant Dragon Alchemy, where armored plates could easily defend against a few thousand energy levels of elemental attacks. Suddenly hearing about a thousand energy levels, he felt underwhelmed. Just a thousand energy levels, what could that possibly defend against? Anna noticed Richard¡¯s unusual reaction, but thought her junior apprentice brother was awestruck by her research. Truth be told, Anna was only ten years older than Richard, and was now just over three hundred years old. At her age, to create such an amazing piece of work, one needed talent, effort, and luck. Because of this work, she had caught the eye of the society leader of the Golden Gear Society and had become a member of the society¡¯s Inner Ring. After becoming an Inner Ring member, the Golden Gear Society¡¯s knowledge about Alchemy Machines would be completely open to her. This knowledge was a treasure trove for any wizard. Moreover, the society leader had promised that if Anna could continue to produce such excellent work, once she became a Second Ring wizard, he would hire her as the Deputy Dean with real power at his Academy. For a One Ring Wizard, this was unquestionably a tremendous opportunity. Unfortunately, the one standing opposite her was somewhat unreasonable. ¡°Amazing, truly amazing,¡± Richard praised, though his heart wasn¡¯t entirely in it. His fire lizards, after finishing the design of the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor, had made leaps and bounds in their Alchemy proficiency. Calion and Sulina, the two leaders, were almost catching up to him in skill. ¡°What are you two talking about? Include me and our junior sister, why don¡¯t you?¡± A male voice came from behind Richard; he didn¡¯t need to turn to know who it was, he just opened his arms and embraced the wizard who had come up behind him. ¡°Brother Chax, you¡¯ve gained weight again.¡± Chax remained his usual self, only even rounder than before. Richard could feel that this ¡°fat¡± was no simple matter, probably the product of some kind of Alchemy Magic. Chax released his arms, patting his belly and said with mock seriousness, ¡°What do you know, it¡¯s stored energy; it can save your life in a critical moment.¡± Beside Chax, their junior apprentice sister, Yelena, was sitting astride a Flying Dragon, grinning at them. ¡°Yelena, that Flying Dragon of yours looks impressive.¡± Richard touched Yelena¡¯s Flying Dragon; it had reached the peak of Level 1 Creatures, with a bulge on its neck, missing just the final push to become a Second-level Creature. But seeing how docile it was, it seemed it must have been raised by Yelena from a young age. ¡°Brother, you flatter me. It¡¯s just luck.¡± The Flying Dragon did not dare to act up in Richard¡¯s hands, although it was just one step away from becoming a Second-level Creature; the one touching it was a real Second Ring Wizard. ¡°What do you usually feed it? I have some high-level Magic Beast meat here, if you need it, I¡¯ll sell it to you at cost,¡± said Richard. Yelena¡¯s eyes lit up at the words, ¡°Really? You can¡¯t go back on your word, Senior Brother.¡± Anna timely walked up to Yelena¡¯s side and patted the youngster¡¯s head. ¡°Little one, your Senior Brother here is quite the wealthy man, earning tens of thousands of Magic Essence. Would he even care about your small sum of money?¡± Chax also joined in with a laugh, ¡°Exactly, right now we¡¯re all relying on Richard for our livelihood. Isn¡¯t that right, President Richard?¡± Hearing Chax¡¯s teasing words, Richard punched him with a laugh. ¡°Cut it out, what president? This is the Academy, there¡¯s no president here, only Junior Brothers and Sisters.¡± After the banter, Richard greets a few more of Jolod¡¯s students and made some introductions. These people had become Jolod¡¯s students long after Richard had, so naturally, he was not close with them. Nevertheless, they were fellow apprentices, and on the battlefield, helping each other out was a given. A few days passed, and Wizards from all directions continued to pour into the Black Tower Wizard Academy. Above the Academy, the figures of Wizards loomed like dark clouds, shrouding the sky. ¡°By the way, Junior Sister, where have all the apprentices of our Academy gone?¡± Richard suddenly realized that apart from Wizards, there seemed to be not a single living soul in the entire Black Tower Wizard Academy. Logically, there should still be tens of thousands of Wizard Apprentices around. ¡°Oh, that. They¡¯ve all entered the Dean¡¯s Secret Realm,¡± Yelena responded, ¡°Wizard Apprentices are essentially ineffective in the Academy war, so the Dean sent all those with mediocre intelligence into the Secret Realm. He had them grow into high-level Wizard Apprentices and then directly dispatched them elsewhere. As for those who have already become official Wizard Apprentices, they are now inside the Central Black Tower. As long as the Black Tower is not destroyed, they will be able to ascend to Wizard at the Tower of Truth after the war.¡± Richard raised an eyebrow in surprise, ¡°That is quite the treatment, they¡¯re spared even the need for exams.¡± Yelena smiled and said, ¡°They are indeed fortunate. But they also participated in the Academy war, so this is their reward.¡± Several more days passed, and suddenly, a ripple appeared on the enormous mirror in the sky. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A Wizard World Guardian wearing a black robe flew out from within, his features still human, but his skin resembled the bark of an old tree; beneath his robe, countless root-like things seemed to be writhing. Simultaneously, a Wizard flew out from the Central Black Tower. Richard took a closer look and saw that it was Deputy Dean Alex. Alex flew next to the robed Wizard and respectfully performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Great Guardian.¡± The robed Wizard looked at Alex and gently asked, ¡°Alex, is your Academy prepared? If so, the war will commence in six hours.¡± Alex bowed his head in response, ¡°We are ready.¡± The robed Wizard nodded, a wooden arm extending from beneath his cloak, from which countless roots spread, gradually forming into a Magic Wand. The wand appeared as if made of old tree roots, with many tiny roots at the top twisted together, forming a sphere of roots. The robed Wizard waved the wand, and Magic Power surged out of him like a flood. In the sky, a huge pentagram Array emerged on the mirror¡¯s surface, and the mirror emitted a beam of light that enshrouded the entire Academy. And in the Mirror World, a Black Tower Wizard Academy started to gradually appear. Richard, watching the World Mirror in the sky, felt a flash of awe. In the Wizard World, Magic Equipment was only classified by quality, not by level. After all, many Magic Equipment items had different effects, and the technologies applied within them varied greatly, so it was hard to establish a standard. In Alchemy Wizard circles, although there was no explicit level classification for Magic Equipment, there was an established, conventional distinction. The categories were, Common Level Magic Equipment, Rules Level Magic Equipment, and Truth Level Magic Equipment. The difference lay in the creator, and the so-called Truth Level Magic Equipment referred to that crafted by a Truth Wizard with dedication. This World Mirror before him was one of the few Truth Level Magic Equipment in the Wizard World. Rumor had it that a Truth Wizard had integrated a core from a great world while forging it, giving the Mirror World inside an almost infinite space. According to rumors, aside from providing a battlefield for the Academy war, inside the mirror were sealed some enemies of the Truth Wizards. These foes were dreadful, so much so that even Truth Wizards struggled to eliminate them and could only seal them within the World Mirror, eternally imprisoning them. As time passed, the Black Tower Wizard Academy within the World Mirror became more distinct. However, the Black Tower Wizard Academy in the Wizard World became more and more indistinct. The Academy in the Wizard World was like a painting whose colors had been diluted with water, its hues fading and its form growing transparent. Through these increasingly transparent structures, Richard saw that the site of the Black Tower Wizard Academy was being replaced by a vast tract of land. ¡°Has it been displaced with the Mirror World?¡± Richard conjectured to himself. Six hours vanished in the blink of an eye, and the original location of the Black Tower Wizard Academy was gone. Where the Central Black Tower once stood, a group of Third Ring Wizards from command, along with some Wizard Apprentices, floated in the air. The World Realm had displaced the Academy, but could not displace the Wizards within it. The World Guardian once again waved his wand, and the beam of light from the World Mirror suddenly exerted a suction force. This force made Richard feel as if he was caught in a gigantic vortex at sea. Even with all his strength, he was like an ant trying to shake a tree when faced with such mighty power. Richard did not resist, allowing the force to draw him into the World Mirror. A minute later, the sky full of Wizards all disappeared, the Guardian waved his wand, and the image in the sky slowly faded. In the Mirror World, the Wizards who had been sucked in were now falling toward the ground, pulled by gravity, resembling shooting stars. Chapter 302: 21 Mirror World Chapter 302: Chapter 21 Mirror World Mirror World The wizards who suddenly entered the Mirror World streaked across the sky like meteors, plunging towards the ground at high speed. The Mirror World and the Wizard World had largely the same rules, but the energy concentration in the air was dozens of times higher than that of the Wizard World. In this world, it was as if the wizards were submerged in a low-density Magic Power solution, with energy being continuously absorbed by their cells and then transformed into their Magic Power. Even without Magic Stones, they didn¡¯t have to worry about their Magic Power being depleted. Boom, boom, boom¡­ With a series of loud noises, the wizards entering the Mirror World landed on the ground. ¡°Wow, this energy concentration is really high,¡± Richard noted, sensing the surrounding environment. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. I¡¯ve heard this place is modeled after the Wizard World of the past, which was much stronger than the Wizard World we know now,¡± Chax responded casually. ¡°The Wizard World of the past¡­¡± Richard stroked his chin and said with some confusion, ¡°Then isn¡¯t this place full of treasures? Why would the council use it as a battlefield?¡± Anna, who also landed next to Richard, continued the conversation: ¡°You can tell, Junior Brother, that you don¡¯t really understand the World Mirror. The Mirror World within the World Mirror is one big True Illusion. Once things in it leave the Mirror World, they simply disappear. Even the energy we feel now is an illusion. Even if we transform this energy into Magic Power, it too will vanish after we leave the Mirror World.¡± Richard¡¯s face changed slightly after hearing this: ¡°Then if that¡¯s the case, if our body cells use this energy to function, wouldn¡¯t they starve immediately after leaving the Secret Realm?¡± Anna shook her head and explained: ¡°That won¡¯t happen. The illusion of the World Mirror is a True Illusion. The marvel of a True Illusion lies in its ability to shift between reality and illusion. The energy in the Mirror World is real, but once out of it, it turns false. After it¡¯s absorbed and becomes a part of your body, it¡¯s real. But if you simply collect it and let it flow through Magic Rebound, then it¡¯s false. Research into True Illusion has been a major topic for the Curse School for quite some time without conclusive results. However, what¡¯s certain is that energy which we have completely transformed will not disappear just because we leave the Mirror World¡­¡± Richard was confused by the explanation but understood the last statement. His cells would not starve suddenly upon leaving the Mirror World. ¡°As long as I won¡¯t starve, that¡¯s fine,¡± Richard said carelessly. ¡°Aside from this, are there any other features of this world, Senior Sister?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s about it, but there are rumors of some strange creatures in this world, though none has been confirmed.¡± Richard nodded and then turned his attention to the sky. At that moment, the last of the wizards had entered the Mirror World, and the Academy War had officially begun. Buzz, buzz! Richard¡¯s Communication Crystal Ball suddenly emitted an energy fluctuation; he glanced at the message and then at Anna and Chax. At that moment, their Communication Crystal Balls also received messages. ¡°From the teacher?¡± Anna asked. Richard nodded, and the other students of Jolod nodded as well. Without further discussion, they turned and flew towards the Central Black Tower. On the ninety-ninth floor of the Black Tower, Jolod, as usual, sat in the laboratory, flipping through a Magic Book. Seeing the wizards who received the message entering through the main gate, he put down the book and smiled slightly. ¡°Good, you¡¯re all here.¡± Anna was the first to ask, ¡°Teacher, what did you want to see us for?¡± Jolod waved his hand: ¡°Sit down first, I¡¯ll explain everything one by one.¡± Everyone took a seat, and Jolod returned to his chair, his tone becoming more serious. ¡°You should all be aware of the situation with this Academy War. The number of wizards from Meteor Star Academy is double ours, and though many of them haven¡¯t been on the battlefield, the fireballs from old wizards are just as deadly as those from student soldiers. The initial strategy set by the command is defense, so I have selected several defensive areas for you.¡± The seated wizards glanced at each other, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes. Is this the power of the Deputy Dean? Directly assigning them defensive zones. Jolod, seeing his students misinterpret his intentions, immediately coughed. ¡°Cough, don¡¯t overthink it. I assigned you defensive zones because I know your abilities. These are not easily defended strategic locations. You will still face the wizards from Meteor Star Academy. The only reason for these assignments is they suit your particular strengths, and this is the only help I can offer you.¡± For such a significant matter, even Susanna wouldn¡¯t blatantly favor her own students. All they could do was enable their students to utilize their advantages to the fullest on the battlefield. Whether they could survive depended on their luck. Jolod took out a Crystal Ball and tapped it a few times. Soon, information about their defensive zones appeared on everyone¡¯s Crystal Balls. ¡°Have you all received the information? Once you have it, report there quickly. The wizards from Meteor Star Academy will soon be attacking.¡± The wizards nodded one after another and headed to their respective defensive zones, all but Richard, who remained in place. ¡°Teacher, where¡¯s my defensive zone?¡± Richard looked at his Crystal Ball with confusion. Jolod looked deeply at Richard: ¡°Come with me, your task is different from theirs.¡± Jolod walked out of the laboratory and flew upwards towards the top of the Black Tower. Richard followed him all the way to the three-hundredth floor of the Black Tower. This level was the highest that wizards could reach; any further up was the residence of the Great Wizard. On the three-hundredth level, Jolod landed on the ground and opened a large door. Behind the door sat several wizards, some familiar to Richard and some unknown. But judging by the magic power fluctuations, at least they were all of the Three Rings level. ¡°It seems this is the command headquarters,¡± Richard thought to himself. Apart from the Three Rings wizards, there were also a few wizards like him, who were of the Second Ring. These wizards, just like Richard, were filled with confusion about the mission that lay ahead. Jolod led Richard into the room and casually shut the door behind them. As the wooden door to the room closed, an Array instantly enveloped the entire room. According to Richard¡¯s experience, this was likely an isolation Magic Array designed to block all external prying. There was a large round table in the room. Jolod sat down next to it, and Richard stood quietly behind him, waiting for what was to come. Soon, the door opened again. This time it was Susanna, with a Second Ring Wizard following her. Susanna entered the room, glanced at the number of Second Ring Wizards, and said, ¡°Everyone is here, then let us begin.¡± Susanna took her seat, and Alex, who sat at the innermost part of the room, spoke: ¡°Gentlemen, we¡¯ve called you here to assign you a daunting task. You should already know that our strategy is defense, to remain unchanging in the face of all challenges. But in addition to defense, we also need a few exceptional wizards to raid the Meteor Star Academy and tie down some of their forces. That is, to become the ¡®Black Wizards¡¯ in this Academy War.¡± A few Second Ring Wizards remained silent, quietly waiting for what Alex would say next. Alex continued, ¡°And you few are the elite wizards we¡¯ve chosen. Your strength is quite remarkable, and you¡¯re all of the Second Ring. The Deans of our two academies don¡¯t have any deep, mutual hatred, so we Three Rings wizards won¡¯t take it too seriously. As long as you don¡¯t invade the Core Wizard Tower of Meteor Star Academy, it¡¯s very likely you¡¯ll be fine with your combat capabilities.¡± After Alex finished speaking, one of the Second Ring Wizards asked, ¡°Deputy Dean, what¡¯s the reward? This mission is quite dangerous, don¡¯t be stingy.¡± Alex glanced at the wizard who had asked the question. It was an older wizard, around the same age as Jolod. But because he had never advanced to the Three Rings, he already exuded an air of decay. ¡°Anka, you¡¯re still so impatient.¡± Alex then continued, ¡°If you can complete this mission, the Dean¡¯s treasury will be opened to you. You will be allowed to take out three items.¡± Hearing this, the breath of the Second Ring Wizards halted for a moment. Although the Black Tower Great Wizard had only become a Great Wizard for a few thousand years, even the poorest Great Wizard¡¯s treasury was enough to dazzle these minor wizards. Alex showed a cunning, fox-like smile, ¡°What do you think, is this reward satisfactory?¡± The Second Ring Wizards all nodded their heads. ¡°If you¡¯re satisfied, then do a good job. Here, sign this.¡± Alex took out a stack of contracts, handing them to the Second Ring Wizards in front of him. One of the Second Ring Wizards received the contract and expressed his displeasure, ¡°Deputy Dean, what do you mean by this?¡± ¡°What do I mean?¡± Alex scoffed, ¡°Without a contract, how can I be sure you won¡¯t slack off? A few masters at Meteor Star Academy are very familiar with Communication Crystal Balls, so you should only glance at your Communication Crystal Ball at special times each day. For the rest of the time, it¡¯s best to keep it in your Magic Pocket. If you expose your Communication Crystal Ball for too long, you¡¯ll be waiting to get caught.¡± Hearing Alex¡¯s explanation, the Second Ring Wizards no longer wasted words and signed the contract with a feather pen. As the contract turned to flames and disappeared into the air, Alex nodded in satisfaction. He stood up and gave the wizards a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°The upcoming war depends on your performance.¡± Leaving the headquarters, Jolod handed Richard a Synthetic Beast Pocket on the way. ¡°This is what I made with those active Flesh samples you provided; the specs are even better than what you requested.¡± With that, a hint of surprise showed on Jolod¡¯s face. ¡°This type of active Flesh, while not universally applicable, results in Synthetic Beasts with unusually long lifespans. The few I¡¯ve given you are estimated to live up to eighty years.¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard took the pocket, and with a sweep of his spiritual power, he knew what was inside¡ªthe pocket contained five dragon beasts, optimized by Jolod. ¡°Natives do have their merits, don¡¯t they, mentor?¡± Richard teased with a smile. Jolod responded, not at all annoyed, but with a tone tinged with reflection: ¡°They truly are valuable. I was too arrogant before, having lost the humility of a Seeker.¡± After a few more pleasantries, they parted ways outside the Central Black Tower. Before leaving, Jolod patted Richard on the shoulder and advised, ¡°Richard, you¡¯re my most outstanding student. Although I¡¯m confident in your abilities, I still have to say this: Be very careful, and never be greedy.¡± Richard smiled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mentor. I¡¯ve survived Plane Wars; I¡¯m not going to die this time.¡± Jolod seriously said, ¡°Don¡¯t be overconfident. Think things over carefully. You¡¯ve earned so many Magic Essence, and it¡¯d all be for nothing if you die.¡± Richard nodded and walked away. Jolod watched Richard¡¯s figure slowly disappear, then sighed and returned to the command headquarters. Chapter 303: 22 The First Day of the War Chapter 303: Chapter 22 The First Day of the War The Black Tower Wizard Academy was located amidst a terrain of hills that stretched on endlessly like waves. But it seemed due to the season, the hills were covered only with withered yellow grass and dried bushes, rarely a green plant in sight. The woods among the hills were also mostly golden. Surveying the terrain, Richard immediately decided to release a Dragon Beast. At this time, flying in the sky was simply to be a living target. Most wizards generally didn¡¯t touch the ground, and this terrain was also quite suitable for aerial reconnaissance, flying could easily result in a direct encounter with wizards from Meteor Star Academy. Upon opening the Synthetic Beast Pocket, Richard immediately released the majestic and mighty Dragon Beast. The Dragon Beast had the appearance of a horse, but it possessed a fierce and majestic dragon head. It had a robust build, standing two meters tall at the shoulder. Moreover, its muscles were extremely developed, especially its sturdy back and the four pillar-like legs. Its hide was covered in a layer of black scales, which did not reflect sunlight, emitting an air of profound darkness. After being released, the Dragon Beast displayed no joy at newly found freedom, on the contrary, its golden dragon eyes looked towards Richard the second they opened. To create a Dragon Beast, the blood of a Fire Lizard was needed, and traditionally, the blood donor would become the owner of the Dragon Beast. But Richard was certainly not a Fire Lizard. Therefore, Jolod thoughtfully modified the Dragon Beast. Jolod had implanted a control tumor into the Dragon Beast¡¯s brain, a tumor that could interfere with its judgment, causing it to mistake Richard for its master. In addition, Jolod had fitted a neural connection port onto the Dragon Beast¡¯s spine. If Richard was willing to modify himself, or add a Biological Magic Equipment to his tailbone, he wouldn¡¯t even need to cultivate a bond, and could achieve Man and Horse Unity directly through the neural connection. The Dragon Beast looked at Richard and tentatively let out a call. ¡°Roar?¡± Richard stepped forward, stroked its head, and then took out a large piece of Flame Giant Beast meat jerky from his pocket. Upon seeing the jerky, the Dragon Beast¡¯s eyes lit up, and its calls became much more cheerful. Richard fed it the jerky, and the adult-sized piece of meat disappeared after just a few bites in the Dragon Beast¡¯s mouth. Richard stroked the Dragon Beast¡¯s head, and it made no resistance. This meant the Dragon Beast had acknowledged him. Richard took out another piece of meat the same size as before and fed it to the Dragon Beast, then with a small leap, he jumped onto its back. Jolod had thoughtfully prepared a saddle and reins for Richard, but he did not need these things. With a pat on the Dragon Beast¡¯s neck, Richard uttered a syllable that might sound a bit grating to ordinary people. ¡°Gloh!¡± Upon hearing this syllable, the Dragon Beast chewing the meat jerky suddenly raised its head. Its muscles began to move, smoothly like flowing water. Its thick, pillar-like legs started to bend, and its hooves the size of large bowls left deep footprints on the ground. ¡°Roar!¡± The Dragon Beast responded and then bolted forward like a landslide. Richard sat on the Dragon Beast¡¯s back, nodding in satisfaction. The syllable he had just uttered was from the language of Giant Dragons, a language Richard was originally not aware of, but some of his subordinate Fire Lizards had fought with Dragon Beast Knights. From their accounts, Richard learned that the Dragon Beast Knights had their own exclusive set of language for controlling the Dragon Beasts. Richard had them imitate those languages and then found a Giant Dragon language dictionary in the Wizard World. As Richard had surmised, the languages of the Dragon Beast Knights all originated from the ancient Giant Dragon language. With the dictionary and practice with the Fire Lizards, Richard quickly developed a set of languages to control Dragon Beasts. Unfortunately, at the time the Dragon Beast had not been optimized, so Richard had no chance to experiment. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now it appeared, his languages were indeed useful. Richard then took out a Magic Scroll from his pocket and tore it open. The spell recorded on this scroll was called ¡°Existence Fade,¡± a Curse Magic that could reduce the presence of its user. It could even allow the user to blend into a group of ten people, and no matter how others counted, they would only perceive ten. Compared to optical invisibility, the advantage of this spell was that it could fool even spiritual power probes. However, although this spell sounded well suited for hiding, it was actually a brutal combat spell within the Curse School. Because this spell could cause the existence of the afflicted to completely disappear, and in the end, the afflicted would enter a strange state. He would still be alive, but unable to interact with anything in the world. He could not attract energy, could not eat, saw nothing but darkness, heard nothing but silence, and felt nothing even when touching with his hands. Spreading out his spiritual power only revealed a void. This was a solitude comparable to Soul Darkness. Once caught in this state, only two paths lay ahead for a wizard, one was suicide, and the other was to live until the caster died. Once the caster died, the effects of the spell would vanish. However, the ¡°Existence Fade¡± in Richard¡¯s possession was a lightweight version, the power stored in this scroll could allow a Wizard Apprentice to disappear completely but for Richard, a Second Ring Wizard, at best it could only help him avoid casual spiritual power probes of wizards. ¡­ On the other side of the battlefield, on the side opposing the Black Tower Wizard Academy. Meteor Star Academy was executing their plan. At the center of Meteor Star Academy, a red tower was emitting a fervent aura. This was the Core Wizard Tower of Meteor Star Academy. On the hundred and fiftieth floor of that tower, all Three Rings Wizards of Meteor Star Academy gathered together. In front of them, on a flat map projected from a Crystal Ball, countless dots were steadily spreading towards the surroundings of the Academy. ¡°What is this?¡± asked a Shaping Wizard who had completely transformed his body into an elemental form. At the edge of the map, a Wizard with a monocle, who looked rather scholarly, responded to him. ¡°This is a map, and the lights on it represent the patrol teams we¡¯ve sent out. We don¡¯t know where the Black Tower Wizard Academy is, so we¡¯re using this method to find them for the time being.¡± He was one of the Deputy Deans of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy, a student of the Meteor Star Great Wizard, Crispin Stevens. ¡°What are we doing here then?¡± asked another Wizard, his eyes flashing with thunder. ¡°Just sitting around?¡± Crispin adjusted his glasses and said calmly, ¡°We need to decide on an attitude, what our ultimate goal is. This war with the Black Tower Wizard Academy is a complete accident. The Wizards of the Black Tower Wizard Academy just need to defend, but we have much more to consider. To what extent are we going to fight this war? Are we going to take over their commercial area, or their residential area, or perhaps their test zone, or should we simply leave them with nothing but their Core Wizard Tower?¡± ¡°What does the Dean say?¡± asked an old Wizard. Crispin spread his hands with a tone of resignation, ¡°The Dean told us to destroy the Core Wizard Tower of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, but that¡¯s obviously a bluff. Destroying the Core Wizard Tower wouldn¡¯t benefit the Dean at all; it would only give him another enemy. I tried to contact him before the war, but I couldn¡¯t get through.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just leave the Core Wizard Tower then,¡± the old Wizard spoke again. He was Zick Helta, one of the Deputy Deans of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy, and a trusted assistant to the Meteor Star Great Wizard. ¡°After all, the Dean needs to save face. Leaving them with the Core Wizard Tower will look good for him, and we minions won¡¯t have too hard a time either.¡± Having said that, Zick looked at all the Wizards present. ¡°What do you all think?¡± The fiery elemental Wizard who had spoken earlier was the first to respond, ¡°Okay.¡± The other Wizards, after a moment¡¯s thought, nodded one after another. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go with that, call me when it¡¯s time to fight.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Seeing that all the Wizards agreed, Crispin clapped his hands and declared, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then our target is tentatively set to occupy all areas of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, excluding the Core Wizard Tower.¡± Having said that, he joked, ¡°Let¡¯s hope the orders they receive on the other side are to defend the Core Wizard Tower so we can both take it easy.¡± ¡­ Watching a Wizard fly over his head, Richard stood in the woods with a cold smile on his lips. He didn¡¯t even feel any spiritual power when these Wizards flew over his head. They were clearly students who had never seen battle. Any Wizard who had been on the battlefield would maintain their spiritual power at a high level of diffusion while scouting and would devote a considerable portion of their attention to the ground. The bloody lessons taught Wizards that if you don¡¯t scout the ground, you¡¯d better have enough means to save your own life. The natives weren¡¯t going to go easy on you just because you¡¯re a novice. Richard took a Magic Wand out of his pocket, but it wasn¡¯t his Secret Silver Wand; it was his own Pure Gold Magic Wand. Richard then took out a Nomi Crystal Stone from his pocket, switched the head of his Pure Gold Magic Wand, and after the switch, the Pure Gold Magic Wand¡¯s boost to his Spell power dropped significantly. But at this point, pursuing power was actually pointless. A 500-Energy Level Fireball and a 1000-Energy Level Fireball could both kill the Wizards above; using a Nomi Crystal Stone wand head, the Spell fluctuations would be smaller. After switching the wand head, Richard began moving slowly in the direction the Wizards had come from. The Meteor Star Wizard Academy did not know where the Black Tower Wizard Academy was, and naturally, the Black Tower Wizard Academy was also unaware of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy¡¯s location. Originally, Richard had planned to scout a bit, but now there was no need. As Richard set off towards the Meteor Star Wizard Academy, other Second Ring Wizards also noticed these scouting Wizards in the sky. ¡­ ¡°Are they not even scouting the ground?¡± Anka shook his head as he watched the Wizards fly overhead. As a seasoned old Wizard, he felt an unusual pity for these novice Wizards, who were so reckless. They were so inexperienced that he felt like he was bullying children. ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s not kill these rookies yet. The attack hasn¡¯t started, and it would not be good to provoke powerhouses.¡± With that, Anka¡¯s figure suddenly vanished, leaving behind only a trail of faint footprints that spread outwards. ¡­ In various places on the battlefield, the elite Wizards dispatched by the Black Tower Wizard Academy watched the Wizards flying overhead, each reacting with derision, emotion, or disdain. But there were also those unlucky ones who had headed in the opposite direction of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy and had not encountered any Wizards yet. However, they all shared one common trait¡ªthey chose not to engage in combat. All the Wizards tacitly chose to lurk, following the tracks of these inexperienced Wizards and infiltrating the Meteor Star Wizard Academy. Their mission was to cause disruption behind enemy lines and to deplete the strength of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy. At this juncture, the war had not yet begun. Any Wizard who exposed themselves was looking for death. Thus, the first day of war passed in such a quiet way. Chapter 304: 23 The War Begins Chapter 304: Chapter 23 The War Begins Seven days before the start of the war, the entire Mirror World was calm and peaceful. Neither side showed the slightest intention to make a move. But any Wizard who was involved in the Academy war knew that this was just the calm before the storm. The longer the calm lasted, the more thunderous and powerful the strike would be when it came. ¡­ Black Tower Wizard Academy A team of Wizards was patrolling on top of the city walls. After receiving news of the war, Black Tower Wizard Academy had undergone repairs and adjustments. Around the perimeter of the Academy, a series of black spires encircled the entire institution. On top of each spire was a huge Crystal Tower Peak, which served both as a defense and as a measure for attack. High, towering walls were also built between the spires, linking them together. These walls were engraved with Runes and Magic Arrays, forming a defense as strong as iron walls and bronze bulwarks. And behind these walls, whether it was the test zone, the commercial area, or the residential district, similar defense towers stood tall among them. These towers were just as strong as those on the walls, with Crystal-made peaks on top. And they had something more. Gargoyles, fierce and terrifying, covered these towers with eyes so red they seemed filled with blood, as if at any moment they could break free from their stone form and descend upon the human realm. After the modifications, the entire Black Tower Wizard Academy had essentially become a fortress with iron walls and bronze gates. The Patrol Wizards moved from one spire to another. It was deep autumn in the Mirror World, and the cold winds from the north carried a particular kind of Energy, as sharp as knives when they touched the skin. Even Wizards felt somewhat cold. ¡°Phew, the Wizard World of the past was truly terrifying,¡± said one patrolling Wizard as he tightened his Wizard Robe around him, exhaling white breath as he spoke. ¡°Yes, I almost forgot what coldness felt like,¡± added another Wizard from the patrol team. ¡°It¡¯s only deep autumn now. If it were winter, this wind would be as powerful as a Spell.¡± The thinning of Energy in the Wizard World was not actually a bad thing for humans. The power of natural phenomena is directly related to the concentration of Energy in the environment. During the Enlightenment Age, when the cold winds of winter blew, even Wizards dared not recklessly step out of their Wizard Towers. Terrifying ice and snowstorms treated all beings below the level of a Great Wizard without distinction. Even Undead creatures would have their Soul Fire scattered by the ice and snowstorms. But after the retreat of the great Energy tide, although ordinary humans became weaker in Physique as the Energy waned, the natural environment was no longer fearsome for Wizards. Under the protection of Wizards, ordinary humans began to multiply rapidly, and even in the unprotected Wilderness, there existed human nations as numerous as stars. The initially complaining Wizard exclaimed, ¡°We are born in a good era.¡± Suddenly, the lamenting Wizard sensed something amiss. Without thinking, he conjured a Magic Barrier to spring up around him instantly. Sssss¡­ A grating, corroding noise reached the ears of the Wizards. A dark green Energy arrow was now stuck in his Energy Barrier. Behind him, a group of Wizards in black robes had, at some unknown time, climbed onto the city wall, and at this moment, his teammates had all been taken down. ¡°Enemy attack!¡± The patrolling Wizard immediately wanted to release an alarm, but before he could act, a black-robed Wizard appeared beside him like a ghost. A stout arm broke through his Magic Barrier in an instant, crushing his skull into a pulp. But just as the black-robed Wizard retracted his hand, wiping the brain matter from his palm, the Wizard whose skull he had smashed suddenly emitted intense Magic Fluctuations, and a light burst forth from within his body, instantly merging into the Crystal Tower Peak of the city wall spire. The next moment, the Magic Alarm erupted, sending special Energy Waves throughout the entire Academy. The entire city wall was lit up in an instant, and teams of Wizards emerged from the towers, rapidly converging on the spire from where the alarm had been sounded. The black-robed Wizard sighed, flashing a hand signal to his companions. ¡°Operation failed, prepare for a heavy assault.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± His teammates pulled out metal stakes about a meter long from their pouches and thrust them firmly into the ground. The Runes on the stakes began to flicker, but the rescuing Wizards had already located them. Boom! A sun-like Fireball exploded around the small squad, the massive shockwave causing several Wizards to cough up blood. Even some of the stakes on the ground were knocked over. Seeing this, the black-robed Wizard wanted to right them back but was pummeled by the supporting Wizards¡¯ Spells, unable to move his hands. The Runes on the metal stakes were quickly fully charged, out of more than fifty stakes that had been thrust into the ground, now only about twenty remained in place due to the aftermath of the Spells. After charging, these remaining stakes established a subtle connection, starting to vibrate slightly with a uniform frequency. The next moment, a massive cracking sound entered the ears of every Wizard present. The towering city wall of Black Tower Wizard Academy was shattered to pieces, a huge crack spreading and eventually splitting the wall open. And those twenty-odd stakes also turned into a heap of metal powder during the resonance. Seeing the situation turning dire, the supporting Wizards fired another beam. The receiving Crystal Tower Peak suddenly turned blood red, and a piercing alarm spread throughout the entire Academy. ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡± Outside the city walls, the prepared Wizards from Meteor Star Academy began pouring into the Black Tower Wizard Academy through the breach. The war had begun! ¡­ Black Tower Wizard Academy had armed itself like a spiked turtle, but Meteor Star Academy had not done the same. As the initiators of the war, the Meteor Star Wizard Academy had undergone renovations, but they were still far behind the Black Tower Wizard Academy. A large number of Patrol Wizard teams replaced the towering walls, and together with numerous keenly perceptive Synthetic Beasts, they defended the Academy¡¯s safety. ¡­ Outside the Meteor Star Academy¡¯s hills, a team of Wizards carrying lanterns was patrolling along a predetermined route. ¡°Really now, if those Wizards at the Black Tower Wizard Academy have all decided to turtle up, why are we even patrolling?¡± a patrolling Wizard complained. The complainer¡¯s Wizard Robe was brand new, and he didn¡¯t have an aura of malevolence about him; his face still had a youthful ¡°tenderness,¡± showing at a glance that he was a Wizard who had never been on the battlefield. ¡°Exactly, the patrol is so tight, as if those cowardly Black Tower Wizards would dare to sneak attack us,¡± chimed in another Patrol Wizard. He was just as inexperienced as the complainer, only older. Seeing his teammate¡¯s complaint, another Wizard spoke up: ¡°It¡¯s really cold in this godforsaken place. There¡¯s no benefit to patrolling outside; it¡¯s truly suffering for nothing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± another Wizard agreed. Seeing signs of disorder in the team, the leading Patrol Captain suddenly turned around, his cold voice penetrating the ears of the complainers in an instant. ¡°Stop your complaining; you¡¯ve done enough along the way. If I hear any more out of you, you¡¯ll all receive a flogging when we get back.¡± The captain was the only Wizard in the team who had been on the battlefield, and compared to his teammates, he was as silent and stoic as a rock. Hearing the reprimand from their captain made the Wizards fall silent, as if stricken by the cold. They knew their captain was a man of his word; if they complained again, he would indeed subject them to a flogging. A Wizard¡¯s flogging wasn¡¯t ordinary; it was a punishment of the soul, and every lash was akin to modifying a Magic Model. The horror of that sensation was something they did not wish to experience. The patrol team passed through a stand of dead trees, with a thick layer of fallen leaves that felt like walking on a cushion. Suddenly, the captain stopped in his tracks. He extended his lantern forward, and the gentle light of the lantern instantly dispelled a large swath of darkness. The lanterns carried by the patrol were Magic Lanterns, and apart from providing light, they were a rudimentary means of preventing sneak attacks through Shadow Magic. The stealthiness of Shadow Magic came from the commonness of shadows, but if the shadows were dispelled, then Shadow Magic would be as conspicuous as a black spot on white paper, and nowhere to hide. The teammates all looked toward the place illuminated by the captain¡¯s lantern. In the bright light, there were two distinct depressions in the leaf layer. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These depressions resembled footprints, but the Patrol Wizards were certain that all large creatures around the Academy had been cleared out to prevent someone from using Transformation Techniques to infiltrate the Academy. So how did these depressions come about? The Patrol Captain¡¯s face grew solemn, and his spiritual power suddenly expanded to the limit as he tried to locate any similar depressions. But he found nothing. ¡°Am I just being paranoid?¡± the Patrol Captain wondered silently. He retracted his lantern, ready to move forward. But the Synthetic Beast he was leading suddenly lay down on the ground. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A Magic Barrier suddenly erupted from the captain¡¯s body, and the Magic Wand in his hand was ready to be unleashed. A strong sense of danger surged in his heart. As a Wizard who had experienced war, his instincts were usually spot-on. But this time, accurate as they might be, his instincts were useless. A faint smell of blood entered the captain¡¯s nose, and a terrible thought flashed across his mind. His head turned back, trembling. Behind him, a towering Iron Giant stood with the previously complaining Wizard in its grip. The rest of his team now lay on the ground, their skulls indented. Some had their necks twisted, with fresh blood flowing from the severed necks, explaining the bloody scent he had smelled just moments before. ¡°Enemy attack!¡± The Patrol Captain wanted to immediately sound the alarm. But before he could act, he saw the Iron Giant, with soundless steps, approach him. Then a fist of steel dominated his entire field of vision. Thump! ¡­ After dealing with the patrol team, the Iron Giant began to clean the battlefield. Since he was careful, the fight left almost no traces. After clearing away the blood and brain matter-stained leaves, the Iron Giant piled up the bodies and respectfully said toward the trees: ¡°Master, the cleanup is complete.¡± Out of the forest, a Wizard in a black robe emerged from the leaves with a trace of excitement on his face. This person was Richard, who had infiltrated the Meteor Star Wizard Academy. It was now the thirtieth day since the war had begun, and under the onslaught of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy, the Black Tower Wizard Academy had already lost several defensive Spires. A gap had been created in the Academy¡¯s previously impenetrable defenses, and the Meteor Star Wizard Academy continued to send reinforcements in an attempt to widen it further. For this reason, the command had ordered all the Wizards who had previously infiltrated the Meteor Star Wizard Academy to start their operations. They were to divert a portion of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy¡¯s forces to the rear and thus alleviate some pressure from the front lines. Richard patted the Iron Giant, praising him: ¡°Well done, swift and clean.¡± He then went over to the pile of bodies, taking away the Wizards¡¯ Magic Equipment and Magic Pockets. Their bodies were burnt right there by Richard. Richard pointed at the corpses, and a white-hot flame ¡°flowed¡± from his fingertips, incinerating the bodies to ash. During the process, the leaves beneath the bodies weren¡¯t even ignited, but were left with slight scorch marks. With a wave of his hand, Richard sent a breeze to blow the scorched leaves deep into the forest. Looking at the brightly lit tower a few kilometers away, Richard raised his hand and softly said, ¡°Let¡¯s move on.¡± Chapter 305: 24: Witch Hunt Chapter 305: Chapter 24: Witch Hunt ¡°Patrol team vanished without a trace?¡± Crispin looked at the message in the Crystal Ball, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. The powerful Magic Beasts around the Academy had been eradicated on their first day in this world, and they had even dispatched a Three Rings Wizard to patrol, ensuring absolutely no fish slipped through the net. But if it wasn¡¯t Magic Beasts, then there was only one answer for the disappearance of the patrol team. Crispin looked at Zick opposite him. The two of them were the real power deputy deans of the Academy, and before he became deputy dean, Meteor Star Academy had only Zick as a deputy dean. This old wizard named Zick had traversed battlefields with his teacher before his teacher became a Great Wizard, his experience in wars was particularly abundant. He felt it was better to discuss this matter with the two of them. ¡°Master Zick, what do you think about the disappearance of the patrol team?¡± Crispin said. Zick lifted his head, his gaze very calm. ¡°Somebody has stealthily approached, what¡¯s your opinion, should we redeploy wizards from the front?¡± Crispin shook his head, ¡°Now is the best opportunity to breach the defenses of Black Tower Academy. As the attackers, we need to seize every chance. To deal with these rats, I think adjusting the Academy¡¯s defense measures will suffice.¡± Zick nodded, ¡°I think so too, please take the trouble, I¡¯ll make the adjustments.¡± ¡­ The setting sun was falling, the sunset like blood. Richard stood three kilometers outside Meteor Star Wizard Academy, watching the suddenly changed patrol teams, and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with a headache. Richard could see that the command layer of Meteor Star Academy had made a move, and the person who acted was an old wizard. This old wizard had adjusted the patrol teams from small squads to mid-size squads, doubling the number of people in a patrol team compared to before. Moreover, each patrol team was now accompanied by two Second Ring Wizards as the team leaders and deputy leaders, which significantly boosted the patrol teams¡¯ combat power. Furthermore, the patrol zone of the patrol teams had been greatly reduced; they now only patrolled inside the Academy. Richard also noticed that some wizards had begun to wear identity badges, which he guessed were products of Alchemy. The purpose of the identity badges, Richard surmised, was to prevent team members from being silently replaced. However, their badge count seemed to be insufficient, only a few teams were equipped with badges. ¡°This is going to be troublesome now.¡± Richard stroked his chin, looking at Meteor Star Wizard Academy, falling into worry. There was no choice, their task was to lure the frontline wizards back to the rear to lessen the pressure on the frontlines. But Meteor Star Academy clearly didn¡¯t plan to redeploy people back. Attack all you want, as long as I reduce the patrol area and increase the patrol team numbers, like a turtle shrinking its head. Your attacks are useless. Once the situation on the front stabilizes, then we¡¯ll deal with you. ¡°It looks like they won¡¯t redeploy people unless we really hurt them.¡± Richard undid a Synthetic Beast Pocket from his waist and then released the contents. Three Fire Lizards woke from their slumber and knelt before Richard saying, ¡°Master.¡± Since the rift in the Secret Realm could not be opened through the World Mirror, Richard could only put these three Third Level Fire Lizards into the Synthetic Beast Pocket to bring them into the World Mirror. Richard undid another pocket, took out the parts of the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor, and handed them to the three Fire Lizards to don themselves. After over a year of training, the Fire Lizards had become very proficient in donning the armor. The three helped each other and spent nearly half an hour to fully don the armor and complete the adjustments. Makar, who had come out earlier, now arrived beside Richard, and Richard¡¯s Witch Hunting Team was now officially at full strength. The three latter Fire Lizards looked at the distant towers, their eyes involuntarily flashing with astonishment. The Core Wizard Tower of Meteor Star Wizard Academy, although not as tall as the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s residence, was still seven to eight hundred meters high; such a gigantic structure, the Fire Lizards were seeing for the first time. Their level of shock was similar to the first time they saw the Floating City. ¡°Master, is this the Wizard Academy you spoke of?¡± one Fire Lizard asked, ¡°Such a massive city, such¡­ majestic architecture, is it really just an Academy?¡± This Fire Lizard, named Heraen, was a famous Noble architect in Morick Empire before joining Merrick¡¯s Shield. As an architect, he was all too aware of the terrifying aspect of that tall tower. Such a huge tower, seemingly made of stone, it was nothing short of baffling. Because if stone was used as the material, then the sheer weight of the height would be enough to crush the stone. That tower must have utilized many technologies he was unaware of. ¡°Oh yes, I forgot to tell you,¡± Richard pointed at the distant tower and said, ¡°In the Wizard World, an Academy is equivalent to your capital. And that tower you see, it is the residence of another Great Wizard.¡± Heraen looked at the tower, his heart once again filled with fortune. He was fortunate to see such a magnificent structure, and also fortunate that New World Island was first discovered by Richard. The more they understood the Wizard World, the more despair filled the hearts of the Fire Lizards. The gap between civilizations was so vast that even their hatred began to waver. When the gap between the two parties of hatred is too large, people¡¯s mentality tends to change. The hatred of ants is meaningless to a giant. The other two Fire Lizards were also stunned by the magnificence of the high tower, but they were not architects and did not have such a profound experience as Heraen. ¡°Lord, what should we do next?¡± one Fire Lizard asked. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This Fire Lizard was named Kava, and before joining Merrick¡¯s Shield, he was the most outstanding Flame Giant Beast Hunter in the Morick Empire. ¡°Do what you used to do best, hunt.¡± Richard looked towards the distant Meteor Star Academy and slowly said. Although, with his current strength, he could easily slaughter his way through the Meteor Star Academy, doing so would only attract the pursuit of the Three Rings Wizards. The Witch Hunting Team, though formidable, consisted only of four Fire Lizards. According to the intelligence Richard had gathered, there were at least dozens of Three Rings Wizards at the Meteor Star Academy. If the Meteor Star Academy targeted him and dispatched multiple Three Rings Wizards to pursue him, even with the Witch Hunting Team, he would hardly escape death. The Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor, after all, was not the Holy Armor left by the Pioneers that could allow Fire Lizards to slaughter Three Rings Wizards as easily as killing chickens. In a sufficiently spacious area, facing an experienced Three Rings Wizard, a single Fire Lizard in Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor would still be defeated by the Three Rings Wizard¡ªit would just take more effort. Thus, Richard had to restrain himself and maintain a balance. This balance must necessitate the Meteor Star Academy to divert front-line wizards without causing them to dispatch Three Rings Wizards after him. ¡°Lord, the prey is bunkered in its nest; we need some bait to hunt it,¡± Kava remarked after observing the environment inside the academy. From the first glance at those patrol teams, Kava instinctively felt that this team was difficult to deal with. ¡°Bait?¡± Richard suddenly chuckled, ¡°Isn¡¯t the bait right in front of you? I am the biggest bait, hoping to hook a big fish.¡± ¡°You as bait?¡± the only female Fire Lizard in the Witch Hunting Team spoke up. ¡°How can you be the bait? Right now, we all rely on you for our survival, my lord. You must not come to harm. Let¡¯s think of something else for the bait.¡± The female Fire Lizard was named Mishan, and before joining Merrick¡¯s Shield, she was a well-known noble physician in the Morick Empire. Richard had some impression of her; she was among the earliest to sign the contract at New World Island. Richard waved his hand: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡­ After modifying the patrol range and the personnel arrangement of the patrol team, the news of the patrol team¡¯s disappearance vanished from Crispin¡¯s crystal ball. Although the Meteor Star Academy was not built as a fortress, there were quite a few defense measures internally, and magic-powered Light Prism Towers, like street lamps, covered the entire outer ring of the academy. These Light Prism Towers were directly powered by the Magic Pool of the Core Wizard Tower, each attack reaching two thousand Energy Levels. Moreover, the attack ranges of the Light Prism Towers overlapped each other, and one could trigger the attack of two or even three towers by bad luck. Once the patrol team identified a suspicious target, these Light Prism Towers would commence operation under the directive of the alarm signal. By then, unless the infiltrator was a Three Rings Wizard, they would likely perish on the spot. At night, the patrol team patrolled as usual. Lead by two Second Ring Wizards who had participated in inter-planar expeditions, the whole team was silent and vigilant, all wizards projecting their spiritual powers outward, not overlooking any suspicious places. For wizards who had truly experienced war, the battlefield was never a place for looseness; any negligence would only lead to death. Under their insistence, those novice wizards who had never been to a battlefield also had to buckle up and take this boring and unrewarding patrol job seriously. Suddenly, the Second Ring Wizard at the forefront of the team stopped, and a brilliant beam of light shot from the lantern he held, dispersing a shadow fifty meters away from him. Seeing this, other members of the patrol team also shone their lanterns towards that area. As the illuminated area expanded, a distinctive shadow flashed briefly before their eyes. The shadow did not immediately disappear under the light, but paused for a moment. This moment might deceive the novice wizards in the team, but it certainly could not fool the two Second Ring Wizards who had experienced wars. ¡°There¡¯s an intruder!¡± The Second Ring Wizard shouted loudly, and a red light flew out of his palm, quickly entering the Core Wizard Tower. The patrol team members waved their magic wands, and disorganized spells instantly covered the area around the shadow, while the surrounding Light Prism Towers already awakened, the colorless crystals at their tips suddenly turning a vivid red. Then, a figure emerged from the shadow, resembling a Second Ring Wizard based on the magic fluctuations. After appearing, the wizard flickered into a further shadow, then without looking back, fled towards the outside of the academy. With such speed, he vanished from the patrol wizards¡¯ sight in the blink of an eye. ¡°Captain, shall we catch this rat?¡± a novice wizard eagerly asked. After becoming wizards, these novices rarely experienced combat, and now with an opportunity to act, they were all eager to test their years of research on an enemy wizard. But both team captains shook their heads. ¡°Catching them is not our responsibility.¡± With that, a team of five Black Wizards, all Second Ring Wizards and each wearing a conspicuous red Alchemy Badge on their chests, hurried from the depths of the academy. They approached the patrol team, and after the patrol team captain spoke briefly with the leader of the Black Wizards, they continued patrolling along the planned route. Meanwhile, the Second Ring team swiftly advanced towards the direction where the figure had fled, quickly disappearing into the darkness. Chapter 306: 25 The Great Harvest Chapter 306: Chapter 25 The Great Harvest In the dense forest, five black-robed wizards moved in silence. A layer of shadow seemed to cloak them, rendering their features and forms indiscernible. If a wizard who had studied Shadow Magic had witnessed this scene, they would have recognized at a glance the Shadow Veil spell in use. This spell, a lower-ranked variant of the Shadow Veil, aimed to prevent detection by spiritual power. The spiritual power of a wizard would be deceived by the Shadow Veil, mistaking the wizard deploying it for a mere patch of shadow. Suddenly, the lead black-robed wizard halted his stride, and a Magic Barrier burst forth around him. At nearly the same time, the wizards following him conjured their own Magic Barriers. Yet, after their activation, the forest remained deathly silent. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, captain?¡± a wizard asked through a Spiritual Message. Without looking back, the captain replied, ¡°The Magic Power trace of that rat has vanished here. Be cautious¡ªhe¡¯s likely lurking in one of these shadows.¡± The lead black-robed wizard looked almost like a normal person, but above each of his eyes, at an oblique angle, he had an extra pair of eyes. These eyes were completely black, devoid of any white, resembling two black gemstones. With these eyes, he could see the traces caused by the transformation of energy into life forms, and through his vision, the faint blue traces indicating Magic Power that they had been following had suddenly vanished. This was highly unsettling. Before this point, there were no signs of the Magic Power trace weakening. Unless¡­ this place was the wizard¡¯s destination. A flicker of panic crossed the captain¡¯s mind. He gestured to his teammates to abandon the mission. But just at that moment, a barely audible sound, like the grinding of gears, reached his ears. The captain remembered¡ªthere were no Alchemy Wizards among his team. Boom! Without hesitation, the captain waved his Magic Wand, and a fireball as bright as the sun immediately crashed towards the source of the sound. The fireball burst, its scattering Flames dispelling the darkness of the woods. At the same time, the captain¡¯s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. Four Iron Giants, each over three meters tall, stood beside them, less than ten meters away. Their bodies were painted with black Alchemy paint, effectively absorbing the scattered light of the forest, and their creators weren¡¯t satisfied with just that; these Iron Giants could also block detection by spiritual power. No rookie was among their squad members. During the chase, their spiritual power was constantly scanning within a fifty-meter radius for traps and ambushes. But they had somewhat forgotten that they were not fighting natives this time, but a group of Black Wizards like themselves. Bang! Almost simultaneously, the Iron Giants took action. Their massive three-meter stature did not affect their speed or agility; in fact, it made their movements even more overwhelming. When a three-meter-tall Iron Giant charged with a speed of a hundred meters in two seconds, any creature in its path would tremble from the core. The Iron Giants tore through the wizard squad in nearly an instant, their giant Chain Saw Swords slicing through the wizards¡¯ Magic Barriers as if cutting through butter. Thud! A wizard was cleaved into two halves, his blood instantly spraying out. ¡°Kava, don¡¯t be so savage,¡± one Iron Giant said to another in a language unintelligible to the wizards. ¡°The Master needs these wizards¡¯ bodies.¡± The addressed giant flicked the blood from his blade, responding with a somewhat awkward voice: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be so easy.¡± The captain watched the scene in the forest with horror and began to retreat without hesitation. The four Iron Giants had nearly instantly dispatched his teammates, seemingly with no more difficulty than slaughtering chickens. This was certainly not something a Second Ring Wizard could achieve. The Black Tower Wizard Academy had dispatched Three Rings Wizards for this task, and he had to report this matter to their superiors. With a flick of his wand, the captain instantly appeared in a shadow far away. He, too, knew how to Shadow Shuttling. But before he could perform another Shadow Shuttling, out of nowhere, a fist-sized black fireball exploded beside him. Although the fireball did not break his Magic Barrier, it disrupted the Shadow Shuttling he was about to use. ¡°Damn it!¡± The captain cursed, and quickly pulled a Crystal Ball from his pocket. If he couldn¡¯t get back in person, at least the information had to be sent back. He was a battle-hardened wizard, after all, and had that much determination. But just as he took out the Crystal Ball, ripples suddenly erupted on his Magic Barrier. Fists pelted it like raindrops before suddenly vanishing, and an intense feeling of danger surged in his heart. If he didn¡¯t dodge, death was all that awaited him. But now, dodging or not made little difference. If he dodged this punch, those Iron Giants would kill him anyhow. The captain quickly tapped a few times on the Crystal Ball, desperate to send the message before his death. The next instant, a fist inscribed with Runes punched through his Magic Barrier and, without diminishing in power, ran through the captain. The captain¡¯s hands fell limp, but on the Crystal Ball, a message had been sent. The Iron Giants arrived just then, and with a single swing, severed the captain¡¯s head. A beam of light shot out from the captain¡¯s body and then disappeared into the Void, never to be seen again. ¡°So this is why he was so fearless¡ªhe had a Life Box,¡± Richard wiped the blood from his hand, having just retracted his arm. The punch he had just delivered was the Mountain Breaking Fist, a technique he had learned many years ago. While he hadn¡¯t trained in it daily, during breaks from experiments, Richard would often find a target to punch a few times, honing his fist¡¯s sensitivity. Now, after decades, he had achieved a small measure of skill. Richard picked up the Crystal Ball from the ground and, after examining it, sighed helplessly. ¡°What a pity, he still managed to send it out. I hope this doesn¡¯t lead to any misunderstandings.¡± Because there was no deep-seated hatred between the two Deans, at this moment, the Three Rings Wizards of both sides tacitly took their positions within the Core Wizard Tower. But if this tacit understanding was broken, things could get tricky. The Wizard Academy of the Black Tower was at a numerical disadvantage. If the Meteor Star Academy were to mobilize en masse, they would be forced to fight a defensive battle for the Central Black Tower. After tossing the Crystal Ball into his pocket, Richard thoroughly searched through the bodies of the several wizards in the forest. These wizards were all Second Ring Wizards, and their spoils of war were rather substantial. However, this wasn¡¯t an ideal location, so Richard could only plunder the five wizards¡¯ Magic Pockets and Magic Equipment, then set their bodies ablaze with a sweep of flames before hastily departing. Although the bodies of these wizards had some use, as a Wizard himself, Richard felt it was better to maintain some ethical boundaries. Shortly after Richard left, two streaks of light arrived at the battlefield. Given the unreserved nature of their movements at this time, there was no doubt these two were Three Rings Wizards from Meteor Star Wizard Academy. Crispin¡¯s face was somber as he examined the battlefield, while Deputy Dean Zick beside him did the same. But unlike Crispin¡¯s somberness, Zick¡¯s expression was one of puzzlement. After surveying the entire site, the two arrived at the spot where Richard had incinerated the bodies. Zick bent over to pick up some ashes, rubbed them in his hands, and said with a somewhat teasing tone, ¡°Incinerating the bodies, quite meticulous of this Wizard.¡± But Crispin was in no mood for jests. ¡°Master, what¡¯s your assessment of the battlefield?¡± he asked, looking grim. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What do I think?¡± Zick tossed the ashes from his hand, ¡°I don¡¯t have much of an opinion. The youngster being pursued must¡¯ve been scared stiff. I see no sign of any Three Rings Wizard involvement in this battle. The four Iron Giants that attacked them, I¡¯m more inclined to believe they were some sort of intelligence-controlled Magic Statue or some kind of specialized Alchemy Puppet. These puppets have undergone specialized modifications, designed specifically for hunting wizards. From the spiritual power screening they possess, and that Alchemy Saber capable of quickly breaking through a Magic Barrier, it¡¯s quite clear. The Academy War didn¡¯t start overnight, and it¡¯s not unusual for Alchemy Wizards to specially modify golems for the conflict.¡± Crispin¡¯s face eased slightly at this. ¡°If that¡¯s also how Master sees it, then I¡¯m relieved.¡± Zick waved his hand dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s not yet time to relax. This Wizard should not be underestimated. Moreover, patrolling teams these past few days have also reported signs of Wizard infiltration. The Black Tower Wizard Academy likely dispatched a group of elite Wizards at the war¡¯s outset to act as ¡®Black Wizards¡¯ in our territory.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t deal with these Black Wizards, we won¡¯t have peace here. Most of the wizards we left behind are students who haven¡¯t tasted battle¡ªthey lack experience and it will be hard for them to effectively defend against these elite Wizards.¡± Crispin bowed his head and asked, ¡°Master, what¡¯s your plan?¡± Zick sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll call for reinforcements. The Academy War will last fifty years; there¡¯s no need to rush.¡± At his words, Crispin also sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s do that, then. I¡¯ll draft the list.¡± ¡­ The periphery of Meteor Star Wizard Academy wasn¡¯t like that of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, which was surrounded by vast expanses of hills. Instead, mountain ranges occupied a considerable amount of space beyond Meteor Star Wizard Academy. Inside a cave in one of these mountain ranges, Richard laid out all the spoils he had collected over the past few days. ¡°Fifteen Magic Wands, twenty-seven Magic Pockets, twelve Magic Rings, seven Magic Necklaces, two Magic Belts¡­ ah, not bad. As expected, robbing others sure is the fastest way to make money.¡± Richard counted the loot from the past few days. Although many of the wands and Magic Equipment were junk, there were still quite a few treasures among them. [Material: Aurora Ring] [Extractable Information: High-Energy Aurora Spell Model] [Extraction Cost: 5 spiritual power] ¡­ [Material: Power Ring] [Extractable Information: Rune Fist Magic Model] [Extraction Cost: 5 spiritual power] ¡­ [Material: Armor Belt] [Extractable Information: Magic Armor Spell Model] [Extraction Cost: 10 spiritual power] Looking at these three pieces of premium Magic Equipment in his hands, Richard once again marveled at how lucrative robbing others could be. In addition to these high-quality items, Richard found many Magic Stones, Magic Essences, and research notebooks inside the slain Wizards¡¯ Magic Pockets. Most of the notebooks contained experimental records¡ªwhile not very useful, Richard didn¡¯t mind keeping them. Experimental records are knowledge too, and one day they might just help him eliminate a possibility. Beyond these less useful experimental records, Richard also discovered an Encrypted Notebook. [Material: Unknown Wizard¡¯s Encrypted Notes] [Extractable Information: Partial Principles of Great Fragmentation Skill] [Extraction Cost: 4 spiritual power] Looking at the information provided by the Miracle Furnace, Richard rubbed his eyes to ensure he had read it correctly and then immediately burst into elation. The Great Fragmentation Skill, the deadliest offensive Alchemy Magic. The Big Decomposition Cannon, outfitted with Great Fragmentation Skill, had always been a powerful siege tool for Wizards. Richard, looking at the Encrypted Notes, murmured, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to get my hands on this. I¡¯ve really hit the jackpot this time.¡± Chapter 307: 26 Infiltration Chapter 307: Chapter 26 Infiltration Richard quickly distilled the information from the Encrypted Notes, and snippets of the Great Fragmentation Skill formed in his mind. The notes documented the principles of the Great Fragmentation Skill, including parts of its Magic Model, and it seemed the original owner had also come upon this information unintentionally. He was merely a transporter of knowledge. ¡°The principle of the Great Fragmentation Skill is simple,¡± he mused, ¡°but, unfortunately, the most crucial part of the Magic Model is missing.¡± The fundamental principle of the Great Fragmentation Skill is the theory of the Four Elements. In the worldview of wizards, the four basic elements¡ªearth, air, water, and fire¡ªcompose everything in the world, and the Great Fragmentation Skill works by severing the connections between the elements in the material, reducing the wizard back to the pure initial elements. The principle was straightforward, yet the practical application was extraordinarily complex. According to the notes, the Great Fragmentation Skill even required participation of certain rules, and this part was exactly what the model lacked. With this crucial core missing, the complex Magic Model was utterly useless. ¡°No, not entirely useless,¡± Richard murmured to himself as he looked at the Encrypted Notes. Though the Magic Model from the notes was missing its most important part, the remaining parts still held deep research value. If he could understand this part of the model, his knowledge of Rune Studies would greatly advance. And perhaps, he might even come across the core model of the Great Fragmentation Skill in the future. With this fantasy in mind, Richard pocketed the notes and then refined the remaining three pieces of outstanding Magic Equipment. After the refinement, Richard took out a notebook and started jotting down his thoughts. ¡°High-Energy Aurora Technique, this is the first time I¡¯ve encountered such a spell.¡± Richard looked astonished at the Magic Ring embedded with a fluorescent green gemstone. This spell belonged to the Shaping Magic category and released a stream of high-energy particles to damage the enemy when cast. Richard tested it briefly, and a discharge of High-Energy Aurora could cause about three hundred levels of Elemental Damage. Moreover, because the spell¡¯s power was concentrated in a very small area, Magic Shields below five hundred energy levels couldn¡¯t block it. However, it also had a significant drawback¡ªthe severe attenuation of its power. Once the discharge distance exceeded three meters, its energy level abruptly dropped to one hundred. But what attracted Richard the most was not its penetration attribute; rather, it was the principle of the spell¡ªspecifically, the constraining of high-energy particles. In this Magic Model, Richard saw a possibility to harness the blue flames he had obtained. Besides the High-Energy Aurora Technique, Rune Fist also gave Richard some ideas. This spell added a layer of runes to the user¡¯s fist, amplifying the force of the punches. Although the boost was only a mere one hundred energy levels, as a supportive spell, its Magic Model was simple and widely applicable, making it ideal for standard Magic Equipment. Apart from High-Energy Aurora and Rune Fist, Richard had no ideas for the remaining Magic Armor Spell Model and decided to simply keep it as knowledge reserve. After sorting out the remaining loot, Richard glanced at his pocket watch and pulled out his Communication Crystal Ball. The elite wizards in contact with the Black Tower Wizard Academy had set their communication time at eleven-thirty in the evening, with each session lasting fifteen minutes. Moreover, every seven days, this time would be changed to prevent detection by wizards from Meteor Star Academy. Upon activating the crystal ball, several messages from the headquarters immediately appeared. Richard read through these messages one by one, and his brow furrowed. Due to headquarters¡¯ directives, these elite wizards working outside had begun harassing Meteor Star Academy. However, the intensity of these harassments wasn¡¯t sufficient, and the frontline wizards showed no signs of withdrawing. Hence, the headquarters now required them to infiltrate inside Meteor Star Academy to cause disruptions, forcing the Meteor Star Academy wizards to retreat. ¡°Is the frontline situation really that grim?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but comment. In fact, Richard had overestimated the defense measures of the Black Tower Wizard Academy and underestimated the combat disadvantage under a twofold numerical superiority. Even with the locational advantage, the Black Tower Wizard Academy was barely holding a stalemate against the attacking wizards. Of course, this couldn¡¯t be blamed on Richard. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Since becoming a wizard, he had rarely fought against other wizards, and the few battles he had participated in were all in the Duel Arena, fighting physically and openly. Wizard battles were of two kinds: those that ended momentarily, indicating a great disparity in strength, and those that were prolonged standoffs, indicating comparable abilities. But if a wizard faced two opponents simultaneously, the situation would change. A momentary finish would still be momentary, as one was instant, and two were equally instant. However, if three wizards of equal strength fought, the numerically disadvantaged would quickly retreat in a one-versus-two scenario. When quality couldn¡¯t swiftly secure victory, the advantage of quantity became evident. Fifteen minutes passed, and no new orders came from the Academy. Richard pocketed the crystal ball and started contemplating his next moves. To be honest, infiltrating Meteor Star Academy was not going to be easy. With his current capabilities, sneaking in unnoticed from among the many patrolling teams was entirely impossible. ¡°It seems I need to find some help.¡± Richard gathered his Magic Pocket and notified the Witch Hunting Team guarding the entrance: ¡°I¡¯m going to find someone. Stay concealed.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡­ Richard was not the only wizard informed about the infiltration; dozens of elite wizards deployed by Black Tower Academy were hiding in the wilderness around Meteor Star Academy. Since Richard couldn¡¯t infiltrate himself, his only choice was to seek help from other wizards. After traversing the mountain range for an hour, Richard soon found a seemingly ordinary dead tree covered in vines in the forest. Richard approached the withered tree and left a mark with his Magic Power. The mark paused on the withered tree for a moment before it seemed to be devoured by something, disappearing without a trace. Seeing the mark vanish, Richard knew he had found the right place and promptly moved to the side to wait quietly. Before long, a Wizard clad in a black robe arrived in front of the shadow where Richard was. ¡°Richard, what do you need from me?¡± Richard emerged from the shadows and performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute to the black-robed Wizard. ¡°Master Anka, I need your help.¡± It was no surprise that Richard could contact Anka. In fact, once these external Wizards had located the Meteor Star Academy, they had spontaneously started to make contact. They were facing a Wizard Academy, and compared to this colossal entity, their individual powers were far too weak. Anka raised an eyebrow, ¡°Help? Are you talking about infiltration and sabotage?¡± Richard nodded. ¡°Then you¡¯re quite lucky, I happen to be planning an infiltration with a few old friends. One hundred Magic Essences, and I¡¯ll take you along,¡± Anka said casually. Wizards adhere to the principle of equivalent exchange, even though they belong to the same Academy, they still need to follow the due process. Richard did not haggle and immediately took out one hundred Magic Essences from his pocket and handed them to Anka. Anka, taking the Magic Essences, asked in a slightly jovial tone, ¡°Do you have your Magic Statue with you? We¡¯re starting the operation in two hours.¡± ¡°Not yet, I¡¯ll go back and get it.¡± ¡°Alright, go and come back quickly, I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Richard immediately returned, moving faster than when he had arrived. Half an hour later, Richard returned to his cave of spoils. At the entrance, four Armored Fire Lizards saw Richard returning and suddenly appeared at the entrance. The Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor possesses static invisibility capabilities, enabling optical invisibility when the Armor remains stationary. This invisibility feature, combined with closed mode and spiritual power shielding, could avoid detection by ninety-nine percent of Wizards. Richard approached them and instructed, ¡°Makar, you follow me. Heraen, Kava, Mishan, you three stay on the perimeter of the Academy. If something unexpected occurs, I will call you for backup.¡± The four Fire Lizards knelt on one knee and responded in unison, ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± With Makar accompanying him, Richard returned to the withered tree. Upon Richard¡¯s arrival, several figures ¡°floated up¡± from the shadows. These were the Wizards planning to infiltrate with Anka. ¡°This Magic Statue is excellent. Is it specialized?¡± Asked an Undead Wizard, his eyes ablaze with Soul Fire. ¡°It has been,¡± Richard briefly replied. With Richard¡¯s arrival, the infiltration team was now ready. Besides Richard and Anka, the infiltration team also included four Second Ring Wizards. These Wizards were all very experienced in infiltration techniques, mastering Shadow Magic, Mimicry Magic, and Invisibility Spells. Compared to them, Richard¡¯s Shadow Infiltration and Shadow Shuttling seemed almost like that of an Apprentice. However, though Richard lacked infiltration skills, Richard was wealthy. Let alone one hundred Magic Essences, even five hundred or a thousand, Richard could give them away without blinking an eye. His age and personal strength may be the lowest among these Wizards, but his financial resources were unsurpassed by any combination of them. Moreover, Richard was not entirely useless to the team. ¡°Existence Fade? You¡¯re using this as an infiltration tool?¡± Several Wizards saw Richard tear open a Magic Scroll, after which his presence became exceedingly faint. Being seasoned Wizards, they instantly recognized the Spell. Richard nodded, ¡°This Spell is very useful, it just requires managing the degree.¡± The Wizards thoughtfully nodded, and soon one of them praised, ¡°Good idea. Do you have a recommended Curse Wizard? I want to order a batch for myself later.¡± It is hard to find Curse Wizards within the Wizard community, both due to their scarcity and their tendency to conceal their identities as Curse Wizards. Like Ali, she publicly claims to be a Shaping Wizard and often wears a Shaping Wizard Robe. Only in certain formal situations does she wear a robe designated for dual schools. The abilities of Curse Wizards are too terrifying; unless they are familiar with other Wizards, Curse Wizards will not reveal their identity. Richard nodded, ¡°Yes, if Master is still interested after the war, you can contact Master Jolod through me.¡± Several Wizards spent some Magic Essences to purchase a few Existence Fade scrolls from Richard. Then they discussed further and decided on the targets for destruction after infiltration. Once the targets were confirmed, the squad immediately began their infiltration. Richard silently followed Anka. Anka, an experienced Wizard, excelled in infiltration. His Invisibility Spell not only enabled optical invisibility but could also block spiritual power detection. Together with ¡°Existence Fade,¡± Richard¡¯s current state was such that even a Great Wizard, unaware, would find it hard to detect. The patrol team from the Meteor Star Academy passed right by the infiltrating squad without detecting their presence, even the significantly larger Makar went unnoticed. Although the patrol team was led by two Second Ring Wizards, not all Second Ring Wizards are equally strong. The Second Ring Wizards dispatched by the Black Tower Wizard Academy for missions were among the strongest of the Second Ring Wizards. With almost all of the elite Wizards from the Meteor Star Academy deployed to the front lines, the remaining Second Ring Wizards, though not weak, still fell short compared to the true elites. With the layered concealment of the five elites, the leading Second Ring Wizards were not much stronger than their team members. Soon, the squad slipped past the patrol team and made their way into the depths of the Meteor Star Academy. Chapter 308: 27 Destruction Chapter 308: Chapter 27 Destruction The design of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy differed from that of the Black Tower Wizard Academy. The layout of the Black Tower Wizard Academy was like a fan-shaped chart, with one sector for commerce and another for testing. In contrast, the layout of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy resembled a target, with one ring encircling another. In the outermost part of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy, many Wizard Apprentices resided in the living ring, the inner layer comprised of the teaching and experimental rings, followed inwardly by the commerce ring. Finally, at the very center of the Academy was the Core Wizard Tower of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy. This nested ring structure, compared to the fan shape, had no superiority but was easier to modify during wars. Uniform structures were easier to modify than disorganized ones. However, since the Meteor Star Wizard Academy was on the offensive side, they didn¡¯t utilize this advantage for the time being. After avoiding the patrol team on the outermost layer, Richard¡¯s team encountered no further danger. The only Undead Wizard in the squad even dispensed with his disguise and acted openly within the Academy. When encountering wizards from the Meteor Star Academy, some younger wizards even performed the Wizard¡¯s Salute to him. This was one advantage of being an Undead Wizard, most wizards would face-blind upon seeing an Undead Wizard. Even the Undead Wizards often couldn¡¯t distinguish one from another. ¡­ Their target this trip was a Communication Tower on the teaching ring. Magic communication wasn¡¯t like Curse Witchcraft, almost mystical in nature; a Magic Message trying to travel from one Crystal Ball to another would inevitably face Magic loss. The farther apart the two Crystal Balls, the greater the loss. When the distance between two Crystal Balls was so great that even if the Magic Message completely wore away, it couldn¡¯t reach, a relay station naturally appeared. As Magic Messages passed through these stations, they would be re-energized, allowing them to travel even farther. Moreover, in some relay stations operated by the Wizard Commerce, the Magic Messages were altered in frequency or form, significantly extending their transmission distance. And Richard¡¯s target¡ªthe Communication Tower¡ªwas similar in function. In this Mirror World, there were no densely scattered relay stations; all wizards¡¯ Communication Crystal Balls relied on the Academy¡¯s station for long-distance communication. For dispatched wizards like Richard, their Communication Crystal Balls had become mere receivers; it was foolhardy to try and contact the Academy using the Crystal Balls. Navigating within the Academy, the squad moved unobstructed and quickly reached the Communication Tower. Before the onset of Academy warfare, nearly every wizard had obtained a layout map of the Meteor Star Wizard Academy. This made locating their target remarkably easier for them. ¡°Everyone, be careful, there might be a Three Rings Wizard stationed inside,¡± Anka communicated to the team via a Spiritual Message. Everyone nodded, and then one wizard began to fish something out of his pocket. The wizard named Bell, a dual schooled in Plastic Energy and Alchemy, was extracting his proud creation¡ªBell¡¯s Roar. Bell¡¯s Roar was a timed bomb, its design was beyond Richard¡¯s knowledge. But according to Bell, it could cause damage equivalent to Ten Thousand Energy Level within its core range and cost only two thousand Magic Essence. If not for the extremely lengthy time required to detonate it and the fact that even Natives could stop the detonation before it exploded, this bomb could certainly be considered strategic Magic Equipment. Bell produced three ¡°Bell¡¯s Roars,¡± each the size of a human head and spherical. Its casing was a layer of dense black metal, which Richard, as an Alchemy Wizard, recognized as a type of magic-resistant metal. This was presumably a precaution to prevent the bomb from being discovered prematurely. After exposing the bombs, Bell took out an Alchemy Potion from his pocket and poured it over them; it quickly became viscous upon contact with air. ¡°Richard, give me a scroll.¡± Although Bell didn¡¯t specify, Richard immediately pulled out a scroll of ¡°Existence Fade.¡± Bell used the scroll on the three bombs and then grinned at the group. ¡°Hehe, just wait and watch the fireworks,¡± As he spoke, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded throughout the Academy. Everyone tensed¡ªhad they been discovered? But before they could react, they saw wizards nearby rushing towards another portion of the Academy, showing no intention of heading their way. ¡°Whew, looks like someone else got caught,¡± Anka remarked with a smile, watching the departing wizards. Having someone else draw the wizards of the Meteor Star Academy¡¯s attention was certainly a good thing. Not wanting to waste this precious opportunity, the group immediately prepared to enter the Communication Tower to plant the three Bell¡¯s Roars. Each of Bell¡¯s Roars was worth two thousand Magic Essence, and it would have been too wasteful to merely listen to them explode. Breaking in was always easier the first time. If they couldn¡¯t lure the frontline wizards back during this attempt, a second infiltration would be significantly harder. There was a thick wooden door beneath the Communication Tower, the only entrance to the tower. The door featured a brass beast head, which, predictably, was animated. If anyone tried to open the door, the beast head would surely verify their identity. Richard stepped forward, with an Alchemy Array appearing in his palm. ¡°I can only block this beast head for thirty seconds; any longer than that, and the Tower Spirit system connected to it will definitely detect something wrong.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, thirty seconds is enough,¡± Bell said with a smile. ¡°We are not slow like mortals.¡± After speaking, Richard flew to the front of the beast head and used an alchemy array to temporarily put it to sleep. Richard had learned about this type of metal beast head before¡ªit was an ancient technology widely used during the Enlightenment period by wizards in their Wizard Towers. These metal beast heads often sealed the souls of wild beasts, whose consciousness and memories were reshaped by wizards and then connected to the tower spirits, serving as a kind of access control system. This kind of thing also existed in the Black Tower Wizard Academy. When Richard first arrived at the Black Tower Wizard Academy, there was a similar metal beast head on the main door of the dormitory building. Blocking the beast head, the door of the communication tower opened wide to the squad. Bell and two wizards entered, each carrying a ¡°Bell¡¯s Roar,¡± while Anka and the Undead Wizard stayed outside to cover Richard. Fifteen seconds later, three wizards quickly emerged from the communication tower. Bell sent a spiritual message to the wizards: ¡°Let¡¯s go, hurry up. There are two Three Rings Wizards inside, we almost got caught.¡± Upon hearing this, everyone didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately retreated outside the Academy. At that moment, most of the wizards¡¯ attention was drawn away by the discovered unlucky one, making it the perfect time to retreat. The team members swiftly moved and soon reached the outer patrol area. Facing the approaching patrol team, the squad didn¡¯t show any sign of nervousness. They stopped and quietly waited for the patrol team to pass by them. Their concealment had already been proven effective on the way here; the patrol team couldn¡¯t detect them¡­ Suddenly, the Synthetic Beast led by the patrol team shrieked. The wizard from the patrol team saw this and immediately sounded the alarm, the whole process took less than a second. ¡°We¡¯ve been spotted!¡± The squad¡¯s wizards immediately swung their Magic Wands, ready to forcibly break through, but a figure moved even faster before them. ¡°Damn it, everything was fine when we got in, why can¡¯t it be the same on the way out?¡± A wizard in a black robe emerged from the shadows, waving his wand and making the shadows on the ground move as if alive, crawling up the legs of the patrol team wizards. One wizard, entangled by the shadows, suddenly cried out in pain, ¡°Ah! These shadows are eating my flesh!¡± Anka recognized the spell-casting wizard and his face fell gloomy. ¡°Damn, why did we have to run into this disaster?¡± Beside him, the Undead Wizard also recognized the wizard. His Soul Fire stirred as he said, ¡°Retreat quickly, don¡¯t bother with hiding now. This is the unlucky Kayang; his presence brings down everyone¡¯s luck around him!¡± After speaking, the Undead Wizard didn¡¯t care about the rest of the team and immediately pulled out a White Bone Wand from his sleeve. With a wave of his wand, a surge of Death Energy transformed into a pitch-black arm, grabbing the wizard blocking the Undead Wizard¡¯s path. In less than five seconds, a One Ring Wizard turned into a pitch-black mummy. ¡°Unlucky Kayang?¡± Richard watched the wizards around him bracing for battle, somewhat bewildered. Lowering others¡¯ luck? It sounded like a bit of a tall tale¡­ Just as the Undead Wizard made his move, the team sensed a terrifying surge of Magical Power approaching them rapidly. ¡°Shit, a Three Rings Wizard is coming.¡± Richard¡¯s face turned ashen. Although he didn¡¯t want to admit it, they were indeed quite unlucky at the moment. The first group that was discovered had drawn away most of the wizards from the Academy. Now, only the Three Rings Wizards could reach Richard¡¯s group in time. Had Richard¡¯s group not been discovered, this point about timing would have been irrelevant. But now that they had been spotted, their original advantage instantly turned into a disadvantage. ¡°Makar, let¡¯s go!¡± Richard shouted low and then, using all his might, retreated towards the outside of the Academy. Upon hearing Richard¡¯s command, Makar immediately took the lead as the vanguard. His Chain Saw Sword emitted a piercing roar, instantly cutting three One Ring Wizards in half at the waist. Richard didn¡¯t bother finishing them off. After passing over them, he flew deeper into the dense forest. Richard didn¡¯t even dare use Shadow Shuttling, since according to wizard research, using Shadow Shuttling had a small chance of getting trapped in the shadow cracks. Although the probability was very low, given the current circumstances, Richard did not want to test out whether the moniker ¡°unlucky Kayang¡± was truly deserved. The squad members scattered, making sure to avoid Kayang¡¯s direction as they retreated. When Kayang saw this sudden group of people, he first paused, then scratched his head with some embarrassment. He shouted towards the fleeing crowd: ¡°Sorry for dragging you down.¡± After saying this, he swung his wand, and several sun-like fireballs instantly blasted the blocking wizards apart, then with a flash, he disappeared into the dense forest. A few seconds later, the Three Rings Wizard arrived. Seeing the corpses on the ground and the moaning patrol team members, the arriving Three Rings Wizard was livid. ¡°Damn rats!¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He cursed, and then immediately chased into the forest. And the direction he chased was precisely the direction Kayang had disappeared in. Chapter 309: 28: Unlucky Kayang Chapter 309: Chapter 28: Unlucky Kayang Entering the forest, Richard ran wildly for dozens of kilometers. Finally, after confirming that no Three Rings Wizards were chasing him, Richard stopped and said to Makar beside him, ¡°Send them a message, tell them to come here. We need to keep a low profile for a while.¡± When designing the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor, Richard naturally did not forget to install a communication device and map. And this component, responsible for this function, was also the most expensive part of the entire armor. Because this part was purchased directly from another Wizard Commerce at a high price of ten thousand Magic Essence. This device was integrated into a small box the size of a palm, and through an external Alchemy Array, it could be used for communication and as a beacon for tracking. Moreover, its range was extremely far, a full five hundred kilometers. According to Richard¡¯s understanding, such devices were generally used on high-level Alchemy Puppets. These Puppets often possessed a certain level of autonomous intelligence. Through this device, Wizards could see where the Alchemy Puppet was and also send instructions over distances. Ten minutes later, rustling sounds came from the forest. Three Iron Giants over three meters tall walked through the woods, yet they made no sound whatsoever. In their movement, Richard could only hear the faint noise of branches and leaves brushing against the Armor¡¯s shell. ¡°My lord, what are your orders?¡± The three Iron Giants approached Richard, bowing their heads to ask. Richard waved his hand, ¡°We just did a big job. For the time being, I reckon we need to keep quiet.¡± After saying that, Richard took out a hand-drawn map from his pocket and started selecting a hiding place on the map. Unless something unexpected happened, the elite Wizards returning from the front lines would conduct a tight search around Meteor Star Academy, in the surrounding mountains and hills. But playing hide and seek with such a group of elite Black Wizards, Richard wasn¡¯t really sure in his heart. After much thought, Richard hesitated for an hour and ultimately decided to venture out. At this time, you can¡¯t think that the most dangerous place is the safest. The Black Wizards were all tough individuals who had fought their way out from behind enemy lines; such simple reversal thinking was of no use to them. Hiding near Meteor Star Academy would only increase the difficulty of escaping when discovered. Unless Richard could be even more reverse and hide directly inside Meteor Star Wizard Academy. Otherwise, the farther he hid at this time, the better. Having chosen a location, Richard turned to leave. But just as he was about to turn around, a faint rumbling sound came from afar. Richard leaped up, narrowing his eyes. Through the gaps in the branches and leaves, he saw the Meteor Star Wizard Academy in the distance suddenly erupt with towering flames, and a mushroom cloud, tinted red by the firelight, appeared in the sky. Richard revealed a hint of a smug smile and then turned to leave. ¡°That was a nice firework.¡± ¡­ ¡°How bad is the damage to the communication tower?¡± In front of the communication tower, Crispin¡¯s face was dark, and he said nothing as he looked at the collapsed tower. Meanwhile, Zick remained quite calm. Before them, the second tallest building of Meteor Star Academy, the communication tower¡¯s lower half had completely collapsed, and a terrible explosion had destroyed it in an instant. The upper half of the tower, thanks to the protection of two Three Rings Wizards, was quite intact. An Alchemy Wizard flew out from the upper half of the tower, quickly approached Zick after casting a glance at Crispin¡¯s grim expression, and began to report the condition of the tower. ¡°Deputy Dean, the core equipment of the communication tower is still intact, and the damage is not severe, but¡­¡± The Alchemy Wizard seemed hesitant to continue. ¡°But what?¡± Zick smiled at the Wizard, his tone not at all harsh despite the incident. ¡°But the tower¡¯s base equipment and functional circuits have all been destroyed. It¡¯s likely to take several years to rebuild these things.¡± Upon hearing this, Crispin at his side had an expression so grim it seemed as though water might drip from it. But Zick remained calm and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that fine? It can be repaired in a few years, and the Academy war lasts fifty years.¡± Having said that, Zick waved his hand, telling the Alchemy Wizard to mind his business, and then turned, pulling Crispin away from the scene. After returning to the Core Wizard Tower, Crispin could no longer contain the fury in his heart. In the office, his voice was loud as if a Giant Dragon were roaring. ¡°Shame! A great shame! A few Wizards actually sneaked into our Academy, boldly placing an Alchemy Bomb inside our communication tower! And our patrol team, our Three Rings Wizards guarding the tower! They didn¡¯t fucking react at all! They didn¡¯t fucking react at all!¡± Crispin vented his rage, while Zick quietly watched everything unfold, neither intervening nor joining in. Such roaring continued for nearly half an hour. In the end, with his voice somewhat hoarse, Crispin sat wearily on a chair in the laboratory, his eyes bloodshot. ¡°Done yelling?¡± Zick asked indifferently. Crispin violently turned towards Zick, his voice filled with gritted teeth as he asked, ¡°Master Zick, aren¡¯t you angry at all?¡± Zick shook his head, ¡°Angry? Why should I be angry? Our measures were already in place. If others could break in, it means they¡¯re capable enough¡ªthere¡¯s nothing to be angry about. Is the retreat list you¡¯re drafting finished? If it is, send someone to notify the frontline. The communication tower will take some time to fix. We¡¯ll need to find a reliable person to act as a messenger during this period.¡± Crispin looked at Zick and gradually calmed down. Indeed, he was still too green. ¡°Not yet, I think I need to redraft this list.¡± A cold glint flashed in Crispin¡¯s eyes, ¡°This disgrace must be washed clean with blood!¡± Zick¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, ¡°Before you draft the list, let me say this. Make sure you take the frontline battle into consideration while drafting. You can curse to your heart¡¯s content in private, but don¡¯t let your emotions cloud your judgment.¡± Crispin nodded slightly, ¡°Master, rest assured, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Oh, Master Lai Kete has gone after them.¡± Crispin suddenly remembered something and spoke again. Zick was startled, and then a helpless smile appeared on his face. ¡°That guy Lai Kete is still as hot-headed as ever. I¡¯ll inform him later to rein it in a bit.¡± ¡­ Outside Meteor Star Wizard Academy, Lai Kete hovered in the air like a Flame Giant, his vast spiritual power of a Three Rings Wizard scanning every grass and tree around him like a high-frequency radar, relaying everything back to his brain. And beneath him, in the thick forest, the unfortunate Kayang watched the sky, barely daring to breathe as the Flame Giant loomed above. The misfortunate Kayang was a well-known Second Ring Wizard among the wizarding community of Black Tower Wizard Academy. His legendary deeds began during his Wizard Apprentice days. During his entrance examination, the lower-level Synthetic Beasts meant for the experiment had an unusual malfunction. A low-level Apprentice strength Synthetic Beast, due to an adverse reaction, suddenly exploded in the field. The explosion resulted in over thirty prospective Apprentices¡¯ deaths, and Kayang was among them. But his position was right at the edge of the explosion¡¯s force, losing only half an arm and one eye. At that time, the Academy had an event where crystal balls could be exchanged for Magic Stones, and Kayang managed to make his first fortune because of the Synthetic Beast¡¯s self-destruction. After entering the Academy, Kayang¡¯s path as an Apprentice wasn¡¯t exactly smooth sailing, but it was certainly full of misfortune. Ninety-nine percent successful experiments often failed in his hands, and this streak of bad luck didn¡¯t just stop with him¡ªclose Wizard Apprentices would also be ¡°blessed¡± with this misfortune. From daily life to bloody exams, everyone near him suffered from continuous bad luck, regardless of whether they harbored malice or goodwill towards Kayang. In such daily life filled with life and death crises, Kayang honed a remarkably solid foundation, both in practice and theory. Misfortune might cause experiments with a ninety-nine percent chance of failure to fail, but it can¡¯t make experiments with a hundred percent success rate fail. Later on, Kayang became a Wizard. In the Plane War, any mission he was on, no matter how safe, would turn incredibly dangerous in the end. The command center¡¯s intelligence-based ratings meant nothing in face of his luck. Luckily, in the Plane War, the reward was commensurate with the risk, though most of the gains were destroyed due to his misfortune. Still, he managed to obtain a portion of the benefits beyond what ordinary Wizards would receive, allowing him to advance faster and become stronger than ordinary Wizards. That was why Kayang was still alive. Finally, the searching Flame Giant left Kayang¡¯s head. But even after his departure, Kayang didn¡¯t move, still maintaining his concealed state. Having struggled with misfortune for years, Kayang knew his own status well; he was sure that any movement would immediately bring Lai Kete back. As if to confirm his guess, a tremendously strong spiritual power swept over his body once more. Had he dared move earlier, he would have been discovered by the Three Rings Wizard. Half a day passed before Kayang finally confirmed that Lai Kete had gone far enough away. He quickly emerged from his hiding spot, peeling five layers of Magic Armor cloaks off his body. These cloaks had all kinds of concealment abilities, from masking aura to Existence Fade, optical invisibility to shielding from spiritual power¡ªit was truly comprehensive. Misfortune could make unlikely events happen, but not events without any probability. However, as soon as he had taken off his cloaks, he sensed a terrifying creature approaching from afar. Without a doubt, it was Lai Kete coming after him. This time, not only was Lai Kete closing in fast, but he was also bombarding the forest beneath with spells. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Huge swathes of forest ignited, and the wild animals within fled in panic. The wrath of a Three Rings Wizard was no different from a natural disaster to them. ¡°Damn it, I only killed a few Wizards, what¡¯s with all this fuss?¡± Kayang cursed and immediately rushed away at high speed towards the distant hideout of Richard. It seemed the Goddess of Luck was lifting her skirt for Kayang. Chapter 310: 29 Three Rings Wizard? Fighting is exactly Three Rings Wizard! Chapter 310: Chapter 29 Three Rings Wizard? Fighting is exactly Three Rings Wizard! In the temporary laboratory, Richard suddenly shivered. ¡°Strange, why do I have this ominous premonition?¡± At the moment, Richard was in a forest two hundred kilometers away from the Meteor Wizard Academy. This location was far from the Meteor Wizard Academy, a perfect hiding spot. Wizards from the Academy, no matter how thorough in their search, shouldn¡¯t have been able to find it so quickly. Richard stepped out of the laboratory, which was a wooden cabin. The designer of this cabin was Heraen from the Witch Hunting Team. The skills of this former architect hadn¡¯t faded; under his leadership, a few Fire Lizards had quickly chopped enough wood in the forest to build the cabin. Richard was quite happy with this. When subordinates perform well, life is easier for the leader. Taking to the sky, Richard squinted towards the distance. With the vision of dragon eyes, Richard could vaguely see the sky far away seemed a bit gloomy. Richard scratched his head, ¡°Is it going to rain?¡± He pulled out a Crystal Ball from his pocket and spoke to it, ¡°Is the hunt over? If it¡¯s finished, come back quickly.¡± Although this Mirror World is said to be a true Illusion, it¡¯s also inhabited by many Magic Beasts. These creatures, powerful and formidable, immediately piqued the interest of Kava. This former Flame Giant Beast Hunter¡¯s favorite pastime was hunting Magic Beasts. They had nothing pressing at the moment, so Richard let the gang of Fire Lizards create havoc, thinking it could also provide him with some research materials. Even though things in this world couldn¡¯t be taken out, within this Mirror World, they were real. Thus, these creatures still had reasonable anatomical structures. That meant they had research value. However, at the moment, Richard was plagued with an unsettling premonition. Although the feeling had no apparent cause, he thought it better to be cautious. Being extra cautious may bring more trouble, but carelessness could cost one¡¯s life. Soon, the Witch Hunting Team returned, carrying a wild boar as big as a small mountain. Judging by the lingering Life Radiation on the wild boar, it had reached the standard of a third-level creature. But in front of four fully equipped third-level Fire Lizards, a third-level creature was just their standard prey. ¡°We¡¯ve made quite a haul,¡± Richard said with a smile as he looked at the wild boar. The leading Kava laughed and replied, ¡°We encountered this beast not long after we set out. It took quite an effort to kill it. The Giant Beasts of this world are truly strong!¡± Though he claimed they were strong, Richard could feel Kava¡¯s excitement even through the helmet. Richard flew next to the wild boar, and Kava began to point out its unique features. ¡°My lord, this beast¡¯s skin is quite special. Under its skin, there was originally a thick layer of soil and rock. When we first saw it, we thought it was just a big rock. But now that it¡¯s dead, the rocky layer has fallen off.¡± Richard nodded and pulled out his usual Rune Scalpel from his pocket. But after comparing the scalpel with the size of the wild boar, Richard put the scalpel back and instead took out a Metal ingot from his pocket. The Metal ingot melted and became malleable in Richard¡¯s hand, eventually transforming into a large scalpel. Kava, witnessing this transformation, couldn¡¯t help but admire, ¡°Your alchemy skill is really masterful, sir. Many Royal Craftsmen might not even be able to do that.¡± Richard plunged the scalpel into the wild boar, and his face showed a flicker of surprise. As he inserted the scalpel into the pig¡¯s skin, he felt a distinct resistance. Had the boar been alive, this would not have been remarkable; after all, with an active Energy cycle, it¡¯s normal for the skin of a third-level creature to be tough. But now that the boar was dead, the Energy circulation had dissipated. Although the material of the scalpel was common and its Rune pattern merely to increase sharpness, it shouldn¡¯t have been resisted by something dead. Richard¡¯s interest was piqued. He exerted more force and immediately cut a piece off the wild boar¡¯s hide. After cutting it off, Richard discovered that the pig¡¯s hide was a foot thick; upon closer inspection, one could see that the skin was not just one layer. It was formed from many layers of skin combined. Holding the piece of skin, Richard¡¯s face revealed a hint of excitement. ¡°Interesting! I¡¯ve got decades of research ahead of me.¡± Storing the piece of skin, Richard examined the rest of the boar¡¯s body once more. Besides its skin, the other parts of the wild boar didn¡¯t have any other notably researchable attributes. After he finished checking, Kava took a Chain Saw Sword to remove the four hooves of the wild boar and gutted it, getting ready for a Dragon Flame roast. The only regret was that no Spices were brought by Richard and the few Fire Lizards, so they could only roast the wild boar plain. Richard took out several Metal ingots to construct a large barbeque grill. The Fire Lizards took over the grill, positioned the wild boar, and immediately began roasting it with their Breath. Any Fire Lizard awakened with Dragon Blood has a Dragon Flame Bag inside, which holds their Dragon Flame. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although Dragon Flame is convenient, it¡¯s not particularly long-lasting. Roasting takes a long time, so the four Fire Lizards had to keep rotating to maintain the grill¡¯s heat, which made Richard frown. He then found a large stone and cut a smooth surface on it. Taking a feather pen, he carved a complex Magic Array onto the cut surface. ¡°Don¡¯t use your Breath to roast anymore; come here, I won¡¯t let you work so hard.¡± Richard waved to the Witch Hunting Team currently taking turns roasting with their Breath. After the four Fire Lizards looked over, he activated the Magic Array. Chapter 311: 29 Three Rings Wizard? Fighting is exactly Three Rings Wizard! _2 Chapter 311: Chapter 29 Three Rings Wizard? Fighting is exactly Three Rings Wizard! _2 The next moment, a vigorous golden flame burst out from the array. The terrifying temperature of the flames instantly turned the surrounding grass and trees yellow and wilted. Richard placed Magic Essence at the five corners of the Magic Array as a source of energy, and then called over several Fire Lizards to bring over the rack. ¡°This is way more efficient than your breath.¡± A hint of shock crossed the faces of the Fire Lizards, aware that this was a method of Alchemy, but they had never imagined Alchemy could be used for grilling. Among the Fire Lizards, Alchemy was exclusively a technique for warfare. If they dared ask the Fire Lizard Craftsmen to make them a barbecue stove, they would certainly be cursed from sunrise to sunset. That would be an insult to the Fire Lizard Craftsmen! The group set up the barbecue rack, and the large wild boar dripped golden fat as it roasted over the flames. An enticing aroma wafted through the forest. Richard then made several knives from metal ingots for them and returned to the temporary laboratory to study the recently acquired boar skin. Watching the boar slowly turn golden, Kava¡¯s mouth watered uncontrollably. ¡°Ha-ha, a few more minutes and we can eat. This thing smells way better than the Flame Giant.¡± The other Fire Lizards agreed, each holding a knife Richard had just made, eagerly watching the continuously turning wild boar. The flesh of higher-level creatures was a great temptation for any flesh and blood creature. Suddenly, a voice came from afar. Makar immediately closed his helmet and flew up into the sky, vigilant, looking in the direction from which the sound had come. Ten kilometers from them, a huge Flame Giant was constantly throwing searing fireballs, turning everything beneath it into a sea of flames. ¡°Wizard!¡± Makar¡¯s heart alarm went off, and he immediately landed to warn the other Fire Lizards. ¡°A wizard is approaching, prepare for battle.¡± Anger flickered across the faces of the Fire Lizards, who had been ready to feast. Why did the wizard have to come just when they were about to eat meat? They closed their helmets and activated the sealing mode. Makar approached Richard¡¯s cabin and gently knocked on the door. Soon, a slightly tense voice came from inside. ¡°I am conducting research, do not disturb me unless it¡¯s an emergency. If it¡¯s an emergency, kick the door open.¡± Makar frowned, flew up again, and after sensing the magic fluctuations from the distant Flame Giant, he knocked on the door again. ¡°Sir, a wizard is coming. We can handle it, but I think it would be better if you decide.¡± But the response was the same as before. ¡°I am conducting research, do not disturb me unless it¡¯s an emergency. If it¡¯s an emergency, kick the door open.¡± If Makar had been a subservient creature serving a wizard, he might have realized that the response was an automated message created by Richard using an Alchemy Array. But Makar was ¡°from the countryside¡± and had never encountered such a messaging method. So, Makar paused, pondering the meaning of Richard¡¯s words. ¡°Is this a test of our decision-making ability?¡± Makar wondered. Due to a lack of information, Makar could only use his past experiences to interpret Richard¡¯s intention. He went back to Kava and the others and recounted what had happened. ¡°I think you¡¯re quite right,¡± Heraen considered for a moment and agreed with Makar¡¯s reasoning. Makar knew Richard better than any of the other Fire Lizards, so his guess was probably correct. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kava was indifferent, ¡°I think it doesn¡¯t matter what the master means, as long as that wizard is no big trouble. If he doesn¡¯t come over, we will be at peace. If he does come over, we¡¯ll just kill him.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve killed a Three Rings Wizard before, so with this armor, shouldn¡¯t the four of us easily take down another one?¡± Everyone agreed wholeheartedly and continued to grill their meat fully armed. Meanwhile, Kayang, who was desperately trying to escape, dodged through gaps in the spells. As someone who¡¯s constantly in danger, Kayang¡¯s ability to escape was nearly magical. Though the Wizard chasing him, Lai Kete, was also an experienced Three Rings Wizard, he was not the most dangerous Lai had encountered. Suddenly, Kayang smelled a faint scent of cooked meat. He recognized the smell. It was what the flesh of third-level creatures emitted when roasted. ¡°Could there be a Wizard nearby capable of hunting third-level creatures?¡± Joy painted Kayang¡¯s face as he swiftly changed direction toward the source of the aroma. But as he turned, a scorching fireball exploded next to him, making him vomit blood profusely. Originally, the fireball was not so powerful. But as more fireballs exploded, the concentration of Fire Element in the forest gradually rose, and unluckily for Kayang, the fireball was enhanced by a surge of Fire Element, increasing its power by nearly half. ¡°Damn it, am I really going to die this time?¡± The explosion left Kayang somewhat dazed, yet instinctively, he kept moving towards the source of the meat scent. At this moment, Lai Kete in the sky also noticed a glowing fire in the distance. ¡°Who dares to light a fire at this time? Could it be a Wizard from the frontline?¡± A thought flickered in Lai Kete¡¯s mind. Zick had told him that the Academy was recalling Wizards for defense. Only a Wizard returning from the frontline would dare to start a fire now. Due to his elementalization, Lai Kete had no sense of smell and could not detect the meat¡¯s aroma. Without much thought, Lai Kete continued toward the glow. As a Three Rings Wizard, he was usually the one to be avoided. ¡­ Kayang darted through the forest, the intense Fire Element nearly turning him into a mummy. His motivation to move forward was the Wizard who had killed a third-level creature. Having survived many life-and-death situations, Kayang knew the value of life more than anyone. He wasn¡¯t ready to give up, even if there was just a sliver of hope. He didn¡¯t want to die. Suddenly, a shadow blocked his path. He looked up and saw an Iron Giant standing before him. He recognized this Iron Giant, a creation of the unlucky Wizard he had encountered. That appeared to be a young Wizard, not famously known. A wave of despair washed over Kayang. He had smelt wrong. At this critical life-or-death moment, his nose had deceived him. Kayang chuckled bitterly, ¡°Haha, looks like I¡¯m really done for.¡± He heard indistinct words from within the Iron Giant, followed by a giant metal hand that grabbed him and impaled him with Sealing Demon Nails. Suddenly, a mighty roar filled the sky. ¡°Natives? You think wearing an iron shell qualifies you to stand before me? I am a Three Rings Wizard! Bring me your master!¡± But soon after, the sky was filled with painful moans. The Iron Giant holding Kayang uttered words tinged with mockery, ¡°A Three Rings Wizard? We¡¯re here to fight Three Rings Wizards.¡± Chapter 312: 30 Ransom Chapter 312: Chapter 30 Ransom ¡°So this is what happened?¡± Richard rubbed his forehead with a somewhat headache-ridden expression, looking at the two wizards who were covered with Sealing Demon Nails. Just a moment ago, Richard was mulling over whether the roast meat should be done by now. He put down the wild boar hide he was working on, planning to come out and eat. But as soon as he came out, he saw four Fire Lizards feasting and two wizards who had been thrown to the ground by them, half-dead. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± Richard looked at Makar, and although there wasn¡¯t a clear leader in the squad. Among the four Fire Lizards, Makar was the most familiar to him, his nature was calmer, and his combat power was stronger. So, the other three Fire Lizards generally looked to Makar for direction. Now that such a big incident had occurred, he naturally had to look for Makar¡¯s trouble. ¡°Master, you said not to come to you unless it was an emergency,¡± Makar said somewhat innocently. ¡°There wasn¡¯t any wizard following this one, and it¡¯s not difficult for us to get the better of him.¡± Richard looked at Lai Kete, who was burning with flames, his limbs chopped off, and a mouth stuffed, and his mouth twitched a bit. Indeed, it was just a Three Rings Shaping Wizard. What the hunting squad was best at restraining was Shaping Wizards. That layer of Armor that could resist six thousand Energy Levels was enough to make any Shaping Wizard without enough knowledge despair. Moreover, in Makar¡¯s description, this wizard was very disdainful toward them. This only increased his chances of failure. ¡°Then you should have let me know,¡± Richard complained. This made Makar even more innocent. ¡°Master, I did notify you twice. Both times you gave the same response, without even changing your tone. How can it be that I didn¡¯t notify you?¡± Upon hearing Makar¡¯s words, Richard suddenly realized. This guy had mistaken his recorded message for his actual response. Richard chuckled wryly, ¡°That was a recording; I didn¡¯t even know you knocked on the door. Sigh, never mind. This was my fault. Next time I will give you guys an additional option.¡± Having said that, Richard approached Kayang. ¡°Come over and take a good look, this Wizard Kayang is not our enemy. Don¡¯t make this mistake again next time.¡± After finishing speaking, Richard lightly flicked his fingers, and the Sealing Demon Nails began flying out from Kayang¡¯s body. After losing the Sealing Demon Nails, a violent Magic Fluctuation immediately emerged from Kayang¡¯s body. The bloody holes left by the nails burst open with flowing blood¡­ Upon seeing this scene, Richard hastily called out, ¡°Makar, bring Master Kayang some roast meat. Look at the mess you¡¯ve made, Master Kayang is injured so badly.¡± Kayang cast a healing spell on himself, then weakly climbed up from the ground and gave Richard a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Master, you needn¡¯t do this. If it weren¡¯t for your help this time, I would probably already be dead.¡± Richard discreetly stepped back a few paces, distancing himself from the reputedly unlucky man. ¡°It was a simple effort, not worth mentioning.¡± Noticing Richard¡¯s action, Kayang smiled awkwardly: ¡°Haha, Master, don¡¯t be nervous. According to my years of experience, every time I suffer a great disaster, my rotten luck returns to normal for a while. During this period, neither I nor the people around me will be unlucky.¡± Richard was somewhat skeptical, but out of caution, he still didn¡¯t get any closer to Kayang. Makar brought a large chunk of roast meat to Kayang¡¯s side. Although Kayang looked somewhat distressed, his hands did not resist. He indeed needed something to repair his damaged body. After dealing with Kayang¡¯s situation, Richard then approached Lai Kete. But this time, Richard didn¡¯t remove the Sealing Demon Nails; he merely removed the stone in Lai Kete¡¯s mouth. ¡°I wonder how the Master would like to be addressed? I remember our families don¡¯t have any deep hatred, and we didn¡¯t target your Core Wizard Tower, so why did you come after us?¡± Upon hearing this, Lai Kete instantly became furious. ¡°You have the nerve to say that! Using third-level creatures as slaves and equipping them with such good Magic Equipment. Is that what you call having no deep hatred?¡± Richard, with an unchanged expression and an even tone, said, ¡°I think you may be mistaken about something, Master. These four Fire Lizards are my personal property, not borrowed or sold to me at a low price by other wizards. I¡¯m using them, and that¡¯s within the rules.¡± Upon hearing this, Lai Kete sneered: ¡°You have the cheek to spout such nonsense! Who do you think you are? On the market, a single third-level creature is worth fifty thousand Magic Essence. You have four in your possession, that¡¯s two hundred thousand Magic Essence. You, a Second Ring Wizard, tell me, how did you get this two hundred thousand Magic Essence? Or are you going to tell me that these Aliens were tamed by you, and you didn¡¯t spend a penny!¡± Richard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and he even wore a strange smile on his lips. ¡°Master is truly worthy of being a Three Rings Wizard. Your insight is indeed profound, guessing immediately that I tamed these Fire Lizards myself.¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s words, Lai Kete was somewhat dumbfounded. He was shocked that there could be such a shamelessly boastful person in the world. For a Second Ring Wizard to tame four third-level Fire Lizards was such ludicrous talk it wouldn¡¯t even be uttered by drunken men in a tavern. Seeing Lai Kete¡¯s disbelief, Richard added, ¡°Of course, if the Master doesn¡¯t believe me, I can also say I bought them. After all, two hundred thousand Magic Essence is not beyond my means.¡± Now Lai Kete was even more shocked. How could there be such wizards? One boast wasn¡¯t enough; he had to add another layer just to satisfy himself? Seeing he still didn¡¯t believe him, Richard shifted the topic, asking a seemingly unrelated question. ¡°Does the Master have friends in the White Wizard Army?¡± Lai Kete was a bit puzzled by the question. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yes, what about it?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Then surely, the Master must have heard the name, ¡®Magic Support Vehicle.''¡± Lai Kete nodded again. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± Seeing Lai Kete¡¯s reaction, a smug smile couldn¡¯t help but curl at the corners of Richard¡¯s mouth. ¡°Then, Master must surely know that the Magic Support Vehicle is very popular among the White Wizard Army, and all the White Wizard Army orders are coming in, right?¡± Lai Kete began to catch on: ¡°What are you trying to say? Are you telling me that this contraption is your work? Are you that Richard from Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce?¡± Richard nodded with satisfaction. ¡°The Master¡¯s wisdom is indeed as vast as a sea of smoke, having guessed correctly.¡± On the side, Kayang stopped in his tracks with the roasted meat when he heard this. Holy shit, is my luck turning? Not only did my crisis get resolved, but I also ran into such a big shot. His alchemy skills were pretty decent, too. Lai Kete looked at Richard with a sneer, wanting to see how long Richard planned to fool him. But as time ticked by second by second, Richard never declared it was a joke. Lai Kete¡¯s face stiffened a bit. After all, Richard was a guild president, why would he be sent on such a dangerous¡­ His gaze suddenly shifted to the aliens eating meat voraciously beside him. With these few creatures, the mission wasn¡¯t really dangerous. But he still found it hard to believe. ¡°You say it¡¯s yours, but do you have any evidence?¡± Richard didn¡¯t say much, just pulled out a black scroll from his pocket and unfolded it in front of Lai Kete. This was the Commerce Scroll given to Richard by Jolod back in the day, and for all these years, this was the first time it had come in handy. Seeing the Tower of Truth¡¯s Magic Seal on the scroll, Lai Kete had no choice but to believe. In the Wizard World, no one dared to forge the Magic Seal of the Tower of Truth. Fuck, the only Second Ring Wizard in this war who posed a huge threat to a Three Rings Wizard, and he ran into him as soon as he stepped outside! Richard asked with a grin, ¡°What, I wasn¡¯t lying, was I?¡± Lai Kete nodded somewhat gloomily. Richard hadn¡¯t broken any rules. Though he was Second Ring, he was richer than some Three Rings Wizards. Such a figure among Second Ring Wizards was like a dimensional reduction strike. ¡°Since the Master also admits it, then our little misunderstanding is cleared up. What comes next is the real business.¡± With that, Richard rubbed his hands together, the smile on his face almost shining with a golden light¡­ the golden light of gold. ¡°Master, what price do you plan to set to ransom yourself?¡± Lai Kete was slightly stunned, and then he understood Richard¡¯s intentions. Three Rings Wizards were the backbone of any Academy. Normally, these Three Rings Wizards managed the Academies, and in times of war, they were important central forces. Right now, without any deep-rooted enmity between the two sides, it was okay for some One Ring and Second Ring Wizards to die. But once a Three Rings Wizard died, that would inevitably drive the situation of the war towards an uncontrollable direction. What had been a tacit war becoming a meat grinder would just be too stupid. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean Lai Kete could be complacent. Richard might not intend to kill him, but putting him in confinement was still possible. With Richard¡¯s strength, returning to Black Tower Academy wouldn¡¯t be difficult, and then they would hand him over to the wizards of the Black Tower Academy. Not to mention anything else, the face of the Meteor Star Academy would be completely lost. Lai Kete¡¯s brain was racing. He definitely had to bleed out a bit right now. And the Richard in front of him was clearly not lacking in Magic Stones, so using Magic Essence as ransom was obviously out of the question. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t been a Three Rings Wizard for long and had a bunch of research projects that needed Magic Essence. He couldn¡¯t afford to pay a lot of Magic Essence in ransom. In this case, he could only pay with knowledge. For wizards, knowledge and Magic Essence were both hard currencies. After thinking for a long time, something suddenly flashed in Lai Kete¡¯s mind. Then he confidently said, ¡°I have a blueprint for a Tesla Type 7 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet on hand. This price should be enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the silent Richard, Lecter¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Hmm? Is the blueprint for this Puppet very common?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Richard said indifferently, ¡°I have a blueprint for a Tesla Type 9 Shield Guard Alchemy Puppet on hand. Master, you might want to offer something else.¡± Now Lai Kete was having a hard time. Those results he had worked so hard to research, he really didn¡¯t want to give them away. But the knowledge he had inherited was somewhat inadequate. After thinking it over, Lai Kete said with a somber voice: ¡°What do you want? I have a lot of inherited knowledge on hand; I might have something you want.¡± ¡°What I want?¡± Richard stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. He didn¡¯t seem to want any particular knowledge at the moment, but if he had to say, the thing he needed the most was a cheap, stable Power Furnace. Stave¡¯s Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace would definitely be used as the Power Furnace for high-end Armor in the future, after all, it involved rules, and with Richard¡¯s technology, it wouldn¡¯t be possible to mass-produce this kind of Power Furnace until he became a Great Wizard. But Richard also planned to make Armor cheap and assembly-line produced. In this situation, a cheap and stable Power Furnace became very important. ¡°Does the Master have some knowledge like a Power Source, preferably the simpler kind?¡± After hearing Richard¡¯s needs, Lai Kete immediately started rummaging through his own memory. Being well-read and having a strong memory is a basic quality for a wizard, and a Three Rings Wizard like Lai Kete could do things like memorize an entire book after one reading and not forget it for over a century. He had read all the inherited knowledge in his hands, so there was an impression left in his memory. After thinking for a while, Lai Kete suddenly looked up and said: ¡°I have something. I have a study on Yuris Black Crystal on hand. Yuris Black Crystal is a special ore produced in the Black Mountain World, containing immense Energy inside. After processing, this ore can be used as a stable Energy Source.¡± Chapter 313: 31 Unlucky Curse Chapter 313: Chapter 31 Unlucky Curse ¡°Oh?¡± Richard¡¯s face lit up with joy, but then he became thoughtful, ¡°Such a good thing has not been passed down. There must be some downsides, no doubt.¡± Lai Kete said indifferently, ¡°There are definitely downsides. The refining technology of this type of crystal stone is very complex, and the pure Yuris Black Crystal possesses a strong debilitating radiation. Prolonged contact with this kind of crystal stone could lead to decay even in the body of a Three Rings Wizard. In fact, the energy source is just a byproduct of the research. The goal of the research was to transform this ore into a lethal weapon.¡± ¡°Did he succeed?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°He succeeded, and he failed,¡± Lai Kete said calmly, ¡°During his research, the Yuris Black Crystal finally exploded as he intended. But the massive amount of debilitating radiation that followed the explosion instantly breached his protective measures, destroying most of the equipment in the lab, including him. My teacher spent a great effort to remove the debilitating radiation from this document.¡± Richard sighed, reflecting on how the pursuit of truth is fraught with accidents and one never knows whether they will come before tomorrow. ¡°Alright, the price for this piece of knowledge is sufficient. However, before you go back, Master, we need to sign a Soul Contract.¡± Richard took out a blank Soul Contract from his pocket and drew up some terms. The clauses included that Lai Kete shall not attack any wizards from the Black Tower Wizard Academy during this Academy war, must not leak any information about Richard, and must not seek revenge against Richard after the war, among other things. Signing this contract essentially meant that Lai Kete was bidding farewell to this Academy war. Lai Kete looked at the contract, his expression twisted. When had he, a Three Rings Wizard, ever been so humiliated? But this was the best outcome. Who asked him to be so unlucky to encounter Richard? Had he encountered any other wizard dispatched by the Black Tower Academy, his fate wouldn¡¯t have been so humiliating. Richard pulled the Sealing Demon Nail out of him, and Lai Kete snorted coldly, as a terrifying wave of Magic Power surged within his body. The Fire Lizards tensed up in an instant, their fingers ready on the switches of the Chain Saw Swords. If Lai Kete made the slightest move, the Witch Hunting Team would cut him into pieces without hesitation. Richard was now the hope of the Fire Lizard Clan; if Richard died, all his assets would be inherited by his designated heir. If Richard had not designated an heir, then his students, teachers, brothers-in-arms, and friends would inherit. These people were not as merciful as Richard; in a Wizard World where slavery prevailed, the fate of the Fire Lizard Clan would be sealed. Lai Kete glanced at the Witch Hunting Team eyeing him like prey, snorted coldly, and used magic to condense a hand, signing his name on the contract. As the contract turned into flames and vanished into the air, Richard waved to the Witch Hunting Team. ¡°Contract complete. Master, feel free to join us for some roasted meat if you¡¯re interested.¡± Richard pointed to a huge barbecue rack not far away, where a wild boar was roasted to a golden shine, and a rich aroma permeated the air. ¡°No, I have research to do.¡± Lai Kete replied somewhat brusquely and, transforming into a Flame Giant, flew toward Meteor Star Academy. Watching Lai Kete leaving, Richard shook his head and muttered to himself: ¡°Poor guy who doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s missing.¡± ¡­ The roasted wild boar meat was quite tough; an ordinary person would probably tear out a tooth trying to pull off a strip of meat. But for Richard, a Second Ring Wizard, this was only making the meal more enjoyable. The mountain-like wild boar had shrunk by nearly half after roasting, but even after the Witch Hunting Team¡¯s gluttons, along with Richard and Kayang, had their fill, more than half the beast remained. Richard used the Alchemy Field to preserve the remaining roast meat, planning to enjoy it another day. After a hearty meal, Richard and Kayang chatted idly. Richard was also extremely curious about this poor soul whose misfortune had become widely known. It was rare to find someone as unlucky as Kayang, and his ability to spread his misfortune to others was even more of an anomaly. ¡°Master Kayang, have you been born with this streak of bad luck, or did it happen after you encountered something?¡± Kayang, who was picking his teeth with Magic Power, instantly looked crestfallen upon hearing Richard¡¯s question: ¡°Ah, Master Richard, do you think a normal person would survive infancy if they were as unlucky as me?¡± Richard thoughtfully replied, ¡°Then you encountered something later in life that made you like this. Can you tell me about it?¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kayang nodded, his tone bitter and resigned. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing much. Before I was chosen to be a Wizard Apprentice, a mudslide occurred in the hills on my family¡¯s land, exposing an ancient cave that had been sealed for a long time. That cave was a laboratory of some wizard from the ancient times. Most of the contents of this laboratory had turned to junk over time. But in it, I found a still functioning Magic Array. Back then, I was young and foolish, without any reverence for wizards. After I put a Magic Stone into the Array, a ghostly creature appeared. This creature looked human but had four arms, six eyes, and carried a grey satchel on its back. As soon as it appeared, it spoke to me in a language I had never heard before but could understand, asking if Kujin dared to summon it again. Then it opened the satchel it was carrying. I saw a black qi fly out of the satchel and straight into my body. After that, the ghostly creature disappeared. Since then, I have been plagued with misfortune. First, my father was executed for participating in a conspiracy against the King, then during my escape, I was accidentally chosen to be a Black Wizard Apprentice, and my friend was selected to be an Apprentice as well. During the entrance tests, a Synthetic Beast went out of control, and that killed my friend while I barely survived an explosion. In short, things have perpetually gone wrong for me; I only get a moment to breathe after a disaster. Ah, why was I so careless to activate that Array!¡± Kayang seemed to have not talked with wizards for a long time, and once he started, he couldn¡¯t stop. By the end, his regret was almost spilling out of his words. His moment of impulse not only brought him suffering but also affected his family and friends. This was the most intolerable thing to him. Regarding Kayang¡¯s misfortune, Richard deeply sympathized and then, without changing his expression, moved a bit further away from Kayang. He took note of the characteristics of that illusory creature in his heart, preparing to ask Ulysses later if he had seen it before. If possible, Richard wouldn¡¯t mind helping Kayang resolve this misfortune curse. Considering that Kayang had survived this long under such misfortune, he must possess considerable strength. If the misfortune could be removed, Kayang wouldn¡¯t necessarily soar to great heights, but he certainly wouldn¡¯t fade into obscurity. Such a person was very much worth his investment. Who knows? He might even become a Great Wizard someday. After pouring his heart out, Kayang seemed to be in a much better mental state. Years of bad luck not only made Kayang¡¯s psychological endurance incredibly strong, but it also brought him immense mental pressure. This pressure, with no outlet, festered inside him like a volcano. When the pressure exceeded his mental tolerance, the volcano would erupt. At that point, Kayang¡¯s psyche would collapse, and he might even degenerate into a mad wizard. Being able to release even a little of that pressure was undoubtedly good news for him. ¡°Master Kayang, you have had it tough,¡± Richard sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve taken note of this illusory creature you mentioned. If I come across any information about it in the future, I¡¯ll be sure to notify you.¡± Upon hearing this, Kayang looked at Richard with a sudden intensity, even a glimmer of tears could be seen in his eyes. There were still good people among the black wizards? Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze, Richard took two steps back and said: ¡°It¡¯s just a small favor, I think Master Kayang, you have a lot of potential. To reach the status of a Second Ring Wizard with such bad luck, if it weren¡¯t for this misfortune, the sky would be the limit for you.¡± Kayang bowed respectfully to Richard, performing a wizard¡¯s salute: ¡°For Master to be willing to help me is an immense kindness. If Master can help me resolve this curse, I will be ready to serve you in any capacity in the future.¡± It was good news that Richard had his own agenda; Kayang didn¡¯t believe in a world where lunch came for free. After their conversation, Kayang didn¡¯t linger long with Richard. He left his contact information and hurried off. Although the curse of misfortune on him had entered a quiet phase, no one knew when it might act up again. After Kayang left, Richard immediately chose to move. Though Lai Kete wouldn¡¯t disclose Richard¡¯s information, his whereabouts were hardly a secret. This hiding place was no longer suitable for Richard. Richard placed the items in the wood cabin along with the grill and stove into his magic pocket, then burned the entire cabin to the ground, leaving no trace. Looking at the Witch Hunting Team who seemed somewhat puzzled, Richard gestured broadly: ¡°We can¡¯t stay here any longer. Load up the barbecue and a few legs of meat, we¡¯re moving!¡± ¡­ Lai Kete¡¯s disgraceful defeat had become the biggest topic among the Three Rings Wizards at the Meteor Star Academy in the past two days. To set out to hunt a Second Ring Wizard, only to return empty-handed and utterly defeated instead. Not only mutilated, having his limbs severed, but also forced to sign a Soul Contract, relegating him to merely going through the motions in the entire Academy war. This was not only a disgrace to the wizard Lai Kete, but it was also a disgrace to the Meteor Star Academy. ¡­ In the office, Zick sat behind a desk, holding a cup of Magic Tea. Across from him, Lai Kete sat on a chair, ominously silent. Zick took a sip of his tea and said in a calm voice, ¡°It¡¯s been three days, and it¡¯s about time for you to tell me everything you can say, right? You claim that the other side didn¡¯t break any rules, but as a Three Rings Wizard, how could you be beaten so pitifully by a Second Ring Wizard. Could it be that the black wizard on the other side has also learned the formations of a White Wizard?¡± Lai Kete remained silent. Seeing this, Zick placed the tea cup back on the table. ¡°Then let me ask it another way. Is the story about not breaking any rules truth, or is there falsehood in what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°¡­There is no falsehood.¡± Zick nodded, ¡°Then for now, I¡¯ll assume they did not deploy a Three Rings Wizard. For a Three Rings Wizard to be defeated like this by a Second Ring Wizard doesn¡¯t make sense. Therefore, I infer that this person must have used external forces, most likely Alien Slaves or Elemental Slaves, and moreover, third-level creatures. Further, I deduce that he has more than one. If a Three Rings Wizard can¡¯t overcome a third-level Alien or Elemental Slave, well, that would be too embarrassing to mention. Having more than one third-level slave, and their master being a Second Ring Wizard who abides by the rules¡­ the identity of this person is becoming clear.¡± Zick leaned forward, his eyes calm, yet carried a piercing authority that could not be defied. ¡°You encountered Richard Jolod, the chairman of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce, and the only Second Ring Wizard in the Black Tower Academy with such financial resources. Moreover, his mentor is the Deputy Dean of the Black Tower Academy, so he has every reason to help his mentor win this war.¡± Lai Kete remained silent, but his silence was enough. Having signed the contract, Lai Kete could not reveal any information about Richard, but sometimes silence is also a form of information. If it wasn¡¯t Richard, Lai Kete would definitely have denied it. But Lai Kete chose to remain silent. This indicated that Zick¡¯s guess was correct. A smile crept onto Zick¡¯s lips as he sat upright once again. ¡°All right, Lai Kete, you can go back and rest. The Academy will rid you of this disgrace.¡± Chapter 314: 32: Revenge Chapter 314: Chapter 32: Revenge In the dense forest after the great fire, Crispin looked at the charred cabin, his face grim. As Richard had guessed, Meteor Star Academy had quickly found his hiding spot by following Lai Kete¡¯s trail. Looking at the cabin that had turned to charcoal, and the flattened ground with its grass and plants, Crispin knew that the Wizard he was up against was a cautious one. Beside him, several Wizards in black robes were investigating every corner of the area. The emblems on the Wizards¡¯ robes varied, from the Shape-shifting School to the Alchemy School; among the five major schools of the Wizard World, four were represented on the robes¡ªonly the emblem of the Curse School was absent. Aside from the matter of the schools, as these Wizards searched the site, they uniformly hovered above the ground and wore gloves that fit snugly over their palms. They somewhat resembled forensic investigators examining a crime scene. Suddenly, one of the Wizards called out excitedly, ¡°Come here and take a look at this.¡± The Wizards gathered around the one who had spoken, and he held up a piece of rock about the size of a thumb, seemingly unremarkable, exclaiming with delight, ¡°This rock has a trace of a Magic Seal on it; that Wizard has indeed made an oversight!¡± Hearing this, the faces of the crowd immediately brightened. A Wizard removed a box from his Magic Pocket, carefully placing the stone inside. Then they approached Crispin, saying respectfully, ¡°Deputy Dean, we have found the medium.¡± Crispin nodded slightly, his face regaining some color. ¡°Thank you all for your hard work. Whether we can cleanse the Academy¡¯s disgrace hinges on your skills.¡± After speaking, Crispin gave the charred cabin one deep, lingering look. However well cleaned, there was always something that got overlooked. That trace of a Magic Seal was sufficient for a Curse Wizard to cast the Great Curse Technique. Suddenly, Crispin felt a Magic Fluctuation emanating from his pocket. He took out a Crystal Ball, which had been fitted with an antenna-like alchemy device, to discover a new message on it. ¡°The Wizard¡¯s identity has been revealed; it¡¯s Richard, the President of Jolod Commerce. Personally, I suggest not dealing a lethal blow. He released Lai Kete, and we should make a gesture in kind.¡± Reading Zick¡¯s message, Crispin¡¯s brow furrowed involuntarily. ¡°Reciprocate?¡± He looked at the message and pondered for a long time. Without a doubt, Zick was right. Richard had shown his goodwill, and they should respond in kind. Richard did not wish to escalate the war, and they similarly had no desire to do so. But he was still displeased with Zick¡¯s suggestion. After bombing Meteor Star Academy and capturing their Three Rings Wizard, it turned out that he was going to be the one owing a favor in the end. After some thought, Crispin, still displeased, turned to the Wizards who had arrived at the scene and said, ¡°Gentlemen, I have received a message that the Wizard who captured Lai Kete has a complicated identity. When you cast the curse, do not be lethal, just enough to disperse his combat abilities.¡± Reason ultimately prevailed over personal emotions; he was the Deputy Dean, and he couldn¡¯t just act on his own caprices. The Wizards were momentarily taken aback¡ªwhat kind of big shot could make the Deputy Dean hold back? But they quickly complied; they were subordinates, simply following their orders. ¡­ New Hideout Stepping out of his newly built temporary lab, Richard looked at the lake shining like a gemstone not far away, and couldn¡¯t help but marvel to himself, ¡°It¡¯s fucking beautiful.¡± Richard had moved hundreds of kilometers away from the cabin. Richard was acutely aware that his Soul Contract certainly wouldn¡¯t prevent the Wizards of Meteor Star Academy from guessing his identity. After all, Wizard Lai Kete would surely convey that Black Tower Wizard Academy had not broken the unspoken rule between them. Just stating this, guessing Richard¡¯s identity was not a difficult matter. Among the Second Ring Wizards of Black Tower Wizard Academy who had participated in the battle, Richard was probably the only one capable of capturing Lai Kete. Although Richard believed that as long as he didn¡¯t provoke them, Meteor Star Academy probably wouldn¡¯t deal him a lethal blow, but after all, a guess was just a guess. Richard was not willing to stake his life on an uncertain hunch. This lake was situated on an Earth Veins node, with the veins spewing out a massive flow of magic power, causing the concentration of magic energy in the lake and surrounding environment to soar dramatically. As an Alchemy Wizard, Richard had set up some highly energy-consuming Magic Arrays in this environment. These arrays could perfectly conceal his laboratory and much of the lakeshore. Moreover, in such high concentrations of magic power, the freshwater from the lake could almost be used directly as a medium concentration magic solution. And because of the concentrated magic, the lake housed a multitude of high-level Magic Beasts. These beasts not only supplied Richard with a continuous stream of research material but also provided him with a steady supply of meat. For creatures undergoing Physique Evolution, consuming large amounts of fresh, high-quality flesh was greatly beneficial to the enhancement of their physique. Researching a newly-acquired Magic Beast specimen, then eating some delicious grilled fish. Richard¡¯s current lifestyle was even more comfortable than the one he had at the Tower of Truth. At the Tower of Truth, the only high-quality flesh Richard consumed was dried Flame Giant Beast Meat from New World Island. Although the Flame Giant Beast was a half-element, half-flesh creature, and did possess half flesh, when it came down to eating, both its effects and taste were far inferior to that of purely fleshly higher life forms. Even the Fire Lizard, accustomed to feasting on Flame Giant Beast, lamented that these Magic Beasts tasted much better than the Flame Giant Beast. Splash! Ripples disrupted the calm lake surface. Kava emerged with a fish almost as long as himself clenched in his arms. Following that, other members of the Witch Hunting Team also emerged from the lake, each clutching demon fish nearly as big as themselves. Kava, with a struggling demon fish in his arms, leaped from the water to the shore and grabbed the chain saw sword lying there. He promptly beheaded the demon fish. ¡°Haha, Great Wizard, you¡¯re in for a treat!¡± Kava said excitedly. The remaining fire lizards followed suit, leaping to the shore and dispatching their demon fish one after another. The fire lizards casually snapped off several thick-as-bucket trees from the forest and used the dining knives Richard had made for them to shave them into stakes, almost big enough to be called piles. Makar moved the roasting pit they used for wild boars to the shore, then promptly took out some magic essence he had picked up from the bottom of the lake and placed it on top. In the next moment, golden flames blazed fiercely. The fire lizards skewered the demon fish onto the stakes and set them beside the pit to roast, occasionally flipping them to ensure even heating. Before long, a tempting aroma wafted along the shore. ¡°Haha, Great Wizard, I¡¯ll share half with you.¡± Kava handed Richard a stake with half a roast fish on it, then took a stake with a roast fish over three meters long and started gnawing at it. Richard, not minding at all, took the roast fish and sat by the shore with the fire lizards, taking big bites and eating heartily. The fish was tender, with a faint sweetness, and as Richard swallowed a mouthful, he immediately felt warmth spread through his body. High-quality flesh was transforming into nourishment, sustaining his body. This sustenance effectively relieved fatigue and various minor injuries. After eating for a while, Richard planted the skewered fish into the ground and patted his belly, belching contentedly. ¡°Phew, satisfying. There¡¯s nothing quite like the pleasure of eating meat!¡± High-quality flesh was much harder to digest than regular food, so it was difficult for Richard to keep eating non-stop. He had to pause from time to time to digest. ¡°Haha, Great Wizard, your appetite is quite small. My appetite was far bigger than yours when I was at the Second Level,¡± Kava said, laughing heartily as he gnawed on the fish. Richard waved his hand, ¡°I¡¯m a wizard; how could I compete with you fire lizards in terms of food intake?¡± ¡°Great Wizard, you¡¯re not purely a wizard though,¡± Mishan, munching on the roast fish, spoke somewhat indistinctly, ¡°Those dragon eyes of yours, they¡¯re no worse than ours. And that scent on you, Great Wizard, is somewhat similar to ours. Great Wizard, we fire lizards are born like this, but how did you achieve it? The dragon blood is quite frenzied, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mishan, who used to be a doctor, had a deep understanding of the fire lizard¡¯s anatomy. Richard¡¯s self-modifications could not escape her eyes and nose. Richard scratched his head, ¡°Well, that¡¯s something I can¡¯t tell you.¡± With that, Richard stood up from the ground, ready to stretch and digest his meal. But before he had taken a few steps, his body suddenly stiffened on the spot. He felt a sudden surge of fear, as if something terrible was about to happen. ¡­ The hall on the twenty-fifth floor of the Core Wizard Tower of Meteor Star Academy had always been a secret. This hall was not open to the public, and even Three Rings Wizards were not allowed to enter without permission. Many wizards suspected that enemies of the Great Wizard were sealed within this hall. The Great Wizard intended to imprison them forever. But those who truly knew the secrets of this hall merely laughed off such speculation. Creak! The doors to the twenty-fifth-floor hall were pushed open. Thirty-one masked wizards slowly entered the hall. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These wizards included One Ring, Second Ring, and Three Rings Wizards. However, on the chests of their robes, they all bore a seal¡ªthe Blood Cross. On the floor of the hall, there was an enormous Pentagram Array. Of the thirty-one wizards who had entered, twenty-five One Ring Wizards split into five groups, each standing at the points of the pentagram. In the center of the Pentagram, five Second Ring Wizards formed a smaller pentagram. And at the center of this smaller pentagram, the only Three Rings Wizard among the thirty-one stood in place. The Three Rings Wizard took out an ancient altar from his Magic Pocket and reverently set it before him. Subsequently, all thirty-one Curse Wizards took out their Curse Magic Equipment. This equipment consisted of desiccated corpse arms, bloodstained cleavers, crudely fashioned straw figures, and some were simply twisted tentacles. The Three Rings Wizard was the first to speak, chanting in an ancient language. Under his lead, the other wizards also began to chant the same hymns. They waved their Curse Magic Equipment, twisting their bodies incessantly as if performing a shamanic dance. As they chanted, the entire hall began to fill with a thin mist, seemingly out of nowhere. Innumerable fragmented voices emerged from the mist, sounding like the delirious murmuring of madmen or like wailing ghosts in hell. These voices carried a terrifying mental corrosion; ordinary people who heard them wouldn¡¯t last a minute before falling into madness. The wizards remained composed, their voices unaltered. As the thin mist thickened into a dense fog and the fragmented voices nearly turned into roars, the central Three Rings Wizard took a piece of broken stone and a segmented Curse Worm from his pocket. He placed both on the altar. The next instant, all the dense fog in the hall surged towards the Curse Worm. Infused by the dense fog, the Curse Worm grew steadily, quickly reaching the size of a human head. It slowly crawled to the side of the broken stone and then swallowed the stone into its abdomen. After that, it coiled into a ball and remained utterly still. The Three Rings Wizard picked up the insect, put away the altar, and yawned lazily, saying, ¡°Work¡¯s done, the curse is complete.¡± Chapter 315: 33 Curse Chapter 315: Chapter 33 Curse By the lakeside, Richard had barely recovered from his heart-pounding terror when he suddenly felt an immense weight descend upon his body. The air was like about to solidify glue, thick and sticky. Every movement of his body seemed to consume all of his energy. Under such bizarre circumstances, Richard didn¡¯t need to think hard to know that he had been attacked with Curse Magic. Before moving, he had deliberately burnt down the cabin and flattened the ground, all to leave no materials behind that a Curse Wizard could use to cast spells. Even the most powerful Curse Wizards need materials to connect with while casting spells. But now, it seemed he had overlooked something. The power of the Curse Magic was gradually appearing, aside from the heaviness in his limbs, Richard realized his thinking speed was also slowly diminishing. If this continued, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he would stop thinking like some ultimate creature from outer space. ¡°Damn it!¡± Richard¡¯s face looked a bit unsightly, as he exhausted all his energy to take out a metal doll from his Magic Pocket. Inside the doll, a Curse Worm with five black segments on its body was slowly wriggling. The moment he touched the doll, Richard suddenly saw white fog filling the surroundings. This white fog, as if alive, was continuously invading his body through the pores of his skin. As a partner of a Curse Wizard, Richard immediately recognized what this curse on him was. ¡°Mist Cage! Does Meteor Star Academy have a screw loose or what!¡± Mist Cage, a high-level Ritual Magic from the Curse School. To use this spell, at least six wizards were required. After completing the ritual, the Curse Wizard would summon a descendant from the Illusion World, referred to as the lord of mist by wizards. The wizard presiding over the ritual could trap the cursed target inside the body of this mist lord¡¯s descendant for a period. During this time, the cursed person couldn¡¯t move or think, only waiting for the descendant of the mist lord to leave the material plane before the effect of the spell would end. To be honest, upon recognizing this spell, Richard actually felt a sigh of relief. Because this spell couldn¡¯t kill. This meant that the high-ranking wizards of Meteor Star Academy were merely attempting to regain some pride and didn¡¯t want to escalate matters. Otherwise, given the strength of Meteor Star Academy, they could easily use some extremely dangerous Curse Magic to kill Richard. This illusion lasted only a moment; the next instant, Richard¡¯s vision returned to normal, and the abnormalities on his body temporarily disappeared. But Richard knew this was only temporary. The doll Richard took out was known as a Death Replacement Doll, a life-saving Magic Equipment that Alchemy Wizards use to prevent themselves from harm caused by Curse Magic. Currently, Richard was back to normal because he had temporarily transferred the effects of the curse to the Death Replacement Doll. Once the Curse Worm inside the doll died, the effects of the curse would fall upon him again. Richard glanced at the Curse Worm in the doll; in just a few seconds, one black segment of the worm¡¯s body had disappeared. Waiting for all the black segments to disappear, the curse would descend on Richard again. ¡°Makar!¡± Richard shouted loudly. Makar, who was busy eating fish, heard Richard¡¯s call and immediately came to his side. ¡°Sir, what is the matter?¡± Richard¡¯s face was serious, and he spoke rapidly: ¡°Makar, I am currently under attack by Curse Witchcraft. In a while, I¡¯ll become as immobile as a stone. I am not sure how long this will last, but I need you all to ensure my safety during this time. If any wizards from Meteor Star Academy find us, do not linger, immediately take me back to Black Tower Wizard Academy. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Did you get that?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Having arranged everything, Richard immediately flew to his laboratory. He now needed to activate all the Magic Arrays he had prepared over recent days. In midair, Richard used his magic to conjure Runes and beneath his feet, lines of magic systematically spread outwards from him. In addition to gathering Runes, Richard glanced at the Curse Worm inside the Death Replacement Doll. The Curse Worm now had three black segments left. ¡°Three more segments, should be enough time.¡± Though anxious, Richard¡¯s actions remained orderly. Soon, the gathering of Runes was completed. Richard pointed downwards, and the Runes fell onto the Magic Array. The next moment, weak waves of Magic Fluctuation reverberated through the air, causing a distortion of light. From afar, the dense forest looked serene, and Richard¡¯s laboratory seemed to vanish without a trace. Having activated the Magic Array, Richard then took out five wooden stakes from his pocket. These stakes appeared ancient, with dark bloodstains and evil Runes that covered them, making them look like wicked relics. Placed in a horror movie, these things would undoubtedly be sealing demons. Just by driving them into a human body, a demon would possess the person and commence a massacre, providing a gore fest for the audience. However, these five stakes were actually Curse Magic Equipment crafted by Susanna at Jolod¡¯s request, designed to weaken the effects of curses. As a seasoned wizard, Jolod took his own protection very seriously. Especially once he gained some reputation in the business consortium, he immediately asked Susanna to prepare some Curse Magic Equipment to prevent assassination. And as a core member of the consortium, Jolod¡¯s good student, Jolod naturally hadn¡¯t forgotten to prepare a set for Richard. Looking at the five stakes in his hands, Richard took a deep breath. ¡°Phew, I hope Master Susanna¡¯s craftsmanship is up to par.¡± With that, Richard picked up a stake and drove it hard into his left foot. The intense pain made Richard¡¯s body shudder violently, but seeing the remaining two black segments of the Curse Worm, Richard gritted his teeth and once again took up a stake, driving it fiercely into his right foot. Bang! Another surge of intense pain. Richard clenched his teeth and drove the remaining three stakes successively into his left hand, chest, and right hand. With three ¡°bangs,¡± Richard had finally driven all five stakes into his body. The moment the five stakes were in place, a strange field quietly formed inside Richard. At the same time, the last black segment of the Curse Worm within the Death Replacement Doll finally disappeared. The next instant, the Curse Worm exploded and turned into a mist, vanishing into the air. Richard once again felt that heavy sensation in his body, his mind becoming sluggish. The five stakes, sensing the descent of the curse, began to absorb the blood flowing from the wounds as if they had come alive. The field within Richard¡¯s body began to grow stronger bit by bit, continually eroding the curse power that had invaded his body. Realizing this, Richard felt slightly relieved. If nothing unexpected occurred, the curse should break in just over thirty years. He would not miss the entire war. These decades would be a time of rest. ¡­ Soon, all members of the Witch Hunting Team had donned their armor and arrived at the laboratory. Seeing Richard motionless on the ground, several Fire Lizards glanced at each other. ¡°Lord should be okay, right?¡± Kava asked uncertainly. Makar did not answer, and Mishan approached Richard to check his vital signs. After a while, she stood up. ¡°Lord¡¯s vital signs are very slow and still diminishing. This condition is much like a Dragon Spellcaster¡¯s method, and I can¡¯t be of any help.¡± Watching Richard motionless on the ground, Makar suddenly went over and picked him up from the ground. ¡°Prepare something soft. The lord told us to guard him, so we just need to follow orders.¡± ¡­ The war had not changed due to Richard¡¯s absence. Because its communication tower was destroyed, Meteor Star Academy had withdrawn a batch of wizards from the front line to strengthen the rear. Although Black Tower Wizard Academy wanted to take this opportunity to counterattack, even after Meteor Star Academy withdrew a batch of wizards, their number at the front line still exceeded that of the Black Tower Wizard Academy. So, the counterattack plan was stillborn. The wizards returned from the front lines of the Meteor Star Academy began to sweep around the academy, but after several sweeps, they all came up empty-handed. All the deployed wizards from Black Tower Wizard Academy, uniformly did not act and hid like rats. After several futile attempts, Meteor Star Academy had to admit that they could not break this strategy. These elite wizards indeed tied down part of the power of Meteor Star Academy. But even so, the front line battle situation continued to develop unfavorably for Black Tower Wizard Academy. In the fifth year after the war began, over two-thirds of the commercial district fell, and Meteor Star Academy began to attack the residential district. In the tenth year after the war began, over half of the residential district had fallen. The density of wizards from Meteor Star Academy at the front line finally no longer held an overwhelming advantage. The war entered a state of stalemate. ¡­ At Richard¡¯s hideout The Witch Hunting Team was eating grilled fish on the shore as usual. Makar walked out of the laboratory and came to the shore, casually pulling up a skewered fish from the ground and began to eat it. ¡°Has the lord awakened yet?¡± Kava gnawed on his grilled fish, his eyes flickering with expectation. Makar silently nodded. Kava¡¯s eyes dimmed for a moment, then he turned to look at Mishan beside him. ¡°Mishan, why don¡¯t you check on the lord again, see if there¡¯s anything we can help with.¡± Mishan glanced at him and swallowed the grilled fish in her mouth. ¡°Kava, I¡¯ve said it before. I used to be a doctor, not a dragon curse spellcaster¡¯s witch doctor. We can¡¯t intervene in the lord¡¯s condition. All we can do now is to guard the lord until he wakes up or to send him back to the academy.¡± Kava, somewhat disheartened, stuck his grilled fish into the ground. Over the years they had guarded Richard, their range of action generally did not exceed ten kilometers around the laboratory. Although Richard had chosen a picturesque location, after ten years, even the finest scenery could become tedious. Kava wanted to explore outside, the Mirror World was vast, and there were undoubtedly many magic beasts he had never seen. As a hunter, he was very eager for new game. But now, he could only wait endlessly within this area. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Heraen here?¡± Makar, eating his fish, suddenly asked. Kava, somewhat irritated, replied, ¡°Heraen went out on patrol.¡± As he spoke, Heraen¡¯s voice reached everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°Come quick, I¡¯ve caught something strange!¡± Chapter 316: 34 Magic Dwarf Chapter 316: Chapter 34 Magic Dwarf Hearing Heraen¡¯s call, the few people by the shore immediately picked up the chain-saw swords beside them and walked towards Heraen. In the dense forest, Heraen held a purple dwarf in his hand and met up with a few nearby fire lizards. ¡°What is this thing?¡± Kava poked the creature in Heraen¡¯s hand curiously. The creature in Heraen¡¯s hand looked similar to a human in appearance but was shorter and more robust. This purple-skinned dwarf was only about one meter forty tall, yet his muscles were extremely developed, he looked like a lump of muscles from afar. Don¡¯t be fooled by how easily Heraen was holding him; if it were a second level fire lizard, the dwarf would have already broken free by now. The dwarf had long black hair, but he was bald on top. Under the long hair were a pair of dark purple eyes and a beard that hung down to his navel. The dwarf appeared very calm, even though his feet dangled in the air as Heraen held him. His gaze was deep as he looked at the fire lizards, his face devoid of any tension. ¡°Is this¡­ a wizard?¡± Mishan looked at the dwarf somewhat uncertainly. To the fire lizards, a wizard who had not undergone body modification was just another appearance. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although this dwarf had purple skin, his appearance was still not far off from that of a wizard. The fire lizards knew that wizards would alter their own bodies, changing their skin color was nothing unusual. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Makar knelt down, his golden dragon eyes locking tightly with the dwarf¡¯s eyes. He asked in somewhat halting wizard language, ¡°Tell me your purpose, dwarf.¡± Under the gaze of the dragon eyes, the dwarf¡¯s body suddenly trembled, Makar could see that this creature was experiencing instinctive nervousness. And it was extremely intense. Makar had seen this reaction before, many fire lizards reacted like this the first time they met the Fire Lizard King. Even after tens of thousands of years, the servants of the giant dragons still involuntarily shudder at the sight of a dragon¡¯s eyes. The dwarf tried hard to look directly into Makar¡¯s eyes, replying in equally halting wizard language: ¡°I need to see your master, the otherworldly powerful being subdued by the wizard.¡± Makar signaled Heraen with his eyes, and Heraen then set the dwarf down on the ground. In front of four third-level creatures, a mere second-level dwarf had no chance of escaping. Makar spoke in fire lizard language, discussing with his companions: ¡°This dwarf is strange, he¡¯s not a wizard, nor does he appear to be a wizard¡¯s slave.¡± Heraen agreed, ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too, which is why I called you all to take a look.¡± ¡°Could it be a native creature of this world?¡± Mishan proposed his guess, ¡°This world is so vast, it¡¯s unreasonable to think there isn¡¯t any intelligent race.¡± ¡°Would wizards share their world with others?¡± Kava countered, ¡°Apart from our lord, these wizards just think about enslaving other races.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s not about sharing?¡± Makar spoke, ¡°What if this race exists as pets, or as a kind of magic beast? I¡¯ve heard from my lord that this world is the inner world of a divine artifact forged by the greatest Truth Wizards of the wizard world. It is said that these great Truth Wizards have transcended the World Masters and reached another realm. For them, ordinary World Masters are probably no more than pets.¡± Makar¡¯s statement was not without reason, and the fire lizards exchanged looks among themselves. Eventually, Kava spoke first: ¡°Let¡¯s first ask what this guy wants; perhaps he could be of some use to our lord?¡± Saying that, Kava crouched down and asked the dwarf: ¡°Dwarf, state your purpose. Master Wizard is not someone you can just meet as you wish.¡± The dwarf did not alter his demeanor because of Kava¡¯s unfriendly tone, continuing to speak calmly: ¡°I need to see your master, the otherworldly powerful being subdued by the wizard.¡± Kava looked up, slightly puzzled, at the other fire lizards. ¡°This dwarf can¡¯t possibly only know one sentence.¡± Makar looked at the dwarf, his voice deep, ¡°If you do not state your purpose, it¡¯s impossible for us to allow you to see our lord.¡± The dwarf was silent for a moment before pulling out a leather scroll from his pocket. Opening the scroll, it contained a portrait painted in blood of Richard. Though the portrait had just a few strokes, it perfectly presented Richard¡¯s demeanor. Makar was certain, even he wouldn¡¯t be able to create a better drawing. ¡°The otherworldly powerful being subdued by the wizard, our race¡¯s High Priest has foreseen your master in a recent divination, holding magic wands made of gold and silver, followed by four Dragon Blood Giants clad in steel armor. He will be the savior who saves our race!¡± The fire lizards were a bit baffled by the dwarf¡¯s words. Divination? That excuse was rather poor. However, frustratingly, what this dwarf said wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, Makar knew Richard had two magic wands, one made principally of secret silver alloy and the other of refined gold alloy. These were details not just any unknown dwarf could know. But the dwarf¡¯s High Priest seemed to miss a bit of information. Richard couldn¡¯t help them now. ¡°Go back and tell your High Priest that our lord can¡¯t help you right now,¡± Makar said blandly. The dwarf, unruffled, replied, ¡°Is it because he is now like a stone and cannot move?¡± Hum! As soon as the Dwarf spoke, four chain saw swords were aimed at his neck. Makar squinted his eyes, his expression somewhat unpleasant. ¡°Dwarf, this is also what your High Priest saw in the divination.¡± The Dwarf nodded, unhurriedly removing a very ancient-looking straw doll from his waist, paying no mind to the chain saw sword beside his head. ¡°The High Priest saw in the divination that this Wizard, Sir, was enveloped by a dense fog, like a white stone. Therefore, before sending me out, he gave me this object, asking me to help the Sir break free from the shackles.¡± The Dwarf¡¯s words scratched an itch for the Fire Lizards, who had been staying nearby for ten years. Although they could still hold their patience, if they could get Richard out of trouble earlier, they wouldn¡¯t mind it. ¡°Shall we trust this dwarf?¡± asked Kava, who was most eager to see Richard free from the troubles. Makar shook his head: ¡°Don¡¯t know, but I think this Dwarf may be trustworthy.¡± This Dwarf had never avoided his gaze from the very beginning, and in the eyes of this Dwarf, Makar felt as if he was seeing an unshakable mountain. Firm and resolute, nothing could disturb his mind. Makar had seen such determination in many Fire Lizards¡¯ eyes, and those men eventually died in the war against the Wizards. ¡°Shall we let him try?¡± Heraen said with some uncertainty. If they could assist Richard in casting off the Curse, they might not be credited with a huge merit, but certainly, they¡¯d have no faults. The only issue now was, what if this Dwarf was sent by the Meteor Star Academy Wizards? Although the Meteor Star Academy had already cursed Richard, no one could guarantee they wouldn¡¯t strike at Richard again. Mishan, too, was aware of this concern, and she said: ¡°Since this Dwarf¡¯s High Priest can perform divinations, why don¡¯t we ask a few questions and let him divinate on those?¡± Everyone looked at each other and felt that was indeed a plan. Thus, Makar said to the Dwarf: ¡°Dwarf, we need to confirm. I¡¯ll ask three questions; if your High Priest can truly divinate, then he should be able to answer them. First question, where do we come from. Second question, what are our names. Third question, what identities have we had in the past.¡± Apart from Richard and the Fire Lizards, not even a second Wizard could clarify these three questions clearly. Even Jolod only knew the answer to the first question. If the Dwarf¡¯s High Priest could answer these three questions, it would prove the Dwarf¡¯s words were true, and they would ask him to help Richard counteract the Curse. But if he couldn¡¯t answer, then there would be nothing further to discuss. After hearing Makar¡¯s questions, the Dwarf did not turn to leave but instead took out a scroll from his body. ¡°The Otherworldly strongmen conquered by the Wizard, the High Priest has anticipated your questions. You come from a world full of flames, your names the High Priest could not divinate; however, he saw your past. Some of you had built black pyramids, some reaped lives on the battlefield like the Death God, some wrestled with a Flame Giant Beast, and some fought alongside the Death God with a golden knife in hand.¡± The Dwarf¡¯s words, although cryptic, made several Fire Lizards fall silent. ¡°I indeed built Princess Akala¡¯s sleeping chamber,¡± Heraen spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve been a soldier from the beginning,¡± said Makar calmly. With a hint of disbelief on his face, Kawan said, ¡°How did he know I once wrestled with Flame Giant Beast Meat.x¡± Finally, slowly, Mishan spoke: ¡°I indeed have a golden knife used to prepare mummies, I also once saved a Fire Lizard with that knife.¡± It had become quite clear now. Makar stepped aside, ¡°Dwarf, take your belongings. If anything at all happens to the Sir, we will not only kill you, but we will also exterminate your race.¡± The Dwarf did not respond to this threat but instead calmly said: ¡°Please lead the way, sirs; the Wizard¡¯s mighty power has blinded me, and I cannot see where he exactly is.¡± ¡­ Pushing open the laboratory¡¯s wooden door, Makar led the Dwarf into the laboratory. Upon seeing Richard, lying on a pile of beast skins, the Dwarf¡¯s expression finally changed. It was a kind of happiness and relief from the heart, like a parched land greeting the rain. He took the straw doll and quickly walked over to Richard. Then, he took out a small knife, causing the Fire Lizards to tremble as they unconsciously raised their chain saw swords. The Dwarf¡¯s small knife, covered in unknown runes, looked to be a usual item used in rituals. He mumbled a long hymn with the small knife and cut Richard¡¯s finger. As blood dripped, the Dwarf immediately caught it with the straw doll and drew a rune on the doll with the blood. Then he recited another long hymn. While he recited, the rune drawn with blood on the straw doll gradually seeped into the interior of the doll. As the rune completely vanished, everyone suddenly heard what sounded like a roaring scream in their ears. Following this, all present saw a momentary illusion. They witnessed an invisible white fog continuously emerging from Richard¡¯s body, steadily entering the straw doll with the Dwarf¡¯s hymn. ¡°This Dwarf¡¯s High Priest is impressive,¡± murmured Kava. After a long while, the Dwarf finally ceased his chanting. Richard¡¯s body also slightly shuddered. Following that, Richard sat up abruptly from the beast skins, as if he had fought off sleep paralysis. ¡°Time flies so fast, thirty years¡­ no, why is there a Magic Dwarf in my laboratory?¡± Chapter 317: 35 Beyond the Battlefield Chapter 317: Chapter 35 Beyond the Battlefield Looking at the Magic Dwarf standing next to him, Richard was somewhat baffled for a moment. He was not unfamiliar with this creature; within the Bloodline Seed in his heart, there was a part of the Magic Dwarf Bloodline. But if he remembered correctly, this creature should have long become a slave Race cultivated by wizards. How could one appear in his laboratory? The effect of the Mist Cage left Richard unable to move or think, so he was unaware of the outside world. At this moment, he even thought that thirty years had passed, and Susanna¡¯s Curse Magic Equipment had successfully worn down the power of the Curse. ¡°Master, only ten years have passed since you were cursed,¡± Makar spoke up, ¡°The curse on you was lifted by this Magic Dwarf.¡± Richard was slightly startled and looked down at the Magic Dwarf holding a straw figure in his hands. The straw figure indeed had a scent of Curse Magic Equipment, but it was different from any Curse Magic Equipment Richard had seen before. Richard stood up from the beastskin, pulling the stakes off his hands and feet. The intense pain jolted Richard. Then he changed into a new pair of shoes and found a chair to sit down. ¡°Makar, clarify the situation. Why would a Magic Dwarf come to my laboratory, and why would he lift the curse for me?¡± Makar reported everything that had just occurred to Richard, whose face showed contemplation. ¡°So you are the natives of the Mirror World?¡± Richard asked the Magic Dwarf. The Magic Dwarf shook his head and replied, ¡°According to the records of our tribe, many years ago, we lived in another world. But one year, we were moved to this world by a great Wizard.¡± Richard nodded, then asked again, ¡°You said I am the savior foreseen by your High Priest in his divination ¨C I¡¯ll take your word for it. You¡¯ve saved me twenty years¡¯ time, and I will repay you. But you must tell me, what is your issue. I do not think I am exceptionally remarkable. In fact, there are many strong wizards who came to the Mirror World this time, and their powers surpass mine, their knowledge more profound. I¡¯m curious what exactly I can resolve that they cannot.¡± The Magic Dwarf gave Richard a bow. ¡°Master, your curse has not been completely removed; the straw figure in my hands can only bear the curse for you for ten days. If you wish to completely remove the curse, you must travel to our settlement. There, the High Priest will lift the curse for you and tell you all the answers to your questions.¡± Richard¡¯s eyebrows rose ¨C it turned out his curse was merely temporarily transferred. However, he wasn¡¯t angry since this, in fact, helped him immensely. Before departing on an external mission, the Soul Contract Richard had signed defined his range of action. If he went beyond this range, it would be a breach of contract. Although there were no penalties for breaching the contract, naturally, he would not receive any rewards after the war. However, the contract had a supplementary clause: a wizard could escape this range under necessary circumstances. These include, but are not limited to, being pursued, seriously injured, suffering from a curse by a wizard of the Meteor Star Academy, and other necessary situations. Now that the curse on Richard was simply transferred temporarily, leaving the contractually defined area would not be considered a breach of contract. Richard stood up from the chair. Since the holes in his feet hadn¡¯t yet fully healed, he could only hover slightly in the air. ¡°In that case, I will visit your settlement.¡± ¡­ The Mirror World was a vastly large world, and the battlefield between the two academies was just the tip of the iceberg of the Mirror World. Following the Magic Dwarf, Richard trekked through mountains and rivers. Along the way, Richard¡¯s group encountered many fierce Magic Beasts, though these were no problem for the Witch Hunting Team. But the leading Magic Dwarf was just a Second-level Creature. It was hard to imagine how he crossed through the territories of these Magic Beasts to reach Richard¡¯s hiding place. After traveling thousands of kilometers, Richard and his company had arrived at a vast range of mountain systems. Standing on the white summit, Richard looked out at the endlessly undulating mountain ranges. Flocks of Magic Birds danced between the mountains, and from time to time, huge roars echoed through the woods. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was an ancient range of mountains, showcasing the primordial appearance of the Wizard World before it was conquered by wizards. ¡°Bruto, how much further? If we don¡¯t hurry, your straw figure won¡¯t last,¡± Richard called out. Bruto was the name of the Magic Dwarf; his full name was Bruto Iron Fist, a Steel Warrior from the Iron Fist Tribe. The Iron Fist Tribe was a considerably large tribe among the Magic Dwarf settlements. According to Bruto¡¯s words, their tribe had once ruled over a majority of the Magic Dwarf tribes in the Mirror World. But now, all of that was but a cloud of smoke in the past. Over the ridge, Richard¡¯s eyes fell upon a collection of low wooden houses. These houses were built at the foot of a rather tall mountain peak and appeared solidly constructed and stable. Aside from being too low for Richard, he could hardly fault them in any other way. But what was too low for Richard was not at all so for the Magic Dwarves, who had an average height of just around one meter twenty. The area covered by the wooden houses was extremely vast, encircling the entire mountain foot. Moving upward from the mountain¡¯s base, the wooden houses became sparse, giving way to stone houses. According to Bruto, these stone houses were inhabited by warriors among the Dwarves. Looking up further, above the stone houses were a series of cave-like openings in the mountain. The Magic Dwarves were a Race skilled in forging; they mined minerals from the mountains and forged them into everything they needed. Swords, armor, trinkets, pots, and pans for everyday use¡­ there was a proverb among the Magic Dwarves, stating that no Magic Dwarf was not a blacksmith. Passing through the hive-like caverns, one would reach the snow-covered mountain peak. There stood a palace inlaid with gemstones. This palace, known as the Gem Palace by Bruto, had once been the residence of the Dwarf King. But after the catastrophe, the Gem Palace became the dwelling of the Priest. ¡°My lord, this is our settlement,¡± exclaimed Bruto. Richard nodded, and then called to the Witch Hunting Team to prepare to fly to the Gem Palace atop the mountain. But before they could depart, Bruto intervened, ¡°My lord, it is best not to fly there directly. The settlement has prepared many defensive structures to guard against flying Magic Beasts. If you go rashly, there might be a chance of being hit by mistake.¡± Richard paused; indeed, living in these mountains teeming with Magic Beasts, one had to prepare some defensive measures against those that could fly. ¡°Then let¡¯s walk,¡± said Richard indifferently. Arriving at the mountain¡¯s base, a large and thick stone wall appeared in front of Richard. On the wall, a giant metal gate obstructed their path. ¡°Who goes there?¡± A shout came from within the wall. Richard looked closely and saw two small openings the size of bricks near the gate. Two Magic Dwarves were observing them through these small openings. Bruto stepped forward to greet the soldiers guarding the wall, followed by a stream of the native Magic Dwarf tongue. Clank, clank, clank¡­ Huge metal chains were released from within the wall, and the giant gate slowly opened. Bruto returned to Richard¡¯s side and respectfully said, ¡°My lord, please enter.¡± ¡­ The Magic Dwarves were a silent race. Walking through the wooden hut area, Richard could hardly hear the Magic Dwarves speaking. Besides the sound of hammers striking, the only other sounds that reached his ears were the voices of Magic Dwarf children. The adult Magic Dwarves were like the mountains beneath their feet, silent and stoic, yet unwavering. Richard followed Bruto up the path, seeing many Magic Dwarves along the way. What surprised Richard was that aside from the children, all the Magic Dwarves were Level 1 Creatures. The racial Talent of the Magic Dwarves was good, but not so strong that every single one of them would be a Level 1 Creature. This was neither logical nor consistent with the Wizard World¡¯s research on the Magic Dwarves. Richard guessed that all this might be related to the great catastrophe mentioned by Bruto. According to Bruto, five thousand years ago, a terrible catastrophe swept over the Iron Fist Tribe that was on the verge of unifying the Magic Dwarves. Thus the Magic Dwarf Empire disappeared, replaced by a confederation of settlements. The population of the Magic Dwarves, which had once reached tens of millions, had since plummeted to merely several hundred thousand. On the ascent, Richard quickly came to the stone hut area. The Magic Dwarves living in this area were all Second-level Creatures, and their auras were extraordinary. Each one seemed like an old soldier who had survived a hundred battles, carrying a terrifying aura that warned strangers to keep away. An apparently aged Magic Dwarf Warrior emerged from the stone huts (to be honest, Richard couldn¡¯t really tell the ages of these Magic Dwarves. Once they reached adulthood, each one grew a thick beard, even the women). Upon seeing Bruto and the visitors following him, he revealed a restrained smile. For the silent Magic Dwarves, this modest smile was their sole expression of joy. He approached Bruto and delivered a strong punch in greeting. ¡°Bruto, my brother, it looks like you¡¯ve completed the task the High Priest assigned you,¡± he said. Bruto nodded at the Dwarf, a small smile appearing on his face as well. He introduced the Dwarf to Richard, ¡°My lord, this is my brother Barn. A Steel Warrior from the Iron Fist Tribe, no less formidable than myself.¡± Richard narrowed his eyes and silently activated his Energy Vision. In his eyes, this Dwarf named Barn was indeed formidable. In terms of energy strength, Barn and Bruto were equally matched. Barn bowed slightly to Richard and, after handing a Short-Handle Warhammer to Bruto, he stepped aside to let Richard pass. Above the stone hut area was the densely packed cave area. In this domain, the ever-calm Bruto suddenly became vigilant. Richard noticed Bruto¡¯s arm, gripping the Warhammer, was tensing unconsciously. This was a sign of nervousness. ¡°Bruto, is this area dangerous?¡± asked Richard. Without looking back, Bruto kept a wary eye on every single cave around him. ¡°My lord, by rights, this area shouldn¡¯t be dangerous. But it¡¯s always better to be cautious¡­¡± Before Bruto could finish, a blood-red shadow burst out from a nearby cave, charging straight at him. Bruto¡¯s arm tensed and ancient patterns emerged on his purplish skin. Boom! The Warhammer, as large as a human head, ferociously smashed the blood-red figure and flung it away. Richard squinted, and under the enhancement of his dragon eyes, he could clearly discern the blood-red figure¡¯s features. Despite the body being grotesquely distorted with growths, tumors, and pulsating flesh almost obscuring the figure¡¯s face, Richard could still tell that the figure was a Magic Dwarf. Chapter 318: 36 Magic Dwarf Secrets Chapter 318: Chapter 36 Magic Dwarf Secrets The crimson figure, after being thrown, did not flee. On the contrary, he charged at Bruto again after landing. ¡°Interesting, no sense at all?¡± Richard took out his Pure Gold Magic Wand, and a pitch-black fireball instantly condensed beside him, then it blocked the crimson figure¡¯s path. Boom! The crimson figure was thrown out again. But this time, a hint of gravity flashed across Richard¡¯s face. ¡°An 860 Energy Level fireball was directly countered, and only part of the body was charred. Even some wizards who specialize in physique can¡¯t do this.¡± In Richard¡¯s dragon eyes, this mutant Magic Dwarf wasn¡¯t much hurt by the Fireball Technique. The charred flesh due to the fireball¡¯s power almost instantly fell off. Numerous tumors grew at a visible rate, filling in the gaps caused by the spell, and even further proliferated some parts. Excess flesh, tumors, and even some twisted organs impossible to distinguish continually emerged from the wound. ¡°It seems this is your problem.¡± Bruto, with a serious expression but sadness in his eyes, said to Richard, ¡°Sir, these one-time spells are useless against them; we need to use continuous spells.¡± Richard nodded. In dealing with such creatures, the Magic Dwarfs certainly had significant experience. But Richard did not plan to listen to him. He needed to thoroughly study this creature. Richard put the Pure Gold Magic Wand back in his pocket and took out a Secret Silver Wand. If it could resist an 860 Energy Level, what about 1,700 Energy Level? Under the sunlight, the head of the Secret Silver Wand looked splendid, and runes appeared in the wand head as Richard swung it. The next moment, a fireball, larger than the previous one, appeared in front of Richard. The creature seemed to sense the terrible power of the fireball, looked at Richard, then turned and ran. Upon seeing this, although Bruto¡¯s face remained calm, his pupils suddenly dilated. The mutant had run away! ¡°Stop him, Makar.¡± Watching the fleeing mutant, Richard calmly issued the command. Makar nodded slightly at the words and immediately appeared beside the mutant. Facing the horrifying creature, Makar expressionlessly reached out and grabbed it. Then, a pitch-black fireball descended. Boom! The fireball, with an Energy Level of 1,700, instantly turned the entire mutant into charcoal. Makar released his right hand, and the charred remains of the mutant fell to the ground, shattering. Richard walked to the remains, used his wand to crush the shattered remains, and confirmed there was no residual flesh. ¡°It seems it wasn¡¯t useless, just not very effective,¡± Richard said with a smile. Bruto remained silent, merely bending slightly towards Richard, ¡°Sir, your power exceeds my imagination; our experience may pose some problems for you.¡± Richard picked up a piece of charred remains from the ground and placed it in a test tube. ¡°By the way, what is this creature called?¡± Bruto was silent for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°We call it a ¡®Mutant.''¡± With the episode over, Bruto continued to lead the way. No more mutants appeared on the remaining journey, and Richard¡¯s party arrived smoothly at the Gem Palace. Observing the Gem Palace up close, Richard discovered that this luxurious palace was indeed made of gold, with gemstones just as ornaments. Under the sunlight, the palace looked particularly dazzling. ¡°Wow, quite extravagant.¡± Richard looked at the Gem Palace, his heart somewhat shocked, but he quickly calmed down. Although the gold palace was lavish, it was just gold after all. If Richard wished, he could build a Wizard Tower out of gold. But the few Fire Lizards behind him didn¡¯t think so. ¡°My goodness, this palace is really beautiful,¡± Kava exclaimed in shock. ¡°These Dwarfs might not look much, but they have quite good taste,¡± Heraen also marveled, ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that the gemstones are a bit mixed. If the types of gemstones were more uniform, this palace would definitely be an unparalleled treasure.¡± Four guards, dressed in gold armor and holding Long-handled War Hammers, stood at the entrance of the Gem Palace. As an Alchemy Wizard, Richard immediately recognized that the armor material on these Dwarfs was refined gold. These Magic Dwarfs even did not use refined gold alloy; their armor was made entirely of refined gold. Bruto stepped forward to inform the guards of their purpose, but the guards seemed to have a dispute with Bruto. ¡°This is the savior predicted by the High Priest¡¯s divination! You have no right to detain his servants!¡± ¡°We have already allowed him to enter! But his servants must not step into the sacred Gem Palace!¡± Bruto looked angrily at the gold-armored Dwarf, and the gold-armored Dwarf stared back unreservedly. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although the will of the Magic Dwarfs was as unshakeable as a mountain, it also meant their beliefs were extremely stubborn. The High Priest¡¯s order to the gold-armored Dwarf was to let Richard enter the Gem Palace, so they only allowed Richard inside. Richard¡¯s Witch Hunting Team had to stay outside. But Bruto knew that Richard would not let the Witch Hunting Team stay outside. Although he had grown familiar with Richard, he could still feel Richard¡¯s wariness towards him. Neither Bruto nor the gold-armored Dwarf gave in to each other, and their arguing voices quickly escalated to physical confrontations. Finally, an elderly voice interrupted their argument. ¡°Apak, let them all in.¡± Hearing this voice, Bruto and the gold-armored Dwarf immediately stopped their quarrel. Chapter 319: 36: Secrets of the Magic Dwarf_2 Chapter 319: Chapter 36: Secrets of the Magic Dwarf_2 They respectfully bowed their heads towards the Gem Palace. ¡°Yes, High Priest.¡± The interior of the Gem Palace was as resplendent as the exterior, with walls of gold similarly encrusted with various gemstones. Among them were treasures Richard longed to possess. Unfortunately, these were gemstones excavated by the dwarves in the Mirror World, and Richard had no way to take them out of the Mirror World. Passing through what Richard found to be narrow and cramped corridors, he and his entourage quickly arrived at a majestic hall. The hall housed a statue of a dwarf crafted in gold, and the hall¡¯s walls were adorned with ancient murals painted with powders of various gemstones. In the center of the hall, an aged dwarf was kneeling on the ground. This elderly dwarf, dressed in a white robe that seemed at odds with the grandeur of the hall, appeared to be a modified version of the Wizard Robe. Upon detecting Richard¡¯s arrival, he quietly stood up. The dwarf had a long beard, so long it nearly touched the ground. He rolled up his beard and then turned to perform a somewhat peculiar Wizard¡¯s Salute to Richard. ¡°Savior of our people, welcome to the Gem Palace. I am Abelrich, the High Priest of the Magic Dwarves.¡± Richard, not prideful, also respectfully returned the Wizard¡¯s Salute. The High Priest was not to be underestimated; though his frail appearance suggested a gust of wind could topple him, Richard¡¯s senses told him the priest was as immovable as a mountain, steadfast and unshakeable. With a gesture from the High Priest, Bruto conscientiously left the hall. The High Priest turned his gaze toward the Witch Hunting Team behind Richard and slowly spoke, ¡°Your creation is quite exquisite, your Giant Dragon Alchemy is indeed a rarity amongst wizards.¡± Richard humbly replied, ¡°It was not solely my achievement; I was only one of its designers.¡± After a glance over the Witch Hunting Team, the High Priest¡¯s gaze returned to Richard¡¯s face. Richard, looking into his eyes, saw purple pupils in which stars seemed to flow. ¡°Savior, on your way here, you must have encountered a Mutant. What do you think of him?¡± ¡°No particular thoughts,¡± Richard replied calmly, ¡°My magic can handle him, but there are many wizards who could do the same. I¡¯m curious as to why your divinations deemed me the savior of your people.¡± The High Priest slowly shook his head. ¡°I do not know. When I was younger, the Magic Dwarves had not yet migrated to this world. At that time, I had seen many wizards. Honestly speaking, although you are exceptional, savior, you still seem somewhat lesser compared to the great calamity of our people. Yet, I see many enigmas within you, perhaps these enigmas could help you overcome our people¡¯s great calamity.¡± Richard was momentarily at a loss for words. Divination was indeed like this. Divination could tell you the outcome, but it would not tell you the reason. However, one advantage of divination is that once a clear result appears, that result is inevitable. Whether the outcome is good or bad. If the High Priest¡¯s divination indeed pointed to Richard, then without a doubt, Richard was destined to be the savior of the Magic Dwarves. Concerning this phenomenon, wizards had a theory called Schr?dinger¡¯s Dog. Before it¡¯s observed, the future is chaotic and undefined. But once an observer beholds a certain future, that future becomes certain. The originally chaotic future would then collapse into this certain future. Of course, this kind of magic akin to the law of causality was highly restricted in its use. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Diviner could not divine the destiny of those unrelated to himself. The High Priest could divine the fate of the Magic Dwarves because he was the High Priest of the Magic Dwarves; he had this authority. However, he could not divine Richard¡¯s fate without Richard¡¯s permission. ¡°You might as well tell me about the origin of this Mutant; perhaps I happen to have a way to deal with it.¡± The High Priest nodded, ¡°Indeed, without understanding the vast wisdom of the Wizard, I should not have been so judgmental. That was rude of me.¡± With that said, the High Priest led Richard to the side of the hall wall and pointed at one of the murals: ¡°About seven thousand five hundred years ago, the tribe of Magic Dwarves was moved to this world by the great Truth Wizard and began to thrive.¡± On the mural, the Magic Dwarves stood in the palm of a Wizard robed in white. Before the Wizard, there was a mirror, likely the World Mirror. The High Priest slowly walked along the wall, narrating the stories behind these murals for Richard. ¡°The Truth Wizard didn¡¯t impose any restrictions on us, so we started living in this realm. About a thousand years later, a Dwarf named Bruno was born in the Iron Fist Tribe. He was very thin at birth, and his parents doubted he would survive the first winter after his birth. But Bruno survived and became a Dwarf Warrior before fifty, and a Steel Warrior of the Iron Fist Tribe by two hundred. He was generous, magnanimous, wise¡ªa natural leader of the Dwarves. Under his leadership, the Iron Fist Tribe grew stronger, and in the following thousand years, conquered most of the Magic Dwarves. He was the undisputed King of the Magic Dwarves.¡± ¡°This Bruno has a problem,¡± Richard suddenly spoke. ¡°According to the Wizard¡¯s research, the inherent thinness of the Magic Dwarves is a congenital disease. This disease is almost incurable and can only potentially be treated through Physique Evolution by stimulating the Life Core. Moreover, this treatment is only theoretically feasible, and Magic Dwarves with this disease almost never elevate their physique to forty-nine point nine and break through that barrier. It¡¯s even less likely for someone to break through in just fifty years.¡± The High Priest looked at Richard, his gaze filled with melancholy. ¡°Yes, thus the great calamity came.¡± The High Priest slowly walked up to a mural depicting a blood-red tumor with a typical Wizard Magic Array on it. The Wizard Magic Array was broken at one corner, and a piece of Flesh escaped from it, turning into a monster. A Dwarf clad in golden armor led twelve Dwarves wielding Warhammers, fiercely battling the monster. ¡°This painting is false, the real history is, Bruno, chosen by the Evil. Demon sealed by the great Truth Wizard. The Evil Demon strengthened his physique and corrupted his mind as he grew. Although his will was strong, after over a thousand years of corruption, he eventually fell. He followed the instructions of the Evil Demon, secretly spreading the Flesh Plague, trying to turn the entire tribe of Magic Dwarves into part of the Evil Demon. He was actually close to succeeding. But I uncovered his conspiracy at the end, led the remaining twelve Dwarf Warriors to assassinate him, and led the tribe unaffected by the plague to cleanse the Dwarves infected by the plague.¡± The High Priest pointed to the Evil Demon the golden-armored Dwarf was fighting against. ¡°This is actually Bruno, the King of Magic Dwarves we currently worship.¡± Chapter 320: 37: Heroic Spirit Status Chapter 320: Chapter 37: Heroic Spirit Status Richard looked towards the Dwarf statue in the hall, which, unsurprisingly, should be the Magic Dwarf King Bruno that the High Priest had spoken of. But Richard was curious why the High Priest would hide the truth. ¡°Why would you hide the truth?¡± The High Priest slowly turned around, ¡°Because Bruno¡¯s soul has not yet fully decayed. In the final battle, Evil Demon Bruno almost crossed the threshold and became a powerhouse on the level of the World Master. If he became the World Master, the entire Magic Dwarf race would be devoured by him, becoming part of that evil demon. But at the last moment of his ascension, the Dwarf King Bruno separated from Evil Demon Bruno. An incomplete soul is not enough to ascend to the status of World Master, so he failed. And we took this opportunity to exile him beneath the mountains.¡± Richard nodded and then asked, ¡°According to what you¡¯ve said, the Evil Demon you speak of should possess the abilities of spiritual erosion and flesh mutation. And this ability has a very high limit, if conditions are right, it could even create a World Master. Moreover, I noticed you said ¡®exile¡¯ not ¡®kill¡¯, which means this Evil Demon Bruno still exists. Combining what I observed on the way here with the mutants and the caves spreading deep into the mountains, you must have exiled Bruno in the interior of this mountain. And over the years, he has been living quite well, even managing to turn your warriors into mutants. Honestly, this situation has already gone beyond my capabilities. I can¡¯t think of anything I could do for you.¡± The High Priest closed his eyes, and after a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: ¡°In divination, I saw that the Master would stand shoulder to shoulder with the Magic Dwarfs to completely slay the Evil Demon Bruno at the bottom of the mountains. The Master will use flames to purify the Evil Demon Bruno.¡± Richard¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°With us? My Fire Lizard, although powerful, but the Evil Demon Bruno you speak of has already half-stepped into the threshold of the World Master. Can we kill such a person?¡± The High Priest opened his eyes, revealing a hint of helplessness. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but that is the result of the divination. I almost put my old life into this result. Also, Evil Demon Bruno isn¡¯t as strong as you think; in the past five thousand years, he has been slain by us several times. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But each time after being slain, he would resurrect at the bottom of the mountains, again and again, until his soul completely collapses. But my race cannot wait that long.¡± Richard sighed, divination is such a bastard, always giving results without the process. He switched the subject back to himself. ¡°Let¡¯s change the topic, when do you plan on lifting my curse? Your straw figure will become ineffective after today.¡± ¡°If the Master is willing, we can do it now.¡± Richard was stunned, ¡°The Mist Cage is no small curse, don¡¯t you need to prepare some ritual?¡± The High Priest smiled confidently, pointing towards the statue of the Magic Dwarf King in the hall, and said with a smile, ¡°The Magic Dwarf King will expel all evil demons.¡± Richard took a closer look at the statue and suddenly sensed a familiar feeling. Richard exclaimed, ¡°Power of Faith! You use the Power of Faith!¡± The High Priest nodded and then shook his head. ¡°Not that I can, but the Magic Dwarf King Bruno can.¡± With that, the High Priest invited Richard to the center of the hall, where he had just been kneeling. Richard looked directly ahead at the statue of the Magic Dwarf King, his eyes involuntarily meeting the eyes of the statue. In that instant, Richard saw through those eyes made of gold¡ªsaw warfare, saw death, and saw one Magic Dwarf after another praying. The prayers of these Magic Dwarfs are the source of the Magic Dwarf King¡¯s existence. Suddenly, a robust Magic Dwarf emerged from the statue. He looked heroic, with a beard hanging down to his toes and a head of pitch-black hair. His body was muscular and solid as a rock, seemingly containing enough power to shake the heavens and the earth. He held a long-handled war hammer in his hand, on which could still be seen fresh blood stains. This image was exactly like the statue. Without a doubt, this dwarf was the Magic Dwarf King Bruno. Bruno looked at Richard, his gaze warm. But soon, a hint of confusion crossed his face. A voice sounded in Richard¡¯s ear. ¡°Wizard, you and I are the same, I cannot lift your curse. But I can give you the method to lift your curse.¡± With that, he took the war hammer and swung it hard at Richard¡¯s head. Bang! Before he could react, Richard suddenly stumbled, falling backward three steps and collapsing to the ground. He clutched his head, dizzy and disoriented, with blood trickling from the corner of his eye. The Witch Hunting Team, seeing this scene, immediately revved up their chain saw swords. They surrounded Richard, warily watching the High Priest. The High Priest furrowed his brow, the Magic Dwarf King Bruno was not irritable, on the contrary, he was very kind. He had no reason to harm Richard. Not to mention Richard was a wizard. Although the Magic Dwarfs had been in this world for thousands of years, their reverence for wizards was still etched in their bones. Not long ago, Richard had stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Spread out, I¡¯m fine.¡± Richard then took out an Alchemy Potion from his pocket and dripped two drops into his eyes to relieve the damage. After his eyes had slightly healed, Richard lowered his head and returned to his previous state. ¡°My apologies, High Priest. Bruno is a fine Magic Dwarf, just a bit rough with his methods.¡± That blow from Bruno had enlightened Richard with new ways to utilize the Power of Faith. It also made him aware of the Power of Faith within him. Although Richard had never taken seriously the sect Ulysses created for him, it was undeniable that, as a Divine from the Civilization of Gods, the sect he founded was absolutely qualified. Richard¡¯s status had already reached that of the Dwarf King. A Divine can lift a curse from mortals, but not from another Divine. Thus, Bruno chose to teach Richard how to use the Power of Faith. The High Priest bowed slightly, ¡°Thank you, Master, for your understanding. I presume your curse has been lifted then?¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°Not yet, but it will be soon.¡± As he spoke, the High Priest suddenly felt an overwhelming authority emanating from Richard, as if an invisible Holy Light was radiating from him, compelling one to kneel at a glance. Richard was utilizing the Power of Faith within him to remove the curse. Seconds later, Richard returned to normal, having used nearly half of his Power of Faith, and his curse had been dispelled. Moreover, he had spontaneously acquired a new skill. ¡­ In the Secret Realm, Ulysses, who was leisurely basking in the sun within the Holy City, suddenly stood up. He looked incredulously towards Richard¡¯s Divine Statue, murmuring, ¡°Divine oversight?! Has this kid reached that status?¡± With that, a glint flashed in his eyes. In his view, the Divine Statue of Richard, now entwined with the Power of Faith, bore a pentagram, the Holy Emblem of a Divine. This indicated that Richard had attained a status. However, being an established Divine, Ulysses quickly realized Richard¡¯s current state. He suddenly realized, ¡°A Heroic Spirit status, huh? You scared me; I thought you had become a divine on your own.¡± ¡°What is a Heroic Spirit status?¡± Suddenly Ulysses heard Richard¡¯s voice beside him, but he was not panicked. In the doctrine, as Richard¡¯s Subordinate God, a conversation between the Main God and Subordinate God was merely a natural ability for a Divine. ¡°There are many different statuses for a Divine, each representing a rank. A Heroic Spirit status is the lowest, often corresponding to mortals. If you could become the World Master, then your status would be that of a Divine. Of course, it works the other way around too. Did you encounter a creature with Power of Faith this time? I didn¡¯t notice that your Power of Faith had grown strong enough to birth a status.¡± ¡°Yes, I met a Heroic Spirit who taught me some uses of the Power of Faith.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t misuse it; if you want to learn how to apply Power of Faith, wait till you return and I¡¯ll teach you. Your Power of Faith isn¡¯t extensive, using it carelessly will deplete it quickly.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll deal with my issues here first.¡± ¡­ Richard shifted his gaze from the Divine Statue back to his own body, having spontaneously learned to use divine statues as his own eyes after gaining a status. He looked at the High Priest, ¡°High Priest, you can now assemble your troops.¡± The High Priest nodded slightly, ¡°Master, there¡¯s no need to rush. According to our years of observation, in seven days it will be the weak period of Evil Demon Bruno. After seven days, the Sealing by the Great Truth Wizard will sever the connection between the Evil Demon and the external entity. That will be our best chance to kill Evil Demon Bruno.¡± Hearing this, Richard suddenly realized he had overlooked something important. He pointed to the incomplete Magic Array in the mural, somewhat uncertainly asking: ¡°Do you mean, that Evil Demon broke through the Sealing set by the Great Truth Wizard?¡± The High Priest did not deny it, ¡°Indeed, according to our observations, the Evil Demon seems to have broken a negligible small crack in the Great Truth Wizard¡¯s Sealing. His power is leaking from this crack, thus corrupting Bruno.¡± Richard frowned, ¡°But, if we don¡¯t plug the crack, killing Evil Demon Bruno is just a temporary solution. You should have reported this to¡­¡± He paused abruptly. It seemed these Magic Dwarves had nowhere to report. If it weren¡¯t for the Academy war, these Magic Dwarves might still be waiting for countless more years. The Mirror World had too many potential battlefields to choose from. And a group of Magic Dwarves, not even possessing the strength of the World Master, had managed to hold off the Evil Demon for thousands of years, even killing it multiple times. Even if reported, it¡¯s unlikely any Wizard would care. ¡°No, Master. As long as we completely annihilate Evil Demon Bruno, everything will change,¡± the High Priest countered. ¡°Our race has been dwindling in numbers because of Evil Demon Bruno. To prevent this Evil Demon from escaping the mountain¡¯s depths, we had to deploy a large number of warriors there. If we could kill him, we could reduce the number of warriors significantly. Then our population would shift from negative growth to positive growth.¡± ¡°But what if a second Bruno appears?¡± Richard questioned back. The High Priest pointed at the Divine Statue of the King of the Magic Dwarves behind him, his tone resolute: ¡°The King of the Magic Dwarves will use his wisdom to scrutinize all Magic Dwarves, and any Magic Dwarf corrupted by the Evil Demon will have nowhere to hide. Moreover, our race will eternally guard the depths of the mountains until the Evil Demon completely perishes within the Sealing of the Great Truth Wizard!¡± Chapter 321: 38: Specialized Equipment Chapter 321: Chapter 38: Specialized Equipment Listening to the High Priest¡¯s unequivocal words, Richard suddenly thought of a record in the research on Magic Dwarves. The Magic Dwarves hold grudges very deeply. In fact, a Magic Dwarf tribe would even inscribe the names of their enemies onto books cast from steel, passing the enmity down through generations. Every member of a Magic Dwarf tribe would seek revenge against the tribe¡¯s enemies, regardless of whether they had met or how many years separated them. Only upon the death of an enemy would his name be scratched out. A vendetta spanning ten generations could still be avenged; such was the universal moral belief among the Magic Dwarves. Even wizards established loyalty with Magic Dwarves by raising their young from hatchlings. Having left Gem Palace, Bruto was already waiting at its gates for Richard. The High Priest had just ordered him to act as Richard¡¯s guide and to lead him wherever he wished to go. ¡°Take me to your warehouse; I need some materials.¡± Without saying much, Bruto immediately led Richard to the material warehouse. The Golden Armor Dwarves of Gem Palace were not limited to just the four guards; aside from them, there were eight additional Golden Armor Dwarves inside Gem Palace, serving as the High Priest¡¯s attendants. The High Priest had already passed down orders, and all of the dwarves¡¯ defensive towers were aware of Richard¡¯s arrival. At that moment, Richard and his party had permission to fly above the residential area of the dwarves. The location of the Magic Dwarves¡¯ material warehouse was somewhat unexpected to Richard; it was not on the mountain where the Magic Dwarves lived, but on another peak dozens of kilometers away. Moreover, Richard discovered that the mountain which held the warehouse, along with several nearby peaks, were all covered with holes dug out by the Magic Dwarves. Standing at the entrance of these holes, Richard could still hear the sound of the Magic Dwarves mining inside. ¡°Is this where you mine?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Yes, my lord. This is our mining area.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s with the mountain where you live?¡± ¡°That was a mine before the great catastrophe. The High Priest and the King of Magic Dwarves together drove the Evil Demon into the mine and sealed it beneath the mountain range. But this also led to the abandonment of the mine. That Evil Demon not only turns our Magic Dwarves into Mutants, but it can also transform other creatures. To avoid unnecessary sacrifices among our brothers, we decided to switch to a new mountain for mining.¡± Richard nodded thoughtfully and then asked some more questions about the mines. According to Bruto, the mountain ranges of the Mirror World basically all had ore veins; it was just a matter of their size. This notion gave Richard a deeper understanding of the richness of the once Wizard World. Upon arriving at the warehouse. The Magic Dwarves had many warehouses, where each type of ore was sorted into a unified warehouse, then uniformly refined into ore ingots and distributed to the Magic Dwarves in need. The constant struggle against Evil Demon Bruno made the social structure of the Magic Dwarves very peculiar. The Magic Dwarves mined together, hunted together, the youngsters attended the same academy, and grew up together. As a result, the Magic Dwarves often called each other brothers. After reaching adulthood, based on their talents displayed in the academy, the Magic Dwarves were assigned to various positions, some became warriors, while others went to mine. Magic Dwarves implemented a rationing system, where the warriors received the highest rations, miners and hunters the next tier, and farmers and weavers another tier below. Due to the continuous decline in the Magic Dwarf population and the simplicity of their life, the thinking was not so convoluted. This rationing system worked very well among the Magic Dwarves. Bruto took Richard around the warehouse, and the array of precious and even extinct minerals almost dazzled Richard. Richard had to exert his full extent of natural history expertise to find the most suitable minerals among the diverse ores. In the end, Richard left the warehouse with a Magic Pocket full of ores. After leaving the warehouse, Richard found a secluded place and used a spell to create a temporary residence. Standing in front of the temporary residence, Richard said to Bruto and the Witch Hunting Team: ¡°Next, I need to craft some things. You all stay outside and don¡¯t let anyone disturb me.¡± ¡°Crafting?¡± Bruto hesitated for a moment, then spoke, ¡°My lord, we Magic Dwarves are natural blacksmiths; perhaps we can be of some help to you.¡± Without saying much, Richard took out two ore ingots from his pocket. Bruto watched as the ingots in Richard¡¯s hand rapidly melted and morphed into the head of a Warhammer, as if they were alive, with intricate and gorgeous golden patterns. It would take him at least three days to make such patterns, but Richard had done it in just thirty seconds. Richard handed the Hammer Head to Bruto, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard these past days, take this as a gift from me. Find a handle and see if it fits. If it¡¯s suitable, I can make more to share with your brothers.¡± Taking the Hammer Head, Bruto clenched his left fist and struck his right chest forcefully. This was a gesture of respect among Magic Dwarves, second only to kneeling. Richard waved his hand dismissively, ¡°No need for that, it was a mere trifle. After you test it, summarize how it feels to use. Tell me if there¡¯s anything uncomfortable about it; I¡¯d like to improve it. In a few days, you¡¯ll join me in hunting the Evil Demon, and having a good weapon will make the hunt easier.¡± Bruto bowed his head, ¡°Thank you for your kindness; we Magic Dwarves will not forget your grace.¡± Closing the door, Richard immediately took out the ores he had selected earlier. With a simple touch, information appeared before his eyes. ¡°Raw Material: Heavenly Crystal Ore¡± ¡°Extractable Substance: Heavenly Crystal Stone¡± [Refinement Cost: 500 Magic Power] Although Magic Dwarfs also refine ores, Richard still preferred to do the refinement himself using the Miracle Furnace. There was no other reason, the purity was just different. The ores refined by the Miracle Furnace had almost no impurities. Having refined all the ore into ingots, Richard approached the table and took out a piece of draft paper to start designing the item he was going to make next. He planned to design a set of Flame Demon Armor to be mounted on the Witch Hunting Team¡¯s armor. The Mutants they were dealing with were of the flesh and blood variety. The destructive power of flames on flesh and blood creatures goes without saying. Moreover, in the process of researching the wonders of the Fire Element in previous years, Richard discovered a type of Magic Flames specifically lethal to flesh and blood creatures¡ªwhite-hot flames that he had used to destroy bodies and erase traces. These flames were found in a Fire Lizard¡¯s mass graveyard. At that time, the flames were burning fiercely on the corpse of the Fire Lizard. The Nine Star Chamber of Commerce had collected them, and eventually, Richard acquired them in exchange for a Mutated Flame Giant Beast. The fuel for these flames was the bodies and Life Energy of flesh and blood creatures; the more vigorous the Life Energy, the faster they spread. They were just right for dealing with flesh and blood creatures that had potent healing capabilities. In addition, if there was time, he also planned to make a set of Flame Demon Armor for the dwarfs who were with him hunting the Evil Demon Bruno. After all, the dwarfs had plenty of high-quality materials for him to lavish. This is where Alchemy Wizards are most terrifying: given enough materials and sufficient time, they can enhance an entire team¡¯s combat power singlehandedly. Unfortunately, in the Wizard World, this ability of the Alchemy Wizard did not fully manifest. Because Alchemy Wizards essentially turn a wizard¡¯s Casting Ability into an item, and then hand it to someone else to use. But in a world full of wizards, this ability isn¡¯t as useful. ¡­ The process of designing Magic Equipment went smoothly. Though young, Richard¡¯s proficiency in Alchemy was also extensive. Thanks to designing the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor, Richard¡¯s Alchemy had not grown rusty with continuous study over the years; in fact, it had even improved. This made him very adept at designing Magic Equipment. In just one day, Richard completed the construction of the Flamethrower. The Flamethrower mainly consisted of a Flame Gun and an Energy Pack. Richard planned to fill the Energy Pack entirely with Magic Essence. Using Magic Essence as an energy source not only increased firepower but also reduced the volume of the Magic Equipment¡ªif Magic Essence wasn¡¯t used, Richard would have to install an energy storage device and a self-charging circuit to absorb energy from the air. Although having an impressively long endurance, this setup would increase the volume of the Energy Pack several times over and also affect firepower, a loss beyond the worth. Moreover, the energy density in the Mirror World was very high, and Magic Essence was not rare. To achieve enduring capabilities, preparing some spare Magic Essence would suffice. With the design drawing ready, the rest that remained was manufacturing. Since the dwarfs had an abundance of materials, many precious resources from the Wizard World were as abundant as cabbages in the world of Magic Dwarfs. Therefore, when designing the Magic Equipment, Richard didn¡¯t optimize too much and instead chose the approach of piling up materials. Need a Rune Array to prevent the nozzle from melting? Straight up use tungsten from the sun! Runes designed too intensely, requiring a high amount of magic power? Directly use Mithril for the Magic Conduction circuit! In the creating of Magic Equipment, many wizards make designs to reduce material costs. But with ample materials to waste, many designs can be omitted. With the plentiful materials provided by the Magic Dwarfs, Richard spent two days creating four luxurious sets of Flame Demon Armor, which he mounted on the Witch Hunting Team¡¯s armor. ¡°Shall we test the effects?¡± Looking at the newly mounted Flame Demon Armor, Richard excitedly said. Makar gazed at the long barrel mounted on the forearm of the armor, especially curious, and lifted his arm. Boom! With Makar activating the Flamethrower, a two-hundred-meter-long column of fire burst from his arm. The white-hot flames instantly pierced everything that stood in their path. Makar was taken aback for a moment, the power of this fire could compete with his own Breath. And the duration of this fire was much longer than his Breath. Bruto, standing by, watched this scene with a hint of shock in his heart. A tube slightly over half a meter long could unleash such terrifying flames. Such was the might of a wizard! The fire sprayed for about half a minute and, on Richard¡¯s command, Makar stopped the flames. Richard stepped forward to inspect the nozzle, which was emitting a frightening temperature, yet showed no sign of melting or deforming. This was the advantage of high-quality materials. ¡°Bruto, how do you think this flame will fare against the Mutants?¡± Bruto, reminiscing over the white column of fire, said with some admiration, ¡°Such flames, even the Evil Demon King might not be able to withstand them.¡± Richard nodded in satisfaction and then inquired, ¡°How is the hammer I gave you working out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very good,¡± Bruto answered, ¡°Not only is it sturdy, but it also produces flames when swung, which is more than suitable for dealing with Mutants.¡± Richard nodded: ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s comfortable to use, that¡¯s good. Have you decided on your people? There¡¯s still some time; I could upgrade your equipment a little more.¡± Bruto pounded his left fist to his chest: S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s been decided, we will never forget your kindness to the Magic Dwarfs.¡± Chapter 322: 39: Beginning the Hunt Chapter 322: Chapter 39: Beginning the Hunt With the Armor Plate Flame Gun as a prototype, the Magic Dwarf version of the Flame Demon Armor didn¡¯t take Richard very long. The Magic Dwarf version of the Flame Demon Armor was still made up of the Flame Gun and the Energy Pack. But due to the size of the Magic Dwarves, Richard made some adjustments to the Energy Packs and added a Mithril Magic Conduction tube between it and the Flame Gun. This allowed the Energy Packs to be carried directly on the backs of the Magic Dwarves, rather than being directly connected to the Flame Gun like with the Witch Hunting Team. In addition, Richard planned to further modify the Magic Dwarves¡¯ armor. The Magic Dwarves knew some elementary alchemy, but compared to Richard¡¯s, it was quite rudimentary. As an Alchemy Wizard, watching the Magic Dwarves work with their rudimentary alchemy on materials that were worth a fortune in the Wizard World, Richard felt his blood pressure rising. Richard planned to optimize and remodel their existing armor. Making the armor lighter and improving its defensive capabilities. At the very least, allowing the materials to achieve their intended effect. ¡­ ¡°Try it on and see if it¡¯s lighter now.¡± In Richard¡¯s temporary residence, Magic Dwarf Barn took the armor Richard handed over and pounded his left fist hard against his right chest. ¡°My apologies, sire. Your kindness, the Magic Dwarves will never forget.¡± Richard waved his hand, indicating that he should talk less and hurry up and change into the armor. Magic Dwarves¡¯ armor was quite different from humans¡¯. Magic Dwarves were short in stature but had a broad physique. Consequently, their breastplates appeared much larger than those in their armor. Besides, Magic Dwarves had thick and long arms, even longer than their short legs. To human standards, their arm armor looked more like leg armor. Since Magic Dwarves constantly mined underground, they had extraordinarily developed hearing. Therefore, in designing their helmets, Richard referred to the human frog-mouth helm, with the helmet nearly completely enclosed except for a slim slit at the eye level for observation. After putting on the armor, Barn moved around and felt that his body was not overly constrained. His agility wasn¡¯t much affected either. The once-heavy metal armor became as light as leather armor under Richard¡¯s modifications. For the strong-bodied Magic Dwarves, this armor could almost be described as ¡°light as a feather.¡± ¡°How does it feel?¡± Richard asked beside him. Barn looked at Richard and said earnestly, ¡°Sire, your craftsmanship is a miracle. With your armor, I feel we could slay the Evil Demon even without your intervention.¡± Richard ignored Barn¡¯s praise, turned, and handed over the Hammer Head and Flame Demon Armor to Barn. ¡°Bruto will teach you how to use these devices. Now go out and call the next one in.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Outside the temporary residence door, over a dozen Magic Dwarves crowned with the title of warriors in the settlement were queueing up. These normally tranquil Magic Dwarves, steady as mountains, were now unusually restless. They frequently glanced at the door of the temporary residence, awaiting the emergence of the Magic Dwarf inside. Rumble, rumble, rumble¡­ The stone door of the residence was pushed open, and Barn, clad in armor adorned with gold patterns, emerged with a pile of items. Amidst the envious gazes of the others, Barn smiled slightly and called out loudly, ¡°Next!¡± ¡­ Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon, the day of the hunt arrived. On the eighth day, the High Priest stood with twelve Golden Armored Dwarves and thirty-six Dwarf Warriors in the cave area, quietly waiting for Richard¡¯s arrival. Six of the twelve Golden Armored Dwarves were third-level creatures, and each of the thirty-six Dwarf Warriors was a second-level creature. Moreover, Richard had modified the armor of these dwarves, and they were all equipped with the Flame Demon Armor and the Alchemy Warhammer. One could say that this unit was the strongest that the Magic Dwarves had fielded in nearly three thousand years. Enough to easily dispatch the Evil Demon Bruno. If it weren¡¯t for the divination that pronounced Richard the slayer of the Evil Demon Bruno, the High Priest would not even want Richard to take part in the battle. The Magic Dwarves always preferred handling revenge on their own. Before long, Richard, dressed in a black robe, slowly flew to the side of the Magic Dwarves¡¯ unit. The High Priest glanced behind Richard and asked with some curiosity, ¡°Hmm? Master, you didn¡¯t bring any attendants?¡± Richard pointed to the pocket at his waist and said somewhat helplessly, ¡°I did. But your mine tunnels are too narrow, so I had to let them stay in the bag for now, and I¡¯ll let them out when we reach the right place.¡± The tunnels dug by the Magic Dwarves were spacious for themselves. But for the members of the Witch Hunting Team, who were over three meters tall and stood like walls, these mine tunnels were not much different from dog holes. Fortunately, according to the Magic Dwarves, the so-called belly of the mountains was a deep abyss-like terrain spacious enough. Otherwise, Richard¡¯s Witch Hunting Team wouldn¡¯t be able to properly engage in combat. Upon hearing this, the High Priest was momentarily startled, then also showed a wry smile. Indeed, Richard¡¯s attendants were ill-suited for the tunnels. Richard waved his hand, ¡°Is everyone here? If so, let¡¯s hurry on down. I¡¯m quite eager to see what kind of tricks this Evil Demon has, to be able to resurrect itself time and again.¡± With a wave from the High Priest, a Golden Armored Dwarf took out a horn and walked to the entrance, blowing into it. Woo¡­ Following the sound of the horn, another horn¡¯s echo came from within the mine. Hearing the horn, the Golden Armored Dwarves led the rest of the dwarves into six squads, each consisting of two Golden Armored Dwarves and six Dwarf Warriors. Richard frowned slightly, ¡°You¡¯re splitting up?¡± In his opinion, splitting up wasn¡¯t a good strategy. High Priest explained, ¡°Master needn¡¯t worry, mainly because our mine tunnels are narrow, and having too many people enter would actually get in the way. That Evil Demon has been suppressed by us at the bottom of the mountains for years, and although there have been some oversights in our suppression, at most we would encounter some of its minions on our way. The horn just now also informed me that there hasn¡¯t been any trouble down below.¡± After hearing this, Richard didn¡¯t say anything else. He nodded and joined one of the teams of Magic Dwarves. This team included Bruto, which would make communication easier when going down later. ¡°Then let¡¯s head down.¡± ¡­ The mine tunnel leading to the bottom of the mountains was actually not considered narrow; at least Richard could stand up straight inside. According to the Magic Dwarves¡¯ records, many Mutants had not been completely eradicated in the early years. After the Evil Demon Bruno was driven to the bottom of the mountains, these Mutants also entered the depths. Some of these Magic Dwarves even retained their sanity and intelligence. In the depths of the mountains, they merged with the flesh of the Evil Demon and forged one Desecration Weapon after another. To counter these Mutants equipped with Desecration Weapons, the Magic Dwarves often used siege weapons as individual arms in the earlier years. The so-called flattening of heavy artillery was exactly this. Thus, the mine tunnel leading to the bottom of the mountains was not as narrow as the ordinary ones used by Dwarves. Of course, for the Witch Hunting Team, these mine tunnels were still just a bit larger than dog holes. Inside the mine tunnel, the Dwarf team formed a reverse V formation. Led by two Golden Armored Dwarves, six Magic Dwarf Warriors protected the surroundings. Richard stood among them, showing great interest in these ancient mine tunnels that had witnessed thousands of years. The walls of the mine tunnel were fitted with Night Stones, which provided a faint light in the darkness for the Magic Dwarves. But for the Magic Dwarves, who were used to mining underground all year round, this light was already sufficient. Drip, drip¡­ Melted snow from the mountaintop continuously dripped down through the cracks in the mine tunnel. In the silent and desolate mine, these ¡°drip, drip¡± sounds were especially prominent. ¡°Actually, you could speed up a bit.¡± The Dwarf team stopped, and the two Golden Armored Dwarves at the front looked puzzledly towards Richard who had spoken. ¡°My lord, you might not fully understand how sly those Evil Demon¡¯s minions are,¡± one of the Golden Armored Dwarves said. ¡°Some of the minions are outstanding in mimicry; sometimes, they can even disguise themselves as ordinary rocks to ambush us. If we move too quickly, we¡¯re likely to fall into their traps.¡± ¡°You say mimicry?¡± Richard¡¯s eyebrows rose, and in a flash, he appeared at the front of the team. ¡°Then these things shouldn¡¯t be traps prepared by you.¡± With that said, Richard impaled his Pure Gold Magic Wand fiercely into the ground. The seemingly ordinary ground, under this stab, churned instantly. A grey-skinned Mimic Monster that looked just like the rock rapidly shed its disguise and transformed into a twisted flesh creature. The heads of the two Golden Armored Dwarves couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat; they had completely failed to notice this Mimic Monster. Had they walked two more steps forward, they would have fallen straight into the mouth of the Mimic Monster. The mouthparts of these Mimic Monsters were filled with sharp teeth that could tear through steel and digestive fluid that could corrode Pure Gold. Even though their Armor had been upgraded, falling in rashly would definitely lead to injury from the digestive fluid. Moreover, these Mimic Monsters would also relay information to the Evil Demon Bruno at the bottom of the mountains. Once caught, the different taste would certainly be conveyed to Evil Demon Bruno. This could cause a lot of trouble for their subsequent actions. Thinking of this, the Dwarves felt a few more strokes of luck in their hearts. It¡¯s good that they had a Wizard as their leader. Richard didn¡¯t pay attention to the few Dwarves; at the moment, he was deeply attracted by the Mimic Monster beneath his wand. He bent down, tore off a layer of its skin as a specimen. This layer of Mimic Skin could constantly change colors and patterns according to the environment, almost like a born camouflage suit. If he could figure it out, it would definitely be of great use in the future. The struggle of the Mimic Monster steadily weakened as the bottom half of the Pure Gold Magic Wand, engraved by Richard with the Life Drain pattern, was now continuously drawing the Life Energy from the Mimic Monster. These tough Mutated Monsters were natural blood bags for Life Drain. Feeling the continuous stream of Life Energy in the wand, Richard smacked his forehead and immediately took out two Metal Ore Ingots from his pocket, using Alchemy to make several daggers with Life Drain patterns. ¡°I actually forgot about this; my mind isn¡¯t working well.¡± Richard chuckled, handed the daggers to several Magic Dwarves, and told them to try out the new daggers. Bruto was the first to approach the now motionless Mimic Monster and plunged the dagger deep into its body. The next moment, Bruto¡¯s eyes widened as he called out to his teammates: ¡°Come quickly!¡± The other Dwarves followed suit, each dealing a blow to the Mimic Monster. After feeling the surging Life Energy coming from the daggers, their eyes widened in amazement. The dagger was too useful for them. With these daggers, they could treat those weaker Mutated Monsters as blood bags. ¡°Is it effective?¡± Richard asked. The Magic Dwarves nodded as furiously as pounding garlic; the tool was exceedingly useful. ¡°If it works, then good.¡± Richard¡¯s body rose slightly as he pulled out the Pure Gold Magic Wand from the now mummified Mimic Monster and switched to the Mithril Magic Wand. ¡°Tell me the rest of the route; I¡¯ll lead the way from here.¡± Chapter 323: 40 Cancer of the Flesh Chapter 323: Chapter 40 Cancer of the Flesh Richard led the way at a brisk pace. The Mimic Monsters had evolved a terrifying mimicry ability during the war with the Magic Dwarfs, which could deceive the naked eye but not Richard¡¯s spiritual detection. Under the scrutiny of his spiritual power, no matter how perfectly disguised, the Mimic Monsters couldn¡¯t escape Richard¡¯s detection. Richard also successfully collected many specimens. As he spiraled down from the cave area, Richard soon felt that he was now below ground level. And the mine tunnel continued descending, with no end in sight. ¡°Did you dig out this whole mountain?¡± Richard asked, unable to help himself, looking at the endless mine shaft. ¡°No, sir, we just mined out this top part of the vein,¡± Bruto replied honestly. Upon entering the underground area, Richard immediately sensed a faint, sweet, cloying scent in the air. This scent wasn¡¯t toxic, but it made Richard feel very uncomfortable. It seemed the source of this scent was something he despised by nature. It was as if every cell in his body was repelling this smell, or rather, repelling the master of this smell. This piqued Richard¡¯s curiosity even more. It was rare to find something that could instinctively disgust the body¡¯s cells. Even the blue flames in Richard¡¯s hand, which specifically attacked flesh, didn¡¯t make his body feel this aversion. What exactly was this Evil Demon sealed by a Truth Wizard? Following the mine downward, Richard encountered fewer and fewer Mimic Monsters and more vicious Mutants. Due to population issues, the Magic Dwarfs¡¯ armies that were once stationed at the base of the mountains were now mostly above ground. Only a small elite portion still manned the ancient fortresses and fortresses, scouting the movements of the Mutants. These elite dwarves had a very high mortality rate, but the Magic Dwarfs never shirked this responsibility. On the contrary, they considered it an honor. They believed their sacrifices were not in vain. And after their deaths, they would go to serve under the Dwarf King, to protect the Magic Dwarf tribe eternally. ¡­ Boom! Bright flames engulfed the Mutants blocking the way in an instant. This Mutant seemed like a mutated version of some worm, immensely enlarged by the infusion of demonic power, almost filling the entire tunnel. At its front end, a large ring-shaped mouth filled with sharp teeth dripped thick green digestive fluid between the teeth, hissing as it hit the ground. In the past, Magic Dwarfs would have had to retreat or send a warrior into the worm¡¯s mouth to destroy its innards. That usually meant sacrifice. But now, the Magic Dwarfs only needed to pull a trigger, and the intense flames would turn the worm into charred remains. Roar! The Mutant worm let out a low roar, attempting to push forward against the flames. But a large metal shield instantly blocked its way. Four Magic Dwarfs shoulder to shoulder, firmly holding back the giant worm with their shield. Moreover, the Magic Dwarfs were winning. Their sturdy short legs burst with incredible strength, their iron boots even making footprints in the hard rocky ground during the struggle. Together, they even caused the Mutant worm to slowly retreat. Soon, the intense flames spread over the entire worm¡¯s body. The Mutant worm was reduced to pitch-black charcoal in a blaze of brightness. Richard moved to the front of the team and picked up the metal shield. ¡°Keep moving.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As they went deeper into the mine, the varieties of Mutants became richer. From Mutant worms that could fill an entire tunnel, to tiny but numerous Mutant flesh-eating ants, to several meters long centipedes with numerous sharp limbs. Along the way, Richard encountered no fewer than twenty types of Mutated Monsters. And according to Bruto, these were only the weakened versions of the Mutants. In the past, Dwarf Mutants even used to break out of the mines to the surface to infect Magic Beasts for use as soldiers. It took the Dwarfs many years and nearly led them to extinction to weaken these Mutants to their current state. The current Mutants were generally underground worms and deep-dwelling Magic Dwarf Warriors. But given the current strength of the Magic Dwarfs, it seemed only a matter of time before these Mutants would break through to the surface. The Magic Dwarfs¡¯ population could no longer support their continued extermination of these Mutants. So the High Priest had paid a huge price to use Divination to determine the future of the Magic Dwarfs. An hour down the mine tunnel, Richard finally saw the end of it. Stepping out of the tunnel, what appeared before Richard was an immensely vast Abyss. This Abyss, by conservative estimates, was several hundred kilometers across. Richard looked out and couldn¡¯t see the edges of the Abyss. ¡°Is this what you call the base of the mountains?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. At the bottom of this Abyss lies the sealed place of that Evil Demon.¡± Richard stood over the Abyss, and the sweet, cloying scent grew even more intense. Chilling winds from the bottom of the Abyss continued to blow this scent up. Richard frowned, feeling his aversion growing stronger. It seemed something even more disgusting than excrement come to life lurked beneath this Abyss. ¡°Let¡¯s wait a while, wait until everyone is assembled before we go down.¡± Richard arrived at a platform on the edge of the Abyss and took off the Synthetic Beast pouch from his waist, releasing the Witch Hunting Team. The Witch Hunting Team woke up groggily and immediately opened their eyes when they smelled the sweet, sickly scent from the Abyss. ¡°What a disgusting smell,¡± Mishan said, frowning. ¡°It seems I¡¯m not the only one who hates this smell,¡± Richard chuckled. The Witch Hunting Team looked at Richard, and Makar asked, ¡°Sir, are we going to fight the owner of this smell next?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After releasing the Witch Hunting Team, Richard didn¡¯t delay; he immediately took out the parts of the armor. Several Fire Lizards helped each other and quickly donned the armor. After having put on the armor and adjusted various parameters, Richard immediately noticed that the four Fire Lizards had activated closed mode. The Fire Lizards would rather not absorb external energy than smell that odor. After another hour, the team led by the High Priest was the first to arrive at the foot of the mountains. Seeing that Richard had already arrived, he smiled slightly, ¡°Master, you¡¯re quite fast.¡± Half an hour later, the second and third squads also reached the foot of the mountains. The fourth squad arrived ten minutes after the third at the foot of the mountains, but the fifth squad did not come after that. ¡°Could there be a problem?¡± the High Priest furrowed his brow. Clanking¡­ The sound of iron-shod footsteps came from the mine tunnel. The last squad finally arrived. However, they looked rather disheveled, and many Magic Dwarves had injuries. ¡°What happened?¡± the High Priest asked. The lead golden-armored Dwarf replied, ¡°A brother from the fortress got completely corrupted; we were held up for a while clearing them up.¡± A trace of grief flitted across the High Priest¡¯s face. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°May they find peace. Gather yourselves, this battle will be the last.¡± Richard approached the last squad and repaired their armor. The High Priest took out some black ointment and applied it to the wounds of the Magic Dwarves. In this ointment, Richard smelled a plant known as Death God Grass, which can accelerate wound healing but at the cost of intensely stimulating the nerves. When using this medicine, those treated would experience indescribable pain, with many even fainting or dying from the pain. But after the ointment was applied, these Magic Dwarves showed no reaction. They were expressionless, like stones, unshakable. Ten minutes later, the squad was ready. Looking into the fathomless Abyss, the people didn¡¯t need any ropes or similar aids; they just jumped down. Even the lowest level among them was a Second-level Creature; controlling energy to stand in mid-air was something they all could manage. Inside the Abyss, gusts of cold wind blew. The deeper they went, the higher the concentration of Fire Element in the air, and the sweet, sickly scent grew even stronger. Richard frowned at the Magic Dwarves in the team, noticing their expressionless faces. ¡°Can¡¯t you smell this scent?¡± ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve gotten used to it.¡± After a long while, everyone finally landed at the bottom of the Abyss. Upon touching down, Richard noticed that nine parts out of ten in the surroundings were not right. At the bottom of the Abyss was a winding river of magma; using the light from the magma, Richard noticed that the rocks around were covered with neural-like blood vessels. Also, a layer similar to moss, a fungal carpet of flesh, was attached to them. The characteristics of these flesh creatures had somehow manifested on the rocks, which were inanimate objects. The power of the Evil Demon was terrifying. ¡°Have you seen these things before?¡± Richard picked up a rock from the ground, and even the break showed a hint of blood oozing out. ¡°Seen, but in the past we had no way to deal with them,¡± the High Priest replied, ¡°But now we do.¡± With that, the High Priest waved his hand, and the Magic Dwarves simultaneously pulled the triggers of their Flame Guns. The next moment, incandescent flames instantly purified the fungal carpet of flesh, along with the flesh inside the rocks. The scorching flames spread along the fungal carpet and the blood vessels and nerves between the rocks, spreading rapidly. Soon, half of the Abyss was illuminated brilliantly. Only then did the Magic Dwarves notice that this flesh infestation had almost completely transformed the entire bottom of the Abyss over thousands of years. Although the Magic Dwarves didn¡¯t understand the purpose of this infestation, there was no doubt it was not good for them. This also seemed to confirm the divination. Richard would slay the Evil Demon with flames. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Richard said lightly. He could feel a vast will awakening. In this environment transformed by flesh, a massive will existed. Following the river of magma, the Magic Dwarves continued to purify the surroundings with their Flame Guns. Wherever the flames spread, the flesh disappeared, leaving only the rocks. After an unknown period of time, Richard finally saw their target. A Dwarf surrounded by numerous Mutated Monsters, sleeping on a throne made of flesh. And behind that throne, Richard saw a huge tumor sealed by a Pentagram Array. ¡°What Evil Demon, just a failed experiment,¡± Richard said to the High Priest with a smile. At first glance at the tumor, Richard recognized what it was. ¡°This thing¡¯s name is Cancer of the Flesh; it¡¯s the final work of a Sixth Circle Great Wizard from the Alchemy School who specialized in flesh.¡± Chapter 324: 41: Fierce Battle Chapter 324: Chapter 41: Fierce Battle Flesh Cancer was the byproduct of an experiment during the Wizard World¡¯s Enlightenment Period, conducted by a Sixth Circle Great Wizard in a bid to breach the Seventh Circle. But the result was, undoubtedly, a failure. He created a mass of ever-growing twisted flesh that, upon its birth, insanely drew in energy from its surroundings like cancer cells and multiplied uncontrollably. For some reason, that Sixth Circle Great Wizard, in a fit of madness, fused this twisted flesh into his own body. As a result, his soul, along with his body, was consumed by the mass of flesh, thereby fermenting a notorious disaster of the Enlightenment Period¡ªthe Carnage of Flesh. Thousands of Wizards of varying strengths, as well as tens of millions of mortals, fell victim to it. In the end, this twisted mass of flesh was sealed by several Sixth Circle Great Wizards, and it came to be known as Flesh Cancer. This case became widely known within the Flesh Faction of the Alchemy School as a cautionary tale, warning them against integrating experimental samples into their own bodies. ¡°A failed experiment?¡± The High Priest was startled but quickly regained composure. He was well aware of the horrors that Wizards could create, so the fact that this Evil Demon was sealed by Wizards wasn¡¯t at all surprising since it was also a failed experiment of theirs. On the Flesh Throne, the Evil Demon Bruno, now four meters tall, opened his eyes. This former king of the Magic Dwarfs no longer bore any resemblance to one; his body was covered with numerous tumors and growths. His uneven arms¡ªone thick, one thin¡ªone held a Flesh Hammer, the other a whip that resembled intestines. Its legs could hardly be called legs anymore, as they appeared more like pillars constructed haphazardly with flesh and bones by a child, hardly correlating with the word ¡°legs.¡± Staring at the incoming group of Dwarf warriors set out to challenge him, he showed no reaction. His gaze locked onto Richard the moment he opened his eyes. ¡°Wizards, you¡¯ve even brought Wizards!¡± Evil Demon Bruno¡¯s eyes bulged instantaneously, even splitting at the corners, revealing the incessantly growing flesh inside. Richard felt a chill run down his spine under that gaze, which seemed prompted not by hate but as if he had laid eyes upon some rare treasure. The High Priest proclaimed fervently, ¡°Evil Demon, today shall be your end.¡± With that, he gestured grandly, and forty-eight heavily armored Dwarf Warriors wielded their Long-handled War Hammers and charged straight towards Evil Demon Bruno. Evil Demon Bruno rose from his throne, and the Mutated Monsters surrounding him also sprang to life. ¡°Sorin! You despicable traitor. I placed such trust in you back then, yet you betrayed me, repeatedly attempting to assassinate your king. You, filled with betrayal to the core, find regicide as easy as a Magic Dwarf searching for a vein of ore. I should have turned you into the most wretched flesh Puppet back in the day!¡± Evil Demon Bruno bellowed about the past, and the Mutated Monsters beneath the Flesh Throne surged like a tide towards the charging Dwarf Warriors. Boom! Thirty-six streams of flame jetted through the gaps between the gold-armored Dwarfs, covering a massive swath of Mutated Monsters with white-hot flames in an instant. The Mutated Monsters began to collide in disarray under the flames, beyond even Evil Demon Bruno¡¯s control. Although the bodies of these Mutated Monsters had reached the Physique of Second Level, perhaps even third-level creatures. But their deformed bodies could hardly support the intricate organ that was the brain, and what drove their actions was nothing but wild instinct. The twelve golden armored dwarves at the vanguard, holding hammers, cleaved through the mutated monsters like slicing through butter. The golden hammerheads, forged by giant dragon alchemy, whirled with might, igniting golden flames as they struck, each blow carrying the force of myriad jun. Behind them, the high priest took out a gem-encrusted golden scepter. He drove the scepter into the ground and began to dance as if channeling spirits. And due to his dance, the golden scepter, too, began to dazzle with brilliant light. One after another, figures emerged from the golden radiance, all deceased heroes of the magic dwarves. Behind them, a magic dwarf seated high on a throne issued his command. ¡°Slay these evil demons.¡± The next moment, the heroes of the magic dwarves returned from the Netherworld, transformed into beams of golden light, and fused into the forty-eight charging magic dwarves. Instantly, the charging magic dwarves felt as if blessed by divine power, their once rusty combat skills suddenly becoming incredibly smooth. Lost combat skills now surged back into their minds. Due to insufficient power of faith, these magic dwarf heroes could only join the battle in this form. Richard watched this scene with keen interest, thinking that he must create such a thing himself in the future. Summoning an ancestral spirit into one¡¯s body was too useful a trick. Seeing that the mutated monsters had little effect on the magic dwarves, Evil Demon Bruno burned with rage. ¡°Trash!¡± The next moment, countless flesh tentacles explosively grew from his body. These flesh tentacles bored into the bodies of the mutated monsters like parasites, and the next moment, those creatures stood frozen in place. Then their flesh began to merge, pale bones differentiated from within the flesh, taking form, and malformed organs sprouted within like weeds. In just a moment, the mutated monsters chosen by the flesh tentacles were transformed into a mutuated giant over ten meters tall. The giant was covered in ghostly bone scales, with burgeoning flesh surging beneath like waves. Without doubt, this giant possessed the strength to move mountains. Evil Demon Bruno flew to the giant¡¯s side, and the next instant, the bone scales parted, flesh surged, and a massive heart appeared before him. He approached the heart, his body sprouted countless tiny flesh tendrils. These tendrils connected with the heart, and in the blink of an eye, Evil Demon Bruno and the heart fused into one. Richard¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and with a raise of his hand, the witch hunting team immediately dispatched three members to join the magic dwarf ranks, leaving only Makar to guard Richard. As for himself, he wielded the secret silver wand, and with a gesture, he launched huge black fireballs. The fireballs exploded, the raging flames instantly cleared a large swath of mutated monsters. Boom! Suddenly, a heartbeat resounded in everyone¡¯s ears, like the beating of a drum. Immediately following, they felt their bodies exhibiting slight signs of disobedience. Their cells seemed to have developed their own consciousness, attempting to break free from the prison of their bodies and develop freely in the vastness of the world outside. Realizing this, Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged as a powerful spiritual force surged from his head and instantly swept through his body. For disturbances caused by this kind of rule, strong spiritual power and firm will were the best means of counteraction. The mutated monsters were by now entirely ignited by white-hot flames, leaving only the mutated giant and the Evil Demon Bruno within it as Richard and his companions¡¯ current targets. ¡°You traitors, I am the king of the Magic Dwarves, I could have unified the entire Magic Dwarf race, leading you into an eternal paradise, to enjoy everlasting happiness and eternal life. Yet you have betrayed me! You used despicable means to exile me here, assassinating your king time and again. Today, it is time to right the wrongs!¡± The mutated giant let out a twisted and deformed roar as it swung a punch towards the Magic Dwarf troops. Boom! A massive sonic boom assaulted everyone¡¯s eardrums. The giant¡¯s punch had actually broken the sound barrier! The Dwarf troops instantly scattered. In the past, the Magic Dwarves had slain the Evil Demon Bruno several times. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Those Magic Dwarves, having established such monumental achievements, naturally came to the side of the Magic Dwarf king after death. At this moment, the experiences of these heroes immediately led all the Dwarves to make the right decision. Twelve golden-armored Dwarves holding long-handled war hammers moved as agile as cats. As they scattered, these golden-armored Dwarves all slammed their hammers onto the wrist of the mutated giant. The next moment, a huge crack entered everyone¡¯s ears. The wrist bone of the mutated giant was shattered by the golden-armored Dwarves in an instant. The fist of the mutated giant was firmly locked to the ground by twelve golden-armored Dwarves. Thirty-six Dwarf Warriors joined in at that moment, thirty-six streams of fire, like the roaring of a Fire Dragon, enveloped the giant¡¯s fist. Although the mutated giant¡¯s defenses were stronger than that of an average mutated monster, it was still only fuel in front of the streams of fire. At the same time, three Armored Fire Lizards also displayed their terrifying combat power. These battle-hardened Fire Lizard Warriors, almost the instant the golden-armored Dwarves locked the giant¡¯s fist, identified the giant¡¯s weakness. They moved like three streaks of black lightning, invisible to the naked eye, charging up the giant¡¯s arm to its shoulder. Then the roar of the Chain Saw Swords sounded, as three swords almost instantaneously severed the entire arm of the giant. The stump of the arm was scorched by the Fire Lizards with Flame Guns, terrible white-hot flames spreading across half of the giant¡¯s torso in an instant. Roar! The mutated giant roared angrily, its flesh surging with the roar. The white-hot flames, previously irresistible to flesh, were actually extinguished by the surging flesh. The Dwarf troops instantly divided into six teams, and under the lead of the third-level golden-armored Dwarves, these Magic Dwarves charged towards the torso of the mutated giant. Meanwhile, the trio of Fire Lizards rushed towards another arm of the giant. Countless Flesh Tentacles emerged from the body of the mutated giant, whipping out like whips towards the charging Dwarves. These tentacles also had holes in them, from which highly corrosive digestive fluids sprayed out like rain, aiming at the Magic Dwarves. In the past, such tactics would cause at least a third of the Magic Dwarves to suffer severe injuries. But after Richard had improved the Armor, the digestive fluid was nothing more than plain water to the Magic Dwarves. ¡°Ha!¡± A golden-armored Dwarf swung his war hammer, the force of ten thousand jun crashing down and turning the obstructive tentacle to mush. He then gripped the long-handled war hammer in one hand while the other hand aimed the Flame Gun at the giant¡¯s chest. Boom! Blinding fire burst from the muzzle, instantly turning the mutant giant¡¯s chest into char. Simultaneously, the other Dwarves also took their positions, their Flame Guns all aimed at the torso of the mutated giant. Boom! Forty-eight streams of fire instantly turned the entire chest of the mutated giant into char. The Evil Demon Bruno, hidden within and ready to launch a sneak attack, was immediately exposed. ¡°You traitors!¡± Realizing he had been discovered, Evil Demon Bruno no longer hid. His form flashed, suddenly appearing in front of a Dwarf Warrior. His thick right arm swung the Flesh Hammer, and with a ¡°bang,¡± the Dwarf Warrior was instantly sent flying. But no joy showed on Evil Demon Bruno¡¯s face, because judging from the feel of the war hammer, this mere second-level Dwarf Warrior had not been killed by his strike. Such a thing would have been impossible before. His gaze turned sharply towards Richard, who was watching from a distance with a somewhat bored yawn. ¡°Makar, it¡¯s your turn to help out. Activate combat mode and finish it off quickly.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Makar replied as he bowed slightly before vanishing from Richard¡¯s side. The lord has ordered us to activate combat mode, don¡¯t skimp on the energy.¡± Makar¡¯s voice traveled through the communication system to the three Fire Lizards who were still engaged in an intelligence battle with the giant¡¯s arm; their expressions changed instantly upon hearing it. Kava spoke with some excitement, ¡°Hehe, it seems these Dwarves are doomed not to take revenge with their own hands.¡± Hum! With a hum, the four members of the Witch Hunting Team instantly activated combat mode. Combat enhancement, initiate! Chapter 325: 42: Parasitism? Instant Refinement! Chapter 325: Chapter 42: Parasitism? Instant Refinement! ¡°Battle mode,¡± one of several modes in the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor. Once the battle mode was activated, the Single Soldier Armor on the Fire Lizard could truly be called a Single Soldier Armor. If not activated, the Single Soldier Armor on the Fire Lizard was no different from the Armor worn by Dwarfs. As soon as the battle mode was activated, massive amounts of Magic Power flowed through the mithril conduits inside the Armor. Tree patterns and runes started to light up, with surging power flowing through the Armor¡¯s internal components. In an instant, the entire Armor seemed to come alive. ¡°Ha ha, this is the true Holy Armor!¡± Kava laughed as he moved his body, and the next instant, the four members of the Witch Hunting Team instantly surrounded the Evil Demon Bruno. Their Chain Saw Swords were fully activated, with the humming blades entwined with blue-purple energy arcs. Hum! The roaring Chain Saw Swords cut through most of the body of the Evil Demon Bruno almost without impediment. This injury would have been fatal to ordinary creatures, but on the Evil Demon Bruno, it was no different than a finger scraping the skin. His deformed right arm continued to swing the Flesh Hammer, not minding his head being cut open by the Chain Saw Sword. Thud! Mishan was pushed back slightly by this hammer, and a clear dent appeared on her Armored Plate used to withstand the attack. This was the first time the Mechanic Type One Armor had sustained such severe damage since it was forged. ¡°Change weapons, this guy is suited for blunt strikes and flames,¡± Makar¡¯s calm voice spread through the communication system, and the Witch Hunting Team almost instantly put their Chain Saw Swords in the slots on their back, and then¡­ swung their fists. Boom! A sonic boom sounded again, but this time, its source was Makar. With the boost from his Armor, Makar¡¯s strike was as thunderous, his steel fist instantly shattering the already healed head of Evil Demon Bruno. Boom! The Flamethrower on the Armor¡¯s arm activated, and the massive flame instantly turned the shattered head of Evil Demon Bruno into ashes. Clang! The Flesh Hammer swung again, sending Makar back two steps; it seemed that not having a head was not much of an issue for Evil Demon Bruno. But the three fists that followed taught Evil Demon Bruno a lesson. Can he live without a head? Then smash the whole body! The Witch Hunting Team¡¯s steel fists rained down on Evil Demon Bruno, the power of the steel fists enhanced by the Armor even surpassed that of the long-handled War Hammers of the armored Dwarfs. Before Evil Demon Bruno could figure out what was happening, his deformed body was smashed into a constantly writhing mud by the Witch Hunting Team¡¯s iron fists. Seeing how easily Evil Demon Bruno was dealt with, Richard turned to the High Priest next to him, with a hint of doubt, asking, ¡°Is that all his ability? Or is he planning some conspiracy?¡± Facing Richard¡¯s doubts, the High Priest awkwardly explained, ¡°Master, the most troublesome part about dealing with this Evil Demon is those tide-like Mutated Monsters. Before, often before the final battle began, our warriors would have lost nearly half due to those Mutated Monsters. The remaining warriors were all injured, having expended a lot of their energy.¡± In the past battles against Evil Demon Bruno by the Magic Dwarfs, the skills accumulated from years of fighting and an iron will were the Magic Dwarfs¡¯ greatest reliances. These two traits were what supported the Magic Dwarfs to face Evil Demon Bruno after passing through the sea of Mutated Monsters. But¡­ Flamethrowers are much more useful than willpower and skills. The once troublesome tide of Mutated Monsters, under the effect of the Flamethrowers, were just a pile of firewood by the stove. The path that once required an iron will and combat-honed skills to traverse, under the stream of flames from the Flamethrowers, turned into a broad and easy road. ¡°But this battle did go a bit too smoothly. Evil Demon Bruno possesses the Rule Power given to it by the Evil Demon; in the past, many warriors were corrupted by his Rule Power into Mutants,¡± the High Priest continued. ¡°But maybe it¡¯s because your followers are too powerful, sir. Third-level creatures usually need some time to utilize Rule Power, but this Evil Demon didn¡¯t have that time.¡± Richard nodded thoughtfully, then turned his gaze back to the battlefield. On the battlefield, the body of Evil Demon Bruno, which was hammered into a pool of muck, was being continuously burned by the Witch Hunting Team¡¯s Flamethrowers. Yet, its regeneration speed seemed to become even more terrifying after losing form, and the Witch Hunting Team¡¯s Flamethrowers could only suppress, but not completely eliminate it. Kava suddenly turned his head toward the Magic Dwarfs, who were gawking on the side, and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, get your Flamethrowers out!¡± Upon saying this, the Witch Hunting Team spread out, clearing space for the Magic Dwarfs. The next moment, fifty-two streams of flames instantly turned the remains of Evil Demon Bruno into a fireball. Evil Demon Bruno, still classified as a third-level creature, despite his strong regenerative ability, could not withstand such firepower. In less than five minutes, the remains of Evil Demon Bruno were reduced to a pool of charred remains. Richard, holding his Magic Wand, approached the charred remains and after confirming there was no flesh inside, he scratched his head in confusion. ¡°It seems there is no need for me to intervene.¡± The High Priest walked up beside Richard, looking equally puzzled. The Divination result had been for Richard to purify Evil Demon Bruno with Flames, but now Richard¡¯s subordinates and the Magic Dwarfs had dealt with Evil Demon Bruno. This clearly did not match the result of the Divination. But the result of a Divination represented a future that was certain to occur, and this had never had an exception. Richard scraped around in the charred remains with his Magic Wand, and suddenly, a Dark Red Gemstone emerged from within the charred remains. At the sight of this gemstone, the surrounding Magic Dwarfs suddenly appeared dazed, even the High Priest was not spared. The one closest even started to bend down to pick up the gemstone. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve cracked the case.¡± Richard stopped the Dwarf who was about to pick up the gemstone and covered the gemstone again with char. ¡°Master, what did you say?¡± The High Priest seemed not to realize his momentary daze, looking at Richard with some confusion. Richard did not say more; Rune Chains emerged from him and sealed the Dark Red Gemstone hidden beneath the char. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Take a look at this. You haven¡¯t seen this before, have you?¡± Richard suspended the sealed Dark Red Gemstone in the air with his Magic Power, and the nearby Magic Dwarfs¡¯ eyes once again glazed over. But this time, the High Priest did not lose his composure. Noticing the state of the Magic Dwarfs, the High Priest immediately understood the meaning of Richard¡¯s words. ¡°The resurrection of the Evil Demon relied entirely on this thing!¡± The High Priest approached the dazed Magic Dwarfs and slapped them awake. The awakened Magic Dwarfs, touching their cheeks, had no idea what they had just experienced. The High Priest turned to Richard and bowed slightly, ¡°I would ask the Master to take this item. It seems that the result of the divination may not necessarily appear now. Perhaps in the Master¡¯s future experiments, he might be able to burn and purify that Evil Demon.¡± Richard also felt this made sense, divination shows only the outcome, not the process. If this gemstone truly was Evil Demon Bruno¡¯s means of resurrection, then Richard burning it in his experiments could indeed be considered as having burned Evil Demon Bruno. The outcome of divinations often carries certain implications, and such an interpretation seemed reasonable. Richard took the sealed gemstone, ready to put it into his Magic Pocket. However, the gemstone, for some reason, turned into a pool of blood as it neared Richard, dissolving Richard¡¯s seal in an instant and shot into Richard¡¯s body with the speed of lightning. In an instant, a flash of red light was seen. The next moment, a deformed figure appeared in his Soul Space. ¡°Ha ha ha, after so many years, these dwarfs have finally summoned a wizard!¡± The figure of Evil Demon Bruno appeared in Richard¡¯s Soul Space, a spread of blood-red expanding rapidly from him throughout the Soul Space. In the blink of an eye, half of Richard¡¯s Soul Space was contaminated. This transformation indicated that Richard¡¯s soul was under invasion; if left unchecked, his soul would soon be completely corrupted by Evil Demon Bruno, becoming a part of him. But Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged. In the Soul Space, Richard¡¯s spirit projection watched Evil Demon Bruno with interest. ¡°It seems the power of the Flesh Cancer is not just uncontrolled proliferation. I knew it, if it were just that, how could it have caused such chaos back then.¡± Seeing Richard so composed, Evil Demon Bruno suddenly became wary. At this moment, his soul was connected with Richard¡¯s, and he could clearly sense Richard¡¯s emotions. Richard was not feigning composure, he truly was fearless. ¡°Wizard, what trick are you playing?¡± ¡°Trick?¡± Richard chuckled, ¡°You¡¯ll understand soon.¡± With that, Evil Demon Bruno¡¯s face suddenly changed. He looked at Richard in horror, roaring, ¡°What have you put in your soul!¡± Out of nowhere, a Melter appeared in the void. Colorless flames burst forth from the mouth of the Melter, turning Evil Demon Bruno instantly into a torch. The Miracle Furnace had merged with Richard¡¯s soul, and this kind of squatting transformation, for the Miracle Furnace, was no different from a direct invasion. If it weren¡¯t for this, Ulysses would not have been so easily fooled by Richard back then. ¡°Who exactly are you! How can your soul contain such a thing!¡± The form of Evil Demon Bruno rapidly shriveled in the flames, his agonizing screams echoing throughout the Soul Space. Richard pointed at himself and smiled, ¡°Me? I¡¯m just an ordinary wizard.¡± An ordinary wizard? Who else¡¯s soul contains such a thing! In regret and despair, Evil Demon Bruno¡¯s entire form was completely refined by the flames. Subsequently, the colorless flames followed the path of Evil Demon Bruno¡¯s corrosion, refining all remnants of him, and then returned to the Melter. The Miracle Furnace returned to calm, Richard walked over to where Evil Demon Bruno had been. At that spot, a cluster of colorful light floated up and down. Richard devoured it, and in an instant, a sense of enlightenment surged over him. He was familiar with this feeling, reminiscent of when he previously absorbed rules. Moreover, Richard felt the Flesh Rule, Nurturing Rule, and Nightmare Rule in his body react at that moment. As if the rules contained in the sphere of light were connected to these rules. Somewhere, Richard seemed to see the Flesh Rule transformed into Flesh Tentacles, the Nurturing Rule into a tiny Mother Worm God, and the Nightmare Rule into a puppet holding a knife. The newly incorporated rules turned into a throbbing tumor and a transparent crystal worm. These rules intertwined with each other, the Flesh Tentacles and the Mother Worm God were originally entangled together, but with the addition of the tumor, they both became superfluous to the tumor. The Nightmare Rule and the crystal worm intertwined, the worm enshrouding the knife-wielding puppet like amber. Richard could feel that while these rules intertwined and even interacted, their boundaries were distinctly clear. This discovery deepened Richard¡¯s understanding of rules. Rules can easily intertwine, but they will never easily merge. After a while, Richard emerged from this visionary state, muttering: ¡°Mutated Rules, Soul Rules¡­ this harvest is quite significant.¡± Chapter 326: 43 Second Ring Summit Chapter 326: Chapter 43 Second Ring Summit Just as Richard was basking in the wondrous sensations the blood transformation brought him, his body underwent radical changes under the influence of that pool of blood. While the soul of Evil Demon Bruno had not yet dissipated, this pool of blood was able to continuously devour the energy of Richard¡¯s body like cancer under the guidance of the rules, then turn into proliferating flesh that gradually replaced Richard¡¯s original flesh. However, as Evil Demon Bruno¡¯s soul was incinerated into nothingness by the Miracle Furnace, the rules he had obtained from the cancer of the flesh were also pocketed by Richard. This situation instantly reversed. With the rules now bless Richard¡¯s flesh, it began wildly absorbing the cancerous flesh, which, without the rules¡¯ blessing, had no power to resist. In just a moment, the pool of blood along with its proliferated flesh, was completely devoured by Richard¡¯s flesh. And this was just the beginning. The entanglement of the rules granted Richard a new ability¡ªcocooning. Rick now possessed an ability similar to an insect¡¯s cocooning; when severely injured, he could maintain his life through cocooning. Otherwise, Richard could also choose to cocoon voluntarily to undergo ¡°transformation.¡± This ¡°transformation¡± required something similar to a drug catalyst; once it began, Richard¡¯s body would start evolving. This evolution was similar to the Adaptation Body¡¯s evolution, but it was much more intense. And that pool of blood carrying Evil Demon Bruno was exactly such a ¡°catalyst.¡± The pool of blood contained the essence of the cancer of the flesh that had seeped through the sealing over the years, rich with abundant evolutionary material. The cancer of the flesh wasn¡¯t just aimlessly duplicating its body; it also had the capability to induce mutations in cells. And this bore a wonderful resemblance to evolution. After devouring the pool of blood rich in evolutionary material, fine white filaments began to ooze from Richard¡¯s body. This made the nearby Witch Hunting Team tense immediately. ¡°Damn it!¡± Kava angrily shouted, turning to look at the equally confused Magic Dwarves and grinding his teeth, ¡°Listen up, you purple-skinned dwarves, if anything happens to the lord, I will definitely¡­¡± Thump! A fist of iron interrupted Kava¡¯s next threat. Makar withdrew his fist and bowed slightly to the High Priest, ¡°Sorry, my companion is a bit too irritable.¡± The High Priest waved his hand, indicating it was no trouble. ¡°I understand your feelings; the current situation is indeed a bit strange. If you trust me, I will communicate with the Dwarf King right away to check on Master Richard¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°We¡¯d be grateful for your assistance, Master,¡± they replied. With a golden staff in hand, the High Priest chanted under his breath. The recent battle had consumed quite a bit of the Power of Faith; the Dwarf King had entered hibernation, but to see clearly what was happening to Richard, he had to be woken up, sleep or no sleep. Whether out of gratitude Richard had towards the Magic Dwarves or the four angry Fire Lizards present, he had to do it. Soon, a flicker of light flashed in the eyes of the High Priest. He opened his eyes wide, meticulously inspecting Richard once over, making the Fire Lizards standing beside feel as if they¡¯d been thoroughly seen through. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A moment later, the flicker of light vanished, and the High Priest slowly said: ¡°Gentlemen, Master Richard is not experiencing any issues. Quite the opposite, Master Richard is undergoing a transformation that is extremely beneficial for him. You all need only wait here.¡± Makar was momentarily stunned, then bowed his head in reply: ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± The white silk on Richard¡¯s body grew longer and longer, eventually tightly wrapping Richard into an oval. Then, these white filaments started to expand outward, covering the ground like a blanket. These white filaments did not possess any parasitic properties; their only purpose in spreading was to absorb as much energy from the air as possible. Streams of Magic Power were transmitted to Richard¡¯s body through these white filaments. The Witch Hunting Team avoided these filaments, and the Magic Dwarves chose not to leave either. They stood by quietly, waiting for the end of this transformation. The white silk grew longer and longer, eventually reaching the size of a soccer field. They continuously absorbed energy from the air, even causing gusts of Magic Power in the canyon. Everyone could sense that Richard¡¯s body was undergoing earth-shattering changes. One day, two days, three days¡­time flowed swiftly by. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the twentieth year of Richard¡¯s transformation. These years, neither the Witch Hunting Team nor the Magic Dwarves left the base of the mountains. For them, although the environment at the base of the mountains was somewhat harsh, it was not unbearable. Each Magic Dwarf was steadfast in mind, and to ascertain the condition of their benefactor, they could wait in one place for twenty years with little bother. Before the white cocoon formed by Richard, the High Priest sat cross-legged in midair. Suddenly, the High Priest opened his eyes. At the same moment, Makar approached the High Priest. ¡°Master Richard is about to awaken.¡± No sooner had the High Priest spoken than a palm, delicate and pale, broke through the cocoon. Then, the cocoon was torn apart, and a robed Wizard emerged, looking somewhat bewildered at his surroundings. ¡°What are these on me¡­?¡± Richard looked around in confusion; in his memory, after devouring the rules, he had watched the illusion of rules for a long time. Then, as the illusion dissipated, he left the Spirit Space. The moment he came out, he felt his body erupting like a volcano, ready to break through to become a Three Rings Wizard at any moment. Chapter 327: 43 Second Ring Summit_2 Chapter 327: Chapter 43 Second Ring Summit_2 He had exerted some effort to suppress this sudden impulse to break through, and soon he tore open the cocoon shell that blocked his sight. But the scene before his eyes seemed to deviate from his memory. He flew out of the cocoon shell, and upon seeing the white threads on the ground and the cocoon shell behind him, he quickly deduced his state. ¡°Have I cocooned?¡± Richard frowned slightly and turned to ask Alex beside him, ¡°How long have I slept?¡± ¡°Twenty years, three months, and seven days.¡± ¡°That long!¡± Richard exclaimed in surprise. He had thought that he had only slept for a few months, or perhaps a few years. But to his astonishment, it turned out he had transformed for twenty years. In the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed, and Richard felt that the world had gone mad. Richard remained silent for a long while and eventually accepted this regrettable fact. Although twenty years was a long time, so much so that he violated the Soul Contract with the Academy, his gains were even more astonishing. Besides the rules and abilities gained, his physique, in this transformation, reached 199.9, already at the limit of a Second Ring Wizard. This had saved him at least a thousand years of hard labor. Furthermore, he was now in a state that could break through at any moment. His Life Core had become very active during the transformation, and he could advance further to become a Three Rings Wizard at any moment. A four-hundred-year-old Three Rings Wizard, such was unheard of in the history of the Wizard World. But Richard had not chosen to break through. This was the result of Richard¡¯s cautious deliberation. Delaying the breakthrough was not a big deal. However, if he broke through now, there would be a significant mismatch between his spiritual power and physique. Although the Rebound Effect provided a safety net, still, for decades to come, his combat ability would definitely not be guaranteed. There are two situations of mismatch between spiritual power and physique: one is when the spiritual power is too strong, and the flesh too weak. Wizards in this state must live carefully because a slight misstep could trigger a power that the body cannot handle, causing physical damage or even annihilation. The other situation is when the spiritual power is too weak and the physique too strong. This situation is worse because it leads to the wizard having difficulty controlling their own body. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This also means that Richard might accidentally stomp a huge hole in the ground while walking or crush someone¡¯s bones during a handshake. Even the Magic Rebound might be absorbed by the body because the body¡¯s cells take in energy that exceeds the energy created by the spiritual force¡¯s Magic Rebound. The greater the disparity between spiritual power and physique, the stronger this reaction becomes. Richard currently only had 123 points of spiritual power. If he hastily became a Three Rings Wizard, it was uncertain how much of a Three Rings Wizard¡¯s power he could exert. Maintaining the peak state of a Second Ring was undoubtedly the best solution for Richard at the moment. ¡°Twenty years it is then, since it happened so suddenly.¡± With a sigh, Richard turned to look at the High Priest beside him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the High Priest to still be waiting here, I truly feel ashamed.¡± The High Priest waved his hand, smiling broadly, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, just twenty years. As long as the Master is fine, waiting even two hundred years is not a problem. Judging by the Master¡¯s current state, it seems that the Evil Demon has been completely annihilated by the Master.¡± Richard¡¯s mind flashed with the image of Evil Demon Bruno being turned into nothingness by the colorless flames of the Miracle Furnace, and he nodded slightly. ¡°The divination was not wrong, I indeed purified the evil demon with flames.¡± The High Priest clasped his hands together and bowed slightly, and behind him, a shadow of a Magic Dwarf slowly emerged. ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± The voice of the High Priest and the shadow of the Magic Dwarf overlapped, sounding sacred and solemn. Richard responded with the same courtesy, ¡°There¡¯s no need, it¡¯s mutually beneficial for both of us, truly a win-win.¡± After Richard awoke from his cocooning, there was no need for the others to stay in the mountainous region. Richard burnt the white silks he left behind into ashes with a fire, ensuring no trace was left that could be utilized. The Witch Hunting Team also removed their armor and entered Richard¡¯s Synthetic Beast Pocket. Afterward, Richard followed the Magic Dwarf back to the surface. Once confirming that Evil Demon Bruno was dead, the Magic Dwarfs also started their operation to purge the Mutated Monsters. Over the span of twenty years, they nearly eliminated all the Mutated Monsters which had become like rootless waters. Without Evil Demon Bruno, the spokesperson outside the Sealing, it took significant effort to transform a creature into a Mutant in the Sealing. His rate of transformation was nowhere near as fast as the Magic Dwarfs¡¯ rate of killing. The High Priest said he planned to gradually restart those ancient fortresses, and the Magic Dwarf race would monitor the cancer of flesh and blood until it died within the Sealing. Faced with this situation, Richard could only sigh. Why did the cancer of flesh and blood have to infect these vengeful and stubborn Magic Dwarfs? After leaving the mine tunnel, Richard bid farewell to the High Priest, preparing to return to the Black Tower Wizard Academy to resolve some contract issues. The contract wasn¡¯t important, he could renew it based on his teacher¡¯s and Alex¡¯s relationship. There were still twenty years of war left, if he performed well during these twenty years, he could still receive his compensation after the war. However, the High Priest stopped Richard and brought a few Magic Dwarf Warriors and several female Magic Dwarfs to Richard. ¡°Master, I would like you to take them out of this world.¡± Richard furrowed his brows and seriously said to the High Priest, ¡°High Priest, you are the property of the Truth Wizards. I cannot encroach upon the property of the great Truth Wizards.¡± But the High Priest shook his head. ¡°Master, we are not the property of the great Truth Wizards. We are the property of the entire Wizard World.¡± With that, the High Priest took a scroll from his bosom, the corners of the scroll were branded with the mark of the Tower of Truth, and there were five marks in total. This represented that the scroll was jointly issued by the five Towers of Truth. The content of the scroll was simple, mainly outlining a plan called the Wizard World Ecological Restoration Plan. In this plan, the Magic Dwarfs and several other intelligent races living in the Wizard World were designated as vassal races of the Wizards. The vassal races had the right to live in the Wizard World and were protected by the laws of the Truth Council. Apart from having to regularly pay Blood Tax among several other taxes, and not being allowed to colonize other worlds, these vassal races had the same rights as the Wizards. The High Priest humbly said, ¡°Master, I hope you can take them to the Wizard World to visit our homeland. After that, whether you want them to proliferate in the Wizard World or follow you as your vassals, it is up to you.¡± Chapter 328: 44: The War Situation Chapter 328: Chapter 44: The War Situation Observing the earnest High Priest, Richard pondered deeply and eventually accepted the few people. The scroll with the imprints of five Tower of Truth seals couldn¡¯t be fabricated; as long as the scroll was genuine, this group of Magic Dwarves could almost be considered auxiliary wizards. In the absence of any crime, not even the Law Enforcement Wizards of the Judicial Department had the authority to restrict a wizard¡¯s freedom. The High Priest gave Richard a total of thirty Magic Dwarves, gender-split evenly; the male dwarves had all reached the Second Level, while the female dwarves were at First Level. Richard hastily arranged for some wizards to prepare Fake Death Potions for long-term storage of Synthetic Beasts, which he then had the Magic Dwarves ingest. These Magic Dwarves lacked sufficient combat strength and would only serve as cannon fodder in an academy war. After ingesting the Fake Death Potions, Richard placed the Magic Dwarves into the Synthetic Beast Pocket and then left the Magic Dwarf settlement. It had taken Richard nearly Nine Heavens to reach the Magic Dwarf settlement, but upon leaving the settlement and flying at full speed, he returned to his original hiding spot in less than half a day. Richard checked and found signs of damage to the magic array at the hiding place, indicating that the wizards of Meteor Star Academy had ultimately discovered the location. ¡°It seems even the best disguise can¡¯t withstand decades of searching.¡± Richard entered the temporary laboratory, and as expected, the specimens he¡¯d left on the experiment table had vanished. Richard shook his head and pulled out the Communication Crystal Ball from his pocket. Cursed and suppressed for ten years and having slept for another twenty, Richard knew nothing of the current war situation. He needed to understand the state of the war first and foremost. Turning on the Crystal Ball, a deluge of Magic Power messages burst forth incessantly. Accumulated for thirty years, the Magic Power messages jumped for over ten minutes before coming to a stop. Richard selected some of the more recent information to read and discovered that the war situation seemed very bleak. Over the past thirty years, Black Tower Wizard Academy had nearly two-thirds of its external academies occupied, with only the Inner Ring remaining as the last defense. If the Inner Ring were lost, then the Core Wizard Tower of Black Tower Wizard Academy would be directly exposed to Meteor Star Academy¡¯s assault. This would essentially mean the end of the war. The two Great Wizards had no deep hatred; occupying the external academies was more for show. To really attack the Core Wizard Tower, not to speak of the Black Tower Great Wizard himself, the Three Rings of Black Tower Wizard Academy would collectively take action. At that point, the war would no longer be the restrained affair it currently was. ¡°Looks like renewing the contract when I return is going to be troublesome.¡± If Richard wanted to renew the contract, he would first need to pass through the occupied external rings of the academy held by Meteor Star Academy, and then risk being treated as an enemy by the wizards of Black Tower Wizard Academy as he passed through their Inner Ring. Finally, Richard could enter the Core Wizard Tower and renew the contract with Eric. Just talking about the process was troublesome; the actual difficulty was imaginable. But Richard had no intention of giving up on this plan. The treasure vault of the Black Tower Great Wizard was not just some cat or dog¡¯s collection room. Even if the Black Tower Great Wizard had only been so for a few thousand years, the items he possessed were definitely treasures they had never seen before. Missing this opportunity, Richard estimated he would never come across such a chance in his lifetime. ¡°Let¡¯s go and observe the situation first; if the defenses are too tight, then so be it.¡± Leaving the hiding spot, Richard also put the Witch Hunting Team into the Synthetic Beast Pocket. With these four big guys trailing behind, it¡¯d be difficult for Richard to go unnoticed. After storing them, Richard searched his pocket for a map. After aligning it with the direction in his memory, he immediately flew eastward. ¡­ Thirty years of war had changed many things. The once majestic black walls of the outer ring of Black Tower Wizard Academy were now mostly in ruins. All the towering defensive spires had collapsed in the midst of wizard battles. These defensive weapons were powerful in the hands of either attackers or defenders. No side¡¯s wizards would leave them for the other. Inside the walls, the remnants of animated stone gargoyles created by Alchemy Wizards almost covered the ground. These gargoyles acted as cannon fodder and auxiliary troops for the wizards of Black Tower Academy throughout thirty years of conflict. Thanks to these, the wizards of Black Tower Academy could initially fight Meteor Star Academy on equal footing. However, as the war continued, the number of gargoyles dwindled. The production speed of the Alchemy Wizards could not keep up with the rate of war consumption. Standing on a hill outside the academy, Richard observed the broken academy and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Even though both sides were controlling the intensity of the war, death was still inevitable. These wizards who survived the Plane War, stepping over the bones of many natives, now perished at the hands of their own. And this was merely thanks to the two Great Wizards acting petulantly. If the two Great Wizards reconciled, no matter how much hatred had been engendered in the war, these lesser wizards from both sides would have to shake hands and make peace. Perhaps before long, the two academies might fight side by side in the same world again. Enemies who had fought tooth and nail could quickly become close comrades. Without reaching Great Wizard status, one is forever just a pawn in the Wizard World. After observing outside the academy for a long while, Richard finally confirmed that there were basically no wizards in the outskirts of the academy. All the wizards of Meteor Star Academy were concentrated in the frontline area near the Inner Ring. This also provided Richard with information. Muttering to himself, Richard said, ¡°It seems that Meteor Star Academy hasn¡¯t prepared for us external wizards.¡± But this was normal; although these external wizards were all elite, their number was very scarce. Even if dozens of Second Ring Wizards gathered together, they could not change the outcome of the war. And once the wizards from the Meteor Star Academy discovered that their dispatched wizards had returned, those retained at their home academy would certainly provide reinforcements for the front lines. At that time, Black Tower Academy¡¯s position at the front would become even more unfavorable. ¡°Since they¡¯re not on guard, can I not just blend in?¡± Richard stroked his chin and took out a magic mask from his pocket. Although the war had been going for thirty years, Richard believed that the wizards at the Meteor Star Academy definitely wouldn¡¯t all know each other. As long as he acted natural enough, he wouldn¡¯t be discovered, at least not in a short time. And all he needed during this period was to find a way to infiltrate the inner ring of the Black Tower Academy. It was a risky plan. If he were discovered, Richard would definitely face relentless pursuit by the wizards of the Meteor Star Academy. Moreover, when he infiltrated, he couldn¡¯t let the Witch Hunting Team out. A wizard followed by a huge Alchemy Golem would be too conspicuous. If Richard¡¯s physique hadn¡¯t reached the peak of a Second Ring Wizard now and hadn¡¯t gained an ability called Mind Guidance after absorbing the Soul Rules, He really wouldn¡¯t dare to carry out such a risky plan. With the mask on, Richard silently entered the Black Tower Wizard Academy, which had become a collection of battered walls and ruins. The once tight defenses had crumbled into rubble over thirty years of conflict; Richard moved cautiously among the debris, cloaked in a Concealer Cloak, without any superfluous movements. Soon, Richard spotted a wizard from the Meteor Star Academy. This was an One Ring Alchemy Wizard who was currently repairing his Alchemy Puppet. It was an eight-legged, spider-like Alien Alchemy Puppet, its dark-golden shell etched with dense runes. Eight crystal eyes were located on the puppet¡¯s head, flashing a dangerous red. The puppet was severely damaged, with four of its eight mechanical legs blasted off by spells, and the protective armor on its exterior showed a massive dent, with some cracks still open. Through the cracks, one could see the complex structure inside that had been damaged. If it were up to Richard, this puppet was essentially beyond repair; it would be easier to simply rebuild it. But clearly, the One Ring Wizard didn¡¯t think so; he was still futilely repairing it, even calling for help using a crystal ball. The help was a Second Ring Wizard, who seemed to be the One Ring Wizard¡¯s teacher. As soon as the Second Ring Wizard arrived, he sternly reprimanded the One Ring Wizard and then, after looking at the damaged Alchemy Puppet, came to the same conclusion as Richard. ¡°This puppet isn¡¯t worth fixing. Dismantle its parts, and recycle the remaining pieces by melting them down.¡± The One Ring Wizard looked a bit dejected, but as his teacher had made the judgment, he had no choice but to comply. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± A voice stopped the One Ring Wizard¡¯s movements. He turned around to see a black-robed wizard wearing a silver mask, slowly walking out of the ruins. ¡°Who are you?¡± The Second Ring Wizard held a magic wand, watching Richard appear suddenly with suspicion. ¡°Who else could I be? Surely, I couldn¡¯t be a wizard from the Black Tower Academy, could I?¡± Richard¡¯s voice carried a subtle magic power that made both wizards listen and unconsciously overlook the incongruities about Richard. This was the ability produced by the link between the Soul Rules and the Nightmare Rules within Richard¡ªMind Guidance. This ability didn¡¯t directly influence one¡¯s mindset; it subtly made one fill in the blanks. For instance, Richard¡¯s statement made the two wizards assume that Richard had to be a wizard from the Meteor Star Academy. It was a subtle, imperceptible change, but its effects were more terrifying than the direct mind-control spells of the Soul School. Once a decision was made, one would subconsciously seek evidence to support it and ignore any evidence to the contrary. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The One Ring Wizard asked respectfully, ¡°Master, do you think my puppet can still be repaired?¡± Richard nodded slightly, ¡°Of course it can, just that it¡¯s rather troublesome. But why repair it? Simply reshape the exterior, remove the damaged internal structures, and turn this eight-legged Alien Puppet into a four-legged one ¨C isn¡¯t that simpler?¡± The One Ring Wizard was startled upon hearing this, then fell into thought. However, his teacher, with his wealth of experience, immediately responded after hearing Richard¡¯s suggestion: ¡°Master¡¯s knowledge is as profound as the sea, but such a transformation is somewhat too difficult for us.¡± ¡°Difficult¡­ I see. How about this,¡± Richard slowly began, ¡°how about you sell this puppet to me instead? During times like these, we should avoid wasting resources as much as possible.¡± The Second Ring Wizard paused briefly, then turned to his student, ¡°It¡¯s your puppet, you decide.¡± The One Ring Wizard hesitated for a while, then finally sighed and said, ¡°Two hundred Magic Essences. Master, if you want it, it¡¯s yours.¡± Richard didn¡¯t say much and took out two hundred Magic Essences from his pocket, trading them for the Alchemy Puppet. Upon receiving the puppet, Richard didn¡¯t bother hiding anything and disassembled the Alchemy Puppet¡¯s outer shell right in front of the two wizards. Then he dismantled the labyrinthine internal structures which would dizzy any layman with just a few swift movements. The structure of the Alchemy Puppet was complicated, but it was a sign of poor craftsmanship; complexity implied vulnerability and maintenance difficulties. Richard removed the damaged areas, and couldn¡¯t help but look up and ask, ¡°How did you manage to make a First Level Puppet so excessively intricate?¡± The One Ring Wizard showed a shamed expression, while the Second Ring Wizard also sighed helplessly. Richard slightly modified the remaining workable parts, removing most of the excessive internal structures, then reshaped the shell and reattached the four intact mechanical legs. Soon, a four-legged Alien Puppet was assembled. The whole process took less than half an hour. Even the Second Ring Wizard couldn¡¯t help but admire, ¡°Master¡¯s skills are truly breathtaking.¡± Although he was capable of making the same changes, he admitted he couldn¡¯t have simplified his student¡¯s botched job so quickly and efficiently. Controlling the four-legged puppet, Richard naturally headed towards the Meteor Star Wizard¡¯s position. And the two wizards naturally filled in an appropriate identity for Richard. ¡°Master, you¡¯re here to support us, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Chapter 329: 45: Taking Someones Place Chapter 329: Chapter 45: Taking Someone¡¯s Place Richard¡¯s infiltration, or rather his overt entry, was very successful. When Richard, accompanied by two Meteor Star Academy Wizards, entered the Wizards¡¯ rest area of the Meteor Star Academy, almost none of the Wizards noticed anything amiss about him. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The presence of the two Wizards by Richard¡¯s side greatly enhanced his credibility. If one¡¯s own companions were chatting and laughing with this Wizard, then he must certainly be a comrade of theirs. This seemingly logical thought process made Richard¡¯s Mind Guidance all the more effective. Among the Wizards present, only a few Second Ring Wizards harbored some doubts about Richard¡¯s arrival. However, these Second Ring Wizards didn¡¯t directly question him, as questioning a comrade¡¯s identity was without a doubt a very offensive act. They hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that a Wizard from Black Tower Academy would so boldly make his way among them, chatting and laughing with their mates. ¡°Master Makar, your mastery in Alchemy Machines is truly breathtaking. After the war, I must invite you to my laboratory.¡± The two accompanying Richard were a master and his apprentice, named Peter and Marcus, respectively. Peter, as the master, casually chatted with Richard about Alchemy Machines on the way. As the conversation delved deeper, Peter became increasingly astonished by Richard¡¯s profound knowledge of Alchemy Machines. The solutions to alchemical problems Richard hinted at in the conversation drastically differed from the prevailing thoughts of the Alchemy School and were filled with an exotic flair. This benefitted Peter greatly. So even after Richard revealed that he was actually an Alchemy Wizard of the Flesh Faction, Peter still decided to invite Richard to his laboratory after the war. ¡°Master Peter, you flatter me. Your accomplishments in Alchemy Machines far surpass mine. My unconventional approach to problems is merely due to the lack of a mentor,¡± Richard humbly replied. Listening to Richard¡¯s modest response, Peter felt all the more that this Second Ring Wizard who had come to support them was a man of profound knowledge. He had seen too many half-learners who boasted about their expertise. Only someone truly learned would recognize how ignorant they were. The two continued their conversation as they entered the rest hall on the first floor of the rest area. The rest area of the Meteor Star Academy was a relatively intact defensive tower, with only the most crucial part, the spire, missing. The remaining structure was still very much intact. The Alchemy Wizards of the Meteor Star Academy had done some minor repairs, converting this tower into the Wizards¡¯ rest area. Wizards returning from the front lines could enjoy a moment of peace here. ¡°Gentlemen, this Master Makar has been transferred from another position to take the place of Master Lu Lun, a Second Ring Wizard who has been sacrificed.¡± Not long after entering the rest area, Peter announced Richard¡¯s ¡°identity¡± to the Wizards in the area. With Peter¡¯s announcement, all the Wizards suddenly realized Richard¡¯s role, even the remaining Second Ring Wizards dispelled their doubts. The Meteor Star Academy had close to a hundred thousand Wizards participating in the war, and many of them were Wizards who had traveled abroad; therefore, unfamiliar faces among the Wizards were nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°I had thought the Academy wasn¡¯t planning to send any more Wizards over. Seems like the Academy still keeps us in mind,¡± laughed a Second Ring Elemental Wizard. Richard just smiled at these words. The key to Mind Guidance was to let others fill in the blanks; the more he spoke, the likelier he was to make a mistake. Richard¡¯s response didn¡¯t draw the attention of other Wizards. With so many peculiar Wizards among them, Richard¡¯s behavior was hardly distinctive. Richard followed Peter into his resting room, while his student Marcus was punished by being made to copy out Peter¡¯s Introduction to Alchemy Machines. Being disgraced in front of outsiders, Peter was somewhat angry inside. Upon entering the resting room, Richard pretended to casually discuss the war situation with Peter. ¡°Ah! Why does the Academy have to mention wars years in advance? Those Wizards from the Black Tower Academy knew ahead of time and fortified the Academy like a hedgehog. It took thirty years to take down an Outer Ring. The most secure Inner Ring has been fought over for three years, and not a single house has been securely held. At this rate, we¡¯re bound to resort to real aggression!¡± Peter didn¡¯t seem very optimistic about the future of the war. ¡°Heh! Mainly because they won¡¯t let us use Strategic Magic Equipment,¡± Richard went along with the grumbling, ¡°I heard from a White Wizard that there¡¯s a company selling a kind of Strategic Magic Equipment called Magic Support Vehicle. That thing is said to be capable of producing effects like the White Wizard Army¡¯s Magic Concentrated Fire.¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s words, Peter gestured dismissively: ¡°Master, you must not have looked into this thing closely enough. The chairman of the company selling it is right on the opposing side! If it was usable, by now we¡¯d probably be the ones defending the Academy.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yeah, the gap between Wizards is huge. They say the chairman of that company, one of them is a Second Ring Wizard. Both are Second Rings, I¡¯ve been busy for most of my life, and I haven¡¯t earned as much as he has in a few hundred years.¡± Richard¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, quickly steering the conversation away from himself. ¡°What kind of witchcraft are the defenders of this position good at? When it comes to attacking later, I¡¯d like to have some countermeasures ready.¡± ¡°Good at what kind¡­ their most formidable one is a Shaping Wizard, particularly outstanding in Fire Element Spells. And he also knows a kind of Flame similar to Curse Magic. The one who died, Master Lu Lun, was burned to ashes alive by that Curse Flame.¡± Hearing this description, Richard¡¯s eyes lit up. This must be Spell Fire! It seemed the Wizard he was to face was likely a student of Susanna. Susanna had few students, and after becoming a Wizard, she tacitly recognized Richard and Ali¡¯s relationship, through which Richard also became acquainted with the two students Susanna had taken in before. If those two students had good memories, then his return this time should not pose any major problems. ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Anything else to be aware of?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ not much else. The rest of the Second Ring Wizards aren¡¯t very remarkable; they¡¯re quite typical Wizards.¡± Saying this, Peter winked at Richard. Seeing Peter¡¯s gesture, Richard didn¡¯t need to think twice to know there was some trickery involved. ¡°We¡¯ve fought for three years, and only last time did Master Lu Lun act a little rashly and got burned to death by that Wizard. But Master Lu Lun was also provoked; his student was killed not long ago, and, unfortunately, the soul box couldn¡¯t properly capture the soul.¡± ¡°The student he considered his successor, just died like that. Alas, may this ridiculous war end soon,¡± he sighed. After hearing this, Richard got some understanding of the actual situation of the war. The Three Rings Wizards on both sides tacitly refrained from taking action, while the Second Ring Wizards on both sides also tacitly coordinated with each other, leaving only the One Ring Wizards, the most populous group with the greatest discrepancy in strength, fighting to the death on the battlefield. Richard speculated that the bottom line for the Black Tower Academy must be the Inner Ring. If the Inner Ring was broken, he estimated that the Three Rings Wizards who were firmly in control of the Central Black Tower would have to take action. That¡¯s why, after Master Lu Lun went mad, he allowed Susanna¡¯s student to use Curse Flame to burn him to death, even at the cost of permanently reducing spiritual power. ¡°Alright, with this information, I¡¯ve got some groundwork in my mind.¡± Richard stood up and took out a Crystal Ball from his pocket. ¡°Master, leave me a contact detail. Once the war is over, I¡¯ll come and see your research.¡± ¡°Of course, of course, I insist that you grace me with your presence after the war,¡± he responded. Having left the resting room, Richard, guided by several wizards, arrived at Master Lu Lun¡¯s resting room. Richard was using his seat and naturally enjoyed his treatment. Upon entering the room, Richard released Makar. Although he had successfully infiltrated their ranks, his identity was somewhat precarious; if Meteor Star Academy actually sent wizards, his cover would surely be blown. At that time, he would likely have to fight his way out. After releasing Makar, Richard equipped him with Single Soldier Armor, then set it to closed mode. In closed mode, Makar looked no different from an Alchemy Golem, which suited his current disguise well. ¡­ In the rest lounge, the wizards were discussing the recently arrived Richard. Although Richard had not demonstrated any particular abilities in the lounge, his vigorous Life Radiation had already revealed his strength. A Second Ring Wizard on the verge of breaking through to the Three Rings ¨C the wizards were very curious about which battlefront he had been transferred from. Creak. The door to the rest lounge was pushed open, and a Second Ring Wizard clad in a black robe entered the hall. At the sight of this Second Ring Wizard, all the wizards in the hall fell silent. ¡°How come another Second Ring Wizard has arrived?¡± The newly arrived Second Ring Wizard, hearing this comment, curiously looked towards the source of the voice. ¡°Another Second Ring Wizard? Are there other Second Ring Wizards coming here?¡± The few Second Ring Wizards in the hall frowned slightly, one of them spoke up: ¡°Master, you must be at the wrong battlefront. Our reinforcements have already arrived.¡± ¡°Arrived?!¡± The newcomer appeared surprised, took out a map Crystal Ball from his pocket, and carefully confirmed his location on it. ¡°Am I not right, isn¡¯t this battlefront 219?¡± The wizards present were baffled. This was indeed battlefront 219, but if this wizard was the actual reinforcement, then who was Richard who had just entered? A few Second Ring Wizards exchanged looks, wondering if it was the man from earlier who had made the mistake. ¡°It seems that the master who arrived earlier went to the wrong place,¡± one Second Ring Wizard said. ¡°I¡¯ll go call him down.¡± The new Second Ring Wizard nodded, but he wondered internally: ¡°The Academy is sending Second Ring Wizards from the rear? Wasn¡¯t he the only Second Ring Wizard dispatched to the front?¡± Soon, there was a knock on the door to Richard¡¯s resting room. A voice came from outside. ¡°Master, did you perhaps go to the wrong battlefront? Another master says he¡¯s here for reinforcement.¡± Richard, who had just finished equipping Makar with the Single Soldier Armor, tensed up. He had only just managed to blend in, and now the real deal had arrived. But Richard didn¡¯t panic; he walked to the door with Makar, calmly opened it, and pretended to be confused: ¡°Another one? What battlefront is this?¡± The inquiring Second Ring Wizard didn¡¯t give it much thought and immediately replied, ¡°Battlefront 219.¡± ¡°219?¡± Richard feigned surprise, ¡°Then I¡¯ve gone to the wrong place. I was supposed to go to the battlefront next to yours.¡± Upon hearing this, the inquiring Second Ring Wizard, while somewhat perplexed about when a Second Ring Wizard had been lost in the neighboring battlefront, didn¡¯t dwell on it due to the influence of Mind Guidance. He assumed the news hadn¡¯t made it across yet. ¡°Oh, I see, then there¡¯s no issue.¡± Feigning embarrassment, Richard then exited the room with Makar, preparing to leave. Accompanied by Makar, Richard joined the Second Ring Wizard and headed to the rest lounge. The Second Ring Wizard spoke up to his companions: ¡°It¡¯s Master Makar who went to the wrong battlefront.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement; almost all the wizards were oblivious to any anomaly under the effect of Mind Guidance. Only the recently arrived Second Ring Wizard kept a close eye on Makar behind Richard. ¡°Master, this steel golem of yours, why does it look so familiar to me?¡± Chapter 330: 46: Counterattack Plan Chapter 330: Chapter 46: Counterattack Plan ¡°Does he look familiar? Master must be mistaken.¡± Richard¡¯s heart jolted, but his face remained composed, even showing a timely hint of appropriate confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Master and I have ever met before.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The newly arrived Second Ring Wizard looked at Richard and then at Makar behind him, his expression then shifting to apologetic. ¡°I must have been mistaken then.¡± Richard smiled, and soon he and Makar walked towards the exit of the hall. As they passed by the new Second Ring Wizard, Richard glanced from the corner of his eye and suddenly noticed that the wizard was gripping his Magic Wand so tightly that veins stood out on his hand. This was a sign of extreme tension. Richard¡¯s expression did not change; he even gave the wizard a friendly smile. Then Richard opened the door, let Makar follow behind, and quickly walked out of the resting hall. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As they stepped outside, Richard¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he quickly flew towards the Inner Ring. ¡°Makar, protect me!¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Meanwhile, back in the resting hall when the Second Ring Wizard noticed that Richard had walked away, his expression drastically changed. He called out to the wizards in the hall, ¡°Quick, notify the wizards at the frontline! That wasn¡¯t one of ours; that was a wizard dispatched by the Black Tower Academy! Thirty years ago, that man killed my squad!¡± This wizard from the rear, who had been a Wizard Captain whose squad was slain by Richard and had survived only by his soul box, was now panicked. ¡°What!¡± The wizards in the hall turned pale instantly, and one of the Second Ring Wizards immediately took out a Crystal Ball and contacted Peter who was in the lounge. ¡°Hello, Peter, where did you meet the wizard that came with you? Do you know him?¡± ¡°Ah? You mean Master Makar? I met him in the Outer Ring, I don¡¯t know him. What¡¯s up? Hello? Hello?¡± Peter¡¯s answer made the hall fall into sudden silence as the wizards present recalled the scene they had just witnessed. Richard had come in laughing and talking with Peter, and nobody had suspected a thing. ¡°Notify the frontline! Notify the frontline!¡± One of the Second Ring Wizards grabbed the Crystal Ball to inform the frontline of Richard¡¯s status, but an older Second Ring Wizard stopped his hand. ¡°We definitely need to notify the frontline,¡± the old wizard said slowly, specifically accentuating the words ¡®clearly¡¯ and ¡®strength¡¯. The wizard whose hand was held did not understand at first, but after seeing the serious expression of the old wizard, he immediately grasped the meaning. Confronting a wizard who could single-handedly slaughter a squad of Second Ring Wizards would certainly come at a heavy cost. The current state was stable, and there was no need to increase casualties unnecessarily. A Second Ring Wizard, let it pass; it¡¯s not that big of a deal. It¡¯s not the time of the Plane War, everyone here is a wizard, no need to fight to the death. The other Second Ring Wizards also understood the old wizard¡¯s intention, and they nodded slightly to the wizard who was about to establish contact with the frontline. They agreed with the old wizard¡¯s view. The Crystal Ball soon connected, and the Second Ring Wizard said solemnly, ¡°Frontline be aware, an Alchemy Wizard who once slaughtered an entire squad of wizards is moving towards you from the rear. Frontline be aware, an Alchemy Wizard who once slaughtered an entire squad of wizards is moving towards you from the rear.¡± Hearing the Communication Wizard emphasize ¡°slaughtered an entire squad of wizards,¡± the Second Ring Wizards on the frontline also understood the implication. ¡°Frontline received, we will make appropriate arrangements.¡± Listening to the vague response from the frontline, the Second Ring Wizards in the hall couldn¡¯t help but smile knowingly. The new Second Ring Wizard, watching this scene, was somewhat confused, simply thinking they were amused, as if Richard had no chance of escape. ¡°Gentlemen, shall we quickly pursue, even if that wizard is powerful, he cannot withstand¡ª¡± ¡°What is your name, master?¡± one of the Second Ring Wizards interrupted. ¡°My name is Qi Zeke.¡± ¡°Well then, Master Qi Zeke, you probably had your soul box broken by this wizard. It¡¯s too dangerous to pursue him now.¡± The Second Ring Wizards prepared to leave, and the one who had spoken to Qi Zeke continued, ¡°Let us handle this kind of pursuit. We still have our soul boxes for insurance.¡± Qi Zeke faintly felt that this matter was not as simple as the wizard had put it, but the memory of his squad being slaughtered made him shiver with horror. Could the Second Ring Wizards really stop this wizard? He swallowed nervously and performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute towards the several Second Ring Wizards. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it in your capable hands, masters. Please be very careful, that wizard¡¯s Alchemy Golem is quite formidable.¡± ¡­ As Richard quickly made his way to the Inner Ring, he had no idea that the wizards from the Meteor Star Academy had already decided to take a perfunctory approach. At this moment, his nerves were on edge, constantly vigilant of his surroundings, fearing that a dozen Second Ring Wizards might spring from a shadowy corner and beat him senseless. But he had been flying for a long while, about to reach the frontline, and still no wizard had appeared to intercept him. ¡°Did I guess wrong, did that wizard not recognize me, just having an issue with his hand?¡± Richard pondered, when suddenly a fireball blocked his path. Boom! The shockwave, carrying scattering Elemental Flames, hit the Magic Barrier with force. Though the fireball was not powerful, it was enough for Richard to confirm that his identity had indeed been discovered. But why was no one chasing him? Richard and Makar continued flying, and during the flight, fireballs, ice arrows, and bolts of Thunder, typical Elemental Magic, kept coming their way. Strangely though, these spells weren¡¯t powerful, barely causing a ripple on Richard¡¯s Magic Barrier, purely perfunctory. This is quite puzzling. However, despite his doubts, Richard didn¡¯t slow his flight. His figure flashed through the air like a falling star, with magic spells from the Meteor Star Academy wizards bursting like fireworks around him. Soon, Richard and Makar had left the control area of Meteor Star Academy and reached the middle of the battlefield. This entire area had been leveled by wizards from both sides, and any wizard attempting to infiltrate would be discovered immediately. Wizards from Black Tower Academy watched Richard, enveloped in magic fireworks and speeding towards the Inner Ring, and were momentarily dumbfounded. What was going on? Was there a civil disturbance on the other side? But before the wizards from Black Tower Academy could react, Richard plunged into the trap zone of the Inner Ring at an alarming speed. Boom, boom¡­ The trap area emitted a series of loud and soft sounds, occasionally accompanied by flames and thunder. By the time the wizards from Black Tower Academy arrived, Richard had already been blasted dirty and disheveled by the magic array traps. ¡°Who are you?¡± a Second Ring Wizard demanded as soon as he arrived. They didn¡¯t attack immediately because Richard¡¯s peculiar entrance had left them uncertain of the wizard¡¯s intentions. Hearing the voice, Richard joyfully removed his mask. ¡°Wan Jialili, upperclassman, it¡¯s me! Ali¡¯s wizard partner, Richard.¡± Hearing this, the Second Ring Wizard was taken aback. She scrutinized Richard carefully and said uncertainly, ¡°You are¡­ junior wizard Richard?¡± She had only met Richard once before and had some recollection of her junior sister¡¯s wizard partner. But looking at Richard now, she couldn¡¯t reconcile the wizard in front of her with the Richard she remembered. Logically, the life radiation from Richard was now even stronger than hers, which was not typical for a wizard of just four hundred years. ¡°It really is me; I was sent out on a mission. There was a problem recently, and I had to return to the Academy to sort it out.¡± Wan Jialili gestured for the other wizards to stay alert, then half-doubtingly took out a crystal ball, operated it for a while, and contacted her teacher, Susanna. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ve encountered a wizard claiming to be Richard in my defense area. He claims that there was a problem while he was on a mission, and he needs to come back to sort it out.¡± ¡°Richard?¡± The voice from the crystal ball was surprised but quickly returned to calm. ¡°Let him in.¡± ¡°But his strength seems¡­ a little incongruent with my memory.¡± ¡°A wizard of the Second Ring with a three-meter-tall steel golem following him, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s definitely him. Let him in.¡± Wan Jialili put away the crystal ball and signaled to the surrounding wizards. The wizards lowered their magic wands, and Richard consequently stepped out of the trap zone. The wizards returned to their positions, while Wan Jialili led Richard, circling around the traps of the Inner Ring, towards the Central Black Tower. On the way, Wan Jialili casually asked. ¡°Junior Richard, it must have taken you quite an effort to make this trip.¡± Richard¡¯s expression became stiff; logically, he should have fought his way out of the encirclement by the wizards of Meteor Star Academy. But in reality, he had not encountered any Second Ring Wizard from Meteor Star Academy blocking him. ¡°Well, it took some effort to infiltrate, but once my identity was revealed, my passage was unobstructed.¡± ¡°Oh? How so?¡± After Richard briefly explained the situation, Wan Jialili chuckled: ¡°Those crafty fellows.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, upperclassman?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t come out to stop you, purely because they feared your strength, that you might kill them if you broke through. Think about it; all these Second Ring wizards have fought their way out of the Plane War. None of them wants to waste their life in an Academy war. Since your arrival wouldn¡¯t affect the overall situation, they must have chosen to take it easy.¡± Having heard this, Richard suddenly understood. ¡°I see, thanks for clearing that up, upperclassman.¡± Upon reaching the front of the Central Black Tower, Wan Jialili returned to her position. Richard instructed Makar to wait outside the Black Tower and entered alone. When he reached the ninety-ninth floor, he found his teacher, Jolod, already waiting for him in front of the laboratory. Jolod looked Richard over and couldn¡¯t help but praise him: ¡°You have improved a lot recently. Have you encountered some opportunity that made you willing to give up the Dean¡¯s treasure?¡± Richard, embarrassed, said, ¡°Ah, that was just an accident. It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°No need to explain then,¡± Jolod said indifferently, uninterested in prying into his student¡¯s personal matters. As long as Richard had returned safely, he was satisfied. ¡°You¡¯ve come back this time, if I¡¯m not mistaken, for the matter of the contract, right?¡± Richard nodded: ¡°Teacher, your intuition is like that of a deity. Indeed, I am here for that matter.¡± Jolod gave Richard a stern look: ¡°Less flattery, old man. The contract can no longer be renewed; that¡¯s a matter of principle. But I do have a contract here that offers almost similar rewards. Do you want to hear it?¡± Eagerly, Richard responded, ¡°Please do tell, teacher.¡± Jolod slowly began: ¡°The Academy is planning to counterattack, and we need someone to spearhead the initiative right now.¡± Chapter 331: 47: The Counterattack Begins Chapter 331: Chapter 47: The Counterattack Begins ¡°Counterattack? The Academy still has the strength to counterattack?¡± Upon hearing Jolod¡¯s words, Richard said with some astonishment. If they could counterattack, then the Black Tower Wizard Academy shouldn¡¯t be left with just the Inner Ring. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been hobbled together.¡± Jolod sighed and led Richard into the laboratory. After sitting down behind the desk, Jolod massaged his temples with a headache. ¡°This counterattack is not our request, but the dean¡¯s. During the Academy War, the dean mediated with the Great Wizard of the Meteor Stars with several other Great Wizards involved. Now the two sides have basically reached an agreement, but there are still a few clauses with disagreements. Neither of the two Great Wizards would yield, so naturally, the content of these clauses turned into a bet. The dean has already said that as long as we can recover two-thirds of the commercial district, or an equal area of land, and hold it for more than seven days, and lose no more than two-thirds of the Inner Ring¡¯s territory. Then he would consider the bet won. That¡¯s our goal too.¡± Richard sighed after hearing this. This was truly a case of gods fighting and mortals suffering. A bet between Great Wizards could cost thousands of small wizards their lives. ¡°What rewards did the dean offer?¡± Richard asked. Jolod took out a Soul Contract and handed it to Richard across the desk. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°If we can win this bet, all the wizards participating in this war will receive a direct reward of two thousand Magic Essence. In addition to that, the dean¡¯s four worlds will be open to all wizards for half a year, during which the slaves, resources, and everything else there are free for the taking. And as the vanguard of the counterattack, as long as you fulfill the bet, the dean¡¯s treasury will be open to you. You can take away three items from it. Moreover, the dean will also give you a ten-square-kilometer piece of Secret Realm Fragments as a reward.¡± Upon hearing the rewards, Richard¡¯s heart jumped fiercely. ¡°The dean is really bleeding for this.¡± ¡°Bleeding?¡± Jolod shook his head, ¡°These things can hardly be considered bleeding, at most they¡¯re just painful. Not to mention that there were fifty thousand wizards participating in this war, and already over nine thousand have died, and nearly thirty thousand soul boxes have been destroyed. If this was an expedition to another Plane, it would be one thing, but this was fighting our own people, and for such absurd reasons. If he doesn¡¯t offer more money, morale will scatter. The wizards participating are our own people, the foundation of the Black Tower Wizard Academy. If a few big shots emerge from you in the future and get the title of honorary alumnus, then all the money spent now will be worth it.¡± After listening, Richard thoughtfully said, ¡°Then the Great Wizard of the Meteor Stars seems to have to bleed a lot. He started the Academy War and summoned so many wizards. This time he might have to spend as much as a Plane expedition.¡± Jolod spread his hands, ¡°Well, that¡¯s not our concern.¡± Richard carefully read the contract and after confirming there were no errant clauses, he signed it. As the contract burst into flames and disappeared into the air, the atmosphere between the mentor and student became much lighter. Jolod stood up to brew a pot of Magic Tea and casually asked, ¡°How are those Synthetic Beasts I made? Are they to your liking?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Teacher¡¯s craftsmanship is truly exquisite. The Dragon Beast as a mount couldn¡¯t be more suitable.¡± Jolod, holding the teapot, returned to his chair. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re satisfied, but I¡¯m quite curious about what exactly you¡¯re planning to do. Using Alien Slaves as cannon fodder is one thing. But if you want to use them as soldiers, they¡¯re still far too lacking.¡± Richard smiled, and though the incident with the Dragon Beast had broken some of Jolod¡¯s prejudice against native Aliens, as an old wizard, he still looked down on those Aliens from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Teacher, wait here, I¡¯ll go down and call Makar up.¡± Jolod watched Richard with interest; his student always had some ingenious ideas, and he wondered what kind of surprise Richard would bring him this time. Before long, Jolod saw an Iron Giant more than three meters tall bending down to enter his laboratory. Jolod¡¯s face stiffened slightly at the sight of the Iron Giant. As an Alchemy Wizard of the Flesh Faction, he wasn¡¯t very fond of pure Alchemy Machines like Magic Statues. Flesh Magic Statues were the best! Jolod said somewhat sullenly, ¡°Is this the Magic Statue you made? It seems much stronger than your previous one.¡± Richard smiled slightly and instructed Makar to disengage its sealed mode. In an instant, a surge of third-level creatures¡¯ Life Radiation released from the Armor, and Jolod tensed up. He hadn¡¯t expected that this ¡°Magic Statue¡± was actually a Fire Lizard clad in Armor. ¡°This is truly a big surprise,¡± Jolod exclaimed. He knew Richard possessed a third-level Fire Lizard as a Soul Slave, which was why he recommended Richard as an external Wizard before the war started. But he hadn¡¯t expected Richard to design a whole set of Armor for such a third-level creature. And this Armor could even conceal its presence from his perception. Richard took out a large metal shield from his pocket and had Makar equip it. ¡°Teacher, would you like to test the strength of this shield?¡± Seeing the solid shield, Jolod, as an old Wizard, dismissed the idea of breaking it the moment he saw it. ¡°These things¡­ I didn¡¯t teach you, did I?¡± Richard laughed, ¡°These creations are the masterpieces of the Fire Lizards under my command. Even this armor, a good portion of it, was designed by those Fire Lizard craftsmen. Think about it, Teacher, equipped with these, could natives really be weaker than Wizards?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you equip the Wizards with these things?¡± Jolod asked somewhat reflexively. ¡°Because there¡¯s no need,¡± Richard said indifferently, ¡°A fireball with an energy level of five hundred can kill a person, and so can a fireball with an energy level of a thousand. For a fireball with an energy level of four hundred, an increase of a hundred energy levels is a qualitative change. But for a fireball of a thousand energy levels, that extra hundred energy levels doesn¡¯t make a difference. After all, the opponents we¡¯re facing can be killed with a fireball of five hundred energy levels.¡± Jolod was stunned for a moment; Richard¡¯s reasoning did make sense. The true value of the equipment was not just in the increase of combat power, but rather in raising an Alien Slave to the level of a Wizard. If this could be widely adopted, the rate at which Wizards conquered Otherworlds would greatly accelerate. However, Jolod¡¯s expression soon turned to one of alarm. He released a Silence Spell and a spell to prevent spying in a bit of a panic. Then he spoke to Richard solemnly, ¡°Richard, listen carefully, you mustn¡¯t reveal this thing before you become a Great Wizard. What you¡¯re doing is threatening the livelihoods of thousands of Wizards!¡± Richard found Jolod¡¯s reaction somewhat incomprehensible. His idea was still in its draft stage. Although there was the prototype of Mechanic Model I, there was still a long way to go before making the armor mass-produced, ¡°Teacher, what do you mean by that?¡± Jolod said somewhat anxiously, ¡°Think about it carefully, if you want your Slave Army to make money, it has to be cheaper than hiring Wizards. But if you¡¯re cheaper, the Great Wizards will definitely prefer to use the Slave Army, thereby reducing their recruitment of Wizards. By doing this, the impact on Three Rings and Second Ring Wizards might be minimal, but the One Ring Wizards would be severely affected. Unless these Wizards drop their prices lower than the Slave Army, the Great Wizards will definitely not hire them. Once this situation begins, it will be a vicious cycle, and One Ring Wizards are the majority in the Wizard World! When that time comes, you better be prepared to be cursed by Curse Wizards day and night.¡± After hearing Jolod¡¯s explanation, Richard broke out in a cold sweat. He really hadn¡¯t thought that far. But this all sounded so familiar to him; it seemed to be the same thing as outsourcing labor costs. Richard tossed those messy thoughts aside in his mind and said to Jolod with a bitter smile, ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re thinking too far ahead. I hadn¡¯t considered all that. But you¡¯re right, my idea is indeed a bit dangerous.¡± Jolod looked resigned upon hearing this, as the surprise this time was a bit too great. ¡°Let¡¯s change the subject. How many Third-Level slaves did you bring this time? From the looks of their equipment, if we have two or three of them, we can consider this battle as good as won,¡± said Jolod. ¡°Rest assured, Teacher, I¡¯ve brought more than enough,¡± Richard said confidently. ¡­ The counterattack was scheduled for seven days later, and during this time, Richard met with his several brothers and Ali. Among these people, except for a One Ring sister who had only a passing relationship with Richard and had died, everyone else was fine; even the youngest and weakest Yelena had only broken both legs. Jolod and Susanna had assigned them to battlefields that best suited them; if it wasn¡¯t for really bad luck, they were unlikely to die. During these days, Richard also specialized in the modification of the Witch Hunting Team¡¯s armor to make it more suitable for the upcoming battlefield. Soon, the seventh night arrived. There was no moon that night, and the dazzling starry sky slowly revolved in the heavens. The Black Tower Academy¡¯s counterattacking forces quietly gathered at a point in the Inner Ring. The Wizards from Meteor Star Academy also knew that Black Tower Academy was about to counterattack, so almost all the Meteor Star Academy¡¯s Wizards came to the front lines. The patrolling Wizards and the Magic Pets carrying out reconnaissance made the entire front line crystal clear. Meteor Star Academy had not been idle over the years, either; they had constructed a tight defensive line based on the ruins left by the Black Tower Academy. Although these defenses were significantly weaker compared to the Black Tower Academy¡¯s Inner Ring, as a defensive line, it had fulfilled its purpose¡ªto give the Black Tower Academy a bit of a headache. With a larger number of Wizards from Meteor Star Academy, if they could not quickly break through this line of defense, the only thing waiting for them would be a withdrawal in disgrace. And this, this was Richard¡¯s purpose. Richard¡¯s Witch Hunting Team could act as the spearhead, quickly tearing through Meteor Star Academy¡¯s defensive line. Richard held the Mithril Magic Wand, quietly watching the pocket watch in his hand. The counterattack was scheduled for 12:10 a.m.; before then, a few decoy Wizards would attract fire to reduce the obstructions they would face when breaking through the defense. Boom! A rumble came from Meteor Star Academy¡¯s position in the distance. A huge alarm immediately echoed throughout the outer ring of Black Tower Academy. Richard quietly watched the Wizards on the defense line; he saw many rushing toward the battle zone. Not long after, the alarm sounded again, and another group of Wizards departed. Richard glanced at the pocket watch in his hand; the minute hand had reached 12:09, and the second hand was slowly ticking toward the top of the hour. Richard counted down in his mind as he watched the second hand, ¡°Five, four, three, two, one!¡± He suddenly raised his head and commanded the Witch Hunting Team beside him, ¡°Move!¡± Chapter 332: 48: Pay Money, Spare Life Chapter 332: Chapter 48: Pay Money, Spare Life With Richard¡¯s command, the Witch Hunting Team, like four streaks of black lightning, instantly swept through the space between two positions. In their hands, the roaring chainsaw sword, wrapped in white and purple arcs of energy, swung like golden thunder. When encountering the obstruction of a wizard, their chainsaw sword sliced through the magic barrier as easily as cutting through butter, also cutting the wizard inside in half. ¡°Enemy attack!¡± Amidst the stern shouts of the wizards from Meteor Star Academy, the third alarm at the defensive line was sounded. The wizards within the defensive line quickly converged¡ªit had been 30 years, enough time for the Black Wizards to collaborate as proficiently in battle as the White Wizards. Dozens of powerful spells, shooting through the blood mist created by the expelled wizard bodies, aimed at the Witch Hunting Team. Boom! The shockwave, carrying flames, instantly formed a wall of fire. The gathered wizards didn¡¯t naively wait for the flames to disperse; the second round of casting had already started right after the first spell was fired. If they encountered wizards, this strategy was no doubt the most effective and safest. Unfortunately, this time they faced Richard¡¯s Witch Hunting Team. A large rectangular shield burst through the flames and collided with the nearest wizard, the immense force instantly shattering the wizard¡¯s skeleton. The second round of casting now arrived, but this time the wizards clearly saw the effects of their spells. ¡°Retreat!¡± shouted a Second Ring Shaping Wizard in alarm. Dozens of spells landed on the Witch Hunting Team, as silent as raindrops. In front of armor plates that could withstand spells up to four thousand energy levels and metal shields that could withstand up to six thousand energy levels, these wizards¡¯ spells were as weak as water guns. The chainsaw sword swung, lifting a cloud of blood mist. The wizards from Meteor Star Academy began to flee, using every trick they had. The Witch Hunting Team was not an opponent they could resist. Following the footsteps of the Witch Hunting Team, Richard entered and, seeing the groaning wizards on the ground, Richard slightly smiled and then called out to the back: ¡°Undead Wizard, tend to the wounded. Other wizards, follow up!¡± Meteor Star Academy failed to notice that those wizards sliced by the chainsaw sword were still alive¡ªeven the one whose entire skeleton had been shattered was still groaning. The life energy of the Black Wizards was stronger than that of cockroaches. Additional wizards entered and, seeing the wounded all over the ground, sent looks of admiration toward Richard. ¡°Master, what should we do with these wizards?¡± asked an Undead Wizard, blue fires of soul burning in his eye sockets. Richard looked at the wounded on the ground, his lips curving into a radiant smile. ¡°I think these wizards would be very willing to exchange their magic pockets for their lives, don¡¯t you think?¡± The Undead Wizard chuckled, the soul fires in his eye sockets flickering twice. ¡°I think so too.¡± Money for mercy, this was the decision Richard made to maximize benefits. The power of the Witch Hunting Team could easily have broken through the defense line and slaughtered the wizards within, but that would yield limited profits and could easily incur resentment from Meteor Star Academy. By leaving these wizards severely injured but alive, Richard¡¯s profit did not diminish much. And the wizards from Meteor Star Academy would owe Richard a favor. Having more friends is always better than having more enemies. Besides, this was merely a minor inconvenience for the Witch Hunting Team. Most wizards in the defense line couldn¡¯t even scratch the armor of the Witch Hunting Team. Such confidence came from the Single Soldier Armor made from magic essence costing tens of thousands. ¡°One fourth of the magic stones in the pockets can be shared among you, notes can be copied, but the originals must be left for me. Magic wands can be taken, but leave the magic equipment.¡± The Undead Wizard made a respectful Wizard¡¯s Salute towards Richard. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we understand.¡± ¡­ The Witch Hunting Team advanced swiftly, breaking through the defense line in just two or three minutes. Following wizards entered through the breach made by the Witch Hunting Team, continually expanding it. A large number of Alchemy Wizards began constructing new defensive positions on the ruins. The Witch Hunting Team, as per Richard¡¯s orders, split into two groups to further expand the gap in the defensive line and intercept the arriving Second Ring Wizards. Buzz! The roaring chainsaw sword slashed on a magic shield, stirring ripples. Kava looked surprisingly at the old wizard in front of him; this old wizard was the first he encountered on this defensive line that could block the chainsaw sword. Although the shield was wobbling under the chainsaw sword, it ultimately held. ¡°Damn, aren¡¯t you afraid of losing control of the war by not playing by the rules?¡± The old wizard glared at Kava, teeth clenched. Kava had not activated sealed mode, so the old wizard could tell that a third-level creature resided within this Iron Giant. On a battlefield filled with One Ring and Second Ring Wizards, auch a third-level creature clad in armor highly resistant to elemental damage is essentially like a tank. No, the Witch Hunting Team was even more agile than a tank. ¡°Not playing by the rules? Old fool, that¡¯s slander!¡± Richard¡¯s voice came from behind Kava, and immediately a shadow appeared next to the old wizard, punching and shattering the old wizard¡¯s wobbly magic shield. The old wizard was startled and moved to swing his magic wand. But the shadow¡¯s fist was faster. Bang! The old wizard¡¯s chest was punched, leaving a gaping hole. The old wizard¡¯s heart turned into a mist of blood with that punch. Richard withdrew his fist. ¡°To be honest, the real rule breakers should be you. At least I personally saw your academy¡¯s Three Rings Wizards chasing down our Second Ring Wizards.¡± The old wizard stood trembling, unable to utter a single word. Magic Rebound shattered, temporarily robbing him of his ability to cast instant spells. Richard pulled several Sealing Demon Nails from his pocket and casually nailed them into the old wizard. ¡°But rule-breaking is your business. I¡¯m a rule-follower and quite kind. We¡¯re all wizards, no need for bloodshed.¡± ¡°Hand over your Magic Pocket and Magic Equipment to me, and I¡¯ll let you live until the war ends. You won¡¯t be at a loss,¡± he said. The Great Wizard spat out a mouthful of black blood filled with tiny fragments of internal organs. He wiped his mouth, his expression somewhat gloomy as he said, ¡°I agree to this trade.¡± Saying that, the old wizard unbuckled the Magic Pocket at his waist and handed it over to Richard. Richard nodded in satisfaction, smiled kindly at the old wizard, and said, ¡°I knew Master would make the right choice. Magic Stones and Magic Equipment are external belongings; life is what is most precious for a wizard.¡± With a wave of his hand, an Undead Wizard who was tending to the injured threw a patient to the ground and came over to Richard¡¯s side. ¡°Master Richard, what do you need?¡± Richard pointed to the old wizard on the ground, ¡°Arrange a better ward for this gentleman.¡± ¡°No problem, I¡¯ve got it covered.¡± ¡­ The sudden attack by the Black Tower Wizard Academy was not unexpected by the Meteor Star Academy, but the results of the battle left them dumbstruck. In just half a night, the Black Tower Wizard Academy had managed to carve a huge breach in their formation and expanded it at an alarming rate. However, this phenomenon did not last long. As the first light of dawn appeared, the expansion by the wizards of Black Tower Academy also came to a halt. At this moment, more and more wizards were gathering at the frontline, and even the Witch Hunting Team dared not launch rash attacks. Reality was not a game, their Single Soldier Armor might withstand the Elemental Magic of wizards with four thousand Energy Levels, but that did not mean that the spells had no effect on the armor. A constant dripping wears the stone, let alone spells. When subjected to Elemental Magic to a certain extent, the external armor of the Single Soldier Armor had to be replaced. If not replaced, this armor might develop cracks due to unstable internal structure and, in severe cases, even shatter. Moreover, recycling these discarded armored plates was extremely troublesome, almost making them unsuitable to be reused as raw materials for armor. This also made Richard hesitant to have the Witch Hunting Team forcibly breach the defenses. At the current frontline, the density of wizards was not comparable to the time of their stealth attacks; if their armored plates were ruined, he would have nothing to repair. In the short term, both sides resumed a standoff. ¡­ Temporary Command Post in the Recovered Zone Richard was contacting Jolod from Central Black Tower via a Crystal Ball. ¡°Teacher, how are the results of our battle?¡± Richard asked. There was a moment of silence on the other side of the Crystal Ball, followed by Jolod¡¯s joyous voice. ¡°¡­As of now, quite excellent. Our occupied area has already achieved its initial goals, and even exceeded them. As long as we can hold for seven days, this war will be considered over.¡± Listening to the battle results, Richard gestured reassuringly to the wizards around him. Seeing Richard¡¯s gesture, the other wizards burst into cheerful smiles. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Richard laughed, ¡°the wizards from Meteor Star Academy have already regrouped. If we didn¡¯t achieve our goals, taking over more territories would have been difficult.¡± In terms of numbers, Black Tower Wizard Academy has always been at a disadvantage. Without the element of surprise, Black Tower Academy would struggle to achieve the same results as today. ¡°Don¡¯t be careless, your tasks ahead are still arduous, and we¡¯ve just started the seven days. While your Fire Lizards are formidable, relying solely on them will not be enough to stop the offensive of Meteor Star Academy. At the end of the day, this war is a battle of wizards.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Teacher, I understand this all too well.¡± After a few more pleasantries, Richard ended the communication. Currently, Richard was the Commander of the temporary command post, fittingly serving as the spearhead in tearing apart the defenses of Meteor Star Academy. But responsibility came with power. Now, Richard needed to coordinate many things, and he must take advantage of this brief moment to build as many defenses as possible. And also prepare the counterstrategies for when the Meteor Star Academy launches their fierce attacks. A One Ring Wizard brought a map of the recovered area to Richard, who rubbed his temples with a bit of headache. ¡°Ah, the dean¡¯s rewards are not easy to earn.¡± ¡­ Command Post of Meteor Star Academy ¡°Yes, according to the wizards who retreated, the breach in our defenses was caused by four Black Iron Magic Statues. These Magic Statues had been specially treated, offering excellent resistance against Elemental Magic, and their weapons were particularly effective against Magic Barriers.¡± ¡­ ¡°I am very certain, because this conclusion is not from just one wizard, but a collective result after integrating the statements of many wizards.¡± ¡­ ¡°Good, good, I understand. I¡¯ll proceed immediately.¡± Ending the communication, Crispin rubbed his temples with a headache. ¡°Master Zick, it seems we have made a wrong judgment in the past.¡± Seated across from Crispin, Zick held a cup of Magic Tea. The rising steam obscured his eyes, keeping his thoughts inscrutable. ¡°Indeed, that young fellow told the truth back then, and it was my mistake.¡± Crispin shook his head, ¡°Mine too, how could it be just one wizard¡¯s judgment error. The immediate priority now is how to deal with these four Magic Statues.¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Zick fell silent for a long time, the Magic Tea in his hand turning tepid. Finally, like making a decided choice, Zick sighed. ¡°Ah, let it escalate, then. Call up the Three Rings, we¡¯ve been inactive for thirty years; it¡¯s time to move and earn some face for the dean.¡± Chapter 333: 49 Three Rings Great Battle Chapter 333: Chapter 49 Three Rings Great Battle In the wilderness on the outskirts of Meteor Star Academy, Anka, as usual, was hiding in his secret location, monitoring his surroundings. As a Black Wizard, maintaining surveillance over the immediate environment is the most basic ability, and Anka was exceptionally skilled at this. Hundreds of tiny ¡°Eye Worms¡± were scattered within a kilometer radius around the hiding spot, and any slight movement within this area would be transmitted back to Anka through these worms. According to messages from the Crystal Ball, the Academy had already initiated a decisive battle with Meteor Star Academy. As an outsourced wizard, the Academy had issued a summoning order to these wizards, urging them to return as quickly as possible. However, Anka did not plan to return in haste. ¡°What use could dozens of Second Ring Wizards be? Better to take another gamble,¡± Anka muttered to himself as he watched the imagery sent back by the Eye Worms. He was waiting for intelligence, information that could earn him great merit. Suddenly, a slight fluctuation appeared in the imagery sent by the Eye Worms. Although brief, this fluctuation delighted Anka. Hastily, he replayed the recent imagery. At the moment of the fluctuation, a figure had flown quickly over the Eye Worms. A smirk appeared on Anka¡¯s face, ¡°I knew it, you guys couldn¡¯t hold back.¡± With that, he immediately took out a modified Communication Crystal Ball. Without any regard for Meteor Star Academy¡¯s monitoring of the Crystal Ball, Anka increased its power to the maximum, then sent a message to Black Tower Academy. ¡°Three Rings Wizards from Meteor Star Academy have made their move.¡± ¡­ In the temporary command center, Lord Richard was preparing post-battle strategies with a few older wizards. But rather than commanding, Richard was more like a student, continuously learning from these older wizards and their assessments of the battle situation. Although Richard¡¯s power was adequate, in terms of experience, some of these older wizards¡¯ own students had even more than Richard. ¡°That¡¯s it then, it¡¯s hard to further optimize our positioning,¡± an older wizard spoke, ¡°We have limited time, limited manpower, and too few areas we can work with. If it weren¡¯t for Richard¡¯s slaves, we would barely have a chance in this fight.¡± Only those who have experienced war firsthand understand the importance of numbers. The gap between Meteor Star Academy¡¯s Second Ring Wizards and its Third Ring Wizards was not large, though the latter were slightly fewer, but in terms of One Ring Wizards, Meteor Star Academy had more than twice as many as Black Tower Academy. The numerous One Ring Wizards provided Meteor Star Academy with a huge advantage during the war, leaving them plenty of leeway. Even if Black Tower Wizard Academy scored significant advances through breaking lines, the loss was trivial for Meteor Star Academy. Richard closed the notebook in his hands and bowed slightly to the older wizards. ¡°Thank you for allowing this novice to participate; I have gained a lot from this session,¡± he expressed. The older wizards smiled, some with emotion, others with envy. Back then, they were all Second Ring Wizards just like Jolod. Although Jolod had many students, they didn¡¯t think much of it. But now, Jolod, their peer, had become a Three Rings Wizard and the Deputy Dean of the Academy. His students now sat on equal footing with them. Such are the unpredictable turns of life. Suddenly, Richard sensed a fluctuation of magic power. He took out the Crystal Ball from his pocket and saw a message from Jolod. ¡°Quickly gather your slaves, the Three Rings from Meteor Star Academy have come out.¡± Richard¡¯s expression changed slightly. Putting down the Crystal Ball, he said sternly to the older wizards, ¡°Masters, the worst-case scenario we feared has occurred.¡± Upon hearing this, the smiles vanished from the faces of the older wizards. An elder wizard tentatively asked, ¡°Has the Three Rings from Meteor Star Academy moved out?¡± Richard nodded gravely, and then pulled out another Communication Crystal Ball from his pocket. ¡°Makar, Kava, Heraen, Mishan, return to the command center immediately. The Three Rings of Meteor Star Academy have made their move, and I need your protection now.¡± On the front lines, the voices of Richard simultaneously echoed by the ears of four fire lizards. ¡°The Three Rings have moved; it looks like a final battle is upon us,¡± Kava casually mentioned to Makar beside him. Makar silently turned and quickly headed towards the temporary command center. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, our only job is to protect Lord Richard.¡± Kava, observing the surrounding wizards, had a bloodthirsty sparkle in his eyes. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s a pity though, if it¡¯s a final battle, we won¡¯t get the thrill of cutting down wizards.¡± ¡­ The news of the Three Rings¡¯ movement quickly spread through the frontlines of both academies. The wizards receiving this news turned solemn. They knew the climax was approaching. If in a plane expedition, the movement of Great Wizards signified a pivotal battle, then in the conflicts between academies, the Three Rings Wizards hold the position of Great Wizards. Formidable figures flew out of the Central Black Tower, and from the rear of Meteor Star Academy, similarly formidable figures rapidly moved towards the frontline. Three Rings Wizards, the most powerful beings allowed in the Wizard World. This level of life often varies greatly in strength: the weaker, like the newly-promoted Jolod, can only dominate among Second Ring Wizards but might get injured facing a stronger Second Ring Wizard. And the stronger ones are almost akin to miniature Great Wizards. Three Rings Wizards could already touch upon the rules. If a Three Rings Wizard possesses enough rules, he could even temporarily rival a Great Wizard with modest foundations. In the sky, the Three Rings Wizards from both academies had arrived. Representing Great Wizard students, Susanna and Crispin stood at the forefront of their respective teams. Crispin smiled slightly. ¡°Susanna, it¡¯s been a long time. Last I saw you, you were a Second Ring Wizard. I never expected you¡¯d become the Deputy Dean of Meteor Star Academy.¡± Susanna raised an eyebrow, ¡°You just got promoted a century before me, stop acting like an old-timer. Less talk, if you want to fight, let¡¯s fight.¡± Crispin¡¯s expression stiffened, then he said helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re still as hot-tempered. How about we don¡¯t kill on the ground?¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Buzz! Before Susanna could finish speaking, a Magic Barrier suddenly burst out from within her. An invisible Wind Blade had, unbeknownst to her, silently flown close to her neck. Flames suddenly surged around Susanna, making her resemble a descended god of fire. She cursed, ¡°You bastard, can¡¯t you ever change your habit of sneak attacks after thousands of years!¡± With that, her Magic Wand suddenly spouted a sea of flames, instantly enveloping Crispin and the few Three Rings Wizards around him. The battle was on the verge of breaking out. The entire sky was filled with elements and thunder. Third-level creatures were known as Demigods in the Civilization of Gods. This was not just an honorary title but a literal designation. Looking at those god-like Three Rings Wizards in the sky, any mortal would feel awe. In the temporary command center, several old Wizards silently tore up the battle plans they had just written. With the participation of Three Rings Wizards, this war had nothing to do with them anymore. If the Three Rings Wizards of Black Tower Academy could win, the Wizards of Meteor Star Academy would automatically give up the territory. But if the Three Rings Wizards of Meteor Star Academy could win, the Wizards of Black Tower Academy would make the same decision. A single Three Rings Wizard was manageable, but multiple Three Rings Wizards, along with a significant number of One Ring and Second Ring Wizards, were definitely not something Meteor Star Academy could withstand. Watching the chaotic battle in the sky, Richard commanded the demon-hunting squad next to him: ¡°Makar, Kava, go help my teacher and take down a few weaker Three Rings Wizards.¡± Makar hesitated upon receiving the order, ¡°My lord, if we leave, those Wizards in the sky might harm you¡­¡± Richard interrupted, ¡°Just go, the Wizards in the sky won¡¯t bother hunting me, a Second Ring Wizard. Besides, with Mishan and Heraen as my guards, even if some short-sighted Three Rings come here, they can handle them.¡± Makar, wordlessly, gripped his Chain Saw Sword and flew up to the sky with Kava. ¡­ In the sky, Jolod held a Flesh Wand, continuously taking out various spell materials from his pocket, bestowing his nearby Synthetic Beast with various combat enhancements. As an Alchemy Wizard of the Flesh Faction, his own combat ability was weaker than that of regular Wizards since most of the spells he learned were enhancement spells like Cat¡¯s Agility, Bull¡¯s Strength, and Vampire¡¯s Touch. His combat strength was all vested in his creation¡ª the Synthetic Beast, and those enhancement spells were prepared for it. It was for this reason that he was targeted by two Three Rings Wizards from Meteor Star Academy. ¡°Roar!¡± The octopus-like Synthetic Beast roared, its sonic waves continuously rippling the Magic Barriers of the two Three Rings Wizards. ¡°Jolod, that Synthetic Beast of yours is quite impressive,¡± laughed one Three Rings Wizard. He too was a Flesh Faction Alchemy Wizard, but his focus was on Physique Evolution and Bloodline modification. At this moment, this Three Rings Wizard looked like a giant, his flesh continuously twisting and forming various Magic Beast bodies to grapple with the octopus Synthetic Beast. Meanwhile, on the other side, a skeletal Undead Wizard was cackling with Undead Magic, continuously draining the Life Energy of the Synthetic Beast. Beams tinged with the scent of death shot from the Undead Wizard¡¯s wand, immediately withering the flesh of the struck parts of the Synthetic Beast. ¡°Cackle, Jolod, why prolong the inevitable as a newly promoted Three Rings? Drop down now, and perhaps your Synthetic Beast might survive.¡± Jolod stood within the defenses of the octopus Synthetic Beast, his face devoid of emotion. But each attack from the Undead Wizard made the corners of his eyes twitch. This Synthetic Beast had been with him for over two thousand years; even if Jolod was cold-hearted, he had some affection for it. Suddenly, two beams of dark light sped from the ground below. The Undead Wizard sensed something approaching and quickly used his spiritual power to probe, but upon clearly seeing who they were, his mind relaxed. ¡°I thought it was something serious, just two steel Magic Statues. You really think specializing Magic Statues can take on a Three Rings Wizard?¡± The Undead Wizard poured out a pile of bones from his Magic Pocket, waved his White Bone Wand, and the bones, as if alive, pieced together into a five-meter-long Skeletal Flying Dragon. The Skeletal Flying Dragon let out a silent roar, its eyes glowing with the furious Soul Fire indicative of an extremely ferocious Undead creature. The Undead Wizard pointed, and the Skeleton Flying Dragon turned its head toward the direction of the two black beams. ¡°Go, take care of those two Magic Statues.¡± Driven by the instincts left from its previous life, the Skeletal Flying Dragon, its wings useless, darted toward the sky-bound Makar and Kava like lightning. The Undead Wizard turned to Jolod but saw Jolod trying to suppress his laughter. ¡°Jolod, what¡¯s with that look on your face?¡± Jolod, unable to hold back, burst out laughing: ¡°Idiot, look behind you, and remember not to use spiritual power, use your Undead Vision.¡± A thunderous noise came from behind the Undead Wizard, and as he turned around, a golden Chain Saw Sword wrapped in energy arcs cleaved down from the sky. Chapter 334: 50: Endgame Chapter 334: Chapter 50: Endgame The chain saw sword cleaved down, slicing the undead wizard¡¯s skull and entire skeleton frame cleanly in two halves. Two wisps of ghostly blue soul fire flew out from the skeleton body, instantly transforming into a tiny figure of flames. Among all wizards, undead wizards require the least from their bodies. This unique form of soul, the soul fire, allows undead wizards to detach from their corporeal form and still cast spells normally. Bang! Makar¡¯s left arm wielding the large shield tilted slightly, blocking a streak of dark light, while his right hand shook gently, the black wizard robe on the chain saw sword was completely shredded by the serrated edge. Beneath his feet, Kava used the blade of the chain saw sword to shatter the skeletal flying dragon of the undead wizard little by little. For undead creatures, swords, these sharp weapons, are not most effective, while blunt weapons like hammers are the best to deal with skeletal frames. The undead wizard looked at Makar. ¡°Smart-control magic statue? No!¡± Recalling Jolod¡¯s words from earlier, the undead wizard¡¯s soul fire surged abruptly, and his undead vision became even clearer. In the undead beings¡¯ vision, the world only consists of three colors: black, white, and red, where red represents life. And now he saw a striking red within this magic statue. ¡°It¡¯s a third-level alien slave!¡± A memory flashed across the undead wizard¡¯s mind of Lai Kete being the butt of their jokes thirty years ago. Although Lai Kete said nothing, they all guessed that Lai Kete had been duped by someone using a third-level alien slave. But wasn¡¯t the kid who had control of the slave cursed¡­ Hum¡ª Makar¡¯s figure suddenly appeared before him, the roaring chain saw sword struck like thunder, heavily chopping onto the magic shield. Watching the magic barrier wobble dangerously, although the undead wizard¡¯s heart fluttered with panic, he was still prepared to counter with spells. In an instant, filthy green flames shot out of the tiny figure of flames, instantly coating Makar¡¯s entire body. ¡°Three thousand five hundred energy level of contamination flames, let¡¯s see how many seconds your armor can last¡­¡± Crack! The magic barrier shattered. The chain saw sword, writhing with energy arcs, swung with unstoppable force towards the tiny figure of flames. The tiny figure frantically dodged the blade but was struck by an energy arc, causing the flames to dim slightly. He looked at Makar in horror, only to see that under the burning of the green flames, there was not a single sign of melting on Makar¡¯s armor. A thought crossed the undead wizard¡¯s mind. ¡°This is an enemy I definitely cannot cope with!¡± He had only ascended over Jolod by a mere two hundred years, and among the Three Rings wizards, he was one of the weakest. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to pick on Jolod, the soft persimmon. Moreover, there was a cruel reality now before him. That was, against such an enemy, he had two more to face! After a moment of thought, the undead wizard immediately threw his dignity aside; preserving his life was more important at this juncture. His form dissipated and suddenly vanished into thin air. Makar looked around, noticing the tiny figure had already reached the ground. Not to kill when landing, that was the rule they set before the fight began. If these Three Rings wizards were to fight it out, it wasn¡¯t just they who wouldn¡¯t want to, even the two observing Great Wizards would be unwilling. Three Rings wizards are the backbone, and it would be too wasteful on such meaningless matters. Makar wanted to pursue, but Jolod promptly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t chase him, this battle has nothing to do with him anymore.¡± Makar hesitated for a moment and then turned his target towards the Three-Ring Alchemy Wizard who was entangled with the octopus synthetic beast. The Alchemy Wizard, noticing the situation of the Undead Wizard, now regretted his actions deeply. Originally, they wanted to gang up and pick on the weak, but now they hadn¡¯t managed to squash the soft persimmon and instead had their teeth knocked out. Both Great Wizards were paying attention to this fight. Now, to drop the ball and face the consequences back at the Academy¡ªno good outcomes awaited. Their Dean, the Meteor Star Great Wizard, was notoriously petty. Kava came to Makar¡¯s side. Through the communication system, Makar told Kava their next target. ¡°See that wizard who keeps changing shapes? Chop him down.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Two fire lizards burst towards the Alchemy Wizard, who was unable to break free from the synthetic beast¡¯s entanglement in a short time. Splurch! The chain saw swords sliced through the Alchemy Wizard¡¯s body as smoothly as cutting through butter, and the octopus synthetic beast wrapped up the lower half of the Alchemy Wizard¡¯s body, feeding it into its mouth full of sharp teeth. The Alchemy Wizard, hit by the sword, faced the harsh reality, and the remaining half of his body burst into a mist of blood with a ¡°boom¡±. Immediately afterward, a beam of blood flew out from the mist, landing on the ground in the blink of an eye. He also surrendered. The two fire lizards watched this scene, stunned for a moment, then came to Jolod¡¯s side. ¡°Old Chairman, who should we kill next?¡± Jolod glanced at the surrounding wizards and quickly found a wizard who was nearly defeated. ¡°Follow me closely, whoever I go after, you strike.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡­ S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Outside the Wizard World, two colossal entities floated in the Star Realm, quietly watching the Academy war broadcasted through the World Mirror. Watching the continuously conquering Black Tower Academy in the World Mirror, the Black Tower Great Wizard, who was hundreds of meters tall, laughed weirdly: ¡°Kyak Kyak Kyak, Meteor Star, do you have any other objections now?¡± Opposite him, the Meteor Star Great Wizard spoke in a muffled voice: ¡°Black Tower, you are a bastard!¡± The true form of the Meteor Star Great Wizard was a stone giant, different from the ordinary stone giants, behind him trailed a shining comet tail. His body was massive, no less imposing than the Black Tower Great Wizard. The Wizard¡¯s classification of life¡¯s strength into nine tiers further divides into three major tiers. Every time a life form crossed a major tier, its strength would undergo what could be described as explosive growth. Such strength increase would turn any forth-tier life form that was not a World Guardian into a moving natural disaster after surviving for a period. Hence, even in secret realms or Wizard Towers, they would suppress their power as much as possible. But the Star Realm was different. In the Star Realm, Great Wizards needed not suppress their strength and could stretch their bodies to their heart¡¯s content. Here, they would not affect anything. Furthermore, counterintuitively, among the World Masters, apart from some innately large creatures, the majority of those who underwent physique evolution were generally not as large in their normal state as those who underwent spiritual evolution. World Masters who underwent spiritual evolution mostly had bodies composed of energy, with spiritual power serving as their framework. This made their bodies exceptionally large, giving them a somewhat ¡°puffy¡± appearance. The Black Tower Great Wizard continued with his strange laughter. ¡°Hehe, the Academy War was initiated by you, and the rules of the mediation were also to your advantage. I merely won ¡®a little bit¡¯ in the end.¡± ¡°A little bit!?¡± The Meteor Star Great Wizard¡¯s expression became a tad excited, and his massive stone body visibly reddened. ¡°I only have ten thousand years of research time, but you got the ownership of the Extreme Dark Star Core!¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard nodded a bit shamelessly, ¡°You see, isn¡¯t that an advantage for you? You get to research first for ten thousand years. If I die within that time, it still becomes yours.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go and die, you bastard!¡± ¡°Hahaha, calm down, Meteor Star, don¡¯t get so heated.¡± In the World Mirror, the Three Rings battle was nearing its end. The Black Tower Academy currently had seven Great Wizards left, plus two Fire Lizards, while Meteor Star Academy still had eight Three Rings Wizards. ¡°Crispin, shall we continue?¡± Susanna had a wanton smile on her face, and although the flames on her body had dimmed considerably compared to three days ago, her aura still heavy-handedly suppressed Crispin¡¯s. Crispin¡¯s black Wizard Robe was tattered, with many parts showing signs of burns. Although his expression remained the same as when the battle started, his tightly gripped Magic Wand betrayed that his inner state was far from calm. Crispin glanced at the Wizards on his side and then at those from Black Tower Academy, especially the two Fire Lizards. Throughout the past few days, the performance of Makar and the other individual had been particularly eye-catching. Alien Slaves capable of withstanding several thousand Energy Level Spells and blasting Wizards were rare. Makar and Kava¡¯s Armor had suffered various degrees of damage, and their metal shields had been mostly melted by spells. Among the Three Rings Wizards, many fierce fighters had Spells exceeding six thousand Energy Levels, which many Shaping Wizards possessed. With an unchanged expression, Crispin replied lightly, ¡°Why not continue? It¡¯s eight against seven, the advantage is on our side. Moreover, some of the Masters on your side are likely to fall soon.¡± Susanna¡¯s face shifted slightly. Crispin¡¯s eyes were sharp as hawks¡¯; three out of the seven Wizards from Black Tower Academy fighting were merely keeping up appearances. If a real battle broke out, they¡¯d be knocked out immediately. Crispin did not overlook that brief change on Susanna¡¯s face. A small smile touched his lips; clearly, he had hit the mark. But soon, he noticed a pleased look cross Susanna¡¯s face as she provocatively responded to him, ¡°Is that so?¡± She lifted her hand, and Makar and Kava fell back, replaced by two Fire Lizards with brand new Armor soaring into the sky. Crispin¡¯s face paled suddenly; he remembered that initial frontline reports mentioned four Magic Statues breaking through the defense lines. With Heraen and Mishan joining the battle, the scales of the war tipped instantly in Black Tower Academy¡¯s favor. For the nearly pristine Fire Lizards, with the help of a few Three Rings Wizards, defeating several who had fought a considerable battle and were injured was not difficult. The Single Soldier Armor was a massive advantage against most Wizards whose primary offensive Spells were Elemental. Witnessing the tide turn, Crispin felt a measure of unwillingness but ultimately could only sigh in resignation before the reality. ¡°We¡¯ve lost this battle.¡± Hearing these words, Susanna too breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to look at Jolod and sent a Spiritual Message, ¡°Thank my student for me. I will highlight his contributions in the report.¡± The end of the Three Rings Wizard battle signified the farcical Academy War drawing to a close. Five days after the battle, the bet between the two Great Wizards was settled. Both parties began to withdraw their forces. And naturally, the Wizards captured by Black Tower Academy from Meteor Star Academy were to be released. Upon learning that Black Tower Academy was releasing a group of captured Wizards, Meteor Star Academy was pleasantly surprised. To show their importance, they especially sent Zick, the Deputy Dean with real power, to receive them. As the planner and initiator of the capture plan, naturally, Richard was the one to personally hand over the captives to Meteor Star Academy with the Witch Hunting Team. After all, the fruits Richard had sown weren¡¯t to be reaped by other Wizards. ¡­ In the early morning, the starless night sky glittered with stars. Outside Black Tower Academy, two groups were making the last moves of the war. ¡°The last one.¡± Richard handed over the final captive Wizard to Zick, ¡°A total of eight hundred fifty-eight Wizards, including one hundred twelve of the Second Ring. Can you verify that the number is correct?¡± Zick took the Wizard and whispered something to the last, patting his shoulder before sending him off to join the hands of the Undead Wizards behind him. Then Zick turned back to Richard and respectfully performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°My gratitude for this favor, Master, I¡¯ll remember it. You are welcome to visit Meteor Star Academy any time.¡± Richard returned the Wizard¡¯s Salute, smiling, ¡°No need for such formality, Master; it¡¯s simply a minor effort.¡± Zick left with the captured Wizards, heading back to Meteor Star Academy, while Richard turned to return to Black Tower Academy. Dawn¡¯s first light pierced the darkness, signaling an end to the war, and a new day approached. Chapter 335: 51 Post-War Reconstruction Chapter 335: Chapter 51 Post-War Reconstruction Because the two Great Wizards reached a reconciliation, the war between the two academies naturally also came to an end. In this war, the Black Tower Academy lost nearly ten thousand One Ring Wizards, as well as several hundred Second Ring Wizards. Over nearly thirty thousand wizards¡¯ soul boxes were ejected, and the entire academy had to be rebuilt, except for the Central Black Tower. The losses of the Meteor Star Academy were more than double those of the Black Tower Academy, but a considerable part of those were student soldiers who had never seen the battlefield. Considering everything, it was the Black Tower Wizard Academy who ended up at a disadvantage. However, on the level of Great Wizards, the Black Tower Wizard Academy undoubtedly made a killing. Twenty years after the war ended, the World Mirror reopened, and both academies returned to the Wizard World. ¡°Sigh, this return is really taking some getting used to.¡± Standing outside the Central Black Tower, Richard was suddenly tense due to the thin energy environment of the Wizard World. Having a life core that¡¯s overly active isn¡¯t all good; fifty years had made Richard¡¯s body accustomed to the high concentration energy environment of the World Mirror. Now, suddenly returning to the Wizard World, his body produced a series of discomforts. He estimated it would take about two years to eliminate this reaction. However, looking at it from another angle, this also meant that if Richard were to go to other harsh environments, he would take only two years to adapt. ¡°Stop sighing and come over to help!¡± Jolod¡¯s voice came from a distance. Because materials from the Mirror World would vanish as soon as they came out, the academy¡¯s reconstruction work did not start there. Now that they had returned to the Wizard World, the Black Tower Wizard Academy, which lay in ruins, naturally began the reconstruction work. And in rebuilding the academy, the Alchemy Wizards naturally exerted the most effort. Therefore, Richard Jolod, the chairman of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce, a highly sought-after figure amongst the higher echelons of the White Wizard Army, was now like an earthwork foreman, starting by clearing the ash and then rebuilding the academy. Before clearing the ash, however, Richard suddenly remembered something. He detached the pocket from his waist and released the Magic Dwarves that had been feigning death for twenty years. With the infusion of the Thawing Potion, the dozens of Magic Dwarves soon woke up. ¡°My lord, is this the real Wizard World?¡± Bruto, feeling the scarce energy in the air, couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°Yes, this is the real Wizard World. Disappointed?¡± Bruto shook his head, ¡°Not disappointed, but surprised. The High Priest once said that the Wizard World was left broken and desolate because of a great war. But I hadn¡¯t imagined that the Wizard World could be so devastated.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. In a few days, I will take you to see your ancestral lands.¡± ¡°Thank you, my lord. But where have our clothes gone?¡± Bruto scratched his head awkwardly. As soon as he woke up, he found that the armor and clothes he was wearing, and even his hammer, had all disappeared. ¡°Um¡­ everything in the Mirror World is a True Illusion; it disappears outside the Mirror World. Wait here, I¡¯ll go find you some clothes.¡± Richard also realized this and approached Jolod to inquire if the academy still had any Apprentice Wizard Robes. ¡°Apprentice Wizard Robes? I¡¯ll give you a slip; go ask Urich, he should still have some.¡± ¡°Urich?¡± Hearing that familiar name, Richard couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about some ¡°minor incidents¡± from his apprentice days. ¡°Haha, that old geezer Urich will have a fantastic expression on his face when he sees you.¡± Jolod obviously remembered Richard¡¯s actions from his apprentice days too, and his face broke into a smile. ¡°By the way, that Joseph you killed back then, he¡¯s now a wizard too¡ªand he¡¯s still alive.¡± Richard smiled slightly. The incidents from his apprentice days might have seemed earth-shattering at the time, but recalled centuries later, they barely counted as trifles. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go find Master Urich now.¡± ¡°He should be near the original commercial district.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± In the commercial district, Urich was directing a few Alien Slaves in moving materials. This Second Ring Alchemy Wizard, who had never met Richard, had two shiny heads, one of which was extremely deformed, looking like an alien from ET. ¡°Are you Master Urich?¡± Urich turned around and saw a Second Ring Wizard with life radiation as vigorous as the sun standing behind him. ¡°You are¡­¡± Urich¡¯s two heads spun rapidly, quickly retrieving information about the face before him. ¡°You are Richard, Jolod¡¯s student, Richard.¡± Urich clearly did not expect Richard to come to him, and as the man who once killed his grandson, after the shock, Urich immediately put on a sour face. ¡°What are you here for?¡± Richard didn¡¯t take much notice of his attitude; due to Jolod¡¯s foresight back then, Richard had hardly ever interacted with Urich and naturally, there was no enmity. ¡°I need some Apprentice Wizard Robes and came to collect some from the Master.¡± ¡°Apprentice Wizard Robes? Where¡¯s your slip?¡± Though Urich¡¯s face was sour, he didn¡¯t make things difficult. Apprentice Wizard Robes, after all, belong to the academy, and a wizard collecting items from the academy naturally needed approval from the academy. Richard handed Urich the slip Jolod had given him, and upon seeing Jolod¡¯s signature, Urich¡¯s face grew even darker. He pocketed the slip, then pulled out a large box of Apprentice Wizard Robes from another Magic Pocket. Richard took the box and, with a slight smile to Urich, left. Watching Richard leave, Urich turned around to face a pile of ruins that hadn¡¯t been cleared yet. ¡°When are you going to stop hiding, Joseph?¡± A head peeked out from behind the rubble, and after seeing Richard walk away, a Two-Headed Wizard like Urich stepped out. Urich spoke with a trace of frustration, ¡°This is the Academy, not the Wilderness. What are you hiding for? Could he actually kill you inside the Academy!¡± Joseph hung his head low with a languid expression, offering no rebuttal. He wasn¡¯t scared; he was feeling inferior. Once, he and Richard had both been prominent figures among the Apprentices, but in just a few hundred years, Richard still stood as a Big Shot among wizards, with the upper echelons of the White Wizard Army clamoring to place orders with him, whereas Joseph was just one of the countless unremarkable Alchemy Wizards. Wizards are one in a hundred talents, and those who survive their first battle can even be called one in ten thousand. Sadly, the Wizard World never lacks for geniuses. Urich saw this and knocked Joseph hard on the head. ¡°What a fool!¡± He could naturally discern his grandson¡¯s thoughts, but to Urich, this was nothing but needless self-torment. Watching Joseph¡¯s continued lack of response, Urich sighed and dismissed him, sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Go clean up the ruins. Sigh, when will you grow up!¡± ¡­ Returning to the side of the Magic Dwarves, many wizards had already taken note of the group of naked Magic Dwarves. Wizards proficient in natural history recognized the identity of the Magic Dwarves, a race believed to have vanished from the Wizard World and only raised within the Great Wizard¡¯s Secret Realm. What were they doing at the Black Tower Academy? But when they saw Richard, their questions instantly vanished. ¡°So they¡¯re Master Richard¡¯s slaves, no wonder.¡± ¡°Master Richard sure is well-connected, even able to acquire native slaves of the Wizard World.¡± ¡°I remember these Magic Dwarves are quite proficient in forging. I heard Master Richard owns an Alchemy Workshop. Could it be¡­¡± Richard paid no heed to the whispers, pulling a box of Apprentice Wizard Robes from his Magic Pocket. ¡°This is all I have for now, make do with these.¡± Bruto took the Apprentice Wizard Robes, instantly shocked by the softness of the fabric and the enchantments on them. ¡°Master, aren¡¯t these a bit too valuable?¡± Bruto stuttered. Though the Magic Dwarves were skilled at forging, they were not good at weaving. Their cloth was crude and rough, bearable only because of their thick-skinned nature. For cloth of the quality of Apprentice Wizard Robes, only High Priests were usually deemed worthy to wear. Richard laughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. They¡¯re nothing precious. Just wear them.¡± The dwarves took the Apprentice Wizard Robes, their faces revealing shocked expressions, especially the female dwarves. Among the Magic Dwarves, it was the women who typically did the weaving, and they found such soft fabrics almost unimaginable. Moreover, each of the Apprentice Wizard Robes even had enchantments on them. The Wizard Robes were quite large, but on the dwarves, they seemed to fit snugly. Seeing the Magic Dwarves dressed, Richard chuckled and promptly took them to find Jolod. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯ve found you a group of helpers.¡± Jolod looked down and saw a row of purple-skinned dwarves neatly aligned behind Richard, all dressed in Apprentice Wizard Robes. ¡°Magic Dwarves! Where did you get these?¡± Richard smiled and recounted his experiences in the Mirror World selectively. After listening to Richard¡¯s narrative, Jolod¡¯s forehead creased slightly. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying these Magic Dwarves are no different from wizards in the Wizard World? That¡¯s quite unusual, indeed.¡± However, after the experience with the Fire Lizard, Jolod¡¯s prejudices against Aliens had greatly diminished. And since the Magic Dwarves also possessed powers bestowed by the Truth Wizard, he found he had nothing more to say. ¡°But, you should still get the Judicial Department¡¯s Law Enforcement Wizards to mark them. Otherwise, if they have a conflict with a wizard, it could lead to an accident. You know what I mean.¡± Richard nodded, he had thought the same. Wizard Society might seem modern, with all kinds of well-established laws, but this was all for wizards. Towards outsiders, wizards are nothing but cruel slave owners. If an Alien Slave dares to contradict a wizard, it could provoke a thunderous rage. And suddenly, Richard remembered he seemed to possess a Second Level Honor Medal of the Wizard World. ¡°Right, teacher, do you know anything about the Second Level Honor Medal of the Wizard World? I slayed a Three Rings Wizard gone mad last time and got a Second Level Honor Medal of the Wizard World.¡± ¡°¡­Say what?¡± Jolod dug in his ear, feeling indeed that his age was showing and his hearing not as sharp, hallucinating, even. Otherwise, how could he hear that Richard had acquired a Second Level Honor Medal of the Wizard World? A prize so coveted that countless Three Rings Wizards would kill for it and yet not be able to obtain. Chapter 336: 52: 3 Divine Arts Chapter 336: Chapter 52: 3 Divine Arts ¡°Wizard World Second Level Honor Badge, huh? Teacher, have you had your ears remodeled recently?¡± Richard repeated. ¡°¡­Wizard World Second Level Honor Badge, is that right? Alright, alright, alright.¡± Jolod suddenly burst into laughter, but Richard detected a sense of self-derision within it. Richard tentatively asked, ¡°Teacher, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Haha, nothing at all, nothing. I¡¯m just feeling a bit struck down.¡± Thereafter, Jolod explained to Richard the purpose of the Second Level Honor Badge. The Wizard World Second Level Honor Badge, also known as the Silver Star Medal, is granted by the Tower of Truth as a reward for wizards who have made exceptional contributions to the Wizard World. The bearers of this badge will have privileges within the Tower of Truth that include, but aren¡¯t limited to, free residence, free rental of experimental equipment, ten free wizard nomination slots, and a twenty percent discount at all commercial establishments operated by the Tower of Truth, among various other miscellaneous privileges. But the most important of these is the privilege in the selection of Great Wizards. In the Tower of Truth¡¯s selection of Great Wizards, those with the honor badge will be given priority admission for medal-awarded wizards. If a wizard can obtain the Truth Medal among the honor badges, they can even bypass the selection process and trials, being directly promoted to Great Wizard. For any Three Rings Wizard aspiring to be a Great Wizard, it was an irresistibly fatal temptation. Having heard about the privileges of the badge, Richard was quite calm. A Silver Star Medal isn¡¯t the same as a Truth Medal, and even if selected, one still has to go through numerous trials to qualify for the promotion to Great Wizard. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is; this ought to save me quite a bit in the future,¡± Richard joked. Seeing Richard like this, Jolod did not know what to say for a moment. Richard¡¯s achievements were too dazzling; in just a few hundred years, he had become a Second Ring Wizard at the pinnacle. This made Richard never have to worry about research or advancing his rank. The Silver Star Medal, an object over which Three Rings Wizards would clamor, paled in comparison beneath Richard¡¯s glittering history. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sigh, having encountered you, lad, is truly the greatest fortune of my life,¡± Jolod couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Others were students following their teachers, but with him, it had become a teacher following his student. Now, his only role was to use his thousands of years of accumulated connections and experience to help Richard settle those unimportant, trivial matters, so he could focus on his research. Richard shook his head, ¡°You jest, Teacher. If it weren¡¯t for you leading me onto the path of a wizard, where would I have garnered these achievements?¡± Jolod smiled and did not continue on this topic. ¡°Now that we have these Magic Dwarfs, I¡¯ll allow you to slack off a bit. There¡¯s nothing for you here; go attend to your business.¡± Richard rejoiced and hastily thanked him, ¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡± ¡­ Having some free time, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift immediately. Inside the Secret Realm, Ulysses was, as usual, lazily basking in the sun, while a few Holy Tree Elves were gently fanning him with two large leaves by his side. For a being of Ulysses¡¯s level, being unaffected by the heat or cold was the most basic ability. Yet, he still liked having the Holy Tree Elves fan him like attendants. His own explanation was that a breeze was conducive to rest, but from Richard¡¯s observations, it seemed more like a habit. Ulysses, once a Divine being, might well have been accustomed to this. Upon entering the Secret Realm, Ulysses swiftly opened his eyes. ¡°Yo, my Main God, you¡¯ve finally emerged.¡± Ulysses flew to Richard¡¯s side, sounding somewhat ingratiating. However, to Richard, who had grown accustomed to his company, it was all just jest. Such a title of Main God would definitely not be heartfelt until Richard¡¯s power surpassed that of Ulysses. But Richard quickly noticed something amiss. ¡°No, wait, the language you just spoke wasn¡¯t Wizard Language, so why can I understand you?¡± Richard had once, in his spare time, learned the ¡°Universal Language¡± of the Gods Civilization, but his level was basically just enough to read the text; he couldn¡¯t understand spoken language. Yet Ulysses¡¯s previous words, not only Universal Language, also contained many terms Richard had never heard before. But Richard understood them unimpeded. ¡°This is one of your powers as a Main God¡ªcomprehension of languages. In terms of status, I am considered one of your Subordinate Gods, so whatever language I speak, the meaning will be precisely and accurately transmitted to you. In other words, you will receive my language as a message to your soul.¡± Hearing this explanation, Richard instantly understood the power of this ability. ¡°Can I communicate without hindrance with my believers then?¡± Richard asked. ¡°Caw, of course, you can,¡± Ulysses said, as if it was expected, ¡°As long as they join your Divine System, whether he is a Believer, a Pope, or even a Heroic Spirit and Subordinate Gods. As long as their status is lower than yours, this power will allow you to communicate with them without hindrance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite useful,¡± Richard remarked, stroking his chin, then he somewhat inquired, ¡°Do you know the principles behind it? If we could decipher this amazing ability, it will definitely be of great use in the future!¡± As a wizard, Richard possessed a strong curiosity toward things he didn¡¯t understand. It was also a source of a wizard¡¯s progress. ¡°Uh¡­ Principles?¡± Ulysses replied hesitantly, ¡°There don¡¯t seem to be any principles to this. All Divine beings have this ability, and as soon as one becomes a Divine being, the power automatically manifests.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Richard stated decisively, ¡°Divine beings aren¡¯t some sort of entity like world rules.¡± ¡°Divine beings or Great Wizards, they are but different paths leading to higher levels of life.¡± ¡°Though I am a creature at the World Master level, I have never heard that either Great Wizards or World Masters possess such abilities.¡± Ulysses was momentarily rendered speechless by Richard¡¯s question. He had never considered this problem before. Becoming a divine being and possessing powers was something he knew when he first embarked on the Evolution Road. To him, it was as self-evident as one plus one equals two, an axiom. But Richard¡¯s question peeled back the veil before his eyes. If other World Masters did not possess similar abilities, why then could the divine beings of the Gods Civilization? There must be something he was unaware of. ¡°I¡¯m stumped, I really don¡¯t know,¡± answered Ulysses honestly. ¡°But now you¡¯re on the path to becoming a god yourself, maybe you¡¯ll be able to figure this out in the future.¡± Seeing that Ulysses did not know either, Richard felt somewhat disappointed. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll look into this after I become a Great Wizard.¡± Putting the question of mastering languages aside, Richard turned to inquire about the use of the Power of Faith. In the Mirror World, Richard had learned from the Magic Dwarf King how to use the Power of Faith to remove curses, but Richard could feel that the potential of the Power of Faith was far greater than that. ¡°To be honest, there aren¡¯t many ways for you to use the Power of Faith at the moment. The method that backwoods teacher gave you is one of the few abilities you can use at this stage. But his method is too crude and consumes too much.¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I still have a few abilities that I can use.¡± ¡°There are indeed, but what I mean is that you should put more effort into your faith. Those Fire Lizards are perfect materials for preaching, and if you get them all, your Power of Faith will increase hundreds of times more than it is now,¡± Ulysses said with some resignation. Richard¡¯s religion had always been managed by him. In the Gods Civilization, to trust religion to someone else¡¯s management was to risk being usurped as a deity and stripped of one¡¯s divine status. ¡°That much!¡± exclaimed Richard in surprise. ¡°Of course, how many people are in that group of Fire Lizards, and how few are these little ones? However, these little creatures are also useful; they are natural Fanatics. Although the Power of Faith they produce is small, its purity is high, which is essential for many important Divine Arts.¡± Holy Tree Elves possessed the ability of memory inheritance, and a newborn Holy Tree Elf would quickly become infected with inherited memories, thereby becoming a devout Fanatic. ¡°Purity¡­ Does Power of Faith also have purity levels?¡± ¡°Of course it does,¡± retorted Ulysses somewhat angrily. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Magic Power you use have purity levels!¡± ¡°Indeed, please continue. What is this purity of the Power of Faith?¡± Ulysses explained, ¡°Believers are divided into Light believers, Devout believers, and Fanatics. The Power of Faith produced by these three types of believers is sequentially arranged from low to high purity. High purity Power of Faith can be used for minor Divine Arts, but low purity Power of Faith cannot drive high-level Divine Arts.¡± Richard nodded and then steered the topic back to Divine Arts. ¡°So how many Divine Arts can I use right now?¡± Ulysses paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Three and a half. One is the Purification Skill, which is used to remove curses. Another is the Healing Technique, used to treat wounds, including those caused by rules. Last is the Divine Speech Skill, which is very useful, but consumes a shocking amount of energy. I do not recommend using it unless it¡¯s a critical situation. As for the half, you¡¯ve already experienced it, it¡¯s the Faith Armor on your Magic Wand.¡± Richard took a deep breath after hearing Ulysses¡¯s introduction. Each of these three Divine Arts would be held as Secret Transmissions in the Wizard World. A single Purification Skill would void ninety percent of a Curse Wizard¡¯s abilities, while the Healing Technique could heal rule-caused wounds, much to the chagrin of Undead Wizards. And though Ulysses did not explain the Divine Speech Skill, the name alone was quite impressive. ¡°Wow, if I could understand the underlying principles, I would definitely end up on the Curse School¡¯s hit list,¡± remarked Richard. ¡°You think you can understand it? You might be a bit optimistic.¡± ¡°Is this one of those inherent powers too?¡± asked Richard, puzzled. ¡°Not exactly,¡± Ulysses replied nonchalantly. ¡°Every Divine Art you learn now, its Creator is at least a Main God¡ªwhat you call a Sixth Circle Great Wizard. Advanced Divine Arts like the Divine Speech Skill were personally created by the Divine King.¡± Richard¡¯s face stiffened and he said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s always good to have goals¡­ Let¡¯s go back to discussing Divine Arts themselves. How do I learn them?¡± ¡°Just wait.¡± Suddenly, a gentle Holy Light shone from Ulysses¡¯s body, which then condensed onto three black Crow Feathers, detaching from him. Ulysses suspended the Crow Feathers in front of Richard. ¡°There is no written legacy for Divine Arts, so they can only be passed on in this special way.¡± As Richard touched the Crow Feathers, the very next instant, various illusions appeared before his eyes. In the illusions, he saw an infinite expanse of green water that received sacrifices from all beings. As the waves rolled, green rainfall descended, and a plague vanished without a trace. There were towering, magnificent mountains of immeasurable height. Cursed lives erected altars on the mountainside, worshipping earnestly, and then Holy Light descended to disperse the curses. Terrifying beings tall enough to touch the heavens sat upon thrones in the stars, and with a single word, they could change the world beyond recognition. Watching these protagonists in the illusions, a sense of enlightenment emerged from Richard¡¯s heart, and unaware, he comprehended the three types of Divine Arts. When the illusions faded, Richard exclaimed with an inward shock, ¡°Such impressive anti-piracy technology!¡± Chapter 337: 53: The Great Wizards Treasure Vault Chapter 337: Chapter 53: The Great Wizard¡¯s Treasure Vault After passing the Divine Arts to Richard, Ulysses¡¯s three crow feathers also dissipated into the air. ¡°Gaining the Divine Arts is just the first step, there¡¯s a lot of intricacies in using Divine Arts. That¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to explore on your own. Each Divine released by a Subordinate God has its differences. When you have the conditions later, you can practice more.¡± Ulysses¡¯s voice sounded somewhat weary, as if the inheritance had drained a lot of his energy. Richard nodded, ¡°Alright, but I¡¯m not very good at preaching. You¡¯ll have to handle the Fire Lizards.¡± Ulysses shook his head helplessly, ¡°Alright, alright, who am I to complain? I¡¯m a Subordinate God. But you still need to learn a bit. I have a feeling that my next slumber will be extremely long, possibly lasting thousands of years. Once I fall asleep, the affairs of the Church will still have to be shouldered by you.¡± ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you cultivate a Pope?¡± Ulysses paused for a moment and then instantly became furious. ¡°Ungrateful wretch, whose Church is this¡­¡± But before he could finish his scolding, Richard left the Secret Realm with a burst of hearty laughter. Back in the Wizard World, Richard contacted Bob through the Crystal Ball. ¡°Chairman Bob, how have these fifty years been?¡± There was a pause on the other side of the Crystal Ball, followed by Bob¡¯s voice, surprised and delighted. ¡°Oh, Richard my lad, you¡¯ve finally come out. The Alchemy ink I stored for you before the war has completely sold out. Quite a few masters from the Alchemy School have sent inquiries to me.¡± A smile appeared on Richard¡¯s face, having a channel really made a difference. Before the channel was established, those Alchemy inks were at risk of accumulating. Now that the channel had changed, they instantly sold out. ¡°Great, great, I¡¯ll start work immediately. I¡¯ll have to trouble you with the ink, brother. I¡¯ve contacted you this time because I would like you to help me collect some materials. I¡¯ll send you the list in a moment.¡± Although Bob didn¡¯t mention it, Richard knew that aside from the high quality of his Alchemy ink, Bob must have contributed significantly to its successful sale. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What¡¯s the trouble, your ink¡¯s quality speaks for itself¡­¡± A burst of static came through the Crystal, and then Bob¡¯s voice came in a bit hurriedly: ¡°Bro, I have other matters to attend to so I¡¯ll skip the small talk. If you have any new products, remember to find me. I promise not to charge you any channel fee.¡± With that, Bob ended the communication. Richard sent the list of materials and then returned the Crystal Ball to his pocket. Looking up at the bright sky, Richard couldn¡¯t help but utter a sigh. ¡°Ah, looks like more Magic Essence rolling into the account. How come it feels like I¡¯m spending more and more? Hahaha¡­¡± With a proud smile, Richard entered the Central Black Tower, ready to organize his gains from the Mirror World. Due to time constraints, after the final battle, both Academies stayed in the Mirror World for twenty years before coming out. In that time, Richard had roughly organized the spoils of war obtained from the wizards of the Meteor Star Academy and began studying the Magic Beasts of the Mirror World. After all, he would have plenty of time to study the spoils of war, but the Mirror World was not somewhere one could enter at will. But no sooner had he stepped into the Central Black Tower than a clear, beautiful voice rang in his ears. ¡°Come to the top floor, the headmaster has returned.¡± Richard paused, then flew towards the top level. On the 300th floor of the Black Tower, Susanna and Alex were already waiting at the staircase entrance. When Richard arrived, he saw that apart from the two Three Rings Wizards, all the rest were Second Ring Wizards, and many of them were familiar faces. Like Anka, who was chatting with a wizard, and Kayang, who was hiding in a corner. ¡°Master Anka, long time no see,¡± Richard greeted an old wizard. Anka responded with a smile: ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been a while, Richard. I hear you performed a great feat in the last battle.¡± ¡°Just happened to be in the right place at the right time.¡± Richard glanced around at the wizards, who were likely all like him, tasked with external assignments. However, by the look of it, the wizards here were less than a fifth of the original number. Keep in mind that these externally assigned wizards were the elite among the Second Ring Wizards of the Black Tower Wizard Academy. Even so, four-fifths of the external assignment wizards had fallen. The generous rewards for external assignments obviously came at a price. Richard sighed, ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t expect that so many masters would fall in one external assignment.¡± But as soon as he finished his lament, he saw Anka giving him a strange look. ¡°Do you have something to say, Master?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that your lament is a bit odd. The reason few have come to collect their rewards is that the contracts of wizards whose soul boxes had been activated before the battle are rendered void. You don¡¯t think all those old timers are dead, do you?¡± Richard¡¯s face stiffened, and he said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Ahem, I forgot about the soul box.¡± These externally assigned wizards, being elites, naturally all had soul boxes to save their lives. After a while, a few more Second Ring Wizards arrived. Susanna counted the number, then together with Alex, led the gathering of wizards to the 300th floor of the Black Tower. The familiar little door and the familiar key. But this time, Richard was no longer the Wizard Apprentice who had been forced to autonomously evolve when he came into contact with a trace of Life Radiation from the Black Tower Great Wizard. Opening the door, the Black Tower Great Wizard sat in front of the bookshelves on a chair, casually flipping through a Magic Book. Noticing the door open, he glanced at the entrance and then set the Magic Book down. ¡°Have you all arrived, little Susanna?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s here.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard stood up, slowly walked over to Susanna¡¯s side. His gaze swept over the faces of the Second Ring Wizards, and soon, he noticed Richard. ¡°Richard!¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard seemed quite surprised. ¡°Why do I keep seeing you lately? I heard from Susanna that your contribution to this war can be described as immense.¡± Recently¡­ Richard recalled the last time he had met with the Black Tower Great Wizard, and it appeared to be over two hundred years ago in the Insect Nest World. ¡°Master Susanna overpraises me, I merely did my modest bit,¡± Richard humbly said. ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s not a modest bit at all. I saw the final battle. Your Alien Slave played a significant role. It¡¯s a pity you are already Jolod¡¯s student; otherwise, I would have wanted to take you on as my student.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s words instantly made Richard the focus among the Wizards, even Susanna and Alex couldn¡¯t help but look towards Richard. Although the Black Tower Great Wizard could sometimes be whimsical, everything he said to the Academy Wizards was genuine. When he said he wanted to take Richard as a student, he really meant it. Envy and regret flashed through the hearts of the other Wizards, as they saw Richard as having missed out on a great opportunity. However, Richard remained composed. Without Jolod as a mentor bringing him into the Wizard World, he wouldn¡¯t have achieved his current success. Moreover, Jolod had been quite generous with him, never hiding any knowledge during his instruction. One must have a conscience; he couldn¡¯t just discard all the good his teacher Jolod had done for him at the mention of the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s words. ¡°The headmaster overpraises me, I was just at the right place at the right time,¡± Richard calmly responded. The Black Tower Great Wizard looked over the Second Ring Wizards once more, and besides Richard, he did not speak again. ¡°Alright, come with me.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard led the Wizards to the door through which Richard had initially entered the Secret Realm. ¡°This is my warehouse, but I have to explain beforehand that I have made danger warnings for many items inside. Before you take anything, make sure to read carefully. Don¡¯t get something and die in the warehouse. You¡¯re all Second Ring Wizards; don¡¯t be as foolish as an Apprentice. Once something is taken, there¡¯s no exchange, so think carefully before making your decision.¡± With that said, the Black Tower Great Wizard snapped his fingers and opened the ¡°Arbitrary Door.¡± Behind the door, a dim and massive room appeared before the Wizards. Before letting the Wizards in, the Black Tower Great Wizard seemed to remember something, and he added: ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t fight over anything inside. If you do, all of you will have to get out. There¡¯s plenty inside, and you have enough time. Three hours, that should be enough for you to choose.¡± Having said that, the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s figure flashed, and he appeared back in the chair where he had been sitting when the Wizards first entered. Meanwhile, the Wizards at the entrance eagerly entered the warehouse in an orderly fashion. ¡­ The Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s warehouse was vast; Richard couldn¡¯t see the boundaries of the treasury with a single glance. Within the treasury, many radiant Black Stone Platforms stood tall, with the Great Wizard¡¯s collection from over the years atop them. Around these collectibles was an aura, a Force Field that suspended everything in the air, making it more convenient for the Wizards to observe from every angle. The ¡°Arbitrary Door¡± still had its teleporting effects; all who entered were randomly transported to some corner of the warehouse. Richard glanced around his environment, unsure if the Black Tower Great Wizard had categorized his collectibles into zones, with each zone only containing certain types of items. At least the Black Stone Platforms surrounding Richard were filled with mineral-like objects, all marked with extremely dangerous symbols by the Black Tower Great Wizard. ¡°It seems my luck is not too good.¡± Richard stroked his chin, deciding not to go for these items with extreme danger tags. He could only take three things; there was no need to waste them on dangerous unknowns. With that thought, Richard immediately started moving swiftly through the warehouse. The warehouse was large, and it took Richard about ten minutes of flight before he saw another Wizard. During this process, Richard saw many excellent items, such as huge chunks of Fine Gold Secret Silver ore, high-quality Elemental Gems, and specimens of some Third Level Alien¡¯s body¡­ However, for Richard, these items were somewhat too common. His Magic Essence was practically inexhaustible; he could easily buy such items with money. And certainly, within the Great Wizard¡¯s treasury, there had to be some rare treasures not available in the outside world. With these thoughts in mind, Richard caught something out of the corner of his eye and stopped in his tracks. He stared blankly at the third Black Stone Platform on his left, where a hand as withered as a skeleton was silently suspended in the Force Field. If Richard was not mistaken, that should be the hand of a World Master. Chapter 338: 54 The Deans Investment Chapter 338: Chapter 54 The Dean¡¯s Investment Richard walked to the side of the Black Stone Platform and carefully probed the withered arm within the force field using his spiritual power. The moment his spiritual power touched the arm, a primal fear surged through his heart. It was the instinctive reaction of an inferior creature in the presence of a superior one. Without a doubt, this was the arm of a World Master. This withered arm looked similar to that of a human¡¯s but was longer and more robust. Even in its desiccated state, Richard could tell how formidable the arm once was. Richard¡¯s spiritual power couldn¡¯t penetrate the interior of the withered arm, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t know what was inside. But this was enough. The withered arm would be Richard¡¯s first choice. Richard prepared himself, and the Magic Rebound began to operate at a high speed, a layer of black scales spreading from his chest to envelop his entire body in the blink of an eye. He took out two metal ingots from his pocket and crafted a box with gold patterns, just the right size to contain the arm. Then, taking a deep breath and with utmost care, Richard placed the arm inside the box within the force field. Once the box was closed, Richard let out a slight sigh of relief before carefully taking the box out with both hands. However, the moment the box left the force field, Richard¡¯s body was instantly gripped by extreme panic. His limbs wouldn¡¯t heed his commands, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably. Thud. Richard lost his balance and crashed stiffly onto the Black Stone Platform. The instinctual fear quickly spread from his body to his soul, but a white light emerged deep within Richard¡¯s soul, protecting his spirit. The Courage Badge prevented Richard¡¯s spirit from being overwhelmed by fear. The box was heavy, not just because of its own weight but primarily due to the withered arm inside. As his body plunged into sheer terror, the box quickly fell to the ground. Richard¡¯s spirit moved, and a Magic Hand appeared out of thin air, grasping the box and then placing it into the Magic Pocket. The moment the box entered the Magic Pocket, the fear overshadowing Richard¡¯s heart dissipated instantly. Richard breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing on the ground, gasping for air in big gulps. In those brief ten seconds or so, Richard felt like he had become a water man, his sweat-soaked undershirt nearly wringable. ¡°Is this what a true World Master¡¯s body looks like, such a big difference from the flesh fragments I collected before?¡± Richard mopped the sweat from his forehead, his voice laced with a mix of relief and delight. The greater the pressure this arm had given him, the higher its value would be. Back then, when he had acquired the Flesh Tentacles, their essence had been completely devoured by the World Guardian. What was left held no intimidation for him as an Apprentice. Nevertheless, the Flesh Tentacles were still a treasure Richard could ill afford to lose. Now with this arm imposing such a strong pressure, its value was sure to far exceed that of the tentacles he had obtained in the past. ¡°Hopefully, this arm will bring me a surprise.¡± After resting a while, Richard stood up and continued to explore the warehouse. The Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s collection was eclectic, ranging from ores to Alien corpses to oddities and some Alien crafts, truly a collection that encompassed everything. Richard roamed for a long time, almost dazzled by the warehouse¡¯s offerings. However, he still adhered to the principle that if it could be bought outside, he would resolutely not choose it. Soon, the three hours were up, and the wizards in the warehouse were instantaneously transported away. In that instant, Richard felt the world spin around him, his surroundings dissolving into large blocks of color. As his vision returned to normal, the first thing that caught his eye was the face of the Black Tower Great Wizard. ¡°Kid, you got lucky,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said through gritted teeth, staring at Richard. Richard stiffened, reviewing the three items he chose before locking his gaze onto the arm of the World Master. Over the years, the Black Tower Great Wizard had fought many battles north and south, encountering no small number of World Masters. An arm that he had specially collected must hold unique value. ¡°Uh¡­ should I go back and pick another?¡± Richard asked tentatively. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said, a bit deflated. ¡°I said you could take whatever you want, so you can take whatever you want. If I, as the head of the Academy, don¡¯t keep my word, who will work for me in the future?¡± Richard swallowed hard, unsure whether to keep or leave the arm. It seemed he had chosen the headmaster¡¯s favorite. ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯re an Alchemy Wizard, aren¡¯t you? Little Ali¡¯s Magic Wand was made by you,¡± the Black Tower Great Wizard said. Richard nodded: ¡°You¡¯re right, headmaster.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier if you¡¯re an Alchemy Wizard.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard snapped his fingers, and two little sprites suddenly appeared out of nowhere, taking a thin booklet from the bookshelf and handing it to Richard. ¡°Take this. It¡¯s some preliminary research I did on that arm.¡± Then, the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s face lit up with enthusiasm as he began to explain the origin of the arm to Richard. ¡°This arm was my first prize from a solo expedition after becoming a Great Wizard. I encountered a four-armed Beastman who was very strong, not only did he have an extremely high physique, but each of his four arms could release Four Elements Magic. That battle was hard-fought, and I nearly died there.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s face showed a trace of nostalgia. ¡°That was a good rival, his combat skills were exquisite, and the combination of spells and physical combat techniques was refreshing. Although we were engaged in a life-and-death struggle, we both had a great time. After defeating him, I cremated his body and scattered his ashes over the grasslands where he lived. And his four arms were cut off by me, kept as trophies. Out of these, three I gave away to return favors. This is the last one, and today, you kid took it.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard seemed to sigh with a smile, then turned to Richard and asked, ¡°I remember giving you a piece of the Secret Realm, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes, back during the bloody exams, you gave me a piece of the Secret Realm,¡± Richard answered. The Black Tower Great Wizard nodded and said, ¡°Then this is simple.¡± With that, the Black Tower Great Wizard took some Crystal Balls out of his pocket and floated them in the air. These Crystal Balls each contained a sealed, hazy glow. ¡°According to the report Susanna gave me, your contributions were highlighted, and she asked me to give you more rewards. Ah, that child really doesn¡¯t know the value of what¡¯s being given away. But I¡¯ve just checked, and to my surprise, the Magic Support Vehicles that the White Wizard Army has been buying were actually designed by you. You truly deserve my investment. I didn¡¯t even know that a big shot like you had come from my Academy. I¡¯ve really failed as a director.¡± Richard replied with some trepidation, ¡°Director, you jest. What big shot am I? A small wizard like me isn¡¯t worth your concern.¡± The Black Tower Great Wizard waved his hand, indicating Richard need not be so modest. ¡°You are indeed exceptional, there is no doubt about that, and you don¡¯t need to be humble.¡± After saying that, he pointed towards the Crystal Balls floating in the air. ¡°Some of these Crystal Balls contain pieces of the Secret Realm, while others are small Secret Realms. These fragments are left over from when I was assembling Secret Realms; the small realms are of somewhat low quality that I couldn¡¯t be bothered to assemble. All these things added up should amount to about twenty-something square kilometers, though the quality is a bit inconsistent. You may find Secret Realms quite exotic, but for people like us, except for some special realms, they¡¯re nothing extraordinary. I¡¯m giving these to you, but I won¡¯t help you assemble them. There are many Wizard Commerce branches that offer services to assemble Secret Realms; you could spend a bit of money and have them do it for you. It¡¯s a bit expensive, but you can afford it.¡± Richard nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, taking careful note of these things. The Black Tower Great Wizard continued, ¡°You have good potential and luck, on par with me in my younger days. But if you want to become a Great Wizard, I suggest you let your teacher manage your business ventures. Resources are indeed important, but knowledge is even more so. In the Great Wizard Trial battlefield, even Great Wizards fall, not to mention Three Rings Wizards who participate in the trials. So you¡¯d best focus your energy on exploring knowledge.¡± Having said this and without waiting for Richard¡¯s response, the Black Tower Great Wizard snapped his fingers and transported Richard to the outside of his study. Outside the study, Alex and Susanna were both waiting for Richard. Other wizards who went into the storage were directly transported to the 300th floor, while only Richard entered the study. ¡°Kid, what did you gain?¡± Susanna asked. Richard bowed slightly to Susanna, ¡°Thank you, Master. The director gave me quite a generous amount this time. I feel somewhat undeserving.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve earned it,¡± Susanna waved her hand, ¡°Besides, I suspect the director didn¡¯t give you any good stuff, probably just some Secret Realm Fragments. To a wizard of his level, those are as trivial as Magic Essence to us.¡± ¡°I think, if you feel undeserving, you could also donate to the Academy,¡± Alex suddenly joined the conversation. Both turned to look at Alex, and Susanna asked with curiosity, ¡°Didn¡¯t the director fund the Academy?¡± Alex sighed and spoke gloomily, ¡°You don¡¯t run the house, so you don¡¯t know. The commission alone for this war cost us over eighty million Magic Essence, and with the cost of rebuilding the Academy and the wizards¡¯ compensations, we lost nearly a billion Magic Essence. And the world the director conquered last time is a Slave World with little resource output and long returns. It¡¯s been over two hundred years, and we¡¯ve only earned back one-third of what was spent on the last war. Although the Academy¡¯s funds are still sufficient for turnover, I think it¡¯s better to save where we can.¡± Richard was indeed unaware of the Academy¡¯s financial situation. But regardless of whether it was as Alex described, since he had spoken, Richard decided to donate money. ¡°One hundred thousand Magic Essence,¡± Richard said. ¡°I will donate one hundred thousand Magic Essence to the Academy.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Alex¡¯s expression instantly changed from gloom to joy. He walked over to Richard, patted him on the back, and said with a beaming smile, ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, Richard. Jolod, that old miser, hesitated for ages before deciding to donate fifty thousand Magic Essence. Don¡¯t worry, this money won¡¯t be wasted. If you run into any problems in the future, just come to the Academy. With so many years behind it and so many wizards graduated, it¡¯s bound to help you somewhat.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Afterward, the three parted ways to attend to their own affairs. Richard returned to the room on the 56th floor where he lived as an Apprentice and immediately opened the Secret Realm Rift. Holding the Crystal Balls sealed with Secret Realm Fragments, Richard entered the Secret Realm and shouted joyously toward the World Mushroom: ¡°World Mushroom, look at the great things I¡¯ve brought you!¡± Chapter 339: 55: Illusory Creatures: The Collector Chapter 339: Chapter 55: Illusory Creatures: The Collector The mycelial tentacles of the World Mushroom emerged from the ground at Richard¡¯s feet, taking the Crystal Ball he offered. A faint energy fluctuation emanated from the mycelial tentacles, and soon, the dull voice of the World Mushroom rang in Richard¡¯s ears. ¡°Lord, I feel that these Crystal Balls all contain fragments of the Secret Realm.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re not mistaken. These things should be useful to you.¡± After a brief silence, the World Mushroom spoke with some excitement: ¡°¡­Extremely useful. These fragments can make this Secret Realm much vaster and its energy much more abundant. Moreover, these fragments contain many different rules, which can all serve as nourishment, enriching the rules of this Secret Realm, bringing it closer to a world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Richard smiled, ¡°You should be able to piece it together, right?¡± ¡°I can, but while I¡¯m joining the pieces of the Secret Realm, all of your subordinates will need to leave this place.¡± Richard agreed, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be heading to the Red Sun World in a few days, and then I¡¯ll move the Fire Lizards out. How much time will you need?¡± ¡°¡­About twenty years or so.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Having handed over all the Crystal Balls he had received from the Black Tower Great Wizard to the World Mushroom, Richard made his way to Ulysses¡¯ lair. At the moment, Ulysses was leisurely basking in the sun, seemingly unaware of Richard¡¯s entry into the Secret Realm. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, my Main God arrives at the Secret Realm and you don¡¯t come to welcome me?¡± Richard joked. Ulysses glanced at Richard, turned his head, and closed his eyes again. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Main God who doesn¡¯t care about his own Church.¡± ¡°How can you say that?¡± Richard laughed, ¡°I clearly sent my most capable Subordinate Gods to manage the Church. How can you say I don¡¯t care about the Church?¡± Ulysses opened his eyes, looking a bit helpless at Richard. ¡°My lord of a Main God, do you realize that it¡¯s not uncommon, in our realm, for Subordinate Gods to launch divine wars to kill the Main God and take their place. Those are Main Gods who pay attention to their Churches. If they ignored their duties like you, Subordinate Gods wouldn¡¯t even need to wage divine wars. They would simply overturn your position from within the Church.¡± Richard laughed, ¡°Isn¡¯t this just showing how much I trust you? Besides, as a novice who has never dealt with Churches, how could I possibly manage one well? My friend, the capable should take on more work.¡± Ulysses¡¯ tone turned serious: ¡°Every beginning is a start. I heard you¡¯re having Old Mushroom piece together the Secret Realm, and will send all these Fire Lizards back to the Red Sun World. That¡¯s a good opportunity. If a Main God can¡¯t even develop his Church, it would be quite embarrassing to speak of it.¡± Seeing Ulysses so insistent, Richard no longer evaded the issue and agreed. ¡°I should say in advance, we Wizards don¡¯t believe in that spirituality, and I don¡¯t know how many so-called ¡®Divines¡¯ have been tied to our dissection tables by us. Your approach, I might learn it very awkwardly, or maybe not at all.¡± Hearing this, Ulysses spoke somewhat angrily: ¡°Don¡¯t compare us to those natives! We are Gods Civilization!¡± Ulysses emphasized the word ¡°civilization¡± particularly strongly. ¡°We became Divines not because we wanted to, but because it allows us to collect Power of Faith more effectively. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Becoming a Divine is a means, developing the Church is also a means, you can even treat it as a discipline, a skill. Aren¡¯t you Wizards the best at studying and researching? What¡¯s so hard about this for you?¡± Richard was taken aback by his words. Ulysses¡¯ speech pointed out a problem in his mentality. He had always seen religion as a kind of trick to fool people, thus despising it psychologically. But the reality was not so. Religion, as the cornerstone of the Gods Civilization, must have undergone tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands, of years of practice and development by the Gods Civilization. This was enough to make the development of religion a serious discipline. ¡°I was wrong, my prejudice blinded me.¡± Richard earnestly apologized to Ulysses, who didn¡¯t hold it against him, just grunting twice before letting the matter drop. Then Richard told Ulysses about Kayang¡¯s case; he had seen Kayang among the Wizards when receiving a reward, which reminded him of his promise from years ago. Now that he had learned the Divine Arts to remove Curses, perhaps he could take this opportunity to earn a favor. ¡°From your description, this kid called Kayang most likely encountered a collector from a pocket dimension,¡± Ulysses said uncertainly, ¡°Those elusive creatures with pockets on their backs. They love to travel between various dimensions, collecting all sorts of ¡®treasures¡¯ they fancy. Sometimes, they also trade with the lives of the Material World. It seems that Wizard back then must have cheated the collector in a deal, and they¡¯ve held a grudge against him until now. However, these creatures are not of bad nature. If you lift the Curse, you might even be able to summon them over. Then, you could possibly gain some treasures from other dimensions.¡± Richard was overjoyed at the prospect of an unexpected gain. ¡°Then let¡¯s go find him right now.¡± ¡­ Kayang¡¯s residence was not in the Central Black Tower but in a secluded corner of the test zone. This was not out of deliberate discrimination by the Academy but at his own request. As a man favored by the Goddess of Misfortune, he had a profound understanding of his own luck; staying in the Black Tower would only bring trouble to other Wizards. Of course, there was also the reason that he feared other Wizards would join forces to kill him. Disturbing Wizards¡¯ experiments was not much different from declaring war. Looking at the stone house in front of him, which was very consistent with mechanical structure and used very solid materials, even Ulysses couldn¡¯t help but admire that Kayang was indeed a tough man. Misfortune could cause low-probability events to happen but couldn¡¯t make impossible things happen. As long as you perfect your work, then even misfortune can¡¯t touch you. Richard walked up and knocked on the door. Thud! Thud! Thud¡­ Boom! Richard hadn¡¯t even finished knocking when a loud crash came from within the stone house. Immediately afterward, billowing black smoke began pouring out of the chimney. A grey-faced wizard clad in a black robe opened the door, with thick smoke billowing out behind him. He coughed as he asked, ¡°Cough cough cough, who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Richard.¡± Richard frowned slightly and, with a wave of his hand, a gentle breeze dispersed the black smoke spewing from the doorway. Kayang, seeing who it was, looked a bit excited. ¡°Master Richard! What brings you here to find me? I heard you acquired quite a few treasures from this war, even the head of the Academy has high praise for you. Shouldn¡¯t you be busy researching at this time?¡± ¡°Do you remember, last time I promised you that I would¡­¡± Boom! The roof of Kayang¡¯s stone house suddenly collapsed in part, and then the whole building began to sway precariously. Richard looked somewhat stunned at the stone house¡ªits materials were undoubtedly solid; how could it so easily become a dangerous building? ¡°Your house¡­¡± Kayang cracked a smile: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m used to it. I¡¯ve lived here for three months already. If something didn¡¯t go wrong, I¡¯d start to wonder if some great disaster was waiting for me.¡± Seeing Kayang so emotionally stable, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of admiration and pity. How much bad luck must one endure to cultivate such a stable disposition? Richard then continued, ¡°I promised last time to keep an eye out for any news about the Curse on you. I¡¯ve come here for that very reason.¡± Kayang¡¯s eyes lit up, his voice trembling with excitement, ¡°Master, you¡¯ve found information about that creature!?¡± Richard nodded: ¡°I found a creature in the pocket dimensions called the Collector, which resembles the being you described. Moreover, I¡¯ve found a method that might lift the Curse from you. Would you like to try it?¡± Kayang appeared thunderstruck and stood there in shock. Soon, his eyelids trembled, and tears streamed down his cheeks. ¡°Try¡­ of course, I want to try! Master, whatever materials you require, I¡¯ll collect them right away!¡± Richard shook his head: ¡°No materials needed, just stand still.¡± With that, Richard¡¯s demeanor suddenly changed, as if a holy radiance emanated from him. The Power of Faith was drawn by Richard, then underwent a mysterious transformation within his soul. This change was simple yet intricate, imbued with the essence of the ultimate simplicity of the Dao. Richard pointed toward Kayang, and that power of faith transformed into a Divine Art descending upon him. Following that, a layer of ethereal black mist emerged from within Kayang and dispersed into the air. Kayang, witnessing this scene, trembled as he struggled to speak. The misfortunes he¡¯d endured over the years, the pain he¡¯d borne, now all came surging forth, only to be stuck in his throat. Finally, all of it turned into a bout of heavy, heart-wrenching sobs. It was over, at long last, it was over. Richard watched closely by Kayang¡¯s side, for according to Ulysses, dispelling the Curse might very well lure the one who had cast it. Before long, the space behind Kayang began to quiver slightly. A bizarre creature with four arms and six eyes emerged from the Void. ¡°Who has undone my Curse! Who!¡± ¡°Ah, it was I who removed it, you have a problem with that?¡± The Collector looked up only to see a black crow staring back arrogantly at it. Beneath that arrogant demeanor, a terrible pressure sent shivers down the Collector¡¯s spine. The Collector immediately thought, ¡°No problem at all, no problem. Great World Master, it is his good fortune that you wished to save him.¡± With that, the Collector quickly used its abilities, trying to leave the Wizard World. ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry to leave, you need to give me an explanation for what you did.¡± Ulysses moved as swift as lightning to the top of the Collector¡¯s head, freezing it in place. ¡°This wizard had no quarrels with you, yet you cursed him without cause, making him endure thousands of years of bad luck. Shouldn¡¯t you leave some explanation?¡± The Collector tried to refute, but Kayang had also recovered from his sobbing. His eyes were red as he glared fiercely at the Collector. ¡°You alien scum, look clearly, do I look like the Kujin you speak of!¡± The Collector turned towards Kayang, all six eyes rotating as if looking for some trace. Eventually, it said somewhat sheepishly, ¡°Um¡­ would an apology suffice?¡± Ulysses looked at him with an unfriendly gaze. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡­ After enduring a bit of negotiating (coercion), the Collector begrudgingly handed over three treasures it had collected, as compensation for cursing Kayang. Don¡¯t consider this a small number; these Collectors are like Pixiu, notorious for only taking in and never giving out. According to Ulysses, these ephemeral beings don¡¯t die¡ªif killed, they would simply be reborn at some point in the pocket dimensions. Their abilities also made them incredibly difficult to seal. Managing to give up three treasures was already the most significant concession the Collector could make, filled with guilt. Handing over the treasures, the Collector immediately left through a dimensional rift. Then, Kayang respectfully performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute to Richard. ¡°Master Richard, I can never repay the kindness you¡¯ve shown me today. If Master doesn¡¯t mind, I would like to follow you as a disciple, serving you for the rest of my life and beyond.¡± Chapter 340: 56: Balance Hand Wand Plan Chapter 340: Chapter 56: Balance Hand Wand Plan Followers, a special group within Wizard Society, have a history that can be traced back to the Dark Age. At that time, the Wizard World was ruled by giant dragons, and the most primitive wizards established their Wizard Towers in the Wilderness, aimlessly exploring the Truth Origin. Followers were the most primal group of wizards, the precursors to Wizard Apprentices. Based on the followers, associations and schools emerged in Wizard Society. However, this did not mean that the followers disappeared. To this day, followers still exist, and almost every Great Wizard has their own followers. These followers often become Deputy Deans of the Wizard Academy, handling affairs on behalf of their masters. All this sounds good, but it all depends on whether the followers indeed followed a promising Great Wizard and successfully survived until the establishment of the Wizard Academy. Every Great Wizard needed to go through a baptism of blood and fire, and during this process, too many wizards fell along the way. Moreover, according to ancient rituals, a wizard wishing to become a follower must hand over all their possessions to the one they follow, keeping no private property without permission. Furthermore, the followers needed to play roles such as servants, guards, stewards, and lab assistants, serving those they followed. It could almost be said that followers were legally Wizard slaves. ¡°I refuse,¡± Richard replied unapologetically, ¡°I have no interest in acquiring a legal Wizard slave.¡± Jokingly, he had too many secrets to comfortably allow a wizard to stay by his side every day. Besides, his assistance to Kayang was solely because Kayang had great potential. Having been tormented by misfortune for so long and still becoming a wizard, it must be said that Kayang truly had extraordinary abilities. If he became a follower, it would mean wasting Kayang¡¯s potential. Kayang looked at Richard in astonishment; for any wizard, a Wizard follower was something extremely sought after. Moreover, what Kayang proposed was to follow Richard for a lifetime. If Richard agreed, then Kayang would indeed spend his life as his follower. ¡°Master Richard, how can I repay your kindness?¡± Richard casually replied, ¡°It¡¯s simple, I own a trading guild that is currently rapidly expanding. If you want to repay me, go work there in the market. I believe you will do very well.¡± Kayang gave Richard a formal Wizard¡¯s Salute, seriously saying, ¡°Guild Master, please rest assured, I will do my utmost to complete the tasks you assign me.¡± Richard nodded, then sent him to find Jolod. Richard usually didn¡¯t interfere with personnel arrangements and wasn¡¯t very familiar with the structure of the guild. It was up to Jolod to decide what position Kayang could hold. After parting from Kayang, Richard couldn¡¯t wait to enter the Secret Realm and took out the three treasures he had obtained. Collectors roam through various dimensions and worlds all year round, amassing countless bizarre items in their bags. Many of these things are considered garbage to beings in the Material World, but there are also many items that even Ulysses coveted. For instance, the first item Richard took out was a Crystal Eyeball. Ulysses, looking at the Crystal Eyeball, somewhat wistfully said, ¡°Eye of Truth, I didn¡¯t expect a collector to possess such an item. You¡¯re really lucky this time.¡± Richard curiously asked, ¡°What¡¯s the use of this thing?¡± Ulysses explained, ¡°It¡¯s of no use to you now, but once you become a Great Wizard, it will be useful. It can directly allow you to see spatial fissures, dimensional gaps, and even the operation of rules; it lets you see the true world hidden beneath the world¡¯s curtain. This item is a relic from the Pioneer civilizations of the Gods¡¯ worlds, and to obtain it, even a Main God fell once. I thought this item had already been completely divided up, so it¡¯s surprising to encounter one here.¡± After hearing this, Richard took out a metal ingot from his pocket, casually made a box, and placed the Eye of Truth inside. Since it was of no use to him now, he didn¡¯t need to consider this item any further. Next, Richard took out the second item, which was a light sealed within a crystal. ¡°What is this thing?¡± ¡°This one is not as precious as the Eye of Truth. It¡¯s the Light of Balance, a specialty of the Balance Dimension. It can be used as a balance weight to achieve equilibrium.¡± Richard, full of questions, persisted, ¡°Could you explain that more clearly, perhaps with an example? What do you mean by using it as a weight to maintain balance? You¡¯re not talking about an actual balance scale, are you?¡± ¡°Um¡­ let me think. Taking the Red Sun World as an example, it belongs to an Elementally Imbalanced World. If you conceptualize the rules of the Red Sun World as weights placed on a balance scale, then the weight of the Fire Element Rule would far exceed that of other Element Rules. The function of the Light of Balance is to act as a counterweight, bringing that scale as close to balance as possible. If the balance is restored, the Red Sun World would become an Elementally Balanced World.¡± After this explanation, Richard was astounded. ¡°There are such divine artifacts in this world? So, if I make a magic wand that amplifies Fire Element Magic by a hundred energy levels and other Elemental Magic by one energy level. If I incorporate the Light of Balance into it, could it then make the wand amplify all properties by a hundred energy levels?¡± Ulysses nodded, ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s possible, but the Light of Balance has its limits. If one side of the balance is too heavy, then the Light of Balance cannot achieve equilibrium. Like the Red Sun World I mentioned. To change the rules of an entire world, you would need a vast amount of Light of Balance. Even the Lords of the Balance Dimension would struggle to possess such a vast amount of the Light of Balance.¡± Richard nodded thoughtfully and then took out the third item¡ªa fist-sized, colorful crystal. This was his chosen item, a type of alchemy material known to wizards as an omniscient crystal. This crystal could nearly amplify all shaping magic spells. Whether it was the Four Elements Magic, Thunder Magic, Force Field Magic, or Sound Wave Magic¡ªas long as it was a type of shaping magic, it could enhance it. It was an almost perfect alchemy material. Richard¡¯s Secret Silver Wand¡¯s head had a bit of the omniscient crystal mixed into it, which granted it the ability to amplify the Four Elements. It was also because of it that the Alchemy School had set an ultimate goal¡ªthe Wise Man¡¯s Stone. And now, Richard possessed a fist-sized piece of omniscient crystal. Even a Great Wizard in the Wizard World would be tempted by this. ¡°Light of Balance, omniscient crystal¡­¡± Richard, looking at the material in his hand, suddenly had a bold idea. He pulled out a booklet that the Black Tower Great Wizard had given him, which recorded the research that the Great Wizard had done on the World Master¡¯s arm that Richard had taken. The booklet wasn¡¯t thick, just about a dozen pages, and indeed as rudimentary as the Black Tower Great Wizard had said. But within this rudimentary research, Richard still found the information he wanted. ¡°Earth Hand¡­ Earth Element Magic, Force Field Magic amplification surpasses Ten Thousand Energy Level! Such terrifying data, is this the power of the World Master?¡± Back then, that four-armed Beastman could use Four Elements Magic, and the arm that Richard now possessed was the one he had used to cast Earth Element Magic with. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yet, seeing the ¡°Ten Thousand Energy Level¡± data still made Richard gasp in shock. A Three Rings Wizard, without utilizing any rules, would be one of the few who could cast a Ten Thousand Energy Level shaping magic spell. And this arm alone, without any enchantments, could achieve such an amplification just through its material. If this arm was enchanted, embedded with enough Rune Arrays, then its amplifying effect would be unimaginable. Richard took a deep breath, turned to Ulysses, and said, ¡°Ulysses, prepare yourself, I¡¯m going to take something out.¡± Seeing Richard¡¯s serious expression, Ulysses asked in confusion, ¡°What is it¡­ Holy fuck, where did you get that!¡± The moment Richard took out the box containing the Earth Hand, Ulysses¡¯s feathers instantly puffed up. ¡°Stop the chatter and suppress this box,¡± said Richard, his body trembling. Ulysses flew over the box, and a dark light instantly covered the entire box. The daunting pressure emanating from within also vanished without a trace. ¡°This is something I got from the Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s warehouse; it¡¯s a World Master¡¯s arm. Keep suppressing it; I want to do some tests on this arm.¡± ¡°Wow, your Great Wizard is quite generous, giving you things like this,¡± Ulysses said, astonished. Richard ignored him, opened the box, and gently touched the arm. Soon, a piece of information appeared in front of him. [Material: Unknown World Master¡¯s Arm] [Refinable Material: Unknown Creature¡¯s Bloodline] [Refining Cost: 5000000 Magic Power] [Refinable Rule: Earth Element Rule (Incomplete)] [Refining Cost: 700 Soul Power] Seeing this information, Richard removed his hand and confirmed his idea. Richard looked at Ulysses, a hint of madness in his smile. ¡°Ulysses, do you think this arm could be used as a material for a magic wand?¡± Ulysses paused, speaking uncertainly, ¡°It could be, but you clearly can¡¯t handle it by yourself without my help; even holding it would be difficult.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± said Richard excitedly, ¡°I can add a seal to the wand, sealing its daunting presence. And I can also keep adapting to the arm¡¯s pressure with my Adaptation Body.¡± Richard¡¯s eyes brightened as he spoke, his vague idea becoming clearer and clearer. The Earth Hand, the All-Powerful Crystal Stone, the Light of Balance¡ªthese three items could completely serve as the main materials for a wand. The full-spectrum amplification of the All-Powerful Crystal Stone as one side of the balance, the amplification effect of the Earth Hand as the other side, and then he would use the Light of Balance to balance this scale! Richard became more and more excited as he thought about it, explaining his ideas to Ulysses in a jumbled manner. After listening, Ulysses was also shocked by Richard¡¯s description. ¡°A genius concept; if successful, your wand might be deemed exceptional even among World Masters.¡± ¡°Right? I think so too,¡± Richard exclaimed excitedly. ¡°Name this wand, Richard. If this wand is created, placing it in our world would be enough to make all the forging worlds sing its praise.¡± ¡°Name, let me think¡­ how about ¡®Balance Hand¡¯?¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s a great name.¡± ¡°Then it shall be called the Balance Hand!¡± Chapter 341: 57: Inter-Domain Travel Chapter 341: Chapter 57: Inter-Domain Travel Although the Balancing Hand Wand project was beautiful, putting it into practice met with considerable difficulties. First and foremost was the challenge of overcoming the oppressive aura of the World Master on the Earth Hand. Richard¡¯s plan was to seal part of it with a Sealing Skill, and then through extended training, adapt himself to this pressure. Next was the issue of production. The strength of this arm was astonishing, and it could also hinder the use of Alchemy. This meant that if one wanted to engrave runes on it, it would be a long process. Then there was the problem with the Light of Balance. The Light of Balance obtained from the collector didn¡¯t achieve the effect Richard wanted. In other words, if Richard wanted to perfect this wand, he would have to make a trip to the Balance Dimension. Or alternatively, exchange the Light of Balance with a creature from the Balance Dimension through some ceremony. This was also a difficult matter. However, there is nothing difficult in the world, only those who lack determination. These difficulties were not insurmountable, so as long as Richard persisted, this plan would definitely be realized. And what Wizards, above all, possessed was patience. Having gathered the materials needed to produce the Balancing Hand Wand, Richard once again left the Secret Realm and returned to his room in the Central Black Tower. Richard didn¡¯t proceed to research, instead he lay on the bed, smiling as he gazed at the ceiling. The harvest of that day had been so vast that he felt almost dreamlike. After a long while, he sat up from the bed, rubbed his cheeks, and went to his desk. The excitement had passed, and it was time to deal with serious matters. In this Academy War, the greatest beneficiary was probably him. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Over eight hundred Wizards¡¯ Magic Pockets, of which just the experimental notes numbered over five hundred. Besides that, he had also acquired a vast amount of Magic Equipment and Magic Stones. Richard had made a rough estimate in the Mirror World, he had earned nearly thirty thousand Magic Essence just from that, and those pieces of Magic Equipment could probably fetch over fifty thousand Magic Essence when sold. After all, most of the captured Wizards were One Ring Wizards, and the financial condition of One Ring Wizards was quite poor. A considerable portion of One Ring Wizards couldn¡¯t even afford to live permanently in the Tower of Truth. Moreover, the vast majority of One Ring Wizards from the Meteor Star Academy were still cadet soldiers, having hardly any substantial assets. However, Richard wasn¡¯t very concerned about the profits from the Magic Stones. Right now, as long as he didn¡¯t embark on any particularly costly projects, like creating a dozen sets of Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor, he had basically achieved financial freedom with Magic Essence. What he valued more were the experimental notes of these Wizards, as well as the Magic Models from the Magic Equipment and Alchemy Techniques. Richard took out several dozen experimental notes from his pocket, a hint of excitement flashing across his eyes, and he muttered to himself: ¡°Let¡¯s see what surprises you can bring me.¡± ¡­ Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed. During these three years, Richard spent most of his time in his room, studying the knowledge gleaned from spoils of war. The remaining time was spent customizing a suit of Magic Equipment for Magic Dwarf, helping Jolod set up Magic Arrays in the Academy, and spending time with Ali. Ali was about to be promoted to a Second Ring Wizard. It had been over four hundred years since Ali became a One Ring Wizard, and her spiritual power had long reached the pinnacle of One Ring. The reason she hadn¡¯t rushed to break through was because the Soul Darkness posed a considerable test to a Wizard¡¯s will. Countless Wizards had fallen during the advancement, becoming living corpses devoid of spirit. And now, Ali felt her will was sufficient. She had also obtained the promotion ritual to become a Second Ring Wizard from Susanna. What was left was only to practice it. ¡­ Central Black Tower¡¯s third sublevel. The third sublevel was the promotion area specially prepared by the Black Tower Wizard Academy for the Wizards within the academy. Its internal promotion chambers, even if the Central Black Tower were to collapse, would not be affected, and could be called the safest place in the entire Academy. Jolod had been promoted to the rank of Three Rings Wizard in one of the chambers in the third sublevel. Standing in front of the promotion room door, Richard asked Ali, ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Ali responded with a sigh, ¡°My love, this is the tenth time you¡¯ve asked me this hour.¡± Richard scratched his head awkwardly, responding vaguely, ¡°As long as you¡¯re ready.¡± Richard couldn¡¯t quite describe how he felt at the moment, even at his own promotion, his emotions hadn¡¯t been as complex as they were today. He and Ali had been together since their Apprentice days without any major hurdles, and although their feelings seemed somewhat muted due to the passage of time, Now, faced with a situation that could separate them in life and death, a fear sprouted within Richard¡¯s heart. People always neglect the beauty they have until they are about to lose it. Tap tap tap¡­ A crisp series of footsteps came from behind Richard. He turned around to see a woman Wizard in a black robe stepping out from a Teleportation Gate at the end of the hallway and quickly approaching them. The person was Ali¡¯s mentor, Susanna. She came up to Ali, gently hugged her student. ¡°Ali, from here on, you must walk the path alone.¡± The two parted, and Ali smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, teacher, I¡¯m sure I can succeed.¡± Susanna smiled, stroked Ali¡¯s cheek, and said nothing more. She stepped past Ali, opened the large doors of the promotion room, and handed a Magic Pocket to Ali. ¡°Go on, the materials for the ritual are all in the bag. If there¡¯s anything missing, use the Communication Crystal inside to let me know.¡± Ali took the bag and hugged Susanna one more time. She then came up to Richard, stood on her toes, and gave him a parting kiss. ¡°I¡¯m going in, see you in a few decades.¡± As the door closed, Richard¡¯s heart sank into sudden panic. He touched his chest, inside which his heart was thumping wildly. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Richard.¡± Richard turned towards the suddenly speaking Susanna, who at this moment looked very calm. ¡°Advancement is an inevitable affair for any Wizard. In your long life, this is an experience you will face many times.¡± Success, failure, you will encounter them all, and you must learn to adapt. Moreover, whether a promotion is successful or not is not something we can influence. Do not trouble yourself needlessly, focus your mind on important matters instead.¡± Susanna¡¯s words gave Richard the feeling of being lectured, but Susanna indeed had the authority to lecture him. Richard strove to calm himself and slightly bowed to Susanna, ¡°Master, you are right.¡± Seeing Richard recover so quickly, Susanna couldn¡¯t help but feel more admiration for him. Rationality is one of the most precious qualities of a Wizard. ¡°Go back, if Ali successfully promotes, I will notify you immediately.¡± Having returned to the ground, the sky was azure, and the clouds shone brightly. Wearing black robes, Wizard Apprentices flew slowly around the Academy, while the Academy Inspector landed by the roadside, monitoring every corner of the Academy. The Black Tower Wizard Academy, after three years of reconstruction, had nearly returned to its former state. Richard touched the heart in his chest that was still pounding and sighed with some helplessness. ¡°Well, I need to find some serious matters to distract myself. Under these circumstances, it¡¯s difficult to be calm enough for research.¡± Returning to the Central Black Tower, Richard headed straight for Jolod¡¯s laboratory. He pushed the door open; Jolod was leisurely reading a Magic Book. He glanced up at Richard and said, ¡°Has the promotion started?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Go out for a walk, clear your mind, broaden your horizons. Your strength is no longer matching your knowledge.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m here. Teacher, I¡¯ll be taking the Magic Dwarves with me.¡± ¡°Take them, but remember to register them at the Judicial Department.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Once he had given his instructions, Richard turned and descended the stairs. The Magic Dwarves also resided on the fifty-sixth floor of the Central Black Tower; they had settled down there after the reconstruction of the Academy. Now, it was time to take them back to their ancestral lands. Knock, Knock, Knock! Bruto, holding a book and wearing glasses, opened the door. He adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and upon seeing who was knocking, he hastily performed a somewhat clumsy Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Sir, what can I do for you?¡± Richard stepped past Bruto, taking in the layout of his room. Numerous books piled up on the desk and draft papers covered with architectural sketches were plastered across the walls. This Magic Dwarf seemed to be self-studying architecture. ¡°Nothing much, I plan to take you back to your ancestral land. I¡¯m just here to inform you.¡± Bruto was startled, a trace of joy flashed across his face. ¡°Thank you, sir. When do we leave?¡± Richard pulled out his pocket watch to check the current time. ¡°Half-past ten¡­ I¡¯ll give you half an hour to prepare, and in half an hour, we¡¯ll meet at the Airship field.¡± With that, Richard paused, then added, ¡°You know where the Airship field is, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir, we know¡ªwe built it!¡± ¡­ The ancestral land of the Magic Dwarves was located in the central part of the Wizard Continent, having separated from the territory of the Tower of Truth where Richard resided. Therefore, to transport these Magic Dwarves to their ancestral land, Richard had to undertake an inter-dimensional journey¡ª From the Four Rings Tower of Truth where Richard resided to the One Ring Tower of Truth located in the central part of the Wizard Continent. And the first stop of this inter-dimensional journey was the city of ecstasy. In the Airship field, Bob had arrived early, waiting for Richard. Airships continuously ascended and descended around him, and several people recognized Bob and greeted him with some trepidation, but Bob paid no attention to them. The crowd speculated that Chairman Bob was waiting for a distinguished guest, but they couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of guest would warrant the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s chairman to personally greet. A Magic Airship descended from the sky. This Airship looked unremarkable, but its arrival instantly invigorated Bob. As the Airship landed and the hatch opened, A Wizard in a black robe stepped out and embraced Bob. ¡°It¡¯s been over fifty years, Bob, you¡¯ve gotten thinner; managing the chamber must be tough.¡± Bob wore a smile, yet feigned a sigh. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m losing hair daily; my head is almost bald. I really wish I could give up this chairman position. Being a chairman is too hard.¡± Richard playfully punched him, and the two burst out laughing. After a while, Richard brought up his own matters. ¡°Bob, the matter I mentioned to you earlier, you¡¯ve taken care of it?¡± Bob, somewhat pleased with himself, said, ¡°Could there be any problem with something so minor? It¡¯s just an inter-dimensional travel; our Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce has routes. No matter which Tower of Truth you want to go to, I can get you there.¡± Chapter 342: 58 Master, I suspect you are neglecting your duties Chapter 342: Chapter 58 Master, I suspect you are neglecting your duties Inter-domain travel was a troublesome matter, and when Tower of Truth was first built, the issue of regional divisions had been considered; largely uninhabited areas were almost always on the edges of the Tower of Truth¡¯s territories. Although this made each territory of the Tower of Truth approximately the same size, it also made communication between the Towers much more difficult. Generally speaking, to travel across uninhabited areas for inter-domain travel, one needed at least the strength of a Three Rings Wizard. And even with a Three Rings Wizard, passing through uninhabited areas was not entirely safe. Many Three Rings Wizards had perished in these areas during their travels. But this was only when wizards traveled on their own. If a wizard was willing to spend money or had acquaintances in the Wizard Commerce, he could completely travel through inter-domain routes managed by the Wizard Commerce. And that was precisely the purpose of Richard¡¯s journey. Seeing Bob had prepared everything, Richard was overjoyed. He gave Bob a thumbs up, ¡°I knew you would handle it well, Bob. Which merchant¡¯s route are we taking this time?¡± ¡°Who else could it be? Of course, it¡¯s our Nine Star Chambers of Commerce,¡± Bob proudly said. ¡°Despite being a newly established commerce, we are not less developed than the ancient chambers that have been years in operation. During the old chairman¡¯s time, the inter-domain trade route was a project that the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce had always vigorously developed. After I took over the chamber, thanks to the old chairman, I managed to complete this project. Now, our trade routes can reach any Tower of Truth in the Wizard World. Soon, our shops will expand beyond the Four Rings Tower of Truth, spread throughout the entire Wizard World.¡± Although Bob¡¯s words greatly exaggerated, his idea was indeed correct. As long as a wizard¡¯s commerce has sufficient sales channels, even worthless junk can find a buyer. And in the current Wizard World, this meant that no matter how strange a resource was, the chamber could find a wizard in need. This was undoubtedly a great thing for a wizard¡¯s commerce. However, expanding a Wizard Commerce was not an easy task; each Tower of Truth had their own local wizard commerce. These chambers competed with each other, and a newcomer suddenly entering and competing for resources would certainly face severe consequences. At best, a price war would occur; if they encountered a darker chamber, they could even destroy your shops. In the commercial battles of Wizard Commerce, physically eliminating competitors was also a method. ¡°Okay, okay, great idea, but you must be cautious, brother.¡± Bob waved his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little brother, I¡¯m too afraid of dying to joke about my own life.¡± After some more small talk, Richard returned to the Flying Airship and led the Magic Dwarfs out. To transport these Magic Dwarfs, Richard had specifically chartered an airship. ¡°Wow, Magic Dwarfs! These are quite rare.¡± Bob, coming from the commerce background, was not less knowledgeable than Richard, the Alchemy Wizard. ¡°I remember these were extinct in the Wizard World, only a few still live in the Great Wizard¡¯s Secret Realm. Little brother, whose Great Wizard¡¯s connection did you tap into? Black Tower Great Wizard?¡± Richard waved his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t guess blindly, these Magic Dwarfs, to be precise, are nurtured by the Truth Council. Recently, didn¡¯t we have a war at the Academy? In the World Realm, I just happened to help these Magic Dwarfs out of trouble and earned some benefits. This inter-domain trip is to return these Magic Dwarfs to their ancestral land.¡± Upon hearing Richard¡¯s explanation, Bob shivered violently. ¡°Richard my brother, council¡¯s properties should not be tampered with. You didn¡¯t sign a contract with these Magic Dwarfs, did you? If you did, you should void it right away. If the Judicial Department¡¯s Law Enforcement Wizards discover you with council¡¯s property, no matter how little, you would definitely be incarcerated.¡± He said, and then held up three fingers. As for the unit behind those fingers, there was no need to guess; the look on Bob¡¯s face showed it was certainly millennia. Richard patted Bob¡¯s shoulder and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the origin of these Magic Dwarfs is absolutely clear. I haven¡¯t broken any laws, what can a Law Enforcement Wizard do to me?¡± Although the Law Enforcement Wizards of the Judicial Department had great authority, they were also bound by strict restrictions. Soft extortion of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce was already the limit they could exploit, or rather, the limit that the council permitted. Further developments would cross red lines. If a Law Enforcement Wizard crossed these boundaries, he only awaited internal review and disintegration. Law Enforcement Wizards dealt ruthlessly with rogue wizards, and they were no less merciless toward their former colleagues. ¡°Clear?¡± Bob felt a bit confused for a moment. Weren¡¯t these Magic Dwarfs the council¡¯s property? Being taken by Richard away from the World Mirror seemed far from innocent. But seeing Richard¡¯s confident demeanor, Bob chose to believe in Richard. From what he knew of Richard, Richard would never be careless in big matters. ¡°Since you haven¡¯t done anything wrong, I won¡¯t pry further, little brother. I remember you are following the path of Physique Evolution, so I¡¯ve prepared a banquet in town to welcome you. Inter-domain travel can wait a moment; as a brother, you must come.¡± ¡°Hahaha, since you have prepared everything, how can I not attend?¡± ¡­ Richard left with Bob, and the remaining Magic Dwarfs, led by Bob¡¯s followers, played in the city of Paradise. To the Magic Dwarfs, every blade of grass and every tree in Paradise City was incredibly intriguing. Their lifestyle could almost be regarded as Puritanical, with hardly any entertainment in their lives. If anything was to be considered, blacksmithing and martial contests might be the only activities with an element of fun. But compared to the strange and diverse entertainments in Paradise City, these activities were just like plain water. Very soon, the thirty Magic Dwarfs were captivated by the various entertainments in the city, with the only exception being Bruto. Seeing Bruto unmoved by everything around, the leading servant felt somewhat troubled. Bob greeted him, urging him to treat the Magic Dwarfs to a good time, but by now he had nearly explored all of Bliss City, and the Magic Dwarf by his side still showed no interest in any of the entertainment. This put him in a difficult spot, as he couldn¡¯t possibly take them to the Wizard District to partake in activities exclusive to Wizards. Such activities were generally not something ordinary beings could withstand. ¡°Why have you stopped walking?¡± Bruto, looking at Bob¡¯s halting attendant, asked with some confusion. ¡°My lord, we have finished our tour. If we continue walking, we will have to go to the Wizard District,¡± the attendant explained politely, ¡°and there is not much to entertain oneself with there.¡± Bruto nodded his head and then asked, ¡°Do you have a library here? I would like to look at some books on architecture.¡± Reading¡­ quite a Wizard-like hobby. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, Bliss City was indeed capable of meeting this request. Bliss City was home to a large number of Wizard Apprentices whose knowledge was not as profound as that of Wizards and who naturally sought ways to resolve any difficulties they encountered during their daily lives. Thus, Bliss City had established a library for these Wizard Apprentices to access information. Since it was all Apprentice Level knowledge, it was easy to acquire a lot of this material with a bit of money. Even the Wizard Commerce specifically did business in this area. They would regularly update and replace books in libraries of some Wizard Academies to ensure that the knowledge the apprentices accessed was accurate and free from errors. ¡°You want to read? That¡¯s easy.¡± The attendant smiled and immediately took Bruto to the Apprentice Library. However, they had barely taken a few steps when suddenly a streak of light flashed across the sky, followed swiftly by several security department¡¯s spherical flying machines, moving towards the light at high speed. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Bruto asked curiously. The attendant, looking rather gloomy, said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, we¡¯ve just encountered a Law Enforcement Wizard. We don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°Is that so? I don¡¯t think so.¡± A voice rang out next to the attendant¡¯s ear. Following that, a black-robed Wizard landed beside him. ¡°Boy, what¡¯s the deal with this Magic Dwarf? The Magic Dwarfs of the Wizard World were gathered and raised by the Truth Council over seven thousand years ago. Where did this one come from?¡± Looking at the suddenly appeared black-robed Wizard, the attendant apologetically smiled, ¡°This is the follower of one of our distinguished guests. As for the origin, it might be a clone.¡± Cloning Technique was a mature skill of the Alchemy School, used to recreate bodies after a Wizard¡¯s body was destroyed. With just a drop of blood and the necessary life information, Cloning Technique could produce a body. The black-robed Wizard looked at Bruto and suddenly took out a Crystal. A slight glimmer passed over the Crystal, and the black-robed Wizard¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t have a mark.¡± Using Cloning Technique as a disguise was all too convenient; a mad Wizard only needed to clone a body to impersonate another person. Therefore, all chambers that provided cloning services and Wizards who used Cloning Technique would imprint a different mark on each clone to clarify the origin of the clone body. But Bruto had no such mark. There were two possibilities, one being that the Wizard forgot to imprint it. This scenario was simple; the Wizard merely needed to pay a fine or provide evidence to make the cloning chamber pay the fine. The other possibility was the theft of the property of the Truth Council. This was a serious crime; capturing one was a significant achievement. The black-robed Wizard immediately took a scroll from his pocket and commanded the attendant, ¡°I am now acting in my capacity as a Law Enforcement Wizard and require your cooperation with the investigation. Bring over this Magic Dwarf¡¯s owner immediately.¡± The attendant appeared distressed, but seeing the Law Enforcement Wizard Scroll in the hands of the black-robed Wizard, he reluctantly took out a Communication Crystal Ball. ¡°Chairman, a Law Enforcement Wizard has stopped us; they need Lord Richard to assist with the investigation.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright, understood.¡± Soon, two flashes of light arrived at the scene, the newcomers being Richard and Bob. Recognizing Bob, the black-robed Wizard immediately focused on the Wizard standing next to Bob. ¡°This Magic Dwarf is yours?¡± the black-robed Wizard asked sternly. Richard responded indifferently, ¡°No, he is a free man.¡± ¡°A free man?¡± the black-robed Wizard scoffed, ¡°That¡¯s a rare description. Did you clone this Magic Dwarf?¡± ¡°No.¡± Instantly, the black-robed Wizard¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Not? Are you sure, Wizard?¡± Richard remained unmoved, ¡°I am sure.¡± Hearing this answer, the black-robed Wizard¡¯s heart burst with joy. ¡°Then come with me. The Magic Dwarfs were taken in by the Truth Council for upbringing over seven thousand years ago; I now suspect you of stealing the property of the Truth Council,¡± the black-robed Wizard stated gravely. ¡°Is that so?¡± Richard calmly took out a scroll from his pocket. He opened the scroll, revealing its contents and the five seals from the Tower of Truth immediately caused the black-robed Wizard¡¯s smile to freeze on his face. The attendant had never heard of the content of the scroll, but the seals were unmistakable. These Magic Dwarfs had apparently been taken in by the Truth Council as Wizard Vassals, enjoying nearly the same rights as Wizards. When did this happen? Richard leisurely rolled up the scroll and said, ¡°A Law Enforcement Wizard who can¡¯t even remember the regulations issued by the Truth Council. Master, I suspect you of negligence in your duties.¡± Chapter 343: 59 Cross-Domain Trade Routes Chapter 343: Chapter 59 Cross-Domain Trade Routes The atmosphere fell into awkwardness. Richard¡¯s words were like a conviction. If a Law Enforcement Wizard couldn¡¯t even remember the regulations issued by the Truth Council, then all his past achievements would now have to be ¡°questioned¡±. Who knows if there were any miscarriages of justice among them. The black-robed wizard was left speechless by this statement. He took the scroll back from Richard, looked it over and over again, attempting to find any discrepancy. But it was all in vain. The five seals of the Tower of Truth stung his eyes like steel needles; the scroll was not fake. But if the scroll was not fake, then the problem lay with himself. The black-robed wizard handed the scroll back to Richard, pretending nothing was amiss, and said, ¡°So it¡¯s this regulation. Indeed, my oversight. Since its enactment, it has never been used; it was my negligence.¡± After saying that, the black-robed wizard bowed slightly to Richard, ¡°Sorry to bother you, Master.¡± Watching the black-robed wizard¡¯s low posture, several wizards from the security department widened their eyes in surprise. When had the Law Enforcement Wizard from the Judicial Department ever been so humble? Richard took back the scroll, his face wearing a half-smile. ¡°So it is, even Law Enforcement Wizards can forget some rarely used laws.¡± Hearing this, the black-robed wizard¡¯s face turned sour instantaneously; he quickly explained, ¡°No, no, no, this was an exception. This regulation¡­ it falls under special regulations.¡± But what did it matter if it were a special regulation? Forgotten is forgotten, unknown is unknown. For a Law Enforcement Wizard, misremembering or forgetting the law is a serious crime, subject to internal review. If the review finds no issues, the wizard might only be fined, but if problems arise, the wizard could at best lose his job, or at worst, face the death penalty. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although the black-robed wizard was very confident about his previous cases, what if there was a mistake? He had been a Law Enforcement Wizard for two thousand years, who could guarantee there wasn¡¯t a single error? Seeing the black-robed wizard sweating profusely in anxiety, Richard didn¡¯t press further, and smiled, ¡°Master need not worry, this regulation is indeed unusual. Other Law Enforcement Wizards also forget it. But being investigated by Law Enforcement Wizards is not an acceptable situation for me. Master, since we¡¯ve met, why don¡¯t you just register them directly to avoid any more inquiries?¡± Hearing Richard let go, the black-robed wizard breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Certainly, I will register them right now to spare you from further inspections.¡± ¡°Then, Master, wait a moment, I will call them over¡­¡± Before Richard could finish, the black-robed wizard interrupted, ¡°No need, no need. Just someone to guide me directly.¡± He now wanted to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible to avoid any further complications. Bob nodded slightly to Bruto¡¯s attendant, who then walked over to the black-robed wizard, saying he would guide him to find the dwarfs. With a guide secured, the black-robed wizard didn¡¯t want to linger for a second more; he grabbed the attendant and dashed into the transition area like escaping. The wizards from the security department saw this and burst into hearty laughter, filling the air with a jovial atmosphere. Bob laughed and said to Richard, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to see the big guns from the Judicial Department falter. Just now, they were trying to extort us, and now they¡¯re scurrying away like they¡¯ve been chased off. Brother, you really helped me vent some fury this time.¡± Richard raised an eyebrow: ¡°It was so overdone; had I known, I wouldn¡¯t have let him off so easily.¡± Bob shook his head, still laughing: ¡°Ah, brother, I appreciate your sentiment. But after all, he is a Law Enforcement Wizard from the Judicial Department; riling them up is no good for us. They are like mosquitoes, annoying but not a major issue; just let them be.¡± Soon, thirty Magic Dwarfs were all registered. Under Bob¡¯s arrangement, Richard joined the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s trade route, ready to head to the One Ring Tower of Truth¡­ The inter-domain trade route differed from ordinary trade routes. Regular trade routes often use Flying Airships as the base unit, forming a caravan, traveling on fixed routes inside the Wizard World. However, inter-domain trade routes are different. They require passing through the Tower of Truth¡¯s Teleportation Gate to reach worlds already conquered by wizards, then hopping from world to world, finally arriving at a new Tower of Truth. During this process, the caravan¡¯s goods often change hands multiple times, and the longer the inter-domain trade route, the higher the profits for the Chamber of Commerce. It reminded Richard of playing an online game about merchant running from his previous life. The Nine Stars Chamber of Commerce¡¯s route wasn¡¯t very long; it only passed through five worlds and took about a year to complete. But some longstanding Chambers¡¯ inter-domain routes could take up to several decades to complete, with profits reaching nearly a hundred thousand Magic Essence. A long trade route was indeed like a goose that lays golden eggs. Bob arranged a small Flying Airship for Richard as his personal transport, then had him follow the caravan towards the Tower of Truth¡­ Upon his journey, Richard even didn¡¯t need to disembark from the flying airship, but merely followed the merchant convoy. A month later, the convoy arrived at the Tower of Truth. Upon seeing the endless queue of flying airships, Richard contacted the convoy supervisor and, after confirming it would take over a month to queue, he immediately disembarked. During this period, he could conveniently deal with some personal matters. Entering the residential layer, Richard quickly reached the Clear Frost Wizard Academy¡¯s station, and through the station¡¯s Teleportation Gate, he entered the Red Sun World. The Red Sun World was still scorching, the Fire Lizard King Minar had been dealt with, and the sky was left with one vast sun. The king¡¯s sun had set. Richard opened the Secret Realm and began the relocation of items within. The Fire Lizard Craftsmen transported the Alchemy Machines out of the Secret Realm, piece by piece; they had already dismantled them and were waiting for this day. Calion and Sulina were the first to exit the realm, after taking a deep breath of the fiery air rich with Fire Element, expressions of nostalgia appeared on their faces. ¡°You will be staying in the Red Sun World for almost twenty years, doesn¡¯t that feel great?¡± Richard smiled. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s great, my lord,¡± Calion sighed. ¡°Your realm is wonderful, but the Red Sun World is our homeland. This is where we truly belong.¡± ¡°Since it is most suitable, then work hard,¡± Richard patted Calion on the back, speaking earnestly, ¡°In these twenty years, you have plenty of work. Besides producing Alchemy ink and components, you also need to focus on optimizing the Armor. The current armor is too expensive and can¡¯t be equipped as standard gear.¡± Calion expressed confusion, ¡°My lord, we don¡¯t quite understand why you are so insistent on standardizing Holy Armor. Isn¡¯t it good to follow an elite path?¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°You haven¡¯t grasped my meaning; I have never abandoned the elite path¡ªI want both. The enhancement potential for individual armors is limited; significant improvements can only happen once I¡¯ve cracked the secret of the Power Furnace. So, now is a good time to research how to democratize the armors.¡± ¡°Alright, my lord,¡± Calion said, scratching his head, ¡°We will do our best. Honestly, we are quite unaccustomed suddenly having to find alternatives when materials are lacking.¡± Richard patted Calion¡¯s back again, with a firm tone, ¡°Adapt, I believe in your capability. Your optimization is not all for me, when Fire Lizards go out to battle, the better your optimized armors, the lower their casualties will be.¡± The equipment transportation took two days, and as the last piece of equipment was moved, Ulysses flew out of the Secret Realm and concurrently closed the rift of the Secret Realm. When this rift opened again, it would probably be in twenty years. ¡°Achoo! A world biased towards Fire Element is still so uncomfortable,¡± Ulysses touched his nose, unable to resist complaining. Richard ignored him and turning to the Fire Lizards who were loading the machines onto the truck, said, ¡°If there is any damage to the machines, go to the mining area and find a wizard; they will prepare the materials for you. I still have matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t see you off. I hope you have a pleasant twenty years.¡± With that, Richard, grabbing Ulysses, walked towards the Teleportation Gate. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s the matter, aren¡¯t we spreading doctrine?¡± Ulysses was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Not for now, we still have other matters.¡± Back at the Tower of Truth, after confirming with Iyad that no one had yet come to claim the inheritance, Richard returned to his Wizard Tower. He still had one Silver Star Badge to collect. After experiencing an Academy war, many black towers in the community had emptied. Richard greeted a few wizards he recognized on the way and soon arrived at his Wizard Tower. In the front courtyard of the Wizard Tower, a white dove perched motionless in a tree. Upon seeing Richard return, the dove flew down from the tree, speaking human words, ¡°Wizard Richard, here is your Wizard World Second Level Honor Badge, we thank you for your contributions to the Wizard World.¡± With that, the dove spat out a thumb-sized Alchemy Medal, all golden in color and shaped like a shield, with a silver five-pointed star engraved on the front and Richard¡¯s name on the back. Richard weighed the badge in his hand, and couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°So wealthy indeed, to use pure Mithril and Pure Gold for a badge. This must also be part of the reward.¡± The Honor Badge was merely symbolic; Richard¡¯s identity had already been recorded in the spirit system of the Tower of Truth. Even without this badge, Richard was still a recipient of the Silver Star Badge, still enjoying those privileges. Having stored away the badge, Richard then returned to the still-queuing convoy. ¡°Gah, where are you off to now?¡± Ulysses, looking at the long line of Flying Airships, asked, slightly bewildered. Richard pointed towards the Magic Dwarves in the airship cabin. ¡°I plan to make a trip to the One Ring Tower of Truth. I¡¯ll take some Magic Dwarves back to their ancestral lands. Then, incidentally, I¡¯ll inquire about the Dreamwalker Club.¡± Now, Richard¡¯s power was about to break through to the Three Rings, yet he was significantly lacking in spiritual power. Thus, he planned to seek out the Dreamwalker Club, to acquire the technology to enter the Nightmare Wizard World. Once he could enter the Nightmare Wizard World, the lack of spiritual power would not be a problem anymore. Chapter 344: 60: Magic Dwarf Ancestral Land Chapter 344: Chapter 60: Magic Dwarf Ancestral Land Interdimensional trade is no simple matter, just using the teleportation gate of the Tower of Truth is enough to pose numerous challenges. The multi-world giant teleportation gate of the Tower of Truth is the only teleportation gate that most of the Wizard Commerce can use for interdimensional trade. Because maintaining a teleportation gate is an immense expense for most Wizard Commerce, and transferring the teleportation target is an exclusive technology of the Tower of Truth. If a Wizard Commerce established its own teleportation gate, they would need to dismantle it and reset the world coordinates when they wanted to switch worlds. That constituted a significant expense. After nearly two months of waiting, it was finally Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s turn to use the teleportation gate. Cargo flying airships, resembling whales, entered the teleportation gate. Richard stood at the end of the caravan, quietly watching the ¡°whale herd¡± disappear into the pitch-black, profound abyss of the gate. ¡°Ga, multi-coordinate teleportation gates, those are also rare in our place,¡± Ulysses said, perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder, looking at the teleportation gate at the end of the path, unable to help but sigh. ¡°Oh? Then how do you conduct inter-world trade?¡± Richard asked, puzzled. ¡°Ga, the way you all venture out, we conduct trade,¡± Ulysses replied, his eyes flashing with nostalgia, ¡°We would set up a space port outside the world, and the fleet for world trade would start from the space port, gradually accelerate to the speed of light under the blessings of the Divine King and many other gods governing wealth and commerce. It was a spectacular sight. Inter-world merchant fleets were also known as Comet Fleets in our land because when they reached a space port, they would send out many small ships into the world for trade and supplies. These small ships often emit a brilliant light as they pass through the World Barrier, appearing from afar like a meteor shower. Thus, many world routes have developed the custom of celebrating meteor showers, and even the concept of a deity of meteors and commerce emerged¡­¡± Talking about the Gods Civilization, Ulysses would invariably become loquacious. His eyes gleamed with pride; although he was in the Wizard World, he had never forgotten his homeland. Richard did not interrupt, listening quietly to Ulysses¡¯s ceaseless chatter. The exotic scenery of the Gods Civilization was vividly woven into life by Ulysses¡¯s words. It was hard to imagine that a person who had been adrift in a foreign land for hundreds of years could still depict the scenery of his home so vividly. Richard believed that all this was not only because Ulysses was a World Master but also because of his countless memories. Soon, the caravan was through, and Richard entered the flying airship, quietly watching the dark teleportation gate swallow the flying airship. The experience of teleportation through such a giant gate was quite fascinating. After the flying airship entered the gate, it was like entering a long tunnel. After flying for nearly a week, the tunnel ended, and the flying airship passed through the dark portal, successfully entering the target world. The first stop of the trade route was a Wind Element unbalanced world called Wind Dragon World, which produced a special mineral known as Wind Metal. This mineral was one of the important materials for constructing flying airships, used in both commercial and military applications. Upon exiting the teleportation gate, the caravan immediately headed toward the mining area. In a Wind Element unbalanced world, the land is scarce. Thus, what are commonly large continents in ordinary worlds become isolated sky islands here. The oceans and magma circulate at different heights like atmospheric currents, creating unique scenic views characteristic of Wind Element unbalanced worlds. The gravity in Wind Element unbalanced worlds is lower, which is the exact opposite of Earth Element unbalanced worlds. This feature is undoubtedly beneficial for flying airships. Lower gravity means faster speeds and lower energy consumption. Due to the sky island terrain, the mining areas of Wind Metal appeared in scattered formations. To be more efficient, the caravan¡¯s supervisor ordered the fleet to disperse, and each flying airship independently conducted trade for minerals. Food has always been a major issue in Wind Element unbalanced worlds. The sky island terrain makes it difficult to grow food on a large scale. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mining requires a lot of slaves, and these slaves require a lot of food. Thus, food is a sought-after commodity in all Wind Element unbalanced worlds. The Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s flying airships were loaded with food, which made their trade go smoothly. Soon, ship by ship, the food was exchanged for boxes of Wind Metal ore. After staying in Wind Dragon World for over a month, the caravan finally traded all their food for a massive quantity of Wind Metal ore. Reliance on food, a relatively cheap product, naturally wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s appetite for ore, so they ultimately resorted to using Magic Essence. Richard bought many ores and some biological specimens in this world. These items, when sold in the Wizard World, would fetch prices at least twice as high. After the ore was all bought up, the caravan once again came to the teleportation gate. This time, they didn¡¯t have to wait long in line; they got through after three days. After altering the world coordinates, the caravan re-entered the teleportation gate. This time, they arrived in a Fire Element unbalanced world. The ore they had acquired in Wind Dragon World was sold out here. This Fire Element unbalanced world was a manufacturing base for flying airships. Everyday, massive quantities of ore were transported here, melted into molten metal, then transformed into flying airships one by one. After selling the ore, the caravan immediately bought a considerable amount of low-quality Fire Element gems, as well as some high-temperature-resistant materials unique to the Fire Element world. And these items would be sold out in the next world they reached, repeating the above operations. Over a year, the caravan passed through five worlds, bringing the chamber of commerce a net gain of three thousand Magic Essences and resources enough to supply an entire fleet of flying airships. When the caravan reached the One Ring Tower of Truth, these resources would be sold to local Alchemy Workshops. This trip yielded a net profit of nearly four thousand Magic Essence. With the nose of the Flying Airship piercing through the Teleportation Gate, Richard¡¯s journey was finally over. After greeting the caravan manager, Richard led dozens of Magic Dwarves into the Tower of Truth. The structure of the One Ring Tower of Truth was not much different from that of the Four Rings; it had residential layers and commercial layers almost identical to those in the Four Rings. Legend has it, the One Ring Tower of Truth was the first Tower of Truth and the site where the Five Major Schools discussed a ceasefire. Richard did not stay long in the One Ring Tower of Truth; he took the Magic Dwarves and left the place. Outside the Tower of Truth, in a Wizard City, Richard chartered a Flying Airship and started following the map to the ancestral land of the Magic Dwarves. The ancestral land of the Magic Dwarves was located in a mountain range in the northeastern territory of the One Ring Tower of Truth; during the Enlightenment period, this range was an important mining area for the Shape-shifting School, with Magic Dwarves laboring day and night as slaves of the wizards to mine the ores. After the Wizard War ended, this mining area was first abandoned due to depleted veins and then designated as a protected area by the Truth Council. After many years of recovery, this mountain range had become a popular tourist destination for many mortals. After over a month of long flight, the Flying Airship finally arrived at the mountain range known as the Dwarf Mountains. Next to the mountains, there was a huge Mortal Kingdom belonging to an enrollment territory called the Redstone Wizard Academy. After entering their territory in the Flying Airship, Richard went to the Academy to register to avoid being mistaken for a hostile wizard and having his airship shot down. The pilot maneuvered the Flying Airship to slowly land at the nearest airfield to the Dwarf Mountains. Richard settled the final payment and led the Magic Dwarves down from the airship. Looking at the distant mountains, these Magic Dwarves, who had lived in the Mirror World since birth, unexpectedly felt a familiar sensation. Unconsciously, tears fell from their eyes. The prodigal sons returned home. Richard gestured for the Magic Dwarves to head deep into the mountains, and soon, the group arrived in front of a massive peak. Bruto parted the vines on the mountain wall, revealing an old mine covered in moss. Without a doubt, this was the mine left behind by the Magic Dwarves. ¡°Alright, looks like I¡¯ve got the right place,¡± Richard said with a relaxed tone, ¡°the rest is up to you, I¡¯m heading out now.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Bruto suddenly called out to Richard. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Richard asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already buy you tools on the way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Bruto hurriedly explained, ¡°the High Priest told me that there is a secret in our ancestral land that even the wizards have not discovered. He told me that this secret might be of help to you and insisted that I must show it to you when we reached our ancestral land.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard was slightly surprised, ¡°Well, I must see this then.¡± Bruto bowed slightly, then pulled out an ancient map from his person. The leather of the map was dry and stiff, and if not for a mysterious enchantment protecting it, it would have crumbled to pieces by now. Following the map, Bruto located a mine marked on the mountain face. Following this mine, they made their way downward, with moss covering the mine path and Bruto moving swiftly as if something was calling to him. Richard followed Bruto for two days, with the spiderweb-like mine paths almost causing him to get lost. It was hard to imagine how much effort it would take to find this correct path without the guidance of the map. Bang! Bruto smashed a boulder blocking the way, revealing a long-sealed underground hall to the two of them. Richard waved his hand, and a gust of wind dispersed the stale air inside the hall. Despite countless years, the hall bore surprisingly little damage. Only a layer of dust covered the items inside. Both entered the hall. The hall seemed to be a place of worship; in the deepest part of the hall, there was a Dwarf statue with draconic features. In front of it stood a golden altar inlaid with gemstones. On this statue, Richard felt a faint Power of Faith. After years without worship, the Power of Faith on this statue had almost entirely dissipated. ¡°Is this your secret?¡± Richard casually asked. Bruto didn¡¯t speak; he walked to the altar, placed his hands together in front of the Dwarf sculpture, and silently prayed for a while. Soon, the Dragonized Dwarf sculpture began to crack, and as prayer time increased, these cracks gradually widened. Eventually, the old Dragonized Dwarf sculpture shattered, revealing a much smaller but seemingly more spiritual statue of the Magic Dwarf King. Then, Bruto placed his hands on the altar and, using all his strength, pushed it aside. As the altar moved, a faint Life Radiation emerged, entering Richard¡¯s perception. ¡°Is this¡­a Dragon Egg?¡± Chapter 345: 61: Dragon King Egg Chapter 345: Chapter 61: Dragon King Egg Beneath the altar, a half-human-high giant egg quietly lay in a metal box crafted through Giant Dragon Alchemy. This dragon egg was golden all over, its shell adorned with slowly flowing dark golden patterns; though countless years had passed, the egg still possessed a faint vital force. Moreover, a rich fragrance wafted from the egg, making Richard involuntarily swallow his saliva. Such a fragrant egg. Bruto introduced the egg to Richard, ¡°Sir, this is the offspring of a Dragon King from ancient times. Back then, our tribe of Magic Dwarves served a Six-headed Dragon King, but later, the Wizards overthrew the Dragon¡¯s throne, and this Dragon King was slain by them. Before his death, he entrusted this dragon egg to us, hoping we would hatch it when the time was right. However, after the wizards overthrew the dragons, we became servants of the wizards. At that time, many dragons were still hiding in the Wizard World, and the wizards treated the remaining dragons with nothing but slaughter, which made our ancestors delay their plans to hatch the egg. Later, when wars broke out among the wizards, our tribe lost many things during the conflict, including the knowledge of how to hatch this dragon egg.¡± Bruto took the dragon egg out of the box and placed it in front of Richard. ¡°Sir, the High Priest instructed me to hand this dragon egg over to you. He believes that in your hands, perhaps it can still be hatched. As for what to do after hatching, whether to make it a Magic Pet or a specimen, that will be up to you.¡± Richard looked at the dragon egg before him and felt somewhat troubled. He was conflicted about whether to eat the dragon egg or to hatch it. Richard¡¯s body told him that if he ate this dragon egg, it would surely trigger a tremendous transformation. Yet, the offspring of a Dragon King, if kept as a Magic Pet, the benefits might not be less than a transformation. Bruto said nothing more; his task was already complete. Whatever Richard decided to do next, it no longer concerned him. In the end, Richard abandoned the idea of devouring the giant egg for transformation and instead gathered the egg along with its containing box. When he touched the box, the Miracle Furnace transmitted a message. [Ingredient: Dragon Egg Preservation Box] [Extractable Information: Static Field Tree Pattern] [Extraction Consumption: 30 Spiritual Power] [Extractable Skill: Giant Dragon Alchemy (incomplete)] [Extraction Consumption: 20 Spiritual Power] Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Not bad, there¡¯s an unexpected gain,¡± Richard thought with silent joy. After securing the egg and box, Richard followed Bruto out of the mine. Outside the mine, the Magic Dwarves were cutting down trees and building wooden huts. Richard didn¡¯t plan to make this group of Magic Dwarves his vassals; first of all, there were too few of them, and thirty was not an adequate number regardless of their capabilities. Secondly, these Magic Dwarves had no special skills or abilities that Richard needed. The basic Alchemy of the Magic Dwarves was of no help to Richard, and their ability to locate mineral veins was useless to him. Lastly, this group of Magic Dwarves also had their beliefs, eliminating whatever use they could have had last. Thus, Richard abandoned the thought of making these Magic Dwarves his vassals and instead chose to let them multiply and thrive on their own in the Wizard World. Richard could sense that the big shots in the Truth Council were always scheming to restore the environment of the Wizard World. The Magic Dwarves of the Mirror World would eventually return to the Wizard World. If these Magic Dwarves could lay down roots in the Wizard World in advance, it would benefit their return. Before leaving, Richard instructed, ¡°If you need anything, go purchase it from the nearby Human Kingdom, but I advise against mining. The entire Wizard World¡¯s veins have been sealed by the Truth Council, and unlicensed mining would get you inspected by the Wizards of the Judicial Department.¡± ¡°Sir, what if we want to read books?¡± Bruto suddenly asked. ¡°Books?¡± Richard said surprisingly, ¡°Reading is a good habit. If it¡¯s apprentice-level knowledge, that¡¯s fine; you can seek help from nearby Wizard Academies. But for more advanced knowledge, you¡¯ll have to exchange for it yourselves. If you truly want to read books, then properly increase the number of your tribe. Once your numbers reach a certain scale, you can go to the Tower of Truth and contact the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce to get in touch with me. Then, I can introduce you to join in Plane Wars to earn commissions. However, be forewarned, Plane Wars are incredibly brutal, even Wizards commonly perish, so make sure you are mentally prepared before you decide.¡± Bruto remained silent, quietly taking out a notebook to record Richard¡¯s words. After recording, he gave Richard a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Sir, your kindness to us is as grand as the mountains; the Magic Dwarves will forever remember your grace.¡± Richard smiled and walked away, leaving Bruto standing there, quietly watching Richard¡¯s figure shrink until he disappeared. ¡­ Upon returning to the One Ring Tower of Truth, Richard began inquiring about the Dreamwalker Club. He remembered that the club president had once told him the club¡¯s address, but after more than two hundred years and a Soul Darkness encounter, Richard had completely forgotten it. Therefore, he had no choice but to start asking around by name. After extensive inquiries, Richard finally confirmed that the Dreamwalker Club was not in this Tower of Truth. This made him a bit disheartened. After spending half a year in the Tower of Truth and spending hundreds of Magic Essence only to find out that the club wasn¡¯t there, anyone would feel a bit down. However, Richard didn¡¯t stay disheartened for long, as the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s inter-domain trade was about to begin. Following the caravan, Richard set out once again, this time aiming for the Second Ring Tower of Truth, planning to pass through seven worlds, expecting the journey to take two and a half years. ¡°I have to say, interworld trade is a very enlightening activity.¡± After these two trips, Richard not only witnessed the unique landscape of the Four Elements Plane, from sky islands to mountain ranges to the endless vast sea, but he also learned about many unique rules of these worlds. From the Aurora World filled with skies illuminated by auroras, to the Hurricane World where the fierce winds never ceased, to the reversed world of life and death, where death was the beginning. These unique world rules left Richard exclaiming with disbelief. In the endless Star Realm, amidst the vast Star Sea, any absurd world could be born. Two and a half years later, the trading caravan successfully arrived at the Second Ring Tower of Truth. Richard bade farewell to the chamber of commerce manager and began to inquire about the Dreamwalker Club within the Tower of Truth. ¡°You mentioned the Dreamwalker Club?¡± In the tavern, the bartender was polishing glasses behind the counter. In front, clad in a black robe with a silver mask, Richard placed a piece of Magic Essence on the counter. Taverns, common places used to gather information in the fantasy worlds. In the Wizard World, taverns served a similar purpose. In this era of pioneering, war caused a significant number of wizards to have psychological issues, issues that, although not considered diseases, made them feel very uncomfortable. Thus, they too needed a channel for release. And a tavern, a place nearly every wizard had heard of during their mortal phase, became just such a channel. Under the stimulation of good liquor, wizards could loudly share their experiences, boast of their exploits, and vent their frustrations and bitterness. Such a great place, it would be a waste not to engage in the business of information. ¡°Have you heard of it?¡± Richard retorted. ¡°I indeed have,¡± the bartender said indifferently, ¡°For ten pieces of Magic Essence, I¡¯ll tell you their address.¡± Richard didn¡¯t say more, and instantly pulled out another nine pieces of Magic Essence from his pocket. The bartender accepted the Magic Essence and couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly. ¡°The headquarters of this group are on Residence Level Twelve, at number 362.¡± Having gotten the address, Richard didn¡¯t linger, standing up immediately and leaving the tavern. Just as he was about to exit the tavern, the bartender¡¯s voice suddenly rang out in his ear. ¡°Friend, a word of advice, stay away from that group of wizards.¡± Richard turned back. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing specific; I just heard that some wizards joined them and then went insane.¡± Richard frowned slightly, wanting to delve deeper into the issue, but the bartender shook his head at him. ¡°I just heard it, I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Richard slightly bowed in gratitude then quickly left the tavern. ¡­ Residence Level Twelve. Richard flew through the sky, unhurried, as the bartender¡¯s advice echoed in his mind over and over. Wizards turning into madmen wasn¡¯t unusual in the Wizard World. The wizard¡¯s thirst for truth often drove them to explore many unknowns. Underneath the veil of the worlds, too many things could destroy a wizard¡¯s sanity. However, what the Dreamwalker Club was studying wasn¡¯t some indescribable thing. According to what Richard had once encountered with the Pyramid Nightmare Lord, at least before the great wizard war erupted, wizards had extensively explored the Nightmare Wizard World. The rituals they left behind should also be problem-free. But if technical issues were ruled out, what remained was the possibility that they had stirred up some major trouble in the Nightmare World. ¡°Ah, what a trouble.¡± Soon, Richard found the 362nd Wizard Tower that the bartender had mentioned. This Wizard Tower was quite standard, much like Richard¡¯s own Black Tower, with the only difference being an additional two floors. But from the first glance at this Wizard Tower, he sensed something was off. The Wizard Tower exuded an aura of ¡°nightmare¡± from inside out. ¡°Ulysses, what do you think of this Wizard Tower?¡± Richard asked the black raven on his shoulder. ¡°This Wizard Tower?¡± Ulysses opened his eyes and yawned lightly. ¡°Let me see.¡± A glint flashed in Ulysses¡¯s eyes. The whole Wizard Tower, in his view, emitted a strange aura. As a World Master, Ulysses wasn¡¯t fooled by appearances; he immediately saw that these strange auras were the result of the Nightmare Rules ¡°evaporating.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Ulysses said with interest, ¡°This Wizard Tower seems like it was moved out from the Nightmare World, its whole structure is ¡®evaporating¡¯ the Nightmare Rules from inside out. This is highly unusual.¡± ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Richard asked urgently. ¡°Caw, I¡¯m not quite sure,¡± Ulysses looked at the Wizard Tower, his tone uncertain, but after surveying the surrounding area, his tone suddenly became assertive. ¡°This is the Tower of Truth, isn¡¯t it? Go in boldly, this is your wizards¡¯ stronghold; what waves can something from the Nightmare World possibly make here.¡± Chapter 346: 62: Remains of the Nightmare Lord Chapter 346: Chapter 62: Remains of the Nightmare Lord It must be said, Ulysses¡¯s words made a lot of sense, this place was the Tower of Truth, the dwelling of the Truth Wizards. Even the Dreamwalker Club at its boldest would only dare to provoke a Nightmare Lord. But just a mere Nightmare Lord, daring to cause trouble at the Tower of Truth? Do they really think the Tower of Truth is merely a residential layer? With newfound confidence, Richard landed on the ground. He pulled out the Mithril Magic Wand from his pocket, and then bestowed upon himself two layers of Spiritual Protection. This wasn¡¯t the Nightmare World, the Nightmare World¡¯s ability to turn falsehood into reality shouldn¡¯t appear here, so Richard focused the protection on the spiritual level. The kind of unreasonable dream-infiltrating power of the Nightmare Red mist was known as the killer of all below the Great Wizards. If one couldn¡¯t see through the Nightmare¡¯s disguise, even a Wizard of the Three Rings would die in the nightmare. Richard stepped forward and pressed the doorbell. Ding-ding-ding¡­ A jarring doorbell sound emanated from within the Wizard Tower. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard frowned slightly, the doorbell sound seemed merely noisy at first listen. But if one listened carefully, one would discover many subtle wails hidden within the sound. For a wizard with sensitive hearing, this sound was almost like coming straight from Hell, sending chills down one¡¯s spine. Richard waited for a moment, but there was no sign of any wizard coming out from the tower. ¡°Could it be that they¡¯re not in today?¡± Richard guessed. Just as Richard was about to leave, the great door of the Wizard Tower suddenly opened. A wizard with a withered face, akin to a dried corpse, walked out from the Wizard Tower. Looking at this wizard, Richard inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity. He searched his memory, and quickly matched the somewhat terrifying face before him with a face from his memory. Richard was horrified to discover that this wizard, looking like a dried corpse, was supposed to be the chairman of the Dreamwalker Club. When Richard had met him years ago, he was a Second Ring Wizard full of vigor, holding boundless hope for the future. But the wizard now before him, not only had a withered complexion, but his eyes were also dull and lifeless, as if he had suffered long torment and completely lost hope for life. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± the chairman asked somewhat dully. His voice was very hoarse and raspy, much like two stones grinding against each other. ¡°I¡¯m looking for you, Mr. Chairman,¡± Richard responded calmly, ¡°We met once over two hundred years ago in the Nightmare World, not sure if you still remember.¡± The chairman looked at Richard with a somewhat vacant gaze, seemingly trying to mobilize his stiff brain. Suddenly, the chairman¡¯s expression became excited. ¡°I remember! I remember!! I remember you, Master!¡± The once lifeless expression of the chairman suddenly became animated. He hurriedly opened the gate of the courtyard and ushered Richard inside. Seeing the chairman¡¯s drastic change in attitude, Richard knew the chairman must see him as the last straw for his salvation. The problem he was now mired in was clearly related to the Nightmare Wizard World. And to his eyes, Richard was precisely the wizard studying the Nightmare World. This identity naturally made him pin all his hopes on Richard. ¡°Mr. Chairman, I think it¡¯s better to ask clearly before I proceed into your Wizard Tower.¡± Richard looked at the chairman, his expression suddenly turned stern. ¡°What exactly did you provoke, to make your Wizard Tower seem as if it were dragged out of the Nightmare World?¡± The chairman¡¯s body stiffened for a moment, and then he awkwardly smiled. ¡°It seems the Master has already noticed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard not to notice,¡± Richard replied flatly. The smile on the chairman¡¯s face gradually faded, replaced by indescribable remorse. ¡°Master, you must have visited the residence of that Nightmare Knight back then.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard already had some guesses. The Dreamwalker Club¡¯s problem probably had something to do with the object that a Wizard of the Three Rings took from the residence of the Nightmare Knight Amade. ¡°I did,¡± Richard nodded, then retorted, ¡°What exactly did that Three Rings Master take to make you all turn into this sorry state?¡± A bitter smile appeared on the chairman¡¯s face: ¡°Master is indeed perceptive, guessing it right away. Master Farret took out a piece of a Nightmare Lord¡¯s body.¡± Hearing this answer, Richard was first startled, then overcome with a surge of ecstasy. The flesh of a Nightmare Lord, and it was causing such a big commotion. This was certainly a prime material for refinement! However, this joy was not something Richard showed outwardly. If he showed his happiness now, he would have to settle for less when asking for his reward later. So, Richard deliberately made his face look very unpleasant and said in a low voice: ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and talk.¡± Upon hearing this, the chairman immediately stepped aside, then quickly went to the door of the Wizard Tower and opened it for Richard. The two entered the Wizard Tower. As soon as the great door of the Wizard Tower closed, an unexplainable eerie atmosphere instantly filled the place. Under the influence of this bizarre atmosphere, it seemed as if every corner of the Wizard Tower hid a pair of eyes, each shadow cloaked a monster. The sitting room of the Wizard Tower seemed to have not been cleaned for a long time, cobwebs and dust were everywhere. Richard waved his hand, and a faint breeze carrying wails swept the dust in the hall clean. Noticing the change in the spell, Richard¡¯s face grew even darker. The two sat down, and with a wry smile, the Minister recounted to Richard what had happened after his escape. ¡°After you left, Master,¡± the Minister said, ¡°Master Farret and Amade fought a great battle. In the end, Master Farret, with the body of the Nightmare Lord, successfully withdrew from Amade¡¯s territory. After leaving the territory, the Master found a secluded corner in the Nightmare World, claiming he wanted to conduct an experiment. We, as Second Ring Wizards, also naturally didn¡¯t dare to disturb him and soon left the Nightmare World due to the limitations of our spells. But ten years later, when we entered the Nightmare World again, we found a crystal ball at the place we had left. The crystal ball recorded a message, instructing us to come to this Wizard Tower to handle some matters. The signature at the end of the message was Master Farret¡¯s.¡± ¡°So you came here?¡± Richard asked, frowning, ¡°Without any caution?¡± With a bitter smile, the Minister shook his head and continued, ¡°At that time, this Wizard Tower had not reached its current state. So when we arrived, we didn¡¯t find anything strange. But as we followed the instructions in the message and came to the basement, we then realized that something was wrong. In the basement, Master Farret had sealed his own body inside a coffin, and there was an additional layer of sealing on the outside of the coffin. The message from Master Farret included a construction diagram of a magic array. He instructed us to draw the magic array in the basement according to the diagram, and then to activate it. Just complete these two tasks, and he would be greatly thankful in the future. But the problem was with this magic array.¡± The Minister led Richard to the entrance of the basement. At the entrance to the underground chamber, an intense Nightmare Power almost caused Richard to hallucinate. Richard¡¯s face changed slightly, and he applied a few more layers of spiritual protection to himself before following the Minister into the basement. The deeper they went, the denser the Nightmare Power became. In the Material World, the Power of Nightmare seemed very ethereal, wispy and ghostlike. Arriving in the basement, Richard immediately noticed the coffin the Minister had mentioned. It was a black stone coffin, with countless runes swirling non-stop on its surface, and beneath it, a clearly damaged magic array was continuously drawing the Power of Nightmare from within the coffin. ¡°When we were setting up Master Farret¡¯s array, we made a mistake with one rune, which led to a big problem as soon as the array started to operate. An unknown force, which we also weren¡¯t aware of, instantly engulfed us and this Wizard Tower. If it weren¡¯t for the protections on Master Farret¡¯s Wizard Tower, even the surrounding Wizard Towers would not be spared. Having been swallowed by that force, it was as if we were cursed; whenever we began meditation or rest, we would fall into a terrifying nightmare. It¡¯s been over two hundred years, and I have not meditated or rested once.¡± Hearing this, Richard couldn¡¯t help feeling a chill. No wonder some wizards would go mad without rest for over two hundred years. The Minister looked at Richard with a pleading gaze. ¡°Master, I know you have extensive research on the Nightmare World; please, you must help us. As long as you can free us from this curse, all our possessions shall be yours.¡± Ulysses¡¯s voice also timely resonated in Richard¡¯s ear. ¡°He¡¯s been tainted by the rules of nightmare, as if subjected to a rule attack. This fool is thinking of it as a curse, how could that possibly solve anything.¡± Richard kept his composure and conversed via spiritual message with Ulysses: ¡°Can healing techniques cure it?¡± ¡°They can.¡± Richard made up his mind and then, frowning, said to the Minister, ¡°Minister, your problem is a bit tricky to handle.¡± ¡°Tricky?¡± The Minister¡¯s spirits lifted, as ¡®tricky¡¯ meant it was possible, just that the price wasn¡¯t high enough. ¡°Simply state your terms, Master. As long as you can remove this curse, we will gather whatever you need, even if it means selling all we have.¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, but you will indeed have to pay a price. I need all your research on the Nightmare World, as well as the ritual magic to enter the Nightmare World. As for other things¡­¡± Richard looked the Minister up and down from head to toe before sighing. ¡°Keep the rest of your things.¡± Not a single piece of Magic Equipment on the Minister was of any significance, and his financial strength seemed lacking. Richard honestly wasn¡¯t interested in the Minister¡¯s scanty possessions. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± the Minister asked, surprised. ¡°That¡¯s it, but you had better think of a good explanation because I¡¯m going to unseal this stone coffin.¡± Richard¡¯s gaze shifted toward the sealed coffin. ¡°Ulysses, do you think the Three Rings Wizard inside is still alive?¡± Ulysses said teasingly, ¡°Do you hope he¡¯s alive or dead?¡± Richard glanced at him, ¡°Be serious. If he¡¯s still alive, I¡¯ll give him a hand. I suppose this wizard would be willing to exchange his research for his life.¡± ¡°Ha, because of these fools¡¯ misoperations, the wizard inside is probably now a monster, half made of nightmare, half of flesh. If you don¡¯t deal with what¡¯s in the coffin, this house is going to become a junction between the Dream Dimension and the Material World. Of course, for you, it just means finding a few Three Rings Wizards to seal it.¡± Richard frowned slightly, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that whatever¡¯s inside the coffin could pose a danger to the Tower of Truth?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Richard nodded, his expression becoming serious all of a sudden. As a recipient of the Wizard World¡¯s Second-Level Honor Badge, it was his duty to resolve this potential trouble for the Tower of Truth. Yes, that¡¯s right; he certainly wasn¡¯t tempted by the Nightmare Rules within the coffin. Absolutely not! Chapter 347: 63: Easy Solution Chapter 347: Chapter 63: Easy Solution The Minister, upon hearing Richard¡¯s words, couldn¡¯t help but show an awkward expression on his face. The situation had become what it was all because they had mistaken a Rune. If the Farret inside the sarcophagus were still alive, then all of them would probably not escape accountability. The wrath of a Three Rings Wizard, it was something these lesser wizards likely could not bear. The Minister looked at the sarcophagus and a bold idea suddenly surged in his mind. Why not let the Farret inside this sarcophagus die completely? Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the Magic Array on the ground, which they had been attempting to repair for years. Over the years, although they could not repair the Array, they had the ability to ruin it. Thinking thus, the Minister¡¯s gaze suddenly turned fierce. In a moment, an entire implementation plan popped into his mind. The only problem was, he needed to make sure whether the removal of their ¡°Curse¡± required Farret to still be alive. ¡°Master, why do you want to break the Sealing?¡± the Minister asked, ¡°Could it be that the Curse on us was cast by Master Farret?¡± Richard glanced at the Minister, his small movements just now had not escaped Richard¡¯s eyes. ¡°Not exactly, it¡¯s just that the condition of Master Farret is not so good. If he stays in this sarcophagus, he might turn into a monster, half Flesh, half nightmare. No, to put it precisely, this Master might already have turned into a monster, but there¡¯s a slight chance he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°I see,¡± the Minister slightly relaxed, relieved that the removal of the Curse did not require Farret to be alive. Moreover, Richard¡¯s words brought him another piece of good news: killing Farret might not require his own hands. ¡°Master is truly just and kind, but Master Farret is after all a Three Rings Wizard, and the monster he has become is probably not so easy to deal with. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. We have studied this ground Array for years, and while we cannot repair it, it should be possible to use it to assist you, Master, in slaying the monster.¡± Hearing this, Richard felt somewhat contemptuous. The kind of person who messes things up and thinks not about taking responsibility but about escaping it is despicable anywhere. However, at the moment his interests aligned with the Minister¡¯s, and he did not show this emotion openly. Richard said righteously, ¡°Very well, then Minister, go quickly and get your team. I will prepare here. With each minute we delay, there¡¯s a higher chance of Master Farret¡¯s death.¡± The Minister also promptly responded, ¡°Very well, Master, I¡¯ll go now. But don¡¯t rush to break the Sealing, although we are not strong, we might still be of some help.¡± Richard nodded, his contempt growing deeper. They really want Farret dead. Richard believed that regardless of whether Farret in the sarcophagus was dead or alive, the Minister and the remaining members of the Wizard Department would ensure he was thoroughly dead. This was a decision that only benefitted the Dreamwalker Club and didn¡¯t harm them, and wizards always seek benefit and avoid harm. Yet he wasn¡¯t someone fixated on morals; for such matters, he naturally turned a blind eye. The Minister soon left the basement, and Richard began wandering in the Wizard Tower. It was evident that Farret, the Three Rings Wizard named, was a Soul Wizard. Because nearly all the brain organs of various Flush creatures were displayed outside his laboratory. Apart from Soul Wizards, few others would have such an affinity for brain specimens. Some of these thinking organs were simply immersed in preservative liquid, while others had something like electrode patches inserted, continuously transmitting brain data. When Richard reached the laboratory door, he picked up a piece of draft paper on the ground. The contents of the draft revealed the research direction of this Soul Wizard¡ªDreams. Researching ¡°Dreams,¡± his purpose in entering the Nightmare World to steal the body of the Nightmare Lord became clear. He wanted to study the Dream Rules; he wanted to advance further and become a Great Wizard! But unfortunately, it all ended in vain. The path to truth is paved with the carcasses of Seekers. After waiting for about half of the day, the members of the Dreamwalker Club finally arrived. Richard glanced, and there were more than twenty wizards, most of whom were One Ring Wizards. Richard wasted no time and handed a large Soul Contract to the Minister. This kind of large Soul Contract allowed multiple targets to sign at once. When Richard initially subdued New World Island, most of the Fire Lizards signed this kind of contract. At that time, Richard couldn¡¯t afford the price of thousands of Soul Contracts. After clarifying the terms, he announced, ¡°Sign this, and I will solve the problem you all carry. In fact, if this group of wizards had not been misled into believing they were cursed, with the situation in the Wizard World, they could have removed the nightmare rules afflicting them with just a hundred or two Magic Essence. After all, they were merely infected with a touch of the nightmare rules¡ªnot truly attacked by them. The wizards looked at Richard incredulously. That¡¯s it? Some wizards began to meditate on the spot; shortly after, a wizard emerged from his meditation, his face twisted into a manic grin. ¡°It¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone! The curse has disappeared!¡± Those wizards who hadn¡¯t rested or meditated for over two hundred years, now shed tears of relief. After more than two hundred years, they could finally rest. Richard coughed twice, ¡°Gentlemen, don¡¯t get too excited yet, there¡¯s still an unresolved issue.¡± Upon hearing this, the wizards froze. Indeed, there was still a significant problem unresolved. Richard addressed the wizards: ¡°Gentlemen, I just checked the situation inside the sarcophagus, and it seems that Master Farret has mostly turned into a monster. For the sake of allowing this master to rest in peace, I¡¯ve decided to break the seal and kill the monster. I hope you can bear witness for me so that when the Judicial Department¡¯s Law Enforcement Wizards investigate, I can explain.¡± The wizards nodded after hearing this; they had already discussed their strategy on the way here. Farret had to die no matter what. Even if he hadn¡¯t turned into a monster, they planned to use an Array to kill him anyways. None of them wanted to face the wrath of a Three Rings Wizard. Seeing the wizards agree, Richard strode toward the basement. Taking extra precautions, Richard also took a Crystal Ball to record the entire process. Upon reaching the sarcophagus, Richard started inspecting the sealing and began deciphering it. Sealing Skill often appeared soft on the outside but was tough inside. It was challenging to open from the inside, but somewhat easier from the outside. While Richard was deciphering the seal, the wizards of the Dreamwalker Club began to meditate, leaving only a few Second Ring Wizards altering the Magic Array on the floor. Richard did not interfere; he simply recorded everything silently. After half a month, Richard had thoroughly researched the seal, gaining significant insights into the Sealing Skill. Although it took a long time, it perfectly suited the Club Wizards, who were determined to see Farret dead. ¡°Get ready, gentlemen, I am about to break the seal,¡± Richard called to the wizards behind him. The Club wizards emerged from their meditation, drew their Magic Wands, and began casting psychic defense spells on each other. Once they were prepared, Richard tapped the seal lightly with his Secret Silver Wand, and the seal began to fluctuate visibly. Although Richard¡¯s move seemed simple, it was like using a minimal force to move a heavy weight¡ªa technique only possible with Richard¡¯s thorough understanding of the sealing. Soon, the seal began to collapse, releasing an indescribable aura of terror from the sarcophagus. Under this terrifying aura, all wizards present, except Richard, fell into a horrific hallucination. Only under Ulysses¡¯ protection did Richard remain clear-headed. ¡°This Nightmare Lord still possesses such formidable pressure after being drained for so many years; he is truly no ordinary foe,¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help remarking. However, Ulysses scoffed, ¡°It wasn¡¯t simple before it was dissected, but now it¡¯s just a shell.¡± As he spoke, the seal completely broke. The sarcophagus crumbled silently into dust instantaneously. A twisted spherical shape, continuously emanating nightmare rules and seemingly made of numerous human bodies jumbled together, slowly floated out of the sarcophagus. The moment it appeared, a mind-corroding power burst forth from its body, instantly breaching the defenses of the Wizard Tower and spreading outward. Within its corroding range, all wizards below the rank of Three Rings fell into a deep sleep, trapped in nightmares. Richard¡¯s expression changed slightly, ¡°Let¡¯s deal with it quickly, it wouldn¡¯t be good to attract the Judicial Department¡¯s Law Enforcement Wizards.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Ulysses cackled and reached out a Crow Claw toward the meat ball, which grew rapidly in midair, soon swelling large enough to grasp the meat ball. The meat ball, seemingly unaware of Ulysses, did not dodge. The Crow Claw successfully gripped the meat ball, shrunk it continuously until it was the size of a baby¡¯s fist, and then Ulysses swallowed it. Richard stared blankly at the scene; was it that easy? ¡°Don¡¯t look so shocked. Like I said, it¡¯s just a shell,¡± Ulysses explained, ¡°Apart from its imposing aura, it¡¯s only the rules that are somewhat noteworthy. But these rules are only effective against One Ring and Second Ring Wizards who have not mastered their own rules; basically, it¡¯s just bullying the weak, nothing but a paper tiger. Even without my protection, at most you¡¯d have been stifled by its pressure; its rules couldn¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Richard rubbed his face, taken aback by the terror of the twisted meat ball and the almost ludicrous resolution. Once his expression settled, he took a deep breath and smiled at Ulysses: ¡°Don¡¯t be modest, you deserved the credit this time. When we go back, I¡¯ll check the Slave Trading Company for some Fire Lizards for you to try. How about that?¡± ¡°Ah! That sounds good!¡± Chapter 348: 64 Sixth Circle Witchcraft: Gate of Nightmare Chapter 348: Chapter 64 Sixth Circle Witchcraft: Gate of Nightmare After Ulysses devoured the Twisted Meat Ball, the mental erosion naturally disappeared too. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wizards surrounding the Wizard Tower awoke from their nightmare and instantly activated the laboratory¡¯s protective measures. Centered around Wizard Tower number three hundred sixty-two, violent Magic Fluctuations erupted across hundreds of meters of Wizard Tower. That is to say, dozens of wizards had been affected by the mental erosion. This was already considered a minor experimental accident. Soon, upon the reports from the affected wizards, Law Enforcement Wizards from the Judicial Department swiftly arrived at the scene. ¡­ Camilla looked at the Wizard Tower before her, with brows tightly knitted. Ten minutes earlier, she had received a report that an experimental accident occurred at Wizard Tower number three hundred sixty-two, affecting dozens of surrounding Wizard Towers. Although the experimental accident seemed to be under control for now, the issue of compensation still required a Law Enforcement Wizard to resolve. So she came. But the Wizard Tower before her didn¡¯t seem like one that had resolved an experimental accident at all. This Wizard Tower exuded an ominous aura from the inside out. But as a Law Enforcement Wizard, she had to fulfill her duty. Camilla took a deep breath, landed at the gate of the Wizard Tower courtyard, and rang the doorbell. Ding dong dong¡­ A clutter of bell sounds emanated from inside the Wizard Tower. But Camilla, upon hearing these bells, couldn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of joy. The screams mingling within the bell¡¯s clang made her quite unsettled. She had heard of some psychologically troubled wizards who would imprison Alien souls, to delight in their screams. Could it be that she had encountered one today? Camilla pulled out the residency information for Wizard Tower number three hundred sixty-two from her pocket. The information showed that the owner of the Wizard Tower was a Three Rings Wizard, a Soul Wizard at that. Soul Wizards were sometimes even more detestable than Curse Wizards within wizarding circles. ¡°Damn it, I knew those bastards wouldn¡¯t want to handle this,¡± Camilla complained. As her words fell, the great doors of the Wizard Tower slowly opened. A wizard in a black robe, wearing a silver mask, with a black crow on his shoulder, walked out from the Wizard Tower. Camilla suppressed the tension in her heart and demanded with a feigned authority, ¡°Is this Wizard Farret speaking? I am Wizard Camilla from the Judicial Department. Your experiment has caused an experimental accident, affecting dozens of wizards in the vicinity. I am here to¡­¡± ¡°I apologize, Law Enforcement Wizard, but I am not Master Farret,¡± Richard politely interrupted, ¡°If you are here to discuss compensation, I suggest you ask the group of wizards inside.¡± ¡°The wizards inside?¡± Camilla was puzzled. ¡°Yes, the wizards inside. I was asked to come and clean up their mess.¡± Camilla feigned realization, ¡°Oh, is that so. And how is the situation inside, Master?¡± Richard smiled, ¡°The source of the accident has been dealt with, and the impact it caused will soon dissipate.¡± Camilla nodded, ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Master.¡± Richard opened the gate to the courtyard and left past Camilla. She didn¡¯t sense anything amiss. She scratched her head, feeling like she had missed something, but couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. ¡°Never mind,¡± Camilla shook her head, ¡°let¡¯s go inside and see what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡­ Having left Wizard Tower number three hundred sixty-two, Richard immediately rushed to the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce store, prepared to continue with the trans-dimensional trade along with the caravan. Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s trade caravan planned to visit all Five Towers of Truth in the Wizard World. By following them, Richard wouldn¡¯t only broaden his horizons but could also return to the Four Rings Tower of Truth. ¡°Won¡¯t this cause you any trouble?¡± Ulysses asked after arriving at the Nine Stars¡¯ branch, unable to hold back, ¡°Deceiving a Law Enforcement Wizard, even I know that¡¯s a serious crime.¡± Richard spread his hands innocently, ¡°When did I deceive her? I answered everything she asked, and she didn¡¯t stop me as I walked past. Besides, I was here to clean up the mess in the first place, and those wizards from the Dreamwalker Club should be the ones paying up.¡± ¡°What about Mind Guidance? Using rule abilities on a Law Enforcement Wizard is also a serious crime, right?¡± A sly smile crossed Richard¡¯s face, ¡°Who can prove I used Mind Guidance? It is not like the mental magics of the Soul School, which leave traces on the soul. Without evidence, even a Law Enforcement Wizard can¡¯t do anything to me. Plus, I¡¯ve already suggested someone to solve the case for her; she would have to be really idle to come looking for me.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Ulysses found Richard¡¯s reasoning sound. It wasn¡¯t a major case, just a small experimental accident that led to a financial dispute. And as for Wizard Farret¡¯s situation, the Dreamwalker Club would naturally cover it up thoroughly. ¡­ The merchant caravan stopped near the Second Ring Tower of Truth for almost two months, and during that time, Richard wasn¡¯t once questioned by the Law Enforcement Wizards. This indirectly proved that the issue with the experimental accident had already been resolved by the Dreamwalker Club. After resting and resupplying, the caravan loaded up with goods and set off once again. This time, their destination was the Third Ring Tower of Truth, passing through four worlds on the way, taking roughly one year¡¯s time. According to the caravan supervisor, if all went well, they could return to the Four Rings Tower of Truth in about five years. Aboard the airship, Richard flipped through the materials he had obtained from the Dreamwalker Club. The Dreamwalker Club had amassed a lot of research materials on the Nightmare World; over the years, to find a solution to their own problems, they never stopped entering the Nightmare World to seek answers. Thus, they had accumulated quite a substantial amount of research materials. After a while, Richard set aside the research materials and took out two thick magic books from his pocket. One of them appeared very ancient, as if it had weathered thousands of years, while the other was almost brand new. The ancient magic book was an inheritance of the research materials left by an ancient wizard, obtained by the leader of the Dreamwalker Club. The new magic book recorded the ritual magic needed to enter the Nightmare World¡ªThe Gate of Nightmare. After flipping through the two magic books, Richard¡¯s brow involuntarily furrowed slightly. This ritual magic was a little too cumbersome; its complexity had reached the level of Sixth Circle witchcraft. In the realm of complex ritual magic, this was extremely rare. In the Wizard World, the circle number of a piece of witchcraft merely represents the complexity level of the spell, and does not indicate how powerful it is. Many of the spells used nowadays originally had Magic Models of the Fourth or Fifth Circle, but after long-term development, these witchcrafts were gradually simplified to First or Second Circle. Yet, their power had not decreased in the slightest and had even increased. ¡°No, this spell must be improved,¡± Richard muttered to himself, looking at the magic book. This ritual magic was too complex, such that in its standard state it would require at least five wizards to cast the spell simultaneously, which was also a major characteristic of ritual magic. This characteristic was immaterial to the Dreamwalker Club, but it presented a big problem for Richard. He couldn¡¯t possibly need to find four wizards to help him cast the spell every time he entered the Nightmare World. Therefore, he had no choice but to complete this witchcraft on his own. But he wasn¡¯t a Three Rings Soul Wizard from the Soul School, able to use the witchcraft of the Soul School to effortlessly handle such complex spells. He certainly didn¡¯t want to endure magical rebound three or five times just for entering the Nightmare World once. So simplifying the witchcraft was essential. ¡°You want to simplify this witchcraft?¡± Richard¡¯s shoulder companion, Ulysses, suddenly spoke up. Richard turned his head towards him, ¡°Yes, do you have any thoughts?¡± ¡°I think you better deal with that meat ball first, then look into this problem. The advantage of rules is not just about giving you an extra Talent Ability. Although your spells are miraculous, they too are a manifestation of using the rules. But once you master the rules to a certain extent, certain abilities will become your instincts. For example, if a creature masters the Fire Element Rule, even if they previously had no abilities related to the Fire Element, they will learn to manipulate Flames on their own and even achieve some advanced techniques.¡± ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± said Richard, surprised, ¡°But I haven¡¯t felt like I¡¯ve learned anything.¡± Ulysses gave Richard a disdainful glance, ¡°The only rule you have grasped that could reach this threshold is that Mutated Rule. Have you been researching Flesh lately? Without studying it, how would you notice?¡± Richard scratched his head, ¡°That¡¯s true, let¡¯s deal with that meat ball first, then.¡± Ulysses opened his mouth and spat out the Twisted Meat Ball which had visibly shrunk a bit after Ulysses¡¯s processing (digestion). ¡°I digested it a little,¡± Ulysses said somewhat embarrassingly, ¡°but I haven¡¯t touched its rules at all.¡± Richard expressionlessly conjured a sphere of water and washed the meat ball that was covered in dark purple mucus. He then touched it gently, and the Miracle Furnace emitted a piece of information. [Raw Material: Twisted Meat Ball] [Extractable Rule: Nightmare Rule (Extremely incomplete)] [Extraction Consumption: 30 Soul Power] [Extractable Rule: Dream Rule (Extremely incomplete)] [Extraction Consumption: 5 Soul Power] Looking at the information from the Miracle Furnace, Richard felt somewhat conflicted. If he extracted the Nightmare Rule, his spiritual power would fall back to the level of a One Ring Wizard. Although this descent wouldn¡¯t make him go through Soul Darkness again, there was no doubt that for a time in the future, he would experience periods of physical discoordination. ¡°Sigh, forget it, let it drop, worst comes to worst, I¡¯ll sit in a wheelchair.¡± Richard steeled his heart and chose to refine the Nightmare Rule. The next instant, he felt a wave of weakness from his soul as his Soul Power continuously flowed into the Miracle Furnace. Immediately afterward, his Magic Rebound became difficult to maintain¡ªhis body¡¯s cells absorbed a vast amount of Magic, and only a thin trickle remained. Before long, the meat ball reappeared. After losing the Nightmare Rule, the twisted appearance of the meat ball began to dissipate, gradually transforming into a human with a look of terror on his face. Then¡­ the human moved! ¡°Fuck, how did this thing come to life?¡± Chapter 349: 65: Apprentice Wuni Chapter 349: Chapter 65: Apprentice Wuni Richard looked somewhat dumbfounded at the little person the flesh ball had transformed into. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Refining a nightmare rule, how did it turn out to be a living person?¡± Richard turned to Ulysses, ¡°Ulysses, do you have any idea what this is about?¡± Ulysses was also taken aback, for as a World Master who had battled east and west in Gods Civilization for so many years, he was widely experienced. But such an event was still a first for him. The thing had stayed in his stomach for quite a while, and he was all too clear about what was inside. Other than rules and a soul warped by rules, there was nothing else inside that flesh ball. Could it be that Richard¡¯s refinement of a rule also brought this person back to life by chance? However, soon both of them noticed something was amiss. The little person in front of them was stirring, but it didn¡¯t seem like a wizard¡¯s resurrection; rather, it was more like a newborn child. He sat in Richard¡¯s hands, blankly looking around everything, then started crying out loud with a ¡°waah.¡± This threw Richard into even greater confusion. Though he had lived for hundreds of years and accumulated extensive knowledge, Caring for children was not within his range of study. ¡°What do we do with this thing?¡± Ulysses looked at the little creature, equally at a loss. Although he was a World Master, his experiences likewise did not include childcare. ¡°What else can we do? Keep it for now!¡± Richard said, somewhat irritated. With the piercing wails of the little one over his head, he rummaged through his Magic Pocket and pulled out his Flesh Tentacles. Having not harvested flesh for many years, the tentacle¡¯s active Flesh had reached its growth limit, the whole tentacle looking as plump as a pillar. Richard cut off a small piece, then with that lump of flesh quickly molded a makeshift small breast to plug the little person¡¯s mouth. Once the child was nourished with this ¡°mother¡¯s milk,¡± he quickly calmed down. ¡°What exactly is the situation with this thing?¡± Richard, looking at the calmed-down little person, couldn¡¯t help but get a headache. A glimmer flashed in Ulysses¡¯ eyes, ¡°Heaven knows, but I can confirm that this little person¡¯s soul is not normal. The soul of this little person is very fragmented; the distorted soul from the flesh ball is still existing within his body. The consciousness he is now projecting seems to be a part of the pure soul that was split off from the main soul. This must have been the Three Rings Wizard attempting a corrective measure when he realized something was off. But I suspect his method has failed, and a portion of this preserved soul has also been twisted. If we hadn¡¯t arrived just in time, the remaining soul would likely have been twisted as well.¡± Richard stroked his chin, frowning and said, ¡°Which means that this Farret wizard didn¡¯t completely turn into a monster. He held back, preventing his soul from being totally twisted. Right?¡± Ulysses nodded, ¡°That¡¯s more or less.¡± ¡°Is there any chance he could revert back to his previous state?¡± Ulysses shook his head, ¡°Impossible, the remaining pure part of his soul is too little, carrying almost no memories. Unless someone now forcibly infuses memories into his soul, he cannot return to his former self.¡± Staring at the little person constantly sucking on the flesh, Richard¡¯s expression was indecisive. He was contemplating whether to get rid of this little person or not. The Farret wizard had already been declared dead by the wizard world, so even if Richard disposed of this little person, the Judicial Department¡¯s wizards wouldn¡¯t trouble him. But then again, a Three Rings Wizard, even as a fool, might be of some use. If the little person could not recover, he wouldn¡¯t mind having an additional Three Rings Wizard as his experimental assistant. After all, the little person currently had no memories or personality, and he could entirely shape a capable assistant through methods. ¡°What about the part of the soul that¡¯s twisted?¡± asked Richard suddenly. ¡°Seal it up and shatter it, then slowly reintroduce it to this part of the pure soul. The twisted portion of the soul is beyond saving, and its best use now is to serve as nourishment, nurturing the pure part of the soul. Without sealing, this pure soul fragment would be disrupted by it before long.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Richard sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s just do that for now. I¡¯ll destroy this little person¡¯s flesh first; you watch out and don¡¯t let that twisted soul escape.¡± Not being a professional Soul Wizard, he couldn¡¯t extract the soul directly from the little one¡¯s body; he could only use this cumbersome method. There weren¡¯t many ways to destroy the body without harming the soul. Poison was one of them. Richard had borrowed round the caravan and managed to gather the ingredients for a concoction of Corrosive Poison. Once the Corrosive Poison was prepared, Ulysses slightly enlarged the body of the little person. Richard injected the poison into the little person¡¯s body, and an enormous amount of the poison entered the bloodstream, quickly spreading throughout the little person¡¯s body. Soon, the body began to rot away. However, the body of the little person, after all, was that of third-level creatures ¨C though warped by the rules of nightmares, the fundamentals were still somewhat there. It took three full days of poison to completely kill off the little person¡¯s body. Once the body died, the soul of the little one emerged from it. A small, pure soul, and one could compare it to Asatros, successively left the little person¡¯s body. Richard placed the pure soul into a temporary body made of active flesh, while the twisted part of the soul was sealed into a Crystal Ball by him and Ulysses together. Having done all this, Richard cleaned up the now-destroyed body, then burned it to ashes with blazing Flames. After burning the body, he collected the leftover ash, then threw it out of the window of the airship. Though this act was somewhat unethical, Richard felt that these ashes probably wouldn¡¯t pollute the world they were currently in, known as Heisen. After all, bone meal can hasten maturity. (laughs) Returning to his room, Richard looked at the little person who was eagerly gulping down the bottle and sighed with a sense of helplessness. ¡°Ulysses, this kid should be capable of learning, right?¡± ¡°He is capable, but I suggest you get him a new brain,¡± Ulysses advised. ¡°Flesh is rather important for learning. If you give him a good enough brain, he will learn very quickly.¡± Richard massaged his temples, ¡°This brain is already the best one I can make. Let¡¯s make do with it for now.¡± Having said that, Richard sighed again. He had never learned this lesson on raising a child. ¡­ Six years later, the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce¡¯s cross-domain trade caravan successfully emerged from the Teleportation Gate, laden with goods. This entire commercial journey took nearly ten years and earned almost twenty thousand Magic Essences. Although the profit wasn¡¯t as high as the established chambers, it was still quite considerable. Richard stepped out of the airship, looked at the familiar Tower of Truth, and deeply expressed his sentiment. ¡°Finally, I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Teacher, teacher, is this the Tower of Truth in the Four Rings?¡± Behind Richard, a little boy about one meter tall was looking at the towering giant tower with excitement. All the way on the journey, he had heard Richard talk about their return to the Tower of Truth in the Four Rings. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now, they had finally arrived. ¡°Yes, this is the Tower of Truth in the Four Rings.¡± Richard glanced at the little fellow beside him, took his arm, and flew towards the residential layer¡¯s Teleportation Gate. Before long, Richard and the little boy landed in front of his Wizard Tower. He pointed at the door number and said to the boy, ¡°Take a good look, this is Wizard Tower number 4523, don¡¯t get it wrong.¡± After speaking, Richard opened the big gate of the courtyard and led the boy into the Wizard Tower. Entering the Wizard Tower, the little boy who had lived on the airship for six years became so excited that he forgot himself. Richard didn¡¯t bother with him; he let him dash around the Wizard Tower. He hadn¡¯t set up any defenses in his Wizard Tower; he wasn¡¯t worried the kid would encounter any danger. He took a Crystal Ball out of his pocket and sent his status to his own teacher. Soon, Richard heard the sound of a doorbell. Opening the door, Richard welcomed his teacher inside. Upon entering, Jolod immediately asked, ¡°Where is the person you spoke of?¡± Thud thud thud thud¡­ Only to hear a series of bustling footsteps, the little boy in a black robe appeared in Jolod¡¯s view. Richard called out to the boy, ¡°Wuni, come here, this is your Grandmaster.¡± At Richard¡¯s words, Wuni immediately ran to Jolod and gave a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Hello, Grandmaster.¡± Jolod nodded, ¡°Hello to you too.¡± Afterward, the master and disciple headed to the second floor¡¯s laboratory. Once the lab door was closed, Richard took a deep breath, his expression instantly sagging. ¡°Teacher, can we keep the kid?¡± Jolod stroked his beard, ¡°I asked an old friend about the situation you mentioned. According to him, there are no legal issues with your actions. If you wish, you can take him as an Apprentice. But if you do take him as an Apprentice, you will have to re-issue his identity information, and he must forgo his old identity. It¡¯s as if he would be reborn.¡± Upon hearing this news, a weight lifted slightly from Richard¡¯s heart. If legally he couldn¡¯t keep Wuni, he really wouldn¡¯t know how to handle the situation. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as he can stay, but arranging for an identity is probably going to trouble you, teacher.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± Jolod waved his hand, ¡°What¡¯s important now is not to waste this promising seedling. What are your plans for teaching the boy?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Richard scratched his head awkwardly, ¡°I don¡¯t really know. On the way here, I taught him Wizard Language and some Apprentice Level knowledge. How to teach him further, I¡¯m not quite certain.¡± ¡°You need to figure that out quickly,¡± Jolod¡¯s expression turned a bit more serious, ¡°Since you¡¯ve taken him as an Apprentice, you need to fulfill the responsibilities of a mentor. Even though his soul has reached the strength of a Three Rings Wizard, his memory and personality are still that of an ordinary child. You must adopt the proper attitude.¡± Having heard this, Richard¡¯s expression became serious as well. The mentor-disciple relationship in the Wizard World is the most sacred, even surpassing that of blood relations. If he truly intended to take Wuni as his Apprentice, then he must become serious. This was a lesson every Wizard had to learn in the end. ¡°I understand, teacher.¡± Chapter 350: 66 Teacher and Disciple Life Chapter 350: Chapter 66 Teacher and Disciple Life Jolod didn¡¯t linger, after chatting with Richard about recent events, he left in a hurry. Richard walked out of the laboratory and observed Wuni wandering around the Wizard Tower, beginning to contemplate the upcoming education plan. There was no doubt that Wuni was rough but promising, as anyone capable of becoming a Three Rings Wizard was not lacking in talent. But how to carve this rough gem into a fine piece would be up to Richard himself. After some thought, Richard returned to the laboratory, took out a notebook, and began to design the education plan. Firstly, he needed to make Wuni¡¯s body grow naturally¡­ or at least appear to grow naturally. This would ensure his mental health and be more beneficial to his future education. Secondly, he needed to devise a set of knowledge systems as Wuni¡¯s routine curriculum. Richard looked at the ¡°knowledge system¡± he just wrote down and couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache coming on. He knew a lot, but to actually put that knowledge on paper and sort it in a sequence was genuinely challenging. However difficult, it was a necessary path in training students. But these were only limited to Richard¡¯s own knowledge. The knowledge that Jolod once gave him was already well-organized, and he planned to adopt it directly. With the short-term plan confirmed, Richard closed his notebook. Then, from his Magic Pocket, he took out a stack of thick draft papers. These draft papers were filled with numerous geometric figures, along with Rune Arrays. They were drafts of Richard¡¯s work from the past few years optimizing the Gate of Nightmare; after devouring and refining the nightmare rules extracted from the Twisted Meat Ball, Richard¡¯s original ability of nightmare erosion had become even more terrifying. He could now even corrupt beings with spiritual power higher than his. Apart from the evolution of his abilities, the rule impacts mentioned by Ulysses were indeed taking effect on Richard. During spell optimization, Richard would feel inherently uncomfortable when he saw certain Rune Arrays. This discomfort compelled Richard to optimize these parts of the Rune Arrays. And the areas he optimized were often the most critical parts of the Gate of Nightmare spell. Richard used his Magic Hand to spread out the draft papers, and looking at the Rune Arrays on them, he felt that strange discomfort again. ¡°Rules, these things really don¡¯t make sense,¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he gazed at the drafts. Although this ability couldn¡¯t help Richard complete optimizations, it could help him identify the unreasonable parts in ¡®Spell¡¯. For the optimization of a complex spell, this was nothing short of a Divine Artifact. Quickly, Richard immersed himself in the world of runes and geometric figures. Outside the laboratory, after some disturbance, an exhausted Wuni came to the outside of the laboratory. Upon seeing Richard optimizing the Magic Model again, he quietly tiptoed around. He knew his teacher could not be disturbed at the moment. Upon seeing Wuni, Ulysses flew up from Richard¡¯s shoulder and came in front of him. ¡°Caw caw caw, little Wuni, what are you up to now?¡± Wuni looked at the black crow, thought for a moment, then honestly responded, ¡°Nothing much, I just wandered through teacher¡¯s Wizard Tower.¡± ¡°So, nothing then?¡± Wuni nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Ulysses said earnestly, ¡°Since you¡¯re not busy, let me check how well you¡¯ve grasped your ¡®Spell¡¯. If you perform well, I might teach you something that even your teacher doesn¡¯t know, how about that?¡± Upon hearing this, Wuni¡¯s eyes instantly brightened. ¡°Sure, Crow Teacher, how will you test me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Ulysses said with a sly smile, ¡°Let¡¯s head to the backyard and you just follow my instructions.¡± ¡°Good!¡± ¡­ A week later, Richard stretched and put the draft papers on the table into his Magic Pocket. Glancing at the time, his face suddenly changed. ¡°Oh no, I got too engrossed in my research and forgot to prepare food for Wuni.¡± Although Wuni¡¯s ¡®Soul¡¯ quality was high, he still had only an Apprentice level in quantity; hence Richard molded his body at an Apprentice level too. An Apprentice level body still needed daily sustenance for survival. Richard hurried out of the laboratory, his spiritual power quickly spreading out to locate Wuni. But soon, his face took on a peculiar expression. Feeling both amused and annoyed, he approached the Wizard Tower¡¯s backyard where Ulysses was lying on a lounge chair, basking peacefully in the sun. Next to him, Wuni was continually casting Gentle Breeze Skill, bringing waves of cool air. ¡°Wuni, what are you doing?¡± Startled by Richard¡¯s voice, Wuni faltered, and the airflow he was controlling became chaotic. A few slight Wind Blades carved marks into the neatly trimmed lawn of the backyard. ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m practicing spell control,¡± Wuni shouted. Richard, wearing a dark expression, approached Ulysses, ¡°Ulysses, you seem to be enjoying yourself!¡± Ulysses flew off the chair, defending earnestly, ¡°Enjoying? I¡¯m helping this lad practice spell control. Didn¡¯t you see he could even make Wind Blades with a Gentle Breeze Skill?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Richard continued grimly, ¡°Why does it feel like you¡¯ve just found a free servant to fan you because your ¡®Divine¡¯ addiction kicked in?¡± Ulysses cackled wryly but offered no defense. Richard glared at him before turning to Wuni, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense; he¡¯s just looking for a free servant.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ah?¡± Wuni¡¯s eyes widened immediately, ¡°What about the thing Crow Teacher promised me?¡± ¡°The thing I promised you?¡± Richard turned sideways and glared at Ulysses, grumpily saying, ¡°What about the thing you promised? My student has been your fan-waving servant for a week, he can¡¯t do it for nothing!¡± Ulysses chuckled and breathed out a wisp of blue-black flames. ¡°Just this, take it for your studies.¡± Richard glanced at the blue-black flames and was instantly captivated. He asked with some uncertainty, ¡°Have you completely combined that blue flame with your Annihilation Flame?¡± ¡°More or less. The rules within that blue flame are quite wonderfully intertwined. I¡¯ve only figured out part of the mechanism and incorporated it into my Annihilation Flame.¡± ¡°Rules?¡± Richard was slightly startled; when he had sealed the flame initially, there was no reaction from the Miracle Furnace. Could the Miracle Furnace not refine this flame, or was there something special about the flame? Ulysses, as if seeing through Richard¡¯s thoughts, continued, ¡°Don¡¯t start thinking about your furnace the moment you hear ¡®rules.¡¯ This flame is an external manifestation of rules in themselves; it¡¯s a pure embodiment of rules. How could your furnace refine something that is already pure?¡± After hearing Ulysses¡¯s explanation, Richard nodded in sudden realization. Indeed, if something is pure by nature, then naturally the Miracle Furnace would be of no use. ¡°I see.¡± Richard conjured several rune chains from his hands to seal the wisp of blue-black flames into an iced lump, which he handed to Wuni. ¡°Here¡¯s your item, don¡¯t be fooled by him again.¡± Wuni looked bewilderingly at the lump of ice Richard had handed over. ¡°Teacher, this is¡­¡± Richard explained, ¡°That thing is harmful to your body as it is now. I¡¯ll store it for you. When you¡¯re able to break this seal, you¡¯ll be about strong enough to study it.¡± Wuni shook his head somewhat disappointedly, after a week of waving fans, to receive such an item seemed a somewhat questionable reward. ¡°All right, you haven¡¯t had proper food these days. I¡¯ll take you to the commercial level to pick a couple of subhuman servants, they will take care of your meals and drinks from now on.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Wuni nodded obediently. Soon, the two arrived at the subhuman slave shop. Richard dressed Wuni in a wizard robe and then brought him inside. Witnessing the subhuman servants being sold like goods in the shop, Wuni felt a great shock. Aren¡¯t these all wizards? In Wuni¡¯s mind, the vast majority of wizards looked odd and peculiar. That¡¯s why his understanding of the subhumans equated them with wizards. Seeing so many wizards being sold at will, his young mind was greatly impacted. Richard noticed Wuni¡¯s odd reaction and explained, ¡°These subhumans are not wizards; they are born this way, whereas the wizards you¡¯ve seen have become odd and peculiar through artificial modifications. In a couple of days, I¡¯ll take you out to the Tower of Truth to see what normal humans look like.¡± Wuni nodded as though he understood, but the sight in front of him still left a trace of confusion in his heart. Why are those born with an odd and peculiar appearance slaves, while those who become odd and peculiar are wizards? However, Wuni didn¡¯t immediately ask this question. In a vague sense, he realized that the answer might be quite unpleasant. After browsing through the shop, Wuni chose three kemonomimi with ample bosoms. Richard quite agreed with this aesthetic sense. After leaving the subhuman shop, Richard also bought some demonized ingredients and some lower-level alchemy materials. Back at the Wizard Tower, Richard handed the materials over to Wuni. ¡°Put these materials away safely. In a couple of days, I¡¯ll give you a book on Basic Alchemy to practice with.¡± Wuni nodded repeatedly, fastening the magic pocket around his waist. Next, Richard explained the rules of the wizard tower to the subhuman servants, then returned to his laboratory to begin writing teaching materials. Wizards generally have good memories; Richard could still recite almost perfectly the materials Jolod had given him back in the day. Even if there were parts he couldn¡¯t remember, he could fill in using his own skills. At over four hundred years old, he was now a mature wizard. ¡­ Compiling the teaching materials took Richard nearly two months. On the basis of Wizard Alchemy, he also compiled a teaching manual for Giant Dragon Alchemy. Giant Dragon Alchemy had an unrivaled advantage in material processing. If Wuni could make a name in Alchemy Mechanical Science, then Giant Dragon Alchemy would surely become his powerful tool. Once the teaching materials were compiled, Wuni¡¯s life became peaceful, his days filled with nothing but studies. Seemingly still driven by the instincts as a Third Circle Wizard, Wuni showed no impatience with his studies. He learned and mastered the knowledge Richard taught him swiftly. In just seven years, Wuni had completed all the teaching materials Richard had compiled. This wealth of knowledge would take a common wizard apprentice up to twenty years to learn, if at all. This made Richard sigh that a genius, even when restarted, was still a genius. During these seven years, Richard¡¯s optimization of the Gate of Nightmare also entered its final stages. Originally as complex as a Sixth Circle witchcraft, the Gate of Nightmare was simplified by Richard to around the Fourth Circle level. This level of spell, even for an Alchemy Wizard, could be used with ease. Moreover, after optimizing the spell, Richard was amazed to find that he could use the Dream Rules to enhance the spell¡¯s effects. With the enhancement of the Dream Rules, the spell no longer needed to be used once a decade for a month; it could now be used once a week for a day. Looking at the two-meter-high, one-meter-wide pitch-black gate before him, Richard couldn¡¯t suppress the smile on his face. ¡°I can finally replenish my spiritual power!¡± Chapter 351: 67 Lords Wanted Notice Chapter 351: Chapter 67 Lord¡¯s Wanted Notice Thud thud thud! Thud thud thud! The gloomy thudding of the horse¡¯s hooves filled the air as a knight, draped in a black robe and carrying a black coffin on his back, galloped across the black plains on a black steed. Behind him, seven or eight grotesque nightmare creatures chased after the knight tenaciously, sticking to him like gum under a shoe. A humanoid nightmare creature, covered in blood, bellowed, ¡°Black Coffin! You can¡¯t escape, so you might as well surrender and let me end it quickly for you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡± another nightmare creature, which looked like a warty toad but as large as a calf, chimed in, ¡°We¡¯ve worked together before, so out of old times¡¯ sake, we guarantee a quick end for you!¡± The knight glanced back; those two nightmare creatures had been his companions a month ago. But now, they had become bounty hunters pursuing him. The knight¡¯s left hand touched his waist, and a black bean appeared in his hand. He then tossed the bean behind him where it exploded mid-air into dazzling flashes of white light. Under the glare of these lights, the pursuing nightmare creatures closed their eyes one after another. But was a flash bomb such a trifling tool? Even with their eyes closed, a vast expanse of white light appeared in their senses under the bomb¡¯s brilliance, hampering their vision. The knight swiftly whipped his steed in an attempt to take advantage of this moment to accelerate and shake off this group of pursuers, or at least open some distance between them. However, as he brought his whip down, his body suddenly lurched forward. He had neglected one thing: This steed had not stopped running day and night for the better part of half a month. Even if the steed was a nightmare creature, it had now reached its limits. ¡°Damn it!¡± the knight cursed. In mid-air, he twisted his body and landed firmly on the ground. Beneath his black robe, a pair of dark red eyes quickly scanned the pursuers. Without the extremely fast steed, he couldn¡¯t possibly escape these nightmare creatures. He now had to seize the moment while the pursuers were still trying to recover from the ¡°flash bomb¡¯s¡± effects and kill the one who accelerated them. Soon, he fixed his gaze on a horse-like nightmare creature. Clang! A refined gold greatsword, inscribed with dark red runes, surged out from the black robe, as the knight charged toward the horse-shaped nightmare creature. At this moment, the nightmare creatures had just recovered from the effects of the flash bomb. As their senses returned, they saw the knight with the refined gold greatsword, which had slain countless nightmare creatures, rushing toward them. ¡°Defend! Defend quickly!¡± a nightmare creature who had worked with the knight shouted in panic. He had witnessed the extreme sharpness and unstoppable force of the knight¡¯s refined gold greatsword, which their flesh could not withstand. But his shouting was already too late. Splat! With one strike, the refined gold greatsword sliced a pus-covered humanoid nightmare creature in two; black fluids burst forth like a fountain from the severed body. Immediately after, the fluids turned into dark dust. With just one sword strike, the besieged knight managed to slay one nightmare creature. The nightmare creatures shuffled back in panic, their spirits shocked by the knight¡¯s sword strike. They were mere bounty hunters, not a trained army by any nightmare lord; when compared to death, the bounty seemed far too cheap. With his sword in hand, the knight lunged at the horse-shaped nightmare creature whose rapid acceleration ability couldn¡¯t be utilized at such a short distance. In this tense moment, a nightmare creature suddenly came to its senses and shouted: ¡°What are we afraid of? He¡¯s just one man!¡± With that, the nightmare creature boldly stepped in front of the knight. Its body resembled a moss-covered boulder, and its abilities were well-matched to its appearance. Ting! The refined gold greatsword struck sparks on the boulder¡¯s surface, the moss layer acting like a coating of grease deflecting the sword¡¯s attack. Seeing this, the surrounding nightmare creatures regained their courage. It was just a paper tiger. Two nightmare creatures transformed into wolf-tiger-like beasts and lunged at him. Their sharp claws and teeth even left clear tracers in the air. Behind them, the other nightmare creatures also started using their abilities. The skin stripper¡¯s body inflated instantly, followed by a foul-smelling dark red liquid shooting towards the knight like a water jet. On another side, the toad-like nightmare creature¡¯s belly swelled, its back blisters grew, then it squirted out a stream of thick green poison. Other nightmare creatures showed off their divine skills at this moment, and in no time, there was no space for the knight to dodge. ¡°Damn it!¡± the knight cursed again. He then saw the knight, without dodging or flinching, brandishing his refined gold greatsword and tangling with the two onrushing nightmare creatures. The distance attacks launched by other nightmare creatures corroded his black robe, but beneath the robe, a layer of golden armor glimmered brilliantly in the dark daylight. Puchi! An angled slash of the refined gold greatsword severed the front paw of a nightmare creature, but the fang of another tore a piece of flesh from his neck. This was the first injury he had sustained in the battle. Before he could react, a stream of dark green liquid struck his wound. Instantly, a potent poison entered his body along with the power of nightmare, stiffening his limbs. Then, a stream of blood also hit his wound. This made the knight¡¯s movements even more sluggish, and a burning sensation swept through his entire body. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ha ha ha, I hit him! We hit him! We might catch him alive!¡± A cheer pierced the knight¡¯s ears, and he suddenly remembered that the wanted poster suggested capturing him alive if possible. The sluggish Knight posed no threat to these people, as he stiffly swung his Refined Gold Greatsword. Black, sticky ooze continually seeped from beneath his Pure Gold Armor. ¡°This is the end,¡± thought the Knight, a bit disheartened. He had been fleeing for over a hundred years, and yet, he was finally caught. He planted the Refined Gold Greatsword into the ground, gasping for air weakly. The Nightmare creatures around him grew excited at the sight. According to the bounty posted, capturing this Nightmare creature code-named Black Coffin alive would earn them a reward of five hundred thousand Nightmare Crystals. However, none of the Nightmare creatures made their move immediately. They were all waiting for Black Coffin to completely fall. That astonishing strike just now had left them somewhat frightened. The Knight looked at the Nightmare creatures surrounding him with a bitter smile on his face. He turned to look at the coffin behind him and thought to himself, ¡°My lord, if you don¡¯t wake up now, your faithful underling is going to die.¡± But the Black Coffin remained motionless. The Knight, feeling somewhat desperate, pulled the Refined Gold Greatsword out of the ground once more. He couldn¡¯t possibly be captured alive; he wouldn¡¯t die in such a humiliating way! Amidst the cautious stares of many Nightmare creatures, the Knight let out a wistful smile and turned the blade towards himself. If he couldn¡¯t kill these people, could he not commit suicide? The Knight closed his eyes, ready to embrace the eternal peace coming with the blade¡­ Boom! A loud noise startled the Knight into opening his eyes, only to see his Greatsword held mid-air by a massive Magic Hand. One after another, black fireballs flew from behind him, exploding upon the Nightmare creatures that had pursued him, causing them to cry out for their fathers and mothers. ¡°Bonehead, how come you keep getting trapped in desperate situations? You¡¯re not the heroine, you know.¡± A familiar voice came from behind him, bringing tears to the Knight¡¯s eyes. He turned around excitedly and saw a slightly ethereal figure holding a silver Magic Wand standing behind him. Fireballs fell like meteors, hurled by the ethereal figure at the surrounding creatures. Seeing this, Bonehead was somewhat stunned. No, who are you? Since Richard had entered the Nightmare World through the Gate of Nightmare, he was not in a Nightmare Body but fighting in the state of a pure Soul. Bonehead had never seen him like this before. In his memory, Richard had always been an enigmatic figure draped in a Wizard Robe. Soon, the Nightmare creatures around them were swept away by Richard. Richard used the Magic Hand to gather the remains of the surrounding corpses and turned to look at the somewhat dazed Bonehead. ¡°What, you don¡¯t recognize me in a different getup?¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Bonehead asked hesitantly, ¡°Are you really the boss?¡± At this, Richard was at a loss for words. With a flash, he was next to Bonehead, tapping his Magic Wand lightly to break the chains behind him. Bonehead wanted to dodge, but the poison inside him hadn¡¯t dissipated yet. All he could do was watch as Richard opened the coffin and took out the body it contained. Then he was dumbfounded. He saw Richard¡¯s Soul dive into the Nightmare Body, which then opened its eyes. ¡°You recognize me now, right?¡± said the Nightmare Body. Bonehead, dumbfounded, watched this scene, his mind practically smoking. Is this even possible? But it didn¡¯t take long for Bonehead to come around and respectfully say to Richard, ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve finally awakened!¡± Richard nodded, ¡°I have. What¡¯s the situation with you now? Why are you being hunted again?¡± Bonehead lifted his head and began to explain his circumstances to Richard. Since the day Richard had left, Bonehead, following his instructions, had tried to traverse the Wilderness to leave the Nightmare Territory. Yet as soon as he¡¯d entered the Wilderness, a group of pursuers came after him. Having spent much effort to deal with the pursuers, he learned from them that the Nightmare Lord had placed a bounty on him. The Nightmare Lord had set the price for his corpse at a hundred thousand Nightmare Crystals, but capturing him alive would fetch five hundred thousand. Had he not entered the Wilderness in time, he would have been overwhelmed by the tide of Bounty Hunters. After crossing the Wilderness, Bonehead thought he wouldn¡¯t be hunted in the new Nightmare Territory. However, his bounty was quickly carried by the Bounty Hunters to the Nightmare Territory he was in, forcing him to traverse the Wilderness again. Over and over, Bonehead had switched through more than a dozen Nightmare Territories, and still, there were Bounty Hunters pursuing him. There was no helping it, half a million Nightmare Crystals was just too tempting a reward. With that amount, even the Nightmare Knights would take action, not to mention the Big Nightmares. Richard listened, nodding occasionally. After Bonehead finished, Richard concluded, ¡°So, in other words, there¡¯s a group of Bounty Hunters constantly after you, and they are all quite powerful, right?¡± Bonehead nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± Seeing Bonehead¡¯s puzzled look, Richard¡¯s voice became surprisingly cheerful. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the nearest Lawless Land after this. These Bounty Hunters are prime ingredients on the hook, Bonehead!¡± Chapter 352: 68: Role Reversal, The Hunt Begins Chapter 352: Chapter 68: Role Reversal, The Hunt Begins Hearing Richard¡¯s slightly audacious plan, Bones¡¯ mind became a bit muddled. He tentatively asked, ¡°Boss, are you saying we go hunt down those bounty hunters?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Is there a problem with this plan?¡± ¡°There is¡­ a big problem.¡± Bones was conflicted for a moment, then slowly said, ¡°Boss, you might not realize how many bounty hunters are after me. We are not in the kind of remote corner where you granted me my name anymore. We are now already in the ¡®Inner Ring¡¯ of the Nightmare Realm.¡± ¡°The Nightmare Ring?¡± Richard asked, puzzled, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Bones explained, ¡°The Nightmare Ring, I¡¯ve only heard about it. It¡¯s said that in our world, the cities that can produce the Power of Nightmare are distributed like nested rings, one ring within another. The further outward the rings go, the more sparse the cities become. Correspondingly, the Nightmare Territories also decrease. Before, I didn¡¯t know this, so when I was crossing the Wilderness, I just walked towards the direction of the Inner Ring, which led to my current situation where changing several territories still didn¡¯t shake off the bounty hunters.¡± Richard listened and nodded slightly. He roughly understood what this so-called Nightmare Ring was. This so-called Nightmare Ring must be the area planning for the Academies by the One Ring Tower of Truth. The One Ring Tower of Truth, being central on the Wizard Continent, is surrounded by other four Towers of Truth. Therefore, while planning the academy territories, the Working Wizards of the One Ring Tower of Truth did a detailed layout. Under their planning, as long as there are no more than four hundred Great Wizards in the One Ring Tower of Truth, each Great Wizard could have their own Wizard Academy. ¡°Okay, I got it,¡± Richard nodded, ¡°but the plan remains unchanged. The more bounty hunters, the better.¡± ¡°¡­Boss, there really are a lot of them,¡± Bones repeated softly. Richard glared at him, annoyed and resentful, ¡°What are you afraid of? This kind of trash, no matter how many come, they¡¯re going to die. You, as my little brother, being cornered by just these scrubs to the point of considering suicide, that¡¯s truly embarrassing for me.¡± While saying that, Richard stuffed the bodies of those Nightmare creatures he had collected into the Nightmare Body. After that, a Pure Gold Armor quickly took shape in Richard¡¯s hands. ¡°I remember your Talent can devour armor-wear it quickly and eat a few more pieces. Next time you encounter such trash, don¡¯t hesitate, just charge and chop them down. You must fully utilize your advantage!¡± Listening to Richard¡¯s lesson, Bones didn¡¯t feel offended but instead felt warmth in his heart. The feeling of being under the boss¡¯s protection was indeed great. However, he also didn¡¯t forget to refute weakly, ¡°Well¡­ Boss, I did exactly as you said. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t breach their defense, and then someone found a gap in my armor and bit through it, which poisoned me severely.¡± ¡°A gap?¡± Richard¡¯s eyebrows raised, and the armor in his hands immediately began to change shape. Soon, a Pure Gold Armor without any gaps appeared. ¡°You couldn¡¯t patch up the gap? Can¡¯t your armor change shape?¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s lesson, Bones hesitated, ¡°Well¡­ that doesn¡¯t seem possible. My armor is like my body, how can it change shape on a whim?¡± ¡°If it can¡¯t change, that¡¯s simple.¡± The Pure Gold Armor in Richard¡¯s hands started to melt, and dark golden lines began to spread across the armor. In a moment, a Giant Dragon Alchemy crafted full-body armor appeared. ¡°If it can¡¯t change, then just wear this armor directly for an extra layer of protection.¡± Bones accepted the armor with gratitude and then donned it. After he put it on, Richard made some minor adjustments to the armor, changing the conspicuous gold to a matte black color and cast an Activated Armor Spell. Activated Armor is a supportive magic that allows the armor to wear itself on the user. Although the tree patterns of Giant Dragon Alchemy couldn¡¯t merge with the Rune Enchantment of Wizard Alchemy, for external spells, the products of Giant Dragon Alchemy showed no rejection. Bones, now wearing the armor, appeared to be bulkier, his frame looking even more imposing than before. Standing behind Richard, he certainly looked the part of a vile wizard and his profaned creation. Richard nodded in satisfaction, then asked excitedly, ¡°Where is the nearest Lawless Land? The bounty hunters should all be in the Lawless Land, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to the east, I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± ¡­ The Inner Ring of the Nightmare Ring was much more prosperous than the Outer Ring. The cities in the Inner Ring were numerous, as was the population, and consequently, these cities produced more Power of Nightmare. More Power of Nightmare meant stronger creatures in those territories. This fact not only made the Nightmare Territories stronger but also made the Lawless Lands between these territories more powerful. Large numbers of Nightmare creatures, who were unwilling to submit to the Nightmare Lords, entered the Lawless Lands. Some top-tier Lawless Lands even had Nightmare Knight level creatures stationed there. Among these Lawless Lands, Cross Town might not be top-ranked, but it held a significant position. Each Lawless Land had a Seeker¡¯s Tavern, and in every one of these taverns, there was definitely a demon bartender. Today, as usual, the bartender filled up glasses for the patrons, quietly listening to them brag about their exploits. Bang! At the bar, a Nightmare creature with nine snake heads smashed a glass down on the counter, a look of panic on its face. ¡°Did you hear? All the bounty hunters who went after the Black Coffin are dead.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± As the bartender refilled the drink for the nine-headed monster, he asked curiously. The bounty hunters chasing Black Coffin were actually formed with his help, and their strength was more than enough to even capture the Big Nightmare alive. Logically speaking, they should at most come back empty-handed. How could they all be dead? ¡°I also just heard.¡± The nine-headed creature took the glass from the bartender and took a big gulp. ¡°Damn, I almost joined them once.¡± The bartender didn¡¯t challenge the statement, merely noting the information silently in his mind. Might come in handy later. Creak! The door of the tavern burst open suddenly. A muscular figure, clad in black armor and carrying a great sword on his back, stooped to enter the tavern. The nightmare creatures inside the tavern flashed a look of surprise; this Black Knight was unfamiliar yet apparently quite powerful. Had some Nightmare Knight¡¯s vassal rebelled? However, it wasn¡¯t long before the nightmare creatures sensed something was amiss. Why did this Black Knight look so familiar? Once inside, the Black Knight surveyed the occupants and then headed straight for the counter. ¡°What can I get for you?¡± the Demon bartender asked with a smile. The Black Knight¡¯s muffled voice came from behind the armor. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯ve just come to tell you something, it¡¯s time you closed shop.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± the Demon bartender looked interested, ¡°And why should I close shop?¡± ¡°Because if you don¡¯t, your tavern is about to be smashed to pieces.¡± No sooner had the Knight spoken than the bartender¡¯s face turned ashen. With a slightly panicked voice, he called out, ¡°Gentlemen, Seeker¡¯s Tavern is closed for today. If you¡¯re still alive later, feel free to come back tomorrow.¡± With a wave of his hand, the bartender animated the tavern, expelling the nightmare creatures inside all at once. Then, under the dumbfounded gaze of the multitude of nightmare creatures, Seeker¡¯s Tavern began to shrink rapidly, soon becoming the size of an ordinary box. ¡°Has the bartender gone mad?¡± ¡°Is he moving out?¡± ¡°What did the newcomer say to him, did any of you hear?¡± ¡°Hey, where did that new guy go?¡± As the nightmare creatures wondered, they noticed the sky seemed to be brighter than before. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± A nightmare creature looked up into the sky, where, on the horizon, something akin to a meteor shower was hurtling their way. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± A creature covered with eyes turned its eyeballs skyward, and immediately all its pupils constricted. ¡°Run! That¡¯s a damn fireball!¡± Boom! Thunderous! A deluge of fire rained from the sky, covering the tavern and all of Cross Town in an instant. In that moment, a vast amount of Fire Element formed a giant fire tornado, tearing nearly all nightmare creatures within range to shreds with its frenzied power. On a high ground ten kilometers from the tavern, nearly a hundred Magic Support Vehicles gradually dissolved into Power of Nightmare, entering Richard¡¯s body. ¡°Not bad, I hope Bones can get a move on.¡± The fire tornado dissipated into the air within seconds, leaving scorched earth behind. Suddenly, a Black Knight emerged from underground. ¡°Phew, the boss¡¯s weapon is really something!¡± The Knight who had warned the tavern to close shop was Bones. Due to the tavern¡¯s peculiar nature, Richard had not attacked it directly but had sent Bones to provide advance notice. As the fire rained down, Bones used the Magic Equipment Richard had provided to burrow into the ground in time. Terrifying as the Elemental Storm was, beneath the thick layers of the earth and protected by his Pure Gold armor, Bones hadn¡¯t suffered a single scratch. After marveling, Bones got busy cleaning up the battlefield. Pulling a Magic Pocket from his body, he simulated magic with the Power of Nightmare to produce something like a vacuum cleaner. Using the vacuum cleaner, Bones collected all the torn bodies of the nightmare creatures that were scattered on the battlefield. It took time for the bodies of nightmare creatures to turn to dust, and by storing them promptly, Bones could prevent the dissipation of the Power of Nightmare. Soon, the vacuum cleaner¡¯s bag swelled with contents. As he cleaned towards the center of the battlefield, Bones discovered the shrunken tavern. The Magic Concentrated Fire had not affected it in the slightest. Bones knocked on the roof of the tavern and announced loudly, ¡°Bartender, it¡¯s done.¡± Then the bartender¡¯s voice came from inside the tavern. ¡°Really done?¡± ¡°Truly over, I¡¯ve cleaned up the whole battlefield.¡± Shortly after, the tavern began to enlarge, quickly returning to its previous size. The bartender opened the door, gazed at the levelled Cross Town, and couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked. Good Lord, an entire town just vanished? The bartender looked at Bones, his voice trembling slightly, ¡°Um¡­ my friend, what do they call you?¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bones turned to look at the bartender and took off his helmet. ¡°What, don¡¯t you recognize me?¡± Seeing the face beneath Bones¡¯s helmet, the bartender felt his head spin. He knew Bones all too well, even the Bounty Hunters who were after Bones were put together with his help. But the bartender was no stranger to significant events, and he soon regained his composure, asking curiously, ¡°Black Coffin, are you seeking revenge¡ª¡± His voice cut out as his pupils shrank. The bartender suddenly realized that this guy, branded as the Black Coffin on the wanted posters, no longer had the coffin on his back. Bones smirked at the bartender, ¡°Not revenge, it¡¯s a hunt. And I¡¯m just a hound.¡± Chapter 353: 69 The Trade of the Great Being Chapter 353: Chapter 69 The Trade of the Great Being Richard quickly arrived at the ruins of Cross Town. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the center of the scorched earth, the lone tavern stood out conspicuously. ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve come.¡± Seeing Richard, Bone immediately took off the pocket behind the vacuum cleaner and carried it over to Richard. Although Cross Town was not a particularly large Lawless Land, it was still home to hundreds of Big Nightmares and hundreds of smaller Nightmares. Though the creatures of nightmare had all lost some of their Power of Nightmare to the bombardment of Magic Concentrated Fire, Bone¡¯s timely collection had preserved most of that power. Richard patted Bone¡¯s arm in satisfaction, then extended his arm into the pocket and devoured the Nightmare Power within. Before long, Richard¡¯s body exuded a terrifying aura. This one pocket alone had provided Richard with nearly a million strands of Nightmare Power. If refined, these Nightmare Powers could at least be turned into Soul Essence that could increase approximately fifty points of Richard¡¯s spiritual power. If Richard wanted to complete the goal of replenishing his spiritual power, he would only need to destroy two more places like this Lawless Land. ¡°This Nightmare World truly is a blessing for me,¡± Richard mused with joy in his heart. Having devoured the Nightmare Power, Richard turned and looked towards the tavern. At the moment, the bartender was at the door, watching Richard cautiously. ¡°Are you the bartender from Seeker¡¯s Tavern?¡± The bartender¡¯s body trembled slightly, and he nodded. ¡°I am.¡± The bartender then tentatively asked, ¡°Is your war over?¡± Richard was slightly stunned, then quickly realized the bartender had recognized his identity. Richard narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the bartender from head to toe. ¡°Interesting, you don¡¯t seem like an old monster that¡¯s lived for hundreds of thousands of years.¡± The bartender backed away continuously under this scrutiny, the tavern¡¯s ancient memories warning him that the nightmare creature in front of him was masquerading as a member of an Otherworldly Race known as ¡®Wizard.¡¯ These Otherworldly beings have attacked the Seeker¡¯s Tavern multiple times, kidnapping bartenders, and there had even been powerful wizards who had wrested control of a tavern. Later, the great existence behind the tavern intervened and reached an agreement with these wizards, making both sides agree to not interfere with each other. But after so many years, was that agreement still effective? The demonic bartender spoke with a guilty conscience, ¡°Wizard, the tavern has an agreement with your superiors. We don¡¯t provoke you, and you must not attack the tavern.¡± ¡°Agreement?¡± Richard looked at the bartender, intending to drag him out of the tavern. But as soon as the thought arose, a message appeared in his soul, warning him not to do so. Yet the message was merely a warning, it would not actually stop a wizard. It was more of a declaration, telling the wizard if you choose to do this, you must take responsibility for your actions, the Wizard World will not protect you. ¡°Interesting, a Blood Covenant has been made with the wizards. It seems there¡¯s something extraordinary behind this tavern,¡± Richard thought to himself. A Blood Covenant was a pact even more advanced than a Soul Contract, as its subject was an entire Race. Once a Blood Covenant was established, it would be passed down through the bloodline forever. As long as the bloodline remained unbroken, the contract would persist eternally. Richard gave the bartender a friendly smile, knowing that someone important was backing him, and naturally, he couldn¡¯t treat the bartender the same way he would a common nightmare creature. ¡°The old agreement remains valid; I will not lay a hand on you.¡± The bartender sighed in relief. In the tavern¡¯s ancient memories, these Otherworldly beings known as wizards were often insane and paranoid. It was rare to encounter a sane wizard. The bartender asked again, ¡°Is your war over?¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°You could say it¡¯s over, and you could also say it¡¯s not.¡± Richard didn¡¯t trust this bartender, so his answer was deliberately vague and ambiguous. As their information was not equivalent, he needed to preserve his informational advantage as much as possible. ¡°Oh? What does that mean?¡± the bartender pressed. Richard stated indifferently, ¡°It means that there must be an equivalent exchange.¡± The bartender was taken aback, equivalent exchange? These wizards were indeed as they always were. ¡°What do you want?¡± the bartender asked. Richard¡¯s face revealed a subtle smile, ¡°I don¡¯t want much; I only need the changes in the Nightmare World over these years.¡± Upon hearing this request, the bartender¡¯s face tensed up suddenly. ¡°I think you may not realize just how much information you are asking for,¡± the bartender said with a stiff smile, ¡°If I were to bring out all the changes in the Nightmare World over the years, even the tavern¡¯s catalog could only fit in this room.¡± But Richard was unconcerned, ¡°In a trade, there¡¯s always room for negotiation.¡± ¡°I can give you the information of the Lord on this Nightmare Ring.¡± ¡°Not enough,¡± Richard refused without hesitation, ¡°I want the information of all the Lords in the Nightmare World.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s too much information. At most, I can give you the information of all the Lords in the Nightmare Ring.¡± ¡°That will do, but I want two more maps added: one detailed map of the Nightmare Ring and one rough map of the Nightmare World.¡± The bartender gritted his teeth, tempted by the thought of this being an exclusive, latest news, and made up his mind firmly. ¡°¡­Deal!¡± Richard wore a satisfied smile, he casually condensed a piece of parchment and wrote down the current situation of the Wizard World. The bartender then returned to the tavern and soon came out with a thick book and two scrolls. The two exchanged their items. The bartender opened the parchment and glanced at the message on it. But just one look, and he was startled by the news. The war had ended, and the contention for the stars had begun. Richard was currently looking at the map of the Nightmare Ring when suddenly, he felt the arrival of a grand and colossal will beside him. He was shocked as he turned to look at the bartender, only to see the bartender swallow the parchment whole and then stare blankly at Richard. ¡°Wizard, have you also set forth on the path to contend for the stars?¡± Richard bowed slightly to the bartender. ¡°Presumably you are the great being behind this tavern. You¡¯re right, wizards have indeed embarked on the path to contend for the stars.¡± The great being, through the bartender¡¯s eyes, sized up Richard. A feeling of being thoroughly seen through made Richard¡¯s skin crawl in an instant. ¡°Eh?¡± The great being seemed to have noticed something, its expression showing a touch of surprise. Then it lowered its head and muttered to itself, ¡°Has destiny set its sights on me? Or is it merely a coincidence?¡± The great being looked at Richard again, this time with a gaze as brilliant and as mysterious as the stars themselves. After a while, the great being spoke, ¡°Wizard, I want you to sign a contract with me. You may not enter my tavern, nor have any dealings with it. Do you agree?¡± Faced with the great being¡¯s demand, Richard, though filled with fear, stubbornly said, ¡°Great being behind the tavern, one must put forth their own stakes to make a trade. I agree to your transaction, but you must place something on the other end of the balance.¡± Richard stood firm, his eyes locked onto the great being. He did not know why the great being wanted to trade with him, but he knew that it would not kill him. He had a premonition that he was, in the eyes of the great being, an existence merely to be debated over. To kill him would only dirty the great being¡¯s hands. ¡°Wizard, you are as greedy as ever,¡± the voice of the great being was devoid of emotion, ¡°Since you agree to the trade, then sign your name on this contract. After the contract is complete, the counterweight on the other end of the balance will present itself.¡± As soon as the great being finished speaking, a somewhat ethereal contract flew out in the tavern. Richard¡¯s heart leapt. A Destiny Contract! Richard received the contract and quickly formed a pen, signing his name on it. The contract flew back to the tavern, and the great being pointed a finger, sending a stream of light to enter Richard¡¯s body. As soon as the light penetrated into Richard¡¯s body, it plunged into the Nightmare Artifact he had once obtained. Soon after, Richard sensed a transformation occurring within the artifact. This Nightmare Artifact seemed to be evolving. Almost simultaneously, Richard felt an invisible shackle cover his body. For the rest of his life, he would no longer be able to enter the Seeker¡¯s Tavern. After the completion of the contract, the will of the great being left the bartender. After It left, the bartender seemed somewhat confused, ¡°What happened just now? Did I feel the presence of the big boss? Eh, where¡¯s my parchment?¡± The bartender looked at Richard, who spread his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me; your big boss just took the parchment away when his will descended.¡± The bartender¡¯s eyes went blank for a moment before he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°The big boss did come indeed; looks like your message was very important.¡± Richard spoke in a tone pretending to be regretful, ¡°Indeed, I feel like I¡¯ve made a loss.¡± The bartender laughed heartily, ¡°Haha, the deal is done, square and even. There¡¯s no talk of adding anything else now.¡± ¡­ The transformation of the Nightmare Artifact was quick to end. When it did, the damaged corner of the artifact disappeared. The entire Pyramid now bore many mysterious patterns. After integrating the Pyramid back into the Nightmare Core, Richard quickly became aware of the enhanced function of the Pyramid after evolving. ¡°Wow, the great being was generous indeed,¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but exclaim after learning of the new functions of the Pyramid. ¡°Such beings, when they show even a glimpse from between their fingers, it¡¯s all precious treasures.¡± After the great being¡¯s Evolution of the Pyramid, its functions had been greatly strengthened. Its enhancement of Nightmare creatures was not limited to rules techniques; the Talent Abilities of the Nightmare creatures could also be directly strengthened. In addition, the Pyramid now had some new functions. For instance, it could now serve as a hub, linking up to about fifty Nightmare creatures simultaneously. As long as the Nightmare creatures were in the linkage, they would all share Life Linkage and the Power of Nightmare just like the Black Knights. As the central hub, Richard could freely manipulate these Powers of Nightmare. But in light of these abilities, these powers were still just a weakened version of the Black Knight¡¯s capabilities. After all, they could only link fifty Nightmare creatures, while the Great Black Tide connected thousands of Black Knights together. However, the Pyramid¡¯s ability didn¡¯t require the other party¡¯s consent. In other words, Richard could forcibly link other Nightmare creatures to the network and then drain their power of Nightmare without their consent. And the success of this forced link depended on the control over the Nightmare Rules by both parties. That is to say, if the other party had no Nightmare Rules, then Richard could link them with absolute certainty. Richard remarked in astonishment, ¡°This is a monstrous ability; with this thing, why would I even need a Magic Concentrated Fire.¡± Chapter 354: 70 Farrets Legacy Chapter 354: Chapter 70 Farret¡¯s Legacy After understanding his abilities, Richard left the ruins of Cross Town with Bones. According to the map from the tavern, they were now in the wilderness between the rings. If they wanted to attack the Lawless Land again, they¡¯d need to traverse the wilderness for a long time. This was clearly a waste of time for Richard. So, he refined some of the Power of Nightmare, restoring his spiritual power back to the level of a Second Ring Wizard. He then once again formed a coffin and placed his Nightmare Body inside, allowing Bones to carry his body across the wilderness. Meanwhile, he opened the Gate of Nightmare and returned to the Wizard World. Back in the Wizard World, Richard¡¯s soul entered his body, and he stretched lazily, a long-awaited gesture. Over these years, his body had been somewhat out of control, with actions varying in power. Now, at last, it had returned to normal. Stepping out of the laboratory, Richard went to the neighboring room as usual, to inquire about Wuni¡¯s learning progress. During this period, Wuni was studying Giant Dragon Alchemy. This skill wasn¡¯t created by wizards, and Wuni found it very challenging. But Richard was a master of Giant Dragon Alchemy, and as his student, Wuni was not content to be merely average in it. So, he had intensely committed himself to mastering Giant Dragon Alchemy. Richard greatly appreciated this learning spirit, so he did not stop Wuni but instead told him to ask more questions whenever he encountered problems. Although Richard¡¯s skill in Giant Dragon Alchemy was acquired through the Miracle Furnace, a master remains a master, and a master¡¯s instinctive responses could solve problems that baffled the mediocre. ¡­ In the room, a handsome young man was frowning deeply, focusing intently on the metal ingot in his hands. Seven years had passed, and Wuni had ¡°grown¡± from his former boyish appearance to that of a young man. Under Wuni¡¯s manipulation, golden patterns serpentined across the metal ingot like snakes. But abruptly, the golden patterns halted. Then, a surge of chaotic energy burst from the metal ingot, instantly twisting the already formed patterns into a mess. Clearly, he had failed again. ¡°Don¡¯t obsess over manipulating the metal, Wuni.¡± Richard¡¯s voice startled Wuni, who had been so engrossed in his alchemy that he hadn¡¯t noticed Richard entering the room. ¡°Teacher.¡± Wuni hastily stood up, bowing slightly to Richard. Richard waved his hand, signaling him to sit down. ¡°Giant Dragon Alchemy is a technique of the giant dragons; you cannot approach it with a wizard¡¯s mindset.¡± Wuni¡¯s face fell, looking rather dejected. ¡°Teacher, I understand that. To think like a dragon, I specifically went to Mistress Yelena to borrow lots of research materials on dragons. But I still can¡¯t grasp the way dragons think.¡± Richard smiled, pulled up a chair, and sat in front of Wuni. ¡°What do you think a dragon is like? What do you think their mindset is like?¡± ¡°Um¡­ well¡­¡± After thinking for a long time, Wuni spoke uncertainly, ¡°Dragons are powerful, once rulers of the Wizard World, noble and proud. So in everyday life, they must be very arrogant.¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°Not arrogant, but domineering! Arrogance presupposes that both are members of the same social system. Nobles can be arrogant toward the poor, but they wouldn¡¯t be so toward an ant or a hunting dog because it¡¯s meaningless. For dragons, once rulers of the Wizard World, the other races under them were just like that. And they would only treat these races with domineering commands. If you¡¯ve ever studied Dragon Language Magic, you¡¯ll find that all the spells are imperatives. Dragons even command elements and energy. Their approach to alchemy is the same; they imperiously command the metal to reshape according to their will.¡± Wuni frowned, faced with such abstract talk. The metal isn¡¯t sentient; how can he command it to change shape according to his will? Seeing that Wuni still didn¡¯t understand, Richard sighed and pulled out a metal ingot from his Magic Pocket. ¡°Your study of alchemy remains superficial. These skills were created by creatures, and their use inevitably brings in habits from everyday life. For example, the alchemy created by wizards, where we explore the properties of materials, following their natural patterns. This reflects the humble explorative nature of wizards, always trying to make the most of the material¡¯s inherent advantages. Dragons, however, are ruthless rulers commanding materials without regard for their patterns or properties; your requirements are what matter. Like this.¡± As he spoke, the metal ingot in Richard¡¯s hand began to change shape. He deliberately slowed down the transformation of the metal ingot. Wuni could even see the metal slowly forming golden patterns. Wuni widened his eyes, not missing any detail of the transformation. And while he concentrated, his spiritual power began changing unconsciously. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Spiritual power runes appeared in his mind, one by one, and all at once, his vision became extremely narrow and very clear. The transformations of the metal ingot were vividly clear in his eyes; he could even observe the minute changes of the metal ingot beyond human sensations. He could see the internal structure of the metal ingot being dominantly destroyed and then reconstructed one by one according to Richard¡¯s will. If viewed from the perspective of a Wizard Alchemy, this process seemed like the brutish, forceful work of a bull, devoid of any finesse or aesthetic. Yet this seemingly untechnical method reshaped the structure of the metal ingot, allowing the golden patterns to grow smoothly. At this moment, Wuni finally understood his own problem. A true teaching in one sentence, a false one spreads across thousands of books. Without deliberate guidance, an Alchemy Wizard accustomed to adapting to the material¡¯s mindset might never achieve success in Giant Dragon Alchemy in his lifetime. It was a problem with the underlying logic of Alchemy. As Wuni arrived at this realization, Richard also noticed the change in Wuni. Wuni¡¯s spiritual power underwent a complex and delicate change, which had surpassed mere coincidence. ¡°Wuni, what were you just using?¡± Richard suddenly asked. ¡°Ah!?¡± Startled by Richard as he was intently observing the changes in the metal ingot, Wuni¡¯s change in spiritual power dissipated like smoke. ¡°What did you say, teacher?¡± Richard frowned slightly, ¡°I asked what you were doing just now? Didn¡¯t you notice? Your spiritual power underwent a very precise change.¡± ¡°Oh, oh,¡± Wuni suddenly realized, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was mesmerized watching you perform Alchemy, teacher. Then somehow, the change just happened, like¡­ like¡­¡± Suddenly, images flashed before Wuni¡¯s eyes¡ªscenes that seemed to be¡­ Rune Arrays! Panicking, Wuni moved to the desk, grabbed the quill, and began to write with such force that he nearly knocked over the ink bottle. When Richard came beside Wuni and saw the Rune Arrays he was writing, he was taken aback. He had studied a bit of Soul Study, so he could understand a thing or two about what Wuni wrote. If he was not mistaken, Wuni was writing a Magic Model of Soul Witchcraft. ¡°Could his memories still remain?¡± Richard wondered inwardly. Soon after, Wuni completed the detailed Magic Model and looked at the content on the paper, blankly turning towards Richard. ¡°Teacher, these are¡­¡± Richard replied softly, ¡°This is a Magic Model.¡± Wuni still appeared lost; he had never studied anything similar and could not understand the Magic Model. But why did memories related to this Magic Model surface? ¡°Do you have plans later?¡± Richard suddenly asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then come with me to see a Wizard; your soul might need to be checked.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Though not many master Soul Wizards were at Black Tower Wizard Academy, there were still a few who specialized in the soul. Thanks to Deputy Dean Eric pulling strings, Richard soon found an aged Second Ring Wizard at the peak of his rank. ¡°Master, could you see what¡¯s going on with my student?¡± In the reception room of the Wizard Tower, Richard brought Wuni beside him, respectfully watching the old Wizard opposite him. The old Wizard appeared energetically aged, with white hair, a plentiful beard, a ruddy complexion lively with health, and shining eyes. This old Wizard was among the first graduates of Black Tower Wizard Academy, uniquely skilled in Soul Study among the Wizards there. ¡°Minor issue.¡± The old Wizard stood up, smiling warmly at Wuni behind Richard, ¡°Child, come with me.¡± Wuni obediently followed the old Wizard to the laboratory on the second floor. There, Wuni sat on an iron chair and was fitted with a hemispherical Crystal Hat. The old Wizard started the machine, and soon, the Crystal Hat emitted a special wave. Holding a Crystal Ball, the old Wizard quietly watched the data emanating within it; initially, he seemed nonchalant. But his expression quickly changed. Ten minutes later, the machine stopped automatically. The old Wizard asked Wuni to stay and hurriedly left the lab. In the reception room, Richard was quietly sipping the Magic Tea prepared by the old Wizard; seeing him rush downstairs, he promptly put down his cup to meet him. ¡°Master, how is it?¡± The old Wizard¡¯s expression was somewhat solemn: ¡°This apprentice of yours is no ordinary one; although his soul is fragmented and weak, he possesses the soul strength of a third-level creature.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Master, there is no need for alarm. He is originally a Three Rings Wizard. However, during his research, most of his soul was twisted by rules, leaving only this pure part to survive. I initially intended to slay a monster, but instead, inadvertently attacked him. Later, I took him as my Apprentice after seeing his complete memory loss. I came today to ask if his memory could be restored, because today he suddenly came up with a Magic Model in his mind.¡± The old Wizard, realizing the situation, nodded in understanding. ¡°That explains it. I can assure you, he will not recover his memory. The sudden emergence of the Magic Model in his mind is because he has modified his own soul, integrating the information of the Magic Model into his subconscious. This master must have previously studied anti-meme wonders; such modification can effectively prevent the loss of his own research findings.¡± Chapter 355: 71: The Right Choice Chapter 355: Chapter 71: The Right Choice Richard breathed a sigh of relief and took out a bag of Magic Essence from his pocket, handing it to the old Wizard. ¡°Thank you for your troubles, Master.¡± The Wizard weighed the bag briefly, his face showing a slight surprise as he immediately took out half of the Magic Essence. ¡°The Deputy Dean was right, you are indeed generous. However, Magic Essence is rapidly consumed during research. I¡¯m already being quite presumptuous by taking half. You must take back the rest.¡± Seeing the serious expression on the Wizard¡¯s face, Richard had no choice but to take the Magic Essence back. The Wizard went upstairs and brought Wuni down, then handed Richard a pocket watch and five bottles of Magic Potion. ¡°This Magic Equipment, combined with the Magic Potion, will allow him to write out the things in his subconscious.¡± Richard bowed slightly, ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± After leaving the Wizard Tower, Wuni stood next to Richard, looking somewhat conflicted. The Wizard had merely assured him that there was nothing to worry about, without giving any specifics. Seeing the unspoken understanding between the Wizard and Richard, he was both curious and a bit afraid to ask. Richard glanced at him and smiled, ¡°Curious about what exactly the problem is?¡± Wuni nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a Wizard who can write a complete Magic Model without any research¡­ Master, what exactly is my situation?¡± Richard looked at Wuni, feeling somewhat conflicted about whether to tell him the truth. Honestly, Wuni was an excellent student, and any teacher would be gratified to have a student like him. He really liked this student. But the truth of the matter could potentially steer their master-apprentice relationship into the unknown. ¡°Sigh! Well, if you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± Richard sighed, his expression turning solemn, ¡°You must have already noticed that you are different from the ordinary Wizard Apprentice.¡± Wuni bit his lip and nodded slightly. Having been an Apprentice for many years, he had long realized that he was somewhat different from others. His Magic Rebound far exceeded that of a normal Wizard Apprentice, and the range of his spiritual power outreach was much greater than what a Wizard Apprentice should have. Richard continued, ¡°In fact, you are not a Wizard Apprentice. In the past, you were a Three Rings Wizard. During an experiment in the past, an accident occurred, and a large part of your soul was twisted by the rules. At that time, you could have been called a monster, or a failure. And I happened to encounter you then, thinking of solving a problem for the Tower of Truth, I dealt with the past you. But during that process, I discovered the current you.¡± As he spoke, Richard took out the Crystal Ball that sealed the twisted soul from his pocket. The moment he saw the twisted soul in the Crystal Ball, an indescribable panic surged from within Wuni. His instinct was telling him to stay away from that Crystal Ball! Noticing Wuni¡¯s unusual behavior, Richard quickly put away the Crystal Ball. Wuni, clutching his chest, recalled the fear he just felt and asked in a frightened tone, ¡°Master, what is that?¡± ¡°That is the part of your soul that was twisted. As your spiritual power grows further, you will be able to devour this fragment of the twisted soul and complete your own soul.¡± Wuni seemed a bit lost as he responded, ¡°Is that so.¡± Richard did not continue speaking, and the master and apprentice silently returned to the Wizard Tower. Once back in the Wizard Tower, the two resumed their usual activities, study what needed studying and research what needed researching. However, in private, Wuni began studying Soul School and philosophy, and Richard tacitly allowed it. A month later, Richard once again opened the Gate of Nightmare. Based on his previous calculations, the bones should be nearly reaching the new Lawless Land by this time. After opening the Gate of Nightmare, Richard¡¯s soul floated out of his body, prepared to enter the Nightmare World. Suddenly, a knocking sound interrupted his actions. Richard extended his spiritual power and noticed Wuni standing outside the door, looking very conflicted. ¡°What does this boy want from me?¡± Richard wondered to himself. After revealing the truth about Wuni¡¯s identity to him, he had not sought out Richard on his own for a month. Every day, aside from learning Alchemy, he was secretly going out to learn about Soul School and philosophy. To be frank, Richard could understand the studying of Soul School, since Wuni¡¯s situation indeed had connections with it. But philosophy was somewhat abstract. Closing the Gate of Nightmare, Richard¡¯s soul re-entered his body and he opened the door. ¡°Wuni, what do you need?¡± Seeing the door open, Wuni visibly shuddered, but his eyes soon flashed with resolve. ¡°Teacher, I have secretly learned a lot about Soul School and philosophy during this time. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I believe that from a certain perspective, the current me and the previous me are already two different people. From the perspective of philosophy, although my soul is still the original one, my memory and thoughts have completely changed. This change is not like Theseus¡¯ ship, but a complete rebuild. And from the perspective of Soul School, after the death of the past personality, the past me also dies. Even if a new personality is molded and memories are instilled, I am merely a replica of the past. Although there is a lot of controversy within the Soul School about this view, I strongly agree with it. So¡ª¡± Taking a deep breath, Wuni earnestly said to Richard, ¡°I am now Wuni, your student. The former Three Rings Wizard has died; now, there is only Wuni.¡± Richard listened to Wuni¡¯s narration, stunned for a moment, then smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s good, as long as you have figured it out.¡± ¡°Ah!?¡± Wuni was taken aback by this remark. Richard spoke in a relaxed tone, ¡°Our relationship depends entirely on you. If you are willing to accept your new identity, then you are my student Wuni. My attitude towards you has never changed from the beginning.¡± ¡°What if I haven¡¯t figured it out yet?¡± Wuni foolishly asked. Richard laughed silently, patted his shoulder, and then returned to the laboratory. If Wuni did not accept his new identity, then Richard could only expel him from the apprenticeship. He would then have to make him sign a Confidentiality Contract to ensure that anything Wuni learned from Richard would never be divulged. Of course, that would be the result if Wuni confronted Richard directly. If Wuni decided to bide his time, trying to regain his memory while learning Richard¡¯s knowledge, then Richard would have no choice but to make him completely disappear. Though this method of handling the matter made Richard somewhat reluctant, as a Black Wizard, the most he could do was grimly grind Wuni to dust. Fortunately, Wuni chose the wisest option. ¡­ Upon reopening the Gate of Nightmare, Richard once again entered the Nightmare World. Resting in the wilderness, the skeleton was startled by the sudden appearance of a pitch-black gate nearby. But seeing Richard emerge from the gate, he immediately felt a sense of calm. ¡°Boss, is this your new power?¡± the skeleton asked curiously. ¡°Yes, you could say it¡¯s a new power.¡± Opening the coffin and entering the Nightmare Body, Richard instantly transformed from an Otherworld spirit into a Big Nightmare of the Nightmare World. ¡°How far are we now from Three Wolves Town?¡± Richard asked while stretching his body. The skeleton quickly pulled out a map and confirmed their location. ¡°About a two-day journey.¡± Richard nodded slightly, then conjured a Magic Support Vehicle out of thin air using the Power of Nightmare, and produced quite a few Magic Essences as energy for the vehicle. The more Richard studied the Power of Nightmare, the more he realized just how ludicrous the rules of this world were. Magic Essence, which he could create with just a handful of Power of Nightmare strands, and after use, he could even recover the strands. It was as if he exploited the energy of the Magic Essence for free. If this were to happen in the Material World, the entire Plastic Energy Study School would be turned upside down. The various rules of the Nightmare Wizard World, though almost identical to those of the Wizard World, only differed due to the Nightmare Rules, which seemed more of an ornament. These Material World rules all had to make way in the face of the Nightmare Rules. However, this also had to do with Richard constantly playing at a lower level. The enemies he faced, besides generally being Big or Small Nightmares, possessed very few Nightmare Rules. Once a Nightmare creature obtained such rules, its strength would undergo a qualitative change. In the Nightmare Wizard World, the priority of Nightmare Rules was the highest. If one did not use rules to counter, a creature empowered with complete spell immunity by the Nightmare Rules could indeed become immune to all spells. ¡­ Seeing the Magic Support Vehicle Richard had crafted using the Power of Nightmare, even though the skeleton had seen it once before, he was still profoundly shocked. A Magic Support Vehicle was not like Magic Equipment, which consisted of only two or three components; it had thousands of parts. All these parts needed to be fashioned by Richard¡¯s hands. If any components were incorrect, then the Magic Support Vehicle would not start, just as in the Material World. ¡°Come on, hop on. This thing is a lot more efficient than running,¡± Richard called out. Sitting in the vehicle, Richard maneuvered the Magic Support Vehicle to speed across the plains. The vehicle was much faster than the skeleton¡¯s pace, and it could travel continuously without rest. Thus, Richard covered the distance of two days in less than a day. Looking at Three Wolves Town on the horizon, a greedy smile formed on Richard¡¯s lips. ¡­ Three Wolves Town, a medium-sized Lawless Land, named after its three giant wolf founders. Due to its neighboring Nightmare Territories that were often in discord, Three Wolves Town always had a surplus of shady dealings, which made its power no less than that of the previously mentioned Cross Town. Therefore, many Nightmare creatures were attracted to it. The howling north wind swept wildly across the plains, swaying the dry branches and leaves like waves upon the ground. A traveler, impatiently blocking the leaves blown towards him, looked up at the nearby town and quickened his pace. Soon, the traveler entered the town, but its eeriness made him somewhat uneasy. Three Wolves Town, a place with a small reputation among Nightmare creatures, shouldn¡¯t be so quiet. Suppressing the unease in his heart, the traveler followed the town¡¯s main road towards its center. Along the way, he observed many buildings which, despite being restored under the Blood Moon Rule, still bore signs of fierce battles from the past. Bits of debris from buildings were scattered between the structures. The traveler quickened his pace, and soon, he arrived at the town center. The heart of the town housed a tavern, where the boastful voices of the patrons dissipated the traveler¡¯s fear. He quickly pushed open the door and entered; inside, the familiar demon bartender gave the traveler a great deal of comfort. He walked briskly to the counter and conjured a Nightmare Crystal in his hand. ¡°Barkeep, has something significant happened in our town recently? Why are there so few people?¡± His question instantly hushed the entire tavern. The traveler, bewildered, turned around to find all the Nightmare creatures in the tavern staring straight at him. ¡°Ha-ha, guest, there is a rule in Three Wolves Town; one should not inquire about past events here.¡± The voice of the demon bartender came from behind the traveler, who turned around and asked in confusion, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± the demon bartender revealed a slight smile. ¡°Because everyone is so scared that they dare not even speak of that person.¡± ¡°That person?¡± ¡°Yes, the one who, half a month ago, slaughtered all the Nightmare creatures in the town¡ªexcluding those of us in the tavern.¡± Chapter 356: 72: A Chance Encounter with the Pyramid Chapter 356: Chapter 72: A Chance Encounter with the Pyramid In the wilderness, a Magic Support Vehicle recklessly sped through the open fields. Richard leisurely steered the Magic Support Vehicle, humming a tuneless ditty to himself. Not long ago, he had nearly effortlessly conquered Three Wolves Town using the linking function of the Nightmare Artifact. Under the forceful link of the Black Pyramid, the Power of Nightmare from those creatures was siphoned completely by Richard, turning them directly into Nightmare Spirits. Those protected by the Dream Rules were also blasted into pieces by Richard¡¯s Spells. The few survivors had just happened to take refuge in Seeker¡¯s Tavern. This battle brought Richard nearly 1.5 million units of the Power of Nightmare. The only pity was that once these creatures died, their Dream Rules vanished immediately. Even with the Miracle Furnace, Richard acquired not a bit of the Dream Rules. This frustrated Richard for a while. The Power of Nightmare obtained from Three Wolves Town, combined with what Richard had previously accumulated, was now sufficient to replenish his spiritual power to the limit of a Second Ring Wizard. However, although he had enough Power of Nightmare, refining it all became an issue. With Richard¡¯s current quality of spiritual power, the consumption for refining a strand of the Power of Nightmare had decreased from the original 0.01 spiritual power to 0.005 spiritual power. But to refine over two million units of the Power of Nightmare, he still needed about ten thousand units of spiritual power. And for Richard to fully recover his spiritual power required eight hours of deep sleep; based on his current one hundred units of spiritual power, he would need to sleep continuously for around forty days to refine all the Power of Nightmare. Of course, the actual duration would be much shorter as he would certainly refine while enhancing his spiritual power. However, it was undeniable that this was somewhat a monotonous task. Advancing to Three Rings wasn¡¯t something Richard was particularly anxious about. His level of knowledge, while making him a master among One Ring Wizards, only made him an ordinary wizard among Second Ring Wizards, possessing just a bit more Magic Essence than his peers. As for Three Rings Wizards¡­ there probably had never been a Three Rings Wizard as inadequate as Richard in the history of the Wizard World. So Richard wasn¡¯t particularly in a rush to refine the Power of Nightmare. Each day he only spent half of his spiritual power as fuel for the Miracle Furnace, and he used the remaining half for daily activities. He was currently following a map to locate a new Lawless Land. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His plan was to gradually take over the Lawless Lands marked on the map one by one. Of course, Richard wouldn¡¯t treat the remaining Lawless Lands with the same brutality as he did Three Wolves Town. That would be too conspicuous. He planned to secretly devour a part of them and then leave quietly, heading to the next Lawless Land. Richard calculated that in about ten years, he could visit all the Lawless Lands within this ring. Then, he would move toward the outer ring of the Nightmare Ring. After devouring enough Power of Nightmare in the outer ring to qualify as a Nightmare Knight, he would cross into the region of the Tower of Truth in Four Rings. The Land of Nightmare was a blessed place for him, so he planned to secure a domain there and meticulously harness it to provide a continuous supply of the Power of Nightmare. In this way, he would have an inexhaustible source of Soul Essence. Once at the Tower of Truth in Four Rings, Richard could operate within the Wizard World. He could establish a Wizard Tower in the wilderness and build a Mortal Kingdom around it. In this manner, within two hundred years, Richard would acquire a Nightmare Territory with a substantial population, without the need to compete with other Nightmare Lords. Dreaming of the free and boundless prospects of Soul Essence, Richard maneuvered the Magic Support Vehicle, suddenly accelerating toward a black dot on the horizon. ¡­ Cemetery City, a massive Lawless Land. In the ancient past, this Lawless Land was once a thriving Nightmare Territory. But as humans from the Material World migrated, this once-flourishing domain was abandoned by its Lord and gradually became a paradise for free-roaming nightmare creatures. Five kilometers outside Cemetery City, Richard dissolved the Magic Support Vehicle into the Power of Nightmare. The Magic Support Vehicle was somewhat conspicuous and its style did not align with that of the creations in the Nightmare World, differing from Richard¡¯s preference for subtlety. With the last component of the Magic Support Vehicle transformed into the Power of Nightmare, Richard called out, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± and walked into Cemetery City. In the outermost area of Cemetery City lived a group of Nightmare Spirits, creatures not even equivalent to small Nightmares. This area still had a few humans residing in it, and the Nightmare Spirits barely subsisted by relying on these humans. Even in the Lawless Land, the exploitation of Nightmare Spirits was unavoidable. But unlike in Nightmare Territories, the Lawless Land had an additional rule: mutual plundering. These Nightmare Spirits would fight each other, and often during a tax collection break, one or two small Nightmares would emerge from the Nightmare Spirits. Such occurrences were nearly impossible in Nightmare Territories. Because any skilled Nightmare Spirit was a property of the Lord, a chicken that continuously produced the Power of Nightmare. Entering this area, the terrifying presence of Richard and his companion instantly made a large group of Nightmare Spirits retreat. Big Nightmares, to them, were already considered immensely powerful figures. Passing through the area inhabited by Nightmare Spirits and moving into the Inner City District, the buildings in the Inner City District were in ruins, weathered by time, with walls and ruins overgrown with moss and vines. The small Nightmares and Big Nightmares of Cemetery City lived here. And in the center of this Lawless Land stood an area known as the City Lord District. Legend has it that a Nightmare Knight resided in the City Lord District. After understanding the structure of Cemetery City, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. This place, apart from the Nightmare Spirits that permit killing and the sparse population that required Big Nightmares and Small Nightmares to go out for black tasks distributed by the territory, seemed not much different from the usual Nightmare Territories. ¡°Once the population reaches a certain level, order will inevitably emerge,¡± Richard remarked with a slight sigh. Soon after they entered the Inner City District, they encountered an ogre with two heads, standing three meters tall. The ogre¡¯s four eyes carefully sized up Richard and his companion. Then the head with a broken horn and a face full of scars spoke in a dull tone, ¡°Foreigners, residing in Cemetery City requires paying taxes.¡± Then, his other head shouted in a sharp voice, ¡°Big Nightmares need to pay five hundred Nightmare Crystals monthly, Small Nightmares fifty Nightmare Crystals. Little one, are you a Big Nightmare or a Small Nightmare?¡± The ¡°little one¡± the ogre mentioned, of course, referred to Richard beside Bones. Bones, already robust and nearly three meters tall with his Refined Gold Armor, was just a head shorter than the ogre. Richard, at about two meters tall, naturally appeared small between these two. ¡°Taxes?¡± Bones retorted coldly, ¡°I fled from the territory to avoid paying taxes! Had to pay taxes within the territory, and now outside the territory too? Wouldn¡¯t that be a wasted escape?¡± With that, Bones grasped the Refined Gold Greatsword on his back, seemingly ready to fight the ogre. ¡°Iron man,¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°This is the City Lord¡¯s tax.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to,¡± ¡°wait until the City Lord wakes up,¡± ¡°we¡¯ll all be finished!¡± The two-headed ogre alternated sentences between its dull and sharp voices, making it frustrating yet clear to understand. Nonetheless, Richard understood his point. This Cemetery City, like ordinary Nightmare Territories, required paying taxes to the Lord. And it seemed that the Lord of Cemetery City was quite irritable; if the taxes weren¡¯t paid, he would deal with those who hadn¡¯t paid, or perhaps deal with all the nightmare creatures in Cemetery City. ¡°Is that so,¡± Richard replied indifferently. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Lord would awaken for such minor figures as us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve said my piece.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to pay me,¡± ¡°then find someone else to collect it.¡± ¡°But with someone else,¡± ¡°they won¡¯t be as easygoing as me!¡± The two-headed ogre uttered threats head by head, and upon seeing that Richard and his companion still refused to pay, it immediately started stomping toward the inner part of Cemetery City, shouting loudly as it ran. ¡°People not paying taxes!¡± ¡°People not paying taxes!¡± Amid its shouts, one nightmare creature after another emerged from the dilapidated buildings of the Inner City District. ¡°Newcomers not paying taxes?¡± ¡°Ha ha, look at those two fools, still standing there. Just wait for the Tax Collector to arrive, then they¡¯re in for it.¡± ¡°Iron man, little guy, good on you, never pay the taxes!¡± ¡­ Listening to the nearby nightmare creatures gossiping, Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged. Since he intended to steal from Cemetery City, it was natural to understand the local forces. If this Tax Collector was powerful, he wouldn¡¯t mind paying a bit extra later to satiate the Tax Collector¡¯s appetite. After all, the ¡°wool¡± came from the ¡°sheep,¡± and the Power of Nightmare he lost would eventually be reclaimed in Cemetery City. Soon, a series of orderly footsteps approached from the depths of Cemetery City. Hearing these footsteps, all the nightmare creatures fell silent. A Ghost Carriage driven by a skeleton coachman appeared first, followed slowly by a luxuriously decorated Black Pyramid ¡°flying¡± in from behind¡ªthe pyramid, supported by shoulders of hundreds of black humanoid slaves underneath. Richard looked at this pyramid with a slight smile on his lips. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve met an acquaintance.¡± The Ghost Carriage came to a halt in front of Richard, and the skeleton coachman immediately stepped down, bowing respectfully and saying, ¡°Master.¡± The coachman of the carriage was a nightmare creature Richard had once named ¡ª ¡°Coachman.¡± Hearing the title ¡°master,¡± the surrounding nightmare creatures looking for entertainment were stunned. How could the Tax Collector¡¯s loyal dog be calling another nightmare creature ¡°master.¡± Soon, the Black Pyramid also arrived in front of Richard. The pyramid opened an eye, its pupil spinning before quickly locking onto Richard. Then, the pyramid rapidly shrank while the black humanoids bearing the pyramid also shrunk and connected end-to-end, transforming into simple, sketch-like limbs that attached to the pyramid¡¯s body. ¡°Wizard, long time no see,¡± the Tax Collector spoke. ¡°Yes, long time no see,¡± Richard responded indifferently. This Tax Officer of Cemetery City was the Nightmare Lord Richard had once made deals with ¡ª Pyramid. Chapter 357: 73 Cooperation Chapter 357: Chapter 73 Cooperation The scene was momentarily awkward. The nightmare creatures watching the spectacle were all staring at Richard in shock. This newcomer, what was his background to have known the Tax Officer, and it seemed they had a deep connection. This made the onlooking nightmare creatures tremble inwardly. They had all seen the power of the Pyramid. In the past, Cemetery City had no concept of taxation. Back then, in Cemetery City, the Big Nightmare exploited the lesser nightmares, and the lesser nightmares exploited the Nightmare Spirits. The City Lord would be in a deep slumber year-round, only requiring the nightmare creatures to gather sufficient Power of Faith when he awakened. But everything changed after the Pyramid arrived. That day, the Pyramid alone had entered the City Lord District. Three days later, the awakened City Lord announced that the Pyramid would serve as the Tax Officer of Cemetery City. What they discussed, many nightmare creatures had no way of knowing, but since then, the Pyramid had become the Tax Officer, beginning to tax every nightmare big and small across Cemetery City. These free nightmare creatures, originally unwilling to pay taxes, had come to Cemetery City for that reason. So, had they come to Cemetery City only to pay taxes again? Wasn¡¯t that in vain? Thus, the rebellion began. The rebels gathered a significant force, attempting to kill and devour the Pyramid. But the combat power of the Pyramid far exceeded their expectations. Not only was their Power of Nightmare taken away, but their bodies also became humanoid creatures under the Pyramid, carrying it around all day. Since then, no nightmare creature in Cemetery City dared openly oppose the Pyramid again. The Pyramid watched Richard carefully with its large eye and suddenly spoke, ¡°How is my item doing with you?¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard responded indifferently, ¡°Excellently.¡± The Nightmare Artifact given to him by the Pyramid was not only undamaged, but it also had several new functions. This further solidified Richard¡¯s plan to double-cross. ¡°As long as it¡¯s useful,¡± the Pyramid suddenly turned around, scanning the surrounding nightmare creatures. ¡°You all are quite curious, aren¡¯t you?¡± The nightmare creatures all shook their heads and immediately retreated into their houses. After sending the other nightmare creatures away, the Pyramid turned to face Richard. ¡°I was thinking of finding you in some time, but since you are here, it saves me some time.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°You want to take this thing back early?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± the Pyramid transformed into its former large Pyramid form, ¡°This is not a place for talking. Let¡¯s go back and talk.¡± With that, those dark humanoid creatures carried the Pyramid and walked in the direction they had come from. Watching the departing Pyramid, Richard was somewhat puzzled and uncertain. This ancient Nightmare Lord had dealt with many Wizards in the past, and the information gap between them seemed too vast. Richard was really uncertain about the Pyramid¡¯s invitation. However, Richard quickly found a solution. He randomly picked a house by the road, used the Nightmare Artifact to drain all the Power of Nightmare from the nightmare creatures inside, then opened the Gate of Nightmare and returned to the Material World. Once back in the Material World, Richard immediately found Ulysses. Since he had no advantage in information, he had to focus on improving his combat power. ¡°Huh? You want me to accompany you into the Nightmare World?¡± Ulysses looked at Richard somewhat blankly, not understanding what kind of madness had taken over Richard. Richard explained, ¡°Remember the Nightmare Lord we let out? I ran into that guy again, and he seems to want to collaborate with me.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Ulysses mused for a moment, uncertainly saying, ¡°I can accompany you, but I can only make one move. Currently, without mastering the Dream Rules, the moment I take action, I will be detected by the Nightmare World and expelled. Moreover, once expelled, I estimate that I won¡¯t be able to enter the Nightmare World again for three to four hundred years.¡± Although Ulysses¡¯s soul was damaged, it did not prevent his soul from being at the World Master Level. Such a level of soul was too conspicuous for the Nightmare World. Once it appeared, without the Dream Rules for camouflage, it would quickly be expelled by the Nightmare World as a foreign object. Richard nodded, ¡°One chance is enough.¡± Ulysses was just a precaution; Richard didn¡¯t actually need him to do anything. After finalizing their plan, Richard immediately opened the Gate of Nightmare. Ulysses¡¯s soul separated from his body, an indescribable terrifying pressure instantly made Richard tremble. Fortunately, the pressure lasted only for a moment, as Ulysses quickly reined it in. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I came out, I¡¯m a bit rusty,¡± Ulysses said, somewhat embarrassed. Standing in front of the Gate of Nightmare, Ulysses glanced at the gate and suddenly a dark light flashed over him. Richard asked in confusion, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Sealing myself,¡± Ulysses glanced at Richard, ¡°You didn¡¯t think your gate could pass a normal World Master level soul, did you? If I didn¡¯t seal myself, a single claw could destroy your gate.¡± Richard was somewhat startled¡ªcould the Gate of Nightmare be destroyed? Ulysses explained, ¡°I have too many rules on me, and your gate was originally formed in part by the Dream Rules. The clash between rules could easily break your gate.¡± Richard thoughtfully nodded his head, then followed Ulysses into the Nightmare World. Inside the house, Bone was carefully guarding Richard¡¯s body, fearing someone might try to seize it. Seeing the dark gate appear, Bone immediately breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve returned.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Richard¡¯s soul entered the Nightmare Body, and then he took a handful of powder from his pocket and casually made a body for Ulysses. It was only then that Bone noticed that the crow on Richard¡¯s shoulder was no longer just a shadow. After Ulysses obtained the body, he immediately flew around the room twice before landing on Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ha-ha-ha, Bone, do you still recognize me?¡± Bone immediately bowed his head, ¡°Recognize, recognize.¡± He could distinctly feel that there was something extraordinary about Ulysses. Even though Ulysses had sealed his own soul, his atmosphere of the World Master¡¯s authority still allowed keenly perceptive beings to sense something was amiss. ¡°Right, Bone, let¡¯s go find that Pyramid.¡± ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± ¡­ The Pyramid¡¯s residence was closely adjoined to the City Lord District. Standing at the gates of his mansion, Richard could even sense the horrifying and spine-chilling aura from the nearby City Lord Mansion. At the mansion gate, the coachman had been waiting for a long time. ¡°Master, Lord Pyramid has been waiting for you.¡± Richard nodded and was about to enter with Bone, but the coachman suddenly extended his hand, stopping Bone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master, but Bone cannot enter.¡± Bone sharply turned to the coachman, his tone icy, ¡°Why can¡¯t I follow the boss inside? Did being someone else¡¯s servant for two days make you forget your own name?¡± The coachman did not speak, and his extended arm did not retract. Richard waved his hand at Bone, ¡°Since the host here doesn¡¯t allow you to enter, wait outside for a while.¡± Seeing Richard speak, Bone no longer said anything and quietly stepped aside. ¡°I can bring this crow inside, right?¡± Richard said lightly to the coachman. The coachman did not dare to lift his head, and respectfully told Richard, ¡°This is permissible. You have not dissolved the contract, so I¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no need to say more,¡± Richard interrupted the coachman, ¡°My dealings with him are not yet concluded, so you are still under his employ. I understand this.¡± With that, Richard entered the mansion with Ulysses. The Pyramid had transformed his mansion, erasing the original architecture and replacing it with a dark palace made of Obsidian. On the palace walls, those ancient past deeds of the Pyramid were turned into murals and engraved. As Richard walked and observed, all these murals depicted the Pyramid defeating various entities and occupying different places. From the murals, it could be seen that the Nightmare World of the ancient period had been much more prosperous than it was now. Passing through a long hallway, Richard entered into a huge room. Inside, the black Pyramid sat high upon a throne, a mass of Power of Nightmare constantly gathering and dispersing in front of him, seemingly in the process of creating something. ¡°You¡¯ve finally arrived, Wizard.¡± The Pyramid ceased his movements and integrated the nascent shape formed from the Power of Nightmare into his body. Richard calmly said, ¡°What do you plan to discuss with me, Pyramid?¡± Despite being in the Pyramid¡¯s stronghold, Richard spoke without any hint of inferiority, bolstered by the significant aid of Ulysses. This attitude somewhat surprised the Pyramid. ¡°Interesting,¡± the Pyramid began, ¡°I can sense many Nightmare Rules on you. Seems you haven¡¯t been idle these years.¡± Richard responded indifferently, ¡°Likewise.¡± When the Pyramid had first liberated itself, it had been barely more than an insignificant Nightmare Spirit. Although it had Nightmare Rules, these rules also needed the Power of Nightmare as a foundation. And in just over a century, the Pyramid had already become a Big Nightmare, and the Power of Nightmare within him was no less than that currently within Richard. This was partly because Richard had refined over a million threads of the Power of Nightmare, but it still proved the abilities of the Pyramid. One million threads of the Power of Nightmare, something an ordinary nightmare creature could not amass. ¡°Let¡¯s talk business, Pyramid, our time is valuable.¡± Richard¡¯s composure made the Pyramid even more uncertain about him. Pondering for a moment, he decided to start with a hook. ¡°Quite simple, I want to collaborate with you to kill the City Lord of Cemetery City.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Richard nodded slightly, then his eyes widened. ¡°What did you say?¡± Richard asked incredulously. ¡°I want to cooperate with you to kill Cemetery City¡¯s City Lord,¡± the Pyramid said calmly. Richard took a deep breath to calm himself down. After all, the Pyramid was an ancient Nightmare Lord, surely possessing some capabilities beyond ordinary nightmare creatures. The plan sounded insane, but it must have strong feasibility. Once calmed, Richard asked in a low voice, ¡°Explain your plan.¡± The Pyramid was pleased with Richard¡¯s tone, Wizards were still so greedy and bold as always. ¡°My plan is simple, this Nightmare Knight will wake from his slumber in three months. At that time, I will give him something. All you need to do is prepare an extraordinarily powerful Spell to hand over to me.¡± Richard raised an eyebrow slightly, ¡°Is it that simple? What about the reward?¡± The Pyramid¡¯s eyes opened wide, his gaze sharp as an arrow, aiming at Richard¡¯s heart. ¡°You¡¯ve been using that pyramid quite handily, even repairing its defects. Since you like it so much, how about I offer that pyramid as your reward?¡± Chapter 358: 74 The Secret to Becoming the Nightmare Lord Chapter 358: Chapter 74 The Secret to Becoming the Nightmare Lord Richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly steadied his mind. The Nightmare Artifact had originally belonged to the Pyramid, and the slight mark in the middle, leaving a precaution, was quite normal. But Richard shook his head, saying, ¡°I feel that¡¯s not enough.¡± He had already considered the Nightmare Artifact to be in his possession. Using it as compensation was akin to getting something for nothing. How could Richard agree to that! ¡°Not enough?¡± The Pyramid was initially taken aback, then quickly understood Richard¡¯s implication and couldn¡¯t help but say angrily, ¡°Wizard, do you really take my belongings as your own?¡± Richard nodded unabashedly. ¡°Yes, I do take it as my own, for it is rightly mine.¡± Richard¡¯s straightforward reply caused the Pyramid to be somewhat stunned. He had seen wizards treat contracts like toilet paper, but he had never seen a wizard acknowledge so blatantly that he treated contracts in the same manner. Was this wizard shameless? But that¡¯s not what Richard thought. The original deal was deliberately proposed by the Pyramid to find someone to attract firepower. Perhaps the Pyramid had not expected that Richard would be able to retain the Nightmare Artifact. Regarding such a contract based on calculation, Richard felt no psychological burden in violating it. Especially when dealing with an Alien. Although Richard saw himself as a pragmatist, the subtle influence of the Wizard Society still inevitably imbued him with some racial perspectives. This made his moral baseline exceedingly flexible when it came to different Races. The Pyramid¡¯s unusually large eye looked back and forth at Richard. Richard¡¯s brazen openness was definitely supported by ample strength. He had seen wizards deliberately provoke Nightmare Lords and then retaliate when attacked, only to capture and research the seals of the Nightmare Lords. These wizards were inherently greedy and shameless. But after observing for a long time, he still couldn¡¯t discern where Richard¡¯s confidence came from. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard did have some Nightmare rules on him, but compared to the Pyramid, they were far too weak. As for the robust Power of Nightmare, the Pyramid didn¡¯t take it seriously at all. Wizards were able to dominate in the Nightmare World because they relied on their extraordinary utilization of externalized world rules, far surpassing ordinary nightmare creatures. But in the Nightmare World, it¡¯s the Nightmare rules that rule supreme. Without enough rules to back him up, not even a Big Decomposition Cannon could affect the Pyramid. Surely this wizard¡¯s confidence didn¡¯t come from that silly bird on his shoulder. ¡°Wizard, your spirit of contract is really just hot air,¡± the Pyramid spat angrily. Richard, however, didn¡¯t back down, ¡°Did you really think I didn¡¯t see through your calculations from the beginning?¡± The atmosphere in the room suddenly became a bit oppressive. ¡°Wizard, I¡¯m curious where your confidence comes from!¡± The Pyramid¡¯s voice was like a volcano on the verge of eruption. A chilling domain spread from the center of the Pyramid, enveloping Richard in an instant. This was the Nightmare Domain, the bread and butter of every Nightmare Lord. He wanted to see what gave Richard the audacity to act so brazenly in his presence. But quickly, the domain retracted back into the Pyramid¡¯s body. Richard stood unmoved, his expression unchanged. He looked around the room and then at the Pyramid¡¯s throne, before saying with a faint smile: ¡°It seems your methods aren¡¯t very effective.¡± The Pyramid looked at Richard with a mix of shock and anger. He had retracted his domain because he had failed to assimilate Richard into his Nightmare Domain! This was unprecedented since he had acquired his Nightmare Domain. It was a common understanding among Nightmare Lords that only a domain could oppose a domain. But this wizard had shattered that belief. Had these wizards already developed Magic Equipment to prevent from being pulled into a Nightmare Domain? The Pyramid watched Richard with uncertainty for a while before finally speaking: ¡°Wizard, you indeed have some skills. Let me reconsider the terms of our deal.¡± Richard smiled and replied, ¡°In that case, I shall take my leave. I hope you come to the right decision.¡± ¡­ After leaving the palace, Richard gestured to Bone and quickly departed from the Pyramid¡¯s residence. It was only then that a look of relief passed over Richard¡¯s face. He glanced back at the palace somewhat apprehensively, feeling a sense of fortune in his heart. Summoning Ulysses had certainly been a wise choice. Only a domain could oppose a domain, which was a special saying in the Nightmare World, as Nightmare rules usually developed toward forming a domain. The true meaning of the statement was that only rules could counteract rules. A Nightmare Domain was like a rapid current; ordinary people would be swept away upon encountering such a current. But Ulysses, with his vast array of rules, was like a boulder ¨C no matter the ferocity of the current, he remained immovable. Of course, this was all based on the fact that Ulysses had sufficiently ¡°substantial¡± rules, representing an indirect form of overpowering strength. Normally, a Nightmare Lord at Ulysses¡¯s level couldn¡¯t prevent Ulysses from being drawn into a Nightmare Domain without actively using his rules. ¡°Boss, where next?¡± Bone asked, somewhat puzzled. Richard seemed to have no intention of staying in the Inner City District. Since leaving the palace, he had walked out of the Cemetery City without a backward glance. Richard replied offhandedly, ¡°Go outside the city; Cemetery City is a bit unsafe.¡± Cemetery City had once been a Nightmare Territory. Although the Nightmare Lord of the past had abandoned this land, the things he left behind in this territory had not been completely taken away. When the Pyramid used the Nightmare Domain, Richard activated his Energy Vision. In Richard¡¯s Energy Vision, beneath the Inner City District of Cemetery City, there were networks filled with the Power of Nightmare. Richard did not know what the effects of these networks were, but he could confirm that they could definitely be utilized by the Pyramid. Because in that room, he clearly saw a huge network node, and that node was precisely located at the position of the Pyramid¡¯s throne. If this was said to be a coincidence, Richard would certainly not believe it. So, for safety¡¯s sake, Richard decided to temporarily leave this damned place. ¡­ Inside the palace, the Pyramid sat on the throne, continuously pondering the recent situation. Richard¡¯s performance was truly terrifying; for a Nightmare Lord, their Nightmare Domain was their greatest ability. And now, he was unable to pull a Big Nightmare disguised as an Otherworld creature into the domain. This made Pyramid¡¯s heart feel a bit hairy. What had these wizards been researching all these years? After much thought, a black humanoid creature suddenly emerged from Pyramid¡¯s body. ¡°Go to Seeker¡¯s Tavern,¡± Pyramid ordered. The black humanoid knelt halfway, then quickly left the palace. Every Lawless Land had a Seeker¡¯s Tavern, and Cemetery City was no exception. In Seeker¡¯s Tavern, as usual, there was a buzz of voices, with Nightmare creatures drinking freely and discussing loudly the two new Nightmare creatures who had arrived. ¡°What sort of background do these two newcomers have to have a connection with the Tax Collector?¡± ¡°Who knows, just don¡¯t provoke whatever they¡¯ve got going on. Anyone who can have dealings with that flayer and still live must be no simple character.¡± ¡°Flayer? Hahaha, that¡¯s a good name. Be careful not to let him hear that, or he might flay you¡­¡± Creak! The tavern¡¯s door was pushed open, and a pitch-black humanoid creature entered the tavern. The Nightmare creatures who saw him all stopped talking. ¡°The Tax Collector¡¯s minion came over?¡± The Nightmare creature that had just called the Pyramid a flayer whispered. ¡°How should I know?¡± The black figure approached the counter, and suddenly, Pyramid¡¯s voice emanated from it. ¡°I need major intelligence on wizards from the past ten thousand years.¡± Hearing the voice, the bartender¡¯s face instantly bore a bright smile. ¡°That¡¯s easy to say, five hundred thousand strands of Power of Nightmare, and I¡¯ll have it sent directly to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much, one hundred thousand.¡± The bartender¡¯s smile stiffened, then he laughed awkwardly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you haggling a bit too hard? How about four hundred thousand.¡± ¡°Two hundred thousand, no more.¡± ¡°Three hundred thousand, and I¡¯ll give you the latest intelligence we¡¯ve just received. Our boss even personally dealt with it.¡± ¡°¡­Deal.¡± Having said that, the smooth face of the black shadow suddenly split open with a large mouth. Nightmare Crystals spouted out like a fountain from its mouth. The Demon bartender, overjoyed, collected these Nightmare Crystals and then handed a sheepskin scroll to the black figure. The black figure swallowed the sheepskin scroll into its abdomen, and soon, its body trembled violently. In the palace, Pyramid looked at the information on the sheepskin scroll, his mind a bit dazed. These wizards had almost never appeared in the Nightmare World in the past ten thousand years. Even the Seeker¡¯s Tavern, usually well-informed, had only recently encountered a wizard. And this wizard had brought explosive news. Wizards had begun to venture into the Star Sea, no longer interested in the Nightmare World, an Illusion World. After all, apart from producing Dream Rules and serving as a testing ground, the Nightmare World didn¡¯t have much of a use. In the past, wizards hadn¡¯t started colonizing, so every resource site was precious. But now, the wizards had such an excess of Material World¡¯s resources that they could hardly digest them all, leaving them uninterested in the Nightmare World which had almost no output. Pyramid integrated the sheepskin scroll into his body and started to think quickly about the subsequent trade. The times had changed. It was no longer the era where one could find a wizard with just a little search. The Richard cooperating with him now might be the only active wizard in the current Nightmare World. If he did not seize this opportunity, his schemes would probably all fall through. After pondering for a moment, another black figure emerged from Pyramid. Although he was somewhat displeased inside, as a Nightmare Lord who had lived for who knows how many years, he would not let such emotions affect him. Compared to what he was about to obtain, the benefits he was giving away were trivial. ¡­ The visit of the black figure was quicker than Richard had expected. Outside Cemetery City, the black figure acted as a go-between and began the final negotiations with Richard. ¡°Wizard, I can give you some more things, but this time we need a contract, a real contract.¡± Richard smiled, ¡°That¡¯s doable. So what¡¯s your offer?¡± The black figure paused for a moment, then spoke slowly: ¡°Wizard, would you like to know the secret of becoming a Nightmare Lord?¡± Chapter 359: 75: Breakthrough, 3rd Circle Wizard! Chapter 359: Chapter 75: Breakthrough, 3rd Circle Wizard! The Pyramid was a Nightmare Lord who had dealt with Wizards on many occasions and was very clear about their preferences. These strange creatures from Otherworld had little interest in most things in the Nightmare World. Only a few items, such as Nightmare Artifacts, Nightmare Artifact Embryos, and a handful of other extremely valuable things, could pique their interest. However, after dealing with Wizards for a long time, the Pyramid gradually realized that these beings, known as Wizards, had an extraordinary craving for ¡°knowledge.¡± For Wizards, some techniques of using the Power of Nightmare or the summary of understanding of certain things were even more attractive than hundreds of thousands of strands of the Power of Nightmare. In the past, having grasped this fact, the Pyramid had made numerous deals with Wizards using knowledge. This had allowed his territory to expand rapidly. That was, until the Wizards had gone off to participate in that terrible, seemingly never-ending war. Without the help of the Wizards, he had been subjected to territorial wars initiated by a few Nightmare Lords, and only by resorting to a mutual destruction method had he managed to barely survive. But all that was in the past, and now he had a new beginning. Upon hearing the Pyramid¡¯s proposal, Richard felt somewhat puzzled. Did becoming a Nightmare Lord really require rituals and the like? ¡°My friend, you can introduce your price yourself,¡± Richard said with a slightly awkward smile, ¡°I am quite interested in this knowledge.¡± The Pyramid wasn¡¯t surprised by Richard¡¯s peculiar behavior. Considering Wizards hadn¡¯t entered the Nightmare World for many years, it likely meant they weren¡¯t much interested in it. Lack of interest implied that Richard might have stumbled upon the Nightmare World by mistake, so it was normal for him to be missing some information about it. Moreover, that terrible war among the Wizards had claimed the lives of many; how much of the ancient Wizards¡¯ knowledge had been passed down was also a matter of concern. The Pyramid explained, ¡°For a Nightmare Knight to become a Nightmare Lord, it¡¯s not enough to just pile on the Power of Nightmare, there are also some secrets that nobody knows. This knowledge is quite straightforward; possessing it is like having a ticket to becoming a Nightmare Lord. In the past, it¡¯s not as if no Wizard has ever become a Nightmare Lord.¡± The Pyramid could see that Richard was very interested in the Nightmare World. A typical Wizard wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to collect so much Power of Nightmare. Therefore, his price would definitely catch the attention of the Wizard before him. And while his reasoning was off base, the result turned out to be unexpectedly correct. Richard indeed needed this knowledge. Richard nodded, ¡°That price sounds reasonable, but I have to ask about the Spell you need, how powerful should it be approximately? S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Are there any special requirements, like a particular size or shape it must have?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll need roughly a Ten Thousand Energy Level according to your terms. As for the requirements¡­ as long as it¡¯s no bigger than this would suffice.¡± With that, the black figure gestured with their hands, forming a circle about the size of a human head. Knowing the conditions, Richard planned briefly in his mind and confirmed he should be able to do it. He then confidently stated, ¡°Okay, and your contract?¡± ¡°This is simple.¡± After speaking, the black figure shrank as though it had been compacted, transforming into a palm-sized figure. The little figure began twisting and changing shape in mid-air, eventually turning into a pitch-black contract covered in golden text. In an unconspicuous manner, Richard asked Ulysses, ¡°Ulysses, what is this thing?¡± Ulysses¡¯ eyes flickered faintly, then he replied with some surprise, ¡°This thing is actually a Destiny Contract, I didn¡¯t expect that these Nightmare creatures, without souls, could craft a Destiny Contract. Be careful later, don¡¯t sign it hastily.¡± Hearing it was a Destiny Contract, Richard felt reassuringly calm. He didn¡¯t plan to deceive the Pyramid this time, so the Destiny Contract wasn¡¯t an issue for him. Richard took the contract floating in the air, which already had a name on it called Sefer. This must be the Pyramid¡¯s true name. After verifying the terms of the contract were satisfactory, Richard readily signed the agreement. As the contract vanished into the air, Sefer¡¯s heart settled down within the palace. He looked at the mass of Power of Nightmare that Richard had once encountered and murmured to himself, ¡°The rest should be simple.¡± ¡­ Completing Sefer¡¯s assignment was not difficult for Richard. Because in the Material World, Richard had to consider the issue of materials. Although many Alchemy Wizards knew that sometimes materials were simpler and more reliable than Runes, However, those precious alchemy materials, when sold, were sold by the gram. Most Wizards could hardly afford their price. But in the Nightmare World, Richard had no such problem. A few thousand strands of Power of Nightmare could allow him to hand-roll Mithril, Pure Gold, Ao Steel, and other high-quality alchemy materials. And his task was quite straightforward. That was to produce a Ten Thousand Energy Level bomb using the Water and Fire Annihilation reaction without regard to cost. Without considering the cost, even a newly minted Alchemy Wizard could produce a one-time Magic Equipment with a Ten Thousand Energy Level. Let alone Richard, who among One Ring Wizards, could be termed a Master Alchemy Wizard. In less than three days, Richard had completed a spherical Alchemy Bomb about the size of a human head. Chapter 360: 75: Breakthrough, Three Rings Wizard! _2 Chapter 360: Chapter 75: Breakthrough, Three Rings Wizard! _2 This Alchemy Bomb, if created in the Wizard World, would at least require nearly a hundred thousand Magic Essence to produce a single one. It belongs to the ultimate prodigal creation that would make any Alchemy Wizard suffer a brain hemorrhage from anger. Only now, in the Nightmare World, did Richard dare to be so extravagant. After making the bomb, Richard casually created a bird-shaped Nightmare creature, allowing his Soul Seed to control it and send a message to Sefer deep within Cemetery City. Upon receiving the message, Sefer immediately dispatched a black humanoid figure to the outskirts of the city to trade with Richard. ¡­ Outside the city, on an endless wilderness, a cold wind blew. The blood-red moonlight scattered on the ground added a touch of eeriness to the wilderness. But for the Nightmare creatures, and for Richard as well, this atmosphere was already ordinary. The black humanoid came to the wilderness and conducted the trade with Richard. ¡°I must say, although you wizards are cunning and shameless, when it comes to efficiency, you really have it.¡± Sefer¡¯s voice came from the black humanoid as he carefully examined the black sphere in his hand. The bomb¡¯s concealment was excellently done without considering the cost. From the outside, its dangerous nature was completely inconspicuous. Beside him, Richard indifferently asked, ¡°My item is ready, where is yours?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this time it¡¯s a Destiny Contract, I wouldn¡¯t dare default,¡± the black humanoid replied casually. Then, his abdomen suddenly split open, revealing a fierce, large mouth. A crimson tongue emerged from the mouth and swallowed the Alchemy Bomb into its belly. Immediately after, the large mouth vomited out a scroll drenched in saliva. The black humanoid picked up the scroll from the ground and handed it to Richard. ¡°Here, this is what you wanted.¡± Looking at the scroll covered in foul-smelling saliva, Richard couldn¡¯t help but frown. He looked at the head of the black humanoid. Although the face of the black humanoid was smooth, Richard seemed to see Sefer¡¯s smug smile. Although he couldn¡¯t gain an advantage in the trade, that didn¡¯t stop him from disgustingly messing with Richard. Richard expressionlessly summoned a ball of water to clean the scroll. But as soon as he finished cleaning it, a layer of foul saliva seeped out again. Although this layer of saliva didn¡¯t hinder Richard from checking the content, holding such an item was genuinely nauseating for him. ¡°Heh, Sefer, you really put your heart into it,¡± Richard said with a forced laugh. ¡°Likewise, likewise. Aren¡¯t you also very keen on my pyramid?¡± After securing the scroll, Richard didn¡¯t stay in Cemetery City any longer and immediately motioned his skeleton to venture into the wilderness. ¡°Aren¡¯t you staying for a couple more days?¡± Sefer¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°In two more days, it¡¯ll be quite lively here.¡± Richard waved his hand without turning back. ¡°No, my experience tells me that watching the excitement often leads to trouble.¡± Sefer watched regretfully as Richard walked away. If Richard had left a bit later, he might have been able to take back his pyramid. ¡°Ah, cunning wizard.¡± ¡­ S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Leaving Cemetery City, Richard continued wandering with his skeleton through various Lawless Lands. And during this process, his spiritual power steadily increased. In the meantime, Richard heard a rumor. It was said that a major chaos had erupted in Cemetery City, and all the Nightmare creatures of the Lawless Land had been devoured, including the Nightmare Knight. Legend had it that an ancient Nightmare Lord, who devoured the Nightmare creatures of the Lawless Land, was taking his first step toward reclaiming his throne. Upon hearing this rumor, Richard just laughed it off. He was now far enough from Cemetery City that he wasn¡¯t worried at all about Sefer coming after him. Thus, Richard spent ten years visiting every Lawless Land within the Nightmare Ring. And his Power of Nightmare had also reached four million strands. This Power of Nightmare was only one million units shy of the Nightmare Knight. If Richard wished, he could have ascended to become a Nightmare Knight in this final Lawless Land. But he did not do so. Because the consumption of nightmare creatures corresponded to their strength, and he still had a long journey ahead. ¡°Bones, you must have learned to operate this thing over the years,¡± Richard stood next to the Magic Support Vehicle, reassembled a coffin, and then asked Bones. Bones nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve learned it long ago, boss.¡± ¡°Good, as long as you know how,¡± Richard patted Bones on the shoulder, then his soul emerged from the Nightmare Body and resealed it inside the coffin. ¡°I won¡¯t join you for the next part of the journey, I still have some matters to attend to and it might be a long time before I return to the Nightmare World. Be smart on your way, remember¡­¡± ¡°Survival first,¡± Bones interjected, ¡°Boss, I still remember that.¡± Richard smiled, patted Bones on the shoulder again, then opened the Gate of Nightmare and returned to the Wizard World. ¡­ Back in his flesh, Richard felt the always-fragile shackles inside him, and his lips curled into a slight smile. In the next instant, those invisible shackles were shattered by Richard. He was about to break through to a Three Rings Wizard in the Mirror World. He had forcefully suppressed it for so many years simply to replenish his spiritual power. Now that his spiritual power was replenished, it was time to break through. If he continued to suppress it, Richard was beginning to worry that his cells might become accustomed to this state and incapable of further breakthroughs. As the shackles were broken, Richard¡¯s body seemed to turn into a magic black hole. With Richard at the center, magic power from within a fifty-kilometer radius began flowing towards him. Richard¡¯s body required a massive amount of energy to complete the leap in life level! Such magical disturbances instantly alarmed all the wizards within that range. The wizards each looked towards the source of the magic flow, puzzled and unsure. ¡°Which wizard¡¯s experiment went wrong to cause such a large-scale magical disturbance?¡± An elder wizard holding a Crystal Ball flew out from his Wizard Tower and soon arrived at the source of the disturbance¡ªRichard¡¯s Wizard Tower. However, when he reached the place, he found it already surrounded by Three Rings Wizards. ¡°Jolod, what is your student up to?¡± one of the Three Rings Wizards spoke up. Jolod seemed baffled. Richard hadn¡¯t started any major projects in recent years. He turned to look at his apprentice, Wuni, who shook his head and conveyed through a Spiritual Message, ¡°Teacher has recently been researching an Illusion World called the Nightmare World, but I don¡¯t know much more than that.¡± This was strange. Research on Illusion Worlds shouldn¡¯t cause such massive energy disturbances. However, although confused, no one ventured into the Wizard Tower. Since no one knew Richard¡¯s current situation, entering rashly might cause a potentially successful experiment to fail. No one wanted that responsibility. Soon, the magical disturbance ended. Although Richard¡¯s body craved magic power, the magic from within a fifty-kilometer radius was apparently too much. After ending the evolution process, Richard promptly put on a Wizard Robe, prepared to go out and explain his situation, and also to offer some apologies. It was his first Physique Evolution, and he didn¡¯t know it would cause such a strong reaction. But as he flew out of the Wizard Tower, he saw skies full of wizards looking at him. Richard¡¯s delighted expression froze. Oh no, this was a big mess now. Chapter 361: 76: Reopening of the Secret Realm Chapter 361: Chapter 76: Reopening of the Secret Realm ¡°That¡­ esteemed Masters, have you all been¡­ disturbed?¡± Richard asked, somewhat cautiously. There was no helping it; standing above his Wizard Tower were all familiar faces. These people were all Three Rings Wizards of the Black Tower, and the fact that they had all come here indicated that the commotion he had caused might have far exceeded his expectations. In the sky, the gaze of many Three Rings Wizards were now all focused on Richard. As those who had been through it themselves, they could naturally see that Richard was in the post-advancement nurturing phase. But the last time Richard had met with them, he was still a Second Ring Wizard. Now that Richard was in the nurturing phase, there was no doubt he had broken through to the rank of a Three Rings Wizard. A Three Rings Wizard at the age of over four hundred¡­ Expressions of disbelief appeared on the faces of the many Three Rings Wizards. They were all startled by their own thoughts. It was nothing else; this age was simply too young. Without the greatest of fortunes, even if a wizard was to meditate all day, achieving this would be impossible. The group of wizards landed on the ground; they wouldn¡¯t stand high and mighty before a fellow Three Rings Wizard. Even if he could possibly be the weakest Three Rings Wizard in the history of the Wizard World. After landing, Jolod quickly stepped over to Richard and asked with a voice filled with incredulity, ¡°Richard, you¡­ you¡¯ve become a Three Rings Wizard?¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Watching his teacher¡¯s incredulous expression, Richard stiffly nodded his head. But in his heart, he cursed silently, ¡°Damn, what day is it today that the higher-ups from the Academy have all come to the Tower of Truth.¡± He was now somewhat regretting having advanced directly in the Tower of Truth. Hearing Richard¡¯s affirmative response, Jolod was first startled, then his face showed a very complicated smile. He patted Richard¡¯s shoulder, turned around, and called out to the other wizards, ¡°This is Richard! My student Jolod! He is now a Three Rings Wizard!¡± The other Three Rings Wizards each offered their congratulations; for a Master and his student to be ranked as Second and Three Rings respectively was indeed a notable achievement in the circle of wizards. After celebrating, the Three Rings Wizards dispersed, leaving space for the master and his disciple. Although they were extremely curious about how Richard had become a Three Rings Wizard in such a short period of time, What wizard doesn¡¯t have secrets? Each of these Three Rings Wizards had their own unique encounters behind them. And in the Wizard World, fortune that directly strengthens one¡¯s power isn¡¯t the worst kind, but it¡¯s not the best kind of opportunity either. Basic strength development is not a difficult task for a wizard. Especially for someone like Richard, who could be called a little tycoon. After being shocked, some Three Rings Wizards even felt a bit of regret. Becoming a Three Rings Wizard too early is not necessarily a good thing for a wizard; a sudden surge in power can easily muddle one¡¯s mind, leading a wizard to overestimate their own strength. But for beings of the Third Level, whether wizards or natives, their power is not to be underestimated. If one can¡¯t recognize their true level, upon entering the Plane Battlefield, a wizard could easily perish. Of course, these drawbacks do not overshadow the brilliance of the event that someone could become a Three Rings Wizard at over four hundred years old. Becoming a Three Rings Wizard at over four hundred meant that, theoretically, Richard had over nine thousand years to research how to become a Great Wizard. This was an advantage that other wizards, who became Three Rings at two or three thousand years old, could not compare with. As the Three Rings Wizards departed, only Jolod and Richard remained in front of the Wizard Tower. Jolod turned and looked at Richard, his face wearing a proud smile. He patted Richard¡¯s shoulder and scolded with a laugh, ¡°You little rascal, you even kept it from me, huh? I had no idea you were about to break through.¡± Richard laughed and scratched his head, then suddenly felt a pain in the back of his skull. Several strands of hair shot to the ground like arrows. He was still in the nurturing phase; even with Second Ring limit spiritual power, he would still go through a brief phase of nurturing. During this phase, Richard¡¯s body was still in a weakly uncontrollable state. Grimacing, Richard said, ¡°It was an accident; I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d advance to Three Rings so quickly, so I didn¡¯t mention it. But today, I couldn¡¯t hold back and just broke through.¡± Jolod shook his head with a laugh, but deep inside he let out a slight sigh. He was beginning to understand less and less about his own student. At this moment, he finally understood the meaning behind the saying that each wave is stronger than the last. ¡°Never mind, as long as you decide on your own.¡± Jolod patted Richard¡¯s arm; the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a profound sadness. ¡°You have been busy researching these past few days and probably aren¡¯t aware. That old fellow Vladimir died a couple of days ago.¡± Although Jolod¡¯s face was smiling as he spoke, that smile looked incredibly bitter. Another old acquaintance of his had passed away. Hearing this news, Richard was momentarily stunned. He remembered the decaying Qi on Vladimir in the Red Sun World. Indeed, it was time for Vladimir to pass. A sudden sour feeling arose in Richard¡¯s heart. This was the first time he had experienced the death of a wizard with whom he had a deep connection. Vladimir was undoubtedly an important figure to him. His very first order had been signed with Vladimir¡¯s help. For a new weapon, without Vladimir¡¯s stubborn recommendation, the Clear Frost Corps would have never placed an order, let alone such a large one at once. On the battlefield, although Richard had little communication with Vladimir, each time Vladimir had provided him with ample help. Without a doubt, Vladimir had shown great favor to Richard. And Richard held deep respect for the old wizard. Richard asked in a low voice, ¡°When does the funeral start?¡± ¡°One week from now, get ready. Great Wizard Clear Frost and the Academy¡¯s Dean were close friends, so many of our Academy¡¯s distinguished wizards will be attending.¡± Richard nodded, saying nothing more. Jolod turned and walked away, and Wuni, who had been standing beside the two men, asked curiously, ¡°Teacher, which master is Master Vladimir? You and the grandmaster both look so sad.¡± Richard sighed and began to recount his experiences with Vladimir to Wuni. Death was always so heavy that Richard, who had just been promoted and should have been filled with joy, was now weighed down by sorrow. After finishing the story for Wuni, Richard silently returned to the Wizard Tower. Ulysses flew in from the backyard and, seeing Richard¡¯s expression, asked in surprise, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you¡­ How have you become a demigod? Shouldn¡¯t you be a bit happier about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Master Vladimir has passed away, and I¡¯ll be attending his funeral in a few days,¡± Richard¡¯s voice was low. Ulysses paused, quickly retrieving the information associated with that name from his mind. ¡°Oh, that old wizard.¡± Ulysses perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder, speaking indifferently, ¡°Richard, don¡¯t dwell too much on death. You have a long life ahead of you, and you will see this kind of thing often in your days to come. I¡¯ve personally witnessed the deaths of my parents, siblings, wife, and even my children. It is a path that every longevity species must walk. Let sorrow stay in the memories, and life needs to be more optimistic and active.¡± Richard shook his head, as such words were easy to say, but living them out often required prolonged endurance. Who could face sorrow so calmly without being numbed by grief? ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that anymore,¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°What were you doing just now? I made such a commotion with my promotion, and you didn¡¯t even cover for me.¡± ¡°That¡­,¡± Ulysses said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°You¡¯ve been in the Nightmare World these past days, so you don¡¯t know. Your Secret Realm has been completely assembled.¡± ¡°¡­Ah?¡± Upon arriving in the Secret Realm, Richard was shocked by the drastically changed landscape. After twenty years of assembly, the entire Secret Realm had transformed dramatically. What was once merely one square kilometer had ballooned to dozens of square kilometers. Various exotic plants and creatures freely proliferated across the Secret Realm. Lakes, volcanoes, deserts, forests¡­ over just a few dozen square kilometers, it had condensed more than a dozen different landscapes, making it feel like a condensed world. The World Mushroom, after the assembly, had skyrocketed in height to nearly a kilometer, its immense cap looking from afar like a peak amidst the clouds. Beneath that cap, Richard¡¯s Divine Statue and Holy City had been scaled up dozens of times. Moreover, within the Holy City, Richard saw creatures he had never encountered before. ¡°What are those?¡± Richard pointed to the Holy City, where beings resembling human forms were coming and going. The World Mushroom¡¯s solemn voice echoed in Richard¡¯s ear. ¡°Master, these are Holy Tree Elves.¡± ¡°Holy Tree Elves?¡± Richard was stunned for a moment. His impression of Holy Tree Elves was that they were all furry balls. But what he was seeing now could not be said to match his impression at all; they were completely different. ¡°Master, these are disguises. This is their new ability.¡± As he spoke, a Holy Tree Elf approached Richard and shed its external disguise. As it turned out, the humanoid shell of the Holy Tree Elf was merely an exterior made of mycelium. Their actual bodies remained those furry, spherical forms. ¡°Mycelium disguise, not bad, quite an interesting ability,¡± Richard observed, as the Holy Tree Elf resumed its humanoid form, and he couldn¡¯t help but express his praise. This ability was both offensive and defensive. The essence of the mycelium disguise was mycelium manipulation. The properties of these mycelia could be changed according to the will of the Holy Tree Elves, meaning they could make their mycelium as soft as skin or as hard as steel. In other words, the Holy Tree Elves were not only capable of crafting disguises but also of dealing with enemies. With this ability, Richard no longer needed to worry about having these little creatures taken away by some careless predator. Indeed, while it was a good ability, it was limited to allowing ordinary Holy Tree Elves to defend themselves against the likes of geese. ¡°Not bad at all, but the external appearance needs some work.¡± Richard looked at the humanoid bodies the Holy Tree Elves had created, slightly dissatisfied. The Holy Tree Elves were not very skilled at operating their new ability, so the bodies they created based on Richard¡¯s Divine Statue were somewhat ¡°horrifying.¡± The creature was the size of a baby, with facial features twisted in odd angles, and skin colored like mushrooms in rainbow hues; it was enough to elicit an uncanny valley reaction from Richard. Richard walked to the edge of the Holy City and gathered all the Holy Tree Elves. ¡°Don¡¯t use me as a model for the shells just yet. I¡¯ll provide you with a set of sculptures in some time, and you can make your humanoid shells then.¡± The multitude of Holy Tree Elves responded in unison, ¡°As you wish, great Creator God.¡± Chapter 362: 77 Funeral Chapter 362: Chapter 77 Funeral After dealing with the issue of the Holy Tree Elf, Richard immediately began to inquire about the specifics of the Secret Realm. The World Mushroom answered all his questions in detail. The expansion of the Secret Realm this time, in addition to increasing its area by several dozen times, also brought Richard more than a dozen animals from Otherworlds, as well as dozens of Demonized Plants. However, it was a pity that among these creatures, there were no intelligent beings, and the Demonized Plants did not include any rare species. Besides the creatures, the expansion of the Secret Realm also brought Richard two small mining veins, as well as some special minerals from Otherworlds. The World Mushroom provided Richard with two samples of ore from the veins. As an Alchemy Wizard, Richard immediately recognized the minerals contained in these two veins. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This is Demonized Metal, quite a common thing,¡± Richard discarded one of the samples, then looked eagerly at the other. ¡°But this one is different. If I¡¯m not mistaken, this should be Jabir Metal.¡± Jabir Metal, an extremely tough type of metal that repels magic. Because of its strong resistance to Void storms, it is commonly used as the main material in the alloy shell of Floating Cities. This metal, a strategic resource, has to be handed over to the Truth Council for development by the conqueror of any world in which it¡¯s discovered. Therefore, it¡¯s rarely seen on the market. ¡°Master, is this kind of ore important?¡± asked the World Mushroom suddenly. ¡°It¡¯s not just important, it¡¯s precious! This metal is basically unavailable for purchase,¡± Richard replied with some excitement. ¡°I see. If you need it, Master, I can make the vein grow larger.¡± ¡°Great¡­ huh? What do you mean by ¡®grow larger¡¯?¡± asked a somewhat puzzled Richard. ¡°I can promote the birth of this kind of ore, making the reserves in this small vein richer.¡± The World Mushroom¡¯s voice remained dull, but to Richard¡¯s ears, it sounded as thunderous as roaring thunder. ¡°You, you, you¡­ You can synthesize ore?¡± Richard asked, incredulous. ¡°Not synthesize, promote. The Secret Realm where this vein was born has already been integrated by me. Thus, I understand how this vein formed and developed. And since I can also control the environment and rules of the Secret Realm, naturally I can promote the growth of this vein.¡± After hearing the World Mushroom¡¯s explanation, Richard felt a slight disappointment. So it can¡¯t synthesize minerals, then. If it could, he would really be free of material constraints. ¡°I see, what is required to promote the growth of the vein?¡± Richard asked casually. If promoting the growth of the vein didn¡¯t come at a great cost, he wouldn¡¯t mind having a larger vein at his disposal. ¡°Promoting the vein growth will slow down the expansion of the Secret Realm.¡± ¡°By how much?¡± ¡°That depends on how quickly you need it. Once my roots fully spread, the Secret Realm could expand by approximately thirty acres a day. If we were to promote the vein growth, that number would need to be reduced by at least a quarter.¡± ¡°Forget it, forget it,¡± said Richard, shaking his hands in dismissal. To him, the importance of Jabir Metal was currently limited to research. Due to the regulation of this metal, it was nearly impossible for Richard to sell it on the market. Also, for the same reason, there were virtually no alloy formulas for this metal available. It would be a difficult task for Richard to use it in production. To hinder the growth of the Secret Realm for something of so little use would be folly, and Richard would not commit to such foolishness. ¡°According to what you¡¯ve said, you can promote the growth of the vein. So, does that mean that for all the Secret Realms you¡¯ve integrated, you can promote the growth of their veins?¡± ¡°Theoretically, yes.¡± Richard nodded thoughtfully. The World Mushroom¡¯s ability to promote vein growth was simply astounding. If he could integrate more Secret Realms containing rare alchemy materials, he might truly achieve material independence in the Material World. However, this thought was just a fleeting one in Richard¡¯s mind, quickly discarded like trash. To integrate such Secret Realms with rare veins, he would inevitably have to become a Great Wizard. But as a Three Rings Wizard who was just over four hundred years old, the distance to becoming a Great Wizard was far too great. Such early desires could only lead to frustration. After asking about the other information regarding the Secret Realm, Richard had a preliminary understanding of it. But as for how to develop it further, Richard had no clue at present. Based on his current thoughts, he still planned to use the Secret Realm as an Alchemy Workshop. As for the rules of exploration¡­ Richard felt it was better to first solidify his Second Ring foundation. He might currently be the weakest Three Rings Wizard in the history of the Wizard World, not even close to comparable. A week later, dressed in a black robe, Richard, Jolod, and many high-level members of the Black Tower Wizard Academy, came to the premises of the Clear Frost Academy. At the premises, wizards from many Academies gathered outside the memorial hall, quietly waiting with the Clear Frost Academy wizards for the coffin to begin its journey. The funeral of a wizard doesn¡¯t have a very fixed form, but the general process basically consists of three stages. In the first stage, the mourning guests gather outside the memorial hall. The coffin of the deceased is carried out by the departed¡¯s relatives, friends, or others who were close to them. In the second stage, both the coffin and the guests proceed along the same path into the graveyard, and then, under the watchful eyes of the many guests, the coffin is interred. The third stage is the time for remembrance. During this stage, relatives and friends of the deceased take turns speaking, without restrictions. The speeches could be for reflection or to share amusing stories from the life of the departed. Richard stood outside the memorial hall, and since he was a Three Rings Wizard, he could stand at the very front of the crowd along with many other Academy officials. Soon, the bell tolled. Four wizards clad in white robes carried a coffin out from the memorial hall. These four were the Deputy Dean of Clear Frost Academy, the Legion Commander of the Clear Frost Legion, Vladimir¡¯s wizarding partner, and his student. With sorrowful expressions, they shouldered the coffin and then, step by step, they walked toward the graveyard. For wizards, the weight of this coffin was far less than the profound sorrow it represented. Following the hearse, numerous guests came to Vladimir¡¯s gravesite. This old wizard had chosen his final resting place within the public cemetery of Clear Frost Academy, where many of Clear Frost¡¯s predecessors were buried. This old wizard, who had devoted his entire life to the legion, had chosen not to leave the legion even in death. The four wizards placed the coffin into the pre-dug grave and then sealed the pit with shovels. Silence, still silence. Throughout the whole process, not a single wizard made a superfluous noise. As the grave was sealed, led by a wizard from Clear Frost Academy, every wizard attending the funeral placed a flower in front of the tombstone. These flowers, bizarre and varied, all bore significance of mourning in the wizards¡¯ eyes. With all offerings of flowers complete, the funeral entered its final phase¡ªspeeches. The first to speak was the Legion Commander of the Clear Frost Legion, who stepped forward before the tombstone and bowed slightly to the gathered wizards. ¡°To be honest, before Master Vladimir lay down to eternal rest, he specifically instructed me to keep the funeral simple. He preferred a quiet ceremony, to avoid the ridicule of his old rivals at his graveside. But obviously, I did not heed his advice. All of you must have heard of Master Vladimir¡¯s temperament. He was quick to anger. If it were any other time, had I disregarded his wishes, he would have barged into my office with a sour look on his face, then used all his wits and means to ensure I fulfilled his request. This gave me an opportunity. I thought that if I didn¡¯t follow his wishes for the funeral, maybe this irritable master would climb out of his coffin to storm into my office and berate my actions. But my experiment failed. Master Vladimir truly has passed away for good, and my office door will never again be burst open by a scowling old wizard. This seems like a matter for celebration. However, as I gazed joyfully at the neat door of my office, I suddenly froze. For years, I had complained about that old wizard¡¯s lack of courtesy and disrespect for his superiors, simply because he was more senior. But as I look back, I realize he was right every time. He tirelessly used his wisdom to help the legion become better. I always overlooked this fact. And by the time I recognized it, it was somewhat late. This was my negligence, my fault, and I should apologize to Master Vladimir, but unfortunately, he can no longer hear me. So here I can only say one thing¡ªMaster Vladimir was the finest Master of Arms I¡¯ve ever known. His achievements shall forever be inscribed in the legion¡¯s annals!¡± ¡­ The speech segment lasted for a full half day, with each wizard familiar with Vladimir having their say, even Richard made a short speech, reminiscing about the old wizard who had provided him with tremendous help. After the speeches, Clear Frost Academy hosted a banquet at their residence, and the majority of the guests who were not in a hurry stayed behind. ¡°Excuse me, are you Master Tosio?¡± In a corner of the hall, Richard held a cup of wine and greeted a forlorn wizard. Tosio lifted his head, his face streaked with tears. He looked at Richard, feeling a sense of familiarity, but couldn¡¯t quite remember where he had seen him before. ¡°I am, may I ask who you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Richard, one of the heads of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce. I also gave a speech at your mentor¡¯s funeral today.¡± Hearing the name Richard, Tosio was first startled, then became somewhat flustered as he stood up. As a White Wizard, the name Richard Jolod was thunderously familiar. As an emergent Wizard Commerce, their produced Magic Support Vehicles had been deployed on several battlefields and received unanimous praise from various legions. But why would such a big shot be seeking out a minor wizard like him? ¡°Sorry, sorry, I was too grief-stricken at the funeral and really didn¡¯t pay attention to the speaking guests. I hope you can forgive me.¡± Richard waved his hand to show it was unnecessary. ¡°No need to be nervous, Master, I understand such things.¡± ¡°Then what do you require of me?¡± Tosio asked cautiously. He remembered that Vladimir had mentioned some connection with the chief of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce. But as the saying goes, ¡®death extinguishes life,¡¯ and while Vladimir was alive, that connection existed. But now that he was dead, could it still hold? Richard smiled at him and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Master. Master Vladimir has done me a great favor. In the Red Sun World, he once asked me to look after his students after his passing. Now that he has laid down to rest, I feel it is time to fulfill my promise. May I ask which area of study you specialize in?¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s explanation, tears flowed from Tosio¡¯s eyes once more. He had not expected that his old teacher would still care for him, his foolish student, even in death. Tosio wiped away his tears, replying with a choked voice: ¡°Master, my research focus is on Enchanted Architecture, such as construction of battlefield fortresses and Wizard Towers.¡± Chapter 363: 78: The Small Floating City Chapter 363: Chapter 78: The Small Floating City ¡°Enchanted Architecture?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat astonished when he heard this research direction. Enchanted Architecture was a branch of the Alchemy School, but this branch was quite niche, to the point where, if not for the Plane War, which required specialized Fortress Wizards, the discipline might even have been absorbed into the general wizardry curriculum. After all, before the emergence of battlefield fortresses, the sole use of this branch was in the construction of Wizard Towers. And constructing Wizard Towers was something most wizards had to do. However, Richard¡¯s surprise didn¡¯t stem from the rarity of Enchanted Architecture, but from the fact that Tosio had chosen Enchanted Architecture. Richard recognized Vladimir¡¯s level of proficiency with alchemy machines. A student of such a Master wouldn¡¯t necessarily have to study alchemy machines, but neither would he be expected to choose a less popular branch like Enchanted Architecture. Richard could have understood even if he had chosen the Flesh Faction. Seeing Richard¡¯s amazed expression, Tosio gave a bitter smile and said, ¡°The Master must think I¡¯m a fool, to ignore my teacher¡¯s alchemy machines and instead research the niche field of Enchanted Architecture. I must be really stupid!¡± But Richard shook his head. ¡°No, no, no, choosing a niche branch is not foolish. It is precisely because there are wizards like you who explore and study according to what they believe in their hearts that the Wizard World can remain so diverse. If everyone were to study the main branches and research only a few popular areas, then the Wizard World would be finished.¡± Richard¡¯s attitude was very sincere because he truly meant what he said. In research, there always needed to be people who delved into the less popular subjects, to take the colder, harder sectors. Perhaps they would never make any significant achievements in their lifetimes, but as the Wizard Civilization developed, even the most niche branches would have their day of relevance. Richard¡¯s genuine sentiment was felt by Tosio. It was the first time, aside from Vladimir, that he had encountered such a heartfelt and unprejudiced evaluation. Tosio wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat and turned into a sigh. ¡°Ah!¡± Richard then asked, ¡°Since you¡¯re researching Enchanted Architecture, I presume you must have your own understanding of constructing Wizard Towers, right?¡± Tosio nodded, ¡°Designing and constructing Wizard Towers is the foundation of our branch. Based on this foundation, I have also learned about city planning, energy plants, and the construction of communication towers. If you wish to build a Wizard Tower in the Wizard World, I can plan out a mortal city surrounding the Wizard Tower based on the location you choose, right now.¡± Listening to Tosio¡¯s description, Richard was astonished once again. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Was Enchanted Architecture so involved that it even required knowledge of city planning? Richard praised sincerely, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that if I choose a location now, you can plan out a mortal city around a Wizard Tower. I must say, that is quite impressive.¡± Tosio smiled sheepishly. He was several hundred years older than Richard. But in front of Richard, Tosio, as a Second Ring Wizard, was as timid as an apprentice. Tosio couldn¡¯t have imagined that the wizard before him, who surpassed him in both status and strength, was actually younger than himself. ¡°However,¡± Richard switched topics, ¡°city planning is ultimately just an accessory. Regarding the design of the Wizard Tower, do you have any unique insights? Or, in other respects, do you have anything peculiar?¡± ¡°Unique insights¡­¡± A bitter smile crossed Tosio¡¯s face again, ¡°Master, the things I study¡­ are quite niche. If I have to point out something unique¡­ I indeed have it, but you may not find it useful.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°What is it that you study? Feel free to share. I¡¯m from the Flesh Faction and wouldn¡¯t steal your ideas.¡± ¡°You, such a Big Shot, how could you be interested in the thoughts of a minor wizard like me?¡± Tosio said with a somewhat self-deprecating smile, ¡°What I study isn¡¯t a secret. It¡¯s a concept that emerged from our Alchemy School at the end of the Enlightenment period, called the ¡®miniature Floating City.¡¯ I don¡¯t know if the Master is aware of it.¡± The term ¡°miniature Floating City¡± was indeed one that Richard had heard of. At the end of the Enlightenment period, during the later stages of the great wizard conflict, wizards from all Schools were looking for ways to counter other Schools¡¯ wizards. During this period, many outlandish technologies were invented, and various novel ideas were proposed. Among them, the ¡°miniature Floating City¡± was one such concept proposed by the Alchemy School. The Alchemy Wizard who proposed this concept had planned to transform the entire Wizard Tower into a massive, movable War Fortress. The difficulty of this concept lay in establishing a sufficiently stable and enduring Energy Source within the Wizard Tower. Without fulfilling this aspect, the miniature Floating City would fall from the sky like a rocket, unable to stay aloft. There were only three types of Power Furnaces in the Wizard World capable of powering the flight of a Wizard Tower, corresponding to the Power Furnaces of the first, second, and third-generation expeditionary Floating Cities. The size of these Power Furnaces was comparable to some Wizard Towers. Therefore, the concept of the miniature Floating City had already been abandoned by the mainstream Alchemy Wizards. Tosio had dug up this knowledge from some forgotten corner, and had even made it his research direction. ¡°Tosio, what does Master Vladimir say about this research direction?¡± Richard asked somewhat diplomatically. Tosio wasn¡¯t surprised by Richard¡¯s reaction. ¡°The teacher called me a complete fool.¡± ¡°So why don¡¯t you change your research direction?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°The problem with the miniature Floating City isn¡¯t within the branch of Enchanted Architecture, to solve it, significant discoveries from the Shape-shifting School would be needed.¡± Tosio shook his head, ¡°Master, although the teacher called me a fool, I¡¯m not the kind of idiot who doesn¡¯t think about anything. I researched this area mainly because I obtained a set of design drawings for a small Floating City from the Enlightenment Period. In these design drawings, the design of the small Floating City was already nearing rationality, and the requirements for the Power Furnace were not so stringent. On the basis of these design drawings, I further perfected many things. The small Floating City is no longer castles in the air. But¡­¡± Tosio sighed. Although he was sure he was on the right path, his research had become exceedingly slow due to resource constraints. While Vladimir was still alive, he would fund Tosio with some Magic Essence, but now that Vladimir was dead, continuing the research was as difficult as reaching the sky. ¡°Design drawings?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, instantly intrigued. ¡°How about you show me these design drawings, if they really are as you say, I can be your academic sponsor.¡± If the small Floating City is indeed feasible, it will undoubtedly be a very promising project. Although the large Floating City is useful now, as a War Fortress, it¡¯s too huge. It¡¯s suitable as a flagship, but not as a warship. If the small Floating City could become successful, then a wizard¡¯s expedition would no longer be based on Floating Cities, but on a fleet of airships. ¡°Ah? You¡¯ve also researched small Floating Cities?¡± Tosio exclaimed in shock. Aside from Richard conducting research himself, he really couldn¡¯t think of any other reason that would move Richard to consider becoming an academic sponsor. Richard stroked his chin and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s not it, but I have something in my hands that, if I could figure it out, could grant me a Power Furnace with pretty decent power.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Tosio nodded, taking out a Soul Contract from his pocket. ¡°Would the Master be willing to sign a contract?¡± Richard laughed, ¡°Of course.¡± After all, the design drawings were Tosio¡¯s research achievement, so if Richard wanted to look at them, naturally a Soul Contract needed to be signed to assure Tosio his work would not be stolen. Once the contract was signed, Tosio took Richard out of the hall, following the main road to the front of the Wizard Tower, which had been used as a mourning hall in the morning. Tosio took a key out of his pocket and opened the door of the Wizard Tower. ¡°The teacher always liked to pay a hundred years¡¯ rent at a time; the rent for this Wizard Tower has not been refunded, so theoretically it¡¯s still my teacher¡¯s Wizard Tower.¡± Opening the door, the two entered the Wizard Tower. Tosio, familiar with the place, headed straight for the Wizard Tower¡¯s laboratory and then activated the privacy protections of the Wizard Tower. Most wizards have an excessive protective instinct over their own research achievements, even if the results have not been successful yet. Tosio turned on the laboratory lights and then took out a thick stack of draft papers from his pocket and handed them to Richard. ¡°Master, please take a look, this is the optimized design drawing I¡¯ve made.¡± Richard took it and found a chair in the laboratory, then began to study the drawings seriously. He watched from nightfall until the sun rose in the east. ¡°Very good idea,¡± said Richard, his eyes sparkling as he handed back the design drawings to Tosio. ¡°This design looks almost viable to me. I just happen to have a study on a power source, and if a Power Furnace design can be achieved, it might solve the Power Furnace issue. I¡¯ll invest in your research.¡± Saying this, Richard extended his right hand to Tosio. Tosio looked at Richard somewhat dazedly, but ultimately, holding back tears, reached out and shook Richard¡¯s hand firmly. In his heart, he shouted, ¡°Teacher, watch, I will definitely succeed.¡± ¡­ After the funeral, Richard¡¯s life returned to tranquility. He arranged for Tosio to hold a nominal position as a building advisor in the commercial guild, with an annual compensation of ten Magic Essence. Apart from that, he invested ten thousand Magic Essence into Tosio¡¯s small Floating City project. If Tosio could be successful, then this investment would return tens or even hundreds of times over. And he himself began to study the Yuris Black Crystal and the various spoils of war he had obtained from the Academy War. Now, as a Three Rings Wizard, he was a paper tiger¡ªfierce in appearance but flawed in combat. He needed to enrich his knowledge and strengthen his combat power as much as possible. And this research would take three hundred years. Three hundred years later, at the Black Tower Wizard Academy, in Jolod¡¯s laboratory. ¡°Are you sure, Richard?¡± Jolod furrowed his brow, looking somewhat bewildered at Richard across from him. ¡°I am, teacher,¡± Richard said solemnly, ¡°I don¡¯t plan to remain as the Deputy Dean at Black Tower Academy. I plan to follow Garon the Great Wizard to explore the mysteries of Physique Evolution.¡± Richard¡¯s contract with Black Tower Wizard Academy was a short-term contract, only five hundred years long. Now that time had passed, there were no longer any contractual ties between Richard and Black Tower Wizard Academy. ¡°If you¡¯re set on this, I won¡¯t try to persuade you further. But I must tell you,¡± Jolod stood up, patting Richard on the shoulder with a solemn expression, ¡°you¡¯ll always be a student of Black Tower Wizard Academy. The gates of Black Tower Wizard Academy will always be open to you.¡± Chapter 364: 79: Garon Wizard Academy Chapter 364: Chapter 79: Garon Wizard Academy Upon exiting the laboratory, a fiery red silhouette immediately approached him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± the silhouette asked crisply. Richard nodded slightly, ¡°I¡¯m sure. Next, I¡¯m going to Garon Wizard College. Are you interested in going there with me, Ali?¡± The fiery red silhouette was none other than Ali, who had become a Second Ring Wizard. Two hundred and seventy years ago, Ali successfully broke through and advanced to a Second Ring Wizard. ¡°Me?¡± Ali¡¯s mouth dropped open, humorously pointing to herself, ¡°Do you want me to get kicked out by the teachers?¡± Richard leaving the Academy at most would have people mentioning him a couple of times, after all, every wizard has their own pursuits. But Ali was the grand-apprentice of the Black Tower Great Wizard. The idea of the grand-apprentice of the Dean becoming a lecturer at another college was unthinkable. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not asking you to be a lecturer. I just want to pull you over to live there,¡± he said. Richard pulled Ali into his arms, a mischievous smile on his face. ¡°When you get sick of living there, you can always come back. You¡¯re not even teaching at the college anyway.¡± ¡°That still doesn¡¯t seem right,¡± Ali hesitated, ¡°Living in another college for a long time doesn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Richard confidently said, ¡°I plan to build a Wizard Tower outside Garon Wizard College. Then you can just live in the Wizard Tower, right?¡± ¡°Ah? Then why don¡¯t you just stay in the Tower of Truth permanently?¡± Ali asked with some confusion. ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Richard stroked his chin, a mysterious smile forming at the corner of his mouth, ¡°I have some research that can only be done outside.¡± Ali thought for a moment, then nodded slightly, ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll come over when your Wizard Tower is built.¡± Richard grinned, ¡°It¡¯s a promise then, don¡¯t back out.¡± Ali¡¯s cheeks turned red, and she muttered softly, ¡°Just wait until I become a Three Rings Wizard, then I¡¯ll show you.¡± ¡­ After leaving the Black Tower Wizard Academy, Richard immediately hurried to the Tower of Truth. Garon Wizard College was located in a rather remote place, in the Extreme North of the Wizard Continent, and it was difficult for ordinary wizards to find the exact location of the college without guidance. Lodging Floor Eleventh Layer The Duel Arena was still incredibly lively, with a massive crowd of wizards excitedly watching two colossal figures engage in fisticuffs within the arena. Although wizards often associate physical combat with natives, the instincts from their bloodline still make their blood boil when they see a hand-to-hand clash. In the spectator stands, Richard sat beside Jimmy, quietly watching the intense battle between two Second Ring Wizards. Scattered elements, robust magic power, occasional splashes of fresh blood¡­ The battle was incredibly captivating. If it had been in the past, Richard would have had nothing but praise for this battle. But after becoming a Three Rings Wizard, he could easily spot many problems in the fight before him. It was not due to the advantage of experience, but purely the illusion caused by the gap in strength. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Once a person learns something, they can no longer imagine what it¡¯s like not to know it. The strength of the wizards in the arena was a vast chasm compared to Richard¡¯s. Such an increase in strength deeply affects the combat habits of wizards, especially those, like Physique Evolution Wizards, habituated to physical combat. Soon, the battle ended. Jimmy flew into the arena, lifting the right hand of the victor. The audience also chanted the winning wizard¡¯s name in unison. This was the glory belonging solely to the victor. Before long, the audience dispersed, and the gladiators shook hands and made peace. Their glory lasted only for the moment after victory. After the glory, everyone was still good brothers in the same club. After giving a couple of tips to the two gladiators, Jimmy returned to the spectator stands. ¡°How about that fight?¡± Jimmy sat down beside Richard and asked with a smile. ¡°It was terrible,¡± Richard answered truthfully, ¡°Although I can clearly understand that it¡¯s not that these two wizards don¡¯t want to do well, but rather their strength doesn¡¯t allow them. But those seemingly superfluous actions still irritate me.¡± Upon hearing this, Jimmy laughed heartily. ¡°Hahaha, I knew you would feel that way. You spent too little time as a One Ring and Second Ring Wizard and didn¡¯t particularly focus on physical combat. Suddenly advancing to Three Rings without sufficient experience, you simply can¡¯t appreciate the intricacies of the fight.¡± Jimmy¡¯s words weren¡¯t very pleasant to hear, but Richard felt not the slightest anger. Jimmy was stating the facts, and there was nothing to be angry about regarding the truth. ¡°That¡¯s why I came to you,¡± Richard said lightly, ¡°I plan to join Garon Great Wizard¡¯s Academy to study Physique Evolution in detail.¡± Jimmy¡¯s smile faded slightly as he looked at Richard seriously and said, ¡°Do you really want to pursue the path of physical evolution? I¡¯ve heard of your exploits over the years, and your achievements in alchemy machinery far outshine what you¡¯ve accomplished with flesh. I¡¯m somewhat concerned that joining Garon Wizard College to study Physique Evolution might bury your talents.¡± Richard nodded firmly. ¡°I am very clear about my own talent. The Magic Support Vehicle was just an accident, and in fact, it didn¡¯t take much of my effort to invent it. In reality, my research over the years has been nothing but chaotic. I¡¯ve dabbled in many disciplines. In none of these disciplines do I possess an immensely outstanding talent. After comprehensive consideration, I feel that studying Physique Evolution is more in line with my current circumstances.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Jimmy was slightly surprised. ¡°What exactly made you come to this conclusion?¡± Richard did not say much, merely extending his hand from beneath his Wizard Robe. At first glance, the hand was very pale, but soon after, it began to change. The hand started to deform, sprouting bone spurs, bone scales, hairs, growths, tumors¡­ all sorts of strange and grotesque things. Before long, a perfectly normal hand had become a misshapen, indescribable mass. Jimmy¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Is this¡­ a rule?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a rule.¡± After speaking, the indescribable mass suddenly ruptured. A new right hand slowly grew from the break. ¡°This is a special rule I¡¯ve named ¡®Mutated Rules.¡¯ It can stimulate cells, causing the Life Core of the cells to express unpredictably, leading to equally unpredictable cellular mutations.¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s explanation, Jimmy¡¯s eyes widened instantly. This rule¡¯s ability was too well suited for Physique Evolution. Richard still did not fully understand the essence of Physique Evolution, but as the Deputy Dean of the Garon Wizard Academy, Jimmy had a very clear understanding of it. The very nature of Physique Evolution is the change in the Life Core. While the cellular mutations caused by the Mutated Rules are uncontrollable, given enough time, a Wizard will always be able to find the right cells. And Wizards certainly do not lack time. ¡°I must say, you¡¯re really very lucky,¡± Jimmy exclaimed. Having said that, he stood up and extended his right hand to Richard. ¡°Welcome, Master, to join Garon Wizard Academy. I am Deputy Dean Jimmy.¡± ¡­ Garon Wizard Academy is located in the Extreme North of the Wizard Continent. During the Enlightenment Era, this place was the domain of a branch of the Shape-shifting School called Absolute Zero. It was also one of the few areas not affected by the Wizard War. Because during the Enlightenment Era, the harsh cold winds of the Extreme North were almost equivalent to a Frozen Spell of three hundred Energy Levels, and if mixed with frost, the winds could also carry Cutting damage. It could be described as a combination of physical and magical cultivation. However, with the end of the Wizard War, the concentration of Magic Energy in the Wizard World gradually decreased, rendering the Extreme North no longer dangerous. Following Jimmy, Richard flew all the way from the Tower of Truth to the Extreme North. Throughout the journey, Richard could clearly feel the temperature of the environment dropping. ¡°Mankind really is tenacious,¡± Richard said, looking at the human tribes hunting on the snow plains, not able to help admiring them. All these mortals possessed the strength of Knights, and their prey was an unusually large mammoth. ¡°This is life. Resilient life always finds its own way out,¡± Jimmy said, looking back at Richard. ¡°Can you believe it? These mortals¡¯ ancestors have survived in this Academy since the Enlightenment Era.¡± ¡°At that time, even many Wizards died here.¡± ¡°But they, relying on the experiences accumulated by their ancestors and their tenacious will to survive, managed to live in the Academy from generation to generation with only the strength of an Apprentice.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard showed an incredulous expression on his face. ¡°How is this possible, the cold winds of the Extreme North during the Enlightenment Era could even tear apart a Wizard.¡± ¡°In such harsh conditions, how can mortals survive?¡± Jimmy smiled and shook his head. ¡°But it is true. Because Garon the Great Wizard came from this very land.¡± A flicker of shock crossed Richard¡¯s mind. He suddenly understood why Garon the Great Wizard, a pioneer who became a Great Wizard at the start of the era, studied Physique Evolution. It was hard not to be moved by the tenacity of human life that could survive on these snow plains. Before long, the two arrived at Garon Wizard Academy. Garon Wizard Academy was an incredibly vast Academy because its main structure was an entire towering mountain peak. Various buildings were laid out in succession on the mountain, with the residential area at the bottom, the teaching area above, and further up were the cafeteria and library. And atop the mountain stood a not-so-tall Wizard Tower. Although the Wizard Tower was not tall, on the mountaintop, it was as magnificent as the Tower of Truth. ¡°What are those?¡± Richard suddenly noticed a group of tiny dots continually climbing up the side of the mountain below the residential area. Jimmy followed Richard¡¯s gaze for a glance and casually replied: ¡°Those are the new students. Garon Wizard Academy doesn¡¯t have a freshman year per se, any child between the ages of ten and fifteen who can climb to the Academy¡¯s gate on their own automatically becomes a student of Garon Academy.¡± Richard¡¯s eyes lit up, giving his approval. ¡°That¡¯s indeed a good method. It¡¯s much fairer than the exams I went through when I went to school.¡± Richard¡¯s hometown, being remote and not near any trade routes, still followed the backward feudal lord system and had not enjoyed any of the benefits of magic. This also meant that virtually none of the prospective Apprentices from that place could survive. If Richard hadn¡¯t had the Miracle Furnace with him, he would surely have died during the entrance exam. Later, Richard asked Alex if this was somewhat unfair, and the answer he received was cruel. ¡°There is no absolute fairness in this world. The Academy has already prepared textbooks and dictionaries for them. If they cannot learn, it¡¯s their own problem.¡± ¡°The illiterate are ultimately the minority; the Academy has done as much as it can to promote education in the source regions.¡± ¡°Our Academy is not short of Apprentices, nor is it short of Talent. For a person like you, even an Epoch Academy may not receive one.¡± In the end, the Wizard World is simply too vast. It lacks neither Apprentices nor Talent. Chapter 365: 80 Evolution Road Chapter 365: Chapter 80 Evolution Road Upon entering the Academy, the two encountered many wizards on the road. These wizards were mostly robust beyond measure, and even when Richard came across some thin ones, he sensed an oppressed Life Energy within them. According to Jimmy¡¯s explanation, these wizards practiced a special Sealing Skill. This skill allowed them to accumulate power normally and, once the seal was released, could instantly increase a wizard¡¯s combat power by double or even multiple times. ¡°What fascinating witchcraft,¡± Richard exclaimed, ¡°I have never heard of such witchcraft before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s to be expected,¡± Jimmy laughed, ¡°This kind of witchcraft is basically useless for wizards who are undergoing Spiritual Evolution, so very few people learn it. And the Sealing Skills you see are all versions personally improved by the dean. The original ones generally only increased power by ten to thirty percent, at most fifty percent. The ones we¡¯re encountering now are far superior.¡± ¡°Ah!?¡± Richard exclaimed in surprise, ¡°So, these Sealing Skills are versions improved by the dean? Does our Academy also distribute witchcraft?¡± This sort of Sealing Skill was not something from the Black Tower Wizard Academy¡¯s Magic Store, where common Magic Models were overflowing in the Wizard World. Wherever it went, in any wizard¡¯s hands, it could serve as a legacy of witchcraft. ¡°It¡¯s not given out for free,¡± Jimmy replied, ¡°These witchcraft require contributing to the Academy to be exchanged.¡± ¡°Many?¡± Richard noted the measure word used by Jimmy, ¡°Has the dean prepared a lot of witchcraft?¡± Jimmy smiled mysteriously, ¡°You¡¯ll find out in time. For now, let me take you to meet the dean.¡± ¡­ Garon the Great Wizard was different from other Great Wizards, as Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s clone was constantly stationed in the Wizard World. And according to Jimmy, this clone actually managed affairs. This system was starkly different from other Great Wizards, who relied on Deputy Deans. The Gang Wind at the mountaintop was extremely harsh, and the howling north wind sounded like an invisible whistle. Richard and Jimmy landed on the mountaintop, where outside the Wizard Tower, a figure gazed into the distance. Jimmy respectfully said to the figure, ¡°Dean, we have arrived.¡± ¡°Hmm!?¡± Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s clone seemed suddenly awakened, his body jolted. He turned to look at Richard and even yawned. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived so quickly.¡± ¡°It seems he was really asleep,¡± Richard thought to himself. Jimmy wasn¡¯t surprised by Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s state; with a consistent expression of respect, he said, ¡°We did not delay on the road but came directly to the Academy.¡± ¡°Hmm, well done.¡± Garon the Great Wizard nodded, his somewhat confused gaze instantly clearing up. He scrutinized Richard briefly, his expression suddenly becoming surprised. ¡°Huh, aren¡¯t you that young fellow from Black Tower Wizard Academy? I remember when I last saw you, you were a Second Ring Wizard. How many years have passed, and you¡¯ve already become a Third Ring?¡± Jimmy looked somewhat helpless. ¡°Dean, didn¡¯t you receive the information I sent you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see it,¡± Garon the Great Wizard honestly shook his head, ¡°The weather recently has been too conducive to sleep.¡± Jimmy sighed helplessly, ¡°You remember correctly, Dean, Richard is indeed the wizard from Black Tower Academy you met last time. He has advanced to Third Ring lately and mastered a rule very suitable for Physique Evolution, so he wishes to join our Academy and study Physique Evolution.¡± ¡°Oh!? Welcome, welcome!¡± Garon the Great Wizard brightened up, took two steps towards Richard, and extended his right hand. Richard, feeling somewhat flattered, quickly extended his right hand to shake it. ¡°Hmm? How come you¡¯re so young?¡± Upon shaking hands, Garon the Great Wizard immediately noticed something off. As a master of studying Physique Evolution, he was extremely sensitive to Life Radiation. Richard¡¯s Concealer Cloak inherently covered Life Radiation, so Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s clone did not notice Richard¡¯s Life Radiation at first. But through that handshake, the abnormally young Life Radiation from Richard naturally became known to Garon the Great Wizard through their bodily contact. ¡°How come you¡¯re not even a thousand years old? That¡¯s really young.¡± Richard smiled sheepishly, ¡°Some luck, some luck.¡± ¡°Well done, lad, you have great potential!¡± Garon the Great Wizard satisfactorily patted Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°The Academy needs young talents like you; you are definitely going to achieve great things in the future. Come, let me see the rule you¡¯ve mastered.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard hurriedly demonstrated his Mutated Rules. After seeing Richard¡¯s rules, Garon the Great Wizard scratched his head in confusion. ¡°This thing¡­ I seem to have seen it somewhere.¡± He frowned, thought for a while, then suddenly looked up, somewhat surprised, and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the rule of the Flesh Cancer? The Flesh Cancer has long been sealed into the World Mirror. Where did you get this from?¡± Richard¡¯s face slightly stiffened, unsure how to respond. Fortunately, Jimmy spoke up at that moment. ¡°Dean, a while ago, Black Tower Wizard Academy and Meteor Wizard Academy had a war. I remember I mentioned this to you.¡± ¡°Oh, oh!¡± Garon the Great Wizard displayed a slightly embarrassed smile, ¡°I remember now. Your rule is really good and indeed very suitable for Physique Evolution. You should often check the task board; there are often tasks for cultivating special cells there. By the way, has Jimmy told you about the Contribution Value?¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°Master Jimmy hasn¡¯t mentioned that yet.¡± ¡°Then I will explain it,¡± Garon the Great Wizard laughed. ¡°The contribution system is a special exchange mechanism I designed. Contribution Value can be exchanged for rewards specially open to wizards in the Academy¡¯s library in the Wizard District.¡± These rewards include witchcraft designed by me, curiosities, special materials, opportunities to enter the Secret Realm, and so on, which are very precious for wizards at your stage. Feel free to check there often, as I usually toss in some trinkets.¡± ¡°I shall, Dean,¡± Richard respectfully said. ¡°Eh,¡± Garon the Great Wizard waved his hand, ¡°don¡¯t call me ¡®Dean sir,¡¯ just ¡®Dean¡¯ will do. That¡¯s it, now that I¡¯ve met you, you are officially a member of Garon Wizard College. Jimmy will go over your salary and other benefits with you, I don¡¯t quite remember those details clearly.¡± ¡°Yes, Dean.¡± Soon, Jimmy and Richard left the mountaintop. Garon the Great Wizard watched Richard¡¯s retreating figure, a faint, intrigued smile appearing on his face. ¡°This young fellow is no ordinary person, to be marked by such a great existence. What exactly did that great existence see in him?¡± Even Richard himself hadn¡¯t noticed that the great existence behind Seeker¡¯s Tavern had left a mark on him while repairing and evolving the Nightmare Artifact. This mark didn¡¯t have any particular function but merely served to remind the great existence to steer clear of this nuisance upon encountering him. After all, the memories of a great existence are exceedingly complex, and without some markings, they would struggle to quickly recall certain matters. ¡­ Garon Wizard College was not just the structure outside; the mountain that supported them had been hollowed out and turned into part of the college. This reminded Richard of the past Mountain Secret Realm and those mountain dwarf temples. Led by Jimmy, Richard quickly arrived at the college¡¯s library. The library was immensely vast, beneath the huge dome, books as numerous as clouds occupied large stone shelves. These huge shelves made even a towering Stone Giant appear tiny. And the knowledge stored above was even weightier than mountains. Jimmy snapped his fingers, and a small sprite appeared beside him. ¡°Fetch me a set of introductory material for the Physique Wizard.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The sprite, seeing Jimmy, exclaimed with a hint of delight: ¡°Jimmy! Long time no see. Weren¡¯t you assigned to the club by Garon? Is this a newcomer? He looks quite young. Newcomer, what is your name? I¡¯m Elissa, the librarian here. If you need to find materials in the future, you can call me directly.¡± This sprite, self-proclaimed as Elissa, was very enthusiastic, chattering nonstop upon seeing Richard. Richard looked toward Jimmy, who gave him a helpless smile. ¡°That¡¯s just Elissa being Elissa, you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± After rambling for a while longer, Elissa turned into a burst of glowing dust and vanished. Shortly after, she returned with a thick Magic Book, flying out of a ring of glowing dust. This reminded Richard of Fenna, the small sprite from Black Tower Wizard Academy¡¯s library. These sprites seemed to be of the same Race, all serving as librarians. Jimmy took the book and handed it to Richard: ¡°This is something every wizard who joins Garon Wizard College must learn. Go and read it; once you¡¯re done, you¡¯ll have a more systematic understanding of Physique Evolution. This will greatly assist you in planning your future research direction.¡± Richard took the book, and saw the Magic Book¡¯s dark cover embossed with golden letters¡ªEvolution Road. ¡°Nice title,¡± Richard complimented, then opened the Magic Book. But after flipping through just a few pages, an incredulous look appeared on his face. He suddenly looked up, his eyes intently fixed on Jimmy across him. ¡°The Dean is actually willing to distribute this for free!?¡± In just a few pages of Evolution Road, he discovered that the knowledge contained was as deep as an abyss. The seemingly simple words on the book were just the tip of the iceberg. Huge secrets were hidden behind them. Jimmy chuckled, ¡°The Dean really detests the trend in the Wizard World of hoarding knowledge. He believes that theoretical knowledge should be widely shared. This prevents many wizards from being stuck on problems that could be solved with just a phrase.¡± Richard paused and then showed a delighted expression. So, he wasn¡¯t the only one who thought the secretive nature of knowledge in the Wizard World was problematic. ¡°Besides sharing knowledge, does the Dean have any other actions?¡± Richard followed up. ¡°Other actions?¡± Jimmy looked puzzledly at Richard, ¡°Sharing knowledge is already a tremendous benefit, what else do you want?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Richard was somewhat surprised, ¡°Hasn¡¯t the Academy conducted symposiums or the like? Knowledge may be spread, but a wizard can easily fall into mental traps. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to solve problems with multiple wizards discussing them?¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s words, Jimmy gasped in shock. If they considered Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s actions open-minded, then what Richard proposed was revolutionary. Isn¡¯t that just scrounging knowledge from other wizards? Jimmy said somewhat rigidly, ¡°Your idea¡­ is a bit excessive.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Richard smiled, seemingly realizing the steep road ahead to change the culture. ¡°I guess I was being too radical then.¡± Chapter 366: 81: Establishing the Wizard Tower Chapter 366: Chapter 81: Establishing the Wizard Tower Leaving the library, Jimmy took Richard on a tour around the Academy, helping him familiarize himself with its general layout. Garon Wizard College was divided into four levels spatially. The lowest level housed the accommodation area for Apprentices, as well as the Apprentice Duel Arena. Wizard Apprentices could go to the Duel Arena for a couple of matches to relax during their downtime. The level above was designated for teaching and experimentation, about which there wasn¡¯t much to say. Then came the most important third level. This level was the crux of Garon Wizard College because it housed both the library and the cafeteria. Since nearly all the wizards at Garon Wizard College followed the path of Physique Evolution, this made ¡°eating,¡± an otherwise insignificant activity at ordinary wizard academies, exceptionally important at Garon Wizard College. In the cafeteria of the Jialong Academy, Richard even saw dishes prepared with third-level creatures, priced below cost. Jimmy explained, ¡°The dean has a world specifically used for breeding ingredients, so the prices of these Magic Beasts are much lower than outside.¡± Richard swallowed and thought, using a world as a breeding farm, is this the lavishness of a top Great Wizard? The last was the fourth level, which was the small wizard tower at the summit. That was Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s everyday dwelling, which wasn¡¯t of much use for the academy¡¯s teaching. After completing the tour of the entire academy, and certain there were no other places, Richard finally expressed his confusion, ¡°Master, doesn¡¯t our academy provide daily accommodations for wizards?¡± Jimmy nodded, ¡°Indeed, there is no designated living area for wizards within the academy. However, many wizards stay in the test zone year-round, which functions as a semi-residential area for wizards.¡± Richard nodded pensively. ¡°So that means, aside from staying for long in the test zone, I need to build a wizard tower in the wilderness?¡± ¡°Yes, but the academy offers subsidies for constructing wizard towers. The dean and many veteran wizard merchants are connected, and purchasing materials through the academy¡¯s channels would be much cheaper than the market prices.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Richard said with a smile. ¡°Oh?¡± Jimmy looked at Richard with interest, ¡°Other wizards hearing this news usually choose to live in the lab. Few opt to build wizard towers. But it seems you had planned to build a wizard tower here from the start?¡± Richard explained, ¡°Ah, master, you¡¯re not aware, my partner is the grandapprentice of my former Academy head. It wouldn¡¯t be proper for her to constantly reside at another wizard academy with such a status, would it?¡± ¡°Well, well! You¡¯re quite something,¡± Jimmy said, a bit surprised, ¡°If I remember correctly, Black Tower Great Wizard has only one student and grandapprentice, Susanna. You¡¯re hitching your wagon to a wealthy partner¡­ no wait, you¡¯re quite affluent yourself. However, it¡¯s a pity, no matter how good a wizard partner may be, they can¡¯t compare to the truth!¡± Saying so, Jimmy laughed heartily and patted Richard on the shoulder. ¡°As for the wizard tower, just let me know what you need¡ªwherever you have your eye on or whatever materials you need, I guarantee the lowest prices here. With such connections and leaving Black Tower Wizard Academy, our academy surely can¡¯t let you down.¡± Richard bowed slightly, ¡°Thank you so much, master.¡± ¡­ In the snowfields of the Extreme North, there were vast expanses of wilderness. Human tribes were scattered across this vast land like stars. Richard bent down, brushed aside the fallen snow, and gently pinched a bit of lichen. The tundra was one of the few places in the Extreme North where plants grew. When summer arrived, what now appeared to be a desolate expanse of pallor would transform into a paradise teeming with hundreds of species. ¡°This is the place,¡± Richard turned and said. Behind him, Jimmy and Tosio were discussing the climate and ecology of the area. ¡°Here?¡± Tosio flashed an apologetic smile at Jimmy and then walked up to Richard, surveying the environment. ¡°Tundra, permafrost layer, there¡¯s no problem establishing a wizard tower.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard turned and asked, ¡°What about establishing a human city, or even a human kingdom?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Tosio was surprised, ¡°This isn¡¯t a good place to build a city. There¡¯s nowhere to plant crops here; one can only rely on primitive gathering and hunting. If life necessities had to be transported from outside, this place is also not on the airship trade routes, and transportation costs would become exorbitantly high. The city you want to establish would need to support tens or even hundreds of thousands of mortals. Their needs for clothing, food, shelter, and transportation would all depend on external supplies, even your wealth wouldn¡¯t withstand such depletion.¡± ¡°What if planting could be possible?¡± Richard asked, smiling as he took out a mushroom from his pocket. When he learned that Garon Wizard College was established in the Extreme North, he had this in mind. For this reason, he had recently commissioned the World Mushroom to cultivate a type of mushroom that could grow in cold climates and stored a significant amount of heat within itself. The mushroom in his hand was the fruition of the World Mushroom. ¡°This kind of mushroom can survive in temperatures as low as minus forty degrees and doesn¡¯t require high living conditions¡ªit could be extensively planted even in the tundra.¡± Tosio took the mushroom, examined it in his hand for a moment, then handed it back to Richard. ¡°With this, it¡¯s indeed feasible to consider building a city here. But I¡¯ve never built a city in the tundra before, so some issues might arise in the process, I hope you can understand.¡± Richard waved his hand, ¡°We can start with a small city of a few thousand people, and then expand gradually.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry for this item.¡± Tosio slightly bowed, ¡°Thank you for your consideration. Let¡¯s discuss the construction plans for the Wizard Tower. Do you intend to build a standard Wizard Tower, or are you thinking of constructing it according to the specifications of a small Floating City. I¡¯ve made many improvements to the design of small Floating Cities over the years and have created several versions, which you may want to look at.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard was momentarily stunned, then he realized. He was Tosio¡¯s academic patron. These past years, he had been so busy with his research that he had almost forgotten about funding Tosio. ¡°Money sure speeds things up. In just three hundred years, you¡¯ve managed to optimize several versions,¡± Richard joked. Upon hearing this, Tosio heaved a deep sigh; money indeed accelerated things. With ample funding, his progress in these three hundred years had even exceeded the combined progress of the past seven to eight hundred years. Ten thousand Magic Essence was nothing to Richard. The current Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce had expanded several times its original size. Every day, a large number of Magic Support Vehicles were being produced from the Alchemy Workshop. Yet, even with such a production rate, they could not keep up with the orders from the White Wizard Army. The fame of the Magic Support Vehicles even spread to other Towers of Truth, and black Magic Essence flowed into Richard¡¯s pockets like water. This made Richard less sensitive to the numbers of Magic Essence. Even though Richard¡¯s share had changed from earning three hundred Magic Essence for each vehicle to now only thirty, including income from casting components, ten thousand Magic Essence was just about a year¡¯s income for him. Yet, for an ordinary wizard, it was a fortune that could only be accumulated through several Plane Wars. Richard scanned through the blueprints, which were all different and emphasized different aspects. After a brief overview, he touched his chin and picked one to hand to Tosio. ¡°Let¡¯s go with this one; it¡¯s well-balanced.¡± Tosio took the blueprints, ¡°This design is indeed balanced, but it requires a more powerful Power Furnace. Modifying a Wizard Tower later on can be a very troublesome affair, so you better think it through.¡± Richard carelessly waved his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s settle on this one. If modifying the Wizard Tower is troublesome, I can just build another one.¡± Tosio was stunned by Richard¡¯s extravagance. A small Floating City was not something a regular Wizard Tower, which could be settled with just a few hundred Magic Essence, could compare to; even the cheapest would cost over twenty thousand Magic Essence to build. However, after thinking carefully about Richard¡¯s income, these Magic Essences really weren¡¯t much for him. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll build according to these blueprints.¡± Richard then asked, ¡°How long will it take to build the Wizard Tower?¡± Tosio confidently smiled, ¡°Two years should be enough.¡± Richard slightly nodded; given the construction difficulty, that wasn¡¯t a long time. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave this to you then. I¡¯ll come to see my Wizard Tower in two years, and don¡¯t delay it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master, the Wizard Tower will be delivered early, not late.¡± ¡­ The establishment of the Wizard Tower was wholly managed by Tosio. During this time without the Wizard Tower, Richard, like a common wizard, had to choose a laboratory in the test zone as his temporary residence. Suddenly, a pitch-black door in the laboratory opened. Richard¡¯s soul flew out from the door and landed in the body standing in front of the test bench. He opened his eyes, a flicker of excitement crossing his face. ¡°The Extreme North is a great place; the corresponding location in the Nightmare World doesn¡¯t even have a single Nightmare Lord.¡± Nightmare creatures need humans to survive, and the Extreme North scarcely has any large-scale human cities. Though the Wizard Academy has a large number of Apprentices, firstly, Wizard Apprentices rarely sleep; most of them use meditation to relieve mental fatigue. Secondly, their numbers are insufficient to support the emergence of a Nightmare Lord. A Nightmare Lord requires at least a Mortal Kingdom with tens of millions of humans as its base. No Nightmare Lord means no competition. In these past few centuries, Richard had accumulated enough Power of Nightmare to ascend to a Nightmare Knight. If he wanted, he would be the sole dominator of the Extreme North. Putting aside the matters of the Nightmare World, Richard turned his attention to a blue-black flame sealed within a Crystal Ball on the test bench. It was a new version of the Annihilation Flame created by Ulysses, which also had the special attack ability against flesh creatures like the blue flames. Richard released the seal and placed the flame on a Rune Platform, using Magic Power to keep it burning. Next, he took a Crystal Cover and placed it over it. On the crystal wall of the cover, there was a conspicuously protruding diamond-shaped crystal. He then took a piece of flesh from his pocket, placed it before the diamond-shaped crystal, and activated the Crystal Cover. The next moment, runes faintly appeared on the crystal ball, and within seconds, the diamond-shaped crystal emitted a pale blue light. This was one of Richard¡¯s inventions from the last three hundred years, a Radiation Confinement Rune Array based on Aurora Magic studies. The blue light from the diamond-shaped crystal was the peculiar radiation emitted by the blue-black flames, capable of specially targeting flesh. The light shone on the flesh, causing the cells to collapse rapidly. Richard, however, did not mind and started using Mutated Rules to make the flesh mutate. He was attempting to mutate a type of cell capable of resisting this radiation, thereby verifying Ulysses¡¯s speculation¡ª Whether cells capable of resisting this radiation are actually stronger. Chapter 367: 82 Abyss Hybrid Chapter 367: Chapter 82 Abyss Hybrid Time quickly passed, and before they knew it, the day for the completion of the Wizard Tower had arrived. After confirming with Tosio, Richard immediately packed up his own belongings in the laboratory, preparing to move to his new home. ¡°Hey, Richard, where are you going?¡± Richard hurried out of the laboratory and ran into a wizard who greeted him. This wizard¡¯s body was stout like an iron tower, his robust muscles paired with skin that shimmered with a metallic luster, which reminded Richard of a supporting character¡ªHercules¡ªin a movie he had seen in his previous life. ¡°Long time no see, Stio. My Wizard Tower has been completed, and I plan to move there,¡± Richard replied with a smile. Stio, like Richard, was a Three Rings Wizard. However, unlike Richard, he was a bona fide Three Rings Wizard who had fought his way up on his own. Legend had it that he became a Three Rings Wizard in a near-death battle. Over the past two years, Richard had been living opposite him, and since both were Three Rings Wizards, they were quite familiar with each other. ¡°The Wizard Tower is completed?¡± Stio was taken aback, but then he congratulated him with a smile, ¡°Congratulations. Indeed, as a Three Rings Wizard, you always staying in the test zone isn¡¯t really suitable.¡± ¡°Why not come over for a visit?¡± Richard invited. Stio shook his head regretfully, ¡°Some other day. I can¡¯t leave the laboratory these next few months.¡± Seeing Stio refuse, Richard didn¡¯t insist and directly said, ¡°Alright then, be sure to come over when you have time.¡± ¡°Definitely, definitely.¡± Upon leaving the Academy, a biting chill mixed with snow and ice hit him in the face. Richard did nothing, yet an Airflow Barrier appeared in front of him, blocking the wind and snow. He took out the map, confirmed his direction, and then transformed into a stream of light, flying towards the distance. ¡­ On the tundra, Tosio stood quietly outside the Wizard Tower with the construction team of wizards, waiting for Richard to arrive. As a stream of light fell, Tosio immediately went to meet him. ¡°President.¡± The light faded to reveal Richard¡¯s figure. Richard greeted Tosio, then immediately fixed his gaze on the black tower before him. This Wizard Tower was not very tall, with only six floors including the small room at the top. However, Richard, who had seen its design, knew that these six floors were just the surface. The real spacious areas of the Wizard Tower were underground. Besides this main tower, Tosio had also built three shorter auxiliary towers. These auxiliary towers, as per Richard¡¯s directive, had no alchemy equipment installed yet, so they were currently empty shells. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But if he followed the design, these three auxiliary towers would be equipped with a large amount of Alchemy Weapons and Shield Generators. For Richard now, that was too na?ve. ¡°Not bad, Tosio, you¡¯ve built it well,¡± Richard turned around and praised. But immediately after, he shifted his gaze to the outskirts of the Wizard Tower. ¡°But what¡¯s with these houses? This doesn¡¯t look like the scale of a little city that can accommodate twenty or thirty thousand people.¡± According to Tosio¡¯s plan, there should have been a small city capable of housing twenty or thirty thousand people around the Wizard Tower, as a pilot for establishing a Mortal Kingdom in the future. However, from what Richard observed, this city could house at least one hundred thousand people. That was more than double what they had initially agreed upon. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tosio chuckled awkwardly, ¡°Do you remember when I told you that I had ordered too much material? You told me to handle it myself, and I thought since you, the president, plan to expand this city, why not build more houses.¡± Richard stroked his chin. Tosio indeed had mentioned this to him. But at that time, he was busy with experiments and hadn¡¯t paid much attention to over a hundred Magic Essences worth of material. ¡°Alright, what you¡¯ve done is good,¡± Richard finalized, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± The group entered the Wizard Tower, where the first floor remained as the reception hall. Reliefs, tapestries, paintings¡­ the reception hall looked less like a wizard¡¯s and more like a room belonging to a Mortal Noble. However, this was purely because Richard, when it came to decoration, had left it all up to Tosio to decide. There was nothing remarkable about the above-ground part; most of the Wizard Tower had the same design. Richard briefly inspected the other floors via the stairs and then arrived at the entrance to the basement. The underground section was the highlight. In novels about mad wizards, which use such wizards as models, the high tower of the mad wizard always housed a dungeon containing many terrifying creatures. In reality, very few wizards built dungeons; describing their constructions as basements was more appropriate. The underground space in Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower was particularly extensive, nearly as large as a standard soccer field. At the central part of the basement was a structure resembling a column, which was intended for the placement of the Power Furnace. It was currently acting as a storage room. Aside from the equipment level, there were three usable floors. Richard took a tour in the underground, nodding his head in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad, you¡¯ve been thoughtful. Leave the Power Furnace issue to me.¡± Tosio bowed slightly, ¡°Yes, President.¡± After the completion of the Wizard Tower, Tosio left with the construction crew, leaving the Extreme North, not worried at all about any problems with his construction. This confidence stemmed from his trust in the quality of his work and a significant reason being that Richard was an Alchemy Wizard. Indeed, aside from the planning, building the Wizard Tower and even the entire city was not a problem for Richard. However, Richard¡¯s construction would be very slow, and he might need to redo it. After moving into the Wizard Tower, Richard opened the Secret Realm, allowing the Fire Lizard to move his experimental equipment out of the Secret Realm. Shortly after reopening the Secret Realm, Richard brought the Fire Lizard back from the Red Sun World. After arranging the laboratory, Richard looked at the brand new lab and couldn¡¯t help but smile. He took out a Communication Crystal Ball from his pocket and sent the news of the Wizard Tower¡¯s completion to Ali. Soon, Ali replied to him. ¡°I¡¯m coming over now, prepare your lab, there seems to be something wrong with my body.¡± Seeing Ali¡¯s message, Richard frowned slightly. ¡°Problem?¡± ¡­ A month later, Ali arrived at the Wizard Tower. In the laboratory, Richard looked at Ali, who was burning up, and rubbed his temples with a headache. ¡°What exactly did you do?¡± Ali¡¯s condition was strange; her body temperature exceeded forty degrees, and her body cells were hyperactive. Veins faintly emerged under her skin. ¡°How would I know,¡± Ali said a bit wronged, ¡°I¡¯ve been studying the same things for the past two years, nothing has really changed. God knows how it turned out this way.¡± Richard inserted several probes into Ali¡¯s body. Soon, Ali¡¯s body information was transmitted to the Crystal Ball. The more Richard read, the stranger his expression became. Ali, noticing Richard¡¯s expression, asked nervously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my body?¡± Richard said with a weird expression, ¡°Ali, your physical condition¡­ resembles being in heat.¡± ¡°In heat!!!¡± Ali couldn¡¯t believe it, and immediately, a flush of red clouded her cheeks. She shouted indignantly, ¡°Look again, I¡¯ve never had this issue before!¡± Richard checked several more times, sure about his conclusion. The estrogen levels inside Ali indeed reached a peak, similar to an animal in heat. ¡°The conclusion is correct,¡± Richard said with a strange expression, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it yourself?¡± Ali glared at Richard and said through gritted teeth, ¡°What reaction do you expect me to have!¡± For wizards, physical desires had minimal impact on them. Some Soul Wizards could even abstract their thoughts, viewing these sensations from a third-party perspective. Under such circumstances, even pain could be considered a form of pleasure, a novel experience. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry,¡± Richard laughed, ¡°This must be caused by the Bloodline you merged with. It didn¡¯t appear before possibly due to insufficient strength or certain conditions not allowing it. Since it doesn¡¯t affect your reasoning, just let it be, and after some time¡­¡± Suddenly, a Space Rift opened beside Richard, and Ulysses flew out of it. ¡°Richard, those Fire Lizards want to¡­ Abyss scum!¡± Ulysses screamed at the sight of Ali, erupting with a formidable pressure. Under this pressure, even Richard trembled, not to mention Ali, who was the main target. ¡°Ulysses!¡± Richard¡¯s deep voice brought Ulysses out of his reactive state. Ulysses quickly withdrew the pressure and apologized to Ali, ¡°Sorry, sorry, I got a bit reactive.¡± Then he flew to Richard¡¯s shoulder, communicating through Spiritual Messages: ¡°What did this woman do? Why do I sense the Abyss scum on her, has the Abyss reached here?¡± As a World Master of the Gods Civilization, he had a very acute sense of the Abyss. ¡°Just wait, let me collect a sample.¡± Richard approached Ali, whose high fever had subsided, leaving her in a state resembling suspended animation. He tapped her cheek to wake her from the state. Upon opening her eyes, Ali clutched her chest, gasping for air, ¡°Richard, your pet is terrifying! Is this what third-level creatures are?¡± Richard didn¡¯t explain, merely took out a syringe and extracted a vial of blood from Ali¡¯s body. However, upon contact with the blood, Ulysses became confused. ¡°This¡­ This doesn¡¯t smell like those Abyss scum.¡± ¡°That¡¯s proper,¡± Richard said indifferently, ¡°The Bloodline Ali merged with is from a Giant Dragon and another unknown creature from the Otherworld. And that Otherworld creature, it seems, is what you call an Abyss Demon.¡± ¡°This is indeed something those Abyss scum would do,¡± Ulysses pondered, ¡°Those scum, besides fighting and eating, spend the rest of their time mating. Their tastes are quite varied; I¡¯ve even seen an Abyss Mixed Blood Stone Giant. Given how a Giant Dragon looks, it might be considered beautiful by their standards.¡± As biological weapons left by Pioneers, the aesthetic of a Giant Dragon could be appreciated by any creature following Physique Evolution. ¡°Giant Dragon¡­¡± Richard suddenly fell into thought, then approached Ali again and scanned her body with spiritual power. Soon afterward, his face revealed a strange expression. ¡°So that¡¯s it, Ali, you¡¯re not in heat, you¡¯re entering the Giant Dragon¡¯s pseudopregnancy period.¡± Chapter 368: 83 Mortal City, Nightmare Territory Chapter 368: Chapter 83 Mortal City, Nightmare Territory ¡°False pregnancy?¡± Ali looked at Richard, perplexed, ¡°What is that all about?¡± Richard explained, ¡°A false pregnancy period is a unique physiological phenomenon of female giant dragons. When a female giant dragon¡¯s strength reaches a certain level, and it has collected enough high-level creature life information, it will experience a false pregnancy. This pregnancy does not result in the birth of offspring; instead, it integrates the life information into your reproductive cells. When you need to bear offspring in the future, this life information can be integrated into the cells, making the offspring stronger.¡± ¡°But we haven¡¯t been together for the past two years,¡± Ali¡¯s face still looked confused. Richard stroked his chin, pondering, ¡°Well¡­ try checking your physique with a crystal ball.¡± When Ali did so, the crystal ball clearly showed that her physique had reached 140 points. After she had been promoted to a Second Ring Wizard, due to her bloodline, her physique had automatically increased. This also prompted her to consider enhancing her physique. Fortunately, Richard¡¯s gravity training room, which he had established, was no longer of use due to his rapidly increased strength. So, she borrowed Richard¡¯s gravity laboratory for her training. Over the years, it had proved to be quite effective. ¡°That¡¯s not surprising then,¡± Richard replied, ¡°When I left, I remember you were at 139.9. It¡¯s likely that your physique just reached the standard over these two years, hence triggering the false pregnancy.¡± As a third-level creature, he was already in the first echelon below the World Master, naturally qualifying as a high-level creature. And the two of them hadn¡¯t been short of intimacy over the years, so Ali had long stored enough of Richard¡¯s life information. Thus, as soon as Ali¡¯s physique met the requirement, the false pregnancy automatically occurred. A trace of shyness suddenly flashed across Ali¡¯s face: ¡°So¡­ can I have your child now?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°You could say that, but I wouldn¡¯t advise you to bear offspring casually.¡± ¡°Ah, why?¡± ¡°Because bearing offspring weakens the mother¡¯s strength,¡± Richard said calmly, ¡°Giant dragons are not like humans; when a giant dragon bears offspring, it lowers the dragon¡¯s physique and leads to a prolonged period of weakness. The stronger the offspring, the greater the drop in physique, and the longer the period of weakness. It really isn¡¯t worth it.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± A look of disappointment appeared on Ali¡¯s face; although she was very interested in bearing Richard¡¯s offspring, it wouldn¡¯t be worth it if she had to weaken her own strength impulsively. ¡°Alright, problem solved. The false pregnancy period will probably last about half a year, and after that, you¡¯ll be fine. Once your strength reaches the Three Rings, you can control the false pregnancy yourself. In the meantime, just avoid absorbing high-level creature life information.¡± Bang! Ali suddenly jumped up from the bed and slammed down hard on Richard¡¯s head. ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Ali said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re my only partner!¡± Richard rubbed his head, responding helplessly, ¡°My goodness, can you let me finish. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. You don¡¯t think that the only way to collect life information is through mating, do you? The high-level creature flesh and blood you¡¯ve encountered, infused into your body, all that is stored as life information. I¡¯m telling you to avoid contact with high-level creature flesh and blood for a while.¡± Richard¡¯s words made Ali¡¯s face turn bright red. ¡°Um¡­ sorry about that,¡± Ali said softly. Richard waved his hand, ¡°Forget it. Your laboratory is downstairs, I¡¯ll take you there now.¡± ¡­ After the Wizard Tower was established, Richard made the establishment of a Mortal City his next priority. This was crucial for his establishment of the Nightmare Territory. Getting people to populate the city was easy, just by informing a few tribes wandering the wilderness. Tosio¡¯s constructed city, capable of accommodating a hundred thousand people, would soon be filled. But being populated was one thing; Richard needed these people to settle here permanently. And he also planned to use this city as the seed to establish a Mortal Kingdom on this mossy tundra. This would require certain management abilities and coordination skills. However, these were all skills that could be learned, and Richard, with his financial capacity, could easily resolve any initial lack of experience. Whatever was lacking could simply be bought from the Wizard Commerce. Driven by this mindset, Richard quickly began his actions. Soon, the first tribe arrived in the city. ¡°Welcome to my city.¡± Richard smiled at the somewhat frail-looking tundra people before him. In front of him, a small tribe of only a few hundred people stood, with their families, outside the city. These tundra people looked somewhat dazed as they beheld the city. The houses, built using enchantment techniques, were sights they had never seen in their entire lives. ¡°This is a miracle; we chose rightly,¡± an old tundra person murmured. A strong, middle-aged man dressed in animal skins approached Richard. He kneeled before Richard and shouted loudly: ¡°Great Wizard, my tribe wishes to be your subjects, to live in this city for thousands of years.¡± Then, a black crow flew out from the tribe, respectfully speaking to Richard: ¡°Great Creator God, I have fulfilled the mission you gave me.¡± Yes, this black crow was actually a Holy Tree Elf. ¡°Very well, I will bestow upon you glory.¡± Having said that, Richard gently stroked the black crow¡¯s head. The Holy Tree Elf excitedly exclaimed, ¡°Great Creator God, I am willing to offer my life for you.¡± Richard smiled and opened the Secret Realm Rift, sending this overly zealous Holy Tree Elf back to the Secret Realm. Then he turned to the middle-aged man. ¡°There is no need for that; I do not require worship.¡± With that, Richard helped him up from the ground. ¡°Come, compile a list of your tribe¡¯s members and hand it to me later. I will distribute rations according to the number of people in your tribe. By the way, does anyone among you know how to read?¡± An old man stepped forward from the crowd: ¡°Great Wizard, I know the Wizard Language.¡± ¡°Having someone literate is good enough.¡± Richard nodded, then took a planting guide out of his pocket. ¡°This book contains the methods of planting various crops. Take a look at it later and ask me if there is anything you do not understand. I will answer your questions. This book pertains to whether you will have food to eat next year; you must take it seriously.¡± ¡°Your kindness, great Wizard.¡± The old man walked up to Richard and took the planting guide with both hands. He was about to kneel in gratitude but was stopped by Richard. He helplessly said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I do not need worship.¡± ¡­ The first tribe soon settled in the city. This tribe was called Lalaike, which meant ¡®brave ones¡¯ in the language of the snow plains people. Indeed, they lived up to the name, being the first to ¡®eat the crab.¡¯ Food and rations were quickly distributed, and these snow plains people who moved to their new homes showed no resistance at all. After receiving their rations, they gathered in a small plaza, singing and dancing. No tribe enjoys wandering the wastelands; if they could have a warm house and enough rations, only a fool would choose to hunt Magic Beasts in the icy snow. On the third day after the arrival of the Lakla Tribe, a second tribe arrived at the city. Richard personally welcomed them and arranged their accommodations. Soon after, a third and a fourth tribe also arrived in the city. Richard slightly underestimated what a Wizard meant to these snow plains people; in their eyes, a Wizard was a divine being walking among mortals. They had to comply with the divine will. The continual arrival of snow plains people soon made the entire city lively. Meanwhile, in the Nightmare World, a new Nightmare Territory was slowly arising. ¡°Listen, you bunch of trash, do you really need to scare people like this!¡± In the plaza, a Nightmare Spirit, with the strength of a Lesser Nightmare, stood on the platform, teaching the many Nightmare Spirits below how to scare people. Above the plaza, Richard and Bones quietly observed this scene. ¡°Not bad,¡± Richard nodded in satisfaction, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize, Bones, that you also had the talent to manage a territory.¡± Bones shyly lowered his head and said, ¡°Boss, I learned all this from you. You taught how to collect Power of Nightmare, how to avoid fights among Nightmare Spirits, and how to promote those who collect the Power of Nightmare quickly as team leaders. These are all things you did back in the village; I just copied them.¡± Richard was taken aback for a moment; indeed, he had managed a territory in the Nightmare World for a few months when he first entered. ¡°It takes skill to emulate as well.¡± Richard nonchalantly spoke, patting Bones on the shoulder, ¡°Keep it up, this city is just the beginning. Soon, there will be many more cities like this across the snow plains. By then, you¡¯ll be my Nightmare Knight.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Bones responded loudly, but then his voice became softer, somewhat embarrassingly telling Richard, ¡°But I still want to stay by your side, Boss. I don¡¯t want to be a Nightmare Knight.¡± Richard glared at him, ¡°What good is staying by my side, you must become a Nightmare Knight, there¡¯s no discussion.¡± The scroll given to him by Sefer in the past recorded the secrets of becoming a Nightmare Lord. To become a Nightmare Lord, a Nightmare creature must accumulate fifty million Power of Nightmare, possess a territory, and at least three named Nightmare creatures. Moreover, these three Nightmare creatures must become Nightmare Knights. So Richard could not afford to let Bones stay by his side; he had to become a Knight. ¡­ A city created to accommodate one hundred thousand people was filled up within just three months, with a continuous stream of tribes arriving at Richard¡¯s city. This forced Richard to urgently contact Tosio to build more houses to accommodate these new tribes. During this process, Richard also faced many challenges. For example, the areas for planting food were somewhat insufficient, the sewage system was not as effective as imagined, water sources were contaminated, and age-old vendettas existed between tribes¡­ These issues kept Richard extremely busy, and it took him a full year to clean up these problems, at least on the surface. Although he could rely on the authority of a Wizard, as well as laws, to control these snow plains people, he could not watch over them all the time. The blood feuds between tribes and the bad habits formed during their wanderings in the snow plains could only be resolved with time. However, Richard was not short of time. Chapter 369: 84 Body Strengthening Chapter 369: Chapter 84 Body Strengthening The development of the city required time, and after stabilizing the city, research naturally became Richard¡¯s daily routine. Richard had flipped through the ¡°Evolution Road¡± given to him by Jimmy so many times that he had lost count. But each time, he could discover something that he had previously overlooked. This ¡°Evolution Road¡± contained almost all of Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s understanding of Physique Evolution over several epochs. Conclusions that would normally have taken untold ages and resources to derive were often summarized in just a few sentences within ¡°Evolution Road.¡± Garon the Great Wizard had almost single-handedly forged an almost complete Evolution Road. Richard was almost certain that if Garon Great Wizard had achieved Truth, the Five Major Schools would have immediately become the Six Major Schools. Unfortunately, there is a set path to becoming a Great Wizard in the Wizard World. But to achieve the status of Truth Wizard, there really are only a few who know how. At the end of the Wizard Great War, the leaders of the Five Major Schools achieved Truth almost simultaneously. What secrets lie within remain unknown to this day. With the help of ¡°Evolution Road,¡± Richard quickly determined his research direction¡ªEnhanced Cells. The Mutated Rules allowed Richard to rapidly mutate a variety of cells. As long as he used targeted screening methods, he could always select the cells he desired. ¡­ On the experiment table, a faint blue light shot out from the crystal, exactly covering an indescribable chunk of flesh. Behind that faint blue light was a hemispherical crystal cover. Inside the crystal cover, a dark blue flame burned fiercely. Richard stood by the experimental table, quietly observing the chunk of flesh covered in blue light. Under the blue light¡¯s irradiation, this chunk of flesh, seemingly cut from some ancient ruler, began to disintegrate, eventually dissolving into a pool of thick liquid. ¡°Sigh!¡± Richard walked forward, turned off the blue light, and then conjured a fireball, burning the dense liquid on the experimental table to ashes. ¡°Another failure?¡± A voice came from behind Richard. He sighed heavily and said: ¡°Yes, another failure.¡± He turned around and saw Ali lazily holding a Magic Book and leaning against another experimental table, watching him. ¡°For over thirty years, since I came, you have been failing continuously. All these years and not a sliver of success,¡± Ali said as she shook her head, walking towards Richard. When she reached Richard¡¯s side, she suddenly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you put this experiment on hold for now, and switch to studying something else? I fused with that Bloodline, aren¡¯t you quite interested in it?¡± Richard, leaning against the experiment table, had a flash of confusion in his eyes. Over thirty years of failure made Richard wonder if there was something wrong with his experiment. He had conducted at least over a hundred thousand experiments over the years, but without exception, they all failed, without a single sign of progress. The cells under the blue light only disintegrated faster; there was no slowing down. If even one cell capable of slowing the disintegration had appeared among these cells, Richard would not be so baffled. A hundred thousand experiments¡ª even the greediest gambler would expect a payout after such numbers. Unless there was nothing to win in the first place. Richard shook his head, clearing the chaotic thoughts from his mind. ¡°You¡¯re right, I do need to rethink this.¡± Richard left the laboratory, standing on the balcony of the Wizard Tower, letting the cold wind buffet him. He pondered over the experiments of these years and the ¡°Evolution Road.¡± ¡°Evolution Road¡± was the crystallization of Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s knowledge of Physique Evolution. For someone like him, who had just transitioned into the field of Physique Evolution, almost all answers to his questions could be found in this book. But after much thought, ¡°Evolution Road¡± did not provide Richard with any new insights. Richard was becoming agitated, a normal state for any wizard whose experiments hit snags, especially when the wizard believed they were on the right track. The bitter cold wind did not serve to calm Richard down. On the balcony, the more he thought, the more irritated he became. He didn¡¯t understand what he was missing. Suddenly, Richard flew out of the Wizard Tower, turning into a streak of light and flying off into the distance. He didn¡¯t know where he was heading, but he knew that he needed to calm down. And this flight lasted for two months. Two months later, Richard, staring at the towering Ice Wall in front of him, stopped¡ªhe had reached the end of the world. But this was not enough to satisfy Richard. Looking at the Ice Wall, he suddenly wanted to see what lay beyond its end. So, waving his Magic Wand, a series of powerful Fireballs pummeled the Ice Wall like machine gun fire. But this Ice Wall was not a simple Ice Wall; it was actually an external manifestation of the Wizard World¡¯s rules, representing the edge of the Wizard World. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So no matter how far Richard progressed into the Ice Wall, what awaited him was an endlessly unreachable barrier. Finally, his Magic Power depleted, Richard collapsed weakly to the ground. Richard made no attempt to restore his Magic Power, and looked with lifeless eyes at the ice, his mind a blank slate. But without his restoration, his parched body would not allow him such freedom. Richard¡¯s body cells began to involuntarily absorb Energy from the surroundings to maintain bodily functions. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through Richard¡¯s mind. He suddenly stood up, looking at his own arms with some surprise. ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot!¡± He had finally discovered the problem. All these years he had been using mutated rules to mutate cells, and then using blue light to screen them. The essence of what he was doing was to find enhanced cells more quickly. Because for the past few centuries, inside the World Mushroom, he had been conducting blue light irradiation experiments, but those experiments also yielded no results. However, the complexity of the Life Core was far beyond his imagination, and his hundred thousand experiments had only shown a tiny fraction of what the Life Core was capable of. So the idea of directly using mutated rules to mutate cells was also wrong. He should not use mutated rules to directly mutate cells, but should use mutated rules to help cells mutate. In the face of crisis, life will find its own way out! And all he needed to do was to help the cells find their way more quickly. Richard took out two pieces of Magic Essence and quickly rebuilt the Magic Rebound. After the rebuild, he immediately returned to the Wizard Tower and plunged into the laboratory. A shift in thought is crucial for an experiment, as wizards often believe they are on the right path. If they cannot realize that they are on the wrong path, success will always be out of reach. After changing his thinking, Richard redesigned the experiment. He no longer used mutant rules to directly mutate cells, but instead shook the Life Core with the mutant rules to make it more likely to mutate. Then came the energy supply problem. Richard transformed the experimental platform to allow magic power to penetrate into the flesh more efficiently, providing the energy needed for evolution. These modifications were simple, but the effects they brought were completely different. Under the blue light, the cells continued to disintegrate. But Richard could see that these cells were constantly searching for a way to counteract the blue light. ¡°No, this still isn¡¯t fast enough!¡± Richard watched the cells collapse under the blue light and a flash of insight crossed his mind. The cells he used for experiments were all First Level lifeform cells. According to the records of the Evolution Road, the higher the level of life, the more stable the Life Core of the cells. And this was not a good thing for inducing cell mutation. So, Richard had been using cells of First Level lifeforms for experiments all these years. But he had just realized that the records of the Evolution Road were meant for ordinary wizards. He possessed the Mutated Rules and could completely ignore this. Moreover, the cells of higher-level lifeforms could resist the external environment longer, and combined with the Mutated Rules, the cells of higher-level lifeforms were actually more likely to evolve in Richard¡¯s hands. Understanding this, Richard immediately cut a large chunk of flesh from his own body and restarted the experiment. Time flew, and a week passed in the blink of an eye. ¡°Experiment number three hundred and seventy-two, material quality: two thousand five hundred grams, irradiation intensity First Level, energy supply Third Level, no pharmaceutical assistance.¡± In front of the experimental platform, Richard was recording his work calmly and fervently, quietly watching the piece of flesh under the blue light on the platform. The cells continued to disintegrate, but Richard remained composed. He was certain that he was on the right path. Suddenly, one cell caught his attention. As a Three Rings Wizard, Richard¡¯s spiritual power was not inferior to some optical microscopes. He could clearly ¡°see¡± every cell on the surface of the flesh. He quickly stopped the irradiation and carefully used magic power to cut off this cell, along with the surrounding flesh, from the main body. Just now, this cell had resisted the blue light irradiation. Richard fused this piece of flesh into his body with an irrepressible ecstasy on his face. He had finally found it! Three years later, this cell had multiplied to a sufficient quantity in Richard¡¯s body. And Richard had confirmed Ulysses¡¯ initial speculation that cells able to withstand blue light were indeed more robust. Then he began to turn these cells into stem cells and gradually replaced his body¡¯s old cells with them. Another ten years passed, and Richard completed the cell renewal. [Spiritual Power: 217.5, Physique: 213, Magic Power: 87000, Rating: Three Rings Wizard] Looking at the data, Richard drew a breath of cold air and couldn¡¯t help but feel ecstatic. He had been focused on research for hundreds of years, so his Physique had only increased by three points due to the action of the Physique Enhancement Gland. And this cell renewal alone had increased his Physique by a full ten points. And the time he had spent, including the early failures, was just over fifty years! And more importantly, he had found the correct path! This type of body enhancement wasn¡¯t just a one-time occurrence! ¡°From now on, I don¡¯t have to worry about my Physique,¡± Richard murmured to himself as he looked at the Crystal Ball, ¡°Now it¡¯s time to improve my combat skills.¡± Speaking of combat skills, his mind suddenly flashed back to the Mountain Secret Realm he had entered before. If he remembered correctly, he could exchange Contribution Values for the opportunity to enter the Secret Realm. ¡°It looks like I need to check out the mission board.¡± Chapter 370: 85 War News Chapter 370: Chapter 85 War News Garon Wizard Academy wasn¡¯t too far from Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower; Richard flew casually and arrived within half a day. Arriving at the Academy, Richard headed straight for the mission board. The mission board was right next to the Great Library, just a simple large bulletin board. Tasks posted by the Academy and wizards were either pinned or taped onto it. Wizards¡¯ tasks were pinned up; whoever took on the task would tear it down. Academy tasks were taped up and could be undertaken by multiple wizards at once. Standing before the mission board, Richard began to select tasks suitable for himself. ¡°Seeking Purple Heart Griffin hearts, thirty Contribution Value¡­ Cultivating mutant cells, requires cell framework to be Pure Gold-ified, one hundred Contribution Value¡­ Liver cultivation, the liver¡¯s Level must be at least Third Level, must not exceed the size of a normal human liver, needs to neutralize most Neurotoxins¡­¡± Looking at the tasks on the mission board, Richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how much overlap there was between Physique Evolution and the Flesh Faction of the Alchemy School. Over two-thirds of the tasks on the board belonged to the Flesh Faction. If Garon the Great Wizard truly achieved the Truth one day, he imagined many Alchemy School wizards would be attracted to join. After reviewing the mission board, Richard selected two tasks¡ªone task was to cultivate an arm, which required the arm to look human and have a normal state output of no less than one thousand Energy Levels, an explosive output of no less than three thousand Energy Levels, and an extreme output of no less than five thousand Energy Levels. This task offered eighty Contribution Value and had a time limit of one hundred years, with no compensation for failure. Among the many tasks, it was considered above average. The other task was to cultivate an exotic organism. This was an Academy task which required the cultivation of a type of algae capable of growing in magma. This task offered fifty Contribution Value, had no time limit, and no compensation for failure. However, once a wizard successfully cultivated an algae meeting the requirements, the task would be considered complete, and other wizards would miss out on the reward. Leaving the mission board, Richard casually checked out the Contribution Store. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Contribution Store was situated close to the mission board, looking quite ordinary from the outside. Upon entering, Richard saw stone platforms resembling those in Black Tower Great Wizard¡¯s warehouse, all pitch black. These platforms also had levitating fields, within which various curious items were silently suspended in the air. ¡°Master, what would you like to exchange for?¡± A sweet voice came from Richard¡¯s left. He turned his head and saw a robust woman, who resembled a brusque Nezha, standing behind a counter with a smile directed at him. ¡°Can you exchange for access to a Secret Realm here?¡± The woman nodded, ¡°Of course, which Secret Realm would you like to visit?¡± As she spoke, the woman pulled out a Crystal Ball. Richard moved forward to receive the information from the Crystal Ball and saw that access to the Mountain Secret Realm he wished to visit only required twenty Contribution Value for ten years¡¯ time. ¡°Is it really this cheap?¡± Richard eyed the price, feeling somewhat incredulous. Immediately afterward, his eyes caught even more dazzling items. ¡°Sealing Skill for Garon Physique, price 100 Contribution Value¡± This Sealing Skill for Garon Physique was the Sealing Skill Richard had heard about upon arriving at the Academy. He hadn¡¯t expected such precious knowledge to require only a hundred Contribution Value! And behind this Sealing Skill, Richard spotted many pieces of invaluable knowledge. Unity of Heaven and Man, Magic Rune Battle Body, Big Collapse Mountain Fist Technique¡­ all these precious pieces of knowledge were exchangeable for Contribution Value. ¡°The Dean is really too generous,¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Although he also understood that for Garon the Great Wizard, these pieces of knowledge served no further purpose and would only collect dust in his possession. Yet in a society where the vast majority of wizards preferred to let knowledge gather dust rather than share it with others, the actions of Garon the Great Wizard were worthy of the admiration of any lesser wizard. Having seen the prices, Richard left the exchange store, ready to return to his Wizard Tower and complete the two tasks at hand. But the scent in the air made Richard pause his steps. ¡°What a delicious aroma!¡± Richard looked towards the canteen opposite the Great Library with a bit of surprise. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the scent was that of Third Level Moving Mountain Barbarian Bull stewed with various demonized plants, a beef soup aroma. He had only tasted this soup once at the Academy before his Wizard Tower was built. But just once was enough to make him never forget that savory taste. Richard muttered to himself, ¡°Well, there¡¯s no rush to complete the tasks, I¡¯ll go in and have a bowl of soup first.¡± With that, Richard strode towards the canteen. Inside the canteen, the noise was deafening as a thousand wizards gathered, holding bowls as big as washbasins, waiting for the canteen to open for food service. Although the Academy offered a meal delivery service, these wizards were gourmets, and when time wasn¡¯t tight, they preferred to take a little time to enjoy a freshly made delicious meal. Richard had quite the struggle to squeeze through these wizards to reach the beef soup counter. Also at the counter was Stio, the same person who had brought him to taste the soup originally. ¡°Richard, long time no see,¡± greeted Stio warmly, ¡°It looks like your Wizard Tower is doing well. You haven¡¯t been back to the Academy in years.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Stio,¡± Richard replied with a smile, ¡°You can judge for yourself whether my Wizard Tower is fine. But I¡¯ve been waiting for your message all these years, to no avail.¡± Hearing this, Stio scratched his head, showing an embarrassed smile. ¡°Ha ha, I forgot about that. Give me a few days, I¡¯ll definitely come visit.¡± The beef soup was finally ready. A cauldron so large it could almost be called a pool was carried out by a four-armed giant Wizard. He bellowed at the Wizards, ¡°Moving Mountain Barbarian Bull Soup, limited to one bowl per person!¡± With that, a large wooden ladle appeared in his hand and he struck the cauldron fiercely. ¡°Now, time to eat!¡± No sooner had his voice faded than the ladle dropped into the pot, and in his other three arms, another wooden ladle appeared. All four of his arms began to operate simultaneously, moving so swiftly they seemed like phantoms. The Wizards standing in front of the counter hadn¡¯t even grasped his movements when their large bowls were already filled with a fragrant meat soup. ¡°Master Chef¡¯s skills have improved again,¡± Richard remarked, looking at the giant. This giant, whom Richard called Master Chef, was the head chef of the Garon Wizard Academy cafeteria. Most of the higher-level creations from magical beasts that appeared in the cafeteria on normal days came from his hands. This Master Chef¡¯s strength was at the very peak of a Three Rings Wizard. Even within the Garon Academy, a place teeming with strong individuals, his strength was among the top tier of Wizards. But what was legendary was that Master Chef was not a cook before reaching Three Rings. It was only after he became a Three Rings Wizard that he took up cooking, and since then, he had never again participated in a Plane War. Yet his strength had been growing slowly all along. Legend had it that Master Chef had once made a deal with ethereal creatures from another dimension and obtained an artifact that allowed him to grow stronger just by consuming delicacies. Holding their bowls of soup, Richard and Stio quickly began slurping it down. The best time to enjoy Moving Mountain Barbarian Bull Soup was right after it was served. A few minutes later, both had finished their beef soup down to the last drop. ¡°Delicious! Truly delicious!¡± Richard praised repeatedly after finishing. Since he left the Academy, he hadn¡¯t tasted anything as delicious. ¡°Let¡¯s get some more different dishes,¡± suggested Stio, who was next to him. ¡°Looking at you, you haven¡¯t been eating well these years. Now that you¡¯re back at the Academy, you should eat more before you leave.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Of course.¡± After that, the two began to pick out more delicious foods they fancied in the vast dining hall. Before long, the two were carrying a small mountain of food to a private room. ¡°Stio, anything new in the Academy these years?¡± Richard casually asked as he ate. ¡°New? What aspect are you referring to?¡± Stio replied, somewhat perplexedly, as he held a giant lamb shank. ¡°Any aspect is fine.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Stio mused for a moment before casually responding, ¡°I heard from Silvia that the headmaster¡¯s spy seems to have discovered a small world that may contain the legacy of the Lost Ones. If all goes well, our Academy should be mounting a Plane expedition in a couple of hundred years.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard said, surprised, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the headmaster need to get the world coordinates from the Truth Council?¡± ¡°Truth Council?¡± Stio chuckled, ¡°The Truth Council has long since stopped providing the headmaster with coordinates, and the headmaster actually applied for that himself.¡± ¡°Huh? Applied himself?¡± Richard exclaimed, astonished, ¡°Why would the headmaster apply for something with no benefits?¡± Stio shook his head: ¡°Who knows? The rumor is that in order to restrain the headmaster¡¯s power, the Truth Council had secretly decided not to provide him with world coordinates. And the headmaster, getting wind of this early and feeling quite indignant, simply applied not to receive the coordinates.¡± ¡°What does the headmaster himself say?¡± ¡°The headmaster himself claims that he doesn¡¯t want to compete with the younger generation for resources. He says he¡¯s capable of exploring world coordinates on his own, so there¡¯s no need to fight for the Truth Council¡¯s resources.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°I think the latter sounds more plausible. The former is just too petty.¡± Stio wholeheartedly agreed and nodded as he crunched and swallowed the bone of the lamb shank he had finished off. ¡°That¡¯s what I think too.¡± ¡°But how does the headmaster manage to explore world coordinates on his own?¡± Richard asked curiously. ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡± Stio swallowed the last piece of the lamb shank, contentedly patted his stomach, and continued, ¡°If you want to explore world coordinates, the most straightforward way is to search directly. This method only requires you to find a fast enough piece of Magic Equipment, prepare enough Magic Essence, and fly in a straight line along a trajectory. As long as you fly far enough, you¡¯re bound to find a world.¡± Richard¡¯s mouth twitched, ¡°That method is too dependent on luck; if you¡¯re unlucky, you might never find one, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why there are other methods.¡± Stio wiped his mouth and skewered a piece of steak with his fork, putting it into his mouth. ¡°Methods such as Star Realm contracts, summoning creatures from another world, divination¡­ these are all great ways to obtain world coordinates.¡± Speaking of which, Stio suddenly turned to Richard with a teasing tone, ¡°What, you just became a Three Rings Wizard and you¡¯re already thinking about becoming a Great Wizard?¡± Richard cursed with a laugh, ¡°Get lost, I¡¯m just curious.¡± But although he said that, deep inside Richard, there was a flicker of thrill. Chapter 371: 86: Return to the Mountain Secret Realm Chapter 371: Chapter 86: Return to the Mountain Secret Realm After dinner, Richard bade farewell to Stio and returned to the Wizard Tower. Back in the Wizard Tower, Richard didn¡¯t dawdle and immediately began making the items for the tasks. The two tasks he had taken were carefully considered. The first task required the making of an arm, and although the conditions were somewhat harsh, they perfectly matched Richard¡¯s experiments. Richard had to continuously create enhanced cells, and in this process, he could use these strengthened cells to make the arm. As for the second task, the algae cultivation, Richard planned to entrust it to the World Mushroom. The World Mushroom had its unique methods for cultivating living beings. This kind of algae that grew in special environments was definitely something it could handle. ¡­ In the Secret Realm, after the World Mushroom listened to Richard¡¯s explanation, it agreed cheerfully. ¡°No problem, Master. This form of life can be cultivated quite easily.¡± ¡°Oh? That impressive?¡± Richard looked at the World Mushroom with some surprise. ¡°This time it¡¯s not a fungus, though.¡± ¡°No problem, Master,¡± the World Mushroom responded. ¡°I cultivate mushrooms because I like mushrooms, not because that¡¯s all I can cultivate. As a World Tree, it¡¯s in my nature to transform life. Haven¡¯t I transformed your Holy Tree Elves?¡± Upon hearing this, Richard realized¡ªindeed, converting them into followers was already a form of transformation. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you. Notify me immediately when you¡¯ve cultivated it.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± After assigning the tasks, Richard was about to turn around and leave. But suddenly, he stopped and headed to the other side of the World Mushroom. On the other side was where Richard¡¯s Holy City was located. Usually, Ulysses would lie in the nest in the Holy City, lazily basking in the sun. But today, Ulysses wasn¡¯t doing so. The Holy Nest was empty, with only two Holy Tree Elves cleaning with mycelium. ¡°Where is Ulysses?¡± Richard asked the Holy Tree Elves. Upon seeing Richard asking, the Holy Tree Elves immediately landed on the ground and respectfully replied, ¡°Great Creator God, the Crow God has gone to spread your faith.¡± ¡°Spreading the faith?¡± Richard was slightly startled. He was currently in the Wizard World, and there was no place in the Wizard World for spreading faith, unless¡­ In Extreme North City, a group of tundra dwellers gathered in the square against the cold wind. At their forefront was a black crow radiant with holy light, preaching calmly. ¡°¡­ All that you have received are gifts from God. The great Wizard Richard is the embodiment of God, the Son of God¡­ Someday, the land shall shatter, the oceans shall wither, and the Son of God shall return to His kingdom. Then, He will take the souls of all devout followers to the land of abundant waters and grass, to enjoy eternal bliss. And the souls of non-believers will fall into an eternal cycle of reincarnation, completely annihilating their self.¡± Although the black crow was not large, its voice was clearly audible to every tundra dweller. Under the slick preaching of Ulysses, a professional charlatan from the Gods Civilization, the tundra dwellers¡¯ crude mythological system was easily destroyed. And what replaced it in their ecological niche was naturally Richard¡¯s church¡ªthe Miracle Sect. At the end of the preaching, the tundra dwellers all bowed to the black crow, then began to receive the Holy Meal¡ªa mushroom cake and a bowl of mushroom soup. Suddenly, a streak of light descended on the square, and upon seeing it, the tundra dwellers bowed deeply towards the light. For nothing else but because the streak of light was their great Wizard who sheltered them, the holy Saint Heir of the Miracle Sect¡ªWizard Richard. Richard didn¡¯t bother with these tundra dwellers. He glanced at Ulysses, and Ulysses understood his intent. Ulysses issued a few commands to some of the tundra Cultivators, and then followed Richard away from the square. Back at the Wizard Tower, Richard angrily scolded Ulysses with a stern face, ¡°How could you evangelize in the Wizard World? Is this a place for preaching?¡± But Ulysses retorted firmly, ¡°Why not here? You Wizards don¡¯t care about these mortals at all. Do you know what a treasure this is?¡± ¡°Treasure?¡± Richard was almost amused out of anger. ¡°You have no idea. Each and every religion in the Wizard World is backed by a World Guardian. It¡¯s only because Extreme North City is in the far north with not many people, and it¡¯s within Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s territory, that those Wizard World Guardians can¡¯t be bothered to come. If it were any other place, you would already be under the scrutiny of the Wizard World Guardians!¡± Hearing this, the previously blustering Ulysses suddenly paused. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Ulysses¡¯s confidence was no longer as strong as before. Richard glared at him fiercely, ¡°Nonsense! Do I need to lie to you? Do you think I¡¯m unaware of the enormous treasure that these vast numbers of mortals in the Wizard World hold? I¡¯ve already looked into it! These churches are all bait used by the Wizard World Guardians to lure Otherworldly beings.¡± Richard¡¯s explanation left Ulysses speechless; he was unaware of these clandestine details. He thought Richard¡¯s reluctance to evangelize in the Wizard World was purely due to the Wizards¡¯ disdain for the Divine¡ªa kind of paranoid sentiment. ¡°Alright, this is my fault. I should have told you about this beforehand,¡± Ulysses apologized. Then, he sighed, ¡°Sigh, it seems I¡¯ll have to train some little ones to do the preaching.¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing this, Richard¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. ¡°You still want to preach?¡± Ulysses looked at Richard somewhat surprised, ¡°Of course. Your Wizards¡¯ laws never stated that Wizards can¡¯t establish religions, right?¡± Richard thought for a moment, ¡°¡­Indeed, there¡¯s no such rule.¡± ¡°Then that settles it,¡± Ulysses said proudly. ¡°Those little ones will be your people, not mine. Even if the Wizard World Guardians come asking, you have nothing to fear. After all, you¡¯ve only established a religion and haven¡¯t used these mortals as experimental subjects, so you¡¯re not breaking any of your laws.¡± Listening to Ulysses¡¯s explanation, Richard paused. Indeed, these actions didn¡¯t violate the laws of the Wizard World. Richard pondered for a while and slowly said, ¡°What you say doesn¡¯t seem problematic, but I still think we should be more cautious. In some time, I¡¯ll go ask a Law Enforcement Wizard to see if such an operation is indeed feasible. During this time, you must not preach anymore.¡± The Truth Council was very strict in its protection of mortals, and it was difficult to say whether this sort of behavior bordered on violation. ¡°Fine,¡± Ulysses said somewhat helplessly, ¡°you¡¯re the boss, so if you say stop, we stop.¡± ¡­ As Richard expected, a wizard founding a religion was indeed a borderline act. In the Wizard World, it wasn¡¯t that no wizards had noticed the magical power of the Power of Faith. As early as the Enlightenment era, wizards had attempted to found religions and collect the Power of Faith. After entering the Pioneer era, the Truth Council imposed strict protections on mortals. Although founding a religion was not outright banned, within the internal regulations of Law Enforcement Wizards, there were many stipulations. To found a religion, Richard had signed a Soul Contract with the Law Enforcement Wizards to ensure he wouldn¡¯t act recklessly. Moreover, within the Church, there had to be a Law Enforcement Wizard stationed there as a supervisor. However, this was not an issue for Richard. He was indeed only collecting the Power of Faith. After registering with the Law Enforcement Wizards, the religious issues of Extreme North City were resolved, and Richard could focus his energy on the task items. Time rushed by, and in the blink of an eye, fifty years had passed. In the laboratory, Richard opened the cultivation chamber and fished out the human arm submerged in the nutrient solution. In these fifty years, Richard had successfully cultured three generations of Enhanced Cells using blue light irradiation. With these cells, Richard¡¯s Physique was very successfully brought to 225 points, and they even allowed him to complete the task item. The human arm that Richard had just fished out was one of the finished products. Using Flesh Control, Richard caused his own right arm to sever and then attached the newly cultivated arm. The arm used third-generation Enhanced Cells, which Richard¡¯s body had not yet replaced, so he was unsure if this arm met the standards. As the blood vessels and nerves successfully connected, the right arm made from third-generation Enhanced Cells began to revive. Richard left the laboratory and went down to the third underground floor. This floor was a temporary training room for Ali, and the Gravity Training Room that Richard had made was located within. He arrived in front of a target. This target was specially made by Richard for testing the arm and had a very high resistance to physical attacks. Looking at the target, Richard inhaled deeply and pulled back his arm. With a fierce swing, he threw a punch. Thud! The metallic target resonated loudly like a bell, echoing in the training room for a long time. Richard glanced at the display connected to the target, which showed his punch had reached an Energy Level of twelve hundred. ¡°Not bad.¡± Immediately after, Richard channeled Magic Power into his right arm. As a vast amount of energy was infused into it, the arm even emitted a pale bluish glow. Bam! Another punch followed. The metallic target burst into a roar, its solid metal shell even dented by the punch. Looking at the display again, the data for this punch astonishingly reached an Energy Level of three thousand three hundred. ¡°Not bad.¡± Richard looked at the numbers on the display, revealing a satisfied smile. Then, Richard tested his limit output. This time, the metallic target was directly caved in, the data on the display coming in at nearly six thousand. However, the consequence was that the entire arm was nearly wasted. But this result was already up to standard, as limit output was used in critical moments. After repairing the arm, Richard immediately headed to Garon Wizard Academy. In the Academy¡¯s test zone, Richard found the person who had posted the task. It was a one-armed wizard, sturdy as a black bear. This wizard was also of Three Rings; upon seeing Richard¡¯s arrival, he warmly welcomed him inside. ¡°Master, here is the arm you requested.¡± Richard took out the box containing the arm from his Magic Pocket. The one-armed wizard took the box, extracted the arm, and scrutinized it carefully. ¡°The master must be researching the direction of cell enhancement, right?¡± said Richard, taken aback slightly, and then he nodded slightly: ¡°Indeed, you have a keen eye, master.¡± The one-armed wizard smiled at Richard: ¡°I guessed as much. After all, master, the cells in this arm are robust but the muscle structure is quite ordinary. If the master optimizes the muscle structure, the strength of this arm would far surpass the data you tested.¡± The notion of Physique that wizards spoke of essentially referred to the robustness of cells, that is, the vibrancy of Life Energy. Although strength, agility, and recovery abilities all improve with enhanced Physique, these are essentially by-products. Without research, a wizard of the same Physique. A wizard who pursues Physique Evolution will have physical strength, agility, and recovery capabilities that far surpass those of a wizard who pursues Spiritual Evolution. Richard smiled wryly: ¡°Can¡¯t help it, my abilities are only so much.¡± ¡°Ha ha.¡± The one-armed wizard chuckled and took out a bag from his pocket and handed it to Richard. ¡°For a suggestion to the master, if you want to learn about muscle structure, you can go to the Contribution Store to exchange for the knowledge of Transformation Battle Body. The potential of this knowledge is immense, even the Dean is still using it now.¡± Richard¡¯s expression grew serious, and after taking the bag, he bowed slightly: ¡°Thank you for the advice.¡± With the bag in hand, Richard immediately went to the Contribution Store. Inside the bag given by the one-armed wizard were coins representing Contribution Value. After buying a ten-year pass into the Mountain Secret Realm, the witch who looked like a cold Nezha in front of Richard opened a Secret Realm Rift. The witch smiled at Richard and said, ¡°Master, please go ahead. I will call you out after ten years.¡± Chapter 372: 87: 10 Years of Cultivation Chapter 372: Chapter 87: 10 Years of Cultivation Hundreds of years had passed since Richard last entered the Mountain Secret Realm. This period of time would have been enough for a mortal dynasty to change hands and decline from its peak, but for the Secret Realm, it was merely a moment. Entering the Secret Realm, Richard followed the path he remembered, arriving at Changshan Temple where he had practiced in his youth. Compared to his last visit, Changshan Temple was now quite desolate. DONG! DONG! DONG! Richard landed in front of the Mountain Gate of the Changshan Temple and knocked forcefully on the door. Soon, a rolling rumble sounded as two aged dwarves opened the Mountain Gate. These two old dwarves were both of Second Level strength, their faces as time-worn as if cast from iron. ¡°Who visits Changshan Temple?¡± Upon a closer look, they seemed to recognize the black-robed figure standing at the door; he looked so familiar. ¡°Two Masters, do you remember me?¡± Richard asked with a slight smile to the two dwarves, ¡°Over six hundred years ago, I practiced here.¡± The two old dwarves thought for a moment, and one of them suddenly lifted his head as something seemed to dawn on him. ¡°Master Richard!¡± The old dwarf exclaimed and then proceeded to prostrate fully as a mark of deep respect. Seeing this, Richard quickly intervened, ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no need for such formality. Just remembering me is enough; no need for such a grand gesture.¡± But the old dwarf was very stubborn and insisted on completing his ritual of respect, even though Richard was already supporting him. Triggered by this, the other old dwarf also remembered who Richard was. Without another word, he immediately threw himself to the ground and also performed a full prostration. ¡°Ah, what are you doing!¡± Looking at the dwarf prostrate on the ground, Richard spoke with a bit of helplessness. ¡°Without the guidance of the Master, we would have withered away in this Secret Realm, never to return to the Mountain World or to rebuild the doctrines of Changshan Temple.¡± Hearing this, Richard immediately understood why these dwarves held him in such high regard. His words of advice to the Abbott of Changshan Temple had indeed come to fruition. These mountain dwarves had truly returned to the Mountain World and rebuilt their doctrines. Seeing the stubborn dwarf in front of him, Richard decided to let him carry on with the respect. This group of mountain dwarves was even more stubborn than the Magic Dwarves he knew from the Wizard World. After the ceremonial respects, the two old dwarves led Richard into Changshan Temple. The temple was now very desolate; apart from the old dwarves, Richard didn¡¯t even see one disciple. ¡°Have you sent all your disciples out of the Secret Realm?¡± Richard asked, puzzled. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± one of the old dwarves replied respectfully, ¡°The disciples of the temple have been all sent out of the Secret Realm to rebuild Changshan Temple.¡± ¡°And why have you stayed?¡± ¡°Sir, we are the safeguard of Changshan Temple,¡± the other old dwarf replied, ¡°The environment in the Mountain World is not ideal; past wars have created many deadly zones, and Changshan Temple is located on the edge of one such zone.¡± Richard nodded thoughtfully and did not ask further. Upon reaching the depths of the temple, Richard encountered the overseer of the Secret Realm¡¯s Changshan Temple. As soon as Richard saw the dwarf, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Abbott, long time no see.¡± The overseer of the Secret Realm¡¯s Changshan Temple was the same Abbott who had dealt with Richard all those years ago. The Abbott approached Richard, prostrated fully, and then stood up with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s been many years, Master. Your progress has been divine. In just over six hundred years, you¡¯ve ascended from the Second Ring to the Three Rings. Such speed truly shames me.¡± Richard waved his hand with a smile, ¡°Just some opportunities.¡± ¡°What brings you here this time?¡± Richard sighed slowly and said, ¡°Though my strength has advanced over the years, I¡¯ve neglected my combat skills. Now that I am of the Three Rings, my skills do not compare to some Second Ring Wizards. Thus, I¡¯ve come to refine my combat skills.¡± ¡°Refining skills¡­¡± the Abbott pondered for a moment, looking somewhat conflicted, ¡°Master, how long can you stay this time? Skill refinement is not something that can be achieved overnight. Without prolonged practice, no one can master such skills fully.¡± ¡°Worry not, Abbott,¡± Richard replied, ¡°I can practice here at Changshan Temple for ten years, if not enough, twenty or even thirty years.¡± ¡°Then there is no problem.¡± The Abbott said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange to clean up the room you used during your previous stay. From tomorrow, I will personally assist in your practice.¡± Richard brought his hands together in gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Abbott.¡± ¡­ The next morning, Richard rose from his meditation and slowly proceeded to the Martial Arts Arena. There, the Abbott, dressed in a cyan and black monk¡¯s robe, was already waiting for his arrival. ¡°Master, you have been negligent,¡± the Abbott said sternly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve come to Changshan Temple, entrusting us to refine your skills, we will do our utmost to fulfill your request. And you, Master, should try to cooperate with us. If there¡¯s any special circumstance, I hope you can tell us beforehand.¡± Richard joined his hands and slightly bowed to the Abbott, ¡°I mistimed my meditation, it won¡¯t happen again. Apart from this, I need to visit the Mountain Heart for an hour each day.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Abbott nodded, ¡°Acceptable.¡± Richard took off his Wizard Robe, revealing the training attire underneath. The Wizard Robe was indeed cumbersome for close combat. But it wasn¡¯t the Wizard Robe¡¯s fault, wizards are noble Masters and Masters would never engage in close combat. After preparing himself, with a sudden bang, Richard¡¯s figure vanished, leaving only a pair of clearly visible footprints on the bluestone ground. The Abbott heard the noise and his expression didn¡¯t change, but his body slightly crouched, dodging a swift gust of wind overhead. ¡°Master, you¡¯re too slow,¡± the Abbott spoke. Before the words finished echoing, the Abbott¡¯s body suddenly shook and from his robust physique, faint Magic Patterns emerged as if alive, snaking around. Seeing this, Richard¡¯s alarm bells rang. However, before he could act, an unprecedented oppressive force descended like a mountain. Right after, a fist, as massive as a mountain itself, as if breaking through the confines of space, appeared instantly in front of Richard¡¯s chest. Boom! A loud explosion resonated across the Martial Arts Arena, sending Richard flying like a cannonball. The Abbott withdrew his fist and stood firmly, quietly watching in the direction Richard was hurled. Richard was lying on the ground, a large crater formed at his chest. ¡°Damn, that was fast.¡± Richard clutched his chest as he stood, the Abbott¡¯s punch appeared simple but was a display of highly skillful subtlety. In that single punch, Richard felt at least three types of forces. A spiraling force broke through his Magic Barrier, a spiritual power intimidated his soul, and lastly, a massive force sent him flying. ¡°Abbott, your Changshan Fist Intent has improved,¡± Richard praised. The Abbott nodded slightly, ¡°Thanks to the mushrooms from the Master, the wounds on my soul have fully healed, allowing me to advance this martial art further.¡± Before, his soul¡¯s injuries hindered him, letting his Changshan Fist Intent lie dormant. Now that his injuries had healed, the art he developed could not remain dormant. Richard¡¯s chest injuries, with the help of Flesh Control and Bloodline Seed, healed quickly. Soon, the two were fighting together again. Bang! Boom! Thud¡­ Long after, when the sparring ended, Richard, exhausted, arrived at the location of the Mountain Heart. ¡°Damn, this Dwarf really tried his best, but he¡¯s quite simple,¡± Richard muttered to himself, rubbing his head. Though the Abbott had been holding back during the battle, his Changshan Fist Intent still impacted Richard¡¯s soul considerably. It left him feeling somewhat groggy. Richard shook his head, trying to clear it. In front of him, the extravagant Mountain Heart remained unchanged, exactly as it was hundreds of years ago when Richard first saw it. For the mountains, mere centuries were but a moment. Switching to Energy Vision, Richard continued a task he had not completed hundreds of years ago ¡ª finishing the Mountain Rune. ¡­ The days of training were monotonous, Richard spent each day sparring with the Abbott. The rest of the time, he was observing the Mountain Heart or studying the heritage of Changshan Temple. Yes, as a distinguished guest of Changshan Temple, Richard could freely learn the temple¡¯s legacy. Time flew by quickly, and Richard progressively became stronger. It took him a year to progress from being defeated by a single punch from the Abbott, to two punches. Then just three months later, it took the Abbott three punches to knock Richard down. Then four punches, five punches, six¡­ After adapting to physical combat, Richard progressed at almost a visibly discernible rate. He was like a dried sponge, constantly absorbing the combat techniques of many masters at Changshan Temple. Then, like a Melter, he refined these techniques into something of his own. ¡­ Bang! Bang! Bang¡­ Loud explosions constantly reverberated in the Martial Arts Arena, two blurred figures intertwined at speeds surpassing the limits of the naked eye, leaving faint afterimages that fluttered like ghosts. Despite both parties deliberately controlling their power, aiming to strike each other precisely to limit collateral damage, the solid bluestone ground still couldn¡¯t withstand the shockwaves of their battle. Cracks spread fast across the stone like a spiderweb, then finally shattered into powder with a loud crash. Boom! Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, and the two battling figures split apart. A tall figure flew backwards, leaving a smaller figure on the spot. ¡°Master, you have won,¡± the smaller figure expressed sincere admiration, ¡°In just ten years, you¡¯ve pushed me to unleash my full strength. Such talent is truly astonishing.¡± Richard stood up, dusting off his clothes. ¡°So the Master has been holding back in our fights?¡± The Abbott shook his head, ¡°Master, your physique is far from matching mine, and if I used my full strength, wouldn¡¯t it be bullying? After ten years of training, Richard finally won once, though it was just a single move. A crack appeared behind Richard, and the voice of a Witch came from behind it. ¡°Master Richard, your time is almost up.¡± Richard straightened his clothes and bowed respectfully to the Abbott. ¡°Abbott, I must leave now. Take care.¡± The Abbott placed his hands together and returned the gesture, ¡°May the spirit of the mountains bless the Master with invincibility in all battles.¡± Chapter 373: 88: Two Types of Witchcraft Chapter 373: Chapter 88: Two Types of Witchcraft Leaving the Secret Realm, Richard immediately headed to the central laboratory in the test zone. While he was practicing in the Mountain Secret Realm, the Magma Algae he had left with the World Mushroom to cultivate in magma had already been cultured. However, he couldn¡¯t leave at that time, so he had to set it aside. Now that his training was over, he naturally rushed to see if the task had been completed by anyone. The exterior of the central laboratory looked like a huge column, which connected the second and third floors of the Academy. Inside, it was divided into four layers, each layer conducting different research. The wizards working here were either followers of Garon the Great Wizard or his students. Many theories from the Evolution Road were born in this laboratory. Richard entered the first floor of the central laboratory because there was a reception desk there specifically for handing over task items. ¡°Magma Algae? Let me check.¡± The wizard behind the counter took out a crystal ball and searched through it briefly before quickly looking up. ¡°This task has not yet been completed; congratulations, you are the first wizard to complete it.¡± Richard took out an enchanted quartz tube from his pocket; under the enchantment of the quartz tube, the magma inside the tube did not solidify. On top of the magma, there was also a layer of inconspicuous red floating material. The wizard handling the task took the quartz tube, then retrieved another crystal ball and sent a message. Soon after, a wizard in a white robe arrived at the counter. This wizard appeared very frail, as if a gust of wind could knock him over. The two obvious dark circles under his eyes indicated that he hadn¡¯t slept or meditated for a long time. ¡°Where is it?¡± Upon arriving at the counter, the wizard in the white robe yawned and asked without any courtesy. The task-handling wizard seemed already accustomed to the attitude of the wizard in the white robe; he handed over the test tube to him and then turned to Richard, saying: ¡°Master, please wait a moment. Master Andri needs to examine this.¡± The white-robe wizard opened the test tube, extracted the magma using magic power, and formed it into a suspended magma ball. Following that, the white-robe wizard dipped his finger into the magma, tasted it, and remarked: ¡°Um, not bad, the magma is fine.¡± He nodded, then lightly touched the Magma Algae on the magma ball with his finger. Richard squinted slightly, noticing that the algae on the surface of the magma ball began to grow rapidly at the touch of the white-robe wizard. He speculated in his mind, ¡°Life Rule?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± the white-robe wizard put the magma back into the embassy. ¡°This thing is very well made, just like it was naturally bred.¡± He turned to Richard, a look of desire for knowledge on his face. ¡°Master, may I ask, how did you manage to create this thing? I have quite a few pieces of knowledge here to exchange with you.¡± Richard shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s a proprietary secret, I have no plans to exchange it right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± The white-robe wizard sighed disappointedly, then took the tube of Magma Algae and left the counter. ¡°Who is this master?¡± Richard casually asked. ¡°He seems very extraordinary.¡± The wizard behind the counter chuckled: ¡°Master Andri is a student of the dean, so he acts quite¡­ directly within the academy.¡± Richard stroked his chin and smiled: ¡°Quite direct indeed.¡± With the task completed, Contribution Points naturally came into his hands. Including the contribution points for cultivating an arm last time, Richard now had a total of one hundred twenty contribution points. This number was already sufficient to purchase an excellent piece of knowledge at the Contribution Store. ¡­ Arriving at the Contribution Store, Richard began searching through the crystal ball for knowledge suitable for himself. Contribution points left unused cannot generate offspring; converting them into practical items soon is the proper course. The knowledge in the Contribution Store was plentiful, but roughly divided into three categories. The first category was Combat Magic, within which the Unity of Heaven and Man that Richard had seen demonstrated by Jimmy was included. The second category was Combat Body Witchcraft, which included the Magic Rune Battle Body and Transformation Battle Body. This type of witchcraft was of the amplification type and could yield unexpected results when properly combined with the right Combat Magic. The third category was Auxiliary Magic; these spells often possessed some special effects, with Garon¡¯s Physique Sealing Skill representing this type of witchcraft. After much deliberation among these spells, Richard finally chose Garon¡¯s Physique Sealing Skill and the principles of the Transformation Battle Body. Of these, the former would serve as a trump card for Richard, while he chose the latter due to prior advice from a one-armed wizard and the fact that he had just enough contribution points. The Transformation Battle Body was particularly unique because it was divided into two parts; one part was the principles, priced at twenty contribution points, and the other part was the Battle Body Map, each map priced at one hundred contribution points. Richard guessed that the Transformation Battle Body, as suggested by its name, possessed various transformations. A wizard could build their own Transformation Battle Body through personal research. After handing over the contribution points to the clerk, Richard received a crystal ball containing the two pieces of knowledge. Richard slipped the crystal ball into his pocket and turned to leave the store. He glanced at the task board to confirm there were no suitable tasks for him, then returned to the Wizard Tower. ¡­ Ten years of cultivation were not considered long for a wizard, but for mortals, it was a considerably long period. Over the years, Extreme North City had seen the rise of a ring of small cities around it, with new cities continually being established. These cities were connected by railways, the massive alchemy steam trains, seeming as if they had burst forth from some steam punk world, grotesque yet possessing a unique beauty. These iron serpents raced along the steel tracks, emitting piercing shrieks. They were the nation¡¯s red blood cells! During the ten years of Richard¡¯s absence, some cities had even established airship ports, and airship trade was gradually coming into its own. A thriving mortal kingdom was on the rise. High above, Richard gazed down at the expanse of land. Looking at the prosperous cities, he murmured, ¡°It¡¯s really wonderful; in a few decades, the population might well exceed ten million.¡± In the desolate lands of the Extreme North, ten million was an astronomical figure. Previously, all the inhabitants of the Garon Great Wizard¡¯s territories in the tundras totaled only twenty million. At this moment, Richard deeply recognized the war potential of the Wizard World. If the Truth Council wished, the entire Wizard World could, within decades, increase its population by billions of ordinary humans. From these humans, selecting suitable children and training them, even if it were entirely through the mechanism of the Black Wizards, would result in a vast number of wizards. Before such an enormous number of wizards, even the World Master might have to step back. Whoo Whoo! S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A sound interrupted Richard¡¯s reverie. He turned around to see a Flying Airship closing in on him less than a hundred meters away, and still approaching. The model of the Flying Airship was somewhat outdated, suggesting that its direction control was not very flexible, making it hard to maneuver closely around Richard. Through the viewing port¡¯s glass, Richard smiled at the somewhat panicked pilot, then transformed into a streak of light and flew into the distance. ¡­ The two pieces of knowledge that Richard had exchanged were not difficult to learn. Or rather, Garon the Great Wizard had anticipated their questions and had answered them in the Inheritance Crystal Ball. In any case, Richard didn¡¯t find it hard to learn, and within a month he had mastered Garon¡¯s Physique Sealing Skill. Fundamentally, Garon¡¯s Physique Sealing Skill was a kind of alternative curse that continuously drew life energy and magic power from wizards in daily life and then fed it back to the wizards in critical moments. However, the best part about this witchcraft, compared to Curse Witchcraft, was that it didn¡¯t require spiritual nature. Wizards without spiritual nature only needed a simple ritual to apply it to themselves. Moreover, what¡¯s most frightening is that Garon¡¯s Physique Sealing Skill could be applied multiple times to the same target. Garon¡¯s Physique Sealing Skill, a single layer of sealing could reduce a wizard¡¯s strength by about five percent, but the power it could sustain was also limited. Some wizards, who liked to pursue the extremes, would impose five, or even ten layers of Garon¡¯s Physique Sealing Skill on themselves, using only two-thirds to half of their actual strength in everyday battles. They called this practice training, thinking that it could better help them hone their skills and also help them break their own limits in times of crisis. However, Richard felt that his strength wasn¡¯t at that level yet. Thus, after learning it, he merely imposed two layers of the seal on himself. He was not solely focused on physique; over the years, he had also been collaborating with Ali to optimize the spells at his disposal. Two layers of sealing didn¡¯t significantly impact his combat power. Following his study of Garon¡¯s Physique Sealing Skill, Richard shifted his focus to the Transformation Battle Body. The Transformation Battle Body can simply be summarized as an upgraded version of the Bloodline Seed. However, unlike the Bloodline Seed, the Transformation Battle Body was more complex and more powerful. Ordinary Bloodline Seeds, merging three or four bloodlines were considered adequate; five or six, exceptional, and formulas that could integrate more than ten bloodlines were scarce in the entire Wizard World. But if the Transformation Battle Body were thoroughly researched, integrating ten bloodlines would just be the beginning. Integrating a hundred or even a thousand bloodlines was all feasible. If it was researched to the utmost, it meant that all the things in the world could be integrated into one body, and the combat form could change at will. But this concept, much like the Qiankun Great Shifting, even for Garon the Great Wizard, the creator, so far had only merged over a thousand bloodlines. And the realm of changing the combat body at will, as described in the principles of the Transformation Battle Body, was just his speculation. The principles of the Transformation Battle Body were quite complex to learn, involving much profound knowledge. Richard spent two whole years just to understand the principles of this witchcraft. And understanding the principles was just the beginning; to truly use this witchcraft, wizards needed to learn much additional knowledge. Wizards must have a thorough understanding of the bloodlines they intend to integrate. The providing creatures¡¯ muscle structures, organ functions, and nervous system architectures¡ªall these details were prerequisites for wizards who wished to integrate these bloodlines into their Transformation Battle Body, thereby creating a combat body unique to themselves. Undoubtedly, this was going to be a lengthy process. But Richard soon found a shortcut. ¡°Wizards seem to have done thorough research on dragons,¡± Richard mused, stroking his chin, ¡°and I recall that this knowledge seems quite affordable.¡± Chapter 374: 89: Hatching the Dragon King Egg Chapter 374: Chapter 89: Hatching the Dragon King Egg Giant Dragons, once the overlords of the Wizard World, were formidable creatures that ruled the skies and lands of the Wizard World. Long before the Dark Age, wizards had begun researching these creatures. During the Enlightenment period, Dragon Studies even became a universal discipline among wizards. At that time, wizards from every school had to study Dragon Studies to combat giant dragons. It was also during this period that wizards conducted extremely detailed research on dragons. From those affected by Dragon Blood to subspecies of dragons bred by collecting life energy from other powerful creatures, and pure-blooded giant dragons, wizards conducted highly detailed studies. A significant portion of the encrypted notes collected by Richard initially were records of dragon research. However, this discipline rapidly declined into a branch of the Alchemy School that was neither obscure nor popular after the wizards overthrew the dragons¡¯ reign. And those research achievements had also fallen into piles of old papers. Now that Richard was practicing the Transformation Battle Body, what could be more suitable than dragons, a powerful race thoroughly researched by wizards? Moreover, there were many subspecies within dragons, most of which were mixed blood bred by dragons collecting life data from higher-level creatures. They were naturally in a state of mixed bloodlines. Integrating them would be like directly merging multiple creature bloodlines. The more Richard thought about it, the more he believed his idea was brilliant. He felt he had found a shortcut to quickly master the Transformation Battle Body. ¡°This idea should work,¡± Richard murmured excitedly to himself, ¡°even if the subspecies of dragons don¡¯t work, merging with the pure-blooded Dragon Clan surely won¡¯t be a problem. This is definitely a shortcut!¡± Thinking this, he immediately took out the Communication Crystal Ball from his pocket and sent the message about collecting dragon knowledge to Jolod. ¡°Collect knowledge about dragons?¡± Jolod, far away at the Black Tower Wizard Academy, looked at the information in the crystal ball and couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit strange. ¡°Is this kid going to study the Dragon Blood Species? I remember he did research on this before and even made some progress. Is he picking it up again?¡± While muttering to himself, Jolod sent a message to confirm Richard¡¯s request. After getting an affirmation, Jolod didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately called Yelena to his laboratory. ¡°Teacher, you called for me?¡± Yelena asked somewhat bewilderedly after being summoned by a message. She had just been in class when she suddenly received a message from Jolod asking her to come to the laboratory. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s you I need,¡± Jolod sat behind his desk, putting down the crystal ball in his hand, ¡°I remember that your research is on Dragon Blood Species. Your older classmate just asked me to help him collect some knowledge about dragons. If you have any, you can bring it here. I¡¯ll buy everything with Magic Essence.¡± ¡°Ah? Is Chax older classmate researching synthetic beasts of dragon type?¡± Yelena asked curiously. Jolod shook his head: ¡°Not Chax, it¡¯s Richard. Chax himself is running low on Magic Essence, he doesn¡¯t have spare funds to collect such things.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Yelena smiled, ¡°I do have quite a bit of material on giant dragons; I¡¯ll bring it over right now.¡± ¡­ Jolod¡¯s efficiency was somewhat beyond Richard¡¯s expectations. In less than two months, Richard had received a large box of dragon research material. These materials covered everything from the bodily structure of dragons to their habits, personality, and even their family pedigrees, all clearly recorded. Looking at these materials, Richard could only say that the dragons lost deservingly. Their family pedigrees were clearly researched by wizards; they didn¡¯t stand a chance. With these materials, Richard¡¯s understanding of both dragons and their subspecies was rapidly increasing. He knew dragons had two hearts, four lung lobes, and that there was a secondary neural center on the dragon¡¯s back to help regulate their massive bodies. He also knew the structure of dragon muscles, neural maps, and even how high a dragon screamed during mating, indicating pain or pleasure. Richard had never understood a creature so thoroughly, to the extent that he even felt he could sculpt a dragon from living flesh from nothing. And after sufficiently understanding dragons, Richard found the bloodline of this creature outrageously potent. A Dragon Prince born with Level 1 strength, and as they mature, their strength can directly reach Level 3. Ordinary dragons can only reach Level 1 after maturity. If they want to advance, they must break through by fighting, letting themselves become a superior dragon. Otherwise, they rely on the blood gifted by a superior dragon, becoming a ¡°clansperson¡± of the superior dragon and thus advancing levels. This also meant that the bloodline of a Level 1 dragon and a Level 3 dragon were completely different in quality. And the bloodline of a Dragon King was worlds apart from that of an ordinary dragon. If he wanted to integrate the dragon¡¯s bloodline into his Transformation Battle Body, his best option would be to use the blood of a World Master Level dragon. But in the Wizard World, dragons exceeding Level 3 were all mounts of Great Wizards, their status half a level higher than Three Rings Wizards. Obtaining their bloodline could be considered a fool¡¯s dream. ¡°Then I can only settle for something less.¡± Richard rubbed his forehead, then headed towards the entrance of the fourth underground layer. Richard unlocked the entrance, and what appeared before him was a spacious room. Inside the room, a massive egg lay at the center of a Magic Array. ¡°Truly resilient life,¡± Richard remarked softly, looking at the giant egg. This egg was the Dragon King Egg given to him by a Magic Dwarf, and after obtaining this Dragon King Egg, Richard found some references wanting to hatch it. However, after such a long time, the life energy of this dragon egg had become very faint. It was uncertain whether it could be hatched. Therefore, Richard did not hold much hope; if it hatched, it would be great, if not, he would use it as a primer. But once the hatching really began, the tenacity of this dragon egg somewhat exceeded Richard¡¯s imagination. After unknown ages, nourished by life energy, this dragon egg began to show signs of vitality. Now, after hatching for several hundred years, the life energy of the egg grew stronger and stronger, as if it could break the shell at any moment. Richard walked up to the dragon egg and gently stroked the gigantic golden egg. After reviewing so much research about giant dragons, Richard knew that this egg had reached its critical moment. Prior to hatching, dragon eggs did not possess a body or even a soul. During the hatching process, the interior of the dragon egg would gradually form the body of a young giant dragon, and once the body was complete, the soul of the giant dragon would be born out of it. Now, there was already a body inside this dragon egg; as soon as the soul was born from the body, he would gain a Dragon Prince. However, the species of giant dragons had a notably high stillbirth rate. According to the Wizard¡¯s experiments, on average, one out of every five dragon eggs was a dead egg. Richard really needed this Dragon Prince, so he did not intend to rely solely on luck. Casually opening a Space Rift, Richard pulled out Ulysses. ¡°Ulysses, I remember your Annihilation Crows are oviparous too. Do you have any divine arts to ensure the hatching of eggs?¡± Ulysses, pulled out unexpectedly, looked at Richard somewhat bewilderedly. ¡°Indeed I do, but why are you asking this all of sudden¡­ Holy crap, where did you get this thing?¡± Ulysses gaped at the Dragon King Egg beside them, his jaw almost dropping. ¡°Gifted by the Magic Dwarf,¡± Richard said nonchalantly. ¡°This egg was nearly dead, but after being nourished by an array, it came back to life.¡± ¡°You had something this good and hid it from me?¡± Ulysses shouted somewhat angrily. Richard touched his head embarrassedly, ¡°What if I said I originally planned to eat it, would you believe me?¡± ¡°So you intended to keep it all to yourself?¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s change the topic. Do you have such a divine art?¡± Ulysses glared at Richard huffingly, then replied, ¡°Yes, such divine arts are essential for a Racial God.¡± With that, Ulysses¡¯s body radiated a layer of Holy Light. This Holy Light was more than twice as thick as it had been when he was preaching decades ago. The next moment, a milky-white light beamed from Ulysses¡¯s eyes and went straight into the Dragon King Egg. Subsequently, the enormous dragon egg emitted a faint Holy Light. Crack! ¡°Damn, did you just bring it to life direct?¡± Richard stared astonished at the dragon egg now showing cracks. The effect of this divine art seemed a bit too powerful¡ªjust released it, and the egg hatched. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Ulysses stated calmly. ¡°This divine art is developed by our God of Life specifically for oviparous creatures. Encountering such a nearly-ready-to-hatch egg, nine times out of ten, it hatches directly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive, impressive indeed,¡± Richard repeatedly praised as he gazed at the dragon egg. The dragon egg had been in this state for over ten years, and without Ulysses¡¯s divine art, it¡¯s unknown how many more years it would have remained in this state. The crack in the dragon egg grew larger, and soon, a small dragon claw knocked off a piece of the shell. Immediately afterward, a creature about the size of a Corgi emerged from the broken shell. ¡°Why is it so small?¡± Richard gazed at the half-human-high Dragon King Egg, quite taken aback. Such a large Dragon King Egg hatching such a tiny one? But before Richard could lament further, a force, although weak, yet chillingly majestic, descended upon him. The young dragon flew in the air, using its uniquely golden eyes to look down on Richard. It commanded in the Dragon Language, ¡°Servant, go prepare food for me.¡± ¡°Servant?¡± Upon hearing this designation, an odd smile appeared on Richard¡¯s face. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, a formidable pressure erupted from within Richard, instantly making the dragon in the air stiffen and crash to the ground with a slap. This giant dragon was formidable indeed, but at this moment, it was only a level 1 creature. If Richard were of the Dragon Blood Species, perhaps he might be dominated due to bloodline reasons and be unable to resist at this moment. But Richard was not; he was a Wizard, one who had overthrown the throne of giant dragons, taming them from sovereigns of the Wizard World to servants of Wizards. Richard approached the young dragon, looking down at it from a height. ¡°Young dragon, you better recognize the situation. The era of giant dragons is over.¡± Chapter 375: 90 You trickster! Chapter 375: Chapter 90 You trickster! ¡°Hogla, in Giant Dragon Language, means sovereign.¡± Hogla looked at Richard, as a chaos of memories kept surging in her mind. These memories, imprinted in her Bloodline, were meant to be absorbed by her gradually as she grew. But under this sudden terrifying pressure, her instinct for survival caused these memories, which should have appeared in an orderly fashion, to flood into Hogla¡¯s brain all at once, in an attempt to find a suitable plan for escape. However, the young dragon¡¯s still undeveloped brain could not withstand such an assault. Under the torrent of copious memories, Hogla lay on the ground like a dead fish, her gaze lifeless, her expression vacant, and drool even flowing from the corner of her mouth. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this young dragon? I just intimidated her a little, and she seems to have broken.¡± Richard looked at Hogla somewhat dumbfounded, after having delivered his threats, he had expected the Giant Dragon to shout or retort. But no matter how long he waited, the young dragon did not move and her expression remained as if she were broken. This left him somewhat stunned. This young descendant of the Dragon King possessed tremendous potential. But if she were stupefied, her potential would be greatly diminished. Ulysses landed beside the young dragon, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. ¡°No problem,¡± Ulysses said, equally puzzled, ¡°This young dragon is very well-developed, her brain is fine, and there are no incomplete parts in her soul. She shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­ Oh! Right, do Giant Dragons have memory inheritance?¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Indeed, and quite a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not surprising then.¡± Ulysses flew to Richard¡¯s shoulder, ¡°This young dragon must have had a stress reaction when you scared her, prematurely activating her memory inheritance.¡± Hearing this, Richard also understood Hogla¡¯s condition. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s going to be out for a while. But this is good timing, it gives me the chance to prepare something.¡± Three hours later, Hogla¡¯s young brain finally finished processing those memories. And when she wearily lifted her head, she found herself tied to a stone slab. Around the slab were many strangely shaped metal tools. And the human who had frightened her, activating her Bloodline inheritance, was standing not far away, apparently mixing some kind of potion. ¡°Richard, the young dragon is awake.¡± The sudden voice behind her made Hogla shudder. As a Giant Dragon, even though she was only young, her perception far exceeded that of ordinary creatures. But she had never noticed the owner of the voice behind her. ¡°Awake, is she? I was planning to prepare some Magic Potion for her to help her out. It seems unnecessary now.¡± Hogla watched the human approach her; she could clearly feel the scent of Dragon Blood on him, and this human¡¯s eyes were also a pair of golden dragon eyes. But why couldn¡¯t she control this human? ¡°Giant Dragon, it¡¯s clear you¡¯ve gained the ability to think. Now, I give you two choices, one is to sign this Destiny Contract and become my Magic Pet. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be turned into a specimen, just like that one.¡± Saying this, Hogla felt her head forcibly turned to the right, and in her field of vision was a young dragon about her size, also bound to a stone slab. ¡°What is this human going to do?¡± Watching the human approach the other young dragon, a seed of fear suddenly sprouted in Hogla¡¯s heart. And that fear quickly climbed through her heart like creeping vines. Although she had inherited many memories from her Bloodline, she was essentially still a child that had been born only three hours ago. The unknown fear trapped her like a spiderweb. Hogla saw the human take the metal instruments she had seen upon waking and move them beside the young dragon. Then, she saw the human cut open the abdomen of the young dragon with a knife the size of a thumb. A terribly pained dragon roar penetrated Hogla¡¯s ears and then burrowed into her heart. She didn¡¯t want to see these things! But what she wanted to see was not for her to decide. Her body constantly struggled, but her head was fixed by a force, forcing her to watch as the human skillfully removed various organs from the young dragon and sorted them into jars filled with a transparent liquid. During this, the young dragon¡¯s pitiful cries kept reaching her ears, and fear weighed on her heart like mountains. ¡°Stop making me watch!! I¡¯ll sign! I¡¯ll sign!¡± ¡°Oh ho, you agree so quickly?¡± Richard looked at Hogla with some surprise and then stopped his actions. ¡°Ulysses, give her the contract.¡± Hogla saw a contract appear before her, and on it, she felt a terrible pressure. ¡°Where am I, exactly? Where is the Dragon Nest? The Dragon Mountain? My kin, who could spread their wings and blot out the sky?¡± Hogla¡¯s helpless cry echoed within her, as the cruel reality left her gasping for air. ¡°Well, little one, will you sign or not?¡± Ulysses¡¯s voice woke Hogla from her fantasies. She looked at the contract and trembled as she used her spiritual power to leave her mark on it. ¡°Good, good. My efforts weren¡¯t wasted.¡± Richard happily took the contract and left his own name on it. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The contract then disappeared, and an invisible bridge connected Richard and Hogla. Richard approached to release Hogla¡¯s bonds, enthusiastically asking, ¡°Little one, what is your name? I heard that the Dragon King¡¯s offspring are born with names.¡± ¡°¡­Hogla, Hogla Il.¡± ¡°Hmm, nice name.¡± Richard nodded, this name meant a natural-born sovereign in Dragon Language. ¡°Then I will call you Hogla.¡± Having confirmed Hog¡¯s name, Richard turned back to the dissection table, preparing to tidy up. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Hog looked at the hollowed-out young dragon on the experimental table, her head nearly fainting. Images of the scene she had just witnessed kept flashing through her mind, the piercing screams echoing in her ears once more. Richard turned and flashed a mysterious smile, ¡°Well, of course I¡¯m going to recycle it.¡± After that, Hog saw Richard peel off the skin from the dragon corpse¡­ Peel it off? Hog¡¯s eyes bulged dramatically; something was wrong with the skin of this young dragon! Even if it was a corpse, dragon skin could not possibly be peeled open like a banana. Then she saw that underneath the skin of this giant dragon was a mass of living, active flesh. ¡°This isn¡¯t a dragon! What is this, a mimic bug?¡± Richard turned back to look at her, a somewhat triumphant smile on his face, ¡°It¡¯s nothing at all, just a prop I made to scare you. I hadn¡¯t even used all my tricks yet, and you already couldn¡¯t handle it.¡± This was the Extreme North, not the Tower of Truth. Young dragon hatchlings like this were not so easily obtained. Moreover, even if they could be obtained, Richard wouldn¡¯t spend the money to buy one. Having learned so much about dragons, if he couldn¡¯t even create a model of one, that would be a disgrace to Jolod. A student of a Synthetic Beast Master who couldn¡¯t even use active flesh to make a teaching model? If word got out, Richard would be so mortified he wouldn¡¯t need Jolod to do anything; he¡¯d want to bash his head in with a block of tofu. ¡°A prop? Fake?¡± Hog looked at Richard somewhat incredulously, ¡°That scream couldn¡¯t have been fake!¡± ¡°The scream?¡± Richard gave a disdainful smile and emitted a pitiful dragon roar from his mouth. As a wizard whose physique had evolved, mimicking sounds was a piece of cake. ¡°Is this what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Hog stared dumbfounded at Richard; at this moment, she finally realized she had been deceived. ¡°You, you¡­ you deceiver!¡± Hog bellowed, somewhat on the verge of collapsing. As a young dragon just three hours old, Richard had given her a deep understanding of the wickedness of the human heart. How could humans do such a thing? To frighten a newborn dragon with mere props. That was just too despicable! But now it was too late for her to regret. She had already signed that contract, and from now on, she would live her life as Richard¡¯s magic pet. ¡°Hog, come with me.¡± As Hog wallowed in self-pity, she suddenly heard Richard¡¯s command. She looked up and saw Richard, having tidied up the props, then opened a Secret Realm Rift. Hog recognized the rift, her bloodline inheritance told her it was a rare thing, only a portion of the Dragon Kings could possess it. ¡°Hurry over, you¡¯re going to be living here for the next while.¡± Hog flew towards the rift in humiliation, comforting herself internally: ¡°It seems the identity of this human isn¡¯t so lowly; at least I won¡¯t live too poorly in the future. He is a powerful one¡­ What is this place!¡± Upon entering the Secret Realm, Hog was immediately stunned by the sight before her. This was different from the contents of her inherited memory! Which Secret Realm had so many terrains, and what was that thing in the center of the world? A mushroom? ¡°World Mushroom, I¡¯m leaving this little one with you. Try to make her grow as fast as possible in the coming time.¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s words, Hog was slightly taken aback. In her memory was the World Tree, but what in the world was a World Mushroom? In the next moment, she discovered just what the World Mushroom was. A large mycelium tendril stretched out from the ground and took on a humanoid form. On the mycelium, Hog distinctly felt a pressure that only Dragon Kings could possess. She thought to herself in some panic, ¡°Just what is the identity of this human?¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The incarnated mycelium of the World Mushroom bowed slightly to Richard, then shot a tendril to pull Hog to its side. Seized by such a World Master, Hog¡¯s body immediately stiffened as if turned to stone. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± the voice of the World Mushroom suddenly sounded in Hog¡¯s ear, ¡°Although you smell delicious, we are both subordinates of the Master; I will not eat you.¡± Hog stiffly responded, ¡°Haha, is that so.¡± Suddenly, she felt that the human might not be so bad after all. ¡­ Leaving the Secret Realm, Richard stretched languidly, his mouth curved in a smile as he approached the experimental table to continue his experiment. Then, the ringing of a clear bell interrupted him. Ding ding ding¡­ This was the doorbell of the laboratory. Inside the Wizard Tower, it was just him and Ali; only Ali would be ringing the doorbell at this time. Richard turned and looked towards the door. With a wave of his hand, the door swung open, and sure enough, there stood Ali. ¡°Ali, what¡¯s up?¡± Richard asked, puzzled. Ali¡¯s eyes twinkled with a smile, and she excitedly said: ¡°The Yuris Black Crystal you mentioned, I¡¯ve figured it out!¡± Chapter 376: 91 Black Crystal Power Furnace Chapter 376: Chapter 91 Black Crystal Power Furnace During the Academy War, Richard acquired research materials about the Yuris Black Crystal from Lai Kete. This energy-rich mineral was regarded by Richard as the hope for popularizing Single Soldier Armor. However, further research revealed that due to the founder¡¯s death, the technology was immature, with many significant issues throughout. To think that a Power Furnace could be built relying solely on the information provided by Lai Kete was sheer folly. Furthermore, although the Yuris Black Crystal possessed immense energy, the process of converting this energy into a stable Power Source was also troublesome. Though he was a Three Rings Wizard, his knowledge reserve was only that of an average Second Ring Wizard, plus the research material¡¯s owner was a Shaping Wizard from the Shape-shifting School, which required considerable expertise in Shape-shifting School to perfect and optimize. Hence, these past years, Richard hadn¡¯t prioritized the optimization of the Yuris Black Crystal in his research. He had merely collaborated with Ali for a while, before setting it aside. But to his surprise, Ali had been persistently working on this project. No wonder Ali had even borrowed some Magic Essence from him a while back. ¡°Got it all figured out?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but burst into joyful laughter, ¡°This is double the happiness.¡± ¡°Double happiness?¡± Ali asked with some confusion, ¡°Have you made another breakthrough in your research?¡± Richard chuckled, ¡°Pretty much, you¡¯ll see it soon.¡± ¡­ Together they descended the stairs, arriving at Ali¡¯s laboratory. Richard rarely visited Ali¡¯s lab usually, but today he discovered that she had divided it with metal partitions to carve out a semi-spherical small room. On the walls of the room were small windows, plugged with Enchantment Crystals, presumably for observation. As they approached the window, they saw a metal platform inside the room, with a piece of black crystal the size of a thumb set into it¡ªthe Yuris Black Crystal. As an Alchemy Wizard, Richard could tell at first glance the metal platform beneath the Yuris Black Crystal was extraordinary. Many disciplines of the Shape-shifting School and the Alchemy School overlapped. The foundation of a wizard lies in Runes, and the Shape-shifting School¡¯s study of Energy Rune Literature is precisely a subject that the Alchemy School cannot circumvent. This allowed both schools to understand a fair bit of each other¡¯s wizard research. Ali¡¯s metal platform had a multitude of Runes inscribed on it, and she had employed a technique known as stacking multiple Rune Array layers in three-dimensional space to achieve a three-dimensional Magic Array. With this technique, a wizard could condense a gigantic Magic Array into a tiny platform. ¡°Impressive, Ali. When did you learn this craft?¡± Richard looked at Ali with surprise and praise. He was familiar with the technique, but using it required a decent level of Alchemy and a superior understanding of Rune Studies. Even for him, he could currently manage only five layers of overlay, while, under Richard¡¯s observation with Energy Vision, Ali¡¯s platform had an astonishing twelve layers of Rune Array stacked. Ali glanced at Richard and said with a hint of sigh, ¡°Well, a certain spirited person gave me the materials and then washed his hands of the matter. I had no choice but to learn the skills myself, to help him perfect and optimize this technology.¡± Unembarrassed by her words, Richard turned his gaze back to the metal platform. ¡°Start it up. Let¡¯s see.¡± Ali took out a Crystal Ball and fiddled with it. Then Richard saw the energy within the metal platform begin to steadily intensify. Subsequently, an energy field erupted from the platform. Under its influence, the Yuris Black Crystal began to emit a faint glow, as steady streams of energy flowed down the Magic Conduction circuit into the storage Rune Array below the platform. ¡°Excellent! This is perfect!¡± Richard shouted excitedly, ¡°This is more than enough!¡± But after the excitement, a thought struck Richard, and he turned to ask: ¡°Ali, how did you handle the decay radiation emitted by this thing?¡± Ali smiled mysteriously and took out another Crystal Ball from her pocket, tapping it. The next moment, the metal platform ceased operation, and the Yuris Black Crystal calmed down. Ali pulled Richard to the side, and the next moment, a dark grey beam of light shot out from the enchantment crystal at the observation window. Ali stepped in front of the window and explained to Richard, ¡°The decay radiation released by the Yuris Black Crystal is absorbed by the Rune Array in the room and stored in this Enchantment Crystal. Doesn¡¯t this device look familiar?¡± Eureka hit Richard, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the same principle as my Evolution Light Instrument?¡± Richard¡¯s so-called Evolution Light Instrument was what he used to collect Blue Fire Radiation during his Enhanced Cells experiments. Ali¡¯s device for collecting decay radiation worked on the exact same principle as his. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s not just the principle that¡¯s the same,¡± Ali pronounced with pride, ¡°My Rune Array is optimized. It¡¯s more efficient and less energy-consuming than yours.¡± ¡°Remarkable, truly remarkable,¡± Richard praised sincerely. As an Alchemy Wizard, his knowledge of Energy Rune Literature wasn¡¯t much inferior to an average Shaping Wizard, and for Ali to improve upon his Rune Array designs meant her expertise in Rune Studies was genuinely superior to his. After the demonstration, Ali pulled a thick, black Magic Book from her pocket. ¡°These are the design diagrams for the Rune Arrays. Take them home and see if you can compress it further into Magic Equipment. If not, I¡¯ll look into making further adjustments.¡± Richard looked at the Magic Book, scratching his head and said with a bit of embarrassment, ¡°Is this really okay? After all, you¡¯re the one who researched this, and not contributing a dime and taking it just doesn¡¯t seem quite right. It violates the principle of equivalent exchange.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Ali looked at Richard, puzzled. Although she had optimized the technology, without Richard¡¯s original technology she certainly wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve this level. Besides, Richard hadn¡¯t bound her with any Soul Contract; she could pass this technology on to her students or anyone else in the future. Overall, what Richard did was take an old technology that she had never seen and exchanged it for an improved new technology. This was very much in line with the principle of equivalent exchange. But before Ali could refute, she heard Richard continue, ¡°But this technology is indeed useful for me, and I can¡¯t not take it. Alas, they say only life and knowledge are priceless. It looks like I, a mere Wizard, can¡¯t afford Magic Essence and will have to pay with ¡®life¡¯.¡± Listening to the emphasis Richard placed on his words and his half-smiling, half-mocking expression, Ali, no fool, could tell Richard was flirting with her. ¡°Okay then! Feeling bold enough to flirt with me now that you¡¯ve become a Three Rings Wizard!¡± Ali¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly, and she glared fiercely at Richard. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I haven¡¯t slackened in training my physique these days. You might not win so easily tonight!¡± ¡­ With the optimized technology, the journey to crafting a Power Furnace had become much smoother. Ali¡¯s Rune Array was already very refined, but because it lacked the Pioneer Rune One, there was still plenty of room for improvement. Richard spent two months to optimize the Rune Array for a second time. Compared to Ali¡¯s version, Richard¡¯s optimized Rune Array was two layers less, which is a sixth fewer runes. After the optimization was completed, Richard began to transform these Rune Arrays into appropriate components. Meanwhile, in the Secret Realm, over a hundred Fire Lizard craftsmen also began to work overtime to design Single Soldier Armor that could be paired with the Power Furnace. In order to design the suitable Power Furnace, Richard made a special trip back to the Tower of Truth from the Garon Wizard College, to seek guidance from his sister Anna, who specialized in Alchemy Mechanical Science. Over the years, Anna had also broken through to become a Second Ring Wizard. Her status in the Alchemy Gear Society had risen with the tides, and her mastery in Alchemy Mechanical Science had far surpassed what it used to be. She had now been hired by Richard Jolod as a technical consultant for Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce, specifically responsible for tackling issues related to Alchemy Technology in the company¡¯s products. This was not nepotism but Jolod¡¯s acknowledgment of Anna¡¯s capabilities. Returning to the Tower of Truth and seeing the long-missed black Wizard Tower, Richard couldn¡¯t help but smile. He stepped forward and rang the doorbell. Ding dong¡­ Soon, a non-human servant opened the door and welcomed Richard inside. After her promotion to a Second Ring Wizard, Anna¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed much. The only difference from her One Ring stage was that the layer of active Biological Metal on her body now had many more gold lines. ¡°My good junior brother, what brings you to me today?¡± In the sitting room, Anna, donning a black Wizard Robe, lounged lazily in her chair. On her unmodified pretty face, two heavy dark circles, as if drawn with a charcoal pencil, were visible. Wizards, although resilient, would still face problems if they went too long without rest and meditation. ¡°Sister, you really ought to rest more. Look how pale you are,¡± Richard approached her with concern. Anna waved her hand dismissively, ¡°No big deal, I¡¯m well aware of my own body. Let¡¯s talk about your issue. I¡¯ve worked on quite a few Power Furnaces, so I should be able to help you. If I can¡¯t, our Society Leader has also been in the Tower of Truth recently, and his expertise in this area exceeds mine. If I can¡¯t help, I¡¯ll take you to see him.¡± ¡°Sister, I really appreciate your concern,¡± Richard thanked her. ¡°What¡¯s there to appreciate?¡± Anna rubbed her eyes and sat up straight. ¡°The Giant Dragon Alchemy you taught me has been of great help. I haven¡¯t gotten around to properly thanking you for that yet.¡± After Anna became a Second Ring Wizard, Richard took the opportunity to teach her Giant Dragon Alchemy. Unexpectedly, after mastering Giant Dragon Alchemy, Anna quickly incorporated it into the Biological Metal she was crafting, and the metal¡¯s performance improved by several folds. This gained her the favor of the leader of the Golden Gear Society and presented her with the opportunity to become the Deputy Dean of the Wanbian Gear Academy. Richard modestly said, ¡°That¡¯s all thanks to your own strength, sister. I was merely a catalyst.¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they quickly got down to business. Richard laid out all the problems he faced to Anna in great detail. In addition to the design issues surrounding the Power Furnace, there were also many concerns with the design of the Single Soldier Armor. Anna quickly resolved most of these issues. Only a few problems required her to consult with several veteran Wizards of the society. As Richard was solving problems and perfecting the design, after three months of hard work, he finally completed the first version of the Power Furnace design. He named it the Anna Black Crystal Power Furnace, also known as the Black Crystal Power Furnace. ¡°Not bad, this design is already very refined. What¡¯s left are just some minor details, nothing that affects the overall quality,¡± Anna looked at Richard¡¯s design, nodding in satisfaction like an examiner, while Richard breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°If you haven¡¯t found any problems with it, Anna, then I can rest easy.¡± With that said, Richard carefully put away the returned blueprints and took a Crystal Ball out of his pocket. Within the Crystal Ball, an extremely intricate rune shimmered faintly. Anna frowned slightly, somewhat annoyed, ¡°What are you doing? You can¡¯t expect me to take your money, can you?¡± ¡°Hey, take a closer look at this rune, Sister Anna,¡± Richard said with a hint of mystery. Anna took the Crystal Ball into her hands and examined it closely, but upon inspecting it, her expression turned to one of astonishment. ¡°This is! This is a complete Mountain Rune!¡± Chapter 377: 92 Craftsman Type I Single Soldier Armor Chapter 377: Chapter 92 Craftsman Type I Single Soldier Armor A decade of practice, and Richard had done more than just refine his combat skills. Over these ten years, he had also completely finished observing the Mountain Heart within the Changshan Temple. The complete Mountain Rune was thus born. This rune was the most complex rune Richard had ever seen, its intricate structure similar to a biological meridian chart. ¡°Anna, you saw it right, this is the complete Mountain Heart Rune,¡± Richard said with a smile, ¡°I wonder if you still remember what I asked you to do back then.¡± Before setting out for the Red Sun World, Richard had given the incomplete Mountain Heart Rune to Anna, asking her to research self-repairing Elemental Puppets. Now, centuries had passed, and he did not know whether Anna still remembered this task. ¡°Of course, I remember!¡± Anna said somewhat angrily, ¡°Do I look like the kind of wizard who would forget about a promise?¡± Richard nodded slightly, then asked further, ¡°Since you remember, Anna, how is your progress?¡± ¡°Progress¡­¡± Anna suddenly became silent. After struggling for a while, she finally spoke up timidly, ¡°There has been no progress. I¡¯ve tried for a long time to meet your requirements, but I have never found a suitable research direction.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, ¡°What went wrong?¡± Anna sighed and led Richard to the study on the third floor. The study had a huge bookshelf filled with magic books collected by Anna and her research notes. She searched through them for a while and handed a thick, black leather notebook to Richard. ¡°Take a look, these are my experimental records from that time. Your idea seemed feasible, but in practice, it had significant problems.¡± Richard took the notebook, found a chair, and began to read it seriously. Anna¡¯s records were very detailed; she not only documented her experimental process but also her thoughts at the time and the origins of these ideas. This allowed Richard to easily understand Anna¡¯s thinking while reading. Soon, Richard had read through the entire notebook. After finishing, Richard sighed softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there would be so many intricacies in a single Earth Element Core, it seems I was too naive.¡± His initial idea was to divide a Magic Statue into multiple components, and then use the properties of the Mountain Rune to give all these components the ability to heal themselves automatically. But in practice, this approach was completely unworkable. Magic Statues do not have high material requirements, but they cannot just be made of ordinary rocks and soil. If the Puppet components were to undergo Elementalization, they would need to be subject to complex enchantments which would cause the Magic Statue to consume a terrifying amount of energy. Moreover, even with enchantment, the strength of these Earth Element components would not match that of proper metal parts or special material components. In summary, this idea was wrong. Richard rubbed his temples, this had been his first failed innovation in years. Indeed, a creative idea without a knowledge base was like a blind draw from a black box; success depended entirely on luck. Richard returned the notebook to Anna, ¡°Since this approach has failed, there is no need for you to keep dwelling on it, Anna. You don¡¯t need to worry about the rune. Investing comes with risks, and I was prepared for failure. As for the Mountain Heart Rune, if you want to study it, I can lend it to you temporarily. But you must not share this rune with anyone else, except for your own students.¡± Anna waved her hands repeatedly at Richard¡¯s offer, ¡°No need, no need at all. Although the rune is excellent, it has nothing to do with my research. Wizards from the Shape-shifting School might be interested in it; you can let Ali study it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Richard looked at Anna, unsurely asking, ¡°Once this opportunity is missed, there might not be another. Are you sure, Anna?¡± ¡°I am sure,¡± Anna said emphatically, ¡°I know you mean well for me, brother, but this rune really doesn¡¯t fit with my research. If I took it for study, it would only distract me.¡± Seeing Anna¡¯s resolve, Richard did not insist any further. He stood up, bid her farewell, and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I shall take my leave, sister.¡± ¡­ Upon leaving the Tower of Truth, Richard took a detour to Bliss City and purchased a large batch of alchemy materials from the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. It couldn¡¯t be helped; the Extreme North barely had any AAirship fleets, and the materials stored by Wizard Commerce were mostly related to Physique Evolution. The materials Richard needed for his Alchemy Machine research were ones they likely could not provide. So Richard decided to buy them while he was en route. With the materials in tow, he returned to the Wizard Tower and plunged into the laboratory, beginning the construction of the first Black Crystal Power Furnace. A month later. On the experimental platform, a fist-sized metal sphere floated in the air. The metal sphere was engraved with dense runes that were connected to each other, forming a cage, trapping whatever was inside the sphere. This was the Black Crystal Power Furnace, which could provide energy exceeding ten pieces of Magic Essence with just a segment of the Yuris Black Crystal. This number might not seem impressive, but if you convert it, that is the equivalent of ten thousand Magic Stones. And for a One Ring Wizard, even if their spiritual power reaches the pinnacle of One Ring, their Magic Rebound reserve would only amount to thirty-four Magic Stones. ¡°The energy provided by a Black Crystal Power Furnace,¡± Richard marveled, ¡°actually compared to the magic rebound storage of nearly three hundred One Ring Wizards.¡± Moreover, a Wizard¡¯s magic rebound is a biologically efficient way of energy storage. The energy circulation and storage capability within the bodies of ordinary native creatures are far less than this value. However, Richard regretted that when he was making the power furnace, he roughly estimated the cost of using this type of power furnace as the energy source for his small Floating City. The result made Richard immediately reject the idea. No way around it, it was too expensive. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The power furnace for this small Floating City still depended on the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace from the Monster World. Speaking of which, his Power of Nightmare should have accumulated enough by now. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he could unravel the secrets of that power furnace. Putting the Black Crystal Power Furnace into his pocket, Richard then opened a Secret Realm Rift and entered the Secret Realm. Inside the Secret Realm, birds chirped and flowers fragranced the air, only the corner of a stone wasteland vibrated with the roar of machinery. This stone wasteland wasn¡¯t formed naturally but was the result of Richard choosing it as the location for the alchemy workshop, with the Fire Lizard hardening the ground. The land of nearly a quarter of a square kilometer in area was all hardened into sturdy stone by the Fire Lizard. In the alchemy workshop, groups of Fire Lizard Craftsmen gathered, discussing over the design blueprints. Although they had experience in designing the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor, they were equally perplexed by Richard¡¯s unreasonable demand to ¡°increase the armor¡¯s performance as much as possible while keeping production costs and difficulties low.¡± This demand was truly excessive; those three aspects usually required trade-offs; one couldn¡¯t have it all. But given Richard was their boss, and also the financier and savior of their race, even with such an excessive request, they had to find a way to fulfill it. ¡°How¡¯s your research coming along?¡± Hearing the voice from behind, all the Fire Lizard Craftsmen stood up and turned to bow slightly to Richard. As one of the leaders among the Fire Lizard Craftsmen, Calion was the first to speak. ¡°Lord, you¡¯ve come at the right time. What do you think of this design blueprint?¡± With that, Calion approached Richard and handed him a stack of draft papers. ¡°After several discussions, we¡¯ve come to a conclusion. We made some trade-offs regarding the armor¡¯s performance, and on that basis, we¡¯ve managed to reduce the production cost and difficulty as much as possible.¡± Richard browsed through the draft papers. Indeed, these Fire Lizard Craftsmen had managed to reduce the cost and production difficulty of the Single Soldier Armor to a very low degree. The armor still used an exoskeleton, and its outer armored plates could defend against 300 Energy Level elemental attacks as well as 400 Energy Level physical attacks. In terms of auxiliary functions, the armor could make the wearer more agile, faster, and stronger. Its material cost was also compressed to ten Magic Essences per set. Apart from high energy consumption, the armor could be considered a perfect mass product. ¡°Not bad, let¡¯s go with this one,¡± Richard decided. ¡°But this is just the main structure, I still need some weapons. I¡¯m not very clear on your weapons requirements, so you¡¯ll have to design them.¡± Seeing Richard agree, Calion sighed in relief and respectfully said, ¡°Lord, we have already prepared the weapon designs.¡± Upon saying this, Sulina approached Richard with a stack of draft papers. Richard took the drafts and read through them. The papers depicted many types of weapons including, but not limited to, scimitars, spears, bows, javelins, and other cold weapons. These cold weapons all needed to be created using Giant Dragon Alchemy, and their production costs had also been kept very low. ¡°Good,¡± Richard nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard during this time.¡± Saying this, Richard took out the Black Crystal Power Furnace. ¡°This is the power furnace I made; adapt it and try to make a suit of armor first. If there are no issues, then the design blueprint for the armor is confirmed.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± Handing the materials over to the Fire Lizard Craftsmen, Richard turned and left the Secret Realm. Half a month later, the first set of armor was successfully produced. Overall, the armor appeared to be a scaled-down version of the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor. The external armored plates of the armor were still made using Giant Dragon Alchemy. However, the interior structure incorporated many aspects of Wizard Alchemy. There was no way around it; in terms of material application, Wizard Alchemy was much more advanced than Giant Dragon Alchemy. A Fire Lizard Worker was the one to test the armor¡¯s performance. He was a first-level Fire Lizard, and his body looked particularly robust. Soon, the testing began. The first round of testing for the armor involved movement. The Fire Lizard Worker completed various actions such as running, jumping, and rolling as required. Except for some limited movements, most of his actions were unimpeded. Moreover, thanks to the armor, his movements became more effortless. Besides movement tests, the armor also underwent resistance tests, offensive tests, energy consumption tests, and destructive tests. The final results were also very satisfying to Richard. These Fire Lizards, once trained and wearing the armor, had a great chance of victory even against an average One Ring Wizard. After the test concluded, the Fire Lizard Craftsmen stripped the armor off the test subject, and, with Richard¡¯s nod of approval, the Fire Lizard earned a three-month vacation. ¡°Not bad, the design of this armor is very good,¡± Richard said to the Fire Lizard Craftsmen. ¡°Have you named it yet?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord,¡± one Fire Lizard Craftsman said with a smile. ¡°We call it ¡®Craftsman.''¡± Chapter 378: 93 The Upcoming War Chapter 378: Chapter 93 The Upcoming War After the blueprint was finalized, Richard did not rush into mass production. His Alchemy Workshop¡¯s machinery was currently dedicated to producing parts for the Magic Support Vehicles. If he wanted to switch to the production of Single Soldier Armor, Richard would have to drastically retrofit these machines. Moreover, at this point, producing these armors seemed rather pointless. Military expenses during wartime were inconspicuous, but once peace prevailed, the costs became particularly noticeable. Richard had not yet received definite news about a Plane War, so producing armor in advance was simply a waste of money. Equipment was not just about production; it required maintenance. Temporarily setting aside the armor issue, Richard¡¯s life returned to its tranquil routine. Time hurried by, and in the blink of an eye, a hundred years passed. In the laboratory, the Evolution Light Instrument emitted a pale blue beam, enveloping a piece of flesh within it. Behind that beam, an eerily blue flame quietly burned inside a crystal cover. Under the beam¡¯s radiance, the cells that made up the flesh quickly began to disintegrate; bodily fluids carrying cell debris turned into pus, dripping continuously from the flesh. Suddenly, the blue light disappeared. A tiny Magic Tentacle reached above the flesh and removed a small piece of it. ¡°At last it¡¯s successful. It wasn¡¯t in vain that I took the trouble to use the Original Blue Fire as a radiation source.¡± Standing in front of the experiment station, Richard carefully merged the flesh attached to the Magic Tentacle into his body. This was the sixth generation of Enhanced Cells, and Richard had experimented for nearly seventy years to reach this one cell. Ultimately, it forced Richard to extract the Original Blue Fire from the Secret Realm and upgrade the Evolution Light Instrument for success. After placing the sixth-generation Enhanced Cells, Richard let out a sigh, ¡°Ah, as my Physique improves, it¡¯s getting harder and harder to obtain Enhanced Cells.¡± It took him nearly thirty years to progress from the fourth generation to the fifth. And from the fifth to the sixth, it took him seventy years. If he wanted to obtain the seventh or eighth generation, the time required would likely grow even longer. However, compared to other wizards, this was already a rapid advancement. After five iterations of cellular upgrades, Richard¡¯s Physique reached 250 points. If he could complete the iteration with the sixth-generation Enhanced Cells, his Physique should improve by another five or six points. With the experiment a success, Richard cleaned up the experiment station and long-absent, left the laboratory. Outside the Wizard Tower, Extreme North City was thriving. After many years of development, Extreme North City had grown into a large city with nearly two million inhabitants. Although it didn¡¯t compare to the Academic Cities with populations over ten million, built by White Wizards in the central region of the Wizard World, in the lands of the Extreme North, this was the most prosperous city. The district Tosio had built was long ago flattened, and buildings of diverse architectural styles sprouted throughout the city. In the sky, small airships with shop advertisements glided above the city. On the ground, Alchemy Machines and horse-drawn carriages traveled on the same roads. Due to Extreme North City¡¯s prosperity, the furs, timber, medicinal herbs, and other resources from the Extreme North land had finally garnered the attention of mainland merchants. Numerous Airship Chambers of Commerce included Extreme North City in their trade routes, which further stimulated the city¡¯s development. Now, in the tales of the snow natives, Extreme North City had become the Dream City, the Earthly Divine Country. Richard flew over the city and looked down at the bustling streets below, a sense of unfamiliarity suddenly flashing through him. Over the years, he had not paid much attention to the development of Extreme North City. His impression of Extreme North City ceased at the last major expansion period, which was what he saw when he returned from the Mountain Secret Realm. After more than a hundred years of development, the city had gradually become unrecognizable to him. ¡°The power of mortals should not be underestimated. It¡¯s just a pity,¡± Richard mused softly. Although the strength of mortals was significant, in a world where Transcendent powers existed, these mortals were destined to be but vassals to the Transcendent. While Richard was reflecting, a presence suddenly caught his attention. He turned his gaze towards the direction of Jialong Wizard Academy; in the distance, a streak of light approached Extreme North City. ¡°A Three Rings Wizard? Which Three Rings Wizard would come to the Extreme North¡­ Stio! It¡¯s been a long time!¡± Richard looked at the streak of light, initially puzzled, but as the light drew closer, his dragon eyes pierced through the Wizard¡¯s glowing exterior and recognized the true face of the Wizard. Soon, the streak of light halted before Richard, revealing the iron-gray-skinned Stio. Stio sized up Richard with a hint of surprise, ¡°Richard, your progress is truly miraculous! It¡¯s been just over a hundred years, and your Physique has improved so much. If I waited a thousand or two thousand years, you might already have become a Great Wizard.¡± Hearing this, Richard replied with a smile, ¡°Good, I¡¯ll take that as a good omen. When I become a Great Wizard, I¡¯ll invite you to be the Deputy Dean.¡± After joking for a while, Richard welcomed Stio into the Wizard Tower. ¡°You came without warning, and I don¡¯t have any tea for guests on normal days. Make do with this; drink some of what I use to stay alert.¡± In the parlor, Richard casually took out a bottle of black liquid from his pocket and handed it to Stio. Stio accepted the bottle, glanced at it, and then promptly stuffed it into his mouth, chewing and swallowing both the bottle and the liquid. As soon as the substance hit his stomach, a look of surprise crossed Stio¡¯s face. ¡°Damn, what is this? It¡¯s so potent.¡± Stio felt completely energized after swallowing the liquid, even more so than after meditation. ¡°This is extract from a strain of Demonized Plants I cultivated myself, with a toxicity a hundred and thirty times stronger than Sweetheart Poison, enough to kill a One Ring Wizard with just half a milliliter. But for us¡­¡± Richard took another bottle of extract from his pocket and downed it in one go. ¡°It¡¯s just a stimulating drink.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Not bad, not bad, I¡¯ve learned something new,¡± Stio responded with amazement. ¡°I never thought that a Neurotoxin could be used as a stimulant.¡± The two seated themselves, and Richard was the first to speak, ¡°Stio, you seem to be in such a hurry to get here. It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve come for a visit. ¡®What is it? Did something happen?''¡± ¡°Haha, you saw right through me.¡± Stio laughed heartily, ¡°I¡¯m planning to purchase a few things from the Tower of Truth. Oh right, you probably don¡¯t know yet, our Academy is likely to launch an expedition in a few years. You¡¯d better prepare yourself during this time. I¡¯ve heard that the world we¡¯re heading to this time is no ordinary place. Exploratory Wizards have discovered many things resembling the remains of Floating Cities around that world. This time, the world we¡¯re visiting is almost certainly the battlefield of an ancient war between the Lost Ones and some civilization, and who knows what demons and monsters are hidden inside.¡± Hearing this news, Richard was startled. ¡°Such important news, and the Academy didn¡¯t notify me in advance?¡± Richard said somewhat angrily, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything about this war until now.¡± ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t get worked up, don¡¯t get worked up,¡± Stio chuckled, ¡°Our Academy usually announces such news five years in advance. I live inside the Academy, so I get the information a little faster.¡± ¡°That means I have at least five years.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Richard leaned against the back of his chair, his brain a tangled mess. However, he quickly calmed down; after all, he had at least five years. Within those five years, he definitely had to do something. The battlefield of the Pioneers was bound to harbor immense dangers, and as a Three Rings Wizard, if he were to join the war, he would undoubtedly be sent to the most perilous battlefields. The command center wouldn¡¯t just assign him a battlefield suited only for Second Ring Wizards to blast fish simply because Richard was too young. ¡°Whew, this is some explosive news,¡± Richard let out a breath, looking gratefully at Stio, ¡°When we get back to the Academy, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡± Upon hearing this, Stio laughed heartily, ¡°Haha, that¡¯s the spirit. But you¡¯d better get ready, if you¡¯re treating me, I¡¯ll choose the most expensive dishes.¡± Soon, Stio left. After seeing him off, Richard immediately entered the Secret Realm. Since war was looming, he naturally had to prepare thoroughly. In the Alchemy Workshop, Fire Lizard Workers were processing each rough component with alchemy. The Alchemy Workshop had been expanded several times and now housed nearly two thousand Fire Lizard Workers. Ten production lines were in operation simultaneously, just to provide components for the thriving trade of Magic Support Vehicles. ¡°Calion! Sulina!¡± Richard¡¯s voice prompted the two heads of the Fire Lizard Craftsmen to come out of the workshop. ¡°My lord, you wanted to see us?¡± ¡°Halt production, all of these machines are going to be moved to the Red Sun World later.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Calion was astonished and quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening, my lord?¡± Looking at him, Richard spoke with a grave tone, ¡°War is coming, Calion. War is coming!¡± ¡­ The relocation of the workshop was rapidly completed. As a Three Rings Wizard, Richard could now fly without any spells, solely through energy manipulation. And with just a little boost from Wind Element spells, Richard¡¯s speed surged even more. Traveling day and night, it took Richard only three days to get from the Extreme North to the Tower of Truth. For a One Ring Wizard, it would have taken more than half a year to make the same journey. Passing through the transmission gate of the Clear Frost Academy, Richard returned to the Red Sun World once more. ¡­ A team of Fire Lizards carried out a huge Melter from the Secret Realm Rift, followed by a Fire Lizard Craftsman approaching Richard. ¡°Lord, this is the last machine,¡± he said. Richard nodded, ¡°All right, resume the production line as quickly as possible. I¡¯ll give you three months to train a group of qualified workers on New World Island.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± After several hundred years of development, New World Island had also changed dramatically. Even though the Red Sun Gold Pattern Stone veins in the Red Sun World were long tapped out, thanks to the existence of the permanent territory, Richard¡¯s transmission array remained. The Fire Lizards could buy various resources from the Wizard World through the channels of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce. This ensured New World Island did not lack resources. And because there weren¡¯t many entertainment options on New World Island, it developed a very artistic atmosphere. Even the Fire Lizard Warriors were influenced by this atmosphere, refining their combat skills to be more precise and graceful. Flying in mid-air, Richard looked down at the well-organized New World Island and couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡± ¡°Akala, Azuhan, you¡¯ve managed this place quite well these years.¡± ¡°All thanks to your help, Lord Richard,¡± Azuhan responded calmly. After Richard put Azuhan to shame, he finally faced the grim reality ¨C the Fire Lizards lived better under Richard¡¯s command. With Akala¡¯s support, he had once again become the leader of New World Island. Richard shook his head slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be modest, resources alone couldn¡¯t accomplish this. I have a city in the Wizard World, and managing it is such a hassle.¡± The two Fire Lizards did not respond, waiting silently for Richard¡¯s next words. ¡°The reason I¡¯m here, besides moving the workshop, there¡¯s something else I need to do.¡± ¡°Please speak, my lord,¡± Akala said respectfully. ¡°Do you remember the contract we signed?¡± Richard asked, his gaze shifting leisurely towards the Fire Lizard Warriors in the Martial Arts Arena. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to pay the Blood Tax.¡± Chapter 379: 94 War Preparation Chapter 379: Chapter 94 War Preparation ¡°Blood Tax was an extremely important clause in the contract Richard signed with the Fire Lizards. Richard wasn¡¯t raising the Fire Lizards of New World Island for nothing. Under Richard¡¯s protection, they could enjoy the resources of the Wizard World, freely hunt around New World Island, and even relocate to the Main Continent to live in small numbers¡ªall of these came with a price. Apart from providing Richard with a constant stream of craftsmen, the Fire Lizard race also had to supply soldiers, what Richard referred to as the Blood Tax. The contract stipulated that for every ten Fire Lizards born, one had to be given as Blood Tax. At birth, these Fire Lizards would undergo a selection process. Once selected, their records would be marked with the label of Blood Tax. If Richard didn¡¯t come to collect, they would live just like any other Fire Lizards. But if Richard decided to enforce the Blood Tax, these Fire Lizards had to serve as his servant army, charging into battle for him. This was the cost of survival for the Fire Lizards. Hearing Richard bring up the Blood Tax, Akala and Azuhan¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. Eventually, what was to come would come. ¡°How many Blood Taxes are you planning to collect this time, my lord?¡± Azuhan asked with some difficulty. He knew that those Fire Lizards given as Blood Tax were unlikely to return. But he was even more aware that if they didn¡¯t pay the tax, Richard could easily make the Fire Lizards pay tenfold, a hundredfold the price. ¡°Not sure yet,¡± Richard said indifferently. ¡°I need to review your roster before making a decision.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The register of Blood Taxes was in Azuhan¡¯s office. Over the years, the list of Blood Taxes had grown into an entire booklet. In this booklet, the names of the Blood Taxes who had died were crossed out with a black pen, those who were disabled were circled, and the completely healthy had no mark at all. In addition to their health status, there were symbols indicating their level next to their names. A First Level Fire Lizard was marked with a single dot, and a Second Level Fire Lizard with two dots. Richard reviewed the entire register and couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. Providing for an entire race sure felt good. There were one hundred and thirty-two living Second Level Fire Lizards on the roster and an even more impressive one thousand nine hundred and thirty First Level Fire Lizards. With some armor designed specifically for craftsmen and proper training, each of these Fire Lizards could rival a wizard. Richard handed the register back to Azuhan. ¡°Not bad, it seems you haven¡¯t tried any tricks.¡± Azuhan bowed his head and forced a smile, humbly saying, ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare to play any tricks. If something goes wrong, it won¡¯t just be these men dying.¡± ¡°Ah, you can¡¯t say it like that.¡± Richard stood up, patted Azuhan on the shoulder, ¡°I am picking a military force, not experiment subjects. Those selected Fire Lizards will join me in battles across other worlds. If they are lucky enough or strong enough, coming back alive isn¡¯t an issue. And if they return, I will offer them an extra contract. You should know that I am always generous to my own people.¡± Azuhan replied with a strained smile, ¡°Your kindness¡­¡± Richard chuckled, patted Azuhan¡¯s arm again, and then left the room. He could see that Azuhan was mentally struggling with working for him, the same foe who had nearly wiped out the Fire Lizards. This conflict of belief was subtly affecting his mental state. In comparison, Akala seemed to be dealing with the situation better. The Fire Lizard princess was stronger than Richard had anticipated. Falling from the status of an Empire¡¯s princess to serving under her enemy, she managed to accept her new reality with composure. Perhaps she didn¡¯t consider it a humiliation to make a living under a World Master. After the factory relocation was completed, Richard conveyed the news to Jolod at the Black Tower Wizard Academy, instructing him to receive parts in the Red Sun World in the future. Before relocating the factory, the parts for the Magic Support Vehicles produced by Richard¡¯s Alchemy Workshop were transported by airship fleets to Jolod¡¯s workshop for secondary assembly and processing. Having settled the affairs with the Chamber, Richard immediately started contacting the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce and ordered a large batch of alchemy materials. ¡°Richard, my boy, such a big order; what are you planning to do with all this?¡± Bob¡¯s puzzled voice came through the Crystal Ball, to which Richard answered dispassionately, ¡°I¡¯m preparing for a war, just getting some things ready.¡± Aside from ordering materials from Bob, Richard also reached out to Jimmy. While alchemy materials could be acquired from Bob, resources for physique evolution were better obtained through Jimmy. As the Deputy Dean of Jialong Academy, he had a vast network of connections for purchasing experimental materials related to physique evolution. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve opted for the Transformation Battle Body?¡± Inside the Tower of Truth¡¯s Duel Arena, Jimmy, recognizing the materials Richard mentioned, felt all too familiar with them. ¡°Yes, Master, I plan to undergo training for the Transformation Battle Body soon.¡± Jimmy glanced at the dueling platform, then refocused on the Crystal Ball. ¡°The Transformation Battle Body isn¡¯t easy to master. If anything goes wrong, you¡¯ll have to start from scratch. You¡¯ve only been studying physique evolution for a few hundred years; I wouldn¡¯t recommend you to train this battle body.¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯m confident I¡¯ve found a minor shortcut.¡± ¡°A shortcut?¡± Jimmy stroked his shiny bald head, unaware that there was a shortcut for mastering the Transformation Battle Body. But after a moment of thought, he suddenly realized what Richard was referring to. ¡°You¡¯re planning to integrate Dragon Blood, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The wisdom of the Master is as profound as the ocean.¡± ¡°Indeed, Dragon Blood can be considered a shortcut, but I would advise against continuing in this direction.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Listening to Jimmy¡¯s advice, Richard was slightly taken aback and then inquired, ¡°Why? Is there a problem with this approach?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a problem. Giant Dragons are different from other creatures. If you want to study them, you must acquire the fresh blood of high-level Giant Dragons. But in the Wizard World, Third Level Giant Dragons are at the peak. Those with a fourth head are very hard to access for their fresh blood. And even if you can get it, merging with it is no simple task. Unless you can obtain the fresh blood of Dragon Princes. Moreover, the inherently invasive nature of Dragon Bloodlines is also a significant issue; you must find a way to suppress this invasion. ¡± In any case, without enough knowledge accumulation, Dragon Blood can be used temporarily, but for serious study, it¡¯s best to switch to something else.¡± Dragon Prince heir? Erosion? A hint of a smile appeared on Richard¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you, Master, for your guidance. I will be mindful of that.¡± ¡°Alright, as long as you have the concept, that¡¯s fine. I will notify you once I have collected all the items, and, if nothing unexpected happens, the remaining time should be enough for you to complete the Transformation Battle Body.¡± ¡°Remaining time?¡± Richard asked, puzzled. From the Crystal Ball came Jimmy¡¯s laughing scold: ¡°What are you pretending to be confused about, boy? You know about the expedition, so how could I, the Deputy Dean, not be aware? Hurry up and enhance your strength. I heard from the dean that this war might be a trial for us junior wizards.¡± Hearing this, Richard immediately replied with respect: ¡°Thank you, Master, for the guidance.¡± ¡­ After arranging things, Richard immediately began working on the production line for Single Soldier Armor. Many of the machines used to produce Single Soldier Armor for craftsmen are the same as those used for Mechanic Single Soldier Armor, only the specifications are a bit lower. Thus, with experience in forging Mechanic Single Soldier Armor, it took Richard and the Fire Lizard Craftsmen only three months to set up a production line. The timing was just right as the Fire Lizard Workers returned. Though these workers were called workers, in the former Red Sun World, they could have been considered Fire Lizard Craftsmen. Compared to the Fire Lizard Craftsmen under Richard, they lacked only in knowledge and experience. As the older batch of Fire Lizard Craftsmen under Richard died, new craftsmen would emerge from these workers. With the help of these workers, the production line quickly started up, and alloys were transformed into part after part. Besides getting them to start, Richard also sent Jolod a list. The number of Single Soldier Armors was too large; Richard couldn¡¯t complete them all by himself, including parts that required Wizard Alchemy. According to Richard¡¯s plan, he intended to create a battle group of five hundred people to serve as his auxiliary army. Therefore, he needed to prepare at least five hundred sets of Craftsman Type-I Single Soldier Armor, and he also had to modify some of the armor to fit Second Level Fire Lizards. Two years later, Richard received a notification from Jialong Academy. The notification not only announced the start time of the war but also included much intelligence on the world to be explored. Scout wizards used some methods to pass through the world barrier and conducted preliminary investigations inside the world. The results they got were quite unsettling. All wizards who entered to investigate the interior of the world died, and the messages they sent back were somewhat baffling. They said that the world was alive. Based on this information, the Academy¡¯s higher-ups consulted a lot of expedition records from other planes. They eventually speculated that the world to be explored might be a World Tree world, that is, a world dominated by the World Tree. Following this deduction, the Academy offered some advice. Wizards participating in this expedition must prepare for prolonged combat, so they had to purchase a sufficient quantity of supplies, with as wide a variety as possible. This is because the Teleportation Gate for this expedition might be exceedingly difficult to open. After receiving this advice, Richard immediately made a list and handed it over to Jolod to purchase on his behalf. He himself then immersed in the cultivation of the Transformation Battle Body. After more than a hundred years of growth, Hog had gone from a young dragon to a youth, reaching Level Two, and his size was as big as a cow. With Dragon Language Magic and the naturally superior physique of a giant dragon, Hog was even more powerful than many Second Ring Wizards. However, for Richard, her combat power was secondary; her bloodline was of utmost importance. In the lab, Richard extracted a tube of extremely red, fresh blood from Hog¡¯s body, who looked at him somewhat fearfully. Over the years, she had come to understand the changes in the Wizard World. The throne of the giant dragons had long been overthrown, and her kin had become slaves to the wizards. This made her sad, but also resigned to her fate. Her understanding of the glory of the giant dragons was merely those ancient memories passed down. She had never truly experienced the glory of the dragons. Therefore, although she disliked being a Magic Pet for a wizard, it was not something she couldn¡¯t accept. Thinking this, Hog took a large handful of tender white mushrooms from the pocket at her waist and stuffed them into her mouth. The splendor of the giant dragons was a thing of the past; delicious mushrooms were the reality. Richard carefully injected the Dragon Blood drawn from Hog into the Magic Potion he had prepared. As the Dragon Blood merged, the color of the Magic Potion shifted from colorless to blood-red and then changed back to colorless. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s successful!¡± Richard watched the Magic Potion with some excitement. This potion was the essence of the Transformation Battle Body¡ª the Transforming Elixir. Its main function was to neutralize conflicts between bloodlines and promote the fusion of bloodlines. With this, even if Richard fused tens or hundreds of bloodlines, he would not perish from bloodline conflict. The cultivation of the Transformation Battle Body was to create a gland that could produce Transforming Elixirs and implant it within the body. Having confirmed the success of the Transforming Elixir gland, Richard went to the corner of the lab. In the corner stood a cultivation pod, and inside, a body of Richard lay there. ¡°The biggest problem with Dragon Blood is erosion, but what if I could contain the erosion? Wouldn¡¯t Dragon Blood then be perfect?¡± With these words, Richard¡¯s body emanated a layer of holy light, and a complex rune slowly emerged in his hands. Divine Arts: Abyss Suppression Chapter 380: 95: Transformation Battle Body, Hundred Man Battle Group Chapter 380: Chapter 95: Transformation Battle Body, Hundred Man Battle Group Abyss Suppression, a divine art created by the civilization of gods to control the Abyss Erosion. The original version of this divine art could only be learned by becoming a Divine, but after several simplifications, this art was finally accessible to third-level creatures, albeit with significantly reduced power. The number of followers in the Miracle Sect had already reached tens of millions, and as their Main God, Richard now possessed a considerable amount of Power of Faith. Thus, Richard had learned quite a few lower-level divine arts from Ulysses, including the simplified version of Abyss Suppression. Richard threw a complex Rune into the Dragon Blood; quickly, the highly active Dragon Blood calmed down. Richard allowed his soul to exit its shell and enter the body in the experimental chamber. Immediately afterward, he injected the heart with the Dragon Blood treated with Abyss Suppression. Thud! Richard felt his heart thump violently; a severe pain burst from his heart, spreading instantly through his nerves to his entire body. But soon, this pain, striking like lightning, was replaced by a scorching heat akin to a branding iron. An extremely concentrated and complex pentagon alchemy array emerged on his chest. The Dragon Blood he injected into his body constantly merged with Richard¡¯s body under the influence of the alchemy array, yet his body underwent no changes at all. Such was the miraculous nature of the Transformation Battle Body; it was cultivated much like hybrid blood but used more like a Bloodline Seed. If the Wizard did not actively release the Transformation Battle Body, the merged Bloodline would not alter the Wizard¡¯s flesh. Soon, the fusion was complete. Richard stood up from the culture chamber, and at a thought, the Magic Rebound in his body transformed into an extremely complex energy cycle. Under this new energy cycle, his body began to undergo dramatic changes. Pale Dragon Scales pierced through his skin, crazily spreading across his body. Then, his body organs started to mutate. His heart became larger, his lung lobes began to proliferate, and nameless glands and tiny bizarre bones emerged almost out of nowhere from his flesh. Richard was undergoing an intense Dragon Transformation. This transformation lasted for about a minute, during which Richard¡¯s body changed dramatically. His body grew significantly sturdier, and his height suddenly reached around two meters and fifty centimeters. His body was covered with a layer of bone-like Dragon Scales adorned with golden patterns, looking noble and mysterious. On his head, a pair of somewhat fierce Dragon Horns faintly crackled with electricity. ¡°Is this what Dragon Transformation feels like? It feels pretty good,¡± Richard said, slightly excited, as he felt the changes in his body. Though his physique had not changed due to Dragon Transformation, he could feel that his current body¡¯s strength, agility, and speed far surpassed his previous body. No wonder Giant Dragons could become the dominants of the Wizard World; these physical conditions were too formidable. Hog, who was nearby, saw Richard suddenly undergo Dragon Transformation, and his eyes nearly popped out. He could now be very certain that Richard was Dragon Transformed. But why would Richard, a Wizard, Dragon Transform himself for no reason? Dragon Transformation was irreversible. After some thought, Hog cautiously inquired, ¡°Uhm¡­ Master? Have you undergone Dragon Transformation?¡± Hearing Hog¡¯s voice, Richard turned to look at the Giant Dragon. ¡°Yes, now try commanding me using the Dragon Language.¡± Hog was startled, ¡°Ah? That doesn¡¯t seem very proper.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I need to test something, hurry up!¡± Seeing Richard¡¯s firm attitude, Hog reluctantly tried commanding in the Dragon Language, ¡°Come here, servant.¡± Upon hearing the command, Richard distinctly felt an abnormal movement in his body. He could feel an unusual bioelectric current forming in his brain, which involuntarily made his body obey the command. A slight smile curled up on Richard¡¯s lips: ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± After speaking, Richard used Flesh Control to lift his skull, and then his soul left his body, manipulating Magic Power to move aside his brain. After the brain was moved, something resembling a ganglion appeared in front of Richard. In the Dragon Transformation kinds¡¯ anatomical maps that Richard obtained, this ganglion was often thought to assist in the release of Dragon Language Magic. ¡°Tsk tsk, all these wizards keep the real stuff hidden and put out the wrong things,¡± Richard murmured. Richard didn¡¯t believe that, over so long a time, wizards had not discovered the secrets of Giant Dragons controlling Dragon Blood Species. Crazed individuals were not rare among wizards; they must have discovered such things that only required Dragon Transformation of a body long ago. But they simply never talked about it. Once he pinpointed the issue, Richard quickly modified this ganglion. For this, he specifically sought the help of Jolod and several Alchemy Wizards who owed him favors. After the modification of the ganglion, the body¡¯s normal functions remained unimpaired, and the commands of Giant Dragons could no longer activate this ganglion. With everything in place, Richard soon completed the cultivation of the Transformation Battle Body on his own body. ¡­ Apart from cultivating the Transformation Battle Body, Richard¡¯s planned Combat Company was also gradually taking shape. According to Richard¡¯s plan, this Combat Company would have a total of five hundred people; each twenty people forming a Combat Squad and one hundred people forming a Combat Company. The members of the Combat Squad were composed of eighteen First Level Fire Lizards, and two Second Level Fire Lizards, with the two Second Level Fire Lizards serving as the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader of the Combat Squad. And each Combat Squad¡¯s Team Leader would be the Company Commander of the Combat Company to which the squad belonged. In the Secret Realm, the fully assembled Fire Lizard Battle Group stood neatly in front of Richard, ready for his inspection. These Fire Lizards were all dressed in brand new craftsman type Single Soldier Armor, equipped with standard Scimitars, standard small Dragon Breath Guns, and five standard javelins. The equipment was somewhat crude, but as a start-up, Richard was unclear about what weapons to prepare for them at the moment, so he let the Fire Lizard Craftsmen make the current equipment based on their experience. After the inspection was completed, Richard nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Indeed, this is what an army should look like.¡± When this group of Fire Lizards first entered the Secret Realm, they were nothing like this; at that time, their Battle Group was incredibly disorganized. Although five hundred Fire Lizards were gathered together, they looked more like a body forcibly stitched together. Once they moved, the body¡¯s arms and legs were all about to come apart. Clearly, this type of Battle Group was far from meeting Richard¡¯s standards. To address this, Richard recalled Makar to the Secret Realm to act as the drill instructor for this disorganized group of Fire Lizards. And this training lasted five years. Now that Richard was about to join an expedition, this group of Fire Lizards finally resembled proper soldiers. Richard approached the front of the Battle Group and patted Makar¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Not bad, you¡¯ve worked hard during this time.¡± Makar respectfully responded, ¡°It is my duty.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll send you back. You won¡¯t need to join this expedition.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Makar was suddenly startled, somewhat doubting what he had heard. ¡°You heard me right,¡± Richard said indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ll go on this expedition alone.¡± ¡°But sir, your safety¡­¡± Richard smiled, ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about my safety, Makar.¡± As he spoke, Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. By now, Richard¡¯s strength had reached that of a Three Rings Wizard, and he had also practiced the Transformation Battle Body and inherited much from Changshan Temple. In terms of combat power, Richard was no less than Makar. In a real battle, it was still uncertain who would need to protect whom. And during the last Academy War, it was purely because Ulysses could not enter; as a guard, Ulysses was much more useful than them. Makar looked at Ulysses and then bowed, ¡°As you will.¡± ¡­ After sending Makar back to the Red Sun World, Richard casually visited the community of the Black Tower Wizard Academy and returned to the Wizard Tower where he used to live. Looking at the Wizard Tower he was so familiar with, Richard rang the doorbell. Ring, ring, ring¡­ The sound of the doorbell resounded, and a wizard flew out of the window on the second floor, landing in front of the main door. ¡°Teacher, what brings you here!¡± Although Richard had left the Black Tower Wizard Academy, he did not take Wuni with him. After his departure, his Wizard Tower naturally passed to Wuni. Richard patted Wuni¡¯s head, smiling, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m joining an expedition and came to check on you, and also to leave something for you.¡± ¡°Expedition?¡± Wuni was startled, then expressed concern, ¡°Teacher, why are you suddenly joining an expedition? You don¡¯t lack Magic Essence, what do you need to join an expedition for?¡± Richard laughed, ¡°It¡¯s a requirement from the Academy, and I have no choice. Besides, even if the Academy hadn¡¯t mandated it, I would still have joined the expedition.¡± ¡°Ah? Why is that?¡± ¡°Because to become a Great Wizard, simply relying on Magic Essence isn¡¯t enough,¡± Richard sighed softly, ¡°Magic Essence is just an aid; to truly become a Great Wizard, a wizard¡¯s capabilities matter the most. Without enough strength, even participating in the Great Wizard selection would simply be heading to one¡¯s death.¡± Wuni looked at Richard with a bit of surprise; he hadn¡¯t expected that Richard, having just become a Three Rings Wizard, was already considering how to become a Great Wizard. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go inside. I have something for you.¡± Entering the Wizard Tower, Richard took out a few sealed scrolls from his pocket and handed them to Wuni. ¡°Although I am confident about this war, just to be prepared, we still need to do what¡¯s necessary. These scrolls contain records of my research findings and property distribution. If something unexpected happens to me in the war, these scrolls will automatically open, and then you just follow the instructions in my will.¡± Wuni solemnly took the scrolls, placing them in his pocket. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Teacher, nothing will happen to you.¡± Hearing this, Richard felt a warm sensation in his heart. He was no longer alone. ¡°Alright, now that I¡¯ve given you these, I should head back.¡± Richard stood up ready to leave, but as he was walking to the front door of the Wizard Tower, he stopped. ¡°I almost forgot, one of those scrolls, the black one, you should pay attention to it. If I go missing, open that scroll.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Wuni responded. ¡­ After returning to the Wizard Tower, Richard intimately spent some time with Ali. This departure would last at least a hundred years, and for them, not seeing each other for over a century was still something unprecedented. And after his intimate time with Ali, Richard then entered the Nightmare World. There, he would do his final enhancement of combat strength¡ªhe was going to elevate his spiritual power to the absolute peak of a Three Rings Wizard. Chapter 381: 1 Pre-war Meeting Chapter 381: Chapter 1 Pre-war Meeting In the distant northern lands of the Nightmare World, Richard had radically transformed the area through his management. In the city projections caused by the Blood Moon Rule, millions of nightmare creatures gathered Power of Nightmare for him. Over time, the Power of Nightmare possessed by Richard had become truly terrifying. So much so that Richard was forced to abandon his original Nightmare Body and instead, created a new one for his daily activities. A pitch-black door appeared out of thin air, and Richard¡¯s soul flew out of it. The Gate of Nightmare opened into a lavishly decorated room, which, despite its opulence, contained little furniture except for a pitch-black coffin. Richard opened the coffin and entered the Nightmare Body resting inside. Soon after, a figure cloaked in black robes appeared in the northern city of the Nightmare World. ¡°My lord, you have returned.¡± Outside the mayoral residence, a nightmare creature resembling a white ape respectfully addressed Richard. Due to the development in the northern lands, Richard had granted governance to the bones, now turned into a Nightmare Knight, and this northern city was managed by the white ape before him. ¡°Secretary, how much Power of Nightmare is stored in the city?¡± Richard asked with some authority. The white ape pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°My lord, there are currently about twenty million strands of Power of Nightmare in the city.¡± Richard mused, ¡°Twenty million strands¡­ That should be sufficient.¡± To enhance his spiritual power, Richard only needed about four million strands of Power of Nightmare; twenty million was far beyond his needs. ¡°Take me to the storeroom, and also, call for Bones.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Refining four million strands of Power of Nightmare took Richard about ten days. After ten days, Richard¡¯s spiritual power remained at 299.9. This was the limit for a human¡¯s spiritual power, and if nothing unforeseen occurred, this number might remain unchanged for thousands of years. Stepping out of the storeroom, Richard saw a black knight, five meters tall wearing black armor, riding a magnificent Nightmare Steed. ¡°Boss, you called for me.¡± The black knight dismounted and knelt on one knee before Richard. This black knight was none other than Bones, who had become a Nightmare Knight. Richard nodded, ¡°Yes, I need to make a long journey, and I might not be able to return for some time. I¡¯ll leave the domain under your management for now.¡± Although the Gate of Nightmare allowed Richard free entry into the Nightmare World, once he left the Wizard World, the Gate of Nightmare could not be opened. Even if forced, what lay behind the gate would not be the Nightmare Wizard World. Nevertheless, Richard sensed that this phenomenon was due to his insufficient strength. The reason why the Gate of Nightmare could open precisely next to the Nightmare Body was because of the Soul Seed that served as Richard¡¯s beacon. However, once Richard reached other worlds, this connection of souls would be hindered by some unknown barrier. Richard had conducted simple tests about this phenomenon and concluded that the stronger his spiritual power, the lesser the hindrance. If he could break through the human limit of spiritual power, then overcoming this barrier would no longer be a problem. ¡°Yes! Boss.¡± ¡­ Time flew, and the day of the expedition arrived swiftly. The expedition layer of the Tower of Truth was still the same, its cold metallic floor making Richard somewhat weary. He suddenly remembered the last war he¡¯d partaken in¡ªthe Red Sun World expedition. Back then, he was a Second Ring Wizard, serving as a military advisor for Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce. That time, he too stood on this metallic floor, waiting with a group of wizards for the arrival of the Floating City. Back then, Vladimir was still alive, and on this cold metallic land, he had explained to Richard the costs of a Great Wizard¡¯s planar expedition. Now Richard stood again on this metallic land, but Vladimir, who had shared his knowledge, was no longer present. ¡°Why are you standing here?¡± A voice sounded behind Richard, and turning around, he saw Stio with his iron-gray skin, holding a hammer-like Magic Wand, curiously watching him. ¡°If not here, where should I be standing?¡± Richard was somewhat puzzled, ¡°Aren¡¯t we all waiting here?¡± Stio paused, then realizing, said, ¡°Oh right, this is your first planar expedition as a Three Rings Wizard.¡± Richard, now curious, asked, ¡°Do Three Rings Wizards have some special privilege during expeditions?¡± Stio laughed, ¡°I don¡¯t know about other academies, but ours does.¡± After saying this, he seemed a bit puzzled and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Richard honestly shook his head. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s probably Jimmy who forgot. No worries, just follow me.¡± Following Stio, Richard walked to a room below the expedition layer. Here, the war machines of the White Wizard were starting up, getting ready to move to the upper platform. Stio, familiar with the route, navigated through the war airships quickly, finding one that was slightly larger in size. Opening the airship¡¯s cabin door, Richard discovered that the airship was occupied by several hundred Three Rings Wizards. ¡°Stio, Richard, you guys are really slow,¡± Jimmy said with a smile to the two, ¡°If you were any later, we could have gone straight into the Floating City.¡± Stio laughed heartily, ¡°Hey, we got delayed a bit on the way.¡± As they took their seats, Richard looked curiously at the wizards in the cabin. All these wizards were Three Rings Wizards, who at the very least held the rank of Deputy Dean at the Academy. There was a time when Richard was distant from this tier of wizards and had to look up to them. Now, he had become one of them. As everyone arrived, Jimmy began the meeting. ¡°The world we are about to venture into is quite extraordinary, according to the Dean¡¯s assessment, this world is likely from the Ancient Times, a battlefield of war between the Lost Ones and some civilization. Furthermore, in this war, the Lost Ones appear to have been the defenders. So unless anything unexpected happens, we¡¯re likely to encounter the Lost Ones¡¯ war machines.¡± As he spoke, Jimmy took a bundle of scrolls from his pocket and distributed them to everyone. ¡°Inside these scrolls is the Academy¡¯s research on the Lost Ones over the years. Please take a look; it should be helpful. Also, if anyone has their own research on the Lost Ones, it would be best to share it with everyone now. The more information we have, the more chances of survival we have once we are on the battlefield.¡± The wizards took the scrolls, opened them, and read carefully. After a while, a Three Rings Wizard spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve encountered a type of weapon used by the Lost Ones; it¡¯s made of a material similar to crystal and is a polyhedral structure. This weapon can autonomously track the enemy, and I believe its tracking mechanism involves sound and light. Normally, it remains optically invisible, but once activated, it emits a dark red glow and discharges high-energy strikes between three thousand to three thousand five hundred energy levels.¡± Saying this, the Three Rings Wizard pulled a crystal ball from his pocket, which held a dark red polyhedron sealed inside it. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this device too,¡± said a wizard who looked like an Alchemy Puppet, ¡°In crucial situations, it can also self-destruct, with a force of about eight thousand energy levels. To combat this device, physical attacks are most effective; a blunt strike of one thousand energy levels can shatter it. However, it is protected by an energy barrier, rendering elemental spells under two thousand energy levels practically ineffective.¡± The wizards nodded their heads, committing the data about this weapon to memory. ¡°I¡¯ve also seen a weapon used by the Lost Ones,¡± another wizard spoke up, ¡°It was a massive black crystal puppet, shaped like a spider. This puppet has a high resistance to both elemental and physical attacks, but it only employs physical attacks. However, it was apparently functioning as a hub, releasing many devices like the ones just mentioned. In such a case, my personal advice would be to simply flee, unless, of course, someone knows the Decomposition Skill.¡± As this wizard finished speaking, another wizard began, ¡°I¡¯ve also seen a weapon, a Crystal Tower¡­¡± At this crucial moment, concerning their own lives, the wizards were no longer stingy with their research, and they began discussing information about the Lost Ones earnestly. The array of bizarre items mentioned opened Richard¡¯s eyes widely. Among this information, he envisioned a great civilization fond of manipulating crystals. ¡°¡­When encountering this weapon, I suggest using shock wave attacks.¡± Another wizard shared his information about the Pioneers, and after he finished, the airship cabin fell into silence, seemingly after all the information had been shared. Seeing no wizard spoke for a long while, Richard finally said, ¡°I also have some information to share with you all.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Jimmy looked at Richard curiously, ¡°Richard, I recall this is your first expedition as a Three Rings Wizard. Have you seen the Lost Ones¡¯ weapons before?¡± The wizards in the cabin turned their gaze towards Richard. The artifacts of the Lost Ones were not easy to handle; the information they shared had, behind each item, the lives of several or even dozens of wizards. Moreover, even if Richard had seen them, seeing them and sharing information about them were two different matters. Sharing information required corresponding research. Sharing unconfirmed information might not only fail to help others but could also mislead them. Richard shook his head slightly, ¡°What I saw weren¡¯t the weapons of the Lost Ones, but the weapons of their servant army.¡± He then pulled a projection crystal ball from his pocket. Under Richard¡¯s control, the crystal ball projected a three-dimensional Holy Armor in the air. ¡°This is something I encountered during my last expedition, a weapon supplied to their servant army by the Lost Ones. This armor¡¯s shell could withstand spells of at least five thousand energy levels and had various enemy detection mechanisms including shadow crack detection. This armor was standard-equipped with what I call a Chain Saw Sword, a weapon with strong demon-breaking properties capable of shattering a magic barrier of four thousand energy levels in an instant. Besides that, it possessed various other functions, but due to the urgency of the situation, I was unable to study it in detail. I only know that this thing can also self-destruct, and it¡¯s extremely powerful.¡± Hearing this news from Richard, a flicker of shock passed through the hearts of the wizards. Such things were a struggle for them to handle; how Richard had survived then became the pressing question. Chapter 382: 2 A World Without Resistance? Chapter 382: Chapter 2 A World Without Resistance? ¡°Ten?¡± a wizard exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°How did you survive encountering ten of these things?¡± According to Richard¡¯s description, this weapon seemed specifically designed for hunting wizards. With advanced detection mechanisms, high magic resistance, and efficient demon-breaking weapons, a wizard could face three adversaries with one of these weapons. If there were ten of these, they could hardly think of anything that could stand against them except the White Wizard Army. ¡°Just luck,¡± Richard said indifferently, ¡°There were about seven or eight Three Rings wizards with me, but only three escaped in the end. Plus, that was because those natives had degenerated to the point where they couldn¡¯t fully utilize the capabilities of those weapons.¡± Though Richard spoke nonchalantly, the wizards present could imagine, based on their rich war experience, how they would escape if they faced such a situation as Second Ring wizards. But the outcome they pictured was death without doubt. Even if they put themselves in the current situation, they could not be sure of escaping safely. This thought made them develop a sense of respect for Richard. This newly advanced Three Rings wizard wasn¡¯t simple at all. After Richard shared the intelligence, no one else spoke among the wizards. It was just the time for the Floating City to descend, and many Three Rings wizards remained, arriving in the Floating City via airship. Above the Floating City, Garon the Great Wizard was delivering a pre-war speech. The speech was impassioned, but the Three Rings wizards inside the airship felt no stir in their hearts. They had been through too many wars; such speeches could no longer sway their hearts, hardened by blood and fire. Soon, the speech ended, and the Floating City, moving through a space rift, left the Wizard World. The wizards began to find their respective rooms. As a Three Rings wizard, Richard¡¯s room was situated in the spire at the upper levels of the Floating City. This was Richard¡¯s first time living in the upper levels of the Floating City. According to the room number plate, Richard reached the third floor of Tower 25; according to Jimmy, half of this entire floor was his. In the past, Richard could only reside in the lower levels, owning a room about ten square meters in size, with a quiet room only a few meters squared. Now, however, he had half of the high tower to himself. This half tower included a fully equipped wizard¡¯s laboratory, a meditation quiet room, a resting room, an exercise room, and a kitchen. Though these facilities could only be used during the journey and would all be turned into work areas once the Floating City landed, This did not affect Richard¡¯s current joyful mood. ¡°Being a Three Rings sure is nice.¡± Richard sighed lightly and walked into the room with light steps. ¡­ Ten years later. ¡°This world is truly beautiful.¡± Outside the Floating City, Garon the Great Wizard, dressed in a black robe, couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the verdant world nearby. ¡°Yes, Headmaster.¡± Next to Garon the Great Wizard, Jimmy, his body flickering with magic patterns. A magic barrier isolated him from the outside world. They were now in the Star Realm, a space nurturing countless worlds, filled with corrosive ether and violent spatial storms. Even as Three Rings wizards, they had to activate magic barriers to protect themselves from the ether and the spatial storms. Garon the Great Wizard, gazing at the world, said, ¡°Let¡¯s capture an image, Jimmy. Once we go in, this land might not be this beautiful anymore.¡± Jimmy took out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball from his pocket, saved the image of the verdant world, and then returned to the Floating City. Garon the Great Wizard sighed softly, casually pulling out a White Bone Wand from the void. This wand, much like the one owned by the Inferno Great Wizard, was made from the remains of a World Master. However, unlike the Inferno Great Wizard¡¯s wand, Garon¡¯s did not contain any low-grade World Masters. His wand was made entirely from the bones of Level 6 Creatures. Merely taking this wand out was enough to stir a spatial storm in the Star Realm. Gripping the wand, Garon the Great Wizard waved it gently, and a magic array expanded outward from the wand, quickly becoming almost as large as the Floating City. Guided by this wand, the massive Floating City began to approach the verdant world. War was about to begin. ¡­ Dong¡ªDong¡ªDong¡ª The deep sound of the bell echoed through the Floating City. Hearing this sound, every wizard, no matter what they were doing, stopped their activities. ¡°Is it finally time to go to war?¡± In the laboratory, Richard put down the alchemy materials in his hands and put everything in the room into a Magic Pocket. The Floating City only rang the bell in one situation: when it was about to enter a world. Richard casually opened the Secret Realm Rift, calling out Ulysses and Hog from the Secret Realm. ¡°The battle is starting, come out quickly.¡± Inside the Secret Realm, Ulysses was riding Hog in the air, playing an off-road game with a World Mushroom avatar. He stood on Hog¡¯s neck, each wing extending black energy chains, binding Hog¡¯s dragon horns to control Hog¡¯s flying direction. Under his control, Hog flipped and turned, dodging the World Mushroom¡¯s mycelium tentacles and the Holy Tree Elves following behind. ¡°Ah? We¡¯ve arrived already?¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s voice, Ulysses, somewhat surprised, made Hog stop. The World Mushroom and the Holy Tree Elves also stopped. Richard glared at him: ¡°We¡¯ve been traveling nearly ten years, and you call that quick?¡± ¡°Ah? Has it been almost ten years?¡± Ulysses awkwardly scratched his head, ¡°Staying in the Secret Realm all year round, I almost forgot about time.¡± Upon hearing that war was to begin, Richard¡¯s Fire Lizard Battle Group immediately stopped their training. ¡°Sir, are we going to participate in the battle?¡± A company commander from the battle group approached Richard and asked. Richard shook his head, ¡°No, you¡¯ll have to wait.¡± If nothing unexpected happened, a major battle was likely to follow, and they might have to face a group of natives wielding Pioneer weapons. At such times, a battle group of five hundred wasn¡¯t very useful; participating would mean being cannon fodder. He had spent so much Magic Essence, not with the intention of producing mere cannon fodder. After taking Ulysses and Hogla out of the Secret Realm, Richard arrived at the lower levels of the Floating City. On the way there, Richard stopped by the logistics department and collected some equipment exclusive to Three Rings Wizards. These included various functional Magic Potions and Magic Equipment, but the most important was a specially crafted Crystal Ball. Through this Crystal Ball, Richard could directly contact the command center and even issue an emergency conscription command, a privilege exclusive to Three Rings Wizards. Arriving at the airship level, the Crystal Ball he had just acquired started relaying commands from the headquarters. [Wizard Richard, please report to Airship Thirty-five.] Richard wandered around in the airship area and quickly found Airship Thirty-five. Upon entering the airship, Richard heard several exclamations. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have any issues?¡± Richard looked towards the wizards who had made the noise and saw reverence on their faces as they performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute. ¡°Master, we are from Extreme North City.¡± ¡°Oh¡ª¡± Richard suddenly realized, having built Extreme North City for so many years, It has definitely produced quite a few wizards. However, he had been so focused on his research that he never paid attention to this aspect over the years. In fact, nearly half of the Wizard Apprentices at Garon Wizard Academy were under Richard¡¯s jurisdiction. Even in a fantastical world, the basic laws of Richard¡¯s city ensured that residents could at least have food to eat and a place to live. In contrast, the tribes in the wilderness could suffer badly in a blizzard, potentially freezing many of their people. Under such circumstances, having only half of the apprentices from Richard¡¯s territory at Garon Wizard Academy was already quite typical of the fantastical world¡¯s status quo. Richard shrugged and said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t be so excited, we are all wizards from the same academy, it¡¯s common to meet in a plane expedition.¡± Yet, despite Richard¡¯s words, his image had already been portrayed as a saintly figure by the Miracle Sect. Even though these wizards had been educated at the Academy, due to their childhood exposure, they still held great reverence for this towering figure they had heard of all their lives. These wizards covertly exchanged Spiritual Messages, speculating about which ring level Richard might belong to, but they soon didn¡¯t need to guess. Because a Second Ring Wizard performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute to Richard. [Attention all wizards, attention all wizards] [Floating City is about to breach the World Barrier, prepare for war!] As the somewhat icy voice from the headquarters faded in the crystal ball, Richard suddenly felt a tremendous pressure, as if squeezing into the interior of something. This represented the Floating City breaching the world barrier. But this time, the pressure lasted longer than any of his previous expeditions. Ten minutes later, the intense pressure vanished, and Richard let out a slight sigh of relief. He turned to look at the other wizards in the airship and noticed several Second Ring Wizards sweating profusely, while the One Ring Wizards were even paler, many of them having fainted. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing that Richard remained composed, awe grew in the hearts of the wizards. Richard glanced at the unconscious wizards and casually commanded, ¡°Wake those who have fainted.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± they responded in unison. After this little episode, Richard began to await the intelligence report from the headquarters. Normally, the Slave Army would have already been deployed by now. Massive amounts of slaves would consume the natives¡¯ first wave of attacks and collect information for the wizards. However, this time the broadcast from the headquarters was delayed. Frowning, Richard stared at the Communication Crystal Ball he had obtained from the logistics department, thinking, ¡°Hmm? Is there something wrong with my crystal ball?¡± But before he could attempt a repair, the crystal ball relayed another command from the headquarters. [This world is provisionally named Green Forest World, with Magic concentration ten times that of the Wizard World, Four Elements Rules are balanced, special rules yet to be discovered] [All airships launch] ¡°Ah?¡± Richard was astonished by the crystal ball. While he could comprehend the first piece of information, the second one was beyond his understanding. They had just entered the world; why the rush to deploy the airships? He looked around and saw that the surrounding wizards were also puzzled. Everyone had not encountered such a scenario before. ¡°Could that have been a wrong command?¡± one wizard asked uncertainly. But after transmitting the command, the crystal ball went silent, which was unlike any mistaken command. The doors of the airship deck slowly opened, and war airships surged out of the Floating City like a school of sharks from the sea. Only once they emerged outside Floating City did Richard understand why the headquarters had issued such orders. Outside, the Floating City was peaceful, with none of the expected enemies in sight. Chapter 383: 3 Giant Life Chapter 383: Chapter 3 Giant Life No resistance? Richard, looking at the scene outside the airship, suddenly felt a surge of dread. This was not right, very not right. No matter the world, a floating city breaking through the World Barrier would elicit the vigilance of the World Will. In turn, it would alert the World Master within, informing them of an invader¡¯s arrival. Unless this world lacked a World Master, there was no reason they wouldn¡¯t be attacked. But this was a small world, and in most small worlds, there were multiple World Masters. How could it be possible that there were no World Masters here? Richard¡¯s thoughts mirrored those of the majority of the wizards. The calm sea meant there must be an ambush below. But they were quickly proven wrong. Because the floating city landed directly. The massive structure slowly descended from the sky, landing in the forest with a thunderous crash. Then the floating city began to deploy, with logistical wizards taking out their magic equipment to clear the surrounding area. ¡°Really no ambush?¡± Richard stared, dumbfounded, at the smoothly landed floating city. This was so unscientific! Where was the resistance? The ambush? Why was there nothing? But soon, commands from headquarters were transmitted through the White Wizards¡¯ crystal balls. [All White Wizards, attention, all White Wizards, attention.] [Immediately utilize all firepower to sweep the forest below, immediately utilize all firepower to sweep the forest below.] At this mission, some young White Wizards were puzzled, while those experienced veterans turned pale. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Get moving!¡± If headquarters was calling for all firepower, there must be a grave problem with the forest below. Following the order, the White Wizard Army, in conjunction with war airships, began to saturate the underlying woods with attacks. A vast amount of Fire Element Spells were cast around the floating city, the concentrated elements almost sparking a Fire Element Storm. Soon, the White Wizard Army had cleared the surrounding forest of the floating city. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that quite simple?¡± a White Wizard new to the Plane War joked. But an older wizard beside him glared fiercely at him. ¡°Listen up, rookie, if you don¡¯t straighten up your attitude, I can guarantee you won¡¯t survive this war¡­¡± Sssss¡­ A glob of green slime shot out from the ground, landing on the wizards¡¯ magic shields, emitting a sizzling noise. Then the White Wizard Army saw it¡ªwhat had been scorched earth due to their spells now sprouted many vine tendrils. At the tips of these tendrils grew highly distinguishable flowers and from within those blooms, something akin to the mouthpart of a lamprey suddenly sprayed out a glob of green slime. That slime they had just resisted was indeed the handiwork of these tendrils. ¡°Legion Shield.¡± The White Wizard Commander gave the order calmly. Though the vine whips were somewhat unexpected, the seasoned commander saw them merely as native anti-air units. And they were unguarded anti-air units at that. Meanwhile, inside the airship, the Black Wizards also received their instructions from headquarters. [All Black Wizards, please pay attention, all Black Wizards, please pay attention.] S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Enemy strategic weapons have appeared; Black Wizards will deploy in thirty seconds, targeting strategic weapons.] Hearing this familiar command, a sense of calm settled over Richard. Though their entry into this world was peculiar, things were finally getting back on track. The airship¡¯s drop doors slowly opened, and the wizards inside quickly locked onto their targets¡ªthe vine tendrils on the ground continuing to spray corrosive slime. Richard turned to Ulysses and said, ¡°Ulysses, keep an eye on Hog later, don¡¯t let her die.¡± ¡°Quack? You¡¯re asking me to look after her? What about you?¡± Ulysses asked, puzzled. A slight smile played on Richard¡¯s lips as pale dragon scales began to wildly spread across his skin. ¡°I am now a Three Rings Wizard as well, I won¡¯t die that easily.¡± The countdown began to echo from the crystal ball with the command center¡¯s voice, slightly cold. [Countdown commences: three, two, one, deploy!] The next moment, the sky darkened abruptly as three hundred thousand black silhouettes cascaded out of the war airship. The friction with the air was so intense as they plummeted that the magic shields around them flashed with a dazzling light. Three hundred thousand Black Wizards, like three hundred thousand meteorites, fell towards the ground. Bang~ Richard landed. As a Three Rings Wizard, Richard was past the age for flashy entrances; his landing was silent, like an ordinary person making a small jump. Not far in front of him, a massive vine tendril continued to squirt acidic slime skyward. And around it, seemingly out of nowhere, a ring of whip-like tendrils had grown, covered with sharp spikes that continuously lashed out in the air, making a snapping sound like a whip. Richard did not immediately go to remove the vine tentacle; on the contrary, after landing, he stopped moving and continuously observed his surroundings. ¡°These things are fishy,¡± Richard said, slightly frowning. Under his spiritual power¡¯s detection, he found that these whip-like vines were not lashing out aimlessly. As they whipped around, a large number of toxic spores were dispersed into the air. Though these toxic spores had no effect on a Three Rings Wizard like Richard, they were deadly poison to some One Ring Wizards with lower physiques. Moreover, these spores were extremely tiny; if he weren¡¯t a Three Rings Wizard, he might not have noticed them at all. Richard took out the Communication Crystal Ball and set it to communicate with the whole team, ¡°Attention, Black Wizard Squad 35, Attention Black Wizard Squad 35. There are large amounts of toxic spores in our area; the spores are fatally toxic to wizards with physiques under eighty, and will weaken wizards with physiques under one hundred. Wizards with low physiques must deploy their Magic Barriers and not let their guard down for a moment.¡± After speaking, Richard¡¯s magic power surged within him, and his body, already expanded by the Transformation Battle Body, expanded even further. He could feel that this vine tentacle was no simple matter; he had to be fully prepared. Runes in his Secret Silver Wand flickered, and fireballs with an aura of terror formed around Richard. Although Richard had shifted his focus onto physique Evolution over the years, it didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t studied Plastic Energy at all. The fireballs, already at an Energy Level of three thousand, reached an astonishing four thousand five hundred in power with the boost from the Secret Silver Wand and Luck Enchantment. These formidable fireballs, like a meteor shower, smashed towards the vine tentacles. Boom! Boom! Boom! The raging flames quickly submerged the roots of the vine tentacle. The giant vine tentacle collapsed with a thunderous crash, throwing soil and rocks into the air, while black fire spread along the vines. The constantly lashing vine whips also turned to ash in the flames. Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, but Richard had an unsettling feeling in his heart. Swoosh! Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air rang by Richard¡¯s ear. Richard sidestepped, only to see a vine whip crack and land beside his foot. Upon probing with his spiritual power, Richard saw that the ground beneath his feet was already filled with the vine¡¯s roots. [All Three Rings Black Wizards, pay attention, all Three Rings Black Wizards, pay attention] [Command has confirmed that all detected enemy strategic weapons are extensions of a giant lifeform. All Three Rings Black Wizards, please quickly locate the body of this creature.] [If possible, please seal and return this creature to command; if not, please eliminate it as soon as possible] Listening to the message in the Communication Crystal Ball, a hint of shock flashed through Richard¡¯s mind. Although these vine tentacles didn¡¯t appear significant from the sky, Richard realized, once close, that each one was as thick as an ancient tree. If they all stemmed from a gigantic lifeform, then wouldn¡¯t that creature be as massive as the World Mushroom? Thinking of this, a wry smile crossed Richard¡¯s face. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility¡ªtruly the iron rule of the Plane Battlefield. To any Three Rings Wizard, these vine tentacles were mere trifles, and it made sense that command wouldn¡¯t want to waste them here. ¡°Ulysses!¡± Richard called out. A black crow, riding a Giant Dragon, flew towards Richard. ¡°Caw, what¡¯s the situation!¡± Richard pointed to the ground. ¡°Take a look at where these vine¡¯s bodies are.¡± While saying this, Richard casually grabbed a vine whip that had sprouted from the ground and broke it off with a snap. ¡°Ho, this thing is quite tough,¡± Richard said, somewhat surprised as he looked at the vine whip in his hand. He was now in a transformed state; after turning dragon-like, his strength was enough to wrestle with a Giant Dragon with the same physique. Yet, when he broke off this vine whip, he felt a hint of resistance. He brought the vine whip to his face, and inside it, countless tiny fibers were woven together, much like a steel cable. On the outer layer of the vine whip, numerous fine thorns stood rigidly between the large spikes. Richard was certain that these thorns contained potent toxins. ¡°This thing is definitely a Biological Weapon left by the Pioneers of old.¡± Beside Richard, Ulysses¡¯ eyes glinted with a faint light, and a holy, majestic glow covered his entire body. He set his gaze towards the depths of the dense forest and soon shouted, ¡°Caw! Found it!¡± With that, Ulysses rode Hog into the woods. Richard followed close behind and informed command through the Communication Crystal Ball, ¡°This is Black Wizard Squad 35¡¯s Richard; I have located the creature¡¯s body; I have located the creature¡¯s body.¡± [Command has received, Three Rings Wizards near you will converge on your location] At the same time, the Three Rings Wizards around Richard heard the command¡¯s order from their Crystal Balls. Moreover, an arrow indicating Richard¡¯s direction appeared in their Crystal Balls. ¡°Richard found it?¡± Stio, with his iron-grey skin, looked at the order in his Crystal Ball and casually smashed the vine tentacle before him. The vine whips, strong enough to sever a One Ring Wizard in half, left no more than white marks on his skin. ¡°He¡¯s just been promoted to Three Rings? How is it that his methods are even more effective than some of the old-timers?¡± Muttering, he touched his head and picked up the Big Hammer Mace beside him, swinging it vigorously at the vine tentacle. In the next moment, countless iron-grey specks erupted from the ground, grinding the vine tentacle and all the surrounding whips into dust. Looking at this scene, Stio chuckled, ¡°This is indeed a former battlefield; the land is rich with metals.¡± After speaking, he quickly flew in the direction indicated by the Crystal Ball. At the same time, other Three Rings Wizards on the battlefield who received the command¡¯s orders quickly dealt with their immediate troubles and sped in the direction indicated by the Crystal Balls. They plunged into the dense forest not yet ¡°cleansed¡± by the White Wizard Army. Chapter 384: 4: The Green Hell Chapter 384: Chapter 4: The Green Hell Within the dense forest, all was calm. A black crow darted through the woods, like a streak of black lightning. Behind it, besides a dark-robed wizard closely trailing its steps, the remainder was a tide of vines. Boom! The wizard casually hurled a fireball, blasting the encroaching vines apart. The flames, hot enough to melt steel, spread rapidly along the vines, looking as if they might transform the entire ocean of vines into a sea of fire. But strangely, although the flames spread, the fire that should have been raging due to the vines kept diminishing in the process. It was as if an invisible giant mouth was gobbling it up. The wizard, catching sight of this scene, couldn¡¯t help but frown deeply. He thought to himself, ¡°What kind of monstrosity did the Pioneer create?¡± The wizard was Richard, and ever since he entered this jungle untouched by the White Wizard Army and unscathed by their spells, he felt as though he had entered the belly of a huge creature. Everything around him was fighting against him. Snap! Richard swatted and smashed a bug trying to stick to him with an easy slap. He had been in this jungle for half a day, and during this time, apart from the chasing tide of vines, the most he saw was bugs¡ªbugs of every kind. From alien mosquitoes the size of a thumb to deadly poisonous beetles as big as a fist, and even sky-centipedes the size of toxic snakes. Each insect was filled with deadly poison and had a strong set of mouthparts. When Richard first entered the jungle, he thought the scales on his body might protect him from the bugs. But after seeing the dense acid digestive fluid spewed from the mouthparts of the alien mosquitoes and a palm-sized longhorn beetle biting through his scales, Richard figured it would be better to take action. After all, most of the creatures in this place were likely biological weapons left behind by the Pioneer of yore, and underestimating them would only harm himself. Third-level creatures were nothing of significance in the eyes of the Pioneer. ¡°Ulysses, how much further?¡± Richard shouted to the front. ¡°Caw, at this pace, half a day more and we¡¯ll be there.¡± Hearing the response, Richard couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Glancing back at the vines that had completely devoured the flames and were ready to ensnare once more, he lightly waved his magic wand. The next moment, an invisible qi current wrapped around him, and his speed surged instantaneously. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s just find the place first.¡± ¡­ Richard was not the only one who had entered the dense forest. Boom! A bolt of lightning, thick as a water bucket, cleaved down, causing the leaves and branches in the forest to tremor violently. ¡°What a wicked thing, how much did the Lost Ones tinker with this?¡± After the lightning dissipated, an iron-gray figure with a giant hammer wand appeared, still wrapped in faint lightning. With a slight movement, one could see electric arcs leaping through the air. Not far in front of him, a small old tree surged with lightning between its branches and trunk. Clearly, that bolt of lightning had come from the old tree. Seeing that it wasn¡¯t killed in one hit, the old tree¡¯s branches and trunk flashed with electricity, seemingly brewing another thunder strike. But Stio only sneered viciously, and in the next instant, a gigantic black hand emerged from beneath the tree, uprooting it entirely. Upon closer inspection, the black hand was composed of numerous fused-together grains of iron sand. Once removed from the ground, the old tree was like a fish out of water, quickly becoming motionless. Stio casually opened a Secret Realm Rift and tossed the old tree in, then took out a Communication Crystal Ball from his pocket. Seeing that the direction on the Communication Crystal Ball was still changing, his brows furrowed slightly: ¡°It¡¯s still moving, just how extensive is that thing?¡± Meanwhile, almost every Three Rings Wizard who entered the jungle encountered trouble. Some met with swathes of Carnivorous Plants, with huge mouthparts hidden under dense shrubs, each capable of secreting digestive fluid that could dissolve metal. Some encountered attacking plants covered in spikes, which would shoot out at any creature that approached, using them to hunt. These spikes had formidable power, each with the strength of a thousand Energy Levels. Moreover, if the prey did not die, the plants would even concentrate fire. In addition, there were hanging trees that could strangle Second Ring wizards, the Poison Mist Trees that could spray dense poisonous fog, the zombie mushrooms that sprayed bewildering spores¡­ and that was not all. Apart from plants, some wizards met with giant centipedes as large as pythons¡ªone puff of their venomous breath could dissolve an Energy Shield capable of resisting spells of five thousand Energy Levels. Others met with huge spiders that covered an entire forest area in webs; There were swarms of poisonous bees, each capable of killing Level 1 Creatures; energy-sucking mosquitoes that could drain a Magic Barrier; unknown poisonous insects that could make third-level creatures dizzy with a single bite¡­ Almost all Three Rings wizards were grateful that it was they who came. Had it been wizards of One or Second Rings, no number of them would have been adequate. This place was simply a green Hell, filled with life-threatening entities everywhere, even the grass on the ground could bite you. ¡­ Richard kept advancing through the dense forest, following Ulysses. ¡°Once we cross the lake up ahead, we¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°A lake?¡± Richard was puzzled, and the next moment, his spiritual power passed through the dense jungle to an open area. A lake shimmering like an emerald appeared in his spiritual power. ¡°No, how could there be a lake here?¡± There were no mountains or rivers in the area, so a lake seemed out of place. The next instant, Richard felt a pain in his head, and his outward-directed spiritual power involuntarily withdrew. Someone had attacked him with spiritual power. Before he could react, a sharp crackling of snapped twigs and branches came from the forest, and a black creature resembling a spider with three scorpion-like tails burst out. It was a peak third-level creature in terms of strength. ¡°Ulysses!¡± Richard called out harshly. Although he confidently felt he could handle the insect himself, this place was hardly worth lingering in. The sooner the mission was completed, the sooner he could leave this damned place. The most suitable technique for handling this forest was the Magic Concentrated Fire of the White Wizard Army. Regardless of whether it was carnivorous plants or venomous insects, he wanted them all blasted to ash. But Ulysses¡¯s response startled him. ¡°Handle it yourself; if you can¡¯t, then escape into the Secret Realm. I¡¯ve run into trouble myself.¡± Hearing Ulysses¡¯s reply, Richard immediately thought of the previous incident. Without any doubt, Ulysses must be fighting the creature that had launched a soul attack against him. ¡°Forget it, consider this a test of my training,¡± Richard muttered under his breath. As he spoke, magic power surged within Richard¡¯s body, and his aura suddenly became as towering and unshakable as a mountain. The attacking creature saw the change in Richard and instantly fixed its compound eyes on his figure. In the creature¡¯s eyes, Richard¡¯s movements slowed down, allowing it to capture every detail clearly, while its deep-seated instincts found a flaw in Richard¡¯s actions. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The next moment, the creature¡¯s scorpion tail fiercely lashed out with a purple venomous tip aiming straight for Richard¡¯s left ribs. A sting like that could cause more than just a severe injury; the venom alone could spell trouble for Richard. But Richard remained calm and collected. Despite the strike targeting his flaw, ten years of training were not spent in vain. He sidestepped smoothly, lightly patting the scorpion tail with his left hand to dodge the lightning-fast strike. Immediately afterward, Richard¡¯s body surged with magic power, and he vanished from sight. The creature¡¯s compound eyes swiveled, quickly locking onto the now-invisible Richard. Richard had already positioned himself behind the creature, ready to deliver a punch that would end its life. But before he could act, the three scorpion tails lashed at him like lightning. Clang, clang, clang! A layer of golden light embellished with runes appeared on Richard, easily deflecting the incoming stinger attack. This glow was the Refined Gold Arm of Changshan Temple, which made one¡¯s arms as hard as pure gold. After mastering it, Richard had used his knowledge as a Wizard to reconstruct the original version, transforming the technique into what he now called the Vajra Body. Seeing its tails make no impact, the creature¡¯s body began to violently shake, seemingly trying to dislodge Richard from its back. Intense high-frequency vibrations from the exoskeleton entered Richard¡¯s body, and to his alarm, he discovered his energy circulation becoming chaotic under the tremors. ¡°No good, I must end this quickly!¡± With a loud shout, Richard¡¯s right arm thundered down onto the carapace below with a punch. ¡°Ha!¡± In the next instant, a Spiritual Shock caused the creature to cease trembling. Then, a force as crushing as a mountain tearing through its carapace. The wild power instantly ground the creature¡¯s internal organs to a pulp. Boom! The creature¡¯s body slammed to the ground, and its internal energy circulation began to rapidly weaken. Richard exhaled a long breath, ¡°Phew, it¡¯s over.¡± With that, he intended to collect the creature¡¯s corpse into the Secret Realm to make a specimen. But before he could act, a loud explosion rang out behind him. Clang! Richard¡¯s body was blasted away like a cannonball. Behind him, the three scorpion tails seemed to enter a frenzy, violently attacking the surrounding environment. ¡°Cough, cough.¡± Richard spat out a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. Although at the last moment, he had managed to use the Vajra Body, the tails¡¯ immense force still caused him internal injuries due to his rushed defense. But at that moment, his face showed no anger or panic; on the contrary, he was extremely excited. Richard licked his lips greedily as he gazed at the corpse of the creature. ¡°Symbiotic¡­ such a fine thing.¡± Symbiotics were a branch of the Alchemy School¡¯s Synthetic Beast technique. This technology allowed multiple Synthetic Beasts to come together to form a single, more powerful and well-rounded Synthetic Beast. And now, the spider¡¯s body was almost dead, yet its tails continued to attack relentlessly, without any decrease in attack power. This was beyond the scope of autotomy or nerve reflexes. Moreover, and most importantly, Richard saw a complete set of energy circulation in the tails through his Energy Vision. ¡°Such a complex energy circulation; this creature¡¯s technical content isn¡¯t simple,¡± Richard murmured to himself as he looked at the tails, ¡°And this energy circulation¡­ why does it seem like it was deliberately designed?¡± Chapter 385: 5 Vine Matrix Mother Chapter 385: Chapter 5 Vine Matrix Mother The energy cycle within this scorpion tail appeared exceptionally strange to Richard¡¯s eyes; although the cycle seemed very independent, he discerned that the thing had at least two interfaces. Besides connecting to the spider body, this scorpion tail should also be able to connect to other things. But now was not the time for research. As Richard watched the scorpion tail continuously attacking the surroundings, a shadow shuttle brought him to its base. ¡°How lively. I wonder if you¡¯ll still be this lively after being drugged.¡± Richard chuckled slyly, pulling two bottles of giant anesthesia out of his magic pocket. This anesthetic was specially created by wizards for giant creatures, so the anesthetizing effect was extremely potent. The two bottles in Richard¡¯s hands were even a specialized, high-grade version, with a very strong effect even on third-level creatures. Originally, Richard had prepared this anesthesia for fire lizards, to capture the flame giant beasts of the Magma Sea. But then he found that this stuff wasn¡¯t very effective on half-elemental creatures like flame giant beasts, so the two bottles of anesthetic were carelessly tossed into his pocket. Unexpectedly, today, this waste could also come in handy. Three scorpion tails tried to attack Richard, but the location where he was, was really not easy to assault. Thus, Richard could fend off the weak stabs of the scorpion tails with just his magic barrier. ¡°Jie jie jie, struggle all you want; the more you do, the faster the drug takes effect.¡± With a strange laugh, Richard tore open the carapace of the scorpion tail and used his magic to extract one-tenth of a bottle of anesthetic, injecting it into the scorpion tail. In just a few seconds, the scorpion tail, which had been bouncing around lively, suddenly wilted. Seeing this, Richard immediately did the same to the remaining two tails. Soon, the remaining two scorpion tails also collapsed on the ground like the first, limp and occasionally twitching. Richard nodded in satisfaction at the sight and then opened a space rift, tossing this strange creature to the World Mushroom for safekeeping. At the same time, Ulysses also flew over from the lakeside. ¡°Gaah, this place is really motherfucking bizarre. Even a whole lake is this troublesome.¡± Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, looked around the environment and said somewhat surprised, ¡°Becoming a Three Rings really is different, eh? You didn¡¯t even need my help and solved the problem on your own.¡± Richard glanced at him, his lips curling into a faint smile. After so many years, he at least had some ability to protect himself. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving; the sooner we deal with that thing, the sooner we can go back.¡± ¡°Right on.¡± ¡­ After passing through the dense forest, Richard saw the lake he had detected with his spiritual detection. What used to be a lake as green as an emerald was now completely dry, and in the corner of the lake, he saw many dark blue flames burning fiercely. ¡°This damned place is so bizarre; do you know what this lake is?¡± Ulysses informed Richard, ¡°This entire lake is made up of a type of algae, and these algae are a Gestalt organism, a whole race as one entity. The combat strength of just this lake¡¯s organisms is stronger than that of an average demigod. If this thing gets into the river or the sea, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if a World Master emerged.¡± Hearing Ulysses¡¯s words, Richard sucked in a breath of cold air. If this type of organism could reproduce without specific conditions, then they were essentially another form of cancer of flesh. But after the shock, a trace of fervor appeared in Richard¡¯s eyes. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Such a wondrous thing, he thought, had to possess an extremely high research value. ¡°Wait for me a minute; I need to collect some material.¡± With that said, Richard landed in the now-dry lake and extinguished the blue-black flames in the lake water, storing it in his enchanted quartz tube. Seeing him act this way, Ulysses, although he didn¡¯t stop him, expressed his worry in his words. ¡°This stuff is dangerous. If even a little bit escapes, it could cause a huge disaster; you need to be careful.¡± Richard nodded, his expression serious, ¡°I¡¯ll be cautious.¡± After leaving Green Lake, the two passed through a small stretch of dense forest and arrived at their destination¡ªthe motherbody of the vine tentacles. But truthfully, upon seeing the motherbody of the vine tentacles, Richard almost thought he had made a mistake. Through the layers of dense forest, Richard¡¯s spiritual power saw this motherbody looked very ordinary; its exterior seemed just like any of the towering trees commonly found in the forest. Even more so, this motherbody was slightly smaller than an average big tree. How could this possibly be the motherbody of those vine tentacles, each comparable to a towering giant tree? Never judge things by their appearances. When Richard activated his energy vision, his expression immediately turned serious. The seemingly unremarkable vine tentacle motherbody was actually connected to countless energy pathways. These pathways spread out under the ground like a spider¡¯s web. Even with energy vision, he could only glimpse a tenth or a twentieth of them. What¡¯s more frightening was that all the towering trees surrounding the motherbody were connected to it through light pathways. In other words, they were not about to face a giant motherbody, but an entire forest. Richard looked at the motherbody, frowning slightly. ¡°This is a bit troublesome; it looks like we¡¯ll have to wait for others.¡± He wasn¡¯t without means to deal with this motherbody, but most of those methods were time-consuming, likely to cause complications, and cumbersome. It might be better to wait a bit for other Three Rings wizards. More people might mean the possibility of sealing the motherbody. The motherbody showed no unusual reaction to Richard¡¯s approach, seemingly considering that a third-level creature one kilometer away posed no threat. But a faint sense of crisis lingered in Richard¡¯s mind. He seemed to have overlooked something. Before long, the first Three Rings Wizard arrived at Richard¡¯s side. This was a Shaping Wizard, shrouded in pale blue flames that, coupled with his skeletal physique, made him look like a vengeful spirit that had clawed its way out of hell. ¡°I am Robbie, where is that damned thing?¡± the Shaping Wizard asked with an irritable tone. Clearly, the various biological weapons in the forest had irked the Shaping Wizard considerably. ¡°It¡¯s in there,¡± Richard pointed in the direction of the Gestalt Creature, ¡°but all these trees, they are all its offshoots.¡± ¡°These trees?¡± Robbie glanced at the woods Richard was pointing at and casually summoned a fireball, tossing it into them. In the next instant, the fireball was shattered by numerous vine whips, and the scattered flames landed on the branches and leaves of the forest. Although they spread, their advance became fainter as they did. Seeing this, the flames around Robbie flickered momentarily. This was a sign of his fluctuating emotions; evidently, the capabilities displayed by the vine offshoots had unsettled him internally. ¡°Energy-devouring trait, this could be troublesome,¡± Robbie said seriously. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue if it were one or two, but if the whole forest possesses this ability, then we¡¯re in for trouble.¡± Giant creatures with energy-devouring traits were essentially natural nemeses for Shaping Wizards. The former could dilute the power of their spells, while the latter granted living beings enough time to dilute the power of those spells. ¡°Then let¡¯s wait a bit longer,¡± Richard replied indifferently. The expedition was from the Garon Wizard College, and among the participating wizards, what they had in abundance were brawny men adept at physical attacks. Soon, two more wizards arrived. One of them was Stio, and the other was a giant with two faces and four arms. ¡°Richard, you¡¯ve got some real skills,¡± Stio said with a laugh upon seeing Richard. ¡°You could find such a godforsaken place. Do you have any idea how many bizarre creatures I came across on the way here?¡± Richard spread his hands innocently: ¡°Who hasn¡¯t?¡± Stio approached Richard, looked at the forest behind him, and asked, ¡°How about the Gestalt Creature? From your looks, it¡¯s probably quite troublesome.¡± ¡°This forest constitutes all the guards for that Gestalt Creature; we are about a kilometer away from the creature itself in a straight line,¡± Richard provided. ¡°Moreover, this forest likely all possesses the energy-devouring trait. This time, the Shaping Wizard might not be of much help.¡± Listening to Richard¡¯s briefing, Stio touched his bald head, and with a wave of his Big Hammer Mace, a black serpent emerged from the ground. ¡°Oh? Metal manipulation,¡± Richard remarked with some surprise. His dragon eyes could clearly see that the giant snake was actually composed of tiny metal particles. When he switched to Energy Vision, he was amazed to find that this metal giant snake maintained an internal cycle of energy. It was practically a creature. Stio boasted a little: ¡°Just a trinket I tinkered with in my spare time. This place happens to be perfect for it.¡± With that, he waved his Magic Wand, and the giant snake quickly coiled around a huge tree at the edge of the forest. In an instant, sawdust flew everywhere, branches trembled, and the metal particles on the metal giant snake moved at high speed, grinding the giant tree into wood chips like a chainsaw. The tree, which was over a thousand years old, was reduced to a pile of wood chips in thirty seconds. Seeing this, Stio nodded: ¡°Physical attacks are still effective; I¡¯ll clear the path, and you guys provide support, how about that?¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up,¡± ¡°Sure.¡± With everyone¡¯s consensus, Stio¡¯s Magic Power surged within him, and numerous fine sparks crackled through the air from his Big Hammer Mace. In the next instant, he swung his Magic Wand, and streams of black metal erupted from the ground beneath their feet. ¡°Go!¡± Stio gave a low shout, and the black metal streams transformed into a storm that shredded the obstructing giant trees. Seeing this, the other wizards quickly followed suit. At this moment, the vine Gestalt Creature seemed to finally realize what was happening, and its guard offshoots demonstrated their divine skills. Some sprayed poison fog, some summoned thunderstorms, and some even uprooted themselves from the ground, brandishing vine whips that created sonic booms as they attacked the wizards. But these things were deadly threats to First and Second Ring wizards, while those attacking now were a group of Three Rings Wizards. With a wave of Robbie¡¯s Magic Wand, the poison fog in the air was completely burned away. When thunder struck, the Metal Storm transformed into lightning rods, blocking all thunder. As for that ¡°uprooting¡± giant tree, Richard and the two-faced, four-armed wizard exchanged a glance, then grinned ferociously. They grabbed the giant tree¡¯s vine and forcibly pulled it into Stio¡¯s path-clearing Metal Storm. In an instant, elements flew chaotically in the forest, sawdust splattered, and thunder and flames intertwined, like a transcendent tapestry. Boom! The last giant tree collapsed thunderously. The wizards were just a step away from the slightly emaciated Gestalt Creature. ¡°Seal or eradicate?¡± Stio asked loudly. The other wizards were about to answer when they suddenly heard countless fine noises coming from the forest. The sound was like a swarm migrating through the trees. In the next moment, the wizards¡¯ expressions changed drastically. As a poisonous bee appeared in their Spiritual Detection, an Insect Tide composed of countless insects gradually came into view. The Gestalt Creature was not unaware of their approach; like Richard, it too was waiting for reinforcements. Chapter 386: 6 Insect Tide Chapter 386: Chapter 6 Insect Tide ¡°Damn, the matron can actually summon an Insect Tide!¡± Stio cursed and immediately tried to control the Metal Storm to destroy the matron. Under the current circumstances, it wasn¡¯t sufficient to seal the matron. But the moment he acted, a thick Energy Barrier appeared on the matron¡¯s body. The transparent barrier was like a wall blocking all the metal particles outside. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it!¡± Upon witnessing this, the Shaping Wizard Robbie¡¯s body erupted with blue fire. He reached out with his right hand and suddenly a black flame appeared in his palm. The Two-faced Wizard beside him couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°What powerful flames.¡± This wizard had constantly spewed flames while charging forward. His flames were bright red and incredibly hot, even trees with Energy-devouring Traits left alone when faced with his fire, showing no intention to devour. Given that Robbie¡¯s flame was praised by him, it certainly was extraordinary. As expected, as Robbie poured magic power into the flame, in less than a second, the flame rapidly expanded to the size of a person¡¯s head. Its terrifying heat even caused the surrounding space to distort. Robbie hurled the flame at the matron, and his body¡¯s flames suddenly dimmed. This strike had nearly drained all his magic power. ¡°Prepare to retreat. I¡¯ve boosted this flame with the Fire Element Rule, and its power has reached Ten Thousand Energy Level. No matter what¡­¡± Robbie didn¡¯t finish his sentence when he froze in place. The black flame traced a dark path in the air, like a pitch-black meteor, and smashed heavily onto the matron. The matron¡¯s Energy Barrier was instantly penetrated by the fire, and the black flame successfully latched onto the matron. Then¡­ there was no then. The matron also possessed an Energy-devouring Trait, and this trait was even stronger than its offshoots. After being engulfed in flame, the matron wasn¡¯t much harmed; instead, the flame seemed to shrink. Richard even saw that the somewhat wilted matron seemed revitalized by the flames. Upon witnessing this, Stio made a quick decision, ¡°Go! We can¡¯t handle this, let the White Wizard Army deal with it!¡± Seeing this, Richard was also greatly shaken. He quickly sent a Spiritual Message to Ulysses, asking, ¡°Ulysses, can you handle this?¡± Ulysses¡¯s reply made him shiver. ¡°Difficult,¡± Ulysses looked at the matron and shook his head slightly, ¡°This creature is much more complex than you think. Even I would need to put in considerable effort to eradicate it.¡± ¡°Is it really that strong?¡± Richard asked incredulously. ¡°Can¡¯t help it, even I can be mistaken at the demi-god level.¡± Richard¡¯s face grew solemn. ¡°It seems we can only leave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case,¡± Ulysses said lightly, ¡°Although I can¡¯t resolve it quickly, the Old Mushroom inside the Secret Realm should be able to handle it easily. I suspect that this is a subbody of the World Tree, the Old Mushroom is somewhat its kin.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard had a sudden realization. Yes, how could he have forgotten the World Mushroom? Although the World Mushroom stayed in the Secret Realm, its tendrils could reach out. The World Mushroom¡¯s tendrils might not be as strong as Ulysses, but they were stronger when dealing with such special enemies. Thinking so, Richard suddenly spoke up, ¡°Don¡¯t leave yet, I can handle this. Give me twenty seconds!¡± ¡°You can handle it?¡± Stio looked at Richard in surprise. ¡°Weren¡¯t you studying Alchemy before? What are you going to use to handle it! Weed killer?¡± Richard had previously told Stio that he was an Alchemy Wizard before studying Physique Evolution. But an Alchemy Wizard faced with this situation would be helpless. Except for the White Wizard Army using Magic Concentrated Fire to cause an Elemental Storm, Stio really couldn¡¯t think of any other method. ¡°Richard, are you sure?¡± Robbie also spoke up, ¡°My flame level was at ten thousand, which in the realm of Three Rings wizards, is considered quite powerful. You¡¯ve just advanced to Three Rings, think carefully before you act.¡± Clearly, Robbie was also doubtful of Richard¡¯s capabilities. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Meanwhile, although the Two-faced Wizard didn¡¯t speak, his gaze towards Richard also carried worry. Can¡¯t be helped, after all, who let Richard be a newly advanced Three Rings Wizard? ¡°Please rest assured, sirs. I will not risk my life recklessly,¡± Richard spoke in a low voice. Without waiting for their reactions, he used Shadow Shuttling and appeared next to the matron. The remaining three wizards watched him act with such confidence, although they were concerned, they still guarded him. Twenty seconds wasn¡¯t very long, a delay wouldn¡¯t cause much harm. But if Richard succeeded, it would greatly relieve the pressure on the frontlines. A huge merit! Seeing Richard approach the matron, he suddenly opened a slight Space Rift. The rift, disturbed by the surrounding energy, was very unstable, as if it could collapse at any moment. But fortunately, Richard didn¡¯t need much time. A fungal tendril reached out from the space rift. ¡°Master, what do you need me to do?¡± Richard pointed at the vine matron in front of him. ¡°Resolve this thing!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With a clear command, the World Mushroom¡¯s fungal tendril instantly swelled. The wizards only saw Richard pointing at the matron, fearsome tendrils burst out from the void, latching onto the vine matron. Then the tendril fiercely pulled, rooting up the immense vine matron, its roots rising from the ground like veins of the earth. Following that, the tough roots were forcibly torn apart under the mighty power of the tendrils. The vine progenitor, having detached from the root, was instantly dragged into the void by tentacles. ¡°What is this thing?¡± Stio exclaimed in shock. ¡°It must be a limb from those indescribable beings in the Star Realm,¡± the Two-faced Wizard whispered, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Wizard Richard to be such a scholar of Mysticism, to be able to collaborate with one of those indescribable beings.¡± ¡°No wonder he¡¯s so confident,¡± Robbie murmured in awe, ¡°this newly promoted Three Rings wizard is no simple figure.¡± Seeing the World Mushroom take the progenitor into the Secret Realm, Richard immediately breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it can be resolved, then it¡¯s not much of a problem. But before he could relax for a few seconds, his expression turned grim again. Even though the World Mushroom had dealt with the vine progenitor, the insect tide summoned by the progenitor didn¡¯t dissipate with its disappearance. On the contrary, after the disappearance of the vine progenitor, the wizards in the forest immediately noticed an unusual substance in the air. This substance, seemingly emitted by the progenitors of the vine, spread rapidly through the forest at an astonishing speed. All the biological weapons that came into contact with this substance instantly went into a frenzy. Of those affected, Richard and his party suffered the most. ¡°Dammit, Frenzy Potion!¡± Stio cursed, swinging his Big Hammer Mace vigorously, reorganizing the already dissipating Metal Storm. Outside the storm, swarms of crazed insects were coming at them like a tide. After going into a frenzy, the insects¡¯ speed exploded. They were initially some distance away, but after the frenzy, they reached Richard and his group in no time, faster than a flood. The rapidly spinning Metal Storm, like a meat grinder, shredded all the incoming insect tide. But soon, Stio was perspiring profusely. He pulled out a handful of Magic Essence from his pocket and shoved it into his mouth. Under the dual guidance of body cells and spiritual power, a vast amount of magic power quickly converged into Stio¡¯s Magic Rebound. Despite that, the speed of his magic recovery still couldn¡¯t keep up with his magic consumption. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Robbie and the Two-faced Wizard shouted simultaneously. Robbie grabbed some Magic Essence in one hand and wielded his magic wand with the other. As he swung the wand, flames suddenly appeared within the Metal Storm. But seeing this, Stio quickly shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t put fire in my iron filings, haven¡¯t you learned Alchemy? Heating a magnet will demagnetize it!¡± Hearing this Robbie immediately halted his action, ¡°Sorry, sorry, I forgot about that.¡± On the other side, the Two-faced Wizard quietly swallowed the flame in his mouth and instead exhaled a bolt of lightning. Seeing this, Richard couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. These Three Rings wizards, always engrossed in their own fields of study, had even forgotten such common sense. With the help of the two wizards, Stio¡¯s pressure was somewhat reduced, at least barely enough to maintain the Metal Storm. But soon, an uninvited guest broke through the Metal Storm and entered its eye. It was a bug that looked like a centipede, but unlike a centipede, it had two large pincer-like appendages in front. ¡°Third Level bug!¡± Stio yelled. But Richard was faster than his words. As Stio was shouting, Richard and Ulysses charged in front of the Third Level bug. Richard and Ulysses exchanged glances, Ulysses fiercely thrust out his Crow Claw, tearing open the bug¡¯s shell. Under the stress, the bug¡¯s mouthparts suddenly sprayed out a light purple mist. But the next moment, a golden fist penetrated the mist, following the tear Ulysses had made, and instantly turned the bug¡¯s internal glands into mush. Robbie casually waved his hand, and flames appeared in the air, burning the poison mist completely. ¡°Neat work,¡± the Two-faced Wizard commended. ¡°Just a little trick,¡± Richard casually replied. Among the insect tide, there were not a few Third Level bugs. Whenever they encountered these Third Level bugs, Richard and Ulysses would join forces to kill them on the spot. Bang! A golden fist smashed the bug that rushed into the storm¡¯s eye. Richard was panting heavily, flying with some difficulty. The Vajra Body spell, although effective, consumed not magic but the life energy of cells. This drawback, normally inconspicuous in short, intense battles, became particularly evident in this enduring, stamina-draining fight. Unlike magic power, which could be sustained indefinitely with Magic Essence, the recovery of cell life energy required time and a lot of high-quality food. The other wizards around him were also in poor shape, especially Stio, who even had steam rising from his head. Maintaining such a large-scale spell required significant spiritual power. ¡°Damn it, why hasn¡¯t the headquarters¡¯ reinforcement arrived yet?¡± Richard looked at the Crystal Ball and couldn¡¯t help but curse. He had called for support from the White Wizard Army at headquarters three hours ago. Yet three hours had passed, and he hadn¡¯t even seen a shadow. At this rate, they were all going to be overwhelmed by the bugs. But before Richard finished speaking, the voice from the headquarters came through his Crystal Ball. ¡°Wizard Richard, the reinforcements you requested are in position, please remain in your current location to avoid friendly fire.¡± Looking up at the sky, Richard saw fiery orbs, like raindrops, flying from afar. ¡°All wizards prepare, direction straight ahead, distance thirty-five, Spell type Fireball Technique, release three rounds!¡± ¡°Three, two, one, release!¡± Chapter 387: 7: World Tree Subbody Chapter 387: Chapter 7: World Tree Subbody The strength of an individual was ultimately limited. Richard had understood this truth while he was still a Wizard Apprentice. But when faced with the concentrated fire of spells from the White Wizard Army, Richard gained a deeper understanding of this truth. A rain of fire fell, and the insect tide was annihilated. In order not to involve Richard¡¯s group, the White Wizard Army deliberately cast the spells from a distance. This allowed Richard and his companions to clearly witness the spectacle of magic concentrated fire. Barrages of fireballs rained down from the sky, like an apocalyptic downpour that turned the dense forest and the insect tide to ashes. The massive overlapping Fireball Techniques directly blew the entire battlefield into a vacuum. The intense shockwaves instantly shattered the internal organs of those insects not directly hit by the fireballs. Even four Three Rings Wizards had to put up Magic Barriers, struggling with all their might to resist the impact. ¡°Is this the power of magic concentrated fire?¡± Richard asked, slightly shocked. ¡°Heh heh, the Netherfire Army¡¯s concentrated fire with the Fireball Technique is still as formidable as ever.¡± Stio arrived at Richard¡¯s side, looked at the scorched battlefield, and turned to laugh, ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding your abilities deep. During our time at the Academy, I never saw you this powerful.¡± Richard also smiled back, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for you? In the Academy, I had no idea you had also studied magnetic spells.¡± The two exchanged glances, then laughed heartily and turned to fly toward the direction of the Floating City. Back at the Floating City, logistics Wizards were working with the White Wizard Army¡¯s Fortress Wizards to clean up the battlefield. As the World Mushroom pulled the mother organism back into the Secret Realm, these vine tentacles did not die immediately, but no new tentacles appeared. Under the cleanup by the Black Wizards, these tentacles were quickly slaughtered to near extinction. Richard watched as the logistics Wizards collected one body after another, and his brow involuntarily furrowed. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve suffered quite a few losses; command really played a bad hand this time.¡± ¡°This is no bad hand.¡± Richard turned his head and saw Jimmy standing not far from him. This Three Rings Wizard, who was highly valued by Garon the Great Wizard, was for some reason not in the command center managing the arrangements. Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°Oh? What do you mean, Master? Is there something hidden here that I don¡¯t know about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not really a secret.¡± Jimmy came to Richard¡¯s side and casually explained, ¡°The Academy has learned the hard way from past experiences. Our Academy once attacked a world dominated by the World Tree. That world was filled with carnivorous plants, and throwing a Slave Army into it not only failed to have the desired effect but even strengthened the enemy, making the first battle upon entering that world look quite ugly. In the end, the world pushed our Dean to the point where he had to use a Forbidden Spell to destroy it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Richard was astonished, ¡°Isn¡¯t the Dean a Sixth Circle Great Wizard? How could he be forced to use a Forbidden Spell?¡± By all accounts, a miniature world should at most have two forth-level World Masters, such a world for someone like Garon the Great Wizard should have been an easy conquest, right? ¡°That¡¯s the trouble with worlds dominated by the World Tree.¡± Jimmy sighed slightly, ¡°Even someone like the Dean, when facing a massive entity that has turned virtually the entire world into its own flowerpot, must resort to a Forbidden Spell to destroy the world to claim victory.¡± Speaking of that, Jimmy suddenly changed the subject to that mother organism. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve formed a partnership with a Wanderer from the Star Realm, asking him to help you extract that mother organism.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard feigned nonchalance, ¡°Just a coincidence.¡± The matter of the World Mushroom was better kept under wraps. What he now possessed was too precious for his current level of strength. Jimmy smiled slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, command is very interested in that mother organism. You can contact the Wanderer now and see if you can exchange the mother organism for something else. Of course, if he¡¯s unwilling, there¡¯s no need to force the issue. The Dean has abundant experience dealing with these kinds of things. If you can¡¯t make a deal, just give me the contact ritual. The Academy will compensate you accordingly.¡± The word ¡°compensation¡± made Richard¡¯s mouth twitch involuntarily. So just kill me outright if you¡¯re not going to give anything. But this was in keeping with the way Wizards conducted themselves. With aliens, initiating a trade is offering you face; you¡¯d better sign the contract. If you don¡¯t sign, the Wizard can save a contract. Richard bowed slightly and replied, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go and communicate with it. But I wonder what price the Academy is willing to offer? S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Knowing the price would make it easier to negotiate.¡± ¡°Price, huh¡­¡± Jimmy rubbed his bald head, then slapped it lightly, ¡°A hundred thousand Magic Essence. As an Alchemy Wizard, you should be familiar with the prices of various materials and treasures. As long as it doesn¡¯t exceed this price, the Academy can accept it. Of course, if that thing wants some bizarre items, you just refer to this list.¡± Jimmy pulled a scroll out of his pocket and handed it to Richard. ¡°As long as it¡¯s on there, the Academy can accept it. If it¡¯s not on the list, the Dean will also negotiate.¡± Richard took the scroll, bowed slightly to Jimmy, and then opened a Secret Realm Rift. ¡°Oh? You have a piece of a Secret Realm Fragment?¡± Jimmy was slightly surprised by the sight of the Secret Realm Rift, but then he quickly realized and patted his head laughing, ¡°Almost forgot, you¡¯re quite a wealthy man. A Secret Realm Fragment is not much of a precious thing to someone like you.¡± Richard entered the Secret Realm and immediately located the World Mushroom. ¡°World Mushroom, do you still have that thing I asked you to pull out?¡± A mycelium tentacle stretched out from the main stalk of the World Mushroom, binding the vine mother and bringing it to Richard¡¯s side. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s here.¡± The vine mother didn¡¯t move in the grasp of the mycelium tentacle, but Richard could clearly sense the powerful life radiation from this mighty creature. ¡°Did you anesthetize it?¡± ¡°Yeah, it wasn¡¯t very obedient and even tried to parasitize me.¡± ¡°Parasitize you?¡± Richard exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°It could still move under your pressure?¡± ¡°Master, you seem to underestimate this creature. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be an offspring of some World Tree. Its mother must be an extremely terrifying entity. Not to mention me, even that crow in its prime would not be able to suppress it with mere pressure.¡± The words of the World Mushroom poured over Richard like a bucket of cold water. If that were true, then they had really encountered a big problem this time. Richard shook his head to clear the chaotic thoughts from his mind. No matter how dangerous this world was, as long as Garon the Great Wizard did not order a retreat, he had no choice but to continue the fight obediently. Even a Three Rings Wizard was merely a pawn in the hands of a Great Wizard. Richard took out the scroll that Jimmy had entrusted to him, on which a stream of words was written in Soul Text, closely resembling that of the Nightmare World. ¡°World Mushroom, come and see if there¡¯s anything you need. We can¡¯t just give this mother away for nothing.¡± Although Richard was the honorary Deputy Dean of the Garon Wizard College, such honorary titles could be set aside when it came to his own interests. After all, the house and business of Garon the Great Wizard were so extensive that he wouldn¡¯t miss the little bit that Richard skimmed. The World Mushroom received the scroll with its mycelium tentacles. Soon after, Richard heard the World Mushroom¡¯s muffled voice beside his ear. ¡°Master, these items are for those Cosmic Wanderers, they¡¯re of no use to me.¡± Richard felt a bit disappointed and said, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll take some Secret Realm Fragments.¡± Having said that, Richard was about to leave the Secret Realm. But just as he was opening the Secret Realm Rift, the voice of the World Mushroom suddenly rang in his ear. ¡°Master, if possible, please find more of these World Tree Subbodies; they are of great use to me.¡± Richard paused, somewhat surprised, ¡°Hmm? What use are they to you?¡± ¡°This World Tree is very powerful and follows the same evolutionary path as me. By devouring its offspring, I can see the path ahead more clearly. I am already feeling an invisible barrier; if I cannot break through it, the expansion of the Secret Realm will soon stop.¡± ¡°Seeing the path ahead¡­¡± Richard pondered for a moment and earnestly said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep an eye out for it.¡± Since the offspring were related to the development of the Secret Realm, of course, he had to pay attention. Moreover, the World Mushroom was a significant ally for him; its growth was undoubtedly beneficial. After leaving the Secret Realm, Richard found Jimmy in the Floating City and explained the deal. ¡°Secret Realm Fragments¡­ Why would a Cosmic Wanderer want such things?¡± Looking at Richard¡¯s request, Jimmy, rubbing his bald head, was baffled. Richard feigned a sigh and said, ¡°That¡¯s the way these things are, they always require some outlandish and bizarre items.¡± Jimmy nodded in agreement, ¡°That¡¯s true, given those indescribable entities, nothing they request would be too strange.¡± Jimmy then took out a crystal ball and respectfully said, ¡°Dean, do you still have any Secret Realm Fragments? The Wanderer wants to exchange a mother for a fragment.¡± ¡°Secret Realm Fragments?¡± Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s somewhat surprised voice came out of the crystal ball. ¡°This creature has quite the appetite.¡± With that said, a space rift appeared beside Jimmy, and a crystal ball fell out of it. ¡°Give it this one. If it¡¯s not satisfied, I¡¯ll go and find it myself.¡± Jimmy handed the crystal ball to Richard, jokingly saying, ¡°The Dean¡¯s Secret Realm Fragments are not some warehouse goods sold by the Wizard Commerce. If yours doesn¡¯t contain much, you might as well keep the Dean¡¯s and give yours to it. You definitely won¡¯t lose out on this deal.¡± Richard laughed at the suggestion, ¡°Master, that¡¯s a good idea, but too bad my fragment has already been converted into a workshop, so I can¡¯t trade it.¡± After that, Richard entered the Secret Realm and handed over the fragment to the World Mushroom. Then he waited in the Secret Realm for a while, pretending to perform a ritual before leaving the Secret Realm with the World Tree Subbody. Thud! Richard dropped the mother onto the ground and casually wiped the sweat from his forehead. The mother may have looked slender, but that was compared to the surrounding towering trees. In terms of size alone, this thing was dozens of meters high with a trunk so thick that ten people couldn¡¯t embrace it. Carrying this thing out of the Secret Realm had taken considerable effort from Richard. But just as he had thrown the mother out, and before Jimmy could react, this vine mother, which was supposedly anesthetized by the World Mushroom, suddenly burst forth with astonishing life energy. It seemed¡­ to be summoning something! Chapter 388: 8: The First Person Under the Truth Chapter 388: Chapter 8: The First Person Under the Truth ¡°Not good, this thing is summoning something!¡± Richard¡¯s expression changed abruptly as a circle of Fireballs suddenly appeared around him, ready to destroy the host. But before he could act, Jimmy stopped him. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, let it summon,¡± Jimmy said calmly, ¡°with the Dean and the Floating City here, if we can¡¯t win this, we¡¯re bound to die sooner or later.¡± After the vine host burst forth with Life Energy, it immediately began to proliferate. Gigantic roots surged out from its body like floodwaters, quickly covering the hall where Richard and Jimmy were. Soon, the roots realized that they were surrounded by metal and couldn¡¯t absorb any nutrients. Then, the roots began to burrow into the ground like drills, sending sparks flying as they penetrated the hard alloy of the Floating City. The commotion caused by the vine host quickly attracted the attention of other wizards, but upon seeing Jimmy and Richard, two Three Rings Wizards, they retreated. With two Three Rings Wizards watching, what trouble could possibly arise? Jimmy saw the vine host damaging the Floating City and frowned slightly. Damaging the Floating City would cost money. He then pulled out two Fist Blades from his pocket, the blades densely inscribed with Runes that could make an ordinary person dizzy at a glance. Jimmy fitted the Fist Blades on and swung at the vine host. In an instant, the entire hall¡¯s air was disturbed by his punch, turning into a huge vortex of Wind Blades. These moves, comparable to Stio¡¯s Metal Storm, seemed effortless in Jimmy¡¯s hand. The vortex of Wind Blades shredded the proliferating tide of roots from the host, but the proliferation continued unabated. Seeing this, Jimmy furrowed his brow and then put the Fist Blades back in his pocket. He tapped himself twice, and his body immediately burst forth with intense Life Radiation. The vine host, too, almost instantaneously reversed the direction of its roots at the outburst of Life Radiation¡ªall of its grown roots surged towards Jimmy. As a Three Rings Wizard with Physique Evolution, Jimmy¡¯s Life Energy was extremely distinct to any creature, and to those with Parasitic Abilities, Jimmy was an ideal host. In this stage without soil nutrients and Earth Veins energy, Jimmy was undoubtedly the prime target for the vine host. The tide-like roots instantly engulfed Jimmy¡¯s towering figure, but Richard, standing next to him, remained calm, not moving an inch. He believed that Jimmy had a plan. Richard watched as the roots wrapped Jimmy into a ball and slowly dragged him towards the host. Then, with a loud ¡°bang,¡± the host abruptly stopped moving. Richard squinted, looking at the vine host. ¡°Is this¡­ a Sealing Skill?¡± In his Energy Vision, the energy circulation of the vine host halted after that thud. It was very similar to a Sealing Skill. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a Sealing Skill,¡± Jimmy¡¯s voice came from within the root ball. Then, a pair of hands emblazoned with bluish Magic Patterns emerged from the root ball, tearing a gap through it. Jimmy, covered in Magic Patterns, strolled out leisurely; the roots that could drill through the Floating City¡¯s alloy and send sparks flying didn¡¯t leave a single scratch on him. ¡°You have good eyes. Not many people can tell this is a Sealing Skill without me telling them. You are the first Three Rings Wizard to notice without my explanation.¡± Richard smiled and pointed at his eyes, about to introduce his Soul Talent. But before he could speak, the metal ground beneath his feet vibrated slightly. ¡°It seems that thing is coming,¡± Jimmy said confidently, smiling, ¡°find a safe place to watch in a bit. The Dean¡¯s battle movements are small, but for us¡­¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Jimmy didn¡¯t finish his words when a rumbling sound came from beneath their feet, and the Floating City shook again. The faces of both men turned slightly pale. ¡°Is it my imagination?¡± Richard asked with some difficulty. Jimmy shook his head, his expression grave, ¡°It¡¯s not your imagination¡­¡± Outside the Floating City, countless wizards stared dumbfounded as the Floating City rose slowly. Below the Floating City, a gigantic vine was gradually growing. ¡°The Floating City is really ¡®flying¡¯ up.¡± ¡­ [Danger Alert! All wizards immediately move far away from the Floating City, and those within the Floating City please find a safe location to take refuge.] [Danger Alert! All wizards immediately move far away from the Floating City, and those within the Floating City please find a safe location to take refuge.] The Command Center¡¯s alarm rang out from every wizard¡¯s Communication Crystal Ball. Outside the Floating City, whether White Wizards or Black Wizards, One Ring Wizards or Three Rings Wizards, all hastily retreated from the Floating City. In front of that tremendous vine, without the strength of a World Master, the farther away, the safer. The wizards inside the Floating City, meanwhile, took refuge within the Command Tower. They couldn¡¯t leave the Floating City, so they had to find the safest place to hide. As the wizards frantically fled, a figure suddenly appeared beneath the Floating City. Compared to the vine, this figure, almost a giant among humans, seemed so insignificant. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s this kind of thing again.¡± Garon the Great Wizard looked at the vine, his brows furrowed with headache. He complained helplessly, ¡°Owning an entire world, the World Tree, how could there be such things in the Star Realm?¡± The gigantic vine seemed to sense the presence of Garon the Great Wizard and stopped growing momentarily. A grand yet seemingly overlapping chorus of voices erupted from the vines. ¡°Leave this place, outsider!¡± The voice was so loud that most of the wizards in the Floating City were knocked unconscious by the sound; some of the weaker wizards even had their internal organs ruptured by the shock. Garon the Great Wizard shrugged, ¡°Although I¡¯d like to do so, but¡­¡± His body suddenly swelled and in a blink, he had transformed into a towering giant. ¡°¡­ how could I possibly let go of such a rare treasure!¡± Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s voice boomed like thunder, and his speed was as swift as lightning. A Three Rings Wizard, watching from afar, didn¡¯t even see Garon move when the massive vines shattered, turning into wood chips as fine as sea sand. And the Floating City supported by those vines was now being lifted up by one hand of Garon the Great Wizard. A wizard murmured, ¡°Is this the power of the foremost individual under the Truth?¡± Garon the Great Wizard, as the first Great Wizard after the Enlightenment-era, had reached the peak of the Sixth Circle several epochs ago. It was even rumored among the wizards that Garon¡¯s strength had already surpassed the limits of a Level 6 creature, only a step away from becoming a Truth Wizard. Once he completes the legendary ascension ceremony, he could attain the Truth, founding his own school. ¡°No, I must record this.¡± A One Ring Wizard from Jialong Academy shouted as he pulled out a Crystal Ball from his pocket and recorded the scene of Garon lifting the Floating City. Years later, these moments would be sculpted on the base of a mountain, becoming one of the most famous sites in the Wizard World. The World Tree did not respond further to Garon the Great Wizard. The next moment, countless vines burst from the ground, lashing towards Garon like whips. Boom! A tremendous explosion resounded through the skies. The giant vine whip shattered into a sea of wood chips, and within those chips, Garon, holding a White Bone Wand, laughed heartily like a Demon God. ¡°It has been a long time since I exercised my power; that really felt exhilarating.¡± Saying so, he swung his wand. Instantly, magic power from thousands of kilometers around him began to flow. An inexhaustible number of runes poured out from the bone, forming a simple yet world-destroying rune sphere. ¡°Thir¡­ Thirteen Rings Forbidden Spell!¡± an old wizard cried out trembling. ¡°The Great Wizard is going to destroy the world!¡± In the Wizard World, although the power of a spell was not necessarily correlated with its circle number, any spell strictly forbidden by the Truth Council to be used in the Wizard World was beyond the Nine Rings. Among the Forbidden Spells, those of the Thirteen Rings were especially rare; only two had ever been recorded throughout the history of the Wizard World. One of which was the Spell of Singularity Summon that Garon was preparing to unleash. Singularity Summon, a Thirteen Rings witchcraft from the Shape-shifting School, capable of calling forth a singularity with near-infinite mass. This spell was ineffective against normal World Masters, as any World Master could leave its range of influence before it materialized. However, against a world, it was a legitimate apocalypse spell. The singularity would continuously absorb the energy and mass of the world until the entire world was completely devoured. ¡°Hehehe, to deal with beings like you, destroying the world is the best approach.¡± Garon cackled malevolently, continuously compressing the rune sphere in his hand. Once the sphere was reduced to its limit, the singularity would appear. But as the rune sphere continued to shrink, Garon¡¯s smile gradually disappeared. He looked around suspiciously, trying to find the trace of the World Tree, but found nothing. Even after using the Singularity Summon, not even a single vine emerged. Garon muttered to himself, ¡°Not showing up? Did it see through my act?¡± Indeed, his spell was Singularity Summon, but he had no intention of destroying this world. This world harbored so many relics of the Pioneers; it might even contain the Star Map that the Truth Council had long sought. It would be a pity to destroy it just for the sake of a World Tree. He was merely forcing the physical manifestation of the World Tree. Such World Trees, occupying entire worlds, were troublesome mostly due to their immense size and near limitless energy. These World Trees could use the principle of Magic Missile to amass an energy attack of several hundred thousand. Their massive size meant that unless the physical body was found, destroying the world was the only way to kill them. So, he purposefully used the Singularity Summon to force the World Tree to use its full power, hence allowing him to find that physical body. But now that the singularity was about to form, why had the World Tree still not made a move? ¡°Looks like until I display its power, this being will not make a move.¡± Garon looked at the nearly formed singularity in his hand and steeled his heart, deciding to give this native World Tree a shock of the Wizard World. After all, there was a way to terminate the Singularity Summon prematurely¡­ Buzz! Suddenly, Garon heard a high-frequency buzz. In the next instant, he found himself in a scorched land. Before him stood an enormous black tree, its crown covering the entire sky, regally positioned in the center of the scorched earth. On the trunk of the black giant tree, several terrifying creatures screamed miserably. ¡°Outsider, since you won¡¯t leave, then stay with me forever!¡± Chapter 389: 9: The Inner and Outer Worlds Chapter 389: Chapter 9: The Inner and Outer Worlds Floating City, Command Tower Third Floor, Jimmy¡¯s Office ¡°The Dean just disappeared out of thin air?¡± Jimmy, listening to the report from a wizard outside the Floating City, had his eyes bulging in disbelief. Just who was Garon the Great Wizard? The foremost under the Truth Wizards! Even a Truth Wizard couldn¡¯t possibly make Garon the Great Wizard disappear without a trace. ¡°But that¡¯s exactly what happened,¡± said the reporting wizard. His expression was calm, yet his inner panic made his voice tremble slightly. ¡°I saw the Dean vanish with my own eyes, and many wizards witnessed it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, go on with your duties.¡± Jimmy rubbed his furrowed brow and waved the wizard away. He was extremely confident in Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s abilities and believed that even if Garon had been ambushed by the World Tree, he would at most be temporarily trapped. Right now, instead of worrying about Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s safety, they had better take care of themselves first. Due to the disappearance of Garon the Great Wizard, the entire Floating City instantly lost its support and plummeted from a height of ten thousand meters. From such a height, even though the Floating City was sturdy, it couldn¡¯t avoid some damage from the free fall. Currently, most functions of the Floating City were paralyzed, and if they were to repair it, it would require a considerable length of time¡­ What was most terrifying, however, was that there was a problem with the Floating City¡¯s Power Furnace. After inspection by logistic wizards, the output of the Power Furnace had significantly decreased. This was a sign that the damage control mechanism had been activated due to damage to the furnace. This meant that their Floating City could almost certainly not fly out of this world unless they repaired the Power Furnace or opened a Teleportation Gate to the Wizard World. The former condition was practically impossible to meet. Since the design of the Power Furnace was a top-secret of the Tower of Truth, without the design, even a Great Wizard could not guarantee fixing it without issues. The latter condition required them to gather sufficient resources in this world. But given the current circumstances, this world was filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. To conquer this world and collect enough resources was definitely not an easy task. Moreover, with the disappearance of Garon the Great Wizard, if they now faced a World Master Level power, they could only rely on the White Wizard Army and many Three Rings Wizards to exchange heavy casualties in battle. If this world saw the arrival of two World Masters, their entire campaign feared complete annihilation. Thinking of the current situation, Jimmy felt as if his shaved head were going to lose hair. ¡°Damn, this world is really freakish.¡± He sighed deeply and was about to head to the command center to plan the next actions with other wizards. But the moment he reached the door, the Crystal Ball on his desk lit up. Jimmy was jolted alert; this Crystal was specifically for communicating with Garon the Great Wizard. ¡°Jimmy, it¡¯s Garon. I am now trapped in this¡­ Inner World, temporarily unable to¡­ open. I need you¡­ to pull out the World Tree Subbody left in the outer world¡­ the anchor, ¡­ those remaining¡­ in the world!¡± Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s voice came through the Crystal, fragmented and filled with static, but Jimmy understood his meaning. Jimmy quickly approached the Crystal: ¡°Yes, Dean, I¡¯ve received the message. I will arrange for someone to extract the World Tree Subbody right away.¡± After Jimmy responded, a burst of static came from the Crystal, and then it dimmed. Jimmy pocketed the Crystal and rushed out of the laboratory. With a clear goal now, the following tasks would be much easier. ¡­ In the Inner World, Garon the Great Wizard pocketed the broken Communication Crystal. Communication between the outer and Inner Worlds was not something that could be easily accomplished. Although he had some knowledge of Alchemy, compared to a real Alchemy Master, his Alchemy skills were only just serviceable. To complete the communication, he had to overdraw the Crystal¡¯s lifespan. ¡°Sigh, I was careless, not expecting to encounter these special rules of the outer and Inner Worlds.¡± Outer and Inner Worlds, an extremely special world rule. Worlds with this rule are divided into the outer world and Inner World. The rules of the outer world and Inner World are different, the environments are different, and so are the Races that inhabit them. What was most frightening was that the World Masters produced by such worlds were often twice as many as those of normal worlds. Once invaded, the World Masters of such worlds can use this rule to disperse the invading enemies into both the outer and Inner Worlds, then use the advantage of forces to entirely annihilate the enemy. And this world was also dominated by the World Tree, which made its power even stronger, having already broken through the bounds of Sixth Level life, only a step away from a grand existence. Garon the Great Wizard shook his head in resignation and, transforming into a giant, used his White Bone Wand to turn the nearby black colossal trees into a sky full of ash. Behind him, the black ash almost piled up into a mountain. ¡°Outsider, you cannot kill me!¡± The voice of the colossal black tree echoed across the battlefield. Tens of kilometers away from Garon the Great Wizard, a pitch-black root emerged from the ground and in an instant, transformed into a towering tree. ¡°This is my world, your energy cannot be replenished, but my life is endless!¡± Garon the Great Wizard looked at the giant tree with an almost resigned gaze, then teleported next to it and blasted it apart once more. He wasn¡¯t sure if this World Tree was inherently disadvantaged as a plant-class World Master or if its intelligence was dull from lack of interaction with other beings, but to Garon the Great Wizard, it seemed remarkably feeble-minded. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°And not to mention His tactical blunders, it is enough to call Him an idiot simply based on His judgment of Garon the Great Wizard. He still believes that Garon the Great Wizard is trapped by Him and now is but a cornered beast putting up a desperate fight. Rather than considering that Garon the Great Wizard forcibly detained Him to facilitate a more successful expedition. ¡°You foolish thing, you have such good conditions yet only know how to apply them in such a stupid way, what a waste of heaven¡¯s gifts. Once the offshoots of the World Tree that you left in the outer world are eradicated, I¡¯d like to see if you can continue being as rampant as you are now.¡± ¡­ Outer World, Command Tower meeting room ¡°¡­That¡¯s the situation, the Dean needs us to eradicate the World Tree offshoots that have been left in the outer world.¡± On the platform of the meeting room, Jimmy accurately relayed Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s instructions, while all the Three Rings Wizards participating in the plane expedition were seated below. ¡°Removing the World Tree offshoots¡­ That¡¯s not an easy task,¡± a Three Rings Black Wizard pondered, ¡°Judging from the current situation, the combat power of those World Tree offshoots is extremely formidable. A single Three Rings Wizard is nearly incapable of achieving victory, even multiple Three Rings Wizards might not be guaranteed to win. This also means that a quick decapitation strike by the Three Rings Wizards is practically impossible; we must deploy the White Wizard Army to clear these things out.¡± ¡°Indeed, the Army needs to deal with it,¡± Jimmy agreed, ¡°But the problem now is that the White Wizard Army moves too slowly.¡± As he spoke, Jimmy took out a Projection Crystal Ball and projected a segment of imagery into the air. In the image, the White Wizard Army was battling a group of gigantic flying birds. ¡°This is one of the magic beasts of this world; we tentatively call them Secthawks. These magic beasts range from First Level to Third Level in strength and have a very aggressive nature. Any creature that strays from the dense woods will be attacked by them. And their numbers are outrageously high.¡± Jimmy pressed the crystal ball, and the three-dimensional image in the air changed to a sky swarmed by white birds. ¡°The numbers of these magic beasts are almost uncountable, and although the White Wizard Army can hold the upper hand in battles against them, even at an exchange rate of one to fifty, we would still be at a loss. Therefore, the White Wizard Army will proceed on land from now on.¡± ¡°Proceed on land?¡± a Black Wizard questioned, ¡°Isn¡¯t that even slower?¡± ¡°That¡¯s where our plan comes in,¡± Jimmy explained, ¡°The command has planned to disperse the Three Rings Wizards, sending them all out for sweeping and scouting. The main task of the Black Wizards is to penetrate deep into the dense woods to investigate the location of the World Tree offshoots and incidentally deal with some things that could trouble the White Wizard Army along the way. White Wizards, on the other hand, will work on cleaning up the area around the Floating City, removing as many creatures as possible that could pose a threat to the White Wizard squads. Does anyone have any objections to this plan?¡± Some murmuring arose in the meeting room as acquainted wizards discussed their views with one another. Soon, the noise died down, and not a single wizard raised an objection. The plan was without issues. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Jimmy declared, ¡°The logistics wizards will distribute specially made crystals to you all later; these crystals will help the command pinpoint your locations, so please take good care of them.¡± The meeting ended, and the wizards left the room. Richard followed the main force to the logistics department and received a specially made Black Crystal Ball. Though most of the functionalities of the Floating City were currently unusable, its communication tower was not among them. With the high power of these crystals, combined with the communication tower, the command could pinpoint the wizards¡¯ locations in this world with clarity. After collecting the crystal ball, Richard did not take immediate action but instead returned to the Secret Realm. ¡°What¡¯s the situation outside?¡± Richard entered the Secret Realm, and Ulysses flew onto his shoulder, asking with some concern. Richard shook his head, his expression somewhat somber. ¡°The situation is not very optimistic. This world operates with outer and inner world rules, and Garon the Great Wizard is trapped in the inner world; it¡¯s likely he won¡¯t come out for thirty to fifty years. Moreover, there¡¯s a problem with the Floating City, not even a retreat is possible.¡± ¡°Outer and inner worlds¡­¡± Ulysses, after hearing Richard¡¯s words, pondered for a moment before speaking, ¡°This is entirely a good thing for you all. Among the members of the Gods Civilization, there is a World Tree Divine. According to him, there¡¯s only one World Master for the World Tree worlds. Now that your Great Wizard has dragged the World Tree into the inner world, it¡¯s as if there is no World Master in the outer world. Without the World Tree as an obstacle, the losses for you smaller wizards should be greatly reduced.¡± Richard sighed softly. ¡°I hope so.¡± After speaking, Richard proceeded to the Alchemy Workshop. ¡°Calion, Sulina, come here, we need to customize the equipment for the Fire Lizards.¡± Although the command has requested that after finding the World Tree Subbodies, the White Wizard Army should deal with them, Richard does not plan on doing that. Not to mention that the World Tree Subbodies themselves looked like excellent alchemy materials, the mere fact that the World Mushroom needed it was enough for Richard to abandon the thought of letting the White Wizard Army handle it. It was time for the Fire Lizard Battle Group to be deployed. Chapter 390: 10 Fire Lizard Battle Group Chapter 390: Chapter 10 Fire Lizard Battle Group Dealing with the offspring of the World Tree was a troublesome matter. Near the World Tree Subbody, there would be Guardian Forests, and it could also summon the Insect Tide, not to mention that its own strength was not weak. Relying solely on Richard and Ulysses, they would even find it difficult to approach this World Tree Subbody. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although the World Mushroom could support them, the support of the World Mushroom was limited. In the Secret Realm, the World Mushroom could have power close to that of the World Master. But once outside the Secret Realm, apart from its huge strength, its tentacles didn¡¯t have any particularly formidable aspects. Therefore, the role of the Fire Lizard Army became apparent. Richard only needed to specialize them, and with Alchemy, he could make them temporarily serve as the White Wizard Army. A battle group of five hundred White Wizards, with just two rounds of Magic Concentrated Fire, could cause a Fire Element Storm. By then, the Guardian Forest of the World Tree¡¯s main body would be greatly damaged, which was absolutely good news for Richard. And thanks to the Academy¡¯s suggestions, before joining this war, Richard had prepared a considerable amount of alchemy materials. There were so many materials that even recreating ten Fire Lizard Battle Groups wouldn¡¯t exhaust them. For Richard, these materials would definitely be needed later, so it was better to buy a bit more rather than not having anything on the battlefield. So Richard didn¡¯t have to worry about materials at all. With such perfect conditions, it made no sense for Richard not to utilize the Fire Lizard Battle Group. ¡­ Calion and Sulina quickly arrived at Richard¡¯s side. ¡°My lord, what should we do?¡± Richard took out a notebook from his pocket and began to construct the Specialization for the Single Soldier Armor. ¡°The outer shell of these armors needs thickening treatment, it must at least withstand a physical attack of five hundred Energy Levels, and they need a corrosion-resistant coating on the outside. Next is the weaponry side, we need to add Fireball Guns and Flame Guns. The power of the Fireball Gun can be smaller, but the Flame Gun cannot have less than one thousand Energy Levels. And we need to add a Dagger¡­ Lastly, we add a simple air purification device as well as hermetic sealing to the armor.¡± After finishing the plan, Richard tore out the page from the notebook and handed it to Calion. ¡°Just these, start as soon as possible. Estimate how long it will take to complete the specialization.¡± Calion accepted the specialization plan, looked over the content, and after a moment of thought, he said with a troubled expression: ¡°My lord, this plan will take a long time to execute.¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°At least a year.¡± ¡°A year¡­¡± Richard frowned slightly, ¡°Why so slow?¡± Calion smiled bitterly, ¡°My lord, there are two things in these items that are the most time-consuming. The first is the armor thickening, our craftsmen¡¯s skills are insufficient, so we need to remelt the original armor, then reconfigure a new alloy and recast it into armor. The second thing is the Flame Gun, although not difficult to make, the Energy Level you requested is too high, which significantly increases its difficulty. We haven¡¯t made Flame Guns before, the workers lack experience, and the machines are not specifically designed for manufacturing them. When I say a year, I¡¯m already being optimistic, and if there¡¯s a problem with the design, just a single Flame Gun could take a year.¡± Calion¡¯s mentioned difficulties were very real, so Richard didn¡¯t get angry after hearing it. Anger wouldn¡¯t solve anything. After some thought, Richard replied, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the design of the Flame Gun, and the armor thickening can wait¡­ The Flame Gun is essential, and you can prioritize the production of the Flame Guns and Fireball Guns.¡± In this forest filled with carnivorous plants, the Flame Gun was essential. And even if they weren¡¯t dealing with these carnivorous plants, if they encountered swarms of poisonous insects, the Flame Gun could be very effective. The Fireball Gun was Richard¡¯s weapon to deal with the World Tree Subbody; without it, the entire specialization would be pointless. Calion spoke respectfully, ¡°Thank you for your understanding. If you have no other requirements, my lord, then we will start now.¡± ¡°Alright, begin. And remember, you must pay attention to air purification. The air on the battlefield will contain many toxic spores.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± ¡­ Designing the Flame Gun was not difficult, over the years, although Richard hadn¡¯t delved much into Giant Dragon Alchemy, his foundation was solid. Even after his guidance, among the Fire Lizard Craftsmen, only Calion and Sulina, who had the highest level of Alchemy skills, were barely able to match Richard in some aspects. Talent was indeed something unreasonable. Calion and Sulina were considered prodigies among the Fire Lizards, but in front of the Craftsmen refined by Richard, their talents were just ordinary. Richard spent a month working out the design. After he finished the design, he left the Secret Realm with Ulysses and Hog. There was some time left before the Battle Group¡¯s upgrade, so he thought it better to look for the traces of the World Tree Subbody first. ¡­ The Green Forest World was very quiet, with few poisonous insects or fierce beasts that made noises. These biological weapons always appeared silently and hunted without a sound. Even with spiritual power to probe, these creatures often deceived the Wizards. Snap! A sound like a crack of a whip reverberated through the forest. In the dense forest, a towering tree with vines hanging down seemed to come alive. The vines dangling in the shade of the tree twisted in the air, like Medusa¡¯s snake hair, sending chills down one¡¯s spine. Not far from it, a wizard in a black robe was holding a Crystal Ball, recording this scene. Another hand was using a feather quill to record something on a notebook hovering in midair. ¡°Hanging Tree, danger level: Second Level, characteristics: shades densely draped with numerous vines. Suggested methods of elimination¡­¡± The black-robed Wizard paused his feather quill, stored the completed Crystal Ball in his pocket, and then drew forth a silver Magic Wand. With a gentle wave of the Wand, a crimson Fireball flew towards the Hanging Tree. A loud boom resonated as the Fireball exploded, scattering Elemental Flames that instantly set the dangling vines ablaze. Once touched by the flames, the vines immediately began to thrash about. It was at this moment that the black-robed Wizard rushed to the base of the Hanging Tree, Magic Power surging within him, and he delivered a punch that struck the trunk. Next, the black-robed Wizard beckoned with a hand gesture, and the notebook automatically flew to his side. ¡°Suggested methods of elimination: This creature is particularly sensitive to attacks from the Fire Element. It is recommended to use Fire Element Spells to disrupt its senses, then advance close to eliminate it with physical attacks. Note: This creature possesses an Energy-devouring Trait. If your spell potency is insufficient, do not provoke.¡± After writing the recommendations, the black-robed Wizard tucked the feather quill into the notebook and casually tossed it into his Magic Pocket before turning to leave. Behind him, the Hanging Tree, now infused with Elemental Flames, crashed down thunderously. Its trunk, which could easily resist a thousand Energy Level Spells, had turned into sawdust. ¡°Roar!¡± Suddenly, a dragon cry echoed through the sky as a Giant Dragon, controlled by a black crow, shot from above the dense forest straight toward the black-robed Wizard. Behind them, a cloud-like flock of seed-sowing eagles was frantically pursuing them. Snap snap snap¡­ As the Giant Dragon entered the dense forest, leaves scattered in its wake. The white seeding eagles, on the other hand, halted in the sky above the forest. ¡°Caw caw caw, you stupid birds, come down here!¡± the black crow atop the Giant Dragon taunted the flock arrogantly. The black-robed Wizard, witnessing the scene, couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. ¡°Ulysses, these birds are Biological Weapons; they don¡¯t understand your taunts.¡± Ulysses looked towards the black-robed Wizard, somewhat deflated, ¡°Richard, can¡¯t you be less of a buzzkill?¡± The black-robed Wizard was none other than Richard, dispatched deep into the enchanted forest by headquarters to scout out an offshoot of the World Tree. Richard casually asked, ¡°How did the scouting mission go?¡± Scouting for an offshoot of the World Tree in this dense forest was not an easy task. It used to be easy because the World Tree offshoots would take the initiative to act. But now they were all in a dormant state, and it became exceedingly difficult to locate them. Upon hearing the question, Ulysses¡¯ annoyed expression instantly vanished to be replaced by a smug look. ¡°Caw caw caw, praise the great Lord of Crows, I¡¯ve found it this time!¡± Richard was startled, then replied excitedly, ¡°You found it!? Where is it?¡± Ulysses fanned his wings, and a tuft of blue-black flames emerged, forming a rudimentary map of flames in the air. ¡°We are here,¡± Ulysses pointed to a spot on the map with his wing, ¡°and that thing is here.¡± Saying that, Ulysses used a tuft of black flames to mark a spot in the upper right area of the map. ¡°It¡¯s only about fifty kilometers from you,¡± he added. Upon hearing this, Richard immediately declared, ¡°Good, you lead the way. Let¡¯s head over now!¡± ¡­ Fifty kilometers wasn¡¯t far for Richard, and despite encountering many obstacles en route, it took him only one hour to reach the destination. Gazing at the familiar dense forest before him, Richard instantly shifted his gaze to Energy Vision. Indeed, under Energy Vision, the entire forest was interconnected with the central tree, which looked somewhat wilted. ¡°My, all these World Tree offspring seem to be cut from the same mold,¡± Richard remarked as he observed the familiar setup. The defense measures of this World Tree Subbody were identical to those of the one they¡¯d encountered before. Ulysses urged, ¡°Stop admiring it and call out your Fire Lizards. Let¡¯s not let that thing summon an Insect Tide again.¡± A month had passed since Richard had entered the dense forest; although the Single Soldier Armor for the Fire Lizard Battle Group had not been upgraded, the Fireball Guns and air purifiers were fully operational. This fulfilled Richard¡¯s basic needs for dealing with the World Tree Subbody. Upon hearing the command, Richard didn¡¯t waste any words and immediately opened a rift to the Secret Realm, summoning the Fire Lizard Battle Group. Having undergone modification, the Fire Lizards¡¯ helmets now sported a mask-like filter device, and in their hands were somewhat odd-looking Fireball Guns. The grip of the Fireball Gun was still like that of a pistol, but there was a device resembling a revolver cylinder on the gun body ¨C the Fireball Gun¡¯s spell-casting component. At the front of the spell-casting component was a large, horn-shaped barrel. In theory, the Fireball Gun didn¡¯t require a barrel to shoot fireballs. However, after experimentation, Richard discovered that adding a horn-shaped barrel slightly accelerated the casting speed. Moreover, by simply changing the spell-casting component, the Fireball Gun could be readily converted into a Dragon Breath Gun, or Flame Gun. With such benefits, Richard naturally added the inexpensive horn-shaped barrel. The Fire Lizard Battle Group emerged from the Secret Realm Rift and, after a brief clearing of the dense forest, quickly arranged themselves into a formation. One Fire Lizard stepped forward from the formation, performing a Wizard¡¯s Salute to Richard. ¡°Sir, what do we need to do?¡± Richard pointed toward the dense forest in front of them. ¡°See this forest here? Use your Fireball Guns and blast it to pieces for me.¡± Chapter 391: 11 Battle Groups First Battle Chapter 391: Chapter 11 Battle Group¡¯s First Battle ¡°Blow up this forest?¡± Upon hearing this command, the Fire Lizard was stunned. Although the members of the Fire Lizard Battle Group were all Blood Tax, their combat power had not diminished because of it. On the contrary, they trained harder than normal Fire Lizards in day-to-day practice. The teachings of their elders told them that on the battlefield, their own strength was the only thing they could rely on. And these people were the elite of the Blood Tax. They had been selected to join the battle group and then trained by a top-ranking Silver Horn Noble. They were dressed in the most powerful armor and armed with terrifying weapons they had never seen before. They had thought they were about to enter an unprecedented, dreadful battlefield to fight creatures more ferocious than those in myths and legends. But now, Richard was actually asking them to blow up a forest. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you have a problem?¡± Richard asked with a slight frown. Obedience was the soldier¡¯s duty, and he didn¡¯t need a group of soldiers questioning his commands. ¡°No problem, sir,¡± the Fire Lizard responded loudly. Although they had some doubts about Richard¡¯s orders, their five years of training had taught them not to ask why. Soldiers just needed to follow orders. Richard nodded, ¡°Good, be careful. You¡¯re going to have a tough battle ahead.¡± Soon, the Fire Lizards divided into five teams as per the combat company. Three teams lined up in order, while two teams served as guards for the shooting squads. The Fire Lizards aimed their Fireball Guns at the dense forest ahead, and under the command of the company commander, they began their Magic Concentrated Fire. ¡°First Company ready, fire!¡± In an instant, a hundred fireballs, each with an energy level of 300, shot into the dense forest, the crimson flames almost engulfing it. Before the glow had even faded, the Second Company commander shouted, ¡°Second Company, fire!¡± The next moment, another hundred fireballs fell into the dense forest. This time, the red light became even brighter. In the element-enriched environment created by the first batch of Fireball Technique, the power of the second batch was significantly enhanced. Soon, the third batch of fireballs also fell into the forest. This time, a huge flame erupted, a small Fire Element Storm coiling like a python through the blaze, instantly carbonizing several giant trees. But it wasn¡¯t over yet. Since the Fourth and Fifth Companies hadn¡¯t participated in the shooting, their Fireball Guns were naturally handed over to the shooting team. With each shout from the First Company commander, the fourth and fifth batches of fireballs fell into the forest. Meanwhile, the Fireball Guns from the first batch had already completed their spell cooldowns. The cycle had begun. Boom, boom, boom¡­ The roar of the spells echoed in the ears of the Fire Lizards, but beneath this mighty sound, some Fire Lizards sharply detected something amiss. The ground beneath their feet seemed to be trembling. ¡°Something¡¯s beneath us! Dodge!¡± With a somewhat shrill alarm, a huge vine whip burst forth from the ground, instantly knocking a Fire Lizard who couldn¡¯t dodge in time. ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Continue firing!¡± The First Company commander bellowed, turning his head to delegate the directing of the firing to his deputy, while he himself drew his scimitar and charged toward the vine. With a swish! The scimitar unsheathed, instantly igniting a layer of golden flames. A surge of energy erupted from the company commander, his arm muscles bulging. He swung his sword. The sharp blade traced a transparent streak through the air, followed by a piercing sound of wind by everyone¡¯s ears. This cut had split the air like butter, leaving a vacuum trail. Boom! The huge vine collapsed with a crash, the golden flames spreading from the break point along the falling vine. But this was just a beginning. Before the company commander could sheath his sword, the ground kept trembling, and several new vine whips tore through the earth and surfaced. Accompanying them were countless smaller vines, sprouting from the large vines like tentacles, each swing producing a fine blade of wind. ¡°Attention everyone, activate combat mode!¡± Following the command of the company commander, a buzzing sound suddenly filled the battlefield. Golden patterns began to appear on the Fire Lizards¡¯ single soldier armor, and although the outer shell of the armor was coated with a green camouflage layer, it couldn¡¯t hide the intense gold light. Energy flowed like blood through the armor¡¯s filigree. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And when these filigree patterns were fully lit, the armor came to life. Swhish, swhish, swhish¡­ The dense sounds of drawing swords filled the battlefield, the next moment, the roaring of the wind sounded like dragon roars through the forest. Hundreds of swords swung in unison, their slashes nearly forming a wall of wind, the vines¡¯ wind blades crashing against it like waves but the wall stood firm like a rock. Richard watched quietly from a distance. ¡°Not bad, your Fire Lizard Battle Group looks pretty good,¡± Ulysses commented, unable to resist praising the performance of the Fire Lizard Battle Group. ¡°Of course,¡± Richard replied with a hint of pride in his smile, ¡°These Fire Lizards are the elite among their kind. They wear armor and wield weapons produced by the famous Alchemy Master of the Fire Lizard Empire, incorporating techniques from both Wizard and Giant Dragon Alchemy. Moreover, these Fire Lizards have also learned the ¡®Standard Battle Skills¡¯ created from integrating all the advanced combat skills of Fire Lizard Empire on New World Island. It would be unreasonable if they weren¡¯t strong.¡± ¡°So when do we go in?¡± Ulysses asked, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the Elemental Storm ravaging the dense forest, ¡°That thing has already started calling the Insect Tide.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already started to summon?¡± A flicker of surprise crossed Richard¡¯s face, ¡°Then let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°Slow down the shooting, slow down the shooting,¡± Richard said as he took out a crystal ball. After speaking, Richard and Ulysses suddenly disappeared. When they reappeared, they were in a dense forest. Booming thunderous noises resounded by Richard¡¯s ears, and a raging fire element storm nearly carbonized his dragon scales. The continuous explosions of the Fireball Technique provided an unending force for the fire element storm, and it did not care whether you were a Wizard or a World Tree Subbody. No matter who you were, you¡¯d have to suffer a slap from it. Magic power surged within Richard, and a golden light immediately emanated from the dragon scales on his body. In front of him, Ulysses had transformed into a black and blue firebird. His body had completely turned to elements, just like many Shaping Wizards. Boom! Suddenly thunder struck behind Richard. The World Tree Subbody finally noticed these two third-level creatures constantly approaching it. The surrounding Guardian Forest uprooted themselves and bravely faced the fire element storm, rushing toward Richard. In an instant, several flaming treants appeared in the dense woods. Just like the Soviets countering at Stalingrad, even if their branches turned to ash and their trunks to char, these treants would stop Richard and his companion from advancing. ¡°I¡¯ll handle them.¡± Ulysses suddenly changed direction, and the blue-black flames on his body turned completely black. The fire elements in the firestorm flowed into him like a torrent at his call, swiftly expanding him into a pitch-black flaming beast. With a flick of his wings, the violent black flames instantly turned several approaching treants into torches. ¡°Good.¡± With a solemn expression, Richard waved his magic wand, and a howling gust of wind instantly formed around him, drastically increasing his speed. However, this wind not only accelerated Richard but also drew in the elemental flames surrounding him. The scorching air felt like hot coal, and the elemental flames continued to erode Richard¡¯s Vajra Body, growing more intense. Richard held his breath and waved his magic wand, continually casting acceleration spells on himself. At that moment, he was less than ten meters away from the World Tree Subbody. Bang! Richard felt as though he had hit a wall, the massive impact dazing him slightly. The flames on his body had vanished, and an invisible barrier isolated the World Tree Subbody and the surrounding firestorm. Facing this third-level creature that had rushed up to it, the World Tree Subbody felt very perplexed. This creature did not have the capabilities to kill it. It posed less of a threat than those little ones outside. Though puzzled, the World Tree Subbody did not intend to let go of this fertilizer that had come knocking. Even the weakest third-level creatures were still third-level creatures, and their life energy was prime nourishment for it. Delicate roots emerged from deep underground, stretching toward Richard like tentacles. But before its roots could extend far, it sensed a powerful presence appearing out of nowhere. ¡°Level 4 creature?¡± The word ¡°Level 4 Creature¡± suddenly popped into the ¡°mind¡± of the World Tree Subbody. Memories from its bloodline gave it an instant understanding of level 4 creatures, including strategies to deal with them. [Hold firm, call for the mother body] Faced with this plan, the World Tree Subbody chose to comply. A call travelled along the bloodline to the World Tree in the Inner World. But what it met was silence. In the Inner World, the World Tree looked at Garon the Great Wizard in shock and anger. ¡°Outsider, what have you done?¡± Garon the Great Wizard touched his head with a weird laugh and replied, ¡°Heh heh heh, didn¡¯t do much, just added a space anchor to give you a bit of difficulty manipulating space. Little sapling, stop messing with your crude rules. Now you only have one option, and that is to kill me here. Otherwise, wait to become the handle of my magic wand.¡± The World Tree looked at the giant creature before it and suddenly felt a trace of fear inside. It suddenly realized that bringing this creature into the Inner World was a wrong decision. ¡­ In the outer world, enormous fungal tentacles reached out from a space rift, burrowing into the ground. Without Shaping Wizards to break the energy barrier for the World Mushroom this time, it had to resort to another plan¡ªstarting from the roots to capture the World Tree Subbody. No matter how strong the World Tree¡¯s energy barrier was, it couldn¡¯t protect the entire root system. Once the roots were cut off, the World Mushroom could use its unreasonable strength to pull out the World Tree Subbody. The World Tree Subbody continued to fight the World Mushroom with its roots, adhering to the strategy of holding firm. But the mother body it awaited never appeared. Finally, after nearly half an hour of struggle, the World Tree¡¯s roots were defeated. The World Mushroom pulled the World Tree Subbody out of the ground and dragged it into the Secret Realm. At this moment, the fine buzzing of the Insect Tide was already echoing through the forest. Richard shouted to Ulysses, who was still massacring heartily in the firestorm: ¡°Ulysses, open the space rift, bring that group of Fire Lizards back to the Secret Realm. The Insect Tide is coming!¡± After speaking, he immediately opened the Secret Realm rift, diving into the Secret Realm. Although the Insect Tide was formidable, as long as they hid in the Secret Realm, even Wizard Apprentices wouldn¡¯t be harmed. Chapter 392: 12: World Tree Staff Chapter 392: Chapter 12: World Tree Staff The frenzied swarm of insects surged through the dense forest like a tide, leaving no blade of grass alive wherever they passed; the earth transformed into a marsh laced with deadly poison. And the very instigator of all this chaos, now inside the Secret Realm, was gleefully tallying up his spoils of war. Beneath the umbrella cap of the World Mushroom, the returning Fire Lizard Battle Group was shedding their Single Soldier Armor with the assistance of the Holy Tree Elves. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This operation had miraculously caused no casualties in the squad, except for five unlucky fellows who¡¯d been lashed by huge vines, their bones shattered to pieces. Even for a Wizard, treating such injuries would have been quite troublesome. However, with the assistance of the World Mushroom, these injured Fire Lizards received sufficient treatment¡­ even though the healing process was somewhat sanity-draining. The mycelium of the World Mushroom burrowed directly into their bodies, repositioning the shattered, deformed bones and entwining itself to mend the torn organs. After all this was done, the World Mushroom infused them with enough Life Energy. Soon, these severely wounded Fire Lizards would be able to return to the battlefield, even stronger than before. Aside from the five unlucky ones, the rest of the Fire Lizards had also sustained various injuries. The original Single Soldier Armor model was almost as good as paper mache against the biological weapons of this world. The Fire Lizard workers collected the damaged armors to repair and reinforce them and contemplated future improvements. Although perfect armor was an impossibility, it was still worthwhile to address the common issues prevalent within the Single Soldier Armor. The Fire Lizards doffed their Armor and, with the Holy Tree Elves¡¯ aid, tended to their wounds. The Holy Tree Elves could manipulate the mycelium to help stitch wounds. Their Bloodline abilities also sped up the healing of the Fire Lizards¡¯ injuries. If their individual strength hadn¡¯t been so weak, Richard would have wanted to send them directly onto the battlefield to serve as healers. Setting aside the Fire Lizards for a moment, it was now time to examine Richard¡¯s greatest acquisition from this venture. Upon entering the Secret Realm, the World Tree Subbody completely became a plaything of the World Mushroom. Manipulated by the World Mushroom, this World Tree Subbody was thoroughly infiltrated by mycelium, even its energy cycle under the mushroom¡¯s control, effectively becoming a puppet on strings. ¡°World Mushroom, what do you plan to do with this thing?¡± Richard approached the World Tree Subbody, his eyes burning with fervor as he gazed at the massive tree exuding an aura of life. He hadn¡¯t examined it closely last time because it was meant for the Academy, and Richard did not wish to invite more troubles for himself. But this time, there was no one competing with him for it, allowing him to inspect the Subbody thoroughly. This inspection was consequential, igniting the occupational disease of the Alchemy Wizard in Richard. The entire Subbody was festooned with alchemy materials worthy of use. ¡°Master, I want to consume it.¡± The World Mushroom¡¯s answer poured over Richard¡¯s ideas like a bucket of cold water. ¡°Ah, can you leave me a piece?¡± Richard gazed at the World Tree Subbody, saying somewhat painfully. ¡°Of course.¡± For some reason, even though the World Mushroom¡¯s reply sounded as usual, Richard detected a stifled chuckle in its tone. ¡°Wait a moment for me, I need to study this thing thoroughly.¡± As a top-tier third-level creature, the World Tree Subbody was a treasure trove from top to bottom. From its leaves, bark, and vines, a Neurotoxin could be extracted, one that could induce a state of suspended animation in living beings, affecting not only their Flesh but also their Souls. Even facing a Soul Wizard who specialized in the manipulation of Souls, or an Undead Wizard devoid of a physical body, this poison would be effective. Its trunk was extraordinarily durable, capable of resisting magical attacks of five thousand Energy Level and three thousand Energy Level of blunt trauma, as well as a thousand Energy Level of Cutting damage. Compared to alloys of the same volume and strength, its mass was more than half lighter. Deep within its trunk, Richard had discovered a rod of heartwood. Although the heartwood was inferior in material quality, its rich life aura and Magic Conduction on par with Mithril allowed any Energy-related witchcraft to be greatly amplified. It was a natural Magic Wand Core. At its roots, Richard found a special Evolution Material. This material could promote cell mutation in living beings, and the direction of such mutations could be somewhat influenced. Richard was certain that the discoveries made so far were just a fraction of what the World Tree Subbody offered. If he continued his research, he would undoubtedly find even more valuable properties within the World Tree Subbody. ¡°Goodness, this World Tree Subbody is truly a treasure trove.¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but exclaim as he looked over the research he had conducted for the past six months. Having said that, he pocketed his research notes and approached the experiment table. On the table lay a two-meter-long, milky-white rod, radiating a rich aura of life. This was one of the items Richard had kept from the World Tree Subbody, intending to craft a Magic Wand from this heartwood to replace the Secret Silver Wand. The Secret Silver Wand was good, but its material was not adequate to support Richard¡¯s physical attacks. Mithril was valuable, but its hardness and Magic Resistance paled in comparison to Pure Gold. If used as a close-combat weapon, the Secret Silver Wand would bend after a couple of uses. Thus, Richard intended to switch it out. Although the heartwood was of poor quality, Richard planned to encase it with a refined gold alloy shell. While he could do the same with the Secret Silver Wand, crafting a brand new wand from scratch would be much easier than patching up someone else¡¯s work. Having disassembled the original Secret Silver Wand¡¯s head, Richard held the rod made of Mithril Alloy, and with a thought, information appeared before his eyes. [Materials: Mithril Alloy] [Refinable Substance: Mithril] [Refinement cost: 10,000 Magic Power] [Refinable material: Purple Copper Essence] [Refinement cost: 50,000 Magic Power] ¡­ [Refinable material: Dark Gold] [Refinement cost: 20 Magic Power] Since the staff was alloyed, it contained many kinds of materials. Therefore, the information provided by the Miracle Furnace was exceptionally complex, displaying even the impurities. Richard selected a few useful substances from these materials, and his heart moved, his Magic Power flowed toward an unknown destination. Once the refinement was complete, the Secret Silver Wand in his hand had been reduced to a piece of Secret Silver the size of a finger, a piece of Purple Essence Copper the size of a human head, and other selected items. The remaining ¡°impurities¡± were thoughtfully dealt with by the Miracle Furnace. The Miracle Furnace would devour the impurities produced during the refinement process, something Richard had discovered a long time ago. During material refinement, anything Richard deemed unnecessary would be silently consumed by the Miracle Furnace. This wasn¡¯t a bad thing. The impurities from many refined materials were quite troublesome to handle. Many harmful substances had to be rendered harmless before they could be buried or incinerated. Otherwise, you¡¯d be waiting for the Law Enforcement Wizard to knock on your door to remind you that ¡°protecting the environment is everyone¡¯s responsibility.¡± With the Secret Silver Wand refinement completed, Richard took out his Pure Gold Armor. After becoming a Three Rings Wizard, the protective effect of this set of Pure Gold Armor seemed somewhat redundant. Once he activated his Transformation Battle Body, the dragon scales could provide up to eighty percent the protection of armor and could regenerate on their own. He proceeded in the same manner with the armor. Soon, Richard had a piece of Pure Gold the size of a human head in his hands. After that, he took some materials to alloy and forge a dark golden wand shaft. Then came the intricate Rune engraving and the construction of the Magic Conduction circuits. Luckily, Richard¡¯s Alchemy Technology had not regressed, and after half a year of crafting, the World Tree Staff was complete. The World Tree Staff radiated a golden glow, its head adorned with a fist-sized Crystal Ball, encased in a golden protective shell resembling a skull. ¡°Good, now for the final step.¡± Holding the heavy wand in his hand, a soft Holy Light soon illuminated around Richard. The last step, Luck Enchantment. A beam of light gradually took shape in Richard¡¯s hands and then plunged into the wand. After completing this final step, he excitedly gripped the wand and summoned a Fireball, shooting it at the target he had prepared in advance. Boom. The metal target, able to withstand 5,000 Energy Level of Elemental Damage, trembled under the explosion of the fireball. Soon, the connected Crystal Ball displayed the power of this particular Fireball Technique. [Power: 3,500 Energy Level] ¡°Not bad,¡± Richard remarked with some surprise. After becoming a Three Rings Wizard, Richard had iterated on his Magic Models several times. The power of his fireballs had reached nearly two thousand Energy Levels, almost indistinguishable from the initial version of the Heart of Annihilation. Therefore, the wand¡¯s amplification was around one thousand five hundred Energy Levels. One thousand three hundred Energy Levels were from the wand¡¯s boost, and the remaining three hundred came from the effects of the Luck Enchantment. And this was just the power of the Spell; besides Spell amplification, the wand also had a Gravity Enchantment suitable for close combat. Thinking this, Richard approached a target designed to test physical attacks. The target was made from World Mushroom mycelium, which could well absorb the force of physical impacts and simulate the bodies of fleshy creatures. Looking at the target, Richard held the wand with both hands and swung forcefully. There was a ¡°puff¡± sound, and the mycelium target instantly caved in. The connected Crystal Ball then immediately showed the power of the wand. [Power: 3,500 Energy Level] Looking at this result, Richard¡¯s face flashed with shock. He hadn¡¯t expected the force of his swing to be as powerful as his Spell Power. ¡°Goodness, I¡¯d like to see who dares to get close to me now,¡± Richard muttered to himself. Putting away his delight over the new wand, Richard tidied up his experiment table and then opened a Secret Realm Rift. After half a year in the Secret Realm, it was time to go out. In the distance, the Fire Lizard Battle Group was training with specialized Armor. This year, the Fire Lizard Battle Group¡¯s Armor had been fully upgraded, and the Dragon Breath Guns had been completely distributed. The close-combat weapons had also been specialized. Now, they were primed and ready to wreak havoc on the battlefield at any moment. Richard shouted to them, ¡°My soldiers, it¡¯s time to go to battle!¡± Chapter 393: 13: Poison Swamp Chapter 393: Chapter 13: Poison Swamp The Fire Lizard Battle Group, after upgrading their Single Soldier Armor, had combat power that was not inferior to that of a Wizard. In fact, compared to many Wizards who had never participated in a Plane War or had only fought in one or two, these Fire Lizard soldiers were even superior. So, Richard did not plan on keeping them in the Secret Realm forever. The Green Forest World was vast, and it would take more than a hundred or so Three Rings Black Wizards several decades to scout it completely. This was under the condition of devoted searching. If the Wizards were to fight, study something, or encounter intersections in the search areas during this time, the duration would more than double. By dispatching the Fire Lizard Army, Richard aimed to expand his search range and increase the likelihood of finding World Tree Subbodies. One person¡¯s power is ultimately limited. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, Richard also knew that the search for World Tree Subbodies could not rely solely on these Black Wizards. With the White Wizard Army finishing the clean-up of carnivorous plants in the forest, the Wizards¡¯ control area would continue to expand, and then the World Tree Subbodies would be thoroughly eradicated without exception. The Black Wizards were merely speeding up this process, making the elimination of World Tree Subbodies more efficient. Once out of the Secret Realm, the Fire Lizard Battle Group split into twenty-five combat squads, and with Richard as the center, they began to explore and expand outwards. Moreover, to reduce casualties and transmit information, these Fire Lizard squads were all equipped with one-time use Teleportation Scrolls. Once activated, the scroll would create a rift to the Secret Realm at the original location. Richard gave this device a friendly name¡ªthe Town Recall Scroll. In case of an emergency, these Fire Lizards could return to the Secret Realm through the Town Recall Scroll. As for what to do if enemies pursued them into the Secret Realm¡­ Richard actually hoped that the creatures the Fire Lizards found troublesome would enter. Below the World Master, there was only one option in the Secret Realm: to become toys for the World Mushrooms. As the Fire Lizards began their scattered exploration, Richard was not idle either. He took out a bunch of alchemy materials, and quickly cobbled together a rudimentary radar. All these Fire Lizards had Communication Crystal Balls specially made by Richard. Through the emission of specific frequency Magic Waves, the radar could interact with these crystals, causing the Crystal Balls to transmit specific frequency Magic Waves back, allowing Richard to determine the locations of the squads. The specialized Crystal Balls given to the many Three Rings Wizards by the command center were an enhanced version of this device. Richard¡¯s device could only cover a range of twenty kilometers, while the one in the Floating City could cover most of the world. However, rough as Richard¡¯s device was, it was sufficient for the current situation. Richard¡¯s radar featured a Crystal Ball with a half-meter diameter as the receiver, with a metallic base below that was larger than the diameter of the Crystal Ball. Moving such a device was no easy task. Since it was a rudimentary version, the parts inside were not very resistant to impact; a slight mishap would require Richard to repair it. Looking at the radar, Richard considered for a moment and quickly found a suitable candidate. ¡°Hog, you carry this thing.¡± As a Giant Dragon¡ªand moreover, a descendant of the Dragon King¡ªHog¡¯s strength far exceeded that of ordinary Giant Dragons. The radar was heavy, but it was not too much for her. Besides, Hog could fly, allowing her to move without regard for terrain, which was very friendly to the radar. Upon hearing Richard¡¯s order, Hog, who had been discussing with Ulysses how to prank the seed-sowing hawks later, suddenly looked a bit crestfallen. She came to Richard¡¯s side, hanging her head and reluctantly said, ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Seeing her like that, Richard couldn¡¯t help but glare at Ulysses behind her. Over the years, as Richard was busy with experiments, Hog had been almost entirely raised by Ulysses. Ulysses was very fond of Hog, so he often took her out to play. He even added Hog to Richard¡¯s doctrines, assigning her the role of a mount for a Supreme God, the identity of the master of a myriad of dragons. ¡°Why are you glaring at me?¡± Ulysses said righteously, ¡°Hog did as you commanded. Although this child likes to fool around, she never delays serious matters.¡± Richard spread his hands helplessly: ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m just looking at you; don¡¯t react so strongly.¡± Though Ulysses¡¯s way of raising her was slightly deviant from Richard¡¯s goals, in terms of obeying orders, Hog had never failed. This was also the reason Richard had indulged Hog. Richard was a pragmatist; as long as something was useful and worked well, he did not mind who made it or whatever it had been through. Sending out the Fire Lizard Battle Group greatly increased Richard¡¯s search efficiency. In just one day, he had searched an area that would have taken five days to explore under normal circumstances. The only downside was that the Fire Lizard Battle Group had suffered losses. Combat Squad Two encountered one of those Biological Weapons Richard had previously seen during their search. Although the squad leader used the Town Recall Scroll in time, two unfortunate ones were pierced by a scorpion tail, instantly breaching their Armor. In front of third-level creatures, even the thickened Armor of the Fire Lizards was no more than paper. But in war, there¡¯s no such thing as an undivided force. Richard had given them more than adequate equipment; whether they could survive or not was a matter of their own luck. As time passed day by day, the Fire Lizard Battle Group was gradually adapting to the jungles of the Green Forest World. Green Forest World was no longer the same fortress world that had been transformed. After being abandoned for several epochs, almost all traces of the Pioneers had been erased. The Biological Weapons they had left behind had, under the power of nature, become part of the ecosystem. So, as long as one can find their own place in this biosphere, surviving and even exploiting the environment is not impossible. ¡­ ¡°Free Formation!¡± With the Company Commander of the Fire Lizard Battle Group¡¯s roar, huge vines burst forth from the ground. Colorful, highly venomous spores spewed from the nozzles on the vines, casting the surrounding environment in an illusory haze. Faced with this seemingly sudden attack, the warriors of the Fire Lizard Battle Group did not panic in the slightest. Their orderly ranks instantly dispersed, breaking into two-man combat units. Within each combat unit, one Fire Lizard calmly shot fireballs with one hand toward the nearby Guardian Forest to maintain the Fire Element Storm, while with the other hand, it took out a short gun equipped with a funnel-shaped muzzle. Boom! The short gun violently ejected a blast of flames, like the breath of a Giant Dragon, incinerating the toxic spores in the air. Meanwhile, the other member of the combat unit drew the scimitar from their waist, expertly slicing through the encroaching vines and then firing with the Dragon Breath Gun as a follow-up. The enormous, spore-spitting vines collapsed under a barrage of golden blade glows. And the moment the withered vines fell, several Dragon Breath Guns accurately covered every part of them, turning the about-to-burst toxic spores into ash. In the previous campaign to surround and annihilate a World Tree Subbody, the World Tree Subbody had killed an entire Fire Lizard squad using this tactic. The incendiary spores instantly melted Armor, the Fire Lizards inside turned into a pool of brilliant, multicolored sludge in an instant. The battlefield is the best teacher, and all students who cannot learn, or who learn too slowly, pay a terrible price. Before long, a Company Commander shouted, ¡°Action¡¯s over, retreat!¡± With that, he tore open a scroll and summoned a Secret Realm Rift. Upon receiving the order, the Fire Lizards immediately put away their Dragon Breath Guns and drew their scimitars, moving towards the nearby Secret Realm Rift. Thirty seconds later, the bustling battlefield returned to silence. The whispering sounds of the approaching Insect Tide echoed through the forest. Back in the Secret Realm, the returning Fire Lizard Battle Group took off their Single Soldier Armor with the help of the Holy Tree Elves, and the severely injured received treatment from the World Tree, while those with lighter injuries were treated by the Holy Tree Elves. There was no joy of having survived disaster on the Fire Lizards¡¯ faces, nor the thrill of post-battle exhilaration, only numbness. War brings profound changes to a person. On the other side of the World Mushroom, Richard was inspecting a newly obtained World Tree Subbody. Before long, Richard finished his inspection and then recorded the results in his research notes. ¡°Type Four World Tree Subbody.¡± Because the World Tree of this world is too powerful for its characteristics to be fully exhibited by its progeny, there are significant differences between various subbodies. Richard had seen four types of subbodies over the years, and this one was the Type Four highly venomous spore subbody. After completing the inspection, Richard casually waved his hand, and the World Mushroom absorbed the subbody. For the World Mushroom, devouring any number of subbodies was never enough ¨C these subbodies carried the secrets of the World Tree¡¯s evolution, and even understanding a fraction of it could further the World Mushroom¡¯s own development. However, at Richard¡¯s request, one of each type of World Tree subbody was kept for his research. ¡°Another Type Four subbody, the recent acquisitions have all been Type Four. It seems like I must be nearing a particular area,¡± Richard murmured to himself, looking at his research notes. The presenting characteristics of a World Tree Subbody are influenced by the surrounding environment, and since Richard had obtained three Type Four specimens in a row, this indicated he was now in the vicinity of an extraordinarily vast and unique environment. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to adjust my search direction.¡± With that said, Richard took out a map from his pocket. The map was largely blank, with detailed records only along a wavy line. This was the scope of Richard¡¯s exploration over the years. Looking at the map, Richard focused his gaze on the starting point. ¡°Ten years already, I wonder how far the headquarters have progressed.¡± After modifying his search direction, Richard waited three days in the Secret Realm to ensure he wouldn¡¯t encounter the Insect Tide, then left the Secret Realm. This time, however, he did not call upon the Fire Lizard Battle Group. Richard cared for his subordinates ¨C having just been through a significant battle, the Fire Lizard Battle Group was entitled to two weeks of rest. So during this time, Richard would have to conduct the reconnaissance by himself. Entering the jungle, Richard nonchalantly swatted a venomous insect rushing towards him into sludge. The Frenzy substance in the jungle air would linger for one to two weeks, making the entire area extremely dangerous during that time. This was also the benchmark Richard used to grant leave to the Fire Lizards. After confirming his direction, Richard flew northeastward. As Richard ventured deeper, the humidity around him increased, a faint stench of rot permeated the air, and it was gradually intensifying. This further confirmed Richard¡¯s suspicion ¨C there had to be a massive, special environment nearby. Three days later, a black-robed figure crossed through thick fog and stopped beside a large tree. Beneath his feet, a black swamp bubbled continuously, releasing a cascading stench of decay potent enough to cause fainting. Looking at the scene before him, Richard spoke to himself: ¡°What a vast Poison Swamp.¡± Chapter 394: 14 Nuclear Bomb Toad Chapter 394: Chapter 14 Nuclear Bomb Toad Poison Swamp is a unique geographical feature of the Green Forest World. This swamp is unlike the swamps of other worlds; it has absorbed too many corpses of biological weapons, causing the swamp water and muck to often be highly toxic. Moreover, because of its unique environment, even Alchemy Wizards need a long time and very good luck to cultivate extraordinary microbes from it, and there are at least three kinds inside. You must understand that ordinary microbes are ineffective against Level 1 Creatures. Yet, these extraordinary microbes can infect creatures of Level 1 and above. In front of such microbes, Level 1 Creatures are as vulnerable as ordinary ones. When this geographic feature was first discovered, Richard¡¯s Fire Lizard Battle Group nearly lost a squad. If the squad leader hadn¡¯t noticed something was wrong and used a Town Recall Scroll in time to return the squad to the Secret Realm, they all would have perished in the Poison Swamp. Over the years, Richard had encountered Poison Swamps several times, but those swamps were often just small patches. The Poison Swamp at his feet, however, was vast like a Poison Swamp Sea. He had flown for nearly three days and still hadn¡¯t managed to circumvent it. Gurgle, gurgle¡­ Suddenly, the sound of a toad croaking came from beneath Richard¡¯s feet. He looked down and saw a purple-skinned toad emerge from the swamp. The toad was light purple all over, the size of a human head, and covered with thick green pustules, especially on its back where the massive pustules looked like they could burst at any moment. ¡°Hey, never seen this thing before.¡± Richard watched the toad with some surprise. He had seen many Poison Swamps, but this was his first time encountering such a purple-skinned toad. ¡°Could this creature be unique to this Poison Swamp?¡± Richard wondered to himself. He carefully hovered in the air, quietly watching the purple-skinned toad swim beneath him. This toad¡¯s perception seemed weaker than other biological weapons, allowing Richard to stand right above it without triggering an attack. In the case of other biological weapons, they would have pounced by now. ¡°Perhaps, this toad isn¡¯t one of the Pioneer¡¯s biological weapons. It might be an indigenous creature of this world,¡± Richard guessed inwardly. Thinking this, Richard pulled an Enchanted Metal Cage from his pocket, intending to capture the toad for study. Holding the Enchanted Metal Cage with Magic Hand, he then opened the cage door and placed it in front of the toad. Meanwhile, he hid to the side, remotely controlling everything. He had no choice; after suffering from Explosive Poison Insects, explosive mushrooms, explosive trees, and even explosive grass, Richard was exceedingly cautious about these things. Controlled by Magic Hand, the Enchanted Metal Cage blocked the toad¡¯s path. The toad, seemingly lacking sufficient intelligence, saw the cage but still dived right into it. As it entered, the cage door automatically shut, trapping it inside. ¡°Done.¡± Richard was about to retrieve the cage with Magic Hand when he saw a light purple secretion ooze from the toad. The metal cage corroded instantaneously upon contact with the secretion, and the toad slowly and leisurely swam out of the cage with no sense of urgency. Watching this, Richard gasped inwardly. The material of his cage was not inferior, and it was even enhanced with protective enchantments. But in front of this toad, those things were like rice paper, dissolving upon contact with the secretion. ¡°Goodness, this thing is really toxic.¡± Richard remarked. He then took out two metal ingots from his pocket and began crafting a new cage. Meanwhile, the purple-skinned toad continued to lazily swim in the swamp. There was no way around it, with that layer of secretion on its body, ordinary biological weapons were helpless against it; no wonder its perception abilities weren¡¯t strong. With this physical condition, other creatures only stood a chance by avoiding it. Richard spent nearly an hour crafting a meticulous cage. Then, he repeated his earlier technique, placing the cage in front of the toad. Again, the toad didn¡¯t even try to avoid it. It went into the cage, and the cage door promptly closed. The toad once again secreted a layer of purple fluid, preparing to corrode the cage. This time, however, the cage displayed no reaction whatsoever. The toad looked at the cage in front of it, slightly confused. It seemed puzzled about what this thing was and why it wasn¡¯t dissolving. Seeing that the toad was trapped inside the cage, Richard opened a Secret Realm Rift, ready to send it into the Secret Realm with Magic Hand. Once inside the Secret Realm, no matter who you were, you would become his specimen. But as Richard was about to lift the cage out of the Poison Swamp, a sudden panic surged in his heart. A fear of imminent death made him dive into the Secret Realm without a second thought. Boom! The moment Richard entered the Secret Realm, a loud boom echoed from the cage. Indeed, Richard¡¯s cautiousness was warranted. The toad was explosive! And its power was not insignificant. The explosion instantly turned Richard¡¯s finely crafted cage into fragments. After all, being radiation-resistant doesn¡¯t mean explosion-resistant. Along with the shockwave of the explosion, a small purple mushroom cloud also formed. Soon, this mushroom cloud dispersed, spreading like a thin fog over the Poison Swamp. Whatever it touched, whether plant, animal, or even the stones on the ground, all turned into muck under the terrifying toxicity. Before long, the toxic fog dissipated. Centered around the toad, an area with a radius of fifty meters was left empty, only the faintly purple-colored swamp indicating that an explosion had once occurred. Inside the Secret Realm, Richard clutched his chest, feeling his heart nearly leap out. At that moment, he still didn¡¯t know how close he had come to turning into a puddle of muck. ¡°It¡¯s strange, there shouldn¡¯t be a World Master in the outer world.¡± Clutching his chest, Richard tried to analyze the source of his fear. However, no matter how much he thought, he never realized that his life-threatening crisis had come from the very toad he had captured. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ulysses flew out from the Holy Nest and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. Richard waved his hand. ¡°Nothing, just come out with me later. It¡¯s too bizarre.¡± ¡°So what actually happened?¡± Ulysses asked, somewhat confused. ¡°Nothing, I just suddenly felt a great fear,¡± Richard explained. ¡°The feeling was even comparable to facing the World Master.¡± ¡°Ga?¡± Ulysses, hearing Richard¡¯s description, felt it was incredible. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. There can be no World Master outside, otherwise all you little wizards would have been wiped out long ago.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s strange.¡± As his heart gradually calmed down, Richard composed himself, took the World Tree Staff, and with a grave expression, opened the Secret Realm Rift. ¡°Get ready.¡± ¡°Ga, don¡¯t worry,¡± Ulysses confidently said. Richard took a deep breath and silently activated Vajra Body. Although Ulysses was very reassuring, Richard felt it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be more cautious. As golden light covered him, Richard, holding the staff, dashed out of the Secret Realm. Upon exiting, Ulysses immediately enveloped Richard with an Energy Barrier. But even after looking left and right, he saw no sign of danger. ¡°Richard, isn¡¯t this the Poison Swamp? I don¡¯t see any dangerous creatures.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡± Richard looked around, his expression growing even graver. ¡°This place wasn¡¯t like this before I entered the Secret Realm.¡± Saying this, Richard pointed at the surrounding environment. ¡°Before I hid in the Secret Realm, this area was all reeds, wild grass, and aquatic trees. But now¡­¡± Richard¡¯s form suddenly stopped, and in his spiritual power scan, something familiar entered his vision. He used Magic Hand to reach into the swamp and quickly pulled out something completely black and still bubbling ¨C a fragment of the cage he used to catch toads. But now¡­ A terrible guess suddenly flashed through Richard¡¯s mind. Could it be that toad? Gurgle, gurgle. A deep toad croak penetrated Richard¡¯s ears. He looked toward the source of the sound and saw a purple-skinned toad leisurely swimming in the swamp. Richard suddenly shivered and started retreating as he watched the toad. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ulysses, puzzled by Richard¡¯s usually unseen demeanor of facing a formidable enemy, asked. ¡°Do you see that toad?¡± Richard¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°I suspect the danger comes from that thing.¡± Ulysses followed Richard¡¯s pointing finger and saw a purple-skinned toad that wasn¡¯t even a Level 1 Creature leisurely swimming in the swamp. ¡°This thing?¡± Ulysses¡¯s eyes gleamed faintly, making sure he was not mistaken. ¡°This creature isn¡¯t even Level 1. How can your danger come from it?¡± As he spoke, Ulysses was about to reach out with Crow Claw to grab the toad to inspect it. But before he could act, Richard saw a scorpion-tailed creature, which he had encountered before, emerging from the forest and arriving right next to the purple-skinned toad. The next moment, the toad, as if frightened, instantly swelled up. Immediately after, Richard understood why he had felt fear. With a Pop, a purple mist, like an eraser, dissolved the Third-Level scorpion-tailed creature into a puddle of light purple viscous fluid. The creature didn¡¯t even have a chance to struggle. Gulp. Richard swallowed, watching the purple mist, and couldn¡¯t help shivering. Had he not followed the path of Physique Evolution, which gave him a more sensitive perception of danger than ordinary wizards, he might have already ended up just like that scorpion-tailed creature, turned into a puddle of viscous fluid. ¡°¡­Ga, don¡¯t judge a toad by its appearance.¡± Ulysses, observing the warfare caused by the toad, was stunned for a long time, the faint light in his eyes not fading. Only when he saw that poisonous mist approaching them did he react, summoning a ball of Flames to cleanly burn the approaching purple mist. ¡°Phew, we need to avoid this swamp.¡± Richard, seeing the aftermath caused by the toad, made his decision without hesitation. He definitely didn¡¯t want to throw the Fire Lizard Battle Group into such a dangerous place. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ulysses suddenly spoke. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Richard turned his head, looking at him with some confusion. ¡°Nothing.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ulysses, whose eyes were bright like two light bulbs at this moment, looked into the depths of the mist-covered swamp and hesitantly said, ¡°I think I saw¡­ a Crystal Tower in the deep part of this swamp.¡± Chapter 395: 15: Into the Poison Swamp, The King of Poisonous Toads Chapter 395: Chapter 15: Into the Poison Swamp, The King of Poisonous Toads ¡°Crystal Tower!?¡± Richard¡¯s voice suddenly rose, his face flashing with disbelief. Having dealt so many times with the Pioneers¡¯ creations, he knew all too well their characteristics. That tower was definitely a creation of the Pioneers. He also looked in the direction Ulysses was looking, but even though his eyes nearly popped out, he couldn¡¯t see a trace of the crystal tower. The thin mist above the poison swamp, like a curtain, completely obscured the deep scenery of the swamp. ¡°You don¡¯t need to look; you can¡¯t see it,¡± Ulysses said, with his eyes returning to normal, shaking his head at Richard. ¡°Is it very far?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about distance; there¡¯s something about this layer of mist,¡± Ulysses explained, ¡°this mist is probably a product of some rule; it can obstruct others¡¯ probes. Even I could only vaguely make out a crystal tower with the help of my Divine Eye. What exactly is inside, I have no idea.¡± Hearing this, Richard¡¯s fiery heart suddenly became calm. If this mist was the product of some rule, then it was very likely one of the defense mechanisms left by the Pioneers. This also meant that they might come across weapons left by the Pioneers. Richard looked at the depths of the swamp, his expression conflicted. There was no doubt, venturing into the swamp for exploration was a high-risk, high-reward affair. If he gave up, he might miss out on a huge treasure, but he could also be avoiding a trap. Nobody knew what exactly was in the depths of the swamp. ¡°Look at how conflicted you are,¡± Ulysses suddenly said while Richard was in the midst of his internal struggle, ¡°are you here on vacation? Aren¡¯t you here to hone yourself and incidentally collect the Pioneer¡¯s creations? If such a large relic is right in front of you and you can give it up, then you don¡¯t have to think about advancing to Great Wizard anymore. There isn¡¯t a single easy path to becoming stronger, seeking absolute safety, absolute smooth sailing, is impossible. Besides, you¡¯re not weaker than other Three Rings Wizards; you have me for protection, the Secret Realm as a refuge, and your several hundred years of research. I really don¡¯t understand, what are you afraid of?¡± Ulysses¡¯s words hit Richard like a bolt of enlightenment, instantly waking him from his hesitation. Yes, he wasn¡¯t weak. He was already a Three Rings Wizard, among the very top of the ordinary wizard community. With his trump cards, even if the World Master were to kill him, he¡¯d have a chance to escape. Could weapons remaining in this Pioneer Relic even be more fearsome than the World Master? And even if such weapons existed inside, why would they specifically target him, Richard? Richard didn¡¯t believe that the Pioneers could make a weapon to combat the World Master as casually usable as an Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon. Moreover, so many years had passed by now. Even if these weapons existed, under the corroding force of time, they should have broken down by now. Otherwise, wizards entering this world would have been attacked by these weapons. Realizing all this, Richard¡¯s heart suddenly cleared, even his spiritual power started to surge with activity. ¡°You¡¯re right, Ulysses. I really have been too cautious.¡± Seeing Richard¡¯s change of state, Ulysses nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. People can be cautious, but they must not be cowards. The path to becoming Divine is inevitably thorny, the timid cannot achieve greatness.¡± ¡°However, I need to make some preparations before going in.¡± Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift without turning back and said: ¡°This swamp is extremely dangerous; I must make thorough preparations.¡± Ulysses was stunned for a moment, then said with a laugh and a cry, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve changed but not completely.¡± ¡­ In order to explore the swamp, Richard took out the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor originally designed for the Fire Lizard. To the current Richard, this Single Soldier Armor was a very good piece of supportive Magic Equipment. Of course, before exploration, Richard modified the Single Soldier Armor a second time. First was size adaptation; this armor was designed for Fire Lizards, and its internal space was quite spacious for Richard. Next was the optimization of internal parts. It had been several hundred years since the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor had been designed, and during these years, Fire Lizard craftsmen had been continuously refining their skills, optimizing the structure of the Single Soldier Armor. Now, the design of Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor had been improved a lot, and many cumbersome structures had been streamlined. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Richard could conduct a major update. The Alchemy Workshop set the blazing Flames going again; the great Melter poured out scalding molten metal, which formed into various alloy parts. The Fire Lizard workers stood before the forging table, using Giant Dragon Alchemy to imbue these parts with the needed characteristics. At the testing bench, Richard was also using Wizard Alchemy to modify and process the internal parts of the armor. Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, two months passed. Inside the Secret Realm, a three-meter-tall Iron Giant stood under World Mushroom, like a statue. Suddenly, a Magic Wave emanated from the body of the Iron Giant. Buzz! The Iron Giant then came to life. Richard¡¯s voice came from within the Iron Giant: ¡°Ulysses, we can go to the swamp now.¡± ¡­ The poison swamp was just as tranquil today. A space rift opened up above the poison swamp, and an iron giant walked out from it. On the giant¡¯s shoulder, a crow¡¯s eyes shone like the sun, staring intently into the depths of the swamp. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s a crystal tower, and a damaged one at that.¡± Ulysses closed his eyes, and two trails of bloody tears fell from the corners of his eyes. ¡°Which way should we go?¡± Richard¡¯s voice emanated from within the single soldier armor, sounding somewhat muffled. Ulysses threw out a ball of flames, which formed an arrow in the air. ¡°This way, go straight.¡± Upon receiving the direction, Richard clad in armor landed on the surface of the swamp. Surprisingly, this heavy metal creation, weighing several tons, did not sink into the water. Instead, it stood as steadily as if it were on land. ¡°Let¡¯s move forward then; be ready. If anything goes wrong, we retreat immediately.¡± With that said, the iron giant began moving across the surface of the swamp. The poison swamp, unique to the Green Forest World, was home to countless toxic insects and snakes. Richard alone had identified over a hundred different toxic insects and more than twenty kinds of venomous snakes. The venom from these creatures was so potent that even third-level creatures couldn¡¯t withstand it, making one wonder what kind of enemy the Pioneers were fighting against back then, to engineer such biological weapons. Crack! A crisp sound suddenly came from Richard¡¯s leg armor. A black snake, as thick as a human arm, was coiled around his leg, its sharp fangs now only half remaining in its mouth. These snakes¡¯ fierce venom was formidable indeed, but it had to enter a living body to be of any use. Before the armor plates refined by Giant Dragon Alchemy, the venomous fangs of these snakes and insects could at most scrape off the paint. This, this is the power of Magic Essence! (laughs) Richard aimed the flamethrower on his arm at the black snake, and with a ¡°boom,¡± a burst of white-hot flames turned the snake into a clump of char. At this moment, Richard had reached the depths of the swamp. The thin mist that looked hazy at the outskirts of the swamp became increasingly thick here. Everything around Richard was shrouded in whiteness, even the sky was enveloped by the dense fog. From sight, to hearing, to spiritual power, Richard¡¯s perception was limited to a mere three meters around him. Beyond this range, he could obtain no information. The fog was like a movable cage, imprisoning Richard, doomed to never see the light of day again. On his shoulder, Ulysses¡¯s eyes shone bright, constantly observing everything around. ¡°Stop!¡± Ulysses shouted. Richard halted at the signal, and soon a low rumbling sound reached his ears. Gurgling, gurgling. A purple-skin toad, the size of a calf, wandered through the dense fog, entering Richard¡¯s range of perception. As Richard ventured deeper into the poison swamp, these purple-skin toads appeared more frequently. Nearly every few meters he walked, he would encounter one. Moreover, the deeper he went, the higher the level of these toads. The toad in front of Richard was close to second level judging from its life radiation, and each pustule on its body contained venom that could kill a third-level creature in an instant. If this toad exploded, its power would be many times stronger than the purple-skin toad Richard had seen before. Even with single soldier armor for protection, Richard dared not act recklessly. He stood still like a rock, quietly watching the purple-skin toad swim past him. All of a sudden, a large gaping mouth burst out of the swamp, snapping the toad up in its jaws. Richard tensed instantly, a magic barrier and a layer of pitch-black energy barrier appeared around him on the spot. A fine sweat seeped down his spine, trickling down slowly like a stream. But the expected explosion did not happen. The purple-skin toad didn¡¯t move inside the gaping mouth, the burst pustules oozing a pale green venom, which fell on the surface of the water, instantly turning the surrounding toxic algae into thick mush. The owner of the large mouth emerged from the water, and from its size, it appeared to be a python marked with black grid patterns. But Richard knew that this creature was not a python; it was merely a venomous snake that had grown large. The black snake swallowed the toad slowly, the infallible mucus on the surface of the toad¡¯s body seemingly having no effect on it. ¡°Interesting, mutually dependent and mutually constraining.¡± Richard watched the black snake with surprise. The purple-skin toads that rampaged through the swamp, so easily becoming a meal for a black snake. ¡°Ulysses, lend a hand, let¡¯s get this thing into the Secret Realm.¡± Ulysses looked at the black snake, which was digesting the toad, a flicker of surprise in his eyes as well. ¡°To be able to eat that purple-skin toad, this thing is quite interesting.¡± With that, Ulysses stretched out his Crow Claw, grabbed the black snake, and before the snake could struggle, a space rift opened up beside it. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Old Mushroom, here¡¯s your delivery.¡± With those words, the black snake was thrown into the Secret Realm. Richard continued to move forward, and soon, his vision suddenly brightened. The obstructing white fog had disappeared, or rather, he had walked out of the area covered by the fog. And a few kilometers in front of him, a crystal tower riddled with filth and moss stood quietly in the depths of the swamp. And beside it, a formidable purple-skin toad lay quietly on the ground. ¡°This toad¡­¡± Richard stared at the purple-skin toad, and his face suddenly turned serious, ¡°¡­ its strength doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± Ulysses, gazing at the toad, spoke slowly: ¡°The Pioneers of your world are something else. This toad, like the Blue Fire Lizard I encountered in the Red Sun World, has already broken through the limits of a third-level creature. They are just one leap of the soul away from becoming a World Master.¡± Chapter 396: 16: The Method to Break the Game, Dragon Blood Snake King Chapter 396: Chapter 16: The Method to Break the Game, Dragon Blood Snake King ¡°Just a final leap for the soul?¡± Richard repeated the sentence, his heart filled with some confusion. If based on the Rebound Effect, a Physique Evolution should also drive a breakthrough in spiritual power. And a breakthrough in spiritual power, in turn, represents a qualitative transformation of the soul. But Ulysses said that these creatures were still missing the final leap. ¡°Yes, just the last leap,¡± Ulysses slowly began, ¡°That¡¯s the difficulty of pure Physique Evolution. Pure Physique Evolution can indeed rely on what you call the Rebound Effect to break through the limits of ordinary humans in terms of spiritual power. But that kind of breakthrough is merely an increase in quantity. In terms of quality, their souls are still those of a human.¡± ¡°Hmm!? Isn¡¯t pure Physique Evolution a dead end then?¡± Richard exclaimed in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily a dead end,¡± Ulysses shook his head, ¡°Those Abyssal scum walk the path of pure Physique Evolution, and they have two Dominators. The last step of pure Physique Evolution requires a certain item as assistance to be completed.¡± ¡°What item?¡± Richard asked eagerly. ¡°Soul Sea Light.¡± Upon hearing this name, Richard stood frozen in place. Needing that thing, wasn¡¯t pure Physique Evolution purely seeking death? Soul Sea Light is a specialty from the Sea of Souls, and acquiring it means hunting a type of soul sea creatures called the Soul Sea Lanternfish. For creatures below the Forth Level, the combat power of this species is simply a dimensionality reduction strike. Souls below the Forth Level would be sucked into the lantern in front of it, and without special methods, one couldn¡¯t even escape. Even the most experienced Three Rings Soul Wizard would stay far away from this thing during a voyage across the Sea of Souls. ¡°Isn¡¯t this suicide?¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but reply. ¡°There are other ways, but the only one I know of is this. And it seems those Abyssal scum have their own methods too. But you are not of that wild sort; you have at least two paths you can take.¡± ¡°Two paths?¡± Ulysses spoke with ease, ¡°One is the ascension path of your Wizard World, while the other¡­ naturally is the path of becoming a Divine. We from the Gods Civilization have three and a half methods to ascend to Divinity. I cannot tell outsiders the complete three, but the half is not included in this prohibition. If you really can¡¯t walk the Wizard¡¯s path later on, perhaps this half-method can help you ascend.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard¡¯s heart thumped violently. He had once thought becoming a Great Wizard was unattainable. But now, he could actually start considering the matter of becoming a Great Wizard. ¡°Thank you,¡± Richard said sincerely. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me,¡± Ulysses said indifferently, ¡°Our interests are already tied together. If you become stronger, I benefit as well.¡± As he spoke, he gave a sly smile. ¡°Besides, I have to get my investment back from this ten thousand years¡¯ Destiny Contract. I might earn less, but a win-win is always better than a lose-lose.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard was taken aback for a moment before he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. This World Master was indeed a wondrous person. ¡°Enough idle talk, how do you plan to deal with this Frog King?¡± Ulysses steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. ¡°I can tell you frankly that I¡¯m not sure I could defeat this Frog King. Although its soul has not made the final leap, its body has reached the domain of the World Master¡ªeven if it¡¯s the weakest of its kind.¡± Richard looked at the Frog King, pondering for a while, then suddenly spoke up, ¡°You said there¡¯s a Frog King in this swamp, but what about the Black Snake that feeds on these frogs? Could there possibly be a Snake King as well? Otherwise, with the Black Snake preying on the frogs, this type of Black Snake would have fled this Poison Swamp.¡± Ulysses paused, then agreed, ¡°That makes sense. When I became the Master of the Crow Realm, I eradicated many creatures that preyed on our Annihilation Crows.¡± Richard responded with a laugh, ¡°So the solution to this dilemma should lie with the Snake King.¡± ¡­ Inside the Secret Realm, the black giant snake thrown in by Ulysses was firmly controlled by the World Mushroom¡¯s mycelium. Suddenly, a Secret Realm Rift opened, and Richard and Ulysses returned to the Secret Realm. ¡°World Mushroom, bring that snake over.¡± At his command, the World Mushroom delivered the Black Snake to Richard. Richard had the World Mushroom remove the mycelium, then he deactivated the enclosed mode of his Single Soldier Armor, revealing the strong Life Radiation of a third-level creature. And at the moment of contact with the Life Radiation of this third-level creature, the Black Snake coiled into a terrified ball. Seeing this, an expression that said ¡®I thought as much¡¯ appeared on Richard¡¯s face. ¡°Indeed, this Black Snake is not one of the Pioneer¡¯s Biological Weapons.¡± The Biological Weapons left by the Pioneers all have one characteristic: fearlessness in the face of death. Their Life Cores have been modified by the Pioneers, and the instincts of risk avoidance have been removed. Otherwise, just the slightest display of Life Radiation by an enemy would drive these brainless venomous creatures away. Richard grabbed the Black Snake, brought it close to his face, and asked with a Spiritual Message. ¡°Little fellow, tell me where your Snake King is?¡± This Black Snake before him had already reached the level of a Second-level Creature. Even for snakes, which innately have tiny brains, it should now be capable of a certain level of communication. As expected, after Richard¡¯s inquiry, the Black Snake emitted a series of frantic hisses. Richard hadn¡¯t learned to speak Serpentese, and of course, even if he had, the snake language of the Green Forest World and the Wizard World might not be the same. So, after hearing this string of snake language, Richard turned his gaze to Ulysses. ¡°Ulysses, I have a daunting task for you.¡± ¡°What task?¡± Ulysses asked, wary. Described as daunting by Richard, the task was likely to be no easy feat. ¡°Make this Black Snake my Believer. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­This joke doesn¡¯t sound funny.¡± ¡°Indeed it¡¯s not funny, but unfortunately, I¡¯m not joking. Of course, you can choose another task. What do you think about the Church using spiritual messages?¡± ¡°¡­I might as well try preaching to it then.¡± Ulysses took the black snake from Richard¡¯s hands, preaching to such an almost unenlightened creature was really not an easy task. ¡°I want to ask, why do you need it to believe in you?¡± Richard spread his hands, ¡°I need to communicate with it, but I can¡¯t understand snake language.¡± ¡°¡­If it¡¯s just for communication, we could try another method.¡± As he spoke, Ulysses revealed his majestic holy light, following which, a beam of light shot into the black snake¡¯s body. The next instant, Richard could understand what the black snake was saying. ¡°Don¡¯t eat me, don¡¯t eat me! I¡¯ll take you to meet the Lord Snake King.¡± Hearing this, Richard laughed, ¡°Heh, this little guy seems quite cooperative.¡± He took the black snake from Ulysses and with a smile, asked, ¡°Your Snake King and the Frog King next to the Crystal Tower, have they ever had any conflicts in the past?¡± Under the pressure of a Third Level creature, the black snake trembled and replied, ¡°Yes, yes! That smelly frog has fought with Lord Snake King many times.¡± ¡°Who won?¡± ¡°Nobody won, but Lord Snake King is a bit¡­ a bit weaker.¡± Richard stroked his chin, his mouth curling into a sly smile. ¡°A bit weaker, which means the Snake King is injured, right?¡± ¡°Sssss! How do you know!¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard waved his hand dismissively, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know how I know, you just need to understand that you¡¯re going to take me to him, got it?¡± ¡°Understood, understood!¡± ¡°So you would also sign this contract, right?¡± Saying this, Richard took out a Soul Contract from his pocket and handed it to the black snake. ¡°Leave your soul mark on this.¡± The black snake looked at the Soul Contract, its instincts telling it that signing this thing would most likely not end well for it. But could any outcome be worse than death? The black snake glanced at Richard, who was watching it intently; it could sense a dreadful aura coming off Richard. That was the warning left by the creatures Richard had killed ¨C don¡¯t mess with this guy. If it didn¡¯t agree to the contract, it was almost certain that it would either die right there or endure something worse than death. Hence, without hesitation, the black snake left its soul mark on the contract. As the contract turned into flames and vanished into the air, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift and left the Secret Realm with the black snake and Ulysses. Once back in the Secret Realm, the black snake immediately perked up. But before it could slither into the swamp, its body suddenly stiffened in place. It could feel an invisible force constraining it; if it dared to run, this force would instantly shatter its soul. ¡°Little guy, don¡¯t even think about escaping,¡± Richard said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the terms of the contract before signing it?¡± The black snake stiffened even more, thinking that in its situation, with death looming, it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference whether it read the terms or not. Bound by the constraints of the contract, the black snake could only abandon its thoughts of escape and lead the two unwelcome guests deeper into the swamp. ¡­ The Poison Swamp was vast and shrouded in mist, hiding countless dreadful creatures. Richard followed the black snake deeper into the swamp, and the further they went, the more poisonous snakes appeared around him. These snakes were either coiled around the trees or hiding in the water, snapping at anyone who came near with gaping jaws. Even among its own kind, these snakes showed no mercy. Or to put it another way, in this swamp, snakes were the most common food for other snakes. Clang! Another foolish poison snake bit down on Richard¡¯s Single Soldier Armor. Unfazed, Richard crushed the snake to death and casually tossed it into his pocket. The venom of these snakes was highly valuable for research. If he could understand it fully, his Magic Potion skills would improve significantly. Plus, even if he didn¡¯t study it, the venom would make for an excellent snake soup. ¡°Little guy, how much longer?¡± ¡°Not far, just ahead.¡± The black snake leading the way had an impressive Bloodline. In this swamp teeming with snakes, other snakes gave way to the black snake; there was none that the black snake had to yield to, including Third Level serpents. Richard speculated that this black snake was likely to be related by Bloodline to the Snake King. As the black snake had mentioned, it wasn¡¯t long before Richard saw the Snake King. In the dark swamps, a golden Dragon Blood Snake with dragon horns on its head coiled on the body of a dead World Tree Subbody, hissing away. Behind it, a black festering wound oozed dark pus. The Snake King turned its attention to Richard, its golden dragon eyes shining like the sun. ¡°Stranger, you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°Oh? And why is that?¡± Richard asked, clearly intrigued. The Snake King slid down from the tree, hissing as it approached Richard. ¡°Because this world is about to die.¡± Chapter 397: 17 The Erased Pioneer Chapter 397: Chapter 17 The Erased Pioneer ¡°A dead world?¡± Richard didn¡¯t quite understand, as the Green Forest World had given him the impression of nothing but vitality, nearly overflowing with life energy. Trees felled in the morning would by afternoon be entwined with vines. Within three days, moss would cover the entire tree. The whole tree would become a nursery bed for mushrooms. Such terrifying life energy had nothing to do with death. ¡°I think we have a different definition of death,¡± Richard said. ¡°This world to me seems full of surging vitality.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the facade, stranger.¡± The Snake King¡¯s dragon eyes sized up Richard from head to toe, then slowly replied. ¡°All these are illusions created by that damned tree, which was supposed to guard us but chose to betray instead. It roots in the World Origin, using the whole world as its planter, continuously turning this world into nutrients for its growth¡­ If it keeps growing like this, in one or two epochs, the entire world will become part of it. Even now, only the Poison Swamp and the Ancient Battlefield remain free from the control of its seeds.¡± Upon hearing these words, Richard¡¯s mind began to work rapidly, analyzing the information in the Snake King¡¯s speech. It revealed a lot. First, the World Tree, in the beginning, must have been something akin to a World Guardian. But later, possibly due to the Pioneers, it was turned into its current form. Second, the control the World Tree has over the surface world might exceed a wizard¡¯s imagination. The entire surface world has only this Poison Swamp and a place called the Ancient Battlefield that remain uncorrupted by the seeds. This also means that Garon the Great Wizard, in the battle against the World Tree, must have been at an advantage. So much so that despite the numerous seeds removed, there were no signs of disturbance. For the World Tree, even the White Wizard Army was but a minor nuisance easily disposed of. If it had even the slightest bit of spare energy, Richard would have become fertilizer already. With this thought, Richard couldn¡¯t help feeling a hint of relief. The Snake King continued, ¡°In the past, many outsiders like you have entered this dying world. But those outsiders weren¡¯t as lucky as you; many of them died in the jungle, while the stronger ones were pulled into the Inner World by that tree. Stranger, if I were you, I¡¯d flee this world now.¡± ¡°I must say, your words compel me,¡± Richard remarked coolly. ¡°Rarely do natives express goodwill towards a wizard. But there¡¯s a mistake in your words; this world will not die. There is a being you cannot even imagine who has already entered the Inner World to fight against the tree you mentioned. As for me, I am but his vassal, charged with clearing the remaining World Tree seeds in the surface world.¡± Upon hearing Richard¡¯s words, the Snake King was taken aback, then a scornful smile appeared on his face. ¡°Stranger, I didn¡¯t expect you to forsake the glory of your ancestors and submit to someone ignorant. The ¡®unimaginable¡¯ being you speak of is nothing more than a World Master who controls a Miniature World, at most a Small World. Beings of such level have been killed by that tree in countless numbers over the years, including those of the Fifth and Sixth Level. Alas, I thought I had encountered one of my own kind. It seems you have lost your legacy entirely and have become one of the ignorant. What a pity, what a shame.¡± The Snake King¡¯s words left Richard somewhat confused. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kin? He had not integrated any snake bloodline¡­ No, that¡¯s not it! Richard¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he understood why the Snake King had shown him goodwill and called him kin. Not snake blood, but Dragon Blood! He had sensed the Dragon Blood that Richard had merged into his body for his training in the Transformation Battle Body! The Snake King had mistaken him for a member of the Dragon Blood Species. Taking this together with his disdain for the World Master, it was likely that this Snake King was a descendant of the servant creatures of the Pioneers. His bloodline memory still contained the records of the Pioneers. ¡°Inheritance¡­ Indeed, I have none,¡± Richard spoke up. ¡°But the Big Shot behind me holds an ancient legacy.¡± With that, Richard entered the Secret Realm before the Snake King¡¯s eyes. Not long after, Richard emerged from the Secret Realm, followed by a Golden Dragon Chariot carried by eight Armored Guards. The carriers were all clad in Golden Armor, and on the chariot lay a majestic beast with platinum scales, lazily sprawled. A Giant Dragon! And none other than an offspring of the Dragon King! Upon seeing Hog, the Snake King¡¯s dragon eyes bulged. His body trembling slightly, he lowered his head and spoke with reverence in Dragon Language, ¡°My respects to you, noble son of the Dragon King.¡± Hog looked at him indifferently and calmly said, ¡°Rise, commoner.¡± The Snake King lifted its head, and on its serpentine face, Richard could see a mix of servility and obsequiousness. It asked with some caution, ¡°Great Dragon Prince, is the Supreme finally reclaiming this lost land?¡± The Supreme. Beside the Golden Dragon Chariot, Richard instantly associated the term with the Pioneers. The creature before him still had no idea that the Pioneers had vanished without a trace. ¡°Supreme¡­¡± Hog heard this term and suddenly, ancient memories began to surface in his mind. Those memories seemed traceable to hundreds of epochs ago. But strangely, there was no so-called Supreme in these memories; the Giant Dragons were bowing down to nothingness, as if in fealty. It appeared as though an invisible force had erased the presence of the Supreme from the Snake King¡¯s mention. ¡°What do you know about the Supreme?¡± Richard¡¯s voice arose beside Hog¡¯s ear, prompting a slight shake of Hog¡¯s head. ¡°The Supreme has disappeared; there¡¯s no trace of the Supreme in my bloodline memory. The Giant Dragons bowing to nothingness suggests that something¡­ has erased all traces of the Supreme.¡± Richard¡¯s body shivered slightly upon hearing Hog¡¯s answer. Erased the Supreme? With the power that the Supreme now exhibited, excluding Truth Level combat strength, the Wizard Civilization would have been utterly crushed by the Supreme. Yet, the Supreme had been erased. Richard suddenly realized that no one had ever described what the Supreme looked like; the Wizards were only in contact with the creations left by them. Logically, even if a civilization were destroyed, there should still be corpses, right? Dinosaurs had been dead for over a billion years and still had fossils. An indescribable fear enveloped Richard¡¯s heart in an instant. Back then, against which civilization was the Supreme fighting? Was that civilization also destroyed? But moments later, he calmed down. These things were too distant for him; he wasn¡¯t even a Great Wizard, nor could he participate in the Truth Council. The direction of the Wizard Civilization wasn¡¯t something he could influence, nor stop. ¡°Tell him, the Supreme has disappeared. The dragons and the Wizards have reached a cooperation.¡± The Snake King, seeing Hog silent for too long, began to sense something ominous, and when Hog finally spoke, its heart plummeted. Hog said slowly, ¡°The Supreme has disappeared, and the dragons and the Wizards have reached a cooperation.¡± Upon these words from Hog, the Snake King¡¯s expression visibly dimmed. ¡°So, the Supreme didn¡¯t win after all.¡± ¡°Do you remember what happened back then?¡± Hog asked curiously, ¡°Even my heritage has lost the trace of the Supreme.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember,¡± replied the Snake King as it shook its head slightly, ¡°My bloodline only retains the title ¡®Supreme¡¯ and that they were the World¡¯s past masters and our saviors. I thought my bloodline had problems, but it seems, judging from the current situation, the Supreme probably didn¡¯t win in that war.¡± ¡°What enemy was the Supreme fighting against back then?¡± Richard could not help but ask, ¡°Now, we can¡¯t even find the Supreme¡¯s corpse.¡± The Snake King looked at Richard in surprise, not understanding how this Dragon Blood Species dared to speak so impudently in front of the Dragon Prince. Hog said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised, he¡¯s a Wizard. I have said that the current Giant Dragons have already formed a¡­ cooperative relationship with the Wizards.¡± The Snake King was stunned; he had thought this Dragon Blood Species was merely an attendant to the Dragon Prince¡¯s son. He hadn¡¯t expected this creature to be a collaborator with the Giant Dragons. ¡°I have no memory of that war either,¡± the Snake King said, shaking its head slightly, ¡°All I know is that it was an unimaginably formidable enemy. To confront them, the Supremes even manipulated the stars and built a wall out of the worlds. Yet even so, they did not win, their presence was erased from existence. But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Richard pressed on. ¡°Still,¡± continued the Snake King, ¡°the Supremes didn¡¯t win, but they certainly didn¡¯t lose either. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be here talking.¡± Richard frowned slightly. Annihilated together? That would be best. ¡°If you want to know more about the Supreme, I recommend you go to a certain place,¡± said the Snake King, ¡°The Ancient Battlefield there has not been corroded by the World Tree; it still retains many things from back then. Maybe you can find what you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°I know a place that¡¯s closer, right in this swamp.¡± ¡°Do you want to enter the high tower?¡± The Snake King¡¯s pupils shrank sharply as a terrifying pressure instantly enveloped Richard. But it saw only the black crow on Richard¡¯s shoulder cry out, a force no weaker than its own rebuffing the Snake King¡¯s pressure. The Snake King retracted its pressure, looking at Richard with surprise, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find such a Big Shot here. That tower is guarded by that stinking toad; nobody can get in unless you kill it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I came to find you,¡± Richard said with a slight smile, ¡°I should be able to heal your wounds. Together, we can surely slay that toad.¡± ¡°You think you can heal me?¡± The Snake King shook its head slightly, ¡°You underestimate that toad. It has reached this point, its venom has undergone a qualitative change. Even I¡¯m just barely keeping myself from being poisoned to death¡­ Unless a World Master intervenes, it¡¯s impossible for me to fight that toad again. But since the World Master got involved, you obviously don¡¯t need me.¡± With that, the Snake King swam towards the dead World Tree. ¡°Leave, both of you. Let this old creature about to die get some sleep. Don¡¯t even think of imperiously commanding me; I¡¯m a Subspecies Giant Dragon, not one of the common Dragon Blood Species at your disposal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true,¡± Richard said confidently with a smile, ¡°How about you come with me to the Secret Realm?¡± Chapter 398: 18: Subduing the Snake King Chapter 398: Chapter 18: Subduing the Snake King ¡°Enter the Secret Realm?¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Snake King felt that this creature known as the Wizard was somewhat too naive. The violet-skinned toad, as a creation of the Supreme, had its venom meticulously formulated by the Supreme. And that Toad King, it had progressed beyond human limits, its venom having infiltrated the very rules. Below the World Master, let alone curing, even surviving the poison like he did was already a pinnacle of strength. This Wizard still wanted him to visit the Secret Realm, could it be that there is a World Master within his Secret Realm? ¡°Wizard, could there actually be a World Master within your Secret Realm?¡± The Snake King asked, a tinge of scorn in his voice. Richard wasn¡¯t upset but simply smiled, ¡°You¡¯ll know once you enter.¡± The Snake King looked at Richard and sensed an enigmatic confidence about this being. This confidence was not due to shallow knowledge resulting in blind arrogance, but it was a self-identity grounded on sufficient power. The Wizard genuinely believed he could neutralize the poison. ¡°Wizard, let¡¯s not say that I don¡¯t think you can remove my poison. We¡¯ve only just met; how can I feel safe entering your Secret Realm?¡± The Snake King hissed, tasting the pheromones in the air with its tongue, all of which it perceived clearly. From the pheromones, it seemed that the being called Witch was not nervous. ¡°This is simple.¡± Richard pulled out a soul contract from his pocket. ¡°I have here a Soul Contract; signing it will resolve this issue.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The Snake King¡¯s eyes fell on the contract Richard was holding, a mysterious power emanated from this scroll made of unknown material. A replica of the Destiny Contract? Richard finished writing the contract and sent it to the Snake King using Magic Hand. The contract¡¯s script was written in Dragon Language, which the Snake King could read. After reading the contract, the Snake King licked the scroll with its tongue. It had surpassed human limitations like the toad and thus had special abilities. Under the perception of its tongue, the Snake King confirmed the contract¡¯s function. Once this contract was signed, a curse would bestow upon both parties. If either party breached the contract, the curse would activate. ¡°Alright.¡± The Snake King slid down from the withered tree, ¡°Considering we were once the same kin, I¡¯ll trust you this time. If you can remove the poison from my body, I will indeed help you kill that toad.¡± Saying so, the Snake King left its name on the contract. The contract turned into a burst of flames and disappeared into the air, Richard smiled confidently, ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Having said that, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift, gesturing for the Snake King to enter. However, the Snake King didn¡¯t enter immediately but turned its gaze towards Hog to the side. ¡°I cannot walk ahead of a son of the Dragon King; it¡¯s the etiquette among dragons.¡± Hog indifferently nodded and lazily commanded, ¡°Go back.¡± Simultaneously, Richard also slightly nodded. Seeing this, the Fire Lizard Warriors carrying the dragon carriage carried it back into the Secret Realm. Richard gestured to the Snake King to enter. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Your Excellency the Snake King.¡± The Snake King stared at Richard again, finally slowly speaking, ¡°You and the son of the Dragon King aren¡¯t partners, are you?¡± Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged, still wearing a smile. ¡°Partners is a bit unfamiliar term, but our relationship can indeed be described as a partnership.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± the Snake King hissed, somewhat skeptical. ¡°Of course.¡± The Snake King, through the pheromones, confirmed Richard was not lying and somewhat thoughtfully nodded its head. After slightly bowing to Richard, it confidently entered the Secret Realm. And then it could not stand confidently at all. ¡°What the hell is this!¡± As soon as it entered the Secret Realm, the Snake King immediately sensed something was amiss. It felt as though everything within the Secret Realm was being manipulated by an invisible giant hand. It felt not like entering a Secret Realm, more like entering the belly of some giant beast. And when it saw something in the distance, it let out a sharp screech. It was hard to imagine such a sharp sound coming from a serpent. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Your Excellency the Snake King?¡± Richard followed the Snake King into the Secret Realm and seeing it screech sharply, couldn¡¯t help but laughter. ¡°What is that thing? The World Tree?¡± The Snake King¡¯s tail pointed at the distant World Mushroom, loudly asking. ¡°How could there be such a huge mushroom in your Secret Realm?¡± ¡°Not the World Tree, it¡¯s the World Mushroom,¡± Richard corrected seriously, ¡°You called it by the wrong name, be careful it might handle you roughly during healing later.¡± ¡°Healing?¡± The Snake King, dumbfounded, stared at the World Mushroom, never having dreamed Richard actually hid a World Master within the Secret Realm. A mycelium tendril rose from the ground, soon morphing into a milky-white humanoid, ¡°Master, I¡¯m not that petty.¡± Hearing the World Mushroom being addressed, the Snake King¡¯s pupils dilated, almost popping out of its sockets. ¡°Master? You¡¯re actually its master? No wonder! No wonder!¡± The Snake King, looking at Richard as though understanding something, exclaimed, ¡°No wonder the Dragon King would send a scion to form an alliance with you, it seems Your Excellency must surely be some¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Hearing the Snake King¡¯s off-beat guesses, Richard promptly interrupted it. ¡°Who told you I and Hog are in an alliance? Couldn¡¯t you guess something more reliable?¡± The Snake King was momentarily stunned, rather indignant, ¡°How is my guess unreliable? Look, His Highness is living in your Secret Realm, using your servants.¡± ¡°And she also said that Giant Dragons and Wizards form alliances. But how could Giant Dragons easily cooperate with humans? Without a battle where they are subdued, Giant Dragons simply do not cooperate with humans. So I guessed that the Giant Dragons must have lost that war, and therefore chose to cooperate with the Wizards, then used marriage with dragon offspring to strengthen the relationship between them. Isn¡¯t this guess normal?¡± Listening to Snake King¡¯s explanation, Richard could hardly decide whether to laugh or cry. He waved his hand, and Hog flew off the dragon carriage to his side. ¡°You guessed the process right, but the result wrong.¡± Richard stroked Hog¡¯s head, a chilling smile appearing on his face. ¡°Indeed, the Giant Dragons and Wizards did fight a battle, but the result was that the Giant Dragons lost, and they lost terribly. Now, the relationship between the current Giant Dragons and Wizards is like that of pets and owners, slaves and masters. Of course, this relationship is also a form of cooperation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a moment of silence. Snake King hadn¡¯t expected that, as one of his own kind and a servant of the Supreme, these pure-blooded Giant Dragons would be defeated by another race and relegated to being the slaves and pets of other races. After a long time, Snake King finally spoke. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have told me all this.¡± Richard shook his head slightly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t necessary, because this world has already been discovered by the Wizards. It won¡¯t be long before this world becomes the territory of the Great Wizard. At that time, you would still come to know all this. But by then, the Wizards won¡¯t be discussing it with you like this. All you¡¯ll be facing are submission and death.¡± Snake King flickered his tongue, his pheromones telling him that this creature still wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°You¡¯re trying to recruit me.¡± Snake King finally saw through Richard¡¯s intentions. Richard snapped his fingers, ¡°Correct. As a being who has broken through the limits of mortals, don¡¯t you want to go further? Or would you rather spend your life in this world, looking up at the starry sky every day from within this Poison Swamp, never venturing out to see more? Under the Great Wizard¡¯s command, you¡¯d just be a slave, a Magic Pet, or even an experiment. But with me, you¡¯ll be a subordinate, our relationship bound by a Destiny Contract, mutually beneficial for both.¡± Faced with Richard¡¯s recruitment, Snake King fell silent. Richard did not rush him¡ªhe believed Snake King would make the correct decision. To the Snake King, who had broken through the mortal boundaries but had not yet made the final leap, Richard was eager to conduct some research. This Snake King was more valuable for research than the Flame Giant Beast mutated due to Blue Fire. This was pure flesh and blood, after all. ¡°Let¡¯s heal you first.¡± After being silent for a moment, Snake King suddenly spoke. ¡°You need to heal me before we can talk about recruitment.¡± Richard flashed a benign smile, knowing that Snake King had agreed to the recruitment. ¡°Indeed, let¡¯s heal first.¡± Richard waved his hand, and the fungal avatar of the World Mushroom took Snake King towards the base of the World Mushroom itself. And Ulysses chose to follow them. There were quite a few Divine Arts capable of dispelling toxins. Below the World Mushroom, Snake King quietly watched as the mushroom¡¯s mycelium penetrated his body. Under the assault of deadly poison, these entering mycelia quickly began to decay. ¡°This poison is no ordinary one, huh?¡± Snake King said with a somewhat humorous tone. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not ordinary, and you¡¯re deeply poisoned, making it very difficult to completely remove the toxins.¡± The avatar of the World Mushroom gave its diagnosis, then looked towards Ulysses. ¡°Old crow, can you use your Divine Arts?¡± Ulysses landed on Snake King, lightly dabbing some of the venomous blood with his feathers. As soon as the venomous blood touched him, it began to sizzle and smoke, the potent venom attempting to invade Ulysses¡¯s body through the feathers. Ulysses¡¯s body glowed with Holy Light, and then a beam of light fell on the venomous blood on the feather. But the venomous blood in the feather merely faded slightly and did not turn into normal blood or clear water as he had anticipated. Ulysses exclaimed, ¡°Such a powerful toxic rule.¡± ¡°Can it be cured?¡± ¡°It can be cured, but you¡¯ll need to help. The poison in this giant snake is too deep; using Divine Arts might transform his blood and muscles directly into clear water. You¡¯ll need to support it with some Life Energy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no problem.¡± After a brief conversation, Ulysses¡¯s Holy Light suddenly intensified, and Divine Arts fired at Snake King like a machine gun. Meanwhile, the World Mushroom followed by injecting a huge amount of Life Energy into Snake King¡¯s body, stabilizing his shaky life force. With the continuous purification by Divine Arts, the deadly toxins in Snake King¡¯s body were gradually removed. Clear water flowed out from the wound. Finally, with the sixty-sixth Divine Art fired, Snake King¡¯s body burst forth with astonishing Life Energy. Freed from the oppression of the deadly toxins, the Life Energy that had been suppressing the toxins erupted. Under the influence of this Life Energy, his wound healed in an instant. This Snake King possessed not a toxic rule similar to that of toads, but a Life Rule somewhat at odds with his toxic serpent identity. ¡°Thank you for the healing.¡± After the recovery, Snake King, bright and alert, bowed his head in gratitude to the World Mushroom and Ulysses. Then he swam over to Richard, saying respectfully, ¡°Great Wizard, I am willing to join your command and explore the vast expanse of the starry sky.¡± Chapter 399: 19: The Toad Kings Inner Core Chapter 399: Chapter 19: The Toad King¡¯s Inner Core Snake King¡¯s decision was undoubtedly the right one. For Garon the Great Wizard, his combat power was far less useful than the traits he displayed. A Physique Evolver who had broken through the limits of mortality was, in every way, naturally a material prepared for researching Physique Evolution. Since Snake King had agreed, Richard said nothing further and had the World Mushroom prepare a Destiny Contract. The binding power of a Soul Contract was limited; for creatures that had surpassed mortal limits, a Destiny Contract was undoubtedly the best form of restraint. With the contract signed, Richard had gained a powerful new subordinate. Once the contract was completed, Richard voiced a question that lingered in his mind. ¡°Snake King, I have a question for you. You and that toad are both creations of the Supreme, so logically, you shouldn¡¯t be enemies. How did you end up in this state?¡± Snake King sighed helplessly upon hearing this. ¡°Logically, it is indeed so, but that toad bears grudges mindlessly. Our clan¡¯s task is to limit the number of those toads, preventing them from overbreeding. But that toad is brainless; as a weapon, it doesn¡¯t have a lineage. So, as it grew, it began to reproduce massively, and I had no choice but to intervene and resolve this issue. But, as you can see, the results were evident.¡± Snake King sighed helplessly; as the toad¡¯s predator, it had been nearly killed by its own prey. Admitting this would be rather humiliating. ¡°Hm?¡± Richard furrowed his brows, sensing something amiss in Snake King¡¯s words. ¡°If I may ask boldly, Snake King, how did you break through the mortal boundary? I could understand you breaking through as you speak of it, but how could a biological weapon, break through the mortal boundary?¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s question, Snake King was momentarily stunned. Indeed, it had broken the mortal boundary because its lineage came from the Supreme, but these toads, as disposable weapons, how could they also break through the mortal boundary? The mortal boundary wasn¡¯t like the fragile paper wall in martial arts TV shows that could be punctured with a bit of saliva. Recalling its ancient memories, Snake King grew more and more puzzled. ¡°You¡¯ve really stumped me with that. I broke through the mortal boundary because I desperately devoured a seed of the World Tree, by a fluke. But these toads, easily startled into self-destruction as consumables, how could they achieve the breakthrough?¡± Seeing that Snake King had no clue either, Richard suddenly grew more curious. This toad seems to have more research value than Snake King. ¡°Gah, stop pondering,¡± Ulysses said. ¡°You can¡¯t figure out anything by just speculating. Just go and kill that toad, and once its body turns into a specimen, the answer will naturally become clear.¡± ¡°Or fall into an abyss never to be discovered,¡± Richard continued Ulysses¡¯s thought. ¡°But this is indeed a method. Just by pondering, we definitely won¡¯t think of an answer.¡± Having said that, he looked towards Snake King and asked, ¡°Do you need to prepare anything? We are going to kill that toad next.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Prepare?¡± A fierce smile appeared on Snake King¡¯s face, ¡°No preparation needed! I¡¯ve been constantly thinking about how to kill that toad these years. In the upcoming battle, all you need to do is assist by distracting it.¡± As the predator of the toad, Snake King naturally had a restraining effect. If it hadn¡¯t been for the extreme toxicity of the toad¡¯s venom, Snake King would have swallowed it long ago. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s see how you perform,¡± Richard chuckled, ¡°but it would be best if you can leave the body. I want to see what kind of fortune allowed this biological weapon to break through the mortal limit.¡± Snake King nodded slightly, ¡°Alright, no problem.¡± Once they left the Secret Realm, Snake King entered the swamp, and Dragon Horn sent out a surge of energy. The energy wave propagated through the swamp¡¯s filthy water, and the snakes in the swamp stirred turbulently, like a tidal wave of venomous snakes rushing towards Snake King. Seeing the snake tide in the swamp constantly converging towards Snake King, a chill suddenly rose in Richard¡¯s heart. He had not expected that the swamp hid such a large number of venomous snakes. Even the White Wizard Army would have to be cautious faced with such numbers. ¡°Do you need to summon a host of snakes to kill that toad?¡± Richard asked. ¡°To kill the toad? No need for that, but that toad can summon little toads,¡± explained Snake King. ¡°Though those little toads aren¡¯t as powerful as the big one, they are quite troublesome.¡± Richard nodded understandingly, indeed, even those little toads possessed significant power. Once there were enough of them, even a creature that had transcended mortal limits would face significant trouble. After gathering the host of snakes, Snake King hissed a few sentences in snake language to them, then proceeded towards the direction of the Crystal Tower. The host of snakes followed him like a relentless white surf, unending. ¡­ Below the Crystal Tower, Toad King was leisurely sunbathing. Occasionally hungry, it would just use its tongue to catch a couple of seeding eagles from the sky to eat, living comfortably. Suddenly, Toad King felt a strange sensation. It stood up, its frog eyes scanning the surrounding white fog continuously. As a creature that had broken through the mortal limits of its physique, it also possessed a rather strong intuition. It could distinctly feel a tremendous danger approaching. ¡°Gurgle! Gurgle!¡± A low croak came from within Toad King, the sound instantly spreading through the entire swamp via the sewage. Countless purple-skinned toads emerged from the water, the bushes, and the reeds, converging towards the Crystal Tower. Yet before Toad King could prepare further, a black shadow erupted from the mist, two cold lights heading straight for its head. ¡°Gurgle!¡± Though Toad King appeared large and clumsy, when it moved, it was as quick as lightning. Its four legs exerted force simultaneously, and its body abruptly lunged forward while the venom sacs on its back sprayed thick green poison at the dark shadow. Poison shot out like arrows. The shadow noticed just in time and dodged, an invisible Airflow Barrier appearing around him, which blocked the poison that he couldn¡¯t evade. The venom fell to the ground, instantly darkening the swamp as algae and driftwood were turned into black water. Behind the Toad King, the pustules were about to shoot again. But then a gust of wind burst out of the fog, whipping it into the air. Now, the Toad King finally saw clearly what the attacker was. ¡°Damn it, Snake!¡± The Toad King issued a loud cry, the will within it allowing others to understand its meaning as if it were a Spiritual Message. ¡°Big toad, long time no see.¡± The Snake King looked at the Toad King, his face coldly smiling. In the next instant, Thunder began to flash from his Dragon Horns. Boom! A white and purple Thunder as thick as a barrel shot out from the Dragon Horns, cutting through the air and striking the Toad King. Gulp! The Toad King¡¯s body stiffened abruptly as the Thunder paralyzed it, causing its limbs to stop responding. But before the Thunder completely dissipated, he saw the Snake King, with his mouth wide open, diving straight towards him in mid-air. ¡°Gulp, gulp!¡± The Toad King¡¯s body jerked fiercely in the air, a violent gust of wind of unknown origin held up his body and then quickly lifted him higher, just avoiding the Snake King¡¯s bite. As beings that transcended human limits, the Toad King naturally also self-taught the ability to manipulate Elements. Having missed his attack, the two animals distanced themselves. One could see the several meters long Snake King, his body shimmering with gold, Thunder flowing between his scales, as if he were the thunder god himself. The Toad King, not to be outdone, saw his own body suddenly expand, like an inflated pufferfish, as big as a giant mammoth, his pustules on the verge of bursting. The two were old adversaries, and in a battle years ago, the Snake King had been defeated. That defeat left him with a slow, venom-infiltrated death pending. Now, fighting again, the Snake King had changed immensely. Suddenly, a pitch-black beast ablaze with a Black Flame shot out of the fog, heading straight for the Toad King. This beast¡¯s presence was in no way inferior to the two monster kings. Distracted by the beast, the Toad King gave the Snake King an opening, who dashed towards the Toad King with jaws wide open. The Toad King tried to dodge but was entangled by the pitch-black beast. Spurt! The Snake King bit into the Toad King, whose pustules burst open, the rule-laden venom instantly corroding the Snake King¡¯s jaws into bare bones. Yet even so, the Snake King kept his hold, his venom continuously flowing into the Toad King¡¯s body through his fangs. A fear of death instantly shrouded the Toad King¡¯s heart. ¡°Gulp!¡± Suddenly, a terrifying energy fluctuation erupted within the Toad King. Once a biological weapon, even though he had transcended human limits, his instincts as a biological weapon were merely suppressed by his intellect, not completely erased. Now, the Toad King no longer had the intellect to suppress his instincts. As a biological weapon, his instinct was to explode when frightened. ¡°What¡¯s going on, why is this thing about to explode!¡± Ulysses sensed the fluctuation within the Toad King and cried out in alarm to the Snake King. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t explode.¡± The Snake King calmly injected venom into the Toad King¡¯s body, his venom serving as a stabilizer for this type of self-destructing toad. Just as the Snake King expected. The energy fluctuation within the Toad King quickly subsided. Soon, the Snake King opened his mouth as wide as possible and slowly swallowed the gigantic Toad King. Ulysses, puzzled, asked, ¡°You swallowed this thing, how are we supposed to retrieve its body?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t swallow it, it would have exploded soon,¡± the Snake King explained while swallowing, ¡°Once I fully dissolve its poison sac, I will regurgitate it¡­¡± Suddenly, the Snake King¡¯s expression changed drastically. A violent energy wave burst from within him, severing him at the waist. ¡°Damn! If you can¡¯t handle it, why push yourself?¡± Seeing this, Ulysses was instantly enveloped in a dignified Holy Light, as he hurled Divine Arts at the Snake King as if they cost nothing. Life might be lost. Fortunately, the Snake King was governed by the Life Rule; even though most of his organs were turned to pulp by the blast, he could still hang on to life by relying on the rule. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, go check that toad¡¯s remains, I won¡¯t die. There¡¯s something in the remains!¡± ¡°Something?¡± Ulysses reached out with a Crow Claw, lifting the lower half of the Snake King¡¯s body from the swamp. The flesh of the Toad King was almost dissolved by the venom, leaving only a calcified orb lying quietly in the venom. ¡°What is this thing?¡± ¡­ Soon, Ulysses took the weakened Snake King back to the Secret Realm. Seeing the Gasping Snake King, Richard quickly cried out, ¡°World Mushroom! Come and help.¡± Then, turning to Ulysses on the side, Richard asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on, was that toad that strong?¡± Ulysses shook his head, ¡°That toad wasn¡¯t particularly strong. But something went wrong with that snake, causing the toad to burst open inside it. By the way, this is the thing I retrieved from the toad¡¯s stomach.¡± Saying this, Ulysses handed the calcified orb to Richard. Richard stared at the orb, momentarily puzzled. ¡°What is this? An inner core?¡± Chapter 400: 20 In the Tower Chapter 400: Chapter 20 In the Tower Although this world was a fantasy world, with elements like wizards and magic beasts, in the Wizard World, and indeed in most worlds, magic beasts typically didn¡¯t have things like demon cores or demon crystals. And for those races that did have similar entities, their magic essence and demon cores were used as energy storage devices or as organs for attacking. But the substance resembling an inner core that Richard now saw before him had nothing to do with either. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Toad King¡¯s inner core, white as snow and about the size of a baby¡¯s head, had a calcified layer on its surface similar to limescale and weighed approximately five kilograms. Furthermore, this inner core¡¯s shell had strong isolation capabilities, so much so that Richard¡¯s spiritual power couldn¡¯t probe its interior. ¡°This thing was left inside that toad¡¯s body, but don¡¯t underestimate it. When I found it, it was soaking in the toad¡¯s venom, yet it hadn¡¯t been corroded in the slightest.¡± Ulysses was explaining the inner core to Richard, who flashed a hint of surprise on his face. ¡°This thing can actually withstand the Toad King¡¯s venom? Then it¡¯s certainly worth studying.¡± Richard brought the inner core to the experimental table and carefully scraped off some white powder from the inner core for testing. The test results showed that this powder was a highly stable calcified substance, very useful as an insulating layer. Then, he took out several magic probes, trying to explore the inner workings of the inner core. However, regrettably, the inner core¡¯s protective effect was excellent, the magic waves emitted by the probes were firmly blocked by the outer shell of the inner core. Looking at the probes¡¯ results and stroking his chin in thought, Richard speculated, ¡°I don¡¯t think this inner core is some kind of organ, it seems more like a calculus deliberately formed by the toad to preserve something.¡± ¡°It is a calculus.¡± The Snake King¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind Richard. Turning his head, Richard saw the Snake King, whose body had been severed, now fully restored, but emitting an aura of being drained. This newly restored body was likely just for show; to fully recover, it would probably take quite some time. ¡°This type of calculus is a special ability evolved by that toad, which can be used to store certain things. I recommend that my lord take proper precautions and then crack open this thing. Most likely, it hides the secret behind this toad¡¯s evolution.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard was startled. ¡°What have you found?¡± The Snake King nodded slightly. ¡°This toad was in my stomach, where it should have been honestly digested. But as soon as I swallowed it, I sensed a mutation occurring within it. An abnormal energy wave burst forth within its body, reactivating the self-destruction I had suppressed. Had I not discovered it promptly and triggered the explosion early, I fear that by now, I would be reduced to a concentrated liquid like that toad. It seems that the source of this abnormal fluctuation was preserved inside by the toad using a calculus.¡± Richard nodded slightly after hearing this; the Snake King¡¯s judgement made a lot of sense. He then handed over the inner core to the World Mushroom. ¡°Cut this thing open and have a look.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Before long, an incarnation of the World Mushroom¡¯s mycelium arrived at Richard¡¯s side with a transparent force field cage. Inside the cage lay a pitch-black stone. ¡°Master, this thing has a strong energy radiation and can stimulate mutations in flesh.¡± The World Mushroom¡¯s voice resonated in Richard¡¯s ear. He nodded slightly, and then reached into the force field cage to gently touch the black stone. [Material: Unknown Black Stone] [Refinable Rule: Radiation Rule (Extremely Incomplete)] [Extraction Cost: 5 Soul Power] Looking at the information provided by the Miracle Furnace, Richard withdrew his hand from the force field cage, which had begun to mutate. ¡°A fine item, I¡¯ll take it for now.¡± Ulysses asked curiously, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, just a stone bearing the rule of radiation. It seems that the Toad King used this stone to break through the human limits.¡± ¡­ Since the Snake King was injured, Richard had him stay in the Secret Realm to recuperate. He then returned with Ulysses to the Green Forest World, preparing to enter the Crystal Tower. After leaving the Secret Realm, Richard only felt silence all around him. Looking down at the ground, he saw that the murky water of the swamp, which had previously been turbid, was now pitch-black. ¡°Ulysses, didn¡¯t you take care of that venom?¡± Richard frowned. The venom from the Toad King¡¯s body was extremely poisonous and rule-contaminating. If not handled properly, this Poison Swamp would become a dead zone. ¡°Ah, it hadn¡¯t occurred to me.¡± Ulysses gave an awkward smile, then Holy Light flashed from his body, casting several Divine Arts into the water. Under the effects of the Divine Arts, the swamp water became clear instantly. ¡°What sort of Divine Art is that?¡± Richard watched the swamp water clear up suddenly and asked in surprise. Ulysses¡¯ Divine Art seemed even more miraculous than a wizard¡¯s witchcraft. ¡°Water Purification Technique, a minor Divine Art. It can purify polluted water, poisoned water, and its effectiveness increases with the user¡¯s strength. When I was at my prime, a single Water Purification Technique could purify a small river. However, the consumption would be hundreds to thousands of times more than what is required for a human performing the same technique.¡± Hearing this, an idea immediately popped into Richard¡¯s mind. ¡°Blood also contains a lot of water, so can I use the Water Purification Technique¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Ulysses interrupted, ¡°The original version of this Divine Art indeed had the use you¡¯re mentioning, but after its Creator found out, he modified this Divine Art. Things like blood can no longer be treated with the Water Purification Technique.¡± ¡°Fine, why did the Creator of this Divine Art bother to change it for no reason? Does he have a Mother Theresa complex or something?¡± Richard was somewhat annoyed. The thought of using a Water Purification Technique to turn the blood within a living body into clear water, or even converting the tissue fluid and cellular fluid directly into clear water, felt quite thrilling. ¡°Because this Divine felt that it wasn¡¯t good for a supplementary Divine Art to have such a terrifying effect,¡± Ulysses said gloomily. ¡°Later, on the basis of this Divine Art, he created another one called the Blood Control Technique, which includes turning blood into clear water.¡± Richard was taken aback, unable to comprehend the thinking of this Divine. Ulysses explained, ¡°The Water Purification Technique has a wide range of dissemination, and basic level Priests almost all know this Divine Art. This change was made to prevent those with ill intentions from exploiting the technique for wrongdoing.¡± After saying this, he sighed. ¡°Alas, Divines can¡¯t always monitor every Priest, and sometimes when we nap, a lot of scum appears among the Priests. Those low-ranking Priests are often even more despicable than the high-ranking ones. These individuals are often in the places that need them the most, yet they frequently commit evil acts. Many a Church, every three or four hundred years, has to support a Divine Chosen to sweep clean the inside of the Church with a firm hand, from the outside in, clearing out all the dregs. It¡¯s such a hassle.¡± Mentioning the cleansing of the Church, the resentment emanating from Ulysses was almost tangible. Apparently, he had spent quite a bit of effort in this regard. ¡°It seems I also need to be wary of the Miracle Sect,¡± Richard pondered aloud. Having said that, he shifted his gaze to the Crystal Tower not far away. ¡°After all this talk, we might as well go in.¡± ¡­ The Crystal Tower didn¡¯t look remarkable from a distance, but as he approached it Richard realized it was much taller and grander than he had anticipated. The entire tower was built from a kind of dark Crystal material. Over the years, these Crystals had lost their past luster and transparency, becoming somewhat cloudy and impure. There was a door on the first floor of the tower, its protective devices long since failed due to the erosion of time. Richard entered the interior of the tower with ease. Inside the tower was empty, looking as though any equipment had been moved out long ago. However, this did not surprise Richard. Considering the state of this world, the Pioneers must have abandoned this world voluntarily. Having abandoned it voluntarily, they surely would have taken anything they could from inside the tower. The Crystal Tower had no staircases, only a large hole in the center of each floor. Richard guessed that these Pioneers must have had the innate ability to fly, so the concept of stairs was completely foreign to them. Following the large hole in the center of the tower, Richard made his way to the top. There, he saw a damaged machine that was still running. It was a Crystal Creation resembling an old-fashioned gramophone, its horn continuously emitting specific energies into the outside world. Richard said excitedly, ¡°This must be the source of the swamp¡¯s dense fog.¡± With that, he gently touched the Crystal Creation. [Material: Damaged Mist Barrier Generator] [Information that can be extracted: Mist Barrier (incomplete)] [Extraction cost: 100 spiritual power] ¡°Huh, there are no rules?¡± Richard was slightly surprised as he looked at the information provided by the Miracle Furnace. He hadn¡¯t expected that even Ulysses¡¯ Divine Eye, which could withstand dense fog, was just something made using the facade of rules. The technology of those Pioneers was truly terrifying. Richard silently chose to extract, and the Crystal Creation suddenly disappeared from sight, while its base remained undamaged. A moment later, the Crystal Creation reappeared. To Richard¡¯s surprise, it was still operational. He tried moving the device, only to discover it remained firmly connected to its base. ¡°Stop trying. It¡¯s spatial manipulation,¡± said Ulysses, watching Richard attempting to move the Crystal Creation, suddenly speaking up. ¡°It¡¯s a very advanced technique. That Furnace directly shifted the space where the machine was located. Essentially, the machine hasn¡¯t been moved, nor has it been separated from its base.¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible?¡± Richard exclaimed in amazement. ¡°For the status of that Furnace, it¡¯s actually quite normal to have such a capability,¡± Ulysses stated indifferently. ¡­ Having secured his greatest finding, Richard activated his Energy Vision, prepared to examine the energy system of the tower, hoping to learn something. After all, this tower had maintained the Mist Barrier Generator for so many years through a self-charging energy system. There were surely lessons he could learn from it. But when Richard activated his Energy Vision, he suddenly discovered that it wasn¡¯t just the Mist Barrier Generator that this tower was maintaining. This tower¡­ seemed to have a hidden basement! Chapter 401: 21 Ancient Battlefield Chapter 401: Chapter 21 Ancient Battlefield On the walls of this Crystal Tower, faint and intricate energy pathways sprawled like a shattered spider¡¯s web, sparse and broken. These pathways intersected with each other but eventually split into two. One led to the top of the tower, powering the mist barrier generator. The other merged into the center of the ground floor lobby and then vanished from sight. Beneath the dark muck formed by dead algae on the floor of the Crystal Tower, who could have imagined that there was a hidden underground chamber? Richard swung his Magic Wand, and a fierce gust of wind suddenly appeared in the lobby, blowing away all the filth on the ground. It was only after the muck had been cleared that Richard discovered a door at the center of the lobby. This door had even eluded Richard¡¯s Spiritual Detection. If he hadn¡¯t opened his Energy Vision, he would have missed it entirely. Approaching the door, Richard frowned as he looked at the Crystal Door that seemed to merge with the crystal floor, He had discovered it, but how was he supposed to open this thing? Before Richard could do anything, however, the door suddenly dissolved into blocks of crystal that scattered to one side, revealing a pitch-black entrance. It seemed the door had sensed someone above and opened on its own. ¡°Automatic detection? There must be selection criteria,¡± Richard didn¡¯t dwell on it and went straight into the underground chamber. He wasn¡¯t the least bit worried about any defense mechanisms below because the Crystal Tower¡¯s fragile energy circulation was no longer strong enough to sustain a defense system. The energy consumption of the mist barrier generator was not low after all. Richard even hoped that there were some defense measures that hadn¡¯t been dismantled, to make his find more substantial. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon entering the underground chamber, as Richard had cleared the dirt from the first floor of the Crystal Tower, there was slightly more light in the chamber, and it was not pitch black. However, Richard was still not satisfied. With a light wave of his wand, a bright orb flew out of the crystal ball at the head of his Magic Wand, forming a Light Ball. Under the illumination of the Light Ball, the underground chamber immediately brightened up. The underground chamber was as empty as the one above, leaving nothing behind. Only with his Energy Vision could Richard see that the floor of the chamber was filled with a web of energy pathways. These pathways intersected with one another and weren¡¯t just two-dimensional but existed in a sort of three-dimensional volume. A flicker of excitement crossed Richard¡¯s face; he hadn¡¯t expected this unexpected discovery. Although he didn¡¯t know much about Pioneer technology, these energy pathways were complex, clearly something with great utility. Once he had noted down the pathways, they might later be transformed into a Rune¡­ But before Richard could finish indulging in his thoughts, he noticed that the energy pathways seemed to be activated, suddenly brightening. In the next instant, Richard felt a bright flash before his eyes, followed by an intense sensation of dizziness. It was like being drunk, trying to walk a straight line while wearing a kaleidoscope. As if the entire world had become twisted and deformed. ¡°Damn it, what kind of defense mechanism is this?¡± Richard was certain that he hadn¡¯t suffered a mental attack; this strange sensation was not a distortion of his mind but rather his senses¡¯ perception of the physical space around him. ¡°This isn¡¯t any defense mechanism!¡± Ulysses¡¯ voice rang out in Richard¡¯s ear; Ulysses appeared distorted as if stepping out of a funhouse mirror. ¡°This is a Transmission Array! When we entered the underground chamber, we activated the Transmission Array hidden in the floor. But the power supply of this Transmission Array is unstable, so the teleportation has become like this.¡± ¡°How do we get out of this state?¡± Richard shouted. At that moment, an overwhelming sense of nausea almost took over his brain, nearly making him vomit. Ulysses replied just as loudly, ¡°We can¡¯t escape. We are now in the midst of time-space turmoil. Forcing our way out might bring us into a spatial storm, and then even I couldn¡¯t ensure your safety¡­¡± As he spoke, the world in front of Richard suddenly returned to normal. However, the figure of Ulysses had disappeared from his shoulder. ¡°Vanished?¡± Richard looked at his shoulder, his heart sinking. If the Transmission Array experienced a teleportation error, the consequences could be severe. If lucky, the teleported might only merge with environmental objects like rocks or walls. With a wizard¡¯s skills, it would just mean getting a new body; the life would be saved. But if unlucky, one might fall into the crevices of time-space and be torn apart by spatial storms. Richard took a deep breath to calm himself down. It was usually Ulysses who concerned himself with Richard¡¯s safety, but today the roles had reversed. Richard closed his eyes and focused, carefully sensing the consumption of his Power of Faith. In the doctrines of the Miracle Sect, the Raven God and the Son of God were one. Faith in the Raven God was faith in the Son of God, so both Richard and Ulysses drew from the same pool of Power of Faith. The main purpose was to utilize the Power of Faith. Compared to Richard, Ulysses had a stronger application of the Power of Faith. It was also for this reason that as long as Ulysses used Divine Arts, Richard could sense it. If Ulysses had now fallen into the rifts of time-space, he would be frantically using the Power of Faith to escape the predicament. But after sensing for a long time, Richard found no consumption of the Power of Faith. There were two possibilities: one was that Ulysses had been killed outright by the temporal streams before he could use any Divine Arts. The other was that Ulysses was unharmed, merely teleported somewhere else. To verify which possibility it was, Richard immediately tried to open a Secret Realm Rift. Both he and Ulysses possessed spatial beacons of the Secret Realm. As long as Ulysses was unharmed, he would definitely enter the Secret Realm to meet with Richard at the first opportunity. ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard gazed at the collapsing Secret Realm Rift beside him, his mind sinking into thought. The rift couldn¡¯t be opened; the environment exhibited extremely intense Energy disturbances, and the spatial structure was highly unstable, significantly affecting the stability of the Secret Realm Rift. ¡°No wonder the transmission encountered issues.¡± Richard turned and briefly surveyed his surroundings; he was in a location akin to the basement of a Crystal Tower. However, unlike the Crystal Tower in the Poison Swamp, the energy circuits in this basement were far more glaring, and the contained Energy was several levels stronger than that of the Crystal Tower in the Poison Swamp. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and see.¡± Richard rose into the air, and as the door on the ceiling automatically opened, a dry breeze brushed against his face, feeling warm. ¡°Something¡¯s off.¡± Richard¡¯s heart sank; the Green Forest World environment was known to be vibrant and moist. The air humidity there typically created conditions ripe for mushrooms to flourish. But the wind outside this underground chamber was dry. Where had this Transmission Array taken him? Hopefully, it hadn¡¯t thrown him into the Inner World. Moreover, as the Crystal Door opened, a strong wave of Energy Radiation immediately entered the basement. This kind of radiation was almost equivalent to a Magic Power impact of two hundred Energy Levels and specialized in Penetration. If a One Ring Wizard were to come here, within a few hours, they¡¯d be reduced to a puddle of filthy water. These waves of Energy Radiation would drain his Magic Power at an astonishing rate, then shatter the Life Core of every single cell in his body. But fortunately, Richard was a Three Rings Wizard. With his Physique, even without protection, the Energy Radiation on the outside would only accelerate the metabolism of his skin. The biggest issue it would cause would be having to scrub a bit more during a bath. However, to be cautious, Richard activated his Magic Barrier before leaving the basement. And upon stepping outside, the scene that greeted him was indeed beyond his expectations. Outside the basement, lay the first floor of a dilapidated tower. Yet through the Crystal, Richard could clearly see that beyond the Crystal Tower stretched a vast desert. ¡°No way, did it really take me to the Inner World?¡± Richard watched the scene before him in stunned silence; the desert appeared nothing like a scene from the Green Forest World¡¯s surface. However, after some testing, Richard quickly confirmed that this place was not the Inner World. Because the rules of this world had not changed. If he were in the Inner World right now, the world¡¯s rules should have altered. Moreover, if nothing unexpected occurred, the Inner World should be completely under the control of the World Tree. To the World Tree, these waves of Energy Radiation should be excellent nourishment, not something to be wasted so freely. That left only one possibility. ¡°Is this the Ancient Battlefield?¡± Richard murmured to himself. The Snake King once mentioned that only the Poison Swamp and the Ancient Battlefield on the surface world were not under the World Tree¡¯s seed control. Considering the environment of this godforsaken place, it fit well with what Richard imagined the Ancient Battlefield to be. ¡°Well, this teleportation worked out pretty well, saved me the trouble of searching,¡± Richard comforted himself internally. He did intend to visit the Ancient Battlefield, and being teleported here had saved him a great deal of effort. Exiting the tower, the intense Energy Radiation even caused ripples to form on Richard¡¯s Magic Shield. The radiation outside the tower was more than double that inside. Richard frowned slightly, ¡°What is this powerful Energy Radiation hiding in this desert?¡± After a glance at the sun, Richard barely determined the cardinal directions. But looking around, all he saw was a vast expanse of yellow sand. Only in the northwest direction was there a faint shadow. There seemed to be a colossal structure in that direction. After pondering for a moment, Richard decided to move towards the colossal structure. ¡°Let¡¯s check that place first; Ulysses is likely to head in that direction too.¡± ¡­ On another side of the Ancient Battlefield, Ulysses, ablaze with Black Flame, flew out of the basement. Below him, a melted Crystal entrance starkly appeared on the ground. ¡°Dammit,¡± Ulysses cursed, ¡°it¡¯s strange, the door would open when Richard was here, but why won¡¯t it open just for me alone? Discriminating against a raven, huh?¡± Once out of the basement, Ulysses sensed the surrounding environment. ¡°Such strong Energy Radiation, what kind of godforsaken place is this?¡± He tried to open the Secret Realm Rift, but the result was the same as Richard¡¯s. ¡°Weird, with the spatial structure so unstable and the Energy Radiation so strong, could it be that the Transmission Array sent me to the so-called Ancient Battlefield the serpent mentioned?¡± Ulysses flew out of the tower, looking at the endless sea of sand around him, and became even more convinced of his own thoughts. ¡°Lousy luck, to be teleported to a place like this. Hopefully, there isn¡¯t¡­¡± Before Ulysses could finish speaking, he suddenly saw several blue-glowing Crystal Floating Cannons flying towards him from a distance. [Target anomaly detected][Target anomaly detected #%@#@£¤] Upon spotting Ulysses, the Floating Cannons trembled slightly, as if the ravages of time had caused malfunctions in their systems. Then, their color snapped to red. [Engage annihilation mode] Chapter 402: 22: The Weapon Out of Control Chapter 402: Chapter 22: The Weapon Out of Control Bang! The dark gold top of the staff, howling like a tiger descending the mountain, smashed the last floating cannon that flashed with dark red light. As crystal fragments fell to the ground, Richard retracted his magic wand, his brow furrowed, and his gaze profoundly directed towards the distance. The Crystal Floating Cannon, a Pioneer weapon mentioned by a Three Rings Wizard during the pre-war meeting. Despite its size no larger than a baby¡¯s skull, its attack was of a tremendous 3,000 energy level and highly agile. Moreover, in critical moments, it could self-destruct, reaching an explosive force of 8,000 energy level. Facing multiple floating cannons would cause even a seasoned Three Rings Wizard to scramble. In this ancient battlefield, this was already the third encounter Richard had with these devices, and it had only been half a day since he left the Crystal Tower. ¡°After so many years, it is incredible that these weapons still possess such abundant energy.¡± With a casual wave, Richard summoned the cannon fragments to float towards him through an invisible stream of air. Even though shattered, the fragments still held some value. If he could later capture a floating cannon and acquire the manufacturing technology, these crystal fragments might be reused as raw material. Continuing towards a dark shadow in the distance, Richard incessantly surveyed his surroundings. This desert was not naturally formed. In the battlefield of years past, countless horrific weapons had waged war upon this land. This desert is likely the masterpiece of those armaments¡¯ remnants. Suddenly, Richard halted. About a kilometer ahead of him, a dark crystal entity quietly slept in the sand sea. Common sense suggested that this object was likely a relic from the war-era weapons. Yet, Richard cautiously opened his Energy Vision. In this battlefield, Richard wasn¡¯t taking any chances. With Energy Vision activated, Richard¡¯s surroundings instantly transformed. The air, filled with intense energy radiation like streams of light, nearly occupied Richard¡¯s entire field of view. ¡°This is bad, my Energy Vision is unusable.¡± Looking at the overwhelming array of energy pathways, Richard was forced to close his Energy Vision. It¡¯s always in times of need that you feel the lack; Soul Talent was indeed something that could be honed. If he was a Soul Wizard, he could adjust his vision to dim some intensities of the energy pathways and use it normally. However, Richard rarely used this Soul Talent and naturally had never trained it. Now facing such an extreme situation, all he could do was inwardly accept this bitter pill. Although Energy Vision was unusable, Richard still had other methods. He pulled out several metal ingots from his pocket and created a pile of components using alchemy. These components assembled into a six-legged metal spider. Then, Richard took out some living flesh and biological materials, making a low-level Synthetic Beast Core. With this core as a foundation, he quickly crafted a fist-sized fleshball Synthetic Beast. Aside from being alive, this Synthetic Beast didn¡¯t possess any other features. But that was enough. Richard placed the Synthetic Beast into the central chamber of the metal spider and then used his spiritual power to control the metal spider towards the distant object. When the metal spider approached within four hundred meters of the crystal entity, the entity suddenly lit up. Immediately, a beam precisely struck the fleshball Synthetic Beast inside the central chamber of the spider. Richard squinted his eyes, analyzing the crystal entity that had now risen from the sands. It was a pitch-black spider-shaped puppet, its dark crystal body scarred throughout. On the left edge of its body were two limb-like injuries. At its forefront, a crystal ball-like polyhedral structure emanated a dark red glow¡ªthe same structure from which the lethal ray had been fired. ¡°Firing upon sight, it seems the Pioneers must have ordered these weapons to combat on encounter.¡± Richard murmured to himself, watching the crystal entity, his grip tightening involuntarily on the World Tree Staff. At this moment, without Ulysses¡¯ help or a Secret Realm Space to hide, he possessed only his accumulated knowledge and combat skills. The unique conditions of the ancient battlefield stripped him of any external aid. He now had to rely solely on his own strength to resolve the situation ahead. Hum! The spider-shaped puppet¡¯s polyhedral crystal suddenly emitted an energy wave, and immediately afterward, its body turned direction, rapidly rushing towards Richard. Watching the spider-shaped puppet, Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged. With a light flick of his staff, a burst of Magic Radiance fell beneath the puppet¡¯s feet. In the next instant, the ordinary sand transformed into quicksand. Due to missing two legs, the remaining six legs of the spider-shaped puppet inevitably sank into the quicksand in an instant. Although it was merely a momentary delay, for a Wizard, that was sufficient. Near Richard, dark fireballs began to appear continuously. These were not ordinary fireballs but Annihilation Hearts modified by Richard. Richard was particularly concerned about this first spell he had created. Over the years, he had not only optimized the Fireball Technique¡¯s magic model but also continually enhanced the Annihilation Heart¡¯s magic model. Under Richard¡¯s refinement, the power of the Annihilation Heart had reached 5,000 energy level, its only flaw being high energy consumption. Even though Richard had optimized it using Pioneer Rune One, its consumption was still five times that of a standard Fireball Technique. With a wave of his staff, five Annihilation Hearts traced arcs in the air, directly targeting the spider-like puppet¡¯s damaged legs. Sensing the approaching fireballs, a network-like structure of faint light surfaced on the puppet¡¯s body, between which were hexagonal energy shields. The Heart of Annihilation collided with the Energy Shield, instantly disrupting the balance of the Water and Fire Elements within the Heart of Annihilation. The next moment, a black sphere suddenly expanded from within the fireball, instantly engulfing half of the spider-shaped puppet¡¯s body. Richard calmly watched the scene unfold while the remaining four fireballs continued toward their intended direction. Suddenly, a beam of light pierced through the black sphere and precisely hit one of the Hearts of Annihilation, triggering it to explode prematurely. Subsequently, multiple beams of light shot out from the black sphere, intercepting all remaining Hearts of Annihilation outside. Each black sphere exploded in mid-air, almost forming a dark screen that obscured the view behind it. Soon, the dark screen vanished. The spider-shaped puppet stood unscathed, seemingly unaffected by Richard¡¯s spells. Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged; as he waved his magic wand, several bolts of white-purple thunder shot out from the tip of the wand, but they were still blocked by the spider-shaped puppet¡¯s Energy Shield. Following that, Ice Fog Skill, Fireball Technique, Earth Spike Skill, Storm Skill¡­ Elemental Magic shot out towards the spider-shaped puppet as if it cost nothing. However, curiously, the power of these spells was remarkably weak, some only having an energy level of fifteen hundred or sixteen hundred. Without the enhancement of the magic wand, these spells would normally have mere levels of one or two hundred, or even as low as tens. The spider-shaped puppet stood in place, silently using its Energy Shield to block all these jumbled Elemental Magic spells. [Target Information Collection Complete] sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Target Confirmed as a Sacrificial Class Enemy] [Sacrificial Hunter Mode Activated] The next moment, an intensely fierce energy fluctuation burst forth from the spider-shaped puppet, and it charged towards Richard like lightning. Its speed was so fast that Richard couldn¡¯t intercept it with his spells in time. At the critical moment, Richard swung his magic wand, summoning an Earth Wall a few hundred meters in front of him. The next instant, Richard¡¯s afterimage was pierced through by the spider-shaped puppet. Richard¡¯s figure then appeared in the shadow created by the Earth Wall Skill. ¡°What incredible speed,¡± Richard murmured to himself. The spider-shaped puppet had now transformed, the multifaceted crystals used for energy attacks having retracted into its body. Two long mantis blades protruded from its front, and its advanced six legs now featured saw-like teeth with energy arcs flickering on them. ¡°Chainsaw Sword?¡± Looking at the legs of the spider-shaped puppet, Richard instantly associated them with the Holy Guard¡¯s Demon-breaking Chainsaw Sword. But before Richard could observe closely, the spider-shaped puppet dashed to his side in a blink. The spider-shaped puppet could also perform short-distance spatial teleportation. The saw-teeth limbs of the puppet, like cutting through butter, tore through Richard¡¯s Magic Barrier. The front two mantis blades instantly tensed, thrusting straight toward Richard¡¯s abdomen. Sizzling sounds¡­ A series of noises almost like cutting metal echoed. The two mantis blades, which should have gutted Richard, were blocked by a layer of golden light. Under that golden light, a layer of platinum dragon scales had appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Hehehe, fooled you,¡± Richard cackled as he waved his magic wand. In an instant, accompanied by six crisp snaps merging into one, the six limbs of the spider-shaped puppet were smashed apart by his magic wand. In the Wizard World, higher-level Alchemy Puppets are built with numerous combat strategies. These strategies are often the optimal solutions designed by wizards based on years of experience and the performance of the puppets. Once the conditions of combat match a certain strategy, the Alchemy Puppet will automatically act according to that strategy. And the Pioneers, being a civilization even more advanced than the Wizard Civilization, would naturally have similar mechanisms in their War Puppets. Richard¡¯s previous Elemental Magic spells were intended to deceive the spider-shaped puppet into treating him as a fragile spellcaster. Now that the spider-shaped puppet had charged forward aggressively, its limbs switched to Demon-breaking mode, clearly activating an inherent strategy designed for targeting spellcasters. After breaking the limbs, chains of runes emerged from Richard, attempting to seal the spider-shaped puppet. But before the Rune Chains could form an icy shell, Richard abruptly frowned. He waved his magic wand, and a giant hand of magic power instantly threw the spider-shaped puppet¡¯s body away. The next moment, a loud ¡°boom¡± resounded, and the spider-shaped puppet exploded into a fleeting small sun in the sky. ¡°Another self-destruction mode, are these Pioneers bomb people? Installing self-destruction mode on every weapon,¡± Richard complained irritably. But with the event having occurred, after his complaint, Richard didn¡¯t continue to dwell on his anger. After collecting the six broken limbs into his Magic Pocket, he continued towards the dark figure. Meanwhile, on another part of the battlefield, Ulysses, engulfed in black flames, spouted a ball of fire, melting the body of a complete spider-shaped puppet. Suddenly, Ulysses turned his head toward the direction of the spider-shaped puppet¡¯s self-destruction. With a somewhat cheerful voice, he murmured to himself, ¡°As expected, he¡¯s heading this way, seems I wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± With that, Ulysses sped towards the direction of the dark figure. Chapter 403: 23: Giant Floating Mother Body Chapter 403: Chapter 23: Giant Floating Mother Body Amidst the ancient battlefield, Richard gazed at the incessant ripples of the magic barrier enveloping him, lost in thought. He felt he must have taken a wrong direction. Because the closer he got to the black shadow, the higher the energy radiation in the air became. He walked towards the direction of the black shadow for seven days, and the radiation of energy in the air had nearly doubled. If he had walked in the opposite direction, he would probably have left the ancient battlefield by now. Richard looked into the distance; the black shadow had become somewhat clearer. Through his Eagle Vision Skill, he could vaguely make out that it was a massive sphere. It must be the remnants of a war machine left by the Pioneers. ¡°Well, time to take a gamble,¡± he sighed. The energy radiation of the ancient battlefield reminded Richard of the Black Stone he had obtained from the Toad King Stone. He suspected that there should be many such Black Stones within the black shadow he saw. If that were true, he reckoned he could obtain a fairly complete rule. This would no doubt be a solid foundation for his path to becoming a Great Wizard. A more complete rule could transform an ordinary spell, with significant enhancement. A minor Fireball enhanced by the rule of the Fire Element could even rival the power of Sun¡¯s Fall. For the future Great Wizard Trial, this was undoubtedly a tremendous boost. With that in mind, Richard took out two pieces of Magic Essence from his pocket, began to draw magic from them, replenishing the Magic Rebound. Although the energy radiation in the environment was not a major issue for his physique, reality was not a game; even water droplets can wear away stone, let alone energy radiation comparable to spells. Even the thickest armor could be penetrated by bullets. ¡­ Boom! A black sphere exploded in the air, swallowing the last Crystal Floating Cannon. Richard stood to the side, watching the remote shadow with a somewhat pale face. It had been half a month since he left the Crystal Tower. Now, the energy radiation in the air could almost compare with a thousand-level Energy Witchcraft specialized in penetration. Even Richard had to activate his Energy Shield to ensure that his flesh did not suffer extensive cellular decay. Although a thousand-level spell caused him limited damage, no one can withstand being bombarded by spells all day long. And the distant shadow had now revealed its true nature¡ªa crashed spaceship. To be honest, Richard had never dreamed that an ancient battlefield would hide a crashed spaceship of the Pioneers. The spaceship was made of metal and Black Crystals, shaped like a colossal sphere. The front half of this ship had been almost entirely blown apart, with the back half partially buried in the desert sand. Deep within the spaceship, Richard saw a strange green light. Although Richard had never before seen a Pioneer¡¯s spaceship, he was certain that the green light was definitely the source of the radiation throughout the desert. And that provided Richard with the drive to continue moving forward. Two more days, and he could reach the foot of that spaceship. Suddenly, an extremely sharp buzzing reached Richard¡¯s ears. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He looked towards the source of the sound, only to see over a dozen Floating Cannons with a crimson glow rapidly approaching him. [Intruder detected, activation of annihilation mode] [Intruder detected, activation of annihilation mode] ¡°Damn it, not again,¡± he muttered. Richard looked at the approaching Floating Cannons, his pale complexion growing even whiter. The energy radiation in the air was constantly draining his magic power. This made his magic reserve extremely limited, forcing him to continuously use Magic Essence for Magic Refill. But the Floating Cannons were different. Who knew what kind of advanced technology the Pioneers had installed in them, but in this intense energy radiation environment, they seemed to be functioning without any issues. In fact, they even appeared invigorated, as if the energy radiation could recharge them. Moreover, as he approached the crashed ship, these devices started to show up more frequently. Almost every one or two hours, he encountered them. If their numbers were small, they were manageable, but if they increased, even Richard would need to expend quite an effort to deal with them. Buzz, buzz, buzz! Richard sidestepped, dodging three energy beams shot out by the Floating Cannons. The beams weren¡¯t very powerful, but they had strong penetration. If concentrated, they could easily break through his Magic Barrier. Therefore, Richard typically did not activate his Magic Barrier when encountering them. The surging dragon scales spread across Richard¡¯s body, and in an instant, he transformed from a slightly burly man into a fierce dragon-man, half-human and half-dragon. The dragon scales had strong resistance to energy radiation, so Richard did not need to use the Magic Shield to protect against the radiation in the environment. If not for the Transformation Battle Body consuming both cell life energy and magic, Richard would have liked to keep the Transformation Battle Body active at all times. After transforming into a dragon-man, all of Richard¡¯s attributes were greatly enhanced, even his sight improved. With the augmentation of the Transformation Battle Body, his dragon eyes shone even more brilliantly due to the Dragon King Bloodline. With a light wave of his Magic Wand, a wall of earth arose from the ground. He took a step forward, and his body suddenly appeared in front of a crystal floating cannon. When the floating cannon detected someone approaching, an energy shield suddenly appeared around it, and the nearby floating cannons immediately adjusted their positions, preparing to surround and kill Richard. But all these efforts were in vain. With a ¡°snap,¡± the dark gold World Tree staff overloaded the floating cannon¡¯s shield with a strike, then proceeded to shatter the floating cannon itself in midair. With one successful hit, Richard waved his wand, and two thick, small magic shields quickly appeared behind him, blocking the light cannons from the floating cannons. Around him, crystal floating cannons glowing with dark red light nearly surrounded him. An invisible field expanded outward, causing Richard¡¯s figure to halt momentarily. The delayed force field, a combination skill of the floating cannons. This skill required at least three floating cannons to cast, and the force field¡¯s effects would increase with the number of floating cannons participating. A delayed force field released by a dozen floating cannons even made Richard, a wizard with an evolved physique, feel as if he was trapped in a quagmire. Any spell cast became as slow as a snail¡¯s crawl. However, this delayed force field had two major flaws. The first was that it was ineffective against space-teleportation abilities. Richard vanished in an instant, and when he reappeared, he was already in the shadow of a dirt wall he had created before the fight began. The second was that while releasing was easy, dispelling was hard. The delayed force field also imposed certain constraints on the floating cannons. Once formed, the floating cannons comprising the force field had to take half a second to disengage their connection with each other. Do not underestimate this half-second; in battles involving third-level creatures, it could decide life or death. With a light swing of Richard¡¯s wand, several pitch-black Hearts of Annihilation smashed toward the floating cannons in the sky like meteors. Next came a buzzing sound as dark fireballs exploded in the air, turning into black spheres. Under Richard¡¯s control, not a bit of the Hearts of Annihilation¡¯s power went to waste. Each one struck a floating cannon with pinpoint accuracy. Richard watched the sky, somewhat pale-faced, holding two pieces of magic essence to replenish his magic. The dozen Hearts of Annihilation had nearly drained his magic power completely. Soon, the black spheres dissipated, and the crystal floating cannons turned into pools of lava dripping from the sky. ¡°Where do these floating cannons come from? Why does it feel like the cannons in this ancient battlefield are endless?¡± Richard muttered to himself as he looked at the lava, then continued on his way. But he had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped. Looking down at the ground, in the windless environment, he noticed that the sand was trembling slightly. It seemed¡­ something was coming this way. ¡°No good, I need to get out of here quickly.¡± A sense of foreboding filled Richard¡¯s heart, and he immediately flew towards the distant spaceship. But before he could take off, he saw a swath of blue clouds appear in the distance, flying towards him. ¡°What the hell? Since when are clouds blue?¡± Richard took out a pair of Eagle Vision Skill enhanced glasses from his pocket, put them on, and took a closer look at the blue clouds. This glance was alarming; like seeing a ghost, Richard turned and flew rapidly towards the spaceship. The patch of blue clouds turned out to be a swarm of crystal floating cannons glowing with blue light! And beneath them, a giant, spider-like puppet was slowly advancing towards him. Behind this spider puppet, a massive repair chamber constantly had crystal floating cannons moving in and out. If the Snake King saw this, he would undoubtedly exclaim it impossible. The Pioneers still had a giant floating cannon mother body left in the ancient battlefield, and this mother body was even mobile. The giant floating mother body, accompanied by a host of floating cannons, darted rapidly across the battlefield; all the while, floating cannons kept returning from afar or flying off into the distance. Suddenly, the giant floating mother body came to a halt. At its forefront, there were six polyhedral crystals. Out of these, one suddenly emitted a beam of red light that touched the ground a kilometer ahead. And the area enveloped by the red light was precisely where Richard had melted the floating cannons, with their remnants falling. [Detection of third-level creature residual energy traces] [Detection of third-level creature residual energy traces] [Guardian Fortress, activating %&*& error] [Guardian Fortress, activating eradication mode] As the giant floating mother body made its decision, one of the floating cannons in the group trembled, its light turning from blue to red in an instant. The next moment, the red light spread like a plague among the floating cannons. Before long, the floating cannon group changed from blue to red, spreading like a tide around them. And the giant floating mother body extended two tentacles, gathering up the crystal particles from the ground. Soon after, two brand-new floating cannons flew out of its rear chamber. ¡­ In the distance, a black crow with gleaming eyes watched the floating cannon group intently. Upon seeing the floating cannons change from blue to red, his expression became grave. ¡°Damn it, Richard has been spotted,¡± he said. With that, the light in Ulysses¡¯ eyes disappeared, and he spread his wings, flying rapidly toward the direction of the spaceship. Chapter 404: 24: Inside the Spaceship Chapter 404: Chapter 24: Inside the Spaceship In the midst of yellow sand, groups of Crystal Floating Cannons wandered like messengers of the Death God. In the distance, a huge Pioneer spacecraft, resembling a dead Magic Beast, emitted terrifying radiation. Boom! A black fireball exploded in the air, resembling a black firework. Immediately afterward, over a dozen Light Cannons pierced through the darkness, heading straight for the robed figure running towards the spacecraft. Buzz! Buzz¡­ The humming sound of the Floating Cannons caused Richard to experience some ringing in his ears. The Light Cannons hitting him felt like heavy hammers, shattering his scales and ripping his flesh. Yet, he had no intention of resisting the Light Cannons. Resisting would consume Magic Power and right now, what Richard needed most was Magic Power. The radiation near the spacecraft far exceeded Richard¡¯s imagination. Over the short distance of a few dozen kilometers, the intensity of the energy radiation in the air had doubled. To combat this radiation, Richard had to use all his Magic Power to maintain the recovery of his body¡¯s cells. As for the attack of the Floating Cannons? It was just a splash of water. In fact, the force of the Floating Cannons even helped to increase his speed. Energy radiation was far more deadly than the Light Cannons of the Floating Cannons. Suddenly, several dark red beams of light caught Richard¡¯s eyes. In the distance, over a dozen Floating Cannons had somehow moved in front of him. Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­ Over a dozen Light Cannons shot towards Richard like arrows, forcing him to dodge to the side. The Light Cannons from behind could propel him, but taking the ones in front head-on was not beneficial. However, after dodging, Richard suddenly noticed something amiss. He glanced sideways with the corner of his eye, and his body immediately stiffened. Dozens of Crystal Floating Cannons were closing in on both his sides, preparing to surround him. If they succeeded, a huge delayed force field would form. By then, even if he used Shadow Shuttling, he might not be able to escape. Shadow Shuttling also had a limit to its range. ¡°Damn.¡± Richard¡¯s expression darkened, and his body abruptly stopped. Then, with a step, his figure instantly appeared in front of the Floating Cannons that had been chasing him for a long time. Walking forward would only lead into the delayed force field, while retreating, although perilous, would still offer a sliver of opportunity as long as he avoided the force field. This was enough for Richard to take the risk. He gripped his staff with both hands, Magic Power surged within him, and with three crisp ¡°snap¡± sounds, the World Tree Staff pointed at the air three times, shattering three Crystal Floating Cannons along with their energy shields into pieces. This was the secret technique of Changshan Temple, the Mountain Climbing Stick Technique. In the Mountain World, where the mountains were steep, one inevitably needed a climbing stick to walk up the mountains. The mountains in the Mountain World were hard and, weathered by wind and rain, were extremely smooth. To climb, one needed to fiercely poke the rock with an iron stick, to make a mark an inch deep, which allowed for unimpeded mountain climbing. This stick technique was born from that practice. The elegance of the Mountain Climbing Stick Technique lay in the coordination between muscle strength and energy circulation, concentrating immense power within a small area. It was considered the most cost-effective weapon technique transmitted within Changshan Temple. As the Floating Cannons were shattered, Richard was about to run backwards, but suddenly, a bird¡¯s cry from afar made him instantly halt his steps. A pitch-black beast with black flames blazing, swept over the Floating Cannons like a tiger descending the mountain. The next moment, a layer of black flames ignited on them, quickly melting and deforming them. ¡°Ha-ha-ha, Richard, you look a bit wretched.¡± The black-flamed beast mocked as it flew beside Richard, transforming into a black crow. The newcomer was none other than Ulysses, who had been separated from Richard due to a teleportation error. Seeing Ulysses, Richard felt a weight lift from his chest and said with a smile, ¡°Enough with the chit-chat, let¡¯s get moving. These things are unending.¡± ¡°Tsk, saving the day and not a word of thanks,¡± Ulysses clicked his tongue. With that, his figure suddenly enlarged, his Crow Claws grabbing Richard¡¯s shoulders, and they flew toward the spacecraft. The Crystal Floating Cannons nearby automatically ignited with black flames as they approached. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a strong move,¡± Richard observed Ulysses¡¯s method, somewhat surprised. Ulysses¡¯s voice carried a hint of pride, ¡°Just a little trick, all thanks to the energy radiation around here, otherwise I couldn¡¯t have pulled it off.¡± Soon, the two arrived under the spacecraft. On the yellow sand outside the spacecraft, there were melted Crystal Puppets everywhere. Seeing this scene, a sense of fear crept into Richard¡¯s heart. Even without the Floating Cannons, with just these puppets outside the spacecraft, his chances were slim. Ulysses set Richard down, ¡°Alright, get down. Those Floating Cannons can¡¯t come here.¡± Richard gripped a Magic Essence in his hand, and ripples continuously spread across his Magic Barrier. The energy radiation next to the spacecraft had reached a terrifying level; even Richard¡¯s Magic Barrier couldn¡¯t completely block it. He had to use his Transformation Battle Body layered with the Magic Barrier to ensure safety. ¡°How do we get in?¡± Richard looked at the enormous object in front of him, a massive structure made of crystal and metal with a very smooth exterior, showing no signs of anything resembling a door. ¡°Who knows, I personally recommend burning our way in. These crystals don¡¯t seem to handle heat very well.¡± ¡°Burn our way in?¡± Richard frowned slightly; this suggestion didn¡¯t seem like a good one. Those dilapidated Crystal Towers could be recklessly explored because there was hardly any energy inside them. But this spaceship didn¡¯t seem to lack energy. If they accidentally activated the spaceship¡¯s defense mechanisms, the consequences would definitely be more troublesome than those floating cannons. Richard approached the spaceship, using his spiritual power to try and find some traces on it. But as soon as he got close, a red light shot out from the spaceship and landed on him. [Identity confirmed: Dragon King Species] After Richard¡¯s identity was confirmed, the light instantly changed from red to green, and a hatch automatically opened at the edge of the spaceship. Ulysses, seeing this, looked Richard up and down in surprise. ¡°Richard, tell me the truth, are you really a pure human? How come this thing opens automatically whenever it encounters you? It doesn¡¯t react at all when it meets me.¡± Richard stroked his chin, not taking Ulysses¡¯s joke seriously. He speculated, ¡°It must be the Dragon Blood. The status of giant dragons in the Pioneer civilization must be much higher than we think.¡± However, whatever the reason was, now they could enter. The two flew into the spaceship from the entrance, but an energy barrier blocked Ulysses from entering. [Detected unknown high-level lifeform entering the fortress, please register] A cold voice suddenly rang in Richard¡¯s ear, causing him to shudder. But after hearing the message clearly, Richard replied in Dragon Language, ¡°This is my¡­ pet.¡± [Registering identity, please wait] [Identity registration complete, welcome to the World Tree¡¯s Number Three Star Realm Fortress] ¡°This thing is pretty smart.¡± Ulysses flew to Richard¡¯s shoulder, whispering in his ear, ¡°There is probably a tower spirit inside, you better be prepared.¡± ¡°I know.¡± As the two entered, the ship¡¯s doors immediately closed. The next moment, the energy radiation permeating the air vanished. Even the space itself became more stable. Richard was slightly startled, but he quickly recovered. It was nothing special; whether it was radiation shielding materials or space stabilization anchors, Wizard¡¯s Floating City had them all. Now that the space had stabilized, Richard and Ulysses, braving the space anchors, opened a Secret Realm Rift, allowing Hog and the Snake King to come through. This action once again drew the attention of the ship¡¯s intelligence. [Warning: Inside the Star Realm Fortress, all spatial manipulation must be registered and reported. Dragon King Species, you have violated the ship¡¯s regulations. If repeated, please proceed to the Time Isolation Chamber for punishment] But despite the warning, Richard and Ulysses¡¯s action was successful. The Snake King and Hog both successfully emerged from the Secret Realm. After registering, Hog looked around with a bewildered expression. ¡°Where is this?¡± The surroundings seemed like a key that constantly triggered ancient memories in his mind. Meanwhile, the Snake King, looking at the interior of the spaceship, also fell into thought. However, he assimilated memories quickly, and soon understood where they were. ¡°The Supreme¡¯s Star Realm Fortress!¡± exclaimed the Snake King. ¡°Yes, the Star Realm Fortress.¡± Richard nodded slightly, ¡°What else is in your Bloodline inheritance? We are now in a crashed Star Realm Fortress, and I need a guide to help me find something.¡± ¡°What are you looking for?¡± asked the Snake King. Richard smiled slightly, a flicker of ambition in his eyes. ¡°I am looking for the Star Map.¡± ¡­ The Star Map was the most useful thing from the Pioneer civilization for Wizard civilization. The efficiency of the Wizard civilization in obtaining world coordinates was so low that many Great Wizards couldn¡¯t even embark on an interstellar expedition in thousands of years. This significantly slowed the progress of the Wizard World. But if Wizards could obtain the Pioneers¡¯ Star Map, they could deduce all the world coordinates recorded by the Pioneer civilization. This would greatly accelerate the conquests of the Wizard civilization. Richard didn¡¯t even hope to get a complete Star Map; even obtaining just a fragment would satisfy him. A fragment of the Star Map would suffice to allow him to trade with the Great Wizards, and even the Tower of Truth, for plenty of benefits. If the content of the Star Map was extensive, trading it for a chance to be promoted to a Great Wizard wasn¡¯t impossible. Even if the Star Map content was incomplete, he could still use it to bargain for two permanent fiefdoms. Or he might simply hide it and wait until he became a Great Wizard, then use it to conquer. ¡°Command Room¡­ let me think.¡± The Snake King wasn¡¯t surprised by Richard¡¯s request; he had already learned about the general state of the Wizard civilization through Hog¡¯s words. Overall, it was a vibrant civilization. The Star Map left by the Supreme could greatly accelerate the growth of the Wizard civilization. After pondering for a moment, the Snake King suddenly opened his eyes. Then Richard saw him speaking to the spaceship wall: ¡°Fortress main control, where is the Command Room?¡± Watching this scene, Richard was taken aback, then saw the Snake King turn to him and say: Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The Command Room is a bit dangerous. Main control told me that the Command Room has been attacked by unknown enemies and is now under the influence of the Power Furnace Radiation.¡± Chapter 405: 25 The Damaged Star Map Chapter 405: Chapter 25 The Damaged Star Map Upon hearing the news about the Snake King, Richard wasn¡¯t concerned about the issues with the Command Room but instead asked, ¡°The Snake King, what is this ¡®main control¡¯ you speak of? The spirit of this fortress?¡± ¡°Spirit?¡± The Snake King seemed puzzled. The term ¡®spirit¡¯ was one created specifically by Wizards for the spirits of Wizard Towers; the Giant Dragon language had no such word. He explained to Richard, ¡°The main control of the fortress was created by the Supreme to enhance the efficiency of the fortress¡¯s capabilities. You can think of it as a machine simulating the brain of a living being. All sorts of information regarding the entire Star Realm Fortress can be known through the main control.¡± The Snake King¡¯s description was crisp and clear, which allowed Richard to immediately understand what this fortress¡¯s main control was. Artificial intelligence, huh? Not any rare treasure. However, Richard hadn¡¯t expected that the Pioneers would use artificial intelligence to increase their efficiency in managing the fortress. He had thought that this main control would be more ¡°fantastical.¡± ¡°Alright, this thing sounds similar to a spirit, except that a spirit isn¡¯t simulated by a machine but is directly processed from a soul.¡± ¡°Processed soul?¡± the Snake King exclaimed, surprised. ¡°That¡¯s far too unreliable. A soul isn¡¯t as dependable as machinery.¡± Richard spread his hands, ¡°The spirit¡¯s role is more of a steward, not a soldier. Reliability is not as important as being economical.¡± A processed soul of a Level 1 Creature was sufficient to manage a small Wizard Tower. But creating an artificial intelligence with comparable capabilities would cost many times more. And when it came to managing more complex machines, although processing souls became more expensive and had limitations, Alchemy Wizards could be an alternative at that point. The soul of a Great Wizard studying Alchemy Machines was the ideal spirit for a tower. Even a Great Wizard studying Alchemy Machines, if they saw this fortress, would potentially trade a world for it. ¡­ All the corridors within the fortress were made of crystals and, under the control of the main control, the Crystal Channel leading to the Command Room would light up with a faint glow, which was extremely convenient. On the way to the Command Room, Richard took the opportunity to ask some questions about the Pioneers¡ªbeing recognized by the fortress¡¯s main control as belonging to the Dragon King Species, he naturally had the authority to inquire. But the answers he received were somewhat chilling. In the fortress main control¡¯s permission list, the highest level of authority, as well as several other high-level permissions, were unexpectedly vacant. The civilization that had battled with the Pioneers could even interfere with this kind of artificial intelligence. Yet this news, although chilling, was undoubtedly a good result for Richard. The vacancy of the highest authority had led to some logical errors in the main control, nearly causing it to collapse. Fortunately, the Pioneers¡¯ technology was advanced enough that after experiencing logical errors, the main control quickly modified itself. Now, the highest authority of the main control had fallen to the Giant Dragon whose information had not been erased. This meant that Hog, who was in the Command Room, now held the highest level of authority within the main control. As a Dragon Prince, she could have ranked third in the original version of the hierarchy of control. Now, with the disappearance of the Pioneers, she had directly replaced them, becoming the highest authority holder of the fortress. All areas of the entire Star Realm Fortress were open to her. And Richard, having absorbed Hog¡¯s blood and belonging to the Dragon King Species, held authority second only to Hog, shoulder to shoulder with the Snake King, who belonged to the Subspecies Giant Dragon. Through the faintly glowing Black Crystal Channel, Richard and his companions quickly arrived at a severed section. The ancient Star Realm Fortress had sustained severe damage, with nearly the entire upper half about to explode, a massive injury that had even damaged the fortress¡¯s Power Furnace. The substantial Energy Radiation emitted by the Power Furnace weaved through the rifts in the fortress, glimmering green like an aurora. ¡°This radiation intensity¡­¡± Richard looked at the radiation that resembled the aurora and rubbed his forehead, a little headache setting in. By a conservative estimate, the intensity of this Energy Radiation had reached 8,000 Energy Level. Exposed to such intense radiation, even a Three Rings Wizard couldn¡¯t last very long. However, according to the main control of the fortress, the Command Room was situated in such an environment. ¡°I¡¯ll just brave it and go in,¡± Ulysses suddenly said, looking at the Radiation Aurora. ¡°You¡¯re not strong enough. Going in there would be a death sentence for you. This Energy Radiation poses little threat to my soul; even if my body is destroyed, I can make it back safely.¡± Ulysses¡¯ proposal seemed to be the most feasible plan at the moment, but Richard was not very keen on Ulysses doing so. The shell of a third-level creature wasn¡¯t so easy to come by, especially one near the top-end like Ulysses¡¯. If his body was destroyed, he might have to stay in the Secret Realm for the duration of the Plane War. Level 1 and Level 2 combat capabilities were almost useless to Richard. Suddenly, Richard turned to the wall and spoke, ¡°Main control, what is the procedure for manipulating space within the fortress?¡± [To manipulate space within the fortress, one must apply to the fortress¡¯s main control. After approval by the main control, the purpose of the spatial manipulation and its consequences must be registered before the manipulation can be conducted.] The voice of the main control rang in Richard¡¯s ear, and with this answer, Richard felt certain and said, ¡°I wish to apply for spatial manipulation.¡± [Your application has been submitted to the fortress main control, please wait.] At the same time, the voice of the main control of the fortress suddenly sounded in Hog¡¯s ear, who was beside Richard. [Since the fortress main control has fallen in battle, according to the wartime hierarchy of authority, you are now to temporarily assume the role of the fortress main control of the World Tree Star Realm Fortress Number Three.] [Dragon King Species Richard requests spatial manipulation approval, please proceed.] Hearing the voice of the fortress main control, Hog looked somewhat bewildered at Richard. Seeing her reaction, Richard nodded with a smile, ¡°As I thought, after the fortress main control is deceased, the control of the fortress slides to the person with the highest authority within the fortress.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, hurry up and approve my application.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Hog replied, somewhat flustered. [Application approved, please register] Having heard the main control¡¯s response, Richard continued, ¡°The purpose of manipulating space is to facilitate interdimensional cooperation, to help us enter the Command Room. The consequence will be the emergence of one or more World Tree-type life tentacles.¡± [Registration complete, you now have the authority to control space] Upon hearing that he had obtained the authority, Richard relaxed slightly and smiled at Ulysses, ¡°It¡¯s settled, you don¡¯t have to be on the Suicide Squad anymore.¡± Ulysses pretended to be disappointed, ¡°Ah, there goes my vacation.¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± Richard swore with a laugh, then immediately went with Ulysses to open the Secret Realm Rift, allowing the World Mushroom¡¯s mycelial tendrils to probe out from the secret realm. ¡°Master, what do you need me to do?¡± Richard pointed at the Radiation Aurora not far away. ¡°Do you have a way to deal with that Radiation Aurora?¡± The mycelial tendrils sent out a wave of energy, and soon Richard heard the confident voice of the World Mushroom. ¡°Master, if it had been before, I could only have resisted the Radiation Aurora. But after devouring those World Tree Subbodies, I have evolved. To me, this Energy Radiation is excellent nourishment.¡± Richard nodded in satisfaction; feeding it so many World Tree Subbodies was finally paying off. ¡°That¡¯s good, you¡¯ll escort us next.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With the escort of the World Mushroom tendrils, the journey for Richard and his group became much smoother. The World Mushroom sealed up all the rifts they encountered along the way as tightly as a bandage, not a bit of Energy Radiation could seep through. Thus, they quickly arrived at the Command Room. The location of the Command Room was in the upper-middle part of the fortress, right above the Power Furnace. This design might seem dangerous, but the Power Furnace was the heart of the fortress, the most heavily guarded spot. If there were problems with it, it wouldn¡¯t matter where the Command Room was. Through the World Mushroom¡¯s Energy Barrier, Richard could see the entire Command Room was enveloped in a layer of Radiation Aurora. Looking at these conditions, Richard could only pray that the Pioneer¡¯s products were of sufficient quality to withstand such intense radiation for tens or even millions of years¡­ well, that was somewhat unrealistic. The World Mushroom sealed the Command Room¡¯s rifts with its mycelial tendrils, but prolonged Radiation had altered the nature of the objects inside. They, too, were emitting Energy Radiation. Luckily, this Energy Radiation wasn¡¯t too strong, and everyone present except Hog could easily withstand it. The Command Room was in disarray, a multitude of Crystal Creations were wrapped in a faint glow. Even Hog and the Snake King couldn¡¯t determine what these things were. So, Richard had to resort to a crude method¡ªfeeling each object one by one. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If the Miracle Furnace reacted, it would be a win. So those following Richard watched him start from crystal fragments on the floor, moving all the way up to the few large Crystal Creations in the room. ¡°What is the Great One doing?¡± asked the Snake King, somewhat puzzled. Ulysses, who was aware of the Miracle Furnace¡¯s existence, replied indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, this is his special method of searching for things. We can¡¯t learn it.¡± Suddenly, everyone heard Richard exclaim. ¡°Found it!¡± Their eyes followed to Richard, who excitedly held a human-head-sized regular polyhedron, and even as the cells of his hands began to collapse, it did not make him let go. [Raw Material: Damaged Star Map] [Information that can be refined: Incomplete Supreme Star Map] [Refinement cost: 20 spiritual power] Looking at the information given by the Miracle Furnace, Richard was overjoyed. It wasn¡¯t completely destroyed! Pioneer-made, indeed of unbeatable quality! ¡°Is this the Star Map?¡± the Snake King asked, puzzled, ¡°But this thing looks broken, doesn¡¯t it?¡± In fact, the glow emitted by the polyhedron was significant enough to cause the collapse of Richard¡¯s cells, having clearly been subjected to prolonged radiation. If it was still usable, the quality of the object could only be described as terrifying. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if he says it¡¯s useful, then it¡¯s certainly useful,¡± Ulysses replied calmly. Richard took out two metal ingots from his pocket, made a box for the damaged Star Map, and then stuffed it into his pocket, continuing to search. Since the Star Map was still usable, there might be other things that were functional as well. But as he continued to search, Hog suddenly spoke up: ¡°Master, the main control told me, someone from the Inner World is trying to contact us.¡± Chapter 406: 26 The Great Wizards Commission Chapter 406: Chapter 26 The Great Wizard¡¯s Commission Inner World. Garon the Great Wizard looked at the Crystal Creation in front of him, curiously manipulating it a couple of times. In the distance, a towering and terrifying Demon God, holding a White Bone Wand, turned the roots of the World Tree into ashes. Although the Inner World had become a scorched earth due to the ancient war, there were also numerous remnants of battles on this land. Thus, during moments of respite, Garon the Great Wizard would explore these remnants. After all, the decisive point of his fight with the World Tree was not here, but in the outer world. ¡°How is this thing used again?¡± Garon the Great Wizard scratched his head, a bit frustrated, as he constantly adjusted his magic power. For a wizard of his level, this Pioneer artifact wasn¡¯t much more complicated than wizard¡¯s magic equipment. He only needed to slightly adjust his magic power, and then they could easily use Pioneer artifacts. A long time ago, Garon the Great Wizard had acquired the method to use Pioneer artifacts from other Great Wizards. However, it had been so long since he used it that even he was a bit foggy on the details. Thus, he could only make adjustments based on his experience. Suddenly, Garon the Great Wizard let out a cheer. ¡°Hey, it worked.¡± In front of him, a pitch-black crystal ball suddenly lit up with intricate patterns. He had tried tens of thousands of times, and at last, he had succeeded. ¡°It looks like a communication device,¡± Garon the Great Wizard said uncertainly as he looked at the crystal ball. He sensed a strand of energy fluctuating through the void and disappearing. But before he could do anything else, the crystal ball projected a three-dimensional figure in a black robe. ¡°Hmm? Richard!¡± Seeing the projection in the crystal ball, Garon the Great Wizard was somewhat surprised. He had a very deep impression of Richard. Apart from when the war started and he had pulled out a subbody of the World Tree, the mark of that great existence on him was also very memorable. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was rare for a wizard at the Three Rings level to be marked by a great existence. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Headmaster,¡± the projection of Richard greeted Garon the Great Wizard with a Wizard¡¯s Salute, ¡°I¡¯m really happy to see you¡¯re alright.¡± Garon the Great Wizard gestured for him not to worry about formalities, then smiled and said, ¡°What could possibly happen to me? It¡¯s just a little sapling. But you, you¡¯re lucky to have gotten your hands on the Lost One¡¯s heritage.¡± Richard smiled in response, ¡°Haha, thanks to you, this expedition was quite fruitful.¡± ¡°Good to hear you had a fruitful expedition,¡± Garon the Great Wizard nodded slightly, then his tone changed, ¡°I¡¯ll need to borrow this device temporarily. When you return to the Floating City, hand it over to Jimmy. I need to contact him to keep abreast of the developments in the outer world.¡± ¡°Ah, this¡­¡± Seeing Richard¡¯s troubled expression, Garon the Great Wizard was slightly puzzled, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for your possession. After the war, I¡¯ll return it to you. What¡¯s the matter, you can¡¯t bear to use it? Or does it have a usage limitation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s neither. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t take it with me,¡± Richard replied somewhat helplessly, ¡°Moreover, I don¡¯t even know where I am myself, much less how to return if I could take it. I ended up here by accidentally triggering a Transmission Array.¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s words, Garon the Great Wizard frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not good news. The subbody of the World Tree in the outer world is preparing to strike back. You haven¡¯t received any message from Jimmy, have you?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Hearing Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s news, Richard was taken aback. ¡°I sent a message to Jimmy two months ago,¡± Garon the Great Wizard said slowly, ¡°Think about your capabilities. If you can, return. If not, hide in the Secret Realm¡­ No, you can¡¯t even hide in the Secret Realm. If the outer world experiences a setback in the war, I¡¯ll have to forcefully break between the inner and outer worlds. If you hide in the Secret Realm, you might end up losing your spatial coordinates, making it impossible to return.¡± ¡°Ah? You can¡¯t return directly?¡± Richard asked in surprise. Garon the Great Wizard shook his head, ¡°No, the World Tree has also gotten smarter these past two years. A while ago, it broke through my Space Anchor and sent a command for a counterattack to the subbody in the outer world. Then, before I could react, it reinforced the Space Anchor, making it impossible for either of us to return normally.¡± As he spoke, Garon the Great Wizard massaged his temples, his headache apparent. He had a good impression of Richard. Wizard Civilization needed talented wizards like him, and being marked by a great existence indicated Richard likely had some special qualities. He still wanted to save such a talent. Suddenly, Garon the Great Wizard saw Richard as if he was communicating with something else. Then, he saw Richard speak with a look of joy, ¡°Headmaster, do you have a huge black crystal disk nearby?¡± ¡°Crystal disk?¡± Garon the Great Wizard reached out with his spiritual power, and the entirety of the remnants was laid bare before him. Quickly, he found an object that matched Richard¡¯s description in the basement of the remnants. ¡°Yes, what about it?¡± ¡°It turns out, that disk is a transmission device. I just tested it on this side, and your Space Anchor has no effect on it temporarily.¡± ¡°No effect!?¡± Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, the space anchor could trap both him and the World Tree, how could it be breached by such a trivial machine? ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯ll come over and check.¡± Saying so, Garon the Great Wizard took the communication device and headed straight for the crystal disk. The crystalline wall in the middle, as if made of paper, was directly shattered by Garon the Great Wizard. Soon, Garon the Great Wizard arrived at the basement where the disk was located. After confirming that the device really worked, his mind raced with thoughts. Before long, Garon the Great Wizard spoke to Richard¡¯s projection, ¡°Richard, I have a task for you.¡± ¡°You said.¡± ¡°Although this disk can break through the limit of the space anchor, I estimate that it will only have a chance for one teleportation. After that, it will surely be blocked by the World Tree. So, I plan to make it a bit more valuable. In a moment, I will use this thing to send you a Beast Puppet, which has a certain combat capacity. Your task is to escort this Beast Puppet back to the Floating City.¡± ¡°Escort the Beast Puppet?¡± Upon hearing the task, Richard¡¯s facial expression was somewhat conflicted. To be honest, this task was highly difficult and dangerous. He was now hiding in the Ancient Battlefield, mostly able to avoid the World Tree¡¯s counterattack, but if he were to return, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could get through the Insect Tide. ¡°I know this task is somewhat arduous,¡± Garon the Great Wizard said solemnly, ¡°but if you succeed, the outer world¡¯s state of war should remain secure. Then, I will make sure to record this merit in the record book.¡± Seeing how serious Garon the Great Wizard was, Richard knew he likely had no chance to refuse. The state of war in the outer world was directly related to the future of the Garon Wizard College for nearly half an epoch. If the battle were to be lost, it would be difficult for the Garon Wizard College to recover its current strength within half an epoch. Richard could vaguely guess that the wizards of the Garon Wizard College were very useful to Garon the Great Wizard. He was not willing to suffer massive losses. ¡°Alright, Dean, I can only say I will do my best,¡± Richard said, somewhat helplessly. Garon the Great Wizard nodded with satisfaction: ¡°Alright, just do your best.¡± After speaking, Richard saw Garon the Great Wizard break his own little finger, then he signaled him to start the teleportation. Richard raised his hand, and the fortress main control activated the teleportation device. In an instant, a tiny space rift formed above the disk. Following that, the rift rapidly expanded, and a terrifying aura flowed through it, causing all creatures present, except Ulysses, to go weak at the knees. ¡°Is this the strong being you spoke of, sir?¡± the Snake King trembled as he spoke, ¡°This power must have already reached the Level 6 creature.¡± ¡°Not just that,¡± Richard exhaled softly and shook his head slightly. Soon, a pinky finger fell out of the rift. Soon after, the space rift abruptly closed. Before it closed, Richard saw something resembling tendrils flash by. After the pinky came out, it suddenly began to regenerate. In just a moment, it transformed into a polar bear. The polar bear opened its mouth and spoke with Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s voice: ¡°This is the Beast Puppet you can consider it as a somewhat advanced Synthetic Beast. It has a Physique of three hundred points, already surpassing the human limit, and also possesses many advanced combat skills, which should also be a combat force for you.¡± As he finished speaking, the polar bear walked over to Richard¡¯s side, like a loyal bodyguard. ¡°Three hundred points¡­¡± Hearing this number, Richard¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. The Beast Puppet with such a physique, Garon the Great Wizard actually described it as having certain combat capabilities. Richard felt that this creature alone could take on two like him without a problem. Who¡¯s escorting whom here. ¡°You, the new Dean, are a bit terrifying, Richard.¡± Ulysses watched the disappearing space rift, touching his chest with some lingering fear. Last time Garon the Great Wizard made a move, both Richard and Ulysses had hidden in the Secret Realm and had not witnessed it. So, this was the first time Ulysses had experienced the power of Garon the Great Wizard. ¡°The feeling this one gives me has already surpassed the Lord¡­the Sixth Level World Master.¡± As the words reached his lips, Ulysses glanced at the Beast Puppet and quickly changed what he said. Heaven knows whether this Beast Puppet retained memories, but being cautious was always correct. ¡°The first person under the truth is no joke,¡± Richard casually replied. Watching the Beast Puppet, he rubbed his temples, starting to ponder his next move. Now, how should he return? ¡­ In the dense forest, a wizard in a black robe moved like lightning through the trees. Even though he was pale and sweating profusely, his spiritual power nearly depleted, he still dared not slow his pace even a bit. Behind him, a tide-like wave of biological weapons swallowed tree after tree. Such a massive Insect Tide naturally required nutrients, aside from devouring each other, the large trees in the forest naturally became the preferred target of the Insect Tide. And behind the Insect Tide, several towering trees moved their heavy feet, swinging their branches and vine whips like shepherds, driving the Insect Tide toward the predetermined direction. These towering trees were originally the Guardian Forest of the World Tree Subbody, but under the commands of the World Tree¡¯s main body, these Guardian Forests along with the Subbody uprooted themselves, moving towards the direction of the Floating City. The World Tree¡¯s counterattack was coming. Chapter 407: 27 The War Begins Chapter 407: Chapter 27 The War Begins Floating City. In comparison to other worlds, the expansion of wizard territories in the Green Forest World was more challenging. The biological weapons left behind by the Pioneers were no trivial matter; even a wizard could inadvertently lose their life to the Underworld. Moreover, these creatures were also skilled in survival. Led by the Drilling Demon Worms, these creatures burrowed through the hardened ground of the fortress wizards, leaving it riddled with holes. The seeds scattered by the Sowing Falcons could even take root in alchemy machines. In addition to that, there were trees with roots like drills that could consume metal, poisonous insects capable of devouring metals, which didn¡¯t show immediate effects, but over time would erode the enchanted Energy-devouring Spores¡­ The harsh environment of the Green Forest World taught the well-traveled fortress wizards a harsh lesson. Fortunately, wizards were not a race set in their ways, excelling at learning and improvement. Though the environment of the Green Forest World was harsh, with long-term evolution, these creatures had become more than just biological weapons. They had formed an ecosystem, with a very complete food chain and web. By studying the relationships between these creatures, wizards quickly found ways to deal with them and even used them to hasten their own advancement. For example, within the dense forests of the Green Forest World, there existed gigantic Insect-eating Plants, carnivorous plants whose menu consisted of poisonous insects and some small biological weapons; their digestive fluid emitted a special pheromone that lured in poisonous insects for predation. Once wizards confirmed that their diet included most poisonous insects, they immediately began cultivating them on a large scale. Even under the leadership of a few Three Rings Wizards, they domesticated these carnivorous plants, turning them into an asset for the wizards. Now, these Insect-eating Plants could even be used as emergency medical pods. Under this line of thinking, the wizards¡¯ expansion rate would accelerate periodically. Before the World Tree issued its counterattack command, the rate of expansion in wizard frontiers had almost reached two-thirds of that in a normal world and was about to catch up. Keep in mind, this was the expansion of an extremely dangerous Wilderness World. Sadly, the commands from the World Tree forced the wizards to retract their defenses. ¡­ ¡°Hurry, hurry, we only have twelve hours left!¡± Within the incomplete fortress clusters, a Second Ring White Wizard, while controlling an Earth Element giant to transport materials, yelled at the other White Wizards. According to the intelligence report from the Three Rings Wizards who had returned from the unexplored frontier, the next Insect Tide could enter the attack range of the fortress clusters in as little as twelve hours. If delayed, this time could extend to eighteen hours, and at most twenty-four hours. This was certainly not good news for the wizards. Because of the special circumstances of the Green Forest World, the command headquarters had not given top priority to constructing fortresses during the expansion. Although this strategy greatly accelerated the pace of wizard expansion, it also meant that even with intelligence in hand, the construction of defenses was hard to perfect. Throughout the defenses, numerous gaps were being filled by fortress wizards working overtime, tireless day and night. But the Insect Tide would not wait for them. The White Wizard¡¯s urging forced the wizards to quicken their pace again, despite some already experiencing exhaustion of their spiritual power; they still worked hard, pushing through the fatigue. After all, the integrity of the fortress clusters was closely related to their safety. When it came to their own lives, people would put in extra effort. Floating City, Command Room. Jimmy nodded repeatedly as he watched the Crystal Ball in front of him. ¡°Good¡­ good¡­ I understand. Don¡¯t worry, principal, our Academy¡¯s wizards have come through a sea of corpses and a river of blood; we can definitely win¡­ okay.¡± Soon, the light of the Crystal Ball dimmed. Jimmy put the Crystal Ball away with a serious expression, and then took out another one. ¡°Gentlemen, our problem this time is very serious. The power of the Insect Tide has exceeded our planned standard point and is nearing the critical value we estimated.¡± Saying this, the newly taken out Crystal Ball projected a three-dimensional holographic image. In the image, the fortress clusters built by the wizards were using Alchemy Weapons to block the Insect Tide. Chain Lightning, Fireball Technique, Wind Blade Technique, and other Spells were massively effective in the Insect Tide, with almost every Spell killing a swath of insects. But not a single wizard in the Command Room showed any sign of relief; instead, they all wore serious expressions. Jimmy¡¯s fingertips flickered with Magic Radiance, pausing the image. ¡°I think everyone has noticed.¡± The Command Room fell silent for a moment before an old White Wizard spoke, ¡°There are too many high-level creatures among these insects. Our Alchemy Weapons are having difficulty eradicating them completely.¡± Jimmy nodded slightly, ¡°Exactly. The number of high-level creatures in the Insect Tide has reached an unimaginably high level, and the defenses of these high-level creatures are extremely strong.¡± With that, he pointed to a corner of the paused image. ¡°This biological weapon took five high-energy lightnings. If I remember correctly, the target-elimination weapon equipped by the Netherfire Army should be the Tesla Model 9 Modified Alchemy Magic Stone Cannon. Such a Magic Stone Cannon has reached an Energy Level of five thousand and possesses Penetration attributes. Even I would suffer slight injuries if I had to withstand its force with just my flesh, yet this biological weapon could withstand five shots. And such biological weapons are not uncommon in the Insect Tide; in fact, they are quite frequent.¡± Jimmy pointed to several particularly prominent biological weapons in the image. ¡°Although these few can¡¯t withstand five shots, withstanding two or three is still possible.¡± ¡°These biological weapons pose a grave challenge to our fortress cluster. If their numbers exceed our processing limit, then our fortress cluster is no different from one made of paper.¡± Jimmy said with a grave expression, ¡°I think our fortress should be able to withstand a siege by third-level creatures without breaking, right?¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Command Room was silent as birds, and all the wizards, black and white alike, were furrowing their brows in thought, contemplating a solution. ¡°Let¡¯s deploy the Magic Support Vehicles,¡± a White Wizard suddenly suggested. ¡°The Magic Concentrated Fire from the Magic Support Vehicles can effectively reduce the number of the Insect Tide. Our fortress cluster can then clean up the remnants from behind.¡± ¡°Do we have enough parts for the Magic Support Vehicles?¡± Jimmy frowned and asked. ¡°I remember that the casting components of those things need to be replaced frequently. We are engaging in a war of attrition this time; if we show our hand too early, we won¡¯t have anything left to use later on.¡± ¡°If we follow the usual support method, then indeed we will not have enough parts,¡± explained the Legion Commander of the White Wizard Army. ¡°But this time, we don¡¯t plan to use them conventionally. Thanks to Garon Great Wizard, our order from Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce was exceptionally moved up the queue. This has left us with an ample number of Magic Support Vehicles. In this situation, we don¡¯t have to push the casting components to the point of melting. We can strike, allow a cooldown period, and then strike again. With this approach, the lifespan of the casting components of the Magic Support Vehicles will be significantly extended.¡± Upon hearing the Legion Commander¡¯s words, Jimmy was slightly taken aback. Indeed, although the greatest utility of the Magic Support Vehicles is to overexert the lifespan of the casting components for timely magic support, it doesn¡¯t mean that¡¯s the only way they can be used. ¡°I¡¯ve learned something new,¡± Jimmy said with a slight bow. This trick, although trivial, is still a piece of knowledge. If Jimmy were to participate in another Plane expedition in the future, this little trick might just solve some difficult problems for him. ¡°Great, there¡¯s an Insect Tide coming later anyway. We can use them for practice to see if this plan works.¡± The wizards all nodded in agreement, and the conversation quickly turned to another issue. ¡°Besides the ground Insect Tide, we¡¯re also facing attacks underground.¡± Jimmy¡¯s fingertips sparkled, and the image projected by the Crystal Ball changed to a three-dimensional model. The content of the model was a rough representation of the entire Wizard-occupied region. ¡°Although we¡¯ve reinforced our foundations with Hometown Grass, the roots of the World Tree Subbody are still relentlessly shaking them. This is very detrimental to our defenses.¡± In the image, root strands burrowed and drilled into the solidified foundations created by the wizards like drill bits. As the image continued, a massive amount of root strands would eventually riddle the foundation of the wizard¡¯s fortress cluster with holes. By then, even without the World Tree Subbody making a move, simply retracting its roots would be enough to cause leaks or even collapses in the wizard¡¯s fortress cluster. ¡°Let Black Wizards skilled in Earth Element Magic handle this,¡± a Black Wizard clad in a black robe spoke up. ¡°Underground, White Wizards can¡¯t utilize their strengths. Moreover, combat underground requires not just strength but also a strong heart from the wizards. Being isolated and without support underground is too cruel for White Wizards.¡± The Black Wizard¡¯s words were not very pleasing to hear, but none of the White Wizards present refuted. They were all Three Rings Wizards, and reason had long since triumphed over any surplus emotions. Although what the Black Wizard said was harsh, it was the truth. The underground environment was indeed not suitable for White Wizards. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s resolve the root strands underground like this,¡± Jimmy decided. ¡°But Black Wizards adept with the Earth Element won¡¯t be enough. Later, I plan to release a batch of knowledge about the Earth Element, allowing other Black Wizards to learn as much as possible. What do you all think?¡± Sharing knowledge, upon hearing this strategy, even though the wizards present were all Three Rings Wizards, some couldn¡¯t help showing signs of surprise. Of course, those surprised were all from outside Jialong Academy, as the wizards of Jialong Academy were not at all startled by Jimmy¡¯s plan. For a Wizard Academy, the influence of a permanent headmaster on the academy¡¯s culture is enormous. People will unconsciously mimic the behavior of the strong, hoping they too can become strong. As if a worshipper of a one-armed cape guy would cut off his own limb, and then look for four guys to humiliate himself for three months. ¡°Releasing a batch of knowledge, Garon Great Wizard is truly generous,¡± a Black Wizard expressed with admiration. ¡°The plan is feasible.¡± ¡°I see no problems with it.¡± ¡°The bait of knowledge is too enticing.¡± ¡­ Seeing that there was no objection among the wizards, Jimmy confirmed the plan. Afterward, in the meeting, the wizards also discussed issues concerning the distribution of materials and personnel deployment. After wrapping up the discussion, Jimmy announced the end of the meeting. Soon, the Insect Tides arrived. Herds of shepherd insect people, like giants driving a flock of sheep, were pushing the Insect Tides toward the wizard¡¯s fortress cluster. They wielded Vine Whips, and each flick sent vast amounts of Frenzy substances flying. Under the influence of these substances, the Insect Tides became utterly agitated. Like a tidal wave, the insects charged toward the fortress, blocking out the sky and resembling a black sandstorm in the desert. Chapter 408: 28 Scouting Array Chapter 408: Chapter 28 Scouting Array ¡°Support battalion, prepare, distance thirty-five, staggered release, fire!¡± Behind the fortress group, a huge number of Magic Support Vehicles gathered together, silent and oppressive, like a slumbering Giant Dragon. And with the command of the Legion Commander, this slumbering Giant Dragon abruptly awoke and spewed destructive Dragon Breath into the sky. Countless Fireballs shot from the artillery behind the support vehicles, tracing fiery arcs in the air as they plummeted into the Insect Tide. In an instant, a vast amount of Fire Element converged, making the power of the spells secondary. The Fire Element Storm was what the Wizards truly needed. The scorching Burning Wind, exceeding one hundred thousand degrees, swept over the Insect Tide, turning the insects into char and ash. And this was merely the aftermath of the Fire Element Storm. At the center of the battlefield, the Fire Element Storm, like a merciless Melter, indiscriminately incinerated anything daring to enter. Insects within the range of the Fire Element Storm, even if they were third-level creatures, were instantly turned to ash. Even the sturdier ones lasted only a few seconds longer. Under the erosion of the massive Fire Element, what should have taken thousands of years to crystallize was drastically accelerated. At the center of the Fire Element Storm, subpar Fire Element Gems the size of sesame seeds even began to form. Then came the second wave of Fireballs. This wave instantly caused the already dwindling Fire Element Storm to swell once again. The Wizards within the fortress saw, at the center range of the explosion of the Fireballs, a Fire Tornado had formed. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And this tornado was gradually expanding with each strike of the Fireball Technique. The fierce Fire Element turned into Burning Wind, slicing the Insect Tide in half. ¡°Goodness, what is there left for us to do?¡± Inside the fortress, an old Wizard watched the distant Fire Tornado and unconsciously muttered to himself. But soon, he noticed something amiss. The Fireballs stopped. ¡°Something¡¯s not right, prepare to attack!¡± Behind the fortress group, the Legion Commander of the Netherfire Army listening to his subordinate¡¯s report fell into thought. ¡°Ah, I forgot about this.¡± He took out a Communication Crystal Ball from his pocket and after connecting, Jimmy¡¯s voice came from the Crystal Ball. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Adams?¡± ¡°We may need to alter our strategy, Jimmy,¡± the Legion Commander Adams said in a low voice, ¡°I overlooked something. Using the same Spell so densely will lead to a free Element vacuum. So, the decision we made needs minor adjustments.¡± ¡°Elemental vacuum?¡± Jimmy expressed surprise, ¡°Indeed, I forgot about that too.¡± Elemental Magic requires a large amount of Elements for filling, and these Elements obviously cannot be conjured out of thin air by Wizards. Free Elements are the source of Elements in Elemental Magic. But the free Elements in a unit space are limited; using a large scale, repeated use of a certain Elemental Magic can lead to a deficiency of that Element in the unit space, hence leading to an Elemental vacuum. Once an Elemental vacuum occurs, any spell involving that Element will fall into a state of non-functionality. On the battlefield, the White Wizard Army, because of their range issues, basically don¡¯t encounter Elemental vacuum. However, the Spells shot from the Magic Support Vehicle at the action site are too far from the area of effect, making the Elemental return flow much slower than the usage rate of the Magic Support Vehicle, which causes the Elemental vacuum. ¡°I will find a few Wizards who are knowledgeable about Elements to calculate the carrying capacity limit of a unit space on Magic Support Vehicles. You first lead the convoy back, leaving two battalions as support. This wave of Insect Tide isn¡¯t big, the fortress should be able to withstand it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hearing Jimmy¡¯s response, Adams immediately issued the retreat command to the convoy, leaving only the first and second support battalions for emergency needs. ¡°Ah, there indeed was a problem,¡± Adams murmured as he watched the distant rising flames. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache as he thought of those troublesome insects in the Insect Tide. ¡°We can¡¯t rely purely on the suppression of magic; this battle isn¡¯t going to be easy.¡± ¡­ Within the Star Realm Fortress, Richard and his party were traversing through the Black Crystal Channel. Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s task, although challenging, was not unachievable. Richard learned from the main control that this Star Realm Fortress had a Detection Array, similar to radar. The Detection Array had been damaged when the fortress fell, but it could still be powered on at low levels. If it could be activated, Richard should be able to find the way back. As the Snake King¡¯s ancestor had once visited the Ancient Battlefield, it wasn¡¯t far from the Poison Swamp. Once they found the Poison Swamp, the Snake King could lead everyone back to the Crystal Tower. Then Richard could use the previously recorded map to return to the Floating City. As for why he didn¡¯t use the Transmission Array to go back, Richard simply thought to let those who wanted to use that darn Transmission Array use it. It was just his and Ulysses¡¯ luck that they were merely separated during the transmission. If their luck had been a bit worse, not to mention the possibility they might have been teleported to some random mess of a place, just the potential of falling into a time-space turbulence was enough for Richard to avoid it. So, it was better to honestly make his way back. Dada dada¡­ Accompanied by a series of crisp footsteps, the long-sealed information hall was opened by a black-robed Wizard. ¡°Is this the information hall, what a pity.¡± Richard looked at the damaged Crystal Creations in the hall and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit heartbroken. These things, if intact, one couldn¡¯t imagine how much knowledge could have been refined. Although that knowledge might not necessarily be useful, no wizard would ever consider too much knowledge a bad thing. In the center of the hall, there existed an enormous milky-white crystal platform. This crystal platform served as the control platform for the detection array and was the only crystal creation in the hall that wasn¡¯t completely damaged. Richard approached and saw, under the main control¡¯s operation, that the milky-white control platform suddenly displayed an interface. ¡°Goodness, I didn¡¯t expect the Pioneer to have specifically made an operating system compatible with different species.¡± According to Richard¡¯s judgment, the Pioneer probably didn¡¯t have eyes, so this visual interface was clearly designed for giant dragons. Following the interface information, Richard quickly found a reconnaissance option. The Pioneer had designed ten levels for the reconnaissance array, and Richard decided to start with the smallest. [First Level Reconnaissance Array Enabled] As the main control announced, surging energy from the power furnace instantly flowed into the long-dormant energy transmission pipeline of the Star Realm Fortress. In an instant, quite a few transmission pipelines shattered immediately. But this didn¡¯t affect the activation of the reconnaissance array. With a ¡°buzz¡± sound, a broken outer shell somewhere around the perimeter of the Star Realm Fortress suddenly lit up with a blue-purple glow. A strong wave of energy was instantly released from the array, sweeping across hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of land around the fortress in a flash. Next to the control panel, a projection appeared in the air. With the Star Realm Fortress as the center, a map within a 400-kilometer radius appeared in the projection in an instant. Upon seeing this, Richard quickly recorded the map with his crystal ball. According to the map, they only needed to walk more than 300 kilometers toward the north to reach the Poison Swamp. ¡°What a powerful reconnaissance array,¡± Richard sincerely exclaimed, ¡°and this is only the first level; if it was set to five or six, I¡¯m afraid it would encompass the whole world.¡± After securing the map, Richard began to fumble over the control console. Eager to see what good technology this console could refine. But when he saw the information provided by the Miracle Furnace, he suddenly lost interest. [Material: Supreme Projection Device] [Refinable Information: Three-dimensional Projection] [Refinement Cost: 5 spiritual power] [Material: Supreme Control Strip] [Refinable Information: Touch Screen Imaging Technology] [Refinement Cost: 5 spiritual power] ¡°What a piece of junk.¡± Richard looked at the information given by the Miracle Furnace, and he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. These two pieces of technology were of no use to him, as such technology had long been available in the Wizard World. If Richard wanted, he could buy them anytime. ¡°It seems the items here are just the front end; the real deal is still in the reconnaissance array and the main control of the fortress.¡± Leaving the information hall, Richard turned and asked the main control how to get to the reconnaissance array. With such a good thing at hand, Richard naturally wouldn¡¯t let it go. After getting the answer, Richard quickly reached the outside of the fortress. Due to design issues, the reconnaissance array could only be accessed from the outside, so Richard had to endure the energy radiation and reach the exterior of the Star Realm Fortress. In the Ancient Battlefield, the yellow sand was vast, and the greenish radiation aurora sifted through the cracks of the Star Realm Fortress, gradually diluting to invisible energy radiation. Richard activated the Transformation Battle Body and with a magic barrier, reached the location of the reconnaissance array. The reconnaissance array was located in the middle of the fortress, one of the less damaged areas of the fortress module. Furthermore, what pleased Richard was that the reconnaissance array was not a single complete device, but consisted of individual parts approximately one cubic meter in size each. This meant that the refinement cost of this array wouldn¡¯t be particularly extravagant. Richard fumbled around within the reconnaissance array for a while until he finally found a usable module and removed it from the main body of the fortress. [Material: Reconnaissance Array Module] [Refinable Information: Reconnaissance Array Module Manufacturing Technology] [Refinement Cost: 200 spiritual power] Seeing the information given by the Miracle Furnace, Richard satisfiedly put the module into his pocket. But just as he was returning to the interior of the fortress along his original path, he suddenly followed a long, slender crack spreading down to the bottom of the fortress and saw many crystal-like objects in the bottom chamber. Richard was startled by this sight. Could it be that the interior of this fortress housed a material warehouse, used for the fortress¡¯s routine maintenance and upkeep? Thinking this, Richard hurried to the crack and closely examined the objects inside. If it was truly so, he estimated he was about to make a small fortune. This Star Realm Fortress contained not only crystal parts but also numerous metal parts. If these really were materials, there would definitely be many valuable alchemy materials. But after looking, Richard somewhat dizzily stepped back two paces. He waved his magic wand and cast a Spiritual Identification Technique on himself. After confirming he wasn¡¯t in a hallucinatory state, he murmured to himself, ¡°Goodness, I¡¯ve really struck it rich.¡± Behind that crack wasn¡¯t material for repairing the fortress, but rather thousands of armed puppets of the Pioneer. Chapter 409: 29 Puppet Army, Defensive Secondary Gun Chapter 409: Chapter 29 Puppet Army, Defensive Secondary Gun Pioneer¡¯s armed puppets had been ¡°reviewed¡± by Richard. Excellent energy barriers, robust crystal bodies, and powerful demon-breaking methods that could breach energy barriers in moments¡­ The caliber of these armed puppets was now comparable to the finest alchemy puppets among wizards. Such level of alchemy puppets were jokingly referred to as the Imperial Guard by the alchemy wizards. Even the Great Wizard could only incorporate a small number of such puppets into his own puppet army for cutting-edge tasks. Yet, behind this chasm, Richard actually saw thousands of such armed puppets. The immense joy gave Richard an unrealistic feeling. Is this really happening? However, reason quickly regained control of Richard¡¯s mind. He hurriedly entered the Star Realm Fortress and immediately reported the situation with the armed puppets to the main control. ¡°Main control, how many armed puppets are stored in the fortress?¡± [The fortress still holds nine hundred thirty-two spider-shaped armed puppets] Getting the exact answer, Richard took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and then continued, ¡°Can these puppets be used?¡± [Mobilizing armed puppets requires authorization from the fortress¡¯s principal] ¡°¡­Hog!¡± Richard, excited to the point of seeming slightly mad, hustled through the corridors quickly arriving at where Hog was. Hog, seeing Richard¡¯s state, couldn¡¯t help but jump and instinctively hid behind Ulysses. ¡°Uncle Raven, what¡¯s wrong with the master?¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ulysses flapped his wings, instantly appearing beside Richard. ¡°Richard, what¡¯s gotten into you? What has made you this excited?¡± Richard stopped, his lips curving upward uncontrollably. ¡°There is a batch of intact armed puppets in the fortress, as long as Hog agrees, we can take them away!¡± ¡°Ga?¡± Ulysses responded in surprise. The ancient battlefield had no shortage of armed puppets, and he had destroyed many on the road. Honestly, these armed puppets could slaughter ordinary third-level creatures with ease. Even wizards could potentially be caught off guard and killed upon a first encounter. If they had such a batch of armed puppets, they could virtually walk sideways in this plane war. ¡°This is great, even if we encounter bugs on the way, we still have the strength to fight.¡± Richard nodded and then made a request to the main control. Upon receiving Richard¡¯s application, Hog naturally approved it without delay. ¡°Done!¡± Richard cheered, then hurried along the corridor towards the fortress¡¯s basement warehouse. To others, those armed puppets might just be puppets. But for Richard, those armed puppets were like design blueprints thrown on the ground. Fish is tasty, but the fishing rod is more important than the fish. Passing through the Black Crystal Channel, Richard arrived at the lower level of the fortress. This level started replacing black crystal with gold-veined metal. Richard tried touching it a few times and realized these materials were like factory-produced parts and held no value for refinement. Soon, Richard reached the lowest level of the fortress. This level gave Richard a feeling similar to the slave chambers in a wizard¡¯s floating city, where wizards would keep their slave army at the bottom to consume the first wave of native¡¯s combat power. And the Star Realm Fortress also had a heap of armed puppets at the bottom, possibly suggesting that the Star Realm Fortress was once used as an invasion weapon like a floating city? Richard recalled the map recently detected by the scouting array, becoming more convinced of this idea. In the warehouse, nine hundred thirty-two spider-shaped battle armored puppets quietly stood in one corner. Richard approached them and gently touched one of the puppets; the Miracle Furnace quickly provided the puppet¡¯s information. [Raw material: Spider-shaped Armed Puppet] [Refinable information: Spider-shaped Armed Puppet design blueprint] [Refining cost: 250 spiritual power] Seeing the information provided by the Miracle Furnace, a broad smile spread across Richard¡¯s face. This was not one of those incomplete technologies; these were complete design blueprints. If he could decipher it, who knew how much useful technology he might derive from it. However, Richard didn¡¯t immediately choose to refine. For one, refining these wasn¡¯t urgent, he had plenty of time ahead to do that. Secondly, according to Ulysses, the Miracle Furnace used a kind of spatial method for refining, which could easily draw the main control¡¯s attention if used within the fortress. Richard was unclear about the internal regulations of the Star Realm Fortress and also the capabilities of the fortress¡¯s main control. Should the main control detect it during refining, it could cause further complications. Pioneer technology was profound and enigmatic, and deciphering it certainly wasn¡¯t a matter of mere hours¡ªhe wasn¡¯t short on time. ¡°Main control, how should these puppets be used?¡± [New authority system installation in progress, upon completion, the puppets will automatically recognize commander orders] As the main control spoke, several metal tentacles tipped with crystals extended from the warehouse floor. These tentacles attached themselves to the spider-shaped puppets with their crystal tips, and soon, wave-like glimmers began flickering inside the bodies of the spider-shaped puppets. Shortly after, the tentacles detached. The spider-shaped puppets lying on the ground immediately stood up, and their polyhedral crystal tips shot a red beam of light towards Richard. [Commander confirmed, puppet qy9743 has been added to your command sequence] ¡°New authority system¡­¡± Richard noticed this special term in the main control system. With a new authority system, there naturally existed an old one. Combining what the main control had once said about nearly collapsing due to the erasure caused by the Supreme had caused Richard¡¯s heart to flutter suddenly. Could it be that the giant floating mother body wandering in the ancient battlefield killed on sight because of a system collapse? If he could upgrade its system, then would he be able to bring that giant floating mother body under his command as well? The impression that the giant floating mother body left on Richard was profound; those clusters of floating cannons were something even a Three Rings Wizard would only think of fleeing from. And escaping wasn¡¯t even a certainty. If he could command it, its combat capabilities might rival that of this entire warehouse of armed puppets. With this idea in mind, Richard immediately asked the main control, ¡°Main control, do you have a way to upgrade the authority system for the armed puppets in the wilderness?¡± [Yes, there are two options for you to choose from.] [Option one, let the armed puppets return to the fortress and use information transmission tentacles to upgrade the system.] [Option two, install the information transmission crystal into the armed puppet¡¯s information interface and perform the system upgrade directly in the field.] ¡°I choose option two,¡± Richard said without hesitation. The giant floating mother body had an enormous number of floating cannons around it, making it too difficult to lure it to the Star Realm Fortress. Moreover, it might not even be attracted to the fortress. After all, as something akin to an aircraft carrier, charging into battles was certainly not its strong suit. Upon receiving Richard¡¯s choice, the main control did not respond. Half an hour later, a metal tentacle emerged from the ground and appeared in front of Richard. At the tip of this tentacle, a polyhedral crystal ¡°clicked¡± and fell in front of Richard. Richard caught the crystal, and immediately, the Miracle Furnace sent him a message. [Raw material: Information Transmission Crystal] [Potential data to be refined: New Authority System] [Refinement cost: 10 spiritual power] Richard pocketed the crystal and then inquired further about the giant floating mother body. But this question seemed to reach the blind spots of the main control¡¯s knowledge; main control only answered about the information interface¡¯s location. It knew nothing else about other giant floating mother bodies. That seemed somewhat unusual. ¡°Main control, where is your crystal array?¡± Richard suddenly asked. [Access to the main control array room is prohibited to non-fortress leaders.] ¡°Would obtaining permission make a difference?¡± [There is no such application.] ¡°What about a repairman?¡± [The fortress¡¯s main control has a sufficient number of repair drones; there¡¯s no need to dispatch additional repairmen.] Richard nodded slightly, thinking to himself, ¡°It seems that the database is not destroyed, it¡¯s just that it was really not input into the main control¡¯s database.¡± He hadn¡¯t asked for the location of the main control array with the intention of tampering with it. In fact, he didn¡¯t have much interest in the main control array. His expertise was not in alchemy machines, and such mechanical intelligence had little use for him. Moreover, a Wizard¡¯s Tower Spirit Technology could serve as a substitute for the main control. And lastly, the most important point. That was, if he examined the fortress¡¯s main control and then couldn¡¯t refine the technology due to insufficient resources, that would be truly frustrating. As the saying goes, ¡®out of sight, out of mind,¡¯ Richard thought it better not to trouble himself unnecessarily. After all, besides the fortress¡¯s main control, there were plenty of other things worth exploring within this Star Realm Fortress. ¡°Main control, guide me to the channel of the fortress¡¯s secondary guns.¡± ¡­ A fortress needed sturdy walls, but naturally, defensive weapons were also indispensable. Although damage to the energy conduits had caused the main gun and most of the secondary weapons to be destroyed in the battle that had led to the fortress¡¯s downfall, a very small number of weapons survived unscathed, like this defensive secondary gun in front of Richard. It was a beautiful creation made of metal and crystal, its base forged from colorless crystal directly connected to the fortress¡¯s power conduits. On this base was a metal gun barrel resembling an inverted trumpet. This barrel was connected to the base through a simple yet reliable mechanical device that allowed it to adjust direction up, down, left, and right. In short, it resembled a gun turret. This device, though somewhat odd-looking, melded the intricate beauty of machinery with the natural perfection of its crystal base¡ªall components blending into one. It was a somewhat contradictory creation, but after using it, Richard immediately perceived its special aesthetic¡ªstrength. When functioning fully, its power was at the Ten Thousand Energy Level. And this was just one of the most common, and most numerous, defensive weapons in the fortress. So much so that the explosion caused by the energy conduit issues hadn¡¯t completely destroyed it. Even having witnessed the terrifying capabilities of a Pioneer Creation, Richard couldn¡¯t help but exclaim softly after testing the defensive secondary gun¡¯s power: ¡°A common weapon at the Ten Thousand Energy Level, truly a powerful civilization indeed.¡± Chapter 410: 30: Melter Anomaly, New Feature! Chapter 410: Chapter 30: Melter Anomaly, New Feature! The Star Realm Fortress had only a few defensive secondary guns left, just over a dozen. However, according to the main control system, a fully operational Star Realm Fortress would have up to ten thousand such secondary guns, and above these were the main defensive guns, with other offensive weapons positioned even higher. One can imagine, at its peak, what an impenetrable hedgehog such a fortress must have been. After removing these secondary guns, Richard roamed the fortress once again. During this time, he successively discovered various objects resembling officer¡¯s pistols, small floating cannons, laser cutters used for maintenance, simple crystal machine tools, and various other miscellaneous gadgets. All of these items were of significant value. After ensuring he had scavenged nearly everything of value from the fortress, Richard finally turned his attention to his original target¡ªthe power furnace. Such a massive Star Realm Fortress naturally had an extraordinary power furnace. According to the main control system, the World Tree Number Three Star Realm Fortress used a Type Nine Radiation Power Furnace, which used black stones as fuel¡ªthe same black stones Richard had acquired from the Toad King Stone. One refueling could sustain the full operational load of the Star Realm Fortress for five hundred years. In times of peace, this duration could increase manyfold. Normally, a Star Realm Fortress wouldn¡¯t even need to refuel for an entire epoch if no battles occurred. Despite the fortress¡¯s crash, the fuel in the power furnace had lasted countless epochs and was still emitting radiant light. This magnificent piece of technology had surpassed the quality of the power furnaces in the Wizard¡¯s Floating Cities. At least, according to the intelligence known to Richard, Floating Cities required significant maintenance every five hundred years, which included servicing their power furnaces and refueling. Following the directions given by the main control, Richard quickly arrived at the passageway closest to the power furnace. Exiting this passageway, Richard would directly face the radiation emanating from the power furnace fuel. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the World Mushroom, I really wouldn¡¯t be able to handle this power furnace,¡± Richard said, a slight smile of pride appearing on his face as he observed the Radiation Aurora leaking through the cracks. Soon, a massive mycelial tentacle made its way through the passageway to Richard¡¯s side. Ulysses arrived alongside it. ¡°It¡¯s finally time to deal with this,¡± Ulysses said as he landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, his eyes lighting up faintly. ¡°This will be a tricky one. Even if Old Mushroom can absorb energy radiation, its tentacles will rot away with such high-intensity energy radiation.¡± Richard looked at the tentacle next to him. ¡°World Mushroom, what do you think?¡± ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, the old crow is right. If I were to touch the radiation material in the power furnace, my tentacles would indeed rot,¡± the World Mushroom conceded. Upon hearing this, Richard frowned. If the World Mushroom couldn¡¯t handle it, it seemed he really had no way to obtain the material. However, Richard soon spotted a potential solution. ¡°If direct contact causes decay, why not avoid direct contact altogether? Can¡¯t you just use a thick energy barrier?¡± Hearing Richard¡¯s suggestion, the World Mushroom was also stunned. It had always fought using its robust body, rarely ever employing something as ¡°fanciful¡± as an energy barrier. This had formed a kind of mental inertia in it. Ulysses and Richard had similarly been misled by this fact, to the point where they had all forgotten that the World Mushroom could manipulate energy barriers. ¡°Indeed, I almost forgot about the energy barrier,¡± the World Mushroom said somewhat sheepishly. ¡°It could indeed be used. But the radiation from this thing is extraordinary. Using an energy barrier to resist it will cause a certain degree of reduction in the magic density of the Secret Realm. Moreover, storage would also pose a problem. Using a large number of mycelia to store it would slow down the expansion rate of the Secret Realm.¡± ¡°Bury it underground and use your mycelium as a barrier in between,¡± Richard stated decisively. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the expansion of the Secret Realm is slow.¡± These black stones, Richard would definitely refine them later. That would only delay the Green Forest World for a few years. Given the current situation, as long as the surface world war was won, their Plane expedition was essentially over. What remained was merely the eradication of the World Tree Subbodies and then the ignition of the Teleportation Gate. The World Tree itself was to be handled by Garon the Great Wizard. Seeing Richard¡¯s determination, the World Mushroom no longer objected. After requesting permission from the main control, Richard and Ulysses, accompanied by the World Mushroom, once again opened a Secret Realm Rift. This rift was close to a massive wall fissure, which would later facilitate the insertion of the fuel ring into the Secret Realm. Soon, a new mycelial tentacle emerged from the rift. The stout white mycelial tentacle also grew a creamy energy barrier around it. With this energy barrier, the tentacle headed straight for the power furnace through the fissure. The Type Nine Radiation Power Furnace, from the outside, resembled a gigantic pillar. The pillar¡¯s outer shell was made of crystal, occasionally mixed with some metal parts. Now, the power furnace had turned into a blooming firework, revealing the Radiation Black Stone¡ªthe power furnace fuel inside. The fuel ring of the power furnace had nine layers. The battle that caused the Star Realm Fortress to crash had shattered three layers into fragments and also exposed the fourth layer. What the World Mushroom needed to do was to remove this exposed fourth layer. The tentacles of the World Mushroom multiplied in the air, the greenish radiation aurora casting light on the creamy energy barrier, creating waves of agitation. The closer to the fuel, the stronger the energy radiation, with the fuel itself emitting tens of thousands of energy levels. Such intensity, if borne by Richard, would reduce him to ashes in less than a second. But fortunately, it was the World Mushroom taking action. As the World Mushroom could absorb energy radiation as nourishment, its energy barrier didn¡¯t completely resist all the energy radiation; instead, it intentionally allowed some to penetrate the barrier to replenish the energy consumed by the barrier. This was the confidence it had in retrieving the fuel ring. Otherwise, even the World Mushroom would struggle to bring back the fuel ring. Rapidly, the mycelial tentacles of the World Mushroom wrapped around the fuel ring, and soon after, the fuel ring trembled slightly before being lifted by the tentacles of the World Mushroom. Mycelium tendrils enveloped the entire fuel ring in an airtight wrap in midair, then quickly sent it toward the Secret Realm Rift. If not for the wrapping, the terrible radiation of the fuel ring would have instantly destroyed the Secret Realm Rift. Soon, the fuel ring entered the Secret Realm Rift. ¡°It worked!¡± Richard exclaimed somewhat excitedly. Once it had entered the Secret Realm, the rest would be simple. ¡­ Inside the Secret Realm, the Fire Lizard Battle Group and the Fire Lizard Craftsmen were slowly emerging from the World Mushroom¡¯s stipe. Just moments ago, the World Mushroom had captured them all inside its stipe, saying something dangerous was entering the Secret Realm, and they needed refuge. It was hard for them to imagine what kind of terrible thing required them to take refuge inside the stipe of the World Mushroom. But before they had all come out, they saw a figure in a black robe hurrying past them and heading under the stipe of the World Mushroom. The Fire Lizards looked closely, and wasn¡¯t that figure Richard? ¡°Master.¡± ¡°Master.¡± ¡­ The Fire Lizards bowed slightly to Richard, who under normal circumstances would have calmly nodded in acknowledgment. But today, Richard clearly was not in the mood for pleasantries. ¡°Do what you need to do, don¡¯t crowd around me.¡± Before long, a passage appeared on the stipe of the World Mushroom, and following this path, Richard quickly arrived at the location of the fuel ring¡ªa subterranean cavern meticulously wrapped in layers of mycelium and soil. The World Mushroom created an Energy Barrier for Richard, allowing him to approach the fuel ring. Looking at the pitch-black fuel ring before him, Magic Power surged within Richard, and intense energy fluctuations suddenly arose in his left arm. Richard was prepared to sacrifice his entire arm¡ªafter all, it was bound to happen sooner or later since material that is not of the World Master cannot be physically touched. Then Richard¡¯s left arm passed through the Energy Barrier, lightly touching the fuel ring. In the next instant, Richard¡¯s entire arm turned into ashes, causing cellular collapse in half of his chest as well. The pale ribs were directly exposed. The World Mushroom immediately followed up, and abundant Life Energy continuously flowed into Richard¡¯s body through the mycelium. The collapsed cells quickly regenerated, and even the severed arm slowly regrew. However, Richard was utterly indifferent to his physical condition at this moment. His entire mind was absorbed by the information from the Miracle Furnace. ¡°Material: Fuel Ring¡± ¡°Extractable Rules: Radiation Rule (First Level)¡± ¡°Refining Cost: 500 Soul Power¡± ¡­ ¡°Complete rule detected, initiate Rule Fusion?¡± The information initially provided by the Miracle Furnace was straightforward, although the complete Radiation Rule pleasantly surprised Richard, it was still within his expectations. However, the subsequent information provided by the Miracle Furnace really shocked Richard. The Miracle Furnace had other functions! Richard had always felt that the Miracle Furnace, a device of such high status, surely had more than one function. Now, it seemed his feeling was correct. ¡°Initiate!¡± Richard said without hesitation. The next instant, the fires within the Miracle Furnace surged, and the originally dark melter gradually turned red. Ancient characters flickered on the walls of the melter. Merely glancing at them, Richard felt dizzy. The characters contained unimaginable horrifying power. Soon, the transformation of the melter ceased. The melter, which had been pitch-black, now bore some fiery red characters, with no other changes. ¡°Rule Fusion activated.¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Subsequently, new functions of the Miracle Furnace appeared in Richard¡¯s mind. In short, the furnace could now not only refine rules but also fuse them, altering the rules themselves. ¡°Is that all?¡± Richard scratched his head, feeling that this new function seemed not very useful. Even without Rule Fusion, the rules he controlled still interacted. Moreover, using this function required using rules as fuel, which, for Richard, seemed quite extravagant. However, he wasn¡¯t a World Master and could not make hasty conclusions. After leaving the Secret Realm, Richard returned to the Star Realm Fortress. Losing the fuel ring, the Power Furnace¡¯s radiation released outward suddenly decreased. The Power Furnace wasn¡¯t completely destroyed; the remaining parts continued to contain the radiation of the fuel ring. The reason the radiation had been so strong before was because the fuel ring Richard took was almost completely exposed, barely restrained by the Power Furnace. After finding Ulysses, Richard introduced him to the new function of the Miracle Furnace. ¡°Ah? Rule Fusion?¡± Ulysses looked at Richard somewhat stunned, his mouth hanging open in amazement. ¡°Seeing your reaction, this function must be powerful.¡± Richard chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not just powerful, this function could save you several epochs of hardship!¡± Ulysses shrieked somewhat frantically, ¡°Richard, my Main God, sir! Whether I can become a Main God in the future depends entirely on you!¡± Chapter 411: 31: Subduing the Maternal Entity, the War Situation Chapter 411: Chapter 31: Subduing the Maternal Entity, the War Situation Richard was somewhat startled by Ulysses¡¯ excitement, thinking to himself, was this ¡°Rule Fusion¡± really that powerful? So much so that a powerhouse of Ulysses¡¯ level would be this excited. ¡°You first calm down, then explain to me what exactly this function can do.¡± Calm by Richard¡¯s words, Ulysses finally realized his own gaffe. ¡°Sorry, I got too excited,¡± Ulysses tried to calm himself, ¡°If I understand Rule Fusion correctly, it should be about melting many rules into one rule, thereby making the rules more perfect¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Richard suddenly interrupted, ¡°What do you mean ¡®melting many rules into one rule¡¯? I know that rules have interactions with each other, but what¡¯s the difference between them?¡± Ulysses nodded, ¡°Of course, there is a big difference. This concept is somewhat tricky to explain. In the words of a friend I made in the Illusion World, all of the rules in this world are actually different facets of a single rule. We only see so many rules because our level of life isn¡¯t high enough. Observing this rule is like the blind men touching the elephant; we can only perceive a part of it. And what¡¯s called Rule Fusion is combining these parts we can see. As much as possible, it makes our own rules closer to that one ultimate rule. In the words of my friend, it is about approaching the Dao.¡± ¡°The Dao¡­¡± Hearing Ulysses mention this term, unfamiliar in pronunciation but oddly familiar in meaning, Richard¡¯s expression turned somewhat strange. The vastness of the Star Realm is boundless, capable of spawning a civilization such as the wizards¡¯, so the emergence of a cultivation civilization like he remembered didn¡¯t seem so strange after all. Richard shook his head, casting aside those wild thoughts. ¡°So, does ascending to World Master also relate to this?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ulysses nodded, ¡°After a creature becomes a World Master, it needs to find a complete rule as a foundation to forge a Rule Body. And when the Rule Body is forged, the World Master then reaches a limit, which is the limit of a Level 4 Creature. At this point, you need to fuse other rules into your rule in order to evolve again. This process is exceedingly lengthy, because not all rules can be fused with each other. Some rules are in serious conflict and must meet certain conditions to fuse. Moreover, different civilizations have different methods of fusing rules, which can lead to certain rules being incompatible. What¡¯s even more fucked up is that sometimes, these conflicts don¡¯t manifest violently. Only when you attempt to fuse them do they reveal their true nature. If the fusion has an issue, at best you get a damaged Rule Body, at worst complete rule destruction and death of both body and path. But you don¡¯t have that problem, your furnace should be able to handle all of it.¡± At this point, Ulysses looked at Richard with an envious gaze. Not needing to worry about Rule Fusion problems, this feature alone would drive any World Master insane. And yet Richard, still a third-level creature, already had it. ¡°Alright then, what do you mean by saying that me being the Main God depends on you?¡± Richard asked again. ¡°That,¡± Ulysses hee-heed with a smile, ¡°Rules can be stripped away. Once you become a World Master, I¡¯ll strip my rule and give it to you to fuse with your furnace. After the fusion, I¡¯ll take it back, which would greatly accelerate my gaining of strength. Having sustained such a severe soul injury, I have already given up hope of becoming a Main God. But if this works, I¡¯ll be able to claim the throne of Main God before I die.¡± For a powerhouse at Ulysses¡¯ level, nothing is more desirable than advancing further. Hearing this, Richard was startled, feeling a sudden pang in his heart. Stripping rules and handing them over to him¡ªit sounded like a highly risky business. If Richard had even the slightest harmful intent, Ulysses could lose it all. Yet Ulysses treated this as a feasible plan. The implication was self-evident. Richard replied with a laugh: ¡°Sure, just wait for it. Once I become a World Master, I¡¯ll ensure you get to sit on that throne of Main God.¡± ¡­ After taking away the Fuel Ring, Richard did not attempt to see whether the Power Furnace could refine it. Such a huge object, even if it could be refined, clearly wasn¡¯t something he could handle at his current stage. So it¡¯s better not to look for trouble. Leaving the vicinity of the Power Furnace, Richard met up with Hog and the Snake King, preparing to leave the fortress. They had skimmed pretty much all they could from the fortress; it was time to leave. Before leaving, Hog used her highest authority to order the fortress main controller to delete their visit records to prevent anyone taking over the fortress from getting information about Richard. In the Ancient Battlefield, sands still swept across, but the Energy Radiation had noticeably decreased. If nothing unexpected happened, the edge of the Ancient Battlefield would soon be overrun by the dense forests of the Green Forest World. Nine hundred and thirty-two spider Puppets had now fully updated their systems and were scouring the Ancient Battlefield for the Floating Mother Body as ordered by Richard. ¡°You¡¯re targeting the big guy?¡± Ulysses casually asked, ¡°That big one isn¡¯t easy to deal with. It¡¯s surrounded by a troublesome group of Floating Cannons.¡± Richard pulled out the Information Transmission Crystal from his pocket. ¡°No need to deal with it, we just put this into the information port behind it, and the new authority system will make it automatically join us.¡± Ulysses was surprised: ¡°That strong?¡± Richard smiled slightly: ¡°You¡¯ll see when we try it.¡± The spider Puppets¡¯ search quickly yielded results ¨C the Floating Mother Body was operating 100 kilometers to the west of where they were. Once the location was determined, Richard and his party immediately followed the spider Puppets¡¯ guidance and chased after it. Before long, the distinctive blue clouds appeared before everyone. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Ulysses volunteered. ¡°You can¡¯t avoid the detection of those Floating Cannons.¡± Upon hearing this, Richard didn¡¯t waste words and handed the Information Transmission Crystal directly to Ulysses. ¡°The transmission interface is at the midpoint of its central axis on the back. Be careful, and if anything goes wrong, come back immediately.¡± Taking the crystal, Ulysses confidently said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When it comes to escaping, none of you added together can match me.¡± Ulysses then grasped the crystal and vanished into the air in an instant. Seeing this, the Snake King¡¯s pupils involuntarily shrank, thinking to himself, ¡°He¡¯s even slipped beneath the veil. What background does this crow have to possess abilities that not even a World Master might have?¡± Not long after, the Floating Cannons surrounding the Floating Mother Body suddenly turned red and then began to fight amongst themselves. ¡°It¡¯s a success.¡± Ulysses¡¯s voice suddenly sounded by Richard¡¯s ear. Richard turned to look and saw a shadow which had at some point appeared on his shoulder, now gradually ballooning into a black crow. Soon, the Floating Cannon Group stabilized again, turning back to a pale blue color, and the Floating Mother Body came to a halt. Richard, seeing this, proceeded with Ulysses cautiously to check if the system had indeed been updated. Approaching the Floating Cannon Group, the pale blue cannons didn¡¯t move the slightest. ¡°It looks like it worked.¡± Richard silently breathed a sigh of relief. His guess wasn¡¯t wrong; these Floating Cannons had indeed turned this way due to a system malfunction. Standing right in front of the giant Floating Mother Body, a light shot out from the top of the body, enveloping Richard. Shortly after, Richard heard the voice of the giant Floating Mother Body. [Commander confirmed, land-based Floating Mother Ship qe124 has been added to your command sequence.] ¡­ The blazing Fire Elements ravaged the battlefield, causing the temperature to skyrocket rapidly. In this environment, even breathing had become a form of torture. The air, mixed with a vast amount of Fire Elements, was like hot coals, and each breath resulted in serious burns to the respiratory tract. Experienced wizards could still control their biological instincts and cease their breathing. But the younger wizards unconsciously continued breathing, having to endure the pain of being scorched over and over. The war had evolved into a form of extreme torture. Boom! Boom! Boom! Fireballs rained down accurately among the Insect Tide, stabilizing the waning small-scale Fire Element Storm. Wizards within the fortress had to muster up their energy once again, controlling the Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons to pick off any insects that slipped through the Fire Element Storm. The war had been going on for nearly two months, and the Fire Element Storm on the battlefield had also been raging for two months. In these days, the bodies and ashes of the insects that died in the Fire Element Storm could pile up into a small mountain, yet the Insect Tide seemed endlessly infinite. This terrifying phenomenon even made many wizards waver, doubting whether they could win this war at all. Could these insects really be completely exterminated? Hundreds of meters beneath the fortress¡­ A black-robed wizard holding a Magic Wand sat in an Earth Cave, silently listening to the sounds emanating from the soil. Suddenly, the black-robed wizard opened his eyes, waved the wand in his hand, and a ray of Magic Radiance traveled from the tip of the wand into the surrounding soil. Not long after, the black-robed wizard swung his wand again. Before his eyes, the soil, influenced by the spell, cracked open, revealing a thick rootstock about three meters long. At the end of the rootstock, a blade of pitch-black Obsidian dripped with a greenish liquid. Without a word, the black-robed wizard pocketed it. The command was actively purchasing these items, and this three-meter-long specimen could be exchanged for a Magic Essence. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One spell, one Magic Essence. Under normal circumstances, the black-robed wizard would have been overjoyed beyond measure. But now, the black-robed wizard was eerily calm. He pulled out a pocket watch from his pocket and glanced at the time, inwardly counting down: ¡°Twenty minutes and thirty-two seconds left until the shift ends¡­ thirty-one seconds, thirty seconds¡­¡± ¡­ Floating City, Command Room. Jimmy looked at the map before him, his brow deeply furrowed. On the map, the wizards¡¯ control area had nearly formed a perfect circle. And outside this circle, the Insect Tide zone was marked in black. Around him, several Three Rings Wizards were coordinating the allocation of resources for the defense perimeter. ¡°Position 324 requests support. A third of our Alchemy Gun Towers have been damaged. If we don¡¯t get repairs, our firepower won¡¯t even be sufficient to clean up the stragglers.¡± ¡°Position 129 requests support. Two Level 3 Biological Weapons have broken through our firepower net and destroyed a fortress. We need fire support to help us repair the fortress!¡± ¡°At Position 32, a special creature has appeared. This creature¡­¡± The Crystal Ball continuously transmitted the support requests from various position commanders, and one Three Rings Wizard, exhausted after handling the requests, looked at Jimmy. ¡°Jimmy, has Garon the Great Wizard contacted you? Our defense lines are starting to show strain.¡± Hearing this, Jimmy turned around. Behind him, a special Crystal Ball lay dull and lightless. ¡°My Crystal Ball has been here all along. Ever since the Dean told us last time he gave us support, when has this Crystal Ball ever been lit?¡± After speaking, Jimmy let out a somewhat resigned sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s pray that the support the Dean promised us isn¡¯t intercepted by the Insect Tide en route.¡± Chapter 412: 32: The Green Tide Chapter 412: Chapter 32: The Green Tide The Wizard¡¯s battlefield had no smoke of gunpowder. Boom! Fireballs falling from the sky exploded prematurely in mid-air due to frenzied fire elements. The fire element brought by the fireballs once again stabilized the fading fire elemental storm. The frenzied fire elemental storm, like a red Grim Reaper, relentlessly harvested every creature within its reach. This fire elemental storm had been ravaging the battlefield for two months, and if the Wizard wished, it could continue wreaking havoc for two more years, or even twenty. Whenever it was about to dissipate, new fire elements would be added to prolong its existence. But this time was somewhat different. ¡°Something is wrong, are this time¡¯s fireballs fewer?¡± Within the fortress cluster, an old wizard keenly noticed the change on the battlefield. The fire elemental storm on the battlefield was dissipating at a surprising rate. This rate was far beyond the norm. If no new fireballs replenished the fire element, this fire elemental storm that had been rampant for two months was about to vanish. ¡°Ek, report to the command center that the fire element storm is fading and request immediate support from the magic support vehicle.¡± The old wizard, with furrowed brows, watched the dissipating fire elemental storm, sensing a hint of danger from his years of wartime experience. Every wave of fireballs launched by the magic support vehicles was carefully calculated by the headquarters. The number of fireballs was just enough to maintain the storm until the next wave arrived. Even if a magic support vehicle malfunctioned, there would be a backup ready to fill in without missing a single fireball. But now the fire elemental storm was about to fade. Something must have gone wrong behind the scenes. The old wizard took out a crystal ball, shouting into it, ¡°Attention all members of Squad 16 at Position 315, everyone prepare for battle, everyone prepare for battle¡­¡± ¡°Captain! The headquarters has responded.¡± Ek, who the old wizard had referred to, interrupted with a serious expression as he quickly approached, holding a crystal ball. ¡°There¡¯s no issue with the number of fireballs launched by the magic support vehicle team. The commander has instructed us to carefully inspect the battlefield situation and report back at any moment.¡± Hearing this, the old wizard¡¯s heart sank. He knew the days of slaughtering insects from within the fortress were over. He shouted into the communication crystal ball, ¡°All cannons prepare, all cannons prepare! Prepare to face the enemy, prepare to face the enemy!¡± Simultaneously, nearly every commander of a squad based at the frontmost fortresses along the entire defensive line issued the same command. The old wizards had all faintly perceived something amiss. Thud! Thud! Thud¡­ The dull sound of footsteps crossed through the fire elemental storm, reaching the ears of the wizards at the frontline of the battlefield. All the wizards who heard it felt the ground under their feet tremble slightly. Soon, the fire elemental storm dissipated. A line of treants ablaze with roaring flames marched towards the cluster of fortresses. Behind them, the boundless Forest Sea seemed to step forward almost simultaneously. After two months of warfare, the World Tree Subbody had finally evolved the ability to devour fire elements. ¡­ Floating City. The command center was bustling with noise. Almost all front-line commanders reported to the command room simultaneously. Every position along the entire defensive line was under assault by treants. This rendered the already stretched thin defensive line on the verge of collapse. ¡°Has the information about the treants come in yet?¡± As the chief commander, Jimmy, although somewhat impatient, maintained a calm demeanor. In such times, the higher the position, the more composed one must be. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± A Three Rings Wizard casually tossed a magic book to Jimmy. Jimmy, upon receiving it, felt slightly overwhelmed. The magic book listed ratings based on the messages sent from the front line: [Flame Treant, Life Rating: 3.5, Defense Rating: 3, Attack Rating: 2.5, Overall Rating: 3, Quantity: Very Few] [Treant: Life Rating: 3, Defense Rating: 2.5, Attack Rating: 1.5, Overall Rating: 2.5, Quantity: Numerous] The numbers in the ratings represent the difficulty level, with a Life Rating of three indicating that this creature¡¯s life energy is comparable to a third-level creature. If it¡¯s 3.5, it is comparable to a Three Rings Wizard. Among these assaulting treants, the Flame Treants already reached the overall rating of a third-level creature. The majority, being treants, each matched the standards of a Second Ring Wizard. This disparity in combat power basically declared the collapse of the defensive line. Jimmy placed the magic book aside, rubbed his forehead, and began adjusting the defensive line. ¡°Pass the word, abandon the first line of defense, all available Three Rings Wizards are to engage in battle, and logistics wizards, excluding Medical Wizards, are also to enter the battlefield. Additionally, release the Synthetic Beasts we¡¯ve been breeding lately.¡± ¡°Synthetic Beasts?¡± A Three Rings Wizard questioned, ¡°Aren¡¯t we just feeding them?¡± Jimmy, hands pressing on the table, explained, ¡°The logistics department¡¯s Alchemy Wizards have made improvements to the Synthetic Beasts, so when they die, their bodies will produce a variety of potent toxins targeting plants. ¡°Although this won¡¯t allow us to recover anything, it can still be used as cannon fodder.¡± Jimmy¡¯s voice was calm, yet every Wizard in the room detected a hint of powerlessness. With limited resources at hand, they faced an enemy possessing nearly the resources of an entire world. ¡°I¡¯m stepping out for a bit, Elco you take over command.¡± Jimmy suddenly stood up straight, the immense pressure making it hard for him to breathe. He needed to vent. ¡°Okay, but you only have half an hour,¡± replied the Wizard known as Elco without lifting his head. ¡°Phew, half an hour is enough.¡± Jimmy let out a relaxed breath and his body instantly disappeared from the command room. When he reappeared, Jimmy had transformed into a black-robed giant covered in Magic Patterns, emerging outside the Floating City. ¡°Hey, Deputy Dean, out for some fresh air?¡± greeted a Three Rings Wizard who was heading to the battlefield. Jimmy nodded slightly, ¡°Yes, out for some fresh air and to vent a bit.¡± Right after saying that, Jimmy¡¯s figure flashed and a loud sonic boom resonated through the air. Soon, Jimmy found himself at the front lines. Looking at the slightly disorganized group of Wizards being pursued by treants, a cold light flashed in Jimmy¡¯s eyes. ¡°Trees should just quietly grow on the ground.¡± With those words, Magic Power surged within Jimmy, and it seemed like all the Magic Power in the sky was converging towards him. The treants on the ground sensed the flow of energy and started shooting bolts of lightning towards the sky. But Jimmy, facing lightning that was akin to a concentrated Magic barrage, not only didn¡¯t dodge, he even revealed a ferocious smile. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Lightning? Bring it on!¡± In the next instant, Jimmy¡¯s figure was engulfed by the brilliance of the lightning. Then, a fist enveloped in thunderous force lit up the half of the sky. Jimmy, his body wrapped in thunder, stood in the air like the mythological Thunder God. His thunderous punch was unstoppable. It carved a grand road through the endless treants, crashing everything in its path into smithereens. With that single punch, thousands of ordinary treants were struck into charred remains. It directly eased the Wizards¡¯ retreat and eliminated any need to look back. Witnessing this, a young Wizard could not help but aspire. ¡°Is this a Three Rings Wizard? One day, I will become¡­¡± ¡°Stop daydreaming and move!¡± The older Wizards, unlike the younger ones inexperienced in such feats, knew scenes far more spectacular when Great Wizards fought. But undeniably, Jimmy¡¯s punch carried the flair of a Great Wizard. ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it!¡± Jimmy boasted to the treants, but his body was flying back towards the Floating City. The punch had nearly depleted all his Magic Power and spiritual power. Moreover, it was achieved only with the aid of the treants¡¯ lightning and his own Thunder Rules. Pretending further could have turned him into a laughingstock if the treants counterattacked and turned him into compost. On other battlefields, the Three Rings Wizards were similarly demonstrating their formidable powers. Though strong, these treants were still just Second-level Creatures with strong Life Energy to the Three Rings Wizards. Even the Flame Treants were merely ordinary third-level creatures. As long as they were not overwhelmed, these treants posed no significant threat to the Three Rings Wizards. Unless¡­ Crack! A seemingly ordinary, even somewhat frail treant threw a whip at a Three Rings Wizard covering the retreat. Immediately, the Energy Barrier of the Three Rings Wizard cracked open with a ¡°snap,¡± and the residual force of the vine whip sent the Three Rings Wizard flying. ¡°Not good! World Tree subbodies have infiltrated the regular treants.¡± The flung Three Rings Wizard was suddenly alarmed, not expecting these wooden beings to employ such tactics. The Three Rings Wizard immediately took out his Communication Crystal Ball, ready to report to the headquarters. But before he could send out the message, a thick bolt of white-purple lightning plummeted down from above. Despite his best efforts, he barely managed to block it. ¡°Headquarters, headquarters, I am Three Rings Wizard Izak, World Tree subbodies have infiltrated the treants, all Three Rings Wizards must be cautious in distinguishing¡­¡± Crack! ¡­ Listening to the sound of a Magic Barrier breaking in the crystal ball, the receiving Three Rings Wizard silently switched to the next communication. Three Rings Wizards are accustomed to life and death, the uncertain fate of one wizard could not make their ¡°iron hearts¡± tremble. ¡°All Three Rings Wizards please be aware, World Tree subbodies have infiltrated ordinary treants, please be meticulous in identification.¡± ¡°Repeat, World Tree subbodies have infiltrated ordinary treants, please be meticulous in identification.¡± Next to the map in the headquarters, the acting commander Elco updated the map with Magic Radiance. The once intact defensive line now showed gaps, and the black area representing the Insect Tide had been changed to green representing the treants. Now, the green tide was rapidly closing in on the Floating City. Chapter 413: 33: The Protagonist Always Appears Last Chapter 413: Chapter 33: The Protagonist Always Appears Last ¡°The World Tree saplings mixed in with ordinary treants?¡± Listening to the message from the Crystal Ball, Stio scratched his head and casually shrank the Metal Storm beside him. As one of the first Wizards to come into contact with World Tree saplings, he had a very profound impression of them. If such monsters got close to him, even he would be in for a rough time. However, even though he reduced the Metal Storm¡¯s reach, the dark whirl of metals continued to slash through the treants with extreme efficiency. It¡¯s not just storms that can knock down large trees, chainsaws can do the job too. The high-speed movement of metal particles was like a giant maw, shredding the treants to pieces. Suddenly, there was a ¡°boom¡±, and a white-violet thunderbolt as thick as a bucket pierced through layers of treants and struck the Metal Storm. The swiftly rotating Metal Storm jolted from the impact, nearly scattering into individual metal particles. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s some serious power.¡± Stio¡¯s casual expression instantly turned serious, and the Big Hammer Mace in his hand sparked with faint thunder. He expanded his spiritual power to its limits, attempting to locate the World Tree sapling among the numerous treants. He also fished out a Magic Potion from his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing and swallowing both potion and bottle. As the Magic Potion took effect, Stio¡¯s body began to turn slightly red. Under the influence of the potion, every cell in his body burst with power. Though each force seemed tiny on its own, when multiplied by sixty trillion, it could shake heaven and earth. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Suddenly, Stio¡¯s gaze fiercely turned in one direction. In that direction, a World Tree sapling hiding among many ordinary treants was secretly accumulating power. Stio bared his shiny steel teeth with a vicious smile. ¡°Found you!¡± With a swing of his Big Hammer Mace, the Metal Storm rotating around him shredded the obstacles between him and the World Tree sapling at an astonishing speed. In the next instant, a hammer wrapped in thunder, carrying an overwhelming presence, appeared before the World Tree sapling. Boom! The World Tree sapling was smashed in half at the waist, and the terrible force of the impact made the break as smooth as a mirror. With one successful strike, a white-violet lightning burst from the Big Hammer Mace, turning the lower half of the World Tree sapling into charred remains. And the upper half, before he could make a move, was incinerated to ashes by a blue flame. ¡°Stio, long time no see,¡± a blue flame being greeted. Stio plunged the Hammer Head into the ground and replied with a heavy breath, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Robbie. But I gotta say, even without your help I could have handled that thing.¡± Robbie chuckled, ¡°I know, but I thought it would be better for you to save some energy.¡± The effects of the Magic Potion were impressive, but its side effects were equally daunting. This bottle was known as the One-Hit Magic Potion, implying it only sustains the power of one strike. Once that earth-shattering strike is delivered, the user would fall into a weakened state. Robbie walked to Stio¡¯s side, waved his magic wand, summoning a sea of flames that reduced approaching treants to ash. ¡°I¡¯ve already encountered the other guys, but I haven¡¯t heard from Richard. Seems he went quite far.¡± Stio replied weakly, ¡°He was the first to locate the World Tree sapling, he probably has a method in finding them, so it¡¯s normal for him to go a bit further.¡± But even as they said this, both knew it was just an excuse. Even if Richard had gone far, he should have returned by now. Over the past two months, Wizards had several times deployed the White Wizard Army to escort the returning Three Rings Black Wizards. But among those Wizards, there was no sign of Richard. ¡°¡­What a shame.¡± After a moment of silence, Robbie spoke with a tinge of regret, ¡°He was strong, and his Magic Pet was even more formidable. I was hoping to study it after the war was over.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions so soon, Richard isn¡¯t as simple as you think.¡± Stio stood up straight, waving the Big Hammer Mace and re-summoning the Metal Storm. Wizards who pursued Physique Evolution adapt to various abnormal states far better than ordinary Wizards. The period of weakness from the One-Hit Magic Potion would leave a regular Three Rings Wizard feeble for at least an hour. Some Wizards, with just enough physique, could even suffer a permanent decline in physical condition. But for Stio, the period of weakness lasted only a mere ten seconds or so. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the second line of defense, if we encounter World Tree saplings, even we¡­¡± Before Stio could finish, he felt a mountainous, oppressive presence that made it difficult for him to breathe. The treants around them suddenly stopped moving, their branches uniformly aimed at the two Three Rings Wizards. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Stio¡¯s expression tensed as he eyed the treants. He could feel that beyond the multilayered treants, a terrifying creature had set its sights on them. ¡°The World Master?¡± Robbie¡¯s flames flickered unsteadily, and his Magic Wand emitted minute Magic Fluctuations. ¡°It¡¯s not the World Master.¡± As a Wizard who had undergone Physique Evolution, Stio¡¯s senses were much sharper than those of Wizards like Robbie who had elementalized their bodies. The oppressor behind this feeling was formidable, but definitely not the World Master. Thud! Thud! Thud¡­ The dull sounds, like drumbeats, drilled into their ears, and the treants surrounding them suddenly sprang into action all at once. White-violet Thunder passed from one treant to another, linking all the treants together as if they formed a single entity. Chapter 414: 33: The Protagonist Always Appears Last_2 Chapter 414: Chapter 33: The Protagonist Always Appears Last_2 ¡°Oh no, a Gestalt connection!¡± Stio¡¯s face changed dramatically, and he turned and flew towards the Floating City at such a high speed that he almost became a blur. Robbie, although he didn¡¯t know what the so-called Gestalt connection was, saw Stio panicking like this and figured that it must not be something good, so he decided to run as well. But just that moment of hesitation got him into big trouble. Countless roots burst from the ground and quickly blocked his path completely. Robbie swung his magic wand, and a burst of Rule Power instantly turned the blue flames around him into a deep blue. After the change, the obstructing vines didn¡¯t even make contact with the flames and turned into flying ash. But before Robbie could feel relieved, suddenly there was a loud explosion behind him. Boom! A thunderbolt, vast like a river, instantly swallowed Robbie¡¯s figure. Flying ahead, Stio, terrified, glanced back and saw the ground, hardened by enchantment beneath the wizard, now had a long line of scorched earth stretching for thousands of kilometers. At the edges of the path, even the scorching magma was cooling. ¡°Damn it.¡± Stio, both shocked and angry, as a Three Rings Wizard, had almost forgotten the last time he had been in such a wretched state. He took out his Communication Crystal Ball and connected it to the command post. ¡°Command post, command post, this is Three Rings Wizard Stio, a Second Level Gestalt connection has been detected in the World Tree Subbody, a Second Level Gestalt connection has been detected in the World Tree Subbody, all Three Rings Wizards, please retreat immediately!¡± Having said that, he burst into another wave of intense magic power fluctuation and, like a bullet, flew towards the Floating City. ¡­ The command room fell silent. ¡°Gestalt connection¡­¡± Jimmy said somewhat weakly. He wondered if he had offended some Curse Wizard before this expedition started, as the news of the war just kept getting worse. First, the Floating City fell, the Power Furnace was damaged, then the defensive line was breached, and now a Gestalt connection had been reported. And the only ace up his sleeve, given by the dean, was nowhere to be found now. Haha, what a bountiful hand indeed. ¡°¡­Organize the White Wizard Army,¡± spoke up Legion Commander Adams, ¡°We can¡¯t stop the Gestalt with a fortress.¡± The so-called Gestalt connection refers to a group of creatures forming a grand individual through some connection. These connections are divided into three levels; the First Level is just a fusion of minds, meaning the personality of this group creature has merged into one individual. The whole group¡¯s subbody works together as closely as a person¡¯s right and left hands. And the Second Level connection is a dual fusion of mind and energy. In this stage, a Gestalt creature not only fuses in spirit, but all its individuals also share their energy. This stage of the Gestalt connection is comparable to a terrifying creature as formidable as the White Wizard Army. Even a typical White Wizard Army might not win against them. As for the Third Level, that level is something they, these ¡°mortals,¡± could not handle. A Third Level Gestalt creature needs a Great Wizard to make a move, or a saturated attack from the Floating City to defeat it. ¡°Organize¡ª¡± Before Jimmy could finish, another crystal ball lit up. As soon as it was connected, a fearful voice yelled, ¡°Second Level Gestalt! No! A Second Level Gestalt group! All World Tree Subbodies are turning into Gestalts!¡± Immediately after, a loud explosion was heard, and the crystal ball dimmed. The command room plunged into silence again. ¡°¡­Gentlemen, prepare for a desperate battle.¡± After a moment of silence, Jimmy slowly said. ¡°Second Level Gestalt group¡­¡± Adams suddenly laughed, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d die by something like this. The vastness of the Star Realm is truly limitless.¡± ¡°Ha, indeed, a Second Level Gestalt group, not a common thing.¡± ¡°Ah, such a pity for my Magic Equipment. If I had known I was going to die, I would have left it for my student.¡± The Three Rings Wizards looked relaxed. Having roamed the battlefield for years, they had long accepted the prospect of dying in battle. ¡°No, you won¡¯t die.¡± Jimmy said calmly, interrupting, ¡°As long as I die, the dean will forcibly open the boundaries between the inner and outer worlds. Although this world might not be saved, you might well survive.¡± Saying this, Jimmy took out two knuckle dusters from his pocket and slipped them onto his hands. ¡°Ah, to die in battle, it¡¯s a fitting end for me.¡± ¡­ At the second defensive line, a White Wizard who had just installed Alchemy Weapons was suddenly summoned out of the fortress by the Legion Commander. This unusual phenomenon frightened some of the older Wizards. Something was amiss. The White Wizards organized themselves into a combat formation for ten thousand, and since there hadn¡¯t been many wars before, and the casualties in fortress battles were too few, the White Wizard Army still maintained a force of six hundred and fifty thousand. But spread out over the battlefield, six hundred and fifty thousand seemed rather thin. For they faced an endless green tide. Thump! Thump! Thump¡­ S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The dull footsteps traveled through the air, constantly drilling into the Wizards¡¯ ears. This sound was like the ancient battlefield drums, each beat a cry and wail of thousands of lives. Soon, the treants drew near. The White Wizard commander issued a command through the psychic network, ¡°Everyone prepare, direct front, distance thirty-five, spell type, ¡®Wind Blade Technique¡¯, release three rounds!¡± ¡°One, two, three!¡± The next instant, a mountainous and oceanic invisible wind blade flew towards the treants, a massive gathering of air element forming a giant storm over ten kilometers in diameter in the sky. Under the storm¡¯s enormous suction, dry branches, leaves, and shattered bricks were all swept into it. And anything that entered this storm, regardless of what it was, could penetrate gold and smash stones. But the treants paid no heed to this vast storm. Their branches intertwined, vines entangled, and roots connected. Despite the enormity of the storm, it could not shake them in the slightest. The White Wizard commander, seeing this scene, felt a sink in his heart and made a snap decision, ¡°Wind Blade Technique, release to the limit!¡± The treants had evolved the ability to absorb the fire element; the only Elemental Magic the White Wizard Army could invoke was the Wind Element. If this storm couldn¡¯t shake the treants, then the White Wizard Army had no other strategy. Whoooosh¡­ Thousands of wind blades entered the storm like birds returning to their nests, causing the storm to rapidly expand to several tens of kilometers. This time, the treants finally stopped. ¡°It¡¯s working!¡± The White Wizard commander was delighted in his heart, but his expression quickly changed. For above the treants, a thick energy barrier had appeared. In front of this barrier, the storm powerful enough to cut through metal and jade was like a small knife made of wood. It took all their effort to break through that energy barrier. But what good did breaking it do? The remnants of the storm only caused the leaves and branches of the treants to rustle, not even sufficient to break them. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± The commander looked pale as he watched all this unfold. And with him, the six hundred and fifty thousand White Wizards felt the same. ¡°Gestalt creatures¡­ sigh, truly a perfect legion.¡± Jimmy looked at the Coastal closing in on the Floating City, a relieved smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Dying to such an enemy isn¡¯t too bad.¡± Suddenly, Jimmy¡¯s body expanded to five meters, and magical patterns appeared all over his skin. He took out a bundle of One-Hit Magic Potions from his pocket and stuffed them into his mouth. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, is anyone recording?¡± Jimmy suddenly turned and asked with a smile to those behind him. ¡°This punch, when we get back, can be used as promotional material!¡± ¡°We are.¡± Elco calmly held a crystal. ¡°A premium crystal from the Tesla Chamber of Commerce, guaranteed to record even your hair clearly.¡± Hearing this, Jimmy cursed jokingly, ¡°Go to hell. What hair am I supposed to have as a bald man!¡± After speaking, he saw all the magic power in the sky converging towards him, continuous streams of Magic Radiance drilling into his body. ¡°Watch closely, this punch is going to be¡­¡± Before Jimmy could finish his sentence, he saw a faint blue light suddenly illuminate behind the Forest Sea. Soon after, a large swath of the forest was engulfed by the blue light. A familiar voice carried through the air and rang by his ear. ¡°Master Jimmy, the dean asked me to bring you something, and I¡¯ve brought it!¡± Chapter 415: 34: The Power of Three Strikes Chapter 415: Chapter 34: The Power of Three Strikes Listening to this somewhat familiar voice, Jimmy couldn¡¯t help but laugh and cry at the same time. The medicine had been taken and the last words spoken, yet suddenly, he no longer had to die. Jimmy relaxed his stance, the Magic Power flooding his body receded like the tide, and his physique shrank back to its normal form. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it seems our luck is still holding out.¡± Jimmy¡¯s voice was somewhat weak, his cellular energy was already overdrawed, and even if he hadn¡¯t launched that strike, it would have only delayed his weakness. ¡°The item the dean sent us has finally arrived.¡± Upon hearing this, the faces of the people at the command center brightened up, unconsciously relaxing. Although they had braced themselves for death in battle, who would choose death if they could live. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit tricky to get hold of this thing,¡± Adams said with some concern, looking at the light in the distance that had changed from ghostly blue to crimson red, ¡°We need to carve a path through these treemen.¡± A fierce look flashed across Jimmy¡¯s face as he spoke in a slightly ferocious tone, ¡°Use the Magic Support Vehicle for a saturation strike, with the White Wizard Army assisting at the sides. These treemen, no matter how quickly they absorb the Fire Element, can¡¯t match the casting speed of the Magic Support Vehicle!¡± Adams nodded slightly upon hearing this, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make arrangements right away.¡± After saying this, he glanced at the distant red light. He always felt that this red light seemed somewhat familiar. ¡­ Behind the treemen, standing on the back of the giant Floating Mother Body, Richard breathed a sigh of relief. Around him, numerous Floating Cannons were flying out from the compartments in the back of the giant Floating Mother Body. Accompanied by Spider-shaped Armed Puppets, they swiftly harvested the lives of the treemen. Although the treemen were integrated in personality and connected in energy, they were still individual entities. But against Spider-shaped Armed Puppets that initially appeared to be able to slay wizards, these treemen seemed somewhat frail. Their unified Shield might have been solid, but it was still weak against the bombardment of the Floating Cannon Group and the Demon-breaking limbs of the Spider-shaped Puppets. The synchronized firing of tens of thousands of Floating Cannons was nearly as powerful as an Elemental Storm. And when these concentrated firings focused on certain points, even the Energy Barrier of a Great Wizard could be breached. ¡°Ga, if we had been a bit later, that kid named Jimmy would have perished along with these trees.¡± Ulysses stood on Richard¡¯s shoulder, his eyes gleaming faintly, continually scanning the surrounding environment. These days, they had been traveling almost day and night, and even during meditation, Richard had Ulysses carry him on the road. From the Ancient Battlefield to the Poison Swamp, it took Richard just one day, but from the Poison Swamp to here, it took him a full month. This was not only because of the long distance¡ªthe Ancient Battlefield and Floating City were on opposite sides of the world¡ªbut also because of the Insect Tide they encountered along the way. Three months was far from sufficient for all the World Tree Subbodies to reach the side near Floating City. But fortunately, after breaking through the Insect Tide, there were no more obstacles in the remaining journey. All the Biological Weapons within more than a thousand kilometers near the Floating City area had been summoned by the World Tree Subbodies to serve as cannon fodder. Otherwise, his journey time might have been exponentially longer. Richard spoke in a somewhat cheerful tone, ¡°We arrived just in time, have you spotted those World Tree Subbodies?¡± ¡°Not too bad, these World Tree Subbodies aren¡¯t hard to find.¡± As he spoke, Ulysses suddenly radiated a majestic Holy Light, a link of the soul connected to Richard, allowing Richard to share Ulysses¡¯ vision. In Ulysses¡¯ view, those World Tree Subbodies all glowed with a faint light. Hidden among the ordinary treemen, they were like stars in the night. ¡°There are so many, it seems the other wizards are slow in cleaning up these World Tree Subbodies.¡± In Ulysses¡¯ view, there were at least a hundred World Tree Subbodies nearby. This was after the wizards had already cleaned up the nearby World Tree Subbodies. ¡°Can you handle it?¡± Ulysses asked, ¡°If not, we need to break through quickly.¡± At this moment, some of the treemen who had reacted were turning around, walking towards Richard. And beneath the giant Floating Mother Body, numerous large vines were emerging. By the looks of it, they were about to wrap around the giant Floating Mother Body. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can handle them all,¡± Richard said, disconnecting the link, his tone still light, ¡°The real protagonist is still the item from the dean.¡± That said, Richard gestured behind him and a White Bear, which the dean had entrusted him to escort, came to his side. ¡°Roar!¡± Richard pointed ahead and commanded, ¡°Charge forward, and don¡¯t stop unless I say so.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, before Richard could react, the White Bear charged forward like a flash of white lightning, reaching the forefront of the battlefield in just a few blinks of an eye. With a loud roar, the soil and rocks on the ground flowed up his body like water, forming a set of black stone Armor. Immediately after that, the White Bear struck a pose, and the Magic Power from the surrounding environment surged towards him. Richard watched intently; this move was exactly the Unity of Heaven and Man that Jimmy had used to demonstrate the power of Physique Evolution. In the next moment, the White Bear slapped out a bright fist-light which swept through the forest like a road roller, creating a broad path. Dozens of treemen blocking the path were shattered to pieces by this single punch. ¡°Truly powerful,¡± Richard exclaimed, ¡°This bear could probably take on three of me.¡± ¡°Three?¡± Ulysses chimed in, ¡°I think without five, you wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to run.¡± Richard¡¯s face stiffened slightly, a bit indignant, ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me a little. My strength isn¡¯t weak.¡± Ulysses¡¯s eyes twinkled as he continued to watch the White Bear intently. ¡°Your strength isn¡¯t weak, but this bear is stronger than you think. The strength it¡¯s displaying is only a fraction of its capability.¡± ¡°It still harbors immense unreleased power.¡± Speaking, Ulysses even trembled slightly. After the polar bear began to move, he faintly sensed a whiff of the aura of death. ¡°It¡¯s that strong? No wonder the dean said that with it, we could largely clinch victory in the wars with the Outer World.¡± Richard was slightly startled and immediately established a psychic connection with the spider-shaped armed puppets by his side, and the gigantic floating mother body beneath him. ¡°Do not linger in battle, push forward with full force.¡± The order issued, all the spider-shaped armed puppets, and all the floating cannons paused momentarily. [Command confirmed: Advance with full force.] In the next instant, what was once a somewhat scattered puppet squad suddenly transformed into a sharp spearhead. A massive barrage from the floating cannons, paired with the combat prowess of the spider-shaped armed puppets, which could rival a Three Rings Wizard, forcefully breached through even though the treants had completed their Second Level Gestalt connection. Not to mention the enormous floating mother body lurking behind these puppets. Although the primary role of the gigantic floating mother body was not to charge into battle, its combat abilities were not weak at all. For it, obstructing treants were merely leg-raise away. Not to mention the defense guns it was equipped with. Suddenly, a thunderbolt thick as a large tree swiftly targeted Richard, coming right behind the floating mother body. Boom! Beneath the gigantic floating mother body, massive vine tentacles also surged out from the ground, securely binding it in place. But Richard was not the slightest bit panicked. ¡°I say, there is no thunder here.¡± With Ulysses¡¯s low voice entering alongside the Holy Light, the mighty thunderbolt dissipated in mid-air following this seemingly ordinary sentence. The Divine Speech Skill was simply that unreasonable. Richard glanced at the World Tree Subbody that had unleashed the thunderbolt, swung his arm, and immediately thousands of floating cannons flew towards it. The group of floating cannons bore the damage, encircled the World Tree Subbody, and trapped it with a delayed force field. In just ten seconds, the floating cannons unleashed tens of thousands of light cannon shots, reducing the World Tree Subbody to ashes. Richard diverted his gaze and muttered to himself: ¡°Although I can¡¯t kill all, killing one or two is still feasible.¡± ¡­ In the distance, the command center¡¯s personnel stared agape at the scene. ¡°Is it over just like that?¡± A White Wizard incredulously asked those around him, ¡°Are those the new strategic weapons released by the Tesla Chamber of Commerce?¡± ¡°No,¡± a Three Rings Wizard, half of his body mechanical, shook his head, ¡°Not a product of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce. Unless he is a member of Tesla Chamber of Commerce¡¯s internal team, otherwise¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a weapon of the Lost One,¡± another wizard interjected. Saying this, he took out a crystal ball from his pocket, which sealed inside was a similar floating cannon. He spoke enviously, ¡°During the pre-war meeting, this person didn¡¯t stand out. I didn¡¯t expect him to be able to control the weapons of the Lost One.¡± The weapons of the Lost One were all extraordinary, and the weapons Richard was controlling now couldn¡¯t even be described as mere ¡®items.¡¯ Richard had obtained a batch of the Lost One¡¯s weapons. ¡°It seems Adams¡¯s Magic Support Vehicle was called in vain,¡± Jimmy said pensively as he looked at the group of floating cannons, ¡°Without us, Richard could have broken through on his own.¡± Saying that, a polar bear clad in stone armor struck a punch, plowing a path towards the Floating City. Immediately after, dark spider-shaped puppets quickly expanded the breach, preparing to escort the gigantic floating mother body out. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At that moment, Adams finally completed mobilizing the Magic Support Vehicle. With his command, a sky-full of fire rained down precisely alongside Richard, bombarding the treants on either side into slag. Taking advantage of the cover, Richard, along with the gigantic floating mother body, swiftly burst through the sea of treants. As soon as they entered, the White Wizard Army immediately began their counterattack. Without significant losses, an immense volume of fireballs again triggered a Fire Element Storm, briefly halting the treants¡¯ advance. ¡°Master Jimmy, long time no see,¡± Richard, along with the polar bear, flew next to Jimmy, ¡°Mission accomplished, as the dean assigned.¡± Jimmy looked at the polar bear, a relief smile appearing on his face. He turned to Richard with a smile, ¡°You came just in time, boy. A moment later, and you wouldn¡¯t have seen me anymore.¡± Richard laughed heartily in response, ¡°Arriving early is not as good as arriving timely. Now it¡¯s your turn, master.¡± Jimmy, chuckling, patted Richard on the shoulder, then flew next to the polar bear. In an instant, Jimmy actually merged into the polar bear. ¡°Richard, you must have been very curious all along the road why the dean wanted you to deliver this item,¡± Jimmy¡¯s voice came from the polar bear¡¯s mouth, giving Richard the illusion the polar bear had become anthropomorphized. Richard honestly replied, ¡°Indeed, the polar bear is potent, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough to turn the tide of a battlefield.¡± ¡°On its own, this beast puppet indeed cannot,¡± the polar bear walked up to Richard, facing the distant sea of treants. ¡°But this beast puppet is merely a box; what it carries inside is what you were really supposed to deliver.¡± ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± Richard asked with some anticipation. Just then, the polar bear squared up, retracting its arms, ready to strike. ¡°What¡¯s inside is¡ª¡± The polar bear swiped out. ¡°The Dean¡¯s Tri-Force Punch!¡± A pillar of punching light, like a storm, flashed through the sea of treants. After the storm, a vast swath of the sea of treants simply vanished, as if evaporated. Chapter 416: 35 Convergence of Two Realms Chapter 416: Chapter 35 Convergence of Two Realms With one blow, the polar bear stood in mid-air, its gaze looking down at the remaining tree people. All the wizards present were dumbfounded. Uninformed onlookers were simply amazed at the power of the strike, while those in the know, like Richard, marvelled at the strength of the World Tree. The might of a single blow from Garon Great Wizard was terrifying, so one could only wonder how powerful the World Tree, which had battled Garon Great Wizard for years in the Inner World, must be. Suddenly, Richard approached the polar bear and stealthily supported him. ¡°Take me back, don¡¯t let them notice.¡± Jimmy¡¯s weak voice reached Richard¡¯s ears, and without a change in expression, Richard silently cast a Wind Element spell and flew the polar bear back. Returning to the Command Room, Richard dumped the polar bear on a chair and was about to call a logistics wizard for help, but before he could leave the room, a magic fluctuation erupted from the polar bear. Turning back, Richard saw a frail, bloodied old figure emerging from the polar bear. ¡°Master Jimmy?¡± Richard hurriedly went over to support Jimmy, but Jimmy stopped him with a wave of his hand. ¡°A minor issue, just overexertion,¡± Jimmy said lightly. Looking at the bloodied figure before him, Richard couldn¡¯t help but compare him to Jimmy of the past. Back then, Jimmy was robust with fine, glossy skin, truly a middle-aged handsome man. But now, Jimmy was emaciated, his face and body covered in wrinkles and age spots, looking like an old man on the verge of death. ¡°But you don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve just overextended yourself,¡± Richard expressed his concern. Jimmy was not only the commander of this war, but also a key general of Garon Great Wizard. If he died and Garon Great Wizard was in a bad mood when clashing with the World Tree, failing to measure his strength¡­ All the lesser wizards would be doomed. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s fine.¡± Jimmy laughed and summoned a stream of water to wash the blood off his body. ¡°Controlling the power of the headmaster is not easy; this appearance of mine is after special training. Others simply couldn¡¯t make this strike. Even if they did, it wouldn¡¯t have the same outstanding effect.¡± Seeing Jimmy still had the energy to boast, Richard felt somewhat reassured. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re okay. Since you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll go take care of those tree people.¡± Although Jimmy had nearly cleared the tree-people sea with his Beast Puppet, the remaining part was still tough to crack. The overwhelming Magic Concentrated Fire from the White Wizard had used up much of their spiritual power and magic. Without Richard¡¯s support, the White Wizard Army might not be able to clean up the tree-people sea. There was even a risk of getting counterattacked by the sea of tree people. Jimmy¡¯s strike was formidable, yet excessively powerful; its impact did not dissipate at all. The tree people next to the strike were unharmed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the White Wizard Army down there will take care of those tree people,¡± Jimmy waved his hand, signaling for Richard to sit, ¡°First tell me about the headmaster¡¯s situation; aside from the Beast Puppet, didn¡¯t he tell you to bring me any messages?¡± Richard stroked his chin and recounted the situation. ¡°No, the headmaster just told me to bring a Beast Puppet for you. He said with this Beast Puppet, the war in the external world is pretty much won.¡± Jimmy nodded at his words, then continued to ask, ¡°So how did you contact the headmaster? Using the Lost One¡¯s Magic Equipment?¡± ¡°Indeed, but that thing is too big, I couldn¡¯t bring it back.¡± ¡°Big?¡± Jimmy was puzzled, ¡°Don¡¯t you have the Secret Realm? How big could it be that you can¡¯t bring it back?¡± Remembering the size of the Star Realm Fortress, even bigger than the Floating City, Richard nodded seriously. ¡°Yeah, couldn¡¯t bring it back.¡± ¡°Well, okay then.¡± Jimmy was momentarily stupefied by Richard¡¯s answer. How could a communicator be so large? However, Jimmy didn¡¯t pursue it further; since Richard couldn¡¯t bring it back, he could simply visit himself. ¡°Richard, you have made remarkable achievements in this war. Had it not been for your timely arrival, more than half of the over eight hundred thousand wizards would have perished.¡± Breaking the barrier between the inner and outer worlds is no simple task; if such barriers were broken, the Green Forest World would undergo severe spatial structural changes. The ensuing spatial turbulence and Elemental Storms could kill countless wizards. Richard modestly said, ¡°You overestimate me, Master. I¡¯m just a messenger.¡± Jimmy shook his head slightly: ¡°There¡¯s no need for modesty; in this battle, your credit is undeniable. Once the battle is over, I will petition the headmaster to award you a Silver Star Medal. The Silver Star Medal is quite beneficial, with it, your Great Wizard Trial¡­¡± Jimmy stopped mid-sentence because he saw Richard pulling out a Silver Star Medal from his pocket, somewhat embarrassed, he said: ¡°Well, I already have one of these. Can several of these be upgraded to a Golden Star Medal?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jimmy was a bit dazed with his response, but then he quickly recovered, shocked, ¡°How do you have a Silver Star Medal? Even I only have one, and it was given to me by the headmaster.¡± As a direct ticket to participate in the selection for the Great Wizard, countless Three Rings Wizards would vie for a Silver Star Medal. Even his own, was an award for his achievements in the Plane Expedition. Garon the Great Wizard, in recognition of his merits, deliberately went through the council connections to get it approved. But Richard had only been a Two Rings Wizard for a few years. Richard scratched his head, ¡°Some years ago, I had good luck and killed a mad Three Rings Wizard.¡± Hearing this, Jimmy didn¡¯t know what to say. A mad Three Rings Wizard was no native weakling, every mad wizard who reached Three Rings was formidable. At first sight, even an old wizard might be overturned. The fact that Richard had managed to kill one could not simply be chalked up to good luck. ¡°Good luck, huh¡­ well, since you already have that, let¡¯s switch to something else. After the campaign ends, let¡¯s see what you need, and then¡­¡± Buzz! A buzzing sound suddenly interrupted Jimmy. He turned around and saw that the crystal ball he used to communicate with Garon the Great Wizard in the Command Room had suddenly lit up. ¡°Jimmy! Get all the wizards back to the Floating City, activate the final defense! The World Tree is making a desperate move!¡± The serious tone of Garon the Great Wizard startled both of them. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without further words, Richard immediately rushed out of the Command Room to gather his Puppet Army, while Jimmy quickly took out the crystal ball. ¡°All wizards, attention, all wizards, attention, everyone return to the Floating City immediately! Everyone return to the Floating City immediately!¡± Outside the Floating City, the White Wizard Army was urgently exterminating the remaining tree-people. As Richard predicted, even with the sea of tree-people largely cleared, and both spiritual power and magic severely depleted, the White Wizard Army struggled to annihilate the remaining tree-people. There was even some sense of being pushed back. These tree-people seemed to have evolved again after witnessing a strike from Garon the Great Wizard. Suddenly, Jimmy¡¯s voice resounded from every wizard¡¯s crystal ball. But the order to return to the Floating City left everyone somewhat puzzled. ¡°All wizards return to the Floating City?¡± Adams frowned upon hearing the message from his crystal ball. If they didn¡¯t eliminate the remaining tree-people in one fell swoop, they would soon have to confront a batch of even more troublesome tree-people and later the offsprings of the World Tree. ¡°What should we do?¡± asked the vice-commander of the Netherfire Army. Adams put the crystal ball into his pocket and sighed slightly, ¡°What else can we do? The Commander has given the order, everyone must retreat immediately. Ah, this battle has been really frustrating.¡± ¡­ Inner World. Countless dark roots shot up from the ground, each surmounted by a black crystal. As they emerged, countless blazing beams of light shot from the crystals, almost illuminating the entire sky. Their target was Garon the Great Wizard, who was at the center of the sea of roots. At this moment, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s shrunken body, formerly towering, had become only the size of a mountain. He clenched the White Bone Wand, which was merged with several World Master bodies, and with furrowed brows, stared towards the end of the world. There, a pitch-black figure was incessantly damaging the barrier between the inner and outer worlds. Garon the Great Wizard waved his wand, and a force invisible crossed half the world¡¯s distance, shattering the World Tree. But soon, the World Tree regenerated and continued to damage the barrier between the inner and outer worlds. Garon the Great Wizard cursed resignedly, ¡°Such a damn nuisance!¡± As a native being of this world, the World Tree¡¯s understanding of the world¡¯s rules and structure far exceeded his as a foreigner. Coupled with the nearly infinite life energy of the World Tree, if it was determined to breach the barrier, even Garon the Great Wizard couldn¡¯t stop it. The rain of light fell on Garon the Great Wizard, causing him a slight sting. Although individually these beams of light weren¡¯t strong enough to breach Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s defenses, thousands of them concentrated at one point inevitably caused him some minor injuries. This was the role of a group in war. Through the accumulation of massive ordinary attacks, damage is inflicted on targets at the World Master level. Although the damage was negligible, in a battle of World Masters, such small damage could tip the balance of the war. Soon, a severe space fluctuation resonated in both the inner and outer worlds. The spatial structure changes caused spatial turbulence and elemental storms, instantaneously wreaking havoc in the worlds. Entire forests were torn to shreds by spatial turbulence, and the elemental storms caused not only a large mountain range of volcanoes to form in the Green Forest World but also a vast storm covering most of the world. The torrential rain almost instantly turned the area within the storm into a swamp. The wizards who had returned to the Floating City, witnessing the scenes resembling doomsday outside, couldn¡¯t help but tremble in awe. Before nature¡¯s mighty power, they, mere wizards, were just larger ants. Ulysses stood on Richard¡¯s shoulder, his eyes sparkling as he watched the eye of the storm in the distance. There, two formidable figures were slowly emerging. ¡°Richard, watch carefully. Such a level of combat is rare. Those two big shots are about to start their final showdown.¡± Chapter 417: 36: Conquering the World Tree Chapter 417: Chapter 36: Conquering the World Tree In the eye of the storm, two colossal beings faced each other from afar. On one side, a pitch-black giant tree, connecting heaven and earth, stood with a trunk as thick as a mountain and a canopy that blocked out the sun. As its branches and leaves swayed, the turbulent flows of space were absorbed and transformed into nourishment. On the other side, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s figure towered once more, his body now sprouting three heads. The head on the left was wrathful, spewing black flames from its mouth. The right head dripped tears of mercy from its eyes. The middle head remained neither sad nor happy, its expression calm, its gaze indifferent as if a divine being had descended, overlooking all living creatures. The World Tree¡¯s branches and leaves shook, their sound overpowering even the thunder. ¡°Wizard, I acknowledge your strength,¡± spoke the World Tree, ¡°but you cannot defeat me in this world. If you retreat now, I can pretend as if nothing happened. But if you insist on courting death, then¡ª¡± The World Tree was interrupted by Garon the Great Wizard: ¡°You old tree, you talk too much. Once I turn you into a Magic Wand, I must seal your consciousness. Otherwise, you¡¯re sure to annoy me to death.¡± With that, Garon¡¯s three heads opened their mouths simultaneously, inhaling and creating a vacuum of energy within a thousand miles. In his hand, the White Bone Wand was alive with an endless flow of runes. If an Alchemy Wizard were to observe closely, they would notice that most of the runes on this wand were for fortifying the wand itself. The runes truly meant for amplification in the rune array were few and far between. Garon¡¯s formidable power was such that even a wand made from the remains of a Level 6 Creature could scarcely withstand it. ¡°Wizard, you will surely become my finest nourishment,¡± the World Tree spoke, its voice tinged with anger as if a ten thousand thunderbolts exploded in the sky. ¡°I will make your soul wail upon my branches and leaves¡­¡± Boom! A massive shockwave instantly created a vacuum in the storm. Garon the Great Wizard, grasping the White Bone Wand, struck the World Tree directly overhead. His terrifying power, along with the storm, shredded nearly half of the World Tree¡¯s canopy in an instant. For Garon, the combat techniques of a mortal body were long obsolete. The true techniques, hidden beneath appearances, were imperceptible to ordinary people. Thus, each of his strikes was uncomplicated and direct. The World Tree responded in a similarly straightforward manner. Suddenly, two vine whips appeared on the World Tree, and with each swing, even the space itself shattered. Snap! The space-splitting vine whip merely left a white mark on Garon when it struck him. From a distance, in the Floating City, Richard watched the two colossal beings in the storm, somewhat dazed. At that moment, his vision suddenly changed. The surface appearances of the world faded from his sight, revealing the world hidden behind the curtain. ¡°So this is¡­ the world beneath the curtain?¡± Richard murmured to himself. As a Three Rings Wizard, Richard now had the privilege to peek behind the curtain. The battle between Garon the Great Wizard and the World Tree, though appearing exceedingly rudimentary, Indeed, involved the application of countless rules. These rules, hidden behind the curtain, were undecipherable to ordinary people without the power of third-level creatures. Before Richard¡¯s eyes, all things shed their outward forms, revealing their true essence beneath. Rain was no longer just rain but an entanglement of four elemental rules, with the deep blue Water Element Rule being predominant yet finely balanced with the other three. The air was no longer just air but dominated by the Air Element in a tangle of rules. All things in this world, their underlying rules interconnected, resembled an abstract painting. It was mesmerizing yet dizzying. In the depths of the storm, each movement of the two colossal beings involved innumerable rules. On their bodies, Richard saw an incredibly complex rule made of multiple mixed rules. These two rules, though clashing with the surrounding ones, were interlinked. ¡°Is this the Rule Body?¡± Richard murmured to himself. On Richard¡¯s shoulder, Ulysses looked at the dazed Richard and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Finally seeing beyond the curtain.¡± He turned his head, and saw that several other Three Rings Wizards observing the battle had also entered a dazed state. The vast mobilization of rules by Garon the Great Wizard and the World Tree had a tremendous impact beneath the curtain. These undercurrents, stirring beneath the curtain, easily allowed those with the privilege to glimpse beyond it to sense the changes and see what lay behind. Some creatures, naturally sensitive, could even perceive beyond the curtain without reaching the third level. ¡°Come to think of it, this must be his first time seeing beyond the curtain,¡± Ulysses muttered quietly to himself. Before this, he remembered that Richard¡¯s rules had all come through the Miracle Furnace. It was truly his first time witnessing the rules beyond the curtain. ¡°Ah, such good fortune.¡± Most Three Rings Wizards obtained rules through observing the rules beyond the curtain, gaining just a few fragments of rules. Or by studying items that manifested certain rules over time, discerning their features, and then through rituals, stripping the rules from those items or forcibly integrating them. But Richard, with a single Miracle Furnace, could obtain rules without even lifting the curtain. If other third-level creatures knew of this, they might envy him to the point of grinding their teeth. With that, Ulysses turned his gaze back to the storm. Although he had seen beyond the curtain often, he hadn¡¯t seen many battles of this magnitude. He too had much to learn from it. ¡­ In the storm, the two colossal beings entangled like the most primal of beasts. Their every strike was so powerful it shattered space, the World Tree¡¯s vine whips and branches, each twitch wrapped in chaotic space currents. But in front of Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s terrifying form, such feats failed to even scratch him, leaving only a white imprint. Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s White Bone Wand, though profoundly mighty as each strike made the branches and leaves of the World Tree tremble and wood chips fly, backed by the world, such injuries would heal in an instant. It seemed destined to be a prolonged battle. Suddenly, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s furious head revealed a strange smirk. His compassionate head shed a tear. The middle head, neither sad nor happy, spoke, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± The next moment, Garon the Great Wizard thrust his wand into the ground, and the earth immediately split open with a huge rift. Deep underground in the Magma Sea, a massive root ball tangled with countless roots was constantly absorbing nutrients from the magma. This was what Garon the Great Wizard had been searching for¡ªthe core of the World Tree. All the World Trees they had seen before were merely the tendrils of this root ball. ¡°World Tree, won¡¯t you surrender?¡± All three heads of Garon the Great Wizard spoke in unison. ¡°If you surrender, I will make you my Magic Wand Spirit so we may share in prosperity and decline together. But if you remain deluded, do not blame me for sealing your soul away, never to see the light of day again.¡± Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s voice boomed like thunder, scattering even the rain clouds in the sky. But the World Tree was not panicked. ¡°So what if you found me?¡± With that said, a milky white glow abruptly emerged around the World Tree¡¯s core. ¡°The World Origin.¡± Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s expression grew somewhat grave. He had not expected this World Tree to have rooted so deeply, almost turning the World Origin into its core. If it succeeded, even destroying the world wouldn¡¯t kill it. ¡°I am shielded by the World Origin; if you can shatter it, come at me quickly.¡± Watching the World Tree¡¯s core, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s angry head burst into laughter, his compassionate head¡¯s eyes brimming with tears, and even the middle head sighed. ¡°Clinging to delusion, what a waste of my wand.¡± With those words, Garon the Great Wizard retracted his arm and clenched his fist, drawing nearly half the world¡¯s Magic Power toward him. Naturally, the World Tree wouldn¡¯t let him continue. The branches and leaves of the World Tree swayed dramatically, and countless roots burst from the ground, brazenly seizing two-thirds of the energy meant for Garon the Great Wizard. Without energy, even Garon the Great Wizard, powerful as he was, could not break through the defense of the World Origin. Such a move would indeed be effective against a normal person. But unfortunately, this time the World Tree was facing one of the wealthiest wizards in the Wizard World. Suddenly, a Space Rift opened beside Garon the Great Wizard. Dark masses of Magic Essence flowed out like a river. In wizard battles, it was often a confrontation of wealth. And Garon the Great Wizard was one of the wealthiest wizards. In an instant, countless Magic Essence shattered, transforming into energy that entered Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s body. A concentrated punch of energy that pierced through the earth reached the core of the world, instantly breaking the milky white glow surrounding the World Tree¡¯s core. As the punch disappeared, the enormous dark tree on the ground suddenly became motionless. Without its core, this grand tree was indeed just a regular tree. But soon, Garon the Great Wizard noticed something was amiss. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s still not dead.¡± Garon the Great Wizard looked towards the edge of the world, where a small sapling suddenly trembled. ¡°Don¡¯t kill, don¡¯t kill, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± The World Tree¡¯s panicked voice sounded in Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s ears. He returned to his normal size, took a step forward, and arrived beside the sapling. ¡°So, not so cheeky now?¡± Garon the Great Wizard gripped the trunk of the sapling, smilingly asked. ¡°Not cheeky anymore, not cheeky anymore,¡± the sapling trembled as it spoke. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It never dreamed that a being akin to itself would be capable of breaking through the defense of the World Origin. Each world¡¯s World Origin is of utmost importance to that world. Its defensive strength, strong enough that even great beings could at most destabilize the defense of a miniature world. And the Green Forest World was a smaller world; logically, Garon the Great Wizard should not be able to breach its defenses unless¡­ The World Tree suddenly trembled. ¡°You could have become the Master of the Star Realm a long time ago?¡± ¡°Oh, you figured it out.¡± Garon the Great Wizard appeared somewhat surprised. ¡°But you¡¯re a bit off. It¡¯s not that I could have become the Master a long time ago, but that I already have the qualifications to become the Master. However, there is still a small step I must take to truly become the Master.¡± As he spoke, Garon the Great Wizard uprooted the World Tree. ¡°Little sapling, being my wand is not a bad deal. What fun is there in being the World Tree? Even if you became the Master of the Star Realm, you would still be trapped in this world. Isn¡¯t that just putting yourself in a cage? Come with me, and your future days will certainly be rich and colorful.¡± Chapter 418 - 37: Trade Chapter 418: Chapter 37: TradeThe end of the war caught many wizards off guard. No one had anticipated that a war, expected to last indefinitely, would conclude in less than a decade. Of the one million wizards who participated in this expedition, the White Wizard Army lost seventy thousand, while the Black Wizards lost nearly fifty thousand. The brutality of the underground battlefield far surpassed that of the surface. Yet, this loss, compared to a normal expedition, was still considered minimal. For the vast majority of wizards, this was a fortunate outcome. Few wizards were willing to risk their lives battling the tree beings. Post-war operations were swiftly organized under the direction of Garon the Great Wizard and commenced in an orderly fashion. The first issue addressed was the planning of the frontier zones. The existing Wizard Exploration Zones remained unchanged, but there was no need to continue expanding into the uncultivated wilds. Before the Teleportation Gate opened, the White Wizard Army¡¯s task was to repair and maintain the Wizard Exploration Zones. Garon the Great Wizard generously approved the requests from some wizards to explore the barbaric lands, provided they didn¡¯t stir up significant trouble. Next came the issue of repairs to the Floating City. Garon the Great Wizard had no solution for the damages it had suffered. He also lacked the blueprints for the Floating City Power Furnace. Comprehensive repairs would have to wait until the repair personnel from the Tower of Truth returned after the Teleportation Gate opened. However, before that time, some minor issues with the Floating City still needed to be fixed by the expeditionary wizards. This task would be assigned in the form of missions, with wizards receiving varying amounts of rewards upon completion. The final issue was that of rewarding achievements. In the last battle, although the White Wizard Army faced setbacks, their contribution was undeniable. Several wizards within the Netherfire Army who made outstanding contributions during the war were nominated. Although these wizards couldn¡¯t turn the tide entirely, they played crucial roles in several local battles. The grand ceremony and generous material rewards were extended to them by Garon the Great Wizard. Then came the problem with Richard. ... "Wow, you¡¯ve really found something incredible, haven¡¯t you?" Garon the Great Wizard remarked as he looked at the Star Realm Fortress not far away, unable to help but marvel. If the Floating City was the crystallization of alchemy machinery, the fortress before them could almost be called a miracle. "If those old alchemy machine researchers saw this, they¡¯d likely be green with envy." "Haha, I think so too," Richard chuckled. "The first time I saw this thing, all I could think about was moving it into the Secret Realm." "Why didn¡¯t you move it then?" Garon the Great Wizard joked upon hearing this. Richard spread his hands in a helpless gesture: "It¡¯s so massive; how could I possibly move it?" "That makes sense," Garon the Great Wizard realized. Having been a Great Wizard for so long, he had grown accustomed to judging things by the standards of a Great Wizard. For a Great Wizard, moving the Star Realm Fortress was merely a bit troubling. But for a Three Rings Wizard like Richard, moving it was hardly easier than moving mountains. "Alright," patted Richard on the shoulder, Garon the Great Wizard said cheerfully, "You were the hero of this war. I¡¯ll make you a promise¡ªthe research findings I get from this thing, you can use them. You can teach them to students as well, but you can¡¯t sell them." Richard nodded repeatedly: "Of course." The two walked into the Floating City. Garon the Great Wizard looked at the Radiation Aurora within the fissure, a flash of surprise crossing his face. He took a step and, in the next instant, they appeared above the Power Furnace. Looking down at the Fuel Ring below, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s eyes brightened. "This is excellent; who would have thought the Lost Ones could utilize the rules to this extent? Impressive, truly impressive." Seeing his interest piqued, Richard timely played along: "Headmaster, what¡¯s so special about this then? Isn¡¯t this just a power furnace driven by energy radiation as its energy source?" Garon the Great Wizard smiled warmly: "Now that you¡¯re also a Three Rings Wizard, you can¡¯t just look at things at their surface. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I¡¯m not an Alchemy Wizard, so I don¡¯t have much opinion on the structure of this Power Furnace. But as a Great Wizard, I can tell you, this fuel is quite remarkable. You see the Fuel Ring emitting radiation, but you didn¡¯t perceive what lies behind its emission of energy radiation." Saying this, Garon the Great Wizard casually picked up a piece of Black Stone that had fallen off the Fuel Ring. "This material may exist in the Star Realm, but I can assure you, the piece we see here is definitely synthetically created by the Lost Ones. They¡¯ve inscribed a complete basic rule onto the material, thus using it to drive the Power Furnace." Although Richard already knew the secret of the Fuel Ring, he still made a suitably surprised expression upon hearing this. "A complete basic rule? Are the Lost Ones really that powerful?" The so-called basic rules, as discovered by wizards, are an extremely simple and pure set of rules. Specifically, no matter how they are split, their rule fragments only differ from the complete rules in terms of the strength of the effect. Just like the basic Fire Element Rule, no matter how you break it, its effect remains the control of fire elements. And those non-fundamental rules, due to the fragmentation of rules, would manifest different effects. For example, if Annihilation Flame were to become a rule, upon its fragmentation, the effects of the fragments could either be to control flames or shadows, or even to absorb energy, etc. These fundamental rules are the cornerstones of the Rule Body; any Rule Body is extended outward from a fundamental rule. Garon the Great Wizard spoke with a hint of sigh, "Yes, they were indeed powerful. But unfortunately, they still disappeared. They didn¡¯t even leave a name behind, only a title known as ¡¯Supreme.¡¯" After saying this, he shook his head slightly, sighed, and then returned to the Floating City with Richard. Outside the Floating City, a much-recovered Jimmy was directing wizards to build the Duel Arena. The resources in this world were extremely scarce, presumably stripped away by the pioneers before they had turned it into a fortress world. Although the world itself had regenerated some resources over the years, these were barely sufficient. Wizard commissions, coupled with the damage to the Floating City and the massive amount of Magic Essence used by Garon the Great Wizard in his final strike, made this planar expedition a substantial loss. After all, the World Tree couldn¡¯t exactly be sold in exchange for Magic Essence. Therefore, Jimmy turned his attention to various biological weapons that existed in this world. These biological weapons had formidable combat capabilities, making them suitable for use in the Duel Arena to train the wizards from the academy, which was a good choice. According to Jimmy¡¯s plans, he intended to establish ten Duel Arenas within the existing Wizard Control Zone, placing various levels of difficulty biological weapons and Magic Beasts within. He planned to turn this world into a training world for the Garon Wizard College. "Jimmy." The voice from behind startled Jimmy; turning around, he saw Richard and Garon the Great Wizard standing behind him unexpectedly. "Principal, how did you get back so soon?" Jimmy asked perplexedly, "Wasn¡¯t Richard taking you to see the Lost Relics?" "We¡¯ve already seen them," Garon the Great Wizard replied with a smile. He walked over to Jimmy, pinched his arm, "You¡¯re recovering well. Once the Teleportation Gate is opened, you¡¯d better soak in the Life Spring in the world of hot springs; it¡¯ll be good for your recovery." With that, the figure of Garon the Great Wizard suddenly disappeared. Jimmy turned to look at Richard. "Richard, you¡¯re back at just the right time. I¡¯d like to discuss a trade with you about your batch of Armed Puppets." ... Command Tower, Jimmy¡¯s office. Jimmy sat behind the desk, speaking amicably, "I want to represent the academy in purchasing that massive Floating Cannon Mother Body and those Spider-shaped Crystal Puppets from you." At the desk, Richard¡¯s expression remained composed. He had been mentally prepared for Jimmy¡¯s purchase request. After all, such a large batch of Pioneer Weapons, held by a single wizard, was simply too conspicuous and wasteful. After the breakout battle, Richard still had eight hundred twenty-one Spider-shaped Armed Puppets and thirty-five thousand Floating Cannons, and the Floating Mother Body was completely unscathed. These weapons alone could easily match the combat power of ten ten-thousand-man groups of White Wizards. Even according to the rules of Plane War, where Richard was supposed to hand over a third, the remaining weapons were still immensely valuable. "So what price do you have in mind, Master?" Richard sat up straight, a slight business-like smile on his face. Since it was a trade discussion, relationships and emotions had to be set aside as benefits were prioritized. "To be honest, I¡¯m not sure what price to offer," Jimmy said, rubbing his head with some difficulty. "The value of your weapons is too high, and I¡¯m not sure what to offer in exchange right now." Jimmy knew that Richard was not lacking in Magic Essence, which also meant he wasn¡¯t lacking in resources. Therefore, he needed to offer something that couldn¡¯t be obtained with Magic Essence in exchange, such as knowledge, promises, favors, or even some treasures that wouldn¡¯t appear on the open market. But the value of these things was hard to measure; the two parties might have vastly different views on the value of a particular item. "So I¡¯m going to ask you, do you have something that you can¡¯t complete with your own power for the time being?" Jimmy, backed by resources from Garon the Great Wizard, controlled resources that could be described as terrifying; many tasks impossible for ordinary wizards were not a challenge for him. Richard pondered for a moment before speaking, "Speaking of which... I do have one. I have a very good alchemy material in my hands, and I plan to make it into a Magic Wand. But Chapter 419 - 38 The Value of the Star Map Chapter 419: Chapter 38 The Value of the Star Map"Light of Balance..." Upon hearing the missing material Richard needed, Jimmy fell silent. He took out a magic book from his pocket and wrote down the name "Light of Balance" with a quill pen. Soon after, Jimmy looked up and asked, "How much Light of Balance do you need?" Richard estimated in his heart, "I¡¯m not sure. But I estimate it around a thousand strands." "A thousand strands..." Jimmy frowned slightly, "That¡¯s too much. All your puppets combined aren¡¯t worth the cost of a thousand strands of Light of Balance. That item is a specialty of the Balance Dimension and also a power source of the Balance Lords. A thousand strands of Light of Balance is almost equivalent to a minor Balance Lord. Moreover, you need not just the Light of Balance, you also want the chance to craft a Magic Wand from a Great Wizard. Consider a different condition, or perhaps a different plan." "A different condition..." Richard pondered for a moment before shaking his head slightly, "Apart from this, I have no other plans at the moment. But to change the plan, truth be told, that is an excellent material, and if it ended up mediocre, I¡¯d regret it for ten thousand years." "This is going to be challenging, then." Jimmy, somewhat irritated, ran his fingers through his hair. He hated dealing with the likes of Richard in trades, those who weren¡¯t short on money. If Richard weren¡¯t on the faculty of the academy, he might have used some off-the-record tricks to close the deal. But Richard was one of their own. Dealing with one¡¯s own people, naturally, you can¡¯t engage in underhanded tactics. It¡¯s a matter of principle. Violating these principles meant that even if Garon the Great Wizard held him in high regard, he¡¯d still be expelled from the academy. "How about this then? What if I rent it to the academy?" Richard suddenly spoke up, "That way, the academy only needs to pay with Magic Essence." Hearing this, Jimmy was taken aback, then responded with surprise, "That could work." If they couldn¡¯t purchase it, renting was another option. After all, the academy needed its combat power. In the realm of research, every Alchemy Wizard at Garon Wizard College was from the Flesh Faction, and studying this thing would be a complete waste of heavenly gifts. Seeing Jimmy agree, Richard smiled, "Shall we discuss the specific rental contract when we return to the Wizard World?" "Of course," Jimmy agreed. Richard clapped his hands, "Then that¡¯s settled for now. While we¡¯re at it, I also have something else to trade with the academy." "Oh? What might that be?" asked Jimmy, curious. Besides these Lost Puppets, he couldn¡¯t think of anything else Richard might have that was worth trading with the academy. Richard took out a Projection Crystal Ball and placed it on the table. With a flicker of light at his fingertip, the crystal ball projected a three-dimensional image. Within the image were some prominent points that, combined together, resembled a kind of simplified Rune. Jimmy looked at the image, not quite understanding. "What¡¯s this? A Rune? A Magic Array?" Richard shook his head, "Master, if you can¡¯t make it out, then let the headmaster have a look." "You¡¯re saying it¡¯s so spectacular that only the headmaster can understand it?" Jimmy¡¯s interest piqued upon hearing this. "Think carefully, though. The headmaster might be approachable, but he¡¯s not at your beck and call. If you¡¯re bluffing, you¡¯re likely in for serious trouble." Richard smiled mysteriously, sitting back in his chair, his words imbued with utter confidence. "Master, just call him." Taking his word, Jimmy didn¡¯t waste any more time and immediately took out the Communication Crystal Ball that he used to contact Garon the Great Wizard. "Headmaster, do you have a moment? Richard has something interesting here that I can¡¯t quite grasp, and I hope you could take a look." "Take a look?" Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s voice carried a hint of confusion. The next instant, his figure appeared in the room. "What interests you so much that not even the Alchemy Encyclopedia can clarify it..." Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s voice suddenly paused as his gaze shifted from Jimmy to the projection above the crystal ball. "Good lad, you didn¡¯t waste your time with this war." Jimmy couldn¡¯t discern the meaning of those points, and apart from being overly incomplete, the main reason was his limited perspective. He was still seeing things from a mortal¡¯s viewpoint. If his vision had been broader, he would have seen that the projected points were not simply Runes, but instead, they represented individual worlds¡ªthe projection was the incomplete Star Map that Richard had obtained! Garon the Great Wizard turned to Richard, "Is this all? Or is there more..." Richard stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "This is half." "Fine, I¡¯ll take it," Garon the Great Wizard declared. "After you become a Great Wizard, I¡¯ll give you an undeveloped Miniature World." "...How much?" Richard¡¯s voice trembled as he asked. He felt he must have misheard; otherwise, how could he hear that Garon the Great Wizard was offering a Miniature World in exchange? "One Miniature World," Garon the Great Wizard spoke plainly, "If there¡¯s a Medium World in there, it¡¯s not unfeasible for me to give you a Small World instead." Jimmy finally caught on at this point and pointed incredulously at the projection on the table: "This is a star map! You found the star map!" Garon the Great Wizard glanced at him, slightly displeased, "Jimmy, are you trying to let the entire Floating City know?" Jimmy immediately shut his mouth upon hearing this, but his wide eyes still betrayed his shock to Richard. The value of a star map was enormous. Richard took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "You¡¯re being too generous, Headmaster." Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. "That¡¯s supposed to be a compliment, right?" Richard¡¯s face stiffened before he quickly replied, "A compliment! Of course, it¡¯s a compliment!" "That¡¯s good," Garon the Great Wizard smiled. "The value of this object is a bit too high for a Great Wizard; I feel like even giving away a world would be somewhat stingy." Having said that, he boasted, "Do you have any other requests? Just name them, and as long as I can fulfill them, I agree to them all." Richard¡¯s eyes instantly lit up, and he quickly asked, "Headmaster, could you manage to get me a Golden Star Medal?" The Golden Star Medal was a first-level honor medal in the Wizard World. Wizards who possessed this medal didn¡¯t need to partake in the Great Wizard Trial; they could directly qualify for promotion to Great Wizard. "Uh... I really can¡¯t manage that," Garon the Great Wizard said somewhat awkwardly. "Although the medal nominally comes with a waiver of the trial, in reality, it¡¯s awarded to Great Wizards. Even I couldn¡¯t possibly get that for you. Choose something else." Richard felt a bit dejected upon hearing this; he hadn¡¯t expected that even Garon the Great Wizard couldn¡¯t secure a Golden Star Medal. "If the Golden Star Medal won¡¯t work, then I would like to ask you to help me create a magic wand." Saying this, Richard took a metal box out of his pocket. Inside the metal box was the arm of the World Master that he had obtained from the treasure trove of the Black Tower Great Wizard years ago. "Hah, you¡¯ve got quite a few treasures, kid." Garon the Great Wizard opened the box and took the arm out. After examining it for a while, he was surprised. "Even though it¡¯s only a limb of a Level 4 creature, the rules inside are pretty good; it has a lot of potential for development. What do you plan to make it into? If you don¡¯t have a plan, then I¡¯ll design it for you." "I have a plan, I have a plan." Richard hastily shared his idea of the Balancing Hand with Garon the Great Wizard. Hearing this, Garon the Great Wizard chuckled, "Your idea is not bad, leveraging the Light of Balance to amplify the Four Elements. I agree to your request. Once the war is over, I will ask an old friend to help you make the wand. The Light of Balance and the Universal Crystal, I¡¯ll take care of them for you. Besides this, do you have any other needs?" "Uh..." Richard thought for a long time and realized he apparently didn¡¯t need anything else. "If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯ll head back. After you merge the two star maps completely, hand them to Jimmy." With that, Garon the Great Wizard prepared to leave. Suddenly, Richard had a flash of inspiration and hurriedly called out, "Headmaster! Do you have a way to bring back items from other dimensional worlds?" "Bring things from other dimensions?" Garon the Great Wizard stopped in his tracks. "That¡¯s not difficult for me. But if you want to bring things over from other dimensions yourself, that could be troublesome. I remember that I have a ritual magic in my warehouse that can bring things back from other dimensions, though the cost each time is somewhat expensive." Richard bowed in response, "Being able to bring it back is enough." "Alright then, I¡¯ll go look for it." With that, Garon the Great Wizard disappeared. Jimmy approached Richard, full of envy, "Richard, you¡¯ve really hit the jackpot this time. An undeveloped world, that¡¯s a colossal fortune." Richard shook his head slightly and laughed, "Not really, the Headmaster¡¯s promise is to give it to me after I become a Great Wizard. The Great Wizard Trial is so dangerous, no one can guarantee a hundred percent success." Jimmy waved his hand dismissively, "Ah, let¡¯s leave that aside. Once your wand is made, not to say for certain, but the Great Wizard Trial should be almost a sure thing. In a few thousand years, I might even have to call you Lord Richard." "Ha ha, Master, don¡¯t joke about that, it can¡¯t happen that quickly." ... Having organized the star map, Richard handed it over to Jimmy. Once in Jimmy¡¯s hands, he immediately transferred it to Garon the Great Wizard. After Garon the Great Wizard confirmed that there were no issues, the transaction was deemed complete. Afterward, Richard handed over the Earth Hand to Jimmy and then began to lead a leisurely life. With the war over, they, the Black Wizards, naturally had no more tasks. Apart from a few neophyte Black Wizards who chose to stay in the frontier to study, most of the Black Wizards once again ventured into the wilds that had yet to be explored by wizards. Owing to the final battle, the danger level of the Green Forest World had plummeted sharply. This enticed a lot of the older wizards. The jungles of the Green Forest World had more than biological weapons; many dangerous plants in themselves were rare resources. If they could be tamed, these plants would be like living mines of Magic Essence. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And Richard, as a Three Rings Black Wizard, naturally wouldn¡¯t stay in the frontier to study. After handing the star map over to Jimmy, he immediately returned to the jungle to start tracking the remnants of the World Tree Subbodies, as well as the debris left behind from the battle between the World Tree and Garon the Great Wizard. It¡¯s possible to study items back in the Wizard World, but once you leave the Green Forest World, it becomes difficult to return. Chapter 420 - 39 World Mushroom Evolution Chapter 420: Chapter 39 World Mushroom EvolutionAlthough the World Tree had been subdued by Garon the Great Wizard, he did not clear the remaining World Tree Subbodies, instead letting them take root in the Green Forest World. This was not because Garon the Great Wizard was particularly kind-hearted, but rather because he simply didn¡¯t bother dealing with these minor characters. Moreover, as the barrier between the inner and outer worlds was broken, the spatial structure of both worlds was altered, and spatial turbulence and Elemental Storms would occasionally enter through Space Rifts into both worlds. Though these World Tree Subbodies were not as capable as the main body, they could also absorb a portion of the disasters as nutrients. With their presence, the damage caused by these storms was considerably reduced, which was beneficial for the world¡¯s recovery. However, Garon the Great Wizard did not prohibit Wizards from hunting World Tree Subbodies¡ªhe just set a limit. A Wizard or a group of Wizards could hunt a maximum of three World Tree Subbodies. This rule was very crude and had many loopholes to exploit. But Wizards who participated in the Plane War chose not to take advantage of these. Challenging an ancient Sixth Circle Great Wizard was not a wise decision. ... Boom! A great rumbling sound arose in the forest, and in an instant, countless fine bolts of Thunder, centered around a pitch-black giant tree, spread outwards like a Tesla sphere. But no sooner had these bolts appeared than they were completely absorbed by mycelial tendrils. Then, countless mycelium tendrils burst forth from the ground, surging toward the pitch-black giant tree like a tide, and no matter how the black giant tree attacked, their spread did not slow in the slightest. The white mycelium tendrils quickly climbed up the Energy Barrier of the black giant tree like worms. They absorbed the Energy of the Energy Barrier like parasites, rapidly dimming the black giant tree¡¯s Energy Barrier. Before long, a crisp cracking sound was heard as an entire mycelium tendril arched up the pitch-black giant tree from the ground. Far away, Richard and Ulysses quietly watched this scene, with the Fire Lizard Battle Group solemn as iron beside him. "This Old Mushroom is getting stronger," mentioned Ulysses casually, "the things over the years haven¡¯t been fed in vain." "It¡¯s normal," Richard replied. "World Mushroom told me it¡¯s about to evolve. I remember when World Mushroom was in its prime; it was a Level 4 Creature. Now that it¡¯s evolving, is it about to be promoted to a Level 5 Creature?" "About that," Ulysses replied. "But creatures that follow the World Tree evolutionary path cannot have their combat power classified under normal life-level classifications. The domains they control are what¡¯s most important. If your Secret Realm can expand to the size of a small world, then even if Old Mushroom is only Level 4, it can rival a Level 6 World Master." "Hmm? Didn¡¯t World Mushroom say earlier that the expansion of the Secret Realm had reached its limit?" Richard asked somewhat puzzled. "If it doesn¡¯t evolve, how can the Secret Realm expand to a world?" Ulysses: "... That was just a metaphor." Amidst their light conversation, World Mushroom had already returned to the Secret Realm with the pitch-black giant tree. This pitch-black giant tree was not a World Tree Subbody, but one of the remnants from the battle between the World Tree and Garon the Great Wizard. Due to the exaggerated Life Energy of the World Tree, its fragments, upon falling to the ground, quickly took root. If not dealt with, in no time, these fragments would become a degraded version of World Tree Subbodies. Although these degraded versions of the World Tree Subbodies did not possess the abilities of World Tree Subbodies to guard the forest or summon Insect Tides, their individual combat capabilities were in no way inferior to ordinary World Tree Subbodies. If left to grow, the jungles of the Green Forest World would become even more dangerous in a few years. Luckily, these things were extremely attractive food sources for many Biological Weapons. Before they formed a climate, the creatures of the Green Forest World had already cleaned up those tiny pieces. However, those slightly larger had formed a symbiotic relationship with the Biological Weapons. Only those with formidable strength continued to survive in the forest. For World Mushroom, these degraded sub-entities of World Tree Fragments also held high value. By consuming a large amount of these remnants, its power had rapidly increased, and now it was on the brink of evolving. Seeing that World Mushroom had finished its action, Richard commanded the Fire Lizard Battle Group beside him: "Alright, let¡¯s continue exploring." "Yes!" the Fire Lizard Battle Group responded in unison. ... Time flowed like water, and the tenth year after the final battle suddenly arrived. Swoosh! Three Fire Lizard Warriors clad in camouflage Single Soldier Armor swiftly moved through the forest, with a Level 2 Biological Weapon, resembling a spider, relentlessly closing in behind them. This Biological Weapon was entirely black, its surface resembling old tree bark, with moss-like growths covering its eight limbs. Pfft. The Biological Weapon suddenly spewed out a viscous purple venom, instantly filling the forest with a sweet, fishy smell which could easily dizzy Level 1 Creatures by smell alone. However, the chased Fire Lizard Warriors made no pause whatsoever. After years of modifications, the air filtration devices in their Single Soldier Armors could now filter out most of the poisonous gases. The last of them casually pulled out a blunderbuss, didn¡¯t even look back, and fired a shot behind him. The next moment, a thick jet of Flames instantly burned the Biological Weapon¡¯s venom clean. These types of Biological Weapons had been hunted by them too many times over the years. With the help of anatomy, they even understood the bodies of the Biological Weapons better than they understood themselves. Suddenly, a vine net suddenly arose under the feet of the Biological Weapon. Soon after, eight robust steel cables, resembling living creatures, burst out from both sides of the forest and tightly bound the eight legs of the Biological Weapon. These steel cables were engraved with a few Runes. Combined, they formed a piece of witchcraft known as Activated Rope. On the other end of the rope, four Fire Lizard Warriors tightened the ropes, instantly immobilizing the Biological Weapon. Shortly after, a tall Fire Lizard Warrior dropped from the tree canopy, holding a sharp Chain Saw Sword in one hand and a Golden Pattern Steel Cone in the other hand. His chain saw sword buzzed and with one swing, it split open the shell on the back of the biological weapon. But to his surprise, the shell of this biological weapon was truly like wood; the chain saw sword chopped at it and wood chips flew everywhere. Following the breach, a one-meter-long golden pattern steel cone easily pierced into the body of the biological weapon like stabbing tofu, instantly destroying its neural center. To ensure thoroughness, the towering Fire Lizard twisted the steel cone a few times, and only after confirming that the biological weapon showed no signs of activity did he speak: "Pack it up." Afterward, two Fire Lizard warriors picked up sticks and tied the biological weapon onto them, and then they used the sticks to carry it away. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although the biological weapon was already dead, it still harbored an intense poison, and reckless contact was not a wise decision. One Fire Lizard warrior tore open a scroll, and immediately thereafter, a Secret Realm Rift appeared in front of them. The two Fire Lizard warriors first delivered the trophy into the Secret Realm, followed by the ordinary warriors; the largest among them entered last in line. Inside the Secret Realm, immense energy fluctuations continuously emanated from within the body of the World Mushroom, pulsing like a heartbeat, bursting with vitality. Suddenly, a Secret Realm Rift opened, and the Fire Lizard warriors carrying the freshly killed biological weapon entered the Secret Realm. They lifted the biological weapon next to the World Mushroom, and then they began to disassemble the Single Soldier Armor with the help of the Holy Tree Elf. The World Mushroom, treating the biological weapon like a snack, grasped it with its mycelial tentacles and tossed it into its stalk. On the other side of the World Mushroom, Richard stood before an experimental table, carefully observing green algae through a microscope. This Gestalt Creature, which he had acquired unexpectedly, exhibited traits that somewhat fascinated him. Under the stimulation of Richard¡¯s Magic Power, the green algae continuously morphed, adapting to sudden environmental changes. Richard exclaimed, "Such high-efficiency in cellular cooperation, such high-efficiency in energy utilization, this creature is truly the ultimate form of life!" But as Richard was engrossed in his experiment, the voice of the World Mushroom suddenly rang in his ear. "Master, I may need to sleep for a while now." "Oh... ah?" Richard, coming to his senses, asked in surprise, "Why are you suddenly going to sleep?" "I¡¯m about to evolve, Master," the voice of the World Mushroom sounded heavy yet contained an irrepressible excitement, "I¡¯ve found a direction for breakthrough on that World Tree. I¡¯m about to break the boundaries and advance to a new level of life." Richard, upon hearing this, was immediately overjoyed. "Great, great, is there anything you need?" "No need," replied the World Mushroom, "but this sleep might be a bit long. During this time, my body can perform some simple responses under the manipulation of the Holy Tree Elves. They can help you handle the Fuel Ring. But they won¡¯t be able to provide the cross-Secret Realm support like before." Richard nodded slightly, "Okay, I understand. Rest assured and evolve." Seeing that Richard had no other matters, a vigorous energy fluctuation suddenly erupted from the body of the World Mushroom. Subsequently, the huge body of the World Mushroom began shimmering with wave-like lights. Ulysses flew out from the Holy Nest and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, "Is Old Mushroom evolving?" "Yes." "Gah, it really hasn¡¯t followed you in vain." A flash of envy crossed Ulysses¡¯ eyes; he had to scheme meticulously and exhaust great efforts to evolve successfully. And yet, the World Mushroom, just lying in the Secret Realm, had the chance of evolution drop right into its lap. Life was indeed too unfair. "It¡¯s just good luck," Richard replied with a smile, "Who would have thought we¡¯d run into a World Tree World?" Ulysses sighed softly and then spoke spiritedly, "No worries, once you become a Great Wizard, I can evolve while lying down too!" "Hahaha, sure, once I become a Great Wizard, I¡¯ll let you evolve while lying down." ... Since the World Mushroom began its evolution, the activities of the Fire Lizard Battle Group were halted. Prior to this, the Fire Lizard Battle Group had been in the jungles of the Green Forest World, capturing biological weapons that harbored fragments of the World Tree within them. As for why they didn¡¯t seek out the World Tree inferior sub-bodies, Richard could only say that individual power still couldn¡¯t compare with a group¡¯s capability. Nine years ago, the Netherfire Army along with some lone wizards, totaling nearly seven hundred thousand, entered the jungle to clean up the World Tree inferior sub-bodies. Thus, Richard had some gains due to his early advantage two years ago. But as time progressed, the inferior sub-bodies in the jungle became increasingly rare. Richard could only rely on hunting those creatures that coexisted with World Tree fragments to obtain them. Though the missions had stopped, these Fire Lizard warriors showed no signs of relaxation. They remained vigilant of their surroundings; any slight rustling could awaken them. Their daily training also constituted real combat with real weapons. They were taciturn, calm yet brutal. The ever-hostile environment of the Green Forest World seemed to have permanently changed these Fire Lizard warriors. This made Richard ponder the future of these Fire Lizards. In his original plan, once these Fire Lizards fought in a Plane War, most would retire to the rear to become trainers. Only a small number would remain in the battle group. But the current state of this Fire Lizard battle group members forced Richard to reconsider his plan. Releasing a group of PTSD sufferers back would surely crush the morale of the reserve troops. "Fire Lizard Battle Group, assemble! I have something to announce." Chapter 421 - 40 Hub World Chapter 421: Chapter 40 Hub WorldAfter years of battle, the Fire Lizard Battle Group had lost more than half its members, leaving only one hundred thirty-two remaining. Yet these members had all made significant progress through their battles in Green Forest World, spurred by the cruel biological weapons and various dangerous but evolutionary material-rich demonized plants. Among these remaining members, nearly a hundred were Second Level Fire Lizards, with the remaining First Level Fire Lizards also on the verge of breakthrough. Even the company commander of the battalion had recently become a Third Level Fire Lizard. Moreover, what was most surprising was that a considerable portion of these Fire Lizards had learned basic casting ability. Although the casting abilities of these Fire Lizards were rudimentary, even a Wizard Apprentice was stronger than them. Yet, this was still a delightful occurrence. It demonstrated that the potential of these Fire Lizards was far from fully realized. The Fire Lizards assembled as ordered, and Richard, looking at these iron-like Fire Lizards before him, said, "This war has astounded me with your performance. You have confirmed a view to me again, that Aliens are not inferior. Now, as the war is about to end, I will fulfill my promise. I have two contracts here, one is to continue serving in the battle group, the other is to return to Red Sun World as an instructor. Each contract has its benefits; decide for yourselves." With that, Richard took out two group contracts and handed them to the company commander who had become a third-level creature. The company commander took the contracts and, without hesitation, signed the contract to continue serving. Then, one by one, the Fire Lizards signed their names on the contract to continue serving. This outcome somewhat surprised Richard. He did not expect these Fire Lizard Warriors before him to love war so much that to even modify the contract was entirely unnecessary. Even if he hadn¡¯t modified the contracts, these Fire Lizards would have chosen to continue serving; they had become somewhat inseparable from war. "Everyone choosing to serve... this was somewhat unexpected to me." Richard, watching the contract full of names, casually left his own name on it. The next instant, the contract turned into flames and vanished into the air. The Fire Lizard Battle Group remained as silent as before, but Richard perceived a change. This change arose from their spirits; this contract seemed to have become a sort of test that had tempered the spirit of every member of the battle group. At this moment, the entire battle group seemed to have become a single complete entity. "Since you have chosen so, naturally, I will not send you all back. Continue training." "Yes!" the Fire Lizard Battle Group responded in unison. ... Fifteen years after the ultimate battle, a teleportation gate opened. But unlike before, this gate did not directly connect to the Tower of Truth; instead, it connected to a transfer world known as Hub World. The distance between teleportation gates cannot be indefinitely extended, and when the distance exceeds a certain limit, another teleportation gate must be added in between as a transfer. The distance from Green Forest World to Wizard World had just exceeded the limit of the teleportation gate. Thus, the gate connected to Hub World. Connected to Green Forest World, this transfer Hub World was extraordinarily bustling, with over ten world¡¯s teleportation gates needing to transfer through this world. Wizard Commerce¡¯s interdomain trade caravans, Wandering Wizards seeking to expand their horizons, various subhuman races, and even the Garon Great Wizard¡¯s slave races converged in this world, creating a bizarre yet harmonious picture. "Ha, this world isn¡¯t bad, just like our commerce worlds." Ulysses, standing on Richard¡¯s shoulder, looked at the somewhat devil-may-care city of Hub World with some nostalgia and said. "In our place, we also have such transfer worlds. North-South caravans stop in the transfer world for trade goods or to replenish supplies. All sorts of peculiar things and races converge in one world; as long as you are willing to look, you can find anything you want in the transfer world." Richard, looking at the somewhat devil-may-care city before him, did not express the kind of longing that Ulysses did. To him, this world was just an expanded business layer of the Tower of Truth, nothing worth noting. After he came out of the teleportation gate, he began searching the city for a wizard commerce known as Truth Fist. Jimmy had told him that Garon the Great Wizard had found the ritual magic that could bring things from other dimensions years ago. But since the teleportation gate had not been connected before, Garon the Great Wizard couldn¡¯t be bothered to return from Wizard World to Green Forest World for such a trivial matter. So, years ago, he entrusted it to an affiliate of the academy called the Truth Fist Commerce for temporary keeping. And now, with the teleportation gate connected, that ritual magic had also been moved to a branch of Truth Fist Commerce in Hub World. Richard¡¯s visit to Hub World was to retrieve that spell and incidentally return to Wizard World. ... Cities in Hub World were typically mega-cities that expanded outwards with the teleportation gate at the center. In such cities, finding a branch of a commerce could indeed be a challenge. Truth Fist Commerce, despite being backed by Garon Wizard College, was not a major commerce. The primary business of this commerce was special ingredients from various worlds, essentially serving as the external procurement department of Garon Wizard College¡¯s cafeteria. Thus, they naturally did not build a luxurious branch as some major commerces would in the prime real estate of the bustling Hub World city. In order to find the commerce branch, Richard had to hire a local guide. "Wizard sir, are you sure you didn¡¯t get the name wrong?" Before Richard, there stood a local guide whose body was humanlike, but whose head resembled a jellyfish, and he voiced his confusion. Richard¡¯s brows slightly furrowed, "I am sure that¡¯s the name. Why, can¡¯t you find it?" "You might have come to the wrong city, my lord," said the guide with a bit of regret. "In this city of teleportation gates, such a commerce does not exist. However, you can tell me what their main business scope is, I have some knowledge about other cities, and I might be able to offer you some suggestions." Richard replied with a steady voice, "This commerce mainly deals in demonized ingredients, like Magic Beast Meat and Demonized Plants as their business scope." "Ah, I see." A myriad of minute electrical arcs suddenly flashed across the guide¡¯s jellyfish brain, as if he was recalling something. "Then I guess, they might have set their commerce branch in City Nine, that teleportation gate connects to a world abundant with Magic Beasts. City Eleven could also be possible; that world produces a lot of Demonized Plants." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Alright, thank you for your advice." Richard casually tossed a piece of Magic Essence to the guide and immediately took out a map of the Hub World from his pocket. According to the map, the city he was currently in should be City Seven, not terribly far from City Nine. "Thank goodness, it¡¯s not very far." Richard put away the map in his hand and instantly transformed into a streak of light, flying off into the distance. The jellyfish person guide, who felt Richard¡¯s Life Radiation, suddenly found his legs weakening, nearly collapsing to the ground. He watched the departing streak of light with a mix of fear and relief, "My Mother of the Sea, he was a Three Rings Wizard. I¡¯m lucky I didn¡¯t cheat him of his Magic Essence, otherwise I would have definitely been dead." ... Following the map, Richard spent five days and arrived in City Nine as indicated on the map. Here, with his experience, Richard quickly found a local snakehead guide. "You¡¯re looking for the Truth Fist Commerce, I know that place well," said a small green person in front of Richard, smiling sycophantically. "Take me there," Richard commanded indifferently, "you won¡¯t be short of benefits." The little green person chuckled, and a pair of fly-like wings sprouted from his back. "Right away, my lord, follow me." Following the guide, Richard navigated through the complicated streets of City Nine, but he soon sensed something was amiss. As the surroundings became increasingly dilapidated, it began to look like a slum. After all, Truth Fist Commerce backed by Garon Wizard College would not likely fall to such a place, even if they couldn¡¯t afford a luxurious branch. "Are you sure we¡¯re not lost?" Richard asked, furrowing his brows. He had gathered quite a bit of information about Hub Worlds on the road, where wizard crime was rampant, with foreign wizards often getting completely robbed. "My lord, don¡¯t judge this place by its state," the little green guide guessed what Richard was thinking and explained. "This place was one of the starting points of City Nine. It looks so broken mainly because it¡¯s difficult to renovate, and nobody wants to spend that kind of money. However, the residents here are all respectable wizards, not at all like those in the slums." Richard looked around; the buildings here were mostly towering, somewhat different from the current architectural style prevalent in the Wizard World. At least at the Four Rings Tower of Truth, this towering architectural style had been out of fashion for over two thousand years. What¡¯s trendy now are the low, spacious Wizard Towers. Back when Tosio established the Wizard Tower, he didn¡¯t spare criticism about the current popular style of Wizard Towers, saying these stout towers were a complete insult to Wizard Towers. Following the guide for another ten minutes, Richard arrived in front of a small Duel Arena. "My lord, we are here. Inside is the Truth Fist Commerce." Seeing the characteristic Duel Arena, Richard confirmed the guide had not led him astray. He casually tossed a piece of Magic Essence to the guide and then turned to approach the entrance of the Duel Arena. Standing before the Duel Arena were two golden-haired lion men, looking incredibly formidable. As Richard approached the entrance, the lion man on his left spoke, "Sir, do you have a ticket?" "I don¡¯t, but I¡¯m not here to watch the duel?", Richard responded indifferently. "I¡¯m here to find the branch leader of the Truth Fist Commerce." "Do you have an appointment?" asked the lion on Richard¡¯s right. "Uh... no." "Then I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll need to make an appointment before..." Before the left lion could finish speaking, they felt a dreadful oppressive force emanating from Richard¡¯s body. Under this overwhelming force, the two lion men stiffened, unable to move. Richard calmly walked past the lions, with a slight hint of apology in his voice, "I¡¯m very sorry, but I¡¯ve been traveling for five days to get here. I really don¡¯t want to wait any longer." Chapter 422 - 41 The Concept of the Wizard Movie Chapter 422: Chapter 41 The Concept of the Wizard MovieThe entrance to the Duel Arena was a long corridor. Torches stuck on the walls of the corridor, and in the bright firelight, the beast heads on the walls seemed to have souls sealed within them, carrying an indescribable sense of liveliness. Richard walked through the corridor, wild cheers and screams piercing his ears. This felt all too familiar to Richard. Ever since he had moved to the Garon Wizard Academy, he had never again entered the Duel Arena. Soon, the bright entrance appeared before Richard. After stepping out of the corridor, his clothes fluttered due to the roar of the crowd that washed over him like a tidal wave. In the arena, a Second Ring Wizard was struggling with a ferocious tiger that looked like a cloud of mist. The Second Ring Wizard wore specially designed magic equipment that could restrain a wizard¡¯s casting ability and magic power. Anyone could kill a magic beast with a spell, but what the audience wanted to see was a flesh-and-blood struggle that made their blood surge with anticipation. The ferocious tiger he was fighting had also been carefully selected. This tiger had the bloodline of a creature of the Wind Element, which allowed its body to temporarily turn into the Wind Element. Such ability was not particularly effective against elemental attacks, but it was a supremely slippery advantage against physical ones. The misty tiger lunged forward, and its body suddenly turned into a cloud of mist in the shape of a tiger, covering half the arena. From past battles, some wizards had displayed what happened when they entered the mist. That wizard¡¯s body, in the end, could only be collected with a shovel. At this moment, the entirety of the Duel Arena was divided into two factions: one side was cheering, their faces drenched in bloodthirst, eagerly anticipating the Second Ring Wizard turning into a mound of flesh. The other side was somewhat silent, watching the Second Ring Wizard intently, wondering how he would deal with this almost unsolvable situation. "The script is pretty good." Standing at the exit of the corridor, Richard calmly said to the person next to him. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Beside him, a wizard with the stature of a black bear stared intently at this unexpected visitor. As a Three Rings Wizard, he sensed a deadly threat emanating from Richard. "Friend, I hear you¡¯re looking for me?" the black bear wizard said with caution. "Are you the branch leader of the Truth Fist Commerce?" "That¡¯s me." "Then I am indeed looking for you." Richard extended his right hand toward the black bear wizard, "I¡¯m Richard, I¡¯ve come to retrieve the spell that the headmaster entrusted to you." The black bear wizard relaxed upon hearing this. He extended his right hand to shake Richard¡¯s, smiling, "So you¡¯re Master Richard, here I was thinking someone had come to cause trouble. I¡¯m John, the head of the Truth Fist hub branch." "Trouble?" Richard raised an eyebrow, "Who would dare cause trouble for you all? Do you need help dealing with it?" Richard¡¯s tone was casual, but the undeniable aura of deadly intent made John feel quite familiar. Once upon a time, he had been the same way. "No need, just some minor conflicts," John said with a smile, "There¡¯s more than one Duel Arena in the city, and we¡¯ve had some minor commercial frictions with other arenas, nothing serious." With that, John gestured for Richard to come in. "This isn¡¯t the place to talk, let¡¯s go somewhere else to continue." ... Underneath the Duel Arena, John led Richard into a very plainly decorated room. Apart from the usual bookshelves and desks found in a wizard¡¯s room, the remainder was filled with some small dumbbells for training. Presumably, this room was John¡¯s study. John walked behind the desk and took out a black scroll from the drawer. "This thing has been sealed by the Academy¡¯s headmaster, ensuring that nobody has seen it." Saying so, John tossed the scroll to Richard. Richard caught it, and as John said, it was covered with a strong sealing. Without the corresponding method to unseal it, even a Great Wizard would have to exert some effort to open it. "How did you know that we had pre-arranged this?" John took out a couple of thick cigars from his pocket and offered one to Richard. Richard shook his head and declined, replying, "The performance wasn¡¯t bad, and it looked great from the audience¡¯s perspective. But such trickery is all style over substance¡ªusual magic beasts would never use such inefficient abilities, unless someone taught them." John nodded and laughed, "Indeed, it¡¯s fine to fool the laymen, but it won¡¯t get past the experts." "Your idea is pretty good though," Richard continued, "most wizards in the Wizard World only go to the battlefield once in their lives. This kind of trickery is enough for them. You could even make the script more dramatic, or make the spellcasting scenes look more grand. Even..." "Even what?" John, who was listening with great interest, couldn¡¯t help but ask. Richard stroked his chin as if contemplating, "What do you think if we recorded the dueling scenes, then added voiceovers and sold them? The tickets to our Duel Arena must be quite expensive, right?" John was taken aback and replied, "Well... Projection crystal balls aren¡¯t exactly cheap, are they? Besides, as real as the projection crystal ball scenes might be, they are still fake. Would wizards really..." "No, no, no," Richard waved his hand, "Wizards can afford Duel Arena tickets; these things aren¡¯t meant for wizards. It¡¯s not just wizards who live in cities with Teleportation Gates, but also sub-humans, families of Great Wizards, and even Wizard Apprentices who are our target. Although these individuals don¡¯t have the spending power to afford Duel Arena tickets, their vast numbers completely make up for that. We could establish a Projection Hall that exclusively plays projections of Duel Arena battles. Then, with extremely cheap tickets, we could earn their Magic Stones. Though the projection is fake, it¡¯s still better than nothing. If we put some effort into it, the projection could even be more thrilling than watching it on-site." Richard grew more excited as he spoke. Due to the social structure of the Wizard World, virtually no one paid attention to creatures below the rank of wizards. These overlooked groups are definitely a gold mine. "Great idea, great idea!" The more John listened to Richard¡¯s idea, the more feasible it seemed. Creatures below the rank of wizards also had the desire to consume. Projections practically cost nothing to show; we could definitely go for small profits but quick returns. Suppose a Projection Hall seats a thousand people, with tickets priced at one Magic Stone each, then one projection would earn a Magic Essence. And the duration of a Duel could last up to an hour, or even just thirty to forty minutes. In one day, we could earn at least twenty-four Magic Essences. If we expand the number of Projection Halls, they could potentially be more profitable than the Duel Arena itself. Sure, this is under the assumption that every showing is sold out. Reality might not be so ideal. However, Projection Crystal Balls aren¡¯t expensive, nor are the residences in the lower-class districts, and projecting battles incurs no cost at all. So this business is definitely all profit and no loss! The more John thought about it, the more viable the plan seemed. He immediately took out a piece of draft paper, ready to make a plan. But just as he picked up the quill, he stopped. He looked at Richard, who was still muttering to himself about terms like "movies" and "blockbusters" that he didn¡¯t understand. This idea was Richard¡¯s, and if he wanted to use it, he would certainly need Richard¡¯s approval. Even though borrowing ideas in the Wizard World did not count as intellectual theft, Richard¡¯s proposal wasn¡¯t just an idea, but an almost complete implementation plan. In practice, he simply couldn¡¯t avoid Richard¡¯s thoughts. If he used Richard¡¯s idea without permission, once Richard held him accountable, he would certainly be doomed. After all, Richard was no outsider. "Um... Master Richard." John¡¯s voice brought Richard out of his brainstorming daze, and he looked at John, slightly puzzled, "What¡¯s up, John? Do you have a question?" John said somewhat nervously, "The Master¡¯s idea, I think it¡¯s very feasible. So I¡¯d like to ask the Master for authorization." Seeing John a bit ill at ease, Richard immediately realized what was going on and laughed, "I have my own commerce too. You could discuss a collaboration with the person in charge of my commerce. How does that sound?" Hearing this, John stood up, quickly approached Richard, and extended his right hand earnestly: "Thank you for your support, Master." Richard stood up and shook his hand, laughing, "What support? It¡¯s just mutually beneficial." ... After leaving the Duel Arena, Richard immediately found a public Teleportation Gate and returned to the Wizard World. The Extreme North was still blanketed in snow. A mere twenty-five years were not enough to cause any natural changes. However, Richard vaguely felt that the concentration of Magic Power in the Wizard World¡¯s space had decreased slightly. But he didn¡¯t take this feeling seriously. If the sky were to fall, there would be a tall one to hold it up. It was for the Truth Wizards and Great Wizards to deal with the mess of the Wizard World. Back in Extreme North City, due to Richard¡¯s expedition, Ali had returned to the Black Tower Wizard Academy. Therefore, the large Wizard Tower had no signs of life. This made Richard feel a bit uncomfortable after a long absence. The Extreme North was a place engulfed by blizzards for more than half the year. Even for a wizard, living in this place for a long time could cause a feeling of solitude to develop. This was why so many wizards from the Garon Wizard College chose to live in the Academy¡¯s test zone for long periods instead of establishing Wizard Towers in the Wilderness. "Maybe...take on another Apprentice?" A thought suddenly flashed across Richard¡¯s mind. However, he quickly dismissed it. Taking on an Apprentice was a serious matter; taking one on just because of a bit of loneliness was not ethical, even though many Wizard Apprentices would be more than willing to be taken on unethically by Richard. "Forget it, better to check out the Ritual Magic that the Headmaster gave me." Richard went to his laboratory and took out the scroll Garon the Great Wizard had given him. Before leaving the Green Forest World, Jimmy had told him how to break the seal. Richard pointed at the seal, and a small beam of Magic Radiance burrowed into it. In the next instant, the seal broke, and Richard eagerly began to read the scroll¡¯s contents. "Dimension Space Bubble... that¡¯s interesting." Chapter 423 - 42 Freedom of Soul Essence Chapter 423: Chapter 42 Freedom of Soul EssenceGaron the Great Wizard¡¯s Ritual Magic, named the Multi-Dimensional Space Storage Technique. The effect of this spell is to create a Dimension Space Bubble through ritual magic and place it within the Dimension Gap. Since the location of this Space Bubble is within the Dimension Gap, it is accessible from various dimensions, thereby enabling the transportation of materials across dimensions. It must be said that this is a supremely ingenious concept. Normally, material transportation across dimensions is a privilege reserved only for the World Master and certain ethereal beings. However, through this spell, even a One Ring Wizard, or a Wizard Apprentice, can transport materials from other dimensions to the Material World. But this spell has a small drawback¡ªit¡¯s very expensive. This ritual magic requires a large amount of rare materials, some of which are even extinct, making them extremely difficult to find. Richard, based on his experience, made a rough estimate. Conservatively, this Ritual Magic would cost nearly a million Magic Essence. Moreover, this Dimension Space Bubble will not exist forever; its lifespan is only ten years. After this period, the Dimension Space Bubble will automatically shatter. The items stored inside will fall into the Dimension Gap, potentially lost forever. No wonder even Garon the Great Wizard mentioned that this Ritual Magic was expensive when he spoke of it. For an ordinary wizard, this would absolutely be a losing deal. But clearly, Richard is no ordinary wizard. With this Dimension Space Bubble, he could continuously send Soul Essence from the Nightmare World back to the Wizard World. This essentially meant that Richard had virtually achieved freedom for Soul Essence. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the Wizard World, Soul Essence is an extremely hot commodity. As soon as it hits the market, it is frantically snapped up by Three Rings Wizards. As long as Richard is willing, not only could he recoup his investment on Soul Essence, but he could also make a substantial profit. Of course, Richard didn¡¯t plan on doing this for now. There was a great risk involved, and it was unnecessary. Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce, which laid golden eggs, brought him a huge amount of Magic Essence every year. Although a million Magic Essence would cause him a long-term heartache, it wouldn¡¯t bankrupt him. ... "Richard, mate, the items on your list are quite niche." Bob¡¯s distressed voice came through the Communication Crystal Ball, to which Richard responded with a laugh, "It¡¯s exactly because they¡¯re niche that I reached out to you, Brother Bob. For ordinary items, would I need to involve the president of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce?" "Ha-ha, my presidency is nothing compared to yours at Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce. You¡¯re a big shot among the White Wizards. By the way, I heard Tesla Chamber of Commerce is now researching your Magic Support Vehicles, planning to launch similar weapons. You might want to keep an eye on this matter." Tesla Chamber of Commerce... Richard frowned at the mention. The Tesla Chamber of Commerce was a behemoth in the Wizard Commerce. In the Wizard World¡¯s White Wizard Army, more than half were armed with Alchemy Weapons produced by their commerce. Moreover, an epoch ago, Tesla Chamber of Commerce had merged with the Zeppelin Airship Chamber of Commerce. Now, from Alchemy Magic Stone Cannons to War Airships, Tesla Chamber of Commerce had it all, even participating in the construction of Floating Cities. Legend had it that the Tesla Chamber of Commerce was backed by the Truth Council. Being targeted by such a behemoth was not a good thing. "Alright, thanks for the heads-up, brother." "Good, just be careful. Although your Magic Support Vehicle has proven the viability of this weapon, creating an Alchemy Weapon from scratch is not a simple task. Especially for a big chamber like Tesla." "Hmm?" Richard was slightly puzzled, "Shouldn¡¯t a big chamber like Tesla have ample technical reserves? Designing an Alchemy Weapon should be quite simple for them." The other side of the Crystal Ball fell silent for a moment. "...You don¡¯t usually get involved in the operations of the commerce, do you?" "Indeed." "Brother, the larger a commerce, the slower its operations. Unless the higher-ups in Tesla Chamber of Commerce give the green light directly to this project, I dare say, in a few hundred years, it might still only have a name. Alright, brother, I¡¯ve got other matters to deal with, but I¡¯ll keep an eye out for the items you need." With that, the Crystal Ball abruptly darkened. Richard pocketed the Crystal Ball, somewhat reflective. The larger the organization, the slower the efficiency¡ªthis rule also stood true in the Wizard World. Nevertheless, Richard still prioritized upgrading the Magic Support Vehicles on his agenda. The Magic Support Vehicle, which was another golden egg-laying hen, was something he had no intention of giving up. ... Naturally, gathering materials could not be entrusted to just one person. Besides the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, Richard also asked Jolod for help. Jolod had previously been a well-connected Alchemy Wizard and now, as a Three Rings Wizard and president of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce, his connections were no less extensive than Bob¡¯s. Moreover, assigning tasks to Jolod had another advantage¡ªit allowed them to leverage the relationship with the Black Tower Wizard Academy. After all, Jolod was the Deputy Dean of Black Tower Wizard Academy, and using the academy¡¯s channels to help his student gather some items, though somewhat nepotistic, was something no one would fuss over. Especially since Jolod wasn¡¯t doing it for free. Besides Jolod, Garon Wizard College¡¯s Jimmy was also helping Richard gather materials. With these three forces combined, Richard waited for five years, spending nearly eight hundred thousand Magic Essence, and finally gathered all the materials needed for the Ritual Magic. For an average Three Rings Wizard, it would be an understatement to say it would take a lifetime to gather these materials. Without thousands of years and millions of Magic Essence, one could hardly acquire such items. This is the power of connections. With the materials collected, Richard immediately began preparing for the ritual in earnest. In terms of difficulty, the Multi-Dimensional Space Storage Technique was about at the level of Seven Rings, only more complex than the former Gate of Nightmare. Fortunately, this time Richard did not need to simplify it; he only needed a few Three Rings Wizards to assist him. Above Extreme North City. Jolod gazed at the bustling Extreme North City, slightly spellbound. It was hard to imagine that this thriving city beneath his feet was a barren land over two hundred years ago. Two hundred years was not a long time for a wizard, but during that time, these mortals transformed this barren land into what it was now. Jolod muttered to himself, "This kid really is underplaying his talents by becoming a Black Wizard." Suddenly, a streak of light flew out of the Wizard Tower and came to his side. "Teacher, what are you looking at?" Jolod shook his head, "Nothing much, go on down." In the reception hall of the Wizard Tower, a group of distinguished Three Rings Wizards were chatting leisurely. "This Wizard Tower is quite remarkable." The Double-sided Wizard who had fought alongside Richard stomped on the reception hall floor. The rebounding force from the ground was clearly not something ordinary enchanted bricks could provide. "Hey, with his wealth, it¡¯s quite normal for the Wizard Tower to be built luxuriously," replied Stio, who was familiar with Richard. "Did you see that city outside? He spent money to build this city. He established a city in the land of Extreme North and then developed it to what it is now. The investment here... heh." Hearing Stio¡¯s words, the present wizards started mentally calculating Richard¡¯s expenses. But they did not ponder for long. Because the costs were too great, obviously not plausible numbers. "What are you all discussing?" Richard¡¯s voice suddenly came from the entrance as he entered the Wizard Tower smiling, accompanied by Jolod. "Nothing much, just talking about the city outside," Stio joked, "I still don¡¯t quite understand why you built this city." "To pass the time, and make some money along the way," Richard replied matter-of-factly, "It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing mad wizard experiments." "Can this even make money?" a wizard exclaimed in surprise. "Of course, the taxes in Extreme North City are quite high. Although theoretically, all these revenues belong to Extreme North City, they would definitely be delivered to me if I asked." Extreme North City, being dominated by mortals, its leaders knew all too well that all its prosperity was built around the Wizard Tower at the city¡¯s heart. Without Richard¡¯s involvement, the city would soon be engulfed by blizzards once more. The wizards present were momentarily stunned, then nodded in admiration. Such dealings, which seemed unprofitable to others, were turned into profitable ventures by Richard; it was no wonder he was wealthy. Richard glanced around the reception hall. "Everyone is here, let¡¯s begin." Saying so, Richard led the others to the fourth basement level of the Wizard Tower. This room, which once housed the Dragon King¡¯s egg, had now been transformed by Richard into a massive ritual hall. A huge and intricate Magic Array was set up in the center of the hall, and in the corners, Richard had also specifically placed magic incense to help the wizards think clearer. This ritual magic was incredibly costly, and if it failed, even Richard would need a few hundred years to recover. Thus, he did not mind taking any measures that might increase the chance of success. For this, he even had Ali perform a morale-boosting good luck ritual. Upon entering the hall, Richard distributed the steps that the few wizards would need to perform. Including Jolod, Richard had invited seven Three Rings Wizards to help, among them were even two from the Soul School. And this directly reduced the casting difficulty of the ritual magic to about Four Rings. Casting Four Rings spells was definitely within reach for the many Three Rings Wizards there. The wizards took the scrolls and carefully read through them. If successful, each of them would receive two thousand Magic Essence. Even if it failed, they would receive one thousand. Although none of the wizards present were short on Magic Essence, such almost free money was not something anyone would throw away. Not to mention, this was an invitation from Richard. After familiarizing themselves with the spells, the people stood at the eight corners of the Magic Array as required by the ritual magic. Then, starting with Richard, the wizards involved in the ritual began chanting old spells, organizing the magic. The age-old incantations echoed in the hall, as if whispering murmurs from the Ancient Times, mixed with the smoke of magic incense, turning the ritual magic into an ancient sacrifice. As the incantation continued, the materials in the Array also began to change. These strange ingredients came together under the influence of the magic, gradually forming a pitch-black void. This was the key prop of the ritual magic ¡ª the Dimension Space Bubble. As the Dimension Space Bubble formed, the wizards in attendance immediately began chanting in unison. The massive sound of the incantations seemed to burst through the ceiling, tearing through the space, and under the influence of these incantations, the Magic Array under everyone¡¯s feet grew brighter and brighter. Finally, in a resonating chant that sounded like a majestic tolling bell, the veil of the world was lifted, and the Dimension Space Bubble successfully entered the gap between dimensions. Seeing this scene, Richard silently breathed a sigh of relief. It was a success! Chapter 424 - 43 Refining Chapter 424: Chapter 43 Refiningfre§×we?novel.comThe ritual was complete, and many Three Rings Wizards heaved a sigh of relief. Although the difficulty of this ritual magic was not significant, its consumption was astonishingly high. Even though Richard had pledged not to hold responsible any wizards for mistakes made, any wizard would harbor resentment if such a costly spell went awry during their performance. Among the wizards present, none had any enmity or grievance with Richard; in fact, they could hardly afford to offend Richard if they wished to foster good relations with him. Fortunately, the ritual proceeded smoothly. Richard bowed slightly to the wizards, "I appreciate everyone¡¯s help this time. If there¡¯s anything you need my assistance with in the future, feel free to ask." Although the wizards present verbally agreed, they all secretly smiled about it internally. Such pleasantries exchanged at the ritual were not taken seriously by anyone present. Once the ritual was concluded, Richard was in high spirits. After settling the magic essence dues with the wizards, he took them to the Garon Wizard College and had a lavish meal in the cafeteria. After the meal, the wizards went about their own business, leaving only Jolod and Richard to return to Extreme North City together. On their way back, Jolod nostalgically remarked, "Garon the Great Wizard is truly generous. The food in this cafeteria is even better than what¡¯s offered in those exclusive wizard restaurants." Richard responded with a smile, "Naturally, most wizards at Garon Wizard College focus on physique evolution. Physique evolution emphasizes seventy percent training and thirty percent eating; substandard food does no good for physique evolution. For this cafeteria, Garon the Great Wizard specially allocated a world as a vegetable garden and established a commerce to trade in food ingredients. No wizard restaurant could possibly have such resources." "That makes sense," Jolod nodded slightly and then added, "Speaking of commerce, our cooperation with the Truth Fist Commerce has already begun. The projection halls have started spreading across cities of White Wizards and, from what I can see, the effect has been quite favorable. That Three Rings Wizard named John, although he looks like a clumsy bear, is very skilled in his methods and has managed an impressive advertising campaign." Richard was slightly surprised, "They¡¯ve already started expanding? That was quick!" Jolod glanced at his student and said pensively, "Well, it¡¯s a collaboration you negotiated; of course, it¡¯s going to be expedited." Richard looked perplexed and then responded with a wry smile, "Is that how it is? Just because I negotiated this collaboration, it gets prioritized?" "Why not?" Jolod said calmly, "You¡¯re also the chairman of the commerce. Your negotiations naturally take precedence. Moreover, this plan is... quite exceptional. To be honest, I never imagined we could profit so much from the apprentices." Jolod still remembered when that wizard named John entered his office, handed him a detailed business plan, and informed him that this was a tangible result based on Richard¡¯s ideas. It was another pleasant surprise from his student. Having Richard as his apprentice was not Richard¡¯s luck, but his own. He had a clear premonition that Richard would leave a significant mark in the history of Wizard Civilization. And he, a mediocre Alchemy Wizard, might also leave a slight trace in the history books through his identity as Richard¡¯s teacher. Richard, somewhat animated, replied, "Haha, exactly, teacher. Because nobody else thought of it, that¡¯s how we can make money. And I have a feeling that there will be more and more Wizard Apprentices in the future, and the projection hall could become a gold mine, just like a magic support vehicle!" Watching the spirited Richard, Jolod unwittingly smiled. He walked over to Richard and patted his shoulder. "I trust your judgment." ... After seeing Jolod off, Richard returned to the Wizard Tower and immediately entered the Nightmare World. The Nightmare World remained calm; over twenty years had not changed this territory one bit. The barren land of Extreme North had barely sustained a population to support a Nightmare Knight, let alone a Nightmare Lord, before the emergence of Extreme North City. Even a dispossessed Nightmare Lord would not venture to the Extreme North seeking a new Nightmare Territory due to experience. This had allowed Richard¡¯s Nightmare Territory, though prosperous, to remain free from any enemies. In a dark room, next to a pitch-black coffin, stood a black knight covered in runes. These runes wrapped around him like chains, securely binding him and preventing any trace of the Power of Nightmare from leaking. Suddenly, a pitch-black door materialized out of nowhere. The black knight, sensing the door, suddenly opened his eyes and upon recognizing the visitor, he knelt on one knee, somewhat excitedly, "Boss, you¡¯re back." Richard nodded slightly, "Yes. Things went unexpectedly smoothly, so it didn¡¯t take long. Has anything been amiss in the territory while I was away?" "Nothing, the territory is as usual." Upon Richard¡¯s soul merging into the Nightmare Body, he and Bone headed toward the Power of Nightmare warehouse. During Richard¡¯s absence, the consumption of the Power of Nightmare he once used had not only been replenished but had increased by over ten million doses. "How did it increase by so much?" Richard asked, surprised. Bone replied, "The construction of the territory is essentially complete, and so the Power of Nightmare naturally started to accumulate." Richard was momentarily taken aback but then quickly understood what Bone meant by the construction of the territory. As a place for a Nightmare Lord to ascend the throne, the Nightmare Territory plays a crucial role when a Nightmare creature is promoted to Lord. Before the promotion, a Nightmare creature must construct a network of Nightmare paths in the Nightmare Territory, forming an energy cycle nearly akin to that of the Power of Nightmare. This cycle ensures that a Nightmare creature, when advancing to Nightmare Lord, will not be burst by the enormous influx of Nightmare Power. It also preserves a significant portion of the Nightmare Power if the promotion fails. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The construction of the network is completed? That was quick." "Bones couldn¡¯t help but speak in a somewhat helpless tone, "Boss, this speed is already very slow. If you don¡¯t push those lazy guys on normal days, it leads them to always goof off. After I killed a few, the efficiency of these guys immediately improved." Richard gave an awkward smile, he had never been very attentive to matters of the Nightmare World. "Alright, as long as it¡¯s built well." Since Richard had returned, Bones naturally no longer managed Richard¡¯s territory. After reporting to Richard about the territory, he returned to his own city. Meanwhile, Richard began to extract the Power of Nightmare in the warehouse. Extracting the Dream Rules required five hundred units of Soul Power, so Richard now needed to prepare soul essence equivalent to five hundred units of spiritual power. That converts to twenty million strands of the Power of Nightmare. The warehouse had not only sufficient Power of Nightmare but even in abundance. "Having a territory is really wonderful," Richard exclaimed somewhat wistfully, "Tens of millions of strands of the Power of Nightmare at the ready for extraction, no longer will I need to worry about spiritual power when encountering rules in the future." Extracting soul essence was a very monotonous job, constantly restoring spiritual power, even Richard felt some mental fatigue. After spending nearly two months, Richard finally extracted enough soul essence that he needed. The moment he stepped out of the warehouse, Richard exhaled deeply and began using the magic imprints engraved on his soul to communicate with the space bubbles between dimensional gaps. As spiritual power surged into the magic imprints, Richard felt his soul enter a mysterious state. He suddenly could see things that were usually invisible, such as the dimensional gaps hidden beneath the veil. But this state was unlike when he observed Garon the Great Wizard battling the World Tree. It seemed as if the world¡¯s veil wasn¡¯t just a single layer; behind each layer lay different entities. After seeing the dimensional gaps, what remained was simple. Richard summoned the space bubbles from the dimensional gaps, then stuffed the soul essence into them, and finally put the space bubbles back into the dimensional gaps. After completing all this, Richard¡¯s vision suddenly darkened. These operations seemed simple but each step was extremely draining on spiritual power. Even though Richard¡¯s spiritual power had reached the limit of a Three Rings Wizard, performing a storage action still exhausted nearly all his spiritual power. "Wow, this thing can¡¯t be used casually." After fully restoring his spiritual power, Richard arranged some construction work for his territory through the administrative officer, then returned to the Wizard World. Upon returning to the Wizard World, Richard did the same, summoning the dimensional space bubbles from the dimensional gaps. Then the lump of soul essence he refined in the Nightmare World appeared in the Material World. "Hehe, success." Richard, struggling to stay conscious, stored the soul essence into a specially prepared enchantment container. The soul essence would evaporate completely if not stored in special containers. After placing the soul essence, Richard¡¯s vision went dark, and he collapsed to the ground, waking up only after seven days. Upon waking up, Richard was slightly disoriented for a moment, then immediately opened the Secret Realm Rift. The preparations were ready, what remained was the main event. Arriving at the Secret Realm, the Holy Tree Elves, summoned by Richard, immediately opened the pathway to the Fuel Ring. Although the World Mushroom had fallen asleep, his body was still operating normally. There was no slack in the blockade of the Fuel Ring, as layers of mycelium completely absorbed any radiation emitted from the Fuel Ring. Richard continued downwards with Ulysses, quickly arriving at the location of the Fuel Ring. Dozens of First Level Holy Tree Elves, under the leadership of three Second Level Holy Tree Elves, used the energy of the World Mushroom to erect a thick energy barrier to protect him from radiation damage. Richard turned his head and said to the black crow on his shoulder, "Ulysses, protect my body later, this extraction will take some time." "Caw, rest assured, I guarantee your body won¡¯t be destroyed," Ulysses said earnestly. Seeing this, Richard hesitated no longer, holding the box containing the soul essence with one hand, and with the other hand, he reached past the energy barrier and touched the Fuel Ring. [Raw Material: Fuel Ring] [Extractable Rule: Radiation Rule (First Level)] [Extraction Consumption: 500 Soul Power] [Proceed with Extraction?] "Yes!" The next instant, Richard¡¯s soul began to weaken, his Soul Power slowly flowed into the Miracle Furnace in his soul. But at the same time, Richard opened the box containing the soul essence and began to absorb the soul essence. The massive amount of soul essence immediately began to nourish Richard¡¯s soul. Under the substantial nourishment of the soul essence, Richard, who had become a Three Rings Wizard, felt a rare exhaustion. This feeling from the soul could not be resisted by willpower alone, so Richard quickly fell into a deep sleep. After he fell asleep, Ulysses immediately summoned the Holy Tree Elves to restore Richard¡¯s body. Even with Ulysses¡¯ protection, Richard¡¯s arm turned to ash the moment he touched the Fuel Ring. A month later, the piece of the Fuel Ring suddenly disappeared from the Earth Cave. Ulysses, witnessing this scene, knew the extraction had begun. It wouldn¡¯t be long before Richard would take the first step on his path as a Great Wizard. Chapter 425 - 44: Gathering of Level 3 Wizards Chapter 425: Chapter 44: Gathering of Level 3 WizardsIn a daze, Richard felt as if he had returned to the space where he initially acquired his soul talent. But this time, the dazzling Tree of Souls bore no fruit and had become dim and lightless. However, quickly, the tree seemed to receive some form of nourishment; it suddenly brimmed with vitality and shone incredibly bright. Under the radiant light of the Tree of Souls, Richard suddenly opened his eyes. "Phew, how long have I slept?" Richard sat up suddenly, touching his left arm. In his memory, this arm had disintegrated into ash because it had contacted the Fuel Ring. But now, his arm was intact, or rather, his body was in excellent condition. The activity level of his body¡¯s cells was at its optimum state. "Not long, just about ten years." A voice came from behind Richard, and he turned to see Ulysses standing on Hog¡¯s head, maneuvering Hog as they descended from the sky. Boom! Dirt and stones sprayed as they hit the ground. Though Hog had slowed her descent, the massive inertia of her body still created a pit in the ground¡ªover the years, Hog had grown quite a bit. "Ten years? Why did the refinement take so long?" Richard touched his face, his untrimmed beard now lush and dense. Had ten years really passed in the blink of an eye? Ulysses flew to Richard¡¯s shoulder and replied, "Refining the rules took about a month. You¡¯ve slept for ten years because you used a vast amount of Soul Essence. To be honest, sleeping for ten years is relatively short. I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if you had slept for a century or two with such a sudden use of Soul Essence." "...Ten years it is then." Richard shook his head and brushed the untrimmed beard from his face, which fell off like autumn leaves in a breeze. His consciousness entered the Spirit Space, and he saw a light yellow Light Ball floating above and below the Miracle Furnace. With a thought from Richard, the Light Ball entered his body. The next instant, he felt a sharp pain, as if something had been ripped away. The incomplete rules that had merged into his body were, at that moment, being "squeezed" out by the Radiation Rule. Ulysses, perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder, was quick to react, sweeping his wings and gathering these expelled rules into an ethereal small ball. "What¡¯s happening?" Richard opened his eyes, expressing surprise and doubt. Why were his rules running out on their own? Could it be that the Radiation Rule was in such conflict with the other rules that they couldn¡¯t coexist in one body? "It¡¯s normal. For a demigod like you, your body is already at its limit to accommodate a complete foundational rule. To hold multiple rules or to integrate these incomplete rules, you¡¯d have to wait until you become a Great Wizard at least." Richard was slightly startled: "Is that so?" Ulysses gave him a look: "This kind of knowledge is common sense. You¡¯re now almost at the doorstep of divinity; it¡¯s time to look into the promotion ceremony for wizards." "That¡¯s true," Richard said thoughtfully as he nodded. He stood up, and suddenly in his hands appeared a glowing green Radiation Aurora, followed by a pitch-black Fireball by his side. Then Richard did something inconceivable¡ªhe fused the Radiation Aurora with the black Fireball! Such direct spell fusion was taboo, even for a Shaping Wizard. Each Magic Model of a spell is independent, and haphazardly mixing other energies into a spell usually means collapse, with hardly any second possibility. But in Richard¡¯s hands, the Radiation Aurora seamlessly blended with the black Fireball without any signs of failing. Richard looked at the Fireball and mused, "Is this the marvel of a complete rule? No wonder Great Wizards are so formidable." With that, he threw the Fireball into the sky. Booming! A loud bang resounded as the pitch-black Fireball burst in the air, turning into a gigantic black sphere with a diameter close to five meters. Sensing the power of the Fireball, Ulysses couldn¡¯t help but praise, "The effect is quite good. That thing must be at the Ten Thousand Energy Level." "...Probably." Richard watched the sky, a shock crossing his face. He had expected the Heart of Annihilation, bolstered by the Radiation Rule, to be strong but had not anticipated that a complete rule could so powerfully enhance a spell. He had merely tapped a little into the rule, and the Heart of Annihilation¡¯s power had reached the Ten Thousand Energy Level. If he were to fully reinforce it, reaching an Energy Level of fifty thousand would be no problem. A spell of that level could even harm a World Master. Richard exclaimed in admiration, "Complete rules... are indeed too powerful." Hearing this, Ulysses laughed, "And you¡¯re just getting started. Once you become proficient with the abilities the rules provide, among the demigods, you¡¯ll be unbeatable. If you delve deeper into developing your rules, even if you encounter some newly promoted native World Masters, you¡¯ll have the power to fight." "Although you are definitely not going to win, resisting for a short time shouldn¡¯t be a problem." Richard, upon hearing this, couldn¡¯t help but picture himself, with his mortal body, opposing the power of the World Master. "It¡¯s better to get proficient first." Richard swallowed hard, suppressing the excitement within him. As awesome as it seemed for a mortal to contend with a Divine Wizard, challenging the World Master was certainly not a wise choice. Ulysses nodded as well, "Indeed, aiming too high can be a bad thing." With the help of a Holy Tree Elf, Richard took a bath and tidied up his appearance before leaving the Secret Realm. The Wizard Tower was as it always had been. Under the effect of the Magic Array, not even dust had settled in the laboratory in a decade. Richard looked at the laboratory¡¯s Evolution Light Instrument and suddenly thought of something. Now that his Mutated Rules had been pushed out by the Radiation Rule, does that mean he can no longer use the Mutated Rules to cultivate Enhanced Cells before he becomes a Great Wizard? This was not good news. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although the power of Rules was formidable, Richard had no intention of neglecting the training of his Physique. A robust body could better unleash the power of Rules. "This is a bit of a problem." Richard rubbed his brow, deciding to visit the library at Garon Wizard Academy later to look for books about the stage of a Three Rings Wizard. He vaguely remembered something from Alchemy about the possibility of imprinting Rules into Magic Equipment. Since he had the Miracle Furnace, he could extract these Rules from the Magic Equipment without any loss. Why not turn those scattered Rules into Rule Magic Equipment right now? As Richard mulled over this, he took out his Communication Crystal Ball to check if anyone had contacted him in the past decade. "Hmm? A gathering for Three Rings Wizards?" There weren¡¯t many messages in the Crystal Ball. Apart from Jolod¡¯s report on the merchants¡¯ association, Wuni¡¯s record of the withdrawal of Magic Essence, the rest was just an invitation from Jimmy. "Organized by the Tower of Truth, the aim is to facilitate exchanges among Three Rings Wizards and to select candidates for the Military Department." Richard studied the three most important points in Jimmy¡¯s message, his brows knitting with thought. The event being organized by the Tower of Truth meant it was an official activity, with no issues there. The exchange among Three Rings Wizards suggested there would be some degree of combat involved. Richard didn¡¯t believe that a group of Three Rings Wizards would gather and only exchange words. And the last point¡ªthe most important in the message. The Military Department, also known as the Wizard World Exploration Department, was one of the departments directly under the True Council, on par with the Wizard World Legal Department and the Wizard World Resource Integration Department. This department¡¯s main duties were to explore Plane coordinates and to wage Plane Wars. Yes, most of the department¡¯s time was spent on interdimensional expeditions. The Wizards within were all War Wizards specialized in Plane Wars. The worlds they opened up were all property of the True Council. As the highest governing body of the Wizard World, it naturally couldn¡¯t sustain itself with just that bit of tax revenue. Most of the worlds opened by the Military Department were made accessible to the public. Ordinary Wizards just needed to pay a sum of Magic Essence to explore these worlds. As for those that weren¡¯t open to the public, either these worlds contained strategic resources, or they were so dangerous that ordinary Wizards had an almost certain death rate. Or they were worlds coveted by Truth Wizards, marked as private property by them. Yes, the worlds developed by the Military Department, theoretically speaking, could be claimed by any Truth Wizard at any time. However, this sort of action required the decision of the True Council and unanimity among its five Wizards. By the time one reached the level of a Truth Wizard, even mid-sized worlds might not catch their interest. So, such occurrences were rare. "The Military Department..." Richard stared at the message, remaining silent for a long time. For a typical Three Rings Wizard, the Military Department was a good place to be, as it offered many rare resources and assistance, some of which were quite useful to Three Rings Wizards. But to Richard, these things were of no use¡ªhe wasn¡¯t lacking resources. However, Richard remembered that the Great Wizard Trial was organized by the Military Department, and the battlefields for the trials were worlds where the department waged Plane Wars. "Well, it¡¯s worth the visit then." Even though Richard had no intention of joining the Military Department, getting acquainted with Wizards who would join was still a good move. Although the Great Wizard Trial was nominally selective, in practice, it operated on a qualification system. As long as one could complete the tasks given by the Military Department, regardless of how many survived, they would be eligible for the promotion to Great Wizard. Still, typically, the number of surviving Three Rings Wizards was less than planned, not more. So, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be familiar with other Wizards¡ªsuch connections could come in handy on the battlefield. Deciding what to do next, Richard put the Crystal Ball back in his pocket and prepared to head to Garon Wizard Academy. The message was sent four years ago, and according to its contents, the gathering for Three Rings Wizards was scheduled for thirty years in the future. So he still had twenty-six years until the event began. It was early yet, so he might as well devote some time to exploring how to create Rule Magic Equipment and to further develop the Radiation Rule. Chapter 426 - 45 Rule Magic Equipment Chapter 426: Chapter 45 Rule Magic Equipment"Elissa, does the library have any books on Rule Magic Equipment?" In the Garon Wizard Academy Library, Richard stood next to a huge stone bookshelf and asked the little elf in front of him. The collection of the Garon Wizard Academy was immense like an ocean of smoke; even browsing the library catalog would take quite some time. If one wanted to find the needed books more efficiently, the best way was to seek help from the library elves. Though these little guys didn¡¯t seem particularly intelligent, their ability as librarians was unquestionable. They remembered clearly every book that entered the library. And the price to enlist their help was only a fairy lollipop worth ten Magic Stones. Holding a lollipop in her palm-sized hands, the petite and pretty-faced Elissa showed a hint of thought. "Rule Magic Equipment? There are many books on that in the library. Do you want to borrow them all?" "Many?" A look of joy crossed Richard¡¯s face, "The more, the better. What¡¯s the price for borrowing these books?" "Well... many, very many." Elissa¡¯s face showed a hint of distress as she placed the lollipop aside and began counting on her fingers. "Some require Magic Essence; some require Contribution Value, and others require a special status. Which kind are you looking for?" "The ones that require Magic Essence." Richard replied without hesitation. That was all he had to offer at the moment. "Okay, then. Let me calculate for you." Elissa continued to count on her fingers, and after a while, she finally said, "In total, you will need fifty-three thousand two hundred pieces of Magic Essence, which equals seventy-three books." Hearing the price, Richard was taken aback at first but then took out his Communication Crystal Ball. The price was somewhat unexpected, as he hadn¡¯t brought that much money with him. Soon, the communication came through, and Jimmy¡¯s voice could be heard from inside the crystal ball. "This is Jimmy. What do you need, Richard?" "It¡¯s like this, Master." Richard said with an awkward smile, "I¡¯m planning to borrow a batch of books from the library, which totals to fifty-three thousand two hundred Magic Essence. But I didn¡¯t bring enough with me..." "How much? Why do you need so many Magic Essence?" Jimmy roughly interrupted Richard¡¯s words, sounding as if he had seen a ghost. "Elissa, did you miscalculate again? How many books did Richard borrow to spend fifty thousand Magic Essence!" Hearing Jimmy¡¯s question, Elissa, who was eating her lollipop, suddenly became anxious. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "No! I¡¯ve counted many times this time! Jimmy, if you say again that I miscalculated, I will... I¡¯m going to throw all your books to the very bottom of the library catalog!" Jimmy¡¯s hearty laughter resounded from the crystal ball upon Elissa¡¯s threat. "Alright, since Elissa didn¡¯t miscalculate, you go ahead and read those books. As for those Magic Essence...no rush. After all, it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t pay them back. Just keep it on the account for now." Elissa nodded upon hearing Jimmy¡¯s response. "Okay, then I¡¯ll note it down on the account." Jimmy hung up the crystal ball, and Elissa drew a circle made of glowing dust with her hand, then disappeared into the circle. An hour later, Richard suddenly heard a whooshing sound above his head. He saw book after book, thick as encyclopedias, falling from the sky through a circle of glowing dust. Richard caught the books with his hands, and before long, all seventy-three books landed in his grasp. Stacked up, they were three times as tall as Richard. "Okay, these are all the books you borrowed." Elissa finally emerged from the circle, sprawled on top of the highest book like a salted fish. "Thank you, thank you." Richard said with a smile, using his Magic Hand to hold the books while taking out another fairy lollipop from his pocket to give to Elissa. Elissa saw it but waved her hands and shook her head. "No, no, I can¡¯t take more candy from you. Getting the books is my duty." So saying, Elissa drew a circle in the air and left as if she were fleeing the scene. Richard found this amusing. "I¡¯ll just leave the candy here; don¡¯t waste it," he called after her. Having said that, Richard put all the books into his pocket and left on his own. Sometime later, a circle of light suddenly appeared next to the lollipop. A small hand reached out from the circle, grabbed the lollipop, and pulled it back through the ring. "Oh dear, this wizard, really... it would be such a pity not to eat such a good lollipop. Well, I just won¡¯t take his candy next time. But what¡¯s this wizard¡¯s name again? Oh right, Richard. I¡¯ve got to remember that name so I don¡¯t take his candy again." ... Carrying the books worth fifty-three thousand two hundred Magic Essence, Richard immediately rushed back to the Wizard Tower. In the study room of the Wizard Tower, Richard organized the borrowed books with proper numbering and placed each on the shelves. Then he began to immerse himself in the vast ocean of knowledge. In these books, Richard learned exactly what Rule Magic Equipment was, the difference between them and normal Magic Equipment, and some methods of crafting Rule Magic Equipment. The so-called Rule Magic Equipment essentially uses a special type of Enchantment. Ordinary Magic Equipment employs Rune Arrays to achieve certain effects. However, Rule Magic Equipment directly applies rules to achieve specific effects. In principle, the Fuel Ring Richard refined from the Radiation Rule is a kind of Rule Magic Equipment, albeit with a rather unique effect. One advantage of Rule Magic Equipment over ordinary ones is that regular Magic Equipment can be enhanced with Rule Enchantment, thereby becoming Rule Magic Equipment and achieving a result where one plus one is greater than two. However, books vary on how to conduct Rule Enchantment and effectively harness the power of rules. There are generally two schools of thought regarding the creation of Rule Magic Equipment. The first approach is material-based. Its proponents engrave materials directly with rules, then apply Enchantment to these materials. The other is the Rune Faction, who first create ordinary Magic Equipment and then imprint the rules in the form of Runes onto the Magic Equipment, thereby directly amplifying the Rune Array. Each of these schools has its merits, and the authors list a wealth of experimental data in their books as evidence for their arguments, occasionally interspersed with personal attacks on other Wizards. It took Richard three years to read through all these books. After finishing them, Richard felt like he was nearly mastering the art of doublethink. All sorts of contradictory, yet valid, data continuously collided in his mind. Instead of sparking inspiration, these collisions caused Richard a splitting headache. ... "This is rather troublesome." Richard looked at the Communication Crystal Ball in his hand¡ªthe message from Jolod within left Richard feeling somewhat helpless. As an Alchemy Wizard promoted to the rank of Three Rings Wizard not much earlier than Richard, Jolod also had virtually no knowledge in the area of Rule Magic Equipment. And before he had asked Jolod, Richard had also approached Anna for information, only to receive the same response. "Sigh, no one has studied this; it seems that practice is the only way to true knowledge." Richard placed a set of designs on the experimental platform; it was a Deformation Illumination Device that he had casually designed over the past three years of study. In this Illumination Device, Richard adopted the first fabrication approach¡ªimprinting rules into materials to induce a change in their properties. This production method¡¯s strength lies in its simplicity. It¡¯s more straightforward than enhancing a Rune Array with rules; the process of making Magic Equipment remains largely unchanged, and it doesn¡¯t demand as much from the Wizard¡¯s knowledge base, making it suitable for beginners. "According to the books, the best materials for imprinting rules should have no intrinsic properties and must be stable in nature. Such a material..." Richard murmured to himself as he pulled out a colorless crystal from his pocket. This crystal, known as a Buffer Crystal, is commonly used in Alchemy Machines as an energy transfer medium. It has no special properties of its own and is very stable. "Next step is to imprint the rule." Richard turned his head towards the left side of the experimental platform, where a row of blue Ice spheres were lined up, each sealing a glowing light within. The lights were arranged in order of size, with the largest being the Mutated Rule, followed by the Soul Rule, then the Nightmare Rule, the Nurturing Rule, and lastly, the smallest was the Flesh Rule Richard first obtained. Richard took the Mutated Rule beside him and started drawing an Alchemy Array on the experimental platform using a black stone slab. Imprinting a rule required an extremely complex Alchemy Array, and every single wizard who pursued this method for creating Rule Magic Equipment emphasized one point in their books: The rule to be imprinted must be incomplete. Wizards who chose the Rune Faction often cited this point as a criticism of those in the Material Faction. However, it seemed that the rationale behind the Material Faction¡¯s approach was not incorrect¡ªit was just a matter of insufficient technology. The Alchemy Array used to assist in imprinting was extremely complex. Richard had to inscribe nearly five million Runes onto a black stone platform measuring one cubic meter. This was a long and arduous task. Five years later. "Finally, it¡¯s done." Richard looked at the black stone slab on the experimental platform, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat. "Now for the final step." Richard looked towards the other side of the platform, where a black alchemy platform was just one stone slab away from completion. Richard took the last slab and completed the assembly of the alchemy platform. The next moment, the Runes on the alchemy platform began to light up, with intricate Runes covering every corner of the platform. Soon after, the light faded. The entire alchemy platform was free of any cracks, with the stone slabs fused together, forming a seamless whole. Seeing this, Richard felt a weight lifted off his shoulders and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face. The alchemy platform was complete. Without delay, Richard immediately installed an outer shell around the alchemy platform to protect it from damage. He then opened the Secret Realm Rift, pulled Ulysses by his side as a precaution, and began imprinting the rule using the alchemy platform. Richard placed the Buffer Crystal at the center of the alchemy platform, then released the Ice sphere sealing the Mutated Rule. The next instant, the alchemy platform was illuminated. A Force Field replaced the sealing and trapped the disappearing Mutated Rule on the experimental platform. A droplet of sweat slid down Richard¡¯s forehead as he carefully used the alchemy platform to imprint the Mutated Rule into the Buffer Crystal. After a while, the alchemy platform dimmed again. Richard leaned on the alchemy platform, feeling somewhat dizzy. The process of imprinting the rule had consumed a great deal of his spiritual power. But fortunately, everything went smoothly. At the very center of the alchemy platform, a purple-red crystal like congealed blood emanated an eerie glow. Chapter 427 - 46: Rule Development Chapter 427: Chapter 46: Rule DevelopmentHaving recovered some spiritual power, Richard placed the Buffer Crystal branded with the mutated rules onto the experimental platform. Although he had branded the mutated rules into the Buffer Crystal, changing its properties, Richard himself was unsure of the specific effects. The purple-red crystal shimmered with an eerie glow under the light. Richard picked up an energy probe and conducted a simple investigation. "Hmm? No energy field leakage?" Richard looked at the data from the energy probe, a look of surprise on his face. No energy field meant that the crystal had no effect on the surrounding environment in its normal state. This was exactly opposite to the invasive nature of the mutated rules. "Interesting, the Buffer Crystal is this stable?" Richard¡¯s expression showed excitement, as the stability displayed by the Buffer Crystal far exceeded his expectations. If this wasn¡¯t a special case, then he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about what materials to use as a carrier for the rules in future Rule Magic Equipment crafting. Richard took the Buffer Crystal in his hands and injected a bit of magic power into it. Immediately after, he saw the Buffer Crystal light up with a faint glow. The cells in his hands also vibrated slightly under the illumination. "Not bad, the Deformation Illumination Device seems viable." Richard took out a box from his pocket, which was filled with silicone gel-like stuffing. He dug a hole in the stuffing and placed the Buffer Crystal, or rather the Deformation Crystal, inside. Even though the Deformation Crystal was very stable, no one knew the consequences it might have if subjected to physical impact. Therefore, it was better to be cautious. After securing the Deformation Crystal, Richard meditated on the spot for eight hours to fully recover his spiritual power. Then he began the second round of rule branding. This time, he was branding the soul rules. On the alchemy platform, runes flickered as the intangible and immaterial Soul Rules gradually fused into the Buffer Crystal within the Alchemy Array. The Soul Rules were more incomplete than the mutated rules, so this branding session was considerably easier than the last. After the branding process was complete, Richard felt slightly dizzy but was still in good spirits. He picked up the crystal from the Alchemy Array and checked it again with the energy probe. "Good, it seems the Buffer Crystal¡¯s properties really are stable." Satisfied with the data feedback from the probe, Richard nodded in approval. In the future, as long as the incompleteness of the rules was not lower than that of the mutated rules, he could use Buffer Crystals as the rule carrier. Securing the Soul Crystal in the same manner, Richard repeated the process and branded all his remaining rules into Buffer Crystals. For an ordinary Alchemy Wizard, creating Rule Magic Equipment was a luxury. Branding rules was easy, but extracting them from the material was difficult. But this was not a concern for Richard. After acquiring the Dimension Gap¡¯s Space Bubble, his Soul Essence was free. Had he not been on the brink of becoming a Great Wizard, unable to use Soul Essence to forcibly push through. Richard estimated that by now, he probably would have become a Great Wizard. The consumption involved in extracting rules from materials was trivial. After branding all the rules, Richard began using these crystals as the core components to craft Magic Equipment. At this point, the benefits of the material faction¡¯s approach to crafting were apparent. Richard didn¡¯t need to design a Rune Array specialized for rules like the Rune Faction would. Instead, he could craft just as he would for ordinary Magic Equipment. Deformation Illumination Device, Flesh Scalpel, Nightmare Mask... In just one year, Richard had transformed all the crystals into Rule Magic Equipment. Most of these Magic Equipment were used as laboratory tools and proved to be even more useful than when they had been integrated into Richard¡¯s body. Under the influence of the Rune Array, these rules outshone their previous luster within Richard¡¯s body. This made Richard feel somewhat embarrassed. Previously, he had overlooked the potential of these rules. He owned a gold mine but was blinded by a chunk of doghead gold that fell from it. "It looks like it¡¯s time to prioritize the development of rules." Richard looked at his to-do list and immediately added an item called "Develop Rules" to the top of the list. Radiation Rules... There seemed to be many possibilities for development with this rule. Radiation is a very broad term. According to Richard¡¯s past-life definition, radiation is a physical phenomenon present in any natural object. In environments above absolute zero, all objects inevitably emit thermal radiation. But in the Wizard World, radiation was defined as the leakage of energy. Under this definition, the Radiation Rule was almost like a god-like rule. After all, all things in the world possess energy, and to control energy is to control the world. However, Richard¡¯s tests showed that his Radiation Rule did not demonstrate such frightening abilities. The Radiation Rule greatly enhanced his Magic Penetration power, allowing him now to breach an Energy Barrier capable of defending against spells of a thousand Energy Levels with just a simple Magic Missile. In addition, he also had the ability to emit high-energy radiation. But the high-energy radiation he emitted was not without source. All of these energies originated from his body, as well as the Magic Rebound within him. If he used this ability for too long, his body would begin to deteriorate. In addition, he acquired the ability to control radiation within a certain limit. If he exceeded this limit, he could only weaken it, not control it. Here¡¯s a joke, even if he had mastered the Radiation Rule, Richard would still be reduced to ashes by radiation before he got back to the power furnace of the stronghold. Only this time he could hold out a little longer. This realization made Richard feel dejected. He asked Ulysses why this was happening, and the World Master from an Exotic Realm answered him. "Rules are amplifiers with different shades. But if the thing being amplified is too small, no matter how powerful the amplifier is, it can¡¯t compare to the big players. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That¡¯s also why a Demigod will never be able to defeat a World Master. Your combat power is one, and rules can amplify it by tenfold. Even if you delve deeper into the rules, the amplification factor is only thirteen, fourteen at most, twenty. That means your ultimate combat power is at most twenty. But the World Master¡¯s combat power is ten, and even if their use of rules is quite crude, with an amplification factor of only eleven or twelve, their final combat power can reach one hundred ten or one hundred twenty. This gap in data is beyond the limit that skill can compensate for. So, don¡¯t be superstitious about rules. Your own strength is the foundation of everything. You¡¯ve been a bit too greedy." Ulysses¡¯ words hit Richard like a thunderclap, awakening him. Acquiring rules should have been a good thing, but he had fallen into despondency because the powers granted by the rules weren¡¯t strong enough. That was indeed due to greed. Having realized this, Richard felt a sense of alarm. Luckily he had discovered the problem in time and hadn¡¯t made any mistakes. But had he been bewildered on the battlefield, he might have been doomed. "Ahh, I¡¯ve become so greedy because of the great gains I made in the Green Forest World," Richard sighed. Greed is what a Black Wizard fears most, yet he had unknowingly fallen into it, which was truly terrifying. Ulysses consoled, "Gah, awakening is good. Greed is human nature, even Divine Kings have their moments of greed." Richard summoned a sphere of water and washed his face, freeing himself from his emotions. As Ulysses said, awakening was indeed a good thing. Returning to the Wizard Tower, Richard entered his study and began to leaf through the books he had just borrowed from the library. This borrowing had taken a great effort from Richard, as Elena had just taken her days off¡ªthe library elves had ten days of vacation each year when they could freely leave the library. Richard had only just learned about this rule. Who would have thought that these little elves, who seemed idle every day, would actually have designated vacations. The books Richard borrowed this time numbered in the hundreds, most of them about the Shape-shifting School. Radiation Rule didn¡¯t have much development space in Alchemy. The Shape-shifting School was where it could truly shine. ... Time passed day by day, and Richard read more and more books. His use of the Radiation Rule became increasingly adept. Under his development, the power of his spells had greatly increased. With the aid of the rules, a normal Fireball Technique could almost reach an Energy Level of eight thousand. As for his Heart of Annihilation, the spell power had reached a staggering fifteen thousand Energy Level. Such powerful spells could even cause a Three Rings Wizard to perish on the spot if not careful. And this was just in its normal state. If Richard was reckless, the spell power could multiply several times over, but the cost would be incredibly painful. In addition to spell enhancement, Richard also developed a witchcraft called Radiation Battle Body. Under Richard¡¯s experimentation, even without having the Radiation Rule, one could achieve it using some radiation materials. And its combat power was extremely exaggerated. After activating the Radiation Battle Body, every strike of Richard¡¯s was laced with deadly Energy Radiation. These radiations, whether against Energy Barriers or against robust flesh, possessed incredibly strong Penetration Power. And this was just a byproduct for Richard. His original idea was to turn himself into a Power Furnace and then externally drive a set of Rule Battle Armor, maximizing his advantages as an Alchemy Wizard. Like the passing of white steeds, time flew by. In the blink of an eye, the day of the wizard gathering arrived. At Jimmy¡¯s reminder message, Richard quickly organized his Magic Equipment and rushed out of the Wizard Tower towards Garon Wizard College. For a wizard like Richard, who had joined the Academy, it was natural to go to the gathering with the Academy¡¯s wizards. Arriving at the Academy, Richard immediately saw the throng of wizards flying in mid-air. Garon Wizard College had many Three Rings Wizards, nearly two hundred. This many Three Rings Wizards could almost form the backbone of an expeditionary force in a Plane War in a Miniature World. Seeing Richard, Jimmy laughed loudly, "Richard, you¡¯ve finally come. If you hadn¡¯t, you would have had to find us at the Tower of Truth." Chapter 428 - 47 Wizard Gathering Chapter 428: Chapter 47 Wizard GatheringWith Richard¡¯s arrival, the Three Rings Wizards of the Garon Wizard Academy were basically all assembled. Then, under Jimmy¡¯s lead, everyone flew towards the Tower of Truth. On the way, Richard began to inquire about the wizard gathering from the other wizards attending the party. As a recently advanced Three Rings Wizard, he was ignorant of many things. "Hey, think of this gathering as a social mixer from your apprentice days," said Stio, standing beside Richard, with half of his skin iron-grey and the other half dark gold. In the wars of the Green Forest World, Stio, though not having earned a fortune like Richard, had also reaped substantial rewards. He had found a cell on one of the biological weapons that could metallize cell bones and skeletons. The durability of these cells was far stronger than those in his body, even allowing for the integration of small amounts of pure gold into the cellular skeleton. With the help of these biological weapons, Stio¡¯s body evolved again, his combat power greatly increasing from before. "A mixer?" Richard said, puzzled, "But isn¡¯t there also a selection for military officers according to the information?" "Sure, there is a selection, but that thing..." Stio stopped talking halfway and gave Richard a thorough look, leaving him somewhat baffled. "What¡¯s wrong, is there something amiss with me?" "Nothing," Stio continued, "I just suddenly realized that you might actually stand a chance." "The military always selects the best of the best for officers. Don¡¯t be fooled by the large number of Three Rings Wizards at the gathering; only a few are truly selected. Without fail, those who are selected are geniuses among geniuses, and also those talents not previously discovered by Great Wizards." Richard¡¯s gains from the Green Forest World had already spread among wizards. With so many spider-shaped armed puppets, and that gigantic floating cannon mother body, it could be said that, should Richard wish it, there aren¡¯t many wizards at the gathering who could match him in a fight. "Talents not previously discovered by Great Wizards... indeed, those are quite rare," Richard agreed earnestly. Due to the Plane Wars, the turnover rate of wizards within an Academy was extremely high. Often, a single Plane War would result in the replacement of half the Academy¡¯s staff. Wizards like Richard, whose teacher was a logistic witch and held a high position, were very much the minority. Thus, the majority of the wizards within the Academy were effectively without mentors. If these wizards showed promise during the Plane Wars, it was impossible for them not to attract the attention of Great Wizards, many of whom had the habit of accepting numerous apprentices. Therefore, the genius wizards who reached the level of Three Rings Wizard without being taken under the wing of a Great Wizard were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. If the Military Department aimed for these individuals, then for the vast majority of wizards, the gathering was indeed very similar to a social mixer. "However, with your wealth, the Military Department would be lucky to recruit you, and you probably wouldn¡¯t be interested anyway." Saying this, Stio showed a hint of envy. Using ritual magic worth hundreds of thousands of magic essence at will, such generosity wasn¡¯t common among Three Rings Wizards, not even among those who could be chosen as military officers. "Haha, I indeed have no interest in joining," Richard laughed, "But I am quite curious about those wizards who get selected. I¡¯ve heard," Richard assumed a mysterious expression, "that the Three Rings Wizards of the military have a much higher chance of advancing to Great Wizard than the average wizard." "What¡¯s the point?" Stio said dejectedly, "Everyone knows that. But looking at you, you probably don¡¯t know the secret behind that number, do you?" "A secret behind the number?" Richard¡¯s interest was piqued, "What kind of secret could there be?" Stio chuckled mischievously, "The secret is that the probability is a sham; in fact, the Three Rings Wizards who advance through the Military Department hardly have a higher chance of becoming a Great Wizard than us freelancers. The high advancement rate is because..." "This selection!" Richard and Stio said in unison. As long as the Military Department pulls the outstanding Three Rings Wizards from among freelancers into their ranks, the chances of their wizards advancing to Great Wizard would naturally be higher. Moreover, the number of Three Rings Wizards in the Military Department is at least an order of magnitude less than those outside. Under such conditions, it would indeed be strange if the Department¡¯s advancement rate wasn¡¯t higher. "What are you two talking about?" Suddenly, a voice came from behind Richard. Turning around, he saw the two-faced wizard they had cooperated with before, curiously looking at them. "Nothing much, it¡¯s my first time at this gathering, just asking about the event," Richard replied casually. "Oh right, Richard, it¡¯s your first time at a Three Rings Wizard gathering," the two-faced wizard realized, "But that¡¯s good; the location has changed this time. Instead of being held in the Council¡¯s Secret Realm, it¡¯s in an unopened world. I heard there are even some changes in the proceedings." Hearing this, Stio¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. "Is that so?" The two-faced wizard nodded, "I heard it from a friend in the Military Department. They say the Military Department encountered some tough resistance while expanding their frontiers, and now they¡¯re planning to upscale." "Tough resistance? What kind of tough resistance could stand up to the Military Department?" Stio said in disbelief. Although Stio believed he was on par with those military wizards, he had to admit, the combat capabilities of the Military Department¡¯s wizards were unparalleled by any Wizard Academy in the Wizard World. These wizards had access to the best alchemy weapons in the Wizard World, and they could suit up with all sorts of strategic-level magic equipment that were too costly for widespread deployment. And these wizards¡¯ individual qualities were indeed above average, even among their peers who regularly engaged in wizarding endeavors. Excellent personal qualities, paired with superb weapons and logistical support, meant that the Military Department rarely suffered setbacks during expeditions across planes, let alone facing tough nuts to crack. "God knows," said the Double-faced Wizard, spreading his hands, "that¡¯s all my friend could reveal; it¡¯s already the limit. There are confidentiality regulations within the Military Department." Speakers may be careless, but listeners are not. As Richard listened to the Double-faced Wizard, the word "civilization" immediately sprang to mind. Besides civilization, Richard couldn¡¯t think of any other explanation that would make the Military Department consider something a tough nut to crack. Suddenly, the leading wizard named Jimmy looked back and shouted: "Folks, be careful, a storm is coming! Watch out for lightning strikes, hahaha." The following wizards laughed heartily upon hearing this. Their robust laughter filled the sky, as if the approaching storm was nothing more than a gentle breeze. ... After five days, the group finally arrived at the Tower of Truth. Guided by the staff of the Tower of Truth, these wizards traveled via flying airships through the Teleportation Gate, passing through the Central World to reach the venue of the gathering¡ªa small world identified by the code 011320, named Star River World. Upon entering the world, Richard instinctively surveyed his surroundings. "Four Elements are balanced, magic power density is five times that of the Wizard World, special rules..." Richard glanced at the sky through the airship¡¯s window and noticed that Star River World seemed to lack the alternation of day and night. Instead of the sun, a dazzling galaxy shone in the sky. This must be why wizards named this world Star River World. "This place seems to have been conquered recently," said the Double-faced Wizard. His neck twisted, bringing the face on the back of his head to the front. This face resembled the demons of myth, with a reddish complexion and a pair of dim yellow eyes emitting a filthy gleam. "I see a lot of resentment; this world must have been conquered less than ten years ago." Less than ten years? Ten years might sound like a long time. but to wizards, it barely equated to a common person¡¯s one month of effort. It was possible that some natives still remained uncleansed within this world. Why would the Tower of Truth choose such a world for the gathering? Richard had a hunch as he recalled the information mentioned by the Double-faced Wizard en route. This world was likely connected to that "tough nut to crack." Beside him, Stio¡¯s expression also shifted, but lacking Richard¡¯s extensive knowledge, he only felt something was amiss without knowing exactly what. He wondered aloud, "Why would the Tower of Truth choose such a place for the event? Could it be that they want us to help the Military Department exterminate those remaining natives?" Richard didn¡¯t respond, just quietly observed the world outside the window. Three days later, everyone arrived at the venue of the gathering. The site featured a complex of palaces, and at the center, four waterfalls supported a huge Sky Garden suspended in the air like pillars. A multitude of flying airships eclipsed the sky. Richard roughly estimated that the gathering might have attracted hundreds of thousands of Three Rings Wizards. "Something¡¯s not right," Stio, beside Richard, looked at the shading flying airships with a glint of horror on his face. "What¡¯s not right?" Stio with a grave expression responded, "In previous gatherings, at most, a few tens of thousands of Three Rings would come, all from the same Tower of Truth as us. But this time, the number is too great; it seems every Three Rings Wizard in the Wizard World has been called. It looks like something big has really happened." Before long, an announcement to disembark came through the airship¡¯s broadcast. Tens of thousands of Three Rings Wizards descended through the airship¡¯s bottom hatch and landed in the palace complex below. Thump. Richard landed soundlessly on the ground with a light tap of his toes. As soon as he touched down, a small sprite materialized by his side. "Honored wizard sir, I am your guide sprite for the duration of this gathering." Richard looked at the sprite before him, instinctively stroking his chin. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He could tell that this creature was utterly different from the library sprite. To Richard, the library sprite was a special kind of being, whereas the sprite in front of him seemed more like a creation of witchcraft. "Alright then, what should I do next?" Richard inquired. The sprite bowed slightly towards Richard, "Please follow me; the procedure for this gathering is unlike the ones before. This time, all wizards, willing or not, must participate in the Military Department¡¯s staff selection. The selection¡¯s victors will proceed to the Sky Garden to receive a message from the Truth Council." Chapter 429 - 48: Escape and Kill Race Chapter 429: Chapter 48: Escape and Kill RaceThough the guidance of the little sprite was calm, it sounded like a thunderclap in Richard¡¯s ears. If before he had only suspected, he could now be certain that the Wizards had encountered another civilization. This selection for the military personnel was just the beginning. If nothing unexpected happened, once the two civilizations went to war, all Three Rings Wizards would be conscripted by the military department. Moreover, as the war escalated, the Truth Council would continuously expand the scope of its draft. A grand war unlike any before was imminent! As for why the two civilizations wouldn¡¯t cooperate and coexist in harmony? Stop kidding around, a Wizard Civilization that has five Truth Wizards, more than a thousand Great Wizards, and hundreds of millions of specialized War Wizards would never choose peace. Conquest and enslavement are the Wizards¡¯ way of treating other races. Besides, Richard didn¡¯t think other civilizations would coexist in harmony with the Wizard Civilization. Not every civilization is a melting pot like the Gods Civilization, with members of all sorts of races. "The great era is coming," Richard muttered to himself. Following the guide sprite, Richard arrived at a luxurious palace. Inside, Wizards from different academies and Towers of Truth gathered together. Some of these Wizards looked puzzled, some furrowed their brows tightly, some were brimming with fighting spirit, while others lazily yawned. These people were all elites among the common Wizards, one in ten thousand. And here, they were just ordinary attendees at the meeting. "Please wait a moment," the guide sprite said to Richard with a bow, "The meeting will officially begin once everyone has arrived." Richard scanned the hall and couldn¡¯t help but frown. There wasn¡¯t a single White Wizard in the entire palace; all were Black Wizards. "What is the council trying to do?" Richard looked at the Wizards in the hall and, after confirming there was no one he knew, quietly slipped into a corner of the palace to wait for what would follow. Before long, as a Wizard who resembled a Stone Giant stepped into the palace, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared in the center of the hall. "Silence." The hall quickly quieted down. Seeing the hall¡¯s silence, the shadowy figure spoke, "I am the person in charge of this Wizard meeting, the Minister of the Wizard World Exploration Department, the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear. Due to institutional reform, from now on, the Three Rings Wizards¡¯ meeting is no longer held by individual Towers of Truth alone; all Three Rings Wizards will come to a world under the council¡¯s jurisdiction. In addition, the previous system of voluntary selection has been revoked; now all Three Rings Wizards must participate in the selection for the Wizard World Exploration Department personnel. Wizards who pass the selection will automatically join the Wizard World Exploration Department. Take note that whether you are a student of a Great Wizard or a descendant, this rule applies to all Wizards." Upon hearing this, the Wizards in the palace immediately erupted into an uproar. The military, although offering great benefits and treatment, required them to participate in Plane Wars far more frequently than the average Wizard. Joining the military meant that numerous battles would be in their future. Moreover, this statement also revealed a dangerous signal, that this was just the beginning. Once forced conscription began, it would not stop. "Silence!" Although the Bronze Spear Great Wizard was just a shadowy figure, when he spoke, a terrifying pressure still emanated from it, silencing the entire palace. "Due to institutional reform, the original rules of the Wizard World Exploration Department have also been modified. Members of the Wizard World Exploration Department can now exchange war merits for various resources and benefits. This includes, but is not limited to, qualifying for advancement to Great Wizard." Qualification for advancement to Great Wizard... It was like a drop of water in boiling oil; the announcement immediately set the palace abuzz again. Becoming a Great Wizard was something many Three Rings Wizards had longed for in their dreams, but over the years, countless had found themselves blocked by the advancement qualification. Now, the Truth Council had actually opened up the authority to advance to Great Wizard! After the tumult came silence; the Wizards enthusiastically looked to the Bronze Spear Great Wizard, anticipating his next message. The effect of offering a sweet date after a beating was quite remarkable. Although the Three Rings Wizards knew that the military merits needed for promotion to Great Wizard would be astronomical, and that very few Wizards would likely survive to the day they could exchange them, hope was tempting. Even if they knew it was like moths to a flame, they were willing to be those moths. "The major changes are just these; the rest are some details that will be given to you in a booklet after the meeting. Next, I will announce the rules of this assessment. You will be randomly teleported to any corner of this world and undergo a selection similar to the bloody exams of your apprentice days. Of course, you are far more valuable than those Wizard Apprentices, so you will be protected. Your guide sprites will ensure you do not die in this selection. Once the protection of a sprite is activated, you might as well have lost the qualification. And your task in this selection is to defeat other Wizards as much as possible. Defeating one Wizard will earn you a point, and at the end of thirty days, the competition will conclude. At that time, the top one hundred scoring Three Rings Wizards will join the Exploration Department." The Bronze Spear Great Wizard paused briefly. "Additionally, I think you¡¯ve all recognized that this world is one that we¡¯ve recently conquered and still contains many resistance forces. The information on these creatures will be transmitted to you by the guide sprites later. Killing these resisting creatures will also earn you points. The selection will begin in thirty seconds. Prepare yourselves." With those words, the shadowy figure of the Bronze Spear Great Wizard suddenly vanished. From beneath the floor of the palace, slight Magic Fluctuations could be heard¡ªit was the signal for the activation of the Teleportation Array. "No wonder they¡¯re all Black Wizards..." Richard looked at the uniformly black Wizard Robes inside the hall and a reminiscing smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "So, it¡¯s going to be a hunt-or-be-hunted competition," Wizard Apprentice murmured to himself. Although both were Three Rings Wizards, Black Wizards generally had superior individual combat abilities compared to White Wizards. Due to the division of labor, White Wizards tended to focus their research on witchcraft that could amplify the abilities of their subordinates, or on spells that could coordinate and deploy the magic power of other wizards. Black Wizards, on the other hand, were more concerned with enhancing their own combat power. Richard muttered, "I wonder how the White Wizards will select their candidates. The Tower of Truth surely can¡¯t summon a Wizard Army to fight it out, can they?" ... In the palace of the White Wizards, the Bronze Spear Great Wizard was announcing the selection rules for the White Wizards. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "This time, you will enter the Soul Mysterious Realm of Magic Equipment. There, you can arrange the configuration of your own legion. There are many types of slaves you can choose from, allowing you to mix and match your legion as you please, but remember, the number in your legion is fixed; you must make sacrifices to gain advantages. The competition will use a points-based system. Defeating an opponent will score you a point, and you will not face the same opponent again. At the end of the competition, the top one hundred wizards in points will join the Wizard World Exploration Department. You will begin the competition in thirty seconds." As soon as he finished speaking, the phantom image of the Bronze Spear Great Wizard vanished abruptly, leaving the White Wizards with bewildered looks on their faces. "The Soul Mysterious Realm? What is that?" "I thought we were going to fight in the World Mirror with our Slave Army. My witchcraft is perfect for slaves." "Using the Soul Mysterious Realm, the council is really spending a lot of resources this time." While the wizards were discussing, the floor of the palace began to glow. Thirty seconds later, all the wizards in the palace had disappeared without a trace. ... As the scene before his eyes gradually returned to normal, Richard, holding the World Tree Staff, curiously examined his surroundings. The Galaxy World, lacking anything like a sun, existed under a perpetual twilight. Beneath the cold light of the stars, the earth seemed coated with a layer of silvery white, appearing peaceful and serene. "The world is so vast, it¡¯s going to be difficult to find other wizards," Richard complained as he surveyed the plains before him. "There¡¯s no need for concern," replied the guide sprite suddenly appearing beside Richard, its tone calm. "I possess the ability to detect nearby sprites. If you wish, I can show you the locations of the Three Rings Wizards within a fifty-kilometer radius. However, while I¡¯m using this ability, other guide sprites will also be able to sense me, so please use it with caution. Additionally, the battlefield will shrink every ten days. Any wizard who fails to reach the competition area within a day will automatically be considered withdrawn from the contest." Upon hearing this, the corners of Richard¡¯s mouth twitched. "It really is a full-scale battle royale." Suddenly, a loud boom echoed from afar. Richard¡¯s gaze stretched out, and he saw two Three Rings Wizards had already encountered each other, engaging in an intense spell battle. "It seems I don¡¯t need your help for the time being," Richard offhandedly said to the sprite as he watched the two wizards. "There are points coming my way." ... Goring considered himself to be a Child of Destiny. Even before becoming a Wizard Apprentice, he was a prince of an Empire, one step below the top, yet above tens of thousands. After becoming an Apprentice, his astonishing talent caught the attention of an old Wizard, who took him as his successor. After becoming a Wizard, not only did he manage to avoid any injury in his first Plane War, but he also reaped a bountiful harvest. The money he earned was even more than his mentor¡¯s. The things he studied were always valuable, and his approach was exceptionally accurate. In every Plane War he took part in, although there were moments of crisis, he always managed to turn misfortune into fortune and crisis into opportunity. Not long ago, during the Great Wizard selection, he had narrowly missed selection. He thought his luck had finally run out, but he didn¡¯t expect that the Truth Council would reform the system! Without undergoing the Great Wizard Trial, he could now obtain the rank of Great Wizard by simply joining the Military Department. As a wizard, he had always scoffed at the concept of a Child of Destiny. But now, he was starting to believe it. He was the Child of Destiny! With that thought, Goring waved his Magic Wand, utilizing the power of the rules to boost his Spell¡¯s power to Ten Thousand Energy Level. Looking at the three-ring wizard before him, with his precarious Magic Barrier. Goring said in a low voice, "Friend, it¡¯s over! Your defeat is not due to your ability but because you faced me¡ª Child of Destiny, Goring!" With those words, a dazzling light pierced through the Magic Barrier. The wizard inside the Magic Barrier vanished into thin air. "One point secured!" Goring said with some excitement. But his excitement did not cloud his judgment, and soon after, Goring opened his mouth and emitted a series of ultrasonic waves, inaudible to human ears. It was a Reconnaissance Magic he had developed based on a creature called Shadow Bat, with a detection range of about ten kilometers. Quickly, he turned his head to the left. There, a Black Wizard holding a Dark Gold Wand was rapidly approaching. A scornful smile appeared on Goring¡¯s face. "I truly am a Child of Destiny, just minutes in and another point is on its way." Chapter 430 - 49 The Pyramid’s Apex Gleams with Gold and Splendor Chapter 430: Chapter 49 The Pyramid¡¯s Apex Gleams with Gold and SplendorRichard wasn¡¯t entirely sure why the wizard in front of him could wait so confidently for his arrival. Although in his Energy Vision, a dazzling brilliance radiated from Goring¡¯s body, that brilliance, though powerful, still fell short when compared to those bona fide longtime Three Rings wizards. Based on Richard¡¯s observations of other Three Rings wizards, this wizard hadn¡¯t even reached the limit of spiritual power for a Three Rings wizard. This also meant that this wizard hadn¡¯t been at the Three Rings level for very long. Logically speaking, a wizard like this, upon seeing a wizard whose Energy Radiation didn¡¯t leak at all approaching him, should have fled, instead of nonchalantly standing his ground, ready for a true man¡¯s one-on-one battle. This genuinely baffled Richard. Suddenly, Richard came to a sharp halt. Before him, a purple thunder "crash" sounded, striking the ground, exploding into a cluster of tiny white-violet lightning. The lightning hit the ground with a series of cracking noises, like setting off firecrackers. Richard looked down and saw where the lightning had struck the earth, leaving behind bowl-sized scorched pits. If he hadn¡¯t stopped in time, the thunder would have struck him. "Ten Thousand Energy Level, and it specializes in Penetration," Richard estimated, bracing against the Magic Barrier, "No wonder he¡¯s so confident; he indeed has some capability." Being able to release Ten Thousand Energy Level thunder so easily, the wizard before him must possess some understanding of the rules of thunder. Possessing rules, this wizard did indeed have the capital to be arrogant. But sadly, Richard merely sneered coldly. Rules, after all, he had more of them. ... Goring, seeing his carefully prepared strike miss, felt his heart sink. But before he could gather the energy for a second bolt of Thunder, he saw that the black-robed wizard¡¯s body suddenly shone with a dazzling light, as if it wasn¡¯t blood but energy flowing through his veins. The next moment, Richard appeared beside Goring as swiftly as thunder, teleporting. So fast! The thought flashed through Goring¡¯s mind. He saw a glowing fist smash viciously against his Magic Barrier. Bang! The barrier was penetrated. Goring looked somewhat dazed at the Magic Barrier ¨C if he remembered correctly, this barrier should withstand attacks up to Eight Thousand Energy Level. But he quickly abandoned that thought. Because the North Star-like radiant fist smashed hard into him. Bang! Goring¡¯s body flew backward like a cannonball. "Hm?" Richard looked at Goring flying backward with a flicker of confusion across his face. Aren¡¯t the guide sprites supposed to protect these wizards? Was his punch not enough to rob this wizard of his combat strength? "Cough cough cough, I must say, you are very strong!" Goring, having been sent flying, forced himself to stand up, his eyes, his body, even his blood vessels all faintly flickering with thunder. "To push me this far, you are definitely the strongest enemy I¡¯ve ever faced. But it¡¯s a pity!" Goring suddenly lifted his head, his eye sockets no longer containing eyes, only a vast expanse of white lightning. "You¡¯ve met me, Goring, the Child of Destiny! Fate decrees that you¡¯re bound to lose here today!" He said, then clutched his Magic Wand and lunged fiercely at Richard. The previously calm air became violently restless. At that moment, the wand in his hands seemed to turn into a Bronze Spear piercing the Heavenly Vault. Blue-purple thunder with destructive might, as if born from the wrath of Ancient Gods, every wisp of light containing the power to tear everything asunder. As it surged from the tip of the wand, the entire world seemed to be engulfed by this dazzling blue-purple light. And the power of this strike reached an astonishing Twenty Thousand Energy Level! After unleashing the thunder, Goring placed down his wand, confidently turning away. With a Twenty Thousand Energy Level spell, Goring didn¡¯t believe any Three Rings wizard could resist it head-on. But a voice stopped him dead in his tracks. "Child of Destiny, where do you think you¡¯re going?" Goring turned back to see Richard, looking like a dragon in human form, perfectly fine and standing in place. Below his feet, a dark circle had encased him. The Twenty Thousand Energy Level thunder hadn¡¯t inflicted a shred of damage on Richard! Richard stretched a little, if it had been an ordinary Elemental Magic, maybe he would have needed to dodge. But unfortunately for Goring, it was Thunder Magic. The Radiation Rule endowed Richard with the ability to manipulate radiation, its essence being control over energy. While Thunder Magic may sound like the Fireball Technique, Ice Cone Skill, and other Elemental Magic, in reality, there is only four principal elements. All other spells that sound like Elemental Magic are essentially Energy Magic utilizing different energy properties. This is the fundamental reason why the Shape-shifting School isn¡¯t called the Elemental School. Under the weakening of the Radiation Control, the power of the thunder was reduced by a whole Seven Thousand Energy Level. What¡¯s left, Thirteen Thousand Energy Level, after the weakening by the Magic Barrier, merely remained Five Thousand Energy Level. A spell of Five Thousand Energy Level to Richard, who had activated his Transformation Battle Body, might have caused some pain, but it was just a little pain. Richard took a light step, and his body appeared in front of Goring. "The use of Thunder Rules was not bad, but that¡¯s all it was¡ªjust not bad." The next instant, Goring felt the world around him spin. By the time he came to his senses, he was back in the palace where he had been before the match, listening to the news from the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear. "Did I... lose?" Goring looked around, bewildered, unable to believe that he had been "killed" so easily by a wizard. The Wizard didn¡¯t even use a spell; he simply used two punches to defeat me. And to think I once believed myself to be the Child of Destiny, for whom this selection process was held. How laughable, how sad. Goring¡¯s face showed a bitter smile as suddenly a thought flashed through his mind. Even if you¡¯re a one-in-a-million talent, the Wizard World still has hundreds of thousands like you. You consider yourself a piece of gold, but to become the shining pinnacle of the Wizard World¡¯s Pyramid... On the battlefield, Richard watched the suddenly vanishing Goring, a trace of contemplation crossing his face. Space teleportation, coupled with enhanced protection. Does that mean, using a high Energy Level spell with spatial properties could break through the guidance of little sprites¡¯ protection? Richard shook his head, casting out the strange thoughts that had crept into his mind. This is the Military Department¡¯s selection race, not the battlefield. There¡¯s no need to always think about killing. Richard snapped his fingers, and the guiding sprite appeared at the sound. "You¡¯ve got my points, right?" "I remember." "Good," Richard nodded. "Search for other wizards around, I¡¯ve just realized I¡¯m pretty strong after getting into action." "As you wish." ... Meanwhile, in various places throughout the Galaxy World, similar scenes were occurring to different individuals. Although Three Rings Wizards are all geniuses among wizards, there are levels even among geniuses. On the plains, a wizard as formidable as a Fire Giant threw with force, and a Fireball with a Ten Thousand Energy Level flew like a meteor towards a fleeing wizard. The Fire Giant watched the fleeing wizard with some vexation, scratching his head. "Why bother? You¡¯re not going to die anyway. Handing over points directly is a much more efficient matter for everyone." Saying this, a few more equally terrifying Fireballs appeared around him. ... Above a lake, a wizard whose body was like blue Ice Crystals walked silently across its surface. Blue frost spread from beneath her feet, as if to freeze the entire lake. Within the lake, a creature as large as a whale kept avoiding the encroaching frost. Soon, unable to avoid any longer, the whale-like creature had to leap out of the now-frozen surface of the water in a desperate move. But just as he emerged from the water, a series of frost chains burrowed out from the surface of the lake, pulling him back into the depths like a giant hand. Before being sealed, the whale finally revealed his true form, transforming into a half-fishman with scales all over his body. "Can you tell me what this witchcraft is called?" The Ice Person Wizard replied softly, "Orei Frost Sealing Technique." With that said, the sealing was complete, and the fishman wizard disappeared without a trace. ... In the dense forest, an old wizard in a black robe pursued another wizard unhurriedly. The old wizard looked ordinary; his movements were concise, with no apparent extraordinary power. But it was this very ordinary old wizard who made the chased feel like he had fallen into an ice cellar. A wizard can make one action concise, maybe ten actions too. But as the number of actions increases, people inevitably make superfluous gestures. But this old wizard didn¡¯t. He was like a robot; his every move was highly efficient, as if these movements, these techniques, had become his instincts. Suddenly, the pursued wizard stopped. His expression turned fierce, ready to make a last stand. But before he could react, the old wizard waved his Magic Wand, and a profound Dark Erosion Energy pierced his Magic Barrier, triggering the transport of the guiding sprite. Watching the vanishing wizard, the old one muttered, "It seems the power of a Dark Erosion Arrow could be reduced a bit more. This power is still a little high." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... Bang! A Big Hammer Mace wrapped in Thunder came down from the sky like divine punishment, shattering the wizard¡¯s Magic Barrier to pieces. Spit. The struck wizard spat out a mouthful of blood, twisted for a moment, and then disappeared. Seeing this scene, Stio, covered in blue blood, grinned. "Heh, points in the bag." Then he pulled a Magic Potion from his pocket and crunched it in his mouth like a pill. After the potion, he still felt unsatisfied and took out a handful of metal pellets from his pocket and popped them in like beans. With the help of the Magic Potion, the wounds on his body began to heal rapidly. Carrying his Magic Wand, Stio looked at the battlefield and sighed, "Ah, the good days are over. The guys I¡¯ve come across these last couple of days have all been so tenacious." It was now the seventh day since the competition began, and a large number of less-skilled Three Rings Wizards had been sent away. What¡¯s left now, no one is an easy target. Days like the first two, where you could easily earn points, were long gone. Before long, Stio felt his injuries were mostly healed. He summoned the sprite to display the map. Because the competition venue was so vast, the Tower of Truth divided the entire competition area into five regions. When it came time to scale down the venue, the shrinking was done by districts as well. Each district has a "safe zone." Now, seven days into the competition, the Tower of Truth had already distributed the scaled-down competition areas to the guiding sprites. Looking at the map¡¯s safe zone, Stio rubbed the back of his head. "It¡¯s pretty close, no need to hurry... Who¡¯s there!" Stio¡¯s expression abruptly changed, and his Big Hammer Mace swung fiercely, unleashing an Eight Thousand Energy Level Thunder from the Hammer Head that flew into the nearby woods. "Cough, cough, cough, that¡¯s not a nice way to say hello." From the woods, a wizard with a stature like a Flame Giant emerged, draped in a black robe. The terrifying aura immediately made Stio¡¯s face change drastically. "Sun Giant Belte!" Chapter 431 - 50 Sun Giant Belte Chapter 431: Chapter 50 Sun Giant BelteHearing his old nickname, the wizard known as Sun Giant Belte froze, his expression awkward. "Stio, we¡¯ve known each other for a long time. Can¡¯t you stop calling me by that moniker from my youth?" Stio twisted his lips into a smile uglier than a cry. "It must have been over five hundred years since we last met, right? It seems you¡¯ve had a good few years." "Not bad, I¡¯ve thoroughly absorbed that Sun Core fragment." Belte shrugged his shoulders and casually summoned a terrifying fireball. "You¡¯ve done quite well too over the years. I never expected that the metalized cells you discovered during your apprentice days could now even integrate with Pure Gold." Stio twitched at the corner of his eyes as he watched the fireball. Sun Giant Belte, one of the wizards he had known since his apprentice days. During his apprenticeship, Belte, with his Fire Element Giant bloodline and a mastery of Elemental Magic that was shocking for an apprentice, slaughtered all in his path during the bloody exams. Stio was one of the few wizard apprentices who had managed to escape his grasp. Later, after becoming a wizard, the two started fighting side by side in the Plane War. Due to their equal status as wizards, they weren¡¯t exactly intimate but could definitely be called acquaintances. After that, Stio left his original academy and joined the Garon Wizard Academy to cultivate Physique Evolution. Since then, they saw each other much less often. And in recent times, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for over five hundred years. In Stio¡¯s memory, Belte had always been a genius. Even though he had now become a Three Rings Wizard, he still believed Belte to be a genius. But among geniuses, there are levels, and Belte was the genius among geniuses. "Don¡¯t look so ugly, Stio," Belte laughed, "We¡¯re all friends here. I have no intentions of taking your points; I just came to catch up on old times." Belte¡¯s demeanor was friendly, but his words carried a sense of condescension. He didn¡¯t think it would be difficult to take Stio¡¯s points. Upon hearing this, Stio took a deep breath, and the Magic Wand he was holding became entwined with a white and purple Thunder Snake. "Old friend, thank you for still cherishing our rapport. But over the years, I¡¯ve also achieved some..." He abruptly lifted his head, his eyes filled with soaring fighting spirit and fury. "Who will win is not yet certain!" With that said, Stio suddenly swelled in size, turning into a giant more than three meters tall. Wielding the Magic Wand encircled with thunder, he struck at Belte with the force of ten thousand jun. He was no longer the weak apprentice who could only flee from the Sun Giant Belte! "Ah, why is it that every time old classmates see me, they act like this." A sigh escaped Belte along with an expression of helplessness as his body suddenly grew, transforming into a Flame Giant even taller than Stio. "Old friend, since you insist on fighting, don¡¯t blame me for hitting too hard!" Boom! The thunderous explosion made the whole forest tremble. Stio¡¯s hammer was firmly blocked by a Magic Armor Shield. "Old friend, your progress is truly surprising," Belte said, propping up his shield with some effort, "It seems the path of Garon the Great Wizard suits you better." Stio didn¡¯t respond but raised his hammer high. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Boom, boom, boom... The sound of thunder echoed through the woods, shaking tree branches and scattering leaves. The two massive beings fought fiercely in the forest, one on the attack, the other on the defense. Stio, gripping his hammer and wrapped in white and purple Thunder Snakes, was like a Thunder God from mythology. Belte, on the other hand, was like a red-hot billet of steel on an anvil, continuously forged by Stio¡¯s assaults. Stio¡¯s momentum grew stronger as he fought; every cell in his body became exceedingly active during the exhilarating battle. His cells¡¯ ability to absorb Magic Power from the air grew stronger, be it his strength, speed, agility, or his ability to recover¡ªall significantly improved compared to before the battle. This unique ability of Physique Evolution Wizards was termed Wildness Recovery by Garon the Great Wizard. In such a state, a wizard¡¯s strength could be one-fifth stronger than usual. Boom! Another massive sound rang out! The huge shockwave instantly sent surrounding trees flying, and the scattering rocks shot out like bullets. "Why don¡¯t you attack?" Stio called out. He could feel that Belte was not so pressured by his attacks that he couldn¡¯t counter; it was a deliberate choice to let him strike. Belte put down his shield and wiped a few drops of magma from his forehead, speaking in a relaxed tone: "If I attacked, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see your progress." Upon hearing this, Stio suddenly laughed. Indeed, Belte was still Belte¡ªwhile he viewed himself as congenial, he always looked down on others with a conceited tone. But the most infuriating part was that this guy indeed had the capital to back it up. Sighing inwardly, Stio thought, "In this competition, only the disciples of Great Wizards could possibly suppress him." "Old friend, if you¡¯ve got nothing new, I¡¯ll make my move." Belte¡¯s shield suddenly vanished, replaced by a golden flame spear in his hand. The spear shone brilliantly as if forged from the deep flames of the sun; each flicker of flame was radiant, the glow emitting astonishing heat. Stio swallowed uneasily. On that spear, he smelled the scent of death. "This is a new Spell I¡¯ve been working on, called ¡¯Sun Light.¡¯ It¡¯s a piece of witchcraft I created using the Sun Rules from the fragment after I absorbed the Sun Core fragment. The power isn¡¯t high, just twenty thousand Energy Level." "Since my old friend you have shown your hand, then in the spirit of reciprocity, accept this ¡¯Sun Light¡¯ to speed you on your way." After speaking, Belte¡¯s expression turned serious, and with his right hand gripping a javelin, he hurled it fiercely towards Stio. Instinctively, Stio wanted to flee, but Belte¡¯s golden flame-filled eyes, like the gaze of a Demon God, rooted him to the spot. A thought flashed through Stio¡¯s mind. "Curse Magic!" At that moment, Stio felt as though he had returned to his Apprentice days, once again the weak Apprentice fleeing for his life from the Sun Giant Belte. Boom! The golden javelin exploded with a roar, turning into a burst of golden flames, incinerating everything around it, leaving only ash and lava. "Eh?" Belte looked at the center of the Sun Light¡¯s formidable power with some surprise. There, Stio was still standing. Though he was charred and looked rather like a black man, Belte could clearly sense that Stio hadn¡¯t sustained any serious injuries. From the shadow behind Stio, a young Wizard clad in tall metallic Armor, with a kindly smile, slowly stepped forward. "I am Richard, may I ask how you are addressed?" ... Richard? The name felt familiar to Belte. But, unfortunately, it was such a common name he couldn¡¯t immediately recall where he had heard it. But it didn¡¯t matter, if he didn¡¯t remember it, that meant the person was a nobody. Dealing with a nobody was simply a matter of more effort. "Belte," replied Belte just as pleasantly. The situation wasn¡¯t one of battle, and he didn¡¯t mind exchanging a few more words with another Wizard. He was certain of his victory anyway. "So you¡¯re Master Belte, you are even more impressive in person than by reputation," Richard feigned surprise as he replied. Although he¡¯d never heard the name before, that didn¡¯t stop him from flattering the other for a bit, biding his time. His gaze flicked to the surrounding woods where several Crystal Floating Cannons were silently moving, preparing to create a massive delayed force field. "Oh? Has Stio mentioned me?" Belte¡¯s eyes brightened, surprised that the Wizard before him had heard of him. Thinking quickly, Richard replied, "He has, indeed. Stio holds you in very high regard, saying that you¡¯re a once-in-a-generation talent, a Great Wizard yet to ascend." Hearing this, Belte couldn¡¯t help but laugh, saying, "Haha, I didn¡¯t expect my old friend to think so highly of me. You have good insight!" Behind Richard, Stio moved his lips, but he said nothing in reply. Although he hadn¡¯t mentioned Belte to Richard, he did indeed believe that Belte could become a Great Wizard. After the laughter, Belte smiled and said, "Since you¡¯re friends with Stio, I won¡¯t take your points. Please step aside and let me take his." Hearing this, the smile on Richard¡¯s face suddenly stiffened. "Friend, you don¡¯t seem like a Wizard short of points, why do you insist on taking Stio¡¯s points?" "At first, I didn¡¯t want to," Belte replied somewhat helplessly, "but then Stio insisted on engaging with me." Richard glanced sideways at Stio behind him, who peeled off his carbonized skin and replied in a weakened tone: "Richard, just go. You can¡¯t help me. This guy is a monster. There¡¯s no need to lose so many Puppets over me." In Stio¡¯s heart, Richard was also a genius. But Richard was a genius at making money, while Belte was a genius at fighting. There¡¯s a difference between geniuses. "Stio, you¡¯re being too pessimistic." Richard replied with a smile, a sharp glint in his eye. "I think my chances of winning are quite good." As he finished speaking, a swamp-like force field instantly enveloped the entire battlefield, and thousands of Crystal Floating Cannons, pushing the mental limits of a Three Rings Wizard, created a massive delayed force field. The emergence of the delayed force field gradually wiped the smile from Belte¡¯s face. He could feel that within this field, every move he made required a tremendous amount of energy. Even projecting his spiritual power outwards became extremely laborious. "Friend, this terrain witchcraft of yours is quite something," commented Belte blandly. Though the delayed force field was strong, he was confident of a victory against this nobody ¨C it would just take a little more effort. "Thank you for the compliment," replied Richard, equally bland. Belte lifted his hand slightly, and the flames on his body, starting from the heart, slowly turned golden. "But you don¡¯t really think that something like this could ensure victory, do you?" After speaking, it seemed as though the delayed force field had no effect on Belte, who advanced toward Richard with large strides. From Richard¡¯s Energy Vision, a faint barrier separated Belte entirely from the surrounding delayed force field. "Biological force field?" Richard¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, surprised that Belte had such an offbeat ability. But unfortunately for him, the delayed force field was just an appetizer. "Radiation Gathering Cannon, activate!" Chapter 432 - 51: Radiation Gathering Cannon Chapter 432: Chapter 51: Radiation Gathering CannonThe knowledge of the Shape-shifting School played a significant role in Richard¡¯s development of the Radiation Rule. But this doesn¡¯t mean that Richard used only the knowledge of the Shape-shifting School to develop the Radiation Rule. The Radiation Rule endowed Richard with the ability to release high-energy radiation, a capability that, if applied properly, could be very powerful. Regrettably, the intensity of the high-energy radiation Richard released was excessively high, and even with his radiation manipulation, he could barely protect himself from harm. For a long time, Richard treated this skill as Field Witchcraft. But later on, Richard had a thought: if he couldn¡¯t contain the high-energy radiation, why not find something else to do it? As an Alchemy Wizard, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to create Magic Equipment to help him contain the radiation. And so, the Radiation Gathering Cannon was born. Richard added a radiation convergence device to his Single Soldier Armor, allowing him to confine the high-energy radiation he emitted and achieve a strong penetration effect. At the muzzle, Richard also employed the design of the Crystal Floating Cannon to further enhance the penetrating power of the radiant light. Unfortunately, due to the extremely high demands on materials and enchantments for containing high-energy radiation, even now, Richard needed to replace the Confinement Chamber after every five uses of the Radiation Gathering Cannon. But this was already enough. One Confinement Chamber was enough for Richard to take care of an enemy. If one chamber wasn¡¯t sufficient, even if he could replace it, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to resolve the threat. ... A beam of radiant light, as thick as the mouth of a sea bowl and resembling the Aurora, shot from the crystal on Richard¡¯s arm, flashing past the delayed force field in an instant. The delayed force field, which could bog down a Three Rings Wizard, seemed nonexistent in front of this radiant light. Belte¡¯s heart sounded alarm bells, and an intense sense of danger immediately flooded over him. He hastily erected a Magic Barrier and summoned the shield in his hands that he used to counter Stio¡¯s hammer blows. But it was all in vain. The Magic Barrier was like a mere illusion before the radiant light, and the shield, which could resist a Ten Thousand Energy Level Spell, now sported a hole with melted edges. Beyond the hole, Belde¡¯s left chest was pierced through. Golden flames were continuously repairing the gap. Belte¡¯s eyes were fixed on Richard; his heart felt like it was pounding hard, even though he no longer possessed such an organ. The penetration power of this spell had reached Thirty Thousand Energy Level! All his defensive means were like paper in front of this spell. For the first time, Belte felt death so close. Had the radiant light deviated by three centimeters to the right, his Element Core would have been pierced just like his current body. Luckily, he dodged it. Such a terrifying attack was likely the trump card of this nobody named Richard. Having dodged this strike, what came next... Before Belte could finish his thought, his expression suddenly shifted as if he had seen a ghost. Another attack?! Richard saw that Belte had not yet been teleported and shot out the second beam of radiant light without hesitation. For him, releasing high-energy radiation wasn¡¯t too difficult. As long as he controlled the intervals properly, he could unleash it effortlessly. The teal radiant light flashed by, striking Belte right in the chest. In the next instant, Belte¡¯s figure vanished within the delayed force field. "Look, done," Richard said, turning around with a smile. Behind him, Stio watched the scene with eyes wide and mouth open, unable to believe what he saw. Hadn¡¯t Richard been promoted to Three Rings not so long ago? Was this the fighting power of someone who had been promoted just recently? Richard snapped his fingers, summoning his guiding sprite. "Little sprite, how many points do I have now?" "You currently have fifty-two points, placing you third in the district points ranking and seventh in the overall points ranking." "Wow," Richard muttered, slightly taken aback by the number fifty-two. He himself had only gained ten points in the last two days, while that Wizard named Belte had contributed forty-one points alone. That meant Belte had at least sent forty wizards on their way. "If that guy had been a bit more cautious, this fight really could have gone either way." If it weren¡¯t for the delayed force field, Belte definitely wouldn¡¯t have chosen close combat. If it came down to spell battles, considering Belte¡¯s ability, Richard would have had no chance of winning without catching him off guard with the Radiation Gathering Cannon. Of course, all this was under the assumption that Richard would not resort to dirty tricks by unleashing all of his Crystal Floating Cannons, along with the Floating Mother Body. If Richard released the Floating Mother Body, he could walk sideways through this match without any problem. But Richard would definitely not do that. Although both the Floating Mother Body and Floating Cannon Group were his personal property and could be used freely in this selection match, if Richard resorted to a total push with the Floating Mother Body, it would attract the Military Department¡¯s attention. If they took the opportunity to requisition his Floating Mother Body, that would be troublesome. With an organization like the Truth Council, which backed a forceful department, Richard was very skeptical about their moral bottom line. When an organization holds power and violence, they need not follow the rules, for they are the rules themselves. ... Amidst the palace complex, the wizards who had been sent back gathered together, chatting about recent developments and discussing some of the recent challenges they had faced, just like a previous wizards¡¯ meet-up. They had already been eliminated, and for them, this gathering truly was just that¡ªa gathering. Within the palace, the air suddenly twisted. The next second, a shocked Belte appeared in the palace. He touched his chest, before he was teleported, the radiant light was less than a millimeter away from his Element Core. And he was powerless to stop it. This feeling, hanging by a thread from death, nearly made him burst into tears. But immediately after, he became somewhat excited. "This Richard is by no means a nobody! He definitely is a big shot!" Hearing Belte¡¯s words, the surrounding wizards paused for an instant and then burst into laughter. "My friend, you have been in the laboratory too long," laughed a wizard at Belte, "Richard is not some nobody, he has been a hot topic in the Four Rings Tower of Truth in recent years. In the entire Wizard World, he is far from a nobody." Belte was taken aback by this and hurriedly asked, "Which Great Wizard¡¯s direct disciple is this Richard? How could his name be so prominent?" "Ah, my friend, there you are wrong," the wizard replied, "The disciples of a Great Wizard are indeed powerful, but when it comes to reputation, they are far behind Richard. The Richard you encountered is the chairman and founder of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce, the creator of the Magic Support Vehicle. Now, in the White Wizard Army, four out of ten are equipped with weapons from their commerce." Belte instinctively responded, "Four out of ten? Are these figures that precise? Have you done an investigation?" Years in the laboratory made him sensitive to data. The wizard was not the slightest bit annoyed, knowing that wizards who immerse themselves in laboratories tend to speak without much thought. He continued smiling, "I haven¡¯t even finished. The remaining six armies, it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to equip, but that their orders to Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce have yet to be fulfilled." Hearing this, the flames on Belte¡¯s body flared for a moment. He had not expected the wizard who won against him to have such a distinguished identity. "There are always bigger fish," Belte murmured to himself, "I thought after absorbing the Sun Core Fragment, I would be among the elite of the Three Rings Wizards. But now it seems I was just looking at the sky from the bottom of a well." Even though Belte sounded disheartened, his face revealed an uncontrollable smile. "The days to come seem like they will be quite exciting." ... In the Fourth District, Orei, as cold as an ice person, looked at the changing leaderboard, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. "Belte lost?" Since the Military Department recruited the top hundred in points, the overall leaderboard was visible to all Black Wizards to help them ascertain if they could be enlisted. Orei was aware of Belte¡¯s strength. He had once engaged in a foolish battle with her. Although she won, Belte¡¯s abilities had left a deep impression on her. Over the years, Belte had absorbed a fragment of the Sun Core, and his combat prowess should have advanced by leaps and bounds. Yet, he had not made it to the core circle before falling to another wizard. Orei pondered, "This wizard named Richard... should be that Richard, right?" She hadn¡¯t been stuck in the laboratory all these years and had some understanding of the news in the Wizard World. The Richard capable of defeating Belte could only be Chairman Richard. "It seems Magic Essence is indeed useful," Orei sighed softly, "A recently promoted Three Rings managed to take down Belte. Gano, that fool, really missed his chance, asking for such a valuable thing for a small mine vein. Now to think of befriending him, I¡¯m afraid I might not even get to see him." With that, she sighed again and casually tossed an Ice Crystal to the ground. The next moment, the Ice Crystal quickly grew into a carriage with a coachman. She entered the carriage, and at once the Ice Crystal coachman cracked the whip, heading towards the new site marked by the Military Department on the map. ... Three days quickly passed, and those wizards who hadn¡¯t reached the designated area within the specified time were all transported to the palace complex by sprites. And as the field narrowed, the wizards increasingly encountered each other. Naturally, the battles became more frequent. Bang! In the dense forest, Richard waved the World Tree Staff with a cold expression, sending the stone wizard in front of him back to the palace. Beside him, Stio brandished the Big Hammer Mace, controlling the Metal Storm, and was locked in a fierce battle with another wizard who had transformed himself into a swarm of bees. To last till the end, Black Wizards began to form groups. Richard, seeing Stio still fighting, waved his wand, and a series of Fireballs imbued with Radiant Light shot towards the bee swarm. Boom! S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Fireballs exploded, the scattering Flames instantly decimating the bee swarm. To cut his losses quickly, the bee swarm wizard had no choice but to give up his qualifications and allow the sprites to transport him back. "Phew, the wizards coming up behind us are each harder to deal with than the next," Stio said, panting. "What, thinking of quitting?" Richard held his Magic Essence, silently replenishing his Magic Power. "Hardly," Stio laughed, "I at least need to make it to the final circle to be content." "But I think you better head back sooner rather than later." A voice suddenly came from behind the two. Richard¡¯s body jerked around, only to see an ordinary-looking old wizard in a black robe walking slowly towards him. Chapter 433 - 52 Star River Plankton Chapter 433: Chapter 52 Star River PlanktonLooking at the old wizard who had appeared so suddenly, Richard felt a chill run down his spine. Before the old wizard uttered a word, he hadn¡¯t noticed the slightest sign of his presence. Had this been on the battlefield, he would probably be dead by now. "This Master, you..." "You are Master Delis!" Just as Richard was about to speak, he saw Stio exclaim with a shocked expression. Delis? The name, even for someone like Richard who wasn¡¯t very well-informed, was famous. Harvester Delis, the legendary Black Wizard of the Four Rings Tower of Truth. According to legends, this Black Wizard had participated in more than thirty Plane Wars, slain countless natives, and completed countless tasks that were deemed impossible. The most legendary of these was holding off a World Master. In one Plane War, Delis managed to hold a World Master at bay for a full half-hour on the battlefield. This action directly changed the course of the war, allowing the wizards to successfully conquer that world. But according to rumors, this legendary Black Wizard had fallen in the Great Wizard Promotion Ceremony. Richard took a detailed look at the old wizard before him. This old wizard had the standard human appearance, with no obvious body modifications or mergers with any native Bloodlines. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In terms of appearance, the old wizard had a completely ordinary face, the kind that wouldn¡¯t draw a second glance if seen on the street. His build was also average, at most a bit sturdy. As for Life Radiation and energy fluctuations... this old wizard did exceptionally well. There was almost no external energy fluctuation or Life Radiation emanating from his body. And Richard could barely achieve this relying on the Radiation Rule. "It is me," the old wizard replied calmly, "I know there are rumors outside that I died in the Great Wizard Promotion Ceremony. But I did not die, I simply failed." Promotion failure... Upon hearing this, both Richard and Stio trembled inwardly. Regardless of Delis¡¯s casual manner, a common wizard¡¯s failure in promotion often cost at least half a life¡¯s worth. Yet Delis managed to survive after failing to be promoted to Great Wizard. This alone warranted his title as a Legendary Wizard. "Let¡¯s forego the small talk, Chairman Richard, I would like to invite you to join my plan," Delis spoke up. His voice was very calm, so calm it lacked any hint of emotion, as if it were synthesized by a machine. "Plan?" Richard¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, "I¡¯d like to hear more." "I have discovered a hideout of a native resistance organization, but I am not powerful enough to eliminate them. So, I plan to invite some sufficiently strong wizards to join me in wiping out this native hideout." Delis¡¯s words were calm, but Richard picked up a certain unusual significance in them. "Sufficiently strong? What counts as sufficiently strong?" Delis looked at Richard with calm eyes that made Richard a bit uncomfortable. "Your strength is sufficient, while his is not. I personally suggest you take his points, lest others benefit. Because even if he enters the inner circle, he will immediately become points for others. His rules... are too few." Delis¡¯s words were not very pleasant to hear, but Stio did not object in the least; in fact, he even nodded and said, "Indeed. My combat ability truly cannot compare with those geniuses." "It¡¯s not about being a genius," Delis corrected, "None of the wizards who pass the first selection are mediocre. The difference between you and them lies in luck, resources, and the occasional burst of inspiration, not innate Talent." Stio was momentarily startled at these words, then lowered his head and said, "Master doesn¡¯t need to console me, I¡¯m not so..." "I¡¯m not consoling you," Delis interrupted, "I am merely stating a fact. Just like I¡¯m advising you to give your points to your companion right now and then go to that tedious gathering." "Are those natives very dangerous?" Richard suddenly chimed in. "Extremely dangerous," Delis corrected, "They are the most dangerous natives I have ever encountered in my lifetime. It¡¯s hard to imagine just how many wizards the incompetent Military Department squandered conquering this world." Delis¡¯s comments made Richard¡¯s heart sink. If his guess wasn¡¯t wrong, these so-called "natives" were probably the remnants of another civilization¡¯s military left in this world. "Can you elaborate?" Richard asked softly. Without saying much more, Delis took out a palm-sized biological specimen from his pocket and tossed it to Richard. "This creature, which I have tentatively named ¡¯Star River Drifter,¡¯ is a semi-Gestalt Creature. These drifters have a Mind Link between them, yet each one possesses an independent personality. This makes them exceptionally agile in combat. In small-scale battles, these creatures do not even require a Commander. They can respond to local battles just with the cooperation between individuals." As Richard listened to Delis¡¯s description, his heart grew colder. Faced with this Race, unless wizards were significantly more powerful on the higher echelons, the fight between the two civilizations... The Wizard Civilization did not seem to hold the advantage. Richard took out his tools and examined the specimen a bit. The strength of this Star River Drifter specimen was roughly at the peak of Level 1 Creatures. Their physiological characteristics are very similar to those commonly seen floating entities in the Wizard World. For instance, they have developed compound eyes, mandible-type mouthparts, three pairs of thoracic legs, and three caudal filaments. However, there are also differences, such as the wings of the Star River floaters being covered with many tiny scales, just like a butterfly¡¯s. "This creature¡¯s individual strength isn¡¯t very high, is it?" Richard handed the specimen back to Delis, "If these creatures were individually powerful, the Military Department would hardly dare to use this world as a venue. They would have probably destroyed it directly." "Indeed, it¡¯s not high," Delis¡¯s eyes flashed with admiration, "The individual strength of these creatures almost always falls between the Second Level and First Level, with scarcely any Third Level life-forms. Moreover, the combat effectiveness of these natives is very weak, they must move in groups to possess any fighting capability." "Then I feel that Stio would still be able to participate," Richard replied, "Chain Lightning, a spell like that, should be very useful next. And my friend here, he possesses the Thunder Rules." Delis glanced at Stio and nodded slightly, "That is indeed possible, but before that, I have something to say. His strength isn¡¯t enough, even if he follows us to exterminate the natives, his points won¡¯t reach the top one hundred. Moreover, if he triggers the natives¡¯ defense mechanism, you can¡¯t get his points either." Richard said nonchalantly: "I¡¯m not short on points, and I don¡¯t have such a desire to enter the Military Department." Although entry into the Military Department allows for the exchange of military merits for the qualifications to be promoted to Great Wizard. The original selection for Great Wizard had not been canceled because of the emergence of new regulations. Richard could still directly participate in the Great Wizard Trial and gain the opportunity to be promoted to Great Wizard. Do not think that by participating in the Great Wizard Trial, the battlefields you go to are all meat grinders. If they joined the Military Department, these Three Rings Wizards couldn¡¯t escape being thrown into such meat grinders. Upon hearing these words, Delis looked deeply at Richard. Richard¡¯s condition was the same as his, with not the slightest fluctuation of energy or Life Radiation. But his ability had been honed through countless wars. And it was clear that Richard hadn¡¯t endured his experiences. "Radiation Rules?" Delis had already made a guess. He took out a map from his pocket and handed it to Richard. "This is a map and the location of the nest, I¡¯m next going to find a student of a Great Wizard, so I won¡¯t take you there." After saying that, Delis merged into the shadows right in front of Richard. But even so, Richard still couldn¡¯t detect Delis¡¯s presence. "What a terrifying old Wizard," Richard sighed somewhat. He unfolded the map, whose content was rough, but it didn¡¯t lack anything essential. "It¡¯s only a hundred kilometers away, not too far." Saying that, Richard was about to call Stio to head towards the nest marked on the map. But when he turned around, he saw Stio somewhat indecisively say: "Actually, I think it would be good to give you the points directly. A dangerous plan like this, I would just be a hindrance to you guys if I went." Stio was keenly aware of his own limitations; forcibly meddling in affairs beyond his capability would surely not end well. "Don¡¯t talk like that," Richard said somewhat helplessly, "I already told you, your rules can be used later, why are you being so hesitant? Let me tell you, these creatures are good stuff. We will mostly be at war with this kind of creature for many years. Better to make contact and prepare early. Later, when you are on the battlefield, it will help you to survive." "Fight for many years?" Stio said, puzzled, "Although these creatures are troublesome, even if those Wizards in the Military Department are incompetent, they should clean them up in fifty or sixty years. Besides, it¡¯s not like we have to do it ourselves..." "Who told you that these creatures are only in this one world?" Richard said somberly. "What do you mean by that?" A flicker of panic passed through Stio¡¯s heart, Richard¡¯s words sending a shiver down his spine. In his subconscious, he had deliberately ignored some things. But Richard¡¯s next words mercilessly dug up those overlooked things. "Stio, do you think it¡¯s possible that in the vastness of the Star Realm there exists another large world like the Wizard World? Could the creatures of that world, like the Wizards, have stepped out of their world barrier and expanded their power throughout the Star Realm?" Stio¡¯s face turned ugly. The long-standing attitudes of the Wizard World had led Wizards to always regard themselves as enlightened higher beings. Subtly, Wizards had come to think of themselves as the "Children of Destiny" among the multitude of races in the Star Realm. But this subconscious idea had a significant flaw. With the history of the Star Realm being so extensive, why should Wizards be the first enlightened race? If there were a race even more "enlightened" than the Wizards, wouldn¡¯t the Wizards also be natives? Thinking of those creatures treated as natives by the Wizards, Stio couldn¡¯t help but shiver. He tried to smile, though it looked forced, "Richard, you¡¯re joking, right? We are Wizards, those natives..." "Stio," Richard interrupted coldly, "Maybe my judgment is flawed, and this insect isn¡¯t from another civilization. But you have to face a fact, the Wizard Civilization is not unique. Within the Star Realm, there must be other civilizations competing with us for worlds. Otherwise, why would the Lost Ones have disappeared?" Chapter 434 - 53 Mayfly Nest Chapter 434: Chapter 53 Mayfly NestRichard¡¯s words, although calm, exploded in Stio¡¯s ears like a thunderclap. When the subconscious veil was lifted, the hidden contradictions appeared in front of Stio. Wizards were just lucky, rather than possessing any unique abilities. The Star Realm was vast, seemingly endless. There would always be other races that, like the Wizards, became civilized and then waged wars in the stars. In an instant, a great fear that Richard had once experienced, enveloped Stio¡¯s heart. When accepting the existence of more than one civilization, the reason for the disappearance of the Pioneers became like a curse, revolving in his mind. The power of the Pioneers was something Stio had witnessed. Even the relics of the Pioneers were valuable to Wizards. But if such powerful Pioneers had disappeared, wouldn¡¯t the Wizard Civilization also be exterminated by other civilizations? The thought of how Wizards dealt with other natives made Stio¡¯s heart feel as if it was being tightly gripped, making it hard for him to breathe. "Don¡¯t be afraid, Stio," Richard said calmly beside him, "if the sky falls, the Truth Wizards will hold it up. We pawns just need to follow the Truth Wizards into the fray. Moreover, our strength is not weak. If we¡¯re lucky, we might even earn a Great Wizard¡¯s promotion qualification during the war." Richard¡¯s words slightly eased the fear in Stio¡¯s heart, and he managed a strained smile. "Indeed, we are not weak." According to the map, Richard and his companion were south of the northern part of the rebellion¡¯s nest by one hundred kilometers, a position just deep within the Military Department¡¯s demarcated competition area. This coincidence made Richard wonder if this was planned by the Military Department. For two Three Rings Wizards, a hundred kilometers was not very far. Even while guarding against sneak attacks, it only took the two of them two hours. Once they arrived at the location, Richard hadn¡¯t even stopped when he sensed an invisible blade flying towards him. Hum! The Magic Barrier didn¡¯t even last a moment before being penetrated by the invisible blade. Richard¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, and a greenish high-energy Radiation Shield instantly enveloped him. High-energy Radiation could serve as an attack, and when restrained, could also be used as a shield against certain tactics. The invisible blade was formidable, but faced with the extremely strong penetration of the high-energy Radiation, its spell structure was instantly destroyed, turning into a swirl of spatial turbulence. "Eh, what a peculiar shield?" A black-robed Wizard emerged from the shadows of the forest, holding a bladeless Guan Saber in his hand. Although he knew this was a probe, Richard was still somewhat angry. "The peculiar is yet to come," Richard said coldly. With a raise of his hand, Richard unleashed a Radiant Concentration Cannon. A flash of greenish Radiant Light passed, instantly penetrating the black-robed Wizard¡¯s Magic Barrier and several layers of Defense Magic. Sizzling... The air was filled with the smell of burning. The right chest of the black-robed Wizard was pierced through, and the charred hole emitted the odor of scorched flesh. "You¡¯re quite hot-headed, my friend." The black-robed Wizard looked at the wound on his right chest, waving his Magic Wand casually, casting a Life Magic on himself to speed up the healing of his injury. "That strike must have been costly, right?" "It¡¯s simply an exchange of courtesies," Richard replied coldly. While the Radiant Concentration Cannon increased the power and penetration of the high-energy Radiation, the cost was losing the usual microscopic cellular damage caused by common Radiation. This made recovery not very difficult for the black-robed Wizard. It was just a matter of missing a few organs and bones, and some flesh. A little recovery, making do, wouldn¡¯t impact combat ability. "I am Anthony. I presume you, Master, are also invited by Master Delis to suppress the Wizards responsible for the Galaxy Mayfly incident?" As he spoke, Anthony subtly glanced at Stio behind Richard. He acknowledged Richard¡¯s strength, but in his view, the Wizard behind him didn¡¯t quite seem to measure up. "Correct," Richard replied tersely, "I am Richard, and this is Stio behind me." Hearing the name Richard, Anthony was first stunned, then asked with some surprise: "You are Richard? The Richard from Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce?" Richard nodded slightly and said, "That¡¯s me. Considering the techniques you¡¯ve shown, may I know which Great Wizard¡¯s distinguished student you are?" Anthony modestly replied, "I am hardly worthy of such a title. My Master is the Flashspace Great Wizard." At the mention of that name, Richard didn¡¯t react, but Stio behind him was visibly excited. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He sent a Spiritual Message to Richard saying, "The Flashspace Great Wizard is also a Sixth Circle Great Wizard, only a few thousand years younger than the Academy head. I once had the opportunity to follow this Great Wizard into battle. This Great Wizard¡¯s mastery of space is sublime, and he even integrated his domain with his Secret Realm. Within his domain, the Flashspace Great Wizard is like a God on Earth." After listening to Stio¡¯s boast, Richard simply nodded. "Turns out he¡¯s a top student of the space-flashing Great Wizard, no wonder his Space Blade is so formidable." Anthony sighed, "No matter how formidable, it still can¡¯t compare with the Master¡¯s Radiation Shield. To constrain high-energy radiation into a shield¡ªMaster¡¯s thinking is wildly imaginative. No wonder he could conceive the Magic Support Vehicle, a weapon completely different from the existing Alchemy Weapon design philosophy." A round of reciprocal business praise later, the two had effectively dissolved the unpleasantness from their previous probing. Led by Anthony, Richard and another wizard invited by Delis met. As soon as they met, Richard exclaimed, "You¡¯re a student of the Great Wizard Clear Frost?" Across from Richard, Orei nodded slightly. "I am Orei, a disciple of Great Wizard Clear Frost. It seems that the Master has a very deep memory of my mentor." "Of course, it¡¯s deep." Richard said earnestly, "Without the Clear Frost Legion, I fear my Magic Support Vehicle would still be of no interest to anyone now." "The Master is too modest." After another round of business praise, the group finally got down to business. Orei took out a blue Ice Crystal from her pocket. Within the crystal, a Galaxy Mayfly the size of a human head was encased in ice. "These natives are tough to deal with. The one I¡¯ve sealed is Second Level, but when it fights alongside hundreds of First Level mayflies, its combat power is not inferior to that of a Three Rings Wizard. And in that nest, there are at least tens of thousands of First Level mayflies and over a hundred of Second Level. Deep within the nest, there should also be a wounded Third Level mayfly." Orei¡¯s data silenced Richard for a long while. "To be honest, with this strength of the natives, are the few of us wizards a bit too weak?" These mayflies combined would match the combat power of over a hundred Three Rings Wizards. If that Third Level mayfly deep in the nest took action, their combat power could be comparable to a third-level creature that has broken through the physical limits. Although they had legendary wizards like Delis on their side, how much of Delis¡¯ power remained after the failed promotion to Great Wizard compared to his heyday? "It¡¯ll be alright." Anthony, unfazed, said from the side, "Although these mayflies are fearsome, we are not weak either. Ordinary Three Rings Wizards are not too difficult for us to handle. Moreover, the points given by these mayflies are quite substantial¡ªa hundred First Level mayflies are worth one wizard. A Second Level mayfly is directly equivalent to a Three Rings Wizard. Even if we can¡¯t eradicate them all, earning some points and then escaping will do." As a student of the space-flashing Great Wizard, Anthony¡¯s prowess in Space Witchcraft was naturally pure and advanced. Escaping was not difficult for him. Richard frowned slightly, Anthony could run, but that didn¡¯t mean he could too. If he had to escape, he could only hide in the Secret Realm. But if the creatures were guarding the corpse, staunchly watching the rift coordinates entrance, there was nothing he could do. In this world, Richard had no intention of letting Ulysses out. This was the Military Department¡¯s world, and their images might well be being displayed in a Great Wizard¡¯s Crystal Ball right now. If he let Ulysses out and someone noticed something, then he would be at a great loss. "I need to see for myself," Richard said, "I can¡¯t quite be at ease based on information alone without witnessing this thing with my own eyes." "Please," Orei stepped aside, "just five kilometers behind me is the Mayfly nest." Richard gave a slight bow, "Thank you." ... Outside the Galaxy World, the Giant Bronze Spear Great Wizard, thousands of kilometers tall, watched every blade of grass and every tree in the entire Galaxy World through a mirror. "The wizards in area four have begun exterminating the Mayfly nest." "Is that so." Next to the Giant Bronze Spear Great Wizard, another giant wizard was fiddling with a Crystal Ball in his hands, showing no interest in watching the battle. "Garon, stop playing with your Crystal Ball," the Giant Bronze Spear Great Wizard said somewhat helplessly, "You voted in favor of this Military Department¡¯s key training program. Could you please pay some attention and find some promising candidates? I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so fascinating in your Crystal Ball that has you so engrossed." Garon Great Wizard didn¡¯t even lift his eyes, completely ignoring the intent of the Giant Bronze Spear Great Wizard. "Although I voted in favor, as you know, my votes always follow the Alchemy Crown. Wherever It casts Its vote, that¡¯s where I cast mine. Regarding this program, my personal opinion is that it¡¯s quite boring. Every student of us old fellows is a genius, but how many of them become Great Wizards? I have taken hundreds of students and, in the end, only two have become Great Wizards. This thing called a Great Wizard, unless it¡¯s like the natives using the Power of World Origin to infuse their bodies and break through the limits of mortals, Otherwise, one must enter the Soul Mysterious Realm and make that final leap. The only wizards who emerge from the Soul Mysterious Realm are of two kinds: one is absolute rationality, a natural-born wizard. The other kind has been tempered through years and setbacks and baptized by blood and fire. Can such wizards really be deliberately cultivated? Although I do not doubt the wisdom of the Alchemy Crown, I think It has committed a mechanical fallacy common to the Alchemy School. Mistakenly believing that anything can be manufactured through a standardized process." Listening to Garon Great Wizard¡¯s blunt assessment, the Giant Bronze Spear Great Wizard could only respond with a wry smile. Wizards on the cusp of Truth are just that forthright, even daring to bluntly criticize a Truth Wizard. "Fine, if you won¡¯t watch, you won¡¯t watch. However, some of the wizards in area four are from your Academy. It looks like they might be the lucky star you always talk about." "Huh?" Garon Great Wizard suddenly looked up, "Are you talking about Richard?" Chapter 435 - 54 Light Energy Illusion Chapter 435: Chapter 54 Light Energy Illusion"Wow, seems like my advice is less effective than your lucky star," teased Garon the Great Wizard as he observed Richard¡¯s actions. "Your lucky star?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard was a bit taken aback, but then he realized whom Garon the Great Wizard was referring to and gasped in shock. "Are you talking about the Star Realm Master from the Nightmare Wizard World? If I remember correctly, that entity was already a Master before the Lost Ones vanished. How did this kid manage to obtain their mark?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard couldn¡¯t help but shift his gaze toward Richard, the young wizard with some strength. Wizard World sees such wizards emerge every few years. Such wizards are not so uncommon after accumulating over time. But for a kid to be marked by a Star Realm Master who had lived for who knows how many years, there must be something special about him that he couldn¡¯t see. "Could this thing be a parasitic host of a Star Realm Master from an Illusion World?" speculated the Bronze Spear Great Wizard. Hearing such an off-key guess, Garon the Great Wizard couldn¡¯t help but slap the Bronze Spear Great Wizard. "Don¡¯t be ridiculous." In an instant, a small ether storm erupted from the Bronze Spear Great Wizard¡¯s body, shredding several nearby meteorites in a flash. "I checked with the World Guardian in secret, and he is a wizard officially recognized by Wizard World. Those Masters from Illusion Worlds, no matter how powerful, couldn¡¯t deceive a World Guardian in Wizard World." The Bronze Spear Great Wizard stroked his bronze beard and asked, "That¡¯s very strange, have you found anything else?" "Found anything?" Garon the Great Wizard seemed puzzled, "Haven¡¯t I already told you?" "Told me what?" "The lucky star." "What kind of finding is that?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard couldn¡¯t help but retort, "Do you actually believe in this Child of Destiny nonsense?" Garon the Great Wizard gazed at Richard¡¯s reflection and said without turning his head, "Let me tell you this, I recently took him to a fortress world of the Lost Ones, and he directly provided me with an incomplete Star Map, plus a functional Star Realm Fortress. Although I don¡¯t believe in the Child of Destiny, if he keeps bringing me benefits like this, I wouldn¡¯t mind considering him as such." "A Star Map!?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard exclaimed. "An incomplete one." "Even an incomplete one is good enough," lamented the Bronze Spear Great Wizard, "Isn¡¯t giving you a Star Map purely a waste? You take over the world only to farm and raise pigs, not developing the resources and closing the world off from outsiders, just wasting resources outright!" "I like it that way. Besides, if I were to develop all those worlds I own, just be ready for the market to crash. I am reducing the council¡¯s burden, you rusty bronze-headed fool." "You¡¯re the smart one, barbarian with muscles for brains." ... Richard, who was nearing the Mayfly Nest, was unaware that two Great Wizards were quarreling over him like children outside of the world. He was now carefully approaching the distant nest together with Stio. In Wizard World, mayflies are aquatic insects, but these Star Realm mayflies seemed to have similar characteristics. About a kilometer away from Richard was a lake, reflecting the galaxy in the sky with breathtaking beauty. But with Energy Vision, one would see that the lake was filled with energy pathways and swarms of moving energy points. The mayflies had used some ability to cloak their nest with illusions. If one couldn¡¯t see through these illusions, they would die without knowing how. "This should be a Light Energy Illusion," Stio communicated with Richard via a Spiritual Message, "These illusions are different from the Illusion Magic of the Soul School that works directly on the soul. They are created through a combination of optical images and energy to produce an effect nearly identical to a True Illusion. Such illusions can even cause real damage at the physical level, making it a very sophisticated Shaping Magic." Richard was slightly shocked that illusions could cause harm. What kind of strange contraption was this? "However, breaking this trick is quite simple," Stio continued, "after all, an illusion is just an illusion. To use this kind of illusion effectively, you must understand your target extremely well. You need to know their usual senses to achieve deception. We wizards rely on various senses, and for such a trick, any falsehood will reveal itself. Moreover, this consumes a lot of energy, so a wizard who is sensitive to energy perception will quickly notice something is amiss." Stio knew that despite Richard¡¯s formidable combat prowess, his experience and knowledge were far less than that of an older wizard like himself. So he assumed the role of a commentator. He had accompanied various Great Wizards and participated in nearly twenty Plane Wars. His strength might not be overwhelming, but his knowledge was certainly more than sufficient. Richard nodded slightly and replied with a Spiritual Message, "Let¡¯s go, keep approaching." Using Shadow Magic, the two of them edged closer to the lake. The surface of the lake appeared calm, but in Richard¡¯s Energy Vision, it was never at rest. Groups of mayflies constantly flew in and out of their nest. These Mayflies not only had the effect of optical invisibility but also possessed the ability to weaken spiritual power detection. In the presence of spiritual power, these Mayflies were like traces on the sand, disappearing without a trace at the slightest breeze. If one wasn¡¯t paying attention, it would be very easy to overlook them. "What a strong survival talent, I wonder what their combat abilities are like." Richard hid in the shadows of the forest, waiting quietly for the Mayfly swarm to come, much like a hunter lying in wait. In his observation just now, he had confirmed that these Mayflies were going in and out of their nest to survey the surrounding area and incidentally gather some materials. It seemed that these Mayflies were feeding something. Time passed by minute by minute, and in the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed. Although Richard wasn¡¯t in a hurry hiding in the shadow, waiting like this was not a solution. Thinking this, Richard took out an incomplete Magic Stone from his pocket and threw it nearby. Since these Mayflies could create something like a Light Energy Illusion, it seemed their perception of energy was quite sharp. Now that they were collecting materials, using a Magic Stone as bait was more than suitable. Moreover, to avoid being too obvious, he had deliberately absorbed some energy from the Magic Stone, creating the illusion that they had missed it. A complete Magic Stone was unlikely to be overlooked by these Mayflies, but an incomplete one might be. Soon after Richard threw the Magic Stone, a group of Mayflies arrived above where the stone lay. In Richard¡¯s Energy Vision, these Mayflies, although individual entities, had faint energy light paths between the different individuals. "These Mayflies are even more troublesome than Delis mentioned," Richard thought to himself. The Mayflies drew near to the Magic Stone, and one at the tail end of the squad lifted the stone. "To think we missed an Energy Stone." "An incomplete one, probably the last patrol team wasn¡¯t paying attention." "Let¡¯s hurry back. Those Wizard Monsters seem to have discovered this place; we¡¯ve already lost two patrol teams these past two days." "Ah, when will we be able to contact the Supreme Lake..." While the Mayflies were exchanging their thoughts, Richard and Stio suddenly sprang into action from the shadows. Both had tacitly chosen not to use Spells, but instead to use physical attacks, which made less noise. In an instant, both their arms moved like phantoms, swiftly incapacitating the entire Mayfly squad. Following that, numerous Rune Chains appeared in Richard¡¯s hands, and a cluster of black iron sand appeared in Stio¡¯s, both sealing the Mayflies with practiced ease. For two Three Rings Wizards, these First Level Mayflies had no chance of resistance. "What now?" Stio asked with a hand gesture. Richard glanced at the sealed Mayflies in his hand and made a retreat gesture. The absence of a patrol team meant the Mayflies¡¯ nest was bound to notice something was amiss. Staying here could lead to a direct confrontation with these Mayflies. Returning with the Mayflies, Richard saw that Delis had not yet returned, so he began to study the Mayflies in his hand. The living Star Realm Mayflies appeared very transparent, and their delicate neural networks could even be observed visually. Through his Energy Vision, Richard found that the energy circulation of these Mayflies was exceptionally simple, almost identical to the Magic Rebound in Wizards. This type of circulation didn¡¯t confer the various capabilities that typical living being¡¯s energy circulation did, but it had two advantages: ease of use and large capacity. The fact that these Mayflies also used this type of energy circulation made Richard even more certain of his conjecture¡ªthese Mayflies were a civilized species. Richard took out a vial of anesthetic from his pocket and then released the Seal on one of the Mayflies. Before the Mayfly could react, Richard injected the anesthetic. It was easier to observe characteristics when the subject was alive. Seeing this, Anthony¡¯s eyes lit up. "Chairman Richard, could you sell me some of that anesthetic?" Inspecting a live specimen was not the same as a dead one. Richard took out a bottle of anesthetic from his pocket. "I made it myself; a hundred Magic Essences, and it can anesthetize third-level creatures with a higher dosage." Anthony didn¡¯t haggle, directly taking out a hundred Magic Essences from his pocket and handing them to Richard. "Thanks, Master." Orei, who was watching, also felt a bit moved and bought a bottle of anesthetic from Richard. "Thank you, Master." Orei took the anesthetic, bowing slightly to Richard. Richard nodded subtly, thinking to himself that these Great Wizards¡¯ students didn¡¯t seem very sensitive to prices. The raw materials and labor for these two bottles of anesthetic added up to just twenty Magic Essences. Although it was a special situation, he would have been satisfied selling for sixty Magic Essences; eighty would have thrilled him. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But to his surprise, these two students of Great Wizards didn¡¯t even try to haggle. "Are the resources of a Great Wizard so abundant?" Richard wondered. What Richard had forgotten was that this bottle of anesthetic wasn¡¯t any ordinary one. He was the founder of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce, the creator of the Magic Support Vehicle, the anesthetic made by Richard himself. An item in the hands of different Wizards could have different values. At that moment, Richard had not yet fully realized one thing¡ªhe was considered a Big Shot now. Chapter 436 - 55 Legend’s Strength Chapter 436: Chapter 55 Legend¡¯s StrengthWith the anesthetic in hand, the two Great Wizard Apprentices naturally began their observations of live specimens. Soon after, Delis returned with a cloaked wizard. Richard immediately laughed and went to greet him. The guest Delis had brought was none other than the sole student of the Black Tower Great Wizard and Ali¡¯s mentor, Susanna. "Master Susanna, long time no see! You still look as splendid as ever." Susanna looked at Richard with some surprise and asked in an astonished tone, "Richard, what are you doing here?" But before she finished speaking, she realized something and with even more astonishment, exclaimed, "It was really you who eliminated Belte!" The circle of Three Rings Wizards was not large, and a figure like Belte certainly wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When Susanna saw that Belte had been eliminated, she initially thought it was another wizard who shared Richard¡¯s name. But to her surprise, it was indeed Richard who had eliminated Belte. "Just luck," Richard modestly replied. Susanna looked Richard over in amazement, now clad in meticulously modified mechanic¡¯s single-soldier armor and showing no signs of energy fluctuation. He very much had the look of a master. Reflecting on the past, Richard in her memory was just a somewhat intelligent apprentice. But over just a thousand years, Richard had transformed into a Three Rings Wizard capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with her. "Are you two finished catching up?" Delis¡¯s voice timely interrupted them. This legendary old wizard said expressionlessly, "Our time is not abundant right now. Although theoretically, the next time the Military Department adjusts the territory, this insect nest will likely be included. But I always plan for the worst, so we do not have much time. Clearing this insect nest isn¡¯t like dealing with wild bees, just setting a fire and then hiding away is not enough." Hearing this, Richard and Susanna said nothing, quietly waiting for the legendary wizard to disclose his plan. Seeing that the two had finished reminiscing, Delis continued, "Our primary goal this time is to level this insect nest, so everything I¡¯m about to explain is planned with that in mind. These Galaxy Mayflies possess a mind link, and their cooperation is also based on this. If we want to eliminate them, we will need to sever..." he paused as Richard raised his hand, "President Richard, is there a problem?" Delis¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Richard. "There is a significant problem. It is not just the mind link among these mayflies; there is also a faint energy link between them." Richard pointed to his own eyes. Now that he was a Three Rings Wizard, there was no need to conceal certain things. "I possess a soul talent called Energy Vision, which allows me to directly see the energy links between these mayflies." Hearing this, before Delis could express surprise, it was Susanna who widened her eyes. Richard was like someone she had watched grow up, and she had no idea Richard possessed such a soul talent. If he had, he should have been taken away by Eric and the other permanent members of the Academy as soon as he enrolled, and he would never have ended up with Jolod. "It awakened when I devoured the Soul Essence," Richard explained to Susanna through a spiritual message. Though Energy Vision was not a major issue, Richard had always refrained from mentioning it to avoid unnecessary trouble. This was the first time he had proactively mentioned his soul talent. Delis nodded slightly towards Richard, "Thank you, President Richard, for bringing this issue to light just in time, or else we might have suffered greatly during this operation." In a military operation, any issue with intelligence could directly affect the outcome. If Richard had not brought this issue up in time, they could all very well have been forced to flee during the battle. Delis pondered for a moment, then continued, "The task of severing their mind link and energy link falls to me. During the battle, I will ensure that these mayfly swarms do not form a cohesive entity. You only need to quickly clear away any isolated swarms. Moreover, I remember, Susanna, you are a Curse Wizard. I need you to use your Curse Witchcraft to interfere with the combat effectiveness of that Third Level Mayfly when it is in action. Remember, interfere. This operation is mutually beneficial for us all. If you kill it outright, it will be disadvantageous for your subsequent battles. Also, I believe if you use a lethal curse, you might suffer from curse backlash, so don¡¯t try everything like an apprentice." Delis¡¯s words were quite blunt. If it were the Susanna Richard remembered, she would have slammed the table and retorted vehemently against the old wizard. But in reality, Susanna responded with a face full of shame and did not argue at all. "It seems something happened between these two in the past," Richard mused. "As for how to quickly clear these mayflies, I also have some recommendations for you all, please pay close attention." After addressing Susanna, Delis immediately turned his focus to the other three. "I know you all are extraordinary figures, future Great Wizards. But on the battlefield, I suggest you carefully execute the words of an old thing like me." Having said this, he began to describe the upcoming operation. Delis¡¯s actions truly lived up to his legendary reputation. He was exceedingly adept at war, handling it as naturally as eating or drinking. Yet what was even more astonishing was that, in spite of his proficiency, he remained extremely cautious in combat. To Richard and his team, the advice spanned from how to kill quickly, through how to handle emergencies, to how to escape more efficiently when situations became uncontrollable, covering all aspects of an operation. Unapologetically, Delis almost treated the Three Rings Wizards as though they were soldiers fresh on the battlefield. Richard was indifferent to this attitude, even appreciative. Having a mentor take care of the planning was a relief, as it meant he didn¡¯t have to think for himself. But the other wizards didn¡¯t share his good spirits. "Master, we¡¯re not green troops fresh on the battlefield," Anthony complained somewhat displeased. As a student of the Great Wizard, he was not used to being looked down on like this. Delis glanced at him, his expression still unchanging, as if he was used to this kind of thing. "You don¡¯t have to use my plan," Delis said calmly, "but if you delay the progress of the plan, after it¡¯s over, I¡¯ll have you kicked out of the competition immediately." In that instant, the air seemed to solidify. Anthony¡¯s face darkened, and the space around the tip of his Guan Sword Wand began to distort. Despite Delis¡¯s legendary reputation, he was also a failed Great Wizard. If it came to a fight, Anthony didn¡¯t think he would lose to this old wizard. Sensing the energy fluctuations from the wand, Delis silently turned to look at Anthony, his eyes suddenly turning pitch black. The next moment, Anthony¡¯s face changed drastically. His wand twitched, and several invisible blades of space magic flew towards Delis instantly. Meanwhile, shadows around him crawled onto his body like parasites. Buzz! The blades of space passed through Delis¡¯s body like through a mirage, causing him no harm whatsoever. However, the shadows controlled by Delis enveloped Anthony like a cocoon. Anthony tried to use space magic to free himself, but the shadows rooted inside him made it impossible. No matter how he teleported, the shadows followed him like a relentless disease. He could feel that these shadows had the power to strangle him. "Little fellow, did you think because I failed, you could best me?" Delis¡¯s voice was still calm, as if discussing what to have for dinner. "If you make another mistake that even a Wizard Apprentice wouldn¡¯t make, I won¡¯t hesitate to kick you out of the competition. You can go to the Supreme Wizard after the end, crying and asking for justice. See whether he comes to crush me or throws you, his incompetent student, into the Twisted Maze." Hearing about the Twisted Maze, Anthony¡¯s face changed again. As a student of the Supreme Wizard, he knew all too well what the Twisted Maze represented. That maze, made of space fragments, sealed countless Otherworldly natives and terrifying creatures bred intentionally by his teacher. As the student of the Supreme Wizard, Anthony knew the maze wasn¡¯t just for sealing enemies; it also served as a punishment. He clearly remembered that one of his senior brothers had been careless, leading to huge losses for a team of White Wizards. After the battle, his mistake was uncovered, and the enraged Supreme Wizard threw him into the Twisted Maze. When he came out, he had gone insane. Anthony shuddered uncontrollably, wondering how this old wizard knew about it. Seeing Anthony¡¯s reaction, Delis calmly dispelled his magic and continued discussing the upcoming operation. Soon, the plan was arranged. Everyone was clear about their roles. They first set up a layer of trap magic arrays around the perimeter of the Insect Nest, to prevent any remaining Mayflies from escaping. Then, they began clearing the perimeter patrols, weakening the Mayfly cluster as much as possible. Soon after, the Mayfly Nest reacted. At the bottom of the lake, an adult-sized Mayfly suddenly opened its eyes. Its large compound eyes instantly displayed the surroundings of the lake. With a thought, a Second Level Mayfly came to its side. "Tai, those wizards have discovered us," it said. The Mayfly, called Tai, shuddered. Throughout the decades of war, its impression of wizards was profoundly brutal. "General, what would you have me do?" Chapter 437 - 56: The Clash of Civilizations Chapter 437: Chapter 56: The Clash of CivilizationsGalaxy Mayflies are a kind of gestalt creature, whose spiritual connections give them a vastly different understanding and acceptance of death than that of Wizards. Death, for Galaxy Mayflies, is not something difficult to accept. In the far reaches of their evolution, they even developed a mysterious devotion to death. So, when the Commander declared his impending death, Tai¡¯s eyes surprisingly showed a hint of envy. The Commander would step into an honorable death, burning his last vestige of power for the glorious Galaxy Mayflies. "I understand, Commander. All for the Galaxy Mayflies!" Tai¡¯s tail bristled abruptly before swallowing the crystal into his stomach. The Commander¡¯s tail stood erect as well. "Together, for the Galaxy Mayflies!" ... Thump! Thump! Thump... In the psychic network of the Galaxy Mayflies, a sound like that of a bell echoed again and again. Upon hearing this sound, the mayflies ceased their movements. "Is it time for battle again?" "Has the Commander made contact with the Supreme Lake?" "At last, I can sacrifice myself for the great Galaxy Mayflies!" ... Within the psychic network, the Galaxy Mayflies freely shared their emotions. But soon, as a massive consciousness appeared in the network, all noises fell silent. The Commander spoke through the psychic network, "My kin, those Wizards have discovered us. Our days of hiding are about to end. Next, we shall offer our last shred of power for the great Galaxy Mayflies. Our souls will become droplets in the Supreme Lake, eternally nourishing the race of Galaxy Mayflies. My kin, the time to embrace death has come! For the great Galaxy Mayflies!" The Commander¡¯s voice resonated through the psychic network, instantly sounding within the cognitive organs of every Galaxy Mayfly. Following that, nearly tens of thousands of voices almost simultaneously rose within the psychic network. Unified, they declared, "All for the Galaxy Mayflies!" ... Outside the lake, five Wizards had completed all preparations, just waiting for the swarm of mayflies to appear. They were certain that these mayflies would come out. Any Commander, in such circumstances, would choose to strike first. Because of the vast power disparity between enemies and allies, there was no longer any possibility of holding out. Striking first could at least secure an honorable death. And just as Richard had predicted, the light energy illusion above the lake suddenly vanished, and a massive swarm of mayflies burst forth from the lake¡¯s Star River. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Maintaining subtle distances from one another and resonating in both energy and spiritual power, a large spell model materialized in the air. "Susanna." Delis showed no sign of panic. The scene before him did not compare to those he had witnessed in the past. Upon his command, Susanna immediately began using Curse Witchcraft. As one of the Five Major Schools, Curse Witchcraft, with its effects and mysterious workings, was known to be peculiar and varied. Susanna pulled a blackened straw doll from her pocket, her gaze fiercely fixed on the Mayfly Commander within the swarm. The next instant, her hands began to bleed profusely. The blood was absorbed by the straw, which then weaved itself into a miniature version of the Mayfly Commander. Within the swarm, the Mayfly Commander also noticed Susanna¡¯s actions. In his view, Susanna¡¯s body gradually turned into a shadow. Magic Rebound and various energy flows became crystal clear in his eyes. The Galaxy Mayflies apparently possessed a vision akin to Energy Vision. This ability even surpassed Energy Vision, for in the Commander¡¯s eyes, strands of dark Power of Mystery formed a chain, linking him to the straw effigy in Susanna¡¯s hands. "Manipulating the Power of Mystery, what exactly is the racial Talent of these beings known as Wizards?" The Mayfly Commander had previously battled Wizards; their manipulation of elements had left a profound impression. He had assumed that manipulating elements was the Wizards¡¯ Talent. But as the war intensified, the Wizards displayed an array of astonishing abilities, which left him, a Mayfly Commander who prided himself on his vast experience, somewhat bewildered. Undead, Mechanical Puppets, soul sea creatures... The Wizards¡¯ myriad means confounded him. Now, there appeared yet another individual among the Wizards who manipulated the Power of Mystery. Could it be that this race called Wizards was a conglomerate of multiple races? The Mayfly Commander couldn¡¯t figure it out, but thankfully, this question no longer required his contemplation. He only needed to die gloriously. "Manipulate the Power of Mystery? You are not worthy!" The Mayfly Commander trembled, and the chain linked to him instantly fragmented into thousands, connecting to the entire mayfly swarm. The next moment, no matter how Susanna incited her spells, the Mayfly Commander remained still. All spell effects were dispersed throughout the entire mayfly swarm. "Heh!" With a thought from the Mayfly Commander, the swarm prepared to attack, but before his command could be issued, he realized that he had lost contact with a portion of the swarm. "Move out!" Delis commanded in a low shout, and his Magic Wand began to emit crackling lightning. Violet-white Chain Lightning surged from the head of the wand, its force reaching a staggering eight thousand Energy Level. Upon hearing the command, Richard and the others immediately sprang into action. Stio¡¯s mace radiated thunder, a bolt of lightning even more powerful than Delis¡¯s chain lightning shot out from the hammerhead like a snake¡¯s strike. In the blink of an eye, it turned the majority of the separated mayflies into charred corpses. These mayflies, when gathered in battle, could match a Three Rings Wizard in strength, but individually, they were only First or Second Level. Chain lightning was extraordinarily effective against swarms of mayflies. "Not only has the mind link been severed, but the energy link has been cut as well." The Mayfly Commander was somewhat surprised but remained calm and composed. At the mere flicker of a thought, the entire swarming group underwent dramatic changes. Delis seized the moment; his staff once again firing off several bolts of chain lightning, charring thousands of mayflies into cinders. But the Galaxy Mayflies did not fear death; each bolt of lightning was met with mayflies that willingly sacrificed themselves to mitigate the magic¡¯s force. Even Delis, a veteran of countless battles, could not help but be moved by such an action. "To be so fearless in the face of death, do these mayflies truly possess individual personalities?" The tremendous differences between races made it inconceivable to Delis that the Galaxy Mayflies could harbor a reverence for death. The Galaxy Mayflies changed formation at incredible speed; in less than three seconds, tens of thousands of mayflies had formed a new pattern. This formation was like a Ghost Work Ball, one layer enveloping another. The energy link between the mayflies was almost visible in this arrangement. Delis¡¯s face turned slightly pale; this new formation enhanced the mind link and energy link between the mayflies. The spells he used to sever these two connections were no longer as effective as before. "This is getting troublesome." With a mere thought from Delis, a Spirit Chain then linked one to all. "The situation is a bit tricky, let¡¯s use Plan Two. Susanna, stop cursing them, can¡¯t you see curses are ineffective? Hurry and use your Shaping Magic to help me restrain these mayflies." Upon the Commander¡¯s instructions, several Wizards immediately adjusted their strategy. So-called Plan Two was the action strategy when Delis could not sever the connections among the mayflies. The core of this plan relied on Anthony and Orei; Anthony¡¯s Space Witchcraft could cut off the mayflies¡¯ connections on a spatial level, whereas Orei¡¯s Sealing Skill could block their connections. While these two would deal with the mayflies less efficiently than Plan One, the pace was still acceptable. But as the Wizards adapted their strategy, so did the Galaxy Mayflies. With a mere thought from the Mayfly General, an overwhelmingly powerful Spiritual Shock burst forth from amidst the swarm. The innate mind link of the Galaxy Mayflies allowed their spiritual power to nearly fuse together, achieving something akin to a joint spellcasting effect. Such a capability, even for trained Soul Wizards, was difficult to achieve. Instantly, the five Wizards felt darkness envelop their vision. The massive spiritual assault hit their souls like a heavy hammer. But in the next moment, Delis came to his senses. Such a degree of Spiritual Shock was but a drizzle to the well-seasoned spirit of an old Wizard. "Awake!" Delis¡¯s voice traveled along the Mind Link and entered into the souls of the other Wizards. His own figure then abruptly expanded, shadow flooding into his body like a tide, transforming him momentarily into a Shadow Giant. Buzz! A beam of light shot out from the swarm of mayflies, its power at a whopping Ten Thousand Energy Level. But as soon as the beam appeared, it was caught by the Shadow Giant and absorbed into his being. "The Crownless King? No, the Failed King." The Mayfly General immediately recognized Delis¡¯s state, his own heart stirring with excitement. "Who would have thought that we, the worthless ones, could contend with a Failed King in our final moment!" The Mayfly General¡¯s voice echoed within the mind link, causing the entire mayfly group to erupt in agitation. Failed Kings, within the context of the Galaxy Mayflies, were indeed rare luminaries. Compared to a Failed King, all of them, every mayfly combined, could not even match a single thread from the king¡¯s tail. Delis sensitively noticed the change in the mayfly swarm, and his long-standing experience led him to an immediate judgment. He was of high value in the eyes of this swarm of mayflies. The next moment, rain-like Energy Beams shot out from the swarm, heading straight for the Shadow Giant. To these other Three Rings Wizards, they were but minnows, whereas Delis was the big catch. Shortly thereafter, one of the Wizards awoke, and surprisingly, it was Richard, the youngest among them. As a Wizard who also adopted the cultivation methods of the Divine Civilization and possessed status, Richard had a strong resistance against soul-targeting and mental attacks. "I¡¯m awake." Richard briefly responded through the Mind Link. "Then continue as planned." Richard did not obey the order, however, as the Spiritual Shock had given him a better idea. "Master Delis, I need your help to draw the attention of these mayflies. I¡¯m about to use a piece of Magic Equipment, and if my guess is correct, it should greatly weaken these mayflies." "Agreed," Delis answered without a moment¡¯s hesitation, "but you must accept the consequences of failure." Likewise, without any hesitation, Richard simply replied, "Agreed." He then took out from his pocket a pale mask inlaid with a black and crimson crystal at the forehead. Chapter 438 - 57: The Stars Are Burning Chapter 438: Chapter 57: The Stars Are BurningNightmare Mask, Richard used the rules of the Nightmare World to create this Rule Magic Equipment, and its effect was still the nightmare erosion. But with the enhancement of the Rune Array, the nightmare erosion of the Nightmare Mask was several times stronger than Richard¡¯s original Talent. And in the current situation, Richard felt it was very appropriate to use this Magic Equipment. After the Galaxy Mayflies changed formation, their Mind Link and Energy Link became even tighter. This was both good and bad. In this formation, the Mayfly swarm had strong resistance to cutting off Mind Links, but it also made the Mayflies even more interconnected. Under such conditions, any Galaxy Mayfly could serve as a stepping stone to invade the spirit network. Richard put on the mask, and the world in front of him instantly turned dark red, as if he had returned to the Nightmare World. He picked the right moment to perform nightmare erosion on one of the First Level Mayflies in the swarm. The Crystal Stone on his forehead lit up with a faint light, and an invisible Spiritual Shock hit a First Level Mayfly in the center. Delis also launched a counterattack at this moment, drawing as much attention from the Mayfly swarm as possible. Instantly, towering dark shadows struck the Mayflies like waves, like invisible monsters devouring everything they touched, pulling them into the Nameless space. Under this terrifying onslaught, the Mayfly general had no choice but to focus on defense. And Richard, a mere Three Rings Wizard, naturally went unnoticed. A Three Rings Wizard, after all, was nothing to it; even ten Three Rings Wizards would not matter as long as the Mayflies didn¡¯t disperse. Seeing the Mayfly general had no reaction, Richard sneered in his heart. "No reaction? Then just wait to be doomed." The Mayfly subjected to the nightmare erosion suddenly fell into a nightmare, its weak soul completely unable to resist Richard¡¯s nightmare erosion. Soon, its spirit completely succumbed to the nightmare. And as it fell, the other Mayflies linked with it began to be enveloped by fear. The Mayfly engulfed in the nightmare continuously fed fear into the spirit network, and the nightmare, along with this fear, eroded them. One to ten, ten to a hundred, the nightmare spread through the Mayflies¡¯ Mind Link like a virus. It wasn¡¯t long before the Mayfly general noticed an area of "putrescence" within the Mayfly swarm. "Damn, a psychic virus!" Upon seeing the effect of the nightmare, the Mayfly general immediately found the corresponding countermeasure from its memory. Without hesitation, it ordered the Mayfly swarm to sever the Mind Link with those infected Galaxy Mayflies. Then the entire Mayfly swarm¡¯s target shifted instantly from Delis to Richard. If the formation was disbanded, then the Mayflies would be devoured by Delis¡¯s tactic of death by a thousand cuts. But if they did not change formation, they had to deal with the Wizard who used the psychic virus. But could the Mayfly general change targets just because it wanted to? At this moment, the other Wizards who had been incapacitated by the Spiritual Shock also recovered. Delis commanded them to hold off the Mayfly swarm at all costs to give Richard a chance to use nightmare erosion. Delis was not a rigid Wizard; he was a pragmatist. If Richard¡¯s method was more efficient, he did not mind abandoning his many plans and instead helping Richard. In an instant, four Three Rings Wizards acted at once¡ªChain Lightning, Energy-devouring Flames, spatial distortion¡ªamong other powerful spells, forced the Mayfly general to focus most of its efforts on defense. Richard, amidst these attacks, occasionally mixed in a stroke of nightmare erosion. It was still a case of a dull knife scraping flesh. Soon, realizing that it was impossible to kill Richard with the cover of four Wizards, the Mayfly general immediately reverted to its original purpose. To kill Delis, to make their death more glorious. Buzz! Delis, transformed into a shadow giant, rippled like water. Energy Beams from the Mayfly swarm pelted him like raindrops. Spiritual Shock and Spirit Illusions constantly disturbed Delis¡¯s spirit. The combat power of the Mayfly swarm had already surpassed that of third-level creatures. If it had been an ordinary Three Rings Wizard, they would have already triggered the safety mechanism and been teleported away. But Delis managed quite comfortably under this barrage of attacks. Energy Beams were devoured by his shadowy form, and the mental attacks were no more than mosquito bites to him. If it were before Delis¡¯s promotion to Great Wizard, he alone could have dealt with the swarm of Mayflies. Suddenly, the Mayflies ceased their attack. The entire Mayfly swarm, like a sphere, stayed silent in the air, a layer of Energy Barrier plus a layer of spiritual power barrier shielding the whole Mayflies¡¯ movement. Delis¡¯s heart sank, and an ominous premonition instantly enveloped him. Years of warfare had honed his instincts to an incredible sharpness; if he felt something was amiss, it truly was. "Retreat!" Delis decisively sent a retreat command through the Mind Link. The very next moment, the entire Mayfly swarm suddenly shrank as if compressed by some invisible force. There were no longer gaps between Mayflies; they pressed against each other, and energy flowed across them as if throughout a single entity. In Richard¡¯s Energy Vision, these Mayflies formed an extremely complex Magic Model. And the effect of this Magic Model was... "Run, they¡¯re going to self-destruct!" Richard cried out in horror, turning to open a Secret Realm Rift. As masters of manipulating energy, although the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ use of elements was nowhere near as exquisite as that of Wizards, their application of energy was even more superb than that of Shaping Wizards. And for the Galaxy Mayflies who venerated death, self-destruction was their trump card. During the conquest of this world, the self-destruction of the Galaxy Mayflies caused the Wizards considerable headaches. Unless one possessed absolute combat power to suppress them, it was extraordinarily difficult for Wizards to obtain even a single specimen. Boom! A swarm of Mayflies slammed into Delis like shooting stars, followed by a blinding light reminiscent of a supernova explosion erupting from within their midst. At that instant, the air seemed to lose its ability to flow, compressed by extreme heat and pressure to the verge of solidification, before being violently displaced by the suddenly released energy waves, forming visible ripples that spread frantically in all directions. The ground turned to magma, and great trees were uprooted. The enormous high-energy radiation and energy impacts nearly tore the space apart. In the blink of an eye, a beam of light soared into the sky like a long spear piercing the heavenly vault. At this moment, all the Wizards in the Fourth District noticed this conspicuous column of light. "Did someone provoke that swarm of Mayflies?" guessed a Wizard. All the Wizards participating in the selection were Three Rings Wizards. Even the weakest among them were compared to other Three Rings Wizards. They were one-in-ten-thousand picks within the Wizard community. Even if the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ disguises were excellent, there would always be someone talented enough among the Three Rings Wizards to detect them. Moreover, the disguises of the Galaxy Mayflies were not that sophisticated. "Thank goodness I didn¡¯t touch that swarm of Mayflies," a Wizard expressed his relief. "An attack of such intensity might even interfere with the Military Department¡¯s life-saving measures." The battlefield. A somewhat unstable space rift appeared out of nowhere, and Richard flew out of it, looking back at the scene with some trepidation. The self-destruction of the Galaxy Mayfly swarm had evaporated half a lake, and the massive shockwave had leveled the surrounding area for five hundred meters. "If I hadn¡¯t taken refuge in the Secret Realm, I¡¯m afraid the teleport mechanism wouldn¡¯t have worked," Richard said, still shaken. "No, the Military Department¡¯s teleportation is very reliable. They were all transported away safe and sound." Delis¡¯s voice suddenly appeared behind Richard. He turned to look and saw Delis standing there as if nothing had happened, unaffected by the explosion. "Check your points. If all goes well, we should have shared the points from the Mayfly swarm," Delis said. Richard was startled at his words and hastily summoned the guiding fairy. "What is my current point total?" "Your current point total is three hundred and fifty, ranking you second on both the District Points Leaderboard and the Overall Points Leaderboard." Second on the District Points Leaderboard, second on the Overall Points Leaderboard... Hearing these rankings, Richard involuntarily looked at Delis. "The first one is me," Delis stated indifferently. Then he took out a Communication Crystal Ball. "Although the Mayfly nest has been cleared, and our cooperation in this competition has come to an end, before we conclude our partnership, I¡¯d like to ask for a favor. Could you, Chairman Richard, grant me the honor of leaving a contact method?" Upon hearing Delis¡¯s request, Richard was slightly taken aback before quickly taking out a Communication Crystal Ball from his pocket. "My communication number is y12453781. If you need help in the future, Master, feel free to contact me." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Delis noted down the number, confirmed the connection, and then spoke again, "Chairman Richard, you need not be so courteous. I may have some reputation, but my contribution to the Wizard World is far inferior to yours. Your status is actually above mine, and it will only grow higher in the future. I think you, Chairman Richard, must have noticed something odd about these Galaxy Mayflies. For the natives, isn¡¯t the combat power of these Galaxy Mayflies a bit too extraordinary?" Delis, as a Four Rings Legendary Wizard of the Tower of Truth, had a very keen intuition for war. The quality displayed by this group of Galaxy Mayflies far exceeded what should be possessed by the natives of a minor world. This made Delis secretly speculate ¡ª an unprecedented great war was approaching. And in this war, alchemy Wizards like Richard were bound to shine brilliantly! Richard nodded slightly, "I¡¯ve noticed. If I¡¯m not mistaken, these Galaxy Mayflies should come from another civilization." Delis was somewhat startled by the response. Another civilization? Although Delis had guessed that a civilization war was about to break out, he didn¡¯t know what it was. "A civilization war..." Delis pondered this term, his heart trembling suddenly. He asked tentatively, "Do you mean to say that these Mayflies are from a civilization like that of the Wizards?" Richard nodded but then shook his head. "I¡¯m not certain, but once we enter that Sky Garden, the puzzle will unravel." Delis said nothing more, bowed slightly to Richard, and then turned to leave. But the phrase "civilization war" lingered in his mind like a curse he couldn¡¯t dispel. He was more aware than Richard of the Wizard World¡¯s depths; a Wizard Civilization with over a thousand Great Wizards and countless worlds was an overwhelming force for any single world. But if two such colossal powers were to wage war... A phrase flashed through Delis¡¯s mind. The stars are burning. Chapter 439 - 58 Chapters Wasted Land Chapter 439: 58 Chapters Wasted LandLeaving the battlefield, Richard found a corner to hide in. His points were already sufficient, so there was no need to engage in further battle with other wizards. Moreover, most of the wizards in the competition had formed alliances, and the only ones who were alone were either the unlucky ones who hadn¡¯t found teammates or fierce individuals like Delis. Although Richard was confident he could win against these wizards, there was always the possibility of an unexpected defeat. So it was safer to find a place to hide and wait for the competition to end. A few days passed, and the new competition area was designated. But the direction of the reduction took all wizards by surprise. Richard, looking at the fairy map, couldn¡¯t help but frown. The reduced competition area was quite far from his current hiding spot. "The Military Department is doing this on purpose," Richard complained. The first reduction of the area was evenly made, but this time, the range went directly to the lower-left side of the competition map. It was clearly a deliberate move to get most of the wizards moving. After all, there were not a few wizards who thought like Richard. Richard slipped the Galaxy Mayfly specimen into his pocket and sighed helplessly. "Ah, what a hassle." ... Boom! A massive black sphere suddenly expanded in the air, instantly engulfing a wizard¡¯s figure. On the vast plain, a tall wizard clad in metal armor was tangled in battle with several wizards. "Don¡¯t use soul magic, his resistance to soul magic is ridiculously high!" a pale-masked black-robed wizard suddenly shouted. His orifices bleeding, he nearly passed out, clearly suffering from spell rebound. Seeing their companion in such a state, the other wizards¡¯ hearts sank again. This was not the first piece of bad news they had received in this battle. The alchemy wizard in front of them was terrifyingly powerful. Despite a surprise attack by seven wizards, they had not only failed to end the fight immediately, but this wizard had also managed to send two of their number away with a beam spell in an instant. The remaining five, although prepared, rendered the wizard¡¯s beam-spelling magic equipment ineffective. But the wizard¡¯s formidable power still left them in a dire state. Robust physique, powerful spells, impeccable defense, and seemingly endless magic power. It all made the attacking wizards feel as if they weren¡¯t besieging him but were being besieged by him instead. It wasn¡¯t the wizard who was struggling; it was they who were desperately holding on. "Retreat!" S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A wizard shouted loudly. The situation was increasingly unfavorable for them; from the original seven, only three were still able to fight. If the battle continued, they feared not only would their ambush fail, but they might all be eliminated by this wizard. "Retreat?" The besieged alchemy wizard gave a cold smile. "Too late!" Suddenly, a strong surge of energy burst from the armor of the alchemy wizard. In the next instant, the alchemy wizard appeared beside the wizard who had spoken, his dark gold staff crashing down with earth-shattering force. It turned out that during the previous fight, the alchemy wizard had not activated the full power of his armor. Bang! The magic barrier shattered, and the dark gold staff, with overwhelming force, triggered the wizard¡¯s protective mechanism, transporting him back to the palace complex. The remaining two wizards, seeing this, immediately used every trick they had to escape the battlefield. Their speed was astounding. "Really, they just ran off like that?" The alchemy wizard opened his helmet¡¯s visor, revealing his true face. This alchemy wizard was none other than Richard, who had been forced to leave his hiding place due to the Military Department¡¯s actions. "Seven wizards ganging up on one, yet I managed to counter-kill six of them. The weaker they are, the more they stick together." As the selection competition was reaching its end, the remaining wizards who weren¡¯t strong enough could only survive by numbers. Unfortunately, they were Black Wizards. Black Wizards, unlike White Wizards, lacked rich experience in group combat and supporting techniques. A group of the same number of wizards, when made up of Black Wizards, had a total combat power that was merely the sum of each individual¡¯s strength. In contrast, a group of White Wizards could multiply their combined strength several times. Under such circumstances, once Black Wizards formed a group, they were practically stepping on the line of elimination. The rest was merely a matter of how soon they would be eliminated. A fierce tiger does not need a pack. Using radiation control, Richard devoured the lingering energy radiation on the battlefield, quickly and perfectly replenishing his magic power. After replenishing, he summoned a fairy to confirm his location. This battle involved seven wizards. Even for someone as formidable as Richard, it was inevitable to switch battlefields multiple times. The fairy displayed the map in the air, and Richard, seeing the circle not too far from him, breathed a slight sigh of relief. At last, he had arrived. These past few days of relentless travel had left him severely exhausted. From his pocket, Richard took out two metal ingots and began to use battlefield alchemy to perform basic repairs on his single soldier armor. On this battlefield, the protective performance of the Mechanic Type One Single Soldier Armor was already a bit insufficient. Even the weakest wizard who could reach the inner circle would cast spells with a minimum energy level of seven to eight thousand. With a slight use of Rule Power, the energy level of the spells would directly break ten thousand. The single soldier armor, which could withstand spells of four thousand energy level, was virtually no different from paper in these battles. Even so, Richard did not take off his armor. Aside from the Radiation Gathering Cannon, the power system of this armor was of great assistance to Richard. Single soldier armor was not just a type of armor; it was also a weapon in itself. After finishing the repairs, Richard flew towards the area designated on the map. Two hours later, Richard¡¯s body fully entered the new venue. The final contest venue was also a plain, with sparse trees scattered like stars across the boundless plain. Richard bent down, scraped away the surface soil at his feet. Beneath it, the soil was charred black as if it had been scorched by fire. Richard murmured to himself as he looked at the black soil, "It seems this was one of the main battlefields where the Military Department conquered this world." He straightened up and surveyed the land that should have been vibrant and teeming with life, yet it had a desolate air. Vast expanses of land were barren, with only a few sparse trees, as pitiful as the few hair strands on a bald man¡¯s head. Ten years had passed, and this land that had served as a battlefield seemed to rest forever along with the creatures that had perished in the war. "What a waste," Richard sighed lightly. If cultivated properly, this plain could sustain tens of millions of lives. But for a wizard, with no resources or anomalies worth studying, this place was just wasteland. The living space of wizards was too broad, so broad that vast expanses of land were just land, without any value whatsoever. Outside the world, Garon Great Wizard and Bronze Spear Great Wizard were observing Richard¡¯s every move through a mirror. "Waste?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard shook his head involuntarily, "Garon, your thoughts are somewhat unique. I can¡¯t see any waste here." "Waste..." Garon Great Wizard was also perplexed by Richard¡¯s statement. No resources meant wasteland for wizards. Wasteland did not need to waste energy to manage, a consensus among all Great Wizards. "I¡¯m not very clear either, but this youngster Richard does think differently from the average wizard. Have you used the Magic Support Vehicle?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard nodded, "We¡¯ve used it, but besides saving money, I haven¡¯t found any other advantages. It¡¯s rubbish that the spell components need replacement after one full-load usage." The Wizard World Exploration Department possessed the richest strategic magic equipment arsenal in the Wizard World. Much of this magic equipment, limited by price, could not be used extensively. But for the financially robust Military Department, price was not an issue. Thus, a revolutionary item like the Magic Support Vehicle in the eyes of the ordinary White Wizard Army was merely an ordinary support weapon in the eyes of the Military Department. They had already equipped weapons with similar functions long ago. "Saving money is the biggest advantage," Garon Great Wizard said lightly, "I¡¯ve asked Lu Song, he told me that all White Wizard Armies equipped with Magic Support Vehicles have shown a significant reduction in losses during Plane Wars. The pace of the wars has also become much faster. And all this, achieved by spending only a few million Magic Essence. In the past, would you believe someone saying that you could significantly reduce military losses with just a few million Magic Essence?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard remained silent. A few million Magic Essence sounded like a lot, but for a Great Wizard, it was just a trivial amount. And for the Wizard World, this level of expenditure was almost negligible. Yet it was this little amount of money that had enhanced the overall strength of the Wizard World. Even if the enhancement was minimal, it was still a significant progress. "Just wait, wait until this young man enters the Sky Garden. Then you can ask him yourself," Garon Great Wizard said offhandedly. "Ask him myself?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard was slightly taken aback. Garon Great Wizard frowned slightly and turned to look at his old friend. "Old friend, has your mind really rusted? Or have you become so self-absorbed as the head of the Exploration Department, thinking you are somehow above everyone else? Arrogance is a major flaw hindering a wizard¡¯s progress. If you don¡¯t change this mindset, you will never reach the true gateway of truth." The Bronze Spear Great Wizard fell silent again, and after a while, he replied softly, "My mentality does have some issues. On the path to pursuing truth, there is no need for arrogance." ... In the contest venue, Richard was unaware that his casual remark had caught the attention of a Great Wizard. At the moment, he was engrossed in a new idea he had just come up with. Land was useless to wizards because even if ordinary people colonized new worlds and progressed to Level 1 Creatures, they still had to return to the Wizard World for the advancement. Because humans were not indigenous creatures of the colonized worlds and were not recognized by the World Origin. But Richard suddenly thought, what if using Bloodline Witchcraft to create a subspecies of humans. Could they possibly deceive the World Origin, allowing the subspecies to become Level 1 Creatures in the colonized worlds? Chapter 440 - 59: The Eve of the Storm Chapter 440: Chapter 59: The Eve of the StormSubspecies of humanity had always occupied an awkward position within the rules set by Wizards. Because the practice of Bloodline Witchcraft had become widespread, the majority of Wizards in the Wizard World would integrate the bloodlines of other Races. This situation had directly affected the Truth Council¡¯s positioning of subspecies of humanity. Although in today¡¯s Wizard World, subspecies of humanity often existed as servants or even experimental subjects for Wizards, their legal status was much higher than ordinary Otherworldly creatures. In conflicts, if a member of subspecies of humanity killed an Otherworldly slave, they could, just like Wizards, get away with paying a fine. This realization set Richard¡¯s mind racing. Wizards did not actually despise subspecies of humanity; the prevalence of Bloodline Witchcraft over the years had almost completely wiped out the Pure Blood Party among them. The hardships of Plane War would not lessen because one was of pure human blood, and for the majority of Wizards with mediocre talent, integrating a bloodline was a very rapid method of augmenting strength. On this basis, subspecies of humanity could certainly enhance their social status. Wizards who used subspecies of humanity for experiments were but a small segment of the Wizard group. As long as the benefits brought by subspecies of humanity were substantial enough, this group¡¯s voice would be drowned out by much stronger ones. "But the premise is that this can truly fool the ¡¯certification¡¯ of the World Origin," Richard muttered to himself. Moreover, there was a huge problem with doing this: the Truth Council¡¯s restriction on using humans for experiments. No Wizard was allowed to use pure-blooded humans as experimental subjects, not even Great Wizards. "I¡¯ve thought a bit too much." Richard scratched his head, feeling that he had allowed his brainstorm to get a bit out of hand. Currently, even the war potential of the Wizard World had not been fully developed, not to mention tapping into that of Otherworlds. But this idea, Richard secretly noted down. Once he became a Great Wizard, it might just come in handy. ... S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After two rounds of screening, the tens of thousands of Three Rings Wizards of the Fourth District had been narrowed down to mere hundreds. These individuals, whether grouped or alone, were all outstanding among the Three Rings Wizards. In this final arena, these Wizards would compete for the final selections of the Military Department¡¯s staff. Boom! On the vast plain, various Elemental Energies exploded like fireworks. Wizards who had not reached the points requirement were engaged in the ultimate contest. And not far from them, Richard was hiding in the shadows of the trees, quietly watching them battle. His points were sufficient, and at this moment, there was no need for him to enter the fray. Moreover, as a Wizard ranked near the top of the points leaderboard, being discovered could mean being targeted and attacked by others. "I reckon you¡¯re not weak, so why do you insist on cautiously hiding to the side?" A voice suddenly sounded by Richard¡¯s ear, he stiffened, and immediately stepped out of the shadows. Only to see that Delis and Jimmy had somehow arrived not far behind him. When Jimmy saw Richard emerge from the shadows, he greeted him with a smile, "Richard, I heard from Delis that you¡¯ve discovered something quite remarkable." Jimmy greeted him without any attempt to disguise his voice. He stood brazenly in the woods, completely unconcerned with the fact that dozens of Wizards were battling nearby. Boom! The Wizards who noticed Jimmy immediately reacted. A Fireball with an Energy Level of ten thousand fell like a shooting star onto Jimmy¡¯s position, erupting a glob of lava-like Flames that engulfed both Jimmy and the surrounding trees. But before the Elemental Flames could dissipate, the aggressive Wizard¡¯s face showed a look as if he¡¯d seen a ghost. "How did someone with your vision make it this far?" A massive figure enshrouded in Thunder bolted through the Flames like lightning. The next instant, with a "snap," the Wizard¡¯s Magic Barrier shattered. A fist glowing with lightning sent the Wizard who might have become a staff member of the Military Department hurtling back to the palace clusters. The surrounding Wizards, witnessing this scene, were so startled they ceased fighting and swiftly flew off into the distance. Among Three Rings Wizards, there were levels of strength, and if the Three Rings Wizards were to be divided into three levels, then Wizards like Delis and Jimmy were at the third level of the Three Rings. "It¡¯s quiet now." Jimmy turned his head and smiled. Richard¡¯s face twitched, he hadn¡¯t noticed before, but after spending time with Jimmy, he realized that this seemingly amiable old Wizard was actually very domineering in his actions. "The Master must be referring to the matter of civilized warfare," Richard replied. In a flash, Jimmy was back by Richard¡¯s side. "So you¡¯re certain about this?" Richard replied with a hint of resignation, "Whether I¡¯m certain or not, it¡¯s not very useful. Once we¡¯re in that Sky Garden, we¡¯ll know everything." "No, no, no," Jimmy shook his head repeatedly, "Richard, if things go as expected, the Military Department will absolutely not allow us to disclose the inside information of the Sky Garden to the outside world. Thus, we must confirm the message now. If this message is true, then we can make some early preparations, like investments and such." Jimmy¡¯s words puzzled Richard. "The Great Wizard must have manufactured this sort of news before us, why not just follow the Dean¡¯s arrangements?" Jimmy shook his head with a smile, "Richard, the Great Wizards indeed knew about this news before us. But they carry burdens that are far heavier than ours. The Great Wizards must consider the impact on the market when they adjust their development direction. So, the Great Wizards will be very slow in changing their course. And for us, this is an opportunity." "Opportunity?" Richard was slightly taken aback, then suddenly a word popped into his mind. Speculation! If the war was real, then they could fully take advantage of the window period when the Great Wizards were adjusting their development direction to make a killing on the market. "Cough cough, Master, that doesn¡¯t sound too good," Richard said with a twinge of guilt, "That¡¯s profiting from national calamity." "What profiting from national calamity?" Jimmy¡¯s face turned stern, and he spoke with righteous indignation, "What we¡¯re doing is using our wisdom to earn a reasonable reward. We haven¡¯t received any military messages yet; all our decisions are deduced through reasoning. If we guess wrong and make a loss, no one is going to compensate us." What Jimmy said made some sense. If they guessed wrong, then the investments they were making could end up losing everything. "Alright then," Richard sighed, "I¡¯m ninety percent sure that we must have encountered another civilization." Hearing this, Jimmy became serious, "Do you have any evidence?" Richard pointed to Delis who was beside him. "Master Delis¡¯s assessment of the Mayfly¡¯s strength, you should know about that. The sudden change of rules by the Military Department, the rumors and hearsay that have been spread, are all part of the evidence. But for me, these are just auxiliary; the real evidence is that wizards are not the Children of Destiny. There must be other races in the Star Realm stepping out of the cradle to see this truly vast world." Jimmy fell silent for a moment, then his gaze suddenly became piercing. "That¡¯s evidence enough, these few days I will send the investment plan back to the Academy, and I will inform you of your part as well." Richard looked conflicted. He felt this behavior wasn¡¯t very good, as if they were undermining the Wizard World¡¯s foundations. Jimmy patted his back, his voice somewhat low, "Don¡¯t think too much. If a civilization war really breaks out, the money we make is capital for survival." Even in Plane Wars, there are Great Wizards who have perished, their lives lost in Otherworlds. If a civilization war happened, they, the Three Rings Wizards, wouldn¡¯t be much different from the common soldiers. ... Ten days went by in the blink of an eye. In these ten days, because Richard had been following Jimmy, he hadn¡¯t engaged in any combat. In the end, Richard had 421 points, placing 72nd overall, granting him the opportunity to enter the Sky Garden. As the competition-ending bell rang, Richard¡¯s surroundings instantly turned into distorted blocks of color, and when the environment returned to normal, he had arrived at the Sky Garden. The Sky Garden, true to its name, was a very beautiful garden. In the center of the garden stood a pure white tower. Richard looked around, and other Black Wizards who had qualified in points were also teleported here. Guiding sprites appeared just in time. "Master Wizard, please come with me." Following the sprite, everyone entered the pure white tower. The first floor of the tower was structured similarly to the council. In the center of the circular seating tiers was a large round table. The avatar of the Great Wizard Bronze Spear stood beside the round table, silently watching the wizards enter the tower. As all the wizards entered the tower, the grand doors of the high tower were slowly closed by an invisible force. The Great Wizard Bronze Spear began to speak, "Please take your seats." Everyone sat down, with different intents in their gazes landing on the Great Wizard Bronze Spear, as if trying to melt him with their stares. The Great Wizard Bronze Spear, standing by the round table, did not sit. After all the wizards were seated, he began to speak slowly: "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have some speculation about the news I am about to announce. I have seen outside of our world that many wizards have bravely made judgments, prepared to take advantage of the situation for a gain." The words of the Great Wizard Bronze Spear made many wizards present slightly change their expressions. Clever people weren¡¯t limited to Richard alone. "Don¡¯t be nervous," the Great Wizard Bronze Spear showed a slight smile, "This is your skill, the council will not forbid it, nor will we hinder it. Earning resources through your own wisdom is something the council has always advocated. Compared to wizards who sit on a pile of resources without the drive for progress, your actions could almost be promoted as exemplary. Now, I will unveil the mystery for you." The Great Wizard Bronze Spear paused deliberately, causing all the speculating wizards to hold their breath. Many of them had bet all their fortunes on this¡ªif they were wrong, not only would they lose everything, but they were sure to suffer a huge loss. "The answer is¡ª" the Great Wizard Bronze Spear continued to speak, "You guessed right. Wizards are not Chosen by Destiny, and indeed, other lifeforms have stepped out of the cradle in the Star Realm. The name of this race, the council has tentatively designated as the Galaxy Mayfly. If nothing unexpected occurs, our war with the Galaxy Mayfly civilization will begin before long." Chapter 441 - 60 Joining the Military Department Chapter 441: Chapter 60 Joining the Military DepartmentAlthough the tone of the Great Wizard Bronze Spear was calm, the meaning behind his words was like a thunderclap, leaving the minds of the many wizards present bewildered. What did he mean by wizards are not the Children of Destiny? Since the end of the Enlightenment period, wizards had entered the Pioneer Era. No matter how powerful or bizarre the creatures of the Otherworld, they would eventually fall before the wizards¡¯ magic wands. Resources flowed like water, continuously pouring into the Wizard World. Wizards had long developed a subconscious belief that they were superior. But now, the Great Wizard Bronze Spear was telling them that there was another race as powerful as wizards in the Star Realm. This left their minds somewhat chaotic for a moment. Of course, the statement also relaxed the wizards who had guessed in advance that the war of civilizations was about to begin¡ªtheir investments would not lose value. Among these wizards, Richard remained particularly calm. Unlike the common wizard of the Wizard World, he, with the memories of his past life, had always believed that there were races like wizards out there. And the arrival of Ulysses further corroborated this view. The Great Wizard Bronze Spear quietly observed the wizards present, silently rating them in his mind. This gathering was for selection, in addition to the competition. The remnants of the Galaxy Mayflies were the sieve for this selection. The wizards who could deduce the possibility of impending war from the Galaxy Mayflies would be directly added to the shortlist for the Military Department¡¯s officers. If the war escalated, they could enter the Military Department without going through the selection process. Indeed, in this selection, quite a few wizards had predicted the coming war. Among those who had successfully passed through the selection by force, those who could guess the war would be directly incorporated into the Military Department¡¯s talent cultivation program. The wizards who could quickly accept this fact would be listed as potential candidates for the talent program. Wizards are a race where rationality prevails over emotion; the idea of being the Children of Destiny must be abandoned. If a wizard could not quickly accept this fact, then they essentially lose the qualification to become a Great Wizard. There were nineteen wizards present who met the conditions for the talent program, and forty-two who could be added to the shortlist. The remaining Three Rings Wizards, although almost all students of Great Wizards, were seen by the Great Wizard Bronze Spear as nothing more than cannon fodder for their entire lives. They lacked not only wisdom and insight but also the basic qualities of a wizard. "Cough, cough." The Great Wizard Bronze Spear¡¯s fabricated cough brought back the wandering minds of the wizards to reality. Their expressions were calm, perplexed, excited, or fearful; the news of the war of civilizations would undoubtedly change the course of their lives to come. "Do not spread the news of the war of civilizations, nor make any inappropriate actions. The council does not intend to announce this news for the time being. Next, I will bestow the officers¡¯ badges upon you. Congratulations on passing the selection, becoming Three Rings officers of the Wizard World Exploration Department." With a casual wave of his hand, the Great Wizard Bronze Spear made a hundred pure gold badges appear in the air. These badges had an engraving of a pentagram and a magic wand, signifying the Wizard World Exploration Department. With a light tap, the badges floated individually in front of the wizards. Richard received his badge, which was not merely for decoration. In it, he sensed traces of enchantment. The badge appeared to trigger a magic shield, its defense against various energy levels unknown, but it likely wouldn¡¯t be low. Besides the magic shield, Richard also found a chart within the badge. The chart listed an internal exchange catalogue from the Military Department, filled with an array of rare resources that made even Richard envious. Many of these resources were strictly regulated by the Truth Council and unavailable on the market. More astonishingly, at the end of the catalogue, Richard also saw magic models, magic theory, alchemy alloy formulas, and other knowledge. "Knowledge can even be exchanged?" Richard was shocked within. But thinking about it, it made sense¡ªthe Military Department was, after all, a subsidiary of the Truth Council. Even an old and established wizard academy like Garon Wizard College played with knowledge exchanges. So it was no rare occurrence for the Military Department to exchange military merits for knowledge. The Great Wizard Bronze Spear continued, "Joining the Wizard World Exploration Department, you are no longer ordinary wizards. You will no longer be restricted by the World Guardian or Law Enforcement Wizards. Although you are subject to the laws of the Wizard World, if problems arise, they will be adjudicated by the internal court of the Exploration Department." Saying this, the eyes of the Great Wizard Bronze Spear suddenly became sharp, giving off a feeling as if he could split space itself, causing the wizards present to dare not look directly at him. "But don¡¯t think that you can ignore the laws of the Wizard World. Although the internal court¡¯s punishment is lighter than the Judicial Department¡¯s, on certain issues, our internal court can be several times more harsh than the Judicial Department. Especially with mad wizard behaviors, including experimentation on pureblood humans." The voice of the Great Wizard Bronze Spear was like the tolling of a bell, leaving the wizards in attendance shaken, their sneaky thoughts disappearing without a trace. "Apart from this, as for material benefits, they have already been placed within your badges." The Great Wizard Bronze Spear¡¯s demeanor softened, he said with a smile. "I believe that even as students of a Great Wizard, you all couldn¡¯t possibly have seen all the abundant resources here. I can guarantee, every achievement you earn on the battlefield will not suffer any deduction. All of you here are the fine gold and secret silver among wizards, and for you, qualifying for the rank of Great Wizard is just a matter of two or three Plane Wars. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I believe it won¡¯t be long before some of you will be working alongside me." The enticing promises of the Bronze Spear Great Wizard move many wizards present. Becoming a Great Wizard is the lifelong goal of many wizards. The Bronze Spear Great Wizard then continued to describe the benefits and compensation offered by the Exploration Department, painting a very large and alluring picture. After hearing this, many wizards couldn¡¯t wait to enlist in the Plane War immediately. After finishing his drawing of the pie in the sky, the Bronze Spear Great Wizard waved his hand grandly and teleported the multitude of wizards out of the high tower, leaving only Richard looking around somewhat blankly. "Sir, did you want to see me for something?" Richard asked cautiously. He was thinking that he hadn¡¯t done anything extraordinary in this selection. Surely the Military Department wouldn¡¯t be scrabbling for a few hundred Crystal Floating Cannons. "Indeed, I do." The Bronze Spear Great Wizard nodded slightly, and at a flick of his fingertips, a flash of light appeared, revealing the scene as Richard had first entered the final battlefield. "I¡¯ve been watching this match from start to finish. And you, you were the focal point of my attention. My old friend Jialong told me that you are an outstanding young wizard and that many of your thoughts differ from the conventional wizard. So, I¡¯m curious about what exactly crossed your mind when you said ¡¯it¡¯s a pity¡¯." The demeanor of the Bronze Spear Great Wizard was neither arrogant nor subservient. It was as if within a classroom, one student casually asked another how they thought about a particular problem. Richard was momentarily stumped by the question, his mind racing with thoughts. Should he speak about the subrace of humans? The image of the Bronze Spear Great Wizard, along with the resounding voice he heard earlier, forced Richard to suppress the subrace idea in his heart. The idea was too crazy and impractical to share; there was no benefit to voicing it. In an instant, Richard¡¯s thoughts spun rapidly, and he immediately concocted a reason. "I was just making an offhand remark at the time. Sir, you may not be aware, but I¡¯ve established a nation in the tundra of the Extreme North, with a population of tens of millions. And if the plains could support human life, feeding tens of millions would pose no issue." The Bronze Spear Great Wizard nodded slightly; Richard¡¯s thinking indeed differed from ordinary wizards. Very few wizards would consider the common people, those who form the foundation of the Wizard World pyramid. "So, you think we should colonize the common folk into the Otherworld?" Richard shook his head, "No, no, no, colonizing Otherworlds is too wasteful. We barely utilize the Wizard World itself. If we shifted strategies, the Wizard World¡¯s war potential alone would be formidable." A flicker of interest appeared on the Bronze Spear Great Wizard¡¯s face. The thought process of this young wizard was indeed intriguing. "Let¡¯s hear it then, where do you see the Wizard World¡¯s war potential?" Richard paused slightly, envisioning the landscape of Extreme North City, and the epiphanies he had back then. And so, he spoke, "The war potential of the Wizard World lies in its people, those who form the bedrock of the Wizard World. Wizards must be selected from among the common people. If we had enough people, the Wizard World would have an endless supply of soldiers. Many academies in the current Wizard World develop their territories too little. Huge swathes of land are barely populated. With proper governance, the number of common people in the Wizard World could grow exponentially." The Bronze Spear Great Wizard nodded slightly, "You make a good point, but you¡¯ve overlooked one issue, and that is education is necessary for wizards. Even in the lax White Wizard Academy, only a small portion of people eventually qualify to become wizards. Selecting that many wizards without enough teachers to educate them would be futile. Additionally, becoming a wizard requires resources. Although not plentiful, these resources should not be wasted carelessly." After saying this, the Bronze Spear Great Wizard intended to teleport Richard away. Richard¡¯s ideas were good, but they weren¡¯t of any use to him. But just as he was about to act, Richard¡¯s words stopped him in his tracks. "Why don¡¯t we let those idle wizards come and educate them then?" Richard spoke up, "Every year, the Wizard World produces a large number of wizards who participate in just one Plane War and then opt out of further battles. These wizards could also serve as teachers. Moreover, a significant portion of wizards lack personal mentors. As for the resources needed to become a wizard, sir, you must be more aware of the Wizard World ecological restoration initiative than I am. We have passed three epochs since the Enlightenment era. Surely, the grand Truth Wizards, in their efforts to repair the Wizard World, should put this on their agenda as well." Chapter 442 - 61 Annihilation Bomb Chapter 442: Chapter 61 Annihilation Bomb"How did you learn about the Wizard World¡¯s Ecological Restoration Plan?" The Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear looked surprised. Ever since the plan was put forth, it had always been in the preparatory phase. Over the years, aside from the wizards who had devised the plan and the staff involved, hardly anyone else remembered it. It was so far-reaching that the workers involved had all died of old age, and a new group had taken their place. Richard answered truthfully, "I once communicated with the Magic Dwarves inside the World Mirror, and they even entrusted me to bring some Magic Dwarves back to the Wizard World." "How did you guess that the plan was about to be implemented?" asked the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear. Richard seemed a bit puzzled upon hearing this¡ªhe hadn¡¯t guessed that the plan was about to be executed. But the mention by the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear did remind Richard of something that had happened before. "Because the concentration of Magic Power in the Wizard World has decreased again," he said with certainty. A flicker of appreciation shone in the eyes of the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear; this young wizard¡¯s insight was indeed remarkable. Though wisdom could not be quantified, the ability to analyze information could serve as a substitute for wisdom. If a wizard was adept at collecting and analyzing information, then surely his wisdom would be considerable. Since the Truth Council had already formulated the Ecological Restoration Plan for the Wizard World, it implied that the Truth Council was indeed working on restoring the Wizard World. Despite this, the energy concentration in the Wizard World was still dwindling. As an outsider, this left only three possibilities to consider: either the Truth Council had initiated the plan without success; the current situation was a result of the Truth Council¡¯s manipulation; or the plan had been in the preparatory stage all along and had yet to be initiated. The likelihood of the latter two was significantly greater than the first. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, Richard hadn¡¯t thought of these possibilities. He had merely reasoned, based on common sense, that a great war was imminent, and if they didn¡¯t repair the world now, the outbreak of war later would be problematic. Nurturing a qualified wizard required a lot of time. "Your speculation is correct; the current situation is indeed orchestrated by the council," the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear acknowledged with a hint of praise. "If everything proceeds without incident, the Wizard World will welcome the End of Magic Era in a thousand years. By then, the concentration of Magic Power in the entire Wizard World will be negligible, and the World Origin will fall into slumber. The council estimates this phase to last around a hundred years. After these hundred years, a tide of Magic Power will return to the Wizard World. The Wizard World will gradually revert to its state before the Enlightening War." Startled, Richard said, "Then isn¡¯t the timing for the beginning of the Civilizational War quite awkward?" A war is on the horizon, yet the barracks are about to be sealed. "Such is fate; no one imagined a Civilizational War would occur at this time," sighed the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear. After pausing, he shifted the conversation to Richard¡¯s affairs. "If the war unfolds as expected, Alchemy Wizards will shine. I heard from Jialong that you have developed a Magic Support Vehicle." "Yes, my lord." The Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear nodded. "I believe your abilities are excellent. I have some strategic Magic Equipment blueprints from creators who have passed away. You can take them and see if you can reduce the production costs or if they might inspire you. Of course, these things must not be shared. It¡¯s best that others don¡¯t find out about this matter." Saying so, he took out a Crystal Ball from his pocket and handed it to Richard. Richard was somewhat stunned. Was this the kind of resources a leader of the Military Department had at his disposal? Strategic Magic Equipment blueprints were handed over just like that. His bluffs seemed to have worked remarkably well. "Thank you, my lord!" Regaining his composure from the surprise, Richard performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute and his face beamed with uncontainable delight. The Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear smiled, patted Richard¡¯s shoulder, and said, "It¡¯s a trifle. Those blueprints are of no use to me sitting idly here, but in your hands, they can truly shine. Go back and study them thoroughly; strive to create some remarkable things." After these words, a glint of light flashed from the finger of the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear, and Richard disappeared within the council. ... Within the palace complex, Three Rings Wizards were engaging in discussion, occasionally arguing heatedly over certain issues. Suddenly, Richard¡¯s figure teleported into the center of the hall, drawing the attention of the Three Rings Wizards inside. Upon returning to the palace complex, Richard smiled to those around him and then left the palace. He was eager to examine the strategic Magic Equipment blueprints given to him by the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear. Leaving the palace, Richard found a secluded spot, took out the Crystal Ball, and received its contents with his spiritual power. Richard remained silent with his eyes closed for a long while. When he opened them again, a look of joy sprang to his brows. "All good stuff." The Truth Council¡¯s classification of strategic Magic Equipment was somewhat vague, but generally, it could be divided into two criteria. One, immensely powerful and capable of being mass-produced. Two, widely applicable, from logistics to the front lines, these Magic Equipments could have exceptional effects. Meeting either of these criteria was sufficed to be classified as strategic Magic Equipment. As for cost-effectiveness... it¡¯s best to have it, but its absence wouldn¡¯t be hindering. Initially, Richard¡¯s Annihilation Bomb had barely met the first criterion. Because that simple structure, if slightly enlarged, could exceed the limit of a One Ring Wizard¡¯s ultimate spellcasting, and due to the simplicity of the structure, mass production was not a concern. However, the Annihilation Bomb barely made the cut. When he had gone to the Tower of Truth to register it, its rating was Fifth Level, the lowest level of strategic Magic Equipment. The acquisition price for the knowledge was also only five hundred Magic Essences. At the time, Richard thought about reducing the cost of this item and then going for another evaluation, but later, when many things came up, he forgot about it. His strength had grown too quickly, and now the Annihilation Bomb couldn¡¯t even blast open his dragon scales. But now, he had an idea for improvement. In the design blueprints given to him by the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear, there happened to be a weapon related to the annihilation reaction of the Water and Fire Elements. This weapon was called the Annihilation Bomb, and its efficiency in compressing the Water and Fire Elements far surpassed his own methods. If he used this compression technique and then modified the Annihilation Bomb with Giant Dragon Alchemy... A slight smile unconsciously appeared on Richard¡¯s lips, but it quickly disappeared. It was replaced by a slight frown. He suddenly realized that even if the production cost was reduced, the Annihilation Bomb would not be very useful on a wizard¡¯s battlefield. The energy of the Annihilation Bomb dissipated too quickly, with a lethal range of only a one-meter radius. Even by increasing the amount of Element, the range could at most be doubled. In comparison to the Magic Concentrated Fire used by wizards, this thing had too small of a lethal radius. The only advantages were that it had a long projection distance and greater power within its lethal range. "Ah, what a headache." Richard sighed, originally thinking he had discovered something incredible. But now it seemed that the Annihilation Bomb was still a mere trifle. However, Richard didn¡¯t dwell on disappointment for too long. After all, the blueprints given to him by the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear contained more than just that. Among these blueprints, he also found a set of exoskeleton armor called ¡¯Thunder.¡¯ But unlike the first type of Mechanic Armor, this exoskeleton armor was very extreme; it completely abandoned armored plates and instead employed an Energy Barrier as its means of defense. The rest of its structure was almost entirely for enhancing the physical abilities of a wizard. It could even be said that this was not a set of Armor, but a combat suit. "This structure is indeed a good thing, just simplify it slightly for use with ¡¯Mechanic¡¯ or ¡¯Craftsman¡¯, and the performance of the armor will definitely see a massive improvement." Richard¡¯s current individual Armor leaned more towards usage as Armor, with user augmentation being secondary. But with this addition, Richard could now have the best of both worlds. Of course, this also meant that the cost of the Armor would be higher. But in the pursuit of performance, one cannot be too concerned with cost. "This trip wasn¡¯t in vain," Richard murmured to himself. After enjoying the moment, Richard didn¡¯t dive into the Secret Realm like some mad scientist to perfect his newly emerged ideas. Perfection could come at any time, but a wizard gathering like this wouldn¡¯t happen again for another thousand years. Moreover, Richard had already become a member of the Military Department, and it was questionable whether the gathering would invite him again. So, taking advantage of this opportunity, he planned to exchange ideas with these wizards and make some friends. If he faced any issues later on, this would give him more options. And since the knowledge level of these wizards was not ordinary, he could also use this opportunity to discuss some of the issues he encountered. ... The wizard gathering lasted a month, and in the first week, wizards did not divide by region. But by the second week, the wizards naturally split into five groups according to the Tower of Truth they belonged to. The distances between the Towers of Truth were so vast that it was easier to travel to an Otherworld than to another Tower of Truth. So, it made sense to acquaint oneself minimally; there was no need for deep friendships. After these smaller groups formed, the exchanges between wizards became much smoother. The circle of Three Rings Wizards wasn¡¯t large, and wizards from the same Tower of Truth knew each other to some extent¡ªexcept for new ascendees like Richard. And the wizard gathering was the best opportunity for newcomers like Richard to integrate into the circle. Of course, ordinary newcomers would integrate into the circle. For Richard, however, it was the circle that integrated around him. In a luxurious palace, a few Alchemy Wizards gathered in one corner, discussing recent issues. "Master Richard indeed has a unique gift. To think someone so young could have such unique insights into Alchemy," an old wizard exclaimed in admiration. Just moments ago, Richard had solved a problem that had vexed him for decades with just a few words. "Master honors me too much," Richard laughed, "I simply approached the problem from a different perspective and spotted something the Master might have overlooked." As the gathering progressed, the Three Rings Wizards of a single Tower of Truth, according to their School, naturally split into five even smaller groups. And Richard, as a recent notable figure of the Alchemy School, naturally became the focus of his group. Many legendary old wizards he had only heard of by name came to discuss issues with Richard. "Ah, indeed, there¡¯s a need to talk to people," the old wizard sighed, "Staying cooped up in the Wizard Tower all day turns the brain into a pile of rusted metal." Richard deeply agreed with the old wizard¡¯s sentiment. Rigidity in thought was a problem all wizards faced. "Speaking of which, Master Richard, you¡¯ve been discussing all these days and seem not to have raised any questions of your own," said an Alchemy Wizard suddenly speaking up. Richard was startled, then nodded slightly, "Indeed, I have not asked any questions. Mainly because my questions are more geared towards practical applications, and such matters may not be quite appropriate." "There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about that," the old wizard enlightened by Richard laughed, "If theoretical problems are solved, there shouldn¡¯t be an issue with an application question. Surely, no one is going to demand royalties from you, Master?" The other wizards around chimed in: "Exactly." "Theory is most important." "As long as, Master Richard, you¡¯re not directly asking for the design plans, hahaha..." Seeing everyone so receptive, Richard shared the issue with the Annihilation Bomb. No sooner had he spoken than an Alchemy Wizard, whose entire body had been modified into Alchemy Machinery, said: "A too small lethal radius... then, couldn¡¯t we do the opposite? Reduce the amount of Element, concentrate the energy further with even less, then contain it?" Chapter 443 - 62: Rebooting the Small-Scale Floating City Project Chapter 443: Chapter 62: Rebooting the Small-Scale Floating City ProjectThe suggestion from the Three Rings Wizard was like divine enlightenment to Richard. Indeed, since the damage radius was small, he could take the opposite approach, reduce the area even further, and then add constraints to enhance the damage quality of the Annihilation Bomb. This approach, although it narrowed the killing range of the Annihilation Bomb even further... was, compared to the previous one-meter radius, wholly an improvement. "Master, you speak truly!" Richard eagerly said to the wizard who had offered the suggestion, "This advice is perfect." The wizard smiled and replied, "It¡¯s just a small suggestion. You, Master Richard, would have thought of it sooner or later." "No, no, no," Richard shook his head, "Without this reminder, I don¡¯t know when I would have thought of it. Could you possibly leave me with a name so that when I finalise the product, I can credit you?" Seeing Richard take it so seriously, the wizard solemnly said, "I am Eugene. If Master Richard has any issues with Alchemy Machines, you are welcome to come to me for discussion." That was the purpose of wizard gatherings: exchanging advice and building relationships. The month-long wizard gathering quickly passed, and arranged by the Tower of Truth, wizards from different Towers of Truth boarded Flying Airships and returned to their respective Towers. For many wizards, this gathering wasn¡¯t much different from the usual. But what they did not realize was that their lives were quietly changing. After returning to Extreme North City, Richard immediately immersed himself in the development of the Annihilation Bomb. The suggestion from Eugene showed him the future applications of the Annihilation Bomb¡ªif it couldn¡¯t be a shell, then it could surely be a bullet. By reducing the Elemental quantity of the Annihilation Bomb and constraining the energy, the task was completely doable. The high-density energy produced by the Annihilation reaction could tear through the defenses of most natives. Whether it was an Energy Barrier or a physical shell, it could penetrate all of it. Thinking of the effects of the Annihilation Bomb, Richard couldn¡¯t hide a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. If he could arm his Fire Lizard Battle Group with such weapons, they could probably kill even Wizards quickly. ... The design of the new version of the Annihilation Bomb took Richard three months. He mainly balanced the Elemental quantity with the constraint devices. Richard needed to balance the Annihilation Bomb¡¯s power with its cost, and to raise its cost-effectiveness as much as possible. For this, he had to combine Giant Dragon Alchemy with Wizard Alchemy once again. And after his adjustments, Richard was very satisfied with the performance of the Annihilation Bomb. The final Annihilation Bomb was four centimeters in length and two centimeters in diameter, very much like the bullets Richard remembered. However, the Annihilation Bomb didn¡¯t differentiate between bullet head and casing, it only had elemental chambers and a constrainer. After balancing, the Annihilation Bomb could penetrate a Magic Barrier of a thousand Energy Levels and a physical defense of nine hundred Energy Levels. And its cost was a mere twenty Magic Stones. Moreover, if produced on a large scale, this price could be further reduced. Its activation device was also very simple, deriving from the Ice Cone Skill that Richard had discovered back when he was an Apprentice, which¡ªafter his improvements¡ªhad its Kinetic Energy Spell effect increased several times and energy consumption reduced significantly. Of course, this amount of kinetic energy was hardly worth mentioning compared to the Annihilation Bomb¡¯s power. With the Annihilation Bomb completed, Richard took the final product and entered the Secret Realm, intending to discuss future production with the Fire Lizard craftsmen. Incidentally, he wanted to inquire whether Ulysses recognized the Galaxy Mayfly. He remembered Ulysses mentioning that several civilizations surrounded the Gods Civilization. These civilizations had not yet reached the border of the Gods Civilization¡¯s territory, so their relationships were generally harmonious. The World Masters of each could move freely within each other¡¯s territories without being slain like wild World Masters. Once in the Secret Realm, Ulysses, as usual, was sunning himself in the Holy Nest. Next to him, Hog did the same, lying on the ground with his belly exposed, lazily soaking up the sun. "Ulysses, come over and take a look at this thing." Richard took the Galaxy Mayfly specimen out of his pocket, intending to show Ulysses for clarification. "What is this... Ah! Where did you get this thing?!" Ulysses stood up from the Holy Nest and, somewhat lazily, flew onto Richard¡¯s shoulder. After seeing the Galaxy Mayfly specimen clearly, Ulysses was instantly no longer lethargic, and his entire being couldn¡¯t have been more energetic. In a subdued response, Richard said, "The Wizard Civilization is bordering this civilization, and not long from now, a war of civilizations will begin. You seem to have seen this civilization before?" Ulysses was startled for a moment, and then his entire body began to tremble. He mumbled, "So this is where I am! So this is where I am!" He was overexcited beyond words. Richard interrupted, "Calm down first, and tell me what you know about this civilization." Ulysses forcibly calmed himself down and then began to share what he knew with Richard. According to Ulysses, the Galaxy Mayfly Civilization was indeed one of the civlizations near the Gods Civilization. He didn¡¯t know much about it, only that this race was adept at manipulating energy and spiritual power. Their World Masters were very weak individually. However, when commanding hundreds of millions of their kind, their power could double. But rumors had it that there were only four entities of God King Level in this civilization. Thus, in terms of high-level combat power, the Wizard Civilization held a substantial advantage. "Honestly, this war is not going to be easy for you," Ulysses said gravely, "High-level combat power is a great advantage for you, but such forces are usually not deployed. The usual battlefield is full of mortals like you and Great Wizards. But in this respect, you do not have the upper hand, and you are somewhat at a disadvantage." Ulysses¡¯s words made Richard¡¯s heart sink; Ulysses never spoke without a target, and when he did speak up, it was always serious. "We have to fight even if it¡¯s tough," Richard said worriedly, "Someone as insignificant as me can¡¯t decide the course of our civilization." The ones who could decide the course of civilization were only the Truth Wizards high atop the towers. "Of course, that¡¯s just me saying," Ulysses comforted, "No one really knows which direction a war will head in until it breaks out. We thought our war with the Abyss Civilization would be over in a thousand years. Now, two thousand years have passed, and the war is still a quagmire." Richard sighed and pushed aside the jumbled thoughts in his mind. "You should train Hog more during this time. Bring out her potential. What¡¯s the point of her basking in the sun with you all day?" "Gaga, got it." Setting aside the matter of the civilizational war, Richard went to the Fire Lizard craftsmen with the Annihilation Bomb in hand. "Sulina, Calion, come take a look at this thing." In the Alchemy Workshop, the two heads of the Fire Lizard craftsmen, hearing Richard¡¯s call, immediately set down their work and came to his side. "My lord, did you need us?" Richard passed the Annihilation Bomb to them, casually drawing the bomb¡¯s blueprint from his pocket at the same time and handing it over. "Take a look at this. Is there any way it could be improved? If not, we can consider designing a production line." The two examined the Annihilation Bomb carefully and revisited the blueprints, then confidently stated, "My lord, the structure could probably be simplified." Richard raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Seems like your alchemy skills have improved." At this, the two smiled humbly, and Calion said, "We owe it to the grace of Lord Hog. As a Giant Dragon, she is exceptionally proficient in Giant Dragon Alchemy. Following her, we craftsmen have learned a great deal." Although, to the Fire Lizards, the Giant Dragons were oppressors, slave owners, thanks to Ulysses¡¯ strict discipline, Hog showed no particular interest in the Fire Lizards and was very gentle when interacting. This dramatically improved the Fire Lizards¡¯ impression of the Giant Dragons. The Giant Dragons of the Red Sun World had long been exterminated, and the Fire Lizards¡¯ hatred for the Giant Dragons had long since evolved into a form of "custom" passed from mouth to mouth. In the face of the vastness of time, even hatred carved into stone could vanish like traces in the sand carried off by the wind. Richard was slightly surprised, "Hog has this ability?" But thinking about it, that made sense, as Giant Dragon Alchemy was a technique of the Giant Dragons. It was normal for Hog, a Dragon Prince, to have such memories in his bloodline heritage. "It¡¯s good to progress. You should seek him out often to learn more," Richard commended. As a Wizard, he greatly appreciated this proactive approach to learning. Seeing that Richard wasn¡¯t upset, both Calion and Sulina inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Learning alchemy techniques from Hog without Richard¡¯s permission was, to the Fire Lizards, a risky affair. "Oh, take a look at this." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard seemed to recall something all of a sudden and produced a thick stack of papers from his pocket. "These are other Wizards¡¯ designs for exoskeleton armor. Take a look, learn from them, see if you can simplify it and make the Mechanic and craftsmen stand out." Sulina took the stack of papers and divided it with Calion. The two flipped through them cursorily, their slit pupils expanding several times over. "This, this... this design is simply marvelous," Calion said, somewhat enraptured. As a craftsman, he had never imagined that a mechanical creation could be so exquisitely beautiful. "Examine them regularly. Inform me when you have a plan." Richard wasn¡¯t bothered by Calion¡¯s gaffe; truth be told, he was similarly stunned when he first saw the blueprints. It was hard to imagine that machinery could be as delicately detailed as a living body. "Yes, my lord," Calion and Sulina chorused. Leaving the Secret Realm, Richard sat in his laboratory, his thoughts whirring. There was so much he wanted to do; he needed to improve his Physique, to reach the physical limit of a third-level creature before the next war if possible. He also needed to optimize the Magic Support Vehicle; with a great battle imminent, if the Tesla Chamber of Commerce developed a comparable product at this time, it would undoubtedly impact his business severely. And now, he needed to research Spells, because spells were the foundation of a Wizard. He needed to improve his Combat Skills, as he was a Wizard pursuing Physique Evolution. He must push forward with understanding the Radiation Rule, research those strategic Magic Equipment... He had far too much to do, and each task required a vast amount of time. Richard paced the laboratory for a long while when his eyes suddenly noticed that the walls of his laboratory were curved. Snap! Richard clapped his hands sharply, suddenly realizing, "How could I have forgotten about the small Floating City issue? This thing would be of immense help to me, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Wizard World." With that, Richard took his Single Soldier Armor from his pocket and opened its chest compartment to retrieve the Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace inside. [Material: Small Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace] [Information to Refine: Star Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace Design Blueprint] [Refining Cost: Two Hundred Thirty Spiritual Power] [Skill to Refine: Ghost Craftsman Forging Skill (Incomplete)] [Refining Cost: One Hundred Thirty Spiritual Power] [Rule to Refine: Deceit Rule] [Refining Cost: Twenty Soul Power] Seeing the information provided by the Miracle Furnace, Richard didn¡¯t hesitate to choose to refine the design blueprint. Chapter 444 - 63 Nightmare Power Furnace Chapter 444: Chapter 63 Nightmare Power FurnaceIn a moment¡¯s effort, the schematics for Star¡¯s Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace appeared in Richard¡¯s mind. This power furnace, coming from an Otherworld and resembling a perpetual motion device, had finally unveiled its secrets to Richard. Richard¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he approached the workbench, took out a piece of draft paper, and began drawing the basic schematics for the power furnace. This drafting process lasted a full three days. Do not be fooled by the fact that Scar¡¯s Wraith Power Furnace was only the size of a fist; it contained numerous parts. These parts, through an unimaginable technique, were compressed within the power furnace, which made it look deceptively small. After completing the drawing of the power furnace¡¯s parts, Richard meditated for a moment and then refined the Ghost Craftsman Forging Skill from the power furnace. At the instant he received the skill, Richard felt the world spinning before his eyes. The forging skills employed by ghost craftsmen were entirely dependent on the unique rules of the Monster World. Thus, their craftsmanship essentially involved manipulating those rules. In Richard¡¯s vision, he imagined himself as a ghost craftsman, continuously using the Monster World¡¯s unique rules to process materials in ways that defied logic. Would you believe that these ghost craftsmen, to make a material more malleable, would soak it in water for two days? What seemed completely illogical to the average person became feasible for ghost craftsmen. Yet, through the outward appearance, Richard clearly saw how ghost craftsmen, relying on instinct, could alter the properties of water using the special rules of the Monster World. It was a highly delicate and superior technique, one that made him dizzy just by envisioning it. However, the ghost craftsmen achieved this almost instinctively. Soon, Richard opened his eyes, feeling somewhat fatigued. This was the first time that he could not completely understand a skill. The craft of the ghost craftsmen was too sophisticated; many details, Richard felt, would require him to be a Great Wizard to understand. But even with only partial understanding, Richard¡¯s application of rules had undergone a qualitative leap. Richard raised his right hand, and a faint radiant light flickered at his fingertips. He brought over a small metal ingot, attempting to use the ghost forging skill to use rules to change the properties of the object. Before long, Richard¡¯s forehead began to sweat, and his brain felt dizzy in waves. The ghost craftsmen¡¯s seemingly instinctual actions in his vision were incredibly difficult for Richard to perform, and this was just scratching the surface. The sweat dripped down, and soon Richard was bathed in sweat. In his hands, the properties of the metal ingot were slowly being changed by the Radiation Rule. "Whew!" With a forceful exhalation, the metal ingot suddenly glowed with fluorescence. The light lasted only for a few seconds before disappearing, but that was enough. It indicated that the properties of the metal ingot had undergone several seconds of change. "These creatures of rules are truly terrifying," Richard muttered to himself. He dared to say that even a typical Great Wizard would not be able to use the Ghost Craftsman Forging Skill smoothly. After meditating briefly, Richard came to the workbench to study the design schematics of Stave¡¯s Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace. Although the power furnace was forged using ghost craftsman skills, its internal structure was surprisingly tight and made complete sense¡ªexcept for its fuel. The most crucial element of the entire power furnace was its fuel. The fuel for Star¡¯s Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace comprised twelve Power Ghosts crafted by monster rules. These Power Ghosts would operate in the power furnace almost eternally¡ªbut in truth, they needed to be replaced as well. It¡¯s just that the replacement cycle was very long. In general, a Flying Ship could reach the end of its life without needing to replace the Power Ghosts inside. But this gave Richard a bit of a headache. These Power Ghosts could only be created in the Monster World by ghost craftsmen; Richard couldn¡¯t make them in the Wizard World. He had to find an alternative. "Rule substitution... heh, what a task I¡¯ve taken on," Richard laughed bitterly. He opened the Secret Realm and pulled Ulysses out. "Ulysses, as a World Master, help me think about what rules would be suitable as a substitute for Power Ghosts." Ulysses was bamboozled by Richard¡¯s question; what did rule substitution mean? If rules could be substituted, then what was the point of their existence? However, after he clarified what Richard meant, he quickly offered a suggestion. "Why not use your Nightmare Rules?" "Nightmare Rules?" Richard blinked, but was immediately intrigued by the suggestion. Monster rules, though absurd, were no more so than Nightmare Rules. If he could use the rules to create an environment similar to a Nightmare Domain, then Power Ghosts wouldn¡¯t be an issue. But the question was how to create such an environment. "Richard, I have a way to solve this problem," Ulysses said, shaking his head, "but I suggest you seek help from your Great Wizards. This isn¡¯t something you can achieve on your own." Richard was silent for a moment and then sighed softly, "You¡¯re right, it¡¯s not something I can do." He was certain that if he managed to create a Wizard version of the Resentful Soul Power Furnace, then it would definitely be requisitioned by the Truth Council. It was a revolutionary creation, capable of influencing the outcome of wars. And by then, how would he explain the design of the power furnace? Inspiration was a convenient excuse, but clearly not enough to convince the Great Wizards. If investigated further, the irregularities on him would not withstand scrutiny. Richard did not intend to pin his hopes on the Great Wizards overlooking something amiss with him during their investigation and thus neglecting the irregularities about him. He looked at the draft papers on the experiment table and said with some helplessness, "I hope the Dean will agree to see me in light of the Star Map I gave him." ... Garon Wizard College. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The winter in the Extreme North came early, with heavy snow like goose feathers falling in September. The biting cold wind mixed with snow and ice struck the face like a knife. Yet, at the mountain summit of Garon Wizard Academy, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s avatar, clad only in a thin robe, stood outside the Wizard Tower just as usual, braving the wind and snow. The piercing cold wind was but a joke to wizards, and for the avatar of Garon the Great Wizard, it was as comfortable as a gentle breeze on a summer afternoon. Suddenly, a stream of light fell on the summit. "Dean," Richard greeted, slightly bowing. "Hmm." Garon the Great Wizard hummed a note from his nose, then he opened his eyes and stretched his limbs. "Richard, what matter brings you to me? Have you encountered any problems with your research?" Richard shook his head slightly, but then he hesitated and nodded instead. "It is indeed a problem with research, but not with Physique Evolution. It¡¯s an issue with Alchemy." "Alchemy?" Garon the Great Wizard brushed the frost from his hair. "If you¡¯re having problems with alchemy, you¡¯ve come to the wrong person. Though I know some Alchemy, those skills are not systematic or structured. They¡¯re fine for personal use, but not quite enough for teaching." After saying that, he looked at Richard with curiosity. "With your reputation, seeking help from a Great Wizard of the Alchemy School shouldn¡¯t be difficult, right?" Richard was modestly famous throughout the Wizards¡¯ World, and the Great Wizards weren¡¯t narrow-minded. They usually didn¡¯t mind offering a bit of mentorship to talented wizards like Richard¡ªof course, the cost would certainly be quite high. After all, Richard was not their student, and the principle of equivalent exchange still had to be respected. Richard took a deep breath and took out the design he had prepared in advance. After deciding to seek help from a Great Wizard, Richard had begun converting the structure of Stave¡¯s Vengeful Ghost Power Furnace into something more wizard-like. The designs of the ghost craftsmen, though exquisite, could be recognized by any wizard who had systematically studied Alchemy as not the work of a wizard¡¯s hand. Thus, to play it safe, it was necessary to convert the Power Furnace structure to a wizardly style. And that had taken Richard a full ten years. "Dean, please take a look at this." Garon the Great Wizard took Richard¡¯s Crystal Ball and received the information inside. A moment later, a massive surge of energy erupted from within Garon the Great Wizard, instantly clearing the wind and snow from the entire mountaintop. "Good lad!" Garon the Great Wizard looked at Richard with some amazement, "You¡¯ve slightly misused your talent focusing too much on Physique Evolution. It seems the Alchemy School is where you truly shine." According to Richard¡¯s design, as long as the issue with the Powerful Ghosts was resolved, a small Floating City would no longer be just a dream. This had the significance of a trans-era breakthrough. "You flatter me, Dean," Richard replied honestly. "This is the result of my copying a creation from another world." "What copying?" Garon the Great Wizard laughed, patting Richard¡¯s shoulder. "That¡¯s learning! Come with me inside, the technology you need isn¡¯t difficult. I¡¯ll help you finish this." Following the Dean, Richard entered the Wizard Tower atop the mountain. As soon as he stepped through the door of the Wizard Tower, Richard felt an extremely rich concentration of Magic Power. Without guessing, he knew this unassuming Wizard Tower, like the upper three hundred layers of the Central Black Tower, fused a Secret Realm within. The first floor of the Wizard Tower was a vast library, where enormous bookshelves stood like towering walls at the end of the room. On one side of the shelves, a variety of bizarre and unique creature specimens were neatly displayed on force field stages. Richard passed by a stage and noticed a Crystal Ball within the force field, around which a swarm of creatures buzzed like bees. "That¡¯s the Gestalt Creature called the Bloodthirsty Swarm from a medium-sized world. I found it amusing, so I sealed it in a Secret Realm Fragment. If you find it interesting, I can give you a couple to play with." Garon the Great Wizard was in a very good mood, his tone exceedingly light. Ordinarily, even if Jimmy begged for these items, the wizard would grumble for a long while. Now he was actually willing to give them away voluntarily. "Thank you, Dean!" Richard said without reserve. Seeing Richard agree so readily left Garon the Great Wizard momentarily stunned. "Good lad," Garon the Great Wizard chuckled. "You¡¯re quite decisive. Shearing wool from my sheep, and you don¡¯t even feel sorry for me." Richard laughed and said, "Dean, with your vast empire, what¡¯s this little thing?" Following the stairs upstairs, they came to the laboratory. As a Great Wizard, every piece of equipment in Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s laboratory was extremely valuable. Richard only glanced briefly, but he noticed that all these devices were Rule Magic Equipment. Garon the Great Wizard walked to the experiment table and waved his hand, causing a multitude of Runes to appear in the air. "You need to create something like the Nightmare Domain within the Power Furnace to act as its energy source. This might prove difficult for an average Great Wizard. But I have recently studied something similar, so you¡¯re in luck to have found me." As he spoke, the Runes that had just appeared suddenly transformed and formed a Teleportation Gate. "I¡¯ll take a quick trip to the Nightmare World and be right back." Chapter 445 - 64: The New Era Chapter 445: Chapter 64: The New EraEntering the Nightmare World was a significant task that required a dedicated spell for a junior wizard like Richard. But for Garon the Great Wizard, who was just a step away from grasping the truth, entering the Nightmare World merely required knowledge of its existence. To someone of his level, the veil between the worlds was almost non-existent. A shadowy figure emerged from Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s body, instantly solidifying into a luminescent replica of himself. The glowing Garon the Great Wizard moved his body, a hint of annoyance on his face. "Ah, being without a body is really uncomfortable." Richard, upon seeing this, was somewhat surprised and said, "Director, your soul looks as tangible as if it were real." Garon the Great Wizard casually responded, "Once you become a Great Wizard, your soul will tend to become substantial. The greater your spiritual power, the more tangible it will become. This is also why, after becoming a Great Wizard, one¡¯s life can break through the ten-thousand-year limit." With that, Garon the Great Wizard stepped through the Rune Gate. Richard stood in place waiting, and it wasn¡¯t long before Garon the Great Wizard returned to the Wizard World. "That was quick?" Richard said, surprised. Garon the Great Wizard shook his head and asked, "Kid, did you happen to acquire a piece of Nightmare Territory in the Extreme North of the Nightmare World?" Richard was stunned, not expecting Garon the Great Wizard to have gone directly to the Extreme North of the Nightmare World. He nodded and said, "Director, your insight is keen; that was indeed my doing." Garon the Great Wizard slightly nodded, "Since it¡¯s your accomplishment, I¡¯ll look elsewhere instead. Don¡¯t be nervous; gathering the Power of Nightmare isn¡¯t considered using mortals for experiments." After speaking, he once again entered the Rune Gate. This time, he took considerably longer. Richard waited in the laboratory for two whole days and nights. On the third day, Garon the Great Wizard emerged in a flurry from the Rune Gate. And upon exiting, he immediately destroyed the Rune Gate. Yet even so, a terrifying aura still seeped through the remnants of the Rune Gate, leaving Richard almost paralyzed on the spot. What kind of monster was behind that door? Garon the Great Wizard laughed and said, "Haha, the strength of a soul-split is indeed weak; a fifth-level youngster had me on the run." While speaking, he pulled out a Crystal Ball from his Wizard Robe¡¯s sleeve. Inside the Crystal Ball, a swirl of black and red mist relentlessly battered against the seal. "Lucky me, right upon entering, I encountered a four-level upstart. This young one¡¯s Nightmare Rules should be sufficient." The tone of Garon the Great Wizard was similar to that of a fisherman who had come across a good catch when out at sea. A fourth-level Nightmare Lord, if encountered by Richard in the Nightmare World, escaping in one piece would be fortunate. But for Garon the Great Wizard, it was as casual as picking up a crab. "Don¡¯t just stand there," rallied Garon the Great Wizard, opening a Space Rift with eager excitement and pulling out a large pile of high-grade alchemy materials. "These materials are for you; we need to create a finished product during this period. If this thing succeeds, the Alchemy Crown will personally receive you." The Alchemy Crown, this unfamiliar term, made Richard pause. But soon after, he realized who this Alchemy Crown was. "The Truth Wizard will meet with me?" Richard said, somewhat frightened. It had been difficult to shield his secrets from Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s probing. If he were to meet a Big Shot like the Truth Wizard, he feared he would be seen through at a glance. Garon the Great Wizard did not understand Richard¡¯s emotions and assumed he was shocked by the prospect of meeting the Truth Wizard. "Don¡¯t panic; it will only be through a medium." "Medium?" "It¡¯s an Alchemy Puppet," explained Garon the Great Wizard. "The Alchemy Crown¡¯s physical body is always in a dormant state; even I might not be able to meet him. The Alchemy Crown typically conducts meetings with wizards by projecting a thread of his presence into an Alchemy Puppet." "Asleep?" Richard was shocked. "Could it be that the Alchemy Crown..." "No," Garon the Great Wizard interrupted. "The Alchemy Crown is in fine health. The dormancy is simply because he¡¯s tightfisted, believing that moving his physical body consumes too much. Hence why he normally operates through a specially crafted Alchemy Puppet." Thrifty... Richard didn¡¯t quite know what to say. It almost seemed ridiculous that a Truth Wizard would be thrifty. Garon the Great Wizard, seeming to sense Richard¡¯s thoughts, laughed and said, "The stronger the power, the more important it is to maintain stability in one¡¯s humanity. If we lose our humanity, what difference is there between a wizard and an Alchemy Puppet?" Richard was momentarily taken aback, pondering upon this. But he quickly began to move the alchemy materials, heading to a corner of the laboratory. Such things were too far removed from him, and there was no need to think on them just yet. ... The structure of the Nightmare Power Furnace was extremely complex, and to expedite the creation of the finished product, Garon the Great Wizard opened up his warehouse to Richard. Materials that he deemed too frugal were directly replaced with higher-grade ones, thus lowering the difficulty of constructing the Power Furnace. In the blink of an eye, three months passed. During these three months, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s avatar, in addition to ¡¯extracting¡¯ Nightmare Rules from the Nightmare Lord, unexpectedly served as Richard¡¯s assistant. He helped Richard create various intricate components. Thanks to Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s lack of pretension, it took Richard only three months to produce the first prototype of the Nightmare Power Furnace. In the laboratory, Garon the Great Wizard placed a mass of black and red mist into the Nightmare Power Furnace in front of him, which was as large as half a room. Under his manipulation, the black and red mist effortlessly expanded in the chamber and gradually permeated the entire interior of the Power Furnace. Richard watched the scene unfold with tension, although he believed there were no issues with his design. Yet the creation had surpassed his capabilities. He was unsure if his ideas were correct. As the dark red mist permeated the power furnace, it gave off an eerie aura. It seemed less like a power furnace and more like a demon¡¯s womb in disguise, as if the next second, hordes of demons would burst out and overwhelm everyone present. The dark red mist sought to spread further, but the shell of the power furnace firmly confined it within. "Alright, now for the final step." Garon the Great Wizard watched the power furnace intently, activating the rune array inside it with his spiritual power. Under the influence of the dark red mist, the activated rune array began to change, causing alterations within the structure of the power furnace. Amidst these changes, Garon the Great Wizard continuously guided the power furnace¡¯s transformation. Under Garon¡¯s manipulation, the entire power furnace transformed into a nightmare creature clad in material world skin. Soon, a small nightmare domain was born. "It¡¯s done." A tension on Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s face finally relaxed. He walked up to the Nightmare Power Furnace, placed his hand on the control lever, and called out to Richard: "Richard, come over, this is a historic moment." Richard approached Garon with a bit of discomfort, his heart filled with joy and an overwhelming sense of unease. He placed his hand over Garon¡¯s, and then watched as Garon brought out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball and positioned it with a Magic Hand. "One, two, three, start!" With the lever pushed down, the power furnace seemed to emit screams of countless people waking from a deep sleep. The next moment, a steady stream of energy flowed through the conduits, illuminating a Magic Light they had prepared in advance. ... The prototype of the Nightmare Power Furnace undoubtedly marked the dawn of a new era. It was not merely a power furnace; it represented a new line of thought within the Alchemy School. On the path of using rules to change materials and amplify rune arrays, a third way had emerged¡ªusing magical apparatus to assist the rules. Perhaps others had thought of this path before, but undoubtedly, Richard was the first to present a finished product. Undoubtedly, if someone used this idea to design magic equipment in the future, they couldn¡¯t ignore Richard¡¯s name. In Extreme North City, within the Wizard Tower, Garon Great Wizard watched Richard and Tosio as they installed the Nightmare Power Furnace into a pre-prepared power chamber and marveled, "Wow, how on earth did you suddenly come up with such a thing? So you stumbled upon the design for a small Floating City, huh?" "Ha ha, Dean, you¡¯re mistaken there, this is Tosio¡¯s research direction," Richard corrected as he adjusted the energy conduits with a smile towards Garon. On the other side, Tosio was tense. To Richard, Garon was a good-tempered dean, but to Tosio, Garon was an unapproachable Big Shot. And now, this Big Shot was watching him install the power furnace, sharing jokes with his council president. It filled him with trepidation. What kind of status did his council president have to be able to speak so casually with a Great Wizard? "Research direction of Tosio?" Garon exclaimed with surprise. "It¡¯s not your research, and you dare to build your wizard tower like this? If you hadn¡¯t put together this power furnace, wouldn¡¯t all these designs have been wasted?" Richard dismissively replied, "If so, just build another tower, they aren¡¯t that expensive to make." Garon was momentarily stunned by the response, then realized he was viewing the issue from a Great Wizard¡¯s perspective. For him, switching wizard towers was a hassle¡ªapplying for permits from the council, merging the Secret Realm, relocating his collections. But for Richard, it was just a matter of moving experimental equipment to relocate a wizard tower. "That¡¯s true," Garon nodded. Soon, with a "click," all the energy conduits and relays of the Nightmare Power Furnace were installed into the Wizard Tower. As Richard pulled the lever, a piercing scream was heard, and a steady flow of energy surged into the conduits. Richard and Tosio watched nervously as the data Crystal Ball next to the power furnace showed that the Nightmare Power Furnace¡¯s output was up to standard. If there were any issues, they would be with the design of the small Floating City. Fortunately, the data, while on the edge, still remained within the expected range. The two stepped out of the power chamber, and with a tap from Tosio on the chamber¡¯s outer wall, a Crystal Ball emerged. Bowing slightly to Richard, Tosio said, "President, I leave the first flight of the small Floating City to you." Faced with such an honor, Richard shook his head. "You designed the Floating City, we should experience this moment together." Taking Tosio¡¯s hand, Richard placed it on the Crystal Ball. He then used the Crystal Ball to issue the command for the Wizard Tower to ascend. Boom! The people of Extreme North City, upon hearing the thunderous rumble, looked up in surprise. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There was no thunder. But before they could lower their heads, they witnessed an unforgettable sight. A metallic structure hundreds of meters in diameter rose slowly into the sky, greeting the rising sun. A new era of the Plane War had arrived. Chapter 446 - 65 The Alchemy Crown Wants to See You Chapter 446: Chapter 65 The Alchemy Crown Wants to See YouThe Wizard Tower had been airborne for two minutes before it hurriedly fell back to the ground. Inside the tower, Richard and Tosio sprinted through the Wizard Tower much like a fire brigade, repairing the energy pipelines. Although the energy pipelines designed by Tosio indeed worked, they could only handle a little pressure; a slight increase in energy output would cause them to start breaking down. Blue magic arcs darted chaotically throughout the Wizard Tower, leaving both men in an embarrassed and disheveled state. After busying himself for half a day, Richard, who had finally repaired the energy pipelines, returned to the laboratory and said with an awkward chuckle, "Director, the Prototype made you see us in such a predicament." Garon the Great Wizard laughed heartily and clapped Richard on the shoulder. "Not bad at all. As a Prototype, being able to ascend is already a great achievement. Optimize the blueprints, and for the materials, just go directly to Jimmy. Your project has the full support of the Academy. The only thing I ask is that the small Floating City we create must have combat applicability." Using vast amounts of alchemy materials to create a small Floating City wasn¡¯t challenging, but Garon the Great Wizard needed more than a mere toy; he needed a small Floating City that could be utilized in real combat. Should this endeavor succeed, it would change the way wizards conducted expeditions to other planes. In future civilization wars, small Floating Cities could greatly enhance the combat power of Wizard Civilization. For wizards, materials were not an issue. As long as the designs were available, even if it required piling up Secret Silver Essence Gold, Wizard Civilization could assemble a fleet of small Floating Cities. "Yes!" Richard responded crisply. Garon the Great Wizard nodded and then disappeared from within the Wizard Tower. On one side, seeing Garon the Great Wizard vanish, Tosio¡¯s body suddenly sagged, almost causing him to fall to the ground. "President, what¡¯s your relationship with Garon the Great Wizard? It feels to me like you¡¯re his student." Richard glared at him upon hearing this. "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. The Director is amiable, but that¡¯s because he very much appreciates what we bring. If I went to him with garbage, do you believe he could slap me from Garon Wizard Academy all the way to Extreme North City?" "I believe, but the President surely wouldn¡¯t bring him trash," Tosio said with a laugh. Recovering a bit of his strength, Tosio took out the design blueprints for the Wizard Tower from his pocket. "President, I have a simple improvement idea. The design of these energy pipelines..." "Let¡¯s not rush that." Richard interjected, "Tosio, there¡¯s nothing wrong with your planned energy pipelines. The biggest issue is with the materials of the energy pipelines. Now, first calculate the load capacity of the energy pipelines, and we will use that to find suitable materials. Remember, you not only have to consider the energy consumption of flying. Factor in the energy consumption of weapons and the shield generator as well." Hearing Richard¡¯s requirements, Tosio nodded slightly. "Alright, in that case, I¡¯ll start on the calculations." After delegating the work, Tosio left for Extreme North City, while Richard took out a Communication Crystal Ball. Once the Crystal Ball connected, the panicked voice of the Extreme North City mayor instantly came through. "Great Wizard Sir, about the incident just now..." "That was my experiment, nothing wrong," the mayor was interrupted by Richard¡¯s cool response, "Inform the citizens that such occurrences will become very common. But they need not worry, I will not abandon Extreme North City." Hearing Richard¡¯s promise, the mayor on the other side of the Crystal Ball finally sighed in relief. He started to respond as he was accustomed to, "May the Saint Heir bless..." but he stopped midway upon realizing an issue. Richard was the Saint Heir of the Miracle Sect. Thus, he changed his phrasing, "May truth favor you." "Hmm." The Crystal Ball disconnected, and Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift, entering the Secret Realm. In a corner of the Secret Realm, what Richard called the giant Floating Mother Body, officially named the Land-based Floating Mother Ship by the Pioneers, a giant Crystal Creation, was in a dormant state. Nearby, the spider-shaped armed puppets acquired by Richard were also in a dormant state. Richard approached the mother ship to activate it, commanding with spiritual power, "Initiate maintenance mode." As the command was issued, what had appeared to be a single entity, the land-based Floating Mother Ship, suddenly displayed cracks. Such a massive creation was naturally not cast as a single piece. After initiating maintenance mode, Richard could dismantle the parts of the Floating Mother Ship. Among these parts, the energy pipelines constituted a significant portion. [Raw material: Land-based Floating Mother Ship Energy Pipeline] [Refinable information: Energy Transmission Crystal production] [Refining cost: 10 spiritual power] The load capacity of the land-based Floating Mother Ship¡¯s energy pipeline was very high, and the energy transmission process had minimal loss, almost negligible. If Richard could replicate this kind of crystal using wizard technologies, then the issue of materials for the energy pipelines of the small Floating City would be resolved. Richard chose to refine, and soon he obtained the production process for this energy transmission crystal. "Wow, the production is so complicated." Startled by the complex process in his mind upon receiving the production procedure, Richard reacted. Manufacturing the Energy Transmission Crystal for a land-based floating mother ship required over five hundred procedures and included more than eight hundred kinds of materials. Moreover, a significant portion of these were materials synthetically created by the Pioneers. What was even more troublesome was that Richard had no idea how those materials were synthesized. And even if he knew how to synthesize those materials, Richard would not go ahead with manufacturing the Energy Transmission Crystal. Simply put, it was too expensive. He lacked the corresponding industrial system; synthesizing those materials required establishing an appropriate Alchemy Workshop, determining the production process, and reducing production costs. If there were by-products and waste materials, he would also need to figure out how to handle them. This was a highly troublesome and extremely time-consuming and expensive process. Richard sighed slightly, "Indeed, without the corresponding industrial system, trying to replicate the creations of the Pioneers is just a fool¡¯s dream." However, he was not discouraged¡ªhe couldn¡¯t produce a perfect Energy Transmission Crystal, but an inferior version should be feasible. The properties of the Energy Transmission Crystal were singular and his equipment was now much more complete than before, so measuring the properties of the Energy Transmission Crystal wouldn¡¯t take much time. Once the properties were measured and the principle by which the Energy Transmission Crystal reduced energy consumption was established, with Wizard technology, cobbling together an inferior version shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Without wasting time, Richard immediately took the Energy Transmission Pipelines back to the laboratory. With prior experience in researching Pioneer Crystals, this time the determination of the crystal properties went very smoothly. It only took Richard two months to determine the properties of the crystal and also incidentally determine the principle of reduced energy loss. "Type superconductor, magic particles?" Richard, looking at the data recorded in his notebook, rubbed his temples with some headache. Wizards are a race in pursuit of truth, and the various characteristics of Magic Power, a miraculous force, naturally led countless wizards to explore its mysteries. Thus, the Shape-shifting School was born. One of the ultimate questions of the Shape-shifting School was what exactly is Magic Power. From the current perspective, the Wizards¡¯ understanding of energy divides into wave and particle camps, eerily similar to Richard¡¯s past life scientists¡¯ debates about light. Presently, both wave and particle theories had substantial evidence. Richard suspected that Magic Power possibly also had wave-particle duality. The Truth Wizards also knew about this property but had not disclosed it. In the process of proving wave-particle duality, numerous sophisticated Shaping Spells were born, significantly enhancing the Wizards¡¯ overall strength. The essence of the low energy loss in the Energy Transmission Crystal lay in the crystal¡¯s extreme stability when charged. Magic particles, when passing through the crystal at the microscopic level, faced almost no resistance. To explain this principle in detail would require addressing one of Alchemy¡¯s ultimate questions¡ªwhat is matter. These complex principles, even Richard himself found difficult to understand, and hence won¡¯t be detailed further here. This outcome made Richard abandon the idea of using an inferior version of the Energy Transmission Crystal as the pipeline for the energy system of the small floating city. The pure material advantage simply couldn¡¯t be compensated for with a Rune Array. However, this measurement wasn¡¯t entirely useless; Richard could determine the basic structure of this type of crystal and then manufacture similar structured materials. But such materials science experiments were nearly a matter of luck; who knew how long the experiments would take. So now he was just waiting for Tosio to calculate the results while he started on the alloy formulation for Secret Silver. Secret Silver, an exceedingly precious alchemy material, was extremely valuable to ordinary wizards. But on a civilizational level, Secret Silver was just a rare but common metal. As long as Richard didn¡¯t use pure Secret Silver for the pipelines, the small floating city would still have practical combat value. A year later. "President, these are the results of the calculations. Based on these results, I¡¯ve designed a set of Energy Transmission Pipelines. Do you see anything that needs to be modified?" Tosio¡¯s tired voice came from the Crystal Ball. Richard reviewed the transmitted information and responded contentedly, "Very good, leave the rest to me. Go take a break with a thousand Magic Essences from my account at the traders, you¡¯ve been hard at work recently." "It¡¯s nothing, President. To see the small floating city ascend is my life¡¯s dream." "You still need to rest properly." After the communication ended, Richard transcribed Tosio¡¯s results into his notebook. "So many?" Looking at the results gave Richard a bit of a headache, it seemed that he really had to ponder the Secret Silver Alloy formula carefully. Suddenly, the Crystal Ball on his desk lit up. Richard glanced at it and realized it was Jimmy¡¯s communication. He connected the communication, "Jimmy, you were looking for me..." "It¡¯s me." The deep voice of Garon Great Wizard emanated from the Crystal Ball. "Ah!? Principal, what do you need me for?" "How¡¯s the floating city project coming along?" "Well," Richard replied offhand, "I¡¯ve just calculated the load capacity of the pipelines, now I¡¯m preparing the materials for the Energy Transmission Pipelines. Once the materials are assembled, there should be no issues with the floating city." "That¡¯s perfect, you can stop your current work now. Come to the Academy with your data. The Alchemy Crown has somehow heard about the small floating city; he wants to see you now." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 447 - 66: Shares Chapter 447: Chapter 66: Shares"The Alchemy Crown wants to see me!" Hearing this news, Richard felt as if struck by lightning, completely stunned. To be honest, even though the Alchemy Crown would only meet him through a puppet, his heart was still filled with panic at this moment. What if something goes wrong? Wouldn¡¯t that be the end of him? But there was no way he could refuse the request of the Alchemy Crown. After all, this was the Great Truth Wizard, a wizard at the pinnacle of the pyramid in the Wizard World. "Alright, I know. I¡¯ll go to the Academy right away." Richard forcibly suppressed the panic in his heart, trying to sound calm. "Alright, no need to hurry, just don¡¯t leave out any data." After the communication ended, Richard took a deep breath and took out a tube of neurotoxin from his pocket, injecting it harshly into his body. Under the effect of the neurotoxin, his excessively active nerves finally settled down. "It¡¯s either a fortune or a disaster, and if a disaster, there¡¯s no avoiding it. This time it¡¯s just a puppet, not even an avatar, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of." Even a Truth Wizard had to abide by the basic laws; a mere projection of consciousness, no matter how powerful, should not be able to see through him. He only needed to prepare everything that should be ready. Tosio had passed on the data; Richard had roughly verified it and confirmed there were no major issues. Richard had been involved in the design of the small Floating City project to some extent. Though he wasn¡¯t skilled enough to design it independently, there was no issue with verifying data. Once he confirmed that the data was accurate, Richard put the new design and the corresponding data into his pocket and left the Wizard Tower, flying towards the Garon Wizard Academy. Today was an unusually bright and sunny day; the blazing sun shone through the clear sky, warming everything it touched. At the summit of the Garon Wizard Academy, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s avatar was laughing and chatting with the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear. Next to them stood a very young-looking female wizard, silent, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Boom. A streak of light descended upon the mountaintop. "Look, here comes our man," said Garon the Great Wizard with a smile to his old friend. As the light dispersed, Richard greeted the two Great Wizards with a Wizard¡¯s Salute. "Dean, Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear." The two Great Wizards nodded slightly, and then the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear asked, "Did you bring everything with you?" "Yes," Richard nodded somewhat nervously, "Everything¡¯s here." "As long as everything¡¯s here, let¡¯s go to the headquarters of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce first to hand over the materials. The Tesla Chamber of Commerce is now in full charge of this project." Even in the presence of a Great Wizard, Richard couldn¡¯t help but frown upon hearing this news. Although he had not contributed much to the small Floating City project, the important parts were mainly done by Tosio and Garon the Great Wizard. But that didn¡¯t mean he could easily give it up. Richard couldn¡¯t help but look toward Garon the Great Wizard, who was ostensibly and substantially the Deputy Dean of the Garon Wizard College. For such forceful behavior, Garon the Great Wizard, as the Dean, surely had to express some disapproval. Indeed, upon hearing this, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s face immediately turned sour. "Bronze head, that¡¯s not what you said earlier. How did the small Floating City project suddenly become the sole responsibility of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce?" The Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear waved his hand, "Don¡¯t rush, let me finish. The Tesla Chamber of Commerce taking over the project doesn¡¯t change the creators; it still credits you and Richard. But on top of your foundation, we need to add one more person." Hearing that one more person needed to be added, Richard didn¡¯t react much, whereas Garon the Great Wizard snorted coldly. "That must be the Plastic Energy Crown¡¯s idea, isn¡¯t it?" The Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear nodded slightly, "A fine thing like the small Floating City can¡¯t be entirely claimed by the Alchemy School." Listening to the exchange between the two Great Wizards, Richard felt lost in a fog. Although the small Floating City could change the form of expeditions in the Wizard World¡¯s planes, Richard saw the greatest benefit as the Magic Essence. The profit from building a small Floating City must be staggeringly large. But according to what the two Great Wizards were suggesting, there seemed to be something more. "Master Richard, good day. I am Elizabeth, the actual head of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce¡¯s Four Rings Tower of Truth division." As Richard was lost in thought, the quiet female wizard who had been standing next to the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear suddenly spoke up. Looking at the woman¡¯s extended hand, Richard hesitated for a moment, but eventually took it. "I hear Master Richard also has a business, currently known for the wildly popular Magic Support Vehicle in the Wizard World." Elizabeth spoke with a friendly tone that was pleasant to hear. But Richard, worldly as he was, felt a scent of Soul Witchcraft at her first word. "Affinity Aura?" Richard guessed in his mind. "Indeed, that¡¯s the case, but compared to the Tesla Chamber of Commerce, my small business is hardly worth mentioning." Elizabeth shook her head with a smile. "You shouldn¡¯t be so modest, Master. The popularity of the Magic Support Vehicle is evident to all. The Tesla Chamber of Commerce may be large, but that entirely relies on the backing of the council. Without the council, the Tesla Chamber of Commerce would at best be a regional business. In my view, your business is even more impressive. After all, you have sold Magic Support Vehicles to other Towers of Truth solely by your own talent." Elizabeth spoke with utter sincerity, and even though Richard knew those were likely just courteous words, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit pleased inside. After all, the person saying this was none other than the head of a Tower of Truth branch of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce. "Master is too kind," Richard suppressed the pride in his heart and humbly said. Seeing Richard unmoved, a hint of surprise flashed in Elizabeth¡¯s eyes. She had never before met a Wizard who could receive such praise and remain so composed. The will of this Chairman Richard was so strong that it could even resist the Soul Rules Talent granted to her. What Elizabeth didn¡¯t know was that as a Miracle Sect Saint Heir possessing the status of a Heroic Spirit, along with the faith of tens of millions of Believers, Richard¡¯s spiritual resistance was so high it was almost absurd. Not to mention her incomplete Soul Rules, even if her rules were complete, their effect on Richard would be cut in half. "How can this be an overstatement?" Elizabeth continued with a smile, "I¡¯ve seen the Magic Support Vehicle created by the Master. The Master¡¯s design philosophy can be described as boundlessly ingenious. Such a thing as single-use spell components would normally lead to someone¡¯s store being demolished if applied to common weapons. But in the case of the Magic Support Vehicle, this flaw becomes tolerable." Hearing Elizabeth speak so candidly about her study of the Magic Support Vehicle, Richard, the creator of the Magic Support Vehicle, smiled slightly with a playful air. "While analyzing others¡¯ Magic Equipment is something we all do, speaking so openly about it is quite another matter, Master Elizabeth." Elizabeth looked at Richard, and the smile on her delicate face became even more warmly inviting. "I believe honesty can promote cooperation, don¡¯t you think?" Richard raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that they were finally getting to the point. "What kind of cooperation do you have in mind?" Elizabeth bowed slightly, "Master need not worry, this proposal of cooperation is my own idea and there is no Big Shot backing it. I¡¯ve noticed that although the Magic Support Vehicle is very useful, its power is somewhat lacking and relies largely on quantity. Therefore, I propose representing the Four Rings branch of the Tower of Truth of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce to reach a cooperation with you. To introduce a new type of Magic Support Vehicle." "A new Magic Support Vehicle..." Richard pondered upon hearing this, and then shook his head slightly, "For this matter, you need to talk to the actual head of the Chamber of Commerce. Personally, I am not very interested in this." Thwarted, Elizabeth was not annoyed but simply took out something similar to a business card from her pocket and handed it to Richard. "Since Master says so, it seems I can only discuss this with Master Jolod. This is my contact information, if you ever need help in the future, you can reach out to me." The situation of souring relations due to a failed deal was, in most cases, unlikely to happen, As everyone knew well that it was good business to keep things amiable. Meanwhile, the exchange between Garon the Great Wizard and the Bronze Spear Great Wizard had concluded. Garon the Great Wizard looked somewhat displeased; he seemed to have significant objections to the current arrangements. "Richard, check your data, we¡¯re going to the Tesla Chamber of Commerce now." "Alright." Richard checked the data once more, and after confirming everything was correct, nodded to Garon the Great Wizard. "Dean, it¡¯s all here." "Good, let¡¯s go." With that, Garon the Great Wizard opened a Space Rift and pulled Richard into it. On the side, the Bronze Spear Great Wizard also opened his own Space Rift. "Elizabeth, how did your talk go?" the Bronze Spear Great Wizard casually inquired. Elizabeth shook her head slightly, "Master Richard isn¡¯t very interested in my deal, but I think there is still a possibility for cooperation." The Bronze Spear Great Wizard nodded slightly, "This young man Garon places great importance on him and I¡¯m quite optimistic, too. Some maneuvers are best not used." Hearing this, a resigned smile appeared on Elizabeth¡¯s face. "Teacher, I¡¯m not a child anymore. Besides, from what I¡¯ve observed, Master Richard seems to be someone who does not respond well to coercion, and any trickery would likely backfire." The Bronze Spear Great Wizard patted Elizabeth¡¯s head affectionately, like a benevolent grandfather. "Just be sure to judge for yourself what¡¯s appropriate." With these words, the two also stepped into the Space Rift. ... Behind the Space Rift was a long space tunnel. Walking through this tunnel, Richard felt an indescribably familiar sensation. "This is a domain-crossing channel established by the World Guardian using the Power of World Origin; on regular days, even us old folks can make use of it," Garon the Great Wizard explained. Richard nodded slightly upon hearing this, looking around with some astonishment. The space tunnel was pitch dark, but within that darkness, Richard could make out faint glimmers of light. The two flew forward along the passageway, and after a while, Garon the Great Wizard suddenly spoke up. "Aren¡¯t you curious about what the Bronze Spear and I were arguing about?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After a moment of silence, Richard replied with a bit of resignation, "That¡¯s not something I should meddle in." "Ah, indeed, it¡¯s not something you should meddle in," Garon the Great Wizard sighed, "The trade between the two Crowns, even I cannot stop it. The one-third share can only go to the Plastic Energy Crown now." "Shares?" "Yes, shares," Garon the Great Wizard said somberly, "Kid, do you want to know how to become a Truth Wizard?" Chapter 448 - 67 Alchemy Crown Chapter 448: Chapter 67 Alchemy Crown"Become a Truth Wizard?!" Richard¡¯s voice was so surprised it almost sounded distorted. The secret of ascending to Seventh Level life was of utmost importance to any civilization. Was this something he could know? "Look at you, all flustered," Garon Great Wizard laughed. "The secret to ascending to Truth isn¡¯t even as guarded as the Great Wizard Promotion Ceremony. Any Great Wizard knows how to become a Truth Wizard, but actually achieving it... heh heh." Garon Great Wizard laughed proudly. Among all the Sixth Circle Great Wizards in the Wizard World, only he was one step away from Truth. Richard was somewhat puzzled upon hearing this. Logically speaking, shouldn¡¯t the method of becoming a Truth have a higher level of confidentiality? When he voiced his doubts, Garon Great Wizard shook his head slightly: "By all logic, the method of ascending to Truth is indeed more precious than that of becoming a Great Wizard. But there¡¯s another issue to consider, which is how to turn that knowledge into reality after learning these secrets. If the ritual of becoming a Great Wizard were to leak, the World Masters of Otherworld natives could explore the secrets of becoming Forth Level life, thereby increasing the difficulty of our conquest of the world. But the method of ascending to Truth being exposed is useless to the World Masters of native worlds, and even to those of other civilized worlds. That¡¯s because the method of ascending to Truth in the Wizard World is based on racial contribution, which is utterly useless to any native." "Racial contribution? Could you explain more about that, Dean?" The term piqued Richard¡¯s interest. Since it was not a secret, there was no harm in listening. But Garon Great Wizard did not directly explain. Instead, he asked an unrelated question. "Richard, how much do you know about the classification of rules?" This question baffled Richard. He paused for a moment then honestly recited what he¡¯d read in books. However, after listening, Garon Great Wizard just laughed and shook his head. "No, Richard. There are only two types of rules: substantial rules and illusory rules. Substantial rules are like the Fire Element Rule, rules that are not influenced by life. Whether life exists or not, the Fire Element remains the same. Illusory rules, on the other hand, are similar to the Nightmare Rules you are familiar with, rules that must depend on life to exist." Garon Great Wizard¡¯s explanation took Richard aback. Nightmare Rules need life to exist? Seeing that Richard was still confused, Garon Great Wizard explained further: "Think about it¡ªif every creature in this world were just an Alchemy Puppet. If a world was deserted, void of any life, would the Nightmare World still exist?" Listening to Garon Great Wizard¡¯s explanation, Richard quickly understood. Without dreaming beings, the Nightmare World would naturally cease to exist. Seeing that Richard had grasped the concept, Garon Great Wizard continued: "Knowing this definition, you should be able to understand my next explanation. At the end of the Enlightenment era, the Five Major Schools were nearly at each other¡¯s throats, and all sorts of crazy weapons and spells were developed. It was during this time that the Plastic Energy Crown, while researching ultimate weapons, accidentally discovered an illusory rule hidden behind countless dimensions. This rule connected every wizard, and even every mortal. And the Plastic Energy Crown, following this connection, was astonished to find that an entire Wizard Dimension had formed within the illusory dimensions. This dimension world was divided into five nations, and like the Wizard World at war, it was in utter chaos. As the leader of the Curse School, the moment he entered the dimension, he merged with the Plastic Energy Crown of the illusory dimensions. With this power¡¯s aid, the Plastic Energy Crown became the first wizard to break through the Sixth Circle limit. And with His intervention, the Wizard War ended. And for His role in stopping the great conflict, He became the first True Wizard. And what we¡¯re talking about here is a share of that illusory dimension¡¯s power." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard pondered the explanation: "So you mean, if a wizard has a large enough share, they can become a Truth Wizard through this illusory rule." Garon Great Wizard nodded: "You can crudely understand it that way, but this share is not something anyone can just desire. This rule has been named the Wizard Rule by the Truth Council, and to receive the Wizard Rule¡¯s blessing, one must ¡¯exchange equivalently.¡¯ The greater the contribution you make to the wizard race, the higher the blessing you receive. This is an inviolable rule that even the True Wizards cannot change. The Plastic Energy Crown became a Truth by stopping the Wizard War. The Alchemy Crown became a Truth by establishing the prototype for the Plane War¡ªthe Floating City conquest. If a small Floating City is successful, its creator will inevitably receive the Wizard Rule¡¯s blessing. That is also the reason why the Plastic Energy Crown needed to add a title." Richard nodded, somewhat shocked. He hadn¡¯t thought a mere small Floating City could influence so many things. "Be sharp when you meet the Crown later. If nothing unusual happens, the Crown should offer you some small compensation. Although those things won¡¯t compare to the share you¡¯ve lost, they will be more useful to you now. Before becoming a Great Wizard, you can¡¯t be strengthened by the Wizard Rule, but the compensation can transform into actual combat power." As he said this, Garon Great Wizard seemed to recall something and his expression turned very serious. "Remember, if the Crown asks what you want later, you mustn¡¯t ask for the qualifications for a Great Wizard Promotion. That¡¯s the most useless thing." Promotion to a Great Wizard required a wizard to have sufficient experience; rashly promoting to the rank of a Great Wizard was tantamount to a death sentence. You have already joined the Military Department, exchanging for promotion qualifications is not a very difficult thing, so don¡¯t waste such a precious opportunity on this. "If you really don¡¯t know what you want, let the Alchemy Crown decide for you." Richard nodded seriously. "Uh-huh, I¡¯ll remember that." Before long, Garon the Great Wizard once again opened a rift. The two stepped out of the rift and what came into Richard¡¯s view was a vast steel city. "This is the headquarters of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce," Garon the Great Wizard remarked with some nostalgia, "I haven¡¯t been here for an epoch. Since the Truth Council became the largest shareholder of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce, this city has been expanding like a giant beast. I remember that when it was first built, it was just a small city of less than ten square kilometers." After saying this, he shook his head slightly, and then he took Richard into the city. In this steel city named Tesla, alchemy machines were everywhere. Alchemy machines, Alchemy Airships, even the street cleaners, were specially designed Alchemy Puppets. The entire city was like a huge machine, every member functioning like a gear. At the center of Tesla City stood a towering steel skyscraper piercing the skies. Upon seeing this skyscraper for the first time, Richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. A mysterious and profound aura filled him with sudden reverence. "Eh, the Alchemy Crown came directly to the Tesla Chamber of Commerce?" Garon the Great Wizard seemed to have noticed something, his tone turning very surprised. He rushed toward the tower with Richard, passing Alchemy Puppets issuing overspeed warnings along the way, but he ignored them as if they were air. Approaching the tower, a beam of light scanned over the two. In an instant, Richard felt the universe spin, and when he came back to his senses, he found himself in a room completely at odds with the rest of Tesla City. In the middle of this steel city named Tesla was a wooden room. And outside the room, there was even a delicately manicured garden. "Take a seat." An ageless voice came from behind Richard. He turned to see a wooden puppet, working like a carpenter, smoothly planing wood. Richard looked at the puppet with some confusion and tentatively asked, "Are you... the Alchemy Crown?" The wooden puppet set aside the plane and came to a tea table next to the workbench, pouring two cups of fragrant Magic Tea. "It¡¯s me," the wooden puppet said indifferently. Hearing this, Richard hurried to the tea table and sat down, his expression serious yet restrained. "Don¡¯t be nervous; I¡¯m not a Magic Beast that eats people." A hint of humanized helplessness appeared on the face of the wooden puppet, "Bronze Spear has already talked to you about the share, right?" Richard nodded nervously. "He did." "That¡¯s good." The Alchemy Crown took a seat opposite Richard, holding Magic Tea in his hand like an elderly neighbor. "The share for the small Floating City is not insignificant, Plastic Energy was not willing to let us take it all, so he came to me to ask for a name. You¡¯ve lost out on this deal, Garon has too. But that kid Garon has some agreement with me, so his little loss doesn¡¯t matter. But you are a wizard of the Alchemy School. A few epochs ago, you would have been considered one of my subjects. You shouldn¡¯t have to suffer your loss for nothing, so I plan to compensate you with something small. Tell me, is there anything you want?" The attitude of the Alchemy Crown was very gentle, devoid of any arrogance, but Richard was still very cautious in spirit. He believed the gentleness of the Alchemy Crown was real. But he also equally believed that if the Miracle Furnace were discovered, the Alchemy Crown would not hesitate to take the Miracle Furnace away. Compared to the Miracle Furnace, his achievements seemed somewhat insignificant. In an instant, countless thoughts flickered through Richard¡¯s mind. Finally, he carefully said, "Your Highness, I don¡¯t really want anything. How about you just give me something at random?" Hearing Richard¡¯s response, the Alchemy Crown couldn¡¯t help but laugh. "Slippery fellow, Garon taught you, didn¡¯t he?" Richard nodded honestly, not hesitating to betray his own dean. "Alright then, since you¡¯re letting me give you something, I¡¯ll just give you something at random." With that, the Alchemy Crown opened up the puppet¡¯s abdomen, rummaged inside, and pulled out a wooden ball. "This will do. Whatever comes out of here will be your compensation. If you¡¯re unlucky, it might just be a promotion qualification, but if you¡¯re lucky, you even might get to take a look inside our school¡¯s secret vault." The Alchemy Crown handed the wooden ball to Richard. With a slight twist, Richard opened the ball. A flash of light emerged from within the wooden ball, revealing a small Scepter. "Huh, it turned out to be a Special Authority Scepter." Chapter 449 - 68 Special Handling Scepter Chapter 449: Chapter 68 Special Handling ScepterRichard looked at the wand in his hand, which was a foot long and looked very ordinary, and he was somewhat puzzled as he turned to the Alchemy Crown. "What is this special privileges wand for?" The Alchemy Crown said with interest, "I don¡¯t know if I should say you¡¯re lucky or unlucky. In terms of rarity, this special privileges wand is no less valuable than the secret vault of the Advanced Study Sect. But as for its usefulness... It can only be said to be completely useless. Your luck should be good, how could you draw such a thing?" Richard cautiously asked, "May I dare to ask your Honor, what is the use of this wand?" "The function is very simple," replied the Alchemy Crown. "It grants your actions legality. Simply put, with this wand, you can conduct some rule-breaking experiments, like experimenting on pure-blood humans, without being investigated by Law Enforcement Wizards. Of course, it only works once. After use, this wand will disappear." As he spoke, the Alchemy Crown stared at Richard, eyeing him up and down. "Are you planning on doing something against the rules?" Upon hearing this, Richard shook his head repeatedly. "Not at all. I lack neither resources nor research materials; why would I do something a mad wizard would undertake?" The Alchemy Crown smiled wryly. He leisurely said, "You¡¯d better be. I have to remind you that you drew this special privileges wand; it wasn¡¯t given to you by me. So if you get into trouble and offend someone, I won¡¯t stand up for you." Richard shook his head again and again, "How could that be? I can probably only use this wand as a display piece." The Alchemy Crown didn¡¯t say anything more. He waved his arm gently, and Richard disappeared from the room. After Richard vanished, the door to the room suddenly opened. Garon the Great Wizard walked in boldly, took the Magic Tea that Richard hadn¡¯t drunk, and directly gulped it down, startling the Alchemy Crown. "Hey, you brute, is that how you drink Magic Tea!" the Alchemy Crown said in anger. Garon the Great Wizard replied indifferently, "Hey, it¡¯s not something precious. I¡¯ll give you two tons another day, you can even bathe in it." The Alchemy Crown sighed and lamented, "Alas, my Magic Tea is wasted on you." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Garon the Great Wizard didn¡¯t care and turned to ask about Richard¡¯s situation. "Did you see anything special in Richard? For that tavern-keeper old tortoise to leave a mark, Richard must be somewhat extraordinary." The Alchemy Crown didn¡¯t respond but snatched the teacup from Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s hand, along with the teapot, and stowed them in the belly of an Alchemy Puppet. After tidying up, the Alchemy Crown spoke unhurriedly, "I have seen a little more than you. This boy is a fate entanglement subject; his future is destined to be tumultuous. Anyone who gets involved with him will likely be drawn into the whirlpool of fate." Garon the Great Wizard said cheerfully, "A fate entanglement subject? No wonder that old tortoise left a mark; it¡¯s to remind himself to keep a distance when he sees him." The Alchemy Crown agreed, "That boss has lived so long for a reason." "Then should I reduce my interactions with this young fellow in the future?" Garon the Great Wizard asked. "Not necessarily." The Alchemy Crown picked up the piece of carved wood in his hand, his puppet-like fingers gently tracing the wood. The next instant, countless delicate Runes appeared on the wood. "We are already in a fate whirlpool, facing the huge maelstroms created by two civilizations; a fate entanglement subject can¡¯t stir up much trouble..." The Alchemy Crown looked at the wood in his hand and stopped talking. "What suddenly came to your mind?" Garon the Great Wizard asked cautiously. The Alchemy Crown pondered, "Nothing much, I was just thinking, if this fate entanglement subject can grow to your level, could he possibly influence the destiny of Wizard Civilization? I feel that this would be an interesting experiment." Listening to the Alchemy Crown¡¯s thoughts, even Garon the Great Wizard, who was accustomed to the authority of Truth Wizards, was still shocked. "Crown, you have to think it through; Wizard Civilization is closely tied to you!" The Alchemy Crown waved his hand impatiently, "I¡¯m not a fool; I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing rashly. But as a Wizard, one must experiment boldly! I really don¡¯t know how you, a conservative, have come so far." Garon the Great Wizard replied bluntly, "Because I have a conscience, taking the entire Wizard Civilization as an experiment, you really dare to think about it." Though he said so, deep down, Garon the Great Wizard also wanted to know the result of that experiment. The desire for truth is something ingrained in all wizards. The Alchemy Crown waved his hand, somewhat irritated, "Forget it, no use talking to a conservative like you. Do you have anything else? If not, leave quickly, don¡¯t disturb my mood." "I actually do have something," Garon the Great Wizard suddenly said seriously, "I¡¯ve found the corresponding stars for that incomplete Star Map I have. According to the Astrologer¡¯s conjecture, there should be an incomplete, large world there. The world we have been looking for is probably it." ... As the scenery in front of him became clear again, Richard found himself in a simple office. The style of this office followed in the metallic, mechanical vein of Tesla City. The only discordant note was the small red flower on the windowsill. "At last, someone comes." A voice rose beside Richard, who turned to see a very robust Alchemy Puppet rubbing ointment onto its body. Seeing Richard appear, the Alchemy Puppet set the ointment aside, took a Wizard Robe from the clothes rack in the corner of the room, and draped it over itself. Being able to wear a Wizard Robe meant that this Alchemy Puppet was an Alchemy Wizard, one who had transformed their entire body into Alchemy Machines. "Master Richard, have you brought all your data? Of course, even if you haven¡¯t brought everything, it won¡¯t cause a delay. We can calculate directly here, which is much faster than you having to go back for it. Moreover, the accuracy will be even more precise." The Alchemy Wizard¡¯s tone was humorous, but Richard¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. Because in those words, he heard a rich mix of arrogance and disdain. "I haven¡¯t asked for your name yet," Richard said indifferently. "Victor Tesla, just call me Victor." Hearing the surname Tesla, Richard nodded slightly. No wonder there was arrogance¡ªit was the progeny of Garon the Great Wizard. "So it¡¯s the progeny of Garon the Great Wizard, my apologies, my apologies." As he spoke these words, Richard emphasized the word "progeny." This made Victor¡¯s eyes sharpened. Any self-proclaimed genius hates it most when others only care about his identity, ignoring his abilities. And the current Victor was clearly such a self-proclaimed genius. "The Master might be misunderstanding something. The Tesla Chamber of Commerce does not harbor idlers, especially in the R&D department. Wizards who enter the R&D department are the elite selected through multiple stages. Merely relying on one or two good ideas won¡¯t get you in." Richard smiled faintly upon hearing this, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Is that so? I¡¯d assume that all these wizards must have developed works not weaker than a small Floating City by now. After all, they are ¡¯elite¡¯ who have been selected through multiple stages, aren¡¯t they?" Alchemy Wizards always spoke through their works, and in this regard, no Three Rings Wizard in the Wizard World could compare with Richard. This irrefutable statement made Victor¡¯s gears stutter. A faint metal friction noise came from within him, showing signs of a malfunction. Richard noticed this and quickly pretended to be concerned, "What¡¯s wrong, Master? Could it be a malfunction? You really should be more careful¡ªhow can you use substandard parts for your own body?" Richard¡¯s feigned concern made another round of noise emanate from within Victor, and the incensed Victor pushed Richard away, a strong energy fluctuation erupting from within him. Seeing this, Richard¡¯s expression turned cold. Can¡¯t handle a verbal spar, ready to get tough? Radiant fluorescence lit up at the tips of his fingers, but before he could act, sudden alarms rang out in the office. [Warning, radiation leak!] [Warning, radiation leak!] The piercing alarm woke Victor¡¯s rationality. He was in the headquarters of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce, and the man before him had just met the future star of the Alchemy Crown. Starting a fight here, even as the progeny of Garon the Great Wizard, would cost him his position as head of the R&D department. He went to his desk and tapped lightly, and the piercing alarm immediately ceased. Suppressing his anger, Victor spoke slowly, "Master, hand over the data, please." Richard took out the new design drawings of Tosio and his calculations of the energy pipeline capacity from his pocket. Upon seeing the data, Victor took out something that looked like a chip from his pocket, inserted it into the back of his skull. The next instant, Richard felt the humanity in Victor disappear without a trace. At that moment, he seemed to be nothing more than an Alchemy Puppet. "I am very sorry, Master Richard, I apologize for my impulsive behavior just now," Victor bowed slightly to Richard. "The environment of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce made my primary personality somewhat arrogant and presumptuous." "Primary personality?" Richard looked at the current Victor with interest. "Then are you a secondary personality now?" "You could say that, please refer to me as Victor No. 2." Having said that, Victor No. 2 received Richard¡¯s data. Soon, Victor No. 2 said, "As we can see, the Alchemy Wizard who designed this small Floating City is a master who deeply studies classical Alchemy. His design is full of many classic elements." Perhaps because of the primary personality¡¯s earlier impulsiveness, Victor No. 2¡¯s words were very diplomatic. What this translated to was, the wizard who designed the Floating City was out of touch with the times and had a bunch of outdated designs. Richard acknowledged this opinion because he too could see that the design used many outdated technologies. But even so, Richard still argued feebly, "Our design goal is stability, so we used many ¡¯classic¡¯ designs." "Is that so? From the perspective of stability, this design is indeed very impressive," replied Victor No. 2. "But what we need is not a flying Wizard Tower; what we need is a movable War Fortress, where stability alone is not enough. So, we are most likely going to discard this design. However, I would really like to meet this wizard. His research on classical design is exactly what the R&D department is missing." Richard¡¯s eyebrows quirked slightly, "If it was before, I might have introduced him to you, but now I must consider his safety first." Victor No. 2 said calmly, "Please rest assured, I swear by the Sea of Souls that I will not do anything to this wizard beyond research discussion." With that, an extremely subtle fluctuation emanated from Victor¡¯s body. It was the sign of taking a vow on the Sea of Souls. Chapter 450 - 69 Battle Body Map: Thunder Giant Chapter 450: Chapter 69 Battle Body Map: Thunder GiantSeeing Victor make such a vow so easily, a flash of surprise crossed Richard¡¯s face. "Didn¡¯t he set any restrictions on you before he created you?" Second personalities among wizards were not uncommon. Many Soul Wizards would split their personalities to better adapt to the battlefield. However, when creating a second personality, wizards generally imposed restrictions on this auxiliary personality. After all, although the two personalities seemed to be one person, they fundamentally belonged to two separate consciousnesses. Switching personalities was akin to handing one¡¯s body over to another person without reservations. It was hard not to be cautious about this. But this personality named Victor II in front of him seemed to have no such restrictions. He could even casually swear soul oaths. "Because my primary personality believes that I am a perfect wizard," Victor II said indifferently, "The decisions I make are definitely the most correct. Any restrictions would hinder my path to the correct route. However, in my view, this belief is a kind of mental illness." Victor II¡¯s words and actions gave Richard a strange feeling. He felt as if he were not talking to a person, but rather to an artificial intelligence. "I must say, you¡¯ve sparked my desire to research Soul Magic." Richard pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and wrote a series of numbers on it. "This is his communication number; I hope you two can cooperate happily." ... After leaving the office, Richard walked down the flight passage into the main hall on the first floor. During this process, he truly understood what it meant to be a monopolistic giant. As a giant in the Wizard Commerce, the Tesla Chamber of Commerce headquarters maintained constant contact with hundreds of White Wizard Academies and thousands of White Wizard Army units. To meet the needs of these armies, tens of thousands of wizards hustled about this tall tower. These wizards moved through the slender flight passages, much like red blood cells in the veins, providing the necessary nourishment for this giant entity known as Tesla. Upon reaching the main hall on the first floor, Richard found a seat and prepared to wait for Garon the Great Wizard to appear. However, after a long time, Garon the Great Wizard did not show up; instead, Elizabeth found Richard. "Master Richard," Elizabeth naturally sat opposite Richard, "I just contacted your teacher, and he is very interested in collaborating. However, he highly values your opinion, so he has left the decision to you. I¡¯d like to ask, what¡¯s the issue between us?" Towards Elizabeth¡¯s arrival, Richard felt somewhat troubled. He could see that this president named Elizabeth intended to prolong the battle. "The issue is that I don¡¯t need to cooperate," replied Richard. "I have studied the structure of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce before. The weapons research and development must be conducted by the headquarters¡¯ R&D department. Your branch, madam president, only has the authority to manufacture weapons but doesn¡¯t have the right to develop them. What you¡¯re proposing as cooperation is to use your name to bypass this rule and form a partnership with me. Although I believe this is merely a formal difference and won¡¯t pose much of an issue in practice, why would I want to create a competing product for myself?" Listening to Richard¡¯s words, Elizabeth laughed. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "So that¡¯s the issue. I think, Master, you¡¯re overlooking one thing¡ªthat is the timing we are in. I suppose I don¡¯t need to elaborate on the war. The firepower of the Magic Support Vehicles is fine for ordinary battles, but for the impending war, it¡¯s somewhat inadequate. There are definitely numerous ways to counter an Elemental Storm; we can¡¯t solely rely on that. I believe many legion commanders have already spotted this flaw. And once the war begins, once they report up, who do you think the R&D tasks will fall to?" Richard sighed in frustration. "The Tesla Chamber of Commerce, at that time I¡¯ll be completely sidelined. Fine, I agree to collaborate. As for the specific terms, you can discuss that with my teacher." At those words, Elizabeth¡¯s smile brightened. She extended her right hand to Richard, "Then I wish us a fruitful collaboration." Richard stood up and shook her hand. "Fruitful collaboration." ... Garon the Great Wizard had been missing for a long time, and Richard waited in the lobby for a week before he saw him appear. "Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re heading back." Garon the Great Wizard said with a smile, affectionately patting Richard on the back. "This time I¡¯ve benefitted from your light. I remember you¡¯re practicing the Transformation Battle Body, right? Take any Battle Body Map from the Transformation Battle Body maps you like; the materials will be provided by the Academy. The war is about to start; you¡¯d better stay alive, kid." Richard returned a Wizard¡¯s Salute: "Thank you, Dean." Walking back through the space passage, Richard then started looking for a suitable map in the Contribution Store. There were many maps for the Transformation Battle Body, but Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s letting him choose one was not out of stinginess. Rather, these maps themselves were already at the limit of what a Three Rings Wizard could endure. If the maps were overlaid on each other, the wizard would definitely mutate into a mess of flesh. This was a conclusion personally verified by the Academy¡¯s predecessors. The Contribution Store held over five hundred blueprints, each with its unique specialty. Some displayed formidable power, others were as fast as lightning, and still, others possessed bizarre recovery abilities that left no vulnerabilities on their body, overwhelming Richard with options. Suddenly, Richard spotted a particularly special blueprint. This blueprint depicted a giant entwined with thunder, having dragon horns on its head and dragon scales covering its body. "This is interesting, does this include Dragon Blood?" Richard glanced at the introduction to the blueprint, which was named Thunder Giant, and its main capability was the manipulation of thunder. In its description, one section was specifically highlighted. "The Dragon Blood required for this blueprint must originate from at least a Four-headed Dragon King. Without this prerequisite, the effectiveness of the blueprint will be significantly diminished." "Four-headed Dragon King... Hog is an offspring of the Six-headed Dragon King, so his bloodline should be adequate," Richard thought, stroking his chin. With that in mind, he opened the detailed description of the capabilities of this battle body infused with Dragon Blood to see its mysteries. Upon examining it, Richard was instantly captivated by the battle body¡¯s capabilities. The abilities of the Thunder Giant were divided into two parts: manipulating lightning and absorbing energy. The inherent talent of the Thunder Giant was lightning, which was considerably powerful. If studied by a wizard from the Shape-shifting School, this lightning could be enough for him to exploit creatively. But this wasn¡¯t what captivated Richard. His attention was entirely captured by the aspect of energy absorption. According to the blueprint, the Thunder Giant could absorb the ambient free-floating energy. It sounded quite ordinary, but what if it could also absorb all Shaping Magic spells below one thousand Energy Levels? As stated in the blueprint, if the Thunder Giant battle body incorporated the blood of the Six-headed Dragon King, then most Shaping Magic spells below one thousand Energy Levels would not damage the Thunder Giant, but rather, they would be absorbed by it. The described combat strategy was to utilize the Thunder Giant¡¯s capacity to absorb surrounding free-floating energy to achieve highly saturated lightning strikes. In other words, the core of this battle body blueprint lay in the feature of energy absorption. Thunder was merely a method of transforming this capability into combat power. And Richard¡¯s control over radiation precisely enhanced this characteristic. This meant, in Richard¡¯s hands, this battle body would perform many times better than in the hands of an ordinary wizard. "Good stuff, it¡¯s you." Richard joyfully took out the blueprint, and the store clerk of the Contribution Store, seeing Richard pick such a battle body blueprint, couldn¡¯t help but remind him: "Master, the requirements for Dragon Blood for this blueprint are stringent. If the quality of the Dragon Blood isn¡¯t high, the effectiveness of the battle body might be significantly reduced." Richard chuckled, "No problem, I¡¯ll take it." Having secured the battle body blueprint, Richard then contacted Jimmy using the Crystal Ball. "Thunder Giant? You really have a knack for picking, Richard." Hearing Richard¡¯s choice, Jimmy¡¯s voice carried a teasing tone. "This blueprint isn¡¯t cheap, and while Dragon King Blood isn¡¯t hard to find, if it¡¯s from a Four-headed Dragon King, it does make the Academy seem a bit stingy. But you can¡¯t find a Six-headed Dragon King anywhere in the Wizard World. How about I get you blood from a Five-headed Dragon King?" Richard laughed at his words, "Thanks for the effort, but I have some decent Dragon King Blood here. I wonder, how does the blood of an offspring of a Six-headed Dragon King compare to that of a Five-headed Dragon King?" "Offspring of a Six-headed Dragon King? You have such good stuff?" Jimmy¡¯s voice spiked, clearly shocked by Richard¡¯s question. Richard coolly replied, "I happened upon a nearly dead Dragon Egg, and luckily hatched one." "Goodness, how come I never stumble upon such luck," Jimmy exclaimed. "So, how about this bloodline?" "It¡¯s strong, quite comparable to that of a Five-headed Dragon King. But its potential is higher." "That¡¯s good." Having settled matters regarding the battle body, Richard returned to the Wizard Tower to continue his research. He had many things to research at the moment: the biological specimens, ore samples, strange objects, and even Pioneer Relics he had acquired over the years were all worthy of study. However, to quickly enhance his combat capabilities, Richard had to forgo some things that required long-term research and yielded uncertain results, like some of the strange objects he had collected over the years. The time saved was allocated by Richard to the Pioneer Relics. Without a doubt, to boost combat capabilities, Pioneer Relics were the most useful. The defensive secondary gun, detection array, thick fog shield technology, and the shield generator of the Holy Armor in Richard¡¯s possession were all excellent research materials. These items, if integrated into Richard¡¯s witchcraft, could greatly enhance his combat capabilities. Besides researching Pioneer Relics, Richard also decided not to give up on Physique Evolution. Since the Mutated Rules had already been made into Magic Equipment, Richard could now automatically perform cellular screening. He only needed to segregate a Soul Seed and an auxiliary personality to monitor the experiment, and shut down the device in time when the needed cells emerged. Physique Evolution was an unexplored path, even though Garon Great Wizard, a Pioneer, had carved out a barely navigable route. But this path was still full of thorns and mud. However, this also meant that the tree named Physique Evolution held many low-hanging fruits yet to be picked. After understanding the Wizard Rules, Richard had an idea. If he could develop a witchcraft that would be useful for all Physique Evolution Wizards and then use this witchcraft to enhance all Physique Evolution Wizards, could he then receive a massive amount of Wizard Rules support? Chapter 451 - 70 The News of War Chapter 451: Chapter 70 The News of WarResearch is a tedious and dull process, involving bold assumptions and cautious verification, gradually eliminating incorrect options from a multitude of choices. Wizards have to endure boredom, failure, doubt, self-deprecation, and many other negative emotions during this process. Yet despite this, wizards continue to march on the path of seeking the truth. For it is the meaning of their lives. Without it, a wizard¡¯s prolonged life would no longer be a blessing. Emptiness is the great enemy of any intelligent being. Time flew quickly, and twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Richard had devoted nearly all his energy to the research of Pioneer relics, achieving results worthy of his efforts. Within the reconnaissance array of the Star Realm Fortress, Richard discovered a technology he named ¡¯Dimension Long Range Energy Wave¡¯. This technology allowed him to emit a special energy wave that penetrates the interior of the superficial space, underneath the curtain, thus facilitating long-distance reconnaissance. Richard turned this technology into a piece of Magic Equipment, named the Dimension Eye. In addition to the Dimension Eye, the Thick Fog Shield Technology and the Shield Generator Technology of the Holy Armor also led Richard to some discoveries. Using the Thick Fog Shield Technology, Richard created witchcraft he named Mist Barrier, which generates a mist to shield against the enemy¡¯s perception. Whether for support or escape, this witchcraft has a broad range of applications. The Shield Generator modifies Richard¡¯s Magic Barrier construction, changing the structure from the previous single layer to a multi-layer composite. Each layer of the barrier is different, yet when combined, they can withstand spells of up to fifteen thousand Energy Levels. However, this new version of the Magic Barrier is very draining on Magic Power. Even as a Three Rings Wizard, Richard only dares to use this barrier as a shield. He wouldn¡¯t use the full-body protection of the Magic Barrier unless absolutely necessary. Besides that, Richard also upgraded his Single Soldier Armor. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The current armor, although it features the same Armored Plates as before, has a significantly enhanced exoskeleton system inside. Wearing it, even without activating the Transformation Battle Body, Richard¡¯s strength is enough to wrestle a Giant Dragon of similar Physique, and his speed has not decreased but has, in fact, improved explosively. Of course, this also means a higher energy consumption for the armor. However, this isn¡¯t much of an issue. After all, Richard isn¡¯t likely to keep the battle mode active all day. As long as he takes a break, Richard can easily recharge the Single Soldier Armor through radiation control. The Transformation Battle Body Atlas he selected¡ªThunder Giant¡ªis only one step away from completion. He only needs to fuse one more Elemental Creature Bloodline named Cloud Giant, and then his Battle Body Map¡ªThunder Giant will be complete. Dong! Dong! Dong... The crisp bell rang through the laboratory, with the clock hands overlapping to mark twelve o¡¯clock noon. Amid the bell sounds, Richard completed the engraving of the last Rune. Before him on the experimental platform, a hollow metal ball was emitting the brilliance of witchcraft. This was the spellcasting component of the new version of the Magic Support Vehicle. Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce had begun collaborating with Elizabeth, and according to the agreement, the new Magic Support Vehicle would still be released by Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce, but its sales would be handled by a new commerce chamber jointly established by funds from both Tesla Chamber of Commerce and Richard Jolod¡¯s. According to the agreement, the new Magic Support Vehicle would sell for two thousand Magic Essence, and Richard¡¯s share per vehicle amounted to a hundred Magic Essence. This model of the Magic Support Vehicle had already received several pre-orders from various White Wizard Academies even before its launch, and the Military Department had audaciously placed an order for two thousand units to test the waters. This made Richard respect Elizabeth¡¯s connections. He turned on the Communication Crystal Ball, searched for Elizabeth¡¯s number, and prepared to inform her that the new spellcasting component was ready. The spell released by the new component was still the Fireball Technique, but unlike before, Richard had modified it by integrating an Annihilation Flame Rune as well as an Earth Fire Rune provided by Elizabeth. After the modification, the Fireball Technique possessed nearly one thousand Energy Levels of power, comparable to the old White Wizard Army¡¯s Legion Magic Concentrated Fire¡ªthose old White Wizard Armies would grant their members Magic Models to enhance the overall combat power of the army. But before he had even started, Elizabeth¡¯s call came through. "What a coincidence? I just finished, and here comes the call." Upon connecting, Elizabeth¡¯s projection instantly emerged from the crystal ball. This was a new model of the Communication Crystal Ball, which now supports video calls. "Elizabeth, long time no see. How coincidental, I just finished..." But before he could finish, Elizabeth interrupted him, "Master Richard, according to my teacher¡¯s information, the Galaxy Floating Civilization¡¯s army has already closed in on the Galaxy World. If nothing unexpected happens, you will soon be conscripted." Elizabeth¡¯s news was like a thunderbolt, instantly changing Richard¡¯s complexion. "How can it be so soon?" Richard murmured, somewhat dazed. No, it wasn¡¯t too soon, it was rather slow. The Military Department conquering the Galaxy World must have taken a lot of time, and ten more years to clear the remnants after the main wars had concluded. And now, thirty years had passed since the last wizard gathering. Logically, the Galaxy Floating Civilization¡¯s army should have arrived much sooner. Their delayed arrival meant only one possibility¡ªthey were preparing for a major onslaught. "Alright, thank you for the information, I got it," Richard quickly recovered from his unsettled state. Civilizational wars are inevitable; unless he wasn¡¯t a wizard, he was bound to one day find himself on the battlefield of such wars. And for now, at least he still had a bit of choice. "I¡¯ve got the spellcasting components ready here, and I¡¯ll be sending them over soon. Also, do you know how the progress on the mini Floating City is coming along?" "The progress of the mini Floating City is moving fast," Elizabeth replied, "Master Tosio, whom the master introduced, has been of significant help to the mini Floating City project. The prototype of the mini Floating City has been completed in the development department, and they are currently testing the data. If everything goes as planned, in a few years, we should have a fleet of mini Floating Cities." Hearing the news that the mini Floating City was about to be produced, a slight sigh of relief escaped Richard¡¯s heart. The strategic significance of the mini Floating City was that of a movable War Fortress, but this fortress was not limited to just within our world. In the Star Realm, the mini Floating City could still be utilized as a War Fortress. Due to the spatial turbulence and the erosion of frenzied ether in the Star Realm, super-visual range attacks between warships would be severely disrupted by these factors. This meant, unless there¡¯s some black technology applied, the range of engagement in the wars of the Star Realm would be very short. The battlefield might just be within one astronomical unit, or even smaller. In the Star Realm, this scale is virtually no different from face-to-face combat. And the mini Floating City, being a small War Fortress, would be the optimal defense weapon. "Okay, I understand. If the spellcasting components are good, let¡¯s start production as soon as possible. I hope I can use what I¡¯ve designed on the battlefield." Elizabeth bowed slightly, "I will make sure of that, and I wish you a smooth and triumphant return, Master." The communication cut off, and Richard looked at the spellcasting components in his hand, sighing helplessly. In the Jianghu, one cannot control one¡¯s own fate. Being a part of the wizards and living in such a grand era, no one¡¯s fate could remain calm. The tide of the era was coming fiercely; if one cannot ride the waves, they would only be shattered. "Ah, I should go see my teacher." ... Decades had passed, and Jolod had taken on a new apprentice. After dealing with Richard, this old wizard became exceptionally passionate about taking on students, but after having four students die consecutively, he realized the truth: the miracle of Richard could not be replicated. Nevertheless, this did not deter the old wizard from his desire to teach. Over the years, the old wizard had become accustomed to taking students. On the ninety-ninth floor of the Central Black Tower, Jolod sat behind the desk as usual, flipping through a thick Magic Book. In the laboratory¡¯s corner, a teenage apprentice was carefully dissecting a Magic Eye Frog. Suddenly, a chime sounded from the laboratory door. "Come in," Jolod said casually. Creak! The latch sprang, and the door opened. "Teacher, you really should replace some of this stuff in your laboratory." The familiar voice made Jolod look up sharply, and upon seeing who it was, he put down the Magic Book and smiled, "How did you end up here?" Decades had not seen each other, and Richard suddenly noticed that Jolod had grown a streak of white hair. His life force also seemed slightly decayed. Although theoretically, a Three Rings Wizard could live up to ten thousand years, the number of wizards who actually reached that age were extremely few in the Wizard World. Injuries from the battlefield, failed experiments, or some immature witchcraft, all these factors could affect a wizard¡¯s lifespan. If Richard remembered correctly, Jolod was already over four thousand years old, nearing five thousand. And by his estimate, if Jolod did not undergo life-extension transformation, his lifespan would likely halt around seven thousand years. Richard chuckled, "Nothing much, the Military Department is gearing up for war again, and I reckon I¡¯ll be drafted, so I came to see you." "War again?" Jolod was shocked; he had also received a share of Jimmy¡¯s maneuvers. Those operations were clearly speculative. Based on this, Jolod faintly guessed that the Wizard World might be headed for a major war. So suddenly hearing that Richard would participate in the war, his heart sank sharply. "It seems you¡¯ve also guessed a bit, teacher." Richard sat down opposite Jolod, casually pocketing a good-quality feather pen, "This is an unprecedented great war, I can¡¯t escape it, and neither can you, teacher. The Wizard World will either rise to its pinnacle through this war or be obliterated by it." Jolod¡¯s body trembled slightly, the message in Richard¡¯s words chilling him slightly. Could the wizards be heading for extinction? But soon, Jolod calmed down. Thousands of years had long accustomed the old wizard to remain unruffled by the unexpected; he sighed lightly and responded, "Ah, if you are here to bid farewell, then don¡¯t waste your time on this old fool. Ali and Wuni are now lecturers at the Academy, go see them." Chapter 452 - 71 Preparations Before War Chapter 452: Chapter 71 Preparations Before WarIn the vast tiered classroom, Ali stood at the podium, explaining the basic Elemental Theory with a cool demeanor. As an instructor at the Black Tower Wizard Academy, Ali had to teach at least one public class every week. She didn¡¯t exactly hate this regulation, but she definitely didn¡¯t like it either. Due to her Bloodline, Ali¡¯s feminine charisma was extraordinary. To Wizards, at most, it would warrant a second glance. But even that second glance would fade with familiarity. Yet to the Apprentices, this charisma was a deadly temptation. Even though Ali had used a Soul Magic spell to reduce her charm, every public class she gave still attracted hordes of Wizard Apprentices. These Apprentices, male and female, even included those who had undergone Undead Transformation. They attended the class, not for the valuable knowledge, but just to steal another glance at Ali. However, watching these Wizard Apprentices who didn¡¯t pay attention to the lecture, focusing instead on her, Ali wished she could point a finger and put an end to them. Isn¡¯t valuable knowledge far more important than a pretty shell? Back when she was studying, there weren¡¯t Wizards like her, explaining such practical knowledge. "The resonance distance between Rune Nine and Rune Ten is between three to five unit lengths. If you have exchanged for the Junior Fireball Technique, you can conduct deeper research into the Magic Model of the Junior Fireball Technique, which will benefit your combat power..." Thump! Thump! Thump! The heavy sound of the bell suddenly rang out, signifying the end of the lesson. Ali stopped speaking the moment the bell sounded, waiting for it to fade before she directly headed out of the classroom, without any hint of lingering. In any Wizard Academy, expecting a Wizard to extend a class was impossible. For any Wizard, wasting time on Apprentices who were not their own students was an extravagant waste, But as soon as she opened the door, she stopped in her tracks. Following suit, the Wizard Apprentices in the classroom witnessed a scene they had never seen before. Instructor Ali actually smiled. Richard peeked into the classroom, and the packed room of Wizard Apprentices surprised him. "So many Apprentices, your class is quite popular, Ali." "Popular?" Ali let out a cold laugh upon hearing this. She glanced sideways at the Apprentices in the classroom and spoke with a tone of ridicule, "More than half of these Apprentices are complete fools. Being welcomed by them only makes me feel like a joke." Ali did not lower her voice, and the sharp and bitter ridicule was completely heard by the Apprentices in the classroom. But what could they do upon hearing it? Faced with Ali¡¯s gaze, the Wizard Apprentices all bowed their heads. In front of a Second Ring Wizard, they couldn¡¯t even muster the courage to retort. "That¡¯s quite a thing to say," Richard chuckled, "We all started as Apprentices. Making silly mistakes in the beginning is normal. Once some die off, the number of clever ones increases." Saying this, Richard glanced at the Wizard Apprentices in the classroom. These students were lucky; now with the impending great war of civilizations, unless the performance of the Galaxy Floating Civilization is too incompetent, the education model of Black Wizards, which produces dozens to hundreds of Wizards every year, is bound to be canceled. If all goes as expected, future Black Wizards will be selected from the elite White Wizards. And these Wizard Apprentices will most likely catch this educational reform. "These Apprentices are indeed lucky," Richard sighed slightly, then he and Ali left the classroom. Not long after they left, sounds finally began to rise in the quiet classroom. "Who was that male Wizard? I¡¯ve never seen him before." An Apprentice asked, puzzled. "That Wizard must have shown up somewhere before. He looks very familiar." "I remember now, I¡¯ve seen his statue. He is Master Richard, the one who opened Richard¡¯s Magic Potion Store in the commercial district during his Apprenticeship!" Once Richard¡¯s identity was known, a wave of astonishment spread among the Wizard Apprentices. For the Wizard Apprentices, things like Wizard Commerce and honorary alumni were too abstract and ethereal for them to truly grasp. But the Magic Potion Store was directly related to them. Most of them were loyal customers of Richard¡¯s Magic Potion Store. So they were very clear on how formidable the founder, Richard, was. The main business of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce was Magic Support Vehicles, but under Jolod¡¯s arrangement, the Magic Potion business was also conducted on a small scale. While the Magic Potion business might not be as profitable as weapons and munitions, after mass production, the Commerce still made a significant profit. Currently, Richard Jolod¡¯s Magic Potion Stores were expanding on a large scale within the Wizard Academies. Jolod¡¯s philosophy was to cultivate customers from among the Apprentices. As long as the quality of the Magic Potions was guaranteed, once the Apprentices became Wizards, they were likely to become repeat customers of the Commerce. This was a path different from that of mainstream Magic Potion Commerce. Most mainstream Magic Potion Commerce focused on military supplies, a path that¡¯s highly profitable but has too many competitors. Compared to those established businesses, Richard Jolod¡¯s newly emerging Commerce had no competitive edge. Carving out a new path¡ªthis was something Jolod had learned from Richard. ... Outside the Central Black Tower, Richard and Ali chatted casually about recent events. They had been together since their Apprenticeship, and could understand each other¡¯s intent with just a glance. The purpose of Richard¡¯s visit was clear to Ali the moment she saw him. "Sigh, it seems like I can never catch up to your pace," Ali sighed. She did not think she was slow in advancing in strength, but compared to Richard, she felt like she was marking time, or even regressing. In the Insect Nest World, the two could still fight side by side, but in just over a thousand years, Ali no longer had the ability to provide any support for Richard. "I have my own opportunities," Richard said with a smile, "but if possible, you should enhance your own strength as soon as you can. How is your bloodline development coming along?" The bloodline that Ali had fused with, which was a combination of a giant dragon and an abyss demon, could be said to have unlimited potential. If it were well developed, her achievements could surpass even those of the Great Wizard of the Black Tower. "Fairly good." Ali waved her hand casually, and a dark red flame ignited in the air. As the faint flame flickered, even space itself showed signs of distortion. "I¡¯ve been considering joining the Garon Wizard Academy recently. In terms of bloodline development, my teacher can¡¯t help me much." Although Susanna had also integrated this kind of bloodline, she was already a Three Rings Wizard at the time of the fusion. The bloodline in her body was nowhere near as active as it was in Ali¡¯s. As a result, she couldn¡¯t provide any advice on bloodline development based on Ali¡¯s suggestions. "Then just join," Richard said indifferently, "The old dean isn¡¯t unreasonable, and I guess he would be more than happy for you to join the Garon Wizard Academy." "Ah?" Ali exclaimed in surprise, "Is there something I don¡¯t know about?" Richard smiled mysteriously and conveyed to Ali with a spiritual message, "If nothing unexpected happens, Garon the Great Wizard will soon achieve the Truth." Although the civilizational war is dangerous, it is also a great opportunity. The blessings of the Wizard Rules are only granted to those who make contributions to the wizard community, and there are many such opportunities in a civilizational war. The news Richard shared made Ali¡¯s face suddenly change. She looked at Richard in shock, speechless for a moment, unable to utter a single word. After a long while, she slowly spoke, "This really is a grand era." ... Led by Ali, Richard found Wuni within the Academy. Wuni had now recovered to the level of a Second Ring Wizard in terms of spiritual power and would be able to return to the strength of a Three Rings Wizard in a few decades. "Teacher, what brings you here!" Wuni, in the laboratory, looked at Richard with surprise and delight. It had been decades since he had last seen Richard. "I¡¯m about to go to war again, so I came to check up on you." Richard entered the laboratory, looking around. Although Wuni was previously a Soul Wizard, he had switched to becoming an Alchemy Wizard after following Richard. However, like Richard, he was a pragmatist. He dabbled in alchemy machines and Synthetic Beasts alike. In his laboratory, Richard also saw a synthetic beast that was still unfinished, half-mechanical and half-flesh. "This is for you, my latest research. Take some time to study it." Richard pulled out a scroll and a piece of flesh submerged in nutrient fluid from his pocket. "You¡¯re a Three Rings Wizard, so you can use these directly. Take the time to enhance your strength, that¡¯s all I can say." Seeing Richard¡¯s serious face, Wuni carefully stored the items away. "I will study them carefully." Richard nodded slightly, and at this moment, Ali appropriately left, giving her teacher and apprentice a private space. The two chatted for a long time, and after Richard left, Wuni hung a ¡¯Do Not Disturb¡¯ sign on the laboratory door. A few years later, the Black Tower Wizard Academy had a new Deputy Dean named Wuni. ... After seeing everyone he needed to, Richard did not linger long at the Academy. Civilizational war was no child¡¯s play, and he had to hurry to enhance his fighting power. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Returning to the Extreme North City, Richard entered his lab and pulled out a bottle of gas that looked like a cloud. The bottle contained the bloodline of a cloud giant. As an elemental creature, the bloodline of such beings was quite different from that of ordinary flesh and blood creatures. In conventional bloodline formulas, the bloodlines of elemental creatures could not be mixed with those of flesh and blood creatures. But Garon the Great Wizard had broken this limitation. Richard looked at the bloodline and muttered to himself, "Once I fuse this bloodline into my body, the Thunder Giant Battle Body will be complete." The complete Thunder Giant Battle Body would become a powerful aid in Richard¡¯s warfare. The process of bloodline fusion was not very complicated: first, inject the poison to weaken the body¡¯s immunity, then use the Alchemy Array to fuse the bloodline into the body, and finally inject the neutralizer and stabilizer, supplemented with a large amount of energy. The rest would be up to the body itself. Different bloodlines collided and merged within Richard¡¯s body, and fine threads of blood oozed out of his pores continuously. During this process, Richard felt as if his body was being penetrated by a thousand needles repeatedly, the fine pain almost paralyzing his consciousness. Fortunately, Richard had grown accustomed to this kind of pain. He used Soul Magic to detach his consciousness, enduring the pain from a third-person perspective. After a long time, Richard¡¯s body swelled up as if inflated, quickly reaching around five meters in height. Horrifying dragon horns sprouted on his head, and a layer of fine dragon scales grew on his skin. Soon, small sparks of electricity began to dance around his dragon horns, signifying the successful fusion of the bloodline. Richard opened his eyes, revealing a faint smile. The Thunder Giant Battle Body was complete! But before he could even stand up, his face suddenly stiffened. An intricate pattern of faint glowing radiance involuntarily lit up on his body. Chapter 453 - 72: Battle Body Mutation, Radiant Light Giant Chapter 453: Chapter 72: Battle Body Mutation, Radiant Light GiantThe physical transformation left Richard somewhat at a loss for a moment. The Battle Body Map did not mention that this battle form would react with the Radiation Rule. But now, the Radiation Rule within him suddenly started moving on its own. It seemed that the Radiation Rule had some kind of wonderful reaction with the Thunder Giant Battle Body, causing the already fused bloodline to start mutating. This was not a good sign. Mutation is a very common phenomenon during the process of physique evolution. Or rather, the essence of physique evolution is to pursue mutation. But mutations are not always benign. If uncontrolled, the probability of malignant mutations occurring is much higher than that of benign mutations. Thus, Wizards always avoided unforeseen mutations during experiments. And Richard¡¯s current situation was clearly unexpected. Facing this, Richard had to pull out a large amount of Magic Essence from his pocket to sustain the consumption caused by the mutation. But he soon realized that this action was futile. At this moment, his bloodline mutation was progressing at an astonishing rate. His body, grown during the blood fusion stage, was crumbling in large parts. The leaking tissue fluid mixed with blood and damaged cells quickly submerged the entire laboratory floor. His absorption rate of magic power could not keep up with the rate of mutation. He now had to reduce the speed of the mutation. Without hesitation, Richard immediately pulled out the remaining Bloodline Neutralizer and Bloodline Stabilizer from his pocket and injected them into his body. And the effects of the medications were immediate. The two Magic Potions quickly slowed down the speed of the mutation. Having a moment to catch his breath, Richard immediately pulled out a bottle of Life Essence from his pocket. This substance was originally meant for emergency use on the battlefield, but at this moment, he naturally couldn¡¯t worry about that. As a vast amount of Life Essence was infused into his body, a mighty and gentle Life Energy began repairing Richard¡¯s body. Richard held Magic Essence in one hand and nutrient fluid in the other, continuously providing nutrients for the bloodline mutation. Although he didn¡¯t know whether this mutation was benign or malignant, he had to complete the process. Leaving it half-finished would surely result in a bad outcome. Under the repair of Life Essence, Richard¡¯s body finally began to stabilize. After about three hours, the mutation ended. Richard got up from the ground and with a wave of his hand, a ball of flames fell onto the floor, burning the bloodied laboratory floor clean. Richard looked at his body and sighed slightly, "I don¡¯t know what the mutation has turned me into." At this moment, he could only pray that the mutation was benign, otherwise, his combat capability would significantly decrease. It was almost impossible for him to complete another battle body before the war started. Upon entering the Secret Realm, Richard first sought out Ulysses and explained the changes in his body to him. "Rules leading to bloodline mutations, isn¡¯t that quite normal?" Ulysses scratched his head, looking somewhat puzzled at Richard. "Didn¡¯t the books you read describe the effects of rules on organisms?" "No," Richard shook his head, "Those books only discussed the applications of rules." Although Garon Wizard College¡¯s Great Library had many books, the authors were at most Three Rings Wizards. And these Three Rings Wizards were neither Great Wizards nor students of a Great Wizard. Their understanding of rules was all self-developed. A few oversights were normal. Plus, it¡¯s likely that Garon the Great Wizard, who left behind the battle body, never anticipated that his creation would react with other rules. "Alright," Ulysses said somewhat helplessly, "Rules can subtly influence the body and even the soul they possess, making it easier for the owner to use the rules. This kind of impact is particularly significant on the bloodline. In our place, descendants of demigods or divine beings, when they acquire the rules possessed by their ancestors, use them very skillfully. Your case just hit a critical point, making the mutation more intense." Speaking of which, Ulysses looked a bit puzzled and said, "Honestly, such things should not be a secret. Even incomplete rules would have an impact on the body¡¯s bloodline. Surely Wizards can¡¯t stop reproducing?" "We indeed have Wizard Families," Richard replied somewhat reluctantly, "but that¡¯s a relic of a backward era, and the Wizard World is about to phase these out. Usually, reproduction among Wizards occurs at the One Ring Wizard stage. There are very few Second Ring Wizards who reproduce. And by the time they reach Three Rings Wizards, not to mention whether Wizards have the inclination to reproduce, do you think many of them are even capable of reproducing? You certainly can¡¯t expect elemental beings, undead beings, wandering souls, or mechanically altered beings to reproduce." Ulysses was silent for a moment and then spoke softly, "That might not necessarily be a bad thing. Without families, there would be fewer useless and superficial wastes, and the civilization¡¯s vitality would be stronger. The Gods Civilization has been at war with the Abyss Civilization for so long because there are too many useless beings. Compared to the demons who grew up through slaughter, those wastes only lead commanders to make misjudgments." After confirming that this was a normal phenomenon, Richard was full of anticipation for his new battle body. According to Ulysses, the rules would make the body¡¯s bloodline more suited to the rules. So, this mutation should make his Thunder Giant Battle Body even more suitable for using the Radiation Rule. Filled with expectation, Richard activated the Transformation Battle Body. The next moment, a pale green radiant glow emanated from Richard¡¯s body, making his blood vessels unusually bright as if they were flowing with energy. His body suddenly grew to three meters, his entire body¡¯s muscles bulging. Fine dragon scales spread across his skin, and two ferocious dragon horns flashed with white-purple thunder. It seemed that aside from having a greener and slightly smaller stature, Richard¡¯s body hadn¡¯t changed much from the Thunder Giant Battle Body. However, the lack of significant changes in appearance did not mean there was no change in abilities. Richard pointed his finger, and a thunderbolt as immense as a python swallowed a distant target. "Five thousand energy level, not bad," he said, nodding slightly as he looked at the distant target, now glowing red and molten. He hadn¡¯t manipulated this attack at all; it was entirely the power of the thunder itself. If he were to use Wizard knowledge for manipulation, reaching a ten thousand energy level wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Over the years, Richard had acquired quite a bit of knowledge from the Shape-shifting School. With the support of his abilities, his proficiency in the Shape-shifting School even surpassed that of a regular Three Rings Shaping Wizard. Since the thunder hadn¡¯t changed, the change, it seemed, was in the ability to devour energy. With a thought, Richard formed an additional energy cycle in his body on top of the one maintaining the Transformation Battle Body. This was an Energy Cycle tailored for the Thunder Giant Battle Body, designed to significantly enhance its combat capabilities. However, now that Richard had established this cycle, he discovered that the function of this cycle had undergone a tremendous transformation. Upon establishing the cycle, his body began to frantically absorb the surrounding energy, then started to expand continuously. Four meters, five meters, six meters... Richard¡¯s body kept growing until suddenly, he felt a slight cracking sound from his body. His muscles began to tear, and his bones could no longer bear the burden. Reluctantly, Richard began to forcibly intervene in the energy cycle. As the energy cycle slowed down, Richard¡¯s growth also ceased, and his body even began to shrink. This unrestrained expanding and shrinking ability came from the Cloud Giants. Even for them, their bodily growth was limited. But this cycle made him feel that the growth was infinite. As long as there were energy, it could grow endlessly. Soon, Richard¡¯s body stabilized around five meters. This size combined strength and speed, making it very suitable for combat. The only flaw was that it was too tall. Such a large target would be incredibly conspicuous on the battlefield. After shrinking to an appropriate size, Richard began a new test. A slight spark of lightning flashed at his fingertips, and with a snap, it struck his other arm. Oddly enough, this lightning, with a strength of two thousand energy levels, only caused him a moment of pain. His body devoured the lightning at an unimaginable speed. "Indeed, the biggest change is here." The mutated battle body had become even more potent at absorbing energy. Aside from these abilities of the battle body, Richard also felt that the power granted by the Radiation Rule, when the battle body was activated, was much stronger than before. He could now even roughly control a certain level of high-energy radiation, which originally required a Radiant Concentration Cannon to create cluster radiation flows; he could now do it barehanded. The only drawback was that this technique was very taxing on spiritual power. Richard felt a little dizzy in the brain after using it only twice. After confirming the changes in his body, Richard, looking at his glowing body, sighed slightly, "This battle body can no longer be called the Thunder Giant; it should be more apt to call it the Radiant Giant." He turned off the battle body, and the cellular-level fatigue instantly made Richard feel as though his entire body was hollowed out. Using the Transformation Battle Body also consumed the life energy of his cells, and the more complex the battle body, the stronger the consumption. Previously, when he just had the Dragon Blood, this consumption was not very noticeable. But now that he had completed the Radiant Battle Body, even a brief activation made him feel extremely tired. Fortunately, this was only temporary. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As long as he practiced frequently, his body¡¯s cells would gradually adapt to the Transformation Battle Body, thereby reducing the loss of cellular life energy. After finishing his practice with the Transformation Battle Body, Richard divided his remaining time into two parts, one to continue studying the relics of the Pioneers. The other part was to strengthen the Fire Lizard Battle Group. The Fire Lizard Battle Group had been replenished and was now back to a size of five hundred people. But compared to before, the current Fire Lizard Battle Group was several times stronger. This strength was enough to serve as cannon fodder. But Richard didn¡¯t plan to use them as cannon fodder; that would be too wasteful. He pulled a notebook out of his pocket, which recorded some of his thoughts over the years. On page one hundred and twelve of the notebook, there was a passage. "Since I can use enhanced cells for physique enhancement, applying this method to Alien Slaves might be feasible. Moreover, some body modifications are harmful to Wizards. But for those tenacious Alien Slaves, there might not be any harm. If Wizard methods are applied to the Fire Lizards, perhaps the combat capability of the Fire Lizard Battle Group could greatly increase." Chapter 454 - 73 Fire Lizard Remodeling Chapter 454: Chapter 73 Fire Lizard RemodelingTransforming alien slaves is something many Alchemy Wizards would do. Alchemy Wizards often enhanced the strength and nerve response of alien slaves, then fitted various high-powered weapons onto them that were inconvenient for Alchemy Wizards to carry. Alternatively, they made special Magic Equipment specifically for the slaves. These slaves were then called Armed Slaves. Some Alchemy Wizards specialized in combat could even, with the help of Armed Slaves, fight against an entire squad of Wizards. However, Richard¡¯s plans for transformation were not so extreme. He set aside his notebook and took out a piece of draft paper and a feather pen from his pocket. He now needed to finalize the transformations for the Fire Lizards. "Body enhancement surgery, estimated time might be tight; only a few Company Commanders could undergo the transformation. There should be enough time for nerve response transformations, just find a few Alchemy Wizards to cultivate a batch, control the quality, and that should be fine. Then there are recovery capabilities and battlefield adaptability; these two should also be achievable, it just might cost some extra money..." Richard¡¯s feather pen sporadically listed nearly ten directions for transformation on the draft paper. For the specific transformations, he needed to consult with Jolod. Additionally, the Craftsman single soldier Armor Model One had been upgraded to Model Two. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The performance of the new version of the single soldier armor had improved a lot, but correspondingly, the difficulty of manufacturing the Armor compared to Model One had also increased. He must start manufacturing immediately, otherwise, the Fire Lizard Battle Group might not be able to complete their re-equipment before the war began. And regarding weapon designs, Richard also had some ideas. Though the Fire Lizard Craftsmen had impeccable skills, their imagination when it came to weapons was lacking. The weapons they designed were all old Fire Lizard Warrior standard issue. Richard planned to ask Anna to design a batch of superior weapons to bring the Fire Lizard Battle Group¡¯s arsenal into the "Wizards¡¯ era." Having determined his course of action, Richard immediately began to move. For the transformation direction of the Fire Lizards, he sent his ideas to Jolod through the Crystal Ball. For the materials needed to transform the single soldier armor, he placed orders directly with the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce. As for the weapons, he opened another Crystal Ball to get in touch with Anna. To save time, Richard didn¡¯t even dare spend time visiting the Tower of Truth and Black Tower Wizard Academy to discuss matters face-to-face. "Your needs are a bit too varied." Jolod frowned slightly as he looked at the list of requirements Richard had transmitted. It was easy for Richard to determine the directions for strengthening, but as the executing Wizard, Jolod¡¯s restraint from cursing out loud was already a sign of excellent cultivation. To be honest, the transformations Richard proposed were not difficult. For Jolod, he could exceed Richard¡¯s standards for each requirement. But Richard had added a premise to these transformations, which was to affect the Fire Lizards¡¯ lifespan as little as possible. In Richard¡¯s plan, the current Fire Lizard Battle Group was to be the backbone of his future Fire Lizard Army. And a short-lived consumable did not meet his requirements. Moreover, such actions could have negative implications, easily leading Fire Lizards to feel like expendables and thus become negligent or intentionally waste his resources. "If it wasn¡¯t complicated, why would I come looking for you, Master?" On the other side of the Crystal Ball, Richard smiled cheekily at Jolod. He also knew the transformation would be quite difficult; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have handed it directly to Jolod to deal with. "You little rascal!" Jolod laughed and scolded, copying all those requirements into his notebook. "In a couple of days, I¡¯ll be meeting with some old friends; we old fellows should be able to piece together solutions for your requirements." Hearing Jolod agree, Richard immediately replied with a smile, "Thank you, Master. Also, Master, you will have to cultivate a batch of those Dragon Beasts I previously asked you to." "Dragon Beasts?" Jolod paused for a moment, his right index finger unconsciously tapping his temple. "Oh, that. Sure, how many do you need?" "Hmm... Let¡¯s try cultivating five hundred for a start." "How many?" Jolod nearly thought he had heard wrongly. Five hundred Dragon Beasts? Was his student planning to organize an army? But quickly, he remembered something Richard had said in the Red Sun World. An alien army, huh? Jolod didn¡¯t ponder too deeply and replied with a somewhat pained expression, "I¡¯ll try my best on my end." Having settled Jolod¡¯s side of things, what remained was the issue of weapons. Anna¡¯s image was projected from the Crystal Ball, and even after so many years, she looked the same. "Your requests aren¡¯t too demanding, but what do these ¡¯pending¡¯ items mean?" Anna, looking at Richard¡¯s projection, asked with some confusion. Apart from requests for improvements to the Annihilation Gun that fired Annihilation Bombs and designs for bullets with special functions, Richard¡¯s message also included a few ¡¯pending¡¯ options. Richard explained, "Those are areas where I¡¯m also unsure what to arrange; I left them open for Anna¡¯s suggestions. You¡¯ve had more contact with Alchemy Wizards in the Golden Gear Society than I, Anna. Do you have any suggestions regarding Magic Equipment? The enemies I¡¯ll face are a kind of Gestalt Creature." "Gestalt Creatures..." Anna pondered for a moment before slowly speaking, "Then I suggest you use the Spirit Hammer and the Demon-breaking Short Sword. These two items perform exceptionally well on Armed Slaves. The Spirit Hammer can disrupt the psychic connection between Gestalt Creatures, and the Demon-breaking Short Sword is a versatile weapon suited for any type of enemy. Additionally, I suggest you incorporate your Mountain Rune into the Spirit Hammer¡¯s Rune Array." "This should enhance the power of the Spirit Hammer." Richard had no objections to Anna¡¯s suggestion, and the two quickly began discussing the details of the weapon. Anna was very interested in the Annihilation Gun. The design of the Annihilation Bomb was in keeping with Richard¡¯s design style, replacing reusability with ultimate cost-effectiveness. The various special bullets proposed by Richard also gave Anna a sense of deja vu. She felt that the weapon named the Annihilation Gun by Richard was essentially an alien magic wand, and those special bullets were ready-made spells. Richard was turning alien slaves into wizards with magic equipment. "I¡¯ll discuss the design of these bullets with my seniors in the society. It won¡¯t take long to give you an answer. But I have something on hand that might be useful to you." As she spoke, Anna took out a magic pocket from a drawer next to her. "This is a micro-capacity magic pocket that I found by chance. It has the same properties as a magic pocket, but its capacity is exceptionally small, and the production cost has been greatly reduced accordingly. I had originally dismissed this item as scrap. But your bullets made me see some potential for application. These micro-capacity pockets could be viable as bullet pouches. What do you think?" Richard¡¯s face showed surprise; he hadn¡¯t expected Anna to have such a treasure. "I think it¡¯s feasible too." Anna nodded slightly, "Alright then, I¡¯ll let you know when there¡¯s news from my side." The communication ended, and Richard immediately headed to the laboratory. The defensive secondary gun he had obtained in the Star Realm Fortress was now disassembled into several key components on the test bench. Among the Pioneer relics Richard had acquired, apart from the land-based floating mother ship, this secondary gun had the highest research value. The Pioneers¡¯ application of energy was nothing short of miraculous, and this secondary gun was a manifestation of that ability. Through multiple resonance components, energy would form a structure similar to a magic model in the barrel of the secondary gun. The process was incredibly complex, but also exquisitely delicate. If he could figure it out, Richard felt he wouldn¡¯t have a problem posing as a Master at the Shape-shifting School. Moreover, if he could understand it, even small floating cities, let alone a Floating City, could be equipped with this type of weapon. As a defense weapon of the Pioneer civilization, its effect in the Star Realm was absolutely beyond doubt. As time went by, in just two short months, Jolod finalized the transformation process. It was impossible for the transformation surgery to not affect lifespan at all, but Jolod had done everything possible to minimize the harm of the transformation. The transformation surgery was tentatively divided into six steps: muscle strengthening, neural response enhancement, self-healing enhancement, sensory improvement, installation of internal biological metal protection, and Dragon Wings alteration. Muscle strengthening would enhance the strength and agility of the Fire Lizard, while neural response enhancement would allow the Fire Lizard to react faster and concentrate more quickly. The sensory improvement gave the Fire Lizard dynamic vision, an expanded olfactory spectrum, and a wide-ranging audible frequency reception. The internal biological protection was a type of biological metal that would protect the Fire Lizard¡¯s organs and help strengthen their bones. Finally, the Dragon Wings alteration was to help the Fire Lizard adapt to the terrain and enhance mobility. These six steps of transformation surgery caused minimal harm to the Fire Lizard, and it was estimated that their lifespan would be somewhat shorter than that of a normal Fire Lizard. But considering these Fire Lizards were heading to the battlefield, their lifespans were actually much extended. Once the transformation surgeries were set, Richard immediately rushed to Jolod¡¯s Alchemy Workshop to witness the operations firsthand. For better demonstration, the alchemists at the workshop had used a magic potion for rapid healing to speed up the Lizard¡¯s transformation process. In half a month, all six surgeries were completed. The process went smoothly, with each participating alchemist being an old wizard engrossed in studies of Synthetic Beasts. The surgical skills were effortlessly applied with finesse, achieving both effective outcomes and aesthetic quality. After the surgeries, the Fire Lizard underwent a series of tests under the witness of many wizards. A Second Level Fire Lizard, after muscle strengthening, achieved significant improvements in speed and agility, so much so that this battle-hardened veteran needed to adjust to its new body to complete the tests. And the enhanced neural response coupled with dynamic vision allowed it to effortlessly pluck the wings from a flying mosquito without harming the insect itself. The internal biological metal protection could allow the Fire Lizard to withstand a magic spell with nearly one thousand units of penetration, while the enhanced self-healing allowed it to stop blood and stabilize injuries in time in case of significant wounds like limb amputations or organ damage. With the aid of a magic potion, it could even feign death to extend its lifespan. After the testing, the transformed Fire Lizard commented on its current state. "I feel like I could beat three of my former selves now." With the surgery effects confirmed, the transformation proceeded rapidly. The price for transforming a Fire Lizard was five hundred units of Magic Essence, which was already a discount considering Jolod¡¯s involvement and Richard¡¯s bulk business. For a single Fire Lizard transformation, the price would have been nearly seven hundred units of Magic Essence. And at that moment, Anna¡¯s message came just in time. She had confirmed various bullets and the designs for two types of weapons. Richard exchanged the Mountain Rune and a processing order to acquire all the designs for these weapons. Additionally, the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce had completed the materials purchase. Mountains of raw materials were transported into Richard¡¯s Secret Realm, where Fire Lizard craftsmen turned them into individual Single Soldier Armors. Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion. A year later, an owl carrying a notice from the Military Department arrived at Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower. "Officer Richard, please report to the Four Rings Tower of Truth within a month. The war has begun, and I hope you¡¯re prepared." Chapter 455 - 74 Rushing to the Battlefield Chapter 455: Chapter 74 Rushing to the BattlefieldRichard stowed the notification carefully and released the messenger owl into the sky. "Is the war finally going to begin?" He sighed softly and casually opened the Secret Realm Rift. Inside the Secret Realm, the modified Fire Lizard Warriors were conducting recovery training at the Martial Arts Arena. Their suddenly enhanced bodies, although drastically boosting their theoretical combat strength, would be of uncertain practical use if they couldn¡¯t control their bodies precisely. In the Alchemy Workshop, the Fire Lizard Craftsmen were working overtime to upgrade the Single Soldier Armor. Even so, a year¡¯s time was still a bit too short. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Up to now, only one hundred sets of armor had been upgraded completely. As for the rest, it seemed they would have to be upgraded slowly on the battlefield. Richard entered the Martial Arts Arena, and the Fire Lizard Warriors, sensing Richard¡¯s arrival, ceased their training one after another. They gathered around Richard, a thousand dragon eyes flashing with fervent golden light. Richard slowly began, "The war is about to start, don¡¯t train too intensely during this time." Hearing this news, the Fire Lizards instantly erupted in excitement. Contrary to what Richard had imagined, the Fire Lizards did not have an aversion to war. Whether it was the veterans who had experienced the Green Forest World or the new recruits, their reaction to war was strikingly similar. Zeal, these Fire Lizards were extremely fervent about war. This reaction made Richard subtly feel that something was off. "How do you feel?" Ulysses¡¯s voice suddenly rang in Richard¡¯s ear; he turned his head slightly and saw Ulysses flying into the Martial Arts Arena from outside. "Did you preach to them?" Richard immediately connected the unusual reaction to fanatics. Ulysses didn¡¯t refute, but added, "I didn¡¯t preach to them, I just gave them some guidance. They established something similar to a secret society on their own." "A secret society?" Richard glanced at the excited crowd of Fire Lizards, then turned his head back. "There¡¯s no such effect from a secret society." The essence of a Wizard¡¯s secret society is a social convention as well as a particular method of trading. But the reaction of the Fire Lizards at this moment seemed more like that of human secret societies. Such societies often have a specific goal, and their members work towards that goal. Yet even for mortal secret societies, this kind of fervor was a bit too much. "I never said it was the secret society that did it," Ulysses replied with a sly smile, "Their zeal for war is a kind of atavistic phenomenon. You should still remember that Giant Dragons are the Supreme¡¯s biological weapons, right?" "But the Dragon Blood in these Fire Lizards has been suppressed... No, you mean!" Richard¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. The Dragon Blood in these Fire Lizards had indeed been suppressed, but there were two Giant Dragons in his Secret Realm. The offspring of the Six-headed Dragon King, Hog, along with the Snake King, which held unique heritage. These two together could not be ruled out from stirring up something. "Right, just what you¡¯re thinking," said Ulysses, somewhat smugly, "Hog and the Snake King cooperated to re-administer the blood to these Fire Lizards. Now although their Dragon Blood remains suppressed, the Dragon Blood they have awakened has been enhanced. And as biological weapons, the Giant Dragons are destined not to fear war. So after enhancing the Dragon Blood, that¡¯s why the Fire Lizards have become what they are now." Richard turned to look at the self-satisfied crow. "Did you arrange this?" "Hehe, it was a mutual idea between me and the Snake King." Richard nodded slightly, pleased, "It¡¯s rare that you help me to bolster strength aside from sleeping." As he spoke, he took a tightly sealed bottle out of his pocket and threw it to Ulysses. "What is this, sealed so tight?" Ulysses caught the bottle and curiously broke the seal. As soon as the bottle was opened, a wave of soul-level "fragrance" immediately made Ulysses¡¯s eyes widen. "Soul Essence!" Richard laughed, "I originally planned to give you this after the war was over. But I¡¯m in a good mood now, so let¡¯s give it in advance." Soul Essence was undoubtedly the best medicine to recover soul injuries for Ulysses. Even though Ulysses¡¯s soul injuries were healing bit by bit on their own, consuming a large amount of Soul Essence would still accelerate the recovery. If he ingested this Soul Essence, Ulysses could very well recover to the level of the World Master. "Ah, isn¡¯t giving me this now a bad thing?" Ulysses feigned difficulty. "If I swig this thing, I will surely fall into a deep sleep. Then I won¡¯t be of any help in the upcoming war." Richard glanced at him, pretending to be serious, "You remind me, give it back to me now." "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, I¡¯ll just eat less of it," Ulysses surrendered. However, after the joke, he immediately became serious, "You must carefully consider my injury. My slumber is inevitable, and you must be prepared for it early." Richard nodded solemnly. "I know." After leaving the Secret Realm, Richard sent news of his joining the war to a few people close to him via the Communication Crystal Ball. Then he tidied up the laboratory, neatly placing various equipment and activating all the Magic Arrays. He feared that this departure would mean a long time before he could return. At last, he walked out of the Wizard Tower¡¯s great door and added a layer of Sealing to it. In the air, Richard took one last look at the Wizard Tower, which was about to disappear from view, and sighed softly, "Ah, I hope I can come back." ... The wizards of the Tower of Truth had recently sensed something amiss. A pressing sense of impending doom had begun to envelop them, seemingly from nowhere. Even though the Military Department had banned the spread of news, many astute individuals had picked up on inklings from changes in the marketplace. The first to notice were employees of the Wizard Commerce. As sellers, they naturally noticed market changes before buyers did. The price of Fire Element Gems continued to fall in the market. The quality of inferior Fire Element Gems used for fuel was improving. Furthermore, prices for alchemy materials had fallen and had not rebounded for a long time. This situation alerted many experienced wizards. That¡¯s because the prices of alchemy materials were controlled by the Truth Council¡¯s macro-management. Previous price fluctuations had always quickly stabilized. But this time, the prices of these materials were steadily declining at an incredibly slow pace. It was almost as if overnight, all the Great Wizards had ramped up their efforts to exploit every resource within their worlds. The abnormal market phenomena fueled wild speculation amongst wizards, and guesses spread rapidly like a plague through pubs, gatherings, societies, and clubs. Many optimistically estimated that the golden age for wizards was beginning. But very few guessed that the Wizard World was on the brink of a great war. Because according to common sense, if a war were imminent, the prices for alchemy materials should be rising. But only a few wizards who were very familiar with the resource development of the Wizard World knew that the commodity prices in the Wizard World were artificially propped up. If the Great Wizards were to fully utilize their resources, the unit price for many alchemy materials would switch from Magic Essence to Magic Stone. Recently, however, speculations about a major conflict began to emerge amidst the rumors. This was because many well-known Three Rings Wizards had disappeared. These masters were successful wizards who had joined the Military Department. According to those who cared to keep count, almost all wizards who had recently joined the Military Department had been conscripted. This sign made the wizards of the Tower of Truth feel some panic. What kind of war would necessitate the Military Department to mobilize so many elite wizards? ... Changes were apparent in the expedition layer of the Tower of Truth when compared to before. A host of enormous Teleportation Gates, resembling tombstones, were erected on the cold, steel plains of the working layer. Giant cargo Flying Airships were tirelessly transporting materials through the Teleportation Gates into the Hub World. From there, they were relayed to the Galaxy Worlds where war was raging. Among these airships, there was one that looked a bit special. "The current situation is as such, everyone please brace yourselves mentally." Inside the airship, Richard was sitting in the corner of the room, quietly reviewing the documents at hand. Not far from him, a wizard from the Military Department was explaining the information in the documents through various projections. "So you¡¯re saying that we are at a comprehensive disadvantage, right?" A wizard, who was covered in black Flames, suddenly spoke up. "You could understand it that way," the instructor nodded. "A comprehensive disadvantage, I¡¯ve never seen such a thing before," a wizard, who looked much like a stone man, continued the conversation. "These Galaxy Mayflies are deploying troops directly into the worlds from the Star Realm, and we have no means of retaliation except for defense." The voice of the stone man wizard was filled with rage. When had wizards ever been so suppressed by another creature¡ªlet alone a suppression that couldn¡¯t be countered? But behind this anger, Richard detected a hint of powerless rage stemming from shattered illusions. The wizard couldn¡¯t accept that in this war, wizards were at an overall disadvantage. His resolve was faltering. The wizards in the room were surprisingly quiet about the stone man wizard¡¯s outburst. The news of the war had indeed hit them hard¡ªeveryone except Richard. "Fellow wizards, there¡¯s no need to panic like this. This is just a temporary disadvantage due to differences in warfare habits between civilizations." Richard stood up silently with the documents and walked out from the corner. Among these Three Rings Wizards, Richard was the most knowledgeable about civilizational warfare. After all, he had a witness of such wars right on his shoulder. The wizards in the room were the elite of the Three Rings Wizards, and a significant number of them would become Great Wizards in the future. And now, all of them turned their gaze toward Richard. Just like stars surrounding the moon. Chapter 456 - 1 Pre-War Meeting Chapter 456: Chapter 1 Pre-War MeetingRichard, the recent prominent figure in the Wizard World. Although the news of the small Floating City hasn¡¯t been announced publicly, for the wizards in the room, it was hardly a secret. And as the only wizard on the creators¡¯ list who wasn¡¯t a Great Wizard, Richard¡¯s name naturally left a deep impression on them. Richard stood in the center of the room, facing the gazes from all directions, unphased by the attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, do not be blinded by a temporary disadvantage. Those Mayflies have taken control of the Star Realm¡¯s airspace, simply because that is how they have conquered other worlds in past wars. It¡¯s just like how we are accustomed to using Floating Cities for conquest. While we are currently surprised by the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ control of the airspace, believe it or not, those Mayflies are also wondering, why this group of wizards seems endless and keeps popping up relentlessly." Richard¡¯s humorous tone made the wizards in attendance chuckle. The tense and despondent atmosphere in the room lessened significantly at that moment. The wizards were smart; they could naturally discern whether Richard¡¯s words were just comforting platitudes. Seeing that the mood had returned to normal, Richard immediately seized the opportunity to drop a bombshell. "Ladies and gentlemen, you may not be aware. Our prototype of the small Floating City has already been designed and tested a year ago. Even the slowest wizards from the Tesla Chamber of Commerce should have completed the testing of the small Floating City by now. With the small Floating City, we¡¯ll no longer be helpless against the Galaxy Mayflies in the Star Realm. As long as we hold firm, the victory in this war will undoubtedly be ours!" Richard¡¯s tone was decisive, and the confidence contained in his words instantly infected the wizards in the room. The negative atmosphere that lingered was immediately swept away. And behind Richard, an instructor sent by the Military Department flashed a look of astonishment. Being assigned to provide information to these students of Great Wizards and outstanding lone wizards, he was certainly no ordinary individual. William Rive, a rising star among the Three Rings officers in the Military Department. Over the past millennium, he had achieved extraordinary feats in wars initiated by the Military Department, earning so many medals it was almost enough to wear as clothing. His purpose here, besides briefing these Three Rings wizards who were about to head to battle, was to manage their morale. A warrior without fighting spirit, even if sent to the battlefield, would only cause more trouble. William had prepared two notebooks full of plans for this task. He meticulously analyzed the backgrounds of various wizards, identified those most likely to lose their fighting spirit, and prepared a unique set of "conversations" for each of them. He even considered using Soul Witchcraft for Mind Control to aid in achieving his objectives. But now, his notebooks were useless. With just a few words, Richard had made the wizards present accept reality and fill them with hope for the future. It was almost like magic. However, his astonishment had only just begun. Because after boosting their morale, Richard turned around and began discussing the information he had just explained. The material, which he had already explained once, was redefined by Richard. During this explanation, Richard added many new insights, which seemed to be his personal interpretations. Honestly, William had never felt such a cold sweat before. Because Richard¡¯s understanding of the information far surpassed his own. Richard¡¯s deductions about the battlefield captivated every wizard present. Even William could only add some minor details about the battlefield. Moreover, Richard was not overbearing. Throughout his deductions, he continually encouraged the wizards present to express their opinions. The perspective of one person is limited, but when a hundred people look at something together, their vision becomes extensive. Under Richard¡¯s guidance, the entire pre-war meeting seemed to turn into a headquarters for the Plane War. The battle-hardened wizards, based on their own experiences, continuously strategized various campaigns. In their discussions, the situation of the war became clear, and their morale soared. Throughout the entire process, everything was recorded by William. As a new star in the Military Department, his best skill was learning. In his eyes, Richard¡¯s behavior was exemplary. Using reasonable assumptions to dispel the negative thoughts of the Three Rings wizards, then drawing on a familiar war headquarters model to involve the wizards in the deductions. He was essentially making his own pie in the sky. And all these operations didn¡¯t need any Soul Witchcraft. This meant that even when facing those Soul Wizards who were extremely sensitive to soul and mental perceptions, this method could still be used. "This technique is truly marvelous." William excitedly closed his notebook; Richard¡¯s methods had been an eye-opener for him. In the records, Richard had only been promoted to a Three Rings Wizard for a short time, but his performance was stronger than that of older wizards present. Could there really be such a genius in this world? ... "Finally, it¡¯s all explained." After the discussion ended, Richard returned to his seat. Although he appeared composed, he actually heaved a sigh of relief. He had nearly slipped up. "Wow, you¡¯re quite the speaker." Ulysses¡¯ voice suddenly sounded in Richard¡¯s ear. Just moments ago, they had performed a masterful act under the watchful eyes of numerous wizards. Richard¡¯s first two sentences had indeed reflected his own thoughts and considerations. However, the battle simulations that followed were Ulysses¡¯ contributions. Richard had only fought in three Plane Wars, and no matter how clever he was, he couldn¡¯t possibly have come up with simulations that would astonish William. All of this was just Ulysses, a World Master who had fought in civilization wars, analyzing from behind the scenes. Towards the end of the simulation, Ulysses¡¯ analysis revealed some flaws. Realizing this, Richard quickly thought on his feet and started to encourage other wizards to join in the simulation. This maneuver almost perfectly covered up his lapse. No wizard present could see Richard¡¯s panic. In their eyes, this was a perfect pre-war meeting. They were not only aware of the enemy¡¯s information but were also filled with fighting spirit. Little did they know that this was the result of a fortunate mistake. Soon, the airship landed, and the wizards arrived in the Hub World. The Hub World had now become a large-scale military factory. Massive amounts of resources were transported here by flying airships, then processed and sent to the front lines. Millions of Alchemy Wizards worked tirelessly like drones in the massive Alchemy Workshops. Upon entering this world, Richard and his companions were allocated their respective resources. Each White Wizard was assigned a ten-thousand-member regiment of White Wizards, while each Black Wizard was allocated a hundred-member squadron of Black Wizards. In this war, the role of Black Wizards had become rather limited. The real power base of the Galaxy Mayfly was beyond this world, and many of the Black Wizards¡¯ old methods were ineffective in this war. Their current role was reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and behind-the-lines sabotage, essentially acting as special forces. Civilization wars differed from Plane Wars, necessitating a shift from the wizards¡¯ traditional ways of warfare to adapt to the new battle environment. The Military Department, as a direct affiliate of the Truth Council, was where changes would naturally start. Only when the Military Department confirmed that the tactics were appropriate would the new methodology be passed on to the various Wizard Academies. "Master Richard, this is your team. Alchemy equipment and magic potions will be delivered shortly. Here is the list." A logistics wizard respectfully handed over a leather scroll. Richard took it and read it carefully before frowning. "How come it¡¯s all just trinkets? Aren¡¯t Black Wizards issued any vehicles?" The list contained numerous items, but mostly magic potions and magic scrolls. There were only a few pieces of alchemy weapons, and completely lacking were any vehicles. This was a far cry from the equipment issued to the neighboring White Wizards. The logistics wizard bowed slightly, "I apologize, Master. I am merely a functionary; I do not decide the allocation of equipment. If you have any complaints, you may report it to a higher-ranking wizard." Richard waved his hand, responding, "Alright, I will raise the issue. Please make sure the items are delivered." "It¡¯s all part of the job, no trouble at all." As the logistics wizard left, Richard stared at the list filled with magic potions, feeling numb. "If you change the battle tactics, change the equipment too. This gear is the same old stuff the Black Wizards used before." He turned to look at the Black Wizard squadron beside him. Each member of this small squadron was of the Second Level, and many of the wizards showed signs of life decay. Unlike mortal armies, where decaying life force indicated impending death, among wizards, those closest to their life¡¯s end often possessed the strongest combat abilities. Physique evolution was still a minor path among wizards; most pursued the path of spiritual evolution. This path meant physical decay did not hinder their combat capabilities. Moreover, their substantial experience and accumulated knowledge made them even more formidable than average wizards. "The squad¡¯s quite impressive, but giving them such gear, aren¡¯t we just sending them to get slaughtered?" "How can a master who has never seen a battlefield be so sure these equipments are insufficient?" Suddenly, an old wizard with a decaying aura stepped forward. Richard glanced at his chest, where beside the golden pentagram symbolizing the Truth Council, several military medals were displayed. This was clearly a profoundly experienced wizard. The old wizard spoke evenly, but everyone present could detect a hint of defiance in his voice. These equipments were continually improved by the Military Department through wars; each piece was backed by wizards¡¯ blood. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard did not answer his question but asked, "What is your name?" "My name is Vlad Raffati." Richard nodded, his gaze suddenly sharpening. In the next instant, a fierce aura swept across the entire squad. "Then I¡¯ll just call you Vlad. Vlad, we¡¯re not in a discussion right now, and it¡¯s not the time for freedom of speech. Does the Military Department allow subordinates to question the decisions of their superiors so casually?" Chapter 457 - 2 Establishing Authority Chapter 457: Chapter 2 Establishing AuthorityThe military is a place where the hierarchical distinction between superiors and subordinates is crystal clear. As a subordinate, questioning the judgement of a superior is undoubtedly a challenge to their authority. The wizards of the Military Department couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of this. Yet, the old wizard still issued his challenge. This represented an attitude¡ªhe did not believe in Richard¡¯s abilities. He wanted to seize power! Therefore, Richard needed to demonstrate sufficient ability to subdue these wizards and thereby establish his own authority as a superior. Otherwise, his power might very well become usurped by the old wizards in the team and thus become a mere figurehead. ... Under this oppressive intimidation, the colors drained from the faces of the wizards in the team. Although Richard had not been promoted for as many years as the ordinary wizard, his power on paper was no worse than those veteran Three Rings Wizards. Coupled with the pressure imposed by Ulysses on his shoulders, the squad¡¯s wizards felt as though they were facing a World Master. "Answer me, Vlad." Richard¡¯s low shout made Vlad¡¯s body tremble. As the ringleader, Richard¡¯s pressure bore down upon him first. Even though Vlad¡¯s power had reached the limit of the Second Ring, he still trembled uncontrollably under this pressure. There was no helping it, the gap in their power was simply too great. He said shakily, "No, according to the first rule of the combat code, a battle wizard must never question the decisions of a superior." "Good." Richard nodded slightly, but the pressure emanating from him did not dissipate; instead, it grew even more intense. "Then, what does the code stipulate as the punishment for wizards who break this rule?" At the mention of punishment, Vlad¡¯s face turned deathly pale. According to the regulations, a superior wizard had the right to execute any subordinate wizard who questioned his decisions on the spot. Of course, this was restricted to the battlefield. Since they were still in the rear, the punishment he was about to face was whipping. The Military Judge would use a specially made Disciplinary Whip to lash his soul. And the direct pain inflicted on the soul would deter any wizard who had suffered it from ever recalling the experience. "Sir, for those who violate the regulations, whipping is the prescribed punishment." The old wizard¡¯s voice was dry, and he now somewhat regretted being the instigator. He possessed a Secret Technique that could detect a wizard¡¯s age. He had just clearly sensed that this wizard was only a little over a thousand years old and casually thought to contend for power. In his view, Richard might have been a wizard who was promoted to the Three Rings recently due to good fortune within the Military Department. After all, the Military Department was currently reinforcing their presence in the Galaxy World, and many other military officers who had been promoted internally had arrived at the same time as Richard and these other new recruits. But to his misfortune, he had encountered Richard, an outsider and a formidable opponent. "Whipping, a fine thing indeed." Richard smiled, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Where is the Military Judge? Don¡¯t tell me this unit doesn¡¯t have one." Shortly after, an old wizard stepped out from among the wizards and came to stand beside Richard. This old wizard wore an iron mask, and a large part of his body had been transformed into an Alchemy Machine. "Sir, I am the Military Judge." Richard spoke softly, "Vlad has violated the first rule of the combat code, and I sentence him to whipping. There should be no problem with that, right?" The Military Judge nodded slightly, "Quite appropriate." "Then let¡¯s proceed." "Yes." The Military Judge took a leather whip out of his pocket, which seemed to have been soaked in blood, emanating an ominous dark red color. And at the sight of this whip, some wizards in the team even collapsed to the ground, their legs turning to jelly. "Vlad, for violating the first rule of the combat code, you are sentenced to whipping. I am Military Judge Merrill, here to carry out the sentence." Self-proclaimed Merrill, the Military Judge, spoke with a voice that seemed like steel hardened by winter ice, unyielding and leaving no room for rebuttal. Vlad shed his Wizard Robe, wishing he could curl up into a ball. According to the execution code for whipping, a wizard should not make this gesture. But just as Merrill was about to correct Vlad¡¯s posture, Richard suddenly spoke. "Leave it like that, I am a merciful man." Merrill, upon hearing this, said nothing and immediately swung the whip in his hand, delivering a lash onto Vlad. Crack! The sound of the whip rang out sharply as the Soul Whip struck Vlad¡¯s back with force. In the next moment, a stifled groan was heard. Vlad¡¯s body turned red like a shrimp thrown into a boiling pot. His body, already curled up, now tightened even further into a ball. The surrounding wizards watched this scene and involuntarily shivered. Wizards¡¯ tolerance for pain was absolutely extraordinary compared to common creatures. After all, many physical transformations required an extremely painful process and recovery period. And Vlad, being an old wizard, even more so exceeded the pain tolerance of ordinary wizards. But even so, under the Disciplinary Whip, he still curled up in pain, resembling a shrimp. Richard silently watched this spectacle, until Vlad recovered from the pain. He then said, "Rejoin the ranks, Vlad. If you pull such a stupid stunt again, it won¡¯t just be a whipping you receive." Vlad draped the Wizard Robe back over himself and shakily returned to the ranks. With that, Richard¡¯s display of authority was complete. Through Vlad, Richard had successfully established the commanding presence of an officer. After establishing his authority, Richard revisited Vlad¡¯s doubts. "Vlad¡¯s concerns are likely shared by all of you, so let me explain briefly." Saying so, Richard took out the list again. "Without a doubt, the items on this list were very useful in the past Plane Wars. Shadow Potion, Quick Recovery Potion, Meditation Potion, Transformation Potion..." Richard read a long list from the sheet, then smiled at the troops and said, "Honestly, I have never seen such abundant supplies..." "But the things on this list are no longer as suitable for the battlefield we will encounter. Our main task will be to scout enemy intelligence, and even if we do engage in battle, escape will be our priority. So, instead of preparing so many Magic Potions for combat, it would be better to prepare a batch of Magic Equipment for swift movement." Richard¡¯s explanation put the squad of Wizards into a contemplative silence; if their main task was going to be scouting, then indeed there was a big problem with their usual supplies. "But now, it¡¯s obviously impossible to arrange vehicles for us on such short notice." Richard sighed slightly, "Fortunately, I¡¯ve made some preparations in advance. You all might have a tough time ahead." Speaking, Richard casually opened the Secret Realm Rift and entered the Secret Realm. Soon after, a host of Dragon Beasts was led out by Fire Lizard Warriors. The cultivation of the Dragon Beasts was conducted alongside the Transformation Surgery on the Fire Lizards, but raising the Dragon Beasts was much faster than the surgeries. No other reason, the surgeries required data collection for each Fire Lizard and then cultivation of organ glands, whereas with the Dragon Beasts, Jolod got hold of the complete production process, followed by a limitless supply of the semi-Elemental active Flesh from the Red Sun World. Cultivating hundreds of Dragon Beasts was child¡¯s play for the Alchemy Workshop. Even the Alchemy Workshop that made the Dragon Beasts was so impressed with the performance of the semi-Elemental active Flesh that they were willing to accept it as payment for their work. "These are the Dragon Beasts that I had cultivated. I will write a booklet later on how to control them. Until we get the new vehicles, these Dragon Beasts will be your transport." Faced with the majestic Dragon Beasts, the squad of Wizards was stunned. The vibrant Life Radiation from the Dragon Beasts signified their incredibly high Physique, and their robust build indicated an extraordinary strength. Such Synthetic Beasts, even in the Military Department, would be considered as fine works. But their new commanding officer easily led out a hundred of them for their temporary use. "Good heavens, which Great Wizard¡¯s student is this, to have such a rich background," a Wizard whispered in awe. The younger Wizards admired the Dragon Beasts, whereas the older, experienced Wizards, after a glance at the Dragon Beasts, shifted their focus to the Fire Lizard Warriors leading them. They felt a lethal threat from what seemed like ordinary Alien Slaves. Just what had this Three Rings Wizard raised inside the Secret Realm Fragments? An army? To manage certain emergencies, tumors had been implanted in the brains of these Dragon Beasts to ensure that they could be ridden by other Fire Lizards, or even other creatures. After each Wizard received a Dragon Beast, the logistic Wizards arrived with supply equipment. A large number of Magic Potion Equipment was distributed, and those Wizards who received it, adeptly positioned their gear in the most convenient spots. On the other hand, Richard looked at the supplies before him with a headache, unsure of how to distribute them. After distributing the supplies, the logistic Wizards were about to leave, but Richard quickly stopped them. "Master, please wait a moment." Richard flashed beside the logistic Wizard and asked amiably, "Master, do we have any Synthetic Beast Pockets left over? If so, I would appreciate your guidance in obtaining some." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Synthetic Beast Pockets... we do have a batch in the warehouse," the logistic Wizard thought for a while and respectfully replied, "If the Master needs them, you can contact the logistics department through your Crystal Ball and request a batch." "I see. Sorry to have delayed you, Master." Upon hearing this, Richard immediately took the recently issued Crystal Ball out of his pocket and found the contact information for the logistics department. As soon as the connection was made, an extremely fast voice came from the Crystal Ball. "Agent Richard, please state your requirements quickly." "I need a hundred Synthetic Beast Pockets and, if possible, a hundred high-speed vehicles." "Request received. We will allocate resources based on current inventory; please do not reapply within three days." With that, the communication was abruptly terminated. "Jeez, it seems the logistics folks are quite busy," Richard muttered to himself. Ten minutes later, he received a message on his Crystal Ball. His application for the Synthetic Beast Pockets had been approved, while the request for vehicles was rejected due to insufficient stock. Richard had anticipated this situation. A place as generous as the Military Department wouldn¡¯t leave excess Magic Equipment to collect dust in the warehouse. Since they were not listed in their distribution order, it meant that the Military Department simply didn¡¯t have these items in stock. Even if he applied, they would have to wait for production. Soon after, the logistic Wizard delivered the Synthetic Beast Pockets, accompanied by a batch of Fake Death Potions for use on the Synthetic Beasts. After distributing these items, they began to rest and reorganize on the spot. There were three Teleportation Gates leading into the Galaxy World, and if nothing went wrong, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they received notice to join the war. Chapter 458 - 3: Behind the Pot of Porridge Chapter 458: Chapter 3: Behind the Pot of Porridge"Officer Richard, please lead your team and report to Airship Station 124 within six hours." "Officer Richard, please lead your team and report to Airship Station 124 within six hours." The voice from the Communication Crystal Ball instantly made Richard open his eyes. After two days of rest, they were finally about to enter the battlefield. "All attention, we will be boarding at Airship Station 124. Everyone, move out immediately." The command from the Crystal Ball was not just for Richard alone. Before Richard could finish his speech, the squad¡¯s wizards had already entered combat mode, adopting a formation that seemed to incorporate some tactics from the White Wizards. "Do you also know military formations?" Richard asked curiously. "We had some last-minute training before deployment," one wizard briefly replied. Richard nodded slightly, "That¡¯s good. All attention, target Airship Station 124, full speed ahead." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With that, Richard transformed into a stream of light and flew toward the distant massive teleportation gate. Three hours later, the squad arrived at Airship Station 124. Airship Station 124 was a military-specific site, housing only War Airships. Compared to the War Airships Richard had seen before, the ones from the Military Department were considerably larger. "Nice piece of machinery," Richard remarked as he looked at the War Airships. Upon landing at the airship station, logistics wizards soon approached Richard. After confirming Richard¡¯s identity, the logistics wizard searched the Crystal Ball for a while before finding the War Airship that Richard was supposed to board. This gave Richard an uneasy premonition. "I¡¯m really sorry," the logistics wizard said apologetically, "The orders from above keep changing, and we sometimes receive the news too late, which leads to errors. A few days ago, due to a loss of information, we mistakenly assigned a team of wizards an airship that was due for maintenance. Fortunately, the airship had issues in time, and a major mishap was avoided. So, we need to double-check this information several times, please bear with us." Richard frowned slightly but said nothing. Following the logistics wizard¡¯s directions, they found the War Airship they were about to use. Inside the airship, a squad of Black Wizards had already occupied half of the cabin. Richard glanced around and noted they were the sixth Black Wizard squad to arrive. This airship, unless something went wrong, should be able to carry a thousand Black Wizards, which was no different from the usual War Airships. Upon boarding the airship, Richard was surprised to see a familiar face. "Master Delis, long time no see." Hearing Richard¡¯s voice, Delis, who was meditating inside the cabin, abruptly opened his eyes. "Master Richard, we just met a few days ago." Delis stood up, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Even though I didn¡¯t speak much at the pre-war conference, you shouldn¡¯t have forgotten me." Richard was taken aback and then smacked his forehead, apologizing, "Look at my memory, I deserve a smack." The squad entered the cabin, and Richard designated an area for his team before quietly discussing the war with Delis. "I¡¯ve never seen such dreadful command," Delis said bluntly. "I¡¯ve been involved in over thirty Plane Wars, and never has any been as disastrous as this one." Hearing Delis¡¯s harsh criticism, Richard quickly asked, "Master, what have you discovered?" Delis pulled a Magic Pocket from his waist and pointed at it, "I don¡¯t understand what sort of reform they¡¯re attempting. They¡¯re issuing us this old gear yet expecting us to fight using new tactics; it¡¯s utterly foolish. And every supply request I¡¯ve made has been met with ¡¯insufficient stock.¡¯ Even in a regular Plane War, I wouldn¡¯t face such issues." Delis was clearly furious, seeing this sort of material distribution as utterly negligent. "And then there¡¯s the terrible command. I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯ve received the same message three times before this one. Yet, the specified airship stations were all different. I just don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s so hard about organizing airship assignments? Are there only idiots sitting in the command room at the Military Department?" Delis grew more irate as he spoke. This time he was headed to the battlefield of the War of Civilizations, yet his logistics command team was so incompetent. How were they supposed to fight! Listening to Delis¡¯s grievances, Richard too was baffled. The Military Department shouldn¡¯t be so incompetent. With all the wars conducted by the Military Department throughout the years, the command staff, no matter how inept, should have some sense ingrained in their bones from centuries of battles. How could such a significant error occur? ... At the center of the Hub World, a newly built towering edifice was continuously emitting subtle energy waves. This was the Logistics Command Center, which decided the distribution of supplies not only for the Hub World but also for the Galaxy World, along with the coordination of reinforcement troops. "The Third War Zone¡¯s request for reinforcements¡ªthey need ten thousand-man battalions and four hundred hundred-man battalions for reinforcement. Additionally, they require three hundred thousand units of Magic Essence, three thousand five hundred tons of alchemy materials, and over a million bottles of various Potions." In the main command room, a crystal-bodied wizard quietly listened to the subordinate¡¯s report. Around him, more than a dozen Wizards were lining up to report. After the subordinate finished reporting, the Crystal Wizard¡¯s body emitted a faint glow, countless Runes flowing in the flashing light. Soon, he spoke, "No, he can have at most fifty ten-thousand-man brigades and three hundred hundred-man brigades as reinforcements. For supplies, deliver the alchemy materials first, and transport the excess stocks of Magic Potions. Priority for subsequent supplies should be given to the Third War Zone. Tell Twilight to make his decisions carefully. In the last two months, nearly five hundred thousand Wizards have perished in the Third War Zone; if this continues, we might need to draw Wizards from the Wizard Academy!" After the Crystal Wizard finished speaking, the reporting Wizard said, "Lord Tianjing, if we only give limited resources to the Third War Zone, then the First Battle Zone..." "Delay their priority. They have already been first priority for a month, it¡¯s time to rotate." "Yes, my Lord." "Additionally, I have an order here; make the Magic Potion Factory and Weapon Factory urgently adjust their production plans." As he spoke, the Crystal Wizard called Tianjing abruptly snapped off his own pinky finger and handed it to the reporting Wizard. The next Wizard immediately stepped forward to report the next matter. The reporting Wizard left the command room and hurriedly took out a Crystal Ball. He first notified the Wizard Department about the personnel deployment and then contacted the logistics department to arrange the distribution of various resources. Then, he took out the small finger, received the information inside, and conveyed the message to the heads of the Magic Potion Department and the Weapon Department. Upon receiving the message, the head of the Magic Potion Department started frantically notifying various Magic Potion Factories to adjust their production plans. "Factory Number One, you need to increase production of Life Potions, the daily output needs to reach fifty thousand bottles... What, the machine is broken? And there¡¯s not enough material! Where¡¯s the Alchemy Wizard? Get the Alchemy Wizard to repair it. I¡¯ll handle the materials; you must ensure the production reaches fifty thousand bottles a day!" "What!! All the Alchemy Wizards have been sent to produce Alchemy Weapons? Dammit, use my authority to pull people from the Weapon Department! Even if you have to fight for it, get the people to fix the machines!" Factory Number One, the factory manager was scratching his head in desperation looking at the broken Magic Potion machinery. The Military Department had started assembly line production of Magic Potions long ago, but due to issues of war intensity in the past, the efficiency of the Magic Potion lines had never been improved. Suddenly initiating a civilization war, though the production lines had been modified, small malfunctions occurred, particularly when producing certain dangerous Magic Potions. And this required Constant supervision by an Alchemy Wizard. But due to the intense front-line war, all available Alchemy Wizards had been reassigned to produce Alchemy Weapons in the Weapon Factory. Magic Potions could be produced on assembly lines, but the enchantments on Alchemy Weapons couldn¡¯t be done by machine. The Alchemy Weapons used by the Wizard Army had their enchantment components manually enchanted by Wizards. The reassignment of Alchemy Wizards left the Magic Potion machines without timely repairs. Although the Wizards in the factories had some knowledge of mechanical repair, the upgrades on the Magic Potion machines had changed many of the internal structures. Many issues could not be resolved without professional Alchemy Wizards. Thus, minor malfunctions accumulated into major ones, causing the Magic Potion machinery to stop production. Fortunately, there was more than one machine in the Magic Potion Factory, and they were not operating at full capacity. The supply of Magic Potions could still just barely keep up. But now with a sudden need to increase production, the broken machines had to be repaired. "Forget it, you guys follow me to get more hands," the factory manager resolved grimly, pulling out a long-unused Magic Wand from his pocket, "Without Wizards for Alchemy Weapons, we can still cast spells with wands. Without Magic Potions, Wizards¡¯ lives are at stake." "Yes!" In the Alchemy Weapons Department, millions of Wizards were distributed across hundreds of large Alchemy Workshops, tirelessly producing weapons. Nearly every Wizard was surrounded by varying numbers of Magic Potion bottles. The immense consumption at the front lines posed an unprecedented challenge for the rear Alchemy Wizards. "No, I can¡¯t spare a single Wizard here!" The Workshop Master, holding his Magic Wand, confronted the Magic Potion factory manager without any intention of backing down. Everyone had retreated from the front lines; if they really fought, none of them would back down. "You, Angel, I must take my Alchemy Wizards with me today!" Seeing Angel refuse to relent, the factory manager¡¯s wand flickered with magical light, and he suddenly appeared inside the workshop. "Alchemy Wizards from Factory Number One, in the name of the minister... Mmmph!" The factory manager had not finished speaking when the Workshop Master covered his mouth. The Magic Potion Department had its tasks, and the Weapon Department had theirs too. If they failed to complete their tasks, once the higher-ups investigated, the lower workers wouldn¡¯t have problems, but they, the managers/workshop masters, couldn¡¯t escape responsibility. At this moment, similar incidents were happening throughout the entire Hub World. Some were producing excess, others working overtime; some staff were idle, others short-handed; The civilization war required massive logistics the likes of which the Wizard World had never experienced, using an entire world as a logistics base to support another world. Everyone faced such circumstances for the first time, and numerous mistakes occurred. Amidst such chaos, War Airship No. 124 at the airship yard began to take off. Hundreds of Flying Airships, carrying hundreds of thousands of Wizards, passed through the Teleportation Gate, heading to the very front lines of the civilization war. Chapter 459 - 4 Sun Mayfly Swarm Chapter 459: Chapter 4 Sun Mayfly SwarmAfter nearly half a month of flying, the War Airship passed through the space tunnel and entered the Galaxy World. At the very moment of entering the world, wizards with keen senses vaguely felt a tremor from their souls¡ªa Great Wizard was watching them without any attempt to conceal his presence. "The presence of a Great Wizard guarding such an important place as the Teleportation Gate is to be expected," Richard murmured in his thoughts. After passing through the Teleportation Gate, the War Airship didn¡¯t directly appear in a wilderness but inside a space similar to a cavernous world. "Caverns? Just as expected." Richard glanced at the environment outside the airship and thought to himself that this was indeed the case. In the war simulations before departure, he had deduced that the wizards would surely move their Teleportation Gates underground. Without control of the skies, the Teleportation Gates were nothing but huge targets. After the airship entered the cavern, logistics wizards specifically led the way. The War Airship carrying the White Wizard directly flew out from an exit at the top of the cavern. On the other hand, the War Airship carrying the Black Wizards landed at the airship field. As for supply airships, they headed towards the other side of the cavern. Within the airship field where Richard and his companions landed, dozens of heavily damaged War Airships were being repaired. Some of these airships were severely corroded, others had been extensively melted, and some appeared as if they had been crumpled by some tremendous force. The wizards aboard the airships were no mediocrities; from the damage sustained by these airships, they could infer many things. "These mayflies..." As the airships landed, the Black Wizards stepped out. No sooner had they left than a logistics wizard beside Richard reported through a Crystal Ball: "Reinforcements have arrived, including thirty type-five War Airships and three hundred hundred-man troops on standby." Leaving the airship field, each leader of the Black Wizard squads received a simplified map of the base, as well as a strategic map of several thousand kilometers around the Teleportation Gate. According to the information on the maps, in order to resist the invasion of Galaxy Mayflies, wizards had established numerous fortresses and War Fortresses. These fortresses were interconnected like a spiderweb, enveloping the entire Galaxy World¡ªwithin it, the Galaxy Mayflies were the insects caught in the web. The only flaw was that these insects were rather ferocious. Not only could they escape the spiderweb¡¯s bonds, but they could also tear holes in it. On the strategic map, several marks of mayflies had been placed over locations that should have hosted fortresses. "The situation doesn¡¯t look too good," Richard said to himself with a sense of growing concern as he looked at the content of the map. The Black Wizards were divided into thirty squads according to the airships they had arrived upon. Led by the logistics wizards, the thirty squads of wizards were divided into six groups and entered six different tunnels. These tunnels led them through numerous halls sequentially. In these halls, teams that received their assignments would directly proceed up to the surface through passageways, while the others continued forward. By the end, only one squad of the initial thirty wizards remained. After slowly flying through the tunnel for about ten minutes, Richard¡¯s squad entered another hall. This hall was also underground but seemed to be close to the surface. Delis¡¯s brows had been furrowed from the first second of entering the Galaxy World. Upon entering the hall, the frown deepened. Several passageways connected the hall to the surface, and from the moment Richard entered the hall, faint sounds of spells booming filtered through them. Suddenly, the Black Wizards in the hall received commands from headquarters almost simultaneously. "Operator Richard, welcome to the Third War Zone. Your current task is to patrol the mayfly swarms surrounding the Fortress. The specific details of your task are as follows..." Reading the message in the Crystal Ball, a trace of relief crept into Richard¡¯s heart. Thankfully, they had prepared Dragon Beasts as mounts; otherwise, they could expect heavy casualties should they encounter the mayfly swarms. Delis, on the other hand, was not in the mood for such thoughts. After looking at the message in the Crystal Ball, he cursed out loud. "Those bunglers in logistics, not even enough Magic Equipment stock; what the hell are they doing in the workshops? Making slave collars?" Clearly, this battle-hardened old wizard had also considered the Magic Equipment shortage, but unlike Richard, Delis didn¡¯t have the luxury of Dragon Beasts. As a result, his squad, like the others, would rely solely on flying for their patrols. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing Delis¡¯s curses, the logistics wizards nearby offered a helpless consolation, "Master, don¡¯t be angry. The request for Magic Equipment was submitted long ago. But the shortfall is too great, and the rate of damage high; we can¡¯t keep up for the time being. If you patrol for a while, Master, you¡¯ll get your Magic Equipment." "Patrol for a while?" Delis snorted, "I hope I live long enough to see that day." With that, Delis found a tunnel to begin his mission. Several other Black Wizard squads also voiced curses¡ªon a battlefield, carrying out missions without proper equipment was akin to a death sentence. But the situation was as it was, and as wizards of the Military Department, they naturally couldn¡¯t desert. While Magic Equipment was useful, wizards could still conduct their searches by flying. Following the mission¡¯s directives, Richard proceeded through tunnels to the starting point for their assignment¡ªthe No. 9 War Fortress. Upon entering the fortress, Richard faintly heard the sounds of Fireball Techniques exploding. Before they could all emerge, a White Wizard rushed in, urgently shouting at them, "Hurry up and reinforce us, the mayflies are about to break through!" Outside the fortress, throngs of Galaxy Mayflies were swarming en masse towards the fortress. The mayfly swarm, like the sun itself, loomed above, showering the enchanted fortress with massive high-energy beams that fell like raindrops, leaving molten pits in their wake. On the fortress, a large number of alchemy gun towers sustained magic barriers and continuously fired orb-shaped lightning at the mayfly swarm. These orbs of lightning burst in mid-air, spreading out in all directions, with the stray bolts interweaving to create a vast net of thunder. Mayflies that touched the thunder would instantly turn to char and plummet from the sky. For a moment, the skies above the fortress rained black with burned mayflies. But on one corner of the vast net of thunder, there was a small gap¡ªon the edge of the fortress, ten gun towers lay damaged. In the first wave of the mayflies¡¯ assault, these five towers were almost instantly melted down. But the arsenal of the fortress and the attacking Galaxy Mayflies did not permit them to repair this breach. Now, led by the Fortress Commander, hundreds of wizards were using human strength to fend off the mayfly swarm. Zzzzz... A high-energy beam hit the ground and made a sizzling sound. The immense energy instantaneously burned a hole the size of a bowl into the fortress¡¯s enchanted compound bricks. The fiery red lava mixed with molten gold, forcing the wizards on the fortress to move cautiously to avoid stepping into it and being distracted, lest they were burned to char by a mayfly beam. Situated at the center of the formation, the Fortress Commander continually orchestrated the tactics of the entire White Wizard formation. Sometimes deploying Magic Concentrated Fire, and sometimes using united barriers, the hundreds of White Wizards acted as flexibly under his command as if they formed a single wizard. But even so, his eyes frequently glanced towards the entrance leading to the top of the fortress. "When will the reinforcements arrive?" ... Following the fortress¡¯s wizards, Richard¡¯s team of Black Wizards quickly flew up from the basement toward the top of the fortress. On the way, the White Wizard began to brief the Black Wizards on the enemy they were about to face. "The attackers this time are the Sun Mayflies. Their high-energy beams are very powerful, but a bit weaker in terms of penetration. A magic barrier of about three thousand energy levels should hold up against them, but the consumption of magic power will be incredibly high. So drink up your magic potions that accelerate magic power recovery quickly¡ªdon¡¯t think about saving money here, saving money means losing your life." Hearing this, the team members hastily drank their various magic potions¡ªall except for Richard. He felt incredibly comfortable at that moment, as the residual energy in the air enlivened his every cell. Soon, the group of wizards reached the top of the fortress. Looking into the sky at the mayfly swarm, blazing like tiny suns, Richard finally understood why these mayflies were called Sun Mayflies. "Quick, over here!" Following the White Wizard¡¯s shout, Richard saw a team of White Wizards not far to his left, engaging the mayflies with manpower. The enemy they faced was a massive horde of mayflies, nearly one hundred thousand strong, commanded by Third Level Mayflies. But when faced with the White Wizards¡¯ plea for help, the squad of wizards looked to Richard. Although the White Wizards¡¯ call for aid was pressing, Richard was their leader. Without Richard¡¯s command, they would not and could not offer support. Richard raised his hand: "Go aid our allies, and remember to keep yourselves safe." "Yes!" The arrival of the Black Wizards lifted the spirits of the defending wizards. "Ha ha, your timing couldn¡¯t be better." The Fortress Commander offered a weak smile, his heart instantly relieved, nearly collapsing with the release of tension. On his body, a charred wound nearly severed his torso, constantly draining his life energy. If reinforcements had been delayed any further, he might have found himself fighting for his life against the host of mayflies in the sky. But soon, his smile froze solid. Above the heavenly vault, a dazzling meteor suddenly fell towards the ground. Through the intense light that masked its exterior, the Commander could see, that was a swarm of mayflies numbering a hundred thousand. "It¡¯s over." A trace of despair flickered across the Commander¡¯s face. If he were not wounded, if the fortress¡¯s defenses had no gaps, then this swarm would have been insignificant and could have even boosted his battle accomplishments. But now, this hundred thousand strong mayfly swarm became the last straw to break the camel¡¯s back. Even with the help of the Black Wizards, he could not hope to withstand two hordes of mayflies, each numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Unless... Richard, watching the sky, naturally realized the essence of the meteor. Looking at the meteor, he began to remove his Wizard Robe while muttering, "Good thing I didn¡¯t put on the armor, or it would be a hassle to take off." The next instant, Richard¡¯s body suddenly emitted a faint glow, expanding in the blink of an eye to over five meters tall. He took a deep breath, feeling the energy radiation that permeated the air. At this moment, he felt his entire being was much more agile than during previous tests. "Ahh, this place is really not bad." He gestured to the Fortress Commander to pause casting. Seeing the gesture, the Commander¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What was this Black Wizard going to do? No, he already knew what this Black Wizard was planning! "Madman, he¡¯s a madman!" The Fortress Commander felt as if his sanity was evaporating. This new Black Wizard intended to tackle, alone, a swarm of mayflies that would¡¯ve been challenging even for an entire squad of wizards to resist. Chapter 460 - 5: Mayfly Subspecies (Extra Update) Chapter 460: Chapter 5: Mayfly Subspecies (Extra Update)Richard¡¯s body was streaked with arcs of electricity that wriggled like living creatures. They flickered with a ghostly blue light, exuding an aura of destruction. The energy beams of the Mayfly Army filled the fortress with scattered energy, creating an excellent battlefield for the Radiant Giant Battle Body. Richard pointed a finger skyward as the fluorescence on his body suddenly intensified. A dragon-like bolt of lightning shot out from his fingertip, instantly engulfing a corner of the Mayfly swarm. Following that, Richard, like the Thunder God himself, kept firing thunderbolts at the Mayfly swarm. Each thunderbolt, thick as a bucket, could take out hundreds of the lower Mayflies. Richard alone wielded more firepower than an entire hundred-person squadron of White Wizards! The Fortress Commander watched the scene, feeling his throat dry up. "Is his magic power inexhaustible?" Sensing the alteration of the enemy, the Mayfly General at the center of the swarm immediately responded. The massive swarm of Mayflies began changing formation, with numerous Mayfly troops detaching from the main structure. Like floating cannons, they fired towards Richard. Their task was to cover the core transformation. But what Richard was waiting for was this moment of their formation change. Question: What kind of method can quickly destroy a Mayfly Army¡¯s combat power? Answer: A decapitating strike. Then, what kind of spell could bear this responsibility? Answer: Only a spell with astonishing penetration power could strike a fatal blow. The next moment, there was a loud boom. The fortress layer, which only melted into a hole when hit by high-energy rays, now displayed a shallow depression nearly ten meters in radius. Richard, like a demon god breaking its seal, forged ahead against the Mayflies¡¯ beam attack, breaking through their defenses. His body¡¯s arcs of electricity converged, and he fiercely swung a punch towards the Mayfly swarm. Buzz! A brilliant aurora burst from his fist, like a meteor cutting through the night sky, instantly piercing through the Mayfly swarm. The Mayfly General, protected by thousands of Mayflies at the center, instantly turned into nothingness. At that moment, the whole world seemed to fall silent. Both the wizards on the fortress and the Mayflies in the sky paused in their movements at that moment. "Now it¡¯s much easier." Richard muttered tiredly, lightning sparking again on his body. With the Mayfly General, their commander, gone, the massive Mayfly swarm of a hundred thousand was no longer a threat. A vast Thunder Net spread out from Richard at its center, raining Mayfly bodies like water. A meteor in the sky, noticing Richard¡¯s prowess, cut a beautiful arc directly away into the distance, showing no intention to cover its kin. Watching this scene above the fortress, the remaining Mayflies began to retreat. But Richard did not stop there. He stretched his arms as if drawing a bow, and a Thunder Bow slowly formed in his hands. One after another Thunder Arrow flew like shooting birds, continuously bringing down the Mayfly swarm. Until they flew beyond the range of Richard¡¯s spiritual power detection. Richard landed on the ground, his form gradually returning to normal. He looked somewhat weary and his spirit was drained. The fight might have looked effortlessly stylish, but it had drained nearly all of Richard¡¯s strength. Now, both his spiritual power and his cells¡¯ life energy were at very low levels. Only his magic power remained intact due to the control of radiation. Richard pulled a change of clothes from his pocket; unlike Hulk¡¯s pants, his clothes didn¡¯t grow or shrink with him. After getting dressed, he put on his armor piece by piece. The entire process passed in complete silence atop the fortress. Soon, Richard donned his Single Soldier Armor, and a slightly weary voice came from within. "Regroup. Commander Sir, I have some questions for you." The next moment, the wizards reacted, filling the entire fortress with cheers. While the battlefield is a stage for team efforts, individual power is still revered. People always love heroes! The Fortress Commander took a Magic Potion from someone next to him and carelessly sprinkled it on his wounds. The Undead Wizard assisting him waved his Magic Wand, and small buds of flesh began to grow from the wounds. The Fortress Commander came up to Richard and solemnly performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute. "I am Sorin, the Commander of Fortress Nine, thank you, Master, for your substantial help." Richard¡¯s voice sounded a bit dull through his armor. "It¡¯s my duty, but I have some questions for the Master." The two entered the fortress, passing by Alchemy Wizards carrying various materials. The destroyed cannons had to be fixed quickly; otherwise, the fortress could still be in danger of collapsing once Richard left. "The Master must be wanting to ask about that group of Mayflies," Sorin said. Richard nodded slightly, "Indeed, such Mayflies weren¡¯t present in the information provided by the headquarters." "This is normal, there are many different types of Mayflies in the Star Realm. The swarms of Mayflies inside the Star Realm, they say, are so numerous that they could cover the entire Galaxy World. God knows how many types of Mayflies are in there." Listening to Sorin¡¯s news, Richard felt a slight sinking in his heart. "Are all these Mayflies from the same race?" "Pretty much." Saying this, the two arrived at a room that was tightly secured. Sorin opened the room, and a highly orderly laboratory appeared before Richard¡¯s eyes. In the lab, several White Wizards were dissecting a Sun Mayfly that they had just encountered. Besides the dissection table where the Sun Mayfly lay, the entire lab also held a large number of specimens. These specimens were placed on shelves on the other side of the lab in bottles and jars, filled with different Mayflies¡¯ bodies and organs. These Mayflies generally looked the same, but they had significant differences in detail. "All these Mayflies belong to the same Star River Mayfly race. However, they seem to belong to different tribes among themselves. During battle, these Mayflies always fight alongside their own kind and even if isolated, they are reluctant to join other tribes. Moreover, there seems to be some conflict among these Mayflies." Sorin led Richard to a shelf and pointed to two Mayflies placed together on the shelf: "When these two tribes of Mayflies meet, they even fight each other." Richard closely examined the two Mayflies. One had a larger head size with a chitinous outer shell and wide, large wings on its back. The other was smaller in size and more resembled the Galaxy Mayflies that Richard had seen. "Which of these two is more formidable?" Richard asked. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "The smaller one is more formidable," Sorin replied. "The smaller one has obviously greater combat strength than the bigger one, but it has worse adaptability. From our experiments, when facing different environments, the bigger one can adapt quicker, while the smaller one dies very fast. Once they lose their group, the smaller Mayflies almost lack the ability to survive in the wild." Richard stroked his chin, "It sounds like the bigger one tends more towards individuality, while the smaller one tends more towards collectivism." "Right, Master also has some research on biology," Sorin complimented. Richard smiled, but unfortunately his expression was completely obscured by his armor, and Sorin could see nothing. "It¡¯s not much of a study." Speaking, Richard glanced at the dissected images hanging on the wall and turned to Sorin, "Commander, I have an impertinent request. For my sake, and for the safety of my teammates, I need all your research on Mayflies." Richard finished speaking, already prepared to bleed a great deal financially. If he wanted Mayfly specimens, Sorin would have certainly prepared a batch for him generously. But now Richard was asking for research results, which indeed seemed a bit like taking advantage of Sorin¡¯s kindness. Yet to Richard¡¯s surprise, Sorin agreed immediately. "No problem, I¡¯ll organize it and give it to you shortly." Richard was slightly stunned; Sorin¡¯s response was somewhat unexpected. Sorin sensed his puzzlement and sighed, "This is a battlefield of civilization¡¯s war, where wizards are perished fortress by fortress. Holding onto knowledge at this time can cost lives." The impacts of civilization war on wizards are enormous. In past Plane Wars, wizards always confidently believed they could conquer worlds. So, on the battlefield, they would still consider their future. But it¡¯s different in civilization wars. In civilization wars, wizards don¡¯t even know if they can win, and under such conditions, they prioritize the present. Magic Potion side effects? Think about surviving first; spells harming the body? Survive first; other wizards using one¡¯s research to achieve remarkable results without one¡¯s benefit? Still, survive first. All of this has to wait until they survive to see. If they don¡¯t survive, all is void. Upon hearing this, Richard remained silent, and after following Sorin around the lab, he took the research materials and returned to his team. At this moment, the squad had arrived at the fortress gate. According to the research data from Fortress Nine, these subspecies of Mayflies are as numerous as subspecies within the Wizard World. These subspecies of Mayflies all have special abilities, like the Sun Mayflies they had just seen. This kind of Mayfly¡¯s ability is high-heat rays, which can heat the target to extremely high temperatures in a very short time. However, according to the records at the fortress, although these subspecies of Mayflies have special abilities, their combat capacities are actually not as good as the Galaxy Mayflies. Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ control over energy is so impressive that even Plastic Energy Wizards marvel at it. If not for special tactics, ordinary Black Wizard squads encountering a swarm of Galaxy Mayflies are bound to die. "Are Galaxy Mayflies really that strong?" Richard murmured to himself. But thinking about it, it made sense. Initially, his companions were all top members of the Three Rings Wizards, with the legendary old wizard Delis as the main strength. Even so, only he and Delis "survived" under the self-destruction of the Mayfly swarm. Richard passed the materials to his squad for reading, while he himself studied the map. According to the mission details, they needed to depart from Fortress Nine and then pass through Fortresses One-Ninety-Two and One-Ninety-Three to reach their final destination¡ªFortress One-Ninety-Four. During this journey, they had no support. If a battle occurred, they had only themselves to rely on. The only good news was that the distances between these fortresses were not very far and could be used as shelters and supply points. Chapter 461 - 6 On the Road Chapter 461: Chapter 6 On the RoadLooking at Fortress No. 192 just 500 kilometers away on the map, Richard breathed a sigh of relief. 500 kilometers might sound distant, but for a Dragon Beast, it¡¯s merely a six-hour journey. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In that time frame, even if they encountered danger, as long as they exerted all their effort to escape, they could quickly reach the next fortress. As for why not to fly, Richard noted that a shooting star streaking across the sky looked admittedly quite conspicuous. If there was a group, that would be even more striking. Galaxy Mayflies were highly sensitive to energy; doing so would undoubtedly tell them that Wizards were coming. Moreover, the pace of a Dragon Beast wasn¡¯t slow. Although Wizards could fly faster than Dragon Beasts if they exerted their full strength, doing so would deplete a large amount of Magic Power, thus reducing their combat effectiveness, and it wouldn¡¯t last long either. This was really a loss not worth the gain. Before long, the squad¡¯s Wizards finished circulating the information. They released the Dragon Beasts from their Synthetic Beast Pockets and administered the antidote to the Fake Death Potions. As the Dragon Beasts awakened from their feigned death state, the Wizards, following the manual given by Richard, fed them some raw meat. They then immediately mounted the Dragon Beasts and left the fortress. Between Fortress No. 9 and Fortress No. 192 lay nothing but plains, which made their journey much easier. Richard divided the team into groups of ten and dispersed them in all directions. Each hour, they were to report their status. If they encountered any sudden situations, they could report directly to him. This was done for scouting out the Mayfly swarms. They were not the White Wizard Army; their combat power would not qualitatively improve by sticking together. Spreading out was instead more suitable for the combat mode of Black Wizards. As the team dispersed, Richard also got a Dragon Beast as his mode of transportation. The Dragon Beast was an excellent mount; on the plains, this creature could run at speeds that gave the sensation of a high-speed automobile using just its four legs. Wizards sat on its back without feeling a single jolt. On the road, Richard, looking at the greatly changed landscape of the Galaxy World, let out a slight sigh. Due to the onset of the World War of Civilizations, the majority of obstructions on the surface of the Galaxy World had been swept clean. The entire plain was stark and bare. "Alas, but for the World War of Civilizations, this world would have been a fine one for research." After his moment of reflection, Richard refocused his thoughts and paid full attention to the surrounding environment. Having lost the control of space rights in the Star Realm, Galaxy Mayflies could continually dispatch troops through the armies in the Star Realm, sending them streaming through the sky into the interior of the world. On patrol for barely fifteen minutes, Richard noticed a meteor streaking across the sky towards the distance. Ulysses, perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder, looked at the meteor crossing the sky and commented with interest, "Caw, the method these Galaxy Mayflies use to invade the world is quite special." "Is it that special?" Richard replied casually, "I seem to recall that your merchant ships also have similar techniques." According to Ulysses, the merchant fleets of the Gods World would send out small ships to enter some worlds. These ships, crossing over the World Barrier, seemed just like meteors. "It¡¯s not the same," Ulysses responded. "The small ships we said entered the world are blessed by local deities. That¡¯s akin to a permit, allowing the ship to enter the world. "But now, this world has come into your hands, and it¡¯s practically third-hand. The World Master of this world has probably been dead for who knows how many years. Where will these Star Realm Mayflies go to get a blessing? This high-frequency strategy of crossing the World Barrier is definitely what these Mayflies commonly use to conquer worlds." Richard was noncommittal to this and replied offhand, "Such a method has a significant problem¡ªit results in too great a loss. With the Mayflies scattering in units and infiltrating the world at various points, they¡¯re easily decimated by the defenders. I dare say, despite the severe losses the Wizards have taken, the Mayflies¡¯ losses are surely far greater. Frankly, I completely don¡¯t understand why these Mayflies would do such a thing." Ulysses shook his head slightly, "Each civilization has its own way of conquest, and if such a method has persisted for a long time, then it means this approach works very well in common Plane Wars. If you only see the shortcomings, you better be careful. When we first fought the Abyss Civilization, we thought the invasion method of the Abyss Civilization was foolish. But later on, we realized we were the fools. Perhaps we¡¯re already in a trap and don¡¯t even realize it." Ulysses¡¯ words caused Richard¡¯s heart to sink; indeed, if a method of conquest persisted despite tremendous losses, there had to be an underlying logic to it. The commanders of the Galaxy Mayflies weren¡¯t idiots; there had to be some unknown secret behind this method of conquest. "The Great Wizard should be able to see it, right?" Richard said, somewhat uncertain. Ulysses glanced at the meteor that was about to disappear and spoke in a low voice, "They better have figured it out because this time I can¡¯t see through it at all." ... "Squad Nine is under attack, Squad Nine is under attack." The sudden distress call broke the tranquility of the plains, and Richard, sitting on the back of the Dragon Beast, immediately opened his eyes. At this moment, four hours had already passed since Richard left Fortress No. 9, with everything calm and smooth on the journey thus far. Richard had thought that it would continue to go well all the way; apparently, he was mistaken. Civilizational war on the battlefield, how could it ever be plain sailing? "All units pay attention, do not provide support, everyone immediately head towards fortress number 192. I will back up squad number nine." Richard threw the Dragon Beast into the Secret Realm, and his body instantly transformed into a streak of light flying towards squad number nine¡¯s direction. On his shoulder, Ulysses¡¯ eyes lit up with a faint glow, and the situation of squad number nine immediately appeared before his eyes. "About a hundred thousand Mayflies, this squad is beyond saving." Hearing Ulysses¡¯ judgment, Richard didn¡¯t alter his flight path. "Don¡¯t even try, you can¡¯t save them." "Who says I am going to save them?" Richard¡¯s voice was somewhat cold, "If we don¡¯t intercept this swarm of Mayflies, the nearby teams to squad number nine are going to die too." The Galaxy Mayflies, whether subspecies or not, had an extremely keen sensitivity to energy. If he didn¡¯t intercept, the teams near squad number nine would definitely be discovered by the Galaxy Mayflies. "That¡¯s true. But since we¡¯re going to intercept, let¡¯s be more thorough," Ulysses¡¯ voice suddenly turned somewhat vicious, "I¡¯ll call out the Snake King and Fire Lizard, let¡¯s annihilate this Mayfly swarm completely." Richard was startled by Ulysses¡¯ change. "What¡¯s the matter with you, why did you suddenly become so irascible?" Ulysses paused, and when he spoke again, his voice had returned to its usual calm tone. "Gaah, I got a bit stress-reactive. But my suggestion doesn¡¯t change, we can annihilate those Mayflies. If possible, we might even capture one or two alive and get some intelligence from them." Richard thought for a moment and agreed with Ulysses¡¯ suggestion. Weakening the combat power of some Mayflies would be good for the battlefield. Although this swarm of Mayflies seemed insignificant, advantages always accumulate bit by bit. Moreover, he also needed some specimens to conduct in-depth research on the Galaxy Mayflies. "Finish the battle in one minute, regardless of the outcome, everyone must retreat." Just as Richard made his decision, a Black Wizard squad was hiding in the distance near squad number nine, silently watching the Mayfly swarm reduce squad number nine to ashes. In the psychic network, the squad¡¯s Commander ordered, "Notify the Fortress, at Fortress map coordinates nine, seventy-six, a hundred-thousand-scale Mayfly swarm has been spotted. Additionally, a ten-person Black Wizard squad has been completely annihilated by the Mayfly swarm, have them prepare to receive the Wizards." Throughout the process, the hidden Black Wizards didn¡¯t make a sound, didn¡¯t emit a speck of excess energy fluctuation, everything was completely silent. Even though the Mayfly swarm was only a kilometer away, they remained motionless in their place. Experience told them that staying still at this time gave them a better chance of survival than moving. Suddenly, a faint energy fluctuation passed over the Commander. By all accounts, such a slip should not have occurred. But he simply couldn¡¯t help it when he witnessed a shocking scene. He actually saw that far away, a Wizard¡¯s aura was rapidly approaching the Mayfly swarm. "Is this guy an idiot?" the squad Commander cursed in the psychic network. A hundred-thousand-scale Mayfly swarm was not something ordinary Three Rings Wizards could contend with, not even those Great Wizard students, the so-called Legendary Wizards, who would deem retreating the best option in the face of such a swarm. But the guy before his eyes was heading straight for the Mayfly swarm, as if it was no more than an ordinary Magic Beast in his view. "Commander, should we take action?" a Wizard asked in the psychic network. The Commander glanced at the Mayflies attracted by the light, and cursed, "Take action for what? To save this fool? Such an arrogant idiot, even if saved, he¡¯ll just make more stupid mistakes and get himself killed." After cursing, the Commander made a hand gesture, and the entire squad began to retreat without a sound. Since this Wizard had already attracted the attention of the Mayflies, they certainly could not waste this "sacrifice." But while retreating, the Commander couldn¡¯t help but look back. He wanted to see just how this Wizard was going to deal with the swarm of Mayflies. There wasn¡¯t a stupid Wizard among those who reached the rank of Three Rings, and he didn¡¯t believe any Three Rings Wizard would be so foolish as to charge at a Mayfly swarm unprepared. Yet when he looked back, he stood frozen in place. "Commander, what¡¯s wrong?" a Wizard noticed the Commander¡¯s abnormal behavior and called out urgently in the psychic network. But the Commander answered him aloud. "We don¡¯t have to retreat, notify the Fortress, at Fortress map coordinates nine, seventy-six, the Mayfly swarm has been annihilated. The executor is... an unknown Black Wizard." In the Commander¡¯s vision, that hundred-thousand-scale Mayfly swarm was first blocked by a huge snake, and then a group of strange Alchemy Puppets scattered their formation in a clash. Immediately after, a dazzling Aurora pierced through the center of the Mayfly swarm. A hundred-thousand-scale Mayfly swarm was decapitated in less than ten seconds, by that person. Watching that figure execute the decapitation, the Commander suddenly felt a surge of heroic admiration. Black Wizards revered the strong. The Commander took out an Image Capturing Crystal Ball and recorded that figure. Looking at the figure in the Crystal Ball, he muttered to himself, "If I can return, I must write a projection play." Chapter 462 - 7 Fortress 192 Chapter 462: Chapter 7 Fortress 192Richard hadn¡¯t noticed that a few kilometers away, a squad of Black Wizards had witnessed the entire scene of his extermination of the Mayfly swarm. The Snake King, having broken through the limits of Physique to become half a World Master, was comparable in strength even to Delis at his peak. Just the toughness of its body was enough to keep the Mayfly swarm at bay for a while. And as the Snake King drew the attention of the Mayfly swarm, the Fire Lizard Warriors behind him erupted in a sudden burst of action. Although the upgrade of their armor had not been completely finished, after all, a batch had been completed. A hundred Fire Lizard Warriors simultaneously wielded Spirit Hammers that had been outfitted with Mountain Heart Runes, instantly shattering the Mayfly swarm¡¯s outer mental network into pieces. Seizing this opportunity, Richard tore through the Mayflies¡¯ outer defenses, and a full-load Radiation Gathering Cannon instantly turned the Mayfly General into nothingness. Each step of the entire process was closely connected; if any part had gone wrong, the battle would have been prolonged by tens of times. With the beheading completed, it was time to collect the spoils of war. The Snake King opened its vast mouth, like a mythical beast devouring the world. With a fierce inhalation, hundreds of Mayflies were sucked into its belly. Ulysses, not to be outdone, shone with a layer of majestic Holy Light, speaking to the scattering Mayfly swarm, "You cannot fly here." In the next instant, many Mayflies were frozen in the air like stones, then struggled as they fell towards the ground. The Fire Lizard Warriors were also dispatching the fleeing Mayflies at this moment, wielding Annihilation Guns and indiscriminately firing Annihilation Bombs into the swarm¡ªAnnihilation Bombs weren¡¯t expensive, so the Fire Lizards naturally weren¡¯t stingy. The Fire Lizards slowly moved their gun barrels, and each press of the trigger sent dozens of Annihilation Bombs that turned a small Mayfly swarm into nothing. Dynamic vision combined with nerve reflex modifications meant these Fire Lizard Warriors only needed a bit of training to become excellent sharpshooters. Not to mention, the Annihilation Gun had no recoil. In a span of forty-five seconds, not a single one from this hundred-thousand-level Mayfly swarm escaped from Richard¡¯s clutches. Ulysses opened a Space Rift, allowing the Fire Lizard Warriors and the Snake King to return to the Secret Realm. Immediately afterward, they moved rapidly toward the direction of Fortress 192. Although their actions were unlikely to attract the attention of a large Mayfly force, in the battlefield of civilization, it was better to be cautious. And shortly after Richard left, a half-million-level Mayfly swarm passed through the aftermath of their battle. Had they hesitated even slightly, the swarm would have detected their presence. ... Outside Fortress 192, Black Wizards belonging to Richard¡¯s squad were undergoing an inspection by White Wizards. There were many subspecies of Galaxy Mayflies, and Fortress 192 had once encountered a kind that could control the minds of Wizards. They adhered to the Wizards, posing as passing Black Wizards, attempting to infiltrate and coordinate inside out to breach the Fortress. Fortunately, they were not very familiar with Wizard habits and revealed some flaws, allowing Fortress 192 to continue existing. But before the inspection was complete, a black dot appeared in the distance. The black dot gradually expanded, eventually manifesting into a black-robed Wizard riding a Dragon Beast. "What are you all doing?" Richard arrived at the Fortress on a Dragon Beast and, seeing his team hadn¡¯t gone directly into the Fortress, asked in puzzlement. "Sir, we¡¯re just performing routine procedures," a White Wizard eagerly explained the situation with the Mayflies when Richard inquired. Richard nodded slightly after listening; it was reasonable to be cautious during unusual times. Stowing the Dragon Beast into the Secret Realm, Richard also submitted to the inspection, without seeking any special treatment. The White Wizards¡¯ inspection was thorough, starting with a simple physical examination to ensure no Mayflies were clinging to the body. Then a deeper investigation followed, with the White Wizards preparing a device similar to a CT machine to check if Wizards were harboring Parasitic Mayflies internally. Although a Wizard¡¯s spiritual power could perform similar checks, and more conveniently and quickly, Mayflies themselves were masters of spiritual power, and relying on spiritual power could easily be deceived by them. There was also supposed to be a mental inspection, but Richard¡¯s spiritual power had reached the limits of a Three Rings Wizard, so the Second Ring Wizards¡¯ inspection was essentially ineffective on him, and it was very unlikely that he was parasitized, so this check was skipped. After the inspection, everyone entered the Fortress without issues. To Richard¡¯s surprise, the Fortress Commander personally came out to meet him. A short, stout, solid man opened his arms to Richard, "I am Rico, Commander of Fortress 192. I¡¯m very pleased to meet you, Master." Richard felt something was amiss with the Commanders¡¯ personal greeting. By all accounts, he should have been the one seeking the Commander of the Fortress. While he and the Fortress Commander were technically of the same rank, his actual standing on the battlefield was lower than that of the Fortress Commander. "I am Richard. I didn¡¯t expect we¡¯d alarm the Commander as well; I¡¯m genuinely sorry," Richard responded. Rico laughed warmly, "Ah, it is my honor to greet a figure such as yourself, Master." Hearing this, Richard¡¯s thoughts spun like electricity, quickly understanding why the Fortress Commander had come to meet him. His extermination of the Mayfly swarm had probably been seen by the patrolling Black Wizards. "It¡¯s just a little trick, hardly worth mentioning," Richard played down the feat. The two embraced, and Richard was somewhat surprised to discover that Rico, the Fortress Commander, was a Wizard who pursued Physique Evolution. Rico¡¯s Physique was even higher than his. Upon entering the Fortress, the two began to discuss the recent state of the war. "The Master is going to another Fortress to reinforce the troops?" Rico asked casually. "Yes," Richard nodded slightly. "It¡¯s not easy for the Master," Rico sighed softly, "spanning thousands of miles to reinforce troops; who knows how many Mayflies you¡¯ll encounter along the way. If you encounter one of those larger tribes, even a formidable person like the Master might face more danger than luck." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Tribes?" Richard noticed the word Rico used. "It¡¯s the Mayfly colonies; I¡¯m just speaking loosely," Rico explained. "According to our research here, these Mayflies are not a united front; each Mayfly subspecies constitutes a separate tribe." Richard nodded slightly: "Indeed, I¡¯ve heard similar conclusions in other Fortresses. These Mayfly subspecies not only aren¡¯t a united front but also have contradictions between different subspecies." "We¡¯ve noticed that too," Rico nodded. After saying this, his tone suddenly changed. "Master, your feat is already known to us. Facing off against a swarm of hundred-thousand-level Mayflies alone¡ª that¡¯s more impressive than our White Wizard Army. If the Master returns like this, you¡¯re certain to become a Great Wizard..." "Commander, there¡¯s no need for such flattery," Richard interrupted. "What do you want to ask of me?" "Haha, then I¡¯ll speak directly," Rico laughed, then stated his request. "I¡¯d like to ask the Master to help clear out a Mayfly colony near the Fortress. They were discovered a week ago, rampaging around here. Although we could solve the issue, doing so would require deploying nearly all the defenders, so it¡¯s been left until now. But with the Master¡¯s help, I certainly can¡¯t let this colony of Mayflies live any longer." Hearing Rico¡¯s request, Richard furrowed his brows. A White Wizard Fortress garrisoned by a Wizard Army of five thousand¡ª even the Snake King would only flee from an army of such magnitude. And yet that Mayfly colony required such a force to be eradicated. This request was indeed dangerous. Seeing Richard hesitate, Rico continued: "Don¡¯t worry, this favor will definitely not go unrewarded. We¡¯ve managed to create a kind of gemstone using these Mayflies¡¯ bodies. This gemstone we¡¯ve found has effects that can enhance spiritual defense and resist Mind Control. If the Master is willing to help, I can directly give you this knowledge. I can also give the Master a batch of these gemstones." The compensation proposed by Rico was somewhat enticing to Richard. For an Alchemy Wizard, a new material is undoubtedly an unexplored goldmine. With some luck, a new material could lead to the creation of a peerless artifact. However, he did not immediately agree. "I need to think this over; I¡¯ll give you an answer in six hours." Six hours is the time for a Wizard to undergo a moderate meditation, and although Richard¡¯s team had not engaged in combat, the long-span exertion of spiritual power also resulted in significant spiritual power depletion. Therefore, undergoing a moderate meditation to restore spiritual power to fullness was essential. "Alright, take your time to consider it," Rico said without pressing Richard to make a decision. After arranging a room for Richard, Rico hurriedly left. In the room, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift and entered the Secret Realm. Within the Secret Realm, Ulysses, the Snake King, and Hog, who was just making up the numbers, were all studying the Mayflies they had just acquired. These Mayflies were also a subspecies; they were entirely black and had some ability to shield against probing by spiritual power. Perhaps this was why Squad Nine had not discovered them in a timely manner. "Have you discovered anything?" Richard approached and asked. "There¡¯s a bit of a finding," Ulysses held a sealed Mayfly in the air, "This Mayfly¡¯s body fluid... no, what is that stuff on you?" "Hmm?" Richard swept with his spirit and did not find anything on him. "Don¡¯t use spiritual power, that thing is on the collar of your neck." Ulysses flapped his wings, and a breeze swept across Richard¡¯s neck. He hung the object taken from Richard¡¯s neck in mid-air; Richard saw that it was a transparent insect egg even smaller than a sesame seed. "Eh? When did I get an egg on me?" Richard was somewhat astonished by the egg, as all his travels had been on plains with scarcely grass, let alone coming into contact with insect eggs. "This seems to be one of those Mayflies¡¯ eggs," Ulysses said uncertainly after a long look, "We found something similar inside the stomach of a female Mayfly." "Then it¡¯s probably blown over by the wind," Richard said offhand. The insect egg appeared exceedingly small, floating with the wind seemed rather normal. Having placed the egg in a test tube safely, they continued discussing the Mayflies. Chapter 463 - 8 The Parasitized Wizard (Extra) Chapter 463: Chapter 8 The Parasitized Wizard (Extra)The Galaxy Mayfly¡¯s body had many utilities, and the subspecies Mayflies that Richard had acquired contained bodily fluids with strong toxicity, even affecting Three Rings Wizards to some degree. Yet, besides their toxicity, these Mayflies¡¯ bodily fluids also promoted the growth of spiritual power. Apart from their material effects, the energy cycles within these Mayflies were a kind of wealth in themselves. The Snake King, having observed them, discovered a method of manipulating shadows from their lightning-fast energy manipulations. These Mayflies seemed capable of hiding within shadows. Richard, looking at the Mayflies, remarked with a sigh, "These Mayflies indeed possess numerous abilities; however, in terms of variety, the abilities of a wizard are more flamboyant." The special abilities possessed by these subspecies of Mayflies were, in the realm of wizards, merely a matter of witchcraft. Progressing in their learning was the true power of a wizard. After discussing the matters of the Mayflies, Richard relayed Rico¡¯s request to the Snake King and Ulysses. "You may go." The Snake King hissed out his forked tongue, a flash of excitement in his eyes. As a subspecies Giant Dragon, the Snake King felt a bloodline-driven thrill for war. Ulysses considered for a moment and responded, "Indeed, you may go, but you could ask for more. Isn¡¯t one technology a bit too little?" Richard shook his head slightly, "It¡¯s not too little. The war has only started a few months ago; the technologies developed during this time are mostly interspersed with some proprietary wizard skills. And we¡¯re just going over to help; the bulk of the effort is still expected to come from the White Wizard. The compensation can even be considered quite generous." "Let it be so then," Ulysses said indifferently, "as long as it isn¡¯t a loss." Upon leaving the Secret Realm, Ulysses stood on Richard¡¯s shoulder and scanned the surroundings. "This fortress feels a bit strange." Ulysses suddenly conveyed to Richard via a spiritual message, "I feel like someone is watching us." "Watching us?" Richard furrowed his brows; could there be an internal surveillance system built within this fortress? Ulysses¡¯ voice carried a note of uncertainty. "This feeling is faint; maybe I¡¯m just being overly sensitive." Richard, without showing any change of expression, activated his Energy Vision. Under the Energy Vision, all the enchantments in the quiet room became crystal clear. He could confirm that there was no surveillance Magic Array in this quiet room. "Then it¡¯s probably just the civilizational warfare making you a bit overly nervous," Richard consoled. On the battlegrounds of civilizational warfare, beings as prominent as World Masters often fell. Sometimes, the number of fallen World Masters from both sides combined could reach tens after a large battle. It was normal for Ulysses to be a tad more sensitive. Ulysses looked around with a guarded gaze. "Let¡¯s hope that¡¯s the case." ... Rico was very pleased with Richard¡¯s agreement. He quickly, through a Black Wizard scouting outside, located the trace of that group of Mayflies. According to his plan, three thousand soldiers from the fortress would be mobilized to eradicate these Mayflies. Before moving to eradicate the Mayflies, the two finalized the next battle strategy. The White Wizard Army was tasked with drawing the attention of the Mayfly horde, creating an opportunity for Richard. And Richard needed to seize the moment to use the Radiant Concentration Cannon to behead the Mayfly Generals. Once the Mayfly Generals were beheaded, the remaining Mayflies would be easy prey for the wizards. This was the greatest weakness of the Mayfly horde; as strong as they were, once they lost the command of higher-ranked Mayflies, they dispersed into disarray. While the Second-Level Mayfly groups could collaborate, compared to groups led by Third-Level Mayflies, their combat effectiveness was drastically lower. However, the wizards¡¯ White Wizard Army was different; even if a Three Rings Wizard fell in battle, seasoned wizards from the army could temporarily take command. Aside from some issues in wielding certain Legion Witchcrafts due to strength, maintaining most of the army¡¯s combat power was not a problem. Through the Black Wizard¡¯s scouting, they soon located a roaming horde of Mayflies in the wild. This particular Mayfly horde was comprised of five hundred thousand Mayflies, including five Third-Level Mayfly Generals. The combat power of such a high-ranking Mayfly horde was not merely the sum of five hundred thousand-member Mayfly gro... The heart-to-heart network of the Galaxy Mayflies ensured that the more of these creatures there were, the stronger they became. If the five hundred thousand-member Mayfly groups coordinated their actions, a mismanaged three thousand-member White Wizard Army could potentially be annihilated. To seize the initiative, the White Wizard acted first. Under Rico¡¯s command, three thousand White Wizards swung their Magic Wands in unison. Three thousand Chain Lightnings interwove in the sky, forming a Thunder Net that instantly ensnared the Mayfly horde. This nearly simultaneous display of strategic acumen left Richard, who was observing the battle, with his eyes wide. "Is this the Military Department¡¯s White Wizard Army? Their combat readiness is remarkably stellar." Even with the benefit of a Mind Link, the combat readiness displayed by Rico¡¯s unit seemed somewhat exceptional. If even one of the three thousand Chain Lightnings deviated slightly, such a perfect effect wouldn¡¯t have been achieved. This Thunder Net, woven from Chain Lightning, shaved off an outer layer of the entire Mayfly horde. Tens of thousands of Mayflies turned to char in this barrage of Magic Concentrated Fire. But immediately after, a powerful Spiritual Shock emanated from within the Mayfly horde, propelling them into a battle-ready state. As a wizard newly engaged in civilizational warfare, Richard had yet to witness the confrontation between the White Wizard Army and the Mayfly Army. But today, he witnessed a nearly perfect confrontation. Upon reacting, the Mayfly Army instantly adjusted their formation. A somewhat scattered Mayfly horde formed into five encasing structures akin to Ghost Work Balls in less than a second. Such rapid reactions directly rendered the second round of Magic Concentrated Fire by the White Wizard Army almost completely ineffective. Three thousand bolts of lightning merely killed a few hundred Mayflies. Then, the counterattack from the Mayfly swarm arrived. Beams of light, like raindrops, shot out from the swarm, each beam possessing considerable power. The outer ring of Defensive Wizards in the army couldn¡¯t withstand these beams. But the next moment, three thick Magic Barriers appeared and blocked all attacks from the outside. The three-thousand-strong White Wizard Army was divided into three thousand-man combat groups. These three combat groups formed a product-shaped array, with Rico right in the center. Under Rico¡¯s command, the three army Magic Barriers appeared almost simultaneously. "Wow," Richard exclaimed, unable to restrain his admiration, "The wizards outside say that the wizards from the Military Department are just so-so, but with this quality, they can¡¯t even catch up to the old legions." Next to him, the Snake King and Ulysses watched the White Wizard Army, both showing a hint of doubt in their eyes. Ulysses communicated with the Snake King via a Spiritual Message, "Old Snake, do you think there¡¯s something off about this legion? I feel like something¡¯s not right here." After entering Fortress 192, he had felt that something was amiss about the fortress. Although Richard didn¡¯t find anything with his Energy Vision, Energy Vision could be deceived too. Now, this White Wizard Army gave him an even stronger sense of disharmony. These White Wizards seemed not like individuals, but like the Mayfly swarm itself, transformed into a large collective. "I don¡¯t see any issues," the Snake King replied, "But the coordination of these White Wizards is almost too perfect; they¡¯re as precise as Armed Puppets. However, this is after all a battlefield of a war of civilizations; it¡¯s normal for wizards to send elite forces." The Snake King¡¯s view indirectly confirmed Ulysses¡¯s thoughts. A spark lit up in his eyes; he needed to see what was really going on with these White Wizards. And when he did look, he was so shocked that he shuddered. Richard noticed Ulysses¡¯s odd behavior and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?" Ulysses suppressed the horror in his heart and calmly replied, "Nothing. I think it¡¯s time to make a move." On the battlefield, after several rounds of back-and-forth, the wizards¡¯ Magic Power and spiritual power had experienced a slight decline. The casting of Legion Witchcraft was not a small expense. On the Mayfly side, the number of their race had decreased by nearly fifty thousand. It appeared that both sides could continue this stalemate a little longer. However, this attrition had already made both sides consider a decisive battle. A wizard¡¯s battle power isn¡¯t a straight line; once Magic Power and spiritual power drop to a certain level, a wizard¡¯s battle capabilities will fall sharply. The Mayflies were facing an energy crisis. The Mayfly swarm had a very large number of individuals, leading to an exceedingly rich reserve of energy. However, this also meant greater consumption. The energy available within a unit of space was clearly insufficient to sustain such a dense population of Mayflies. If they didn¡¯t end the fight quickly, the Mayfly swarm might even face the prospect of "starvation." Suddenly, the Mayfly Army began to change formation. Three groups of Mayflies made defensive maneuvers on the exterior, while the remaining two groups started bold formation changes under their protection. And Rico was waiting for this moment. With a wave of his wand, a strong fluctuation of Magic Power suddenly emerged from within the White Wizard Army. Three thousand White Wizards swiftly changed their military array, and during the change, they were simultaneously preparing a Legion Magic. Within three seconds, the White Wizard Army completed the formation change first, and their Legion Magic was also ready at that moment. "Fire!" Rico waved his wand, and a dazzling Energy Light Arrow instantly tore through the Mayfly¡¯s defenses. He glanced sideways at Richard¡¯s hiding place; he had done what he could, and now it was up to Richard. "Ha!" In the aftermath of the exploding Energy Light Arrow, a sudden low shout was heard. A five-meter-tall fluorescent giant, unnoticed until then, had already charged into the interior of the Mayfly swarm. Two dazzling Auroras burst from his fists, instantly piercing the unprepared Mayfly generals. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Following the tear created by the Legion Magic, the Snake King and Ulysses rushed into the Mayfly swarm and wreaked havoc. With a flick of his tail, the Snake King dispersed a forming group of Mayflies with immense force. Ulysses alongside him spewed black flames, instantly turning a group of disarrayed Mayflies into ash. The remaining three Mayfly generals, seeing the situation, immediately made a decision. The Mayflies of the dead general quickly joined the groups with a general, and then they shot away like meteors. The concentrated fire of the White Wizard¡¯s spells couldn¡¯t stop them. Watching the fleeing Mayfly swarm, a hint of gloom crossed Rico¡¯s face. However, it quickly faded, as Richard came to his side. "What a pity," Richard said, watching the fleeing Mayfly swarm. A fleeing swarm of one hundred thousand Mayflies was not something even Richard could catch up to. "Let it be, they¡¯ve escaped," Rico chuckled, "Killing two generals is already a great achievement." Saying that, Rico unbuckled a pouch from his waist and handed it to Richard. "Inside are the crystals we¡¯ve produced and the technology to make them." Richard opened the pouch and took out a strangely shaped crystal ball. The crystal ball looked different from any Inheritance Crystal Ball Richard had seen before. But Richard didn¡¯t think much of it and was about to use his spiritual power to receive the information within, when Ulysses¡¯s voice suddenly rang in his ear. "Don¡¯t touch that crystal ball, these wizards have been parasitized by Mayflies!" Chapter 464 - 9: The Scourge of Parasitism Chapter 464: Chapter 9: The Scourge of ParasitismUpon hearing Ulysses¡¯s warning, Richard¡¯s expression subtly changed, the warning sending a chill down his spine. If this group of Wizards had been parasitized, then who had he been communicating with all this time? Wizards? Or Mayflies? If it was the former, it meant these Wizards were still unaware of being parasitized¡ªthere might still be some hope. But if it was the Mayflies... A bone-chilling coldness suddenly surged in Richard¡¯s heart. What do these Mayflies intend to do? When Rico saw Richard holding the Crystal Ball but not using it, he asked with some confusion, "What¡¯s wrong, Master Richard, is there a problem with the Crystal Ball?" "No, no," Richard flipped the Crystal Ball into his pocket, his face showing a trace of fatigue. "I¡¯m just a little tired. That last strike drained quite a bit of spiritual power." Rico heard this and didn¡¯t show any surprise; instead, he nodded in agreement. "I have some Magic Potion here; you can use it if you like." Rico pulled out two bottles of standard Magic Potion from his pocket and handed them to Richard. "I know that Masters who¡¯ve just joined the Military Department tend to wait until crucial moments to use Magic Potion. But our Military Department isn¡¯t lacking money, and we should use Magic Potions whenever available, especially on a battlefield like this." Looking at the kindly-faced Rico, Richard managed a forced smile and took the two bottles of Magic Potion. "Ha-ha, old habits die hard." After the battle, the Wizards naturally headed back to the Fortress right away¡ªit all seemed very normal. If not for Richard¡¯s near unconditional trust in Ulysses, he would definitely think Ulysses was being neurotic and hallucinating. These Wizards were too normal. Back at the Fortress, Richard took the remaining Black Wizard squad and set off again. Rico too was polite to the door, with no intention of taking any action. Such behavior even began to foster some doubt in Ulysses. He even began to wonder if he was mistaken. "It¡¯s strange," Ulysses¡¯s eyes lit up slightly as he watched the soon-to-disappear Rico. However, Rico¡¯s body showed no abnormalities; there were no traces of Mayflies. "Could it really be that I was being neurotic and saw things?" Ulysses shook his head, his peripheral vision unintentionally catching a glimpse of the Black Wizards in the squad. And that glance made him instantly dismiss the idea of having been mistaken. "Richard, your men have also been parasitized." The tone of Ulysses¡¯s voice sharpened Richard¡¯s gaze immediately; he turned to the Wizard squad still by his side and asked discreetly, "How many?" After scanning the squad, Ulysses gave a chilling answer. "All of them. All these people have been parasitized." In Ulysses¡¯s Divine Eye, the brains of these Wizards were all host to a parasitic Mayfly larvae. Richard took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as much as possible. "Is Fortress 192 the same?" "Yes, apart from that man called Rico, the rest are all parasitized." "Rico actually has no problem?" Richard said, somewhat amazed. A Fortress¡¯s White Wizard Army being parasitized while their commander remains uninfected and oblivious? That didn¡¯t sound like good news. "Stop imagining things. I guess it¡¯s because his physique is too strong. As soon as those Mayflies parasitized him, his cells squeezed them to death." At this, Richard paused, indeed, Rico¡¯s physique was even stronger than his. If he was fine, then it made sense for Rico to be unaffected. Parasites dread a host with too strong a physique. Once faced with a powerful immune system and cell activity, the parasites learn what cruelty is. "Is there any hope for these Wizards?" Richard swept his gaze over the surrounding Wizards, a hint of sympathy flickering in his eyes. Though these Wizards couldn¡¯t be considered elite, their quality was still decent. Killing them all would be such a waste. Besides, these were his subordinates; if they all died, he¡¯d be left without any troops. How would he carry out his mission then? "Maybe there¡¯s a chance to save them. Have your little elves give it a try," Ulysses replied. "I¡¯ll have the Snake King prepare a soporific poison mist to ensure that these Wizards get anesthetized as soon as they enter the Secret Realm. But you need to be prepared; the Fortress isn¡¯t too far from us. If we take these things out recklessly, the Fortress¡¯s Mayflies might notice." A glint of ruthlessness flickered in Richard¡¯s eyes. "So be it, just kill them when they come." Without a commanding officer, the White Wizard Army, although formidable, wasn¡¯t impossible to deal with. Ulysses offered no objection; he didn¡¯t think that group of White Wizards would pose a serious problem either. Having made a decision, Richard then commanded the Wizards beside him, "Everyone, stop." Hiss, hiss, hiss... A sequence of reins pulling sounded around Richard. The Wizards of the squadron looked at Richard, not knowing what their squad leader was planning. "I¡¯ve thought about it and to prevent an incident like what happened to Squad Nine, I¡¯ve decided to have you enter my Secret Realm Fragments. "Your strength is too weak, meeting a swarm of Parasitic Mayflies greatly reduces your survival chances. If things continue like this, I feel that by the time we reach our destination, half of the squad will be gone," The wizards in the squad had no objections to Richard¡¯s decision, and in fact, they were unusually supportive. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seemed that the parasitism of the Mayflies didn¡¯t affect them much. Seeing nothing unusual with the squad¡¯s wizards, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift, allowing Ulysses to fly inside. "Line up first, one by one, do not let your Dragon Beasts fight!" Behind the Secret Realm Rift, the Snake King, knowing what Richard needed, opened its mouth near the rift and sprayed a pale purple fog. As the wizards entered, the sudden appearance of the fog instantly put them into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, the Snake King used its tail to move them aside, preventing them from blocking the path. Thus, within moments, all the wizards had entered the Secret Realm. Looking at the wizards neatly laid on the ground, Richard waved his hand decisively, and the Holy Tree Elf came over to those wizards to start extracting the parasitic Mayflies. The Holy Tree Elf, having used fungal filaments to construct its outer shell for years, had a significant advantage in delicate surgeries. The Mayflies, having just hatched, weren¡¯t tightly connected to the brain. Under the precise surgery performed by the Holy Tree Elf, the Mayflies were successfully removed. Apart from a few unlucky ones whose brain nerves were slightly damaged, leading to potential minor coordination issues upon awakening, Looking at those extracted Mayfly larvae, Richard did not destroy them immediately but sealed them all, preparing to use them as research materials and evidence. Soon, the wizards woke up from unconsciousness. Looking around the wild, their minds were blank. Is this the Secret Realm Fragments? It doesn¡¯t seem like it. Due to the overwhelming effectiveness of the Snake King¡¯s poison fog, the wizards¡¯ memories still lingered at the moment they entered the Secret Realm Rift. "Don¡¯t just stand there dumbfounded, get up quickly." Richard¡¯s voice made them instantly stand up from the ground; at this moment, some wizards finally realized what was happening. They hadn¡¯t entered the Secret Realm, they were still in the Galaxy World. "What¡¯s going on?" a wizard asked confusedly. Richard pulled out a sample of a Parasitic Mayfly. "You were all parasitized by this thing at Fortress 192. I¡¯ve just removed all these Mayflies from your bodies inside the Secret Realm." Listening to Richard¡¯s somewhat incredible words, a wizard immediately wanted to question him, but he remembered a certain stubborn old wizard and quickly shut his mouth. Richard coldly said, "Touch the back of your heads and see if there are stitches." The wizards touched the backs of their skulls and indeed felt stitched marks. This was deliberately left by the Holy Tree Elf, just to make explanations easier. After all, these wizards wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to think that Richard would intentionally render them unconscious and then leave stitched marks on the back of their heads just to fabricate an absurd lie. After confirming the truth of the matter, a wizard exclaimed, "So, you mean Fortress 192..." Richard¡¯s expression grew somber as he spoke, "At Fortress 192, aside from the Fortress Commander Rico, all key personnel have been parasitized. I¡¯m going to report this to the Battle Zone Command Center, and we¡¯ll likely be quarantined for a period of investigation." It wasn¡¯t just them; currently, all wizards who had passed through Fortress 192 were suspected of being parasitized. The scale of this parasitic disaster was unknown. Hearing Richard¡¯s words, the squad¡¯s wizards were quite pleased. Being quarantined meant they temporarily wouldn¡¯t have to enter the battlefield. By the time their investigation was complete, perhaps new equipment would be issued. But the thought of being quarantined was somewhat distressing. These wizards had entered his Secret Realm, theoretically contaminating it. During the quarantine period, his Secret Realm would also be subject to investigation. This was definitely not good news for him. However, fortunately, he had made preparations beforehand; before joining the war, he had prepared a small Secret Realm Fragment. Since these wizards had been knocked unconscious upon entering his Secret Realm, they had no idea what it really looked like. After using the Crystal Ball to relay the information upwards, Richard left the squad and flew towards the fortress. Though the Mayflies hadn¡¯t launched an attack yet, striking first was undoubtedly correct. ... Inside the fortress, the wizards maintaining the fortress all simultaneously stopped their actions. "We¡¯ve been discovered." "What do we do?" "Control that wizard first." Information transmitted through the Mayflies¡¯ psychic network, and in a blink of an eye, the swarm made a decision. Richard overlooked one thing: although the interior¡¯s complex formation of the fortress wasn¡¯t suitable for the White Wizard Army to deploy, for the Mayflies, such complex terrain was excellent cover. The Mayflies¡¯ formation was three-dimensional! In the Command Room, while exercising and monitoring the surroundings of the fortress through surveillance equipment, Rico suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. A sense of danger unlike any before made his hair stand on end. Without hesitation, Rico¡¯s body jerked up and several different defensively shielded barriers deployed around him. In the next moment, one of these barriers shattered. "Damn it, a Spiritual Attack!" Seeing the shattered barrier, Rico immediately started to organize defenses using his spiritual power, but before his Spiritual Protection could form, he felt darkness encroach upon his vision. When he regained his senses, he found himself surrounded by several veteran wizards from within the army. These veteran wizards looked at him anxiously, "Sir, Mayflies have attacked the fortress!" Chapter 465 - 10 Defending the Fortress Chapter 465: Chapter 10 Defending the FortressFortress No. 192. Richard, holding the dark gold World Tree staff, smashed the head of a wizard standing before him with a grave expression. A soft Holy Light enveloped his body, rendering the spiritual attacks from the Mayflies as useless as waves crashing against a rock. Divine Protection, one of the high-level Divine Arts mastered by Ulysses. This Divine Art could create a triple defense barrier over the target by consuming a large amount of the Power of Faith, protecting against physical, energy, and spiritual attacks. it was an excellent defensive spell. "How many have we killed?" Richard asked casually. Beside him, Ulysses¡¯s eyes gleamed faintly, constantly scanning the surroundings. "Three hundred and two. These Mayflies seem to be forming a formation. We better hurry." Richard¡¯s brow furrowed, and then he opened the Secret Realm Rift. Instantly, a snake king tens of meters long slithered out from the rift. "Haha, is it finally my turn to act?" The Snake King, excited, flicked its tongue, sensing through the pheromones in the air that many terrified lives were below the fortress. "Kill everyone except for Rico," Richard said, expressionless. During the recent battle, he had confirmed that all the fortress¡¯s wizards had been parasitized. The Mayflies¡¯ parasitic ability was incredibly potent, capable of infecting even undead wizards. According to Richard¡¯s knowledge, these Mayflies didn¡¯t actually devour the wizards¡¯ personalities. Instead, they used a kind of illusion tactic to trap the wizards in hallucinations. Therefore, the wizards¡¯ actions appeared entirely natural. It had to be said, this method was quite ingenious. Under this influence, the wizards¡¯ actions exhibited no anomalies; even their close companions couldn¡¯t spot a flaw. Moreover, these clever Mayflies had even set up a check. This made the wizards lower their guard, even if they knew of the parasitic Mayflies¡¯ existence. Mysterious, cunning, and unpredictable, the Galaxy Mayflies exhibited capabilities that truly matched the word "civilized." The Snake King advanced deep into the fortress through the passage, while Richard headed straight for the fortress¡¯s warehouse. The Military Department had always been very balanced when preparing supplies. This distribution model allowed the fortress to cope with various emergencies but also led it to a peculiar state. That was a shortage of materials on one hand and an excess on the other, only fit for storage. The surplus in the warehouse included many dangerous goods. If utilized by these Mayflies, the fortress might not be defendable. Buzz! Another strong spiritual shock came. The Holy Light on Richard¡¯s body brightened slightly, dissipating the attack into nothing, while his gaze instantly locked onto the source of the attack. Bang! Richard¡¯s figure suddenly appeared behind a wizard, the World Tree staff whistling through the air and instantly smashing the wizard¡¯s head. However, before Richard could continue moving forward, the Snake King¡¯s voice suddenly rang in his ear. "Sir, that Rico you mentioned seems to be controlled by these Mayflies." ... Rico felt numb all over. He had merely taken a nap due to slacking off; how could such powerful Mayflies invade? Looking at the Mayfly subspecies before him, stretching like a dragon, Rico felt the most dangerous moment of the war had arrived. He could feel that this Mayfly subspecies had broken some kind of barrier. Without the aid of the White Wizard Army, it would take only a few seconds for this Mayfly subspecies to kill him. "Sir, the legion¡¯s enhancement is in place." Behind him, a few old wizards from the legion formed an array he couldn¡¯t understand. The array was even three-dimensional. It was a military formation he had never seen before, and he had no idea where these old wizards had learned it. But no matter, since the enhancement was in place, all that remained was to kill these Mayflies, or at the very least, expel them. With his inner monologue over, Rico, watching the Snake King, suddenly swelled in size, transforming into a three-meter-tall giant. Under the enhancement of the Mayflies, both Rico¡¯s spiritual power and magic power reached new heights. The magic power he expended was replenished through the Energy Network by the Mayflies, and the spiritual power he consumed could also be replenished through a mental network. While enhancing Rico, these Mayflies were also taking action themselves. At this moment, the fortress¡¯s complex terrain was no longer a hindrance to the Mayflies; it even became their aid. Thud, thud, thud... Rico¡¯s giant-like body flickered densely with runes. He charged toward the Snake King, unstoppable, like a charging tank. During this process, Rico¡¯s arm transformed dramatically in mid-air. His muscles flowed, his bones proliferated, and in the blink of an eye, his right arm turned into a massive hammer. And the runes on his body transformed into several Rune Arrays, enhancing his transformed arm like they would enhance a piece of Magic Equipment. Boom! Rico swung the hammer forcefully, the brilliance of the runes carrying immense power. With a thunderous roar, it all crashed down on the Snake King¡¯s head. The Snake King reeled from the blow, the tremendous force dazing him¡ªbut only dazing him. The scales on his forehead sparkled with a faint golden light, a groove within the light slowly recovering. Rico¡¯s powerful blow hadn¡¯t even crushed the Snake King¡¯s scales. The Snake King, with his tongue flickering and eyes shining like the sun, stared intently at Rico. "Spare his life." Richard¡¯s response brought a human-like smile to the Snake King¡¯s face. The next moment, a fine rustling sound traveled through the tunnels and reached the ears of several Mayflies. "What¡¯s going on?" A hint of unease flashed through the Mayflies¡¯ minds. Just now, some nodes in their psychic network had suddenly disappeared. This meant that their comrades had died. And before they died, they had left a baffling message in the psychic network. "Snakes! So many snakes!" The Mayflies were baffled by this message, fully aware of what snakes were. But the entire Galaxy World had been transformed into a battlefield by wizards, and all Magic Beasts had been eradicated¡ªhow could there be snakes? Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ... Like a tide, a horde of snakes emerged from the scales at the tail of the Snake King, slithering through the fortress¡¯s passages in search of the hiding Parasitic Mayflies. This was one of the abilities the Snake King had developed after transcending human limits, being able to mimic a horde of snakes with its flesh. These snakes were all species once ruled by the Snake King in the Poison Swamp. In terms of toxicity, each snake was an exceptional Biological Weapon. Moreover, these venomous snakes had inherited the Snake King¡¯s Physique, which rendered common spells practically ineffective against them. Even when the Parasitic Mayflies controlled wizards to cast spells in retaliation, the tidal swarm of snakes rapidly overwhelmed them. Richard flew over the heads of the swarm of snakes, not considering Rico being controlled a big deal. Or rather, Richard had anticipated this. Rico had been usurped by the Mayflies in the shadows, so him being controlled by them wasn¡¯t exactly a surprise. Boom! Richard kicked open an enchanted metal door. Immediately afterward, he saw several wizards moving materials in a warehouse. Without a word, Richard flashed forward, his Magic Wand in hand, bearing the force of mountains, and smashed several wizards into flesh mud. After handing over the Mountain Heart Rune to the Golden Gear Society and under the guidance of an old wizard, Richard had optimized the Rune Array on the World Tree Staff, significantly enhancing the effects of the Mountain Heart. Now, wielding the staff at full power, its strength even reached the Ten Thousand Energy Level. Regular wizards couldn¡¯t withstand it. Glancing at the materials they were moving, a cold sweat broke out on Richard¡¯s back. "Why does the Military Department send down everything?" The materials being moved by these Aliens were called Sun God¡¯s Wrath, a highly volatile Alchemy Potion that could cause a thousand-level explosion with just a vial¡¯s worth. The wizards were moving five large containers of Sun God¡¯s Wrath. If these were placed properly, the entire main structure of the fortress would be destroyed. Richard took these containers and then made a round through the entire warehouse. During this time, he killed several wizards who tried to ambush him. Unfortunately, in the face of absolute power, even ambushes left Richard unharmed. Having secured the warehouse, Richard then flew toward the top of the fortress. If nothing went wrong, a swarm of Mayflies was probably speeding toward the fortress now. He had to organize the Fire Lizard Warriors to briefly delay them. As long as he could wait until the War Airships sent by the Battle Zone Command Center arrived, even if the fortress couldn¡¯t be held, he could still escape with them. If he could hold it, the merit of defending the fortress would be recorded in his book of military achievements. Military merits were critically important. Upon reaching the top platform of the fortress, Richard saw a dense swarm of Mayflies quickly approaching. "Wow, there¡¯s really a lot of them." Eyeing the swiftly approaching swarm of Mayflies, Richard immediately activated the Radiant Giant Battle Body. The swarm consisted of roughly six hundred thousand Mayflies, including only three Mayfly Generals. The Mayflies were separated by different subspecies and generals but were subtly connected to each other. The dark mass approached like a locust swarm, reminiscent of a sandstorm. Ulysses opened a Secret Realm Rift beside Richard, and Fire Lizard Warriors surged out, their eyes shining brilliantly like Melter. "To the cannons, intercept the enemy." Richard¡¯s voice echoed at the fortress¡¯s top, and the Fire Lizards with frenzied smiles quickly manned the cannons atop the fortress. Before joining the war, Richard had trained these Fire Lizard Warriors in the use of Alchemy Weapons for a period. After all, they were entering a battlefield where wizards were defenders, and with the Military Department¡¯s resources, there was no shortage of Alchemy Weapons. The Fire Lizards numbered only five hundred, so only two hundred fifty cannons could be manned. But that was enough to clean up any stragglers. Ulysses and Richard both took to the sky, Ulysses¡¯ body aflame with blue-black Flames, his massive figure making the five-meter-tall Richard look rather petite. "Ga! This form feels great!" Ulysses crowed joyfully, ringing as clearly as the bell of the Death God. "Don¡¯t get cocky," Richard¡¯s voice rang beside Ulysses¡¯ ear. "Those Mayflies have started to move." The distant Mayflies, noticing these two obstacles, began to slow their approach to the fortress and rapidly changed their formation. In a moment, two shields of Mayflies shielded the core of the swarm. "Let them make their move!" Ulysses declared spiritedly. At this moment, he seemed to revert to the master of crows who had once slaughtered widely on the battlefield of civilization. Before he could finish boasting, he saw the two Mayfly shields open like eyelids, revealing an extremely intricate Mayfly Array to the world. Had Richard seen the Military Department¡¯s records on the Mayfly Arrays, he would undoubtedly recognize that this array was called the Heavenly Vault Vision. And its danger level was marked as deep, meaning extremely dangerous. Chapter 466 - 11: Wizard Hero Medal Chapter 466: Chapter 11: Wizard Hero MedalBattle Zone Command Center of the Third War Zone. The Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s clone, dressed in a black robe, stood at the edge of the map, silently observing the strategic map of the entire Galaxy World hung on the wall. On the map, the Mayfly-controlled areas were sparsely scattered, their traces as elusive as antelopes hanging their horns out of sight. "Sir, this report requires your review." A Three Rings Wizard approached him and handed him a scroll with both hands. The Twilight Great Wizard took the scroll and then opened it to take a glance. In the next instant, the Soul Fire in his eyes suddenly flared up like torches. "A massive spread of Parasitic Mayflies? What¡¯s going on!" Faced with the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s question, the nearby Three Rings Wizard spoke up with some difficulty, "Sir, according to a Black Wizard squad¡¯s intelligence, Fortress 192 has experienced a Mayfly parasite infestation, and everyone within the fortress has been parasitized, except for the Commander. The Black Wizard who passed through their location has spread the parasite to other fortresses." "Useless!" After hearing his subordinate¡¯s report, the Twilight Great Wizard immediately burst into anger. The Soul Fire in his eyes almost set his head ablaze. A single fortress being completely infected was not a significant matter; after all, the number of fortresses wiped out by the Mayflies these past few months was not small. But being the source of the infection and spreading the Parasitic Mayflies to several other fortresses was enough to make the Twilight Great Wizard quite enraged. The logistics command had just rejected his request for reinforcements, only approving five out of the ten requested legions of ten thousand troops each. Without the Star Realm¡¯s control of the skies, a shortage of troops meant that any fortress, if undermanned, could be vulnerable to a Mayfly breach. Such an incident at this time meant that he was even more hard-pressed for troops. Could it be that the turning point in the Galaxy World¡¯s war fronts was to start from his Third War Zone? "Has the situation been confirmed?" "Yes, sir, after verification, a total of twelve fortresses have issues, with the number of individuals parasitized..." The subordinate hesitated for a moment, and the Twilight Great Wizard, as if he were a living person, took a deep breath. "How many?" "The total number is estimated to reach thirty thousand." Hearing this news, the Twilight Great Wizard only felt darkness before his eyes. He was already facing a shortfall of fifty thousand troops, and now with this debacle, the gap had skyrocketed by an additional eighty thousand. "Can they be saved?" the Twilight Great Wizard asked with some difficulty. "Very difficult," the subordinate reported honestly, "Apart from some wizards who have just been parasitized and the Undead Wizards who have fully transformed, the rest must have their brains destroyed to be removed," "What about converting all to Undead?" "Sir, we don¡¯t have enough materials." The Twilight Great Wizard raised his voice, "Then file an application! These thirty thousand wizards must be saved at all costs!" The subordinate silently took note of the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s order and then continued, "There¡¯s another issue. Fortress 192 has been completely parasitized. According to our intelligence, a vast swarm of Mayflies is currently besieging the fortress..." "Stop!" The Twilight Great Wizard suddenly interrupted. "You just said that Fortress 192 has been completely parasitized; how could there be any resistance against the Mayfly attack?" "Because an operative provided support to Fortress 192," the subordinate¡¯s voice held a hint of awe, "According to this operative, the situation inside Fortress 192 has been brought under control. The main problem now is the Mayflies attacking from outside. We now need to make a decision on whether to hold Fortress 192 or..." "Keep it!" the Twilight Great Wizard stated decisively, "Since the fortress is still in our hands, we cannot afford to lose it under any circumstances. Fortress 192 is too close to the Teleportation Gate, and we must not give it up." After saying this, the Twilight Great Wizard paused for a moment and then continued, "Can we establish communication now? I want to personally communicate with that operative." "We temporarily can¡¯t establish communication; the operative is currently in a combat situation." "Then send a message!" the Soul Fire in the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s eyes flared up again, "Tell him that as long as he holds on until reinforcements arrive and has not completely lost the fortress, I will award him a Wizard Star!" Upon hearing the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s promise, the entire command room fell silent for a moment. The Wizard Star Medal, also known as the Wizard Hero Medal, is second only to the Golden Star Medal among all the honors officially bestowed by the Wizard World. Those who are awarded this medal can enjoy a significant discount when exchanging merits for resources, applicable to all projects, meaning even Great Wizard advancement qualifications could enjoy a sixty percent discount. Moreover, the medal bearer is entitled to the treatment of a First Level operative. A First Level operative¡¯s authority is almost equivalent to a vice-minister, that is, a Great Wizard. In critical moments, a First Level operative even has the right to command other operatives, bypassing the command center, which is nearly equivalent to a Three Rings Wizard in ordinary Plane Wars. However, unlike the latter, this authority allows command over even Three Rings Wizards. Finally, and most importantly, a bearer of this medal will draw the attention of the Wizard World Origin¡¯s will. If the wizard displayed adequate abilities, the Wizard World Origin might even proactively infuse them with the Origin¡¯s power, enabling them to become an auxiliary World Guardian. In other words, this was equivalent to a risk-free promotion to Great Wizard. But to earn such honor, one must overcome challenges that are far beyond the ordinary. A single person defending a fortress must face enemies that are almost insurmountable, while simultaneously rooting out enemies hidden within the fortress walls. The difficulty of this task is akin to mortals trying to ascend to the heavens. "Yes, sir, I will notify them immediately." The subordinate performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute to the Great Wizard of Dusk and quickly exited the Command Room. The Great Wizard of Dusk returned to the map, looked at the markings on it, and muttered to himself, "What exactly do these mayflies want to do?" ... Fortress No. 192, where thunder, as fine as a fishing net, blocked swarming mayflies like a sandstorm outside. The black-and-blue flames on Ulysses¡¯s body had grown somewhat dim, and an imposing layer of Holy Light covered him completely. In his belly, a horrific wound continued to drip with fresh blood. A foreign entity was steadily corroding Ulysses¡¯s body, such that even someone as formidable as Ulysses couldn¡¯t spare the effort to deal with it. Beside him, like a giant, Richard constantly wielded his Thunder Whip. The Chain Lightning from the Alchemy Gun Towers, under his skilled manipulation, formed a vast Thunder Net, completely blocking the path of the mayflies. The mayflies tried to change their route of invasion, but the top of the fortress was the most vulnerable point. If they were to assault the walls, the thick Enchanted Composite Bricks, along with the carefully prepared Protection Magic Array by the Fortress Wizard, would teach the mayflies what an iron wall truly looked like. Of course, all of this was predicated on the disruption from Richard and his companion. Without anyone to stop them, an army of 600,000 mayflies could create a hole in the fortress walls in mere minutes. Given a day or two, they could level the entire fortress. "These mayflies sure have a lot of tricks up their sleeves." With a powerful flap of his wings, Ulysses¡¯s massive figure instantly vanished beneath the curtain of battle. A Light Spear pierced through the space where he had been just as he disappeared into the curtain. During this battle, he had avoided a number of such snipes by using this technique. The tactics of the mayfly army were clear; two mayfly generals led 200,000 mayflies each as shields, providing cover for the remaining 200,000 mayflies while persistently harassing Richard and Ulysses. The 200,000 mayflies they covered evolved into a terrifying biological weapon. The barrage of powerful attacks forced Richard and Ulysses to remain fully vigilant. The moment they dared to let their guard down, the swarm of mayflies would deliver a Light Spear without hesitation, ending their lives and futures. "No matter how many tricks they have, it¡¯s useless." Richard¡¯s body suddenly erupted with Divine Light, and like a shooting star, a radiant arrow emerged from the Void, hitting the bullseye at the center of the Divine Light. The Divine Shield, a Divine Art, summoned a sphere of Divine Light to use as a shield to protect against physical and energy attacks. Frankly speaking, that Richard and his companion had held on until now was largely due to the merit of Divine Arts. 600,000 mayflies were not something they could resist with their strength alone. They were merely stalling for time, relying on the Power of Faith they had accumulated over the years. Although they didn¡¯t know what the Wizard Star Medal promised by the Great Wizard of Dusk actually was, as the overall Commander of the Third War Zone, he certainly wouldn¡¯t offer anything substandard. Power of Faith, once depleted, could be accumulated again, but missed opportunities were truly gone. Just when the two were barely holding on, suddenly, three meteors appeared in the Heavenly Vault. Upon seeing this, Richard felt a chill in his heart. They were already barely coping with the 600,000 mayfly army. If another force were to join the fray, they would truly have to flee. But then, a mammoth creature emerged from the top exit of the fortress. "Those parasites have all been taken care of by me." The Snake King, flicking his tongue, watched the mayfly swarm in the sky, a flash of caution in his eyes. The number of mayflies was enough to pose a threat to him. "Ha ha, old Snake, you¡¯ve finally come out!" Ulysses emerged from the curtain, just in time to see the Snake King appear from the fortress. "Richard, we will create an opportunity for you to deliver the beheading strike!" Although Ulysses and the Snake King were stronger than Richard, expertise lay in specialization. In terms of beheading mayflies, their elaborate techniques were no match for Richard¡¯s simple and unadorned Radiant Concentration. The complete Radiation Rule endowed Richard with abilities beyond those of third-level creatures. The Snake King, without wasting words, had already noticed the three supporting meteors in the Heavenly Vault. Within each of these meteors were 100,000 mayflies. If they were allowed to join forces with the mayfly army, it was time for them to run. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A soft golden glow suddenly emanated from the Snake King¡¯s body, as his entire serpent form became like it was cast from gold. He twisted his body, and his gigantic form, several tens of meters long, soared into the sky in a manner that defied the laws of physics. The golden light on the Snake King grew more resplendent, nullifying any light that touched him. He looked at the mayfly army, proud like a Giant Dragon returned from ancient times. A chilly voice reached Richard¡¯s ears; it was the Snake King speaking. "Get ready, I¡¯m about to clear the path for you!" Chapter 467 - 12: The Cruelty of the Battlefield Chapter 467: Chapter 12: The Cruelty of the BattlefieldSu had always considered itself to be a lucky mayfly. It was born in a Class A hatchery, and those hatched from there were naturally stronger than other mayflies, both in physique and in spirit. And among the three thousand mayflies hatched with it, it was the strongest. Some elders in the tribe speculated that it might be the offspring of a general, with the general¡¯s blood flowing through its veins. Although the Galaxy Mayflies didn¡¯t care much about lineage, whether it was the offspring of a general or a common mayfly, they were all sifted in the same pool. The Galaxy Priests would divide these mayfly eggs by life energy into different classes, with the strongest entering Class A, those just meeting the standard entering Class C, and those not meeting the standards would be thrown into the "Class D" hatchery, which was just the lakes in the wild, left to fend for themselves. But the mayfly general¡¯s bloodline still brought it tremendous benefits. It always got the best food, learned the most knowledge, and when it came to mating, it could always choose the most beautiful female mayfly. Amidst smooth sailing, it reached adulthood. It began to follow the great King of Mayfly in battles across different worlds. Battles in otherworlds were extremely dangerous, often out of a hundred mayflies only one or two would survive to the end. But it always survived, and its strength continued to grow. It rose from the lowest rank of ordinary mayfly, gradually to become a Mayfly Captain and became a Mayfly General ten years ago. Unconsciously, it had grown to the point where it could sit on an equal footing with those who had given it its bloodline. This success along the way led to some changes in its thinking. Its kin worshiped death, willing to give up their lives without hesitation for the great goal of the Supreme Lake. But it was different. It wanted to live. It wanted to become the King of Mayfly, or even a part of the Supreme Lake! A thing called ambition spread in its heart and took root firmly like dodder. Therefore, it came to this battlefield. The King of Mayfly¡¯s guards told it that this war was extremely dangerous, yet full of opportunities. If it could survive on this battlefield, becoming the King of Mayfly wasn¡¯t impossible. At that time, Su thought, so what if it¡¯s dangerous? Every battlefield they had been to was extremely dangerous. The aliens were either cunning and ferocious, or ferocious and cunning, but it had survived all well. And thrived. It believed that this time it would survive again... until it encountered the two monsters before it. It had never seen aliens like these two monsters before. The one that resembled a bird controlled flames that could burn through their carefully prepared defenses. And that Wizard, glowing with fluorescence, single-handedly did what it would take their entire combat colony to accomplish. They had assembled six combat colonies, with five thousand parasitic tribespeople inside the fortress restraining their power. They should¡¯ve been unstoppable! But now, they were being held back. Fortunately, all of that was about to end. Su glanced at the sky, over the three supporting meteors, and its gaze stretched toward the boundless heavenly vault. Although it couldn¡¯t see, it knew that within the Star Realm, conquering a miniature world in the past required only one Expedition Nest, but now there were a dozen or more. The Dominator of Mayflies from the Supreme Lake was also watching this place. They must win this war! With a thought, Su sent a command instantly through the psychic network to the entire battle colony. The massive mayfly colony began to transform, all elites among mayflies, swiftly changing formation, which had almost become instinctual for them. Although a giant snake had emerged from the fortress below, Su didn¡¯t pay it much attention. It was just a snake after all, at most a general. Even if it was an uncrowned king, also... Boom! A tremendous sound made Su¡¯s body tremble. The snake it disregarded had actually broken through the absolute defense array! "Intercept formation!" Su snapped out of the shock and calmly issued orders. A series of commands had the mayfly colony change formation in an instant. It might have been very lucky, but its abilities were even stronger! However, it saw a hint of mockery on that giant snake¡¯s face. It seemed as if the snake was mocking it for struggling at the brink of death. What had it overlooked? Suddenly, a figure glowing with fluorescence stepped on the back of the giant snake and flew toward it. Then, a beautiful light that it had never seen before engulfed its figure. All its ambitions turned to nothingness in that moment. "Got one!" Richard shouted, and in an instant, he targeted another one of the two remaining colonies. But at this moment, the remaining two combat colonies had already contracted their formations. Layers of mayflies and robust energy barriers made one think twice about approaching. "Gagagaga, insects, accept your fate!" Ulysses¡¯s figure suddenly emerged from the void, the black flames on its body now indistinguishable from the Holy Light. A pillar of fire wrapped in Holy Light instantly ignited the mayflies¡¯ barrier. And the Snake King, seizing the opportunity, struck the external defense of the mayfly colony with its tail. For a creature like the Snake King, which had broken through the physical limits of third-level creatures, physical attacks were much more useful than energy attacks! Bang! After Ulysses had weakened the outer layer of mayflies, the Snake King¡¯s tail created an opening. The inner mayflies failed to close the gap in time. The next moment, a dazzling aurora shot through the opening, piercing the mayfly swarm. Unfortunately, Richard¡¯s attack was partly dodged by the Mayfly General; half of its body remained intact. The Mayfly General¡¯s gaze pierced through the myriad mayflies, locking eyes with Richard. But in the eyes of the Mayfly General, Richard did not see fear, but rather a touch of fanaticism. A shiver of horror flashed through Richard¡¯s heart. "Retreat quickly! It¡¯s going to self-destruct!" As he spoke, he tried to open the Secret Realm Rift, but on the other side, another swarm of mayflies, as if telepathically connected, fired a light spear that turned the Secret Realm Rift into a swirling vortex. Moreover, the mayfly swarm under the intact Mayfly General chose the same strategy. Boom! The skies of the Galaxy World witnessed the rise of a new sun after many years! And several hundred kilometers away, a War Airship en route to Fortress 192 detected the scene. "...Mayfly self-destruction." The White Wizard Commander, looking at the distant "sun," silently pulled down the hood of his Wizard Robe and performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute toward the sun. "Inform the Command Center, Mayfly self-destruction at Fortress 192, core power estimated at 100,000 energy level, Agent Richard... sacrificed." The power of 100,000 energy levels is enough to turn any creature below the World Master into nothingness. "Yes, sir." ... Above Fortress 192, a charred sphere hung silently in the air. Suddenly, chunks of char fell from the black sphere, revealing the equally charred bones inside. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Sir, I need to return now." The weakened voice of the Snake King sounded in Richard¡¯s ears, who, just moments ago, had coiled itself into a ball to protect Richard in the center. Richard, somewhat taken aback, looked at the nearly skeletal Snake King and quickly opened the Secret Realm Rift. "Hurry and get inside! Go straight back and have the Holy Tree Elf infuse you with Life Energy!" Seeing Richard¡¯s slightly flustered appearance, the Snake King flicked its tongue and weakly chuckled, "My lord need not panic, I won¡¯t die. My rule is life itself." Ulysses emerged from the Void, looked at the state of the Snake King, and with a flap of its wings, it cut off the major part of the Snake King¡¯s body. "These remains are already dead, no use keeping them on to hinder." With that said, Ulysses grabbed the Snake King¡¯s head with its Crow Claws, and with a flash, rushed into the Secret Realm. Above the Heavenly Vault, those three mayfly meteors supporting from afar, upon seeing the self-destruction, changed their course to avoid being accidentally injured by the blast¡¯s aftermath. Yet their landing positions remained near Fortress 192. It wouldn¡¯t be long before these mayflies began their siege. Richard stood somewhat dazed on the spot, the mayflies¡¯ unwavering self-destruction had deeply shaken him. Was this the enemy they had to face? Inexhaustible tactics, baffling abilities of sub-species, and a resolution that embraced death. Was this the cruelty of a civilized battlefield? However, Richard didn¡¯t stay dazed for long. After all, this was a battlefield, and to remain dazed for too long was undoubtedly a death sentence. He landed on top of the fortress, only to see that the alchemy gun towers on top of the fortress had completely melted, and his Fire Lizard Warriors were reduced to char. This battle had cost him dearly... Suddenly, Richard crouched down, took out a Magic Potion from his pocket, and fed it to the nearest Fire Lizard. This was a Life Recovery Potion, which could temporarily save life and accelerate recovery from injuries. As the potion took effect, the Fire Lizard Warrior miraculously opened its eyes. "Cough cough cough!" The Fire Lizard Warrior coughed up a clump of black blood, then slowly sat up. Richard swept over the Fire Lizard Warrior with his spiritual power, discovering that aside from the damage to its skin and muscles, there were no other major injuries. The protection of the biological metal plates meant that the Fire Lizard Warrior¡¯s internal organs had only suffered some shock damage. With the Fire Lizard¡¯s recovery ability, it would heal in just a couple of days. Tears almost burst from Richard¡¯s excited eyes. "This transformation wasn¡¯t in vain!" Those Fire Lizards were his treasures; if they had all died, even if the Great Wizard at twilight awarded him the Golden Star Medal, he would still be at a loss. Repeating the process, Richard checked all the remaining Fire Lizard Warriors. Not a single Fire Lizard Warrior had died, even a Company Commander was only feigning death and wasn¡¯t even unconscious. Without delay, Richard immediately flew into the fortress, found two cases of Life Recovery Potions in the warehouse, and brought them to the top of the fortress. With the help of the potions, all the Fire Lizard Warriors awoke from their comas, and even the second Company Commander, under immense pressure, broke the shackles of life and became a third-level creature. An unexpected joy indeed. After sending all the Fire Lizards into the Secret Realm, Richard took out his issued Communication Crystal Ball as he watched the swarm of mayflies rapidly approaching the fortress. "Battle Zone Command Center, this is Agent Richard. Fortress 192 has encountered a Mayfly explosion, and we have suffered heavy losses. If support does not arrive within an hour, I will have to abandon Fortress 192." After reporting the situation, Richard found that there was no response from the other side of the Crystal Ball. "Is the Crystal Ball broken?" Richard took a close look at the Crystal Ball and found that it was not malfunctioning. Just as Richard wondered, suddenly a cold, aged voice came through the Crystal Ball. "Agent Richard, this is Twilight; your support will arrive soon." As soon as he had spoken, the space above Richard¡¯s head began to distort, followed by a burst of white light appearing out of nowhere. As the light faded, an Undead Wizard cloaked in black robes suddenly appeared in the sky. Chapter 468 - 13: The New Mission Chapter 468: Chapter 13: The New MissionThe Twilight Great Wizard looked at the approaching mayfly swarm in the distance, and with a slight lift of his finger, he halted them in place. The mayfly swarm was fixed in the air like insects in amber, the air itself seemed to become a sticky resin at that moment. Then, he flicked his finger ever so slightly. A tiny black dot suddenly appeared amongst the mayfly swarm. The next moment, a dark light flashed, and the swarm of three hundred thousand mayflies, like stones, fell from the sky, devoid of any sign of life. Having dealt with the mayflies, the Twilight Great Wizard landed next to Richard, eyeing him with great interest. Richard felt quite unsettled under his gaze, sensing that the Twilight Great Wizard wasn¡¯t looking at him as another wizard, but rather as an experimental subject. "Are you Richard?" "Yes, my lord." The Twilight Great Wizard nodded slightly. He glanced at the fortress, and with a sweep of his right hand, a wizard whose bones were all shattered flew from the fortress¡¯s top entrance to his side. "Is this the commander of Fortress Number One-Ninety-Two?" "Yes, my lord." The Twilight Great Wizard nodded again and then opened a rift, tossing Rico into it. Afterward, he turned his head toward Richard. "Your performance was commendable. Although I¡¯m curious how you survived the mayfly self-destruction, there¡¯s no doubt that you¡¯ve preserved Fortress Number One-Ninety-Two. Your abilities merit recognition. You¡¯ve earned this medal." Saying so, the Twilight Great Wizard took out a pentagram medal from his sleeve. At the center of the medal was an engraved silver sword. Richard bowed his head, accepting the medal with both hands. Though he was unsure of its purpose, he presumed it was something valuable. After awarding the medal, the Twilight Great Wizard looked up at the sky. His gaze pierced through the World Barrier and met with another profound gaze from within the mountainous Expedition Nest. For a long time, he withdrew his gaze. Richard looked at the Twilight Great Wizard, confused, as he saw nothing in the sky. The Twilight Great Wizard said nothing more and simply stood quietly beside Richard. Two hours later, an airship even larger than the Military Department¡¯s war airship arrived above Fortress Number One-Ninety-Two. A commander descended from the airship and saluted the Twilight Great Wizard with a Wizard¡¯s Salute. "Operator Geauf salutes you, Supreme Commander, my lord." The Twilight Great Wizard nodded slightly, "Fortress Number One-Ninety-Two is now under your command. Let¡¯s avoid another situation where an entire fortress is infested." "Yes!" The Twilight Great Wizard placed his hand on Richard¡¯s shoulder, and soon Richard felt the world spinning around him. Minutes later, he appeared in a large hall. The Twilight Great Wizard released his hand and spoke to Richard, "I feel that using your abilities for mere reconnaissance is a waste. This is the logistics hall of the war zone; you may coordinate a supply batch on your own. Your new mission is to guard Fortress Number Three-Eight-Four. The fortress has suffered severe losses due to mayfly attacks and the infestation. However, I truly have no extra wizards to spare, so the task must fall to you." With that, he patted Richard¡¯s shoulder. "Do well. After this war, I will apply for you, striving to get you into the rear forces completely prepared for advancement to Great Wizard." Though the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s voice lacked emotion, his words were profoundly encouraging. Moving away from the battlefield of civilization, fully preparing for the promotion to Great Wizard was not a privilege afforded to ordinary wizards. Though it was merely a promise, even on paper, it seemed compelling. Upon hearing this, Richard immediately offered a respectful Wizard¡¯s Salute. "Yes, my lord!" The Twilight Great Wizard disappeared, and Richard approached the hall¡¯s service window to inquire about the supply coordination process. But the serving wizard replied with a smile, "The Master is someone brought in by the Supreme Commander; what need is there for formalities? Here is a list, and all you need to do is select your supplies. As for the process, we will take care of it." The enthusiasm of the logistics wizard was a bit overwhelming for Richard, but he didn¡¯t insist on formalities. Taking the logistics wizard¡¯s crystal ball, Richard was soon astounded by the overwhelming amount of supplies. He was shocked at both the abundance of supplies prepared by the Military Department and at the quantity of useless things they had assembled. The list made it seem as though the military had moved their entire warehouse over. "Why did the Military Department prepare so much useless stuff?" Richard couldn¡¯t help but complain. "Ah, it can¡¯t be helped," the logistics wizard beside him sighed, "This is our first time facing the mayfly¡¯s main forces, and the higher-ups don¡¯t know what is useful and what is not. One of the purposes of this war is to quickly experiment and establish a viable war strategy. But honestly, all these useless supplies are indeed a waste of warehouse space." Though the logistics wizard¡¯s complaint seemed mundane, Richard sensed a different implication in his words. He ventured, "Are you saying that this war is an experiment? Then, could it be..." Richard didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but the wizard who replied had certainly understood what he meant. He straightened his face and asserted righteously, "No, we can definitely win this war." Sometimes, the most credible information is that which has been denied. Richard had been searching the list for a long time when he indeed found something rather unusual. "Plate resonant amplification device?" Richard had heard that when Wizards went on expeditions, they would occasionally destroy some worlds that were too difficult to conquer. Besides the method of destruction used by Garon the Great Wizard, who employed the use of a Thirteenth-Ring Forbidden Spell, there were a few other methods of annihilation. Among them, a weapon known as the Weapon of the End of Days was the most notorious. This weapon could generate shock waves that would shatter continental plates, thereby bringing about the end of a world. According to Wizards who had witnessed this means, after using the Weapon of the End of Days, the land of the entire world would tear apart, creating towering waves in the oceans and turning the mountains on the land into rubble. The intense shock waves almost turned every living being in the world into a mist of blood. Looking at the plate resonant amplification device on the list, Richard was certain of his thoughts. The Wizards had prepared for failure, and this world could potentially be sacrificed. However, Richard didn¡¯t feel anything improper about this decision. If the world were left to the Mayflies, it would be equivalent to the Mayflies gaining strength while the Wizards weakened¡ªsuch a losing trade was definitely not something Wizards would want to make. After pouring over the list for quite some time, Richard selected many Alchemy Weapons. In addition, he made an extra request. "You¡¯re asking your teacher to send over a batch of Alien Slaves?" The logistic Wizard felt he might have misheard, as Alien Slaves were good for cannon fodder. But at present, even custom-made Synthetic Beasts were better than these Alien Slaves. Custom-made Synthetic Beasts were far more adaptable to the battlefield than ordinary Alien Slaves. "Correct," Richard nodded. The logistic Wizard hesitated and said, "Your request is beyond my authority. I need to report this to my superiors." With that, the logistic Wizard took out a Communication Crystal Ball and relayed Richard¡¯s request. Shortly thereafter, he handed the crystal ball to Richard. "Master, the Dusk Great Wizard requires an explanation from you." Richard took the crystal ball, his tone steady as he replied, "My lord, without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook. Without enough soldiers, it¡¯s impossible to hold the fortress. Alien Slaves can also operate Alchemy Gun Towers, and the Spells fired by Magic Stone Cannons controlled by Alien Slaves are not inferior to those of Wizards." On the other end of the crystal ball, the Dusk Great Wizard was silent for a moment. "That¡¯s a good idea. Your request is granted." After speaking, the Dusk Great Wizard summoned a subordinate. "Draft a report, have logistics send a batch of humanoid Alien Slaves that can understand human speech up here. In addition, add a Third Class Merit to Officer Richard¡¯s record of services." "Yes!" ... With supplies in tow, Richard was escorted on a War Airship to Fortress Number Three Eight Four. The main reasons why a Transmission Array couldn¡¯t be used were twofold. First was the issue of safety. Transmission Arrays were bidirectional; if Wizards could enter other fortresses through Teleportation Gates, then, should a fortress be breached, the Mayflies could also use the Transmission Array to teleport back. The second issue pertained to consumption and disturbances. Using a Transmission Array consumed a lot of Magic Power and caused severe energy fluctuations, unlike Teleportation Gates. Moreover, these energy fluctuations increased with the mass being teleported. If the Transmission Array were used for logistical transportation, it would inevitably expose the location of the storage, and subsequently, the location of the Teleportation Gate. Yes, according to the intelligence currently held by the command, the location of the Teleportation Gate had not yet been grasped by the Galaxy Mayflies. This was likely one of the reasons why the Galaxy Mayflies were deploying Mayflies everywhere. Thus, after comprehensive consideration, logistics still opted for the most primitive method of transportation. This method wasn¡¯t slow and could even take out any Mayflies encountered along the way, killing two birds with one stone. There were a full five thousand Wizards escorting the logistics transport fleet. These Wizards were the elite of the Military Department, and their Magic Equipment was incredibly luxurious. With the support of War Airships, such a White Wizard Army with this combat capability, even a Fourth Level World Master could withstand for a while. Richard, sitting in the Airship, curiously scrutinized the equipment of the White Wizard beside him. "Friend, is the armor you¡¯re wearing Thunderbolt Exoskeleton Armor?" The addressed Wizard replied respectfully, "I do not know what ¡¯Exoskeleton Armor¡¯ the Master is referring to, but what I am wearing is indeed the Thunderbolt series Alchemy Power Armor." "Alchemy Power Armor? Is that what you call it?" Richard felt the Power Armor and, as an Alchemy Wizard, his experience told him that it was mixed with Pure Gold. The cost was probably twice that of his Curse Wormmechanic Type Single Soldier Armor. "Yes, what I currently use is the Thunderbolt Model Three Alchemy Power Armor. Its armor protection can resist Spells of up to seven thousand Energy Levels and physical attacks of four thousand Energy Levels. However, its advantage is not in protection but in augmentation capabilities. It allows Wizards to move more swiftly and to be stronger, and it also amplifies their spiritual power, thereby expanding the scope of spiritual exploration, detection strength, and enhancing some spiritual Spells. I believe the Master understands what this implies." Richard nodded slightly, knowing that such amplification not only strengthened the combat power of Wizards but could also make this White Wizard Army as organized as the Galaxy Mayflies. No, even stronger. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Looking at the Alchemy Power Armor on the Wizard¡¯s body, an idea suddenly crossed Richard¡¯s mind. If he integrated this spiritual amplification device into his Single Soldier Armor, could he use the Fire Lizard Battle Group to replicate a White Wizard Army? Chapter 469 - 14 Taking Office at the Fortress Chapter 469: Chapter 14 Taking Office at the FortressThe White Wizard Army¡¯s strength lies in two aspects, first is the strong lethality provided by the Magic Concentrated Fire, and the second is the strong survival ability provided by the cooperative spellcasting. Through cooperative spellcasting, the elite White Wizard Army could even survive under the hands of the World Master. But cooperative spellcasting required extremely precise coordination. A slight deviation could greatly weaken the effects of the cooperative spellcasting. Ordinary White Wizard Army units would generally just use Magic Concentrated Fire. Using cooperative spellcasting, they would at most use a Legion Shield. However, this device for strengthening spiritual power showed Richard a way to circumvent this difficulty. Through amplification of spiritual power, he could control the energy of the entire Fire Lizard Battle Group by himself. Such a method, in a normal White Wizard Army, was a waste. Although the amplification indeed allowed wizards to handle more energy, it also made them lose the ability to control it delicately. This was like suddenly cramming a One Ring Wizard¡¯s soul into a Three Rings Wizard¡¯s body. A One Ring Wizard would only be able to awkwardly manipulate a Three Rings Wizard¡¯s body and precise control like a Three Rings Wizard was simply not possible. Without the assistance of other wizards, a Three Rings Wizard couldn¡¯t possibly perform Legion Witchcraft. But Richard was different, he had radiation control bestowed upon him by the Radiation Rule. He could use this to compensate for his deficiencies in precise control. While still very difficult, it had now become possible for a Three Rings Wizard to perform Legion Witchcraft. Having confirmed his thoughts, Richard turned to a wizard beside him and asked, "Can these Alchemy Power Armors be exchanged for battle achievements?" In the list given by the logistics, Richard had not seen these Alchemy Power Armors. "Of course, Master," the addressed wizard smiled, "Master, if you wish, you can apply for an Alchemy Power Armor from logistics right now. With Master¡¯s battle achievements, exchanging for a set of Alchemy Power Armor should be more than enough. However, Master, you would have to wait for a while since Alchemy Power Armors are custom-made. Master, when applying, you will need to submit your body data and any spells that might affect the armor. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Alchemy Master in logistics will tailor a suit of armor based on your data, Master, and add some unique auxiliary functions." Saying this, the wizard spread his fingers, revealing a very sophisticated Alchemy Array in his palm. "I just installed an Alchemy Array to assist me in combat." Richard nodded in surprise. The Military Department¡¯s approach to Power Armor was different from his. He was focusing on mass production, while the Military Department focused on quality. Between these two approaches, the former was more suitable for large-scale warfare, while the latter was more suitable for combat operations and small-scale battles. However, the Military Department clearly had no intention of popularizing Alchemy Power Armor, which presented an opportunity for him. Richard could be certain that in the not-so-distant future, Alchemy Power Armor would become a mainstream magical equipment on the battlefield. Due to the retreat of the magic tide, fewer wizards would be born in the Wizard World. This meant that wizards were becoming increasingly precious. In the future, it might be likely that a wizard would command a large group of Alien Slaves or Synthetic Beasts to fight against Galaxy Mayflies. At that time, the quality of the Alien Slaves would be particularly important. A set of Alchemy Power Armor could greatly enhance the combat capability of an Alien Slave, and with just a bit of training, their combat effectiveness on the battlefield could actually be on par with that of wizards. "After this war, the matter of the Alien Slave Legion should probably be brought to the table of the Truth Council," Richard thought to himself. Although this was a special case, it couldn¡¯t be denied that the number of wizards was indeed a big issue. The Military Department¡¯s Combat Wizards totaled about six million. While this number was sufficient for a Plane War, it was still insufficient for a civilization war. "Ah, if only we could delay a couple of thousand years, the Wizard World would definitely not have the problems it does now." ... About twenty kilometers from Fortress 394, Richard used his Eagle Vision Skill to watch the fortress being attacked by a swarm of Red Mayflies, raising his eyebrows slightly. Fortress 384 was located on a chokepoint in the Carol Mountain Range, controlling the only pass through the Carol Mountain Range. Although for Mayflies, flying directly over the mountain range wasn¡¯t impossible. But the average altitude of the Carol Mountains was five thousand meters, with some areas even exceeding eight thousand meters. Whenever flying altitudes exceeded three thousand meters, the concentration of free Wind Elements in the unit space would rapidly increase. Even a slight disturbance could cause a gale. While a brief gale wouldn¡¯t harm beings like wizards or Galaxy Mayflies in the short term, such disturbances would be sufficient for the wizards¡¯ detection devices to pick up. Thus, Fortress 394 had become a nail that the Galaxy Mayflies must remove to cross through the Carol Mountain Range. That was also the primary reason for the severe losses at Fortress 394. "About two hundred thousand, not bad." Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift and temporarily moved the material-packed disposable spatial boxes into the realm. "My friend, would you open the door for me?" Richard asked the wizard next to him. Upon hearing Richard¡¯s request, the escorting wizard was momentarily taken aback. "What are you planning? We¡¯ll be arriving in two minutes." Richard smiled, "I plan to leave a deep impression on my new subordinates. Hurry, hurry, hurry." Squeak, squeak, squeak... Richard, standing amidst the open hatch below him, clutched the World Tree Magic Wand and flew towards the besieging mayfly swarm like a meteor. Fortress 394, with acting Commander Mila, was struggling to maintain its defenses. Since the fortress was located at a narrow pass, Fortress 394 was somewhat different from ordinary fortresses. Unlike ordinary fortresses with four main castles, Fortress 394 had only two sub-castles. These sub-castles connected to the main castle, forming a triangle that tightly blocked the pass like a stopper. This design allowed for tight interception when mayflies attempted to forcefully cross through the pass. However, this design became futile in the face of staff shortages. Mila had no choice but to gather as many wizards as possible in the main castle, relying on concentrated firepower to ensure the fortress was not breached. As for the mayflies that got through? Let them be, as long as the fortress remained intact. Yet even so, with the commander fallen, she still struggled to defend against the onslaught of the Galaxy Mayflies. The swarm of mayflies, like a giant net, completely covered the sky above the fortress. The rain-like energy beams pushed every Alchemy Gun Tower¡¯s Magic Barrier to its critical range, ready to overload at any moment. Once the Magic Barrier overloaded... Boom! An Alchemy Gun Tower erupted into a burst of pale blue light, its Magic Barrier finally overloaded from excessive attacks and collapsed. Subsequently, descending energy beams melted the wizards operating the tower, along with the tower itself. Without the protection of the Magic Barrier, the wizards¡¯ own Energy Barriers couldn¡¯t withstand such immense attacks. Noticing the loss of the Alchemy Gun Tower, Mila¡¯s head instantly burst into intense steam. The spells of the Alchemy Gun Towers each had their uses, interlinked with one another. If one tower was destroyed, she had to adjust the coordination of the entire fortress¡¯s rooftop gun towers. Such calculations were challenging even for a Three Rings Wizard, and all the more difficult for Mila, a Second Ring Wizard. Had it not been for her being a wizard of the Soul School, her brain would have been boiling by now. But before she could issue orders, several more explosions followed. Three more Alchemy Gun Towers were destroyed. This nearly brought her to tears. She, a minor wizard who had only fought in three Plane Wars, how did she end up as the acting commander now? Suddenly, Mila noticed that the mayflies¡¯ attack had decreased sharply. Looking up, she saw a brilliant aurora piercing through the mayflies¡¯ defenses, turning the heavily protected Mayfly General into nothingness. Following that, a giant wrapped in thunder, facing a tide-like attack, charged into the mayfly swarm. In an instant, the thunder from the ground tower was drawn by the giant, and a vast Thunder Net instantly enveloped and trapped the mayflies. Thunderous booms echoed! A squadron of War Airships emerged from behind the giant, three of which cast Thunder Nets, effectively trapping the escaping mayflies. Thousands of White Wizards surged out of the airships, their movements synchronized as they swung their Magic Wands as one entity. The next moment, an invisible storm swept up the now leaderless mayfly swarm in an instant. Crimson limbs and fluids fell from the sky, like a bloody rain. After cleaning up the remnants, the logistics team didn¡¯t stop at Fortress 394¡ªRichard was their cargo, and with Richard¡¯s arrival, they naturally didn¡¯t need to stay anymore. Richard stood at the top of the fortress waving goodbye to the fleet, then turned to face Mila beside him. "You¡¯re the acting commander?" "Yes, Sir." "Good, first show me around the fortress. The command from headquarters should have arrived, I am your new Commander, Richard." Looking at the wizard in a black robe before her, Mila¡¯s heart pounded fiercely. Wizards always revered the strong, and even White Wizards were no exception. But upon hearing Richard declare himself as the commander, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. "Sir, you are the commander?" Mila looked at Richard¡¯s black robe; wizards do not mix robes. Richard wearing a black robe meant he was a Black Wizard. A Black Wizard as their commander? "Of course," Richard smiled, "Headquarters has no extra forces for you, so they just sent me to hold on. My combat ability is quite good, barely enough for a small group of White Wizards." Recalling Richard¡¯s recent display of overwhelming strength, Mila swallowed hard. This combat prowess was more than just ¡¯quite good.¡¯ Singlehandedly causing the entire mayfly swarm to collapse, such power almost equated to a one-man army. But... since Richard was not a White Wizard, her role as the acting commander seemed destined to last a bit longer. Being worlds apart, a Black Wizard without systematic training, commanding a White Wizard Army, would surely lead to chaos. Thinking this, Mila¡¯s expression instantly fell. "Come, Sir, let me first show you around the fortress¡¯s armaments." Chapter 470 - 15: Specialization in a Professional Field Chapter 470: Chapter 15: Specialization in a Professional FieldFortress 394 was not in good shape, something Richard knew before he arrived. But what he hadn¡¯t anticipated was just how dire the situation at the fortress actually was. Despite its critical position in the Carol Mountain Range pass, which ordinarily warranted an additional thousand soldiers, the current garrison of Fortress 394 only totaled two thousand men. Among them, there were only forty-two Second Ring Wizards, the most experienced of whom had only fought in five Plane Wars. As for Mila, acting as the temporary commander, she had only seen three Plane Wars herself. Most of her time had been spent as part of the garrison troops, quelling resistance forces in the Otherworld. With such a scant number of soldiers, even a legend like Delis would have to abandon the fortress. The numbers were too few; there wasn¡¯t even enough manpower to operate all the Alchemy Gun Towers. Fortunately, Richard was not only a formidable Black Wizard; he himself was an army on the move. In the warehouse, Richard looked over the remaining reserves and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Though the garrison numbers were disappointing, the stores of Fortress 394 were exceptionally well-stocked. Moreover, due to the previous commander¡¯s requests, the fortress¡¯s warehouse held a large quantity of Alchemy Potions. These potions were all incredibly powerful explosives, seemingly intended by the former commander to set off a spectacular firework display as a funeral for the fortress should it fall. Regrettably, after a soul-crushing attack by a mayfly swarm, he had been shipped off to the headquarters¡¯ hospital for treatment. He would not live to see his fireworks. However, those reserves were quite the boon for Richard, who had taken over. The Magic Power properties of these Alchemy Potions were incredibly stable, which meant mayflies¡¯ keen perception of energy was ineffective against them. Realizing this, the former commander had stockpiled such an amount of Alchemy Explosives. Therefore, these explosives were excellent materials for setting traps. A simple Elemental Spell of the Wind Element and an Optical Invisibility Enchantment were all that was needed, and these Alchemy Explosives would transform into Deception Mines, creating a minefield high in the skies. Of course, Richard didn¡¯t expect these devices to cause much harm to the mayfly swarms. Their primary function was as alerting alarms. According to intelligence from the command center, a significant portion of the Galaxy Mayfly subspecies possessed the capabilities for both optical and mental invisibility. Adding to the fact that mayflies were masters of manipulating energy, these creatures were formidable in stealth attacks. Currently, the fortress was severely understaffed and lacking suitable Reconnaissance Wizards, so they would have to make do with the Deception Mines for the time being. In addition to the explosives, the warehouse contained a vast array of alchemy materials. These were used to repair the fortress and, in times of parts shortages, enable Alchemy Wizards to conjure parts for maintaining the alchemical equipment within the fortress. Naturally, once Richard arrived, these items would not simply gather dust in storage. The materials were comprehensive, and a fair share of them possessed exceptional qualities. When given to Fire Lizard Craftsmen, they could upgrade the Single Soldier Armor of Fire Lizard Warriors and produce some handy tools to aid the Wizards. Although there was a hint of self-interest in this endeavor, the Fire Lizard Warriors were indeed integral to the fortress¡¯s defense. After familiarizing himself with the foundational state of the fortress, Richard planned to modify the defense layout of the fortress. The positioning of the Alchemy Gun Towers was currently quite haphazard. As slave reinforcements from the command center would not arrive at the fortress in the short term, the fortress continued to suffer from a shortage of hands. The original layout of the gun towers was designed to enable the two sub-castles and the Main Castle to conduct a linked defense, but with the current situation demanding that the two sub-castles be temporarily abandoned, this layout had become inappropriate. Although not a White Wizard, Richard was a bona fide Alchemy Master and a Master of Plastic Energy. He definitely had his own ideas about the layout of the Alchemy Gun Towers. Standing atop the fortress, Richard surveyed the mountain ranges on either side and an idea struck him. "Mila, what if we were to establish positions inside the mountains on both sides?" By carving out enough shooting chambers along the rock walls on both flanks to support the main castle¡¯s gun towers, they could form a thunderous barrier in the skies. "My lord, that certainly is a strategy," Mila well understood the art of communication, so she refrained from outright dismissing Richard¡¯s suggestion. After all, Richard was the fortress¡¯s commander, and angering him meant sending all the fortress¡¯s wizards plummeting into the abyss of death. "But there is a slight issue with that approach, my lord; we¡¯re not facing enemies from just one side. If you deploy the gun towers on one side, covering the other side with sufficient firepower in time should a mayfly appear would be difficult. Moreover, the construction of such an arrangement is problematic. Building shooting chambers would inevitably require Enchantment, otherwise a mere strike from the mayflies could destroy our positions. And our current gun towers are not equipped with flying capabilities." Mila¡¯s words left Richard stunned. Indeed, they weren¡¯t defending a rear position; in the Star River World, there simply was no rear to speak of. Anywhere could be a potential point of enemy emergence. He hadn¡¯t even considered construction enchantment. "What are your thoughts on the arrangement of the gun towers?" Richard asked Mila. As a Black Wizard, he admittedly lacked expertise on the frontline. "My lord, my suggestion is to make no move," Mila replied respectfully. "We only need to withdraw the turrets from those two sub-castles. At present, this is the best defensive state for our number of people." "This number of people?" Richard activated the Secret Realm Rift, "No, no, no, there are not only you wizards defending. I have some additional help here." As soon as the Secret Realm Rift was opened, a dark light flew out from it. "Gaah, what¡¯s happened now?" Ulysses came out, immediately engulfed in roaring blue-black flames. The terrifying pressure turned Mila¡¯s face pale as she stood by Richard¡¯s side. She watched Ulysses, thinking in shock: "Is this the magic pet of Master Richard? Such a fearsome creature, which Great Wizard¡¯s student is this master?" "Calm down, Ulysses, there are no enemies." Ulysses glanced around, and the flames on his body dissipated suddenly, and his beast-like form also changed back to that of an ordinary crow. He looked around curiously and asked, "Have you arrived at the place?" Richard shook his head: "The Great Wizard of Twilight gave me a new task, to guard a fortress. This is Mila, my secretary for the upcoming period." Ulysses glanced at Mila, his eyes slightly brightening. "Do you have a Soul Talent?" Upon hearing Ulysses¡¯s question, Mila quickly replied, "Yes, my lord, I possess a Soul Talent called Super-speed Calculation." Hearing Mila¡¯s response, Richard was slightly surprised; he had not expected that the young Soul Wizard beside him would have a Soul Talent like his. And most likely, Mila¡¯s Talent was innate. "Impressive ability, very suitable for the battlefield." Ulysses took an interested look at Mila before turning around and flying back into the Secret Realm. Since Richard did not require assistance, then the Snake King was more pressing. He had been helping to stabilize the Snake King¡¯s injuries during this time. The self-destruction of the Mayfly swarm had caused tremendous damage to the Snake King. For the next three to four years, it was highly unlikely for the Snake King to return to its previous state. However, finding fortune amid disaster, the Snake King planned to use this opportunity to reshape its body using its Talent Ability. Subspecies Giant Dragons like the Snake King possess a Metamorphosis Talent similar to one Richard had once had. With enough collection of powerful Bloodline essence, the Snake King could strengthen its own body through a shedding. With its body now virtually destroyed, it intended to use this ability to directly reshape a new body. This was a delicate task, the first of its kind for the Snake King. Therefore, it needed the guidance of Ulysses, the World Master well-versed in recovery¡ªfrom his years of extensive body reshaping experience. Seeing Ulysses¡¯s hasty departure, Richard did not deliberately interrupt him. He entered the Secret Realm and led out the Fire Lizard Warriors who had already regained their mobility. Although the combat strength of Holy Tree Elves was not high, their healing abilities were second to none. With the help of the World Mushroom¡¯s power, the Fire Lizard Warriors¡¯ severe injuries recovered in just over a day to the point where they could move. As Mila watched the continuous stream of Second Level Aliens walking out of the Secret Realm Rift, she unconsciously held her breath, her energy fluctuations beginning to withdraw. The fierce aura emanating from these Fire Lizards triggered her instincts. As a wizard who had spent years in the rear clearing resistance forces, Mila had a keen perception of the strength of Aliens. She was certain that she would need to flee if just five of these Fire Lizards attacked her together. And if there were the ones wearing Alchemy Power Armor, even three would be enough to prevent her from escaping. You must understand, she was an elite among the Second Ring Wizards; otherwise, she would not have been temporarily chosen to take command among the remaining Second Ring Wizards. "What does the master need so many Alien Slaves armed for?" Mila couldn¡¯t help but complain inwardly. Being around Alien Slaves made her feel uncomfortable all over. Richard glanced at Mila and said indifferently, "These Fire Lizards will help us in defending. If everything goes as planned, the reinforcements from headquarters will likely be these Aliens. You¡¯ll need to get used to them." Mila¡¯s aversion to Fire Lizards was all too evident. "Using Aliens as reinforcements?" Mila couldn¡¯t help but retort angrily, "This isn¡¯t an offensive operation; what use are Alien Slaves? They¡¯re not even qualified to be cannon fodder... Of course, your Aliens are an exception, master." Richard patted Mila¡¯s shoulder: "It¡¯s simple, because even slaves can operate Alchemy Gun Towers. Moreover, the Spells they cast are no worse than those of wizards." After hearing this, Mila fell silent for a moment and then said reluctantly, "My lord, I will draft a plan. I¡¯ll have to..." "You¡¯re mistaken," Richard interrupted, "these Fire Lizards are not my slaves; they are my soldiers. They are different from those slaves." Richard¡¯s tone of correction was very serious, leaving Mila no room for further questions as she hurriedly changed her wording: "Alright, my lord. Since your soldiers can operate gun towers, then I plan to pull some White Wizards away from the gun towers to form a fire-fighting team. The reason for this is..." "You don¡¯t need to explain so much, Mila," Richard interrupted again, "I am a layman in matters of war. You White Wizards understand it better than I do. Just proceed with your ideas." Finding the right people to do the right work was a necessary skill for a qualified leader. Hearing these words, Mila internally sighed, recognizing she would have to do the work herself, but she also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good for everyone that Richard wasn¡¯t meddling unnecessarily. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yes, Commander." Chapter 471 - 16 Mayfly Gem Chapter 471: Chapter 16 Mayfly GemUnder Mila¡¯s arrangements, work at the fortress began to proceed in an organized fashion. The damaged turrets were replaced, the destroyed ground repaired, the wounded Wizards treated ¨C everything was orderly. Richard, the theoretical Commander, looked upon this orderly scene with an odd thought springing to mind ¨C he was an outsider. To this thought, Richard offered a faint smile before tossing it aside. As long as one followed commands, being an outsider didn¡¯t matter. He was just a temporary Commander, not the true leader of this troop. Once the Wizard World mobilized, there would surely be a new White Wizard to replace him. Entering the interior of the fortress, Richard entered the Command Room and began using the Monitoring Arrays around the fortress to surveil everything around it. Commanders of the White Wizard Army are known for their multi-tasking prowess. Apart from daily decisions, a Commander¡¯s superior strength also means far surpassing the average Wizard in certain tasks. Thus, the important duty of battlefield surveillance fell upon the shoulders of the Commander. Of course, under normal circumstances, a Commander would appoint several subordinates as their staff to assist with, or simply take over, this duty. But now, with the whole fortress short-handed, he had no choice but to earnestly shoulder his responsibilities. In the darkness of the room, crystal balls projected the scenes captured by their corresponding Monitoring Magic Arrays, all guided by Richard¡¯s thoughts. These projections were each incredibly mundane and boring. Due to scorched earth tactics, the entire mountain range had been stripped of vegetation, and caves had been collapsed. Animals that once lived in the mountains had either relocated or been exterminated. The once vibrant mountain range now lay barren, as desolate as a desert. But this was all a necessary sacrifice... at least in the eyes of Wizards. After some time, the door to the Command Room was pushed open, and Mila, who had finished arranging various tasks, entered the room. "Hmm, Mila, at last you¡¯ve come," Richard said, as he rose from his chair, giving up his seat. "You keep an eye on things here for a while; I need to study something," he instructed. "My lord, please go ahead with your business. I used to watch the images before," Mila responded. "Thank you, it¡¯s been hard on you," Richard acknowledged. Leaving the Command Room, Richard did not proceed to the Commander¡¯s private rest area, but instead, he went directly into the Secret Realm. Within the Secret Realm, the Snake King was discussing plans for body reconstruction with Ulysses. Voluntarily reconstructing one¡¯s body was a delicate task. The Snake King needed to integrate the collected Bloodlines, then plan his bodily structure, determine each system, each organ¡¯s functions... among other details. Reconstructing a body was not like creating a Synthetic Beast ¨C every problem had to be considered. Even for Ulysses, it wasn¡¯t until he had recovered to the strength of third-level creatures that his body construction began to refine. Before that, Ulysses had to replace his body every so often. Richard approached the two, taking out a Crystal Ball with the intention of recording the process. This discussion was undoubtedly a repository of precious knowledge. "Well, let¡¯s leave it at that for now," Ulysses said, halting their discussion shortly after Richard had arrived. By then, he and the Snake King had roughly planned the direction for the new body. What remained was to execute the plan, reconstruct the body, and then gradually refine the details. Richard, somewhat reluctantly, stopped recording. Discussions like this were rare. The knowledge contained within was derived from the experiences of two formidable beings. It was knowledge that could be directly applied. "Why have you run off to the Secret Realm?" Ulysses turned and asked. Richard spread his hands: "As a Black Wizard, I¡¯m completely out of my depth on the front lines. Except for the Mayfly attack, I might be of some use, but otherwise, I¡¯ll let those White Wizards busy themselves." "That¡¯s true," Ulysses nodded slightly, "Though you could learn some of that too. Chances to infiltrate behind enemy lines may be rare for you in the future." Ulysses had learned about the situation in the Wizard World from Richard. According to his estimates, if this battle didn¡¯t turn out well, Wizard Civilization could enter a substantial period of defense. Wizards are not wanting for resources; many of the worlds occupied by Wizard Civilization have only been developed superficially. Most of the mines, in order to keep the market steady, have been sealed off. Even if they were to spend extravagantly, these mines could sustain Wizard Civilization for an epoch. So, rather than taking the initiative to attack, it was more likely that Wizard Civilization would opt for defense. When the End of Magic Era concludes, and the tide of Magic Power returns, that would be the most appropriate time for Wizards to counterattack. Of course, if the Galaxy Mayfly civilization proved too incapable, Wizard Civilization certainly wouldn¡¯t mind taking a big bite out of the spoils. Richard agreed with Ulysses¡¯ suggestion but had more pressing matters at hand. "We can leave learning for later. For now, let¡¯s focus on these things," he said. With that, Richard took out the pocket that Rico had given him earlier. Opening the pocket, he poured out an oddly shaped crystal ball and those gemstones that seemed to have been refined from Mayfly corpses. "Take a look at what¡¯s inside this Crystal Ball." Richard handed the Crystal Ball to Ulysses, who received it and used his spiritual power to access the information inside. Soon, he spoke with some surprise, "These bugs are quite imaginative. The technology inside should be fine, but I¡¯d question its effect. These bugs have buried a Mind Suggestion inside the Crystal Ball. Once you come in contact with the information here, you¡¯ll unconsciously want to share it with others." Ulysses¡¯ words made Richard break out in a cold sweat. Had Ulysses not stopped him in time, he might have fallen prey to the suggestion. The Galaxy Mayflies must want this technology to spread because it helps them achieve certain goals. Given the abilities of these Mayflies, Richard guessed that the gemstone could most likely enhance the Mayflies¡¯ mind control. "These bugs are cunning indeed," Richard remarked with a slight sigh. In the conquest of Otherworlds by Wizards, brute force breaks all spells. Any cunning plans and tricks would be as frail as paper tigers before the Magic Concentrated Fire of the White Wizard Army. As long as progress is steady, even if the natives have a temporary advantage, they would eventually be annihilated by Wizards. But these Galaxy Mayflies were different. "Just a little trick," said Ulysses dismissively, "Any wise man among you Wizards could see through it. It won¡¯t affect the grand scheme. Let¡¯s look at these gemstones first." Richard and Ulysses each took a Mayfly Gemstone and began to determine the nature of the stones based on their own experience. At Richard¡¯s end, with the measurement of many instruments, the basic properties of the gemstone were quickly understood. Overall, the gemstone could indeed be called a fine alchemy material. Its physical data suggested it was more like plastic than a gemstone. And the spiritual protection it was claimed to provide did indeed function as such. At first glance, there seemed to be no problem with the gemstone. Soon after, however, Ulysses discovered something peculiar. "This thing has an interesting protection against Spiritual Shock." Holding the Mayfly Gemstone, he continually probed with his spiritual power. Suddenly, the Mayfly Gemstone became cloudy, and from within, an intense Spiritual Shock burst forth. In an instant, all the Holy Tree Elves in the Secret Realm felt a sense of dizziness, while the Fire Lizard Craftsmen vigilantly turned their eyes toward Richard¡¯s direction. "Such a strong Spiritual Shock." Richard watched the Mayfly Gemstone in astonishment; by now, it had returned to its original pale green color. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But its interior was filled with fluffy, willow-like matter, rendering it murky. "This thing is useless now," Ulysses said, discarding the gemstone, "A one-time use object, probably just to trick you." Richard picked up the discarded Mayfly Gemstone and promptly started to inquire about the details of Ulysses¡¯ experiment. While recording the data, Richard quickly noticed something was amiss. "Unless the gemstone itself contains a Magic Model, the Spiritual Output you described and the power you described are not proportional." If Ulysses¡¯ output was merely that of a hand grenade, then the Spiritual Shock from the gemstone was like a shell. "The data is correct; I¡¯m sure of it." Richard closed his notebook, a hint of excitement on his face. "Then we¡¯ve probably found something novel." If he could find the cause of the amplification of the Spiritual Shock, he could use these gemstones to create devices similar to the Alchemy Power Armor he had seen on the Airship, which included a spiritual power amplification device¡ªand it would be extremely cheap. For Richard, and indeed for all Wizards, this would be a significant enhancement. If such devices were made common among Wizards, then Three Rings Wizards could use these devices to command Alien armies and conduct Legion Magic¡¯s concentrated fire. But after the excitement, Richard soon calmed down. The Galaxy Mayflies, as creators of these gemstones, had surely studied them for thousands of years before the Wizards. If the property was real, the Galaxy Mayflies must have discovered it long ago, knowing its strengths and weaknesses well. Although the Galaxy Mayflies didn¡¯t know much about Wizards, they must have realized that Wizards are a race of Spiritual Evolution. If the Mayfly Gemstone truly had the ability for continuous amplification of spiritual power, they wouldn¡¯t let the Mayflies spread them. Unless the gemstones lacked such capability, or this feature could be exploited. Richard regarded the Mayfly Gemstone in his hand; under the sunlight, the pale green gemstone glowed with a gentle luster. "Forget it," Richard shook his head, casting aside the tangled thoughts in his mind, "My approach to research has become increasingly utilitarian. That¡¯s not a good sign. Driven by utilitarianism, one can only be blinded. Better to be pure. This thing¡¯s nature is quite interesting; it¡¯s worth researching." Chapter 472 - 17 Battlefield Life Chapter 472: Chapter 17 Battlefield LifeThe appearance of the Mayfly Gem gave this war a new significance for Richard. The process to create the Mayfly Gem was not complicated¡ªit only required collecting enough Mayfly corpses and extracting the body fluids from them. Then, the fluids were concentrated, solidified, and finally, Star Power was introduced to elevate their form. Even a One Ring Wizard could complete this whole process effortlessly. However, Richard noticed something peculiar about the Alchemy Array used to create these gems. The final elevation process used in the array was not complex, but the technology provided by the Mayflies involved a three-dimensional Alchemy Array. This behavior was very much like a reverse technology adaptation, where the technology of one civilization was manipulated to display through the tech of another. This led Richard to a speculation. These Mayflies were not without something akin to Alchemy Machines; it was just that for some reason, these devices had not been deployed into the Star River World until now. And the Mayflies now being deployed were like stones thrown to test the road. Richard reported this discovery to the command center; they affirmed his findings but did not award him any additional military honors. It seemed that the command center had already known about this technology possessed by the Galaxy Mayflies. On the third day of Richard¡¯s arrival at Fortress 394, he faced his first Mayfly attack since taking over as the Fortress Commander. Boom! The sound of an explosion in the distance instantly put the fortress¡¯s wizards on alert. Five kilometers from the fortress, a red firework exploded in the sky, and then one after another, new fireworks burst forth seemingly out of nowhere. Standing at the edge of the fortress, Richard watched the distant fireworks and muttered to himself, "It seems the Deception Mines are effective." These fireworks were Alchemy Explosives mixed with various metal fragments by Richard, divided into small portions and placed inside a special metal container. On the metal containers, Fire Lizard Craftsmen had engraved optical camouflage patterns and simple triggering devices using Giant Dragon Alchemy. These specially crafted Deception Mines were levitated in the air by the wizards using a spell called the Wind Ring. This spell was very enduring, and since the Deception Mines were not heavy, a single cast could keep them afloat for twelve hours. Moreover, there was no energy fluctuation after the spell had been cast. If it were not for its lack of killing power, this spell would have been absolutely the best trap spell to use against the Galaxy Mayflies. The explosion of the Deception Mines gave the wizards time to react. Over a thousand wizards orderly entered the gun emplacements, ready to counter the incoming Mayflies. But this time was different; aside from having a formidable commander, Fortress 394 also had a group of Fire Lizard Warriors as their comrades. As the wizards took their positions, they began to establish the Mind Network. Honestly, this was Mila¡¯s first time using a Mind Link on aliens. In the past, she had mostly used Mind Control, Spiritual Shock, or Soul Storm on them. This was her first time using a Mind Link, and she was unsure if it would be successful. Though it felt irresponsible to think it, Mila still hoped there would be issues with the Mind Link, keeping the aliens isolated from the Mind Network. Once connected to the Mind Network, their inner thoughts would be transmitted through it. Mila could not imagine how many curses and insults would flood the Mind Network if these aliens, with their hatred for wizards, were connected. But reality dashed her expectations¡ªthe Mind Network successfully connected with the Fire Lizards. To Mila¡¯s surprise, the mental network of the Fire Lizards was extremely quiet. There were no curses, no insults, and no obsequious flattery either. Their mental network was like a black hole, without any thoughts leaking out. "Can you hear the commands?" Mila couldn¡¯t help but ask. She had never encountered such a situation before; these Fire Lizards seemed not to be living beings but mechanical puppets disguised as aliens. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "We can hear you," replied a Company Commander. After the response, the Mind Network returned to its eerie silence. Mila controlled her impulse to criticize these aliens. Although the response of the Fire Lizard Warriors was somewhat abnormal, it was good enough that they could hear the commands. Soon, the Mayfly Army approached. This was a swarm of emerald-green Mayfly Subspecies, numbering at least two hundred thousand. Their bodies, like emeralds, scattered a faint scent into the air as they flew. Richard commanded through the Mind Network, "Hold your breath, activate the defenses, there¡¯s poisonous gas in the air." He activated his Energy Vision and saw a misty layer of energy in the air, like an emerald river, slowly but unstoppably flowing towards the fortress. Richard¡¯s commands were quickly responded to; the wizards started their Magic Barriers and held their breath. The Fire Lizards¡¯ eyes suddenly brightened¡ªa sign they were actively stimulating their Dragon Blood. Richard stood amidst the emerald sea, neither holding his breath nor conjuring an Energy Barrier. On the contrary, his body suddenly swelled, pulling in the emerald energy mist like rivers flowing into the sea. This energy fog was nothing more than a mixture of special energy and some toxic substances. For Richard, neither was effective against him. His formidable physique and his control over radiation made this energy fog excellent nourishment for his body. The fortress¡¯s wizards saw their new commander swelling as if inflated. The movement of the energy in the air indicated that the toxic mist they needed to defend against was being continuously absorbed by Richard. "Is this toxic energy ineffective against him?" a Shaping Wizard wondered in shock. "Very strong!" "Is this the power of a top Black Wizard?" Cries of astonishment echoed through the mind link, but only the Fire Lizard¡¯s mind network remained silent. They were all too aware of the strength of their leader. During the Fire Lizard Battle Group¡¯s training, Hog often acted as a sparring partner. Hog¡¯s robust physique allowed him to easily handle a team of Fire Lizards. And yet, such a formidable Hog appeared like a mere pet in Richard¡¯s hands. They had witnessed Richard honing his skills and testing his spells in the Secret Realm. Those terrifying scenes had profoundly intimidated every member of the Fire Lizard Battle Group. Initially, they had thought it was a display of intimidation, but later they discovered, it was merely Richard¡¯s daily routine. These individuals had no need for Richard to intimidate them. As the Mayfly Army drew closer, Richard gestured, and immediately a thousand bolts of thunder streaked across the sky. The silver lightning nearly illuminated half the sky. Links of lightning connected with each other, weaving an insurmountable net of thunder in the air. Confronted with this, the Mayfly Army instantly deployed a defensive formation. Layer upon layer of Mayfly structures firmly protected the Mayfly General at its center. It was a very prudent strategy, evidently, this Mayfly General was an experienced veteran. Separated by layers of Mayflies, and towering like a giant, Richard locked eyes with the Mayfly General. In that gaze, the Mayfly General saw a hint of mockery in Richard¡¯s eyes. The next moment, a pitch-black beast, ablaze with black flames, emerged from the Void and viciously tore a piece from the Mayfly Ball formed by the Mayfly Army. Simultaneously, the Wizards replaced by Fire Lizards on the fortress swung their Magic Wands. Under Mila¡¯s command, a downscaled Legion Magic appeared in the sky. "Cloud Piercing Arrow!" In the next instant, a frenzied Wind Element followed the giant gap torn by Ulysses, ripping the Mayflies attempting to fill in into shreds. At the same time, a brilliant aurora followed the Cloud Piercing Arrow, piercing through the core of the Mayfly swarm. Richard, standing opposite the Mayfly swarm, slowly drew back his outstretched fist. He didn¡¯t bother with the remaining Mayflies; such small fries were not his concern. The Wizards at the fortress were stunned as they watched Richard slowly land. Although they had already witnessed Richard beheading once, such a clean and efficient battle still left them appreciating the elegance of his skill. Precise coordination, concise and effective methods, the starkly different combat styles of Black Wizards and White Wizards had astonishingly converged in one battle, in one Wizard. This gave many present Wizards a feeling, perhaps, this was the future combat mode for Wizards. After beheading the Mayfly General, the remaining Mayflies retreated under the command of the Mayfly Captain, heading back in the direction they had come from. The Wizards pursued victoriously, reducing the Mayfly Army, which originally numbered two hundred thousand, to nearly one hundred thousand. The Mayflies were veterans in battle. After their General was beheaded, their retreat was orderly and their coordination flawless. This phenomenon gave the pursuing Wizards a jolt. The elite nature of the Mayflies was not good news. They only hoped that these Mayflies were elites forged in the battlegrounds and not veteran Mayflies deployed by others. Otherwise, they could only pray that the Wizard World regained air control over the Star Realm as soon as possible. ... Reinforcements from headquarters arrived at Fortress 394 one month after Richard¡¯s arrival, totaling five hundred Wizards and ten thousand slaves. These slaves were a humanoid species named by the Wizards as devil-pigmen, who were taller than regular people but with lower intelligence. Through simple brainwashing, the devil-pigmen had become loyal slaves to the Wizards. With plenty of slaves, Fortress 394 immediately became as secure as Fort Knox. Mayfly swarms numbering less than four hundred thousand dared not assault the fortress, only daring to traverse the mountains for movement. As time passed day by day, Richard gradually became familiar with and adapted to the civilized battlefield. In one year, Richard had encountered over ten subspecies of Mayflies. Some were powerful in combat, some had bizarre abilities, and some were incredibly cunning. Under their rigorous challenges, Richard gradually mastered the conventional battlefield. Now, even the White Wizard Army, Richard could briefly command. Boom! A huge Light Spear pierced the Mayflies¡¯ defense, and immediately afterward, a dazzling aurora followed the breach in the Mayflya??s defense, reducing the core Mayfly General to nothingness. Seeing this, the remaining two Mayfly Generals immediately began to regroup their forces for retreat. With the loss of their General¡¯s command, the Mayflies did not panic; they orderly joined the nearby Mayfly Army, and those who couldn¡¯t join initiated suicide attacks on the Wizards. Within three minutes, the invading Mayflies had securely retreated out of Fortress 394¡¯s attack range. Richard stood in the air, watching the retreating Mayflies, a trace of solemnity flashing across his face. These Mayflies were becoming increasingly seasoned. Chapter 473 - 18 Strategic Contraction Chapter 473: Chapter 18 Strategic ContractionRichard landed on the ground and resumed his normal appearance. Just in time, Mila stepped forward and draped a Wizard Robe over him. Such battles had taken place dozens of times over the course of the year. Every wizard at the Fortress was intimately familiar with the procedure. "Mila, the mayflies have grown stronger again." Richard, watching as the mayflies vanished from his sight, revealed a solemn expression in his eyes. The maturation of the Galaxy Mayflies was both a good and a bad thing for the wizards. On the positive side, the elite nature of the Galaxy Mayflies possibly indicated that their cannon fodder had been completely deployed. What they were facing now were the elites; eliminating these mayflies was where the real weakening of the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ strength lay. But the downside was also clear. These elite Galaxy Mayflies would definitely not be sacrificed as cannon fodder. Since the Galaxy Mayflies had committed them to the battlefield, this would inevitably lead to an escalation of the war. The war had been raging for over a year, and yet the World Master Level forces of the Galaxy Mayflies had not shown themselves. If the war escalated, World Master Level Galaxy Mayflies would surely descend upon the Galaxy World. At that time, they, as minor wizards, would have to rely on luck to survive. In battles at the level of a World Master, even the aftermath would be enough to annihilate a Three Rings Wizard. "Sir, you need not trouble yourself with these matters." Mila stood beside Richard, carefully adjusting his Wizard Robe. "As a Three Rings Wizard like you, if the situation in the war escalates, you¡¯ll surely be withdrawn to the rear. The higher-ups sent you to the battlefield to use it as a whetstone. Now that this whetstone has become a Melter, you will surely not stay." Mila possessed a Soul Talent known as Super-speed Calculation, which always enabled her to see the information hidden beneath the surface when analyzing situations. She had witnessed Richard¡¯s combat prowess too many times over the years. Such a formidable Three Rings Wizard would certainly not be the same as these little pawns. If they could survive this war, perhaps they would one day work under Deputy Minister Richard. "That¡¯s not entirely true," Richard said, shaking his head slightly. "Advancement to Great Wizard requires more than just combat ability; spiritual cultivation is also crucial. The kind of wizard I am appears every year in the Wizard World. But have you ever heard that a Great Wizard is born every year in the Wizard World? Besides, the Command Headquarter¡¯s strategy regarding the war on the mayflies is still confusing. It¡¯s hard to determine when the mayflies will launch their general offense. Under such circumstances, even if the command wants me back, they¡¯ll have to wait for these Galaxy Mayflies to cooperate." Mila finished arranging Richard¡¯s Wizard Robe and stood beside him with a lovely presence. She smiled and said, "Sir, we¡¯re just some small pawns¡ªour job is to obey orders. If the mayflies have grown stronger, we¡¯ll figure out a way to deal with them. Worrying about the rest is meaningless to us. Instead of fretting about the big picture, wouldn¡¯t it be better to consider what we should request from logistics? Your Fire Lizard Craftsmen have sent up another list of requests." "Ah?" Richard was somewhat surprised. "Didn¡¯t I just send them a batch of materials? Why are they sending up requests again?" Mila pulled out a notebook from her pocket, flipped through it for a moment, and then looked up to answer Richard: "Sir, you remembered incorrectly. What you provided last time were supplementary materials. The actual supply of materials was given three months ago." "Is that so." Richard scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. "Then just submit their requests. Military Department isn¡¯t short of a bit of this stuff." Upon hearing this, Mila helplessly shook her head, "Sir, though our logistics are well-supplied, they still need to be accounted for. The materials you¡¯ve submitted could rebuild half a sub-castle. If you continue to apply for materials in this manner, you¡¯ll definitely end up in a military court after the war ends when they review the expenses." Richard was impeccable in his defense of the Fortress, but in some of the finer details, his approach was not at all like that of an upcoming Great Wizard and star of the future. Which future star would be as skilled at grabbing wool from logistics as he was? This was clearly something they, well... cough cough, in any event, Richard¡¯s behavior was starting to be excessive. If he doesn¡¯t stop, there would definitely be problems when accounts are settled later. "That so." Richard continued to smile awkwardly, "Then have them rejected and just apply normally. The accounting issues, you¡¯ll have to take the burden and smooth them out for me." Mila nodded. Balancing accounts was an almost essential skill among the wizards of the Military Department. While the wizards in the Military Department had ample resources, many needed to be exchanged for military merits. Their everyday allocations were sufficient but hardly bountiful, especially for White Wizards. Thus, virtually every White Wizard Army would take the opportunity during war to secure some logistical resources to pad their own purse. Such actions fell into a gray area in the army¡¯s regulations¡ªa matter of "not tipping the scales with an ounce, but perhaps tipping with a pound." As long as it wasn¡¯t excessive, no one would inquire too deeply. After all, material consumption in war was an everyday occurrence. So long as the accounts were balanced well and logistics had their explanation, no one really cared about these affairs. Reporting it might result in the loss of some military merits, but unless one became a Great Wizard, they would still have to follow orders in the lower echelons of Military Department. No wizard would be foolish enough to tarnish their reputation over such a trivial amount of merits. Having returned to the Fortress, Richard entered the Command Room as usual to monitor the surrounding environment. But it didn¡¯t take long for his Crystal Ball to light up. "Operator Richard, Third Battle Zone Command Center orders you to abandon Fortress 394 and have all Wizards retreat to Fortress 194." The chill female voice of the Command Center sent a jolt through Richard¡¯s heart. Abandon Fortress 394, was this the makings of a final showdown? Richard didn¡¯t know how much information was concealed behind the Command Center¡¯s orders, but he knew that once the Command Center issued an order, they must carry it out. At the same time, the door to the Command Center was abruptly pushed open, and a flustered Mila hurried into the Command Room. "My lord, you..." "I received it." Richard stood up from his chair, his face grave as he commanded, "Organize the Wizards to dismantle any usable facilities inside the fortress. In half an hour, everyone must evacuate from Fortress 394." "Yes!" Half an hour later, the Wizards who had divvied up the fortress¡¯s equipment gathered at the base of Fortress 394. Thanks to the Command Center¡¯s reinforcements over the past year, the number of Wizards at Fortress 394 had reached three thousand. Aside from these Wizards, the fortress¡¯s magic pigman slaves were also assembled into a formation. As for these slaves, Mila¡¯s thought was to ignore them outright, but Richard felt they still had some use, so he let them enter his Secret Realm. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, this was not his main Secret Realm, but the one he used for deception. With the subsequent entry of the last magic pigman into the Secret Realm, Richard glanced at the map and issued his orders, "Depart!" ... As the full withdrawal from Fortress 394 was underway, the outlying fortresses had already started their retreat. At Fortress 495, Delis looked at the information within the Crystal Ball, and his face couldn¡¯t help but turn solemn. He commanded the White Wizard beside him, "In ten minutes, everyone gather at the fortress gates. Slave equipment, dispose of it as you wish. In ten minutes, we will evacuate the fortress." The White Wizard heard the command, not showing the slightest hesitation. He gave Delis a Wizard¡¯s Salute, then transformed into a whirlwind, rushing out of the Command Room. Delis unfolded the map. Throughout the year, he had established connections with several fortresses surrounding Fortress 495 through various channels. And during that year, three of these fortresses had been breached, all recently, and the intervals between them extremely brief. Taking the Command Center¡¯s retreat orders into account, the implication was self-evident. "The Mayfly¡¯s major offensive is about to begin." He looked at the remaining fortresses on the map. According to his information, the Fortress 395 behind him had already been breached. If he were to retreat into Fortress 195, the safest route would be through Fortress 394 and then proceeding from Fortress 194 towards Fortress 195. "But Fortress 394... The Wizards holding this fortress are unlikely to be any pushovers," Delis murmured as he looked at the location of Fortress 394 on the map. But before he could further ponder his next action, he saw the Crystal Ball suddenly light up, and a panicked voice came through. "My lord, the Mayflies have arrived! This time, there might be as many as eight hundred thousand!" Upon hearing this number, Delis¡¯s pupils abruptly contracted. A second later, he spoke calmly, "Organize the slaves for defense." All Wizards to assemble on the fortress platform. After speaking, Delis put away the map in his hands and in a flash, appeared at the top of the fortress. Watching the swarming Mayflies like a dust storm, he commanded his deputy, "Abandon all turrets, leave ten Wizards to maintain the psychic network. The remaining Wizards, follow me in retreat." Delis¡¯s voice was tranquil, like a serene pool in the mountains. The deputy beside him understood what this command meant. The ten Wizards maintaining the psychic network were certain to be sacrificed. So, he had to find a few who had soul boxes to undertake the task. The deputy quickly reviewed a list in his mind, and soon determined who to choose. "Gian Hood, Balt Rickett, Seth Morley..." He rapidly completed the list of ten names. Most of these Wizards had soul boxes, but three of them did not. Those called out silently stepped forward from the ranks of Wizards, knowing full well what they faced. "You ten will be responsible for maintaining the psychic network of the slaves, and you must delay for as long as possible." The Wizards had already anticipated this command, but the three without soul boxes still went pale. Without soul boxes, death was inevitable. But what of it? Their fate had been sealed the moment they joined the Military Department, or even when they became Wizards. There were always sacrifices to be made on the battlefield. Yet at that moment, Delis suddenly spoke. Chapter 474 - 19: The Major Offensive Chapter 474: Chapter 19: The Major OffensiveHe looked at the three somewhat young wizards, his tone extremely stern, "Is there no one else? Why send these recruits? Do you think their mental fortitude is enough to sustain them through this mission?" As an experienced wizard, Delis certainly wouldn¡¯t soften his heart or pity these young wizards. The only reason he spoke up was because this assignment was incredibly unreasonable. These three recruits, neither had experience nor soul boxes. Sending them on a mission that was sure to be fatal was like gambling. They were betting that these three wizards would stick to their beliefs and exhaust all their efforts to buy them time. But such a possibility was too slight in Delis¡¯s view to even be considered. Once Delis pointed this out, his deputy had no choice but to withdraw the three wizards and replace them with three others. The few who were called up were veteran wizards of the army. Their soul boxes had been triggered twice, and a soul box could at most be used thrice. Beyond that, the wizard¡¯s soul could only be referred to as a residual soul, and their personality would be annihilated. Delis nodded slightly at the new personnel covering the rear. "The command center issued the retreat order five minutes ago. Next, we will retreat to Fortress 394, and then continue to withdraw from there. Now, everyone advance immediately!" "Yes!" ... At Fortress 394, Richard, who was preparing to retreat, suddenly sprang into the air. On the other side of the fortress, a group of wizards was rapidly approaching them. "The wizards who retreated earlier?" Richard didn¡¯t have the time to think longer, immediately beckoning the wizards to fly up to the fortress to hold the enemy back. Behind this group of wizards, a landslide-like Mayfly army was swiftly closing in. The wizards split into three thousand-person arrays in the air, with Richard in the middle, wearing an Alchemy Power Armor utterly different from the single-soldier armor of a Mechanic. He had taken the advice given by the escort wizards from the airship. Although it was the first time Richard had participated in a Military Department war, his battle achievements were actually higher than some of the Three Rings wizards because he had identified the Parasitic Calamity and provided a stable defense idea to the Great Wizard of Twilight. Customizing a set of Alchemy Power Armor only required a thousand battle achievements, a number Richard had by far exceeded, not to mention he also had a wizard hero¡¯s discount. This Thunder Three-Type Alchemy Power Armor had been adapted to Three Rings and also had a radiation-converging device and convenient Alchemy components added per Richard¡¯s requirements. Its functions were utterly comprehensive. In front of this Alchemy Power Armor, Richard¡¯s single-soldier armor seemed as crude as an apprentice¡¯s work, only superior in cost and protection. Within seconds, the spirit network was established, and Richard, looking at the Mayfly Army in the distance, issued the combat order. "Magic Concentrated Fire, Fireball Technique, ready!" "Fire!" With Richard¡¯s command, three thousand wizards simultaneously waved their magic wands. In an instant, three thousand fireballs shot into the sky, drawing elegant arcs before plummeting like meteors into the Mayfly army behind the wizards. Boom, boom, boom! A wall made up of the Fire Element separated the Star River Mayflies from the wizards. But every creature there knew that this wall wouldn¡¯t hold off the Star River Mayfly army. In the next moment, the Mayfly army clustered together and burst through the wall, streaks of light slamming towards the wizards like a rain of arrows or falling stars. Seeing the Mayflies take a defensive stance, Richard, with an unchanged expression, ordered again: "Legion Magic, Fierce Sun Storm ready!" Upon hearing the command, the wizards adjusted their formation slightly. Each wizard acted as an energy node, and a massive Magic Array took shape with them as the foundation. At the center of this array, Richard raised his magic wand high. In his mind, a vast force was swirling around him. Although this massive force was tied with ropes, it needed a stronger constraint to truly subdue it. Suddenly, Richard closed his eyes. As soon as he did so, all the White Wizards could feel that immense spiritual power. Richard¡¯s spiritual power, like a strong leash, firmly controlled that force. Then, he opened his eyes and swung his magic wand. Thousands of fiery gusts surged from behind him, like a horde of snakes, passing over the nearby wizards and forming a crimson storm behind them. Boom! Thousands of Mayflies turned to ashes. Although the Mayfly generals reacted very quickly, adjusting their formation the moment the fiery gusts appeared, unfortunately, the spell was still faster than them. After the Fierce Sun Storm, tens of thousands of Mayflies had been lost. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After the Fierce Sun Storm, Richard didn¡¯t use Legion Witchcraft again. Because at this point, their escort mission was complete. Those wizards who had retreated from the front line were already out of danger. "Well done, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so talented, Richard." A shadow emerged from the Void next to Richard and materialized into a black-robed wizard. Richard looked closely, and it was Delis, the Legendary Wizard of the Four Rings Tower of Truth. "Master Delis, it¡¯s been a long time." Richard was pleasantly surprised to see Delis. He knew of Delis¡¯s strength. With him, Delis, and these retreating White Wizards, even if they encountered a Mayfly Army of a million, they could break through. "It¡¯s only been a year, not too long." Delis gestured to the White Wizards behind him, indicating for them to join Richard¡¯s team. Richard was immediately taken aback when he saw this gesture. "Has the Great Wizard also put you in command at the fortress?" Delis nodded, "Half a year ago, at the fortress I was stationed at, the White Wizard commander was killed by the Mayflies during an operation. The Command Center had no clue what happened and just had me take over his position. "This war is getting stranger by the day, new tactics are hardly understood, and a Black Wizard has become the commander of the White Wizards." Richard scratched his head awkwardly. He seemed to be the first Black Wizard Commander in the Third Battle Zone. His performance had apparently made the Great Wizard at dusk see the feasibility of Black Wizards serving as commanders. "Looking at you, it¡¯s probably the same situation for you." Delis glanced at the White Wizards behind Richard. He had seen quite clearly that the Legion Witchcraft had come from Richard¡¯s hands. Richard smiled and said, "There¡¯s a bit of a difference, but the outcome is the same." With that, he made a gesture and integrated the White Wizards Delis brought with him, immediately beginning to form a new array. The Mayflies chasing from afar numbered only seven or eight hundred thousand, while on their side not only did they have high-end combat power like Richard and Delis, but the White Wizard Army had also expanded to five thousand men. They could totally handle seven or eight hundred thousand Mayflies. But Delis stopped him. "Don¡¯t get tangled up with these Mayflies, we need to retreat quickly." Delis spoke with a very solemn expression. Richard, hearing this, didn¡¯t argue and made another gesture, ordering the White Wizard Army to retreat. The two of them also entered the White Wizard Army, retreating towards the rear with the army. On the battlefield, Delis¡¯s suggestions were generally not wrong. On the way, Richard asked, "Master, are you in such a hurry to retreat because you know some inside information?" Delis shook his head slightly, "It¡¯s not so much inside information, but based on what¡¯s happened along the way, I have a faint guess." "What guess?" "The Mayflies are gearing up for a decisive battle." "... A decisive battle?!" Hearing Delis¡¯s speculation, Richard¡¯s tone sharply rose. "We¡¯ve barely ended the probing phase, I can guess the escalation in ferocity of the upcoming battles, but why would it be a decisive battle right now?" The Galaxy Mayfly plane being this confident was a prelude to a first battle that¡¯s also a decisive battle. Delis sighed lightly, "I too find this conclusion absurd, but my intuition tells me that this seemingly most unreliable conclusion is actually the correct one. "These Galaxy Mayflies war in a way that is completely different from ours. I also don¡¯t know if my intuition is correct. But either way, not getting entangled with this group of Galaxy Mayflies is definitely the right decision. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but the White Wizards I brought actually don¡¯t belong to one single army." Richard glanced at the White Wizards and realized that the newly joined White Wizards did indeed seem to be divided into two groups. Richard had a thought, "Could it be..." Delis nodded slightly, "Yes, some of these wizards are from Fortress 494. Their commander had his head taken by the Mayflies while breaking out, so I took them in. According to them, the elite level of the Galaxy Mayflies is a notch stronger than before. They are smarter and even more fearless in death. Their commander misjudged the strength of the Mayflies, meeting a fatal end." Richard couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat. He had not only witnessed but personally experienced the self-destruction of the Galaxy Mayflies twice. If they encountered some ruthless Mayfly generals, the White Wizard Army would definitely suffer heavy damage, and he estimated he would be done for too. This time, he didn¡¯t have the protection of the Snake King. "Master¡¯s advice is right," Richard said, still frightened. Delis managed to pull a smile that resembled a curve on his lips, and replied, "It¡¯s one of the few advantages of being older." ... At the Third Battle Zone Command Center of the Galaxy World, the Great Wizard at dusk looked at the constantly retreating boundary on the map, unsure whether his decision was right or wrong. The wizards monitoring the World Barrier had detected extremely abnormal intense fluctuations; if nothing went wrong, these fluctuations meant that the Galaxy Mayflies had decided to launch a large-scale offensive. And this battle would determine the future direction of this battlefield, this world, and even the future of both civilizations. "Has everyone retreated?" The Great Wizard at dusk suddenly asked his subordinate. The subordinate fiddled with the Crystal Ball and replied, "Supreme Commander, 72 percent of the wizards from the Third Battle Zone have returned. Most of the wizards at the edge of the Battle Zone have not managed to arrive in time. The information department suspects that the large-scale movement of the Galaxy Mayflies is obstructing our magic information, causing a delay in receiving the messages." The Great Wizard at dusk sighed and made his final arrangements before the great battle. "If I fail, you must blow up the Teleportation Gate and then activate the backup retreat plan." The subordinate shuddered and performed a respectful Wizard¡¯s Salute. "Yes!" Afterward, he hesitated a bit before adding. "Teacher, may you have a prosperous military fortune and return triumphantly." None of the wizards at the Command Center had realized that the unremarkable Three Rings Wizard, who was always bustling about, was actually a student of the Great Wizard at dusk. The Great Wizard at dusk patted his shoulder, his voice tinged with a hint more of common human emotion. "Yeah, keep up the good work." At the same time, the sky of the Galaxy World suddenly darkened. Ripples in space made the sky look like an inverted ocean. As if a deep-sea monster was about to surface. Chapter 475 - 20: The Arrival of the King of Mayfly Chapter 475: Chapter 20: The Arrival of the King of MayflyRichard looked at the suddenly overcast sky, the ripples of space fostering unease within him. No, not just some unease, but a great deal. As a wizard, he felt both unfamiliar and familiar with this scene. The familiar part was that every time wizards invaded the Otherworld, such ripples would occur. The unfamiliar part was that he was usually the invader. This was his first time adopting the victim¡¯s perspective. "The Galaxy Mayfly has launched an offensive; we need to rush to Fortress 194!" Delis looked at the sky, his usually expressionless face now as unyielding as if he were wearing an iron mask. His gaze shifted to the White Wizard Army around him as he started to weigh whether to stay with them or not. Having been through so many wars, before becoming a legend, Delis¡¯s greatest strength lay in making the right life-and-death decisions. Now, he had come to another crossroad of fate. Do I leave, or do I stay? "Increase your speed! Don¡¯t hold back your magic power!" Richard¡¯s roar pulled Delis out of his deliberations; watching Richard striving to organize the army, he couldn¡¯t help but say: "Richard, if you leave the army now, you¡¯ll reach the fortress faster." "I know," Richard replied, turning to look at Delis with a strange glint in his eyes. "But I simply can¡¯t abandon these wizards. For me, leaving just means a faster arrival. But for them, my departure means cutting off their last chance of survival." Richard¡¯s words were absolute; he did not exaggerate his importance. To the White Wizard Army, Richard was an essential part of their survival. Without Richard¡¯s command, a few Second Ring wizards would not be able to lead the White Wizards back to the fortress. Richard¡¯s words left Delis in silence. He suddenly realized that they were on a battlefield of civilization. They were not fighting a war guaranteed to win, a war where the death of a comrade beside them was inconsequential. They were facing an enemy of their own caliber. They had to exert every bit of their strength for even a chance at victory. Wasting any part of that strength was shameful. And besides... Delis looked ahead, his senses telling him there was a vast swarm of mayflies gathering there. "Richard, prepare to meet the enemy." Delis swung his magic wand, and a shadow spilled from its tip, revealing the shadow mayflies hidden in the air. These shadow mayflies were pitch-black and somewhat ethereal, leaving one uncertain whether the darkness affected them or if it was their natural state. "I¡¯ve seen these subspecies before; they possess the ability to hide in the shadows and are quite powerful. They must be the elite of the Galaxy Mayflies," Delis said, eyeing the half-million-strong shadow mayflies before him as he waved his magic wand again. "I can use the Space Anchor to delay their time to slip into the shadows; the rest is up to you." Richard said nothing more, immediately giving orders through the psychic network. "Legion Magic, Sky-splitting Arrow, get ready." The next moment, the flying wizards began to adjust their formation. Moving and spellcasting was a challenge for the Wizard Army, especially since this group was cobbled together. Though they could cooperate, they still fell short compared to a single-unit army of wizards. This severely tested the commander¡¯s skills. Legion Magic was like a wild dragon; when the White Wizard Army summoned it, they would use their spiritual power as the shackles to bind it. But a lack of close coordination could weaken the shackles imposed by the White Wizards on the Legion Magic, thereby increasing the commander¡¯s burden. Usually, a commander would choose to control only a part of the power to reduce the difficulty of spellcasting. After all, the commander was but a Three Rings Wizard, and there was a limit to their spiritual power. But Richard did not do so. In Richard¡¯s mind, Legion Magic was like a fearsome and raging sea serpent. Even with five thousand shackles on it, it was still untamed and arrogant. Richard stared at it, his vast spiritual power transforming into a mighty hand, pinning down its dragon head. The sea serpent wanted to struggle, but an invisible shackle infiltrated its body. Beyond spiritual power, Richard could also use radiant control as reins. The next moment, Richard¡¯s eyes flared open as, with the double locks of spiritual power and radiant control, an invisible arrow shot forth following his magic wand¡¯s direction. Simultaneously, Delis, too, swung his magic wand. An intangible ripple immediately sealed a space less than ten meters in diameter in the center of the Mayfly Army. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Delis knew that with his abilities, he could not possibly freeze the space where the entire Mayfly Army assembled, even if it meant his death. But to handle this swarm, he needed not freeze the entirety of the space. All he needed was to prevent the Mayfly General from escaping, and the rest would undoubtedly stay. Whether out of a will to live or rational judgment, this was a decision that could be easily made. And indeed, as he anticipated, once they realized they could not enter the shadows, the Mayfly Army immediately shrunk their formation. Hundreds of thousands of Mayflies overlapped each other, firmly protecting the Mayfly Generals within. The next moment, an invisible windstorm arrow appeared before them. Swish! The Sky-splitting Arrow instantly pierced through the flank of the Mayfly Army, its tail feathers bringing hurricanes that blew apart the Mayfly formation on the flank. "Legion Magic, Legion Shield, charge with full force!" Richard issued the commands again through the spirit network, and the White Wizards quickly changed formation. Soon, a thick Magic Barrier covered the entire legion. Holding up the barrier, the White Wizard Army was unstoppable, directly breaking through the flank of the Mayfly Army. The Galaxy Mayflies wanted to pursue, but the White Wizard Army retaliated with a triple salvo of Magic Concentrated Fire. A brief Fire Element Storm instantly blocked the Mayflies¡¯ path. However, having broken through the barriers of the Galaxy Mayflies, Richard felt no joy in his heart. He looked up at the sky, where the invisible space ripples had become even more intense. In the center of those ripples, a being was trying to descend into the world. "World Master?" Richard muttered to himself, looking at the center of the ripples. "It¡¯s not just one World Master." Delis joined the conversation. His gaze was heavy as he looked up at the sky; having once been on the threshold of becoming a Great Wizard, he understood the power of the World Masters far better than Richard did. The might faintly visible within the ripples was certainly not something one World Master could possess. Suddenly, the spatial ripples swiftly turned into a towering tidal wave. At the very center of the waves, a black mountain revealed just the tip of its iceberg. Simultaneously, every Galaxy Mayfly in the Galaxy World stopped in its tracks. A weak yet long-lasting pulse of spiritual power instantly passed through Richard¡¯s perception. Richard¡¯s face turned somewhat grim as he looked at Delis, seeing even this Legendary Wizard often unshakable in demeanor showing a trace of horror. "Master, my feeling is not wrong, is it?" Richard spoke stiffly, "The entire world¡¯s Galaxy Mayflies are connecting their soul networks." Delis nodded slightly, his gaze immediately shifting to the slowly emerging black mountain. The black mountain did not appear to be made of stone; it looked like a non-Newtonian fluid. Its shape seemed to be ever-changing, carrying a jelly-like eerie texture. It was as if it were a Sealing, with a tide of Galaxy Mayflies pouring out from its innards upon entering the Galaxy World. "Where are the Great Wizards?" Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask. At this time, the Great Wizards should make their appearance, right? Wizards weren¡¯t like Song Xianggong, taking advantage of the time Galaxy Mayflies were entering the world for a surprise attack would be perfect, wouldn¡¯t it? But before he had finished speaking, he saw three beams of light shooting into the sky. The corner of the black mountain that had entered the world, under the bombardment of the three beams, suddenly became solidified and then burst into countless black pebbles. Hundreds of thousands of Mayflies were turned into a mist of blood under the shockwave of the bursts of light. The Wizards had left three Teleportation Gates in the Galaxy World, each manned by a Great Wizard. At this moment, the three Great Wizards stood in the sky looking at each other from afar, the Twilight Great Wizard of the Third War Zone with a figure draped in a black robe, pale as a skeleton, stood like a white bone Heavenly Pillar. The Greenrock Great Wizard of the Second War Zone clad in rock Armor, moss-covered stone body suspended in the sky like a mountain. And in the First Battle Zone, the Bronze Spear Great Wizard resembled a bronze-casted warrior figurine with the legendary Bronze Spear in hand that could pierce the Heavenly Vault slowly shedding its patina, revealing an edge that almost seemed to split space itself. Their arrival undoubtedly injected a dose of adrenaline into the Wizards; on the frontlines, tens of millions of Wizards were cheering. With the presence of the three Great Wizards on the battlefield, they couldn¡¯t possibly lose this war. But Richard was not so thrilled. He looked up at the slowly appearing black mountain in the sky, a faint sense of crisis prickling at his back. Sure enough, just as the three Great Wizards prepared to strike again. A figure, somewhat diminutive in comparison to the Great Wizards, crawled out from the black mountain. In the next instant, another Spiritual Shock swept past Richard¡¯s soul. But unlike the last time, this spiritual wave was more like a message. The Galaxy Mayflies were cheering loudly, and there was just one word they extolled. "King!" The Mayfly that crawled out was not very large, only about five meters. Compared to the mountainous stature of the Great Wizards, it was no more than a mosquito. But combat strength cannot simply be judged by size. A protective Energy Barrier appeared out of nowhere, blocking all attacks from the three Great Wizards. Then, a second and a third Mayfly followed suit. These three Galaxy Mayflies were pure white, each with three sets of insect wings and five tail filaments. They shone with a bright radiance, as if three North Stars had been added to the sky. Richard watched them and uttered a word. "King of Mayfly." After more than a year of probing, the World Masters of the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ world had finally crossed the World Barrier and descended into the Galaxy World. Chapter 476 - 21: Funeral Bell and the Sun (Added Chapter) Chapter 476: Chapter 21: Funeral Bell and the Sun (Added Chapter)The Kings of Mayfly watched from afar the three Great Wizards, clearly discerning the extent of their strength. Strong, incredibly strong. Within the mental network, the Kings of Mayfly shared their opinions. In their eyes, each of the three Great Wizards was terrifyingly powerful. Compared to the backward World Masters of tribal worlds, one Great Wizard was worth three of them. "Indeed, civilization, the strength is simply different," the only Sixth Level Mayfly among the Kings of Mayfly sighed within the mental network. The next moment, the three Kings of Mayfly suddenly fluttered their wings, shooting across the sky like meteors, flying towards their respective Great Wizards. Upon seeing this, the three Great Wizards didn¡¯t waste words. They immediately unfurled their true bodies and swung their Magic Wands, clashing with the Kings of Mayfly. Due to their positions, Richard could only see the battle of the Dusk Great Wizard. High above the Nine Heaves, the kilometer-long Dusk Great Wizard wielded his Magic Wand, and a pitch-black seed suddenly appeared beside the King of Mayfly. The next moment, the pitch-black seed rapidly sprouted roots, transforming into a mass of dark, twisted thorns that trapped the King of Mayfly within. On the ground, both Richard and Delis had a flash of shock cross their faces. Those thorns were not made of energy, but actual living beings. And the Life Radiation emanating from this mass of twisted thorns had reached the strength of an official World Master. But before their shock could subside, the mass of thorns exploded with a dazzling white light. Immediately after, a meteor shower-like stream of light burst forth from the wings of the King of Mayfly, incinerating the thorny debris to ashes. Throughout the process, the King of Mayfly was only slowed for a fraction of a second. "Is this the King of Mayfly?" Delis murmured to himself. "The World Masters from civilizations and the World Masters from tribal origins indeed have a fundamental difference." If it were a World Master from a tribal world, that mass of pitch-black thorny monster could have at least delayed them a second or two. The Dusk Great Wizard seemed unsurprised by this outcome. His pale Magic Wand¡¯s runes flowed, and in just an instant, a witchcraft so complex that it would require the combined efforts of dozens of Three Rings Wizards took shape in the sky. Ding! A crisp ringing of a bell suddenly echoed in the sky. A simple-looking but somewhat ethereal brass bell appeared out of thin air above. With every swing of his Magic Wand by the Dusk Great Wizard, the brass bell would toll once. Inside the Command Center, when the student of the Dusk Great Wizard saw the bell, his face changed abruptly, yelling, "Spread the word, all Wizards below Three Rings, do not listen to the sound of this bell!" This was the signature spell of the Resurrecting Great Wizard¡ªFuneral Bell. Do not ask for whom the Funeral Bell tolls; when you hear it, it tolls for thee! Within the sound of the bell, Richard felt a sudden dizziness, a few drops of fresh blood trickling from his nose. Meanwhile in the White Wizard Army, a Second Ring Wizard staggered midair, and the One Ring Wizards lost consciousness briefly, plummeting straight down from the sky. "Don¡¯t listen to the sound of that bell!" Delis yelled loudly. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He violently swung his Magic Wand, and several Fireballs exploded in midair, their massive booms instantly masking the sound of the bell tolling. Richard opened a Secret Realm Rift and pulled Ulysses out from within. Under these circumstances, he urgently needed the advice of Ulysses, a World Master. The battle between top World Masters was too exaggerated; even separated by thousands of miles, even though the target of the bell¡¯s sound was not them, even as mere collateral damage, they were still affected. Ulysses was suddenly pulled out by Richard, still a bit dazed. However, upon seeing the two terrifying beings dueling in the sky, he immediately screamed. "Have you fucking lost your minds? Get away from those two freaks!" "We¡¯re already retreating!" Richard roared back in response, "At this time, going anywhere else means doom!" Right now, Richard could easily hide in the Secret Realm, even taking all these White Wizards with him. But what good would hiding do? They didn¡¯t know when the battle would end or what the outcome would be. He didn¡¯t even know if any Mayfly would discover his spatial coordinates in the Galaxy World and then invade his Secret Realm, or simply remove the spatial coordinates altogether, leaving him unable to return. He was now facing a civilization; he couldn¡¯t treat the Galaxy Mayfly like he would the natives. "Retreat?" Ulysses glanced in the direction they were heading, assessing the level of danger. He then spoke, "Right now, all One Ring Wizards must destroy their auditory nerves. Second Ring Wizards who are not full in spiritual power should also hurry and destroy their auditory nerves. The sound of this bell is a Rule Attack, and it contains the Death Rule! Listen too much, and you can await cerebral death." Upon hearing Ulysses¡¯ suggestion, Richard immediately issued orders through the mental network. The White Wizards did not question, ruthlessly using their Magic Power to destroy their own auditory nerves. At this moment, following Richard¡¯s advice was unquestionably correct. Delis on the side, hearing Ulysses¡¯ suggestion, couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. He was amazed at how stern and ruthless the perspective of Richard¡¯s Magic Pet was, directly perceiving the Death Rule contained within the sound of the bell. In the sky, the brass bell, a harbinger of death, continued to toll. As the primary target of the bell¡¯s attack, the body of the King of Mayfly was being eroded by the Death Rule. Its body¡¯s cells died with the tolling of the bell and were restored in the blink of an eye. Its soul structure developed fractures, but they healed in an instant. The Death Rule was conflicting with its own rules, and the victor would determine its future. "The Death Rule is powerful indeed," said the King of Mayfly suddenly, "But what a pity, it¡¯s still not enough!" The next moment, the King of Mayfly beat its wings, and its already dazzling body transformed directly into a sun. A ring of the sun encircled the King of Mayfly. Under the illumination of the ring of the sun, the death sound waves from the brass bell manifested in the air and then turned into streaks of black air invisible to the common man, sinking into the veil below. This sunlight was both gentle and fierce, healing the mayflies¡¯ injuries like a healing spell when shone upon them, but upon the wizards, it was as fierce as magma, as if it desired to burn them to ashes. "Legion shield... " "Don¡¯t use the Magic Barrier!" Ulysses interrupted Richard¡¯s command, looking at the sun in the sky and then firmly said, "Don¡¯t resist with energy, just wrap yourself up tightly." Faced with this suggestion, Richard hesitated for a moment and then repeated it in the mind network. Ulysses¡¯s advice was worth trusting at this time. The fierce sunlight shone on their bodies, burning the wizards¡¯ flesh like flames. But where they were covered by the Wizard Robe, they felt nothing at all. Richard watched this scene with some surprise. The King of Mayfly¡¯s move, was it really countered so easily? Ulysses glanced at him, "Don¡¯t overthink it, these rays are not aimed at you, just like those bell tolls, they are the aftermath within the aftermath. If it were aimed at you, unless what you were wrapped in was the World Barrier, everything would turn to ashes." With sunlight imbued with the power of rules beating down on them, the White Wizard Army continued their operations. Meanwhile, in the sky, the Great Wizard of the Twilight, beyond the Magic Barrier, quietly watched the King of Mayfly not far away. He could feel that these rays of light were rapidly depleting his Magic Power. "Compound Rules taken to this extent are impressive," he said, and with a slight wave of his Magic Wand, his body suddenly vanished into the air, "But it¡¯s a pity, hiding is also quite easy." For the Great Wizard, entering beneath the veil was not difficult. Seeing the Great Wizard of Twilight do so, the King of Mayfly also suddenly flickered, disappearing into the air. Entering beneath the veil, it naturally knew how to do as well. And as a bystander, Ulysses, seeing this, couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "These two guys have finally left. Let¡¯s hurry on our way. Once those two come out, chances are we won¡¯t be so lucky." Richard spread his hands helplessly, "I¡¯d like to, but this is an army, and this is as fast as we can go." Now, it would be possible to squeeze the entire army into the Secret Realm to hasten their journey, but considering the current quality of mayflies, if he crammed the army into the Secret Realm, he would probably encounter trouble himself. Suddenly, Richard turned his gaze to Ulysses. "Ulysses, what about you taking us on the road? We enter the Secret Realm, you get to the place and let us out." With Ulysses¡¯s abilities, evading the mayflies shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. But Ulysses declined his request. "Don¡¯t think about such good things," Ulysses sighed, "Right now, those two are fighting under the veil, and my little tricks might just lead me to run into them. Just relying on conventional methods, we¡¯re evenly matched. Let¡¯s just go slow, those two probably won¡¯t come out for a while." There are two types of battles between World Masters: one is where the victor is quickly decided, common when rules are freshly activated or when there¡¯s a large gap in strength between the parties. The other type is a prolonged battle. Such battles are a test of the foundations of both sides¡ªwhoever has stored more energy, collected more treasures, will have the advantage. These fights only truly become a battle to the death once both sides have exhausted their resources. Upon hearing this, Richard sighed lightly, acknowledging that even Ulysses was not omnipotent in the war between civilizations. "Then just help keep an eye out so we don¡¯t encounter an ambush by the mayflies." ... In the sky, the mountainous Expedition Nest slowly entered the Galaxy World. Elite Galaxy Mayflies surged into the Star River World like a tide. And through the Space Rift where it was located, a Three Rings Wizard saw with despair that there were countless nests like this Expedition Nest. At the Third Battle Zone Command Center, the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s students became acting commanding officers. As he watched the Expedition Nest in the sky, he turned to the wizard beside him and asked, "Is everything installed?" "Which one are you referring to?" "All of them are needed." The questioned wizard manipulated something on the Crystal Ball in his hands and then replied respectfully: "If you are talking about the Day of the End, it was installed three days ago. But if you are referring to the self-destruct device for the Teleportation Gate, it¡¯s not yet complete. We estimate it will take another three hours to activate the device and completely destroy the Teleportation Gate." Chapter 477 - 22 War Situation Chapter 477: Chapter 22 War SituationWith the Expedition Nest entering the Galaxy World, the war finally ended its probing phase and began its real combat. Like a sandstorm, the Mayfly Army swept across the land like waves; the previous clusters of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of mayflies had completely vanished. What remained was an ocean known as the Galaxy Mayfly. Boom! A huge crimson storm temporarily blocked the mayflies behind. As Richard flew in the center of the army, his body suddenly staggered. Fortunately, Delis and Ulysses caught him in time. Richard felt his lips wet with liquid, and when he touched them, he found fresh blood mixed with brain fluid constantly flowing from his nostrils. "Don¡¯t use Legion Magic anymore," Delis said in a low voice, "If you keep it up, your brain will break down before your soul does." Ulysses didn¡¯t say much, but a layer of majestic Holy Light shone upon him; soon after, a Healing Technique from the Divine Arts descended upon Richard. "What he said is correct; you¡¯d better not use it anymore." Ulysses spoke, "Your spiritual power is already overdrawn, and now you are completely relying on Magic Potions. If you keep this up, your soul will suffer irreversible damage." Spiritual power is not something that can be overdrawn lightly. All Magic Potions capable of overdrawing spiritual power essentially burn life. They satisfy a wizard¡¯s craving for spiritual power by overdrawing the stability of the soul. With every use, the wizard¡¯s lifespan is shortened. However, theoretically speaking, the long lifespan of ten thousand years is enough for wizards to squander. Richard wiped the blood from beside his mouth, his expression tired yet somewhat helpless. "I also don¡¯t want to overdraw my spiritual power, but if we don¡¯t use Legion Magic, can we get past so many mayflies?" The Expedition Nest continued to release the Mayfly Army, which were more powerful than the Galaxy Mayflies Richard had encountered over the past year. Even if the Mayfly Generals were killed, these mayflies could still temporarily maintain about fifty percent of the Mayfly Army¡¯s combat strength. While a fifty percent reduction might not seem like much, it¡¯s enough for the Galaxy Mayflies to buy time. On a battlefield where the Galaxy Mayflies have an absolute numerical advantage, any delay means death. Delis and Ulysses both fell silent. Delis wanted to say that they should abandon these White Wizards. But with their strength alone, if they abandoned the army and got entangled with the mayflies, that would surely be a dead end. Under such circumstances, the choice had become a gamble. And Ulysses was considering whether to take a chance. After all, the Galaxy World is a small world with a not-so-small barrier. If he entered, he may not necessarily encounter the Great Wizard and the King of Mayfly. Their current situation was dire, and if Richard continued using Legion Magic like this, he might lose the ability to become a Great Wizard. This was something Ulysses could not accept. But as they were caught in their dilemma, a severe Element disturbance suddenly came from a distance. "There¡¯s a wizard!" Delis abruptly looked towards the source of the Element disturbance. Mayflies are sublime in their use of Energy, but when it comes to Elements, they only scratch the surface. Such a violent disturbance could only mean that a wizard was making a move. Richard also noticed the Element disturbance and immediately redirected the army towards the source. Before long, they came upon a White Wizard Army ten thousand strong. At that moment, this White Wizard Army was entangled with a Mayfly Army a million strong. "Wow, we¡¯re saved," Richard cheered. This White Wizard Army had several Three Rings White Wizards; it seemed like a combination of several armies that had withdrawn. His army of five thousand White Wizards could just fit in for these White Wizards to demonstrate their skills. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It¡¯s damn exhausting for a Black Wizard to do a White Wizard¡¯s job. He was merely relying on spiritual power amplifiers and radiation manipulation to resist stubbornly. Upon seeing a White Wizard Army of five thousand troops, the army of ten thousand was equally surprised and hurriedly cast Spells to help Richard and his companions joining them. The two armies met, and Richard immediately issued the order to join. Let the White Wizards handle the White Wizard Army. Due to the addition of Richard¡¯s fresh forces, the wizard¡¯s power instantly overwhelmed the Galaxy Mayflies. The Mayfly Generals immediately commanded the Mayfly Army to retreat towards the east. The commander of the White Wizard Army now had the opportunity to communicate with Richard and others. "I am Kaf; from which Fortress have you withdrawn?" As Kaf introduced himself, he subtly sized up Richard. He noticed that the actual commander of this White Wizard Army was this Black Wizard. "I¡¯m Richard; we¡¯re from Fortresses 394 and 495. Which Fortress are you from, Master?" Upon hearing Richard¡¯s response, Kaf¡¯s expression changed slightly. "394, 495? You¡¯ve gone a bit off path. We¡¯re from Fortresses 374 and 464." "374!?" Richard was slightly startled, his heart flashing with a terrifying conjecture. "Master, we haven¡¯t taken the wrong path¡ªthe mistake lies with you!" Throughout the journey, Richard had been following Ulysses¡¯ lead. Although they had to detour a bit to avoid the Mayfly Army, the overall direction was certainly unchanged. Compared to the White Wizard named Kaf, Richard would rather trust Ulysses¡¯ guidance. "Kaf, what Master Richard says is correct," another Three Rings Wizard in the troop spoke up, "Though we¡¯ve detoured, our pace and distance travelled mean we should have arrived by now." After finishing, he introduced himself to Richard, "I am Avert, Master Richard, I have long admired you." Richard nodded slightly, and then turned to Kaf with a serious expression. "Master, your perception has been interfered with." "It¡¯s not just him." Another Three Rings White Wizard approached the group and spoke softly, "Our perceptions have been disrupted as well, or we would have corrected the course earlier." After speaking, he too introduced himself to Richard, "I am Stark, and if the rumors are to be believed, Master, you are both young and talented beyond measure." Kaf¡¯s face soured; he was finally becoming aware of the situation. He had been commanding the troop all this time and had overlooked such an important detail. "This is not the Master¡¯s fault," Richard spoke up, "These Galaxy Mayflies are masters of illusion and spiritual power. At such a tense moment, it¡¯s normal for perception to be disrupted." Kaf suddenly looked at Richard, "Master Richard, you haven¡¯t been affected?" Richard nodded slightly, pointing at Ulysses perched on his shoulder. "My friend can see through illusions and is highly resistant to psychic disturbances. With it leading the way, we¡¯ve avoided many troubles on our path." Hearing this, Kaf took in a deep breath and then gave a slight bow to Richard. "Then for the journey ahead, we will depend entirely on you." Without the correct path, even with an army of a hundred thousand, they would merely be prey for the Galaxy Mayflies. Richard nodded, but a sense of foreboding flickered in his heart. What were these Galaxy Mayflies planning with psychic disturbances of this intensity? ... Inside the Expedition Nest, a vast number of Galaxy Mayflies formed a complex array. Energy, with the Mayflies as nodes, altered in nature or direction of flow. In the center of the massive array formed by the Mayfly configurations was a bizarre wingless creature, bloated like a lump of flesh with crystals embedded all over, emitting fine but prolonged waves of mental vibration. And like this array, there were two others within the Expedition Nest, although those were relatively smaller. The entities they contained were not this sort of odd creature. "These Wizards, as far as we can tell, have found no solution to the Mayfly Mysterious Realm," a Mayfly general commented while looking at the bloated crystal creature, conversing with a comrade beside it. "If the three Kings are successful, all these Wizards will perish here. If our intelligence is correct, this time we can certainly cause the Wizards substantial losses." The Mayfly general¡¯s caudal filaments flicked animatedly, signaling the Mayflies¡¯ emotional agitation. The entry into the Expedition Nest signified that the war had officially escalated. Mayfly intelligence operations were naturally underway simultaneously. Through psychic invasion and Soul Search, they had acquired a great deal of foundational intelligence on the Wizard Civilization. This intelligence was mixed; to them, the Wizard Civilization appeared a severely malformed civilization. The diversity of the Wizard Civilization¡¯s power system astonished the Galaxy Mayflies. Various Bloodline modifications and transformations of life forms left them wondering how the Wizard Civilization had not yet splintered. Within their own kind, even subspecies born on different worlds fought incessantly over racial issues. In theory, if the Wizard Civilization could maintain such stability, along with the supreme combat prowess of the five Star Realm Masters, their forces ought to be formidable. Yet, the Wizards¡¯ secrecy around knowledge severely limited the development of their civilization, leading to a significant shortage of true members. According to the Mayflies¡¯ thinking, Wizards should administer all of humanity uniformly. All age-appropriate children should be trained as Wizards, with the successful ones becoming members of the civilization, and the rest serving as subordinate worker insects, contributing to the Wizard Civilization¡¯s growth. Knowledge discovered by the Wizards should be shared among all Schools, or at the very least, among all Academies. But the Wizards did not do this. To the Galaxy Mayflies, such rigorous secrecy was utterly unnecessary. The differences in life forms and innate talents made it impossible for the Mayflies to comprehend the current situation of the Wizard Civilization. However, this did not interfere with their plans to target the Wizards¡¯ vulnerabilities. They had roughly estimated that there were currently seven million Wizards in the Galaxy World. Devouring them all would deal a heavy blow to the Wizard Civilization in terms of both strength and morale. But its colleague was not as optimistic. "Deu, regarding the intelligence on those Wizards, you haven¡¯t read through it all, have you?" The comrade turned to look at the walls of the Expedition Nest, its gaze seeming to penetrate the darkness and envision the Wizards on the ground. "Wizards are a contradictory race; they claim rationality for themselves but act with extreme madness in their endeavors. These Wizards could not possibly be unaware of their disadvantages. They must have prepared something in secret, just like us." Chapter 478 - 23 Master Richard has arrived, we are saved! Chapter 478: Chapter 23 Master Richard has arrived, we are saved!With Richard¡¯s joining, the White Wizard Army¡¯s numbers reached fifteen thousand, just right for each of the three White Wizards to command five thousand men. And with the expansion of their numbers, the White Wizard Army underwent a qualitative change in strength. The three White Wizards took a little time to adjust the internal structure of the army and established a command system within the White Wizard Army. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After the restructuring, the overall aura of the White Wizard Army had changed. If under Richard¡¯s command, the White Wizard Army seemed like a ragtag band cobbled together temporarily, it was purely because of Richard¡¯s own exceptional qualities that barely maintained the combat effectiveness of an army. But in the hands of several White Wizards, the White Wizards instantly transformed from irregulars into a regular army. The White Wizard Army under the Military Department¡¯s command had similar training methods, so disparate remnants from different armies coming together did not pose significant command issues. With a bit of integration, a few White Wizards from different armies could form a combat-effective White Wizard Army. Richard stood aside, witnessing the transformation of the army firsthand. This transformation, almost like a metempsychosis, made Richard deeply realize one thing: there are specializations in every trade, and one is vastly ignorant of other professions. He had thought that his abilities were sufficient, but in the face of truly elite White Wizards, his skills were merely introductory. Richard thought to himself, "Perhaps, I should cultivate a group of White Wizards to serve as the backbone of future armies." Once the three White Wizards had their teams adjusted, they split into three large formations, advancing in a triangular structure towards the direction Richard had pointed out. They were not far from Fortress 194, and after marching for three hours, they could see Elemental Fireworks around Fortress 194. A vast Mayfly Army was besieging the fortress. Now equipped with the Expedition Nest, the Star River Galaxy Mayfly¡¯s forces were no longer as rudimentary as those Richard had seen before. These Star River Mayflies, each one clad in equipment similar to Magic Equipment, and massive war machines had also been brought to the front lines. Everyone has equipment in a civilization. Fortunately, the orders from Battle Zone Command Center were timely. A large number of Wizards from the outer Battle Zone were withdrawn to the Inner Ring. The massive accumulation of Wizards directly fortified the fortress like a wall of bronze and iron. The Star River Mayflies excelled in swarm combat, and Wizards were likewise adept at it. Watching the distant fireworks, the Wizards in the legion grew visibly excited. Finally, they had found the main force. "Master, thank you for your guidance this time," Kaf said to Richard with a slight bow, then produced a Crystal Ball to get Richard¡¯s contact information. The other two Three Rings White Wizards did the same, sensing an ominous premonition from the Star River Mayflies¡¯ onslaught. With Richard¡¯s contact information, should they need to retreat later, they at least wouldn¡¯t be stuck in disorienting confusion. Richard left them his communication number, and the legion immediately approached Fortress 194. Rumble! The light from Fireball Technique turned the battlefield blood-red, and the raging wind mingled with Ice fog, churning like a meat grinder, reducing any isolated Mayfly to fragments. Each order from the White Wizard commanders within the fortress claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Mayflies. Yet even so, the Wizards¡¯ faces bore no smile. The number of Star River Mayflies was simply too vast; eliminating tens of thousands at a time barely made a dent in the Mayfly Army. Their Magic Power was depleting, their spiritual power was waning, and even with rotations, the morale of the Wizards within the fortress continued to plummet. Meanwhile, as Commanders, several Three Rings Wizards were discussing the next strategy within their exclusive psychic network. "Have you made contact on your side?" one White Wizard Commander asked anxiously. The moment the Mayflies laid siege, they had lost contact with the Battle Zone Command Center. The Alchemy Wizards speculated that it must be the energy disturbance caused by the Star River Mayflies disrupting their Magic Power signals. Consequently, both the commands from the Command Center and the messages sent to the Command Center by them were being blocked. "No," replied another White Wizard Commander. "Same here." "Mine too." A string of negatives sent chills through the hearts of the White Wizards. Without orders from the Command Center, all they could do now was to hold the fortress. These lower-level Commanders were unaware of the upper echelons¡¯ plans. Any hasty retreat could disrupt the Command Center¡¯s arrangements, leading to a domino effect. Even if they were to survive, they could still face erasure after being judged by the military tribunal. Even if their actions didn¡¯t have significant repercussions. Should there be major losses during the retreat, they would still have to face the military tribunal. What¡¯s more, even if they held the fortress and the losses were severe in the end, they would still bear the responsibility. The Command Center needed someone to blame for the extensive losses of the lower-level Wizards. Thus, the moment the fortress¡¯s communications were blocked, the Wizards within it fell into a deadlock. "Keep trying to make contact," a White Wizard Commander said helplessly, "Gather the Alchemy Wizards to see if they can break through the Star River Mayflies¡¯ interference." "That¡¯s all we can do." "Alas, if the Command Center hasn¡¯t made a breakthrough, how could we possibly...?" Suddenly, a White Wizard Commander exclaimed with joy in the psychic network: "Wizards are coming back! A force of fifteen thousand Wizards has returned from the outer Battle Zone!" Hearing this news, hope sprang in the hearts of the several White Wizards. Wizards being able to return from the outside signified that the number of Galaxy Mayflies in the battle zone had not yet reached a point of despair. "I¡¯ve seen them too, coming in for support, coming in for support!" "Alright, you unleash a Magic Concentrated Fire, and I¡¯ll cast a Legion Magic." At the outskirts of the battlefield, Richard and his team began to make a difficult advance toward the interior of the Fortress. The vast number of Mayfly Army made the Legion Shield like the surface of a lake in the rain, with ripples everywhere caused by the beams of light. The Magic Power of the Wizard Army was also crazily depleting in this process. Upon witnessing this scene, Richard and Delis exchanged a glance. "Shall we?" "Let¡¯s." No sooner had they spoken, than Richard¡¯s body suddenly lit up with a fluorescent glow, the brilliant Energy flowing in his veins transformed him in a blink of an eye into a five-meter-tall giant. On the other side, Delis waved his Magic Wand, becoming an equally five-meter-tall shadow giant. The two greeted the Commander of the Army and then flew out from their ranks, with superhuman posture, they stood in front of the White Wizard Army. The next moment, both men nearly acted simultaneously. Richard¡¯s body shone brightly as a myriad of arcs of electricity gathered together, forming into a Thunderbolt Staff in his hand. He swung it violently toward the Mayfly Army, and in the next instant, the White Wizard Army behind him also swung their Magic Wands. "Thunder Strike, unleash a round!" Boom! Under Richard¡¯s command, thousands of thunderbolts converged like streams flowing into the ocean, forming a grand river of thunder, carving an unstoppable path through the Mayfly Army. Meanwhile, the old Wizard Delis swung his Magic Wand, and his entire body seemed to become a doorway. Countless shadow monsters surged out, quickly corroding a widening gap into the Mayfly Army. Behind him, a force of five thousand White Wizard Army was continuously alleviating his spiritual and Magic Power stresses. In addition to their combat strength, the White Wizard Army was equally outstanding in their supportive abilities. The Wizards of the Fortress noticed the actions of Richard¡¯s group and began to blaze a trail using Legion Magic and Magic Concentrated Fire. Seeing this, the generals within the Mayfly Army chose to clear a path directly, allowing Richard and his group to enter. There had been those who broke out of encirclements, but it was unheard of for someone to forcefully enter one. Upon entering the Fortress, several White Wizard Commanders, along with Richard, were connected to the psychic network. "How are things outside?" "Not good," Kaf was the first to reply, "The number of Star River Mayflies is increasing, and they¡¯ve also employed a method to disrupt perception, causing us to lose our way in the wilderness." "Disruption of perception?" A White Wizard Commander exclaimed, "Even the perception of a Three Rings Wizard can be disrupted?" "It seems so at the moment," Avert chimed in, "I am a Wizard of the Soul School, but even my perception was disrupted. If there isn¡¯t a higher Soul Master among you, I expect you won¡¯t be able to break through this interference." Avert¡¯s words sent a chill through everyone¡¯s hearts; the battle strength displayed by the Star River Mayflies was somewhat exaggerated. The endless methods and perpetual numbers, coupled with the not-so-weak high-level forces. Seeing the atmosphere becoming heavy, Richard wanted to lighten the mood, so he said, "Gentlemen, trust in the judgement of Command Center. This is just¡ª" "This Master, we¡¯ve lost contact with Command Center." The words of the Fortress White Wizard Commander weighed heavily on Richard¡¯s heart. He was about to ask what happened, but he stopped just as he began to speak. "The energy field of the Star River Mayflies is blocking our magic signals?" "Yes." As an Alchemy Wizard, the reason for the disconnection from the Command Center dawned on Richard with just a little thought. "Are there any Alchemy Wizards here?" Richard inquired further, "I need a little help." "Are you an Alchemy Wizard, Master?" asked a Fortress Commander. "It seems we were too rushed to introduce," Kaf explained, "This is Master Richard; next to him is Master Delis. Both of them¡ª" Before Kaf could finish, the psychic network burst with exclamations. To the Wizards of the Military Department, Delis was also a Legend. Although this legend had faded from the public eye for too long, for a Three Rings Wizard, those seemingly extended years to mortals were merely slightly longer. But Delis alone would not have caused such excitement. While Delis was a Legend, legends don¡¯t provide sustenance. Given the current situation, unless there were ten Delises, they would still be in a dire predicament. However, Richard was different. Richard¡¯s name had been causing a stir in the circles of the Three Rings Wizards recently. As one of the founders of a small Floating City, he was even idolized by some Three Rings Alchemy Wizards. In the current situation, nothing could be more useful than an Alchemy Master. "Whatever you need, Master, just say the word!" declared a White Wizard Commander unequivocally. "Yes, Master, whatever you need, just say the word!" "Master, ask for anything, even if it means dismantling Magic Equipment, I¡¯ll gather the materials for you." "We¡¯re saved now that Master Richard is here!" ... The decisive words of the White Wizard Commanders were like spotlights, with Richard standing at the center, becoming the most conspicuous figure at Fortress number one hundred and ninety-four. Chapter 479 - 24 Cross-Curtain Communication Chapter 479: Chapter 24 Cross-Curtain Communication"Everyone regards me so highly, it truly makes me feel unexpectedly honored." Facing the expectations of several Three Rings Wizards in the mental network, Richard felt a heavy burden suddenly weighing on his shoulders. But this was inevitable. On the battlefield, capability, power, and responsibility often equated. When a wizard possessed enough capability, he inevitably wielded immense power, but when a wizard held immense power, the corresponding responsibility inevitably fell on his shoulders. On the battlefield, no one could enjoy power without bearing responsibility. "But since you regard me so highly, I will give it my all. I indeed have a technique that might break through the energy field interference of the Galaxy Mayfly. However, my development was aimed at reconnaissance; I¡¯m not sure if it will work for communication." Upon hearing this, the others didn¡¯t say much and immediately gathered Alchemy Wizards from their respective commands. As long as they could restore communication, they would be saved. Richard followed the fortress¡¯s internal passages to the warehouse. Fortress 194¡¯s warehouse was filled with materials from various fortresses. Frankly, Richard also didn¡¯t know what to do now. The technology of the Dimension Long Range Energy Wave could indeed bypass the energy field of the Galaxy Mayfly and transmit information to distant places. But crossing the veil was not a simple matter. The difficulty of crossing the veil, though much less than traversing between inner and outer worlds, still made it supremely difficult to allow an energy wave to pass through the veil twice and still clearly transmit information. And he had another problem: the energy wave was not his spiritual power that he could manipulate at will. Once the energy wave entered the veil, it would be completely out of his control and couldn¡¯t autonomously travel from within the veil to outside. How then could he let the Communication Crystal Ball outside the veil receive the energy wave he transmitted? While Richard was deeply pondering this, Alchemy Wizards from various White Wizard Army units arrived at the warehouse. Seeing Richard deep in thought, they all stood still, not daring to make the slightest noise. The Commander had informed them of Richard¡¯s identity when notifying them. They knew they would be collaborating with the Alchemy Master who created the mini Floating City. Unapologetically, they were filled with pride. If they survived, this would become their bragging capital and would be recorded in the same notebook as their research achievements. Suddenly, Richard looked up. "Everyone is here? Hurry, we¡¯re pressed for time." Saying this, Richard took out a crystal ball and imprinted the technology of Dimensional Space Energy Wave into it with his spiritual power. "Take a look, I¡¯ll prepare the contract, and we¡¯ll sign it in a moment." Seeing how approachable Richard was, the Alchemy Wizards present couldn¡¯t help but inwardly sigh that a master was truly different in demeanor. If they were to seek collaborators for research, a Soul Contract would definitely be prepared in advance, and they would plug any potential leak of knowledge. Where would it be like Richard, so casual, letting people first see the knowledge and then sign the contract. The Inheritance Crystal Ball was passed among the wizards, and every wizard who received the knowledge showed a shocked expression. This knowledge was too complex and profound. All these Alchemy Wizards were Second Ring or One Ring Wizards who were not qualified to join the research. Still, even so, half of them found the technology that Richard gave beyond their full comprehension. And those who understood it all were currently in a stupefied state. This knowledge from the Pioneer was too exquisite for them. Some old wizards stared blankly, tears falling from their eyes as they recalled the knowledge. What they had studied for most of their lives was merely the basic foundation within this technology, and even then, just a part of the basics. This was both the luckiest and most despairing occurrence in a wizard¡¯s life. People study for a purpose; some wizards see the process of research as the purpose, while others consider the research¡¯s outcomes as the purpose. Among wizards, the majority are the latter. When you¡¯ve spent a lifetime studying something that has already been thoroughly researched by others and even derived into many results, most wizards would find themselves in a quandary. But now, Richard had no time to let these wizards be bewildered, as they needed to build a communication device to connect with the Command Center as quickly as possible. "Don¡¯t just stand there dumbfounded, look over here." Richard casually formed a blackboard from a metal ingot and then wrote down two questions with magic power. [Question One, how to solve the problem of insufficient information-carrying capacity caused by the energy wave passing through the veil twice.] [Question Two, how to make the energy wave travel through the veil on its own within the veil.] "Start brainstorming, everyone, think about how to solve these two problems. Now is not the time to keep secrets; connecting with the Command Center is more important than anything." Seeing the two questions on the blackboard, the wizards who had recovered from their shock began to use all their knowledge to try solving these problems. The train of thought for solving the first problem was very simple: either enhance the transmission source¡¯s strength or change the magical encoding so that the Magic Wave, despite being weakened, could still transmit information. But after discussion, the second approach was quickly ruled out. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not to mention how long it would take to devise a new encoding, even if they managed to create it, the Command Center wouldn¡¯t be able to decode it. Thus, everyone quickly settled on the first problem¡¯s solution¡ªenhancing the transmission source. But enhancing the transmission source was not a simple task, the transmission source in Richard¡¯s technology was already top-notch, increasing its intensity would undoubtedly be tremendously challenging. However, an old wizard soon stood up and offered a viable solution. "The Master¡¯s technology is extremely exquisite; it¡¯s unlikely we can improve it now, so why not start with the materials instead. I have a piece of Star Realm Gemstone here that should qualify the energy wave¡¯s intensity as the core of the transmission source." Star Realm Gemstone, a rare alchemy material only obtainable within Star Realm Meteorites. In terms of rarity, even Fine Gold Secret Silver must bow down. These gemstones possess the property of amplifying magic power, often used in the energy transfer components of various alchemy machines. Richard suspected that many structures of the Pioneer Crystal were modelled after these gemstones. Now that the first problem had been solved, it was time to address the second one. How could the energy wave be transmitted from the inside to the outside of the curtain without being controlled? In principle, this issue was unsolvable. Energy waves lacked self-awareness; they couldn¡¯t change themselves. This issue plunged all the wizards present into silence. Outside the fortress, the White Wizard Army was engaged in fierce battles with the Mayfly Army. With the Mayflies being almost infinite, every minute they stalled resulted in a wizard¡¯s death. Suddenly, a wizard¡¯s muttering caught Richard¡¯s attention. "It would be great if we could add a relay inside the curtain..." Hearing this, Richard¡¯s thoughts instantly became clear. They were all contemplating how to make the energy wave change itself because they couldn¡¯t enter inside the curtain. But Richard was different; he had Ulysses. Ulysses was fully capable of entering inside the curtain. Richard looked at his shoulder, where Ulysses was currently feigning sleep. Constant use of the Divine Eye was also a burden for Ulysses, and he had been a crucial force throughout their journey. Ulysses had grown unusually weary. "Ulysses, wake up." "Gah, what is it?" "I have an idea, listen and see what you think." After speaking, Richard repeated his idea to Ulysses. Ulysses frowned slightly after hearing it but didn¡¯t object. "This could work. Sending something inside isn¡¯t hard. But the key is, your stuff needs to be well protected. The curtain might block your vision, but it also blocks a lot." "That won¡¯t be a problem." In Richard¡¯s view, the device was disposable; his goal was simply to send the blueprints of this device to the command center, thereby establishing contact with them. The alchemy masters at the command center knew much more than they did. With a solution in mind, the rest was much simpler. Richard divided the Star Crystal into two pieces, using them as the core components for the transmitter and the relay. Soon after, the wizards collectively designed a complete set of blueprints. Richard notified the commanders of various White Wizard Army units of the necessary materials, and soon a wizard brought a pile of parts dismantled from Magic Equipment. The materials in the warehouse alone were not sufficient for their needs. Purifying, shaping, engraving, assembling¡ªproducing the highly complex transmitter and relay was hardly a challenge in the hands of a group of alchemy wizards who were at least Second Ring. Within two days, they had finished making the transmitter. Moreover, Richard alone had completed the core component of the transmitter. After the transmitter came the relay, a relatively simpler device to assemble for the wizards. The next day. Richard, clad in Alchemy Power Armor, was giving off a faint glow from the alchemical component in his hand, shaping the last part. Two specially made metal feather pens emerged from the arm armor on his arms. Under Richard¡¯s control, the metal feather pens simultaneously began inscribing runes on the part. Soon, with a subtle wave of magic power indicating the completion of the part¡¯s enchantment. Richard handed the part to another wizard, who inserted the last piece into the relay. Immediately, a subtle energy wave emitted from the relay, and the pyramid-like relay¡¯s surface suddenly lit up with fine runes. "It¡¯s done." With that cheerful utterance, all the wizards present felt a huge relief. They had done all they could; now, all that was left was to pray. Richard handed the relay to Ulysses, who clutched the relay, then vanished into thin air with a flash. Soon, Ulysses reappeared, the relay no longer in his crow claws. "It¡¯s placed. Now it¡¯s up to your device to work." ... Third Battle Zone Command Center. "Still no solution! What are they even good for!" In the command room, the acting commander slammed the report handed to him down on the table. If one were to liken a war party to the human body, then the command center would be the brain and the front lines the limbs. Now, the Third Battle Zone Command Center, the brain, had been cut off from its limbs for over three days. A subordinate beside him, also helpless, remarked that the situation was as it appeared. Their previous plans for such a situation were all useless now. The energy field of the Galaxy Mayflies had exceeded their preset limits. After his outburst, the acting commander sank weakly into his chair. He began to think how his mentor would have handled the current situation, but after a long while, he couldn¡¯t think of any applicable solution. "My teacher should have come up with a technique," he thought wearily. But just as he felt despondent, a voice of astonishment suddenly came from a corner of the command post. "Commander, communication from Fortress 194 is re-established! They say... Wait! They¡¯ve even sent a set of blueprints for a communication device!" Chapter 480 - 25: Mayfly Sacrifice Rule Chapter 480: Chapter 25: Mayfly Sacrifice RuleHearing the subordinate¡¯s report, the acting commander took two strides in three steps, rushing directly to the Wizard who was reporting. At this moment, images were continuously flashing across the Wizard¡¯s Crystal Ball. "What are these things?" "I¡¯m not very clear, these design diagrams are very complicated, I don¡¯t quite understand them. Based on some of the information, it seems to be an Alchemy Machine that emits some kind of Magic Wave." Before long, the Crystal Ball dimmed. The acting commander took the Crystal Ball in hand and projected the design diagrams that had been forwarded. "Call all the wastes from the Alchemy Department here!" "Yes!" After about thirty minutes, several Three Rings Alchemy Wizards, followed by the subordinate, hurried into the Command Room. "These are the design diagrams sent from Fortress 194, take a look and tell me what these things are." Wizards belong to the Five Major Schools, and apart from the Alchemy School and Shape-shifting School whose knowledge somewhat overlaps in advanced areas, the Wizards of the other three schools would be at a loss when confronted with the advanced knowledge of other schools. At best, they could glean a bit of understanding from the breadth of their knowledge, just like the Wizard who received the message. The Alchemy Wizard took the Crystal Ball handed over by the acting commander and received the information with spiritual power. Afterward, an expression suggesting he had seen a ghost crossed his face. "Commander Sir, where did you get this thing!" Seeing his colleague react like this, another Alchemy Wizard snatched the Crystal Ball. After receiving the information, an extremely similar expression appeared on his face. The acting commander, somewhat irritated, said, "It was sent from Fortress 194! Can you make out what this thing is for?" The Alchemy Wizards looked at each other, eventually, an old Wizard stepped forward and said, "Commander Sir, this diagram is for a new communication device. It can emit energy waves beneath the curtain and thus bypass the Mayfly¡¯s energy shielding to transmit information." "Bypass the Mayfly¡¯s shielding!" Hearing this effect, the acting commander¡¯s eyes widened instantly. Although he always cursed the Alchemy Wizards in the logistics department as useless, he knew in his heart it was merely displaced anger. However, now these experienced and knowledgeable Wizards in the logistics department hadn¡¯t come up with a viable communication solution, yet a fortress on the front lines in the midst of war had done so. This made the acting commander entertain a bizarre notion. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He must be hallucinating out of urgency. This was indeed too fantastical. However, before he could dwell too long in his daze, his subordinate¡¯s words brought him back to reality. The subordinate fiddled with the Crystal Ball for a while, then excitedly said, "Sir, among the wizard names at that fortress is Master Richard, who created the small Floating City. No wonder they were able to make this thing!" Hearing the name Richard, the Wizards present all showed expressions of it being only natural, especially the Alchemy Wizards. The name Richard had almost become a legend in the Alchemy School. A small Floating City, with one of its creators being a Three Rings Wizard¡ªsuch inconceivable events were beyond even the dreams of an ordinary Three Rings Wizard. "Since it was made by Master Richard, there likely isn¡¯t any problem," said an old Wizard, "and we will start replicating a set right away." "How long will you need?" The old Wizard calculated briefly and replied, "About two days should suffice." The acting commander breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Alright, get on with it!" "Yes!" ... After sending the design diagrams to headquarters, Fortress 194 began a long wait. Although the number of Galaxy Mayflies was large, the battlefield area was only so big. Even if they filled the entire width of the battlefield, the Wizards could still resist the attacks of the Mayflies. But all Wizards knew that this was only temporary. War consumes a massive amount of materials, with Fortress 194 expending one million units of Magic Essence daily just on Magic Stones. Even with their abundant reserves, they couldn¡¯t withstand such consumption. However, if the Magic Essence ran out, the fortress¡¯s combat power would drastically decrease, leaving all Wizards facing imminent death. Boom! A dazzling river of lightning burst forth from the Magic Wand. A three-meter-tall fluorescent giant stood atop the fortress, like the main cannon of a War Airship, continuously emitting powerful rivers of lightning. For Richard, battling the Galaxy Mayflies on this battlefield was comparable to a Grotto Heaven. Massive Energy Radiation, under the manipulation of the Radiant Giant Battle Body and Radiation Rule, was like an inexhaustible source of Magic Power. Richard stood on the battlefield, only needing to expand his spiritual power as much as possible and then continuously releasing powerful Spells. The Magic Power consumption that ordinary Wizards worried about was no problem for him. Even in this situation, Richard¡¯s mastery over the Radiant Giant Battle Body and the application of Radiation Rule significantly improved. Now, Richard could maintain the Radiant Giant Battle Body for half an hour longer than before the war had started, and the intensity of the energy controlled by the radiation maneuver had increased by two hundred levels. Moreover, Richard believed that this was far from his limit. After releasing the Thunder River, Richard suddenly flashed and entered the fortress. Releasing such powerful spells multiple times was a massive test on spiritual power. Now, Richard¡¯s spiritual power was almost exhausted, and he had to meditate. But before he could enter the quiet room, a surprising message came through the soul network. "We¡¯ve made contact, we¡¯ve made contact! Headquarters has ordered us to break through to Fortress Nine!" Upon hearing this news, Richard first paused, then was overjoyed. "We can finally move, if we keep defending like this, our people will be depleted." Although defending the fortress resulted in fewer casualties than field battles, there were still losses. It had been six days since Richard had entered the fortress, and during these days, fifteen thousand wizards had perished. Though because of the existence of soul boxes, the actual number of wizard casualties was much less than the number of deaths. But those wizards whose souls had been captured in soul boxes no longer had any combat ability, making them as good as dead for the battlefield. Having pulled Ulysses from the Secret Realm, and since there was no need for him during the defense of the fortress, Ulysses had returned to rest in the Secret Realm. But now, with the need to break out, Ulysses¡¯s Divine Eye was indispensable. In the soul network, about a dozen White Wizards were discussing the retreat plan. Richard did not speak; he always refrained from interjecting on matters he was unfamiliar with. Suddenly, a terrifying oppression that made their souls tremble swept across them. Almost simultaneously, they looked up at the sky¡ªthe Great Wizard had emerged from the curtain. ... Above the Heavenly Vault, the body of the Bronze Spear Great Wizard glowed like gold, every movement filled with immense power. He wore a set of bronze armor, the force of rules continuously flowing within his body, as if a Divine statue inhabited by a deity. Opposite him, the Sixth Level King of Mayfly had a body translucent like crystal, shining as brightly as the sun. However, in its abdomen, an almost transparent wound was continuously dissipating the radiant flow of rules. Clearly, the King of Mayfly had fallen behind in the battle within the curtain. "Indeed formidable," sighed the King of Mayfly, watching the Bronze Spear Great Wizard. "Relying solely on one¡¯s own power, it truly is difficult to battle against a real powerhouse." Because of their race¡¯s characteristics, an individual Mayfly¡¯s combat ability was far weaker than other creatures of the same level. This characteristic was somewhat mitigated after becoming a World Master, allowing them to compete equally with native World Masters of the same level. However, when encountering civilization¡¯s wizards, this characteristic became apparent. Not just him, but the other two Kings of Mayfly were also injured to varying degrees. The King of Mayfly fighting with the Rocky Great Wizard had a broken limb segment, while the one fighting with the Twilight Great Wizard had a withered insect wing. "Are you finally resorting to your tricks?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard swung his spear, and the sharp light on its tip instantly tore through space. All the Great Wizards recognized that the Galaxy Mayflies were up to something with their early probes, which were overly intense, but they could never find concrete evidence. "Trick? Such a contemptuous term." The King of Mayfly looked at the Bronze Spear Great Wizard, when suddenly, a sharp cry emitted from its mouth. The next instant, the face of the Bronze Spear Great Wizard changed slightly, and his bronze spear immediately lit up with the brilliance of the rules. Buzz! The spear thrust forward, but it was blocked by an invisible barrier of rules. For the first time since the battle began, an attack from his spear, which could pierce the vault of heaven, was obstructed by an unremarkable barrier of rules! Simultaneously, the other two Kings of Mayfly encountered similar situations. The Kings of Mayfly seemed to have resorted to some forbidden tactic, and an enormous power continuously poured into their bodies from behind the veil. The King of Mayfly arrogantly said to the Bronze Spear Great Wizard, "Wizard, the Mayfly Sacrifice Rule is no mere trick. The Galaxy Mayflies who die in this world do not die in vain!" The Mayfly Sacrifice Rule was the reason for the earlier probes, sending so many Mayflies to their deaths. Under the coverage of the Mayfly Sacrifice Rule, any Galaxy Mayfly that died would transform into a force within the Mayfly dimension. And when the Kings of the Mayfly deployed the rule, this force would be at their command. Having said this, the King of Mayfly suddenly shot forth two beams of light that tore through space, heading straight for the Bronze Spear Great Wizard. "So... die!" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard¡¯s expression remained unchanged, the brilliance of the rules within his armor continuously flowing. Buzz! Two dents appeared on the bronze armor. The Bronze Spear Great Wizard spoke indifferently, "I thought it would be stronger, but it¡¯s only doubled in strength." As he spoke, his armor suddenly shattered and fused into his body, his aura instantly skyrocketing. The Bronze Spear Great Wizard, as it turned out, had been in a sealed state! But compared to the ease of the Bronze Spear Great Wizard, the other two Great Wizards were somewhat distressed. The Twilight Great Wizard, watching the suddenly strengthened King of Mayfly in front of him, suddenly flashed back to a divination done in his youth. The wizard who divined for him said, "Sullivan, you will die in a net formed by the sun and a swarm of insects." Chapter 481 - 26: Death God’s Summon Chapter 481: Chapter 26: Death God¡¯s SummonShaking off the ominous premonition in his heart, the Twilight Great Wizard gazed at the King of Mayfly before him, his aura also climbing. As a Great Wizard, the Twilight Great Wizard usually sealed his own strength, exchanging it for bursts of power when necessary. However, compared to the King of Mayfly¡¯s ascension, the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s enhancement seemed somewhat insufficient. Moreover, the power sacrificed by the death of Mayflies was merely a part of the Mayfly Sacrifice Rule. On top of this, it served another function. The Kings of Mayfly shrieked again, and a vast network linked the King of Mayfly and the Mayfly Army on the ground. At this moment, the King of Mayfly was truly giving his all. The further rise in strength of the King of Mayfly calmed Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s heart. The network built by the King of Mayfly increasingly resembled the result of his divination years ago. "Sullivan, you will die in a net formed by the sun and the swarm." The result of the divination echoed like a curse in the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s mind. As a Great Wizard, he was all too familiar with the effects of divination spells. Once the result of divination was observed, his fate was already sealed. So, was he going to die? The Soul Fire in the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s eyes flickered like a torch in the wind. He was a Great Wizard, the pinnacle of the Wizard World pyramid. He owned several worlds as territories and testing grounds, where a single word from him could mobilize a million wizards! He had explored the mysteries of an epoch, and countless taboo knowledge had been written in Magic Books. Was he, of such stature, going to die today because of a divination from his youth? To hell with destiny! The Twilight Great Wizard cursed internally, a surge of intense Magic Fluctuation spreading from his body, an overwhelmingly complex Spell gradually forming in his eye sockets. He wanted to defeat fate, he wanted to decide his own future! The King of Mayfly did not know that his opponent had just undergone such an intense mental struggle. He only knew that his enemy was weaving an extremely dangerous attack. Even though he was now at his prime, he still sensed a lethal threat in the Spell being woven by the Twilight Great Wizard. "Such a powerful wizard, indeed, any World Master of a civilization will unleash tremendous power at the final moments. But it¡¯s all in vain..." Suddenly, the King of Mayfly flicked his wings, and his body accelerated to the speed of streaming light. In an instant, all the Twilight Great Wizard saw was a flash of light, and then a severe pain shot through his arm. He looked down only to see his right arm had, unbeknownst to him, broken off. The enormous white bone arm fell from the sky, stirring up a dust cloud as if a meteor had struck the earth. "Streaming light speed, impressive." The Twilight Great Wizard praised, and the next moment, a huge net made of rules emerged from the Void, instantly trapping the King of Mayfly, who moved like streaming light. "But mere streaming light speed is not enough!" Streaming light speed was the maximal speed allowed outside of the Curtain; no creature or object could surpass this speed outside the Curtain. Because once it was surpassed, the Curtain would block the speedster like an iron wall formed from absolute rigid bodies. Even a World Master might die on impact with such a wall at streaming light speed. Within the net, the segmented limbs of the King of Mayfly suddenly deformed, turning into two crystal-like blades. The power of the rules flowed ceaselessly on the blades, and with a slight movement, the net on him shattered into pieces in the sky. He glanced at the Spell Model in the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s eyes that had not yet ceased, and his insect wings flicked again. This time, thousands of rhombus crystals appeared behind him. Connected by light, they formed a giant, spell-like model structure in the air. Energy transformed and shifted between the crystals, various types of energy continuously gathering and escalating. Finally, all the energy converged into the center of the model¡ªa compound eye made of crystals. At the same time, the Spell constructed by the Twilight Great Wizard had also taken shape. Billions of Runes in his eye sockets turned into a pitch-black eye. The eye was distinctly black and white, but its white part was filled with blood vessels. Its eyeball rolled around in the socket, then locked its gaze onto the King of Mayfly. Instantly, the body of the King of Mayfly stiffened. A chilling sensation of being preyed upon surged through his heart. Without thought, the crystal compound eye burst forth with a radiance like the sun¡¯s. The Sun Light, at a million Energy Level, instantly pierced through space; the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s defenses were utterly like papier-mach¨¦ before this strike. Magic Barrier shattered, Magic Shield shattered, Rule Barrier shattered, skeletal true body shattered! Before such a calamity-like strike at a million Energy Level, even a Five-Ring Great Wizard like the Twilight Great Wizard could not withstand it. The skull that held the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s Soul Fire instantly evaporated into nothing under the Sun Light. On the ground, the wizards of the Third War Zone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, their limbs going weak. "It¡¯s over, all is over. The Twilight Great Wizard has fallen!" Watching the battlefield in the sky, Richard felt dizzy before his eyes. If the Twilight Great Wizard had fallen, then they, all the wizards, were doomed to die, soul boxes notwithstanding. For the World Master, intercepting souls was a trivial matter. But just as Richard despaired, Ulysses¡¯s calm voice suddenly sounded in his ear. "Don¡¯t panic, your Great Wizard isn¡¯t that easy to kill." In the sky, the King of Mayfly looked at the Twilight Great Wizard, who no longer possessed the Soul Fire, his eyes flickering with gravity. Suddenly, the headless body of the Twilight Great Wizard began to regenerate at the neck. A snow-white skull, like a 3D print, grew from his neck bones. And as the skull completed, twin Soul Fires suddenly ignited in the eye sockets. "Hehehe, powerful spell, but useless against me," the Twilight Great Wizard cackled as he waved his Magic Wand, and a Crystal Ball appeared out of thin air. "Now it¡¯s my turn!" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The next moment, the Crystal Ball exploded, and a pitch-black gate suddenly appeared in the air. The instant Ulysses saw the gate, he screamed. "Don¡¯t look at that door, you madman! That¡¯s the Gate of Netherworld!" Upon hearing the scream, Richard immediately shifted his gaze and relayed the message to the other Three Rings Wizards through the psychic network. Then he turned to Ulysses and asked, "What is the Gate of Netherworld?" Ulysses fluttered his wings, and a dark curtain instantly blocked all angles that could see the Gate of Netherworld. "The Gate of Netherworld is the portal to the Netherworld Dimension. The Netherworld Dimension is among the oldest of all Illusionary Dimensions. Its inner worlds overflow with countless World Masters and even Divine Kings. "Once this ghostly thing opens in the Material World, it will inevitably summon those Death Gods and Netherworld Kings, and summoning a Divine King is not impossible!" "What do you mean by blocking it?" "This thing can let things out, naturally it can take things in. If you look at it too long, your souls will be sucked into the Netherworld Dimension. "Damn, this kind of thing is usually used by our Death Gods for mutual destruction. Why is your Great Wizard using it now!" Hearing this, a feeling of wrongness flashed through Richard¡¯s mind. "Mutual destruction? Does using this thing come with a great cost?" "Of course, those Death Gods are not the benevolent type. Opening this gate necessarily requires a World Master¡¯s soul as material, and maintaining the Gate of Netherworld also demands the caster¡¯s soul as a cost. "If maintained too long, even the soul of a World Master will be depleted. "And besides, those Death Gods are not obedient summons. Once they appear, they will start harvesting all present souls. "Unless your Great Wizard has found a way to control the Death Gods, summoning the Gate of Netherworld now is an absolutely foolish move." ... In the sky, the massive Gate of Netherworld opened slowly amidst the wailing of countless souls, and a giant Death God with the head of a pig and a body wielding a large axe squeezed out. Even though the Twilight Great Wizard was now a kilometer tall, he still looked like a dwarf in front of the Death God. "Death God Togret, it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your contract." The pig-headed Death God glanced at the Twilight Great Wizard and then at the King of Mayfly across him, snorting a sound from his pig nose. "Twilight Wizard, I hope your incomplete soul is enough to sustain until I harvest his soul." The Soul Fire in the eyes of the Twilight Great Wizard flickered briefly and he responded, "Knowing my soul is incomplete, aren¡¯t you going to act quickly?" The recent Sun Light had not left him unscathed. Although he had escaped death, his soul had still lost nearly a quarter of its essence in the aftermath of the Sun Light. However, compared to outright dying, this loss was insignificant. The pig-headed Death God snorted again and then marched towards the King of Mayfly. Along the way, he swung his large axe, ripping out vast swathes of Star River Mayfly souls like a giant net from their bodies. Yet the Wizard remained unharmed. The Twilight Great Wizard, as frantic as he was, wouldn¡¯t summon a Death God that couldn¡¯t differentiate friend from foe. "Death God!?" The King of Mayfly shrieked, his body suddenly lighting up like the sun. Under the glow, the Soul Net of the Star River Mayfly halted midair, no matter how the Death God summoned, it didn¡¯t budge. "Soul Rules? Interesting." The pig-headed Death God swung his large axe violently, and instantly tore a hole in the Soul Net. Millions of Star River Mayfly souls got sucked through his nostrils like blue smoke entering his body. The King of Mayfly shrieked again upon witnessing this scene. This time, any creature could discern his rage. "A mere World Master of an Illusionary Dimension dares to devour my kin right in front of me?" The next moment, the King of Mayfly flapped his wings, suddenly transforming into thousands of figures. But the pig-headed Death God mocked with a smirk. In his eyes, among the thousands of King of Mayfly figures, only one bore a mark. The eyes the Twilight Great Wizard had spent half a day creating were not meant to intimidate. The pig-headed Death God swung his axe, the axe representing death crossing space and heading straight for the true body of the King of Mayfly. If this axe were to land solidly, even if the King of Mayfly was a Level 5 Creature, he would still be shattered and have his vital essence and soul harvested. Chapter 482 - 27 The Fall of the Great Wizard Chapter 482: Chapter 27 The Fall of the Great WizardThud! The expected splash of flesh and blood did not occur when the Pig Head Death God struck; instead, his large axe was blocked by two jointed legs of the King of Mayfly. Although the crystal-like jointed legs were gradually shattering under the erosion of the axe blade, the fragments sparkled like broken stars. But the King of Mayfly ultimately blocked the blow. Then, the thousands of phantoms that the King of Mayfly had split into stirred. The phantoms, like streams of light, with their jointed legs and insect wings, shone with the light of rules. As a master of illusions, the King of Mayfly had long mastered the True Illusion. The next moment, thousands of real phantoms charged towards the Pig Head Death God at the speed of light. The Pig Head Death God tried to defend but couldn¡¯t surpass the speed of light. Ripping... In an instant, numerous wounds erupted all over the Pig Head Death God¡¯s body, and his dark blood dripped onto the ground, even turning it into Netherworld Soil. Roar! The Pig Head Death God let out a painful scream. "Insect, I will turn your entire race into the most despicable spirits in my Divine Country!" In the face of the Pig Head Death God¡¯s threat, the King of Mayfly emitted a sharp cry, conveying a single sentiment. Contempt. The King of Mayfly taunted, "A World Master from an Illusion World dares to be so noisy. Go back to your old home!" Although the Netherworld Dimension harbors countless powerful beings, the Illusionary Dimension is, after all, illusionary, and they can only briefly manifest in the Material World, which is already the limit of their abilities. Even the Star Realm Master from the Illusionary Dimension couldn¡¯t arrive in the Material World without being summoned. After taunting, the King of Mayfly vibrated his insect wings once more, and again, thousands of phantoms appeared. This time, instead of attacking, they constructed something similar to a mental network amongst each other. The Twilight Great Wizard behind the Pig Head Death God recognized what it was, and hurriedly waved his magic wand, emitting a gray light that spanned the Heavenly Vault. Several hundred phantoms of the King of Mayfly dissipated into the atmosphere as energy under this light beam. "Togret, you¡¯d better take this seriously. Otherwise, you might not be returning today!" The weak voice of the Twilight Great Wizard rang out beside the Pig Head Death God. To maintain the Gate of Netherworld, his soul was continuously depleting, which meant his spiritual power was constantly falling. The weakness from his soul almost prevented him from casting spells. Hearing this, the Pig Head Death God¡¯s axe gleamed with a bloody light, stripping the exquisite axe of its glamorous appearance. The King of Mayfly looked at the previously exuberant axe now turned into a simple blood-stained executioner¡¯s axe, feeling a tinge of caution in his heart. At this moment, the large axe of the Pig Head Death God had turned into a simple executioner¡¯s axe stained with blood, but it emanated an extremely dangerous aura. It seemed the axe was no longer just a weapon embodying the Death Rule; it had become death itself. "The Twilight Wizard is a clever fellow, so I¡¯m quite willing to heed his advice." The Pig Head Death God raised his axe, and the cuts across his gray-blue skin caused by the phantom of the King of Mayfly began to heal on their own. Unlike usual creatures, every wound on the Pig Head Death God left a scar. "So I¡¯ve decided to go all out and drag you, this despicable insect, into the Netherworld as soon as possible!" Buzz! A humming sound emanated from the blade of the axe, and the blood-stained executioner¡¯s axe swung a blood-red glow. Everything touched by this glow, whether material or biological, was commanded to die. The King of Mayfly flashed, turning into a streak of light, yet the light from the swung axe seemed to track its target, making it impossible for him to evade. Having no choice, the King of Mayfly had to withstand the strike. Ding! A piercingly sharp explosion suddenly erupted. A pair of jointed legs of the King of Mayfly were slashed off, gradually shattering in the air, and at the moment of touching the ground, they finally exploded into a sky full of stardust. "It¡¯s conceptual death," Ulysses observed, his face showing shock as he looked at the King of Mayfly in the sky. "Conceptual death, what is that?" Ulysses explained, "Conceptual death is an ultimate expression of the Death Rule, capable of erasing something from concept. Look at that giant bug; his two jointed legs have been erased conceptually. No matter how strong their regeneration ability, unless the Rule Body is reshaped, those legs will never grow back." Hearing this explanation, Richard was shocked. "Death Rule can achieve such a terrifying capability? Wouldn¡¯t the powerful beings possessing the Death Rule be invincible?" Ulysses glanced at him and responded, "You always view the capabilities of deities with a mortal¡¯s mindset. This method is just a rule attack; if you block it, it¡¯s gone. This bug was erased because he didn¡¯t block it, and had he been as strong as that Bronze Wizard, he would have merely lost some energy at most." Richard nodded thoughtfully and then shifted his gaze back to the sky. After experiencing conceptual death, the gaze of the King of Mayfly towards the Pig Head Death God was neither fearful nor terrified. On the contrary, he seemed even more determined. "Indeed strong enough, no wonder he used his soul as a price to summon you. But unfortunately, it¡¯s still not enough!" The Pig Head Death God didn¡¯t respond, his large axe once again cleaved a blood-red glow through the air. This time, the King of Mayfly did not evade. His insect wings vibrated again, and once more, thousands of the King of Mayfly¡¯s phantoms appeared behind him. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As the King of Mayfly flicked his tail, the True Illusions charged towards the dark red axe light like moths to a flame. Bang, bang, bang... A series of explosions resounded in the air. Due to the explosion of the True Illusions by the axe light, they resembled a fireworks display. Once the fireworks had dissipated, the axe light of the Death God had vanished. "Your conceptual death is not enough; you can only erase a part of the concept, but you can¡¯t erase my concept of True Illusions." The King of Mayfly spoke confidently, leaving the Death God sighing in resignation. "Twilight Wizard, you cannot win this battle. This insect¡¯s abilities are my nemesis." His axe light could make everything it touched meet death, constantly consuming the Death Rule in the process. Typically, the response of a World Master would be to tough it out with the power of Rules. He could also seize this opportunity to erase some of the World Master¡¯s rules. However, the King of Mayfly was different; he possessed an ability called True Illusions. Each illusion he created was like a weakened version of the King of Mayfly. Killing these True Illusions consumed a massive amount of Death Rule, yet the damage caused to the King of Mayfly was just a trivial loss of Soul Power. Regrettably, conceptual death happened to be the Death God¡¯s killing move. Without its effectiveness, the battle would drag on into a war of attrition. Although the Death God was confident that he would ultimately win, the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s soul clearly wouldn¡¯t last that long. The Death God¡¯s words stirred the curse-like prophecy in the mind of the Twilight Great Wizard once again. "Sullivan, you shall die in a net formed by the sun and a swarm of insects." Momentarily, the Twilight Great Wizard replied, "Since he can¡¯t be killed, let¡¯s just kill those little ones instead." The Death God did not respond; he swung his great axe, severing the souls of millions of Mayflies from their soul network. Though he was helpless against the King of Mayfly, these lesser Galaxy Mayflies were still quite manageable for him. The actions of the Death God soon drove the King of Mayfly into a frenzy. The Phantom Stab that had appeared before emerged again, but this time, it was largely blocked by a blade of the Death God¡¯s axe. Although the remaining illusions of the King of Mayfly left several horrifying wounds on him, the Death God remained unfazed. He was like a diligent farmer, reaping the souls of the Galaxy Mayflies with each swing of his axe. With no other options, the King of Mayfly had to attack the Twilight Great Wizard, forcing the Death God to defend. Suddenly, terrifying energy fluctuations, carrying bizarre rule powers, erupted continuously in the sky, causing the wizards on the ground to dare not continue observing the battlefield. The wizards clashed with the Mayfly Army once again. Finally, amidst the King of Mayfly¡¯s piercing scream, countless arms reached out from the Gate of Netherworld and grabbed the Death God. His time in the Material World was up. "It¡¯s finally over," thought the King of Mayfly. At that moment, only one pair of insect wings and one pair of limbs remained on the King of Mayfly. Even some of his rules had been erased. Had it not been for the Mayfly Sacrifice Rule and the blessing of billions of Mayflies, he truly wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat the Death God. The King of Mayfly looked at the Twilight Great Wizard, sensing that this wizard¡¯s soul was exceedingly weak. The wizard was nearly falling from the rank of World Master. "It¡¯s finally over," the Twilight Great Wizard said calmly, looking at the King of Mayfly. The King of Mayfly did not respond; his body transformed into a stream of light, and the soul network of billions of Mayflies faintly appeared in the air, bursting with brilliance like the sun¡¯s rays from within him. The greatest respect for an enemy is to give one¡¯s all. With this strike, the Twilight Great Wizard was undoubtedly doomed. But suddenly, the entire sky seemed to freeze. The King of Mayfly¡¯s body was suspended in the air, and a Rule Chain unexpectedly wrapped around him. On this chain, he sensed a familiar essence. "Galaxy Mayfly, did you think only you possess the rules of civilization?" The Twilight Great Wizard looked at the Galaxy Mayfly, the Soul Fire in his eyes incredibly serene. In the final moment of his life, the Twilight Great Wizard utilized the Wizard Rule of Wizard Civilization. And this rule had only one capability¡ªequivalent exchange. A Balance transformed from rules appeared in the sky, the Twilight Great Wizard on the left, the King of Mayfly on the right. "Sullivan, you shall die in a net formed by the sun and a swarm of insects." The prophecy echoed in the mind of the Twilight Great Wizard, his Soul Fire subtly stirring as he pointed at the King of Mayfly and brought his own life into play. Since death was inevitable, he decided to make it worthwhile. "I will trade my life for your death." Having said this, the physical body of the Twilight Great Wizard shattered, his soul dissipated, and all of him transformed into a weight on the scale. On the other side, everything about the King of Mayfly was also quantified into a weight. After the conceptual erasure by the Death God, the King of Mayfly, who should have been weightier than the Twilight Great Wizard, had his weights condensed, hardly outweighing the Twilight Great Wizard by much. The Balance of Rules swayed slightly in the air but never reached equilibrium. If not balanced, the King of Mayfly would surely survive. The Twilight Great Wizard sacrificed everything, but even mutual destruction seemed out of reach! But in the next moment, a beam of light shot across the sky and transformed into a weight that landed on the Twilight Great Wizard¡¯s side of the Balance. The First Battle Zone¡¯s Bronze Spear Great Wizard looked at the Balance, a hint of sorrow on his face. His bronze spear had, unknown to him, broken a piece off. With the added weight of the new counterweight, the Balance of Rules gradually evened out. Equivalent exchange, affirmed! Chapter 483 - 28 The Wizard World Mobilization Act Chapter 483: Chapter 28 The Wizard World Mobilization ActIn the moment of balance, the Rule Balance suddenly shattered. Scattered fragments of rules transformed into a gateway leading behind the veil in the air. Then, deep within the endless dimensions, a dimension known as the Wizard dimension opened its doors. A black-robed Wizard holding a Balance and a Magic Book stepped out from the gate. He glanced at the Magic Book and then at the King of Mayfly, shackled in the air by Rule Chains. "Equivalent exchange." The black-robed Wizard muttered in Wizard Language, closed the Magic Book, and then swatted at the King of Mayfly as if swatting an insect. With a "bang", the King of Mayfly, who shone like the sun, explosively turned into a sky full of shattered stars under the Magic Book. The trade complete, the Wizard pocketed the counterweight that the Dusk Great Wizard turned into on his waist and then retreated back through the gateway to behind the veil. Throughout the process, the whole Galaxy World remained deadly silent. After a long while, Ulysses murmured to himself, "What an aberrant rule, to swap even after death." The death of the Dusk Great Wizard did not affect the situation in the other two battle zones; the King of Mayfly continued to battle fiercely with the Great Wizards. In fact, due to the death of one King of Mayfly, the other two gained a surge of tremendous power under the effects of the Mayfly Sacrifice Rule. Meanwhile, in the Third War Zone, both the Wizards and the Galaxy Mayflies fell into silence. "We must retreat quickly!" Richard snapped out of shock and urgently shouted in the mental network. Although the death of the King of Mayfly resulted in the lack of a major commander for the mental network he established, the remaining mental network did not vanish completely and still connected the vast Mayfly Army. Without a Great Wizard to share the pressure, the Wizards could not possibly hold back the mad Galaxy Mayflies. Prompted by Richard¡¯s warning, the commanders of the White Wizard Army quickly reacted. Taking advantage of the confusion caused by the death of the King of Mayfly, they had to break out as swiftly as possible. Otherwise, once the Galaxy Mayflies collected themselves, their casualties would be severe. "Ulysses, you lead the way." Richard gave Ulysses his orders and then entered the Secret Realm through the Secret Realm Rift. The appearance of the Great Wizard battle had left Richard with no time for meditation. Now, Richard was in a state where his spiritual power was almost entirely depleted. "Understood." Ulysses responded and, with a flap of his wings, shot towards the fortress command center like lightning. Under the command of a dozen White Wizards, nearly seventy thousand Wizards within the fortress shifted formations at an astonishing speed. The things on the battlefield were beyond the comprehension of those in the One Ring and Second Ring, but they could still see the outcome of the battle. The state of the Dusk Great Wizard did not, by any means, suggest he would continue in the war. If they didn¡¯t break out soon, they feared they would be keeping the Dusk Great Wizard company. With the formation adjusted, and while the mental network of the Galaxy Mayflies was still in chaos, the White Wizard Army immediately started their breakout. At the same time, due to the fall of the Dusk Great Wizard, changes occurred in the Wizard World. Boom¡ªBoom! Boom¡ªBoom! Within the Tower of Truth, grand bell tolls echoed across all the levels. Young Wizards were somewhat bewildered by the bell, but the older Wizards all wore expressions of sorrow. "Teacher, what is this bell sound about?" "Don¡¯t speak, bow your head and mourn with me. This is the Mourning Bell. Judging by the rhythm, it should mean a Five-Ring Great Wizard has fallen in a plane expedition." "A Five-Ring Great Wizard!? How is that possible..." The Wizards at the base of the Tower of Truth whispered amongst themselves during the tolling of the bell, completely unaware of the deeper story behind it. Above the First Ring of the Tower of Truth, on the single Floating City stationed in the Wizard World, streams of light descended continually. All the Great Wizards of the Wizard World, except those in deep slumber or on expeditions, sent their avatars to this Floating City. This Floating City was ancient, with only a two-kilometer diameter. Instead of the common spires found on ordinary floating cities, it had a singular massive white hall. If a Wizard knowledgeable in the history of the Wizard Civilization saw it, they would have exclaimed in surprise at its name¡ªthe City of Eternal Truth. This Floating City was a gift from the Alchemy School to celebrate the establishment of the Truth Council after the Great Wizard War. After tens of thousands of years, this Floating City still hung suspended in the sky. And that pure white hall was the seat of the Truth Council. The Truth Wizards and Great Wizards discussed bills in this hall, and when it opened after meetings, the whole of the Wizard Civilization would change as a result. As the avatars of the Great Wizards arrived, the council hall at the center of the Floating City slowly opened its doors. The Great Wizards entered one by one according to their strength, with Garon the Great Wizard first, the Sixth Circle following, then the Fifth, and lastly the Fourth Circle. Inside the hall, seating on the stairs was arranged around a round table. Painted upon the round table was a golden pentagram, each of its five points facing a seat. Five figures, each distinct in appearance, sat at their places. Among them were a wooden puppet, a flame creature that burned like a fire, a splendidly decorated skeleton, and a seemingly ordinary yet somewhat ethereal human being. They sat silent, the atmosphere within the hall as if it had frozen solid. Once the last Great Wizard avatar entered, the hall¡¯s door closed without a sound. Among the Wizards seated by the round table, the Wizard with a body blazing like the sun stood up. "Good afternoon, everyone. I am Plastic Energy, the Speaker of the Council for this epoch. Now that everyone is present, I declare the thirty-second session of the Truth Council is now in session. The topic for this time is the War of Civilizations. But before we begin with today¡¯s topic, let us take a thirty-second moment of silence to mourn the Dusk Great Wizard who has sacrificed himself for the Wizard Civilization." With that, Plastic Energy, the crown-clad Wizard, crossed his hands over his chest and bowed his head in silent tribute. The wizards in the room all stood up, observing a moment of silence with the same solemnity. After thirty seconds, the Plastic Energy Crown opened his eyes, returning to a normal state, and took out a scroll. "According to the intelligence from the frontline, we have confirmed that the small world with the code 011320, known as ¡¯Galaxy,¡¯ is a colony of the Galaxy Mayfly civilization. This civilization possesses four Dominator-level combat powers, over a thousand World Master-level combat powers, and a vastly greater population than ours. Given the current situation, it is clear that we no longer have any possibility of peace with the Galaxy Mayfly civilization." The last sentence from the Plastic Energy Crown elicited a faint rustle of derisive laughter in the already quiet council hall. Peace? That term had not appeared in the wizard¡¯s dictionary since the end of the great wizard war. "Silence," commanded the Plastic Energy Crown calmly. "The situation we are facing is extremely grave. According to the intelligence from the frontline, the civilizational rules of the Galaxy Mayfly civilization can significantly enhance their combat capabilities. This increase in strength even surpasses our own Sealing abilities. Moreover, the sheer numbers of the Galaxy Mayfly civilization far exceed ours, putting us at a disadvantage in terms of lower-end combat power. Therefore, I propose a motion. I believe that the Wizard Civilization has reached a critical juncture of life or death, and we must launch an extensive mobilization, encompassing all wizards. Every wizard in the upcoming civilizational war has the right, and the obligation, to fight for the Wizard Civilization." Having said this, the Plastic Energy Crown glanced over the wizards in the hall. "Cast your votes, everyone." The Great Wizards pondered the proposal, and quickly, decisions were made. A Great Wizard took out a Crystal Ball and tapped it once. Immediately, a light screen appeared above the round table. The screen showed one vote in favor, none against. Soon enough, one by one, the Great Wizards made their choices. The number of agreeing votes surged, while the dissenting votes remained nonexistent. Eventually, the numbers on the screen settled at one thousand two hundred forty-three in favor, zero against. The motion proposed by the Plastic Energy Crown passed unanimously. Then, the Plastic Energy Crown turned his gaze to the other four Truth Wizards. The rule of the Truth Council is that a motion can only be enacted if at least three Truth Wizards agree to it. The first to decide was the Curse Crown, the wizard who had ended the great wizard war. With a sigh, he said, "Alas, another great war. I agree with Plastic Energy¡¯s motion." Next was the Alchemy Crown. "I agree as well." The remaining two exchanged a glance before also making their decisions. "Agreed." "Agreed." The most unprecedented scene in the history of the Truth Council unfolded, as a motion had received unanimous agreement from all the Great Wizards as well as the Truth Wizards. Such a thing had never occurred since the establishment of the Truth Council. With a smile drawn in Flames on his face, the Plastic Energy Crown announced, "I declare that the first motion has passed with unanimous consent. The Wizard World Mobilization Act will be officially implemented following the conclusion of this meeting!" And so, in a gathering of over a thousand Great Wizards and five Truth Wizards, a decision was born that would impact the entire Wizard Civilization and the future of both civilizations. ... Galaxy World, Third Battle Zone. "Fortress one-nine-four has notified us that they have successfully broken through the Galaxy Mayfly¡¯s encirclement and are advancing towards Fortress number nine." At the Third Battle Zone Command Center, the acting commander in chief took the document handed over by a subordinate and glanced at it before setting it aside. There were more urgent matters that required his attention. He turned to the wizard beside him and asked again, "Has the count of the remaining Galaxy Mayflies in the battle zone been completed?" The wizard responded with some difficulty, "Sir... there might be an issue with our instruments. The wizards from the Alchemy Department are working on calibrating them." "...What was the figure from the first count?" "We estimate the number to be around one point three billion." Hearing this, the acting commander in chief slumped into his chair as if all the bones in his body had been pulled out. Even if his mentor had gone all out to replace the opposing World Master, would the Third Battle Zone still be headed for destruction? "...Proceed with the calibration," said the acting commander in chief weakly. Even though he knew it was unlikely that the alchemy machines would err by an order of magnitude, he still harbored a sliver of hope. But he quickly rose from his chair. "Inform the logistics worlds to halt the supply of materials to the Third Battle Zone. All War Airships at the airship yard take off immediately. The cargo airships return to the logistics worlds, and the War Airships proceed to the frontline. Also, set the Teleportation Gate¡¯s self-destruct mechanism to countdown mode. If any issues arise, we must completely destroy the Teleportation Gate within ten seconds." "Yes, sir!" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After arranging all of this, the acting commander in chief sat back down. He casually picked up the report that had just been handed to him and after reading it carefully, he told another wizard: "Notify the wizards at Fortress one-nine-four to have Master Richard and Master Delis return to headquarters." Chapter 484 - 29 Heart of Mayfly Chapter 484: Chapter 29 Heart of Mayfly"Shall the two of us return to headquarters?" Looking at the message sent back from the Battle Zone Command Center, both Richard and Delis were somewhat confused. Did the headquarters plan to use the Black Wizard for something? But soon, a reluctant smile that could barely be called a smile appeared on Delis¡¯s face. "It¡¯s probably part of the contingency plan the Great Wizard mentioned, involving both of us. Apparently, they want me to temporarily leave the Galaxy World." "Temporarily leave?" Richard was slightly shocked, and joy instantly leapt into his eyes. "Yes," Delis looked at Richard with some confusion, "the Great Wizard should have mentioned this to you. After the war ends, they plan to reassign you to the rear or something." "He mentioned it," Richard nodded slightly, "but wasn¡¯t that supposed to be after the war ended?" Delis shook his head and explained, "We can¡¯t wait that long. We don¡¯t know how many years this war will last. If we wait until the war is over to apply, we¡¯ll probably be reduced to ash by then. Based on my understanding of the Military Department, our applications have most likely already been approved. As long as the Great Wizard thinks the time is right, we can be reassigned. And with the current situation..." Delis didn¡¯t finish his sentence because continuing might have been disrespectful to the Great Wizard. Before his death, the Great Wizard surely prepared a contingency plan to be activated afterward. Currently, his death seemed to hasten their return. "Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s as the Master said," Richard sighed and said with a slight smile. ... Boom! Loud sounds of Spell thunder echoed continuously. On the desolate plain, a massive White Wizard Army, composed of fourteen battle formations, advanced slowly towards Fortress Number Nine, hindered by the resistance of the Galaxy Mayflies. Although Fortress 194 was only about five hundred kilometers away from Fortress Number Nine, as the mental network of the Galaxy Mayflies ended their chaos, the vast Mayfly Army that could move mountains and fill seas caught up with the fleeing Wizards. Facing the overwhelming numbers of the Galaxy Mayflies, the progress of the White Wizards was severely hindered. In six hours, they had advanced only two hundred kilometers. Fortunately, due to the Death God, many Galaxy Mayflies near the Teleportation Gate area were cleared. At this point, their breakout to enter Fortress Number Nine seemed unproblematic. "No way, why are there more and more Mayflies nearby?" Richard stood in the center of the Wizard Army, his massive figure clad in Alchemy Power Armor occasionally wielding his Magic Wand, summoning frenzied rivers of lightning to block the attacking Mayfly Army. "Who knows what¡¯s going on with these bugs," Ulysses stood on his shoulder, his eyes as bright as stars, constantly scanning the surrounding environment. If merit for this breakout were to be rewarded, Ulysses deserved the utmost credit. The journey of over five hundred kilometers was not long for a Wizard, but in the absence of landmarks, disrupted senses, and the illusions created by the Mayflies, they wouldn¡¯t have made it this smoothly without Ulysses¡¯ assistance. They hadn¡¯t taken a single detour, authentically covering two hundred kilometers towards Fortress Number Nine. Suddenly, Ulysses¡¯ gaze fixated on a point thirty kilometers to the left front of the legion. "Richard, there seems to be something thirty kilometers to our left front." This time, Ulysses did not say it out loud but sent it as a Spiritual Message to Richard. Richard¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, discreetly blocking the mental network¡ªa common occurrence, as the Galaxy Mayflies frequently used Spiritual Shocks against the Wizards. "What¡¯s there?" "I¡¯m not certain, but I suspect it might be the remains of that giant bug." After the Wizard Rules judged the King of Mayfly, its body wasn¡¯t taken away by the Mayfly Rules. The colossal body exploded in midair, naturally producing many chunks of Flesh. "Let¡¯s take a look, but be cautious. And leave a shadow here for me." "Don¡¯t worry, I cherish my life much more than you do." With a flicker, Ulysses left an illusion behind and disappeared from Richard¡¯s shoulder. Through the shadows, Ulysses crossed the illusions of the Galaxy Mayflies and arrived at the spot he had observed earlier. Under the guard of numerous Galaxy Mayflies, an organ resembling a water sphere continuously radiated brilliant light. "Is this... the heart of that giant bug?" The structure of the Galaxy Mayflies was peculiar; their insides lacked the flesh organs with singular functions known to Wizards, replaced instead by multifunctional composite organs. Among these composite organs, the most important was what Richard called the "heart," a gland-like organ. Richard named this organ the Heart of Mayfly. The Heart of Mayfly could secrete various substances that accelerated the growth of Mayflies, enhanced the development of their spiritual power, sped up the recovery of the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ injuries, detoxified, and other different effects. Furthermore, this organ also served as the energy storage organ of the Galaxy Mayflies. In a sense, the Heart of Mayfly of the Galaxy Mayflies could be termed as a type of unconventional Demon Crystal. And now, the dead King of Mayfly¡¯s Heart of Mayfly lay before Ulysses. "However, this thing seems to be withering." Ulysses gazed at the glowing Heart of Mayfly, a hint of confusion flashing through his mind. Logically speaking, such an abundant number of Galaxy Mayflies connected through energy should have more than sufficiently maintained the vitality of this Heart of Mayfly. The organs of a World Master could not be viewed with ordinary eyes¡ªsome powerful World Masters even bred souls from their organs, creating entirely new beings. But the life force of this Heart of Mayfly before him continued to decline. It seemed as if something were eroding it. "But no matter what, it would be a pity not to take this thing. Even if it died in the Secret Realm, it¡¯s still valuable. Richard that kid could definitely scavenge something from it." Thinking thus, Ulysses ignited a layer of black flames around him, flashed from the shadows, and dashed straight toward the Heart of Mayfly. The next moment, thousands of Galaxy Mayflies detected this reckless intruder. In an instant, thousands of beams of light fell upon Ulysses. Despite their limited power, the sheer number overwhelmed him. Luckily, he didn¡¯t need too much time. "I declare, mayflies of this place cannot fly." A layer of majestic Holy Light flashed over Ulysses as the Divine Speech Skill instantly stiffened all the Galaxy Mayflies within fifty meters, making them fall to the ground. Though Galaxy Mayflies filled up the space in the next second, this brief moment was enough for Ulysses to escape. Buzz! Ulysses was seen holding the Heart of Mayfly, suddenly vanishing into the air. Thousands of light beams collided, erupting a brilliant burst of light in the sky. "Hmm? What are those mayflies doing?" Delis, observing the sudden burst of light in the sky a few kilometers away, felt a twinge of curiosity. Soon, Ulysses returned to Richard¡¯s shoulder. "Phew, that was close, nearly became a dead crow." Richard tilted his head to look at him, concernedly asking, "Are you hurt? Need to go back to the Secret Realm to recover?" "No need for that, the damage this time was mainly to the spirit." Spirit? A tightness clenched in Richard¡¯s heart¡ªhad Ulysses¡¯ soul injury worsened? Suddenly, a Spiritual Shock struck from the midst of the Mayfly Army. Under the impact of the Spiritual Shock, an illusion on Ulysses suddenly disappeared. Though it only lasted for a moment, Richard still managed to catch a glimpse of a tailless, bald crow in that fleeting moment. "Um...hahahaha," Richard couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud, "So that¡¯s the kind of spiritual damage?" Seeing Richard mocking him, Ulysses immediately got indignant. "Nice one, you heartless Wizard, I went to fetch that treasure for you, didn¡¯t I? Next time, you go get it yourself!" "Hahaha, don¡¯t be angry, don¡¯t be angry. Tell me, what kind of organ is that thing?" "Nothing special, just an organ. But honestly, your Wizard civilization rules are pretty weird." Ulysses¡¯ complaint left Richard a bit puzzled. "What do you mean by civilization rules? How are our Wizard civilization rules weird?" "Oh, right, you don¡¯t know yet," Ulysses explained, "Civilization rules are a capability that a civilization gains after finding their corresponding Illusion World in the Illusionary Dimension. This capability is often influenced by the overall trend of thought of that civilization. As for your Wizards¡¯ capability, I didn¡¯t hear it clearly, but I overheard something about an ¡¯exchange.¡¯" "Equivalent exchange," Richard interrupted, "If this capability is influenced by the trend of thought, then it would be equivalent exchange." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Equivalent exchange was a principle all Wizards believed in. "That must be it," Ulysses nodded, "Your Great Wizard must have used this power to trade himself for the death of that insect. And this power is totally perverse; even if that insect had arranged measures for resurrection within the Heart of Mayfly, your rules eroded them. That means, once killed by your powers, no prior measures for resurrection could have worked." Hearing this description, Richard was deeply shocked. If true, this Wizard ability was indeed perverse. However, if considered under the principle of equivalent exchange, this power was somewhat of a loss. To wish for an enemy¡¯s death, a Wizard must also offer their life. "So, has the Heart of Mayfly died?" Richard asked. "No, it hasn¡¯t. I managed to neutralize the measures that the Mayfly had left behind, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this." Saying so, Ulysses looked somewhat aggrieved at his tail. The injury this time was due to the rules, and it might be a while before his beautiful tail feathers could grow back. Richard, hearing this, was somewhat surprised: "Haha, my friend, you¡¯ve done a great service this time!" An organ of a World Master, Richard could only imagine how much he could find within it. Chapter 485 - 30: Mayfly Essence Chapter 485: Chapter 30: Mayfly EssenceThe process of breaking out was arduous, but on the whole, things went relatively smoothly. At the cost of nearly ten thousand Wizards, those who broke out from Fortress 194 successfully entered Fortress 9. Fortress 9 had not been besieged by the Mayflies thanks to the presence of the Death God nicknamed "Pig¡¯s Head," and when Richard¡¯s legion arrived, the Wizards at the fortress were reinforcing and repairing it. After the Galaxy Mayflies launched their major offensive, they began to field elite troops equipped with siege machines. The siege devices of the Galaxy Mayflies might not have been as exquisite as those of Wizards, but they were still quite effective against fortifications. Moreover, the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ offensives were relentless, giving the Wizards no chance to catch their breath. Even if these siege devices were feeble, given time, they could erode the strongest defenses. Upon entering the fortress, Richard had intended to discuss the situation with the Commander Sorin. But after asking around, he learned that Sorin had been grievously injured in a major offensive a few days prior and had since been sent back for treatment. "This is truly unfortunate," said Richard with a sad expression, "these spiritual attacks of the Galaxy Mayflies are impossible to fend off completely. Many Wizards on our side have been reduced to idiots by their spiritual attacks." In front of him, Sorin¡¯s former deputy also sighed, "Ah, the command has already reported this situation back to the rear. But spiritual protection magic equipment for a legion, even our Military Department does not have it. We can only hope that the logistics research and development can come up with something soon." But easier said than done. Customizing a piece of magic equipment is not an easy task. Even if they could temporarily make something similar with sheer materials, setting up the rune arrays, testing, and then marshaling resources for large-scale production... All of that requires time. Even at best, the Wizards on the front line would have to wait at least six months before they could use the first batch of magic equipment. But in six months¡¯ time, who knows how many Wizards will have died on the battlefield. "Someone must be held responsible for the situation in the Galaxy World this time!" Richard spoke with some indignation. The whole war emitted an air of unpreparedness from start to finish, from pre-war equipment and material distribution to troop deployment and strategic choices ¨C it all felt like an amateur performance. God knows how many Wizards died on the battlefield due to this lack of preparation. "Ah, what good does responsibility do?" the deputy sighed, "Dead is dead. Even blaming them won¡¯t bring the dead back to life. In the end, the scale of this war is too vast, and the situation is unprecedented. Not even the Military Department has ever fought a war using a whole world as a battlefield and a civilization as logistics support. Everyone is feeling their way across the river by groping for stones." The Wizards on the battlefield, each one living hundreds or thousands of years. Once their anger was put aside, the underlying information naturally emerged before them. Wizards are neither the Child of Destiny nor omniscient and omnipotent. Even a Great Wizard, when facing a war they have never seen before, could only trial and error, then learn from experience and lessons to improve themselves. After understanding the situation from the deputy, Richard did not return to headquarters immediately, but first entered the Secret Realm. He claimed he needed to meditate to recover his spiritual power. But only he knew that this was just a trivial matter. His main goal was the Heart of Mayfly that Ulysses had retrieved. Upon entering the Secret Realm, Richard immediately saw the Heart of Mayfly, suspended in the sky, shining like the sun. "Whoa, why is this thing so active?" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As a seasoned Alchemy Wizard, Richard could tell at a glance that the Heart of Mayfly was amazingly active. If he had to make a comparison, the Third-level War Beast core made by his teacher would seem like a firefly next to the bright moon compared to this core. Ulysses gave him a look, "No kidding, that thing is a core organ of a Level 5 World Master. It would be strange if its life energy wasn¡¯t high." Richard levitated towards the Heart of Mayfly. As he approached, the light emitted by the Heart of Mayfly suddenly intensified. "What the hell is going on?" Richard, supporting a Magic Barrier, hurriedly descended from the sky. The radiance from the Heart of Mayfly contained a particularly complex Rule Power. Under the enhancement of Rule Power, what had previously seemed ordinary light became more formidable than a Ten Thousand Energy Level spell, leaving Richard covered in soot and ash. Looking at the somewhat disheveled Richard, Ulysses burst into proud laughter. "Cackle cackle cackle, this thing may just be an organ, but be clear, its owner was a Level 5 Creature. Such creatures, even with just a hint of flesh, can evolve into monsters known as ¡¯Divine Fiends¡¯." Watching Ulysses laugh triumphantly, Richard smacked him irritably. "Petty crow, be careful not to grow out your tail feathers!" "If my tail feathers don¡¯t grow out, then you¡¯re sure to become bald!" After the joke, Ulysses summoned a group of Holy Tree Elves. Under his manipulation, the evolving World Mushroom body was drawn forth, and a huge mycelial tendril emerged from the ground, wrapping around the Heart of Mayfly like a silky thread. Moments later, the Heart of Mayfly, previously as lively as the sun, suddenly dimmed. Richard approached for a closer look and saw the mycelial tendril absorbing the Life Energy and Energy from the Heart of Mayfly. "Mycelial tendrils have this ability?" "Of course, they do, but there was no need to use it before." With a light touch, the Miracle Furnace immediately responded. [Raw material: Heart of Mayfly] [Possible refinement Rule: Mayfly Sun Rule (Second Level) (incomplete)] [Refinement cost: 1000 Soul Power] [Bloodline Extractable: Galaxy Mayfly King Bloodline] [Extraction Cost: 100000000 Magic Power] Looking at the information given by the Miracle Furnace, Richard stroked his chin and recalled the information provided by the furnace when he had previously extracted the Radiation Rule. "Radiation Rule is First Level, according to Ulysses¡¯s words, a World Master needs to go through rule melting to advance. Which means, the foundational rules are First Level. This Mayfly Sun Rule, since it¡¯s merged with other rules, has become Second Level." Richard nodded thoughtfully, then immediately took out a scalpel. This scalpel looked extremely eerie, its metal blade covered in threads of blood, and inside the blade, there were even tiny blood vessels spreading. In the handle, a dark red gemstone was embedded, resembling a blood-red eye. This was a Rule Magic Equipment made by Richard using the Flesh Rule¡ªthe Flesh Scalpel. Richard infused the scalpel with Magic Power, the already eerie scalpel now seemed as if it had come to life. He even felt a slight trembling in the handle, like that of a heartbeat. But Richard knew this was an illusion. He remained calm as he made a small incision upon the Heart of Mayfly, which immediately broke open slightly. Although the Heart of Mayfly had the protection of Rule Power, rules still had to follow fundamental principles. At this moment, its energy and Life Energy were being drained by fungal tentacles; it was already straining to remain alive. It had no spare strength to resist the attack of the Flesh Scalpel. The open wound slowly dropped droplets of golden liquid, which Richard caught in a test tube, and he quickly healed the wound on the Heart of Mayfly with the Flesh Scalpel. Even sealed within the test tube, a faint aroma leaked out, and Richard suddenly felt a hunger he hadn¡¯t experienced in hundreds of years. Hunger! A hunger that penetrated deep into his bones! A thunderous rumble echoed from his stomach, his body yearning for the liquid. Richard swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing his body¡¯s hunger. He had to restrain this desire. He was a Physique Evolution Wizard, and controlling one¡¯s physical instincts was a skill all Physique Evolution Wizards had to learn. If one could not control their physical urges, then a wizard might very well become a beast with no free will, entirely dominated by biological instincts. Just as Spiritual Evolution required a strict adherence to emotions and humanity, Physique Evolution necessitated controlling the surging tide of life instincts. Taking the liquid to his workbench, Richard used a bit of Magic Power to extract a sample for some simple testing. But the results left him bewildered. "Nothing detected?" Richard looked at the golden liquid which, despite all sorts of tests, remained unchanged, and felt a bit of a headache. He had thought of many possibilities, but had not anticipated this one. "Stop testing it with those mundane methods." Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, his eyes slightly glazed over as he looked at the golden liquid. Fortunately, as a World Master, suppressing his basic desires was very simple for him. "That Heart of Mayfly is a part of a Rule Body, its secreted liquid naturally isn¡¯t mundane either. If you want to analyze it, you have to use something of the same Level." "The same Level? I don¡¯t have such things." "That¡¯s your problem," Ulysses said indifferently, "I personally suggest you just consume it. The difference in Level between you and it is too great, you won¡¯t discover anything significant." Richard looked at the golden liquid on the workbench, his stomach rumbling once again. "So... try tasting it?" Richard absorbed a bit of the golden liquid with Magic Power into his body, and immediately, he felt an overwhelming Life Energy. Under the influence of this Life Energy, his Physique actually began to increase slightly! Without hesitation, Richard immediately swallowed the remaining golden liquid. Instantly, he felt every cell in his body rejoicing. The Life Energy from this golden liquid was even stronger than Life Essence. In just ten minutes, Richard¡¯s Physique grew by five points. His eyes burning with desire, he looked up at the Heart of Mayfly in the sky; at this moment, it was no longer just research material, but a renewable gold mine. "This time I¡¯ve hit the jackpot," Richard muttered to himself. ... After confirming that the golden liquid could enhance Physique, Richard did not continue consuming the liquid to improve his Physique. He didn¡¯t have an immediate need for Physique enhancement, and he had to consider the possibility of developing resistance. He meditated in the Secret Realm for three hours, restoring a good portion of his spiritual power before leaving the Secret Realm, ready to follow the tunnels back to headquarters. But as soon as Richard left the Secret Realm, he sensed an energy fluctuation that sent chills through his soul. This vibration wasn¡¯t the oppression of life from a World Master, but the innate fear of a natural disaster instilled within life itself. He hurried to the top of the Fortress, only to see a beam of light spanning across the sky erupting from the Expedition Nest... Directly hitting the location of the Teleportation Gate of the Third War Zone. Moments later, a command transmission was received by all Three Rings Wizards in the Third War Zone via the Communication Crystal Balls. [I am the acting Commander of the Third War Zone, by the time you hear this message, I will be dead.] Chapter 486 - 31 Acting Commander-in-chief — Richard Chapter 486: Chapter 31 Acting Commander-in-chief ¡ª RichardThe sudden strike from the sky left all the Wizards in the Third War Zone somewhat at a loss for what to do. The battle was on, and there was neither a command center nor logistics support anymore. What was there left to fight for? Richard gazed at the energy torrent that spanned the horizon, feeling a chill in his heart. Had he not gone to the Secret Realm to study the Heart of Mayfly, had he not engaged in meditation, he reckoned that he would have been burnt to ash alongside the Third Battle Zone Command Center by this energy torrent. By a conservative estimate, the energy flow¡¯s power was probably around five hundred thousand energy levels. An attack of this magnitude, with just the energy disruption alone, was enough to cause problems in the spatial structure, thereby preventing Wizards from using space witchcraft and any form of witchcraft related to the illusionary dimension. Old Wizard Delis crawled out from the shadows, and even this battle-hardened old Wizard had a trace of fear on his face. Had Richard not requested meditation, and had Delis not felt the need to rest due to his condition, he, too, would probably have been reduced to ashes with the command center by now. The Crystal Ball continued to broadcast the acting commander¡¯s last words. "Since I am unclear about the future situation, how to act next is up to you all to consider." "If only the command center is destroyed and the Teleportation Gate is still intact, please guard the fortress and wait for the Commander to send a new command center." "If both the Teleportation Gate and command center are destroyed, please retreat to other war zones." "Note: By the time this order is issued, the Third Battle Zone Command Center will grant all Wizards in the Third War Zone authorization for all war weapons." By now, all the last words had been broadcasted, and what followed was the sharing of some intelligence. The acting commander didn¡¯t make any specific deployments, as he himself didn¡¯t know what the future held. However, this allowed the many Three Rings Wizards to act on their initiative. Upon hearing the intelligence, Delis immediately took out the map of the war zone. According to the intelligence displayed, all the fortresses in the Inner Ring of the Third War Zone remained intact, with not a single one missing. Most of the Wizards of the Third War Zone had already managed a safe breakout. This was, no doubt, good news for them. As long as there were people left, there was still hope. Delis moved his finger over the map and said, "Based on our current position, if we want to break out, we can only go to the First Battle Zone." Although the Wizard¡¯s three war zones were all fan-shaped, the distribution of the Inner Ring fortresses was almost circular. And Richard¡¯s location, Fortress Nine, was situated close to the semicircle bordering the First Battle Zone. Richard glanced at the map and replied, "The First Battle Zone is good, with Great Wizard Bronze Spear guarding it, and I imagine it is somewhat safer than the Second Battle Zone." "But the key issue is how we get there," Delis said with a bit of a headache, "The intelligence just mentioned that there are eleven billion Galaxy Mayflies in the Third War Zone. "Even if these mayflies are only the cannon fodder kind, they¡¯re enough to give us a hard time." "Hm?" Richard looked at Delis, puzzled, "Although there are many Galaxy Mayflies, it isn¡¯t easy to coordinate them all. Meanwhile, we have a window of opportunity to break out. Besides, no matter how many mayflies there are, without the King of Mayfly to lead them, they can only wear down our strength bit by bit. Our strength should be enough to hold them off until we break through into the First Battle Zone." But Delis shook his head, "That¡¯s only if we face them head-on. You need to unite these people to reach that level of strength. Not to mention that many Wizards are out in the Wilderness, even if they are all in the fortresses now, without a command center, why would the other fortresses cooperate with us?" After speaking, Delis sighed inwardly. Although Master Richard was young and promising, he still lacked the experience of war. Wizards are humans, and humans have their own ideas. Without someone in a superior position taking the lead, expecting them to work closely together is wishful thinking... "We go by my higher authority." "...Huh?" Delis looked at Richard in astonishment, only to see Richard take out a Medal and hang it on his chest. "I am a Wizard Hero. With the command center out of contact, I have the right to override the command center and give orders." ... "Damn it, the battle zone command center was destroyed at this time." On the vast wilderness, a Wizard Army of one hundred thousand was advancing with difficulty. White Wizard Commander Frank looked at the energy torrent streaking across the sky and the elemental disturbance it caused. While he was shocked, he also sensed that something was terribly wrong. With the command center gone, what were they to do next? "So, what do we do now, break through directly?" A White Wizard Commander asked through the commanders¡¯ private psychic network. "No, we might not have enough strength for a direct breakout. We lack the necessary war machinery," another commander replied. Since the war was a defensive one, the command center hadn¡¯t prepared a large quantity of offensive-type weaponry. All issued offensive-type gas weapons were currently in the warehouses of the single and double-digit fortresses. Without these weapons, their attacks would be very difficult. What they were facing was not the natives; merely relying on Wizards¡¯ own casting, they would be overwhelmed like a pebble being swallowed up by the tidal wave-like Mayfly Army. "But what if the fortress Wizards have already taken the weapons ahead of time? We are already lacking in strength, and if we hit empty air, we are all doomed." "How many people could the fortress Wizards have? Could they take all the weapons?" "Idiot, if they can¡¯t take them, can¡¯t they destroy them? Do you think when they leave, it will be you who enters the fortress first, or the Galaxy Mayflies?" "Damn you, who are you calling an idiot?" "Stop fighting, we¡¯re all comrades. There¡¯s no need to be at each other¡¯s throats..." Listening to the argument over the mind-network, Frank felt like his head was about to explode. Anyone, seeing their teammates still bickering over the mind-network at such a crucial life and death moment, would feel a hint of despair. Are these people truly Three Rings Wizards? Where is your reason? Frank, somewhat angry, disconnected from the mind-network and pulled out the battle zone map. He sighed lightly as he looked at Fortress Number Twelve, still a hundred kilometers away from him. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Ah, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that we¡¯ve cracked the Galaxy Mayfly¡¯s sensory interference, this fortress would indeed be worth a visit. But unfortunately..." "Fortress 1122, Fortress 1122, if you receive this, please respond, if you receive this, please respond." The voice that came from the Communication Crystal Ball surprised Frank somewhat. Someone was actually contacting them at this time. Could it be a wizard from Fortress Number Twelve? Frank responded, "I am the commander of Fortress 1122, may I ask who is..." "I am Richard, and now with the authority of a Wizard Hero, I am temporarily acting as your commanding superior. Please report if you have the ability to disrupt the Galaxy Mayfly¡¯s sensory interference." As soon as he had finished speaking, Frank saw a message pop up in his Crystal Ball. The content of the message was to confirm authority. The wizard who called himself Richard really was a Wizard Hero. Without hesitating, Frank immediately reported his legion¡¯s situation. "We have the ability to disrupt the Galaxy Mayfly¡¯s sensory interference." "Please report your numbers and your current location information." "Our wizard count is around one hundred thousand, and we are currently located one hundred kilometers south by west of Fortress Number Twelve." "Very well, I now order your division to enter Fortress Number Twelve within three hours and then wait for the next instructions from the command center." "Yes, sir!" After the communication ended, Frank immediately connected to the mind-network. "Stop the chatter, you idiots! A Wizard Hero has now taken over the command from the command center and is acting as our commanding superior. Anyone who disobeys the command will be treated as insubordinate on the battlefield! Now, everyone break through and enter Fortress Number Twelve to await further instructions!" ... Meanwhile, at the same time, all the Wizard Armies located near the semi-circular area close to the First Battle Zone received orders from Fortress Number Nine. When faced with the authority of Wizard Hero Richard, all the Wizard Armies complied. This was not only because Richard indeed had this authority, but more importantly, the Third War Zone truly needed a unified command at the moment. A Black Wizard could easily defeat a White Wizard, ten Black Wizards could match ten White Wizards evenly, but when it came to a hundred Black Wizards versus a hundred White Wizards, the Black Wizards would be reduced to fleeing for their lives. The wizards needed to unite, and Richard provided them with an opportunity. The authority of Richard as a Wizard Hero was like a banner that gave the wizards of the Third Battle Zone a reason to unite. Underground arsenal of Fortress Number Nine. "Wow, the Military Department¡¯s equipment is really extravagant." Richard, looking at the underground arsenal filled with Alchemy Weapons, his eyes instantly blazed with intense desire. Each one of these weapons is a battle-proven strategic Magic Equipment from the Military Department, crafted by the hands of Alchemy Wizards. Richard gently touched one of the weapons beside him and, in the next moment, information from the Miracle Furnace appeared before his eyes. [Material: Squadron War Airship] [Extractable Information: Squadron War Airship Design Blueprint] [Extraction Cost: Twenty Spiritual Power] "Master, these are all the offensive weapons stored in Fortress Number Nine," reported Sorin¡¯s aide to Richard. "If following Military Department standards, they should be able to equip ten thousand-man units." "Good, good, good," Richard said three times in succession, then ordered, "Distribute all weapons immediately, and place any leftovers in my Secret Realm for redistribution when we encounter other Wizard Armies." "Yes, my lord." The arsenal¡¯s supplies were quickly distributed, and the Wizard Army, looking at these familiar weapons, couldn¡¯t help but reveal vicious smiles on their faces. Military Department wizards rarely engaged in such protracted defenses; they were truly better at offense than defense. The Military Department¡¯s thousand-man units were incredibly well-equipped. Each thousand-man unit was divided into one hundred squads, each squad equipped with a Squadron War Airship. This airship was responsible for maintaining the entire squad¡¯s mind-network, ensuring it wouldn¡¯t be disrupted by enemy spiritual power. Furthermore, this airship was also equipped with a main cannon that could fire ten times, with each shot having an Energy Level of ten thousand; an Elemental Territory stabilizer for dimensional rifts to resupply the surrounding environment with free elements; a spiritual power amplifier to assist squad commanders with combined Legion Magic; and a composite-type Detection Array. In addition to the Squadron War Airship, the Military Department¡¯s White Wizard Army was also equipped with one hundred high-speed support cannons and one hundred Annihilation Bombs with an Energy Level of fifty thousand. Five hundred armored assault vehicles, one hundred mobile field hospitals. And that wasn¡¯t even counting the Legion Magic Equipment that required combined use by White Wizards, as well as War Airships. Once the supplies from the arsenal were distributed, Richard felt an overwhelming surge of confidence. The mere Galaxy Mayflies, how could they stand against their White Wizard Army, armed to the teeth. Chapter 487 - 32 Breakthrough Chapter 487: Chapter 32 BreakthroughBoom! Boom! Great explosions, thunderous as crashing thunder, burst continuously across the desolate plains. Enormous fireballs, like meteors, fell from the heavenly vault, crashing heavily into the array of the Star River Mayflies. Dense waves of fire, as thick as magma, instantly engulfed thousands of Star River Mayflies. The Star River Mayflies looked around bewilderingly, within the range of their sight, there wasn¡¯t a single Wizard in view. Yet the Wizard¡¯s fireballs, as though they had eyes, landed precisely on them. The Mayfly General at the center of the formation was an old insect; he recognized at a glance what the Wizard¡¯s tactics were. "Attack beyond visual range, the scouting techniques of these Wizards are quite clever." The Mayfly General muttered under his breath, then immediately issued commands through the psychic network and shared his judgment with a few other generals of the Star River Mayflies. These few Mayflies were less experienced and less knowledgeable than he was, and in dealing with the situation, they were not as skilled. "Crystal, activate, distance, duration, this is an attack beyond visual range. Organize the defensive formation and send out small squads to scout." Hearing this, the other generals almost simultaneously replied with a tone of banter: "Understood, Heavenly Priest." "Ridiculous!" The Mayfly General, referred to as the Heavenly Priest, grew angry, "Is the title of Priest something to be joked about? Put away your jesting attitudes. These Wizards are far from losing their ability to fight back!" But despite the Heavenly General¡¯s words, the other Mayfly Generals still didn¡¯t take his warning seriously. In their view, although the King of Mayfly had momentarily left the scene, their forces held an absolute advantage. Those Wizards were now no more than lambs to the slaughter. Rumble! Suddenly, an extremely low rumble entered the perception of the several Mayfly Generals. The Heavenly General¡¯s heart tightened, and he immediately used the psychic network to observe the direction of the sound through the senses of the scouting squad. Soon, some faint silhouettes appeared in his field of view. "What are those?" Since the scouting squad¡¯s Star River Mayflies were not particularly formidable, the view available to the Heavenly General was very limited. However, out of caution, he quickly adjusted the formation, shifting the defensive pattern into a more robust form. Soon, the dark spots drew closer. In the scouting squad¡¯s vision, those dark spots were approaching at a staggering speed. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Synthetic Beasts?" The Heavenly General matched the creatures in the scouting squad¡¯s field of view with his known information on the Wizards and quickly found a similar answer. But clearly, that answer was only part of the picture. For the scouting squad then saw a spearhead composed of thousands of steel machines, followed by an endless tide of a Wizard Army. "Quickly report back to the main forces! The Wizards¡¯ main army has been found!" The Heavenly General¡¯s orders were both excited and filled with dread, but before he could finish, the sky began to rain down fire. Boom! Boom! Boom! In an instant, over a hundred thousand fireballs precisely hit the location of the Mayfly Army. All troops but those led by the Heavenly General turned to ashes in the Storm of Fire Element caused by the magic. The Heavenly General knew his time of death had come. But in this moment, he felt no fear. "My kin, before we return to the Supreme Lake, let us give our last bit of strength!" The Heavenly General fervently issued his orders, but at this time, the group of Synthetic Beasts he had observed earlier had already approached. Those Alien shaped creatures, clad in armor, riding on Giant Beasts that should not exist in the natural world, charged towards them. The Aliens held long-handled War Hammers in their hands, swinging them ferociously at them. In the next instant, the Heavenly General felt a dizzy spell in his brain. A powerful mental assault struck his head like a heavy hammer. Splash! A sound, like a water pouch being pierced, entered the Heavenly General¡¯s senses. He struggled to look around and found that those he had thought were Synthetic Beasts were wielding long-handled Great Swords wrapped in Thunder, reaping his kin at a terrifying speed. He tried to command, but at that moment, he realized that his psychic network had been severed in the previous attack. In his life¡¯s final moments, the Heavenly General made his last insectoid decision. "Code 1363 has found the Wizards¡¯ main army!" The next moment, his body exploded violently, and a strong mental wave traveled towards the Expedition Nest in the sky. Buzz! A Wizard suddenly materialized from mid-air, intercepting the mental wave. Then he took out a Crystal Ball and calmly said, "Message intercepted." Deep within the ranks of the Wizard Army, Richard heard the voice coming from the Crystal Ball and nodded slightly. "Headquarters has received it." Thereafter, he conveyed this message through the psychic network to all the Three Rings Wizards. A crow suddenly materialized from the void and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. "Caw, our young ones are doing well. A Mayfly Army of two hundred thousand is hardly a difficult task for them," it said. "It¡¯s an incomplete two hundred thousand," Richard corrected. "That Mayfly Army has already been baptized with magic. Even though their defenses were quite solid, a significant number of Mayflies have died. If they encountered a real Mayfly Army of two hundred thousand in the wild, aside from a surprise attack, the current Fire Lizard Battle Group probably would stand no chance." There¡¯s no way around it, reality doesn¡¯t have game balance. Masters are simply more formidable than knights. Even though the members of the Fire Lizard Battle Group are very well-equipped, their combat effectiveness is still not on par with the White Wizard Army. "That¡¯s not necessarily true," Ulysses replied. "The potential of these Fire Lizards hasn¡¯t been fully tapped. Don¡¯t forget, these Fire Lizards have casting abilities as well. If you¡¯re willing to open up and let that lad Hog teach them Dragon Language Magic, these Fire Lizards will definitely shine." Dragon Language Magic, the Wizard World¡¯s most primitive system of magic from the Dark Age, originated from the Giant Dragon Bloodline. It doesn¡¯t require learning any profound knowledge; as long as one has Dragon Blood and awakens the bloodline heritage contained within it, one can release it as if by instinct. However, as the casting system for wizards gradually established itself, the Dragon Language Magic, which once meant serving as dragons¡¯ subordinates, naturally got tossed into the trash heap of history. But this doesn¡¯t mean that Dragon Language Magic is useless. If the wizardry system values balance and completeness and merely requires knowledge mastery, then casting across Schools isn¡¯t much of a challenge. Dragon Language Magic, on the other hand, is extreme. Different Dragon Blood gifts Dragon Vein Wizards with different talents, allowing them to excel in certain aspects, such as manipulating Fire Elements or controlling some alien energy. But if they stray slightly from their talent, those Dragon Vein Wizards would become as incompetent as apprentices. And this situation cannot be solved through learning. The range of Dragon Language Magic for every Dragon Vein Wizard is determined at the moment they assimilate Dragon Blood. This is why the Dragon Language Magic system rapidly declined after establishing the knowledge-based wizardry system. Of course, from the perspective of modern wizards, even the "extreme" Dragon Language Magic is only on par with current spells in terms of power. In terms of breadth, Dragon Language Magic is utterly useless. But just because it¡¯s useless for wizards doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s useless for other creatures. Fire Lizards are clearly well suited to use Dragon Language Magic. "The idea is quite good," Richard mused somberly, "but have you considered that the Fire Lizard Battle Group is supposed to stand out on the battlefield. They¡¯re not like Fire Lizard Craftsmen, hidden away in Secret Realms unknown to anyone. It¡¯s fine if I randomly impart wizard knowledge to them. As soon as they display the ability to cast spells in unison on the battlefield, believe it or not, I¡¯d be hauled in front of a military tribunal the moment the battle is over." Wizards have very strict restrictions against imparting knowledge to Aliens; they can modify Aliens, furnish them with Magic Equipment, and even mate with them¡ªnone of these are a problem. But teaching knowledge to Aliens is off-limits. Wizards understand the importance of knowledge better than any Race; many Races have actually decent talents. They only need a bit of enlightenment to gain respectable combat power. Ulysses replied nonchalantly upon hearing this, "Suit yourself, but the current combat power is sufficient for now." Before long, the Wizard Army smoothly arrived at their destination for this trip¡ªthe number twelve Fortress. Fortress number twelve was located on their half-circle, closest to the First Battle Zone among two fortresses. According to Richard¡¯s plan, they would break out towards the First Battle Zone from this Fortress, joining forces with the wizards gathered at Fortress number thirteen. The Legion Magic Concentrated Fire of the White Wizard Army fell like Heavenly Fire, obliterating the Mayfly Army besieging the number twelve Fortress. And upon seeing this scene, the wizards within the fortress also perked up. "Reinforcements have arrived, prepare to encircle!" Instantaneously, the wizards inside the number twelve Fortress were all roused, numerous Alchemy Weapons prepared for attack awakened. The Star River Mayflies besieging the fortress felt as if the wizards inside had been replaced. It was like a beast that had been curling up all along finally revealed its sharp fangs. Boom! Thousands of spells flew from the wizards¡¯ Magic Wands, like the afterglow of a setting sun. Under a pincer attack from inside and outside, the besieging Star River Mayflies were quickly scattered. The remaining Mayflies, under the encirclement of the White Wizard Army, were swiftly annihilated. The crisis at the number twelve Fortress was resolved in an instant. Upon entering the Fortress, Richard met with the Commander in charge of holding the number twelve Fortress. "Commander, I¡¯m Frank, the temporary chief commander of Fort number twelve." Looking at the White Wizard in front of him, whose body was largely transformed into Alchemy Machinery, Richard smiled warmly and replied, "I¡¯m Richard. Under the Master¡¯s command, Fort number twelve has been well defended. I see that the sub-castles are unharmed, and you¡¯ve even expanded some of it." A hint of pride spread across Frank¡¯s face, "As long as we have sufficient manpower, a wizard¡¯s Fortress is an iron wall to the Star River Mayflies!" Richard nodded slightly; the biggest weakness of War Wizards in this war was the lack of manpower. Compared to the overwhelming numbers of the Star River Mayflies, the wizard population was too small. Richard glanced at his watch, calculating the time in his mind. Although the Wizard Army had been maintaining a Legion Magic to shield against detection during the operation, from the vanishing trajectory of the Star River Mayflies, it was clear that their movements couldn¡¯t be concealed. Their only advantage now was speed. Compared to the colossal swarm of Mayflies, the mere few hundred thousand of the Wizard Army were more agile and swift. They had to break out before the Mayflies could mobilize their full force. "We have about an hour to rest, and after an hour, we begin the break-out." "Yes!" Chapter 488 - 33 Keroduo Mountain Area Chapter 488: Chapter 33 Keroduo Mountain AreaThe Galaxy Mayflies, covering the sky and sun, slowly swam in the sky. They grouped by race, exhibiting a semblance of harmony and discord among themselves like a school of roaming sharks casting shadows on the ground. Suddenly, the school of sharks stirred to action. As if sniffing out a whiff of blood in the ocean known as the Galaxy World. Under the command of the Mayfly General, they sped towards the distance, nearly as fast as a War Airship. In the psychic network, the Mayfly Generals were discussing the next course of action. "Our wizards in this area have already made their intentions clear," said an elderly Mayfly General. The Galaxy Mayflies held the elderly in high regard, just as the wizards did, for in this race that reveres death, any bug that lives to old age is among the elite. Of course, there were also many young Galaxy Mayflies who thought these elderly Mayflies were nothing but cowards afraid of death. A true Galaxy Mayfly should give his life for civilization when he¡¯s at his strongest. "They¡¯re fleeing, heading to a region they refer to as the First Battle Zone." This conclusion didn¡¯t surprise the Mayfly Generals; they had already deduced the wizards were fleeing but were unsure of their specific destination. According to the information they extracted from the souls of the wizards, the wizards were controlled by a massive command hub, just like them. And now, the wizards¡¯ command center, along with their logistics channels, had been destroyed by their celestial strikes. In theory, these wizards should be fighting independently. But from the current situation, it seemed these wizards had another command system. "Based on our paper strength, it¡¯s more than enough to round up this group of wizards. But that¡¯s only on paper," the old Mayfly continued. "Our resources are extremely limited right now. To continue maintaining such a large swarm, our daily consumption of Energy Barytes could only be described as vast. Thus, we must split our forces." The Galaxy Mayflies needed sustenance too, maintaining a large swarm ensured their combat strength but also increased their resource exhaustion. The ambient energy in the air was like a drop in the bucket for such a large swarm; they had to rely on external forces for replenishment. As per the customs of the Galaxy Mayflies, every million Mayflies would be equipped with a Mayfly Nest. This Mayfly Nest served both as the Mayfly General¡¯s vessel and defense, as well as an energy depot to sustain a large-scale Mayfly swarm. Its interior utilized spatial techniques to store a massive amount of Energy Barytes, what the wizards referred to as Magic Stone Magic Essence. However, the duration of this war had slightly exceeded the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ expectations. This was the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ first encounter with a civilization war, and though their preparations were somewhat better than the wizards¡¯, it was all thanks to the advice given by the Mayfly King who had once served as a mercenary for the Gods Civilization. Currently, the energy barytes stored in the Expedition Nest could sustain them for a while, but orders to reduce consumption had already been given. "Splitting up is good," one Mayfly General happily declared. "According to our racial groups¡ªavoids the discomfort when everyone is together." He had long been disdainful of the different Mayfly subspecies around him. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Who had ever heard of a Mayfly with four pairs of wings? And look at this one here, completely green and looking just like a grasshopper. That other one is as black as charcoal, terrifyingly large, and it¡¯s a wonder how its wings even manage to lift it. Other Mayfly Generals felt the same way. The larger ones despised the smaller ones, and the Mayflies from worlds imbalanced by Fire Element didn¡¯t get along with those from worlds leaning towards Water Element. Hence, this remark instantly drew the agreement of many Mayfly Generals. The racial issues among the Galaxy Mayflies were far more severe than the wizards could imagine. Due to the prevalence of Bloodline Witchcraft, wizards were extremely tolerant of different races. It could even be said that as long as you had human blood, or once were human and still recognized yourself as a wizard while abiding by their pursuits and rules, then you were a wizard. To the wizards, the different subspecies of Galaxy Mayflies seemed more like a single race compared to half-mechanical modifications, Undead, semi-Elemental beings, and wizards disfigured by integrating Alien bloodlines. But different civilizations have different customs; the wizards could not comprehend racial conflicts just as the Mayflies could not understand the wizards¡¯ secretive stance toward knowledge. "Dividing our forces is necessary, but even division has its method," the elder Mayfly added. "Those who are fast should flank the wizards from both sides, the slowest at the rear, those skilled at long-range attacks on the outskirts, and experts in defense on the inside. These wizards are not weak natives; they are fierce Magic Beasts, the Leviathans of the Deep Sea. We must be cautious." With that, he allocated the groups within the vast Galaxy Mayfly swarm. These plans, after being discussed with several elder Mayflies and reported to the Expedition Nest, had been approved. He wasn¡¯t worried about the younger Mayflies not listening. Soon, the massive Galaxy Mayfly swarm was divided into three groups, with two flanks closing in on the wizards from both sides, while the last group pressed forward, sealing off the wizards completely. Although the conflicts between different Galaxy Mayfly subspecies were intense, in the presence of the Mayfly King, even if they harbored enormous grievances against each other, they would still cooperate impeccably. As a cluster of sharks, the Mayflies flew towards the wizards; and from within the Star Realm, it looked as though a giant beast was opening its mouth to devour the escaping wizards. ... "According to reconnaissance, there are vast numbers of Galaxy Mayflies on both our sides." In the center of the breaking army, a group of Three Rings Wizards gathered together, discussing the next actions while looking at the battle map in front of them. Richard, the nominal commander, sat in the corner, quietly listening to the group of old wizards analyzing the situation. "There¡¯s no need to discuss this matter here," an old wizard replied, "Everyone knows that the Mayflies will definitely surround us. Instead of discussing that, we¡¯d better talk about how we maintain our combat effectiveness in the Keroduo Mountain Area." The Keroduo Mountain Area is the border between the Third War Zone and the First Battle Zone, encompassing hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, dotted with numerous large and small mountains. Wizards aren¡¯t Mayflies; they don¡¯t have specialized training in three-dimensional military formations. In the past, navigating forests and mountains was a task for Black Wizards, and Wizards rarely had the experience of being chased everywhere. "It¡¯s simple, split the troops," Delis calmly stated, "The mountains are a problem for us, but they¡¯re equally a problem for the Mayflies." Saying this, he glanced at Richard. "Besides, it¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have war airships." For secrecy reasons, all of Richard¡¯s war airships had not taken off and were all currently in his secret realm. "Then the command issue..." "What command issue?" Delis interrupted, "Split the troops within the mountains, then regroup outside the mountains; if there is any danger in between, simply coordinate with each other. Isn¡¯t that clear enough? Gentlemen, the only thing we need to discuss now is where to regroup next. I propose here." Saying this, Delis pointed out a spot on the map. It was the highest peak near the first battle zone in the Keroduo Mountain Area. Beyond it, there were only smaller mountains. Despite disliking his attitude, the wizards did not contradict Delis¡¯s proposal. The location was indeed excellent. "That said, I¡¯d like to add something." Surprised, everyone turned to the speaking wizard, only to see Richard stepping out from the corner with a stack of manuscript papers in his hand and walking to the center of the group. "I have something here; take a look and see if there are any errors. If none, our maneuvers in the Keroduo Mountain Area should go much smoother." The wizards took Richard¡¯s manuscript and found that it recorded a rudimentary form of Legion Witchcraft. "This is a witchcraft I created called ¡¯Mist Barrier.¡¯ Its effect is to create a fog that hinders the perception of living beings. I have an idea to use the White Wizard Army to enlarge this witchcraft and create a fog that covers the entire Keroduo Mountain Area. Then, we, compared to the Mayflies, will have a terrain advantage." Turning a witchcraft into Legion Witchcraft is difficult as it essentially means reconstructing the witchcraft. But this difficulty was not a problem for Richard. Richard was the creator of the ¡¯Mist Barrier¡¯; no one in the world understood this witchcraft better than him. From the basic principles to the construction approach of this witchcraft, no one was more familiar than him. Thus, reconstructing ¡¯Mist Barrier¡¯ into a Legion Witchcraft wasn¡¯t difficult for Richard. Even so, the time was still quite short. This idea had been conceived at the headquarters Annihilation, and it had only been a week in total. Even though Richard was the creator of ¡¯Mist Barrier¡¯, he had only managed a rudimentary version at this point. But there was no time to worry about that. Legion Witchcraft is essentially a form of ritual witchcraft; however, while ritual witchcraft usually has a complex structure and is easily controlled by wizards, Legion Witchcraft has a simple structure but requires a legion of wizards to harness its power. This means that the casting difficulty is low. So even though the legion version of ¡¯Mist Barrier¡¯ is quite rudimentary, it still has a good chance of success. Moreover, since this witchcraft isn¡¯t volatile, even if it fails, it won¡¯t cause much backlash. But if they succeed, Keroduo Mountain Area will then be their home ground. "Good stuff." An elderly White Wizard instantly recognized the profundity of ¡¯Mist Barrier¡¯; he looked at Richard and respectfully performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute. "It¡¯s rare for a master to share such things; I thank the master on behalf of the legion¡¯s wizards. I swear by the Sea of Souls, if I survive this, I will definitely petition for compensation for the master." The technology of ¡¯Mist Barrier¡¯ came from Pioneers and was not of a low level. Richard¡¯s willingness to share such technology was truly the style of a master. The other White Wizards followed suit, each performing a Wizard¡¯s Salute towards Richard. "We will petition for compensation in the master¡¯s name." "Gentlemen, there¡¯s no need for that; our interests are now bound together," Richard waved his hand, "If we fail to break out, no matter how exquisite my knowledge, it will be as elusive as the moon reflected in water." Chapter 489 - 34 Intense Battle Chapter 489: Chapter 34 Intense BattleHaving confirmed the location of the encounter, the Wizards began their final preparations to enter the Keroduo Mountain Area. Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift, releasing war airships one after another. Each of these war airships was specially made by the Military Department, with performance far surpassing ordinary war airships. There were about five hundred thousand people in the Wizard Army, nearly every ten thousand people received one war airship. Although this number wasn¡¯t particularly high, it was certainly not low either. After distributing the airships, the Legion then collected the armored vehicles that had always served as the vanguard. Although capable of flight, the vehicles¡¯ ability was minor compared to professional Flying Magic Equipment, only sufficient to overcome obstacles. In the primitive mountain area without roads, these vehicles were utterly useless. Following the norm, all the armored vehicles were stored in Richard¡¯s Secret Realm. After gathering the equipment, the massive army set off once again. Within two hours, the Keroduo Mountain Area had already come into view for all the Wizards. Richard, looking at the Keroduo Mountain Area, spoke to Ulysses on his shoulder, "This is going so smoothly, it seems those Galaxy Mayflies had already arrived ahead of time." A brilliant light shone in Ulysses¡¯ eyes as, under the gaze of the Divine Eye, every blade of grass in the Keroduo Mountain Area became incredibly clear. The illusions prepared by the Galaxy Mayflies were directly seen through. Through Ulysses¡¯ eyes, the Mayflies ambushing in the Keroduo Mountain Area seemed to cover the sky. "Not a small number, at least seventy to eighty million." Richard merely smiled lightly, "Just seventy to eighty million. Although the Legion is now without its vanguard, our war airships aren¡¯t just for show. Breaking through their defense shouldn¡¯t be a problem." "What about the Galaxy Mayflies flanking from both sides?" Ulysses looked into the distance where, in his vision, swathes of Mayfly-shaped clouds were swiftly approaching. "At least seven hundred million." "How far away are they from us?" "Not very sure, my eyes aren¡¯t range finders. But I estimate they won¡¯t reach us within half an hour." "That¡¯s manageable then." Once they entered the Keroduo Mountain Area and deployed the Mist Barrier, even seven hundred million Mayflies wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to them. But first, they had to get into the Keroduo Mountain Area. Richard informed via the psychic network, "Prepare to meet the enemy; the enemy is roughly seventy to eighty million." Upon receiving Richard¡¯s intelligence, all of the White Wizard commanders instantly perked up. In the psychic network, the commanders of the White Wizards began to exchange jargon and some internal slang of the White Wizards to ensure that the breakout would proceed smoothly. Richard also joined some of the discussions and, together with Delis, arranged positions for a number of Black Wizards. Among the Wizards pulled from the front, not only White Wizards were present. Compared to the large number of White Wizards, the Black Wizards were fewer, but the number of powerful ones was surprisingly high. Despite currently having over eighty White Wizards, the number of Black Wizards in the Legion was nearly double that of the White Wizards. Although these Black Wizards weren¡¯t as overwhelmingly powerful as Delis and Richard, a significant portion of them were elite Black Wizards selected from an initial gathering of Wizards. In combat, these Black Wizards, when fully utilized, were not inferior to a Legion of one hundred thousand White Wizards. One hundred kilometers, seventy kilometers, fifty kilometers... The Wizard Army was getting closer and closer to the position where the Galaxy Mayflies were ambushed. Ulysses could even see the brilliance of energy being gathered by the Mayfly generals in the Mayfly Army. Finally, at the thirty-kilometer mark, the Wizards made their move. "Legion Magic Concentrated Fire prepare, release the Meteor!" The next moment, the vast Wizard Army, numbering over half a million, swung their magic wands in unison. Their spells drained the free elements for dozens of kilometers around, and the Magic Fluctuations, resonating with one another, created a breeze of magic power. Such massive fluctuations, as masters of manipulating energy, were immediately noticed by the Galaxy Mayflies. Although they were surprised that the Wizards had seen through the illusions they had carefully prepared, it was no longer important. They just had to stall the Wizards for half an hour, and the following Mayflies could annihilate the Wizards at the entrance of the Keroduo Mountain Area. In an instant, tens of thousands of Energy Light Spears, like a rain of arrows, covered the sky. The perpetually night sky of the Galaxy World lit up, brightened by the Light Spears! Buzzing... Tens of thousands of Light Spears struck the Legion¡¯s barriers, erupting into bursts of energy fireworks. The Wizards remained expressionless, calmly raising their left hands. On their left arms, an armband shone with a faint light. "The Magic Armor of the Legion is working very well," Richard noted, looking at the vast barrier in the distance, unable to help but remark. The armband on the Wizards¡¯ left arm was the Legion Magic Equipment distributed by the Military Department. The Wizards simply needed to inject Magic Power, and the Wizard Army could autonomously form a Legion Shield with this Legion Magic Equipment. As the incessant rain of Light Spears fell amid bursts of energy fireworks, the Legion Magic of the Wizard Army was finally completed. In an instant, five hundred huge meteors¡ªwith diameters exceeding twenty meters¡ªappeared in the sky. Under the Wizard¡¯s control, these meteors traced an elegant parabola and precisely hit the formation of the Galaxy Mayflies. Boom! The meteors burst over the broad front line, and the dual attack of physical Elements instantly shattered the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ energy shields. The next moment, the Wizard Army again waved their magic wands. Countless fireballs, like the apocalyptic rain of fire, formed a Fire Element Great Wall stretching for tens of kilometers along the front line. Richard, commanding from the center of the battle, murmured under his breath, "It¡¯s still not enough." With that, he leapt forward, his body becoming larger as he flew. Joining him were numerous Black Wizards who, having been tested in war and assisted by the Wizard Army, were nearly equivalent to a minor World Master. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If nothing went wrong, this combination of Black and White Wizards would become a new battle tactic after this war. Richard flew above the legion, a ten-thousand-strong White Wizard group backing him. A continuous stream of Magic Power infused into his body, a ten-thousand Wizards¡¯ enhanced soul network distributed the wear and tear on his spiritual power. The next moment, Richard¡¯s body condensed its glowing light, pointing his magic wand forward, a dazzling aurora river surged from the tip of the wand, instantly piercing through the Mayfly Army. This strike had reached the strength of one hundred thousand Energy Levels! But this was just the beginning, the diversely skilled Black Wizards, empowered by the White Wizard Army, began showing off their special abilities. Delis transformed his body into a Shadow Gate, summoning a formidable Shadow Army. With the amplification from the ten-thousand White Wizard Army, he even summoned a group of Third Level Shadow Flying Dragons. On another front, a Shaping Wizard¡¯s elemental body suddenly swelled to nearly ten meters, with a wave of his hand, countless Runes transformed into a pitch-black point in his palm. Another wave, and this black point was already on the Mayfly Army¡¯s energy barrier. Boom! A mushroom cloud of Fire Elements rose, incinerating hundreds of thousands of mayflies to ashes. With the assistance of the Legion, the Undead Wizard opened a gateway to the Undead Dimension. A portal of bones burning with eerie blue ghost flames released countless crazed Undead craving the flesh and souls of the living. Under wizard control, they surged towards the Mayfly Army like a tide. The Soul Wizard felt somewhat powerless in this war since the Galaxy Mayfly¡¯s soul network distributed the soul damage. Thus, they turned themselves into humanoid Magic Equipment, from which the White Wizard commanders, with their support, began to unleash even deadlier Legion Magic. Meanwhile, the soldiers of the White Wizard Army were also busy, unleashing rounds of Magic Concentrated Fire. The Wind Element and Fire Element storms directly formed a Burning Wind tornado reaching thousands of meters high in the Mayfly Army. The ashes of the Galaxy Mayflies almost piled into a mountain. "Damn, when did these wizards become so powerful?" cursed a general in the private psychic network of the Mayfly generals. The combat effectiveness of the wizards had taken them by surprise. Since the start of the war, the wizards had been on the defensive. Their capabilities, though versatile, didn¡¯t seem special to the Mayflies. Black Wizards were specialized in individual combat power like the Mayflies; the White Wizard Army was like the Mayfly Legion. They had all these things. But the current combat effectiveness of the wizards overturned their understanding. They were the intercept troops, not as arrogant as the flank encircling troops. They were confident their preparations were sufficient. Both the arrangement of illusions and the choice of formations were impeccable. But none of them had expected the wizards¡¯ combat capabilities to be so formidable. "Stop yelling, how long until the flanking troops arrive?" "Fastest is fifteen minutes." "Fifteen minutes? We can¡¯t hold out even five!" The Galaxy Mayflies were also counterattacking. Their Light Spear beams were even more numerous than the wizards¡¯ spells. Torrential rains of energy beams struck the wizards, with many spells detonating midair, turning into free Elements. Even within the Wizard Army, some Black Wizards were blasted to bits by the Galaxy Mayflies¡¯ Light Spears. But this didn¡¯t slow the wizards down. The wizards were charging, like Heavy Armored Cavalry across the plains, vowing to crush anyone standing in their way. "Then let them through! My tribe can¡¯t afford more losses!" "Move aside? But the orders..." "To hell with the priests¡¯ orders, all the old soldiers are dead, and my tribe can only serve as cannon fodder next!" Amid roars within the psychic network, the Galaxy Mayflies fought while retreating, pulling back to the Keroduo Mountain Area. Centered around the War Airships, the Wizard Army charged unstoppable into the Keroduo Mountain Area. Before the last wizard entered the Keroduo Mountain Area, he glanced to either side. The encircling Mayfly forces could now clearly see the vanguard. The Giant Beast was a fraction too slow to close its jaw. ... Five minutes later, the encircling Galaxy Mayflies converged in front of Keroduo Mountain Area, staring at the mist-enshrouded region, their general fell silent for a long time. Finally, an old Mayfly spoke, "Report the news of this battle upwards..." after a pause, he added: "Also, request an aerial strike." Chapter 490 - 35 The Curse Called Selfishness Chapter 490: Chapter 35 The Curse Called SelfishnessKeroduo Mountain Area. The effect of the Mist Barrier Legion Magic was astonishing; even when many other barriers failed, a few successful instances still summoned a mass of fog that covered several square kilometers. And as the legion became more familiar with the Mist Barrier, the area it enveloped expanded even further. If one observed from the Star Realm, they would see a tiny white dot appear in the Keroduo Mountain Area, then like paint dripping into clear water, the dark yellow of the mountain area would turn grey-white. Outside the mountain area, the Galaxy Mayfly was shocked to find that their detection methods were extremely limited in the mist. What could typically scout dozens of kilometers could now only scout a few hundred meters. Under these circumstances, nearly all the Galaxy Mayfly were unwilling to enter the mist. The wizards had summoned this mist and surely had corresponding countermeasures. If they couldn¡¯t find a way to break through the mist, wouldn¡¯t they be at the mercy of the wizards if they entered? A cloud-like mass of Galaxy Mayfly gathered in front of the Keroduo Mountain Range, standing before the mountains, silently watching as the mist swallowed them. "The Expedition Nest has responded." An elder Mayfly suddenly shouted in the spiritual network. "The Expedition Nest has approved our request, but they require us to provide specific locations and exact times." "Specific locations, exact times..." The Mayfly generals looked at the mountain area in front of them, momentarily unsure of how to answer. The wizards spread with incredible speed, as if they knew that they were about to be targeted from the sky. More than half a million wizards entered the Keroduo Mountain Area, and in just half an hour, they had created thousands of square kilometers of foggy area. Compared to such a huge area, the sky strike from the Expedition Nest was like a needle. Without exact locations, the effects of the sky strike would be laughably inadequate. Their resources were already scant; wasting a sky strike would make them criminals of the Galaxy Mayfly! "Where¡¯s the map?" an elder Mayfly shouted, "These wizards will definitely converge; otherwise, if they went to the First Battle Zone, they would be on a path to certain death." However, among Galaxy Mayfly, smart ones were not in short supply. Right as the elder Mayfly shouted, there were others studying the map. "I think this location is suitable." A Mayfly pointed at a spot on the map and then turned this image into a spiritual message. Seeing this, other Mayfly generals also began contemplating the wizards¡¯ potential meeting place. Tens of thousands of Mayfly generals discussed their opinions swiftly through spiritual messages in the psychic network. Soon, they summarized ten locations that they considered most likely. "Next, we must send someone to confirm which place it is," an elder Mayfly said. "I personally suggest we act from two directions and circumvent this mist." "Isn¡¯t that a bit slow?" "With the way wizards¡¯ move while casting spells, we have plenty of time." "Who goes? My tribe has suffered too much loss, don¡¯t expect us to take up this task." More bickering ensued. After a few hours of noisy dispute, the Mayfly finally reached an agreement¡ªto select twenty million Mayfly from the unharmed tribes to advance from two directions. Thereby reaching the determined area swiftly to act as beacons for the sky strike. Meanwhile, the remaining Galaxy Mayfly would enter the mountain area altogether to ensure that the wizards would not hide in the mountains indefinitely. This was not the best decision, but it was one reluctantly accepted by all tribes. Galaxy Mayfly were not Gestalt creatures; they still maintained their individuality. And where there is individuality, there is inevitably selfishness. This selfishness, ingrained in their ¡¯Bloodline¡¯, was a curse of all naturally evolved beings, lasting eternally until the beings perished or transcended into Divinity. ... Inside Keroduo Mountain Area. In the dense fog, War Airships glided like fish through the mist. Behind them, every few minutes, a thousand wizards would release another Mist Barrier. Richard, above the legion, suddenly looked back, his gaze piercing as if he could see through the Mist Barrier itself. He muttered to himself, "Those bugs are trailing so slowly, that is quite unusual." In Richard¡¯s experience, Galaxy Mayfly could be described as fearlessly suicidal. They would self-destruct without hesitation. But now, they had been in the mountain range for six hours, and the Synthetic Beasts he¡¯d left at the entrance had just been cleared. This was somewhat different than what Richard remembered. "What¡¯s so unusual about that?" Ulysses replied lazily, "These bugs aren¡¯t real Gestalt creatures after all. Their previous fearlessness, I think, was due to their strategy. The ones before were cannon fodder, and nobody cared if many of them died. But it¡¯s not the same case now. The moment you released that mist, no one in their right mind would come in to be slaughtered by you. Every creature has its own selfishness, and there are even conflicts between different sub-types of these bugs; it¡¯s completely normal for there to be some bickering." Richard nodded slightly, feeling that Ulysses made a lot of sense. "It seems everyone has quite a few problems," Richard confidently said, "This war isn¡¯t just riddled with problems for the wizards; the Galaxy Mayfly have issues too. "The fight is not over yet." The Wizards in the Keroduo Mountain Area advanced slowly due to the complex terrain, forcing them to split into dozens of groups, each consisting of ten thousand individuals. The spiritual power loss caused by deploying the Mist Barrier necessitated rest periods at intervals. But as slow as they were, the Galaxy Mayflies were even slower. Though the Galaxy Mayflies reached a consensus, the misty environment of the Keroduo Mountain Area still severely slowed their progress. No one dared to bet whether there was a White Wizard Army waiting behind the mist. This situation actually saved the Mayflies from the Wizard¡¯s ambush¡ªmany of the White Wizard Armies had planned to deliver a harsh blow to them. However, it also resulted in their speed being slightly faster than the dissipation of the Mist Barrier¡ªbut only slightly. Meanwhile, on the flanks, the Wizard Armies discovered the two advancing Mayfly Armies. They attempted to block them, but the Mayfly Armies¡¯ speed was much faster, and they failed to intercept them. The news of Mayflies appearing on the flanks quickly reached Richard¡¯s ears, who glanced at the map and instantly understood the intentions of the Galaxy Mayflies. "These creatures are planning something harsh for us," Richard murmured. He still shuddered at the thought of the power of a sky strike¡ªan almost apocalyptic surge of energy that no creature beneath the World Master could withstand. "No, we need to employ a little trick now." Richard looked at the map for a long time; if the Mayflies really intended to use a sky strike, they would have to eliminate the scouting Mayflies simultaneously, preventing the Galaxy Mayflies from determining their exact location. A sky strike surely required massive energy consumption and slow deployment, or else the Galaxy Mayflies would have used it more frequently by now. As long as the Expedition Nests in the sky couldn¡¯t pinpoint their location, they would be able to enter the First Battle Zone smoothly. "This is a gamble." A White Wizard Commander, looking over Richard¡¯s plan, murmured to himself. But on the battlefield, having a gamble where the odds of winning are greater than losing is certainly something to be thankful for. Too many choices on the battlefield aren¡¯t available. Richard¡¯s plan quickly spread to all the legions, and most of the legions had dispatched messengers with their plans even before his arrived. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This round of communications took several days. With the subsequent discussions to finalize the plan, it took nearly half a month to settle. That was still the outcome of using Ulysses as a messenger. If it were an ordinary wizard, it would have been even slower. By the time the plan reached all the legions, they were already nearing the edge of the Keroduo Mountain Area. More than half a million wizards divided into five teams, simultaneously striking five different locations. They did not know whether there were any Mayflies at these locations, but one thing was sure - the Galaxy Mayflies were definitely not fools. The judgments of commanders from both sides would not differ much. And as expected, all five locations they charged had traces of Mayflies. Boom, boom, boom! The continuous sounds of spell explosions, like muffled thunder, echoed through the mist. Under the White Wizard Commander¡¯s orders, ordinary wizards, unable to see through the mist like the Mayflies, nervously cast spells. They did not know where their enemies were or what they were doing. All they could do at the moment was to follow orders. Soon, the Wizard Armies ceased casting spells. The Mayflies serving as beacons had been eliminated, leaving only the tasks of regrouping and praying. ... In the sky, a Galaxy Mayfly in the Expedition Nest looking at the five sky strike coordinates sent from the Third War Zone was taken aback. "Are the Mayflies below confused? Why send five different strike locations simultaneously?" An older Mayfly near him heard the complaint and casually replied. "Then don¡¯t move, wait for them to confirm which then act." "Huh?" The Mayfly receiving the message, a newcomer, looked bewilderedly at his colleague, struggling to say, "The Mayflies below are waiting for the sky strike." His colleague flicked his tail filament and spoke seriously, "They have to wait. With five coordinates sent up, there are surely decoys among them. Our resources are limited right now; if you pass up a fake coordinate, the responsibility lies with you. You must realize this isn¡¯t just an ordinary war; any mishap will involve our entire tribe. The Red Wings are competing with us for positions, so we absolutely must not give them grounds to complain." Hearing his colleague¡¯s words, the Mayfly nodded thoughtfully. "So, what I¡¯m doing is compliant, right?" The older Mayfly spoke meaningfully, "Of course it¡¯s compliant. It¡¯s the ground operations that are flawed; you are making a reasonable decision to protect the interests of the Galaxy Mayflies. Even if the Red Wings make a fuss all the way to the King of Mayfly, we still have the upper hand." ... On the ground, the White Wizard Army successfully entered the First Battle Zone. As usual, the sky of the Galaxy World was clear and cloudless. Chapter 491 - 36 Temporarily Leaving Chapter 491: Chapter 36 Temporarily LeavingFirst Battle Zone Fortress 214, Commander Rata stared at the message from the Battle Zone Command Center, puzzled. "What do they mean by ¡¯welcoming the wizards breaking out from the Third War Zone¡¯? Shouldn¡¯t the wizards from the Third War Zone be retreating to their side instead of mine?" Although the fall of the Great Wizard at dusk was quite spectacular, for a small world, this event wasn¡¯t significant enough to be clear to the entire world. Besides, at that time, most fortresses were under siege by the Galaxy Mayflies, restricting observation angles, leaving most wizards from other battle zones clueless about the Great Wizard¡¯s fall. However, not knowing the situation didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t follow orders. According to the commands of the Battle Zone Command Center, all the war weapons in Fortress 214 were activated. Over fifty thousand White Wizards, along with thousands from the Black Wizard squad, set out from Fortress 214 and headed towards Fortress 414 to rendezvous. Only ten thousand were left behind at Fortress 214 as the guard troops. It must be said, this was a highly risky order. But as soldiers, their only duty was to obey. Rumbling... With a series of dull thuds, the top of Fortress 214 opened. A massive war airship slowly ascended. Fifty thousand White Wizards, accompanied by five war airships, advanced toward Fortress 414. Surprisingly, throughout the entire process, not a single Galaxy Mayfly came to interfere. In the war-ravaged Galaxy World, there were strangely no Galaxy Mayflies around Fortress 214. Inside the war airship, Rata looked at the battle zone map, pondering over the message behind the command from the Battle Zone Command Center. "Galaxy Mayfly movements, the wizards of the Third War Zone, Fortress 414..." Rata¡¯s finger gently slid across the map on the table, abruptly stopping at the edge of the battle zone. "Keroduo Mountain Area!" Instantaneously, Rata felt as if he had gone mad. Otherwise, how could he conclude that the Third War Zone was destroyed? But the cumulative information suggested that this conclusion was highly probable. Fortress 514 was the closest to the Keroduo Mountain Area, and the closest fortress with wizards stationed from Fortress 514 was 214. Coupling this with the abrupt retreat of the Galaxy Mayflies that had besieged Fortress 214 three days ago. Then the wizard army he was about to rendezvous with must have crossed the Keroduo Mountain Area, with a colossal target that even the mountains couldn¡¯t shake the pursuing Galaxy Mayflies off. An ordinary wizard army couldn¡¯t make so many Mayflies divert. "Damn it, this is going to be a disaster." Rata¡¯s face suddenly turned very ugly, fear, anger, frustration¡ªa jumble of emotions squeezed out the place for rationality. If the Third War Zone was destroyed, then the pressure on the remaining two battle zones would surely intensify. Both in terms of combat strength and logistical pressures. But soon, Rata calmed down. He suddenly realized that for this war, the most critical aspect was the battle between the Great Wizards and the King of Mayfly. And among the Great Wizards, the Bronze Spear Great Wizard¡¯s combat power ranked near the top. As long as he could defeat the King of Mayfly, the destruction of the Third War Zone wouldn¡¯t matter. The battlefield was so vast, all they needed was to last until the Great Wizard¡¯s victory. Soon, a report from the Reconnaissance Wizard, also a Black Wizard, came through the mental network. "Discovered a massive wizard army estimated at five hundred thousand, being pursued by around six hundred million Mayflies. My suggestion, just guide them the right way. This army is strong enough to break through the encircling Mayflies." Hearing the number five hundred thousand, Rata knew his guess was right. "Okay, I understand." "Um... Any news from the command center about this number of wizards..." "No news, but your thoughts are not wrong." "... Ah, I really hope to live to return." After notifying the other four legion commanders, Rata then used a spiritual power amplifying device aboard the war airship to multiply his spiritual power several times. He then commanded, "Legion Magic, prepare the Aurora Technique." Since he was to guide, naturally, he needed to prepare a conspicuous spell. Before long, Rata saw that army. A vast, seemingly endless cluster of wizards flying low over the hillock region. They were split into two layers, with massive war airships sandwiched in the middle, resembling the yolk of a hard-boiled egg. But as strange as this formation was, its combat strength was by no means weak. "Indeed not ordinary ones, no ordinary ones could have broken out." Rata exclaimed and then waved his magic wand, releasing the prepared Aurora Technique. In an instant, a sun-like dazzling light ball exploded in front of the army, illuminating half the sky. In the center of the army, Richard shielded his eyes, looked at the shining light ball, and revealed a slight smile. Cheerfully, he communicated through the mental network, "Guys, we¡¯ve arrived!" ... The breakout process went smoothly, although the Galaxy Mayflies in the First Battle Zone had learned about the Wizard¡¯s breakout from the Third Battle Zone, the timing of their knowledge assured that they would hardly be able to encircle them. The Wizard followed Rata and easily broke out. As for the Galaxy Mayflies that pursued them afterward... Fortress 214 was simply too expansive, and without the King of Mayfly to coordinate them, the multitude of Galaxy Mayflies could only slowly exhaust the Wizard. Millions or billions made no significant difference. Having stabilized the situation in Fortress 214, Richard¡¯s Communication Crystal Ball successfully received a message from the First Battle Zone Command Center. "Operator Richard, please come to the First Battle Zone Command Center immediately." After reading the message in the crystal ball, Richard turned to look at several Black Wizards beside him. These individuals were elite operators selected from among the Wizards, but they were not from the same batch as him, so their caliber was somewhat lacking. A nearby Black Wizard, with a smile emanating from his heart, noticed Richard¡¯s gaze and responded with a smile, "It seems that the Master has also received the message to return." Richard nodded slightly and sighed inwardly. It seemed that the Star River World might be abandoned. If it were only him or even Delis, it might have been a notification from the Third Battle Zone Command Center to the First Battle Zone Command Center. But with these Three Rings Wizards included, it could only mean that the Wizards were planning to abandon this world. These Black Wizards were the first group; next would be the elite White Wizards. Subsequently, the front lines would be contracted until most personnel withdrew. The final step would be to detonate the weapon known as the Weapon of the End of Days. However, this had nothing to do with him; leaving the battlefield earlier was undoubtedly a good thing. Before returning to headquarters, however, he needed to retrieve the equipment stored in the Secret Realm. The rift in the Secret Realm expanded gradually as Richard infused it with magic power, and armored assault vehicles driven by Fire Lizard Warriors emerged from it. Even though Richard used the Secret Realm as a warehouse for the Legion, necessary secrecy measures were still in place. The other Wizards had no objections to Richard¡¯s action; when he made this request, they just smiled knowingly. All were Wizards; everyone had their secrets. With the last medical support vehicle emerging from the Secret Realm, Richard turned to the White Wizard Commander beside him and joked, "Not a single vehicle is missing, don¡¯t claim I coveted your equipment." The White Wizard Commander laughed heartily, "The Master is quite humorous. With the Master¡¯s achievements this time, even if you took all these items, they¡¯d just be war attrition." Saying so, he gestured to his aide to send one medical support vehicle back to the Secret Realm. Skimming off the top in logistics, a well-known secret among the lower-ranked Wizards in the Military Department. It boiled down to if you don¡¯t take it, how can I? If I don¡¯t take it, how can Commissioner Geng? But Richard stopped him. "No need for that," Richard said with a smile, "A slightly damaged thing taken is still taken; this vehicle is still in good condition, taking it would genuinely be a waste." As he said this, he took out a small component from his pocket and flashed it before the eyes of the White Wizard Commander. The two shared a knowing smile, and the Commander gestured for his aide to drive the vehicle back. "Master truly has a generous heart." Leaving the warehouse, Richard traversed the tunnels towards the First Battle Zone Command Center. On the way, he discovered numerous subtle tunnels heading deep underground. Upon arriving at the Command Center, the acting Commander of the First Battle Zone personally welcomed Richard. "I am Claude, the acting Commander of the First Battle Zone. I am delighted to see the Master arrive safely at the First Battle Zone." Looking at the Wizard before him, whose body had completely transformed into bronze, Richard immediately stepped forward to shake his hand. Claude earnestly said to Richard, "The Master¡¯s cross-curtain communication device really helped us a lot." Richard shook his head modestly, "It was merely for self-preservation." Claude shook his head, "The purpose of the Master doesn¡¯t matter, what¡¯s important is the impact this device has had. Your communication device solved a major problem for us and provided a new line of thought for communication. In my opinion, awarding the Master another Wizard Hero title wouldn¡¯t be too much." "Can the Wizard Hero discount stack?" Richard suddenly asked. "...No." "Then continue." Claude continued, "The purpose of asking the Master to return, as you might have guessed with your command capabilities, is that you will return to the Wizard World. If nothing unexpected happens, before becoming a Great Wizard, the Master shouldn¡¯t need to come to the frontlines of the civilization war again." Claude¡¯s face showed a hint of envy. Many Wizards were retreating to the rear, but Richard was among the very few given first priority. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Other Wizards, due to urgent military matters, still had to go to the battlefield. But except for an attack on the Wizard World, Richard completely didn¡¯t need to come to the frontlines of the civilization war. Richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Claude¡¯s words. Not having to go to civilization¡¯s frontlines before becoming a Great Wizard? That was absolutely wonderful. A Three Rings Wizard, although powerful, was ultimately a pawn. Only by becoming a Great Wizard could one truly have the right to choose. After relaying the message, Claude sent Richard onto the airship returning to the Hub World. Richard sat in the airship, quietly watching the Teleportation Gate swallow the vessel. Chapter 492 - 37 Changes in the Wizard World Chapter 492: Chapter 37 Changes in the Wizard World"James, you went to the military conscription a few days ago." "Yeah, unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t selected by the Military Department." On the second residential floor of the Black Tower Wizard Academy Community, Ross and James chatted intermittently. "Not selected?" Ross was surprised. "Your strength is not weak among us at the Black Tower Wizard Academy. How could you not be selected? Is the standard set by the Military Department so high?" James shook his head and sighed, "The standard isn¡¯t high, but what the Military Department urgently needs now are White Wizards, not us Black Wizards; they simply don¡¯t want us." "Not want!?" Ross was even more surprised. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "How could they not want Black Wizards? In the Plane War, the losses of Black Wizards are much higher than those of White Wizards. Could it be that the Military Department has more Black Wizards than White Wizards? How is that possible!" "God knows, they just don¡¯t." James said helplessly. "Moreover, I even heard from someone in the Military Department that there will no longer be Black and White Wizards, only Ordinary Wizards and Elite Wizards." "What? That person must be crazy. How can there be no Black and White Wizards? Without Black and White Wizards, who will perform sabotage and assassinations in the rear?" Ross exclaimed in shock. "It¡¯s just hearsay, who knows what the Wizard in the Military Department heard." James said indifferently, "By the way, I saw that other academies have conscripted all the Three Rings Wizards. Has our academy conscripted anyone?" "They started conscription a few days ago. You just happened to miss them when you went for the military conscription." As they were deep in conversation, suddenly a streak of light flew past them, startling them. Ross watched the departing streak of light and murmured to himself, "Goodness, from the looks of it, that might be that veteran Three Rings Wizard." James was puzzled, "Aren¡¯t all the Three Rings Wizards conscripted?" "Who knows, maybe he didn¡¯t gather all his things." ... The streak of light traced an elegant arc through the sky and landed in front of a Wizard Tower. Richard straightened his Wizard Robe and then knocked on the large door of the Wizard Tower. Soon, a non-human servant opened the door and welcomed Richard inside. In the parlor, Anna, holding a Magic Book, seemed somewhat distracted. "Senior Sister, what¡¯s really going on? How could our teacher be conscripted?" Anna stood up from her chair and gestured for Richard to sit down. "Sit down first. This involves not just our teacher but also a decision by the council. The entire Wizard World¡¯s all Three Rings Wizards have been conscripted." "All Three Rings Wizards have been conscripted?" Richard exclaimed in astonishment. Although he was aware that the situation at the front was not good and that the council would definitely begin to mobilize Wizards, he had not expected that the council would conscript all the Three Rings Wizards at once. "Not only the Three Rings Wizards, but the situation with the White Wizards is even more severe. Not only were all Three Rings conscripted, but a large number of Second Ring Wizards were also conscripted." As she spoke, Anna looked at Richard with some concern. "What exactly is the situation at the front? The council¡¯s actions are somewhat frightening." "What¡¯s the situation?" Richard gave a bitter smile, "Senior Sister, didn¡¯t you hear the Mourning Bell recently? A Five-Ring Great Wizard perished along with a Galaxy Mayfly World Master on the front line. Now, one of the three major battle zones in the Galaxy World has already been lost. The losses of Wizards are estimated to have exceeded two million." "Two million!?" Anna felt dizzy for a moment as her body staggered back a couple of steps before she steadied herself. "I... If I remember correctly, haven¡¯t you just been there for a year?" Anna¡¯s voice was weak, unable to comprehend the death of two million Wizards in a year. When had the Wizard World ever suffered such a massive loss? Moreover, with the front line in such a desperate situation, she feared for their teacher, Jolod... Anna dared not think further. For her, unlike Richard, Jolod was like a father. "That¡¯s the reality." Richard sighed lightly, "Surviving this time was sheer luck for me. Sigh, but since it¡¯s the council¡¯s decision, I..." "Richard!" Anna suddenly rushed to Richard¡¯s side, her eyes brimming with tears. "Help our teacher. On a battlefield where survival depends on luck, our teacher can¡¯t possibly make it. You are a favored person in the eyes of Garon Great Wizard; you definitely can..." "Senior Sister, stop hoping against hope," Richard interrupted. Looking at Anna, whose eyes were misty with tears, Richard spoke calmly, "This war has already seen the fall of Great Wizards. In the future, such occurrences will become common. Even Great Wizards face this; what about us lesser Wizards¡ªdo you think we could escape?" "But... It would be somewhat better to stay in the rear," Anna choked out. Richard was silent for a moment before he said softly, "I will do it. Jolod isn¡¯t just your teacher; he is my teacher too." ... Leaving the Tower of Truth, Richard felt heavy-hearted. Although he had mentally prepared for the sacrifice of his loved ones and friends, he wished he would never have to use such prepartions. On his way, Richard contacted the acting president of Richard Jolod¡¯s Commerce. "President, the count of your Magic Essence is complete. A total of thirty-five million seventy-two thousand five hundred three pieces." Hearing this astonishing number, Richard nodded slightly and replied, "Kayang, don¡¯t be so formal. Just call me Richard." After Jolod was drafted, he did not pass the leadership to Chax or Anna; instead, he entrusted it to Kayang, who had been introduced by the manager and had entered the commerce. After Richard had removed the Curse Of Misfortune from Kayang, his luck started to turn for the better. The research that had troubled him for hundreds of years was successively overcome, and the businesses he took over developed rapidly. Initially, Kayang took over the Magic Potion business, mainly dealing with the deputy dean of the Wizard Academy to expand the Magic Potion Store. And with his luck, he took merely ten years to spread Richard¡¯s Magic Potion stores to every academy in the Tower of Truth of Four Rings. Among all tasks, it was the travelling that took up most of his time. Kayang¡¯s bizarre luck was noticed by Jolod, who also handed him the business of the Projection Hall, in collaboration with Truth Fist Commerce. Now, the Projection Hall was expanding at an astonishing speed. Unless something unexpected happened, the Projection Hall would become one of the pillars of Richard Jolod¡¯s future. This was also why Jolod had handed the acting president position to Kayang. He believed that, under Kayang¡¯s leadership, the commerce would definitely flourish. "Alright, President Richard. These are your Magic Essences, and if you need anything else, just let me know." "I need a batch of materials. I¡¯ll send the details to you later, and if there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t find, cooperate with the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce, just mention my name." "Sure, I will." After ending the communication, Richard found Jimmy¡¯s contact in the Crystal Ball. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to make the call. "Richard, calling me right after you got back?" After the communication was established, Jimmy¡¯s weak voice came from the Crystal Ball. "Master, are you hurt?" Richard asked with concern. "I was hit hard by those bugs, almost tore my soul apart; so you better get straight to the point." "I want to see the Dean." "...Alright, but remember that civil wars are the domain of the Military Department, and the Dean might not be able to help you." "Thanks for the reminder, Master, I just seek a clear conscience." "Haha, good attitude." Ending the communication, Richard transformed into a streak of light and flew at high speed towards the Extreme North. ... After the war began, a lot had changed in the Extreme North. The massive Airship fleets became even denser, surpassing even some newly established White Wizard Academies. This change inspired Richard to explore further. He landed on the outskirts of Extreme North City and walked into the city. On his way, he was shocked to find an alarming number of Wizard Apprentices in Extreme North City. "What¡¯s going on here, when did Extreme North City get so many Wizard Apprentices? One in every five people is a Wizard Apprentice." The sudden increase in Wizard Apprentices left Richard somewhat baffled. Although these apprentices were mostly novices, not even qualified low-level apprentices, becoming an apprentice already lifted them out of the ordinary mortal realm. Although he had always planned to popularize the Wizard Apprentices, because of his identity, this idea had always been suppressed in his heart. And now, having been away for barely a year, how could the number of Wizard Apprentices have increased so much? With these questions, Richard arrived at the Mayor¡¯s residence. Inside, the Mayor was scolding the Chief of Police of Extreme North City. "Hans, explain to me, what do you mean by ¡¯can¡¯t solve the case¡¯!" Ivan slammed the documents onto the table, his face almost as red as his rosacea nose. Hans looked down sadly, explaining helplessly, "Sir, those Wizard Apprentices commit crimes. How can we mere mortals solve them? Even if we do solve a case, are we supposed to put these Wizard Apprentices in prison?" "Why not?" A calm voice came from behind Hans. Mayor Ivan, seeing Richard, immediately gave a respectful Wizard¡¯s Salute, "Sir, you¡¯ve returned." Richard naturally walked to the mayor¡¯s main seat and sat down, calmly asking, "What¡¯s the deal with these apprentices?" Hans joined the Chief of Police, respectfully responding, "Sir, about a year ago, the Wizard Academy started to recruit adult apprentices. Those who passed the test were given the Meditation Method issued by the academy." "Adult apprentices?" Richard¡¯s brow furrowed into a furrow. He felt as if he hadn¡¯t been on the battlefield for a year but rather lost in an Exotic Realm for thousands of years and had only recently returned. Otherwise, why would the Wizard Academy recruit adult apprentices? To become a Wizard, an apprentice must have at least ten points of spiritual power between the ages of ten to fifteen. That was the threshold. Anyone falling below that threshold would never become a Wizard in their lifetime. Normally, any Wizard Academy would rather not fill up their quota than recruit a bunch of apprentices doomed never to become Wizards. But now, they were recruiting adult apprentices. Had he crossed into a parallel world? "Yes, sir, according to these apprentices, this was a command personally issued by Garon the Great Wizard." "...Alright, I understand." Richard stood up, opened the Secret Realm Rift, and soon, a group of Fire Lizard Warriors marched out. "You¡¯re the Chief of Police, right?" Richard pointed at Hans and said, "My Fire Lizards are now under your command; I won¡¯t allow any lawbreaker to roam free in Extreme North City." The Chief of Police bowed deeply, fearfully responding, "As you will, Great Richard Holy Son..." Chapter 493 - 38: The Universal Wizarding Chapter 493: Chapter 38: The Universal WizardingLeaving Extreme North City, Richard arrived at Garon Wizard Academy with questions and trepidation. At the foot of the Academy¡¯s mountain, several queues twisted like serpentine dragons, stretching as far as the eye could see. Tribes wandering the snowy plains, well-informed merchants, and the people of the Extreme North Country continuously joined the queue, many of them even bringing tents, provisions, and livestock as they waited in line. As Time went by, the queue at the foot of the mountain did not shrink in the slightest; instead, it grew longer and longer. In the face of the temptation of Transcendent powers, not even blizzards could stop them. Upon reaching the top of the mountain, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s clone still stood outside the Wizard Tower as usual. "I¡¯ve arrived, Headmaster." "Hmm, Jimmy said you were looking for me?" Garon the Great Wizard opened his eyes and stretched lazily, "Tell me, what do you need?" Richard hesitated for a moment but eventually spoke straightforwardly, "I¡¯d like to ask you, Headmaster, to help transfer my mentor to the rear." "Hmm, that¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not a big deal." Garon the Great Wizard casually nodded, "Your mentor is Jolod, right? I remember he¡¯s a young fellow researching Synthetic Beasts. I even casually helped him optimize his Promotion Ceremony back in the day." "Yes, I didn¡¯t expect you to remember, Headmaster." "Of course, I remember, it hasn¡¯t been that long." With that, Garon the Great Wizard gestured toward the queue at the foot of the mountain from the West Factory and said, "Do you see that crowd of ordinary people down there?" "I see them." "What are your thoughts?" "...I don¡¯t quite understand. These people can¡¯t become wizards. After learning the Meditation Method, at best they might become workers in some Alchemy Workshop. To be honest, I don¡¯t quite understand why you¡¯re doing this." Garon the Great Wizard looked at Richard with interest. "Can¡¯t you see? I thought you should be able to figure it out, go on, speak up, this isn¡¯t some sort of test." Faced with Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s challenge, Richard paused before saying, "You probably intend to expand the base population. The adaptability and fertility of Wizard Apprentices are stronger than those of ordinary people. Given the right conditions, a few hundred Apprentices could quickly develop into a town of tens of thousands. Civilization wars require a large number of wizards to fill the ranks; without enough apprentices, naturally, there will be no wizards." Garon the Great Wizard nodded, "I knew you¡¯d see it, but that¡¯s only part of it." Richard was taken aback. Aside from increasing the number of wizards, he truly could not see any other use for this practice. Seeing Richard unable to grasp further, Garon the Great Wizard prompted, "What do you think the strength of Wizard Rules is related to?" At those words, Richard suddenly had a revelation. "Numbers! The more wizards there are, the stronger the Wizard Rules become, the stronger the blessings given to wizards." Garon the Great Wizard nodded again, "Exactly. If you want the Wizard Rules to be powerful, the number of wizards is indispensable." An image of the fallen twilight Great Wizard flashed through Richard¡¯s mind, and he asked, "Headmaster, what kind of blessing is this? In the Galaxy World, I didn¡¯t see any use for the Wizard Rules other than mutual destruction." "Of course, you wouldn¡¯t see any other use." Garon the Great Wizard laughed, "The amplification of Wizard Rules does not require casting any spells. The twilight you saw has already been amplified by the Wizard Rules. And it¡¯s not just wizards who are amplified; the King of Mayfly you saw was also amplified. Otherwise, twilight could have slain them upon first encounter. The greatest difference in combat power between the World Masters of civilization and the natives lies here." S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard nodded thoughtfully, then heard Garon the Great Wizard continue, "This time we¡¯re opening up the Meditation Method; it¡¯s the council¡¯s decision, and the Alchemy Crown has given it a good name, the ¡¯Policy of Mass Wizards.¡¯ This is a pilot for us. The council hopes we can develop a workable system and then promote it throughout the Wizard World. I think you have a good understanding of managing common folk. How about you take on this task?" Richard was startled, unsure of what Garon the Great Wizard meant. If he hadn¡¯t known about the Wizard Rules before, he might have considered it a regular assignment. But knowing about the Wizard Rules now, the significance of the task was different. This task was clearly an opportunity to earn a share and he wondered why Garon the Great Wizard would give it to him. Seeing Richard¡¯s puzzled look, Garon the Great Wizard gestured dismissively, "This bit of a share is of no use to me, and now all my students have been drafted. In the Academy, the only wizard suitable for this task is you." Recalling Jimmy¡¯s weak voice, indeed, Richard was the most suitable wizard in Garon Wizard College for the task. "I understand, Headmaster." Richard gave a respectful Wizard¡¯s Salute, "I will take care of it as soon as I get back, and I¡¯ll work out a viable model as quickly as possible." Garon the Great Wizard nodded, then took out a scroll from his pocket and handed it to Richard. "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done, but your cellular vitality is already not inferior to Jimmy¡¯s, so giving you this isn¡¯t a loss. This is my research on breaking through the limits of third-level creatures. See if you can find some insights. As for ascending to Great Wizard... I suggest you do it now. Your experience is too limited; it¡¯s easy to get lost in the Soul Mysterious Realm. If possible, it¡¯s best to travel and enrich your spiritual practice, making sure your will is sufficiently robust." Richard solemnly accepted the scroll. "I understand, Headmaster." Leaving the Academy, Richard soon received materials from the Garon Wizard College. Over the past year, Garon Wizard College had distributed a total of 1.72 million copies of the Basic Meditation Method, most of which had been given to residents of the Extreme North, with the remainder going to businessmen with dealings in the Extreme North. Each of these Meditation Methods had been cursed so that they could not be shared or promoted outside of the Extreme North. This put Richard¡¯s mind at ease. The sudden acquisition of superhuman strength could easily cause problems for people with weak wills. Since most of them were confined to the Extreme North, even if a few serious incidents occurred, the impact of these incidents could be controlled. The Truth Council needed replicable models to ensure the widespread Wizard Apprentice initiative could proceed. Therefore, Richard needed to consider the problem from multiple dimensions. Once the Meditation Method was released, the next step would be to release the Magic Model. After all, the Meditation Method itself was just a primer; to transform a large number of Wizard Apprentices into a productive force, spells were essential. To release the Magic Model, it was inevitable that some fundamental Rune Studies knowledge would be shared. With the release of knowledge, bright minds would surely use it as a foundation to deduce more profound knowledge. This was inevitable; Richard never underestimated humanity. Richard took out a notebook and listlessly made a couple of marks. "It¡¯s definitely not possible to ban it altogether; once the spark of knowledge has been lit, it¡¯s impossible to extinguish it." Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. "Since it can¡¯t be stopped, it might be better to simply establish an official platform for standardized management." If the spark could not be extinguished, then ensure it doesn¡¯t burn oneself. Thinking this, Richard took out a piece of draft paper and began to construct the framework of a platform on it. "Firstly, academic journals¡ªany publication related to knowledge must be published in the journals. Next is the reward system: royalties are a part, benefits are a part. Based on the sophistication of the knowledge, scholars are rated and given welfare treatment accordingly... Yes! And a patent system!" Richard wrote a bunch of things he had just thought of on the draft paper, many of the systems he had heard of in his previous life, were copied down. As for whether they were suitable, he had ample time for adjustments. Besides, even the worst systems are better than uncontrolled wild growth. Having resolved the issue of knowledge dissemination, the remaining problem was the legal aspect. Richard didn¡¯t have much thought on this area. In his view, there was no difference between Wizard Apprentices and ordinary people¡ªif they committed a crime, they should be dealt with by the normal legal system. But he thought again and decided to supplement the laws regarding witchcraft crimes. When sentencing for witchcraft crimes, punishment would be more severe. Having his ideas down rather thoroughly, Richard spent a day tidying them into a workable plan. He then called over the mayor and the chief of police of Extreme North City. "Did you want us, sir?" the mayor asked tentatively. It was the first time in many years that Richard had sought them out personally. Richard handed the mayor the finished plan. "Hmm, take a look at this. If you don¡¯t see any obvious flaws, go ahead and implement it." The mayor took the plan and glanced over it briefly, then respectfully said, "Sir, your wisdom is as vast as the ocean; I see no issues." Richard raised an eyebrow and replied, "Don¡¯t try to placate me with your usual flattery. I¡¯m looking for results, not compliments." After a moment¡¯s hesitation, the mayor said, "Sir, I honestly can¡¯t find any fault with your plan. If I must raise a point of concern, I suggest that you start by reducing the number of available Wizard Apprentice slots and then gradually release more. The changes are too drastic. The people need to adapt, and so do we, the bureaucrats." Richard thought for an instant. Indeed, transitioning suddenly into a society where everyone possessed transcendent abilities was unexpected for both the common people and the bureaucrats. In their old perceptions, Wizard Apprentices had always been big shots. Now, even Ivan from next door, who drank and beat his wife every day, was able to become a Wizard Apprentice. This shock to society and the established views was undoubtedly enormous. Richard nodded and said, "That¡¯s reasonable. For now, limit the spots. Distribute them mainly among the military, police, and middle-aged people with steady jobs and stable families. Everyone else should be placed on a waiting list. And children under fifteen are forbidden from receiving the Meditation Method." "Your wisdom is commendable, sir." And so, the embers of the mass wizardry movement silently ignited in the Extreme North. In the centuries that followed, it would spread from the Extreme North and eventually set the entire Wizard World ablaze. Chapter 494 - 39: The Path to the Transcendent Chapter 494: Chapter 39: The Path to the Transcendent"Handing over the matter of the nationalization of wizards movement to others, Richard immediately began his research on the biological limits of third-level creatures." According to Garon the Great Wizard, after being nourished by the Mayfly Essence, the cell viability of his body had significantly increased and was now almost comparable to that of Jimmy. This was unexpected for Richard. Although he had noticed the changes in cell viability, he didn¡¯t expect his to be almost the same as Jimmy¡¯s. As an important assistant of Garon the Great Wizard, Jimmy¡¯s development in physique was naturally extraordinary. If his cell viability was close to Jimmy¡¯s, the effects of the Heart of Mayfly in enhancing the physique were merely superficial. Opening the scroll, Richard began to thoroughly study the materials Garon the Great Wizard had given him, According to the statement in the scroll, Garon the Great Wizard had intermittently spent over a thousand years researching whether third-level creatures could break through their physiological limits. During this period, even Garon the Great Wizard thought about giving up the research several times. The reason being, every case he found had a different way of breaking the limit, without any discernible pattern. And his own attempts were repeatedly failures, with no progress at all. Faced with such a situation, even a Great Wizard would doubt himself. After carefully studying the material, Richard felt that Garon the Great Wizard might have set his expectations too high for him. A Great Wizard, almost single-handedly pioneering the path of Physique Evolution, hadn¡¯t figured it out. How could he, a lesser wizard who hadn¡¯t even reached the Great Wizard level, discern it? However, this didn¡¯t mean the material was worthless. On the contrary, because this issue had troubled Garon the Great Wizard for many years, causing him to relaunch his research whenever there was any breakthrough, the material contained extremely vast and complex knowledge. Both in breadth and depth, it was immensely valuable. If he could absorb the knowledge within, it would greatly benefit Richard. "The Great Wizard is indeed worthy of his title. Even the unsuccessful researches contain such rich knowledge. It¡¯s hard to imagine how extensive and profound the knowledge involved in those successful researches must be," After a slight exclamation, Richard started his happy time, much like a bookworm. The contents of this scroll were enough to keep him learning for a long time. In the fourth month after returning to the Wizard World, Richard received a letter sent by Jolod. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The letter claimed that he was now a factory manager in an Alchemy World, responsible for producing a special type of humanoid Synthetic Beast. He couldn¡¯t reveal specific information about the Synthetic Beasts, but Richard knew that these Synthetic Beasts were definitely going to be cannon fodder for wizards in the upcoming battles. It was too much of a loss to exchange wizards for casualties against the Star River Mayfly. Shifting Jolod to the rear undoubtedly eased Richard¡¯s mind a great deal. Although it was only temporary. Richard knew that once the intensity of the war ramped up, Three Rings Wizards would inevitably be sent to the front lines. Managing a factory was something mortals could do; there was absolutely no need for a Three Rings Wizard with their combat capabilities. Apart from Jolod¡¯s news, Richard also unexpectedly received news from Elizabeth. According to her, due to the mobilization act of the Wizard World, she had already left and gone to another world to manage material transportation and allocation for the frontline. She had no choice but to leave the business matters to someone else. Furthermore, she mentioned in the letter that the business of the Magic Support Vehicle was going to be worse than expected. The upcoming wars of the Wizard World were definitely going to be defensive in nature. Even if there were attacks, they would surely be very limited. Thus, the business of the Magic Support Vehicles was bound to be impacted. However, Richard was indifferent about this. His Magic Essence had already accumulated to a point where he almost couldn¡¯t spend it all; to him, Magic Essence was now just a number. Besides, being impacted did not mean there would be no earnings. Once the battlefront in the Wizard World stabilized and they counterattacked, they could surely make a good profit. After dealing with these mundane affairs of life, Richard continued with his studies. Time quickly passed, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had gone by. In the laboratory, Richard, whose hair and beard were unkempt like dry grass, placed a piece of flesh the size of a thumb pad into a Mayfly Essence diluted a thousand times. Under the stimulation of the Mayfly Essence, the flesh immediately began to proliferate rapidly, soon filling the petri dish. At the same time, Richard activated the Deformation Illumination Device nearby. A dark red beam of light shone on the proliferating flesh, instantly making the originally smooth flesh start to roughen. Under the influence of the Deformation Illumination Device, the cells began to differentiate and mutate, and then due to unstable cellular structures, they disintegrated. Soon, the entire petri dish turned into a pool of pus. But this clearly failed experiment did not discourage Richard. On the contrary, his eyes sparkled with spirit after observing the experiment. During these ten years, he had been studying the knowledge in the scrolls while enhancing his own physique by consuming Mayfly Essence. After repeatedly taking small amounts of Mayfly Essence, Richard¡¯s physique had now reached the edge of the limits for third-level creatures, which is 299.99. Throughout this process, he had attempted multiple times to enhance the efficacy of Mayfly Essence. But the outcome... Ordinary Magic Potion and Mayfly Essence didn¡¯t react at all. Richard could only dilute the Mayfly Essence. And this experiment was to test the effects of diluted Mayfly Essence. Richard exclaimed, "Indeed, Mayfly Essence possesses a certain degree of benign guidance!" When Wizards conducted cellular experiments, they often used various primers to guide cells to mutate in the desired direction. And depending on the guidance results, guidance was divided into benign, malignant, and neutral types. Among these, neutral guidance was the most commonly used and seen. Malignant and benign guidance, however, were exceedingly rare. The role of benign guidance was to make the cell mutations become stable and robust. In the recent experiment, the rate of flesh disintegration was less than in Richard¡¯s previous experiments. This was sufficient to prove the benign guidance characteristic of Mayfly Essence. Having confirmed the benign guidance characteristic of Mayfly Essence, Richard¡¯s future experiments seemed to be clear sailing. Although he didn¡¯t know what the mechanism was for breaking through the physiological limits of third-level creatures, he was sure that, with the benign guidance of Mayfly Essence, breaking the physical limits of these creatures was just a matter of time. He had found a path to transcendence. Stretching lazily, Richard straightened up and loosened his muscles. Over the past three years, he had barely rested; apart from meditation, he had always been practicing the various knowledges from the scrolls, as well as the categories of knowledge that extended from what was recorded on those scrolls. Today marked a significant success in his experiments, and it was a good occasion to reward himself and rest. After cleaning up his hair and beard, Richard changed into fresh clothes and decided to take a walk. Outside the Wizard Tower, Extreme North City had drastically changed. In the past, although Extreme North City was prosperous, it was merely a mortal city. Now, however, Extreme North City seemed magically unfamiliar to Richard. Flying in the sky, Richard watched the Extreme North City below with a somewhat vacant gaze. Huge Magic Mushrooms stood proudly against the snowstorm, and numerous Wizard Apprentices entered and exited them as if treating them as houses. Richard had never seen such mushrooms before, and they didn¡¯t seem like Wizard creations. To Richard, they seemed very... useless. These mushrooms likely consumed a vast amount of nutrients, yet their defensive capabilities were far inferior to traditional buildings. Besides their unique appearance, the greatest advantage of these mushroom houses was probably insulation. Such failed creations would not be presented by Wizards. With curiosity, Richard flew toward the mayor¡¯s office. After ten years, Mayor Ivan had become a low-level Wizard Apprentice. "Ivan, what¡¯s with those mushrooms in the city?" Suddenly hearing Richard¡¯s voice, Ivan shuddered violently. "Sir, those houses are Wizard Mushroom Houses, the most fashionable type of house in Extreme North City these past few years." "Fashionable?" Ivan explained, "Sir, although Wizard Apprentices are no longer mysterious, Biological Alchemy remains a rare object to the general public. A few years ago, an outsider merchant created such a house as his residence. Our local wealthy folks thought the residence was quite nice, and so they followed suit." Richard nodded thoughtfully and then praised, "You¡¯ve managed very well over these years, turning Extreme North City into a vibrant place." The mayor wore a flattering smile, "I have only made minor adjustments on the shoulders of a giant, sir." Richard raised his hand to stop him, "There¡¯s no need for that, I only care about your capabilities. No amount of flattery will help if you lack ability. This is your achievement, and I¡¯ll make a point to mention it in my report. Gather the systems of Extreme North City and your management insights from these years, and bring them to me in a few days." "Yes, sir." After strolling around Extreme North City, the various small trinkets produced with Profit Witchcraft dazzled Richard. With the demystification of Wizard Apprentices, witchcraft was also demystified. Capable individuals who became Wizard Apprentices began using open Apprentice-level knowledge to produce various objects. In contrast to official Wizards, whose development of witchcraft had been directed towards combat due to years of warfare, these Wizard Apprentices had instead displayed the rich diversity of witchcraft. Looking at a somewhat silly Fortune Mushroom Man on the shelf, performing a waving action continuously with the help of a few simple Runes, Richard laughed inwardly and casually took out a piece of Magic Essence to purchase it. "Friend, your Magic Stone is a bit different." "This is Magic Essence, worth a thousand Magic Stones each. I don¡¯t have smaller change, just keep this." Saying this, Richard pocketed the Fortune Mushroom Man and vanished from the shop in a flash. The shop owner stood dumbfounded, holding the Magic Essence in his hand. Feeling the impressive Magic Power within, the shop owner suddenly realized whom he had just encountered. "It was Divine Son, the Divine Son visited my shop!" The departing Richard was unaware that his identity had been recognized, nor did he know that his impulsive purchase would cause the image of the Fortune Mushroom Man to become a symbol of Extreme North City Wizards for a time. Of course, even if he had known, nothing much would have changed. He truly liked that goofy Fortune Mushroom Man. Chapter 495 - 40: Developing the Bloodline Chapter 495: Chapter 40: Developing the BloodlineLeaving Extreme North City, Richard made another trip to Garon Wizard College to get an update on the war situation. Wizard World¡¯s Crystal Balls didn¡¯t have a news function, so if he wanted to stay informed about the changes in the Wizard World, he had to go through some established channels. And the outcome of the war was just as he had expected. The Wizards had given up on the Star River World. In the second year after Richard left the Star River World, a new King of Mayflies descended upon it. Garon the Great Wizard, facing two enemies alone, fought for precious time for the Wizards within the war zone to retreat, and after the Wizards had evacuated, he detonated the weapon known as the Weapon of the End of Days. The effect of this weapon nearly decimated the armies of the Galaxy Mayflies that had entered the world, leaving hardly one in ten. The cost, however, was that Garon the Great Wizard was severely wounded by the power brought by the fallen Mayflies used by the King of Mayflies; he likely wouldn¡¯t be able to return to the frontlines for several hundred years. Furthermore, according to the internal battle reports from the Military Department, barring those Wizards with soul boxes, Wizard Civilization lost nearly half a million Wizards in the Star River World. That number might not sound large, given that the losses of the Galaxy Mayfly are counted in the hundreds of millions according to Wizard statistics. However, most of these deceased Wizards were seasoned veterans. Their deaths were a significant blow to the Wizard Army. Nevertheless, there was good news amidst the bad. The small-scale Floating City had been optimized and was being built at the rate of one per month. If nothing went wrong, in the upcoming wars, these small Floating Cities would defend the airspace of the Star Realm, thereby providing a stable rear for the Wizards. Having gathered the war news, Richard glanced at Garon Wizard College¡¯s task board. With all the Three Rings Wizards conscripted, the tasks on the board were all minor. Richard casually took on a few, planning to earn some Contribution Value to exchange for certain items. Though he temporarily did not need to fight in the battles of civilization, he still had to participate in the Plane Wars. Currently, the Wizards were on the defensive, and they were bound to lose a significant part of their worlds in the future. If they didn¡¯t expand into more worlds now, while they still had the numbers, they would be in an awkward position when it was time to counter-attack due to resource shortages. Many of the alchemy materials used by Wizards were special products of specific worlds. Once those worlds were conquered, it was as if the Wizards were cut off from a source of materials. Moreover, Magic Stones were also a big problem. Although Magic Stones can regenerate by drawing on Earth Veins, their regeneration rate is far outpaced by the Wizards¡¯ consumption. A shortage of Magic Stones on the frontlines was fatal. Relying on drawing energy from the air was too time-consuming, and the energy on the battlefield was too frenzied; taming it also depleted a great deal of spiritual power. Leaving Garon Wizard College, Richard on the road, pulled out Ali¡¯s contact number. After returning from the frontlines, Richard had seen Ali once. At that time, he had left Anna and went out of his way to see Ali. Ali¡¯s current research was focused on developing her own Bloodline to boost her combat abilities as much as possible. Over the years, while studying the Garon Great Wizard Scroll, he had made some breakthroughs in Bloodline research. Now was a good time to let Ali practice and collect some data in the process. Moreover, Ali¡¯s Bloodline incorporated that of two powerful races, the Giant Dragon and the Abyss Demon; Richard wanted to see what kind of changes would occur after such Bloodline development. After connecting, Ali¡¯s tired voice came through the Crystal Ball. "Hello, Richard, what is it?" Richard turned on the video, and in the projection, Ali was in the Gravity Training Room, sweating profusely as she trained. "I have something good for you, come over." "Something good?" Ali removed the weight training suit she was wearing, and though it looked light and fluffy, it made a heavy thud as it hit the ground. "I¡¯m not in much need of research materials right now. I¡¯m developing my Bloodline lately." Richard smiled mysteriously, "I know, just come over, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied." Ali nodded, her flushed skin glistening as sweat flowed like water. "Alright, I happen to have something that I need your help with." ... Half a month later, a streak of light fell from the sky and landed in front of Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower. Ding! Ding! Ding! The crisp doorbell woke Richard from his research, and he opened the front door. Standing outside was Ali, whom he had summoned with a message. Entering the Wizard Tower, Ali looked around, "It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been here. The Wizard Tower hasn¡¯t changed a bit." "That¡¯s not true," Richard shrugged, "I¡¯ve never cared much about room decoration." "Then let¡¯s discuss what you do care about, my dear. Your message made me travel for half a month. I hope your ¡¯something good¡¯ is worth that time, otherwise..." Ali walked up to Richard, her breathtakingly beautiful face carrying a seductive air, her gaze aggressively sizing up Richard. "You¡¯re in for a tough night." Ali¡¯s attitude made Richard frown slightly; he could clearly sense a significant change in Ali¡¯s personality. "You¡¯re being affected by your Bloodline, Ali." Richard coldly pinned Ali down with one hand, her struggles seemingly playful to him under his absolute strength. Then, he boldly investigated every inch of Ali¡¯s body with his spiritual power. Ali¡¯s bloodline was mixed with that of an Abyss Demon, and heaven knows what was hidden within this bloodline. Fortunately, Ali¡¯s body hadn¡¯t undergone any significant changes. This meant the bloodline was still stable and hadn¡¯t undergone uncontrollable mutations. After concluding the scan, Richard let go of Ali. Looking at Ali, who was puffing up like a pufferfish, Richard spoke with an expressionless face, "This is the matter you spoke of in the communication, right." Seeing Richard¡¯s serious attitude, Ali reluctantly put aside her temper. After all, they were both over a thousand years old, and while it was fine to indulge in whims on ordinary days, when it came to serious matters, reason had to be their sole emotion. "Yes, I can clearly feel the influence of the bloodline. I sought the help of several masters who research bloodlines in the past few years, but I couldn¡¯t accept the solutions they provided." "They suggested you strip away your bloodline?" "Mhm." "A bunch of idiots." Richard¡¯s unreserved judgment left Ali somewhat surprised. She remembered Richard as someone who wouldn¡¯t so bluntly criticize other wizards like this. "The influence of this bloodline only needs a bit of magic potion to resolve. They actually told you to strip away the bloodline; that is simply misleading the youth! No, it¡¯s tantamount to murder!" Richard¡¯s voice rarely carried a tinge of anger, as the matter with Jolod had sounded the alarm for him. In this great era, his friends and relatives were at risk of being sent to battle at any moment. And stripping away a bloodline would impact a wizard¡¯s strength so greatly that it couldn¡¯t be fully overcome for one to two hundred years. If Ali had really listened to those wizards and stripped her bloodline away, once she stepped onto the battlefield, she likely wouldn¡¯t return. "Don¡¯t get worked up," Ali quickly explained, "They did mention magic potions, but the ones they had were very ineffective against my bloodline." "Ineffective? Then try these." Without further words, Richard quickly stepped into his laboratory. Shortly after, he returned holding three different potions. Formulating a potion to suppress one¡¯s bloodline was essentially a foundational skill for the wizards at Garon Wizard College. In an era where Bloodline Witchcraft was prevalent, wizards who pursued the path of physique evolution usually had deep research in bloodlines. The three magic potions from left to right were transparent, milky white, and deep black. Ali first tried the transparent potion and felt no effect. Then she drank the milky white one and found it to be moderately effective. But after trying the last black potion, Ali¡¯s expression changed instantly. "This potion¡¯s effects are a bit too much, aren¡¯t they?" Ali replied with a straight face. "I don¡¯t even have normal emotions right now." Richard nodded slightly and responded, "Wait until your bloodline awakens a bit more, and this potion will be just right." "Indeed, so what did you want to show me by calling me here?" "I¡¯ve recently made some breakthroughs in bloodline development, and you can try it out to see how effective it is." "Using me as a guinea pig?" "Not exactly, it¡¯s just that..." "I¡¯m joking." Looking at Ali¡¯s expressionless face, Richard¡¯s eye twitched slightly, thinking to himself that no one could tell if she was joking with that expression. ... Since bloodline development wasn¡¯t something that could be accomplished overnight, Ali stayed in Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower just as she had in the past. And with that, Richard¡¯s life returned to tranquility. Ivan¡¯s summary of social structure and the insights into managing a transcendent society arrived at Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower shortly after Ali¡¯s arrival. The detailed content made Richard feel somewhat embarrassed. Compared to the bureaucrats who dealt with real affairs, his understanding of management was still too superficial. Richard handed over the report to Garon the Great Wizard. When Garon saw it, he was extremely satisfied and immediately submitted the report to the council. The council responded quickly¡ªthey needed the report¡¯s author to provide onsite guidance. Richard was somewhat surprised by this request. After discussing it with Ivan, Richard prepared a promotion surgery for him. While ordinary people whose spiritual power was not up to standard could never become wizards in their lifetime, this was true only for spiritual evolution. Physique evolution did not have this problem. Moreover, physique evolution had the advantage of avoiding Soul Darkness, which meant Ivan could become a wizard with a 100% certainty. Of course, physique evolution had its issues too, like the exaggerated demand for talent and resources. The resources consumed by an ordinary person to evolve into a Level 1 Creature through physique evolution could be more than dozens of times that used by Wizard Apprentices. If their aptitude was further lacking, the cost could be even higher. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, this was not a problem for Richard. Using a dilution of Mayfly Essence, Richard easily transformed Ivan into a wizard. Even without Mayfly Essence, Richard could use Life Source Material to pile up Ivan into a wizard. After becoming a wizard, Ivan, under Richard¡¯s patronage, followed the Working Wizards to the Wizard World to carry out a campaign for societal wizardization. And the position of mayor of Extreme North City was handed over to his secretary and younger son. Richard had no objections to this succession. As long as the capabilities were sufficient, even hereditary succession to the mayor¡¯s position was acceptable. Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, thirty years passed. Many changes had taken place in the Wizard World over these thirty years, but for Richard, the greatest change in these thirty years was the success of his experiment. With the benign guidance of Mayfly Essence, he successfully mutated a cell that surpassed the limit of third-level creatures! Chapter 496 - 41 News of War Chapter 496: Chapter 41 News of WarIn the laboratory, Richard looked at the cell in the culture dish that radiated an exceptionally vigorous life force, his face showing uncontrollable ecstasy. Ali¡¯s expression was equally shocked. "We actually did it!" Over the past thirty years, aside from her bloodline development work, she frequently assisted Richard. Thus, she was very familiar with Richard¡¯s research. Cultivating cells that surpassed the physiological limits of third-level creatures was an experiment that if undertaken by someone else, she would have definitely declared them a lunatic. But Richard was different. Ali had witnessed too many incredible things with Richard, so she thought this experiment might just succeed. But she never imagined that in just thirty years, Richard would have cultivated this cell. This was no longer a stroke of good luck, this was akin to the fortune of a Child of Destiny. "Hahaha..." Richard¡¯s ecstasy eventually turned into unbridled laughter. Although he wasn¡¯t clear about how the cell broke through the limits, what kinds of changes the life core underwent during the process, none of that mattered. At least for Richard right now, it wasn¡¯t important. All he needed was to use this cell as a template, differentiate and cultivate a body from it, and he could surpass the "mortals" and achieve true transcendence! After laughing, Richard carefully absorbed the cell into his body. He had spent thirty years creating it by chance. If it happened to die, he didn¡¯t know how many years it would take to produce another. Such experiments were entirely a gamble, it could happen once or perhaps not even a second time in his entire life. Assuring himself that the cell was growing healthily within his body, Richard breathed a slight sigh of relief and turned to look at Ali beside him. "Are you busy today?" "No." "If you¡¯re not busy, accompany me for a walk." The breakthrough in his research had made Richard¡¯s mood somewhat restless; at least for the next couple of days, he wouldn¡¯t be able to calm down and focus on other projects. "Sure, I haven¡¯t been around Extreme North City ever since I¡¯ve been here." ... Thirty years without stepping out, Extreme North City once again became unfamiliar to Richard. The once popular mushroom houses were now common architecture, and the current vogue in Extreme North City was for old-style Wizard Towers. Various dark, ornate Gothic towers occupied the various districts of Extreme North City, each tower embellished with enchantments. Simple alchemical gargoyles squatted on roof corners such that even wizards couldn¡¯t find fault with their exteriors. On the streets, various enchanted alchemy machines replaced the old-fashioned steam alchemy tractors, racing down the roads, while above them, Wizard Apprentices leisurely flew by with their Flying Magic Equipment. Biological alchemy cultivated cold-resistant evergreen plants, making greenery, once rare in Extreme North City, common. Occasionally, new businesses would even use Shaping Magic instead of fireworks to celebrate. This scene, if seen a few decades ago, would have made people think they were looking at a White Wizard Academy. "Did all these ordinary people build this?" Ali stared shockingly at the drastically changed Extreme North City. "It was actually built by Wizard Apprentices," Richard corrected, "The power of a Wizard Apprentice far surpasses that of ordinary people." Ali fell silent for a moment and then softly exclaimed, "It¡¯s hard to believe. I still remember what Zijing Territory looked like. Even the most beautiful city there is like a village compared to this." "Zijing Territory, such a distant name," Richard said nostalgically. "I remember I was in Heisen Territory at the time, and to be honest, that place couldn¡¯t even compare to a village in the Extreme North. I never thought that in the blink of an eye, so many years would have passed." "Shall we go down and wander around?" asked Ali. "Sure, last time I went out, I bought a rather silly ornament." "I saw it, that ridiculous-looking mushroom man, right?" "Haha, exactly. That¡¯s the one. You can¡¯t always compare with ordinary people when it comes to art." Over these thirty years, Extreme North City had developed well. Ivan¡¯s youngest son inherited his talent, and under his stewardship, everything in Extreme North City progressed orderly. After wandering around the city, Ali bought quite a few pieces of jewelry. Whether it was a woman¡¯s nature or the nature of a Giant Dragon, Ali had no resistance to shiny, expertly crafted objects. On their way, she nearly swept the stores clean as she shopped. After strolling for half the day, the two arrived at the city center where a building resembling a church stood in a prominent position. The building looked solemn and imposing, yet there were no religious symbols on the outside. This made Richard, who thought it was a church of the Miracle Sect, somewhat puzzled. "What is this place?" Richard¡¯s spiritual power spread silently toward the building, but as it was about to enter, a barrier blocked him. "Spiritual force barrier?" Richard became somewhat intrigued¡ªwhat kind of place was this to be equipped with a spiritual force barrier device? Such a magic array enchantment was not cheap. After exerting a bit of effort Richard¡¯s spiritual power had crossed that barrier and entered the interior of the building. But before he could observe anything, a voice emanated from the building. "Who dares to spy on the Truth Society!" The next moment, a black-robed wizard flew out from within the building, the life radiation from his body indicating that he was a Second Ring Wizard. Truth Society? Richard was somewhat unfamiliar with this term, but he did recognize the wizard. "Master Gao Wen, long time no see." The wizard in the sky, hearing someone call out to him, immediately directed his gaze over. Upon clearly seeing Richard¡¯s face, he hurriedly descended from the sky. "You jest, Master. Before you, how could I claim to be any sort of master?" Gao Wen was the Law Enforcement Wizard stationed at the Miracle Sect by the Truth Council, usually tasked with checking whether the Miracle Sect had attracted the claws of any otherworldly creatures. However, this place was unmistakably not a church of the Miracle Sect, so what was Gao Wen doing inside? "Master Gao Wen, what is this place? It doesn¡¯t look like it belongs to the Miracle Sect." Gao Wen was initially stunned by the question but then quickly realized that Richard probably had not left home for a long time and hurriedly explained, "Master, this is the Truth Society, the institution for the publication of Wizard Apprentice papers." "Wizard Apprentices are publishing papers?" Richard was somewhat bemused by the answer but quickly remembered that this was one of the systems he had designed years ago to prevent uncontrolled advancements in knowledge. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Oh, I remember now." Richard offered an apologetic smile; over the years, he had been engrossed in his research and missed out on many changes. "Then, do you have any academic journals? Let me have a look at what these Apprentices have been up to these years." "Of course." Upon hearing this, Gao Wen pulled out two luxuriously bound Magic Books from his pocket, one with a Rune on its cover and the other with Alchemy. These were the only subjects currently open to all Apprentices. Richard took them and casually flipped through, soon his expression became somewhat surprised. "All of this was done by the Apprentices?" Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Many of these things are about to reach the research domain of formal wizards, aren¡¯t they? Pure deduction can achieve this?" Gao Wen nodded slightly, with a hint of admiration, "Yes, Master, every article in here was completed independently by mortals. It¡¯s hard to imagine that there could be so many wise people among these mortals." From a wizard¡¯s past perspective, Wizard Apprentices were already the lowest tier they paid attention to. Mortals were like dust to wizards. But now, with the universalization of wizards, mortals had entered the wizards¡¯ field of vision. Only then did they realize that there were so many wise and skilled individuals among the mortals. "Remarkable, I¡¯m afraid in a few more years, they will begin to delve into the realm of wizards. By then, the Wizard World might be in for a great upheaval." "That won¡¯t happen, Master." Gao Wen shook his head, "You haven¡¯t been out for years, Master, and you probably aren¡¯t aware of the current situation. We¡¯re now fully at war with the Galaxy Mayfly civilization. The world of Galaxy Mayfly is invading five of our worlds at once, and we¡¯re currently short of people at the front lines. Even One Ring Wizards from the white wizards have started to be mobilized." "Ah?" Richard was startled by this news; how could One Ring Wizards have been mobilized so quickly. "Hasn¡¯t the council used slaves as fodder for the front lines?" "That¡¯s not the case," Gao Wen explained, "Mobilizing so many wizards is mainly for war preparations. These mobilized wizards cannot go directly to battle. They must undergo years of training before they can just barely be used as soldiers. So if we don¡¯t call them up in advance, last-minute conscription will only bring us a bunch of useless people." After hearing this explanation, Richard¡¯s complexion improved somewhat. "That¡¯s more like it." After asking about a few more changes in the Wizard World, Richard left Extreme North City with Ali and headed for Garon Wizard College. Over the years, he had completed several contribution tasks, and it was just right to collect his Contribution Value this time around and exchange it for some knowledge. The knowledge in the Contribution Store, each piece was a gem. If he could exchange them, even if he later became a Great Wizard, these things would still be useful. ... Garon Wizard College had become much livelier than before due to changes in training policies. The Wizard World has now fully banned the training of Black Wizards and instead promoted the training methods of White Wizards to every Academy. Black Wizards played a minimal role in this war, and their methodology of cultivation was also somewhat wasteful. In terms of cost-effectiveness, Black Wizards are completely inferior to White Wizards. Observing the students inside the Academy, who were completely different from the Apprentices of the past Garon Wizard College, Richard sighed lightly. The era of the Black Wizards was coming to an end. Richard passed through the crowd, preparing to head for the Contribution Store. But before he flew much further, his Crystal Ball suddenly lit up. He looked and saw that it was Jimmy requesting communication. "Hello, Master Jimmy, you¡¯re quite well-informed. I just arrived at the Academy, and you¡¯re already calling." "What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t know you had arrived. This time I¡¯m notifying you to prepare; in twenty years, the college has an interdimensional expedition that you¡¯re required to join. The world we¡¯re targeting this time is a broken large-scale world, so you better have your Lost One weapons ready." Chapter 497 - 42 Wild Beastmen Chapter 497: Chapter 42 Wild BeastmenA shattered... large world? Listening to the objective of this expedition, Richard felt his brain momentarily crash. According to Ulysses, every large world is the cradle of a civilization. Unless there is a Plane War, it is essentially impossible for a civilization to possess two large worlds. Yet now, Jimmy was telling him that he was about to head to a shattered large world for a Plane expedition. Had the world gone mad? "Hello? Hello? Did you hear clearly? This expedition is no small matter; we must bring enough supplies." Richard rubbed his face and replied somewhat listlessly, "I heard you, Master. I¡¯ll provide you with the land-based floating mother ship. To be honest, Master, do you know the inside story of this expedition? Why would they choose to conquer a large world at this time?" "It¡¯s a shattered large world," Jimmy corrected, before falling silent for a moment and then adding in a low voice, "I heard from the dean that the world we are going to invade is the homeland of the Lost Ones. If nothing goes wrong, there should be abundant Lost Relics and Lost One research there." Hearing this explanation, Richard instantly understood why Garon the Great Wizard and the Truth Council behind him had chosen such a resource-intensive Plane expedition at this time. For wizards, a shattered large world might be dispensable. But the essence of a possible civilization, they would never let it go. Wizards are a race that is rational yet mad, restrained yet greedy. In the face of such a situation, no wizard could resist this temptation. However, Richard soon saw a problem. "Since we¡¯re heading to the homeland of the Lost Ones, wouldn¡¯t using the Lost Ones¡¯ weapons against them pose a risk of being counter-controlled?" "Counter-controlled? Impossible," Jimmy said confidently with a smile. "According to the Reconnaissance Wizard¡¯s intelligence, the creatures inside this world don¡¯t possess Dragon Blood. According to the main controller, these creatures aren¡¯t even part of the new permission system." Hearing the word "main controller", Richard immediately knew where Jimmy¡¯s confidence came from. The land-based floating mother ship was using a new permission system compiled by the main controller, which was not initially created by the Pioneers. So, for the natives to counter-control, they would first have to break through the revamped permission system. But, the permission system is one of the most crucial among the systems created by the Pioneers. If the natives could break through it, they would have already been contesting across the galaxy, not waiting for the rise of the wizard civilization. "It seems the dean has also made some breakthroughs with the research on the Star Realm Fortress," Richard said with a laugh. "He¡¯s even managing to use the main controller." "Ah, what breakthroughs? The Star Realm Fortress is complex, and up till now, we¡¯ve only just started to understand some of its minor features. The dean is able to use the main controller all thanks to some giant dragons he¡¯s been raising in the Otherworld." "Ah? Why is the dean raising dragons?" Richard asked in surprise. "What else? For eating. Roasted whole dragon is the dean¡¯s favorite snack; he likes to snag a couple to eat whenever he can." Snacks... Richard recalled Garon Great Wizard¡¯s towering figure in the Green Forest World; if judging by that figure, indeed, the giant dragons could only qualify as snacks. "By the way, since we are going to a large world this time, we do have intelligence. I will send you the details soon. Truthfully, this world is very suitable for wizards who specialize in Physique Evolution. Likely, we will be leading the charge." Having said this, Jimmy ended the communication, and soon after, Richard received a message. "You¡¯ve just come down from the front lines, and now there¡¯s a war to fight." Ali looked at Richard, somewhat worriedly saying, "This Plane expedition might not be as easy as the front lines of the civilization war." While checking the information Jimmy had sent, Richard said nonchalantly, "Can¡¯t run away from it. If I want to become a Great Wizard, war is inevitable. War tempers a person¡¯s will, capable of transforming rough ore into resilient steel. The dean told me that spiritual cultivation is most crucial in becoming a Great Wizard. Without sufficient tempering, even going through the Promotion Ceremony would just be a suicide." Richard¡¯s words made Ali¡¯s heart tremble slightly. Great Wizard, a term that had once felt incredibly distant to her, yet now her beloved was preparing to become one. Suddenly, a wave of fear enveloped Ali. It was the fear of being left behind. The ascension to Great Wizard was not simply the promotion from Three Rings to Four Rings, but more akin to a transformation from a mortal to a wizard. It was a difference in the level of existence. To a wizard, a mortal is like dust. "No, I must become stronger quickly!" Ali made up her mind in her heart, though she knew that realistically, she could not catch up with Richard¡¯s pace of promotion. But she did not need to catch up. She only needed to become a Three Rings Wizard, and once she did, she would be eligible to enter Richard¡¯s headquarters as a staff member during the war. If she survived the war, she could also serve as the Deputy Dean of the Wizard Academy. Richard, standing beside her, had no idea that his casual remark had a huge impact on Ali. He was currently immersed in the intelligence Jimmy had transmitted to him. "No wonder Jimmy said he wanted to take the lead. This world is indeed suited for Physique Evolution Wizards." According to the intelligence, this broken large world was very special. Fragments that had broken off from the main large world were orbiting around it, forming a ring of satellite worlds. In these worlds, the creatures of the satellite worlds had not been explored, but the main inhabiting race of the main large world had been identified as a humanoid species. This species was normally around two meters tall, with a facial structure similar to humans but with protruding jawlines and large, fierce teeth in their mouths. This species was tentatively named Wild Beastmen by the Truth Council, and their adult physique could reach the level of a high-level Wizard Apprentice. Their evolution followed a method they called "Martial Arts," which was a type of Physique Evolution. This "Martial Arts" evolution method, unlike the single and unchanging evolution of the native species, was comparable to that of wizards. By practicing different Martial Arts, Wild Beastmen could exhibit various distinct abilities, the diversity of which could even compare to a wizard¡¯s witchcraft. Moreover, the reconnaissance wizards had brought back a terrifying piece of information. Wild Beastmen needed "talent" to practice Martial Arts, but according to the intelligence explored by the wizards, this "talent" was something that could be present or absent. In the world of the Wild Beastmen, virtually every city had records of individuals who, through sheer effort and unbreakable will, had become masters of Martial Arts. According to the wizards¡¯ reconnaissance, these records were not exaggerations but real truths. And such examples were abundant in the society of the Wild Beastmen. This meant that if a Wild Beastman firmly believed that diligence could make up for shortcomings and persisted in their practice, they would definitely achieve success in Martial Arts. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was distinctly different from wizards, who, if they did not have ten points of spiritual power by the age of fifteen, could never become wizards in their lifetimes. Fortunately, in the Wild Beastmen society, and because they were naturally prone to rage and impulsivity, it was difficult for them to persist in one thing, so nobody had clearly realized this point. In their view, a Wild Beastman being able to settle down and consistently study Martial Arts for decades was itself a talent. Having read through the intelligence conveyed by Jimmy, Richard already had some ideas about the upcoming war. Although the Wild Beastmen were strong, they had not reached the level of civilization. Therefore, the war would definitely be conducted in the form of Black and White Wizards. If nothing went wrong, he would definitely need to infiltrate the Wild Beastmen from behind. Therefore, in the coming period, what he needed to study most was knowledge about shape imitation. Yes, Richard was not planning to be a mouse this time; he intended to disguise himself as a Wild Beastman and enter their society. Wild Beastmen followed the route of Physique Evolution, and their abilities could change dramatically due to Martial Arts. Physique Evolution Wizards from the Garon Wizard College could slightly alter their appearance and disguise themselves as Wild Beastmen without any problem. "Let¡¯s go, Ali," Richard said, pocketing the Crystal Ball and smiling at Ali, "Although all the Three Rings Wizards have been conscripted, the master chef was requested back from the Military Department by the Dean. His cooking skills are guaranteed to please you." ... After showing Ali around the Garon Wizard College, Richard handed in his tasks and exchanged for two pieces of knowledge at the Contribution Store. One was the Unity of Heaven and Man, which Richard had experienced on Jimmy, and the other was an extension skill of the Transformation Battle Body¡ªInvisible Face. The Transformation Battle Body was an extremely complex piece of knowledge. Garon the Great Wizard had thrown everything useful he had ever researched into the Contribution Store. And Invisible Face was a technique that complemented the Transformation Battle Body. Invisible Face allowed for manipulation of bones and muscles to disguise oneself as another wizard, or even another species. Moreover, this technique could involve absorbing Bloodline to allow wizards to mimic completely. Whether it was organs, nerves, or even muscle vessels, Invisible Face could simulate them all. However, during a complete imitation, the Transformation Battle Body would be in a sealed state. If one were to act, the effect of the complete imitation would be disrupted. Nevertheless, the Martial Arts of the Wild Beastmen naturally altered the Wild Beastman¡¯s body, so disrupting the complete imitation effect was not an issue. After exchanging for the knowledge, Richard treated Ali to a big meal at the food hall of the Garon Wizard College. Luckily, since the master chef had forgotten that all the Three Rings Wizards had been conscripted and inadvertently stewed a cauldron of Dragon Meat that ordinarily only Three Rings Wizards could consume in large quantities. Richard conveniently took this opportunity to enjoy the pot of meat. The taste of the Dragon Meat was exquisite, and its toxicity was strong¡ªa typical Second Ring Wizard could die from just one bite. Surprisingly, Ali was able to eat the Dragon Meat without any concern, just like Richard, thanks to her Bloodline. Through years of development of her Bloodline, Ali¡¯s body had undergone significant changes. Now, Ali in terms of strength, agility, and response was even not inferior to a Three Rings Wizard who had not trained in Physique. And during this process, Richard discovered the evolution path of the Abyss Demon¡ªthe Evolution Tree. All Abyss Demons were essentially one type of creature. But through the development of Bloodline, Abyss Demons would choose different evolutionary branches at each promotion node, thereby transforming into completely different demons. In other words, a lower-ranking demon could keep advancing to become a higher-ranking demon. This method of evolution led Richard to speculate¡ªperhaps the Abyss Demons were also biological weapons left behind by some powerful civilization that had vanished. Chapter 498 - 43 Extraordinary to Saint Chapter 498: Chapter 43 Extraordinary to SaintUpon leaving Garon Wizard College, Richard once more plunged headfirst into the laboratory. The urgency of war pressed down on him like a thorn in his back, and he had to make haste with the time remaining to enhance his own strength. Most importantly, there was the enhancement of the body. The "Extraordinary Cell" Richard had cultivated was thriving within him. When there were enough of them, Richard began the process of cellular differentiation. After this step was complete, the next phase was to gradually replace the old cells in his body with these new ones. It was a lengthy process. During this process, Richard could almost daily perceive changes happening to his body. At the onset of the changes, Richard first noticed his body¡¯s demand for energy was gradually increasing. He could distinctly feel his body absorbing energy from the space around him. The sparse energy in the Wizard World made Richard¡¯s body experience a kind of "phantom pain," a sensation akin to hunger and thirst. Phantom pain because although there were no adverse reactions in his body cells¡ªin fact, they were highly active. The energy they absorbed was stored in the form of compounds. Then came the change in the energy cycle. Most natives in the Star Realm used the energy cycle they were born with. While this cycle wasn¡¯t bad, it had many limitations. Therefore, on this basis, all civilized beings would actively construct a new energy cycle to suit their needs. With the Extraordinary Cells gradually replacing the old ones, his body formed a new cycle. This cycle, seemingly low in storage, began to reveal its true nature as the cells in Richard¡¯s body continued to store more and more energy¡ªit could interact with the cells of his body, enabling the stored energy to enter the cycle. In other words, this energy cycle was not a storage warehouse; it was more like a pathway. The real energy storage was in Richard¡¯s body cells. Compared with the energy stored in body cells, Richard¡¯s soul, yet to make the ultimate leap in magic rebound, held significantly less capacity than the Extraordinary Cells. As the body cells were gradually replaced, Richard¡¯s perception became more acute, and he could clearly detect minor energy fluctuations that he would never have noticed before. This made him quite irritable. His power was growing stronger; the untransformed him was like a child compared to what he was now. As his body underwent transformation, with rapidly increasing metrics, Richard was forced to conduct research using clones. His constantly changing body left him no time to adjust. As days passed, Richard began to adapt to acting with clones and on this basis, learned to multitask with a single mind. Now he could simultaneously control four clones to conduct high-precision experiments. But as the date of war approached, even someone like Richard began to feel restless. If he could not complete the construction of his body before the war commenced, entering the battlefield would make him no different from a live target. A Black Wizard who couldn¡¯t precisely control their power would be nothing more than a moving corpse behind enemy lines. ... Three years remained until the war. Richard, as usual, carried out tests on the Rune Array in the laboratory. The research on the Defensive Secondary Gun of the Star Realm Fortress had achieved a breakthrough over the years. Richard had partially deciphered the Spell Model structure inside the secondary gun. Currently, he was updating his own Spell Model based on the knowledge learned from that model. The arrangement of the Rune Array was not going smoothly, and after a surge of Magic Fluctuation, the carrier of the Rune Array exploded, triggering the protective measures of the testing bench. Looking at another failed experiment, Richard felt a slight restlessness in his heart. He knew his time was limited. The upcoming war was incessantly pressing down on his sanity. Although he understood that haste was of no use at this moment, knowledge was one thing, but his current state was still one of irritability. This directly affected his experiments. "This won¡¯t do; continuing like this will only waste materials." Richard turned off the protective measures of the testing bench and proceeded to clean up the waste produced by the experiment, even tidying up the entire laboratory. Tidying up was Richard¡¯s way of relieving stress, an act that gave him moments of tranquility. And while he was pondering the order in which to rearrange the beakers, a sensation akin to breaking free from shackles and being reborn suddenly surged into Richard¡¯s brain. He stood there, slightly stunned. Then he dashed out of the laboratory like the wind and hurried to the room where he stored his body. Inside the room, the culture tank holding Richard¡¯s body had shattered, and a liquid like clear water was spread across the floor. Richard bent down to touch it. It was unmistakable, this was the nutrient solution he had formulated. Only now, all its nutrients had been absorbed, converted into useless water. Within the broken culture tank, a two-meter-tall body radiated a life force comparable to the sun. Under this life radiation, even Richard¡¯s clone was trembling slightly. It was the instinctual tremble of life suppression. His clone instinctively believed that the body in front of it was a higher order of being. Yet, this clone of Richard¡¯s had the quality of a third-level creature. Richard couldn¡¯t help the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile; after twenty-seven years, his body had finally completed its transformation. His soul separated from his avatar, and before he had a chance to enter his body, Richard sensed a strong pull. He saw his body rise from the ground and merge with his soul on its own. The next moment, Richard opened his eyes. Buzz! A surge of Magic Power instantly swept through the entire Wizard Tower and even the whole of Extreme North City. All the Wizards and Apprentices in the city simultaneously halted their actions and turned their gaze towards the tall tower in the eastern district. "What a strong Energy fluctuation, what experiment is Master Richard conducting?" an Apprentice marveled. In contrast, some of the more experienced Wizards voiced their concerns, "Could this be an experiment gone wrong, breaking through the protective measures?" Meanwhile, at the Truth Society, Gao Wen watched Richard¡¯s Wizard Tower in shock. As a World Guardian, his senses were far keener than those ordinary Wizards; his senses told him that within that Wizard Tower was a being that radiated life as bright as the sun. This being had surpassed the limits of a Three Rings Wizard! In a murmur only he could hear, Gao Wen muttered, "Should I say it¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s a talent protected by the council? Looks like the Wizard World is about to gain another Great Wizard." Inside the Wizard Tower, Ali slammed open the door of the room with a bang. "Is the Energy conduit damaged!?" Richard shrugged, "No. The fluctuation was just me entering my body and not controlling my strength well." Ali lost her composure for a moment as she looked at Richard. The transformed Richard now had a body as perfect as a sculpture, as naturally formed as an uncut jade. A throbbing that came from her Bloodline burst from every cell in her body. Her Bloodline was telling her that she must obtain the Bloodline of the being before her. Richard, getting accustomed to his body, took out a Wizard Robe from his pocket and put it on. During the process, the Life Radiation from his body began to rapidly decrease until it disappeared completely. Although Richard had not officially broken through to become a Great Wizard, the increase in his Physique still triggered the Rebound Effect. His spiritual power began to grow in quantity, not in quality. If the quality of the spiritual power of third-level creatures were used as a benchmark, his spiritual power had now reached three hundred and was gradually climbing. Of course, this increase in spiritual power was nothing compared to the massive gain brought by the ultimate leap. Looking back at when he had advanced from Apprentice to Wizard, his spiritual power quality had increased tenfold. He thought that becoming a Great Wizard should at least match the advancement to Wizard in quality. Dressed in his Wizard Robe, Richard noticed that Ali, for some reason, had a flushed face and a somewhat awkward stance. Out of courtesy among Wizards, Richard did not probe with his spiritual power directly but asked instead. "Ali, what¡¯s the matter? Is there an issue with developing your Bloodline?" Ali did not answer but took out a bottle of black Magic Potion from her pocket and gulped it down. In a short while, Ali stood up straight, emotionless. Although her body was still flushed and radiated life energy wildly, her voice was calm. "It¡¯s nothing, just an instinctual outburst. Also, do you have anything to do now?" "Nothing but getting used to the body." "Adapting to the body can wait, I need you to cooperate with me in some activities that can calm my natural instincts." "Uh... then again, I¡¯m still not fully in control of my physical strength..." "That¡¯s okay; you don¡¯t need to do anything, just enjoy." ... Three days later, Richard entered the Secret Realm to start adapting to a body that had now transcended the mundane. "Gah! Your body is complete?" Ulysses was somewhat astonished looking at Richard; the vibrant Life Radiation from Richard¡¯s body was nearly blinding. Richard nodded slightly, "Yes, it¡¯s a success." Ulysses flew around Richard, clicking his tongue in amazement, "Incredible, truly incredible. I must say, you Wizards are really abnormal, able to cultivate such a thing." "What do you mean by that." Richard said with a smile, "As long as you know the process, any creature that meets the conditions can achieve what I have." "That¡¯s not necessarily true," Ulysses shook his head, "Over these years, to cultivate these cells, you¡¯ve experimented with many things. These things you¡¯ve definitely not added at random, there must be logic to it. And your logic comes from your long-term education and concepts, that is, the Wizard system. Lacking this system, even if other creatures were given the substances, they wouldn¡¯t be able to replicate it." Ulysses¡¯ words left Richard somewhat stunned; he hadn¡¯t expected that this World Master would possess such reflective thinking. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It seemed that the soul injury had left this World Master with lots of time for wild thoughts. "My friend, I feel like you could become a sage now." "Gah, nonsense. Does my wisdom need to be mentioned?" After the idle chat, Richard got straight to the point. "Regarding the construction of the Rule Body, can you tell me?" Richard looked at Ulysses earnestly and asked, "After my body¡¯s transformation, it naturally gave birth to the Life Rule, and now I must balance the Life Rule with the Radiation Rule." Chapter 499 - 44 The Chapter 499: Chapter 44 The "Gift" of the Mother Worm God"Constructing the Rule Body?" Richard¡¯s request left Ulysses momentarily stunned; as a bona fide World Master, he couldn¡¯t immediately see the connection between constructing a Rule Body and balancing rules. However, he quickly caught on. "I think you¡¯re somewhat mistaken about the Rule Body; although the name suggests it¡¯s a transformation specific to the physical body. In fact, constructing the Rule Body requires significant soul participation¡ªa mere physical breakthrough is insufficient for crafting the Rule Body." Hearing Ulysses¡¯ explanation, Richard¡¯s face paused, and a hint of embarrassment swiftly climbed his eyebrows. "I see," Richard chuckled drily, "then do you have a method to balance two rules? Whenever I use these two, they conflict." Ulysses nodded slightly, confidently responding, "That¡¯s truly a happy trouble. The average natives who are World Masters might not come across a complete foundational rule in their entire lives. You, on the other hand, have so many rules that your body can hardly contain them all. Balancing two rules is simple; isn¡¯t your furnace capable of rule fusion? Just melt these two rules together, that should do it." "Ah?" Richard found this solution a bit unexpected. "But isn¡¯t constructing the Rule Body supposed to be based on foundational rules? If I fuse them ahead of time, won¡¯t I need to find another foundational rule to construct it?" Ulysses shook his head, "No no no, if your rule were incomplete, you would indeed need another one. But your Radiation Rule is complete; all you¡¯re doing by fusing rules now is getting ahead. In essence, rule fusion is an upgrade to the Rule Body, merging clearly defined separate rules. As long as the foundation is complete, it will not delay your future construction of the Rule Body at all." Seeing Ulysses so certain, Richard didn¡¯t press further. Ulysses had made things quite clear, and to keep on questioning would imply doubting his honesty. "But it¡¯s easier said than done; rule fusion requires rules as fuel," Richard said, feeling a headache coming on. He had plenty of rules at the moment, but truth be told, they were all rather useful. The expendable rules were too insignificant in quantity to suffice as fuel. "I can¡¯t help with that," Ulysses said, unable to provide assistance. Lacking rules was something even he couldn¡¯t resolve; he certainly couldn¡¯t strip rules from himself to give to Richard as fuel. That¡¯d be foolish. After pondering hard for a while, Richard felt rather dejected. Manifesting carriers of rules wasn¡¯t something he could just encounter whenever he wished. But just as he was feeling downcast, as if Ulysses had thought of something, he suddenly called out to Richard: "Richard, do you remember that Insect God¡¯s Divine Chosen you captured in the first world? After all these years, that big insect must have been killed by your Great Wizard by now, right?" Ulysses¡¯ words jolted Richard into alertness. Right, how could he have forgotten about that Insect God¡¯s Divine Chosen? If the Mother Worm God had died, then the backup Divine Chosen he had would likely have been activated by now. But Richard quickly realized a problem. "If the Mother Worm God were to resurrect, the World Mushroom would not remain unresponsive." "Old Mushroom certainly wouldn¡¯t miss it, but what if that insect resurrected while Old Mushroom was in an evolutionary sleep?" Ulysses became somewhat excited. "I¡¯ve heard Old Mushroom say that each evolution leads him into a period of sleep. If that insect had any sense, upon detecting its presence inside Old Mushroom, it would definitely choose to hide." "Could it really hide?" Richard was shocked. "Of course it could. As long as it stays still without Old Mushroom watching closely, nobody would be the wiser." Richard nodded slightly and quickly opened a Space Rift. "I¡¯ll go ask. Meanwhile, have the Holy Tree Elf search for that insect." "Okay." Outside the Secret Realm, the bedroom, now clean and tidy, was where Ali lay lazily on the bed, casually flipping through a Magic Book. "Ali, has the principal dealt with the Insect Nest World¡¯s Mother Worm God?" Ali looked startled, "Why bring this up all of a sudden? That insect was killed long ago, probably more than four hundred, almost five hundred years by now." More than four hundred years? Richard did the math in his mind; more than four hundred years ago, the World Mushroom indeed underwent a Secret Realm integration. If the World Mushroom did fall into a sleep at that time, it was possible that the Mother Worm God could have taken the opportunity to resurrect within the Divine Chosen. "Alright, I got it." Richard left without further conversation, returning through the rift to the Secret Realm, leaving a bewildered Ali staring after him. Shaking her head, she mumbled to herself, "I don¡¯t understand." Back in the Secret Realm, the Holy Tree Elf had already been manipulating the World Mushroom¡¯s body in search of the hidden Mother Worm God¡¯s Divine Chosen. "It¡¯s confirmed, that insect was killed more than four hundred years ago, and coincidentally, the World Mushroom had just undergone a Secret Realm integration." This news exhilarated Ulysses. "Everyone, work harder, find that insect quickly! Gah gah gah, I can certainly eat him now!" Watching a somewhat brash Ulysses, Richard couldn¡¯t help but smile helplessly. A World Master fixated on eating¡ªit definitely wouldn¡¯t be believed if told. After some searching by the Holy Tree Elf within the body of the World Mushroom, it eventually found the thoroughly mushroom-thread entwined and tightly coiled Inhardt underground amongst the roots. Removing the mycelium from the outside of Inhardt, the body of Inhardt itself remained the same as in the past, even having gained strength from the multiple evolutions of the World Mushroom. His physique had reached the limit of a second-level creature. With a wave of his hand, Richard commanded the Holy Tree Elves to continue removing the mycelium. As each strand was withdrawn from Inhardt¡¯s body, the previously dormant Inhardt suddenly trembled. But the trembling quickly subsided. "Hmm?" Richard frowned slightly. "Is the drug effect not over yet?" "Ga, it¡¯s not that." Ulysses¡¯ eyes gleamed faintly, followed by a cold laugh. "This bug has sensed people outside and has chosen to keep playing dead." With that, he spat out a mass of pitch-black flames, the temperature of which even twisted the surrounding space a bit. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Buzz! Suddenly, Inhardt on the ground moved, and a golden barrier of rules instantly blocked the pitch-black flames from outside. Seeing this, Richard did not waste words and threw a fierce punch. The next moment, with a bang, the barrier of rules shattered to pieces. Inhardt¡¯s foundation was too weak. Though the Mother Worm God possessed rules, in front of Richard¡¯s physique that had surpassed human limits, it was merely seeking death by fighting against the inevitable. His robust arm gripped Inhardt¡¯s neck, hoisting him up forcibly. Richard turned his head towards Ulysses and asked, "How do we deal with this thing? Don¡¯t let it get away again." Ulysses chuckled: "Don¡¯t worry, with me here, it can¡¯t escape." No sooner had he finished speaking than a streak of black light burst from Ulysses¡¯ body, drilling straight into Inhardt. Instantly, rule fluctuations continuously emerged from within Inhardt¡¯s body, and a myriad of phenomena caused by rules almost twisted Inhardt¡¯s body out of shape. The souls of two World Masters were using Inhardt¡¯s body as their battlefield, locked in a desperate struggle to the death. Soon, Ulysses¡¯ soul flew out from Inhardt and returned to his body. The moment he spoke, Richard was taken aback. "There¡¯s been a little accident. Hey, are you interested in training a Divine Chosen for fun?" "... What?" ... In the dark space, Inhardt¡¯s consciousness had no idea how long it had drifted. With no points of reference, a single second could feel as long as a year. Loneliness, emptiness, despair... All these negative emotions filled Inhardt¡¯s heart. In the pitch black, he visualized the Divine Statue of the Mother Worm God and chanted its doctrines. But in this seemingly endless solitude, even the most steadfast faith could waver. Once the high wall of belief cracks, collapse is only a matter of time. Amidst the endless loneliness, Inhardt¡¯s faith began to crumble. He began to hate the Mother Worm God for not saving him, even though he had devoted himself entirely to it. But now, the Mother Worm God didn¡¯t even have the power to let him die. Hatred is an intense emotion. Unlike faith, it¡¯s like a slow-acting poison. It can drive one towards death, but at the brink of dying from thirst, it can also save. In this pitch-black space, Inhardt transformed from the Mother Worm God¡¯s most devoted believer to its most steadfast enemy. And in this near-endless loneliness, the hatred in his heart did not wear down but grew more intense. At last, a light broke through the darkness in the endless loneliness. The Mother Worm God had arrived. The Mother Worm God had not expected its most devout believer to have become its most staunch enemy. But even if it had known beforehand, it would not have cared. Inhardt¡¯s rebellion was inconsequential to it. However, the appearance of the World Mushroom caught it by surprise. It knew its old friend too well, so well that it could tell the flavor of the World Mushroom. Therefore, it had to remain dormant, in hopes that one day, the World Mushroom might cast it out. It squeezed Inhardt¡¯s soul into a corner of the body and then waited. To the curses of Inhardt, the Mother Worm God showed no response. Humans do not take offense at the insults of insects. What followed was simple; lacking rules as fuel, Ulysses remembered the dust-covered Inhardt. After confirming the Mother Worm God¡¯s resurrection, Ulysses and the Mother Worm God used Inhardt¡¯s body as a battleground for a battle between the souls of the World Masters. As expected, Ulysses tore the Mother Worm God¡¯s soul to shreds. But what he hadn¡¯t predicted was that Inhardt¡¯s soul still remained. As the Mother Worm God¡¯s soul was torn apart, Inhardt¡¯s soul regained control of the body. Driven by hatred, the moment it sensed the Mother Worm God¡¯s soul shatter, it immediately engulfed the soul fragments into its own. And this action happened to trigger the Mother Worm God¡¯s contingency plan. Under its influence, the two souls began to fuse. The Mother Worm God, possessing vast memories but lacking a guiding personhood, and Inhardt, with a strong personality but meager memories, merged, and the overwhelming memories instantly overwhelmed Inhardt¡¯s reasoning, creating a blank soul devoid of personality. The fusion of souls also gave this blank soul the foundation of a World Master. If properly restored in the future, this blank soul could fully return as a World Master. "Your suggestion sounds nice, but what I need now is fuel," Richard said helplessly. Inhardt¡¯s future might be promising, but what he needed was combat power. If he couldn¡¯t manage the present, even a glorious future was but an illusion. "Isn¡¯t that simple?" Ulysses said exasperatedly, "Just strip those extra rules off of him. This bug has more than one rule on him." Chapter 500 - 45 Melting of Rules Chapter 500: Chapter 45 Melting of Rules"Bring... down?" Richard was somewhat baffled by Ulysses¡¯ suggestion. Since Inhardt wasn¡¯t dead, he was unsure how to do it. The Miracle Furnace was ineffective on living beings. Seeing Richard¡¯s puzzled look, Ulysses was taken aback for a moment, then spoke with annoyance, "Indeed, why am I even discussing this with you? Just leave it to me; you focus on adapting to your body. After a while, I¡¯ll give you the stripped rules." Hearing Ulysses say this, Richard didn¡¯t ask any more questions. He confidently entrusted the matter to Ulysses and devoted himself entirely to adapting to his body. This body, transcending the limits of third-level creatures, had exceptionally exaggerated data. Before transcending, Richard¡¯s Magic Rebound could only store one hundred and twenty thousand units of Magic Value, but after transcending, his Magic Circulation still existed, and his body¡¯s capacity for magic reached one million two hundred thousand. That was ten times the capacity of the Magic Rebound. In terms of strength, Richard¡¯s ordinary punch could unleash a ten thousand Energy Level of power, and if he struck with all his might, the figure could almost double. With the addition of Martial Skills learned by Richard, the full power of his punch could even reach a fifty thousand Energy Level. And this was without the involvement of any rules. With rules involved, that power would increase even further. Apart from strength, Richard¡¯s agility and reflexes also made qualitative leaps. Ordinary third-level creatures could barely crawl in his presence. Even Wizards who practiced Physique Evolution were merely somewhat faster turtles. Only someone as strong as Jimmy could be regarded as a person. But even Jimmy would most likely not be able to defeat the current Richard. Moreover, Richard¡¯s bodily defense had also made a qualitative leap. Purely relying on his physique, Elemental Magic below eight thousand Energy Level was like a light breeze to Richard. If Radiation Rule was added, Energy Magic below, fifteen thousand Energy Levels would be virtually ineffective against him. With just these figures, Richard could walk sideways among third-level creatures. Moreover, Richard could clearly feel that his body was actually constrained. After all, Richard had not completed the dual evolution of spirit and flesh, and the shackles of the soul were limiting the development of his body. It would only be when he became a Great Wizard that his body would truly unleash all its power. It took Richard a year to adapt to his body, during which he used Soul Essence to forcibly end the Rebound Effect. The Rebound Effect was indeed beneficial, but it was too slow. At its pace, Richard estimated the war would be over before it ended. Due to Richard¡¯s unique state, the Crystal Ball reported errors upon contacting his data. This left him only able to estimate his spiritual power. By his estimate, if measured by a third-level creature¡¯s spiritual power quality, he would have around four hundred points of spiritual power. Although compared to a World Master, this amount of spiritual power was not much different from ordinary third-level creatures, the extra hundred points of spiritual power allowed him to resist most spiritual power attacks. "Ha!" Richard uttered a low shout and swung his fist violently. In an instant, the world around him seemed to solidify, with magic from the surroundings drawn in by the punch and forming a simple yet sophisticated spiral structure. The next moment, a piercing whistling of wind sounded. A condensed fist brightness, like a great arrow, blasted towards the Snake King opposite Richard. In the golden eyes of the Snake King, a trace of seriousness flickered. Its tens of meters long body swung violently, and when kinetic energy and other forms of energy were transferred to the tip of its tail, a light blade, not inferior to Richard¡¯s fist brightness, flew out from the tip. Then, there was a thunderous boom. A brilliant "Supernova" exploded in the air, with the scattered Energy Radiation causing the observing Holy Tree Elves to involuntarily shield themselves with mycelium. Soon, the light dissipated. Richard withdrew his fist and took out a Wizard Robe from his pocket to drape over his shoulders. The Snake King slowly swam up next to Richard, speaking admiringly, "You are indeed a prodigy. In just one year, you have already gained such control over your body. The demands for body control by this Combat Skill must be quite high." The punch Richard had just thrown was utilizing the Unity of Heaven and Man he exchanged from the Contribution Store. This combat technique emphasized the integration of spiritual power, body, and environment, and was exceedingly challenging to use. Yet, Richard had only practiced for half a year, and he already had some accomplishments. If he continued training, it would not take many years for him to reach Jimmy¡¯s level. At that time, he might even be able to spar with a World Master using this Combat Skill. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You flatter me too much, Snake King," Richard responded modestly. "I just happened to have undergone Martial Skill training before. Because the Radiation Rule allows for stronger energy control compared to ordinary wizards, and because this Combat Skill is easier to grasp, that¡¯s why I was able to learn it so rapidly." "Don¡¯t be modest; your progress is still commendable." Ulysses¡¯ voice suddenly came from behind him. Richard turned around and saw Ulysses, somewhat fatigued, flying towards him holding a Light Ball. "There¡¯s good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?" Richard¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, "Let¡¯s hear the good news first." "The good news is that the dissection of rules from that bug is complete. There should be more than enough for your Rule Melter." Upon hearing this, Richard was pleased, then immediately asked, "And the bad news?" "The bad news is, if you plan on letting this insect grow, you must supplement it with a fundamental rule." "...Ah?" Richard was somewhat baffled by Ulysses¡¯ words. What did he mean by needing to supplement a fundamental rule for the insect to grow? Seeing Richard¡¯s confusion, Ulysses explained, "This insect seems quite formidable, but the fundamental rule it possesses is not complete. If you intend to cultivate this insect into a Level 5 Creature or even a Level 6 Creature, you must provide it with a fundamental rule as a basis to reshape its Rule Body." "...That¡¯s it?" Richard¡¯s expression towards Ulysses was one of perplexity. "The news doesn¡¯t sound all that bad. Cultivating a Level 5 Creature, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit too far-sighted?" He was merely a novice Wizard who had just broken through the mortal limit. Cultivating a World Master was too distant a goal for him. "Ga... Forget it, pretend I didn¡¯t mention it." Ulysses paused, feeling that what Richard said made sense. Although a loyal slave to their own World Master was extremely precious, it was utterly useless to the current Richard. "You go ahead with the melting. I will draft a Destiny Contract for this insect." Taking the illusionary Light Ball reluctantly offered by Ulysses, Richard gently touched it, and the ball appeared beside the Miracle Furnace. With a single thought from Richard, the flames of the Miracle Furnace blazed fiercely, and a stream of information also appeared before him. [Raw materials: Radiation Rule (First Level), Life Rule (First Level) (incomplete)] [Fuel: Life Rule (First Level) (incomplete), Water Element Rule (First Level) (incomplete), Wind Element Rule (First Level) (incomplete)] [Melting difficulty: Third Level] [Expected time: 987 days] [Melting result: Radiation Rule (modified) (Second Level)] Looking at the information given by the Miracle Furnace, Richard¡¯s mind moved, and the Life Rule was removed from the raw materials. After breaking through the mortal limit, his body had automatically comprehended an incomplete Life Rule. And the rules brought by the Mother Worm God might just complete his Rule. But no sooner had he removed the Life Rule than the Miracle Furnace updated its information with an additional line. [Insufficient fuel] Well, the Rule had to be put back. Placing the Life Rule back into the list, Richard¡¯s mind moved again, and these rules being used as fuel were thrown into the flames. The next moment, Richard felt as if an invisible force was extracting the rules from within his body. Meanwhile, inside the Miracle Furnace, a glowing light was gradually merging with a small tree. Without the rules, Richard suddenly felt as if something was missing, a hollowness inside him. "How long will your rules take to melt?" Ulysses asked just in time. "About three years, roughly speaking. By the time we arrive at our destination, the melting should be complete." The Plane they were heading to for this expedition was certainly not close to the Wizard World; otherwise, the Great Wizard traveling through the Star Realm would have detected it. So, they would definitely spend a year or two on the journey. Right now, with two years left until the battle commenced, there was ample time. "Three years? That¡¯s so fast!" Ulysses exclaimed, "When I melt rules, even the most compatible ones take at least five years. If the compatibility is poor, the melting time is no less than ten years. Your furnace only needs three years; damn, fate really isn¡¯t fair!" If he had such a furnace, he might have become a Main God by now. Richard chuckled, destiny was indeed unfair, so he always tried to remain very humble in his dealings with others. If fate could bring him good fortune, it was certainly capable of doing the same for others. With the matter of rules settled for the time being, and with two years remaining before the battle, Richard planned to do nothing but focus on strengthening his body control, as well as practicing the Invisible Face technique. The Invisible Face skill requires precise control over one¡¯s body. A Wizard must control every inch of skins, every strand of muscle, and forcefully deform bones and twist organs. Only then could he transform from a human being into a new creature. The process of training this skill was extremely painful, akin to an unanesthetized full-body plastic surgery. Fortunately, the training for an Adaptation Body had granted Richard extraordinary neural resilience, which allowed him to endure the most difficult beginning. However, as the training progressed, Richard profoundly understood how foolish it was to fight pain with willpower. The feeling of countless sharp needles repeatedly probing his entire body forced even the steadfast Richard to admit, Such agony indeed affected his combat strength. His will could endure the pain, but his flesh would instinctively resist his will. As a last resort, Richard had to cultivate an anesthetic gland implant capable of secreting anesthetic substances into his body. With the help of the anesthetic gland, Richard¡¯s pain was instantly alleviated by a great deal; the remaining discomfort did not affect his combat capability at all. Nonetheless, this modification left Richard feeling unsettled. After all, the technology given by the Great Wizard hadn¡¯t mentioned this, and he wondered if using it would cause any problems. Chapter 501 - 46: The Great Wizard’s Ecstasy Chapter 501: Chapter 46: The Great Wizard¡¯s EcstasyTwo years had passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of departure had finally arrived. In the second sub-level of the Wizard Tower, Ali sat cross-legged in a black Wizard Robe adorned with silver patterns. In front of her, a delicate black incense burner continuously emitted wisps of blue smoke. The blue smoke intertwined in the air and eventually formed the image of a person wearing a skull mask, carrying a bundle on his back. Upon seeing this image, Ali sighed and waved her hand to disperse the blue smoke. "It¡¯s still the Traveler." As a Curse Wizard, Ali also had some knowledge of Divination Witchcraft. Divination Witchcraft had many varieties, among which Prophetic Witchcraft was the most perilous. Once Prophetic Witchcraft was initiated, the future was sealed. Except under certain special circumstances, no wizard would use Prophetic Witchcraft. Besides Prophetic Witchcraft, the most commonly used in Divination Witchcraft was Fortune-Telling. This type of divination was much safer compared to Prophetic Witchcraft, as it did not influence the wizard¡¯s future. However, it also lost precise information and accuracy. Fortune-Telling required interpreting the content of divination from abstract visions. The interpretations were merely rough summaries like safety, danger, luck, etc., and most of the time, the same vision could represent two or more different or even opposite meanings. The turbulent flow of fate was capricious, not even the Curse Chair dared claim their divinations were always correct. Ali packed up the incense burner, her heart filled with trepidation. She had conducted three divinations for Richard, and each time it had been the Traveler. The Traveler imagery had multiple meanings, and the meaning varied when divining different subjects. Ali¡¯s divination concerned the outcome of the war for Richard, and the Traveler imagery, when divining a person, could be interpreted in two ways. One was death, the other was a distant journey. Death was self-explanatory, but a distant journey was quite strange. A distant journey meant that the divined person would travel to a far-off foreign land. Ali found the second interpretation strange, but she hoped that was what the imagery meant. She did not want to believe that Richard would die in this war. Thump, thump, thump! The door to the laboratory was knocked. Ali approached the door and opened it, standing outside was Richard, who was about to embark on his expedition. "It¡¯s time for me to leave." Richard¡¯s voice was relaxed, as if he was saying he would step out for a bit and be back soon. War was normal for wizards, and having survived the Civilization War, Richard had become very composed about warfare. I survived the battlefield of the Civilization War, why fear a Plane War? "Oh, wait a moment." Ali hurried to the experiment table, picked up something resembling a metal plate, and handed it to Richard. "Take this, an amulet I crafted using Curse Witchcraft. Though it can¡¯t assure you complete safety, it should at least improve your luck." When the Traveler appeared in her second divination, Ali had a premonition. She felt that the third divination would not change. Thus, before performing the third divination, she created the amulet using all her knowledge. Richard accepted the amulet, which had a cord on it just long enough to wear around his neck. Looking at the cord, clearly handwoven with skill on the amulet, Richard felt a warm smile, "Haha, your craftsmanship is quite clever." Ali forced a smile and urged, "Make sure to keep it with you at all times, my skills are reliable." Richard nodded slightly, smiling, "Don¡¯t worry, I promise to keep it on me." ... Today, Garon Wizard Academy was unusually quiet, the normally noisy apprentices were as docile and silent as baby chicks. Even the dullest apprentice could sense the ominous atmosphere permeating the academy, as if something significant was about to happen. At the peak, the wizards of Garon Wizard Academy flew in the sky, the dense black robes almost forming a dark cloud. And from all around, streaks of light flew in, joining this massive assembly. As the acting Deputy Dean, Jimmy stood at the very top of this dark cloud, somewhat bored as he watched the battle reports in the Crystal Ball. This was a new model of Crystal Ball recently developed by the Tesla Chamber of Commerce, which could receive frontline battle reports issued by a department under the Truth Council. Most of these battle reports celebrated various victories achieved by the wizards in battles, as if it wouldn¡¯t be long before the wizards would be on the offensive. However, as a Three Rings Wizard and military personnel, Jimmy¡¯s Crystal Ball also had an extra feature showing the map of the war zone. On this map, Jimmy could clearly see that despite successive victories by the wizards, their battle line was steadily retreating. "Battle reports can lie, but battle lines don¡¯t. Sigh... no amount of paper strategy can push the frontline forward even by an inch." Suddenly, as he contemplated, Jimmy sharply raised his head. A streak of light was flying toward him, and his body involuntarily reacted with fear. Who was this wizard? At the same time, a commotion emanated from the massive cloud of Wizards. These Wizards were all faculty members at the Garon Wizard College, and the majority of them hailed from there, so they typically followed the path of Physique Evolution. Their bodies were now emitting a warning¡ªthere was a predator approaching. Soon, the streak of light neared. Jimmy¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze penetrated the surface glare to discern the true appearance of the Wizard. "Richard?!" Jimmy rubbed his eyes and looked again towards the streak of light. This time, the light was closer, and his view much clearer. The Wizard within that streak of light was indeed Richard! S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yet it had only been several decades since he last saw Richard. What extraordinary discovery had he made in that time, for him to have changed so drastically? The streak of light stopped beside Jimmy, revealing Richard inside. Jimmy couldn¡¯t help but size him up¡ªRichard¡¯s body seemed unchanged, but the faint life radiation constantly reminded him that the biggest similarity between this creature and him was that both resembled humans. "What are you looking at, Master? Is there something on me?" Richard felt uncomfortable under Jimmy¡¯s gaze, as his wasn¡¯t the look one would give a Wizard, but rather like one observing a monster. "Don¡¯t you feel it?" Jimmy spoke up, "Look around you. What have you done over these years to gain such an immense improvement?" Richard glanced around and noticed that the Wizards were distancing themselves from him much more than from others. Moreover, he could acutely feel that these Wizards¡¯ bodies were subtly trembling. A shock of realization struck Richard, "Damn, without the Radiation Rule, I can¡¯t perfectly hide my life radiation!" Richard gave an awkward smile, "My strength has increased so much that I can¡¯t completely contain my life radiation anymore." Jimmy nodded slightly, his tone filled with astonishment, "This improvement is indeed significant. Tell me the truth, did the Dean give you special treatment?" Richard chuckled and pulled a scroll from his pocket. "You have this as well, Master." Upon seeing the scroll, Jimmy¡¯s expression abruptly changed. As a trusted lieutenant of Garon Great Wizard, he had, of course, seen this scroll before. Jimmy¡¯s voice trembled. "You ... found it?" Richard slightly shook his head: "Not quite, I just succeeded." Jimmy swallowed, though no specific mechanism was discovered, the success alone was enough to stir the heart. Transcending the physical limits of third-level creatures, Richard could now nearly be called a mini Great Wizard. "Come with me, the Dean needs to see your condition!" Jimmy, somewhat excited, grabbed Richard¡¯s arm, plummeting towards the mountain summit¡¯s Wizard Tower like a falling meteor. With a booming sound, they landed, creating a large crater on the summit. Without another word, Jimmy kicked open the door to the Wizard Tower and pulled Richard straight to the second floor. The entire process was swift, leaving Richard stunned. This isn¡¯t just any place, it¡¯s the Great Wizard¡¯s Wizard Tower, isn¡¯t it your own house? On the second floor of the Wizard Tower, Garon the Great Wizard was equally astonished as he watched Jimmy. "What are you doing, Jimmy?" Jimmy stopped and pushed Richard towards Garon the Great Wizard. "Dean, Richard succeeded!" Garon Great Wizard was taken aback, "What succeeded ... you succeeded!" He stared at Richard in shock, a powerful surge of spiritual power emanating from his body, enveloping Richard like a storm. Soon, the storm dispersed. A smile crept over Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s face, unable to be suppressed. He murmured joyously, "It really worked, I didn¡¯t expect it to actually work! You really are my lucky star!" "Um, Dean, I haven¡¯t discovered the principle of evolution," said Richard with a dry laugh. "No, no, I¡¯ll handle the research on the principle. Just give me some of your blood; one liter will suffice." Garon Great Wizard rushed into the laboratory amidst a clattering of bottles. Soon after, he emerged with a crystal tube bound with rules clutched in his hand. "You are the first among Wizards to not become a Great Wizard but break through the limit of Three Rings. Your blood will definitely help me discover its secrets, at least to understand how Wizards can break through the limit of Three Rings!" Garon Great Wizard¡¯s voice was filled with excitement, for no Wizard could remain indifferent in the face of the key to unraveling mysteries. Richard cooperated and produced one liter of blood, something he could regenerate in minutes. Watching the vibrant red liquid within the crystal tube, Garon Great Wizard quickly performed a Sealing Skill to seal it. In a moment, dozens of seals were layered onto the crystal tube, dazzling Richard. Once the sealing was completed, Garon Great Wizard carefully stored the crystal tube in his pocket, patting Richard on the shoulder with a smile. "Kid, well done! If I succeed in the future, your share is assured!" Chapter 502 - 47: Special Warfare Mode Chapter 502: Chapter 47: Special Warfare ModeFacing the promise of the Great Wizard, Richard was briefly startled before he sternly performed the Wizard¡¯s Salute. "Thank you, Dean." Such a share was not something that Garon the Great Wizard would mention frivolously; since he brought it up, he surely intended to give it. Thus, to decline was but an unnecessary gesture. Garon the Great Wizard then added, "By the way, that Magic Wand of yours, ¡¯the Melter¡¯ has finished it. Once you reach the Floating City, my true body will hand it over to you." Having said that, he teased, "You¡¯re rather lucky, now having transcended third-level creatures and possessing the Balance Hand Wand. This war, you¡¯re likely to earn a fortune." Richard was momentarily taken aback before becoming overjoyed. He hadn¡¯t expected his Balance Hand Wand to be ready at this critical moment. To him, it was indeed an added advantage. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Dean, you flatter me; the little I¡¯ve earned is less than what shows between your fingers." Garon the Great Wizard laughed heartily, "Haha, indeed, you¡¯ve earned less compared to me." Leaving the Wizard Tower, the two returned to the community of wizards. At the same time, a fleet of Flying Airships appeared in the sky. Jimmy explained to Richard, "The place we are headed this time is far. Flying directly from the Wizard World would take too much time. The council has therefore moved the Floating City to the Hub World, where we will embark on our expedition." Upon hearing this, Richard was slightly surprised. "Why didn¡¯t we do this when we went to the Green Forest World? Isn¡¯t it necessary to go through the Hub World to get to the Green Forest World too?" Jimmy explained, "The location of the Green Forest World is awkwardly placed, it precisely falls at the limit distance of the Teleportation Gate." Soon, the airship approached. The wizards boarded according to their levels, and once everyone was aboard, the fleet set off toward the Tower of Truth. On the airship, Richard sat in his room, looking over the newly scouted intelligence by the Reconnaissance Wizard, as well as his upcoming tasks. "It¡¯s not the usual barbaric conquest, huh?" Richard remarked with some surprise as he looked over his tasks. On his shoulder, Ulysses casually replied, "Gah, quite normal. Just rounding up mutts." According to his task description, Richard¡¯s upcoming activates included assassinations behind enemy lines, espionage, sowing discord, along with a new task of supporting Puppets. The Truth Council thought the Wild Beastmen were a good race, hence they planned to support a Puppet power within the Wild Beastmen and thereby turn the Wild Beastmen into a vassal race of the wizards. This method of conquest was very similar to the Puppet State envisioned by Richard, its only difference being that, in Richard¡¯s vision, the Puppet State had a certain degree of autonomy. The administrative affairs of the Puppet State were to be managed by the Puppet State itself, with wizards simply acting as the strategists behind the scenes. However, the method proposed by the Truth Council involved wizards and some Wild Beastmen as the upper tier of the Wild Beastmen community, directly participating in their management. Both methods had their merits, but Richard believed his method had an edge. If only the history was modified to keep wizards hidden behind the scenes, then even if internal issues arose among the Wild Beastmen, they would not blame the wizards. That way, the wizards would simply need to support a "wise" ruler to maintain stability among the Wild Beastmen. However, the council¡¯s method had its advantages too; direct involvement in management could effectively prevent hidden rebels within the Wild Beastmen, which was crucial in the initial stage after conquering the world. Richard skimmed through the new intelligence briefly¡ªthis new intelligence mainly detailed specific situations about Wild Beastmen cities, as well as some customs and culture. This information was primarily to facilitate infiltration by Black Wizards like Richard. But at the end of the intelligence, Richard noticed a peculiar piece of intelligence. [Among the Wild Beastmen, there often appear Magic Martial Artists who are dedicated to destroying the lost relics of the various Sects, regarded by all Sects as mortal enemies.] [Once such warriors are discovered, both righteous and evil Sects will unite in exterminating them.] Touching his chin, Richard flipped through the pages of the report. In the information on Wild Beastmen customs, a mythological figure ¡ª the Demon Lord ¡ª was suddenly mentioned. Legend had it that in the Ancient Times, when heaven and earth first formed, the ancestors established a splendid nation in the Wilderness Land. And then one day, a giant demon suddenly emerged from the Void and destroyed an ancestors¡¯ city upon its birth. Afterwards, it led billions of demon troops born from the Void and waged war against the ancestors for thousands of years. Eventually, the giant demon was killed by the ancestors, and its corpse was sealed in the Underworld, leading to the decline of the ancestors. The age of the Wild Beastmen started, and this giant demon was reverently called the Demon Lord by the Beastmen. According to the Wild Beastmen, those Magic Martial Artists were influenced by the resentment of the Demon Lord that had seeped out of the Underworld, thus their commitment to destroying the ancestors¡¯ relics. Honestly, if nothing unexpected, this story should have been the process of the old Fighter¡¯s great battle against that civilization. And that esteemed Demon Lord must have been a figure of Star Realm Master. But Richard felt, there was probably more to this than met the eye. The Martial Arts of these Wild Beastmen were almost as sophisticated as those of wizards. And given Richard¡¯s understanding of the Pioneers, these Wild Beastmen were likely creatures created by the Pioneers. However, why would the Pioneers create such a race at the last minute? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to leave the civilization to the Giant Dragons? Richard was unclear about the secrets behind this, and his power was also insufficient to delve into these secrets. "Never mind, thinking too much is useless. Better to continue training the Invisible Face." Speaking of the Invisible Face, Richard suddenly left the room and found Jimmy. Knock, knock, knock! "Who is it?" "It¡¯s me, Richard." Click, the door opened, and Jimmy welcomed Richard into the house. "What¡¯s the matter?" Jimmy, sitting opposite Richard, asked curiously. He knew that Richard did not visit without a reason. Richard chuckled in response, "These past two years, I practiced the Invisible Face. Although the skill is good, using it is too painful. Out of necessity, I implanted an anesthetic gland in myself. So, I came to ask, does this anesthetic gland affect the skill?" "Does it affect it?" Jimmy was stunned, finding Richard¡¯s question rather perplexing. "Of course it doesn¡¯t affect it. Practicing the Invisible Face definitely requires an anesthetic gland. Enduring that kind of pain through sheer will, a wizard¡¯s will might withstand it, but the body would naturally resist." Richard breathed a slight sigh of relief and then asked, "Then why didn¡¯t the dean add a suggestion about this in the skill¡¯s documentation? Isn¡¯t everything the dean writes very detailed?" At this, Jimmy burst out laughing. "Hahaha, does something like that even need to be written? Surely no wizard would stubbornly endure that kind of agony to use this skill. Honestly, if a wizard used this skill enduring the pain just because it wasn¡¯t written down, that would only show he¡¯s an inflexible fool. If he died, it¡¯d only be what he deserved." Richard was silent for a moment. He almost became that inflexible fool. ... The flying airship took half a month to transport the wizards to the Tower of Truth, and then through the Tower of Truth¡¯s teleportation gate, they arrived at the Hub World where their expedition was to start. In the Hub World, a massive floating city hung in the air. Around it, like satellites, several smaller floating cities orbited. Seeing this scene, Richard couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit proud. He had also exerted a great deal of effort in the development of the smaller floating cities. However, Richard soon discovered a problem¡ªthat the number of wizards participating in the expedition seemed too few. The wizards near the floating city were only enough to explore a miniature world. Suddenly, Richard¡¯s crystal ball received an order. [Operator Richard, please report to the command center in Floating City Number One within one hour.] Richard glanced at the message, kept his doubts to himself, and turned, transforming into a streak of light as he flew towards the floating city. At the center of the floating city, the towering command tower had already become busy. Seeing the wizards rushing past him, Richard felt a bit lost. Were they not ready yet? Following the flight passage, Richard directly arrived at the top floor¡¯s command center. The door was wide open, and Garon the Great Wizard sat inside, playing with a sealed metal box. Seeing Richard, Garon the Great Wizard stood up and tossed the box to Richard. "Kid, your new magic wand." Richard caught it smoothly, the weight of the box causing his hand to slightly sink. Garon the Great Wizard smiled and said, "Open it and let me feast my eyes, too. Just drop a bit of blood to break the seal." Richard did as he was told, and as the blood fell, the web-like seal on the box immediately shattered. The faint aura of a World Master Level pressure solidified the air around it. Watching the scene, Richard grinned slightly and closed the box in one smooth motion. Having broken through mortal limits, the World Master¡¯s pressure felt like a mild breeze on his face. Inside the box, a jet-black arm-shaped wand lay silently embedded in a gel. This Earth Hand, altered by an Alchemy Wizard, had completely transformed its appearance; the originally dry arm like a dried corpse now appeared obsidian. Within the obsidian, countless fine runes flowed like liquid gold within the wand. At the wand¡¯s head, five fingers adorned with secret silver rings clutched a crystal ball wrapped in a hollowed pure gold. This crystal ball, made from omniscient crystal and various auxiliary materials, was seamlessly integrated by the Alchemy Wizard¡¯s exquisite craftsmanship. The wand¡¯s shaft was inlaid with a few secret silver rings, which were the only decorations on this wand. At the bottom of the wand, there was also a joint segment. If a wizard was unsatisfied with the length of the wand, he could use this socket to extend it. The Alchemy Wizard had even specially prepared a handle he thought suitable, placing it together in the box. Plain and straightforward¡ªthis was Richard¡¯s first impression of the wand. "Try this wand, see if the Melter¡¯s skills have regressed," Garon the Great Wizard said with a hearty laugh, "If it¡¯s below thirty thousand energy level, I¡¯ll have words with him when I get back." Richard infused magic power into the wand, and the next moment, a message left by the Alchemy Wizard entered his mind. [This wand is named Balance Hand, material grade: Great Wizard.][Amplification effect: Provides a thirty thousand energy level amplification for Four Elements Magic; ten thousand energy level amplification for common Shaping Magic; and eight thousand energy level amplification for Force Blunt Strike.][Note: Although the wand¡¯s material is sufficient, I still would not recommend using this wand for close combat. Wands are meant for casting spells; for physical attacks, you might as well use your fists.] Looking at the information retained in the wand, Richard chuckled, "Dean, you guessed it exactly right. Thirty thousand energy level, neither more nor less." Chapter 503 - 48 Heavenly Demon Descent Chapter 503: Chapter 48 Heavenly Demon Descent"This stingy old man is still as miserly as ever." Garon the Great Wizard said with a laugh before pulling out a scroll from his pocket and handing it to Richard. "This is the complete design blueprint for the small Floating City, along with the Academy¡¯s research on the Star Realm Fortress. The Academy¡¯s research on the Star Realm Fortress hasn¡¯t been going very well over the years, so there¡¯s only a little to show for it, make do with what you can see." Richard was taken aback upon hearing this. After receiving the scroll, he asked, "I remember the Star Realm Fortress research, but this design blueprint for the small Floating City..." "You are one of the creators of the small Floating City," Garon the Great Wizard said indifferently, "You should have a copy of the published design blueprints. It¡¯s your right and a perk you deserve." Fundamentally speaking, the small Floating City was actually an unselfish contribution Richard made to the Wizard World. The Nightmare Power Furnace design was complete. Once Richard became a Great Wizard, he could make it himself. When that time came, Richard would monopolize the entire share of the small Floating City. However, Richard chose to release it, to lessen the losses to Wizard Civilization. This act was strongly advocated by the council. Without exaggeration, once Richard became a Great Wizard, his example would be used as a model in propaganda. So, a mere design blueprint was not only something Richard deserved to have by right. Even if it weren¡¯t, if Richard were to ask, the council would have given him the blueprints nonetheless. Richard nodded slightly and then asked, "Chancellor, the number of wizards I saw joining this expedition seems a bit small. Has the assembly not yet begun?" "We could say it has not yet begun," Garon the Great Wizard replied, "The Galaxy Mayfly must have noticed our shortage of hands, so they have been extending their display, trying to use more low-level forces to catch us unawares and create gaps in our defense. So the frontline has been a bit strained during this period. We are the first batch of wizards, the vanguard. Your task now is to infiltrate behind enemy lines, gather intelligence, and wait for the main forces to arrive. If possible, you would do well to support a Wild Beastmen faction. The council has finally lowered its stance towards the Alien Natives, and if the faction you support is deemed valuable, that contribution will also turn into a share for you." Richard was a little surprised: "Even that can be turned into a share?" "Of course," explained Garon the Great Wizard, "as long as you make a contribution to the wizard race, you will receive the blessing of Wizard Rules. Conquering a world is a contribution, and supporting a Puppet State is also a contribution. It¡¯s just that the latter is less than the former." Hearing this, Richard suddenly realized why so many Great Wizards, even those not lacking in resources, were still willing to risk running at a loss or even perishing by embarking on interdimensional expeditions. An interdimensional expedition was in itself a way to increase one¡¯s strength. "All right, I¡¯ve told you what you need to know; the rest is up to you." Garon the Great Wizard returned to the Command Room and, with a wave of his hand, the door slowly closed. Even a Great Wizard needed to make many preparations before going into battle, the most significant of which was self-sealing. Ordinary "mortals" lower than a World Master and inanimate objects like Floating Cities would not evoke much reaction from the World Barrier under wizarding techniques when passing through it. But if a Great Wizard tried to cross the World Barrier in full force, it would surely provoke a strong reaction. By then, to say nothing of entering the world, the reactive backlash alone would be enough to give the Great Wizard a hard time. Thus, before entering a world, a Great Wizard needed to self-seal. This was a very complex and lengthy process. The stronger the wizard, the longer the self-sealing would take. For a Great Wizard like Garon, who was only a step away from the truth, it would take decades before he could perfectly self-seal. Leaving the Command Tower, Richard put away the Balance Hand Wand. The World Master¡¯s imposing aura from the wand had a significant effect on the other wizards. Back in the day, when his power reached the limit of the Second Ring, Richard had been somewhat daunted under the presence of the Earth Hand, let alone other wizards. Soon, the wizards boarded the vessel. Since they were the vanguard, only Black Wizards were transported this time, and there were no small Floating Cities for escort. The special circumstances weighed heavily on the hearts of the participating wizards. Without a direct battlefield to engage on, these Black Wizards infiltrating behind enemy lines were truly without support. If discovered, the best outcome for these wizards would be death. But... so what? If they didn¡¯t die fighting the Galaxy Mayflies on the front line, they would have to participate in interdimensional expeditions to advance the power of Wizard Civilization. The war horn had already echoed through this starry sky, and no wizard could escape it. Under the manipulation of the wizards from the Tower of Truth, the massive Floating City passed through the grand Array and into the Star Realm. Richard watched the exterior starry sky and let out a soft sigh. With a thought, a message appeared before him. [Remaining melting time: 251 days] ... "Let¡¯s pick up where we left off last time. Last time, we talked about how our ancestors fought a great battle against the Demon Lord amidst chaos. Our ancestral Lord wielded the Crystal Divine Weapon, clashing with the Demon Lord for three thousand years. In the end, our ancestors prevailed, and the Demon Lord was defeated. Scattered to the winds, the Demon Lord¡¯s soul was extinguished, and its undying demon body was buried by our ancestral Lord in the Underworld. Our ancestral Lord, too, was injured by the Demon Lord and soon after departed this world, returning to the heavens. Our tale this time begins with us, the Wild Beastmen, first setting foot on this land, and all the Holy Sects descended to the world..." In Tianyang City, a storyteller clad in a loose robe looking rather thin was performing his usual routine in the main hall of a tavern. This storyteller had lost count of how many times he had told the tale, one of an epic saga: from the descent of the ancients, to the battle against the Demon Lord, and then the arrival of the Holy Sects, that plunged the world into constant conflict. However, the customers didn¡¯t mind. After all, no one charged an admission fee to listen to the storyteller, and it was quite nice to have a story to listen to while eating. "...This old man was the founder of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect¡ªthe Old Man of Heavenly Mechanism. You must have heard of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect; its members are known for their clever and uncanny foresight, and the Sect Master is said to be able to decree life and death with a single word, never wrong. Moreover, the people of this sect are so clever that they¡¯re almost like spirits. If any of you wander the Jianghu and happen upon a disciple of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect, you¡¯d better be careful not to inadvertently become a pawn and throw your life away..." Upon hearing this, the clientele, who were from all corners of the north and south and unfamiliar with the tale, burst into laughter. A bulky Jianghu Guest with scars all over his body chuckled, "Old man, you realize you¡¯re on the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect¡¯s turf, right? Spreading tales like this about the Sect, aren¡¯t you afraid of becoming a snack for the sect¡¯s disciples to nibble on over their drinks?" As soon as the storyteller heard this, he perked up, his spirit peaking. He replied, "You see, brave sir, you¡¯re not aware, but this very script of mine has been heard by the current first senior brother of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect, Zhuge Wulou. After he listened, he said that what I am saying isn¡¯t bad at all. So, who would come to give me any trouble? Don¡¯t you agree?" With this retort, the regulars in the hall also joined in the laughter. "Look at you, Storyteller Li, you¡¯ve found yourself another opportunity, haven¡¯t you?" These regulars had heard the tale countless times. Whenever there were new patrons who asked about it, Storyteller Li would seize the opportunity to recite it once again. Over the years, the ears of the regulars had practically grown calluses. Boom! Boom! Boom... Suddenly, the majestic yet non-thunderous sound of a bell rang from outside the establishment, traveling through doors and windows, into the ears of many customers in the large hall. At first, the patrons didn¡¯t pay much attention. But when the bell tolled thrice, some among them began to look uneasy, and by the fifth, people could no longer stay seated, as panic set in and they started to rush outside. By the time it tolled the seventh time, the entire hall was devoid of people. All were scrambling home in terror. These bell tolls were the warning bells of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect, and seven consecutive tolls signified that the sect was in danger of collapse. In the upper floors of the restaurant, the affluent individuals in the private rooms had a grave look on their faces. "Could it be that the other Saint Sects have united and declared war on the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect?" Otherwise, what could possibly provoke the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect to ring the bell seven times? ... Heavenly Mechanism Hall, main peak of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect. "This is the last will left by our Sect Master." A young Wild Beastman, towering like an iron tower, handed over a blood-covered scroll to the various peak masters seated in the great hall with a sorrowful expression. The Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect had a total of nine peaks, including the Sect Master¡¯s Heavenly Mechanism Peak and eight others. Each of the eight peaks was home to a Grandmaster or Great Grandmaster. Martial Arts Grandmasters had transcended the mundane, no longer bound by the lifespan of ten thousand years, and they were extraordinary figures. Above them lay the even more profound realm of Great Grandmasters. Above Great Grandmasters were only seven Martial Saints¡ªpowerful beings who could move the heavens with a mere gesture, scattered across the entire Wilderness Land and the surrounding Grotto Heavens. However, at this moment, these peerless beings who could influence celestial phenomena with a flick of their wrists all wore worried expressions. "Let¡¯s open it and see," proposed the master of Qian Feng Peak. As the eldest among the eight peak masters, he was now the backbone of the entire Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect. The youth gingerly unfolded the blood scroll, and as it opened, the hearts of the many peak masters grew heavier. The material of the blood scroll was rough, its edges uneven¡ªit was clearly something hastily torn from a garment. But the Sect Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect was a Martial Saint, above whom lay the legendary Martial Ancestor who pioneered the path of Martial Arts. Even in his old age, with his vitality and soul greatly diminished, he wouldn¡¯t be in such a rush as to use scraps of his clothing as a medium for his will. What did the Sect Master see? Once the blood scroll was completely unfurled, it only bore four words. "Heavenly Demon Descent." ... sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Outside the world, above the vast Wilderness World, a Floating City dozens of kilometers in diameter hung like a sesame seed in the Star Realm. Garon the Great Wizard stood outside the Floating City, and even though he was only a step away from becoming a Truth Wizard, he still felt pitifully small in the face of such a vast world. By his side, Jimmy held up a Magic Barrier to Garon¡¯s right side, while Richard, like Garon, resisted the corrosive ether of the Star Realm with his bare body. "Prepare to enter." Garon the Great Wizard casually tore open a Space Rift and drew out a Magic Wand that was lush and brimming with green vitality. "Be careful. For the next few decades, you will be entirely on your own." Chapter 504 - 49: The Merchant Convoy Chapter 504: Chapter 49: The Merchant ConvoyDue to not following the main force this time, the methods through which many Black Wizards entered the world were somewhat different. Garon the Great Wizard slightly extended his real body, waved the World Tree Staff in his hand, and summoned a huge Magic Array. The wizards traveled through specially made crossing pods, traversing into the world in batches and at different locations. With the help of reconnaissance wizards who had infiltrated in advance, the landing points of these Black Wizards were all in desolate areas of this broken world, where Wild Beastmen rarely appeared. Richard sat in the crossing pod, calm. Although this infiltration was somewhat different, for most Black Wizards, this manner of infiltration actually posed less risk. Without a frontline battlefield, the Wild Beastmen would not conduct a major sweep. Even if they exhibited some abnormalities under normal circumstances, it would not attract attention. However, the cost of this safety was that once discovered, death might be a luxury. The pod slowly sank into the Array, and an extremely intense oppressive feeling instantly enveloped every wizard, but soon, this oppressive feeling disappeared. It was replaced by an extremely abundant energy environment. They had already entered this world. In the sky, a streak of light rapidly descended toward the ground. "Activate the gradual descent of the crossing pod." "Yes, my Lord." Operated by his subordinate, the pod, shaped like a shuttle, suddenly inflated like a capsule. The speed of descent also slowed. Ten minutes later, the crossing pod landed. As the cabin door opened, they were greeted by dry air filled with energy. This feeling, almost like being soaked in a Magic Stone, made Richard feel as if he had arrived in a Secret Realm. "Ah, this truly is the great world!" Stepping out of the crossing pod, what entered Richard¡¯s eyes was a barren desert. Immediately after, a strong wave of energy radiation caused Richard to squint slightly. He bent down, grabbed a handful of sand from the ground, and found that these sands all carried strong radiation. It seemed as if in the ancient past, some force had permanently changed their properties. "Indeed, it¡¯s the homeland of the Pioneers; the traces of battles have not faded even after so many years." After sighing, Richard made a gesture, signaling the wizards inside the cabin to set up a Magic Barrier. Although this energy radiation was harmless to Richard, it could be lethal to the other wizards in the crossing pod if not handled properly. Once everyone was out, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift, tossed the crossing pod into it, and then said, "Alright, we¡¯re inside now, let¡¯s set a code word so we don¡¯t accidentally harm our fellows during future operations." The other wizards exchanged glances, and an older wizard spoke, "My Lord, please decide." Richard nodded slightly, "Alright, the code will be, ¡¯Where is the crossing pod, desert.¡¯" The wizards noted this code, then each went their separate ways. Now, they did not need to conduct any destructive missions, so spreading out to establish an information network was most crucial. Based on prior intelligence, Richard began to adjust his body shape with Invisible Face. His skin tightened, muscles shifted, and bones grew. Amid a series of crackling sounds, his body gradually transformed into a two-meter-tall Wild Beastman. Richard casually summoned an Ice Mirror and, after confirming his appearance had no issues, changed into a coarse cloth outfit typical of Wild Beastmen, and walked out into the desert. The desert was vast, and their landing location was right at its center. Thus, Richard walked for three days and saw nothing but sand. "Seriously, which clever guy chose this place?" Richard looked up at the two great suns in the sky and couldn¡¯t help but complain, "Any wizard landing here who¡¯s even slightly weaker would suffer non-combat losses." However, he recalled that apparently, the other crossing pods all contained wizards of the First Ring, while his pod was all Second Ring, and they seemed quite aged. It seemed that the headquarters was aware of the situation here, so they had specially assembled the personnel. Suddenly, Richard squinted. In his line of sight, a group that appeared to be a merchant caravan was engaged in a battle. He was slightly pleased and chuckled, "Hey, not bad, saves me the trouble of deploying Synthetic Beasts." The social management of Wild Beastmen was very rough, and the vast land was scattered with Wild Beastmen villages. Only locals could clarify where these villages were, and even the population inside could only be known by insiders. Thus, blending in with the Wild Beastmen was completely unproblematic. But the issue was how to blend into those major cities of the Wild Beastmen. These major cities generally managed ordinary Wild Beastmen by beating them out with clubs; the polite ones would notify first, then proceed with the beating. Wild Beastmen needed an identity to enter these cities. This identity could be a disciple of a Sect or a citizen of a grand city. Of course, if looking for convenience, being a merchant was ideally suited. These merchants wandering between major cities and villages were one of the best identities for Black Wizards. Other identities had limitations, but merchants did not. In this world where one does not simply "cross the river by drawing the white gown," merchants could basically go anywhere and were inconspicuous. Thus, blending into a merchant caravan, under the guise of a local, was undoubtedly the best choice for wizards to infiltrate. Moreover, this practice was also common among the Wild Beastmen themselves, and merchants did not mind adding a strong new member to their ranks. In the Wilderness Lands, martial strength was the eternal assurance. No merchant caravan would feel that their fighters were too numerous. Toward the merchant convoy, Richard strode forward and quickly arrived near the battlefield. This convoy had encountered a group of wild bandits, riding wild beasts, also called magic beasts by wizards, most likely raised by some large village nearby. Ordinary wild bandits wouldn¡¯t have such uniformly mounted beasts. Richard quickly assessed their strength internally. Since his physical body had reached the level of a Level 4 Creature, he had placed multiple seals on himself during the transition. As a result, he could only use one percent of his original strength. Although he could break these seals now, an excessively powerful Wild Beastman was obviously not as easily accepted as a somewhat powerful Wild Beastman. If an overly powerful Wild Beastman asked to join the convoy, the convoy¡¯s owner wouldn¡¯t refuse, but would certainly be very vigilant. The enemies facing the convoy numbered seventy-two, including two Second-level Creatures, with the rest all being First Level Creatures. Moreover, the mounts of these wild bandits were also First Level Creatures. Those sand-colored large lizards, tough-skinned and thick-fleshed, their sharp teeth glistening in the sunlight, chilling to the bone. Currently, although the convoy had slightly more manpower, the extra hands were far less than the number of wild beasts. These wild beasts held up a significant portion of the convoy¡¯s guards. Richard muttered to himself, "So, as long as those wild beasts are killed, the convoy¡¯s crisis will be resolved. And the required strength isn¡¯t that great." Understanding the battle situation, Richard didn¡¯t hesitate, heading directly towards the convoy. In the midst of the battlefield, the convoy¡¯s guards were fiercely fighting with the wild bandits. These guards were all trained in martial arts and had military formations to coordinate with each other; theoretically, they should have been overpowering the wild bandits. However, these wild bandits were experienced. At the start of the fight, they had used surprise and mobility to divide and surround the guards. Although strong, the military formation could be detrimental if not complete. "Mister, we must abandon this batch of goods." On the battlefield, an old martial artist with white hair and a body as sturdy as a black bear was fighting with the leader of the wild bandits. The old martial artist was muscular, each movement carrying tremendous force. Relying on a pair of arm armor, he fiercely exchanged blows with the robust, younger bandit leader armed with a large sword. Behind him, a gorgeously dressed Wild Beastman hesitated. If he lost this batch of goods, it would take at least a hundred years to recover after returning, but seeing the guards increasingly at a disadvantage, he gritted his teeth, ready to order a breakout. Money could be earned again, but lost lives could not be brought back. He was familiar with wild bandits; as long as they got the goods, they wouldn¡¯t pursue. But just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw a robust young Wild Beastman running out from the desert. This Wild Beastman had a heroic visage, his teeth not only regular but also bright white, clearly not an ordinary wild man. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The owner of the merchant guild was overjoyed internally, thinking: "Could it be that I¡¯ve encountered a sect disciple on a journey?" But upon closer inspection, the joy in his heart was immediately dispelled. This young man¡¯s strength was insufficient, far from enough to resolve their crisis... Hmm? The guild owner¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as Richard, like cutting melons and chopping vegetables, burst into the group of wild beasts attacking the convoy¡¯s guards. Then, at the same pace, he slaughtered most of those besieging wild beasts. Those tough-skinned wild beasts, in front of his fists, seemed to be made of paper. A touch meant injury, a hit meant death. In just moments, the guards surrounded by wild beasts began to counterattack the wild bandits. This change shocked the heart of the leader of the wild bandits, and without a word, he bellowed at the old Beastman before him, the fierce sound wave darkening the old Beastman¡¯s vision momentarily, causing him to pause. Seizing this opportunity, the bandit leader immediately withdrew from the fight. After quickly killing the guards at critical positions, he shouted a command in thieves¡¯ cant to the wild bandits. "Wind¡¯s tight, scram!" Hearing their leader¡¯s command, the wild bandits quickly began to retreat. The convoy¡¯s guards wanted to chase, but were immediately stopped by the old Beastman. "Let them go, this is their turf. Chasing them will bring no good!" After stopping the convoy¡¯s guards, the old Beastman had a brief exchange with the owner, then took a bag from one of the convoy¡¯s carts and approached Richard. "Thank you, young hero, for your help. Here is a small token of our gratitude, please accept it." The old Beastman had seen Richard¡¯s skills. Richard¡¯s stable and solid combat style, as immovable as a mountain rock, even he found a bit daunting. Such a steady battle method, every detail was perfect. There was no way a wild man could achieve this. So, regardless of who his mentor was, giving something was definitely correct. "No need for the gift," Richard declared righteously, "My master taught me to be kind to others when out in the world and not to accept money or goods for doing good deeds." Hearing this, the old Beastman thought, as expected of someone out for training. Then he asked, "May I know where the young hero is heading next?" This young man¡¯s strength was remarkable, and the convoy¡¯s guards had suffered significant losses in this battle. If they could get this young man to join them, their security would definitely be vastly improved. Hearing this, Richard was immediately delighted. Was this old Beastman setting him up for cooperation? How fitting. "My master only told me to go out for training and didn¡¯t specify where to go. However, I¡¯d like to visit the nearest major city." "Why doesn¡¯t the young hero travel with us then," the old Beastman smiled, "We are also headed to the major city. Since you¡¯ve just left your master, you probably aren¡¯t familiar with various things on this Wilderness Land. As merchants who travel far and wide, we know a bit about all sorts of things. If you want to know something, you won¡¯t need to go through the trouble of asking around." Chapter 505 - 50 Wilderness Land Chapter 505: Chapter 50 Wilderness LandI must say, the old Beastman¡¯s words were exactly what Richard wanted to hear. Without hesitation, Richard accepted the offer. "That¡¯s good. I see that your caravan¡¯s guard is short-handed. With me around, you¡¯ll be safer." The old Beastman¡¯s heart leapt with joy upon hearing this; he liked such warm-hearted young people. "Then may I know how to address this young hero?" "My name is Gu Lie." The old Beastman nodded slightly and introduced himself, "I am Lv Dali, my lord¡¯s name is Lv Shang. Since the young hero is willing to travel with us, please accept this money as your remuneration for the journey." Hearing this, Richard pretended to struggle and finally accepted the money reluctantly. "In that case, I will be your guard for this journey." Richard¡¯s response greatly satisfied the Wild Beastman known as Lv Dali; Richard¡¯s behavior perfectly matched his impression of those young Sect disciples fresh to the world. He gave a respectful bow to Richard, "For this journey, I ask that you, Young Master Gu, take great care." After sorting out Richard¡¯s matters, the old Beastman returned to the side of the caravan master. After a brief discussion, they decided not to delay and to leave the area as quickly as possible. At the moment, no one knew if those Wild Bandits would come back for a second attack. "The lightly wounded walk on their own, the seriously injured go in the cart; those with one breath left get meat and wine to see them off. Bury the dead for peace." The old Beastman¡¯s orders were very rational. Having venture far and wide over the years, he had developed an iron heart that could be merciless when necessary. Those who were barely breathing were a burden to the group; it was better to give them one last good meal and let them die sated. The caravan¡¯s guards showed no reaction to these orders; the moment they signed on as caravan guards, they were prepared to die in foreign lands. "No ashes to keep?" Richard asked on purpose. The old Beastian sighed and responded, "Cremation takes time, and I don¡¯t practice the Martial Arts of fire, so we can only bury them here." For the caravan guards, digging a large pit and burying their fellows didn¡¯t take much time. In contrast, cremation was far too time-consuming. Hearing this, Richard opportunistically showed a hint of compassion before sighing as well. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Jianghu is indeed perilous." The old Beastman chuckled to himself, thinking this was typical of the young and inexperienced. In this world, villages in the Wilderness compete for resources, battles that can take dozens or hundreds of lives. Even small City Lords fighting each other would see scores or hundreds of Martial Artists fall in battle. If major Sects went to war, that number would climb even higher. And in the case of battles between Holy Sects, blood would flow like rivers, corpses would span thousands of miles. Compared with these, the battle between the caravan and the bandits was merely a minor episode. Once the bodies were buried, the caravan set off for their destination¡ªChengshan City. ... On the Wilderness Land, there were no roads; trails appeared only where merchants frequently traveled. A relatively safe trade route was crucial for merchants. If a route was destroyed¡ªsay, a Sect was built upon it or Wild Beasts claimed the area as their territory¡ªthen the caravan had to find a new path. However, Wild Bandits were clearly not a danger that could force a caravan to stray from its route. Along the way, Richard, like a curious baby, bombarded the old Beastman with questions. These inquiries were half genuine, half feigned, partly to fit his current persona and partly to test whether the old Beastman was telling the truth. The results of his test pleased Richard; the old Beastman did not lie. After some questioning, Richard gained a meticulous understanding of Wild Beastmen society. There were two primary types of Wild Beastmen settlements: cities and villages. Cities required a substantial population, solid walls, and a sufficiently powerful strong being. Villages, on the other hand, had no specific requirements. A few people and a handful of huts could make up a village. Even if there were hundreds of thousands of people and an army of Martial Artists, it would still be considered a village if no walls were built. In this land known to Wild Beastmen as Wilderness, cities are the places all Beastmen aspire to be. Only within the cities can one find "Sects." Sects are like Wizard Academies for Wild Beastmen but unlike the Wizard World, Wild Beastmen¡¯s Sects are divided into four ranks. The lowest rank is "Sect," and there is great variance among them. Some Sects may only have a martial master, which is a Second-level Creature, in charge. And some Sects could be presided over by several Martial Arts Grandmasters, Third-level Creatures. These Sects are the most common Martial Artist training institutions on the vast Wilderness Land, to the extent that Wild Beastmen directly use the term "Sect" to refer to such establishments. Above the sects are the major sects, which require at least one Martial Arts Grandmaster, that is, a Level 4 Creature, to oversee them. Some of the major sects even have multiple Level 5 Creatures in charge. And above the major sects sits the very pinnacle of the power pyramid in the Wilderness Land¡ªThe Holy Sects. The Holy Sects consist of three orthodox, two unorthodox, and one divination sect, with each sect hosting at least one Martial Saint, a Level 6 Creature. The social pyramid of the Wild Beastmen is such that the Holy Sects collect benefits from the Great Sects, which in turn collect benefits from the smaller sects. These smaller sects collect benefits from the various cities, and within these cities, there are typically multiple sects that hold authority. These sects are the local powerhouses, responsible for extracting benefits from the grassroots level of Wild Beastmen. The area where Richard currently found himself was known as the territory of the Great Sun Holy Sect. Additionally, outside of these three levels exists another kind of sect, known as martial academies. A martial academy only needs one martial artist as the head to be established. Martial academies have a very low threshold¡ªone martial artist head is sufficient to open an academy. However, their upper limit is also very high; among the seven Martial Saints throughout the Wilderness Land, besides the Sect Masters of the Six Great Holy Sects, there is also one elusive Martial Saint. Rumors say that this legendary Martial Saint resides in a certain small city and even runs a martial academy there. But beyond this individual, martial academies are still full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Many once-famous warriors in Jianghu open martial academies after they have grown old, to live out their remaining years. After understanding the basic societal structure, including the intricate details not mentioned by the Reconnaissance Wizard, Richard had an idea in mind. He planned to take over another¡¯s nest, stealthily appropriating a sect as his own base. Using the Invisible Face, his disguise as a Wild Beastman was unquestionably undetectable. As long as he handled things properly, he could openly move about in the identity of a sect leader. He could directly support a power base, collecting intelligence while doing so. Having decided on his next course of action, Richard began to intentionally inquire about the sects within Chengshan City. As for the reason, it was quite simple. In Jianghu, many sects have the tradition of testing their martial arts. The so-called testing of martial arts is to have a bout with the local sect wherever one goes in the course of traveling in Jianghu. For his current identity, to test martial arts was naturally the most normal thing to do. "With the young hero¡¯s ability, I recommend you not start with those petty sects. You can directly start testing martial arts with the Banshan Sect," the old Beastman said kindly, "This sect¡¯s strength is average among Chengshan City¡¯s sects, but its ancestors were quite formidable, once dominating Chengshan City. Their style of combat also aligns with the young hero¡¯s style. If the young hero can win against this sect, then no matter which major sect you visit afterwards, you will not be turned away. If the young hero cannot win against this sect, then there will be no need for you to continue testing martial arts further." The old Beastman, having walked Jianghu for many years, knew the Chengshan City sects very well, and the advice he provided was highly pertinent. Richard nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself, "This Chengshan Sect is indeed a good choice. If I can take over this sect, I¡¯ll have secured a foothold in Chengshan City." "May I ask, Elder, how much you know about this Banshan Sect? My master taught me to understand the opponent¡¯s information and prepare well before fighting them. One should not engage in battle unprepared." The old Beastman was startled by the question but then sighed with admiration, "The young hero¡¯s master must be an old hand in Jianghu. Alas, so many young martial artists, who are quite skilled, often stumblein minor conflicts early in their careers. What they lack is this kind of caution. Walking in Jianghu requires both courage and carefulness; many people only possess the former and lack the latter." With that, the old Beastman shared all he knew about the Banshan Sect with Richard. "This Banshan Sect¡¯s martial arts category is focused on Power, with its Sect Martial Arts named the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power. Rumor has it that once one starts to learn the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power, they can break steles and crack stones. If they achieve mastery, they can play with boulders weighing thousands of pounds as if they were toys. If they became proficient, it¡¯s said that their strength could ¡¯move mountains¡¯, and a punch could even cause the space to tremble." Richard frowned slightly and asked, "With such formidable strength, there must be a corresponding Body Refining Technique, right? Otherwise, upon delivering such a punch, the reaction force...could cause their flesh and bones to shatter." "You¡¯re correct, young hero. Besides the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power, the Banshan Sect possesses another Body Refining Technique. We outsiders do not know the secrets of this Body Refining Technique. However, it is known that upon perfecting this technique, one can transform into the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Statue." Richard was startled by this and thought with joy: "So it¡¯s Bloodline Alchemy, most likely involving Bloodline Seeds." With this information, his next actions would be even more stable. "Ah, but it¡¯s a pity. The Banshan Sect probably won¡¯t be able to produce the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Statue anymore." "Oh? How so, Elder?" Richard inquired. The old Beastman sighed once more: "Three generations ago, a Sect Master of the Banshan Sect ventured into the Wilderness and perished outside. Upon hearing this news, the sects of Chengshan City seized the opportunity and joined forces to attack the Banshan Sect. While the Sect did not get completely destroyed in that battle, a part of their Body Refining Technique became incomplete. Without the complete Body Refining Technique, the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power could not evolve to its peak. The Banshan Sect had lost its chance for resurgence." Richard was puzzled; if the Body Refining Technique was incomplete, couldn¡¯t they just complete it? As the Sect¡¯s definitive Martial Arts, their research on it would certainly not be lacking. Integrating the data, completing it should not be a severe issue. Even if those records had been destroyed, the Banshan Sect had not perished back then; wouldn¡¯t the practitioners of the technique discuss among themselves and complete it? Was it really that difficult? Richard couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Didn¡¯t anyone try to complete the technique?" "Of course, they did," the old Beastman said somberly, "The previous Sect Leader of Banshan Sect entered a withdrawn cultivation, vowing not to emerge until the Body Refining Technique was completed. But so many years have passed, and he is likely to die in seclusion." Chapter 506 - 51 The Former Sect Master Emerges from Seclusion Chapter 506: Chapter 51 The Former Sect Master Emerges from SeclusionChengshan City was an ancient metropolis with a population of several millions and a history spanning over ten thousand years. Within this ancient city stood dozens of martial arts sects of varying sizes. The sects fought among themselves, with blood battles and sect annihilations being common occurrences. However, among these sects, only four had withstood the test of time and turmoil for over a thousand years. Among them, Banshan Sect was one. Since the founding ancestor, Moving Mountain True Man, established the sect, Banshan Sect had a history of over three thousand five hundred years, making it one of the oldest among the many sects. But in this world, what sect does not eventually decline? Since the great war several hundred years ago, Banshan Sect had fallen into decline. The rise of a sect is often filled with hardships, but its fall can be remarkably easy. The sect¡¯s scriptures were scattered, its occupied territories divvied up, its outstanding disciples poached or assassinated... After descending for over a thousand years, Banshan Sect finally reached the brink of life and death. The headquarters¡¯ great hall of Banshan Sect. As an ancient sect over a thousand years old, the location of its headquarters had never changed. Despite numerous renovations, the architecture still oozed historical charm after more than three thousand years of wear and tear. In the great hall, seats meant for hall masters, which used to be fully occupied, now hosted only a third of their capacity. Moreover, many of those present bore injuries. And in the main seat, a middle-aged Wild Beastman with a stature like a giant bear but a weak aura furrowed his brow deeply. This middle-aged man was Kong Xiong, the Sect Master of Banshan Sect. Half a year ago, a Jianghu Guest appeared out of nowhere to challenge him, leaving him with internal injuries. Subsequently, a rumor spread through Chengshan City claiming the old Sect Master of Banshan Sect had died, and the new Sect Master who had practiced Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power was an incompetent waste. The former overlord of Chengshan City had now become a paper tiger. In the hall, a Wild Beastman dressed unmistakably as a disciple was kneeling on the ground, holding a scarlet invitation letter in hand. "Sect Master, a messenger from Taiyue Sect has sent an invitation, asking you to attend this edition of the Chengshan Martial Arts Conference," the disciple said. Kong Xiong extended his hand, and the invitation was seized by an invisible force, floating into his palm. Unfolding it, he glanced over the contents, and a formidable pressure instantly filled the entire hall. As the Sect Master of Banshan Sect, Kong Xiong¡¯s strength had indeed reached the realm of a Martial Arts Master. "These bastards are really too much! They¡¯re brazenly set on carving up our Banshan Sect!" The content at the front of the invitation was straightforward, maintaining the same trite language as the past several hundred conferences. However, at the end of the invitation, Taiyue Sect had added a new clause. It mentioned that the constant fighting between the sects over the years had significantly disrupted many businesses within the city. Yet the taxes levied from above had been climbing continuously. In order to supply Chengshan City with sufficient taxes, they had decided to form a Chengshan Martial Alliance, which would redistribute the power among the sects, thereby ending the chaos. Though the statement sounded noble, those major sects were the ones at the dining table, and those smaller sects meant to be served had already found high-ranking supporters. Only Banshan Sect lacked sufficient strength to secure a seat at the table, nor was it willing to bow down and submit. Once the conference began, it was certain they wouldn¡¯t even get a taste of the soup. The legacy built by their ancestors was at risk of being carved up by others. But even if they could see through the scheme, what could they do? Without enough strength, they were nothing but food on the table. Banshan Sect¡¯s former glory was well witnessed by the other major sects, and if they could ensure Banshan Sect never rose again, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to trample on it. As the oppressive aura dissipated, Kong Xiong coughed and waved his hand towards the silent hall masters. "Sigh, disperse, I will think of a solution," he said. Some hall masters seemed eager to speak, but in the end, they remained silent. In their view, they could completely set aside their pride for the time being, cowering to bide their time. Once the opportunity arose, they would reclaim their lost honor. Kong Xiong glanced at them; he was well aware of their intentions. But he was even more familiar with the thoughts of the other sects. Banshan Sect bowing down was merely like scraping flesh with a small knife. Unless Banshan Sect was completely crushed, those sects that had once attacked Banshan Sect would not rest easy. Soon, the hall masters dispersed from the great hall. Kong Xiong moved, hovering in mid-air, and flew toward the back mountains. Chengshan City was built against the mountains. The vast city was almost entirely composed of large and small mountain tops. Although many of the peaks had been flattened by martial artists, almost every major sect still preserved some mountain tops as part of their gardens. As the former dominator of Chengshan City, Banshan Sect¡¯s gardens were enormously expansive, naturally including many mountain tops. Kong Xiong flew among these mountain tops for a while, eventually stopping in front of a cave sealed by giant boulders. He knelt before the cave entrance, his voice filled with sorrow, "Master, the sect is now at a life-or-death crossroads. If you do not exit your seclusion now, the legacy of Banshan Sect for over three thousand years will be buried by our hands, disciple and teacher alike!" After speaking, Kong Xiong bowed deeply to the ground. But after a long wait, there was still no response from within the cave. Kong Xiong felt a sense of despair. Could it be that one¡¯s pride was more important than the existence of the sect? But just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a muffled sound. The huge stone in front of him seemed to tremble slightly. In the next moment, a loud boom echoed. The giant rock sealing the entrance suddenly shattered, and an old Beastman with a valiant face, as if forged from iron, stepped out. Kong Xiong looked at the old Beastman, his eyes immediately brimming with hot tears. He bowed deeply to the old Beastman and said, "Disciple Kong Xiong greets Master upon exiting seclusion!" The old Beastman heard this and his expression turned somewhat strange. He stretched his limbs and slowly said, "Stand up, Kong..." The old Beastman paused as if in thought. After a while, he continued, "Stand up, Kong Xiong." Kong Xiong stood up, completely oblivious to the odd behavior of his Master. "Master, the Sects within Chengshan City are about to divide us up. I, your disciple, am incompetent and cannot stand up for our Sect, so I have no choice but to ask for your return." The old Beastman nodded slightly, "Fine, I understand. Find me a room, and then bring up all the changes that have happened in the city over these years." "Arrange a room?" Kong Xiong shuddered, speaking fearfully, "Master, now that you have emerged from seclusion, you are the Sect Leader. I will tidy up your room immediately, ensuring it is exactly as it was before you left." The old Beastman said expressionlessly, "That will do, go on then." "Yes!" Watching the departing Kong Xiong, the old Beastman touched down to the ground and suddenly relaxed. A black crow flew out from the Black Crow Forest, landing on the old Beastman¡¯s shoulder, and said, "This young one really can endure, waiting until now to ask you to come out of seclusion." The old Beastman stretched his muscles and bones, his tone carrying a bit of complaint. "I feel I was still too lenient with him that day, I should have left him with just a breath of life." As he spoke, the old Beastman¡¯s form shifted, and in a fleeting moment, he transformed from the old Beastman into Richard. Seeing this, the audience must have understood by now. The plight that Banshan Sect faced in the past half year was all orchestrated by Richard, the Black Wizard. After entering Chengshan City with the merchant caravan, Richard began his scheme. First, he ascertained the exact situation of the Banshan Sect, and after confirming that it was indeed as told by the old Beastman in the caravan, he sneaked into the back mountain of the Banshan Sect. Under the surveillance of the Dimension Eye, Richard quickly found the former Sect Master of Banshan Sect, who was in deep seclusion. That old Sect Master was already somewhat incoherent, years of failures combined with unscientific experiment methods had done great damage to his brain. Using his completely overpowering physical condition and his superb sneaking skills, Richard effortlessly dealt with the old Beastman. And through Soul Search, he learned a portion of the old Beastman¡¯s memories¡ªunfortunately, he didn¡¯t understand Soul Rules and wasn¡¯t a Wizard of the Soul School. The Soul Searching Technique was something he had just learned for this infiltration. Gaining some memory was already the limit. After that, he disguised himself as a Jianghu Guest trying out in combat and injured the current Sect Master of Banshan Sect. Then he spread rumors in the city, claiming that the old Sect Master of Banshan Sect had died and the new Sect Master was an incompetent wretch. To pressure Kong Xiong into asking him to come out of seclusion. Under such circumstances, his identity would not be under any doubt. Even if there were doubts, after he finished dealing with the current problems of the Banshan Sect, those doubts would dissolve into nothingness. "But there¡¯s one problem with your plan, you don¡¯t know the martial arts of Banshan Sect, isn¡¯t it very easy to expose yourself in battle?" Ulysses questioned. Richard confidently replied, "I¡¯ve researched it. The biggest characteristic of the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power is immense strength. And my strength, without bragging, is superior to these Wild Beastmen even without martial arts. "When the time comes, I just need to casually mention that I had some insights during my seclusion, and the rest can be left to their imagination." Ulysses was taken aback upon hearing this, then praised, "Choosing this old guy was the right move, ¡¯entered seclusion¡¯ can explain anything." Richard chuckled. If the situation at Banshan Sect hadn¡¯t been so special, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to go to such lengths, sneaking in and spreading rumors to force the old Sect Master to be called out of seclusion. Soon after, Kong Xiong returned to the back mountain. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He glanced at the black crow on his Master¡¯s shoulder, and then at his expressionless Master, and decided to set aside the matter of the black crow for the moment. He knew that his Master was a man who took great pride in his reputation. Breaking his oath to come out of seclusion was humiliating for his Master¡¯s dignity. If he talked too much now and angered his Master, he was likely going to be severely punished. This had happened all too often before he had become the Sect Master. "Master, your room has been prepared." Richard glanced at Kong Xiong and nodded slightly, "Good, take me there. Also, list out the names of the Sects that have bullied us the harshest over these years." Upon hearing this, Kong Xiong¡¯s eyes filled with tears. After being bullied for so many years, they were finally going to retaliate. But... even though his Master was stronger than he was, he wasn¡¯t that exaggeratedly powerful. Moreover, his Master had been in seclusion for so many years, and it was uncertain whether he still possessed his old strength without having fought during that time. Richard glanced at Kong Xiong and casually slapped a nearby tree. Instantaneously, a muffled sound was heard. A centennial tree thunderously collapsed. Kong Xiong saw that the core of the tree had been completely shattered, yet the outer layer of the tree was unharmed in the slightest. This was clearly the result of masterful control over one¡¯s strength. Richard spoke indifferently, "I have had some insights over these years. Although I haven¡¯t perfected the Body Refining Technique, I haven¡¯t been stagnant in martial arts either." Chapter 507 - 52 Martial Arts Refining Technique, True Intent Inheritance Chapter 507: Chapter 52 Martial Arts Refining Technique, True Intent InheritanceSeeing his master¡¯s prowess, Kong Xiong was reassured. While several hundred years of seclusion had not completed the Body Refining Technique, progress in martial arts was still a good thing. Now, a complete Body Refining Technique was like a distant water source; it couldn¡¯t solve the immediate crisis facing the Banshan Sect. After taking Richard to the bedroom, Kong Xiong naturally withdrew, ready to summon all the Hall Masters to stabilize the internal situation. The current threatening situation of the Banshan Sect was clear without saying, and Kong Xiong knew many Hall Masters were contemplating defecting. It was human nature; if Kong Xiong weren¡¯t the Sect Master of Banshan Sect, he might also consider joining a major sect. Richard looked around; he was now in a separate courtyard, facing a modestly built brick and wood structure that radiated ancient charm. Before entering, Richard habitually used his spiritual power to scan the room. This scanning brought an unexpected discovery. A flicker of surprise crossed Richard¡¯s face, "There¡¯s actually a secret chamber." Upon entering the room, the bedroom appeared quite spacious, with a huge weapon rack filled with various weaponry. These weapons were similar in style to those from the Wizard World and had nothing special about them. Humans and Wild Beastmen both had humanoid shapes, so it wasn¡¯t surprising to see similarities in their weaponry. Besides the weapons, several huge stone locks were placed in the corners of the room. These stone locks, dubbed "Craftsman" by the Wild Beastmen and crafted by warriors similar to Alchemy Wizards, usually weighed hundreds to thousands of pounds, but if infused with Martial Arts True Energy, could increase in weight multiple times in moments, the higher grade locks increasing by even more. According to memory extracted from the soul of an old Beastman by Richard, these stone locks were capable of increasing weight twenty times, classifying them as middle goods among Martial Arts Stone Locks. Richard approached and picked up a stone lock, one particularly refined lock causing the Miracle Furnace to pop up information. [Material: Martial Arts Stone Lock] [Refinable skills: Martial Arts Refining Technique (incomplete)] [Refining cost: 5 spiritual power] [Refinable information: Martial Arts Array: Weight Increase] [Refining cost: 2 spiritual power] Without hesitation, Richard chose to refine. Moments later, a look of realization appeared on Richard¡¯s face. "Interesting, such a peculiar forging technique." To Richard, the forging techniques of the Wild Beastmen seemed like a combination of Giant Dragon Alchemy and Pioneer technology. It adopted the Pioneer¡¯s approach of complex energy nodes forming Magic Models to achieve objectives, yet the process resembled that of Giant Dragon Alchemy. If he had to make a comparison, this technique was somewhat like another kind of Wizard Alchemy. However, Wizard Alchemy was simpler, though its effects were not inferior. Nevertheless, as an Alchemy Master, this technique was still an invaluable treasure to Richard. Richard thought to himself, "It seems I need to gather more information about martial arts and other things in the future." After placing the stone lock down, Richard walked to the far end of the room. There, a large stone bed with a surface smooth as a mirror likely ancient, awaited. Richard bent down to grip the bed, his arms exerting slight force. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the next moment, the bed, weighing tens of thousands of pounds, was effortlessly moved aside by him. Below the stone bed was a secret chamber. Richard swept it with his spirit, ensuring there were no traps before entering. The secret chamber was small, about ten square meters, and filled with several bound books and a painting solemnly sealed away. Richard browsed through them quickly and found they all recorded martial arts secrets and insights. "Good stuff." Delighted, Richard immediately began to peruse these secret books. With his photographic memory and ability to multitask, he memorized all the secrets within minutes. Only the painting made Richard pause. This painting, solemnly preserved by Zheng Zhong, depicted a massive Bull Demon. The artist must have been a master; the painting was not detailed, but rather with a few brush strokes it depicted a fierce and wild Bull Demon standing tall and powerful. However, Richard wasn¡¯t concerned with the brush techniques, but rather the content encapsulated within the painting. "Is this the so-called True Intent Inheritance?" Richard looked at the painting, a smirk of interest appearing on his lips. The martial arts inheritance of the Wild Beastmen had a special tradition. This tradition didn¡¯t rely on text but solely on true intent. If one could resonate with the true intent within the inheritance, it could be obtained. If not, one could only look upon it without gaining access. Unfortunately for the painting, it met its nemesis in Richard. With a light touch of his hand, the Miracle Furnace immediately displayed information. [Material: Banshan Barbarian Bull Map] [Refinable information: Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power Inheritance] [Refining cost: 20 spiritual power] "Refine." The next moment, the scroll momentarily disappeared and reappeared, but this time, it seemed soulless, devoid of its former divine aura. Richard¡¯s eyes were tightly closed as he continuously digested the True Intent Inheritance of the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power. In Richard¡¯s perception, this kind of True Intent Inheritance was somewhat similar to the skills he had refined using the Melter, but in terms of intensity, the True Intent Inheritance was far inferior to the Miracle Furnace. Furthermore, this True Intent Inheritance had a side effect, which was that during the reception of the True Intent, the receiver would inevitably be influenced by the True Intent, thus influencing their personality and even their behavior to become similar to that of the inheritor. However, Richard¡¯s spiritual power far exceeded that of the former Moving Mountain real person, so the little bit of True Intent left behind naturally had no effect on him. Shortly after, Richard opened his eyes. "Indeed, the inheritance of such a small sect really isn¡¯t anything special." Richard was slightly disappointed, as the content of this True Intent Inheritance was the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power. Had it been an ordinary Wild Beastman, this one-time True Intent Inheritance would have been enough to make him a master of the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power. But for Richard, this True Intent Inheritance was no different from an ordinary inheritance. The technique of Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power was very mediocre, not much more delicate than what Richard had learned from Monk Transmission at Changshan Temple, and far from being as exquisite as the Secret Transmission. Back then, he had spent ten years learning most of the Changshan Temple inheritance. Although he hadn¡¯t focused on studying them in these years, the accumulation of spare time had greatly improved his skills. For the current Richard, he just needed a little pondering to grasp the secrets within this inheritance. If he wished to study it, pushing the old to bring forth the new wouldn¡¯t take much effort. After all, Changshan Temple was a force that had produced a World Master among its ancestors, and even if it couldn¡¯t surpass the Martial Arts Sects of the Wilderness Land, it was more than enough compared to these sects. Nonetheless, while the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power was ordinary, it did have some worthwhile aspects. The martial arts of the Wild Beastman emphasized the integration of the body, energy, and spirit¡ªwhere "body" refers to the physical body, "energy" refers to energy, and "spirit" refers to the soul, which is spiritual power. Among these, being able to utilize one element was considered low-grade martial arts, merging two was considered middle grade, and combining all three¡ªachieving a through connection¡ªwas reserved for top-grade martial arts highly prized by the major sects. This Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power combined energy and body, categorizing it as middle grade martial arts, and the method of combining these two, in Richard¡¯s view, held significant educational value. Though the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power was ordinary, being a part of the vast martial arts tree granted it an inherent advantage over the evolutionary methods of other natives. After setting aside the already devoid of True Intent Moving Mountain Barbarian Bull Map, Richard left the secret chamber. Restoring the stone bed to its original place, Richard assumed a stance similar to the horse stance and began to close his eyes, recalling the just-reviewed martial arts secret book. Compared to True Intent Inheritance, these manuals had a greater impact. Their greater volume of content enabled Richard to more systematically understand the secrets of the martial arts evolutionary system. Soon after, Kong Xiong returned to the bedroom. Seeing his master practicing, he carefully called out, "Master? Master?" Richard opened his eyes, showing displeasure. "What is it?" Kong Xiong respectfully said, "Master, right now, the people of the Banshan Sect are in a state of disarray; we need you to come forward to stabilize the morale. Otherwise, I fear some Hall Masters might flee with their territories before the Martial Arts Gathering." "Then let them flee," Richard said indifferently, "Such people are useless within the sect. This is the perfect opportunity to weed them out." With that, he casually waved his hand, and a tremendous force enveloped Kong Xiong, throwing him out of the yard. Standing outside the yard, Kong Xiong felt a surge of shock. He was, after all, a martial arts master, but he couldn¡¯t comprehend nor resist his master¡¯s method. That feeling, as though the entire world was against you, was it the result of his master¡¯s seclusion over the years? Kong Xiong steadied his spirits, took a deep breath, and his mood also lifted. No matter what it was, now, the Banshan Sect had hope. ... Time swiftly passed, and a month went by in the blink of an eye. During this month, Richard never showed himself, dedicating his whole heart to analyzing the martial arts evolutionary system. With many scriptures and Richard¡¯s own vast accumulation of knowledge, he gained a very systematic understanding of the martial arts system. Martial arts was a highly balanced way of evolution, different from wizards who only needed meditation to enhance spiritual power and then a ceremony to advance. Its evolution was very balanced, with spirit, energy, and physique all advancing equally in the martial arts system; otherwise, one would fall into the "Evil Path." Under this fundamental concept, martial arts skills were often composed of three parts: an energy cycle, a body refining technique, and a visualization diagram for enhancing spiritual power. In these, the body refining technique was often integrated with the energy cycle, allowing the energy cycle to achieve the effects of body refining. This method greatly shocked Richard. One major issue with physique evolution was how to steadily enhance the physique, similar to meditation. The current physique evolution mostly relied on various magic potions and primitive physical training. Even if there were methods using energy training, they would certainly be the closely guarded secrets of some wizards. Now, with the martial arts of the Wild Beastmen, the major weakness of physique evolution was no longer an issue. Richard murmured to himself, "Perhaps, after conquering this world, Garon the Great Wizard will become the Physique Crown." Thump thump thump! Suddenly, a knocking sound came from the door of the courtyard, followed by Kong Xiong¡¯s rough voice coming inside. "Master, it¡¯s time to attend the Martial Arts Gathering." Chapter 508 - 53 Chengshan Martial Arts Conference Chapter 508: Chapter 53 Chengshan Martial Arts ConferenceHearing Kong Xiong¡¯s voice, Richard realized it was the day to attend the Martial Arts Gathering. The Chengshan Martial Arts Conference, one of the traditions of the sects in Chengshan City, was held once every hundred years to foster interaction and the exchange of martial arts techniques between major sects. In other words, it was an event to showcase muscle. Also, the Chengshan Martial Arts Conference served as a recruitment event. Chengshan City was a historically significant large city, and to its residents, being part of a sect wasn¡¯t anything extraordinary. By displaying the strength of their own sects, they could establish their rankings for the next hundred years, which, in turn, would determine the level of their future disciples; this was another function of the Chengshan Martial Arts Conference. Richard changed into ordinary training clothes and went straight out of the small courtyard without bringing any weapons or armor. Naturally, Kong Xiong noticed Richard¡¯s approach and nervously asked, "Master, aren¡¯t you going to bring the Green Mountain Armor and the Earth-shattering Hammer?" Both items were treasures of the Banshan Sect; the Green Mountain Armor was impervious to swords and spears, and the Earth-shattering Hammer could deliver blows of immense force¡ªboth were remarkably precious treasures. Richard glanced at him, his tone calm with undeniable confidence. "I don¡¯t need them." These days he had also observed the strength of the internal sects in Chengshan City; among them, thirteen had third-level creatures at their helm, and nine of those had multiple third-level creatures. Interestingly, these nine sects were precisely the ones that had attacked the Banshan Sect years ago. Although due to the Invisible Face, his own strength had been reduced to about thirty to forty percent, this level of strength was still more than enough to eliminate those Sect Leaders who were merely third-level. Seeing his master so confident, Kong Xiong could only temporarily suppress his anxiety. His master never acted rashly; such confidence must have a solid basis. Perhaps, during those years of seclusion, his master had gained insights into the "Heavenly Dao". "Master is mighty; your disciple will now prepare the Wild Beasts and head to Chengshan Building." ... The Chengshan Martial Arts Conference was held at Chengshan Building, located at the center and the highest point of Chengshan City in Mountain City. The giant wooden building stood on the summit of Mountain City, usually bright as a beacon. Now, during the Chengshan Martial Arts Conference, it was even more dazzling. Prominent figures from within Chengshan City all gathered at Chengshan Building today, eager to witness the talent of various sects¡¯ young talents and even the Sect Masters. "Manager Qian, it¡¯s been so long, long time no see." At the first floor of the Chengshan Building, a Wild Beastman dressed in a large fur coat with gold rings on his tusks greeted him. In front of him, the plump and genial Manager Qian immediately responded: "Clan Leader Liu, what a rare guest. It must have been thirteen years since we last met, hasn¡¯t it?" "Ha ha ha, Manager Qian, you have a good memory." Just as the conversation ended, someone else yelled: "Manager Qian, why is your waiter ignoring us? Isn¡¯t someone sitting in the hall a guest too?" Manager Qian looked over and saw a Wild Beastman in plain clothes and covered in scars impatiently shouting. He quickly stepped forward, apologizing with a smile: "Ah, Hero Zheng, you shouldn¡¯t say that. As soon as you enter our Chengshan Building, whether it¡¯s a private room or the main hall, you¡¯re a guest. But today we really are packed with guests, and these waitstaff aren¡¯t martial artists like you are, Hero Zheng. It¡¯s inevitable that they might have missed someone, please bear with them." Having said that, Manager Qian quickly turned and shouted sternly: "Little Liu, come here quickly! You lazybones, by neglecting Hero Zheng, it seems you want to be whipped!" After dealing with this, Manager Qian returned to the center of the hall and greeted each of the arriving guests. During the Chengshan Martial Arts Conference, all the coming and going were prominent figures; getting familiar with them could increase his business dealings in the future. Soon, the crowd in the hall thinned out, and most of the expected guests had arrived. What remained were the main characters of this Martial Arts Gathering. Manager Qian walked out of the hall and flew into the air. From a distance, he saw a flock of birds approaching. Upon closer inspection among the birds, there were dozens of human figures. As the birds drew closer, upon them stood a group of Wild Beastmen in light robes armed with weapons. Manager Qian called out in a loud voice: "Green Bird Sect has arrived!" The Green Bird Sect¡¯s flock stopped above Chengshan Building, and the Wild Beastmen on the bird¡¯s backs lightly stepped off, floating downward. The leading Sect Master nodded with a smile towards Manager Qian: "Manager Qian." Manager Qian bowed and replied: "Sect Master He, your appearance remains unchanged." Following the Green Bird Sect, a loud, hearty laugh suddenly came from a distance. The next moment, a huge winged tiger dashed toward the Chengshan Building. On its back, dozens of Wild Beastmen clad in tiger skins and holding long sticks were eyeing the Green Bird Sect members menacingly. "He hairy fool, where¡¯s your Nine Heavens Azure Phoenix? Why have you come riding a flock of lousy birds that can¡¯t even count as Wild Beasts?" Sect Master He looked at the rambunctious Wild Beastman and calmly said, "My Green Bird Sect hasn¡¯t reached the point where we need to show off with Wild Beasts to bolster our prestige." "I think your lousy birds were lured away by other birds, ha ha ha ha." The shouting Wild Beastman laughed loudly and then leapt from the winged tiger, covering dozens of yards in a single bound, landing directly in front of Sect Master He. "Manager Qian, long time no see." Manager Qian bowed and then sang out: "Wind Tiger Gate has arrived!" The guests had all arrived, and what remained were naturally the main characters of this Martial Arts Gathering¡ªthe forty-two sects of Chengshan City. Starting with the Green Bird Sect and Wind Tiger Gate, the forty-two sects began to enter one after another, introducing a variety of peculiar Wild Beasts that almost turned the area outside Chengshan Building into a zoo of Wild Beasts. Quickly, all the sects without a Martial Arts Master had already arrived among the forty-two sects. Manager Qian looked straight ahead, only to see a flying boat tens of meters long slicing through the sea of clouds, descending from the sky. An invisible pressure dropped from the flying boat, causing the Wild Beasts outside Chengshan Building to involuntarily crouch down. On the flying boat, a towering figure walked through the air and slowly entered the ninth floor of Chengshan Building, with no intention of greeting Manager Qian. Manager Qian was not annoyed either, he replied under the pressure, unchanging in countenance, "Jiuxiao Sect has arrived!" Jiuxiao Sect, one of the fourteen major sects of Chengshan City, its leader, Yun Jiuxiao, had ascended to Martial Arts Master three hundred years ago, elevating the originally ordinary Jiuxiao Sect to one of the major sects. Following that, those sects with Martial Arts Masters began to arrive one after another. Shadow Moon Sect, Jiao Dragon Association, Ghost Shadow Sect... Fourteen of Chengshan City¡¯s sects with Martial Arts Masters stationed had quickly arrived, making up thirteen sects. Only the protagonist after the Martial Arts Gathering had not yet appeared. Manager Qian looked towards Banshan Sect¡¯s direction and thought, could it be that Banshan Sect was not participating in this Martial Arts Gathering? But before he could think further, he suddenly saw a wild ox breaking through the sea of clouds in the distance. Atop the wild ox was an old Beastman with white hair and a heroic demeanor, calmly looking at him. Manager Qian considered himself experienced and knowledgeable ¨C he had seen ruthless Wild Bandits leaders, disciples from the Holy Sect who traveled, and retired Martial Arts Masters... he had seen them all. Yet none of these people gave him as much pressure as the old Beastman in front of him. But being looked at by this old Beastman, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine, and an innate fear made him shudder. Just before, under the martial pressure of Martial Arts Master Yun Jiuxiao, his face remained unchanged, his voice as sonorous as a bell. Soon, the old Beastman withdrew his gaze. Manager Qian then finally recovered, his voice trembling slightly as he announced, "Banshan... Banshan Sect has arrived!" ... Gazing at the huge wooden building before him, Richard walked through the air and stepped inside. Kong Xiong followed closely behind with his disciples. Along the way, numerous gazes focused on this somewhat unfamiliar old Beastman. Many were wondering who this old Beastman was. The exterior of Chengshan Building resembled a high tower, apart from the outer rooms, its interior was surprisingly hollow, supported only by eight large pillars holding up the structure. At this moment, a huge fighting ring was already suspended in mid-air, and the younger generation of various sects was eager to step up and contest their strengths. Suddenly, a voice from nowhere echoed in Chengshan Building. "Chu Yuan still retains his grace of old." Chu Yuan, the name of Richard¡¯s current identity. Richard looked up towards the source of the voice, his spiritual power unreservedly scanning it, he faintly replied, "Has Old Dragon Ghost died? Why has the Martial Arts Gathering sent out a little kid like you?" The speaker was the current Sect Leader of the Jiao Dragon Association. From the information Richard knew, this man was named Long Xiaotian. Long Xiaotian, hearing this, did not get annoyed and replied, "My master needed to encounter Heavenly Dao recently, he is currently in seclusion, hoping to advance further." Hearing this, the other twelve Sect Leaders on the ninth floor were all inwardly stirred. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. What Wild Beastmen referred to as Heavenly Dao, in the terms of Wizards, meant that his teacher had recently glimpsed behind the veil and was currently digesting the obtained fragments of the rules. Richard nodded slightly, "Well, he better make it quick, because I¡¯ll be seeking his guidance these next few days." At this remark, laughter suddenly burst from the rooms on the ninth floor. Someone sneered, "Has this old man Chu gone senile in his seclusion? Does he think Banshan Sect is still what it used to be?" Hearing these words, Long Xiaotian laughed loudly, "Very well, on behalf of my master, I welcome Chu Yuan to come and spar." With Banshan Sect seated, the Chengshan Martial Arts Conference officially began. Disciples from the smaller sects took the stage first, competing to establish their superiority. As for these level 1 creature fights, Richard genuinely had no interest. He yawned and spoke to Ulysses, who was hiding on his shoulder, via a Spiritual Message, "Is there anything good in this building?" "Nothing. Apart from some recipes, there¡¯s nothing here worth taking." "Recipes?" Richard was puzzled. Ulysses explained, "These Wild Beastmen are quite good at cooking. I heard when I was inquiring outside these past few days that among the Wild Beastmen, there¡¯s a profession called ¡¯Martial Chef,¡¯ specially in charge of cooking Magic Beasts with various Magic Potions." "Oh? That¡¯s interesting. Then go steal his recipes. It¡¯s not easy coming here; we can¡¯t leave empty-handed." "... I feel you¡¯re being a bit shameless." "You wait, I¡¯ll cook it for you to taste once I have it." "Just a moment, I¡¯m going now." As Richard continued yawning, the competition among the disciples finally ended. Next came the highlight of the Martial Arts Gathering. A figure in white clothes leapt out from the ninth floor, slowly landing on the fighting ring. "I am Yun Jiuxiao, Sect Master of Yunxiao Sect. Chu Yuan, would you care to spar on the ring?" Chapter 509 - 54 Let’s go together, I’m in a hurry Chapter 509: Chapter 54 Let¡¯s go together, I¡¯m in a hurryYun Jiuxiao¡¯s challenge left the guests in the Chengshan Building somewhat surprised. No one had expected that the upstart from the Chengshan Sect would come forward and challenge the once declining Banshan Sect. It is said that even a rotten ship has three pounds of nails, and a sick tiger is still a tiger. The Banshan Sect, despite its weakening, still had a Martial Arts Grandmaster supporting it. Not to mention that the Banshan Sect now had added another Martial Arts Grandmaster. But soon, someone caught on to what was happening. "This Sect Leader Yun must have made a deal with those nine families," someone muttered in secret. Among these fourteen families, there were divisions between the upper nine families and the lower five families. The Upper Nine Families were those sects that had multiple Martial Arts Grandmasters, and each of those nine sects had attacked the Banshan Sect in the past. Now that the Banshan Sect had invited the previous generation¡¯s old Sect Master, these nine families were probably worried but unwilling to give up the fat prey that was the Banshan Sect. So they joined forces and asked Yun Jiuxiao to act as their knife, testing the strength of the Banshan Sect. If the old Sect Master of the Banshan Sect turned out to be strong, then the plan to divide the Banshan Sect would be put on hold temporarily, but if the old Sect Master was not as good as before, their plans would remain unchanged. This plan was foolproof; the Upper Nine Families were strong, and even if the Banshan Sect realized what was happening, they couldn¡¯t do anything about them. Unfortunately, they still made a slight miscalculation. Who would have thought that a wizard from the Otherworld would impersonate the old Sect Master of the Banshan Sect? Richard was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, and then burst into laughter. "Very good, very good. I was just worrying whether later I will have to watch those martial masters put on a pretense and fight. Seeing you all so eager, I am relieved." With that said, Richard¡¯s figure flashed, and the next moment he appeared on the arena. He sized up the person opposite him, dressed in white and holding a single-handed sword, a Wild Beastman, and then said, "Make your move, out of consideration for your saving me time, I might let you live afterward." Yun Jiuxiao was taken aback by these words, and immediately, a surge of anger welled up in his heart. Since becoming a Martial Arts Grandmaster, Yun Jiuxiao had never been looked down upon like this. An old thing that had been in seclusion for hundreds of years really had become muddled in the head. Although angry, Yun Jiuxiao did not let his rage cloud his judgment. He politely gave Richard a salute and then drew his sword. "Since the old senior underestimates me so, do not blame the junior for going hard on you!" With those words, Yun Jiuxiao¡¯s figure moved, and his body suddenly split into nine, sealing off Richard¡¯s front, back, left, right, and five positions above the head. In an instant, the nine figures moved simultaneously, and dazzling sword light instantly submerged the entire arena. With his anger bolstering him, Yun Jiuxiao¡¯s sword light was even sharper than usual. "The Nine Heavens Sword Technique truly lives up to its reputation," a martial artist praised. "It is rumored that the Nine Heavens Sword Technique combines the Divine Dao and Qi Path to create illusions as real as life. Looking at it now, this is indeed not groundless." "Alas, that old Sect Leader of the Banshan Sect must have sequestered himself into confusion. Otherwise, the Banshan Sect wouldn¡¯t have let him appear now." In Chengshan Building¡¯s ninth floor, jeering comments also spread from the rooms of the thirteen families. Someone sneered, "Indeed, he¡¯s senile. Even I wouldn¡¯t dare to take on the full force of that Nine Heavens Sword Technique completely. The Banshan Sect is doomed this time." Long Xiaotian, who had spoken earlier, looked at the arena submerged in sword light and also shook his head. Although Yun Jiuxiao¡¯s strength was not very strong, his Nine Heavens Sword Technique was indeed remarkable. A direct hit, without Treasure Armor to defend, would have left him severely injured. He had seen clearly just before; when the old Sect Master of the Banshan Sect went down, he was wearing just a simple garment without any armor. This hit was likely to decide the victor directly... Suddenly, a voice entered the ears of the many spectators. "Not bad martial skills, my decision to let you move first was in no way mistaken." As the sword light faded, there was Richard, holding Yun Jiuxiao by the neck in one hand, and a shattered long sword blade in the other. Richard looked at Yun Jiuxiao¡¯s face, which was turning red and whose body couldn¡¯t move, and spoke calmly, "I said I would spare your life, so you¡¯re still alive." With that, he casually tossed Yun Jiuxiao¡¯s body, which flew dozens of meters and returned to the room where he had been. Silence, the kind that let one hear their own heartbeat. A Martial Arts Grandmaster, proud of his martial skills and having executed them perfectly, defeated by his opponent in a single move. What did that imply? It meant that their strength was no longer on the same level. In the rooms, Kong Xiong murmured to himself, "Master, have you really understood the Heavenly Dao?" Mastering the rules is a qualitative change for a third-level creature. Their guesses were indeed correct, but the reasoning process was wrong. Against Yun Jiuxiao, Richard did not use any rules; he simply activated his Vajra Body, went to Yun Jiuxiao¡¯s real side, broke through his Energy Shield, also known as Protective Gang Qi called by the Wild Beastmen, and captured him. The whole process, apart from being fast, involved no techniques or any rules. Yun Jiuxiao, who had only become a third-level creature a few hundred years ago, had no power to fight back against a top-tier third-level creature like Richard. The thirteen families, as they looked at Richard in the arena unharmed, not even a corner of his garment disturbed, felt a tremor within. The hundred-legged worm is tough to kill; after so many years of decline, the Banshan Sect could still produce such a Martial Arts Grandmaster. An old sect that had stood for more than three thousand years had indeed profound depth. It seemed that the plan to divide the Banshan Sect would have to... "Those upstairs, I¡¯m short on time, so make it simple, come up together," came a rough voice, interrupting the deliberations of the families, and echoing in the ears of the remaining twelve Sect Leaders. They looked and saw Richard standing in the center of the arena, issuing a challenge to them. "Come up together? Very well, very well!" a Sect Leader bitterly laughed with anger. Each of them, Sect Leaders who called the shots in Chengshan City, when had they ever been belittled like this? Seeing no response from them, Richard couldn¡¯t help but frown. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Wasting time." After saying this, Richard tapped the ground with the tip of his toe and instantly flew up to the ninth floor. Before the twelve Sect Leaders could react, he threw a punch directly at the room closest to him. In that instant, the entire space on the ninth floor seemed to freeze, and the energy in the space converged toward Richard like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea. The more energy there is in the air, the more powerful the Unity of Heaven and Man Combat Skills become. In a world like the Wilderness Land, which is abundant in energy, this combat skill¡¯s power was pulled to its peak. Boom! With one punch thrown, the attacked room completely vanished. The Martial Arts Masters and disciples within it all turned to ash with that one punch. Richard hovered in the air, his expression calm, his gaze indifferent. "If you don¡¯t come up now, you¡¯ll lose your chance." The air fell silent for a moment before eleven astonishing bursts of energy erupted from within the rooms. "You old fart, you¡¯re too arrogant!" "Do you really think that with a bit of understanding of the Heavenly Dao, you can do as you please in Chengshan City?" "Die!" Fourteen major clans of Chengshan City, excluding the Banshan Sect, Jiuxiao Sect, and the unnamed clan Richard just obliterated with a punch, the remaining eleven Sect Leaders nearly took action at the same time. Each one of them brought out their sect¡¯s treasured ultimate moves. They could tell¡ªif they dared hold back, they would be the next ones to die in the coming second. At the same time, inside Chengshan Building, almost all the Wild Beastmen had rushed out from the rooms. Whether they were wealthy merchants or wandering swordsmen, their expressions were all filled with excitement at that moment. Eleven Martial Arts Masters simultaneously attacking one person¡ªsuch an earth-shattering scene, even in the tens of thousands of years of Chengshan City¡¯s history, was unheard of. Seeing such a once-in-a-lifetime scene was worth dying for! In the sky, Richard¡¯s expression remained unchanged amid the onslaught of eleven Martial Arts Masters. In his perception, these Martial Arts Masters moved as slow as turtles. He even had the time to analyze the flaws in each Master¡¯s techniques and counterattack with precise force. But he did not plan to do so. His visit this time was to establish his character. He is now the old Sect Leader of the Banshan Sect who has had an epiphany after many years of secluded cultivation; the strength of this character, all depended on establishing it at the Chengshan Martial Arts Conference. Martial Arts require accumulation over time. Taking advantage of the reason of his seclusion still being valid, he must rapidly enhance his covert power level. This would also make his future actions more convenient. Therefore, Richard chose to use overwhelming strength to break all techniques. "Do you dare to embarrass yourself with these trifling tricks?" Richard snorted coldly, sweeping his hands, and once again executed Unity of Heaven and Man. But this time was different. Watch as the energy that converged toward Richard due to Unity of Heaven and Man formed a phantom in the air under his manipulation. The phantom¡¯s appearance was exactly that of the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull depicted in the Banshan Barbarian Bull Map! "Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Statue! The Banshan Sect has completed its Body Refining Technique!" "No, it¡¯s not just completion¡ªit¡¯s a new technique! The old Sect Leader of the Banshan Sect has derived a new martial art from the Body Refining Technique!" "After a thousand years of decline, is the Banshan Sect finally rising?" The next moment, the attacks of the eleven Sect Leaders fell upon the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Statue. Boom! Instantly, a thunderous explosion resounded on the top floor, and the shockwaves that scattered blew Chengshan Building¡¯s top floor into splinters. Inside Chengshan Building, splinters flew like rain. The thousands of Wild Beastmen looked up to the sky, only to see the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Statue standing tall in the sky, as majestic as a mountain. The nature of this Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Statue was Richard¡¯s Composite Magic Shield. The attacks of these Sect Leaders, strong as they were, barely exceeded ten thousand Energy Levels, and the weaker ones had only eight or nine thousand Energy Levels; they stood no chance of breaking Richard¡¯s shield. Richard swept a glance at the surrounding Sect Leaders and said indifferently, "Now it¡¯s my turn." After saying this, he threw a punch, and the bullish phantom on his body also burst forward. The next moment, the Sect Leader that the punch was directed at exploded into a cloud of blood mist. Richard turned his figure and threw another punch with his right hand, aimed at Long Xiaotian, whom he had greeted upon entering the building. Long Xiaotian¡¯s expression was ashen, his massive four-meter tall body covered in dark blue scales. Faced with this punch, he folded his arms together and a Jiao Dragon phantom emerged from his body, wrapping around him. "This is... Jiao Dragon Protection! Long Xiaotian¡¯s Jiao Dragon Sacred Body has been cultivated to the highest realm!" "The Jiao Dragon Protection is said to withstand a hit from a Grandmaster, it seems that..." Boom! The Jiao Dragon phantom was dispersed by the horn of the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull, and Long Xiaotian, who was shielded within it, exploded into a cloud of blood mist in an instant. "Old Dragon Ghost and I had some connection back in the day; sparing your life pays back that favor." As the blood mist dissipated, Long Xiaotian, covered in shattered scales and his Life Radiation weakened to the point of falling below the threshold of third-level creatures, struggled to stay standing. He bowed solemnly towards Richard. "Thank you for showing mercy, senior." Richard paid him no mind and turned his attention to the other Sect Leaders. At this moment, these people had already united together, with various Treasure Armors and luminous Martial Arts techniques merging as if forming a giant glowing turtle shell. The Sect Leaders within the turtle shell were ready for defense, but Richard scoffed in disdain. These Sect Leaders were not skilled in military formations; their defense was nothing but multiple Shields stacked together. Using his knowledge of Plastic Energy Study, he estimated that this shield could, at best, defend against an attack of thirteen thousand Energy Levels. Thirteen thousand Energy Levels were no different from folding paper in front of Richard. Richard sneered at these Sect Leaders, "It¡¯s good that you¡¯re all together, so you won¡¯t be lonely on your way up." Chapter 510 - 55: Settlement Chapter 510: Chapter 55: SettlementRichard¡¯s figure flashed, suddenly appearing in front of the glowing turtle shell. The Sect Leader facing Richard, seeing his sinister smile, was frightened to the core. "How did this menacing star get so close all of a sudden?" But before he could react, Richard threw a punch, shattering his protective Gang Qi with a bang, and grabbed his head. Immediately after, Richard folded his arm, and with a snap, he forcibly tore off the Sect Leader¡¯s head from his neck. The other Sect Leaders were so terrified by this scene that they lost all their courage, although they were not strangers to such bloody scenes. But no one had ever imagined that someone could do such a thing to a Martial Arts Master... Just when the others thought of escaping, a voice from among the Sect Leaders suddenly roared, "Gentlemen, if we cannot kill this demon star today, we will surely perish here. Do you think your sects can stop him from attacking our Mountain Gate?" Hearing this, Richard looked with interest at the speaker. It was a robust Wild Beastman, resembling a steel tower, who if Richard remembered correctly, should be Yue Fengshan, the Sect Leader of the Taiyue Sect. The Taiyue Sect was the first to attack the Banshan Sect back then and is now the largest sect in Chengshan City after the Banshan Sect. At this moment, Sect Leader Yue¡¯s hair fluttered wildly, his eyes glaring angrily at Richard, looking like an infuriated lion. The other Sect Leaders, encouraged by his roar, quickly gathered around him. "Old Demon Chu, you really think that gaining a bit of understanding of the Heavenly Dao, you can dominate Chengshan City?" Sect Leader Yue roared, and suddenly a mountain phantom emerged around him. Under this mountain phantom, everyone present felt an overwhelming pressure as if a mountain loomed over them. "Oh?! An unexpected gain." Richard was pleasantly surprised looking at Yue Fengshan, not expecting these Wild Beastmen to have comprehended rules. This was a huge gain. So, without waiting for Yue Fengshan to say anything else, a layer of luminescence suddenly lit up on Richard. Soon after, a radiant light burst from his fist, instantly piercing through Yue Fengshan¡¯s mountain phantom and incinerating his head. Even with rules, these third-level creatures were just slightly stronger insects. Immediately after, Richard¡¯s figure moved, his body turning into trails of afterimages. The remaining major sect leaders stood no chance; they all turned into headless corpses. Moments later, Richard returned to the Chengshan Building. Fourteen families in Chengshan Building and now only two remained: the Jiuxiao Sect, used as pawns, and of course, the Banshan Sect, to which Richard belonged. As Richard landed, Kong Xiong hurriedly approached him. "Master is mighty!" Richard nodded slightly, casually saying, "Gather those bodies and hang them at the headquarters, then summon the sect disciples to follow me on a house-to-house reckoning." Kong Xiong was momentarily stunned, then fervently shouted, "Yes!" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Banshan Sect had been declining for too long; it was time to show the people of Chengshan City who truly was the number one sect. After arranging everything, Richard landed on the first floor of the Chengshan Building and kindly spoke to Manager Qian, "Manager Qian, today¡¯s losses are on the Banshan Sect¡¯s account. After today¡¯s events, you can ask Kong Xiong for reimbursement. Annexing his position without any legitimate claim, Richard strode out of the Chengshan Building. Chu Yuan was a drunkard¡ªa good cover, useful for hiding many things¡ªso Richard didn¡¯t plan to abandon it. He opened the jug of liquor, sniffed its fragrance, and theatrically said, "Good wine!" He took a big gulp from the jug, then soared into the air, heading towards the nearest major sect from the Chengshan Building. Today was a day of reckoning; no sect that had encroached on the Banshan Sect would escape. People murmured as they watched Richard¡¯s retreating figure, "Chengshan City is about to change." ... Taiyue Sect Headquarters. A fire blazed into the sky, illuminating half of it, the retaliation from the Banshan Sect so sudden that the Taiyue Sect had no defense and was invaded by the disciples of the Banshan Sect. "Chu Yuan! Are you truly determined to eradicate us today?" In the sky, an elderly Beastman with white hair and a withered body wailed. Not far from him, Richard stood in the air, his body robust and full of vitality, as if in his prime. "Eradicate?" Richard scoffed coldly, "You scoundrels wanted to split my Banshan Sect and dare to bark here!" Without pausing, Richard threw a dazzling punch across the night sky, instantly piercing through the old Beastman¡¯s chest. Though the old Beastman¡¯s fighting spirit was still present, his body couldn¡¯t support him any longer. Spirit, Qi, and Essence are interdependent; without breaking through in all three as either a Martial Artist of the Evil Path or a Grandmaster, relying on any single aspect is unsustainable. Seeing their old Sect Leader punched through by Richard, the morale of the Taiyue Sect disciples plummeted, allowing the numerically inferior Banshan Sect disciples to suppress them. In this atmosphere, many young disciples of the Banshan Sect even broke through their limits on the battlefield, advancing from Martial Artists to Martial Masters. Richard stood in the air, laughing outwardly but inwardly calm. His spiritual power silently swept across those breakthrough Beastmen, covertly memorizing their appearances. The Bloodline Talent of the Wild Beastmen remained unknown in the investigations of Wizards, but according to the Reconnaissance Wizards, this talent allowed them to become first-level creatures without the need for qualifications. That is to say, with specialized training, a Wild Beastman could become a Level 1 Creature upon reaching adulthood. And from the current situation, behind this quality-independent characteristic of Wild Beastmen, hides a deeper secret. Sudden breakthroughs on the battlefield were not uncommon, but the frequency of such breakthroughs among Wild Beastmen was unusually high. In just the battle at Taiyue Sect alone, Richard had witnessed dozens of examples. You must know, the disciples following Richard numbered only a few hundred, and with nearly one percent of them achieving sudden breakthroughs, this completely defied all reasons. Richard thought to himself, "Perhaps, I should conduct some experiments with a few Wild Beastmen." Marking those Wild Beastmen who achieved sudden breakthroughs, Richard¡¯s figure flashed towards the Scripture Pavilion of Taiyue Sect. Richard¡¯s first target upon infiltrating the Taiyue Sect was the Scripture Pavilion. The guards of the pavilion had been slain by Richard before they could kill the old Beastman. To prevent anyone from setting fire to the Scripture Pavilion, Richard even attached a simple Sealing on the upper floors to ensure its safety. His raids on these sects were not for the revenge of the Banshan Sect as he claimed publicly. His real objective was the Martial Arts Secret Manuals of these sects. Analyzing Martial Arts inevitably required vast data as materials. The secret manuals from just the Banshan Sect alone were far from enough. Upon entering the Scripture Pavilion, the rich scent of books invigorated Richard. "The scent of knowledge is always so alluring." Richard waved his hand, and a rift to the Secret Realm opened in mid-air. Shelf after shelf of books were thrown into the Secret Realm by him. In no time, he reached the top floor of the Scripture House. "Oh? Martial Arts Sealing Technique?" Looking at the clearly sealed books in front of him, Richard¡¯s interest was instantly piqued. "This war will definitely advance the Wizard Civilization by a great leap!" Taking away all the sealed books, Richard turned and disappeared from the Scripture House. Before leaving, he also destroyed the Sealing he had left behind. Soon, a great fire started in the Scripture House. Besides the Scripture Pavilion, there was another place in Taiyue Sect worth visiting. Richard flew towards the main hall of the Taiyue Sect, and soon saw Kong Xiong directing disciples from various routes, surrounding the hall. "Kong Xiong, what are you doing?" Richard landed and watched the scene somewhat puzzled. "Master, you have arrived." Upon hearing this, Kong Xiong quickly ran to Richard¡¯s side, "Someone fled into this great hall. According to the disciples of Taiyue Sect who have surrendered, that person should be Yue Fengshan¡¯s son. But there are Qi Men Array flags set by people under Qi Men inside this hall, I did not dare to enter, so I had to surround it and wait for you to come." "Qi Men Array?" Richard turned to look at the great hall, and silently activated his Energy Vision. The Qi Men Array was a type of Magic Array used by Wild Beastmen, but unlike other Magic Arrays, the Qi Men Array relied heavily on treasures. When setting up an array, it often required a precious rarity as the Array Eye, or flags made from some exotic treasures. However, although Qi Men Arrays were not as versatile as Magic Arrays, they possessed significant power. Richard had seen in ancient texts that an Array Master of Qi Men had used a mountain as the flag and a great lake as the Array Eye, connecting Earth Veins¡¯ Magic Power, creating a microcosm within the Array. "Eh? Quite interesting!" Richard looked at the great hall in amazement. This hall showed no change under his Energy Vision. His usually infallible Energy Vision was unexpectedly blocked. Richard approached the front door and pushed open the giant wooden doors of the hall. Inside, the hall was shrouded in mist, a fog of unknown origin enveloped the hall tightly. Richard tried to probe with his spiritual power, but the result was voidness. "Even more interesting." Richard smiled and stepped into the hall. In an instant, he felt as if the heavens and earth around him had shifted. But soon, Richard deciphered the cause behind this sensation. "Magnetic field?" Richard casually waved, and an almost imperceptible flash of lightning passed by, "Influencing my senses with magnetic fields." Having recognized the nature of the interference, dealing with it was not a problem. A faint light glowed over Richard, blocking the magnetic field that affected his senses. Having blocked the magnetic field, Richard felt as if he was back in the Wilderness Land again. To quickly find the hidden youngster, he casually took out a pair of glasses from his pocket, put them on his face, and slightly infused them with Magic Power. The next moment, a wave of energy passed through the curtains, spreading around. Scanning barriers in the surface space couldn¡¯t stop the Dimension Eye. Soon, he turned towards his left and spoke lightly, "Hand over the Array, and I can spare your life." In the mist, Yue Feng looked tense. Not far in front of him, an old Beastman with white hair and beard, with a calm expression, promised him. The look of the old Beastman, as if seeing through the rain and fog concealment Array, fell directly on him. "He is deceiving me! He must be deceiving me!" Yue Feng comforted himself inwardly, this rain and fog concealment Array could even block a Grandmaster¡¯s gaze for a moment, this old Beastman definitely couldn¡¯t see through it momentarily. But the next moment, a voice came from behind him. "Do I really need to ask before you are willing to hand over the items?" Chapter 511 - 56 Qi Men Array Chapter 511: Chapter 56 Qi Men ArrayRichard¡¯s voice startled Yue Feng, sending a rush of True Qi surging through his body and his blood boiling over. In that critical moment, he instinctively employed the Taiyue Fist Technique, the sect martial arts of the Taiyue Sect. Even Yue Feng himself couldn¡¯t believe what he had done. But temporary bursts of power were useless in the face of absolute strength. Richard did not defend, not even bothering to use magic power. With a thud, Richard remained unmoved, while Yue Feng staggered back three steps, the bones in his right fist completely shattered. "My patience is limited. If you don¡¯t make a decision in three seconds, then I¡¯ll make it for you." Hearing Richard¡¯s icy words, Yue Feng felt a chill in his heart. The array had been set up by a Qi Men master invited by his father; how would he have the array map? But faced with Richard, who emanated an aura of unbridled menace, Yue Feng did not dare to utter a hard word and resigned himself, "Kill or flay, your will be done." He had a premonition deep within that if he dared to speak against Richard, he would face a fate far more miserable than death. "I...I...I don¡¯t have the array map, but I can help you find the person who set up this array!" Yue Feng¡¯s response did not surprise Richard. According to information from the Banshan Sect, there was no mention of Qi Men arrays in the Taiyue Sect¡¯s martial arts heritage. Thus, it was likely someone else was invited to set up the array in the grand hall. "Fine." With a wave of his hand, Richard easily whisked Yue Feng out of the hall. Outside the grand hall, Kong Xiong immediately went on high alert upon seeing someone emerge, but his face twisted into a sinister smile when he recognized Yue Feng. "Yue Feng, do you remember your Uncle Kong Xiong? How about we catch up today?" Despite the fear in his heart at Kong Xiong¡¯s grisly visage, Yue Feng managed to reply, "Elder Chu needs me for something important! Would you dare to defy Elder Chu¡¯s wishes?" Upon hearing that his master needed Yue Feng, Kong Xiong tensed up and quickly abandoned his voracious expression. "Master actually has a use for you?" Kong Xiong scrutinized Yue Feng closely. As the son of Yue Fengshan, his martial arts talent was undoubtedly exceptional. Despite being just over two hundred years old, he had already broken through the physical constraints and become a martial master. "You¡¯d better be telling the truth, or once Master comes out, you can expect to be eaten alive by me." Among the Wild Beastmen, cannibalism was no taboo. Devouring the bodies of enemies was a common form of humiliation. Moreover, the bodies of martial artists, hardened by constant training, were considered premium food. Devouring the bodies of martial artists was also greatly beneficial for other martial artists. Kong Xiong¡¯s threat did not intimidate Yue Feng. As the future successor of the Taiyue Sect, he had more to learn than just martial arts. In that brief moment, Yue Feng recognized Kong Xiong¡¯s respect and fear of Richard. As long as Richard needed him, he would be perfectly safe. "Elder Chu has already seen through the array. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he emerges. Why would I lie to buy a bit more time, when my lies could be exposed at any moment?" Kong Xiong gave Yue Feng a surprised look. As a martial arts master, he could clearly sense that Yue Feng¡¯s body was returning to a state of calm. This indicated that the young man was confident that Kong Xiong wouldn¡¯t dare to take action. "This Yue Dog is treacherous and vile, but he has raised a clever son. Once Master is done with this brat, he must be eliminated." Inside the grand hall, Richard strolled leisurely through the Cloud Mist Shadow Array. Its purpose was to trap rather than kill, so wandering aimlessly was safe. Following the guidance of the Dimension Eye, Richard began to systematically remove array flags from within the hall. Boom! With a muffled sound, a palm-sized flag fell into Richard¡¯s hands. The clouds and fog within the grand hall dissipated slightly with the removal of the flag. Witnessing this, Richard¡¯s curiosity about Qi Men arrays grew even stronger. "Interesting. Removing an array flag only weakened the power of the array slightly." Although a wizard¡¯s magic array can still function when one or two runes are destroyed, such damage would greatly reduce the array¡¯s stability. But even after removing array flags from this Qi Men array, Richard did not feel any instability in the array. Be it the clouds or the magnetic field, there was not even the slightest fluctuation. He examined the flag in his hand closely. At first glance, it appeared to be merely a triangular flag tied to an iron rod, but upon closer inspection, he noticed numerous inscriptions engraved on the flag. These inscriptions were different from the basic runes of wizards, more complex, resembling a series of rare runes. But as an Alchemy Master, Richard could tell that these runes were not a random collection of rare runes. "Ancient Seal?" Richard murmured to himself, looking at the inscriptions. The Ancient Seal was a script from the ancient times of the Wild Beastmen, said to be created by the Martial Ancestor, with each character possessing immense power. Storing the array flag carefully, Richard continued to remove other flags. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The clouds and fog inside the grand hall gradually cleared, leaving only a hazy layer, and Richard now reached the depths of the hall. The Cloud Mist Shadow Array was comprised of two layers. After removing the outer flags, Richard entered the Inner Array. The Inner Array is the location of the Array Eye, the core of any array. This information was gathered by Richard from the sect¡¯s ancient texts, containing what the ancestors of the sect had heard from others. The more Array Eyes a Qi Men Array has, the larger the scope of the Magic Array, and the more precious the treasures of the Array Eyes, the greater the power. Richard remained skeptical of this assertion, as it did not mention the significance of the Array Flag. As an integral part of an array, the importance of the Array Flag is undeniable. The Inner Array is different from the Outer Array; as the heart of a Qi Men Array, it has a certain level of protection. Eight flags, clearly more delicate than those of the Outer Array, were enveloped by an invisible field. As Richard extended his right hand into the field, he immediately felt a tingling sensation. This invisible field was attacking him at the cellular level. After feeling it for a moment, Richard murmured to himself, "If this were a typical second-level creature entering this field, its flesh might disintegrate on the spot. Unfortunately, its power is somewhat lacking against third-level creatures, and even more useless against me." He pulled out the Array Flags, and the next moment, a wave of considerable energy fluctuations emanated from the Array, instantly dispersing all the mist in the great hall. The Cloud Mist Shadow Array, broken! Having removed the eight Inner Array Flags, Richard casually took the green stone that acted as the Array Eye and was constantly emitting mist into his hand. "So this is what it was, a rare item indeed." After securing the stone, Richard lightly tapped his toes and flew out of the hall. "Where¡¯s the boy?" Kong Xiong hurriedly brought Yue Feng to Richard¡¯s side: "Here, Master." Yue Feng looked at the old demon before him; his emotions, which had calmed down, became tumultuous once again. Richard gave him a strange feeling; that indifferent gaze made Yue Feng feel like he was not a person, but rather an object. "Tell me about the origins of this Qi Men Array, and take me to that Qi Men individual tomorrow." Richard¡¯s voice was quite ordinary, but carried an authoritative weight that brooked no denial. Yue Feng immediately recited the well-rehearsed history he had in his mind. "This Qi Men Array was left by a Qi Men individual whom my father met by chance while training in the wilderness. Later, due to being pursued by enemies, my father hid this Qi Men individual in a manor outside Chengshan City." "A manor?" Kong Xiong asked fiercely, "Qi Men individuals are so rare that they would be treated with utmost regard even within a Sect. How dare the Taiyue Sect place such a Qi Men individual in a manor outside the city? Who are you trying to fool!" Richard glanced at Yue Feng, who hastily explained: "This Qi Men individual disliked the bustle of the city with too many people, so he specifically requested a manor be built for him outside the city. I swear on the Martial Ancestor, there is no deception in my words!" Kong Xiong wanted to say something more but was stopped by Richard. "Enough, Kong Xiong. Arrange a room for him. The day is drawing to a close, and I imagine that Qi Men individual will be resting. It¡¯s not good to disturb people at night." Kong Xiong retracted his fierce expression and respectfully said, "Yes, Master." ... The next morning, Richard set aside the Array Flags and casually pocketed the paper with "Ancient Seal" characters written on it from the table. The workmanship of the Inner Array Flags was exquisite, but alas, they still did not reach the level of fine quality. Thus, the Miracle Furnace would not be of much help. However, Richard, after all, was an Alchemy Master; relying solely on the Miracle Furnace would indeed be a waste of his talents. Under Richard¡¯s manipulation, the Ancient Seal characters on these Array Flags were imprinted by him. There were a total of sixteen imprinted Ancient Seal characters, with the text on the Array Flags formed by varying the order and placement of these sixteen characters. "An amazing system," Richard murmured, "Each character is a rare Rune, yet these Runes belong to the same system." In the alchemy system of the Wizard World, a rare Rune is often the core of a Magic Array. But the Ancient Seal of the Wild Beastmen used rare Runes as basic Runes, vastly simplifying the construction of the Array. Where a long series of basic Runes would normally be needed, now only one Rune was sufficient. This significantly optimized the size and energy consumption of the Magic Array. Therefore, whether for his personal benefit or the future of the Wizard World, Richard had to obtain this Qi Men Ancient Seal. Leaving the courtyard, Richard found Kong Xiong, who had also spent the night awake. "Bring that boy to me, I¡¯m going to find that Qi Men individual." Kong Xiong looked at Richard, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly said, "Master, I think that boy is deceiving you. You killed his father, yet the boy is not seeking revenge in a rage, which is saying something. Now, without even being questioned, he¡¯s being so cooperative. I suspect there must be a problem, perhaps there¡¯s some sort of trap hidden in that manor outside." Richard nodded slightly and then countered, "What kind of trap do you think could ensnare me?" Kong Xiong was taken aback, at a loss for a response. Richard could withstand the onslaught of eleven martial masters without injury; what could the Taiyue Sect possibly do with any trap they set against him? "You see, even you can¡¯t answer," Richard said indifferently. "So hurry up and bring the boy." "...Yes." Chapter 512 - 57: You Actually Know About Other Worlds Chapter 512: Chapter 57: You Actually Know About Other WorldsOutside of Chengshan City, Richard followed Yue Feng as they moved forward. "Senior, this manor is extremely well-hidden; ordinary people simply cannot find it." As he spoke, Yue Feng brushed aside the road-blocking weeds that were taller than a man, revealing a narrow path. "Senior, this way." Richard surveyed the surroundings, his brows furrowing slightly. With his senses far surpassing those of third-level creatures, he acutely detected something amiss with the energy environment around them. It seemed as though someone was observing them through some medium. "Ulysses, have you noticed anything?" Richard asked Ulysses on his shoulder with a spiritual message. "Just someone peeping at us." S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ulysses¡¯s voice was somewhat indolent. Yesterday, Richard was responsible for killing people while Ulysses handled the reconnaissance. It was Ulysses who had discovered the Scripture Houses of several sects. After such high-intensity reconnaissance, Ulysses was slightly fatigued. "Qi Men Array?" Richard speculated in his mind. As a Qi Men Array Master being hunted, it was quite normal to make some arrangements at his hiding place. Following the path, Richard quickly arrived at a residence situated halfway up the mountain. In the manor, half-beast slaves were cleaning the road. Seeing Richard and Yue Feng approaching, a half-beast dressed as a steward stepped forward and said, "Young Sect Leader, Mr. Wu has been waiting for the two of you for quite some time." Upon hearing this, Yue Feng¡¯s expression tightened. He stealthily glanced at Richard, and only after seeing that Richard had no reaction did he let out a sigh of relief. The steward¡¯s words were too easy to misunderstand. Although he did indeed want to escape the grasp of that old demon through Mr. Wu¡¯s help, he hadn¡¯t made any preparations beforehand. "Lead the way," Richard said calmly. Following the steward, the two entered a massive wooden mansion at the center of the manor. There, an oddly dressed, very aged half-beast lay on a recliner, leisurely sunbathing. This old beast wore only a robe, with a gourd tied around his waist and worn straw sandals on his feet. His robe seemed to be sewn together from many colorful fabric scraps. The hairpin in his hair was also made of ordinary wood, devoid of any gemstones. Upon entering, Yue Feng bowed to the old beast and said, "Mr. Wu." But the old beast seemed not to hear, lying motionless on the recliner. Yue Feng¡¯s face turned somewhat awkward as he called out again, "Mr. Wu." Still, the old beast did not respond. Just as Yue Feng was about to call out again, he heard Richard beside him say, "Don¡¯t bother calling; a pre-arranged illusion won¡¯t respond to you." Richard looked around, sensing that the space of this courtyard had been separated from the outside world by some technique similar to a space anchor. At this moment, the courtyard was akin to a sealed space. "I am very curious as to what exactly you are." A voice came from outside the courtyard, and the two turned to see Mr. Wu, draped in a colorful robe, holding a rough wooden staff, nonchalantly watching Richard. Richard pointed at himself and replied, "Are you talking about me?" "Is there anyone else here?" "Doesn¡¯t this person beside me count?" "Dead men don¡¯t count." Saying this, Mr. Wu tapped his wooden staff on the ground, and Yue Feng at Richard¡¯s side began to feel a sharp, intense pain coursing through his body. An invisible force enveloped him, and within moments, his body dissolved into a puddle of filth. Richard glanced at Yue Feng and asked in an even tone, "Is this the work of Qi Men¡¯s strange means? It looks quite impressive." Mr. Wu said indifferently, "You haven¡¯t yet answered my question. Are you a creature from another Grotto Heaven? Or are you a being from beyond the heavens?" "So, you¡¯re aware of other worlds," Richard¡¯s interest was piqued by this statement, "that is indeed a bit unusual." Ordinary Wild Beastmen of the Wilderness Land, and even sects like the Banshan Sect, were unaware of other worlds outside their realm. In their world view, the Wilderness World was the only world within the Star Realm. Beyond the Wilderness Land, there was only chaos. "It seems you come from outside this world," Mr. Wu said, excitement flashing across his face. "Lord Saint¡¯s knowledge was indeed correct; there sure are new worlds beyond the Wilderness!" "Lord Saint?" Richard¡¯s expression became odd upon hearing this. In the Wilderness Land, the term "Lord Saint" was only used by one power. Mr. Wu looked at Richard with dissatisfaction, "Otherworldly monster, if you want to live, then shut your mouth." "And what if I don¡¯t?" Richard challenged. "Then...." Mr. Wu was about to use a Qi Men Array to teach Richard a lesson, but before he could lift his staff, he saw a figure standing in front of him. Richard removed the "Invisible Face," looking mockingly at the old beastman before him. "In front of a Wizard, fiddling with space, Alien, you are a bit overconfident." There were five methods Richard knew of that could break a Space Anchor. Seeing Richard had broken through his Array, Mr. Ulysses¡¯s body suddenly trembled and a strong wave of energy burst forth from within him. Bang! Richard grabbed Mr. Ulysses¡¯s fist, looking somewhat surprised. In just a short moment, Mr. Ulysses had transformed from a previously thin old man into a four-meter-tall muscle-bound devil. Mr. Ulysses now had a sturdy figure, his body flushed red as red vapors continuously seeped from within him, resembling a demon that had crawled out from Hell. "Otherworldly monster, don¡¯t underestimate me... Aaah!" Richard released his grip expressionlessly; at this moment, Mr. Ulysses¡¯s fist had been squashed into a ball of flesh and bone fused together. "Alien, you think too highly of yourself." In front of Richard, a being that had transcended the limits of third-level creatures, Mr. Ulysses¡¯s strength was merely akin to a turtle that had become a child. Mr. Ulysses¡¯s face turned fearful as he turned to flee, but before he could move, he felt a surge of intense pain in his body. Looking down, he saw several metal spikes nailed into several major acupoints that were vital for the flow of his Cultivation Technique. Richard looked at Mr. Ulysses with a "kind" smile: "Don¡¯t rush off, I also have many things I¡¯d like to ask you." Behind Richard, a Secret Realm Rift opened, and with Mr. Ulysses¡¯s despairing gaze upon him, Richard took him into the Secret Realm. Three hours later, Richard stood with the interrogation record in his hands in front of Mr. Ulysses, whose body bore numerous cuts and whose soul was shattered, nodding in satisfaction. "Not bad, it mostly checks out." After three hours of interrogation, Richard had successfully extracted from Mr. Ulysses the information he desired. As he had guessed, Mr. Ulysses was a Magic Martial Artist. And the "Saint" he mentioned was the Demon Lord from the Wild Beastmen¡¯s mythological legends. Wizards didn¡¯t have much intelligence on Magic Martial Artists, as these warriors were almost universally loathed in the Wilderness Land. Discovering one would immediately prompt the local Sects to send people to exterminate them. It was difficult for common folk to acquire intelligence on these warriors. According to Mr. Ulysses¡¯s testimony, he was originally just an ordinary Qi Men practitioner, wandering through the Wilderness Land and seeking various unique Fung Shui formations to aid his cultivation. But during one such Fung Shui Qi cultivation, he touched upon a colossal will in a haze. That will was immense yet seemingly not fully awake. After touching it, Mr. Ulysses was innately infused with a mishmash of information. Upon waking up, Mr. Ulysses became a Magic Martial Artist. After becoming a Magic Martial Artist, Mr. Ulysses didn¡¯t undergo a drastic change of temperament, as rumors suggested. He continued seeking Fung Shui Qi formations as usual, but differently, ideas began popping up in his mind without reason, prompting him to alter the Qi formations. The altered Qi formations became more conducive to his cultivation, and his martial prowess advanced by leaps and bounds. Later, during one such Fung Shui alteration, he encountered a Qi Men practitioner who was also a Magic Martial Artist. Introduced by him, he joined the organization known by the Wilderness Land¡¯s Sects as the Demon Sect. And thus, he became a Deacon of the Demon Sect in Chengshan City. Indeed, Mr. Ulysses was not hunted down; everything Yue Fengshan knew was fabricated by Mr. Ulysses and the Demon Sect¡¯s minions. "The Demon Lord is not dead, he¡¯s just sealed..." Richard gazed at the last sentence of the testimony, furrowing his brow slightly. If the Demon Lord was not dead, then their expedition would inevitably confront a Star Realm Master. Although Wizards didn¡¯t plan to enslave the Wild Beastmen, the World Master among them would definitely be eliminated. Richard didn¡¯t believe that these Martial Arts Grandmasters would be noble enough to die without willingly breaking the Demon Lord Seal, especially considering the information they had obtained about the Demon Sect, indicating that these Major Sects controlled the nodes of the Pioneer Relics which were the Demon Lord Seal. Richard sighed lightly, "Alas, the great world indeed is no easy target." Apart from the news about the Demon Sect, Mr. Ulysses¡¯s testimony included information about Qi Men. These pieces of knowledge, after being compared through a Soul Search by Richard, turned out to be mostly accurate. Putting the testimony in his pocket, Richard approached Mr. Ulysses, removed the gourd from his waist. Probing with his spiritual power, Richard erased Mr. Ulysses¡¯s mark from the gourd. This gourd was named Qiankun Gourd, a Magic Bag from the Wild Beastmen. Unlike the Magic Pockets that every Wizard Apprentice in the Wizard World could afford, the Qiankun Gourd was costly, with a larger space. However, surprisingly, the Qiankun Gourd was not crafted by artisans; only Qi Men practitioners could create it. With a slight infusion of Magic Power, the Qiankun Bag spat out a multitude of items. Most were various strange things used for setting up Arrays and Array Flags, as well as some scattered Magic Essences and Elemental Gems. However, among them, only two items caught Richard¡¯s attention: one was a tattered Qi Men book, and the other was a strangely patterned mask. The Qi Men book needed no further explanation, but that mask was the disguise Mr. Ulysses wore when attending the Demon Sect¡¯s gatherings. As a target for universal persecution, the Demon Sect members did not know each other¡¯s real identities to prevent one discovery from leading to a mass capture; they called each other by code names. Richard held the mask in his hand, and the more he examined the intricate patterns, the more intrigued he became. Suddenly, Richard¡¯s body jerked, and he quickly moved the mask away. "Ulysses, take a look at this thing!" Richard looked at the mask with a trace of apprehension; the patterns on this mask could influence him¡ªa being who had transcended human limits. Chapter 513 - 58 Wizard Dimension Chapter 513: Chapter 58 Wizard DimensionUlysses came at the call. "What¡¯s the situation with this little guy... Gah! Get rid of that thing now!" Seeing the mask in Richard¡¯s hands, Ulysses reacted as if he had seen a ghost, his whole bird so frightened that it seemed it would explode with feathers. Richard, hearing this, didn¡¯t ask further and immediately opened the Secret Realm Rift, tossing the mask out. "What did you see inside this thing?" Ulysses replied, still unsettled with fear, "There¡¯s a Divine King¡¯s Thought inhabiting that thing! You didn¡¯t wear it just now, did you?" Richard quickly shook his head, "No, no, I called you over because I sensed something was off about it." Hearing that Richard had not worn it, Ulysses breathed a sigh of relief. "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t wear it. If you had, that Thought would have infected you by now. A Divine King¡¯s Thought is not to be meddled with, and unless you become a real World Master, the slightest touch can infect you with its Thought." Richard felt a chill hearing this, for just a Thought to possess such power. No wonder beings transcending Sixth Level were called Star Realm Masters. Ulysses then reopened the rift and retrieved the mask. Holy Light shone from him as he inscribed a strange symbol on the mask. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He then tossed the mask back to Richard. "Now the Thought has been sealed by me, and since this thing could house a Thought of a Divine King level being, it must be a significant item. You may find it useful in the future." Richard caught the mask and re-examined it. After Ulysses¡¯s Sealing, the mask no longer possessed the same unique allure it had before. At the same time, the Miracle Furnace provided information at this moment. [Material: Mysterious Mask] [Extractable Information: Martial Arts Array: Concealing Breath] [Extraction cost: 20 spiritual power] [Extractable Technique: Martial Arts Refining Technique (incomplete)] [Extraction cost: 10 spiritual power] "The lack of prompts earlier, was it because of that Thought?" Richard mused, looking at the information before him. After extracting the techniques and information, the mask was of no more use to Richard. Although the mask could serve as a symbol of identity, allowing Richard to blend into the Demon Sect, he had no immediate intentions of infiltrating such a dangerous force. In a war, the first to the battlefield would certainly be the Major Sects; a sewer rat like the Demon Sect would probably never surface until the very end. Moreover, now that the Thought in the mask had been sealed by Ulysses, anyone from the Demon Sect would instantly know something was amiss. Wearing this mask to infiltrate would be nothing short of delivering oneself to the enemy. However, Richard suddenly thought of a way to repurpose this ¡¯waste.¡¯ "Ulysses, undo this Sealing." "Undo it? This thing is very dangerous, make sure you think this through." Richard smiled faintly, "As long as you don¡¯t look at it, there¡¯s no danger, and I just thought of a way to make use of this ¡¯waste.¡¯" The Martial Arts Sects constantly issued orders to hunt down the Demon Path, and this mask could perfectly serve as a symbol to claim those rewards. If he remembered correctly, Chengshan City was under the jurisdiction of a Martial Arts Sect named Wuxiang Valley. The old Sect Master of this sect had been in power for over ten thousand years, going through numerous wars, and it was rumored that his lifespan was burning to its end. Taking this opportunity, he might be able to infiltrate Wuxiang Valley and obtain some Martial Arts Classics. Seeing that Richard had a plan, Ulysses did not ask further and directly undid the Lun Rune on the mask. In an instant, the mask became once again demonic in nature. But this time Richard was prepared; the mask¡¯s allure had a limited effect on him. Putting the mask in a box, Richard then left the Secret Realm. With a sweep of his spiritual power, he saw that all the Wild Beastmen on the estate had fainted. These Wild Beastmen were not Martial Artists; to beings like Richard, transcendent of the mundane, even a breath of his Qi was enough to make them fall unconscious. Considering these mortals, Richard pondered for a moment and decided to give them a chance at life. , After he handed the mask over to someone from Wuxiang Valley, these mortals would most likely be taken away for questioning. Killing them all might make things more suspicious. Leaving the estate, he found a mountaintop and took out a complex set of Alchemy Machinery from his pocket and began to assemble it on the spot. This equipment was to send messages to the Floating City outside the world, as the Demon Sect¡¯s message was extremely important, and the Wizard side must prepare for it. A Star Realm Master sealed for who knows how many tens of thousands of years, its morning mood, was not something even Garon the Great Wizard might withstand. The communication device looked like a pyramid made of machinery and crystals, but at the top of the pyramid, a hemisphere-shaped metal pot with an opening was inserted into the center by the pyramid¡¯s spire. After assembling the entire set of equipment, Richard determined the general position of the Floating City on the control Crystal Ball, and then converted the message he knew into codes and inputted them into the device. Soon, the information input was complete; the tip of the Communication Pyramid glowed faintly, and the walls of the metal pot began to display fine runes. Under the resonance of the runes, the crystal tip shot a fine yet intensely solid beam of light skyward. The World Barrier could block many things, but it would not impede light. ... In the Star Realm, the Floating City drifted silently across the boundless Sea of Ether. There was no need for combat now, and the power furnace of the Floating City had been turned down to its minimum, making this terrifying metal giant beast look as though it had died. Suddenly, a faint light pierced into the bottom of the Floating City, into a giant crystal enveloped by an energy barrier. Before long, the information within the light was decoded into text and handed over to the command center. "The sealed Star Realm Master?" Garon the Great Wizard looked at the intelligence his subordinates handed him, his brow slightly furrowed. The message Richard sent was indeed shocking. If the war came down to the wire and these Wild Beastmen truly became desperate enough to release the Star Realm Master, then the Wizards were in for a big loss. Even the weakest Star Realm Master was still a Dominator, and unless it came to his own situation, ordinary Sixth Level World Masters were mere toys in front of a Star Realm Master. The first thing a Star Realm Master, sealed for many years, would do upon breaking its seal would certainly be to replenish its body. While a Star Realm Master wouldn¡¯t starve to death, without energy replenishment, they too would grow hungry. And what was the best way to replenish energy? The answer was naturally to eat. The energy in the air, formed Energy Barytes, life forms rich in energy... these were all food. And as beings at the World Master level, Great Wizards¡¯ bodily essence was incomparable to that of billions of lower-level lives. Garon the Great Wizard muttered softly, "Indeed, just me holding the fort is somewhat insufficient." With that, he sighed and broke the seal on himself. "Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t completely sealed; otherwise, it would have been a bit troublesome." After breaking the seal, Garon the Great Wizard waved his hand, and countless Runes arranged themselves in the air to form a huge door. In the Star Realm, it was impossible to transmit information over long distances in the surface world. Under the erosion of ether, no matter how solid the energy, it would be eroded. Therefore, to transmit information over long distances, one must travel beneath the veil, relying on the power of dimensional worlds. Through the door, Garon the Great Wizard arrived in a strange world. The sky in this world was gloomy, with Spires standing tall everywhere. In the sky, ancient clouds obscured the entire heavens, and on the ground, everything this world had to offer ranged from old-fashioned rough stone Spires to the once-popular gothic Wizard Towers, to the current Wizard-preferred comfortable, squat Wizard Towers. Within these Wizard Towers, countless Wizards clad in black or white robes, their faces obscured, were conducting all sorts of experiments on their workbenches. The screams of Alien creatures, the occasional explosions, and the evil laughter that mixed in became the never-ending background music of this world. Garon the Great Wizard murmured to himself, "The Wizard Dimension, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been here." He looked off into the distance, where within his line of sight, a Floating City as large as a mountain range hovered quietly in the center of the world. That was the City of Eternal Truth of the Wizard Dimension. With one step, Garon the Great Wizard appeared atop the City of Eternal Truth. Different from the tiny, outdated City of Eternal Truth in the Wizard World, this City of Eternal Truth in the Wizard Dimension was immensely huge, and all the technology used was the latest generation. Furthermore, this Floating City was also a living creature. This fearsome creature had a world within it, with countless Alien Slaves imprisoned inside, eternally providing its maintenance. Beyond that, it was also a factory, where, under the supervision of Wizard overseers, hundreds of thousands of Alien Slaves toiled away diligently at the bottom. Beside them, a small-scale Floating City was slowly taking shape. As soon as he stepped onto the Floating City, a black-robed Wizard with an indiscernible face emerged from the air and respectfully said to Garon the Great Wizard: "Lord Garon, welcome to the City of Eternal Skies." Garon the Great Wizard glanced at him and said, "I wish to convene the Council of Truth." "As you wish." ... Inside the world, Richard looked at the confirmation message returned by the command center and contentedly stored the device in the Secret Realm. The command center took his intelligence very seriously and had already made a note of it in the book of military exploits. Roughly estimating, his current military exploits were enough to fully exchange for a Great Wizard¡¯s promotion qualification. After leaving the mountain top, Richard immediately returned to Chengshan City. Chengshan City was somewhat chaotic today; Richard had spent the whole of yesterday clearing out eleven out of fourteen families, and now only the Jiuxiao Sect and the Jiao Dragon Association remained uncleared. The vast territories occupied by these Sects were like a huge cake for the Banshan Sect. To quickly finish the cake, the actions of the Banshan Sect were rather rough. Kong Xiong¡¯s attitude was simple: submit or die. As Richard flew across the sky, he looked down at the chaotic Chengshan City with a slight frown. As a Sect of Chengshan City, they bore the responsibility of paying taxes. With Chengshan City in such disorder, this year¡¯s tax load was likely to kill people. This was not a good thing. He planned to use Chengshan City as a base to gradually nibble away at the surrounding cities. But if his own home base was unwelcoming, how could he carry out his plan? Flying to the Sect headquarters, Richard found Kong Xiong, who was tallying treasures. "Kong Xiong, how are you managing the people below!" Chapter 514 - 59: Stabilizing the Rear, Wuxiang Valley Chapter 514: Chapter 59: Stabilizing the Rear, Wuxiang ValleyRichard¡¯s questioning startled Kong Xiong, and the treasure sword he had scavenged from the Taiyue Sect¡¯s warehouse fell to the ground. "Master, who dared to offend you? Just say the word, and I¡¯ll boil them alive for you." Kong Xiong¡¯s response silently made Richard shake his head; his subordinate¡¯s intelligence clearly wasn¡¯t very high. "Idiot!" Richard coldly said, "Who could possibly trouble me? Who would dare? I entrusted you with the task of taking over other sects¡¯ territories. How did you manage that? Chengshan City is about to be turned into complete chaos by our disciples!" Only then did Kong Xiong realize that his master was talking about this issue. He breathed a slight sigh of relief and said with an air of indifference, "Master, our disciples have been suppressed for so long; let them make a fuss." He thumped his chest, guaranteeing, "I assure you, the tax burden will definitely be met this year!" Kong Xiong¡¯s chest-thumping promise didn¡¯t satisfy Richard; what he wanted was not the tax revenue, but the people¡¯s hearts and stability. "You fool! Do you think I don¡¯t know how to exploit the people?" Richard reprimanded harshly, "I want stability! Now, go out there immediately and summon back all the disciples. And you¡¯re still letting them run wild? Do you have any idea how many people could die this year? Does the Banshan Sect still want to recruit disciples in Chengshan City?" After being scolded, Kong Xiong didn¡¯t understand Richard¡¯s thinking but still hastily put down what he had in his hands and left the warehouse. In the eyes of Kong Xiong and the vast majority of Wild Beastman Martial Artists, mortals are like weeds on the ground; cut them down this year, and they will grow back the next. There are plenty of people in the Wilderness who want to enter the city; even if Chengshan City¡¯s populace dies out, they could still bring in enough outsiders to fill the gap. Hearts of the people? Can that be eaten or can it strengthen a sect? As long as I am willing, there are plenty of robust young men in the Wilderness ready to join the sect. Compared to the perils of Wild Bandits, Wild Beasts, and various natural disasters in the Wilderness, these city taxes are not unbearable. But Richard wanted more than just the survival of the Banshan Sect; he wanted it to grow strong enough to serve as a standard. Only then would the Banshan Sect be worthy of being supported by the Wizards. Not long after Kong Xiong left, a long, resounding bell echoed throughout Chengshan City. Hearing the bell, the Banshan Sect disciples returned to headquarters, though puzzled. One hour later, the disciples of the Banshan Sect gathered in a plaza at the headquarters. Richard stood in the sky with a stern expression and said, "I don¡¯t like idle talk, so I¡¯ll be blunt. Concerning the recapture of other sects¡¯ territories, I am very dissatisfied with your actions. Extortion, robbery, rape, and pillage¡ªdo you act like disciples of the Banshan Sect? If people didn¡¯t know better, they might think Wild Bandits had broken into the city!" As Richard spoke, he intentionally used Soul Witchcraft, and under his rebuke, martial artists on the ground bowed their heads in shame. Although their morality was very low, it was not nonexistent. Under the effect of the Soul Witchcraft, their tiny sense of morality magnified, and feelings of shame surged from their hearts. "I won¡¯t say much else. From now on, all disciples of the Banshan Sect must strictly follow the new sect rules. No exceptions for anyone! If I find out about any more rape and pillage, whoever is responsible, I¡¯ll boil them!" After speaking, Richard passed a sheet of paper to Kong Xiong and then swept his sleeve as he left. Kong Xiong opened the paper and looked at the numerous rules, his face turning embarrassed. Richard had added a lot of provisions in the new sect rules about not disturbing the people and not oppressing the commoners, and violations were punished severely with penalties such as amputation, branding, or even beheading. "As martial artists, we can¡¯t oppress those mud-legged peasants... Ever since Master went into retreat, he¡¯s been getting weirder and weirder." ... The implementation of the new sect rules went smoothly; after Richard beheaded a few disciples himself, all Banshan Sect disciples began to follow the rules. Under the constraints of the new rules, the turmoil in Chengshan City soon ended. The local snakes from various areas also left their names at the Banshan Sect, who would collect taxes from them in the future. The power over eleven great sects¡¯ territories, which covered more than half of Chengshan City, along with the smaller sects that swore fealty beneath them, almost turned Chengshan City into the word of the Banshan Sect alone. This had never happened before in the history of Chengshan City. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It took Kong Xiong one week to compile the treasury of the eleven great sects, along with the submitted sect disciples, into a record. Among these, the Magic Essence, referred to as Yuan Crystals by the Wild Beastman, totaled a massive fifty million, not to mention various medicinal elixirs, Treasure Soldiers, and tradeable Holy Sect Coins. When adding these up, the total assets of the eleven great sects were nearly one billion Magic Essence. Even for a Wizard Academy, this was a substantial sum. "Our base wealth is indeed substantial," Richard remarked as he glanced at the records with a faint sigh. The thought that a city¡¯s sects could amass so much made him consider that a historical sect with a longer heritage could result in looting that could fund an entire Plane expedition. Among these records, Richard selected some materials useful to Qi Men, and the rest he tossed into the warehouse. There was no use for these items at the moment, and keeping them in the warehouse would build his persona. The major reshuffle caused by the dissolution of the eleven sects quickly passed, and thanks to Richard¡¯s deliberate maintenance, Chengshan City did not experience any chaos. The city¡¯s populace began living their lives as normal. If nothing unexpected occurred, this year¡¯s tax burden should not be lethal. In the past, sects¡¯ exploitation of commoners was so severe that death was a common occurrence. So, as long as Richard ensured no deaths, Chengshan City¡¯s foundation would be very solid. Among a group of inhuman things, to humanize is also a form of progress. After completing his work in Chengshan City, Richard sent news of the slain Magic Martial Artist to Wuxiang Valley. To hide his own strength, Richard even returned to the manor house on purpose, creating a multitude of signs of combat, and used Mind Witchcraft to brainwash the mortal servants to ensure they would not speak out of turn. A week after sending the message, a response finally came. Wuxiang Valley sent a team specifically to escort that mask. ... "May I ask, where is the mask?" In the main hall of the Banshan Sect headquarters, disciples from Wuxiang Valley were lined up in two rows, and a middle-aged Wild Beastman leading the team asked Richard. "It¡¯s here." Richard took out the box, which had been previously prepared, from the Qiankun Gourd, then discreetly observed the disciples of Wuxiang Valley. Wuxiang Valley, an ancient sect with a history of several epochs, possesses the Sect Martial Arts known as Faceless Holy Scripture, claiming to be formless and faceless, and able to emulate the martial arts of a hundred different sects. However, in recent years, there has been a generational gap among the disciples of Wuxiang Valley. It is rumored that this sect¡¯s martial arts place a significant emphasis on the Divine and Qi. Those who practice this art need not break the physical shackles but rather overcome the Void Heart Tribulation. Judging by the elite status of these disciples, either the rumors about Wuxiang Valley are false, or the Valley regards this mask with extreme importance. The middle-aged leader carefully took the box, then took out an Elixir from the gourd at his waist and swallowed it. Once the medicine began to take effect, he carefully nudged the box open a sliver. The allure of the mask seeped through the small opening to the middle-aged man, who immediately closed the box upon feeling this seductive force. After completing all this, he respectfully performed a cupped-hand salute to Richard. "Who would have thought, in this small Chengshan City, there would exist such a Martial Arts Master. This Evil Demon was fated to meet its end at the hands of the Master. However, I have a question for the Master. Have you ever worn this mask?" Richard frowned slightly upon hearing this, "Of course not. This mask is so sinister; I try my best to avoid it, how could I possibly wear it?" Upon hearing Richard¡¯s words, the middle-aged man¡¯s expression shifted, seemingly shocked that Richard could resist the temptation of the mask. The middle-aged man saluted again, "The Master is formidable. May I ask what the Master desires?" Richard nodded slightly, and voiced the answer he had prepared in advance. "I wish to browse the Book Collection Building of Wuxiang Valley." The middle-aged man wasn¡¯t surprised by Richard¡¯s response. Since Richard had managed to slay a Magic Martial Artist single-handedly, his strength was naturally extraordinary. A martial artist of this realm would certainly seek to advance further. "Please, Master, wait a day. After we investigate the residences of these Evil Demons, we will escort the Master back to the Sect." ... In the manor where Mr. Wu lived, the disciples of Wuxiang Valley began to question the servants who served Mr. Wu one by one. Meanwhile, the middle-aged leader silently observed Mr. Wu¡¯s residence. "Second Uncle, what are you looking at?" A crisp voice came from behind the middle-aged man. He turned to see a short-statured female disciple of Wuxiang Valley curiously looking at him. "Nothing much, I¡¯m just pondering how the old Sect Leader of Banshan managed to suppress that Evil Demon." "What is there to ponder?" the disciple wondered, "The martial arts of these small Sects aren¡¯t worth imitating." The middle-aged man shook his head, "It¡¯s not that simple. Look around at the surroundings. Although these houses are damaged, overall, it seems the Evil Demon was entirely suppressed by the old Sect Leader all along. But do you know who this Evil Demon was?" "Who?" The middle-aged man sighed slightly, "It was Bing Monkey." Within the Demon Sect, those who have the masks number one hundred and twenty, and their titles are combinations of the Twelve Animals and Heavenly Stems. Bing Monkey is among the top thirty-six most ferocious among these one hundred and twenty. Even he would not dare claim to be able to slay Bing Monkey. Not to mention, the old Sect Leader fought within Bing Monkey¡¯s lair. Although the middle-aged man wasn¡¯t versed in Qi Men techniques, he knew some strange means. The local Qi here had clearly been altered, indicating there was once a Qi Men Array in place. To suppress Bing Monkey with a full Qi Men Array, the old Sect Leader¡¯s strength might be even more terrifying than the rumors suggest. "Second Uncle, the questioning is finished; they know nothing." A disciple approached the middle-aged man and reported with a bow. "Know nothing?" The middle-aged man frowned slightly. He had thought that with survivors, they might uncover something, but it turned out to be nothing. "Let¡¯s go back then." "What about these people?" "What else can we do? They¡¯ve been with that Evil Demon for so long, who knows if they¡¯ve been infected. Kill them all; collect their ashes and bring them back to the Sect for burial." "Yes!" Chapter 515 - 60 I Also Do Not Kill the Nameless Ghost Chapter 515: Chapter 60 I Also Do Not Kill the Nameless GhostWuxiang Valley was not far from Chengshan City, or rather, all the cities belonging to Wuxiang Valley were not far from the valley itself. The Wilderness Land was vast, and land was the least valuable asset. Almost all major cities spread radially outward from the sect at their center. If there were exceptions, it meant that the land held some resource so rare that even the sects considered it precious. Most blood battles between sects occurred because of this. Martial Artists and Wizards were different; Martial Arts consumed enormous amounts of resources. A Wizard just needed to practice the Meditation Method to easily reach the peak of their current level. But Martial Artists were different. Besides needing to spend a great amount of time visualizing to enhance their spiritual power, they also had to consume vast quantities of Magic Potions and Magic Beast flesh, either through dietary means or medicinal baths. And because the efficiency of visualization diagrams was so poor, the vast majority of Martial Artists in the Wilderness Land promoted to higher levels through Physique Evolution. Wild Beastmen called this act "breaking the shackles." After flying with the Wuxiang Valley team for seven days, Richard finally arrived at Wuxiang Valley. The journey was smooth sailing, much to the relief of the middle-aged man leading the team. This leader, a middle-aged man named Liu Wuming, was the youngest disciple of the current Sect Leader of Wuxiang Valley. This mission was his first time leading the disciples of Wuxiang Valley on an external task. Although the name of Wuxiang Valley suggested a valley, the headquarters were actually situated atop a mountain. Richard followed the disciples of Wuxiang Valley to the Mountain Gate, looking at the cloud-enshrouded peaks ahead, he thought to himself, "Qi Men Array." Just as the thought passed through Richard¡¯s mind, Liu Wuming said, "Master Chu, our Wuxiang Valley is surrounded by a Qi Men Array. If we fly over the area, we¡¯ll be attacked by Wild Beasts hidden in the clouds, so we will need to walk the rest of the way." Richard nodded slightly, "Then let us proceed on foot." Walking along the mountain path, the mist created by the Qi Men Array prevented Richard from clearly seeing the surroundings. However, with his senses that were beyond the ordinary, he could distinctly feel the lurking dangers hidden deep within the clouds. The Qi Men Array could trap people, and it could also kill. The path ahead was full of forks, each leading to different places. Liu Wuming navigated the forks with familiarity, and after going down the last one, Richard suddenly felt a sense of openness. Before him, a majestic hall resonated with deep, solemn chants. "Once we pass through this hall, we will officially be entering Wuxiang Valley." Richard observed the hall and covertly activated his Energy Vision. The next instant, the dense network of energy pathways inside the hall entered his view. "This hall is not simple," Richard remarked calmly. Liu Wuming chuckled lightly, "The Master has keen eyes. This hall is the final barrier of Wuxiang Valley. Within this hall, all methods of disguise will fail." Hearing this, Richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat. All methods of disguise would fail? Then if he entered, wouldn¡¯t he be¡ª "Master, let us go," Liu Wuming said, not noticing Richard¡¯s concern and leading the way into the hall. Richard hesitated internally, but he couldn¡¯t back out now that the arrow was on the bowstring. He couldn¡¯t suddenly claim a stomachache prevented him from entering, could he? If worst came to worst, he would fight his way out of the Mountain Gate. As a Level 3 creature elevated beyond the ordinary, equipped with the weapon known as Balancing Hand, and aided by the World Master of a civilized world, he was confident he could escape, even if the old Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley personally intervened. Upon entering the hall, Richard¡¯s body immediately felt a subtle tingling sensation. Under this stimulus, his cells showed signs of uncontrollable behavior. But fortunately, Richard had transcended the ordinary, and his control over his body, as well as the cells of his body themselves, were much stronger than that of Level 3 creatures. Although the hall affected his body somewhat, it was not enough to render his Invisible Face ineffective. After passing through the hall, Richard was greeted by a vast array of palaces. The palaces were exquisitely decorated, with carved beams and painted columns, and adorned with gold and jade; they were so lavish that likening them to a Jade Palace was hardly an exaggeration. However, after a glance, a trace of disdain flashed in Richard¡¯s eyes. Although these palaces were luxurious, they contained no Qi Men Array. To Richard, calling these palaces "All flash and no substance" was entirely apt. But this also revealed the limitations of the Qi Men Array. Unlike a Magic Array, Qi Men Array could not be set up just anywhere. The Qi Men Array needed Array Flags and an Array Eye, true, but the most critical aspect of a Qi Men Array was the environment. A Qi Men Array must connect with heaven and earth to qualify. Not all places could form this connection; if the environment was improper, even with a complete set of Array Flags, the set Qi Men Array was no more than a paper tiger. After entering the inner part of Wuxiang Valley, the disciples dispersed, leaving only Liu Wuming and Richard standing there. Liu Wuming turned around and said to Richard, "Please rest for a moment, Master. Once I deliver this mask to the sect, someone will escort the Master to the Scripture Pavilion." Having said that, he pulled out a yellow paper person from his sleeve and tossed it to his side. With a bang, the yellow paper person transformed into a golden humanoid Puppet. "This is a Yellow Turban Warrior, a simple trinket of the Qi Men art. It will lead the Master to your resting place." Richard looked on with interest at the Yellow Turban Warrior; a paper cut-out turned human, a skill detailed in his Qi Men book acquired from Mr. Ulysses. This Qi Men Technique essentially involved the control of ghosts and powerful entities¡¯ souls for one¡¯s own use. Although Richard knew of it, he had never used this technique. Seeing it for the first time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit intrigued. "I wonder if this Yellow Turban Warrior is precious?" Richard inquired. Liu Wuming laughed, "Not particularly valuable. If the Master likes it, I shall gift this warrior to the Master. After I deliver the mask, I will pass on the method to control the Yellow Turban Warrior." Richard nodded slightly, his words earnest, "Then I thank you, Brother Liu." Following the yellow turbaned strongman, Richard communicated with Ulysses, who was hidden on his shoulder, using a spiritual message, "My friend, it¡¯s your turn to make a move." Ulysses flapped his wings once and disappeared behind the curtain. "Got it, got it, I really am a hard-luck case, doing these menial tasks all day." Before long, a disciple from Wuxiang Valley found Richard. "Excuse me, are you Elder Chu? My junior uncle has ordered me to take you to the Scripture House." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Richard stood up, "Please lead the way." ... The location of the Scripture House was on the mountainside within Wuxiang Valley, the only building inside Wuxiang Valley with a Qi Men Array. Under the influence of this Qi Men Array, all shapeshifting and invisibility techniques would fail, and any spatial movement would be intercepted. Of course, this array was still ineffective against Richard. In terms of sensation, it was not even as effective as the grand hall he had passed when entering Wuxiang Valley. The Scripture House was vast. Although its area was not as large as Garon Wizard College¡¯s library, it was as big as three or four football fields, with no fewer than nine floors. The collection of books was extensive, ranging from ancient to as recent as last week. From Qi Men Techniques to various Martial Arts, it was dazzling and overwhelming. Using the mask, Richard could stay in the Scripture House for seven days, but he could only access the first six floors. From the sixth floor upwards, the Martial Arts contained were the core teachings of Wuxiang Valley. Rumors said that on the ninth floor of the Scripture House, the original text of the Faceless Holy Scripture was kept. After entering the Scripture House, Richard did not rush to the more advanced Martial Arts but started with the entry-level books available to the ordinary disciples of Wuxiang Valley. As a Wizard, Richard knew the importance of fundamentals. A complex formula often evolved from the stacking and inferring of simple formulas. If the foundation was flawed, then the high-rise built upon it would certainly have major problems. Inside the Scripture House, there were few people, aside from those like Richard, who were there to read. The only person who could stay for long was a floor sweeper. In truth, employing a sweeping monk was an overused trope. However, anyone who could stay long in the Scripture House was certainly no ordinary person. When Richard inquired, this floor sweeper did not hide his identity. He was the third disciple of the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley and the Tower Master of the Scripture House. Within Wuxiang Valley, aside from the Sect Master, his seniority was the highest. After a brief conversation, the two hit it off very well. In Richard¡¯s view, this Tower Master¡¯s way of thinking was already very close to that of a Wizard. This Tower Master was dedicated to systematically summarizing and finding patterns in Martial Arts, deriving higher-level Martial Arts from lower ones, in the hopes of discovering the ultimate principle¡ªa foundation for all Martial Arts. Apart from the latter half, this Tower Master was already very much like a Wizard. With the Tower Master¡¯s guidance, Richard found many treasures in the Book Collection Pavilion. From rare Qi Men Techniques to certain Martial Arts rumored to have been lost, the Scripture House was indeed full of treasures. This further solidified Richard¡¯s idea to rob the Scripture House. While Richard was reading, Ulysses was surveying the terrain and defensive measures of the entire Wuxiang Valley. Even the Qi Men Array guarding Wuxiang Valley was almost fully understood by him. After all, this crow came from a civilized background and was a Level 5 Life, his perspective and knowledge far exceeding even the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley. Time came to the sixth day. "I¡¯ve explored this place thoroughly. If you want to act, today¡¯s the day," said Ulysses. Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, and an invisible force field concealed his form. "Today? That works," Richard replied. Richard placed the book he was holding back into the bookshelf. Over these six days, he had memorized the foundations of Martial Arts. What was left was to organize and synthesize this knowledge, and then assimilate it into his own use. His objective for coming to the Scripture House had been achieved. "By the way," Richard said, as if he had just thought of something, "did you encounter the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley in the meantime? Although he¡¯s close to death, he still is a World Master. With you scouting like this, didn¡¯t he react at all?" Ulysses spoke with a hint of disdain. "Just a dying old man. Even if he found out, so what? If he dares to come, you and I together shouldn¡¯t fear him." "Alright, leave me an illusion. I still need to maintain this identity." "Understood." The next moment, the figures of the man and bird disappeared into the void. On the ninth floor of the Scripture House, a figure cloaked in a black robe materialized out of thin air. Before him, an elderly Wild Beastman was leisurely flipping through the Faceless Holy Scripture. "I was wondering why I felt like someone has been scurrying around inside the Sect lately, turns out a rat has sneaked in." The old Beastman slammed the book shut, and an invisible pressure instantly filled the room. "Little rat, how did you slip..." Bang! Before the old Beastman could finish his sentence, there was a loud noise, and to his astonishment, the little rat in front of him suddenly moved. A force, small yet in no way inferior in quality, burst through his pressure instantly. The impact of the collision between the two forces trembled the entire Scripture House. The old Beastman¡¯s expression turned grave. "So, you¡¯re no rat. Leave your name. I, Wuxiang, do not slay nameless ghosts." The man in black did not speak but simply drew with his hand, pulling out a pitch-black arm from the void. "You say your name is enough because I don¡¯t slay nameless ghosts either!" Chapter 516 - 61: Clashing Head-On with the Grandmaster Chapter 516: Chapter 61: Clashing Head-On with the GrandmasterSeeing that black arm, Wuxiang¡¯s heart suddenly startled. Upon it, he sensed an aura not inferior to his own. The arm¡¯s design suggested it had mostly been crafted into a tool by a craftsman. "What is this person¡¯s identity? Wuxiang Valley hasn¡¯t been at odds with anyone recently, right?" But though he pondered, Wuxiang¡¯s motions didn¡¯t stop for an instant. As the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley, although he was aged, he was still a genuine Martial Arts Grandmaster. Over more than ten thousand years, he had fought countless battles. Merely a single arm couldn¡¯t intimidate him; such an attempt was the fool¡¯s dream. Yet before he could strike, he saw Richard¡¯s figure flash, vanishing within the Scripture House. "Fighting a big battle in the Scripture House? You don¡¯t care about the damage, but I do, so come out and fight!" Richard¡¯s voice echoed in the ninth floor of the Scripture House, causing Wuxiang to pause, then he burst into an enraged laughter. Did this man in black think he could treat the Scripture House of Wuxiang Valley as his own property? Immediately afterward, he too flashed out of the Scripture House. What Wuxiang failed to notice, however, was that after his departure, a crow penetrated the curtain and entered the Scripture House. Stepping out of the Scripture House, Wuxiang hadn¡¯t yet made a move when he felt an intense wave of heat. He saw Richard, across from him, waving a Magic Wand, which summoned a blaze as brilliant as the Great Sun. Feeling the temperature of the Flames, Wuxiang¡¯s expression involuntarily shifted. These flames were likely beyond what any ordinary fire school Grandmaster could summon with such ease. As the Great Sun onslaught came, Wuxiang took a deep breath, and his gaze became suddenly sharp. The next instant, his body swelled in size, rapidly transforming into a giant. This giant glowed with golden light and threw a fierce punch. A thunderous boom resounded as if thunder had cracked in the clear sky. The onrushing Fireball that mimicked the Great Sun was shattered by his punch, turning into a scattering of flame embers. "Ulysses, this old thing isn¡¯t as weak as you said," Richard muttered, looking at Wuxiang and cursing inwardly, "This Fireball was nearly at one hundred thousand Energy Levels, and yet this old man seems to handle it with ease." The very next moment, Ulysses¡¯ voice suddenly rang in his ear. "Don¡¯t be scared; just go for it. This old man might look formidable, but his foundation is sustained by lifespan. Strike a few more blows, and he will dare to shatter his soul right on the spot." World Masters had very long lifespans. Normally, it was nothing unusual for a Master of a civilized world to live for ten or so epochs. However, in the Wilderness Land, Martial Arts Grandmasters often met their end after merely one or two epochs. This was not because there was a flaw in Martial Arts; instead, it was the result of a kind of internal struggle. To protect their Sectors, Grandmasters in the Wilderness Land frequently used martial skills that burned away their lifespan. After all, you can live after burning your lifespan, but if you¡¯re killed by someone, any amount of lifespan is in vain. This, in turn, created a vicious cycle where if you burned a hundred years, I would burn two hundred years, and as this cycle continued, the lifespans of all the Grandmasters on the Wilderness Land plummeted drastically. In Ancient Times, the Martial Arts Grandmasters of the Wilderness Land could live up to a hundred thousand years, but in recent times, a Grandmaster who could live for twenty thousand years was considered a Grandmaster among Grandmasters. The Faceless Holy Scripture of Wuxiang Valley was born out of this very phenomenon of internal struggle. Looking at the man dressed in black before him, the emptiness of his soul almost brought him to the verge of retching. Once the Faceless Holy Scripture was fully activated, it would begin to overdraw the soul, which implicated life years. At this point, his lifespan was nearly at its end. "I need to make this battle quick!" With a determined thought in his heart, Wuxiang¡¯s True Qi surged within him, his vitality churning like billowing smoke; his body¡¯s emanation of vital energy made him appear thousands of years younger in an instant. This was a secret technique to overdraft the flesh, different from the soul; although overdrafting the flesh would cause fundamental damage, it could be remedied with various treasures. "Ha!" With a loud shout, a younger version of Wuxiang instantly appeared before Richard. The next moment, a colossal Ape Demon phantom emerged above Wuxiang, and a fist with one hundred and fifty thousand Energy Levels tore through space, instantly reaching in front of Richard. Boom! A loud explosion was heard, and the fist passed through layers of Composite Energy Barriers, instantly blasting Richard¡¯s body, from the neck down, into a cloud of blood mist. "You old man, quite strong, aren¡¯t you?" Within the blood mist, a voice reached Wuxiang¡¯s ears. Wuxiang instantly felt a sense of foreboding and saw that the exploded blood mist suddenly lit up, the particles connecting with each other, forming an extremely complex geometrical structure in the air. The next moment, the structure erupted. With a resounding boom, a third sun seemed to rise in the sky of Wuxiang Valley. An immense shockwave burst forth from the sky, sweeping away the palace complex of Wuxiang Valley like autumn winds strip falling leaves. Despite the disciples of Wuxiang Valley forming battle arrays under their elders¡¯ leadership, they were still struck hard enough by the shockwave to vomit blood. Before long, the light dissipated. The once serene and elegant Wuxiang Valley had now turned into a complete mess. In the sky, Wuxiang stood firm in a horse stance with arms crossed before his chest, protected within a faint mountain shadow. Far away, covered by a Composite Magic Barrier, Richard¡¯s head was rapidly regrowing a new body at a speed visible to the naked eye. After more than nine hundred days of refinement, Richard¡¯s Radiation Rule had merged with the Life Rule. And that explosion was an application of this unified rule. By manipulating the Life Energy within his Flesh, Richard¡¯s body had exploded, but the remnants were still under his control. On this foundation, Richard used the Radiation Rule to make the Flesh burst into High-energy Radiation. Then, utilizing the knowledge he had gained from the Defensive Secondary Gun of the Star Realm Fortress, a simple adjustment was made, and a Spell Model was born. However, all of this sounded easy, but the consumption of spiritual power nearly drained Richard¡¯s soul dry. Looking at the Wuxiang enveloped by the mountainous phantom in front of him, Richard already had the intention of retreating in his heart. He didn¡¯t need to fight this old thing to the death. Suddenly, a black crow flew out from the Void. "The item is in hand, do you want to leave, or kill this old thing?" "Nonsense, of course I¡¯m leaving." "Then follow me." Ulysses¡¯s body was surrounded by a layer of Holy Light, and he turned and transformed into a stream of light flying out of Wuxiang Valley. Richard followed closely behind; Wuxiang felt a slight sense of relief upon seeing this. He made a gesture as if to pursue, but the distance between him and Richard grew further and further apart. Finally, when one man and one bird left Wuxiang Valley, he stopped walking. At this moment, numerous Elders of Wuxiang Valley finally flew to Wuxiang¡¯s side. As the youngest disciple, Liu Wuming asked with concern, "Master, you..." "Come to the quiet room." Before Liu Wuming could finish, Wuxiang¡¯s figure disappeared into thin air. As one flower blooms with two blossoms, each on a separate branch. Having seen that Wuxiang did not pursue them, Richard and Ulysses, one man one bird, boldly returned to Wuxiang Valley after leaving it. Inside the Scripture House, Richard and Ulysses inexplicably appeared. The Scripture House, being the only building in Wuxiang Valley that contained a Qi Men Array, withstood the aftermath of the battle between Richard and Wuxiang without being destroyed due to its robust quality. The illusion left behind by Ulysses remained standing in place as if nothing had happened. After dissipating the illusion, Richard acted scared and walked out of the Scripture House. He just happened to run into the Tower Master returning from outside the building. "Tower Master, what exactly happened outside?" The Tower Master pressed down his worry for Wuxiang and adopted a nonchalant demeanor. "Nothing much, just someone sneaked into the valley and was discovered by my master. It¡¯s all settled now." The Tower Master didn¡¯t suspect Richard, although during this time period, Richard was the only outsider to have entered Wuxiang Valley. But the brief engagement between Richard and Wuxiang had convinced the disciples of Wuxiang Valley that the attacker must certainly be a Martial Arts Grandmaster. The protective measures of Wuxiang Valley could handle a Martial Arts Master, but they were not an insurmountable wall for a Grandmaster. Richard feigned relief and replied, "That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Since there¡¯s nothing wrong, then I¡¯ll be going back." The Tower Master agreed pleasantly and then rushed hurriedly to the quiet room. In the entire Wuxiang Valley, no one understood the condition of his master better than he did. ... Outside the quiet room, the various Elders of Wuxiang Valley stood anxiously, waiting for the several Sect Leader disciples to come out of the quiet room. Before long, Liu Wuming was the first to walk out of the quiet room. "Master is not in serious trouble, but he has lost some lifespan." Liu Wuming preempted the numerous Elders and answered the question they most wanted to know. Hearing that the Sect Master was alright and had only lost some lifespan, the faces of the many Elders showed relief. The loss of lifespan wasn¡¯t a big deal for a Martial Arts Grandmaster. Which Sect Leader wouldn¡¯t lose a hundred or two hundred years of lifespan after a fight? Having said that, Liu Wuming then bowed to the many Elders and said, "Please work hard during this period. In addition to rebuilding the Sect, please also prepare for the Disciple Acceptance Conference." "All is for the contribution to our Sect, there¡¯s no question of hard work." "Indeed, as long as the Sect Master is fine, we¡¯ll go start rebuilding the Sect now." "Hey, wait for me, Brother Li, let¡¯s go together. This time, my palace must not have any mishaps again." ... After calming the hearts of the people, Liu Wuming entered the quiet room once more. Inside the quiet room, Wuxiang sat with closed eyes, kneeling on the ground. In front of him, the portraits of past Sect Leaders of Wuxiang Valley were watching over him. "Master, the Elders have gone back." Wuxiang opened his eyes, "Good." Behind Wuxiang knelt his other disciples, but at this moment, their faces were filled with profound sadness. "With such long faces, do you want the disciples inside the Sect to know that our Wuxiang Valley is going to fall?" Wuxiang turned around and chided loudly, "I am not dead yet! Wait till I am dead before you mourn." As the current Sect Leader of Wuxiang Valley, he valued the continuity of the Sect¡¯s legacy above anything else. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing this, the disciples hid their sad expressions, but a desolate atmosphere still enveloped the quiet room. Wuxiang Valley was called a Sect because of the existence of Wuxiang, the Martial Arts Grandmaster. Without this Grandmaster, Wuxiang Valley would be divided up within a year. But now, as Wuxiang was nearing the end of his lifespan, the valley had yet to find a new leader to take over as Sect Leader. This almost declared Wuxiang Valley¡¯s death sentence. "During these days, do not stay inside the Sect," Wuxiang spoke again, "I can hold on for a few more decades, during these years you must go to the cities below and find someone capable enough to take over the position of Sect Leader, a Martial Arts Master. "Remember clearly, without the Sect, everything is gone." Chapter 517 - 62: I, the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley? Chapter 517: Chapter 62: I, the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley??§Ôeew§×bnovel.comHearing the decision by Wuxiang, although some disciples of Wuxiang were reluctant, they could only helplessly comply. Wuxiang Valley needed a Martial Arts Grandmaster as its Sect Master, which was the foundation for Wuxiang Valley¡¯s existence. Yet none of them possessed the qualifications to become the Martial Arts Grandmaster. Although the martial arts of Faceless Holy Scripture integrated the three paths of essence, energy, and spirit, one path must lead, and the Divine Dao was in charge of leading in the Faceless Holy Scripture. That meant the path of Wuxiang Valley was essentially that of spiritual evolution. However, compared to the Wizard¡¯s Meditation Method, the visual diagrams of the Wild Beastmen were far inferior. Unable to delve into the Sea of Souls, yet still wanting to reach the spiritual power limit of third-level creatures required more than just effort; talent was also a crucial element. The disciples Wuxiang had recruited had all demonstrated notable talent in the Divine Dao during their younger years. However, as their strength improved, their talent ultimately fell short. Seeing that the surrounding disciples didn¡¯t object, Wuxiang nodded and continued, "However, outsiders are ultimately not our own kin. Therefore, when you choose people, focus on selecting those martial artists who have achieved something in the Essence Dao." "In my early years of traveling through the wilderness, I obtained a Spiritual Medicine from our ancestors, which possesses the effects to break through ordinary limits. If that person can break the ordinary limits, I will plant a seed within his Spiritual Platform. This seed will subtly influence his feelings towards the sect, but if he still neglects the sect, then you may use my secret technique to scatter his soul. A transcendent body without a soul, you too may use deceitful tactics." After Wuxiang finished speaking, a disciple asked, "Master, since this Spiritual Medicine can break the third shackles. Why don¡¯t you give it to us? I think the third older brother would be suitable." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wuxiang turned his head to look at the speaking disciple, raised his hand to stop the Tower Master who was about to argue, and coldly replied, "If I give you the Spiritual Medicine, can you break through? All your talents lie in the Divine Dao, in terms of cultivation in the Essence Dao, you are probably not even as good as those Sect Leaders in the cities. Do you think surpassing ordinary limits is as easy as eating or drinking? Without sufficient talent, giving you the Spiritual Medicine would only be a waste!" Scolded by Wuxiang, the disciple suddenly shrank back like a quail and stopped speaking. After ending his admonishment, Wuxiang waved his hand, letting the disciples disperse. But as they were leaving, the Tower Master of the Scripture House suddenly spoke out, "Master, if you need a master of Essence Dao in martial arts, we currently have one within our sect. There is someone who has killed a Demon Path martial artist¡¯s Sect Leader and is currently reading in the Scripture House. I have observed him; his cultivation in the Essence Dao is quite impressive. If it weren¡¯t for his lower sect origin, this person could definitely achieve something in the Essence Dao." Hearing his third disciple praising someone like this, Wuxiang was slightly more interested. This third disciple of his rarely praised anyone on ordinary days. Anyone praised by him was quite capable in martial arts. However, having just fought a big battle, he was somewhat weary and mentally exhausted, thus he said, "Then keep him for now, bring him to see me in a few days. Also, investigate his background during this time." "Yes." In the Scripture House, Richard was leisurely browsing through the Martial Arts Secrets Techniques. And in the Secret Realm, one of his avatars was also simultaneously studying the Sect Martial Arts of Wuxiang Valley ¡ª the Faceless Holy Scripture. This was Richard cultivating his skill of Dual-Mind while nurturing his body. "Damn, the martial arts within the Faceless Holy Scripture are indeed exquisite, but using its full strength to exhaust the soul is indeed a bit uncomfortable," Richard¡¯s avatar said with some regret. The martial arts knowledge within the Faceless Holy Scripture was indeed profound, and its claim to simulate the Hundred Martial Arts was not false. In martial arts, apart from those that required special bloodlines, most of the variations were in the Qi Path and Divine Dao. The Faceless Holy Scripture allowed a martial artist¡¯s spiritual power and energy to be invisible and formless, like clay which could be shaped at will. This feature, combined with profound martial arts knowledge, was indeed enough to deceive and surpass the genuine version when put into action. However, in Richard¡¯s view, the characteristics of the Faceless Holy Scripture were more suitable for covert imitations, rather than confronting enemies directly. Combined with the Invisible Face, he could implement a triple disguise on his body energy and spiritual power. This type of disguise could even fool a Sixth Level World Master. While Richard was reading, a voice suddenly interrupted him. "Brother Chu, I have some good news to tell you." Richard turned his head and saw the Tower Master looking at him with a somewhat complex expression. "Oh? What good news?" Richard asked with interest. Wuxiang Valley had just been disrupted by him, it was unexpected to receive a surprise from an outsider now. But the next words from the Tower Master left him stunned. "Brother Chu, my master wants to meet you. If he takes a liking to you, you might end up being the Sect Master of our Wuxiang Valley in the future." "...Ah?" You want me to become the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley? ... After delivering the message, the Tower Master did not disturb Richard further, leaving him alone to ponder. At that moment, Richard¡¯s mind kept echoing the latter half of the Tower Master¡¯s statement. In the future, you might have to become the Sect Master of our Wuxiang Valley, you will have to become the Sect Master of our Wuxiang Valley, you are to become the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley... Isn¡¯t this, is Wuxiang Valley too hasty in choosing a Sect Master? But this wasn¡¯t really Wuxiang Valley¡¯s fault of being hasty. If it weren¡¯t for Richard¡¯s conflict with Wuxiang, Wuxiang himself could have held on for another two hundred years. Although two hundred years weren¡¯t much, in these years, as Wuxiang Valley kept good relations with others and didn¡¯t possess resources that incited others¡¯ envy, a Sect Master battle was basically unlikely to happen. Using this time to accumulate resources and cultivating a martial arts master outstanding in the Essence Dao was indeed not a difficult task. In fact, Wuxiang himself was already in the city of Wuxiang Valley, searching for excellent talents. But unfortunately, man¡¯s calculations are not as good as heaven¡¯s. Once he started, his originally ample time suddenly became insufficient, forcing Wuxiang to resort to this last-ditch strategy. Regaining his composure from the shock, Richard immediately realized that this was an opportunity, an excellent opportunity for him to infiltrate the upper ranks of the Wild Beastmen. By assuming the identity of the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley, he could not only interact with the Sect Martial Arts Grandmasters of various major sects but also have access to the research on other sects that Wuxiang Valley had accumulated over the years. For a wizard, this was simply a priceless treasure. "But how should I keep it hidden?" Richard felt a slight headache; after all, this was a matter related to the inheritance of the sect, and Wuxiang was a World Master, so the upcoming inspection would definitely be extremely rigorous. Although he was very confident in the Invisible Face, a technique created by Garon the Great Wizard. The physical disguise was flawless. However, the body is not all there is to a person; the energy inside his body was not the True Qi of the Wild Beastmen, and the manner in which he used his spiritual power was also different from that of the Wild Beastmen. These were his loopholes. But if he gave up, Richard certainly wouldn¡¯t be content. Moreover, such an opportunity was something that no martial artist would give up. He sighed in his heart, "I can only take it one step at a time; I absolutely cannot give up on this opportunity." After flipping through the secret book in his hands, he began to summarize the knowledge he had learned these days. Since he was to disguise himself, he had to focus on Martial Arts. Over these days, he had read a great deal about the ancestors of Wuxiang Valley and even their collection of various Martial Arts Secrets Techniques, the discussions on the principles of Martial Arts were great materials for Richard. With this knowledge, alongside some principles from the Faceless Holy Scripture, and his accumulated knowledge from Plastic Energy Study over the years, he should be able to disguise his Magic Power as the True Qi of martial artists. As for spiritual power... Banshan Sect hardly had any secret books on Divine Dao, so it was normal for him not to have Divine Dao techniques. As long as he did not frivolously use his spiritual power, there should be no problems in this area. Soon, the seven days were up. Although the Tower Master wanted Richard to continue reading in the Book Collection Building, Richard declined the kindness on the pretext of digesting his Martial Arts knowledge. The Book Collection Building was right under his watch; there were many techniques Richard could not employ. Wuxiang Valley was extensive; apart from the palace complexes, like those in the Epic of Aphang Palace, there were many secluded mountains. Just right, Wuxiang Valley was currently being reconstructed, so Richard used this as an excuse to find a quiet place to stay, effectively avoiding the surveillance of Wuxiang Valley. Inside the mountain cave, Richard sat cross-legged on the ground, his body¡¯s energy continuously surging. Changing the nature of energy was not a difficult task for a wizard. Many Shaping Magic techniques required altering the nature of energy. But now, the time left for Richard was a bit too short. If he had a year, with his knowledge of Martial Arts, he could easily create True Qi that seemed real. But now he only had a few days, and Wuxiang could summon him at any time. If he couldn¡¯t complete disguising his energy quickly, he would not only miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but might also destroy his own disguise. But being hasty in gaining results is not a good thing for research. Suddenly, a fierce surge of energy fluctuated from inside Richard. He abruptly opened his eyes, showing an expression of pain. "Indeed, trying to complete the disguise of True Qi in such a short time is too extreme. If this continues, I can only resort to the last plan." Richard sighed, using the rules to heal his injuries. Then he pushed aside the giant rock blocking the cave entrance, preparing to go outside to ease his mood. But just as he stepped out, he heard the voice of the Scripture House Tower Master from afar. "Oh, what a coincidence, Brother Chu, you¡¯re out of seclusion." The Tower Master flew over from a distance, settling beside him. "Brother Chu, my master wants to see you in three days." Hearing this news, Richard¡¯s heart twitched, though it just startled him greatly. What¡¯s coming will eventually come. However, the three days were too pressing, even not enough for him to use his last resort. "Meet Great Wuxiang in three days? I¡¯m afraid that..." Richard pretended to hesitate as the Tower Master quickly asked, "What¡¯s the matter, Brother Chu?" Richard sighed, "These days I¡¯ve been deducing Martial Arts, and I encountered some issues during the Qi Circulation, suffering from quite a serious internal injury. This might affect Great Wuxiang¡¯s assessment of me." The Tower Master frowned slightly, "Suffered an internal injury... Ah, Brother Chu, deducing Martial Arts at this time was unwise. I will bring some elixirs over these days; it¡¯s not a problem to delay a few more days for my master." The Tower Master had no suspicions about Richard¡¯s excuse. Deducing Martial Arts and getting injured is a common occurrence. "Ah, then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Tower Master." After sending the Tower Master away, Richard¡¯s face grew heavier as he walked back into the mountain cave. Now, disguising True Qi was impossible, so the only path he could take now was clear. Richard took a deep breath, murmuring softly, "I can only resort to mixing Bloodlines now." Chapter 518 - 63: Idiot, eat my furnace! Chapter 518: Chapter 63: Idiot, eat my furnace!Bloodline witchcraft comes in many forms, and aside from the Bloodline Seeds that Richard was most familiar with, the most popular in the Wizard World was the hybrid path. This path allowed for the fusion of bloodlines, thereby obtaining some special talents or abilities of Aliens. The price, however, was the transformation of both physical form and mind. The physical body and spiritual power of a creature are not isolated entities; they are closely linked. When a creature¡¯s body changes, its mind will also subtly shift. Such changes can only be slowed but are inevitable. Richard was never fond of this path. Although he wasn¡¯t a staunch advocate of humanism, he was extremely cautious about changes to the mind. Physical changes, for a wizard, especially an Alchemy Wizard, were trivial. Wizards who underwent mechanical modifications looked even less human than those half-blood Wizards. But such changes of the mind sparked a deep-seated fear in Richard. It wasn¡¯t a mental change brought on by external influences, which gave him an inner terror of possession. But now, he had to cast aside that fear. Richard told himself, "While the influence of a Bloodline on the mind can¡¯t be stopped, it is not irreversible. All will be as before once I strip away this Bloodline in the future." Soon, the Tower Master brought the Elixir to the cave. After receiving the Elixir, Richard made an excuse of healing his wounds to send the guest away. After the Tower Master left, Richard blocked the entrance to the cave with a large rock again. After having Ulysses confirm there was no one spying on him, he entered the Secret Realm. The process of mixing blood was straightforward, but during the process, wizards tended to fall into an unclear state of mind for a time. Thus, for safety, he had to enter the Secret Realm to proceed with the mixing. Arriving at the experimental platform, Richard took out a third-level Wild Beastman corpse from his pocket, expressionlessly cut it into small pieces, and placed them in the Alchemy Array on the platform. This corpse belonged to one of the Sect Leaders of those eleven Sects; after wiping out those Sects, he collected the third-level Wild Beastman corpses. Those with rules, he extracted the rules from. The ones without were used as experimental materials and specimens, which just happened to be needed now. Although the Wild Beastmen Race had various special Physiques, Richard didn¡¯t intend to, nor could he afford to, make big changes. An ordinary Wild Beastman Bloodline was sufficient. With the help of the Alchemy Array, Richard extracted a test tube worth of Bloodline substrate from the corpse. Next, he had to mix various materials with this Bloodline substrate to turn it into a qualified Bloodline Potion. The process of making the Magic Potion was not complicated; any professionally educated wizard could easily complete it. As the next ingredient entered the Alchemy Pot, there was a loud "bang," and a blood-red smoke rose from the pot. Under the effect of the Alchemy Array, the materials and the Bloodline substrate fused perfectly. Taking out the Bloodline Potion, it looked crystal clear, floating in the air like a gemstone. Richard didn¡¯t use physical instruments but instead directly conjured a syringe with Magic Power to inject it into his own veins. Before the Bloodline Potion¡¯s effects set in, Richard continuously applied ten Jialong Physique Sealing Skills to himself, sealing his combat strength to the lowest. Then, he had the Holy Tree Elf tie him up with the mycelium of the World Mushroom and called Ulysses and the Snake King to guard him. His current strength was extraordinary, and should he lose control, someone needed to restrain him. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ulysses stood in the air in front of him, while the Snake King coiled its body, curiously observing Richard. Bloodline fusion of this kind of witchcraft was new to him. "Are you ready? I¡¯m going to start the fusion." "Begin." Ulysses, draped in Holy Light, replied. Richard no longer resisted the absorption of the Bloodline Potion by his body, and in an instant, he felt a throbbing. His heart began to beat violently under the influence of the potion, the sound of the heartbeat as loud as a war drum. The intense sound was even clearly audible to Ulysses and the Snake King beside him. His body turned red as the pounding drumbeat ensued, and changes at the microscopic level spread throughout his body. Every cell in his body trembled! Then, there was silence. Richard¡¯s heartbeat nearly instantly returned to normal, and his congested body slowly returned to its usual state. At the same time, Richard¡¯s senses underwent a slight change. It was as though he had gained an extra eye. In his perception, he vaguely sensed something usually invisible to him. "Is it over?" A flicker of doubt crossed Richard¡¯s mind. Alchemy research on Bloodline fusion was plentiful, and Richard had read about it in Jolod¡¯s Scripture House. As Physiques improved, wizards would exhibit two extreme reactions to Bloodline fusion. One was that wizards would have almost no reaction to Bloodline fusion, smoothly completing the process. The other was a severe reaction to Bloodline fusion, with a process that not only lasted for days but could also bring about life-threatening complications. But as of now, he seemed to be the former. After being tied up for a while longer, and once he was sure there was no abnormal reaction in his body, he commanded the Holy Tree Elf to untie his bonds. "That¡¯s it?" Ulysses curiously looked at Richard. "You don¡¯t seem to have changed at all." Richard shook his head: "I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve successfully fused because my perception has changed." Saying so, Richard focused, trying to "see" what those overlooked things were. No matter how hard he concentrated, those things remained shrouded in mist. "Maybe it¡¯s because of the impurity of the Bloodline," he thought to himself. The fusion of the Wild Beastman¡¯s Bloodline was a double-edged sword for Richard; the advantage was that he could now perfectly impersonate a Wild Beastman without detection. The downside was that he couldn¡¯t use his battle body. Each battle body¡¯s Bloodline recipe is stringent, and any random addition or alteration of a Bloodline could lead to major problems. However, after becoming Transcendent, the increase in combat power brought by the Radiant Giant Battle Body was no longer so important to Richard. Temporarily setting it aside was not a problem. After leaving the Secret Realm, Richard immediately began to practice the Moving Mountain Sect Martial Arts, Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power. If he was going to play the part, he had to do it thoroughly. As the former Sect Leader of the Moving Mountain Sect, how could he not know the Sect Martial Arts? Having acquired the Wild Beastman Bloodline, True Qi was no longer an issue for Richard. The Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power was not complex, and with a brief period of practice, Richard had reached the Ninth Layer, where the ancestor of the Moving Mountain Sect once stood. Even more so, because Richard had read so many Martial Arts Secrets Techniques these days, he had made modifications to the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power. He had transformed this originally overbearing Martial Art into one that balanced fierceness with gentleness. Before long, after confirming that his disguise was flawless, Richard pushed away the boulder blocking the cave entrance. When he saw the endless mountains outside, a sudden thrill arose in his heart. He felt as though he had developed an additional connection to this world. But quickly, that thrill was decisively cut off by Richard¡¯s will. There is a taboo in the witchcraft of Bloodline fusion, which is not to go to the world where the origin of that Bloodline resides, because the fused Bloodlines could give the Wizard an illusion, making them feel as if they were also part of that world. But in reality, he did not belong to this world. They could not touch the World Origin of this world, nor would they be acknowledged by the World Origin. A Wizard only has one home, and that is the Wizard World. Once his seclusion ended, Richard went to the Scripture House to find the Tower Master. A month had already passed since the Tower Master had informed Richard. The Tower Master came out of the building, and the moment he saw Richard, he instantly felt that Richard¡¯s demeanor had greatly changed. Although Richard had got along well with him in the past, there had always been an invisible barrier between them. But now, that barrier seemed to have disappeared. "Brother Chu, have you had an epiphany?" the Tower Master exclaimed. Richard chuckled, "Having read so many books, I was bound to make some progress. My injuries have recovered, I wonder if Grandmaster Wuxiang has any time?" "Of course, this old man doesn¡¯t have much else, but definitely has plenty of free time." Wuxiang¡¯s voice emanated from within the Scripture House, and the next moment, Wuxiang appeared beside Richard. He patted Richard¡¯s body and admired, "I never expected that such talent would come from the city below. That you weren¡¯t buried by the ordinary paths of Martial Arts is indeed a fortunate thing." Under the dual disguise of the Bloodline Witchcraft and Invisible Face, even from a close distance, Wuxiang was unable to detect anything unusual about Richard. On the contrary, he was very appreciative of the potential he saw before him. He praised inwardly, "Robust in Qi and blood, a clear Spiritual Platform, this young man called Chu Yuan is considerably powerful." As a World Master, he had a "clear" perception of Richard¡¯s body. He was sure that Richard was indeed the Martial Arts Master he had been seeking to take the position of Sect Master. Moreover, judging by Richard¡¯s appearance, he most likely had an exceptional Talent in the Divine Dao as well, and after practicing the Faceless Holy Scripture, he might even achieve the status of Grandmaster. "Kid, you have good fortune. I have a huge opportunity for you. If you agree, I will help you break through the third shackle and become the new Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley." Upon hearing this, Richard feigned shock, but he did not immediately agree, instead inquiring about the reasons for this offer. As a Sect Leader, he certainly couldn¡¯t immediately consent to a request that seemed to good to be true, like a pie falling from the sky. To Richard¡¯s questions, Wuxiang had no displeasure and after explaining the reasons and requirements, Richard agreed very readily. By asking Richard to become the Sect Master, Wuxiang expected him to guard the development of Wuxiang Valley and not betray the interests of the Sect. For this, he also had Richard swear the Heart Demon Oath. As for this, Richard felt no psychological pressure. Wuxiang Valley was very important to Richard; it not only endorsed his identity but was also a force supported by the Wizard in the future. How could he possibly betray the interests of Wuxiang Valley? Moreover, the only oath with restraining power over a Wizard was a Sea of Souls Oath, breaking this Heart Demon Oath would have no consequences. After taking the oath, Wuxiang took Richard to a quiet room. This quiet room was protected by a Qi Men Array, not only free from any disturbance of noise but also able to collect the surrounding natural Qi (Magic Power) to assist Martial Artists. Here, he handed a tube of golden liquid to Richard. "This is a Spiritual Medicine of the ancestors, it can help you break through the mortal limits. I will protect you now, you just take the medicine and break through." Richard looked at the Spiritual Medicine in front of him, and although he felt it was a pity, he did not hesitate and swallowed the tube of Spiritual Medicine. He then sat cross-legged on the ground and began to feign a breakthrough. He himself had already transcended the mundane, and later he just needed to put on some reactions and then act out a difficult breakthrough. But just as Richard was feigning his breakthrough, he suddenly sensed a spiritual invasion. This invasion was extremely subtle, and if his spiritual power hadn¡¯t already exceeded the limits of third-level creatures, he would have never noticed it. In an instant, Richard¡¯s thoughts raced, and he immediately understood the origin of this invasion. "This old guy really has some tricks up his sleeve!" However, Richard did not hinder the invasion, instead, he allowed it to penetrate his Soul. On the other side, Wuxiang only felt that the Spiritual Platform of this young man was a bit peculiar. How could the Spiritual Platform of an ordinary master be so expansive? But he did not mind, as enormous as this Spiritual Platform seemed, its quality was too low; it was practically no different from paper compared to his Divine Intents. After invading the Spiritual Platform, he immediately began to infiltrate it, preparing to leave a seed in the soul when he started his efforts. But as soon as he acted, he felt a terrifying presence from the paper-thin Spiritual Platform. An inexplicable Melter emerged from the Spiritual Platform, followed by a mocking phrase. "Fool, take my Melter!" Chapter 519 - 64: New Sect Master of Wuxiang! Chapter 519: Chapter 64: New Sect Master of Wuxiang!"Ever since the Miracle Furnace had entered Richard¡¯s soul, it had only acted one and a half times. The half-time was to intimidate Ulysses, and once it was in the World Mirror, refining the cancer of the flesh. This one and a half times, the one time it acted was against a trifle, and the half-time, though it scared Ulysses, ultimately it did not act. And today, Richard finally witnessed the true power of the Miracle Furnace. In the blazing furnace, a radiant flame was ejected, and the Rule Power contained within the flames made even Richard, who was watching the battle, shudder. The Miracle Furnace truly was a treasure that only a Dominator could possess. Under these flames, the invading Wuxiang¡¯s soul was instantly burned into nothingness. Moreover, the flame was not merely confined within Richard¡¯s Soul Space. It even followed Wuxiang¡¯s soul, burning its way into Wuxiang¡¯s body. Originally, Richard had planned to bring Ulysses and have a showdown with Wuxiang. But with the Miracle Furnace burning like this, Wuxiang¡¯s soul didn¡¯t even have the chance to resist; it was directly turned into nothingness by the flames. The entire process happened so quickly that Wuxiang couldn¡¯t even put up a resistance. The flames of the Miracle Furnace crushed him into slag with an almost overwhelming force. Even though this was because Wuxiang had overdrawn his soul, making it weaker than a typical World Master, it was still enough to demonstrate the power of the Miracle Furnace. Richard opened his eyes and spat out the Spiritual Medicine that he had not yet started to digest. "Saved me a dose of Spiritual Medicine, Wuxiang, oh Wuxiang, you really are a good guy." After securing the Spiritual Medicine, Richard casually opened a Space Rift and pulled Ulysses out. "Ulysses, you¡¯re in for a treat." Taken aback by Richard¡¯s comment, Ulysses paused, but he soon saw the side where the soul had been burned into nothingness, leaving only an empty shell of Wuxiang¡¯s body. "Gah?! How did you do it! Where¡¯s this old guy¡¯s soul?" Ulysses exclaimed in shock. Richard chuckled and informed Ulysses of the process. After hearing Richard¡¯s narration, Ulysses felt dizzy. A perfectly intact World Master¡¯s body! For him, this was nothing short of a godsend. This was not just any body; it was also a way to accelerate the recovery of his soul. Souls and bodies are not isolated entities. Ulysses had destroyed his own body years ago, and since then, his soul had become an isolated existence. Although later, he reconstructed his body with the active flesh provided by Richard, this makeshift body was too weak to help with his injuries, and his soul inevitably nourished the body. But Wuxiang¡¯s body was different; it was the soul that was depleted, not the body, which was still at the World Master level. As long as he established a connection with this body, his soul would inevitably be nourished by it. Perhaps, in a few hundred years, he could return to the Divine realm! "Gaga gaga gaga, this old thing really brought it upon himself," Ulysses stood over Wuxiang¡¯s head and mocked loudly, "If he hadn¡¯t been overzealous, wanting to leave something behind in your soul. Then he might not have lived comfortably till death, but he wouldn¡¯t have died in such a stifled manner." Hearing this, Richard lightly said, "It was inevitable. After all, I am an outsider, and the Heart Demon Oath is not all-powerful. Circumventing or breaking the oath is not impossible. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thus, he had to meddle, trying to make me gravitate towards becoming the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley." "What do we do next?" Ulysses asked, "Do I impersonate this old guy and go into seclusion while you go out and act as the Sect Master?" Richard nodded slightly, "Your plan isn¡¯t bad. But can you deceive those disciples?" "Don¡¯t worry about that, his body is intact and unharmed, and the memories in his brain are also intact. As long as I activate it in time, not much of these memories will be lost. But before that, you still need to do something about this body." "Hmm? What needs to be done." "Extract the Rule Power inside this body; these rules will conflict with mine and must be removed." "...Sure, but refining this little amount of Soul Essence might exhaust it." "Hey! Don¡¯t be so stingy; it¡¯s not exactly a rare resource for you." ... Six months later, the numerous disciples of Wuxiang Valley only noticed a tremendous surge of Qi erupting from the depths of Wuxiang Valley. Following that, they saw a figure burst out from the heart of the mountain, his presence oppressive as if the Heavenly Vault was collapsing, leaving the disciples of Wuxiang Valley gasping for breath. The elders of Wuxiang Valley watched the figure in the Heavenly Vault, a flicker of shock passing through their minds. Who is this person, why does he have such oppressive force, and more importantly, why haven¡¯t they seen him when he burst out from the mountain belly? Richard stood in the Heavenly Vault, ensuring that all the disciples of Wuxiang Valley had noticed him before descending from the sky. At the same time, several streaks of light flew towards him. The first to arrive was Wuxiang¡¯s third disciple, the Tower Master of the Scripture House." Looking at Richard, who had already retracted his aura but still made him shiver, the Tower Master felt a dryness in his throat. He considered himself a genius, but he never thought that someone could break through the mortal limits within half a year. Even though he possessed his forebears¡¯ Spiritual Medicine. There were plenty in the world who couldn¡¯t be helped up with resources alone. Richard smiled at him and said, "Tower Master, I have succeeded. Wuxiang has asked me to inform everyone that he has expended a great deal of his Qi to aid my breakthrough. He will be entering seclusion for a while, and I will take over the position of Sect Master temporarily." Before Richard finished speaking, several streams of light landed beside him. Among these people, aside from Wuxiang¡¯s disciples, the rest were the many Elders of Wuxiang Valley. Faced with Richard¡¯s unfamiliar face, their eyes were filled with doubt and caution. The Tower Master did not doubt Richard¡¯s words. The position of Sect Master was definitely meant to be given to Richard. Now that his master still had decades of longevity left, it was certain that he wanted Richard to take over as Sect Master in order to cultivate Richard¡¯s allegiance to the Sect. "Since it is the Master¡¯s command, Brother Chu, you are now the Sect Master of our Wuxiang Valley." Hearing the Tower Master¡¯s words, the other disciples were somewhat shocked, but knowing the full story, they could accept it. But the Elders, who were unaware of the internal details, heard this and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. "Tower Master, this person..." The person speaking hadn¡¯t finished when they felt an invisible pressure descend upon them. The Tower Master quietly repeated Wuxiang¡¯s decision, but made some modifications to the content. In this modified decision, Richard¡¯s identity shifted from the Sect Leader of a city¡¯s Sect to the Sect Master candidate that Wuxiang had been nurturing for years. It must be said, this explanation was full of loopholes and utterly absurd. However, with the Tower Master and several of Wuxiang¡¯s disciples as witnesses, plus the impressive pressure exerted by Richard, this absurd explanation could not be disbelieved by these Elders. You don¡¯t believe it? It seems you don¡¯t want to be an Elder anymore. The nature of a Martial Arts Sect is still one of force. In this structure, strength is the ultimate truth. Seeing that the Elders had no objections, and thinking of making an example out of one, Richard set aside the thoughts he had been harboring. "Elders, go about your duties. Tower Master, Wuxiang told me that you have research regarding other Sects here. I would like to look at these materials to avoid troubles in the future that could catch us off guard." The Tower Master nodded slightly, "The Master has indeed considered thoroughly." With that, he took off a Qiankun Gourd from his waist and handed it to Richard. "Brother Chu¡ªno, I should call you Sect Master now. This contains the Sect¡¯s research on other Sects, including top-secret intelligence collected by our spies infiltrated in those Sects. Please ensure it remains confidential." Richard took the gourd, his heart blossoming with joy. This gourd had saved him a lot of effort. "I understand." After meeting with the people of Wuxiang Valley, Richard headed to a large stone chamber deep within the mountain where Wuxiang Valley was located. This was where Wuxiang usually rested and practiced, and now that Richard had become the acting Sect Master and "Wuxiang" was in seclusion, this place naturally belonged to Richard temporarily. He closed the stone chamber door, and the Qi Men Array set up around it immediately activated. The power of the Array instantly made the walls of the chamber as hard as Pure Gold and also isolated the entire chamber from the outside world. Wuxiang was well aware of one thing¡ªthat Wuxiang Valley internally wasn¡¯t absolutely safe. The doors closed, and Richard¡¯s appearance suddenly changed, reverting to human form. It wasn¡¯t clear whether it was because the Wild Beastmen¡¯s bloodline was highly compatible with the human bloodline, or because Richard¡¯s bloodline had mutated after transcending. In any case, incorporating the Wild Beastmen¡¯s bloodline had not altered Richard¡¯s appearance or body structure. This greatly relieved Richard. If there was no physical change, then the change in the soul would be slower. The interior of the stone chamber was very Spartan, with only a stone table and a stone bed. Richard went to the stone table and opened the Qiankun Gourd. The next moment, with a thud, a thick book like a brick smashed onto the table. Richard was slightly surprised and pleased, "The things Wuxiang Valley has gathered are quite extensive; this will be a great help to me." The records of Wuxiang Valley were very detailed. Aside from the Sects around Wuxiang Valley, it also included much information about many Major Sects. For each of these Major Sects, there was detailed information about every Sect Master as well as intelligence analysis, which explained why the book was so thick. After reading this thick intelligence book, Richard didn¡¯t immediately pass the intelligence to the Wizard side but summarized and analyzed the intelligence himself. Although Wuxiang¡¯s insights were not bad, often those involved in the matter were confused, while an observer could see clearly what was hidden in the mist. Wuxiang had overlooked many things, and now Richard was adding these back in. Analyzing the intelligence took Richard three months. During this period, Wuxiang Valley¡¯s disciple recruitment ceremony was held, and Richard attended as the future Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley. Soon, the news that Wuxiang Valley had a new Sect Master spread throughout the territories under Wuxiang Valley as well as the surrounding Sects. Because Wuxiang had been kind to others for many years, not competing for resources, the surrounding Sects were very friendly towards Wuxiang Valley. After briefly testing Richard¡¯s strength, congratulatory messages came one after another. And that also meant Richard had officially entered the upper echelons of Wilderness Land. Chapter 520 - 65 Anti-Demon Conference Chapter 520: Chapter 65 Anti-Demon ConferenceInside the belly of the mountain, Richard stood before the experiment table, meticulously engraving runes. Next to him lay a massive earthy-yellow crystal, emanating an aura as solid and heavy as a mountain. Despite the Faceless Holy Scripture¡¯s emphasis on flexibility and variability, the primary rule of Wuxiang was to adapt to change with unchanging Earth Element rules. In order to refine this rule, Richard had exhausted a total of three hundred units of Soul Power, depleting his reserves of Soul Essence. However, all of it was worth it. Nobody would ever complain about having too many rules. As the final rune was inscribed, a surge of energy fluctuations burst forth from the items on the experiment table. Richard had been engraving a piece of armor named Mystic Bird, which was once considered one of the treasured legacies of Wuxiang Valley. The reason it was referred to in the past tense was that this armor had been damaged in a major battle thousands of years ago. The armor itself was shattered, and the Martial Arts Array crafted by the artisan within it was also destroyed. But the artisan who originally forged this armor had also passed away, and without a craftsman, there was no way to repair the armor. To recast the Mystic Bird Armor was considered too costly by Wuxiang¡ªsome craftsmen asked for the price of rebuilding three cities to create a new one from the damaged armor. At that time, Wuxiang had already reached the pinnacle of his Martial Arts and was confident that even without the armor, he could still support Wuxiang Valley. Thus, he tossed the Mystic Bird Armor into the secret vault of the valley. Five years ago, Richard stumbled upon this armor in the secret vault. As an Alchemy Wizard and the owner of the Miracle Furnace, he immediately considered repairing it. By refining the skills and information on the armor, Richard obtained most of the design of the Martial Arts Array and some advanced Martial Arts Refining Techniques. But this was not enough. So, Richard attempted to aid the repair with Wizard Alchemy, and this work took him five years. It proved that Richard¡¯s idea was correct, and today, the armor was finally going to be completed. "Only one last step remains," Richard muttered as he set the crystal infused with the Earth Element rules into the interior of the armor. In the next moment, the Martial Arts Array and Rune Array were simultaneously activated, and the Mystic Bird Armor, which had the appearance of light armor, suddenly seemed as imposing and solid as a mountain. Observing this scene, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit smug, "Heh heh, combining the Martial Arts Array and the Rune Array... I really am a genius!" It had been ten years since Richard became the Sect Master. During these ten years, he drastically shuffled the personnel structure of Wuxiang Valley, cleared away many of the obstructive Elders, and firmly grasped the control of the entire valley. Under the pressure of absolute power, personnel changes were but trivial matters. In addition, he had also managed to assimilate the Black Wizards of Wuxiang Valley and several nearby sects. Taking advantage of the sects¡¯ lax attention to management, the Black Wizards began to employ the same tactics Richard had used in Chengshan City. They switched out the leaders of these major sects, covertly gaining control of them. Between the cities, they wove a vast network of intelligence, collecting information more efficiently. However, as for the biggest gains, it was the integration of the Martial Arts Array with the Rune Array of the Wizards in recent years. He enabled these two distinct technologies to coexist on the same platform without interference, and they could even complement each other slightly. This was like turning a new page for Richard¡¯s Alchemy, and indeed, for the entire field of Wizard Alchemy. After putting on the armor and covering it with an outer robe, Richard left the stone chamber. Exiting the door, he saw a Wild Beastman in a black robe perform a Wizard¡¯s Salute to him. "Master Richard, there is intelligence from the Mysterious Sect. The Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect of the Six Great Saint Sects has recently ended their internal strife and announced the last words of their old Martial Saint Sect Master. The content of the last words is ¡¯Heavenly Demon Descent,¡¯ hence the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect deduces that there will be an invasion of Evil Demons from the chaos soon. Therefore, they are calling an Anti-Demon Conference and assembling Martial Arts sects from across the Wilderness Land to form the Anti-Demon Alliance." Upon hearing this, Richard¡¯s brows furrowed. So the Wizard¡¯s actions had been discovered through Prediction Technique? sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Alright, I understand." The black-robed Wild Beastman retreated, and with a flash, Richard arrived at the quiet room that Wuxiang had taken him to for breakthroughs in the past. At this moment, a faint aura of oppression was continuously emanating from within the quiet room. "Ulysses, are you still not done?" After all, Wuxiang¡¯s body was not Ulysses¡¯ original body. To merge with a perfectly preserved World Master body and establish a connection between spirit and flesh was no easy matter. But now ten years had passed, and Ulysses should have been able to move around, if not fully merged. Rumble rumble rumble... As soon as Richard finished speaking, the stone door of the quiet room was pushed open. Inside the room, Wuxiang¡¯s body was engulfed in dark flames, his eyes a vibrant green like emeralds. "Ah, guess I can¡¯t even slack off a bit." Wuxiang¡¯s voice sounded strange, as though he hadn¡¯t spoken in a long time. But soon, his voice returned to normal. Richard raised an eyebrow, "Feeling lazy, were you? That would explain the inordinate amount of time." "It¡¯s not entirely about being lazy," Ulysses said with a laugh, "Merging bodies is a delicate affair, and haste won¡¯t help. In these ten years, I have managed to fully control this body. The only pity is that now we need to stay hidden, and I cannot alter the Bloodline of this body. Moving around in it feels awkward." Ulysses was, after all, a bird, and being stuffed into a humanoid body would never be as comfortable as being in an avian form. "Make do for now," Richard replied, "Once the war is over, you can eat this body for all anyone cares." "Go to hell, am I the kind of bird that eats just anything?" "Ah? Isn¡¯t that so? Hahaha..." After ribbing each other for a bit, the two of them finally came to the heart of the matter. "The Anti-Demon Conference? You Wizards should have done some fate shielding," Ulysses said, puzzled. Prophecy was not a rare ability within the Star Realm, and almost any civilization possessed this capability. Moreover, the Wizard Civilization even had a Star Realm Master who studied Mysticism; it made no sense for the Wild Beastmen to be able to see into the future. "Heaven knows," Richard replied, spreading his hands. "But what¡¯s certain is that the Martial Saint and Sect Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect is dead, and he issued this prediction before his death." Ulysses pondered, "A Main God was sacrificed? That could indeed break through the fate shielding. So, are we going to attend that Anti-Demon Conference next?" Richard nodded, "That¡¯s the plan. If the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect claims to be calling upon all the Martial Arts Sects from the entire Wilderness Land, there¡¯s no reason they won¡¯t invite Wuxiang Valley." "Then you plan to interfere with this Anti-Demon Conference?" "Of course not," Richard said, shaking his head slightly. "We just need to take this opportunity to gather as much information about those Grandmasters as possible. The Wizards are investing a tremendous amount of resources into this expedition. Having all these Martial Arts Grandmasters gathered together is the perfect chance for us to take care of them in one fell swoop. It would be troublesome if they started running guerrilla warfare against us in the Wilderness Land." This War Wizard needed a swift and decisive victory, to end the conquest quickly and dedicate all those forces to the war floating throughout the Star River. Though the details of the frontline battles were unknown, ten years of undercover work without an offensive signified that the front likely faced some difficulties. The present Wizard World could hardly afford to send a substantial military force to conquer a vast world like the Wilderness Land. "That¡¯s true," Ulysses agreed. "If our civilization¡¯s war is at a disadvantage, and we have to deal with yet another place that drains our forces, that would be really bad. But since we¡¯re not mixing into this Anti-Demon Conference, why did you hurry to summon me?" Richard glanced at him and replied, "I¡¯m acting as Sect Master now, and if they are inviting the Sect Master, they will only be inviting you. Besides, after skiving off for ten years, it¡¯s time you showed up." ... Wuxiang¡¯s emergence after his long seclusion was undoubtedly a significant event for Wuxiang Valley. Over the years, Richard¡¯s handling of personnel within Wuxiang Valley had caused dissatisfaction among many of its elders. Wuxiang¡¯s own disciples, with the exception of the Tower Master and Liu Wuming, also had a lot of complaints about Richard. In their opinion, Richard was nothing but a hired hand whose life and death were in their hands. What business did he have throwing his weight around in Wuxiang Valley? The emergence of Ulysses gave them an opportunity. "I remember telling you, if the Sect is gone, we have nothing left." Ulysses, looking at the disciples kneeling before him, spoke in a cold tone. Since Wuxiang¡¯s body was well-preserved and Ulysses had reclaimed it in a timely fashion, he retained most of Wuxiang¡¯s memories. Now, when he played the part of Wuxiang, even his disciples couldn¡¯t tell that their master had switched. "What mess has arisen in Wuxiang Valley under Chu Yuan¡¯s management, or which city was lost? Just because I replaced some ineffective trash, you all conspired to bring this matter before me?" Ulysses¡¯s icy voice made the disciples trembling on the ground. They couldn¡¯t understand why their master would favor an outsider. Sensing the thoughts of these disciples, Ulysses chuckled to himself and then turned to his third disciple standing by his side. "Third brother, I¡¯ll leave their ¡¯handling¡¯ to you." Hearing this, the kneeling disciples didn¡¯t react much, but the Tower Master shuddered. Facing his master¡¯s cold gaze, the Tower Master lowered his head and said with some difficulty, "Master, the younger brothers are naive. I will go back and make them understand..." "Have you not spoken to them over the years?" The Tower Master was at a loss for words. Of course, he had, but his younger brothers would not listen at all. Without another word, Ulysses¡¯s figure suddenly vanished into thin air. The Tower Master, gazing at where Ulysses had disappeared, sighed deeply. Then, he turned to his younger brothers and said, "Before you went to complain, I had told you not to seek Master. Now look what¡¯s happened; it¡¯s painful for both me and you." The kneeling disciples raised their heads, about to ask the Tower Master what Ulysses meant by ¡¯handling¡¯ them. But before they could speak, they saw the Tower Master¡¯s figure dart behind them like a specter. With a series of ¡¯bangs¡¯, the four disciples who were kneeling on the ground instantly passed out. Liu Wuming, who hadn¡¯t been involved in the complaint, asked anxiously, "Senior brother, what are you doing?" He felt a dense killing intent from his third senior brother. The Tower Master gave him a faint smile: "Younger brother, our master¡¯s students used to be quite numerous. Aside from the Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother who perished at the Heart Demon Pass, you¡¯ve actually met the rest." Met the rest? Liu Wuming suddenly recalled there seemed to be many skeletons hanging in his third senior brother¡¯s residence. In a ghostly voice, the Tower Master said, "Martial Arts emphasize the unity of essence, energy, and spirit. The latter two can be studied by the Martial Artist as a reference, but for essence, a single body of a Martial Artist is not enough." ... Within the belly of the mountain, Richard looked at the suddenly appearing Ulysses and calmly asked, "All taken care of?" "Of course it¡¯s settled." Richard nodded slightly: "Good, we¡¯re about to head out, and we need absolute stability in our rear." Saying this, he pulled out an exquisitely crafted invitation from his pocket. "This is your invitation from the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect." Chapter 521 - 66 Various Grandmasters Chapter 521: Chapter 66 Various GrandmastersThe invitation from the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect was delivered by a unique mechanical flying bird, incorporating Qi Men Ancient Seals and Martial Arts Refining Techniques, with a soul trapped within, allowing it to respond to martial artists¡¯ commands like an intelligent puppet. Not only responsible for delivering the invite, the flying bird also guided various Grandmasters toward the location of the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect. After dealing with internal matters of their own Sect, Richard and Ulysses released the Heavenly Mechanism flying bird and flew together toward the location of the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect. Having transcended the ordinary, Richard¡¯s speed had naturally soared, and although not reaching the velocity of light within the world, it was nonetheless quite fast. In just seven days, Richard had crossed almost half of the Wilderness Land, arriving at the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect, located at the heart of the landscape. The Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect sat right in the center of the Wilderness Land, an area that was both the best and the worst of the Wilderness Land. This land was scattered with the remnants of ancient wars fought by the ancestors and the Evil Demons, with countless ancestor relics and ruins. However, the price was that areas suitable for civilian life were scarce, and relics from those battlefields would occasionally attack the cities governed by the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect. Observing the barren desert on the ground and the occasional elemental turbulence in the sky, Richard once again felt the terror of a civilization war. The internal war of the Wizards had plunged a great world into the End of Magic Era, and the war between the Pioneers and that unknown civilization had shattered a great world directly. Even after so many years, the world itself had still not fully recovered from the damage caused. This was after tens, or even hundreds, of epochs. Richard sighed softly, "Alas, I really wonder what the outcome of that war was." "Are you talking about this war?" "Of course, the civilization war." "Well, only God knows now." The venue for the Anti-Demon Conference was located in a city under the control of the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect called Heavenly Mechanism City. After all, the Sects participating in this Anti-Demon Conference included not just ordinary Martial Arts Sects, but other Holy Sects as well. These Holy Sects had a history of innumerable conflicts, with enough blood spilled to fill the city. Even with all the strategies the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect could employ, they could not hope to trick the Sect Leaders of the other Holy Sects, though appearances still had to be maintained. Upon arriving in Heavenly Mechanism City, Richard and the other delivered the invitation to a disciple of the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect, and then followed their guidance to where they would be resting for the next few days. Looking at the palace before them, Richard thought to himself that the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect was quite courteous and did not put on any Holy Sect airs. The residences of these Sect Masters were newly built; not extravagantly lavish, but definitely ornate with carved beams and painted rafters. Having recognized their quarters, Richard and his companion didn¡¯t go in to rest but instead wandered around Heavenly Mechanism City. Besides the disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Holy Sect, the city was filled with Grandmasters and disciples from various Sects¡ªa prime opportunity to gather intelligence. Moreover, in Heavenly Mechanism City, there were no shortages of Grandmasters with different goals but similar actions to Richard¡¯s. Opportunities for so many Sect Masters to be together were rare and not to take advantage of it to spar with other Sect Masters and discuss Martial Arts would be a pity. While a Sect Master must be cunning, it couldn¡¯t be denied that every Martial Arts Grandmaster held a genuine passion for Martial Arts in their heart. As Richard was considering this, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the street, or to be precise, he felt a familiar presence in someone¡¯s figure. Ulysses, sensing Richard¡¯s distraction, looked in the direction Richard was gazing. He saw a burly Wild Beastman watching a fight; nearby, two Martial Arts Grandmasters were stealthily sparring. "Is there something special about this Beastman?" "There is, if I¡¯m not mistaken, he must be Jimmy in disguise." As he spoke, Richard casually approached the Wild Beastman and carelessly placed his right hand on his chest. In response, the Wild Beastman placed his left hand on his chest. Richard seemingly randomly wiggled his fingers, and seeing this, the Beastman mirrored the movement with his fingers. With this exchange, Richard was certain that this individual was Jimmy. Unexpectedly, Jimmy had managed to infiltrate the Anti-Demon Conference; indeed, none of these old Wizards were weak. Noticing Richard¡¯s approach, the two Grandmasters who were sparring ceased their movements. One Grandmaster, burly with robust vitality that almost formed a wolf smoke above his head, asked, "Young hero, which Sect Leader are you from?" He felt the pressure of a Grandmaster in Richard but also sensed it was too weak for a Grandmaster. "This is my disciple," Ulysses intervened in time, stepping forward, "I am Wuxiang from Wuxiang Valley, may I have the honor of knowing your revered names?" The burly Grandmaster replied, "I am Li Banshan, Sect Master of the Giant Spirit Sect." The other Grandmaster said, "Hengduan Cliff, Sect Master of Lianyang Mountain." After introductions, the trio got acquainted, and seeing that Richard wanted to converse with Jimmy, Ulysses, on the pretext of sparring in Martial Arts, ascended to the Nine Heavens. Only Richard and Jimmy were left on the ground. With no more obstacles, Richard communicated with Jimmy using a Spiritual Message with a chuckle, "I didn¡¯t expect Master to have slipped in as well." From the other side, the disguised Beastman¡¯s expression shifted slightly and he replied also through a Spiritual Message, "Geez, I thought I was the only one who slipped in. Yet, in such a short time, I¡¯ve met two Wizards. It seems I¡¯ve underestimated the heroes of this world." Hearing this, Richard laughed, "Master¡¯s disguise is quite exquisite; you really have the air of a Wild Beastman." Once the pleasantries were over, the two quickly began exchanging intelligence. According to Jimmy, before meeting Richard, he had already encountered two Wizards, including Richard¡¯s old acquaintance, the old Wizard Delis. "Is the Master a disciple of that Grandmaster?" Richard asked. "Not at all," Jimmy said, somewhat smugly. "I¡¯m only his nominal disciple, but in reality, he¡¯s an inside agent I¡¯ve turned." "An inside agent you¡¯ve turned?" Richard was taken aback, "Isn¡¯t the council supposed to sweep away all the World Masters of the Wild Beastmen? Are the Wild Beastmen so easily deceived?" "Of course not," Jimmy explained. "The council¡¯s purge of the World Masters of the Wild Beastmen is to prevent them from having a leader to resist. The person I turned, however, is a battle fanatic who defected for the sake of reaching a higher realm. He has no desire to lead the Wild Beastmen in rebellion. This time, our dean is taking the lead. Once the great battle begins, I¡¯ll send him a Spiritual Message to ensure he doesn¡¯t stay in this world." After hearing this, Richard couldn¡¯t hide his amazement, "Is that even possible?" He still respected the rules too much. But despite his astonishment, Richard understood the risks involved. Success in this matter required a combination of courage, ability, insight, and luck¡ªnot one could be lacking. "What does the Master plan to do at this convention?" "Nothing," Jimmy retorted, "You¡¯re not thinking of disrupting this convention, are you?" "No such thought." The two exchanged glances, a knowing smile flickering at the corners of their mouths. Letting these Wild Beastmen form an alliance would make it easier to take them out all at once when the time came. In the midst of their conversation, three Grandmasters had descended from the sky. Thanks to the rules of Level 5 Creatures, even though Ulysses¡¯ soul had not recovered to the realm of World Master, the rule-based suppression allowed him to spar with the two Grandmasters without being at a disadvantage¡ªat least until things got serious. Leaving Jimmy behind, the two continued their walk in Heavenly Mechanism City. Along the way, Richard saw Delis disguised as a Magic Pet of the Wild Beastmen, an Alchemy Wizard disguised as a Puppet Pioneer, a Soul Wizard disguised as a ring-bearing old man... among them, some were even bold and skilled enough to blend in as disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect. Even Ulysses marveled at the variety of Wizard tricks. Amidst all this, Richard and Ulysses sparred under the pretext of testing more than a dozen Grandmasters and gathered intelligence on two Great Grandmasters by observing their battles. This intelligence might seem inconsequential, but it was crucial for combat. Nothing is more terrifying than an enemy about which one knows nothing. As time went by, more and more Grandmasters arrived at the Heavenly Mechanism City. The sounds of sparring Grandmasters filled the city from dawn till dusk. And this provided Wizards with the perfect opportunity to dig for intelligence. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bang! Two Great Grandmasters in the sky abruptly separated, exchanged a glance then started mutually boasting about their achievements, while Richard, who was watching, unabashedly took notes of their praises. Now as Wuxiang¡¯s disciple, it was only natural for a junior to document the words and deeds of their seniors. Having finished recording, Richard tucked the notes into his Qiankun Gourd at his waist. This was the fifth pair of Great Grandmasters he had documented. In the entire Wilderness Land, there were only a little over twenty Great Grandmasters, and that included a few Martial Artists who were recluses. Taking into account other Wizards¡¯ recorded intelligence, they probably collected information on all the Great Grandmasters of the Wilderness Land. Though not too in-depth, this information was highly valuable for the knowledgeable Great Wizards. Knowing something about an enemy is far better than knowing nothing at all. Just as Richard was about to continue watching the other Grandmasters¡¯ battles, the sound of a melodious bell resonated through the entire city. Immediately following, a domineering presence forced all the Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters to the ground. From the sky, a dull sound of hooves approached, and a "Great Sun" emerged from the east to the sound of hooves. "The Great Sun Saint Sect has arrived," a Grandmaster whispered. Before the Great Sun had even reached them, a fearsome pressure came from the west side of the city. The Grandmasters looked over to see that an ominous cloud had formed in the sky out of nowhere, rolling and flashing with lightning. In no time at all, the cloud had transformed into a Wild Beastman¡¯s face. A Grandmaster exclaimed, "The Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect is also here!" But it didn¡¯t end there. From the south side of the city, there was a chorus of gasps as a procession of ghastly creatures pulled a cart across the southerly sky, harnessing all manner of Wild Beastmen¡¯s legendary Evil Ghosts. Behind them, a giant palace slowly moved towards Heavenly Mechanism City. To the north of the city, a towering giant hefted a mountainous bronze tripod on his shoulder, accompanied by an old man atop a five-headed Giant Dragon. "The Netherworld Saint Sect!" "The Dingtian Sacred Sect!" "The Myriad Spirit Saint Sect!" Amidst the Grandmasters¡¯ exclamations, the six Great Saint Sects of the Wilderness Land gathered together to partake in the grand affair of the Anti-Demon Conference. Chapter 522 - 67 Anti-Demon Alliance Chapter 522: Chapter 67 Anti-Demon AllianceThe leaders of the Five Great Sacred Sects arrived, and naturally, Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect did not remain unresponsive. The bell rang once again from within Heavenly Mechanism City, and soon, an old Beastman with completely white hair appeared in the sky, revealing a majestic aura that soared to the heavens. In terms of momentum, he was in no way inferior to the leaders of the Five Great Sacred Sects. Witnessing this scene, Richard¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. "No wonder the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect could end its internal strife, as it turns out they have produced another Martial Saint." A Martial Saint is a Level 6 Creature, while a Great Grandmaster is a Level 5 Creature. Despite the difference of just one level, the gap in strength between them was vast, as one was in the heavens and the other on earth. "The Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect welcomes the Great Sun Saint Sect, Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect, Netherworld Saint Sect, Dingtian Sacred Sect, and Myriad Spirit Saint Sect to participate in the Anti-Demon Conference." Upon finishing, the old Beastman bowed respectfully. Seeing this, the leaders of the Five Sacred Sects did not pick a quarrel. They all dispelled their auras and returned the bow with a clenched fist greeting. After dissipating their auras, the Sect Master of Great Sun Saint Sect arrived on a carriage drawn by eight horses. The Sect Master of Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect was surrounded by a flock of birds. The palace of the Netherworld Saint Sect¡¯s Sect Master vanished, replaced by a palanquin, and the hundred ghosts that pulled the carriage transformed into eight sinister Ghost Kings bearing the palanquin. The Dingtian Sacred Sect¡¯s Sect Master shrank in size, and with him, the giant bronze tripod also became smaller, whereas the Sect Master of Myriad Spirit Saint Sect remained unchanged, merely restraining the aura of the five-headed Giant Dragons beneath him. As the five entered Heavenly Mechanism City, the old Beastman also dispelled his aura. With a casual wave of his hand, a dull sound resonated from within the city. The palace designated for the Sect Masters to rest began to shift. Many Grandmasters ascended to the sky, and Richard, observing the changing city below his feet, immediately understood what Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect was doing. "Qi Men Array! The Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect is treating these palaces like Array Flags!" No wonder he hadn¡¯t felt the presence of a Qi Men Array in this city. He had thought it was a sincere gesture from the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect, but it turned out it simply hadn¡¯t been deployed yet. In a moment, the transformation of the Qi Men Array was complete, with the Array itself becoming its own world. Then, a Space Rift tore open in the Void, and a vast stone platform flew out from within the rift. "The respective Sect Masters are invited to ascend the platform," said the old Beastman. With that, the old Beastman flew onto the platform. The other five Sect Masters did not hesitate and likewise landed on the platform. Seeing that the Sect Masters had all mounted the platform, the surrounding Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters also followed suit. More than two hundred red desks had been arranged atop the stone platform, corresponding exactly to the remaining Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters. As the last Grandmaster settled in, the old Beastman from the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect dispensed with any pleasantries, getting straight to the point by taking out the Blood Book written on coarse cloth. "I have written the reason for this conference in the invitation, so I will spare the fuss. This is a Blood Book hastily left by the former Sect Master of our sect upon his death. Everyone present is no layman and should be able to discern the authenticity of this Blood Book." The old Beastman unfolded the Blood Book, at the center of which were four large characters¡ªHeavenly Demon Descent. Judging by the writing, these four characters were written in a hurry, as if the Sect Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect had seen some great horror. The Blood Book hovered in the center of the stone platform, and although the many Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters did not know the full story, they could be sure of one thing¡ªthe blood used in this Blood Book indeed belonged to a Martial Saint. The Sect Master of Great Sun Saint Sect gazed upon the Blood Book and sighed faintly, "Wen Tian, oh, Wen Tian, what on earth did you see to scare you so? "Could it be that another Demon Lord of great evil has arisen out of the primordial chaos?" The words of the Sect Master of Great Sun Saint Sect seemed like casual lamentation, but everyone present was shrewd, and from his words, they could already tell that the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect had reached an agreement with the Great Sun Saint Sect. However, even if the acting of the sects was poor, the only acceptable response was to applaud. "Heh, if something could scare old Wen Tian like that, it might really be possible." From another side, a strange voice came from the Netherworld Saint Sect Sect Master¡¯s palanquin, sounding as if multiple voices were overlaid on one another. "Why do I feel that Wen Tian has grown senile?" the Sect Master of Dingtian Sacred Sect said in his simple-minded voice, "Wen Tian has been rambling on about some great terror for more than a thousand years now, always talking about a great terror, a great terror. He couldn¡¯t possibly have seen that Heavenly Demon more than one thousand years ago, right?" "Is this the only piece of evidence you have?" The Sect Master of Myriad Spirit Saint Sect, who had arrived with the Sect Master of Dingtian, asked with a frown, "Wen Tian being senile isn¡¯t new, and you dare to convene this Anti-Demon Conference just on the basis of a single Blood Book?" Upon this remark, the Grandmasters present instantly perked up. The main event of the conference had begun. It appeared that the Great Sun Saint Sect and the Netherworld Saint Sect had likely already struck a deal with the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect, while the Dingtian Sacred Sect and Myriad Spirit Saint Sect probably had not. As for the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect... the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect didn¡¯t need to make any agreements; as long as the Heavenly Demon Descent occurred, the Heavenly Punishment Martial Artists would take action en masse, sweeping away the multitude of demons. In past years, the Demon Sect¡¯s Pope, with the power of the Demon Lord, had ascended to the realm of Martial Saint, threatening to unleash a demonic catastrophe across the Wilderness Land. The Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect mobilized in full force and, at the cost of losing most of their disciples, they executed the Demon Sect¡¯s Pope and many Demon Sect Grandmasters. Meanwhile, the other Five Great Sacred Sects were still bickering amongst themselves. Among the Six Great Saint Sects, only the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect truly deserved the title of a Holy Sect. "There¡¯s no need to rush, gentlemen. Our sect didn¡¯t gather everyone just for a monkey show," the old Beastman from Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect said calmly, "Our Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect has been graciously called by many Martial Artists from the Wilderness Land to possess divine foresight, never wrong in our predictions. "Although that may be somewhat of an exaggeration, when it comes to the skill of Heavenly Mechanism Calculation, I believe our sect is unmatched by your sects." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Sect Masters of Dingtian and Myriad Spirit did not refute, acknowledging that the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect, with its foundational skill in Heavenly Mechanism Propagation, held an upper hand in such matters. Both Sect Masters¡¯ own sects, though also Holy Sects, had their own preferences. Dingtian Sacred Sect, as one of the two on the Evil Path, specialized in Essence Dao, while the Myriad Spirit Saint Sect, though one of the three on the righteous path, also based their cultivation of Myriad Spirit Mending Heaven Technique on Essence Dao as the core. In terms of Heavenly Mechanism Calculation, neither sect could hold a candle to the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect. "If neither of you rebut, then I shall take it that you both agree," the old Beastman continued, "As we all know, the Heavenly Mechanism is fickle and even a Martial Saint dare not claim their divinations are sure to be true. But ever since the Sect Master of our Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect wrote the Blood Book, all our disciples, including many peak masters and I, the Sect Master, have faced chaos in our divinations of the Heavenly Mechanism. Even attempting to divine the simplest of fortunes can only be perceived within seven days. Anything beyond seven days is clouded in chaos. Some of you present may also be skilled in the art of Heavenly Mechanism Calculation. Feel free to try and see if you can discern fortunes beyond seven days." Upon hearing this, many of the Grandmasters present immediately began their Heavenly Mechanism Calculations. But whether they used copper coin divination, divination with Divination Grass, or even the turtle shells of divine turtles, none could see the fortunes beyond seven days. It was as if an invisible barrier was obscuring their vision. Although the Dingtian and Myriad Spirit sects were not adept at Heavenly Mechanism Calculations, the two Sect Masters were well-versed in various arts and could outperform an average peak master in the art of Heavenly Mechanism Calculation, although they did not match up to the old Beastman of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect. But they, too, could not see beyond seven days. The Sect Master of the Myriad Spirit Saint Sect furrowed his brows and attempted to channel the power of the Great Dao, also known as the Miracle Power used in the Wizard Curse, to break through this barrier. But as soon as he began to harness it, he sensed a gaze upon him. Buzz! A humming sound arose from the Void. The Sect Master of the Myriad Spirit Saint Sect closed his eyes tightly, but still could not prevent two streams of blood tears from flowing down his cheeks. Seeing this, the Grandmasters who were adept at Heavenly Mechanism Calculation immediately discarded the thought of breaking through the barrier. Joking aside, even a Martial Saint couldn¡¯t break through, so these small fries shouldn¡¯t even try. Before long, the Sect Master of the Myriad Spirit Saint Sect opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the old Beastman of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect. "Who is that?" The old Beastman solemnly spoke, "Esteemed predecessor from Myriad Spirit, that is the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon has sealed off the destinies of the entire Wilderness Land including the surrounding Grotto Heavens. If we do not form an alliance, it would be quite easy for this Heavenly Demon to annihilate us." The Sect Master of the Dingtian Sacred Sect looked at his old friend, who took a deep breath and wiped the two streaks of blood from his face. "Myriad Spirit Saint Sect agrees to the alliance." "Dingtian Sacred Sect agrees as well." Seeing that these two sects had agreed, a slight smile of relief appeared on the face of the old Beastman of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect. The hardest nut to crack had been dealt with, as for the rest... "Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect also agrees." A deep voice sounded from the midst of the bird flock, causing everyone who heard it to turn in shock towards the Sect Master of Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect. Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect had agreed? The old Beastman had not expected such a turn of events; he had planned to seek alliance with the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect after the Heavenly Demon Descent. But now, the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect took the initiative to join the alliance. Being the most mysterious of the Six Great Saint Sects, the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect usually kept out of alliance matters and remained uninvolved. But today, they had taken the initiative to join. This was indeed a rare occurrence. Yet, without doubt, it was a favorable one. The old Beastman bowed to the master of the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect, "Welcome to the alliance." Bang! Before the Beastman¡¯s words had even finished, an object flew out from the birds. When it landed, Richard¡¯s pupils contracted sharply. What had flown out was the corpse of a Black Wizard of the Three Rings. "This is what you call the Heavenly Demon," the voice of the Sect Master of Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect carried no emotion, "Based on my estimates, these creatures might have infiltrated our ranks a decade ago, or perhaps even earlier. I cannot be sure if there are any spies sent by these beings called Wizards among us during this conference. But no matter, the alliance is formed, and any further interference from them is nothing but the antics of a clown." The sight of the wizard and the other Grandmasters present, including sect masters of the other Five Great Sacred Sects, all felt a jolt of shock. The Heavenly Demon had already infiltrated among them. The Sect Master of Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect paid no attention to the commotion of the Grandmasters, continuing to say, "These creatures cultivate the Evil Path, with most of them specializing in Essence Dao and a few in Spiritual Dual Cultivation. They are extremely elite. I have searched within my sect for ten years, and all I found were corpses, without even one intact soul. Compared to them, the scum of the Demon Sect are mere chickens and dogs." With that said, the Sect Master of Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect looked towards the old Beastman of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect. "To form an alliance, naturally we need an Alliance Hierarch and a charter. But before we discuss these matters, let us first give this alliance a name, shall we?" The old Beastman replied, "Indeed. Does the predecessor have any suggestion?" After pondering for a moment, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect indifferently said, "I am not good at naming, but since the conference is called the Anti-Demon Conference, why not call the alliance the Anti-Demon Alliance?" Chapter 523 - 68 The War Begins Chapter 523: Chapter 68 The War BeginsThe Anti-Demon Conference lasted for three days, during which time the Anti-Demon Alliance confirmed the Alliance Hierarch and the preliminary rules. The position of Alliance Hierarch, not surprisingly, fell upon the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect. The Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect, along with several other Saint Sects, had both blood feuds and cooperations, and it was also the frontline in resisting the Magic Martial Artists in the Wilderness Land. Having them serve as the Hierarch was agreed upon by the other major Saint Sects. The only one somewhat sullen was the Great Sun Saint Sect. The Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect had originally promised to support them fully in becoming the Hierarch. However, they did not expect the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect to suddenly intervene and snatch away that position. Once the Hierarch was confirmed, the rules naturally followed. During the anti-demon period, all Major Sects should cease all forms of civil war and prepare wholeheartedly for the future great battle. Additionally, each Major Sect should be led by the local Holy Sect to establish a regional common defensive line to prevent the Witch World¡¯s Heavenly Demons from defeating them one by one. However, since the Heavenly Demons have yet to descend upon the world, the regulations should be broad rather than detailed. Although cooperation between the Six Great Saint Sects had been established, the blood feuds of many years meant that this cooperation would have to undergo a trial by blood before becoming truly close-knit. Therefore, these rules are more like a program than actual regulations. The establishment of the Anti-Demon Alliance marked the preliminary unification of the Wilderness Land, a historic scene. If the Wild Beastmen could successfully resist the Wizards, then this meeting would become a turning point in the history of the Wild Beastmen. A united, though broken, great world, is troublesome for any civilization. But the premise is being able to withstand the pressure. On the second day after the conference ended, intelligence about the Wild Beastmen Martial Arts Grandmasters and the Anti-Demon Alliance arrived at the Floating City. ... Beyond the Wilderness Land, Floating Cities with comet tails sped towards distant worlds. At the heart of these Floating Cities, beings with terrifying presences gathered in a conference room. At that moment, if a member of the old Wizard Commerce were present, they would be too shocked to pick up their jaws. Because in this conference room, every Wizard was a Great Wizard seldom seen by the Wizard World on regular days. To hasten the conquest of the Wilderness Land, the Wizard World had deployed no fewer than three hundred Great Wizards, with over a quarter of the Wizard World¡¯s Great Wizards gathered in this room. In the conference room, Garon the Great Wizard took the principal seat. Sitting beside him were three Great Wizards, one of whom was a dark fire person, clearly a Great Wizard of the Shape-shifting School. Another¡¯s body was both ethereal and real, with two completely contradictory properties present in one body. Among the Five Major Schools, it was the Soul School that could have such traits. The third was our old acquaintance, the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear. This Six-Circle Great Wizard, who controls the Military Department, now appeared weak, his bronze-like body covered with tiny cracks, through which glimmers of rule-resistant brilliance could be faintly seen. The battle in the Galaxy World inflicted significant damage on this Great Wizard. Garon the Great Wizard opened up space and took out a stack of documents. With a flick of his hand, the documents flew into the hands of the many Great Wizards. "This is the intelligence our good lads have gathered. Among these Wild Beastmen, there are two hundred and eight Level 4 Creatures, twenty-seven Level 5 Creatures, and a suspected seven Level 6 Creatures. Additionally," Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s voice paused, his tone growing heavy, "these Wild Beastmen are suspected to have sealed a Star Realm Master." Many of the Great Wizards hadn¡¯t taken the earlier news very seriously, as in terms of numbers, these Wild Beastmen couldn¡¯t compare to the Wizards. But upon hearing that the Wild Beastmen had sealed away a Star Realm Master, all the Great Wizards were inwardly shaken. Instantly, the space of the conference room was distorted by the Great Wizards¡¯ rippling energies, causing ripples to spread continuously. Garon the Great Wizard snapped his fingers, and the space of the conference room returned to normal. "There¡¯s no need to be nervous. According to the intelligence, this Star Realm Master is likely one sealed by the Lost Ones. These Wild Beastmen are probably the Tomb Guardians created by the Lost Ones. However, due to the influence of that unknown gene, the information of the Lost Ones has been erased, and these Wild Beastmen have also forgotten their mission. Therefore, these Wild Beastmen are likely unaware that there is a Star Realm Master sealed beneath their feet. Of course, even if they knew, this news would likely remain only among their Six Great Saint Sects, because our people have not discovered any intelligence that ordinary sect members know of this news. According to the intelligence, the headquarters of the Six Great Saint Sects have never changed since ancient times. Moreover, their Magic Martial Artists have also tried to invade these six Saint Sects numerous times. Presumably, the key equipment for that sealing measure should be distributed among these six Saint Sects." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "So are we aiming to eradicate these ¡¯Saint Sects¡¯?" a Five-Ring Great Wizard asked. A faint smile appeared on the lips of Garon the Great Wizard, "Roughly speaking, yes." Saying this, he raised his hand, and an image appeared before the many Great Wizards. "I plan to split our forces into three groups, descending on three Saint Sects simultaneously, and take control of half of the sealing apparatus first. This way, there¡¯s a good chance the seal will not be broken. Of course, I have already notified the Plastic Energy and Alchemy Crowns. They could support us through the Wizard Dimension at any moment, so even if the Master breaks out, it won¡¯t be a problem." Hearing the names of the two Crowns, the Wizards present breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Plastic Energy and Alchemy Crowns were not among the first Wizards to achieve truth, they were the most powerful of the five Crowns. Legend has it that their power has already broken through the limits of Level 7 Creatures. With these two Crowns in support, even if the Star Realm Master broke free, it would only become an experimental subject. "Isn¡¯t dividing our forces three ways a bit risky?" the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear suddenly spoke up, "If they decide to focus their defense on one point, even you might have trouble dealing with five Level 6 Creatures." "I hope they¡¯ll do just that." Garon the Great Wizard looked at his old friend. As the two exchanged glances, the Great Wizard of the Bronze Spear suddenly felt an imposing pressure. It was a suppression on the level of life itself. The Bronze Spear Great Wizard shuddered and asked, "Are you about to break through?" Garon the Great Wizard stated indifferently, "My lucky star filled in the last gap for me recently; my path is now complete. All I¡¯m lacking is the ritual." Garon the Great Wizard mentioned it casually, but the Great Wizards listening all revealed expressions of shock. As an old friend of Garon the Great Wizard, the Bronze Spear Great Wizard flashed to his side and threw a fierce punch at him, catching Garon off-guard. "What the hell, have you gone mad?" Garon the Great Wizard said, slightly angered. Wearing a smile, while coughing up blood, the Bronze Spear Great Wizard replied, "Hahaha, you¡¯re about to become a crowned head, and after that, I won¡¯t be able to land a punch on you." Garon the Great Wizard pointed at his old friend with a hint of annoyance and stabilized his friend¡¯s bodily injuries. "You¡¯re thousands of years old, so why is your mind still like a child¡¯s?" The Bronze Spear Great Wizard laughed and said, "Such opportunities are rare, and if I don¡¯t seize it, there probably won¡¯t be a next time." The news of Garon the Great Wizard becoming a crowned head was undoubtedly a major event for many Great Wizards. The birth of a new crowned head would inevitably disrupt the top-tier layout that had been formed since the pioneering era. Given Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s close relationship with the Alchemy Crown, the power in the Wizard Civilization would inevitably lean towards the Alchemy faction. This was not good news for the Great Wizards of the Shape-shifting School. The contest for leadership within the Wizard Civilization between the Alchemy and Shape-shifting crowned heads had long been known among the Great Wizards. But because the Curse Crown had stayed out of it, and with Life and Soul¡ªone siding with Alchemy and the other with Shape-shifting¡ªthe power between the two factions had always been balanced. But now, that balance was about to be disrupted. This was an omen of uncertain fortune or misfortune for the Wizard Civilization, which was already engaged in a civilizational war. Of course, all that was a matter for the future. For now, the task of these Great Wizards under the leadership of Garon the Great Wizard was to conquer this broken Great World known as the Wilderness. ... Inside the Wilderness World, Richard was explaining a blueprint to his old disciple, Kong Xiong. Although the Banshan Sect was a sect of Martial Arts, they also managed their own industry. This was one of the reasons why the Banshan Sect hadn¡¯t declined too rapidly; even in times of downfall, one could at least learn a skill by joining the sect. The Banshan Sect¡¯s main business was the construction industry, and many of the branch offices of various sects in Chengshan City were built by the Banshan Sect in the earlier years. Now, with all the Holy Sects establishing a united defensive line, a sect like the Banshan Sect, capable of working with dust, suddenly became valuable. As the former Sect Leader of the Banshan Sect, it was natural for Richard to entrust the construction near Wuxiang Valley to them. "Build it according to this plan. I¡¯ve learned something from the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect, allowing the use of buildings as parts of an Array Flag." Looking at the blueprint his master provided, Kong Xiong felt like scratching his head bald. The thing looked too strange to resemble a blueprint of a great city. But upon hearing his master mention the Qi Men Array, Kong Xiong didn¡¯t dare to say much. He was not familiar with the Qi Men Array. "Alright then, I¡¯ll build it this way." Kong Xiong left, and Richard turned to return to his courtyard within the Banshan Sect. Here, a Communication Pyramid was being operated by several Black Wizards, continually transmitting messages to the Floating City. "Is the transmission finished?" "Not quite." A year had passed since the establishment of the Anti-Demon Alliance, and throughout this year, messages from the Alliance had been continuously passed on to the Wizards by Richard. Together with the intelligence collected by other undercover Wizards, one could say, the Anti-Demon Alliance was almost entirely transparent to the Wizards. After sending the messages, these Black Wizards transformed into several robed Wild Beastmen. If any Banshan Sect disciples were to see this, they would be astonished to find that these Black Wizards were their own Hall Masters. Under Richard¡¯s manipulation, all major cities under the governance of Wuxiang Valley were under the control of the Black Wizards. As soon as the front line advanced near Wuxiang Valley, it would promptly switch sides and become part of the Wizard faction. After returning the Communication Pyramid to the Secret Realm, Richard gazed into the sky. Although invisible, he knew the war was approaching. ... Within the Star Realm, dozens of Floating Cities, along with hundreds of smaller ones, were being organized under the command of the headquarters. The Wilderness Great World was not an isolated world; around it were over a dozen fragmented small worlds, also known as Grotto Heavens, as referred to by the Wild Beastmen. These Grotto Heavens were also targets for the Wizards to conquer. Under the direction of the headquarters, countless Floating Cities carrying millions of Wizards began making final preparations to cross the World Barrier. Meanwhile, Garon the Great Wizard opened the gate to the Wizard Dimension and sent a message to the Curse Crown, who had been shielding fate all this while. "The war has begun, please mislead fate accordingly." Chapter 524 - 69 Chapter 524: Chapter 69Atop the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect Main Peak, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Mechanism was uniting many Peak Elders for a session of Heavenly Mechanism Calculation. Silhouettes of swirling clouds enshrouded the great hall, with various twisted phenomena continually emerging from the Void, occasionally accompanied by ephemeral creatures appearing from thin air before vanishing without a trace in an instant. Following the establishment of the Anti-Demon Alliance, the Sect Master felt that the impending crisis had become more urgent. The disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect spent years deducing the Way of Heaven; despite their good defenses, they were inevitably tainted by the power of the Way. Such taints could be good or bad, but they all shared a function ¨C to endow the tainted ones with a keen sense of their own destiny. They often felt the arrival of a turning point in their lives, a point they referred to as their tribulation. Now, the Sect Master felt that his tribulation was imminent. Or rather, a tribulation was about to descend upon the entire Barbarian Wilderness. Hum! Suddenly, a humming sound arose from the Void, and all the phenomena within the great hall were wiped clean by a force, like chalk writing on a blackboard. The meditating Peak Leaders and Elders closed their eyes tightly, blood streaming from their eyes, but the Sect Master in the center opened his eyes wide. As the leader of this divination, the Sect Master¡¯s eyes were shattered, yet he seemed as if he felt no pain, his face brimming with excitement. "Breakthrough! I¡¯ve seen it! I¡¯ve seen it!" The Sect Master laughed heartily, pointing upwards and laughing aloud, "Heavenly Demon, is nothing more than that!" Seeing their Sect Master like this, the other Peak Masters hurriedly asked, "Sect Master, what did you see?" The Sect Master plucked out his broken eyes and responded offhandedly, "Send the Messenger Birds quickly, I have peered into the mysteries of Heaven; in three months the Heavenly Demon will descend. When that time comes, the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect will gather numerous great demons, and we must provide support!" ... The news from the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect soon spread throughout the Six Great Saint Sects, and the approaching Heavenly Demon made all the Sects hasten their preparations for battle. Countless Wild Beastman civilians were captured for corvee labor, forced to leave their homeland and head to the nearest great city to construct fortifications. Qi Men practitioners were also called upon, with many sparing no effort to alter the terrain just to place dangerously formidable Qi Men Arrays in various cities. In preparation for the imminent Heavenly Demon Descent, the numerous Array Maps from the Six Great Saint Sects were willingly scattered almost for free. They only hoped to secure an extra chance of survival in the upcoming catastrophe. And this made Richard rake in a fortune. Qi Men Ancient Seals, Array Maps, connecting and modifying terrain... a deluge of knowledge came his way, making Richard exclaim in admiration of the Sects¡¯ wisdom. Soon, the third month arrived. Because the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect anticipated the Wizards¡¯ advance, they dispatched their troops, resulting in three out of the six Sect Masters being in the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect. The legendary solitary Martial Saint also appeared before the battle commenced, volunteering to help the Anti-Demon Alliance resist the Heavenly Demon. That is to say, the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect gathered a total of four Martial Saints. Moreover, with the Qi Men Formation set up by the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect itself and the relics of the ancients, they were confident that they were ready for battle, even if the Demon Lord were to revive. The Heavenly Vault gradually dimmed. A ripple appeared in the sky, turning the once empty space into something resembling the surface of water. Sensing this scene, the four Martial Saints immediately set their True Qi into motion. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Is this the Heavenly Demon?" An old man in hemp garments, clutching a wine gourd, looked dazedly skyward. In the sky, the ripple gradually turned into a fissure. Within the Void, the cold steel color caught the Observer¡¯s eye. "No," the Heavenly Punishment Sect Master replied, "This should be their war chariot, or warship. These Heavenly Demons, like us, are flesh and blood creatures." As they spoke, the rift in the sky suddenly widened. A Space Rift stretching over thousands of kilometers opened like a giant eye; beneath its gaze, the vast Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect seemed nothing more than a toy. Ten Floating Cities, along with several dozen smaller ones, descended toward the land like the pupil of that giant eye. The Heavenly Punishment Sect Master raised his hand, and a loud bell sound immediately spread throughout the entire Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect. In the next instant, 823,543 Martial Artists, each standing in their preassigned positions, simultaneously infused True Qi into the Array Flags before them. With the input of True Qi, the over eight hundred thousand Array Flags were activated at the same time. In an instant, the Flags interlinked, with forty-nine mountain peaks as the Array Eyes, isolating the entire Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect from the rest of the world. "Let¡¯s show these Heavenly Demons what we¡¯re made of." The Great Sun Sect Master floated up into the sky with a hearty laugh, now no longer worrying about consuming his True Qi due to the Qi Men Formation¡¯s enhancement. Now, the entire land including the connected Earth Veins became his source of energy! Boom! The Great Sun Sect Master then made a sweeping gesture, and a great sun appeared in the sky. The sun, a brilliant gold, emanated a terrifying heat that even cracked the surrounding space. From afar, the radiance of the great sun was swallowed by the Space Rift, transforming the unbearable-to-look-at sun into a pitch-black sun. With a casual wave from the Great Sun Sect Master, the gigantic black sun burst through space, heading straight for the Space Rift. If it really hit its mark, the Wizards¡¯ Floating City would melt into molten iron in just a moment. "How rude." A calm voice came from the Rift. A black dot merely two meters in size emerged, calmly positioning itself in front of a Floating City with a radius exceeding ten thousand meters, facing a black sun almost one hundred kilometers in diameter. The dot barely lifted a hand before snapping its fingers. The next moment, the world seemed to freeze. The terrifying black sun stopped right in front of the black dot, unable to advance an inch further, and even its fearsome heat stopped spreading. Shortly after, the black dot began to grow in size, slowly morphing into a black-robed Wizard, while the blackened sun gradually shrank, becoming a tiny black pellet. The Wizard clenched the Black Sun in his hand before tossing it into his mouth. Moments later, the robed Wizard spoke, "Not powerful enough. Is this the best you can do?" The robed Wizard¡¯s arrogant words instantly enraged the Great Sun Sect Master, who had never been so belittled since joining the Great Sun Saint Sect. Just as he was about to make his move, a hand landed on his shoulder. The eyes of the Heavenly Punishment Martial Saint flashed with lightning, speaking calmly, "Great Sun Brother, let¡¯s not fall for this Evil Demon¡¯s trap. We should strike together!" The Heavenly Punishment Sect Master casually waved his hand, and a Space Rift appeared out of nowhere. He reached into the rift and pulled out a Purple Thunder Axe wrapped with a Thunder Snake. "Ha, straightforward¡ªI like it." The Martial Saint holding a wine gourd chuckled and pulled out a perfectly straight stick from the air. The stick seemed unremarkable, but it made the Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Spirits sect¡¯s pupils contract. "Jianmu!" The gourd-bearing Martial Saint chuckled in response, "Good eye." Seeing this, the Great Sun Sect Master refrained from acting rashly and took a blazing red Big Halberd enveloped in flames from the Void. "I¡¯ll take the lead." With that said, his figure flashed and appeared in the air. "Heavenly Demon, meet your end!" The Great Sun Sect Master swung his halberd in a full circle, accompanied by countless Space Fragments, and rushed towards the robed Wizard. Behind him, the other three Martial Saints followed suit, engulfing the Wizard in a deluge of fist light, stick shadows, and Heavenly Thunder. In an instant, the entire sky filled with supernatural phenomena. The Great Sun hung suspended, Lightning Rivers reversed flow, myriad spirits surged, and mountains crumbled. Under the Martial Saints¡¯ rules, the laws of the sky were completely twisted. All of the energy, elements, and even space had become deadly weapons at this moment. And the robed Wizard who stood at the center of the onslaught had not an iota of space to dodge. "Huh, flash without substance." BOOM!! An explosive sound burst from the sky, propelling the four Martial Saints backward like cannonballs. In the sky, the robed Wizard shed his black robe, revealing a muscular body that would astonish even a Martial Saint. Lush green tendrils spread from the wand in the Wizard¡¯s right hand, gradually covering his entire body. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Garon," the robed Wizard said indifferently. "If you¡¯re willing to serve me, I can spare you today. The Wizard Civilization greatly needs your fighting prowess." The four Martial Saints remained silent upon hearing this, but the next instant, the phenomena in the sky provided an answer. The Heavenly Punishment Martial Saint wielded his axe, and the Heavenly Vault dimmed with each swing. "The Way of Heavenly Punishment, in accordance with the will of the heavens, to eradicate Evil Demons and protect all beings. Until today, all I encountered were mere dogs and chickens, which made me question. But facing you today, I finally understand the true meaning of this path!" With that said, the Heavenly Vault shattered, and lightning danced wildly. The space, not yet recovered, fractured once again. On the ground below, 820,000 Martial Artists simultaneously channeled their True Qi, pushing the Qi Men Array to its limits. An inexhaustible supply of energy was drawn into the lightning by this swing of the axe. "This strike is known as, Heavenly Punishment!" The axe came crashing down, and lightning filled the sky. The lightning that spanned the entire Heavenly Vault engulfed Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s form. After the lightning, the other three Martial Saints unleashed their ultimate skills. The Ten Thousand Spirits Martial Saint¡¯s figure expanded enormously, transforming into a towering giant with the features of a hundred beasts. The giant needed no weapons; his massive fists were enough. With a wave of his fists, all spirits became one. The Great Sun Martial Saint, gripping his halberd tightly, hurled it with all his might, his body¡¯s golden radiance merging into the halberd. The halberd shone brilliantly, like a fierce sun. Finally, the Nameless Martial Saint emptied the wine from his gourd, and mountainous apparitions appeared around him. He then swung his staff, shattering thousands of mountains into a single shadowy strike. The shadowy staff was insubstantial, yet it could crush the Heavenly Vault. As the Martial Saints released their utmost abilities, a hint of regret appeared on Garon Great Wizard¡¯s face amid the lightning. "Such a shame, still not enough." With that, the World Tree Staff disappeared into the Void, absorbing the space storm that could shred a normal Great Wizard into endless energy to fuel Garon the Great Wizard. "Garon, isn¡¯t it time for you to make a move?" the World Tree asked. Garon the Great Wizard sighed. "Alas, such a waste of these Aliens. If they could have served me, they would have been useful on the frontlines, maybe even to incinerate quite a few old friends." In the next instant, BOOM! The fist light, the Big Halberd, and the shadow of the staff exploded in the sky, becoming an immense Black Sun over five hundred kilometers in diameter. A Floating City caught in the expanse of the Black Sun was swallowed up; its armor capable of withstanding spatial storms was instantly devoured, leaving a smooth, mirror-like fracture at the point of consumption. Soon, the Black Sun disappeared. The four Martial Saints, looking into the Black Sun where Garon the Great Wizard remained unchanged, revealed a flash of despair on their faces. Garon the Great Wizard spoke calmly, "Aliens, now it¡¯s my turn." Chapter 525 - 70: Destroying the Decrepit as if Pulling up Rotten Wood Chapter 525: Chapter 70: Destroying the Decrepit as if Pulling up Rotten WoodGaron the Great Wizard did not produce a host of supernatural phenomena like the four Martial Saints did. His methods were simple and unadorned, so much so that they seemed almost casual. He revealed his true form, a giant with three heads, towering over a thousand meters tall, standing in the sky like a Divine being descending to the mortal realm. Garon the Great Wizard reached out for the Great Sun Martial Saint, and in the next moment, the Void shattered, and a gigantic hand broke through the Void to grasp the Great Sun Martial Saint in its palm. The Great Sun Martial Saint tried to dodge, but as the great hand moved, an invisible force immobilized him on the spot. He could break free from this force, but a brief delay allowed the hand to seize him. And the moment he was captured by the hand, it signified his downfall. A terrifying force, as heavy as a mountain, instantly shattered the Great Sun Martial Saint¡¯s defenses. As soon as his defenses were breached, the roots of the World Tree took hold within his body. After taking root, the World Tree did nothing much. It merely gently sucked, causing the Great Sun Martial Saint¡¯s once robust body to instantly wither. Against two entities surpassing the limits of Level 6 Creatures, the Great Sun Martial Saint had no ability to resist; he was captured after just an encounter. The World Tree ingested the Great Sun Martial Saint into its body, and Garon the Great Wizard turned his gaze to the remaining three Martial Saints. "You still have a chance now. If you are willing to serve me now, I can still spare your lives, although the contract later might be a bit harsh," he said. But the response of the three Martial Saints was to flee. Those who became Martial Saints were not fools. Knowing that the four of them could not defeat the enemy, they naturally turned and ran. After all, the treasures of the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect had already been moved. What the Sect had given was given. Moreover, they had foreseen this situation. Thus, when setting up the Qi Men Array, they had left themselves an out. The Heavenly Punishment Martial Saint poured out a bell from a gourd and gently shook it. In the next moment, a clear bell sound rang in every Martial Artist¡¯s ears. On hearing the bell, these carefully selected Martial Artists began their final formation change. But alas, all these efforts were in vain. Garon the Great Wizard, noticing the minor movements of the Heavenly Punishment Martial Saint, immediately threw the World Tree Staff onto the ground. Once the World Tree Staff touched the ground, a vast network of roots took root instantly and spread rapidly along the underground Magic Power flows. Under the absorption of the World Tree, the forty-nine peaks that should have exploded only emitted a faint energy fluctuation and then remained still. The Heavenly Punishment Martial Saint¡¯s plan for a cataclysmic collapse ended before it began. But without the aid of the World Tree, capturing the remaining three Martial Saints as effortlessly as capturing the Great Sun Martial Saint was impossible. So, Garon the Great Wizard stood firm in the sky, looked at the three fleeing Martial Saints, and calmly took out the White Bone Wand that he had used in the past from the Void. With a gentle swing of his wand, the vast expanse of sky collapsed instantly, yet this was merely a projection within the veil. Within the veil, a huge domain expanded rapidly, enveloping the three Martial Saints like a celestial canopy in an instant. Inside the domain, countless mighty creatures overwhelmed the three Martial Saints like a surging tide. No matter what kind of forbidden martial techniques they used, the tide was relentless. Watching the three Martial Saints being submerged by the tide, Garon the Great Wizard shook his head with a slight regret. "Sigh, without having realized the truth, the domain is still just a domain. It¡¯s still a long way from evolving into an Illusion World," he murmured. Not caring about the three Martial Saints struggling within the domain, Garon the Great Wizard turned around and waved his wand, summoning the army of the Floating City from the sky to descend. At the same time, the other two Great Wizards had crossed the World Barrier and entered this broken Wilderness World. "Kekeke... Fate¡¯s misdirection from the crown is quite useful," came an evil laugh from beneath the black robe, within a black Flame. Looking at the unprepared Great Sun Saint Sect before him, the Great Wizard known as You Yan gave the order: "Whole army, attack. Leave no Martial Artist behind." Meanwhile, the headquarters of the Myriad Spirit Saint Sect was experiencing a similar situation. However, the Great Wizard leading this Wizard Army was not as brutal as You Yan the Great Wizard. Soul Jade the Great Wizard spoke indifferently, "Those willing to surrender, put on the slave collars. None of Level 3 or above shall be spared." Behind him, hundreds of Great Wizards simultaneously performed the Wizard¡¯s Salute. "Yes, Commander," they replied. ... In Wuxiang Valley, Richard stood on the mountaintop, next to him lay the Communication Pyramid. Suddenly, a flicker of light flashed across the Communication Pyramid, and a piece of information immediately entered Richard¡¯s Crystal Ball. "Agent Richard, You Yan the Great Wizard has successfully entered the world. The army will reach your location within twenty days. Please be sure to handle the internal issues of the Puppet forces to prevent any accidents during the reception." Seeing the message, Richard couldn¡¯t help but reveal a slight smile. After more than a decade of infiltration, the army had finally arrived. He manipulated the Crystal Ball a bit, sending the news that the Wizard Army had successfully entered the Wilderness World to the many Wizards under his command, and relayed his own order as well. "Fellows, it¡¯s time to wrap things up. Remove all unstable elements." A faint light flashed across the Communication Pyramid, and soon after, the Black Wizards stationed in the lower city of Wuxiang Valley received the message. "Finally, it¡¯s time to wrap up?" Inside the hall of a Sect, a Three Rings Black Wizard looking at the message and order in the Crystal Ball, couldn¡¯t help but let out a chilling cackle. Beside him, several of his confidants were terrified by that smile. They knew that when the Sect Leader smiled like that, it meant someone was about to die. "Ajiu, inform all the Hall Masters to prepare to take over territories. Today is the day we take control of Qinghe City!" S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing this, the nearby Ajiu hurriedly advised, "Sect Leader, we mustn¡¯t fight. The Sect has decreed that internal conflicts between Sects are forbidden until the end of the resistance against the demons." The Black Wizard glanced at the subordinates he had cultivated during this time and said with an icy voice, "Are you defying me?" "This subordinate dares not." "Then go quickly." "...Yes!" Meanwhile, in nearly all the cities belonging to Wuxiang Valley, the same situation unfolded. The Three Rings Black Wizards, following Richard¡¯s orders, began to purge potential resisters within the cities. With just one sentence from Richard, many cities were plunged into bloody turmoil. Seven days later, all the cities had fallen under the Wizards¡¯ control. At the same time, the Wizards¡¯ Army had advanced to the neighboring area of Wuxiang Valley. Within a small Floating City with a diameter of one kilometer, the Illusionary Great Wizard, looking at a map of the battle zone, asked his subordinate: "The Sect we have under control, it¡¯s called Wuxiang Valley, right?" "Yes, Commander." Looking at Wuxiang Valley, which was but one Sect away, the Illusionary Great Wizard commanded, "Inform Agent Richard that we have arrived on the outskirts of Mountain Smoke Sect and will reach Wuxiang Valley shortly. Ensure that he confirms all the cities are under our control." "Yes, Commander." After issuing the command, the Illusionary Great Wizard¡¯s form flashed, and he appeared outside the Floating City. Looking at the city shrouded in mists, he sneered perfunctorily: "Those below, listen up. Surrender now, and the Wizards guarantee you will not be harmed. But if you remain obstinately ignorant, the only path left for you is death." The Great Wizard¡¯s voice, amplified by a spell, quickly spread throughout the entire city. The response he received was a True Qi Arrow. "Wizardly demon, do not lead us astray with your lies. We Martial Artists are not ones to fear death and covet life!" The Illusionary Great Wizard let out a strange laugh and swallowed the True Qi Arrow with a gulp. "Stubborn fools, activate the Floating City Main Cannon and break their Qi Men Array." With that said, the Illusionary Great Wizard pulled out an Illusory Wand, constantly changing shape from the Void, turned, and flew towards the ten-thousand-meter-high sky. There, the Sect Master of the Mountain Smoke Sect had already been waiting for him for a while. ... Richard stood in the air, quietly watching the war in the distance. Under the command of the Illusionary Great Wizard, the small Floating City activated its Main Cannon. A cold metallic hemisphere opened a gap in the center, revealing a metal octahedron inscribed with countless Runes. Immense energy surged from the Nightmare Power Furnace, flowing through the Mithril Alloy Energy Transmission Pipeline and infusing into the black metal octahedron. In the span of a breath, the Runes on the octahedron were all lit up, and the originally dark metal shone brilliantly under their light, like the North Star. The next moment, the North Star erupted. A vast stream of energy, over ten meters in diameter, instantly tore through the mist created by the Qi Men Array in an unstoppable manner, rending the city, the land, and any Martial Artists standing in its way. After the Main Cannon fired, figures began emerging from the Floating City. A hundred thousand White Wizards poured out of the Floating City, forming a battle formation in the sky at an astonishing speed. Richard counted: the Floating City had discharged ten armies of ten thousand. Under the command of the Commanders, massive molten lava meteors rained down from the sky, destroying the ancient city, which had stood for ten thousand years, in the blink of an eye as if it were divine punishment. The Martial Artists formed battle formations trying to fight the Wizard Army, but these formations were often composed of only a few or at most dozens of individuals. Even a formation consisting of tens of thousands could only be used for defense. Compared to the Wizards, who had been waging war for tens of thousands of years, the Wild Beastmen¡¯s formations were as naive as children. The chaotic Elements tore apart the Wild Beastmen¡¯s resistance, but unlike before, the Wizards did not target the Wild Beastmen civilians; instead, they even advised them to hide in their homes and not come out. The Wizards this time were not seeking to exterminate or enslave a race; they aimed to integrate the Wild Beastmen race into the civilization of the Wizards. They were set to devour a race. Thus, senseless slaughtering was strictly prohibited in this battle by the council. The ground war was undoubtedly decided, and Richard shifted his gaze to the sky. In the sky, the Great Wizard was fighting the Sect Master of Mountain Smoke Sect. With the advantage of intelligence, the Sect Master was being forced to retreat. At one time, such a battle had been cataclysmic for him, but now, this level of combat was commonplace. The Level 4 Creatures had ceased to be out of reach for him. Suddenly, a ray of black light emerged from the Void and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. Richard turned his head and asked, "Is everything taken care of?" Ulysses replied, "It¡¯s all done. The storerooms of Wuxiang Valley have been completely transferred to the Secret Realm." Chapter 526 - 71: A New Task Chapter 526: Chapter 71: A New TaskSupporting forces should support forces, and making money should be all about making money, each to its own. Once the command center took over the Wuxiang Valley, it was no longer his, and naturally, everything inside became resources for the command center. But before the command center took over, those resources were still Richard¡¯s property, and if he managed to empty them out, it just meant his abilities were exceptional. Soon, as thunder boomed across the sky, the Sect Master of Mountain Smoke Sect had his defenses pierced by a Divine Wizard, and half his body was reduced to ashes. This also marked the outcome of the battle. Having known the outcome of the battle, Richard had no desire to continue watching it. What was left was just garbage time. "Ulysses, notify the wizards below to prepare for the main forces to enter the city." "Squawk, using me like a messenger pigeon again, won¡¯t you use your crystal ball?" "Cough cough, isn¡¯t it because the Communication Pyramid is not with me? You¡¯ll have to work a bit, I¡¯m going to check out the Secret Realm." Having said that, Richard casually opened a Secret Realm Rift and entered the Secret Realm. Richard hadn¡¯t thoroughly checked the storerooms of Wuxiang Valley yet, and now that they had been moved into the Secret Realm, he couldn¡¯t help but feel some anticipation. Inside the Secret Realm, Richard¡¯s Fire Lizard Battle Group, the Fire Lizard Craftsmen, and their families all dropped their work, sorrowfully yet joyfully transferring the resources of Wuxiang Valley into the temporary storerooms made by the Holy Tree Elves. What lay before them was a mountain of treasures composed of alchemy materials and magical plants. And at this moment, Richard¡¯s magic pet and mount, Hog, was happily rolling around in a pile of Magic Essence next to the material heap. As a sect with tens of thousands of years of history, Wuxiang Valley¡¯s treasures, though slightly inferior to those of the old sects, were still enough to stun the heart. Wuxiang Valley had four major warehouses: the Yuan Crystal Warehouse, Treasure Materials Warehouse, Weapons Warehouse, and Treasure Medicine Warehouse. These four warehouses belonged to the sect and were responsible for maintaining the daily operations of Wuxiang Valley. Above these four warehouses, Wuxiang Valley also had a Treasure Vault, which was the inner warehouse where Richard found the Mystic Bird Armor. At this moment, aside from the Weapons Warehouse, all the contents of the other three major warehouses had been moved by Richard into the Secret Realm. Just the Yuan Crystals alone, which are Magic Essence for wizards, amounted to nearly one billion. The value of various Magic Potions and alchemy materials was so great that it couldn¡¯t be estimated in a short time. And these didn¡¯t even include the various treasures that Richard took from the inner vault. Keep in mind that the Wilderness Great World didn¡¯t enter the End of Magic Era like the Wizard World did due to severe destruction. Hundreds of epochs since the Pioneer disappeared, the Wilderness Great World had been continuously giving birth to rare and exotic treasures, many of which couldn¡¯t be produced in ordinary worlds. Richard made a rough estimate that with this haul, he had earned wealth equivalent to more than half a Miniature World. Looking at the mountains of Magic Essence and alchemy materials piled before him, Richard was profoundly shaken. Wealth doesn¡¯t seem much when it¡¯s just numbers. But when wealth turns into tangible goods, people realize what those short rows of numbers truly signify. Swallowing hard, Richard shook his head to dispel the thought of diving into a sea of Magic Essence. Such foolish acts were fine for Hog to commit, but he, a wizard, mustn¡¯t be so depraved. He walked over to Calion, who was grinning ear to ear, eyes sparkling with gold, and pulled the enchanted Fire Lizard away from the side of Treasure Mountain. "Lord, Lord! Lord! Let me sort this lot out!" Calion struggled towards Treasure Mountain, his voice pleading and manic. Richard was unmoved, steadily pulling him towards the Alchemy Workshop. "Cleared your head a bit now?" Inside the Alchemy Workshop, Richard looked at Calion and asked in a calm voice. Calion looked around at the Alchemy Machines, his expression immediately becoming lucid. He awkwardly bowed, "Lord, I lost my composure." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That¡¯s quite normal," Richard replied. "I understand the desire for treasures in your blood. However, this desire cannot affect your work. I need you to produce a Magic Essence Cutting Machine now, to cut these Magic Essence Ores into standard Magic Essence." Saying so, Richard took out a thumbsized standard Magic Essence from his pocket. "Make it this size. Spend more effort on the design to cut out as much standard Magic Essence as possible." During the Age of Enlightenment, wizards began to use Magic Stones and Magic Essence as general equivalents. Later, after the Wizard Wars ended and the Truth Council was established to create a stable market, the council began to promote standard Magic Essence and standard Magic Stones in the Wizard World. With years of development, the irregularly sized Magic Essence and Magic Stones had disappeared, and standard Magic Stones had completely replaced the raw Magic Stone ores. However, the Wild Beastmen¡¯s treatment of Magic Essence still remained at the ore stage. Therefore, to fit the trade and various Magic Equipment, these raw Magic Stones had to be cut. "Yes, Lord. I¡¯ll get right on it." Calion bowed slightly to Richard and then ran to the treasure pile, pulling several of his colleagues out of it. Seeing the smile on his face, Richard also couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Playing tricks on his teammates, huh. After dealing with the raw Magic Stones, Richard was about to leave the Secret Realm. But as he was about to do so, a faint snap entered his ears. He stopped, swiftly moving to the resting area of the Fire Lizards. Since Richard had approved the entry of Fire Lizard Worker families into the Secret Realm, their communal dormitories at the very beginning had now turned into apartment buildings. Even Fire Lizards, being of the Dragon Blood Species, don¡¯t like being watched while mating. Currently, the entire Fire Lizard resting area was empty, except for a familiar figure that had stayed behind. Richard approached and saw that the Fire Lizard was none other than Crawly, the one who had instigated him to recruit Fire Lizard talent. Crawly was guarding a nest made of Volcanic Red Stone, a special product from the Red Sun World, and within the nest was a Fire Lizard Egg showing signs of cracking. Long ago, Richard had allowed Fire Lizard Craftsmen to bring their mates into the Secret Realm. Later, this rule extended to the Fire Lizard Workers as well. Yet, after so many years, this was the first time Richard witnessed the hatching of Fire Lizard Eggs in the Secret Realm. But from Richard¡¯s perception, the life aura within this egg seemed excessively faint. A thought crossed Richard¡¯s mind, and suddenly a gentle layer of Holy Light radiated from him. The Divine Art that had once hatched Hog flew out from Richard¡¯s fingertips and instantly entered the Fire Lizard Egg. At this moment, even Crawl, who was as slow as they come, noticed Richard¡¯s arrival. He hurriedly got to his feet and bowed to Richard, saying, "Lord Richard, I didn¡¯t notice your arrival just now." Richard held no grudge against this somewhat slow-witted Fire Lizard. He pointed at the egg and asked, "Is this your child?" Crawl nodded, "Yes, Lord Richard." Richard smiled as he patted Crawl¡¯s head, "I remember when I first saw you; you were only this tall." He gestured at his waist. "It¡¯s hard to believe that in the blink of an eye, you too have started a family. Time...," Richard sighed slightly, "flies so fast." After becoming a longevity species, his perception of time had become increasingly dull. Once he became a Great Wizard, perhaps the time he spent on research would amount to half a lifetime for others. Under Richard¡¯s blessing, the little Fire Lizard that was on the brink of life and death immediately stabilized. Under the watchful eyes of Richard and Crawl, the little one broke through the eggshell and let out its first roar at the world. "Wow!" It was at that moment that Richard suddenly felt a strange connection form between himself and the little creature. Richard touched the little one, and at the next moment, he knew what this connection was. "Born into the world with the kind blessing of the Divine... little one, you are naturally my follower." ... The Great Wizard Illusion spent three days to breach the Mountain Smoke Sect. The Sect Leader died in battle, and not a single disciple survived. The Mountain Smoke Sect thus perished. And beyond the Mountain Smoke Sect, Wuxiang Valley now faced the Wizard army. For the people of Wuxiang Valley City, which had just undergone a major purge, panic was spreading through every Wild Beastman¡¯s heart like air. Soon after dealing with the Mountain Smoke Sect, the Wizard army arrived at the territory of Wuxiang Valley. The Wild Beastmen Martial Artists within the city, looking at the colossal steel creation in the sky, felt a despair spreading wildly within them as if it were weeds. But they neither received a call to surrender from the Wizards nor a command to resist from their superiors. To their astonishment, they realized their Sect Leader had transformed into a Black-Robed Wizard. Those Hall Masters in key positions had all become Black-Robed Wizards. All of the key figures in the city had turned into Wizards! "Sect Leader you you you..." Ajiu watched the transformed Sect Leader, feeling the world spin before his very eyes. No wonder the Sect Leader had launched surprise attacks on other Sects at a crucial time of the resistance against the Demon Sect. It turned out their Sect Leader had been mysteriously replaced by a Heavenly Demon long ago. The Black Wizard looked at Ajiu with a strange laugh, "Do not look at me with that gaze; I have saved your lives. If you were to resist, you all would only be fit to serve as cannon fodder." With that, the Black Wizard flew out of the hall, dissolving the Qi Men Array and welcoming the Wizard army in. Following that, the Wizard army marched straight in, directly heading for the Wuxiang Valley that had already dissolved its Qi Men Array and was welcoming the Wizards. Standing atop a mountain peak, Illusion the Great Wizard stepped forward and appeared at the summit. At the mountain¡¯s top, Richard and Ulysses had been waiting for a long time. "Greetings, Great Wizard Illusion," Richard said with a slight bow. Although Richard was not yet a Great Wizard, as the holder of the Wizard Hero Medal and favored by Garon the Great Wizard, he no longer needed to show the deep respect he once had for a Four Circle Great Wizard. A slight bow was all that was necessary. The Great Wizard Illusion scrutinized Richard carefully and admired him, "I didn¡¯t expect Garon Master to have truly succeeded, transcending the bodily limits of third-level creatures. Tsk tsk, quite remarkable indeed." After admiring Richard, he turned his attention to Ulysses. "The information I received says you are the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley. Then who is this?" "This is my spoils of war, Great Wizard Illusion." Illusion the Great Wizard squinted his eyes. As a Master of the Soul School, he could distinctly feel a soul present within this body. "You know there¡¯s a soul inside this body, right?" "Of course, Great Wizard Illusion." Seeing that Richard was aware of it, Illusion the Great Wizard did not bother to ask for a detailed explanation about the origin of this body. With Richard being just one step away from becoming a Great Wizard and as Garon Great Wizard¡¯s favored one of the future, he saw no need to meddle in unnecessary affairs like demanding Richard to clarify every detail about this body. "Officer Richard, I am hereby, on behalf of the Wilderness Great World Conquest Campaign Headquarters, officially taking over the Puppet force Wuxiang Valley that you support. Now, I am giving you a new task on behalf of the headquarters. You are to enter the Wild Beastmen rear as the acting Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley and collect as much information on the Demon Sect as possible." Richard performed a Wizard¡¯s Salute and replied, "Understood." Chapter 527 - 72 Using an Opponent’s Strength Against Them Chapter 527: Chapter 72 Using an Opponent¡¯s Strength Against ThemRegarding this new mission, Richard showed little reaction. The Wizards and the Wild Beastmen had already engaged in direct combat, and the force the Wizards deployed was powerful enough to plow through the Wilderness Great World. The only possible surprise was the Demon Sect that had always lurked beneath the surface. The history of the Demon Sect was very ancient. According to the records of Wuxiang Valley, the Demon Sect had appeared even before the Pioneers were completely gone. After the Pioneers disappeared, the Six Great Saint Sects rose to the stage of the Wilderness Great World. The Six Great Saint Sects inherited the relics of the Pioneers, while the Demon Sect aimed to destroy those relics. This irreconcilable conflict led to the first Holy Demonic War. With the concerted siege by the Six Major Sects, the Demon Sect was forced to shift from the public eye to the shadows. Subsequently, several Holy Demonic Wars occurred, but each time they ended with the defeat of the Demon Sect. The most recent Holy Demonic War took place twenty thousand years ago, and aside from the first one, it was the most intense Holy Demonic War. During this war, the Demon Lord fell in battle, and only one in ten of the gathered followers survived. On the side of the Holy Sects, the former Sect Leader of the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect underwent Soldier Disintegration after the battle, and the disciples suffered heavy losses. Now, twenty thousand years have passed, and the strength of these Demon Sect rats should have recovered to a respectable level. Therefore, to make the conquest more stable, they must be eradicated. Having learned of the mission, Richard had procured a strategic map and a set of integrated intelligence from the Great Wizard of Fantom, and he then left Wuxiang Valley. Wuxiang Valley had already been taken over, and there was no need for him to continue staying here. Leaving Wuxiang Valley, Richard immediately headed towards Dingtian Sacred Sect, following the directions on the map. Though the Wizards¡¯ power could seemingly crush the Wild Beastmen, crushing still took time. After numerous cities were destroyed, the Martial Artists inside ran out and began to engage the Wizards in guerrilla warfare. While this kind of fighting was futile, it was easy for them to ignite the rebellious spirit of the Wild Beastmen. If the ordinary Wild Beastmen were incited, then the casualties for the Wizards would be significant¡ªthe surrendered Wild Beastman warriors, as well as the civilian Wild Beastmen, were seen as wealth by the Wizards. So after the Wizards cleared all the sects within the territories of the three Holy Sects, they would rest for a while, purge the internal resistance, and incidentally study the relics and history of the Pioneers. And during this time, the Black Wizards would investigate the Demon Sect. The Black Wizards had to take advantage of this period to unravel the details of the ancient organization known as the Demon Sect as much as possible to prevent them from causing any trouble. Dingtian Sacred Sect was next to Great Sun Saint Sect, and as a sect of the Evil Path specializing in Essence Dao, Richard had long coveted the various Martial Arts Secret Manuals within its walls. The Evil Path sects, despite their extreme actions, were full of the spirit of exploration. According to the information Richard knew, there were often people within Dingtian Sacred Sect who risked their lives to test their powers or medicines. Though such slightly reckless experimental methods seemed foolish, their outcomes were extremely useful. Whether studying the Bloodline of the Wild Beastmen or researching Physique Evolution, these results were of considerable significance. When Richard first sneaked into the Wilderness Great World, he had hoped to enter the territory of Dingtian Sacred Sect, but the headquarters assigned him to Great Sun Saint Sect. Now, about to undertake another infiltration mission, he could fulfill his initial wish. Traveling due north from Wuxiang Valley, Richard walked for a month before finally reaching Dingtian Sacred Sect. Along the way, Richard thoroughly impersonated a Wild Beastman evading capture, ensuring that upon reaching the territory of Dingtian Sacred Sect, his story would not fall apart. Upon arriving at the territory of Dingtian Sacred Sect, Richard didn¡¯t delay and immediately made contact with Dingtian Sacred Sect. No other reason but to investigate the Demon Sect did he need the power of Dingtian Sacred Sect. For this purpose, Richard had specifically prepared a big, black pot for the Demon Sect to be slapped with. "You¡¯re saying that these Wizardly Demons and the Demon Sect have reached a cooperation?" In a grand hall of a branch of Dingtian Sacred Sect, a burly man standing three meters tall with bulging muscles and prominent veins retorted. In front of him, a disheveled and distraught Richard replied, "Yes, if it weren¡¯t for the cooperation of these Demon Sect rats, Wuxiang Valley wouldn¡¯t have been taken without even opening the Mountain Gate Array, and my master wouldn¡¯t have died at the hand of that Heavenly Demon!" Upon hearing this, the burly man¡¯s eyebrows furrowed tightly, and he paced back and forth within the hall. Finally, he turned to Richard and said, "Sect Master Chu, please rest for the time being, I will go to see the Sect Leader." Unlike the Heavenly Demons from the outside, the Demon Sect was an ancient power rooted in the Wilderness Land for over a million years, their insides undoubtedly filled with countless secrets of the Six Great Saint Sects. If the Heavenly Demons collaborated with the Demon Sect, the situation for the Six Great Saint Sects would undoubtedly worsen. Moreover, the burly man¡¯s mind was currently flashing with an even worse possibility¡ªthat these Heavenly Demons were summoned by the Demon Sect. He considered that the Demon Lord Seal in the Underworld might have already cracked, and that the Demon Lord, an ancient and dreadful Demon Head from the extinguished Pioneers, was about to awaken in the Wilderness Land. At this thought, the burly man¡¯s body violently shuddered. If the Demon Lord were to awaken, then they were truly doomed. Watching the burly man leave, Richard¡¯s lips curved into a subtle smile. Those sewer rats from the Demon Sect were universally loathed in the Wilderness Land. Now with this hefty false charge he had thrust upon them, there was no chance these guys could collaborate with the Holy Sects again. The power of the Wild Beastmen was already meager, and with his intervention causing division, the forces resisting the Wizards became even fewer. Moreover, he could take this opportunity to join Dingtian Sacred Sect¡¯s forces in pursuing the Demon Sect¡ªa win-win situation. Suppressing the curve of his lips, Richard¡¯s expression once again became one of deep sorrow and hatred. Soon, a disciple of Dingtian Sacred Sect led him to a side palace and warned him not to wander around, lest he fall into a Qi Men Array. Now that Dingtian Sacred Sect had fully activated its protective sect array, even though he was in a branch of Dingtian Sacred Sect, the power of the array once activated was enough to kill a Grandmaster. After the disciple left, Richard closed the door to the side palace. Then, the figure of Ulysses emerged from the Void. "How is this branch?" "Not bad, but the array is tightly sealed, and it took me quite an effort to circumvent these arrays," Ulysses replied. Richard nodded and responded, "After all, this is a Holy Sect; the complexity of the Qi Men Arrays is far beyond what small sects like Wuxiang Valley can muster." "What do you plan to do next?" Ulysses asked. And Richard¡¯s answer was a single word. "Wait." At the moment, he was within the territory of the Dingtian Sacred Sect, where the martial artists who resided could be described as hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Although both he and Ulysses were Grandmasters, their strength was still insignificant in front of the Sacred Sect. So, all Richard could do now was to wait, wait for the Dingtian Sacred Sect to summon him, wait for the Dingtian Sacred Sect to start purging the Demon Sect¡¯s forces within their territory. Wait for the Dingtian Sacred Sect to step by step send him to the guillotine. ... The headquarters of the Dingtian Sacred Sect was located on the highest peak of the Wilderness Land¡ªHeavenly Pillar Mountain. It was said that this mountain was originally a master that reached the skies, created by the ancestors to prevent the collapse of the heavenly vault at the dawn of heaven and earth. Later, when the Demon Lord invaded, the Heavenly Pillar was fractured in half, thus becoming the current Heavenly Pillar Mountain. Within Heavenly Pillar Mountain, the Sect Master of the Dingtian Sacred Sect, the Martial Saint of Dingtian, was quietly cultivating in a Crystal Pool. The Crystal Pool was not large, filled with a light green liquid. This liquid carried the scent of fresh grass, and abundant life energy continuously emanated from the pool, yet it was confined by the room. This was a sealed room constructed of gold-patterned metal and black crystal, the diffusing life energy firmly trapped inside, ultimately being absorbed with the Martial Saint¡¯s breathing. The Martial Saint sat in the pool, breathing rhythmically. As he breathed, the liquid in the pool slowly lightened, finally transforming into a pool of clear water. The Martial Saint opened his eyes and stepped out of the pool. The next moment, a light screen appeared before his eyes. [Life Energy Source Number: Tomb Guardian No. 2 (Ninth Generation)] [Origin Nourishing Liquid Rating: 5] [Absorption Time: Three minutes and twenty-one seconds] [Cell Vitality Rating: 6] [Treatment Suggestion: None] Looking at the light screen, the Martial Saint, accustomed to the routine, responded, "Confirmed." The light screen disappeared, and the Martial Saint left the pool, or rather, the Holy Pool. In the tradition of the Dingtian Sacred Sect, this pool was called the Hundred Herbs Sacred Pool. Connected to a massive Crystal Creation, they only needed to insert precious medicines and materials into the Crystal Creation, and the kind of light green liquid that was mentioned before would flow out into the Hundred Herbs Sacred Pool. In the heritance of the Dingtian Sacred Sect, that light green liquid was referred to as Holy Medicine. For ordinary martial artists, a single dose would significantly increase their Essence Dao cultivation in an instant, without any side effects. Even for a Grandmaster, the Holy Medicine had the effect of nurturing their origin. Externally, the Dingtian Sacred Sect¡¯s most precious treasure was the Great Dingtian Cauldron, but internally, this Hundred Herbs Sacred Pool was the sect¡¯s true treasure. The wall sensed the arrival of the Martial Saint and automatically opened a large door, beyond which was a corridor made of crystal. Upon exiting the doorway, a voice immediately sounded in the ears of the Martial Saint. [Honored Tomb Guardian, during your rest, a Tomb Guardian with ID number 2513 has made a meeting request to you.] Hearing this ID number, the Martial Saint¡¯s brow slightly furrowed. "2513? Isn¡¯t that someone from a branch? And I don¡¯t remember giving him the right to report directly to me." [The main control decided that the crisis evaluation of the request is upper-level, therefore, an exception was made.] "Upper-level?" the Martial Saint was shocked, "Bring him to me immediately." The only upper-level crisis evaluation the Martial Saint had seen was once, twenty thousand years ago, during the demonic catastrophe that resulted in the fall of two Martial Saints. ... In the grand hall of the Dingtian Sacred Sect, the stout man who had conversed with Richard in the branch was standing uneasily at the edge of the hall. To be honest, when he made the request to the mysterious main control, he didn¡¯t hold much hope. After all, between the branch Sect Leader and the Sect Master, there were the ranks of Elder and Deputy Sect Master to bridge. But with matters of the Demon Sect, the more people who knew, the greater the risk of leaking information. He did not dare to wager whether his message would be held up at some level, or whether some demon infiltrated within the sect might reveal it. Fortunately, the main control agreed to his request. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the middle of the grand hall. The stout man looked closely and immediately knelt to the ground. "Disciple Niu Qi, greets the Sect Master." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Martial Saint nodded slightly and then asked, "What matter have you come to me with?" The stout man raised his head and quickly relayed the information he had found out from Richard. After hearing the news, the Martial Saint¡¯s face immediately changed. "Did you tell anyone else about this?" "No, disciple came to you as soon as I found out." "Where is he?" "At the branch." "Good, show me the way, I want to meet this Wuxiang Valley Sect Master." "Yes." The stout man led the Martial Saint away, and soon, a figure appeared in the grand hall. The Martial Saint looked at the empty grand hall with some puzzlement and said, "Where is he?" Chapter 528 - 73 Protector of the Demon Sect Chapter 528: Chapter 73 Protector of the Demon SectAt the Dingtian Sacred Sect¡¯s branch, Richard sat in the side hall, thoroughly engrossed in studying the iron ball in his hand. The inner treasury of Wuxiang Valley held many treasures, and apart from the Mystic Bird Armor that Richard had restored, the artifact currently piqued his interest was this weapon named Wuxiang. The iron ball seemed unremarkable at a glance, yet in the past, it had been the esteemed treasure of Wuxiang Valley. The second generation Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley wielded it as a weapon, forcing the surrounding sects to relinquish a large number of resources. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. According to records of Wuxiang Valley, this second-generation Sect Master had mastered numerous techniques and was exceptionally skilled in the unique Martial Arts Refining Technique. And this Wuxiang of his was unpredictable, displaying different abilities every time he encountered an enemy. Richard channeled a strand of True Qi into the iron ball, and it quickly began to soften and stretch, eventually transforming into a long-handled Magic Wand. Next, an Alchemy Array appeared in Richard¡¯s hand, and Runes astonishingly began to be inscribed on the transforming long-handled Magic Wand. In only a short moment, a complete Rune Array had been added to the previously empty Magic Wand. With a slight wave of the Wand in his hand, a Fireball appeared in mid-air. Looking at the stable Fireball in the air, Richard waved his hand again, and the Fireball dispersed into scattered Fire Elements. At the same time, the Wuxiang in his hand reverted to an iron ball. And after it changed back into an iron ball, there was not the slightest trace of Enchantment left on the Wuxiang. "How strange indeed, you are so intricate, how could the Miracle Furnace have no reaction?" Richard commented as he suspended the Wuxiang in mid-air, looking at it with a baffled expression. The records of Wuxiang Valley were not false; Wuxiang possessed an extremely high level of malleability and ductility. Through the infusion of True Qi, a Martial Artist could mold Wuxiang into any shape. Provided a sufficient amount of True Qi was inputted, Wuxiang could even envelop the entirety of Wuxiang Valley. Besides such exaggerated physical properties, Wuxiang also had a special Devouring Demon ability. Whether it was a wizard¡¯s Enchantment, Giant Dragon Alchemy, or the Martial Arts Refining Technique, they could only leave temporary marks on Wuxiang. As soon as the infusion of True Qi stopped, Wuxiang would erase any trace left by Richard on it at an astonishing pace, regardless of the method Richard used. This characteristic made the Sect Masters of Wuxiang Valley who used it both love and hate it; Wuxiang¡¯s trait ensured its versatility, but it also rendered it nearly impossible for average users to take advantage of its strengths. Forging a Treasure Weapon on the battlefield temporarily was almost an impossible feat for the vast majority of Martial Artists. Indeed, just as the second generation Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley had anticipated, after his death, the succeeding Sect Masters immediately relegated the precious Wuxiang to storage. It had not seen battle again until Richard became the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley. Subsequent Sect Masters of Wuxiang Valley found this complex weapon unusable. Later, when Richard succeeded as the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley and began to inspect the treasury, this Divine Weapon was finally brought back into the light of day. However, at that time, Richard was drawn to the Martial Arts Refining Technique on the Mystic Bird Armor and the design diagrams of the Martial Arts Array, and did not pay much attention to this Divine Weapon. It was only during these past few days, while waiting to be summoned by the Dingtian Sacred Sect, that Richard casually took out the Wuxiang to pass the time. Through this research, its characteristics instantly fascinated him. Even a Great Wizard would want to study its exaggerated attributes. But while Richard was engrossed in his study of Wuxiang, Ulysses suddenly alighted on his shoulder. "Richard, something seems amiss," Ulysses said. Startled, Richard put the Wuxiang back into his pocket and asked, "What happened, what¡¯s going on?" During the time Richard had been engrossed with Wuxiang in this side hall, Ulysses had not been idle. Now that he had a physical body, Ulysses was greatly interested in being active. Especially after Wuxiang Valley¡¯s takeover, he no longer had to disguise himself. Regaining his crow form, Ulysses displayed astonishing vitality. "The boy you sent to convey messages to the Dingtian Sacred Sect has returned, and he¡¯s followed by a Martial Arts Grandmaster. But I heard the boy address that Grandmaster as Sect Master." "Sect Master?" Richard was taken aback again, this time sensing something was definitely off. It would not surprise Richard at all if Wuxiang Valley sent an Elder or Deputy Sect Master here, but sending a Martial Arts Grandmaster who was addressed by the local leader as Sect Master was unusual. According to the intelligence on the Dingtian Sacred Sect, their Elders were Grandmasters, the Deputy Sect Masters were Great Grandmasters, and the Sect Master was a Martial Saint. So the local leader was not simply being polite and mistakenly calling the Deputy Sect Master a Sect Master. In a flash, Richard¡¯s mind raced with possibilities. He asked again, "Ulysses, are you sure you didn¡¯t mishear?" "Of course, I didn¡¯t mishear," Ulysses said confidently. "The boy kept using ¡¯Sect Master.¡¯" Richard¡¯s expression grew somber; he was now seventy percent certain that the so-called Sect Master was a member of the Demon Sect infiltrating the Dingtian Sacred Sect. The local leader of this branch was merely a Martial Arts Master with a Physique Evolution, and even if he was a third-level creature like a Three Rings Wizard, deceiving him with illusions would not be difficult. Not to mention a Demon Sect Grandmaster who had been lurking in the Dingtian Sacred Sect for many years. "Should we make a move?" Ulysses inquired. A glint of cold light flashed in Richard¡¯s eyes: "Most certainly. But before we act, we must first rescue the leader of this branch. With him, the Qi Men Array of this branch will be at our disposal. If we allow him to remain in the hands of that Demon Sect fiend, the Array will become a hindrance to us instead." Ulysses agreed with the plan: "Good, you draw that person¡¯s attention, and I will take the opportunity to rescue the boy." "Agreed." Richard immediately began his pre-battle preparations after confirming the plan. Since he was operating on the Dingtian Sacred Sect¡¯s turf under an alias, every move he made could potentially be recorded by the onlookers. Therefore, he had to eliminate any Wizard characteristics from himself during the upcoming fight. First was the issue with the Magic Wand. Although the Balance Hand Wand was exceptional, its extraordinary power would definitely draw attention. Thus, Richard planned to conceal the wand within his body for the following battle. After all, once the battle began, his body was certain to swell rapidly, and since the Balance Hand Wand was not large, hiding it inside his body wouldn¡¯t expose it. Next was the issue of his combat style. Richard was proficient in a robust and stable fighting style, steady and unchanging against all odds. The fighting style of Wuxiang Valley, however, was completely opposite to his. There was no easy solution to this issue. He could only rely on the Heart Demon Great Vow to muddle through. In addition, he couldn¡¯t use any witchcraft that had obvious Wizard characteristics, such as the Fireball Technique, Ice Cone Skill, or Meteor Storm. While Richard was mulling over his plans, the voice of the branch Sect Leader suddenly resounded outside the door. "Chu Clan member, are you there? The Sect Master attaches great importance to your matter and is currently waiting for you in the main hall." Hearing the branch Sect Leader¡¯s voice, Richard couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased. He hadn¡¯t expected the impostor from the Demon Sect to go to the lengths of assuming the Sect Master¡¯s position. This certainly saved him a lot of effort. "Ulysses, keep an eye on him later and don¡¯t let him get killed by that demon." "Alright." Opening the door, Richard saw the animated branch Sect Leader and pretended to be equally excited, "I had no idea the Martial Saint himself would come. Dragon Sect Leader, quickly take me there." Inside the branch¡¯s main hall, the counterfeit Dingtian Martial Saint was inwardly complaining about his comrade. "The brothers from the Great Sun Holy Sect are truly out of practice. They even let the acting Sect Master get away when they wiped out a sect. Now I have to risk exposing my identity just to clean up after him." It was rather ironic that this impostor from the Demon Sect, who had infiltrated the Dingtian Sacred Sect for many years, didn¡¯t for a second suspect that Richard was being falsely accused. In his view, his comrade joining forces with the Heavenly Demon to attack the Holy Sect was nothing out of the ordinary. Given the chance, he would¡¯ve done the same. What he hadn¡¯t anticipated though, was that the Wizard didn¡¯t need their help from the Demon Sect at all. For a Wizard, having intelligence was a bonus, but even without it, he could crush his enemies after some more time. As he was brooding, his perception suddenly detected a life force that was not to be underestimated. His expression sobered, and he tucked away his previous nonchalance. "Someone who could escape in the face of a joint attack from the Heavenly Demon and the Holy Sect is certainly no weakling." Before long, the branch Sect Leader brought Richard into the main hall. The fake Martial Saint looked at Richard, about to ask some perfunctory questions symbolically, but before he could speak, a shadow appeared behind the branch Sect Leader. The previously honored-looking Richard suddenly changed his expression and shouted sternly, "Audacious scoundrel, how dare you impersonate the Dingtian Martial Saint!" The impostor Martial Saint was startled by the rebuke; his tried-and-true shapeshifting technique had been seen through! Before he could react, he felt as if the entire hall was filled with glue, making every movement require great effort. Watching Richard gather his strength, the impostor Martial Saint suddenly felt a deadly sense of danger. If this punch landed, he might die. "Good lad, to be able to see through my disguise." The impostor Martial Saint¡¯s figure flickered, and his skin instantly turned extremely red. "But what good does that do? The gap between a Master and a Grandmaster is much greater than you think!" In the next instant, Richard swung his fist, and the immense power under his control formed an enormous Spiral Arrow. The impostor Martial Saint¡¯s True Qi surged, and a blood-red barrier instantly blocked the path of the Spiral Arrow. Even with the Spiral Arrow blocked, Richard showed no sign of panic. Because at this moment, the branch Sect Leader, now under Ulysses¡¯s protection, had realized he had been deceived. "Damn Demon Sect fiend!" the branch Sect Leader roared and immediately shouted to Richard, "Chu Sect Master, don¡¯t entangle with this demon, quickly follow me into the Array!" The impostor Martial Saint was only at the Grandmaster Realm, and the branch¡¯s Qi Men Array should be enough to handle him. However, Richard did not heed the branch Sect Leader¡¯s advice. "Ulysses, send him into the Array." With that, Richard¡¯s figure suddenly ballooned to five meters tall, and the Balance Hand Wand silently merged into his left arm. In Richard¡¯s perception, this fake Martial Saint wasn¡¯t very strong. He and Ulysses, working together, could surely kill him, perhaps even capture him. In an instant, the impostor Martial Saint suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Why did this Sect Master, who had seemingly escaped, look at him with such fervent eyes? Chapter 529 - 74 The Reason for the Pioneer’s Disappearance Chapter 529: Chapter 74 The Reason for the Pioneer¡¯s DisappearanceBoom! Thunderous explosions reverberated through the heavens. In the branch of the Dingtian Sacred Sect, two titans clashed. The repercussions of their battle were like sledgehammers, pulverizing nearby buildings and stones into dust. The ground of the entire branch was continuously cratering under their blows. Bang! The two separated. Richard¡¯s left chest was torn open with four clear claw marks visible on the snowy white ribs. The impostor Martial Saint¡¯s blood-red body was covered with claw marks that burned with Black Flame. Throughout the fight, Ulysses constantly harassed him, forcing him to devote most of his attention to being on guard against Ulysses. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been locked in such a difficult battle with Richard, a being who was merely halfway into the forth level. But what he didn¡¯t know was that if Ulysses hadn¡¯t been trying to capture him alive, Ulysses could have slain him long ago. After obtaining a body of the World Master level, Ulysses¡¯s strength took a qualitative leap. With Richard¡¯s collaboration, normal level 4 creatures were no longer a match for them. Richard looked at the blood-red giant before him with a mocking smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Under the effect of the rules, his body began to heal at a visible rate. But the blood-red giant that the impostor Martial Saint had transformed into couldn¡¯t recover due to Ulysses¡¯s Black Flame. With the tide turning in his favor, the blood-red giant had weakened to an exaggerated extent. While Richard observed, the impostor Martial Saint observed him as well. He was clearer about the state of his own body than Richard was. The relentless Black Flame was eroding his life at a slow but inexorable pace. Furthermore, he was certain that this man before him was definitely not a Wild Beastman. "A Heavenly Demon, huh? It seems that the rumors of the Holy Sect working with the Heavenly Demons were false." The impostor Martial Saint looked at Richard and sighed inwardly. He hadn¡¯t expected that the news he risked exposing his identity to intercept was false. Had he known, he would not have shown himself. As long as he didn¡¯t make a move, the Dingtian Sacred Sect members, who were eager to show off their muscle rather than their brains, would not have discovered his identity. But it was too late for regrets now. The impostor Martial Saint¡¯s gaze moved beyond Richard, towards the Qi Men Array behind him that seemed ordinary but concealed deadly traps. He now had to escape. Even if he couldn¡¯t break out, he had to get the message out. The Dingtian Sacred Sect would soon start a grand search for the Holy Sect. If the message wasn¡¯t delivered, he didn¡¯t know how many brothers would die during the search. "Hah!" The impostor Martial Saint suddenly bellowed, his body already swollen to five meters, ballooning even more. Seeing this, Richard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t tighten with alarm but instead revealed a hint of pleasure. He could tell that the impostor Martial Saint before him had run out of tricks, resorting to a Secret Technique that overtaxed his body to break out. But secret techniques that boosted strength in a short period weren¡¯t unique to him. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Triple Jialong Sealing Skill, break!" Long ago, Richard had begun self-Sealing his own body. However, due to Richard¡¯s rapid growth and large strides, each Seal would be broken before long due to the enhancement of his physique, and thus he had never used it in previous battles. But now it was different. Richard¡¯s body had entered the saintly realm, transcendent. His body would remain at those parameters for a lengthy period. Thus, after becoming the Sect Master of Wuxiang Valley, he applied a triple Seal on himself. After ten years of accumulation, the power stored within the Seals had become quite formidable. In an instant, both combatants charged at each other. Within the span of a single breath, they clashed 124 times in the air. The sounds of their collision merged, like the footsteps of a migrating herd on the African savannah, but after being transmitted through shockwaves, these dull sounds turned into the muffled thunder before a heavy rain. The citizens within the city, observing the darkening sky caused by the combatants, grumbled, "What dreadful weather." Boom! A streak of dark light flashed across the sky. They separated again. Richard¡¯s abdomen was gouged open by the impostor Martial Saint, with severed intestines of red and green seeping out of the wound. A force of the rules was preventing Richard from using the rules to heal himself. But across from him, the impostor Martial Saint no longer moved. A pitch-black Crow Claw penetrated through his back, now tightly clutching his heart. Under the erosion of Ulysses, the blood-red giant before him no longer had any chance of resisting. Richard managed a strained smile, excising the parts of his body that were contaminated by foreign rules. Free from the hindrance of the alien rules, his injuries recovered once more at a visible pace. "Haha, that¡¯s a wrap." Richard clapped his hands, about to signal Ulysses to toss this Demon Sect monster into the Secret Realm. But before he could speak out, he saw Ulysses¡¯ expression suddenly change. "Not good, quickly use the Rule Barrier!" The next moment, a strange energy suddenly erupted from the imposter Martial Saint. Although Richard, thanks to Ulysses¡¯ warning, promptly activated the Rule Barrier, he was still affected by the aftermath of the force due to the close distance. In an instant, Richard felt as if he had forgotten something. The outbreak quickly ended, and Richard removed the Rule Barrier, looking around somewhat bewildered. "What was I just doing?" Ulysses emerged from the Void and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. "Still forgotten? You were just fighting a Martial Arts Grandmaster from the Demon Sect who had infiltrated the Dingtian Sacred Sect, and you and I were planning to capture this monster alive." "Is that so?" Richard¡¯s complexion changed slightly; his memory had no trace of this incident. He didn¡¯t even have a shadow of this so-called Demon Sect monster. "No use thinking about it," Ulysses shook his head, "You won¡¯t be able to remember. Because that memory is now in a state of being shielded, you won¡¯t be able to recall these memories until you become a Great Wizard." "Shielded?" Richard asked, slightly puzzled. Ulysses paused for a moment, then explained, "In your Wizard Curse Magic, there is a kind of witchcraft that diminishes a person¡¯s presence. You should remember that, right?" Richard nodded, "I remember. You¡¯re saying that I encountered a similar spell just now, which specifically hid my memories concerning that Demon Sect monster." "Pretty much, but in reality it¡¯s more complicated than that," Ulysses replied, "This monster¡¯s ability is most likely an Anti-Meme. He has internalized all information about himself and any trace that he has left in this world. Your memory of him will be shielded, records about him will be ignored, and he himself will become unobservable and untouchable. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I¡¯ve seen similar methods before, we would have really been conned by him." With that, a layer of Holy Light lit up around Ulysses. The Power of Faith, under Ulysses¡¯ control, soon turned into a pale lantern. Under the lantern¡¯s light, Richard was shocked to find the corpse of a Wild Beastman standing less than five meters in front of him. "Then wouldn¡¯t this ability be invincible?" Richard said with a chill, "Unobservable, untouchable; if they went to assassinate someone, wouldn¡¯t it be completely undetectable?" "That¡¯s not quite the case," Ulysses shook his head, "Anti-Memes also have levels. Lower-Level Anti-Memes make you forget the memory of the individual when you¡¯re not observing them, but physical traces still exist, and records about them can be preserved. Higher-Level Anti-Meme creatures may leave no physical traces and are difficult to record. However, they also lose the ability to interact with the physical world and can only commit assassination by consuming a person¡¯s information. But any creature sensitive to its own memory will notice this consumption and then expel these beings. However..." Looking at the corpse, Ulysses seemed hesitant to continue, "Richard, the waters of this Demon Sect are deep indeed." "What do you mean?" "This monster¡¯s Anti-Meme ability is not his own, but bestowed upon him by someone else. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the source of this ability should be that Demon Lord who is rumored to be sealed in the Underworld. Anti-Meme, Demon Lord, Richard, the reason for the Pioneers¡¯ demise¡ªwe may have found it." Ulysses¡¯ words struck Richard like a bolt of lightning. Since he had come into contact with the Pioneers, he had never seen any record of this Race. He did not know the features of their appearance, nor their language and script, let alone their history. Dinosaurs left fossils upon death, but the Pioneers, such a glorious civilization, had vanished without leaving even a single corpse for the Wizards to find. The only thing he knew was the moniker ¡¯Supreme,¡¯ and even that was probably given to them by other races. Combining this result with the Anti-Meme ability that the Demon Lord might possess... In an instant, Richard felt as if an invisible giant hand had viciously grasped his heart. Even though he had transcended the ordinary, at this moment, he still found it hard to breathe. "No, this information must be reported." Richard somewhat frantically took out the Communication Pyramid, ready to send this message to Wizard Headquarters, but before he could act, he was stopped by Ulysses. "Have you gone mad? You¡¯re on Dingtian Sacred Sect¡¯s turf; you are not reporting to the outside world right now!" With Ulysses¡¯ stern words, Richard snapped out of his panic. He took a deep breath, trying hard to calm down. As Richard composed himself, Ulysses continued, "There¡¯s no need to panic so much. The traces of the Pioneers have been erased, but you should know, this process has continued for hundreds of epochs. It¡¯s just that because of the loss of memory, we feel like we never discovered these traces from the start. Besides, if the Wizards lack anything, it¡¯s certainly not top-tier power. With five and a half Star Realm Masters, such fighting power would ensure that even if the Demon Lord broke free, he wouldn¡¯t be able to turn the tide." Ulysses¡¯ composure affected Richard, and his mood began to settle as well. "Indeed, I was too panicked." Ulysses consoled him, "It¡¯s normal for you to be startled by this, given your lack of experience." Having regained his composure, Richard looked at the corpse in front of him and asked with some regret, "Can this ability be undone? After all, this is the body of a World Master; even just for cooking, it¡¯s highly beneficial. It would be a pity to discard it." Chapter 530 - 75: The Underground Lair Chapter 530: Chapter 75: The Underground Lair"The ability to break it is there, it¡¯s just that the process will be a bit long," Ulysses flapped his wings, and a black flame fell onto the corpse of the Demon Path enchantress. As the flame touched the corpse, it suddenly vanished. "The Anti-Meme will obstruct communication between this body and the outside world. In other words, the Anti-Meme will constantly devour information transmitted from the outside. But the ability of the Anti-Meme has its limits too; once the information it has swallowed exceeds its capacity, the Anti-Meme will burst. "The information it has devoured but has yet to digest will then reappear in the world, and naturally, its vessel will appear as well." Ulysses¡¯s description was somewhat abstract; based on his understanding, Richard asked, "Input information? You mean energy?" "Energy will do, but don¡¯t just input energy plainly; you need to make the energy¡¯s structure more complex. It doesn¡¯t matter whether it is powerful or not, but it must be sufficiently complex. The Anti-Meme devours information, and complexity equals information density." Hearing this, Richard suddenly realized and confidently said, "That¡¯s too easy. Simplifying witchcraft is difficult, but complicating witchcraft is too easy." To simplify a Spell, one must consider the Spell¡¯s stability and power, but to make a Spell complex requires much less thought. One only needs to add redundant Runes to it. Having confirmed his approach, Ulysses was about to throw the corpse into the Secret Realm. Before entering the Secret Realm, he instructed Richard, "The Anti-Meme will suppress your memory of this moment when the corpse enters the Secret Realm. So you¡¯d better write down quickly what you need to do, then give yourself a suggestion to ignore the strangeness of this event. Although this is not directly related to the Anti-Meme, if you ponder the reason behind it, the Anti-Meme might very well devour it." Richard was taken aback, his wariness of the Anti-Meme intensifying. He recorded the task of complicating the Magic Model in his to-do notebook and placed a simple psychological suggestion on himself to give up pondering the irrationality of the event. Following that, Ulysses grabbed the corpse and entered the Secret Realm, and the moment the corpse vanished from Richard¡¯s sight, he suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something. He looked down and realized that he was holding a notebook, which contained a to-do item. "Complicate the Magic Model?" Despite his confusion at this illogical task, Richard, under the influence of the psychological suggestion, did not delve deeper into his thoughts. After dealing with the Demon Sect enchantress, Richard found the Sect Leader of the branch, guided by Ulysses. At the moment, the Sect Leader was deep in thought, wondering how he had returned to the branch from the headquarters. Upon seeing Richard, the Dragon Sect Leader quickly spoke, "Sect Master Chu, did I just come to you? I remember clearly waiting for the Sect Master in the great hall, but in the blink of an eye, I was back here." Richard also pretended to be perplexed and replied, "I have no idea either. I have experienced something strange too. I remember I was in the side hall, and in the blink of an eye, I ended up in the main hall. And looking at the surroundings, it seems I was involved in a big fight. But I have no memory of it." Hearing Richard¡¯s words, the Dragon Sect Leader immediately sensed something was amiss. As a disciple of the Holy Sect, he was not unfamiliar with the Demon Sect¡¯s methods. Among the Demon Sect¡¯s methods was one particularly bizarre one that could suppress a Martial Artist¡¯s memory, so even a Grandmaster might be vulnerable to it. Given the current situation, it appeared likely that the Demon Sect had invaded just moments ago and was cornered by Sect Master Chu and himself with no room in heaven nor a crack in earth to escape, forcing them to resort to this self-destructive tactic. "Sect Master Chu, I think I know what has happened. I¡¯ll arrange for a disciple to prepare accommodations for you, but I must head to the headquarters now." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a grave expression, the Dragon Sect Leader surmised that the Dingtian Sacred Sect might be riddled with Demon Sect spies. But before he could move, an overwhelming pressure descended upon him like a mountain. "Kid, why have you come back?" A sonorous voice echoed from above, and upon hearing it, the Dragon Sect Leader immediately knelt down respectfully, "Disciple Long Li, greets the Sect Master." On the other hand, Richard was startled by the sudden pressure. How had the Dingtian Martial Saint suddenly arrived at their branch? The Dingtian Martial Saint landed, his gaze passing through the Qi Men Array and settling on where Richard had just fought. "Interesting, seems like the Sect has mice within." Dispersing the pressure, the Dingtian Martial Saint waved his hand, and Long Li stood up from the ground. "Kid, you said the Demon Sect and the Heavenly Demon have joined forces, am I right?" Long Li quickly nodded in agreement, "That¡¯s correct, absolutely right. Sect Master, this man by your side is the acting Sect Leader from a Martial Arts Sect under the Great Sun Saint Sect¡¯s jurisdiction, called Wuxiang Valley. According to him, the Demon Sect and the Heavenly Demon colluded from inside and out, breaking through their sect¡¯s grand array without even launching an assault, and his master died at the hands of a Heavenly Demon." The Dingtian Martial Saint looked at Richard, "Wuxiang Valley, I¡¯ve heard this name. Is there a problem with what this disciple of mine has said?" Under the piercing gaze of the Dingtian Martial Saint, Richard felt as if his entire being was laid bare. But at this moment, he had no other choice. "Martial Saint sir, there is no problem with what Dragon Sect Leader has said." Hearing Richard¡¯s confirmation, the Dingtian Martial Saint slapped his hands together and exclaimed fiercely, "I knew those rats wouldn¡¯t keep quiet! That young upstart from the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect even thinks of allying with the Demon Sect, poppycock! A mere rookie who hasn¡¯t even participated in a single holy and demon war doesn¡¯t know the true nature of those Demon Sect vermin!" Having finished his rant, he turned to look at Richard. "Kid, since you¡¯re the substitute Sect Leader of Wuxiang Valley, I¡¯ll treat you with the hospitality due to a Sect Leader. During this time, stay at our Dingtian Sacred Sect. Should there be any news of the Demon Sect, I will send someone to inform you." After listening, Richard bowed deeply with hands clasped in respect. "Thank you, Martial Saint, for your understanding. If there is any news of the Demon Sect, I will certainly lead the charge." The Dingtian Martial Saint burst into laughter upon hearing these words, patting Richard¡¯s shoulder twice. "Good! I do like martial artists who value loyalty and righteousness." With that, he grabbed Richard and stepped forward. In the next moment, they had arrived above the Nine Heavens. Taking another step, they appeared miles away. In just a short while, they reached the Heavenly Pillar Mountain, the location of the Dingtian Sacred Sect. The Martial Saint found an Elder to arrange accommodation for Richard before flying towards Heavenly Pillar Peak. Being within the Dingtian Sacred Sect, Richard and Ulysses naturally dared not to make any waves. The Sect treated Richard with its leader¡¯s hospitality, ensuring he had enough Magic Beast delicacies stewed in precious medicine every day, and if Richard wished, he could choose from numerous Wild Beastmen beauties as well. During his two-month stay within the Sect, apart from indulging in fine foods, Richard focused on studying Wuxiang. However, he would occasionally stroll within the Dingtian Sacred Sect, sparring with some of its disciples to brush up on combat skills while simultaneously gathering information about the inner workings of the Sect. Though Wizard¡¯s intelligence was reliable, the details concerning the Six Great Saint Sects remained superficial. Excluding the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect, which Wizard had managed to infiltrate, Wizard knew little about the inner workings of the other Five Great Sacred Sects. According to what the disciples of the Dingtian Sacred Sect said, the Heavenly Pillar Mountain they resided on was indeed built by their ancestors. Digging downward for just over ten meters would reveal ancient ruins. It could be said that the Dingtian Sacred Sect, along with the other Five Great Sacred Sects, were all established on the ruins of their forebears. Thump, thump, thump... In the Martial Arts Arena, Richard bound his right hand, fighting with just his left arm against a Wild Beastman who was as strong as a gorilla. Yet, despite the absolute superiority in Physique, and even with numerous self-imposed limitations, Richard¡¯s opponent from the Dingtian Sacred Sect could not shake him in the slightest. Boom! Richard found a loophole, poking a finger through a flurry of punches just a hair¡¯s breadth from the gorilla¡¯s heart. The Wild Beastman stumbled, looking despondent: "I¡¯ve lost." Richard smiled lightly, pointing out the Wild Beastman¡¯s deficiencies and offering suggestions for improvement. Then, amidst the respectful gazes of many disciples, Richard walked up to the entrance of the Martial Arts Arena. "Sect Leader Chu certainly knows how to enjoy himself." At the entrance, a Wild Beastman dressed in the Elder robes of the Dingtian Sacred Sect said with a chuckle. "It¡¯s just a moment of nostalgia," Richard responded. "My own Sect has fallen, and never again in this life will I have the chance to instruct disciples in this way." The Elder sighed inwardly upon hearing this. Recently, the Dingtian Sacred Sect had been continually receiving refugees from the Martial Arts Sect members fleeing from the Great Sun Saint Sect. From their accounts, it was learned that the Wizard was no longer just executing the resistant martial artists. Any Wild Beastman who provided assistance to the resisting martial artists was labeled a rebel; capture meant execution. Across the lands governed by the Great Sun Saint Sect, barely one in ten spirited martial artists remained alive, and their bodies littered the earth. "Don¡¯t be sad, Sect Leader Chu, I have some good news to tell you," the Elder suppressed the emotions in his heart and continued with a smile. "Regarding the Demon Sect, we¡¯ve located their main underground base. From the intelligence we have so far, this base will host a meeting in seven days. At that time, there will be Grandmaster-level warriors of the Demon Sect present. The Sect Leader told me, your master was killed by the treacherous Demon Sect in collusion with the Heavenly Demon. So, for this roundup of the Demon Sect, you must be included." Upon hearing this, Richard immediately became excited and bowed to the Elder: "I am truly honored that Martial Saint would remember me during his busy schedule. When do we set out?" "We can leave now." ... The Great River Ridge was a territory under the rule of the Dingtian Sacred Sect, belonging to the Gu Xuan Sect. According to the intelligence, this place was as plain as could be. It had neither unique geographical features nor special minerals; the precious medicines that grew there were common. The only notable advantage was that many merchant routes passed through the area. When intelligence pointed to this Great River Ridge as the main base of the Demon Sect within the Dingtian Sacred Sect, hardly anyone believed it, thinking it was false information. No special geography meant no Qi Men Arrays to defend the place. No Qi Men Arrays implied no outer defenses. It was too unsafe. But precisely because of this reasoning, the Great River Ridge had never appeared on the Dingtian Sacred Sect¡¯s radar. However powerful the Qi Men Arrays were, they couldn¡¯t withstand a strike from the Dingtian Martial Saint. But if they remained unnoticed, even the most formidable Martial Saint couldn¡¯t touch them. Above the skies of Great River Ridge, Richard and two Elders from the Dingtian Sacred Sect silently observed one Demon Sect member after another entering the underground. After all the Demon Sect members had entered, an Elder turned to Richard with a smile: "Sect Leader Chu, from now on, it¡¯s every man for himself." Chapter 531 - 76: Demonization Martial Ancestor Chapter 531: Chapter 76: Demonization Martial AncestorThree figures descended from the sky, merging with the dense night. Although the terrain of this Demon Sect stronghold was insufficient to support any Qi Men Array, the bizarre abilities of the Demon Sect people were manifold, making it uncertain whether something threatening to a Grandmaster might be hidden within. Therefore, for safety, Richard and his two companions decided to first infiltrate this stronghold, stealthily eliminating as many minions as possible. In this way, even if there was any arrangement within the stronghold, no one would be able to activate it during their fight. Silently landing on the ground, two elders from the Dingtian Sacred Sect performed a mantra, and their bodies suddenly vanished from sight. Richard, on the other hand, used a witchcraft spell to stealthily burrow underground. The Demon Sect stronghold was built underground, and under normal circumstances, one would have to enter through the main entrance. However, clearly, the three infiltrators were no ordinary characters. Richard, having dived underground, extended his spiritual power and quickly located the underground palace established by the Demon Sect. With a thought, he already found himself in a patch of shadow within the palace. Richard had possessed the ability of Shadow Shuttling since his first battle, initially relying on the Bloodline Seed within him that contained the Netherworld Horse bloodline. Not only did this ability produce minimal energy fluctuations, but it also had a wide range of applications, and it had always been one of Richard¡¯s most practical spells. Later, as Richard cultivated the Transformation Battle Body, he had to strip away the Bloodline Seed for the stability of his battle body, which resulted in his inability to use this ability through the bloodline. Fortunately, this ability was not unique. Thanks to his extensive connections and considerable wealth, Richard acquired another version of Shadow Shuttling from another wizard, allowing him to continue using this ability. The interior of the underground palace was very dark and damp, seemingly unattended on normal days. Standing in the shadows, Richard could even clearly hear the friction sounds of insects within the shadows. "It seems that this place is rarely visited," Richard thought to himself. Putting on the Dimension Eye over his face, Richard gently infused it with Magic Power. Soon, the structural layout of the underground palace became known to him. "As expected, these Demon Sect people indeed hid something in this stronghold." The underground palace was not complex, having only two floors. However, in the reconnaissance of the Dimension Eye, there were a significant number of Pioneer Relics within these two floors. These relics were evenly distributed across the two floors of the palace, forming what appeared to be a magic model. After determining the locations of these relics, Richard, relying on his years of research on the Pioneers, quickly found the key point of this quasi-magic model. The Demon Sect people had placed thousands of relics in this palace; it was impossible for him to remove each one individually. By removing the key point and disabling the quasi-magic model, there would be plenty of time in the future to take away the remaining relics. There weren¡¯t many light sources in the underground palace, only some illuminating crystals embedded in the walls casting a faint glow. This provided a good environment for Richard¡¯s use of Shadow Magic. In the dim environment, no one would notice a moving shadow hidden among the shadows. The first floor of the underground palace was filled with minions, followers recruited by masked members of the Demon Sect. These followers were vastly different from those who had joined the Demon Sect due to contact with the Demon Lord¡¯s will. In the shadows, Richard quietly observed these minions. By now, the two Dingtian Sacred Sect elders had also arrived at this level. Instead of directly killing the Demon Sect minions, they took out a handful of black insect eggs from their sleeves. If they killed people upstairs, even performing silently, those Demon Sect people on the second floor would sense something amiss. But if they controlled these minions with Gu Worms, then the Demon Sect people below wouldn¡¯t notice that their minions were already dead. As a sect of the Evil Path, the Dingtian Sacred Sect was unscrupulous in advancing the cultivation of the Essence Dao. Among these methods, a perverse Cultivation Technique called Insect Body was particularly sinister. This technique required one to feed insects with their body, coexisting with the swarm, leveraging the insects¡¯ power to enhance one¡¯s combat ability. The capability of the technique itself was not impressive; after all, how could a swarm of insects compare to the finely honed muscles of a martial artist? However, because its byproduct¡ªthe Gu Worms¡ªcould enhance a martial artist¡¯s combat abilities, it became a long-standing research project within the Dingtian Sacred Sect. After years of research, the Dingtian Sacred Sect had developed countless types of Gu Worms, and the two elders were using a kind called the Heart-devouring Gu. In the blink of an eye, like dragons, the two elders had infected several martial artists in the hall with the Gu Worms unbeknownst to them. As soon as the Gu eggs entered the body, they began to hatch, and within moments, slender Gu Worms burrowed into the minions¡¯ hearts through their blood vessels. Before being activated, the Heart-devouring Gu wouldn¡¯t impact the martial artists too much, making them feel only slightly more fatigued than usual. But once activated, within moments, the hearts of these minions would be riddled with holes by the Gu Worms. After planting the Gu Worms, the two elders suddenly became alert and scanned their surroundings. They felt as though they were being watched by something. "Is it Sect Master Chu?" one elder whispered to his companion. "It should be." "Sect Master Chu is quite capable, able to elude our detection." "After all, he is someone who has broken through the third shackle of his body. Given time, if he completes his Divine Dao cultivation, he might be able to break through the Heart Demon Pass and achieve the Grandmaster realm." After the two elders left, Richard twitched his fingers slightly, and a layer of illusion obscured the eyes of these minions. Although Richard¡¯s illusionary witchcraft was not as proficient as that of the Soul School wizards, it was sufficient to fool these minions, who were mere Second-level Creatures. Under the cover of the illusion, Richard immediately dug out the Pioneer Relics buried in the underground palace. However, upon seeing these relics, he was suddenly startled. Having studied the Pioneers for so many years, Richard was intimately familiar with the characteristics of Pioneer Relics. He was certain that the objects before him were not relics of the Pioneers. This object¡¯s style was similar to that of the Pioneers, constructed of crystal atop a metal base. Layered polygonal metal outer shells enclosed the crystal, yet openings on the side made it resemble an eye. With a gentle touch of his hand, the information of the Miracle Furnace appeared before Richard immediately. [Raw material: Artifact of Unknown Civilization] [Refinable information: Design blueprints of Unknown Artifact] [Refinement cost: 20 spiritual power] [Refinable energy: Power of unknown dimension] [Refinement cost: 20,000 Magic Power] Observing the information provided by the Miracle Furnace, myriad thoughts flashed through Richard¡¯s mind instantly. Artifacts of unknown civilization, in the Wilderness Great World, apart from those relics left by the Pioneers, could only belong to the civilization that had opposed the Pioneers. However, he was somewhat puzzled by what the "Power of unknown dimension" mentioned in the information could be. But it likely referred to forces similar to those from illusory dimensions like the Wizard Dimension. That Star Realm Master hadn¡¯t died yet, so the unknown civilization, although defeated, had not yet perished. Therefore, its corresponding illusory dimension not being completely gone and retaining dimension power was quite normal. Extracting the blueprint, a highly complex and exquisite design immediately emerged in Richard¡¯s mind. To his surprise, many aspects of the diagram utilized Pioneer technology. In other words, this artifact was likely a creation of the unknown civilization, incorporating Pioneer technology. "How interesting, directly combining two different technologies. But how did this civilization resolve the conflicts between technologies?" But now was not the time to study, so Richard merely briefly recalled the blueprint without delving into its details. Having extracted the design, Richard then tossed the unknown artifact into his pocket. With limited objects at hand and not knowing how to preserve the dimension power, he decided to research that energy later. After dismantling key nodes of the artifact, Richard ventured deeper through the passage into the second level of the Underground Palace. Upon entering the second level, the two elders from the Dingtian Sacred Sect did not immediately act but hid in a corner to silently eavesdrop on the discussions of those from the Demon Sect. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These Demon Sect followers wore different masks, but Richard, armed with the investigations of the Dingtian Sacred Sect into the Demon Sect, still recognized their identities. "Jia Ma, Jia Monkey, Yi Niu, Yi Rabbit..." As he identified them, Richard was internally astounded. Within this small Underground Palace, there actually resided two Grandmasters and seven or eight Martial Arts Masters of Completion. And this was after the Dingtian Sacred Sect¡¯s rigorous investigations, the remnants of the Demon Sect¡¯s influence under their rule. If the influences of the Demon Sect across the Six Great Saint Sects were united, they might rival any of the Holy Sects. The two elders also noticed Richard¡¯s entrance; although they could not pinpoint his exact location, they were certain that Richard had arrived at this Underground Palace. The three of them tacitly chose not to act, quietly listening to the Demon Sect followers exchange information. "The search by the Dingtian Sacred Sect has intensified. I¡¯ve had many operatives who¡¯ve noticed surveillance in the past few days; it seems their capture isn¡¯t far off." Yi Rabbit suggested, "I personally recommend complete silence, halting all activities." "Silence, silence my ass." Yi Rabbit had barely finished speaking when Yi Niu cursed, "Silence can¡¯t block those bastard dog noses, those righteous bastards. They¡¯re still searching for us while Heavenly Demons are breaking through. They¡¯ll be happy once the Heavenly Demons have flattened us." "Heavenly Demons? It was because of them that Jia Dog got exposed," Yi Long stated, "I received a message from my operative before he was exposed; our colleagues in the Great Sun Saint Sect have colluded with the Heavenly Demons. In my opinion, we should also find a way to contact the Heavenly Demons and orchestrate a collaboration to take down the Dingtian Sacred Sect first. Although the Heavenly Demons are cruel to resisting warriors, they treat those who surrender quite well." "Collaborating with the Heavenly Demons, do you have no pride, Yi Long?" Yi Niu furiously retorted, "Even though we¡¯re at odds with those righteous bastards, we¡¯re all of the same kind and clans. Aren¡¯t you afraid that after you die from fighting your own people, you¡¯ll be..." "Who considers the righteous as our own?" Yi Rabbit interjected, "If they regarded us as their own, they wouldn¡¯t be conducting this massive search now. We no longer have a choice." "Exactly, who regards those righteous as our own!" "If you ask me, we should have collaborated with the Heavenly Demons long ago. These Heavenly Demons and our Sect Master both belong to the Heavenly Demons, they might even help our Sect Master break his seals." ... Within a few sentences, the entire hall erupted in commotion, and what began as a disagreement about opinions soon devolved into personal insults. But just as they were verbally attacking each other¡¯s ancestors, the two masters finally spoke. "Silence!" The hall fell quiet, and everyone turned towards the speaker, Jia Ma. Suddenly, Jia Ma removed the mask on his face, revealing an old and ecstatic visage. "Everyone, the Martial Ancestor has been converted and now serves the Sect Master. From now on, we no longer need to live wearing masks!" Chapter 532 - 77: Secrets of the Past Chapter 532: Chapter 77: Secrets of the PastThe Wilderness Great World is divided into two parts, respectively the Wilderness Continent and the Endless Sea. Among these, the Wilderness Continent occupies only about a third of the land of the Wilderness Great World. However, this does not mean the ocean is a land rich with resources. Any of the Six Great Saint Sects have explored the Endless Sea, but all they found was desolation. The Endless Sea is like a blue desert; apart from the Wild Beasts, there is nothing. A Martial Arts Grandmaster once dived deep into the water, determined to see if there were any resources beneath the sea to exploit. Yet after roaming the depths for a hundred years, he could not find the seabed of the Endless Sea. And when he finally gave up and returned to the surface, he was astonished to find himself on the other side of the Wilderness Continent. Later, after this Martial Arts Grandmaster¡¯s research, the Wild Beastmen on the Wilderness Continent discovered the secret of the Endless Sea¡ªthere is no seabed, or rather, the seabed of the Endless Sea is the World Barrier, and the whole Wilderness Continent is a massive island floating on the Endless Sea. From then on, aside from the Martial Artists who sought to undertake spiritual trials, no one else took an interest in the Endless Sea. And it has become the burial ground for countless secrets. In the depths of the Endless Sea, where even a Martial Saint could not see, a Bronze Hall quietly drifts in the water. Every now and then, ripples emanate from the Hall. Anything they touch is instantly turned to dust. Inside the Hall, an old Wild Beastman dressed in white robes sits cross-legged on the floor, his body manifesting the aura of the Golden Bell Illusion to withstand the crushing impact that could pulverize a Grandmaster. Before him, a middle-aged Wild Beastman covered in steel spikes and whose limbs were penetrated by bronze chains as thick as the mouth of a bowl, continued to struggle violently. In the history of the Wild Beastmen, the Martial Ancestor is a mysterious figure. Legend has it that, in his youth, he was guided by the ancestors to create Martial Arts and expand it into the Six Great Realms. But after creating Martial Arts, the whereabouts of the Martial Ancestor became unknown. Even the legends were pitifully few. Even within the Six Great Saint Sects, there were no records of him. It should be noted that the Six Great Saint Sects were already the most ancient and powerful force among the Wild Beastmen. So when the Wizards investigated the Wild Beastmen, they did not take the Martial Ancestor seriously. They considered him just another branch among the many legends of the Wild Beastmen. But no one expected that this legendary Martial Ancestor actually existed all along and had, dozens of epochs ago, broken through the final step to become a Level 7 Creature. The reason his records are so scarce is that he still remembered his mission¡ªto guard the Demon Lord Seal. The relics controlled by the Six Great Saint Sects of the Wilderness Continent are merely the edges of the Demon Lord Seal. It is the core of the Seal that the Martial Ancestor protects. To guard this secret, the Martial Ancestor went so far as to erase all traces of himself from the Wilderness Land, turning the Martial Ancestor into an ethereal legend. And now, the Tomb Guardian who protects the key to the seal is undergoing a trial of will. "Martial Ancestor, why are you so stubborn?" the old Beastman enveloped by the Golden Bell Illusion sighed, "With your peerless strength surpassing that of a Martial Saint, why must you adamantly defend this ancient sealing? With your power, once the Demon Lord breaks free from the seal, you will surely become a great general under the Demon Lord. Wealth, power, and the path to higher realms, all these could be within your grasp. Why must you cling to this seal, to the extent of reducing yourself to such a state?" The Martial Ancestor with limbs pierced by chains raised his head, his eyes flickering between confusion and determination, as if two wills were fighting for control of his body. Eventually, the Martial Ancestor¡¯s gaze hardened, and the will that belonged to the Martial Ancestor took over his body. In a deep voice, he said, "Fool, you have no idea whom you serve. The Supreme sacrificed the future of an entire civilization to seal this monster and led it to a path of death, yet you seek to break this seal. How could there be such fools in this world?" Faced with the Martial Ancestor¡¯s scorn, the old Beastman was not angered but continued to persuade, "Martial Ancestor, if it were in the past, your guardianship might have some significance. But now, the Heavenly Demons have invaded, and three of the Six Great Saint Sects have been destroyed. Do you think those Heavenly Demons will dutifully guard the seal? You are desperately guarding this seal so that our race can grow unimpeded. But now, with the invasion of Heavenly Demons and countless Martial Artists being killed, what¡¯s the point of guarding the seal? If the Wild Beastmen have become the slaves and livestock of others, does it matter whether the Demon Lord Seal is maintained?" The old Beastman spoke earnestly, seemingly genuinely sympathizing with the Martial Ancestor. However, the Martial Ancestor¡¯s response was a cold smirk. "Fool, you would not think that the Beastmen are a free race, would you? Powerful beings are many in our race, Level 6 Creatures are not rare. But from ancient times to the present, have you ever thought of exploring beyond the World? It is the Supreme who imposed this limitation in our blood, our duty is to guard this seal, the Supreme has no need for us to develop a civilization. In other words, we are born slaves." The old Beastman was stunned at these words. This was the first time in his ten thousand years of persuading the Martial Ancestor that he had ever heard such a claim. "We... are born slaves?" Sarcasm tugged at the corner of the Martial Ancestor¡¯s mouth, whether it was mocking the old Beastman, mocking himself, or mocking the fate of the Wild Beastmen, it was unclear. "We are the ultimate creation of the Supreme, but also the only race they created with a purpose. Our elder brothers may have various defects, but they are free. The Supreme did not impose any limitations on them; they are free to pursue everything." "But we are different. While we possess the most perfect Talents, we also bear the heaviest of missions. We must guard this Sealing until that civilization strong enough, prophesied to arrive, comes. "When that time comes, I won¡¯t need your persuasion, for fate will see to the breaking of this seal. And it... will embark upon a sure path to death." As the Martial Ancestor spoke, his gaze began to shift, the erosion from the Demon Lord was gradually ripping apart his sanity. The moment he became a Level 7 Creature, the Martial Ancestor had carved out a dimension named after the Martial Artist in the endless dimensions. And as the Martial Arts of the Wilderness Continent prospered, the strength of the Martial Artist¡¯s dimension likewise grew more formidable. Only with the power from the Illusionary Dimension was the Martial Ancestor able to resist the corruptive invasion of the Demon Lord for hundreds of epochs. But now, the Wizards invaded, and the Six Great Saint Sects, along with the many Sects and Martial Artists under their command, were slaughtered by the Wizards, greatly diminishing the power of the Martial Artist¡¯s dimension. The soul of the Martial Ancestor had also become murky from the ravages of hundreds of epochs. Even as the Star Realm Master, he could not escape the dull knife that was time. In a daze, a flicker of lucidity flashed through the eyes of the Martial Ancestor once more. At this moment, he could clearly feel that his soul could no longer hold on. "Is it finally ending?" the Martial Ancestor murmured to himself. Suddenly, he thrust his head up, his eyes tightly focused on the elderly Beastman trying to persuade him. "Idiot, you said the Heavenly Demons have descended, didn¡¯t you?" The elderly Beastman hastily replied, "Yes, Martial Ancestor. These Heavenly Demons are exceedingly fierce and evil, and now they are rampantly slaughtering Martial Artists across the land." A mocking smile surfaced on the Martial Ancestor¡¯s face. Then, he abruptly snapped the chains that bound him, and the steel spikes that had been driven into his body popped out like bullets. In the stunned gaze of the old Beastman, the Martial Ancestor casually struck out, knocking the soul of this Grandmaster out of his body, then gulped it down. "Idiot, did you really think those chains could hold me? If it were not for the loneliness here, I would have killed you long ago." Having said that, the Martial Ancestor¡¯s eyes once again fell into chaos. This time, it took a long struggle for him to regain clarity. "Not much time left," the Martial Ancestor shook his head and murmured. Using the information within his soul, he searched the old Beastman¡¯s body and took out a rat mask. The mask, named Jiarat, held a position within the Demon Sect just second to the Demon Lord. Now, with the Demon Lord¡¯s position vacant, he was the actual ruler of the Demon Sect. Using this mask, the Martial Ancestor sent a false message to the possessors of the other eleven masks. "The Martial Ancestor has been converted by the Holy Master." After sending the message, the Martial Ancestor destroyed the Demon Lord¡¯s thoughts within the mask, muttering to himself, "Hopefully, these juniors are of some use, and can completely exterminate these infected. "Otherwise, the Wild Beastmen really might be annihilated." Having said that, he burst out of the sea surface, leaving the prison that had confined him for several hundred thousand years. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Above the sea, the Martial Ancestor stood in the air with his eyes closed, silently feeling the fierce sea breeze brushing against his face. He had not felt this sensation in hundreds of thousands of years. Opening his eyes, the Martial Ancestor looked at the Wilderness Land in front of him with a hint of nostalgia. Although the Wilderness Land was shrouded in darkness at the moment, he could still recognize every blade of grass and tree. During these hundreds of thousands of years, he had recalled this scene countless times. Suddenly, a glint of surprise crossed his face. With a mere thought, a jar of wine flew out from a mountain thousands of miles away. Catching the jar, the Martial Ancestor laughed heartily. "Who would have thought, after hundreds of thousands of years, this jar of wine still hasn¡¯t been stolen by anyone." He broke the seal on the jar, inhaled the fragrance of the wine deeply, and sipped away until it was empty. "Ha-ha, what a fine wine, I should have asked Duke to brew a few more jars back then," the Martial Ancestor laughed loudly, but then his tone turned to regret, "Ah, such a pity, I can¡¯t even drink my fill before I die." Tossing the jar aside, the Martial Ancestor pointed skyward, his body erupting with an astonishing aura. "I am the Wilderness Martial Ancestor! Strong ones from other civilizations, would you see me off on my last journey?" A million miles away, in the Floating City, where Garon the Great Wizard was studying a Martial Arts Secret Manual, he suddenly looked up, his face full of disbelief. "The Demon Lord has broken the seal? No, this aura doesn¡¯t seem like the Demon Lord¡¯s." He set down the secret book in his hands, and with a flash, he appeared in the sky. He looked in the direction of the Martial Ancestor, his gaze crossing a million miles to meet the Martial Ancestor¡¯s. The voice of the Martial Ancestor, at this moment, traversed space and entered the ears of Garon the Great Wizard. Faced with the Martial Ancestor¡¯s request, Garon the Great Wizard burst into a boisterous laugh. He unfastened his Wizard Robe, and his body became as massive as the sky and earth. With a simple gesture, the World Tree, which had rooted itself and flourished like a mountain within the Heavenly Punishment Saint Sect, rose from the ground and turned into a suitable Magic Wand in his hand. "I am Wizard Garon, Martial Ancestor, I¡¯ll accompany you on your final journey!" Chapter 533 - 78: Advancement to Truth, Physique Crown Chapter 533: Chapter 78: Advancement to Truth, Physique CrownIn the underground palace, the three people lurking in the shadows jumped at the declaration made by Armor-Horse. Within the six great Holy Sects, the Martial Ancestor was merely a legend. But now this demon of the Demon Sect was saying that not only did the legendary Martial Ancestor exist, he has been corrupted by the Demon Lord and turned into the Demon Lord¡¯s henchman. This seemed almost too absurd to believe. But seeing Armor-Horse¡¯s excited demeanor, it was unlikely that the statement was a fabrication. It was very possible that the Martial Ancestor had appeared and may even be crossing hands with Garon the Great Wizard. With this thought, Richard grew more impatient. Because of the Martial Saint¡¯s appearance, Richard had been living at the headquarters of the Dingtian Sacred Sect recently. In such a perilous place, Richard dared not use the communication pyramid. This also meant that up to now, Richard had not transmitted the news of the Demon Lord. And now with the demonized Martial Ancestor emerging, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the sealed Demon Lord would break free. If he waited until the Demon Lord was unsealed to share the news, it would be too late. Thinking thus, Richard used Shadow Magic, moving soundlessly to the sides of two Dingtian Sacred Sect elders. "Let¡¯s take action, Elders. Delay brings changes." The two elders were startled by Richard¡¯s sudden voice, almost launching a subconscious counterattack. Fortunately, they were Martial Arts Grandmasters who specialized in Physique Evolution. Their control over their bodies was so attuned they could stop the involuntary action the moment they realized it. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "What impressive martial arts you have, Sect Master Chu. Someday, I must have a spar with you," an elder exclaimed in awe. The other elder responded, "Sect Master Chu is right; delay brings changes. These demonic beings are probably out of their minds, spouting mad tales about the Martial Ancestor serving them. There¡¯s no further point in spying on them." After speaking, the three of them started to allocate their targets. The two elders would take on the two martial artists starting with ¡¯Armor,¡¯ and the martial masters would be handled by Richard. Once the targets were decided, the three of them didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately burst into action. The two elders of the Dingtian Sacred Sect suddenly appeared in the depths of the underground palace, their robust bodies iron-cast. The element of surprise left the cultists of the Demon Sect defenseless. Armor-Monkey and Armor-Horse, the two Martial Arts Grandmasters, were instantly sent flying by the powerful punches of the elders. With a thunderous "bang," the two demon path grandmasters were blasted through layers of earth dozens of meters thick, flying out of the underground palace. "Demon, meet your death!" The other martial artists in the palace stared in shock at the gaping hole in the ceiling, their brains struggling to process the situation. Why would two Martial Arts Grandmasters suddenly emerge within their stronghold? And from the cultivation techniques they used, these two were most likely the elders of the Dingtian Sacred Sect. But before they could fully register what was happening, Richard emerged from the shadows. To handle these martial artists, who were at most only in the third stage of perfection, Richard didn¡¯t even need the Balancing Hand. He gathered his stance, pulled in his elbows, and the entire space of the underground palace seemed to freeze, as energy flowed into his body like rivers into the sea. The next moment, he threw a single punch. Spiral Fist Light burst from his fist, drilling forward like a bit. In an instant, there was a loud crash, and one side of the underground palace vanished, replaced by a void three times the size of the palace. Richard withdrew his fist and silently opened the rift to the Secret Realm. Now, only three martial masters beginning with ¡¯Yi,¡¯ all in the third stage of perfection, remained standing on the second floor of the underground palace; the other martial masters had turned to ash in the blow. The three martial masters wanted to resist, but before they could make a move, Richard sealed their meridians and threw them into the Secret Realm. These were fully evolved Wild Beastmen, invaluable both for research and as a collector¡¯s item. Especially since the Truth Council was planning to make the Wild Beastmen a vassal race. After throwing the martial masters into the Secret Realm, Richard immediately exited the underground palace. There were no longer any survivors inside; under the influence of the Heart-devouring Gu, all the minions were dead. In the skies above, the residual effects from the battle of the four grandmasters caused the heavens to show strange signs. Thunder, ice, flame, hurricane... At the level of Level 4 Creature, even a casual gesture could alter celestial phenomena. A full-on battle from them would routinely shatter space. But at the moment, Richard had no interest in the battle above. He looked towards the northeast, feeling a faint oppressive force even across hundreds of thousands of miles. The demon was not raving mad; what he said was true. The Martial Ancestor had indeed appeared. "Ulysses!" A shadow flew from the Void and landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder. "What do you want to do next?" "We need to head back now," Richard said, his gaze fixed towards the northeast, his expression solemn. Continuing the mission now would be sheer folly. The appearance of the Martial Ancestor meant the Demon Lord was on the brink of breaking his seal. In the legends of the Wild Beastmen, the body of the Demon Lord was sealed in the Underworld, and in mythology, that was said to be beneath the ground. So if the legends were accurate, the unsealing of the Demon Lord would likely cause extreme geological upheavals and severe spatial distortions to the Wilderness Continent. It could be more powerful than a Wizard¡¯s ¡¯Day of the End.¡¯ Therefore, he had to find the main forces. Since the Wizard Civilization had deployed hundreds of Great Wizards, finding the main force meant no further worries about safety. If the sky were to fall, the Great Wizards would hold it up. But before that, he had some things to take care of. Richard turned to look at the raging battle between the four grandmasters in the sky and asked Ulysses on his shoulder, "Ulysses, do you think we can take those two grandmasters by surprise?" Ulysses glanced at the sky and cackled, "Hehe, I suggest we better go help those two fellows. That way, they¡¯ll have their guard down even more." ... In the sky above the Wilderness Continent, two colossal figures locked in combat towered to the heavens. Garon the Great Wizard stood tall, with runes circulating on his three true forms. Runes are the foundation of a wizard, and even Garon the Great Wizard, who had evolved physically, could not possibly abandon runes. Enhanced by runes, every fiber of Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s muscles became tens of millions of times stronger than the most tenacious refined gold alloy, and his strength reached a chilling extreme. His every strike reached an energy level of tens of millions. Such immense power brought with it an unimaginable terrifying consumption. In the past, Garon the Great Wizard hardly dared to exert his full strength because each use of his full force would consume magic essence sufficient to complete a dimensional expedition to a miniature plane. But with the World Tree, all this was no longer a problem. The World Tree took root in Garon the Great Wizard, countless roots and leaves penetrating the void, incessantly transforming the chaotic spatial flows and ether storms into energy, thereby supplying Garon the Great Wizard. These two terrifying existences, both beyond level 6 creatures when combined, unleashed a power that far exceeded the sum of one plus one. On the opposite side, the Martial Ancestor¡¯s gaze kept shifting, his reactions sometimes quick, sometimes slow. The Martial Ancestor had been fending off the Demon Lord for years and was all too familiar with this demon¡¯s capabilities. His emergence from the sealing to challenge Garon the Great Wizard and wipe out the hidden Demon Sect forces was merely a sideline. His real purpose was to let himself die at the hands of Garon the Great Wizard while his soul had not yet shattered completely and while he could still contest control of his body against the corrosion of the Demon Lord. He did not wish for his body to become a puppet of the Demon Lord. Suddenly, the Martial Ancestor¡¯s body violently shook, and his eyes instantly cleared. He raised his hand to block and effortlessly parried a punch from Garon the Great Wizard with an energy level of tens of millions. He was the Martial Ancestor, the pioneer of the Martial Artist dimension. As the sole master of this dimension, the Illusionary Dimension bestowed upon him a terrifying ability named Martial Ultimate. The function of this ability was simple¡ªit allowed him to master all the martial arts created by all martial artists up to the present without a teacher. Every strike he dealt contained the crystallization of research by countless martial artists over a million years. Had it not been that he was reluctant to make a move, Garon the Great Wizard would have long perished in the Underworld. "Wizard Garon, are you not prepared yet?" The Martial Ancestor looked at Garon the Great Wizard, sensing the force of the great way entwining around him. The power was not immense, but the Martial Ancestor could feel the dreadful strength at its origin. According to the knowledge bestowed upon him by the Supreme, such a situation was known as a Dimensional Bud. It meant that from a dimension that had already taken shape, a new bud had sprouted. If this bud continued to grow, it would become a branch dimension dependent on the main dimension. And the creature with that branch dimension would break the level 6 boundary and become one of the members of the Star Realm Masters. Faced with the Martial Ancestor¡¯s question, a rare solemnity crossed Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s face. The World Tree grew from behind him, wrapping around his arm, turning into a magic wand in his right hand. Green vines also spread from his back, forming a green wizard robe. The rituals for achieving the truth had no fixed form; the road walked by a wizard differed, and so too would their ritual. As the pioneer of the Wizard Civilization¡¯s physique evolution, Garon the Great Wizard comprehended his own promotion ceremony the moment he broke the level 6 limit and stepped onto the path of truth. He needed to engage in an all-out battle during an expedition. He had to break through the final boundary between life and death. Garon the Great Wizard holding the magic wand, promised the Martial Ancestor, "Martial Ancestor, if I do not die, the Wild Beastmen will survive under my protection. As long as I live, the Wild Beastmen will not be extinguished, and your martial arts will not perish either. I swear by the Sea of Souls." With the oath made, the Sea of Souls corresponding to the Wilderness Great World immediately surged. Wizards are the favored children of the Sea of Souls; among all the races the wizards have encountered, only they can use the Meditation Method to dive into the Sea of Souls. Under the witness of the Sea of Souls, the oath was established. The Martial Ancestor revealed a complex smile upon hearing this. That smile contained joy, appreciation, a sense of relief... Various emotions layered upon one another, forming that upturned curve and laugh. "What a fuss, take this!" The Martial Ancestor then assumed the most basic horse stance in martial arts, his hands positioned at his sides. In an instant, all the energy of the Wilderness World flowed towards the Martial Ancestor. The Martial Ancestor was not only the founder of martial arts; he was also the World Guardian of the Wilderness Great World. If he wished, the entire Wilderness Great World was his home ground. "Wizard Garon, this move is called¡ªMartial Ultimate!" With that said, the Martial Ancestor executed the most basic move in martial arts¡ªthe Horse Stance Punch. In the next moment, all fell silent. A dazzling fist light tore through the sky of the Wilderness World, leaving a colossal rift that spanned millions of miles across the Heavenly Vault, splitting the sky in two. Endless spatial storms poured into the world from the Void. At the center of that fist light, Garon the Great Wizard stood emaciated, his flesh completely stripped away, leaving only a broken heart devoid of life at the position of his chest. But upon seeing this, the Martial Ancestor closed his eyes in contentment. The next instant, a tender bud suddenly grew from the shattered heart. Then, a clear heartbeat, crossing space, resounded in the ears of every wizard. Thump thump! Though unaware of the origin of this heartbeat, in that moment, all wizards simultaneously knew what it represented. In the Wizard Dimension, countless wizards with indistinct faces emerged from their wizard towers. They gave a Wizard¡¯s Salute towards the City of Eternal Truth, and a billion voices converged, designating a title. "Behold the Physique Crown." Chapter 534 - 79: Demon Lord Breaks the Seal Chapter 534: Chapter 79: Demon Lord Breaks the SealThe shattered heart carried a tender sprout of the World Tree and gently pulsed, and within the span of a single heartbeat, Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s body transformed into a giant with three heads and a thousand arms, dressed in a green robe. No, at this moment he could no longer be called the Great Wizard, for he had achieved the Truth. He should now be called the Physique Crown. The Physique Crown looked at the Martial Ancestor before him, whose soul had shattered, and a tear fell from the compassionate eyes of his benevolent face, while his angry face glowed with flames and he gnashed his teeth in blood, even sighing from the Wizard aspect. "Since you have aided me in achieving the Truth, I will not let your corpse become a puppet for others." With that said, the tear in the Heavenly Vault that the Martial Ancestor had ripped open had not even healed yet when it shattered again. An entire Illusionary Dimension appeared behind the curtain, instantly encompassing the body of the Martial Ancestor. The biggest difference between a Seventh Level and a Sixth Level creature lies in the Illusionary Dimension. A Seventh Level creature either opens up an Illusionary Dimension directly like the Martial Ancestor, or builds their dimension on the foundation of an Illusionary Dimension as Garon the Great Wizard did, using the power of the main dimension to strengthen their own dimension. In a complete Illusionary Dimension, the creator of the dimension is the Creator, an almost omnipotent Divine. Creatures below the Seventh Level, once they enter the dimension world, no longer control their own life and death. Inside this newly created dimension as well, there were countless Wizard Towers. However, each of the Wizards in these towers was robust, representing the dimension projections of Physique Evolution Wizards from the Wizard World. The Physique Crown disappeared from the sky, entering his own dimension world. The moment he stepped into the dimension world, a surge of unreal omnipotence instantly overwhelmed his heart. In this Illusion World, he could freely manipulate everything he desired, all the rules kneeling at his feet, ready to be molded by him. In the Material World, even the World Guardians selected by the World Origin couldn¡¯t achieve this feat. "This feels indeed marvelous." The Wizard face in the middle of the Physique Crown squinted his eyes, his face showing a trace of intoxication. However, his expression sobered up immediately after. The roots of the World Tree emerged from within him and transformed into a Magic Wand in his hands. In the last blow from the Martial Ancestor, the World Tree was nearly dying, only surviving because of a seed hidden in Garon the Great Wizard¡¯s heart. But thanks to his protection, Garon the Great Wizard had survived and achieved the Truth. Now, as Garon the Great Wizard had become the Physique Crown, the World Tree naturally began to revive. Meanwhile, in the center of the Illusionary Dimension, a tender sprout emerged from the ground and then expanded at a pace visible to the naked eye. This was the projection of the World Tree in the Physique Wizard Dimension, the World Tree approved by the Physique Crown. The Physique Crown directed his gaze towards the end of the world, where a massive Wild Beastman struggled in the boundless ocean. Chains, like giant serpents, entangled his body; he broke one, and two would replace it; he broke two, and four would take their place. In this Illusionary Dimension, without an Illusionary Dimension for counterbalance, there is only one path for intruders: death. No one can defeat the creator of an Illusionary Dimension within it. But at this moment, the soul of the Martial Ancestor had already shattered, and the Martial Arts Dimension he mastered had been lost. Unless the Wild Beastman breaks through the Sixth Level bounds and embarks on the path of the Dominator, this dimension would forever remain hidden within the endless dimensions. Of course, if some lucky Wild Beastmen could find this dimension while wandering through dimensions, they could become the new master of the Martial Arts Dimension. But the endless dimensions are not mere fiction; countless civilizations have lived within the vastness of the Star Realm. The dimensions of these civilizations, together with the naturally occurring dimensions of the Star Realm, make up the endless dimensions. Finding a lost dimension among these is as difficult as searching for a grain of sand in the sea. Watching the body of the Martial Ancestor struggle under the influence of the Demon Lord¡¯s power, the Physique Crown took a step forward and arrived in front of this body. Without the resistance from the Martial Ancestor, the Demon Lord¡¯s power at an alarming rate, invaded the Martial Ancestor¡¯s body. This body, though not conforming to human aesthetics, was structurally perfect, but now it was twisted and deformed. The limbs of the Martial Ancestor began to enlarge and various strange appendages sprouted from his body. As a Physique Evolution Wizard, the Physique Crown recognized that these excess limbs were not randomly grown. They appeared as if they had been cut from various creatures and randomly attached to the Martial Ancestor¡¯s body. And through the epidermis, the Physique Crown noticed that the changes were not merely superficial. Various random organs and glands were also growing continually inside the Martial Ancestor¡¯s body. "What exactly is this Demon Lord? It looks like a Star Realm Wanderer." The Physique Crown slightly furrowed his brow and pressed his hand down, a surge of Dimension Power immediately penetrated into the Martial Ancestor¡¯s body. The Demon Lord¡¯s power was also a kind of Dimension Power, and the Martial Ancestor could counter it with the Martial Arts Dimension, so the Physique Crown naturally could counter it with the power of the Physique Wizard Dimension. But compared to the weaker Martial Arts rules, behind the Physique Wizard Dimension lay a Wizard Dimension that was continuously growing stronger. It seemed the Demon Lord also realized this. The power within the Martial Ancestor¡¯s body, upon detecting the power from the Physique Wizard Dimension, quickly withdrew from the body of the Martial Ancestor. The Physique Crown tried to intercept it, but the Demon Lord¡¯s understanding of Dimension Power far surpassed that of the freshly enlightened Physique Crown. With just a slight manipulation, the power of the dimension burst forth from the Physique Wizard Dimension. Looking at the escaping dimensional power, the Physique Crown revealed a mocking smile on his face. With a casual wave of his hand, a gigantic fissure split open in the ground of the Physique Wizard Dimension. The body of the Martial Ancestor also entered the crack. The Physique Crown waved his hand again, the ground closed, and immediately a huge mountain peak sprang from the earth. On the peak, the words "Tomb of the Martial Ancestor" were inscribed in the script of the Wild Beastmen. Having done all this, the Physique Crown once again appeared in the Wilderness Great World. The moment he entered the world, an unprecedented catastrophe began. ... "Heavenly Demon Award..." The heart was ripped out by Ulysses, the eyes of the Elder from Dingtian Sacred Sect widened in unwillingness as he lost his vitality. Now, the area of hundreds of miles around Great River Ridge had been flattened by their battle. Various craters like meteorites marked the fierce intensity of the recent fight. Across from the Elder of the Dingtian Sacred Sect, Richard¡¯s chest was collapsed, and a blood hole the size of a human head in his abdomen was continuously dripping dark blood. "Cough, cough," Richard coughed out two mouthfuls of dark clotted blood, "The Martial Arts Grandmasters of the Holy Sect are indeed formidable. Even after being drained of so much energy by a Demon Sect Grandmaster, you could still match with me blow for blow. If we hadn¡¯t suddenly gained the upper hand, we would have feared even escaping this battle." Ulysses sealed the heart, then tossed the corpse into the Secret Realm. After all this, he wearily fell onto Richard¡¯s shoulder. "It¡¯s not that they are too strong but that you and I are too weak. You¡¯ve barely stepped half a foot into the doorway of the Forth Level, and I am still wounded. If you and I were at the normal strength of a Level 4 Creature right now, these two wouldn¡¯t last a minute against us." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After speaking, Ulysses looked up at the sky. In the sky, the long space rift created by the Martial Ancestor, stretching to millions of miles, was still not healed, and its residual force continued to make one¡¯s heart tremble with fear. "Hehe, this really has been a learning experience. One Divine King falls, another is born. With such a spectacle, I can definitely open the eyes of those War Gods when I go back." Upon hearing this, Richard retorted, "Don¡¯t think about showing off when you go back yet, we still have a long way to go." They were now in the territory of the Dingtian Sacred Sect, with a long journey ahead to reach the Great Sun Saint Sect. Along the way, they would need to avoid pursuing grandmasters as well as possibly face the wrath of the Dingtian Martial Saint directly. Of course, all this presupposed that the battle between the Physique Crown and the Martial Ancestor would take a long time. With a massive force bursting forth from the sky, the Physique Crown returned to the Wilderness Great World. And seeing the unharmed Physique Crown, all the Martial Saints on the Wilderness Continent despaired at that moment. "It¡¯s over, all is over." While the Martial Saints could still rely on the Qi Men Array and relics of the Pioneers for battle, against the Martial Ancestor, all they could choose was either submission or a somewhat dignified death. But at the same moment, a harsh alarm sounded in the ears of all the Martial Saints and the Wizards guarding the Pioneer Relics. [The activity of the Civilization Devourer is rapidly increasing!] [The activity of the Civilization Devourer is rapidly increasing!] Before the warning ended, a slight tremor was felt by every creature standing on the Wilderness Continent. "An earthquake?" asked a Wild Beastman civilian, looking at the trembling stones on the ground with some confusion. Under his puzzled gaze, a crack suddenly split in the trembling ground. Then, the crack rapidly expanded to the size of a city. A dark tentacle reached out from the fissure, and thousands of mouths grew out of the tentacle. Then, the being the Wild Beastmen called the Demon Lord and the Pioneers called the Civilization Devourer, which had been sealed for a million years, issued its first roar after breaking the seal. "ROAR!!!" Looking at the massive tentacle that shot up to the clouds, Richard was stunned in place by the immense roar carrying a terrifying spiritual shock. Soon after recovering from the shock, Richard spoke with some difficulty, "The Demon Lord... has broken the seal." The breaking of the seal by the Demon Lord marked that they no longer had any possibility of returning to the Wizard Headquarters. As a Wizard, Richard knew all too well what those Great Wizards would do. In the Great Sun Saint Sect, Garon the Great Wizard, watching the data coming from inside the relic, saw the flames on his body flicker unstably. "Send the orders down, all Floating Cities prepare for takeoff immediately." After analyzing the data, the main control of the relics had now arrived at a conclusion. According to the current sealing condition, the Demon Lord would completely break the seal in just fifteen minutes. Within those fifteen minutes, they must gather all the Wizards they could for the Floating Cities to take off. And those Wizards who had been dispatched inside the Martial Arts Sects, at this moment, had all become expendable. Chapter 535 - 80 Challenging Fate Chapter 535: Chapter 80 Challenging FateHaving assessed his situation, Richard no longer made unnecessary attempts. He moved the Communication Pyramid out of the Secret Realm and sent all the intelligence he knew to the Wizard headquarters far away in the Great Sun Saint Sect. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was his final duty in this war. After finishing all this, Richard immediately left the spot. At this moment, he only needed to think about one problem¡ªthat was how to survive this disaster. It was now impossible to traverse the Earth Faction of the Dingtian Sacred Sect to reach the Wizard Control Zone; under the circumstances of the Demon Lord breaking the seal, Wizards would definitely evacuate this world as soon as possible. Even though Garon the Great Wizard had already achieved the Truth, whether he could withstand an old ruler of the Star Realm like the Demon Lord was still uncertain. With so many Great Wizards deployed, the emergency disengagement of the Floating City would not suffer much loss. Thus, before Richard lay only two options: to hide within the Wilderness Great World or to enter the Secret Realm To continue staying in the Wilderness Great World, Richard had to constantly monitor the movements of the Demon Lord and find a sufficiently stable region to hide. Currently, the threat of the Wild Beastmen was nearly nonexistent to Richard; with the Demon Lord breaking the seal, the foremost target of the Wild Beastmen would be how to secure the Demon Lord Seal. Compared to this issue, the death of the two Elders of the Dingtian Sacred Sect had become insignificantly trivial. Therefore, he need not worry about the Wild Beastmen coming to trouble him during this time. But what Richard did not know at this moment was that for the Demon Lord to completely break the seal was merely a matter of moments. His understanding of the Pioneers had misled him here; in his mind, Pioneers always appeared in an advanced form. Therefore, he still thought the Pioneer¡¯s sealing could delay the Demon Lord for some time. "I think it¡¯s better to just go to the Secret Realm," Ulysses offered his suggestion. "You¡¯re not being pursued right now; as long as you hide in the Secret Realm, even if the outside world turns upside down, it won¡¯t harm you at all." "But what if the spatial flaws are destroyed?" Richard countered. "The unsealing of the Demon Lord would bring not only geological swings, but also inevitable changes in space structure. If those changes cause us to lose our flaws, then we¡¯d be completely lost." Every time Richard opened the Secret Realm, a spatial flaw would occur at that spot. This flaw was both a beacon and a backdoor. If he wanted to exit the Secret Realm, this flaw would transform into an exit. The Secret Realm, unlike spaces like the Magic Pocket, strictly speaking, belonged to another world. Normally, to move from one world to another through a Space Rift, one must cross the World Barrier of the world to enter. Only some worlds would need to cross two World Barriers. Entering from inside the world, because of the weak World Barrier of the Secret Realm, Wizards could enter it very easily. But exiting from the Secret Realm to another world would require crossing a real World Barrier. Without a temporal-spatial flaw as a backdoor, this barrier would be an iron curtain for Wizards. But flaws were very sensitive to changes in the spatial structure. If the space around the flaw underwent severe structural changes, then the spatial flaw would be destroyed. At that point, Richard would be entirely lost. If lost, then in the vast expanses of the Star Realm, he might never be able to return to the Wizard World. He might even never be able to enter a world again. This situation could almost be described by one word¡ªexile. "But being lost is still better than being dead," Ulysses retorted. "What¡¯s coming next is an encounter between Divine Kings; just the aftermath of such battles could kill us before we manage to enter the Secret Realm. If lost, there¡¯s still hope. If dead, everything ends." Richard shook his head slightly, his eyes resolute: "It¡¯s not yet time to gamble on luck. Including the headmaster, Wizard Civilization now has six Dominator Level Combat Powers. This Demon Lord, even if an Eighth Level creature, cannot turn the heavens. Inside the world, we still maintain some initiative. But if we enter the Secret Realm, then we¡¯re truly gambling with luck!" Seeing Richard¡¯s resolute expression, Ulysses no longer tried to persuade. In fact, he too didn¡¯t wish to rely on luck. But as a World Master who had witnessed firsthand the fierce battles between Dominators, he knew all too well how terrifying the fights between Dominators were. He remembered that one war that completely shattered a small world, with the count of dead creatures reaching billions. Merely from the resentment of the dead, a Main God Level wraith was formed. "I think you¡¯ve always been lucky; I hope this time your luck continues." However, despite his words, Ulysses gripped Richard¡¯s shoulder with Crow Claw with extra strength. If danger arose, he would not hesitate to pull Richard into the Secret Realm. As he had said, being alive was always better than being dead. As long as one was alive, there was still hope. While they talked, the Physique Crown in the sky had already discerned that the seal was about to break. He sighed softly, muttering to himself, "In the end, it still comes to seeking aid." With that, countless Runes appeared in the air, forming a giant gateway leading to the Wizard Dimension. But just as the Physique Crown was about to enter the Wizard Dimension, a voice suddenly echoed in his ear. Shortly after, the Physique Crown furrowed his brows and muttered, "Anti-Meme? It¡¯s getting more troublesome." Entering the Wizard Dimension, after Garon the Great Wizard became the Physique Crown, some changes had also occurred within the Wizard Dimension. The most obvious change was in the Extreme North of the Wizard World, where a towering World Tree had sprung up. With one step, the Physique Crown arrived at the City of Eternal Truth at the center of the Wizard Dimension. A Wizard dressed in a black robe, his face obscured, appeared out of nowhere and gave the Wizard¡¯s Salute to the Physique Crown. "Welcome, Physique Crown. May I know what you wish to do?" The Physique Crown glanced at him and replied, "I need to convene the Council of Truth." "Now?" "Now." "As you wish." After the Wizard in the black robe had agreed, a brass bell appeared in his hand. Then, like performing a magic trick, he conjured a bell hammer with his left hand. Dong! Dong! Dong... As he swung the hammer, the melodious sound of the bell spread from the City of Eternal Truth, traversing endless dimensions, and resonated beside the ears of five specific wizards in the Wizard World. At the headquarters of the Tesla Chamber of Commerce, a wooden Alchemy Puppet put down what it was holding and muttered, "Even the truth has problems it can¡¯t handle?" Wizard Dimension, City of Eternal Truth. Five Rune Gates appeared in the Void, and five Truth Wizards stepped out simultaneously. The Alchemy Puppet controlled by the Alchemy Crown walked over to the Physique Crown and took a good look at him. "Why are you wearing a green robe? It looks really ugly." The Physique Crown, upon hearing this, couldn¡¯t help but have his head filled with black lines. He had called a grand assembly of truth, and still, such minor details were noticed. "Cough cough, everyone, the Star Realm Master imprisoned in the Wilderness Great World is breaking his seals and his estimated strength is at the peak of the Eighth Level. I need everyone¡¯s help to push this guy back down." "Push down?" the Plastic Energy Crown asked doubtfully, "Not considering just killing him?" The Physique Crown shook his head, "It¡¯s best not to disturb him. Before I entered the dimension, I got information sent back by my lucky star. This guy¡¯s ability is supposed to be Anti-Meme. Fighting him might make us forget a lot of things, which wouldn¡¯t be worth it." "Anti-Meme?" the Curse Crown suddenly spoke up, "Are you sure it¡¯s Anti-Meme?" "Our people sent back the information, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem." The Curse Crown fell silent for a moment and then spoke, "This Dominator, I hope to kill him or seal him completely." "Hmm?" The words of the Curse Crown surprised everyone present. This oldest Truth Wizard in the Wizard World, usually almost invisible, often abstained during decision making. But why did he now, uncharacteristically, want to kill this Star Realm Master they hadn¡¯t yet seen? The Plastic Energy Crown, who knew Curse Crown the best, paused and asked, "Is he your destined death?" "...Yes." Hearing the Curse Crown admit this, everyone present immediately understood the reason. After becoming a Seventh Level creature, life can vaguely sense the web of destiny on itself. Some Dominators are lucky or unlucky enough to use this faint feeling to foresee their future fates. Once the future is discerned, it becomes unchangeable. If an Observer happens to see their own death, then their death becomes inevitable, which is what is known as a destined death. As the head of the Curse School, the Curse Crown¡¯s research into destiny was naturally very deep. He had long seen his destined death. "Fate cannot be changed," the Alchemy Crown said, "Curse, you know this better than any of us." The Curse Crown¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and he spoke calmly, "Alchemy, this is an experiment. Did you really think I spared you back then for the greater good?" The Alchemy Crown was startled, a chill suddenly running down his spine. At the end of the Wizard War, the Curse Crown broke through the Sixth Circle limit and became the first Truth Wizard. However, after becoming a Truth Wizard, the Curse Crown did not use his transcendent combat power to eradicate the other four Schools but instead chose peace talks and helped the leaders of the other four Schools achieve truth. In Wizard Society, it was interpreted that the Curse Crown spared the future of Wizard Civilization for the greater good. "I am a once-in-a-generation genius of the Curse School. During my apprenticeship, I could kill wizards with curses, and by the time I was in the Three Rings, I could easily use Curse Witchcraft that only a Great Wizard could wield. After becoming a Great Wizard, I quickly became the leader of the Curse School and reformed it. I swept the useless witchcraft into the trash heap and simplified the truly useful witchcraft. Without bragging, all the Curse Witchcraft practiced in the Curse School now are the products of my past simplifications. But soon, I grew tired of all this. It was then that I stopped researching lethal Curse Witchcraft and turned to studying fate, which many of my predecessors considered taboo." The voice of the Curse Crown was incredibly calm, but all the wizards present could sense the madness in it. They were the wizards among wizards, and they knew the state of the Curse Crown all too well. The Curse Crown was mad in his pursuit of truth! "I feel I was born to study fate," the Curse Crown said proudly, "Divination Witchcraft has developed significantly under my research, and now the practice of Divination Witchcraft is entirely within the framework I established. I encountered the web of fate during my Sixth Circle period, but it was then that an invisible barrier blocked me." The voice of the Curse Crown suddenly turned very sad, his head hanging low as though defeated by something. "Even becoming a Truth Wizard, I couldn¡¯t break through this barrier. My research into fate stopped there, my path... has ended." "So you want to challenge fate," the Plastic Energy Crown said softly. The Curse Crown suddenly looked up, his eyes fierce as a tiger. "Yes, I want to challenge truth! My friends, the time to repay debts has come. Let¡¯s see if the power of Wizard Civilization can break that predetermined fate!" Chapter 536 - 81: Hunting for Truth Chapter 536: Chapter 81: Hunting for Truth"Since you want to use that favor in this place, I won¡¯t stop you." Facing the request from the Undead Crown, the Plastic Energy Crown calmly agreed. After speaking, he looked toward the Alchemy Crown who sighed slightly and replied, "Alright, I agree, but before that, you need to help me back up my memory." Since the Demon Lord¡¯s ability was the Anti-Meme, battling him was inherently a process of continually losing memories. Although among the wizards present, except for the Physique Crown, everyone had an abundance of memories. But nobody wanted to lose theirs for no reason. "Agreed," the Undead Crown answered without hesitation. After speaking, he turned to the Soul Crown. "Soul, what is your decision?" The ethereal Soul Crown replied, "I agree as well. Who is supposed to get backed up?" "Everyone," called out the Plastic Energy Crown, "This isn¡¯t just about forgetting memories, it¡¯s about completely losing them. If something important gets lost, even weeping would be too late." The Physique Crown and the Undead Crown exchanged glances and accepted the suggestion as well. A few minutes later, six orbs of pure white light were placed by the Soul Crown into the center of the City of Eternal Truth. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the faceless black-robed wizard appeared again. "The next time we enter the dimension, remind us to absorb the backup." "Yes, Your Excellency." The Undead Crown summoned the Rune Gate, "Now that this is done, let¡¯s get going. You haven¡¯t moved your true selves much since the great battle ended." ... Within the Wizard World, countless wizards were busy with their usual affairs as always. The sky was bright and sunny, and alchemy wizards along with their apprentices were diligently working near the Alchemy Workshop. The universal wizardry movement significantly increased the number of wizard apprentices in the Wizard World, with various Alchemy Workshops sprouting like mushrooms after rain. During this special period, this unregulated growth was thriving due to having enough space. But amidst the calm, a major change was silently beginning. As a loud bell chimed, the sky of the Wizard World suddenly dimmed. The wizards looked up, faces filled with horror. They noticed that the sun in the sky... had moved! Buzz! The sun suddenly disappeared, plunging the earth into darkness. But quickly, a new sun replaced the original and appeared in the same spot. Remaining wizards in the Wizard World whispered to themselves, "Is there trouble at the front? The Plastic Energy Crown had to use his true form." Then, another loud bell chimed. At that moment, all the alchemy machines in the Wizard World came to a halt. All the alchemy puppets and synthetic beasts knelt to the ground. Remaining Great Wizards set aside the experiments they were conducting and took out their communication crystals to contact the Tower of Truth. This was a sign of the Alchemy Crown leaving the Wizard World. But it was not over yet, the bell chimed again. This time, there were no anomalies in the Wizard World, but at this moment, all wizards in a meditation state were abruptly awakened. Before they exited the Sea of Souls, they saw a colossal entity rise from the depths of the Sea of Souls, causing waves in the sea. A Great Wizard shouted angrily, "The Soul Crown has left too! What exactly is happening at the front?" Thud! The bell chimed once more. At the moment the bell echoed, not a single person in the Wizard World died, nor was any new life born. This time, the remaining Great Wizards were somewhat numb. "The Undead Crown has also gone, there¡¯s no need to inquire further. Let¡¯s wait for the council¡¯s notice." Soon, the final bell chimed. This time, the wizards noticed no disturbance. Only the wizards of the Curse School suddenly realized that the insignia of the Curse School on their Wizard Robes had vanished without a trace. In the Wizard Dimension, five indescribable entities, some in black robes and some in white, crossed the Rune Gate. Opposite them, the Rune Gate to the Wilderness Great World opened through the Physique Crown. "Speaking of which, this is the first time all five of us have joined forces in battle, isn¡¯t it?" said the Alchemy Crown suddenly. "Yes, before this, at most we¡¯ve cooperated in pairs," replied the Plastic Energy Crown. "Then this event must be recorded in the Eternal Chronicle," the Alchemy Crown laughed, "Gentlemen, who¡¯s good at naming things?" Several Truth Wizards looked at each other until the Physique Crown spoke: "Let¡¯s call this operation ¡¯Truth Encirclement¡¯." ... Wilderness Great World. Richard looked at the continuously crumbling land, his expression extremely grave. "What, the Pioneer¡¯s sealing is collapsing too quickly." The seal was breaking far faster than he had anticipated. At this rate, not even an hour, but half an hour, and the Pioneer¡¯s seal would be completely broken. But as he was considering where to choose his refuge, the sky suddenly brightened. Richard, shocked, watched as a Great Sun appeared in the sky out of nowhere, radiating majestic heavenly power and illuminating the land. "Is this the Pioneer¡¯s backup plan?" Richard stood dumbstruck on the spot, the sun that suddenly appeared in the sky was too much for him to comprehend. "Idiot, if the Pioneer had this, why would he have sealed the Demon Lord!" Ulysses exclaimed in a horrified voice, snapping Richard out of his shock, "This is damn dimensional travel! Your dean has called over the other Truth Wizards of the Wizard Civilization!" Before Ulysses could finish, another colossal entity appeared in the sky. It looked human but gears and levers were visible in its eyes and mouth. Ulysses exclaimed, "Another Truth Wizard!" Soon, a third figure emerged from the Rune Gate. This time, it was a Wizard clad in a white robe, his form ethereal, his face featureless, but at first sight, Ulysses felt a vertigo that originated from the soul. Then, a fourth and a fifth figure appeared in the sky. One had a skeletal appearance, but a constantly beating red heart in its chest. The other was dressed in a black robe, but the inside of the robe was pitch black, making it impossible to see his face. By now, Ulysses¡¯s voice had begun to tremble. "Ri... Richard, let¡¯s enter the Secret Realm. Six Star Realm Masters, a mere breath from them, and we would all die." But Richard had calmed down. "Ulysses, what are you afraid of?" Richard said confidently, "With six Truth Wizards here in person, can the Demon Lord break the seal? Even if he can break it, what waves can he stir up?" But just as Richard was confident, the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled. Subsequently, an unidentified object surged rapidly from the ground towards Richard¡¯s feet. Richard¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and he immediately flew into mid-air. Turning his head to look back, he saw that where he had stood, there was now a bizarre tentacle. Seeing its sneak attack had failed, the tentacle let out a sharp screech which made Richard¡¯s brain sting painfully, nearly rendering his whole body paralyzed. But fortunately, Richard had transcended the common, his physique and spiritual power both exceeding third-level creatures. The screech of the tentacle posed a lethal threat to third-level creatures, but Richard could still barely resist it now. Without saying another word, Richard pulled out the Balancing Hand from his pocket and raised his hand to release a fifty-thousand-energy-level Fireball Technique. There was a thunderous boom, and the world suddenly quieted down. Any evil would be purified in front of the Fireball Technique; if not, it only meant that your fireball was not of high enough energy level. But solving the tentacle issue did not mean the problem was solved. Richard scanned with his spiritual power and found these tentacles all over the place nearby. These tentacles were preying on every creature they saw. "Is this the Demon Lord¡¯s ploy?" Looking at this scene, Richard felt numb. With these tentacles around, he would have to hide in the sect of the Wild Beastmen; otherwise, he would definitely be swarmed by the tentacles. He was not confident enough yet to evade the Demon Lord¡¯s detection. Buzz! A violent wave of energy erupted from behind Richard. Richard shifted his form in a flash, dodging the attack. Turning back, he saw a giant Demon Worm with two pairs of insect wings, somewhat resembling a bee, staring at Richard. On it, Richard sensed the same aura as that of the tentacle just now. "Minions transformed from the Demon Lord¡¯s body?" Richard¡¯s expression darkened, realizing suddenly that this time, he truly had to rely on luck. "Ulysses, kill this thing and return to the Secret Realm." "Roger!" In the next moment, Richard¡¯s body flashed with luminescence, the Balancing Hand gently waved. Under the augmentation of the Radiation Rule, an eighty-thousand-energy-level radiant fireball, like a meteor, smashed towards the bizarre giant insect transformed from the Demon Lord¡¯s tentacle. The giant insect, agile, dodged Richard¡¯s fireball and rushed towards him. This was the first time Richard had seen a creature dodge a Wizard¡¯s spell from such a close range. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But unfortunately, this was the Fireball Technique, not the Ice Cone Skill. Boom! The massive fireball exploded behind the giant insect, instantly charring half of its body. Simultaneously, Ulysses emerged from the void, engulfing the rest of the giant insect¡¯s body in a roaring firestorm, turning it to ashes. However, at that moment, something shocking happened. The charred insect carcass suddenly condensed into a sphere, which then transformed into a flesh ball and began to grow rapidly. In just a moment, Richard saw the embryonic form of a creature. "Run! Run! It¡¯s the Power of Dimension!" Ulysses, terrified, flew to Richard¡¯s side and grabbed him, darting into the Secret Realm like a bolt of lightning. A minute after they entered, the vast Wilderness Continent was torn apart by the Demon Lord. Amidst the wails of numerous Wild Beastmen, the Demon Lord broke the seal. Those Wizards who had relocated urgently and piloted the Floating City outside the Star Realm were shocked to find. The enormous world they were observing was now scattering countless fragments. The Wilderness Great World was the Demon Lord¡¯s prison, and the prisoner¡¯s first step upon leaving his prison was to revenge the broken world that had confined him for a million years. In the sky, the Plastic Energy Crown spoke to the Physique Crown, "Did you find your lucky star?" The Physique Crown shook his head slightly. "No, I just achieved truth, and I¡¯m still lacking in controlling power." Then, he turned his gaze to the Alchemy Crown. "Alchemy, did you find it?" "No, I suspect that the kid has hidden inside the Secret Realm. It would be foolish not to hide in the Secret Realm given the situation." "Then let¡¯s get started," said the Curse Crown. A massive black-robed figure, obscured in features, looked down at the torn earth beneath him while countless dark mists formed a pitch-black Magic Wand in his hand. "Let¡¯s see what creature destined to kill me in fate really is!" Chapter 537 - 1 Drifting Chapter 537: Chapter 1 DriftingIn the secret realm, Ulysses opened his eyes. "Still no good, the space flaw is completely ruined." Hearing this expected response, Richard did not get angry; he merely sighed in resignation. "It¡¯s ruined, so be it¡ªat least we are still alive, aren¡¯t we? You said it yourself, as long as we¡¯re alive, there¡¯s hope." Richard returned to the experimentation table and silently made a mark in his notebook. On the pages of the notebook, there was now a complete ¡¯Zheng¡¯ character, along with the horizontal stroke Richard had just added. That was the number of days since they had entered the secret realm. Although the world mushroom was still dormant, resulting in the absence of day and night in the secret realm, clocks were still functional. At that moment, it had been one hundred twenty-six hours, thirty-eight minutes and fifty seconds since they had entered the secret realm. If nothing unexpected happened, these days would go on for decades, centuries, or even a lifetime. "Alive... there¡¯s hope," Richard told himself. But besides the bad news of being lost, his current situation was actually quite good. Due to previously emptying the warehouse of Wuxiang Valley, Richard currently didn¡¯t lack resources¡ªin fact, he was quite wealthy. In addition, there was no shortage of research material at his disposal. He had on hand the corpses of four Level 4 Wild Beastmen, as well as many martial arts secret manuals. Richard couldn¡¯t possibly expect to thoroughly investigate these items in a few hundred years. Wizards, as long as they have things to research, could carry on with life. Moreover, Richard had more than these at his disposal. Wuxiang, the creation from unknown civilizations, many odd items that Richard had collected from the past could be investigated. Just stay in the lab, right? Richard knew this life all too well, and now there was no other mess of things to disturb him. He told himself this. Placing the corpse of a Dingtian Sacred Sect Elder on the dissection table, the information from the Miracle Furnace immediately appeared in front of Richard. [Raw Material: Level 4 Wild Beastman corpse] [Rulable to Refine: Flesh Rule (moderately incomplete) Metal Rule (extremely incomplete) Life Rule (extremely incomplete)] [Spiritual Power Cost: 120] [Bloodline able to Refine: Level 4 Wild Beastman Bloodline] [Magic Power Cost: 5,000,000] But faced with this prompt, Richard had no intention of starting the refinement. Wild Beastmen were not the same as the usual World Masters in indigenous worlds; they had developed a nascent form of civilization. A complete evolutionary path made their Rule Bodies more perfect than common World Masters, which was directly reflected in the eternalization of their rules. The dissipation speed of the rules on these Wild Beastman corpses was very weak. Without waiting for a few hundred or thousand years, the fading of the rules was imperceptible. Therefore, Richard wasn¡¯t in a hurry to refine. Of course, this was also because he no longer had Soul Essence that could be used to rapidly replenish spiritual power. The increase of spiritual power required cumulative effort, without Soul Essence as an aid, every rule refinement would cost Richard hundreds or even thousands of years of meditation. Taking out a scalpel, Richard skillfully opened up the corpse. But the moment he saw the internal structure clearly, his face changed slightly. The structure in front of him was almost completely different from the regular Wild Beastmen he had dissected. The internal structure of this body was extremely elegant, whether it was the arrangement of the muscles or the distribution of the organs, it combined both utility and beauty. Compared to this structure, the bodies of regular Wild Beastmen were like underdeveloped children... Development! Richard was suddenly startled and quickly found his dissection maps of regular Wild Beastmen, as well as those of martial artist Wild Beastmen. Although the internal structure of these martial artist Wild Beastmen varied slightly due to differences in cultivation techniques, the overall changes were not significant. And by comparing these maps side by side, Richard confirmed his theory. Wizards¡¯ previous understanding of Wild Beastmen was wrong. For Wild Beastmen, regular ones were merely infants, martial artist Wild Beastmen were equivalent to youths; only at the Grandmaster Realm would a Wild Beastman truly be considered an adult. At that moment, a terrifying thought also flashed through Richard¡¯s mind. If Level 4 was considered mature, then could it be possible that the Pioneer who designed this creature ensured that it had the potential to reach Level 4? A race wherein everyone could become a World Master seemed insane to Richard, but his intuition told him it might be true. That¡¯s because there were too many cases within the Wild Beastmen where diligence could make up for shortcomings. However, Richard quickly realized something¡ªtheoretical feasibility and practical feasibility were two different things. In theory, every third-level creature could live to ten thousand years old, but in reality, wizards who lived to seven thousand were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Too many external factors could interfere with the growth of Wild Beastmen. Moreover, the inherently aggressive and irritable nature of Wild Beastmen was probably an unmodifiable intrinsic flaw. Otherwise, the Pioneer would never have left such an obvious flaw in his own creations. Of course, it¡¯s not impossible that the workings of the Demon Lord are to blame. But that possibility is so small, it¡¯s negligible. If the Demon Lord had the power to influence every Wild Beastman through the Sealing, even corrupting their life¡¯s Source Material, then the Sealing would hardly make a difference to him. "If that¡¯s the case, then this Bloodline might be integrated into the Transformation Battle Body," Richard murmured to himself as he examined the dissection atlas before him. Mixing Bloodlines was out of the question, a line he would not cross. But integrating into the Transformation Battle Body was a different matter altogether. The greatest advantage of the Transformation Battle Body was that it allowed a Wizard to mix and match Battle Body Maps, achieving a myriad of variations, a different one for each individual. However, before that, he had to thoroughly understand the structure of the Wild Beastmen and the characteristics of their Bloodlines. As the days passed, Richard, much like in the Wizard World, immersed himself entirely in his research. The Wild Beastmen, as the legacy of a Pioneer, boasted a body structure that could only be described as perfect. Each organ, gland, and muscle group within their bodies was a finely-tuned masterpiece of the Pioneer. In front of the Pioneer¡¯s work, Richard felt like an Apprentice who had just begun learning Alchemy, his understanding of body structures as naive as a child¡¯s. But fortunately, Richard was an excellent student, absorbing knowledge from the Pioneer like a sponge. Swiftly, three years had gone by. In these three years, Richard had been studying the body of the Wild Beastmen. Ulysses wasn¡¯t idle either; over the years, he¡¯d been throwing things similar to contracts into the Void. Once these contracts were fulfilled, they would open a gateway to the Secret Realm. Such methods were originally employed by the Abyss Demons for the purpose of invading Otherworlds, and thus the war between the two civilizations began. But now, it became a lifeline for Ulysses, the Divine. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In front of his experimental platform, Richard continued his experiments just as usual. His eyes were bright, his face showed not the slightest hint of despair from being exiled. As long as Wizards had something to research, they could keep living. Suddenly, Richard felt the ground beneath his feet tremble slightly. Following that, the World Mushroom at the center of the Secret Realm swelled up abruptly, as if someone stretching after waking from sleep. "Master, my Evolution is complete." The muffled voice of the World Mushroom sounded in Richard¡¯s ears. He looked up, his expression showing a bit of surprise. The World Mushroom had finally finished its Evolution. He eagerly asked, "You¡¯ve finally completed your Evolution, do you have a way to pinpoint the Wizard World, or any other world we¡¯ve visited?" "I¡¯m sorry, master, I¡¯m not capable of that. Can you tell me what has happened?" Although the World Mushroom had just awakened, it could acutely sense that something was off with the spiritual state of Richard and Ulysses. Seeing that the World Mushroom was unable to help, Richard¡¯s moment of elation quickly faded. He recounted what had happened to the World Mushroom before resuming his research. "Master, if you want to return to the Wizard World, I definitely cannot help. But if you want to enter just any Otherworld, I still have a way." The voice of the World Mushroom made Richard pause. Being able to go to Otherworlds would suffice. As long as he could enter another world, then even if he could never return, he wouldn¡¯t be trapped in the Secret Realm like a prisoner. Richard pressed eagerly, "Other worlds will do, what do you plan to do, do you need Ulysses and me to help?" "No need for help, after my Evolution, I can now perceive the flows of ethereal currents in the Star Realm and slightly manipulate them. In the Star Realm, any mature world has a significant impact on the flows of ether. If we drift along with these currents, we are certain to find a world." Hearing the World Mushroom¡¯s explanation, Richard became a bit puzzled, "Shouldn¡¯t the position of this Secret Realm be fixed within the Star Realm? If you can sense the effects of the worlds on the ethereal currents, then the world we are closest to should be the Wizard World." "My master, you have a misunderstanding about the nature of the Secret Realm," the World Mushroom clarified. "You might think the Secret Realm is fixed in the Star Realm similar to worlds. But that¡¯s not the case. The space that the Secret Realm occupies is actually behind the veil. This Secret Realm is like an Illusionary Dimension; from us, any world is equally distant. However, at the same time, the Secret Realm has some of the properties of a world. Thus, it has a Material World projection, which is the Secret Realm we are currently in. And this projection is actually adrift in the spatial storms behind the veil. To use an analogy, the Secret Realm is like a ball tied to a string, one end of which is fixed at a certain point, which is the coordinates you know, master. The other end is tied to the ball, the Material World projection of the Secret Realm. The string can extend indefinitely, but as long as it doesn¡¯t break, no matter where the ball is, you can always enter the Secret Realm successfully." Richard was somewhat bewildered by the World Mushroom¡¯s explanation, as he had never delved deeply into the constitution of the Secret Realm. But all that was unimportant; the important thing was that he now had a viable plan. Richard asked, "According to your method, how long would it take to find a world?" The World Mushroom fell silent for a moment, then replied calmly, "Master, we are right beside a world. Without any mishaps, we should reach the World Barrier of this world within fifty years." Chapter 538 - 2: The Path to God Begins Here Chapter 538: Chapter 2: The Path to God Begins HereIn the Star Realm, surging ether currents ceaselessly flowed. Amid these tumultuous ether currents, a point of light floated like a flat boat on the waves, tossing up and down with the ether currents. Within the Secret Realm, Richard gazed uneasily at the walls of the Secret Realm as ripples continuously appeared above him. This was the first time he had seen ripples appear on the walls of the Secret Realm. "World Mushroom, do you need help?" Richard asked anxiously. "No need, Master. I am quite at ease now." The voice of the World Mushroom was steady, as if the ferocious ether currents outside were merely a gentle sea breeze. Ulysses landed on Richard¡¯s shoulder, speaking in an equally calm tone, "Don¡¯t be nervous. These ether currents might look intimidating, but that¡¯s all there is to it. We once had a star craft powered by the ether currents, but since it was too uncontrollable and lacked practical value, it was ultimately abandoned. The prototype I saw wasn¡¯t anything spectacular defensively¡ªonly about 15,000 Energy Level at most." Ulysses¡¯s words slightly relaxed Richard, but as he watched the barrier continue to pulse with ripples, he still felt uneasy. Out of sight, out of mind, Richard sighed and turned around to enter his laboratory located inside the stem of the World Mushroom. By now, thirty years had passed since Richard had become lost, and over those years, he had adapted to life in the Secret Realm and his research had made considerable progress. He had achieved phased results in his research on Wild Beastmen. Utilizing the knowledge obtained from the Wild Beastmen, he had made modifications to his own body, slightly enhancing his strength and agility. Furthermore, he discovered a unique gland within the brains of the Wild Beastmen. This gland also existed in both regular and Martial Artist Wild Beastmen, but it was underdeveloped. The substances it secreted only made the Wild Beastmen more aggressive. However, when a Wild Beastman reached Level 4, this gland secreted a special substance that made it easier for the Wild Beastmen to perceive the fundamental rules behind the veil, with the only cost being increased irritability. Sadly, although most of these bodies¡¯ cells survived through local energy circulation and self-absorption of energy, this gland was not among them. Thus, Richard¡¯s research on this substance had only reached this stage, and whether it had new uses or side effects, Richard did not know. Therefore, over these years, Richard had been trying to cultivate a fully grown gland and then mass produce the substance, but he had not been successful. In the laboratory, a figure in a black robe was busily engaged. Richard walked over and greeted her. "Inhardt, stop for a moment." The figure in the black robe paused, revealing a human female face characterized by a chitinous shell. Inhardt¡¯s soul, due to the erasure of the Mother Worm God¡¯s memories, was devoid of personality, effectively becoming a newborn infant, with no existing moral principles or personality. Over the last few decades, Richard, with nothing better to do, had erased those memories of the Mother Worm God from Inhardt¡¯s soul and artificially constructed a new personality within the blank slate. Now, Inhardt had become Richard¡¯s Divine Chosen and research assistant. To better fit the role of an assistant and to come closer to being a "God," with Richard¡¯s help, Inhardt had undergone a hybridization. However, unlike the hybrids of the Wizard World, Inhardt had chosen to mix human blood into her own bloodline¡ªa reverse hybridization, essentially. That was why Inhardt had taken on a human form. Of course, the choice of a female face wasn¡¯t due to Richard¡¯s frivolous nature¡ª the Black Crystal Worm Clan consists only of females and assexuals. The Mother Worm and many other mother worms are females of the Black Crystal Worm Clan. Inhardt, being used as a vessel by the Mother Worm God, had also naturally been transformed into a female. "Your will, my lord," replied Inhardt with her distinctly insect-like voice. After clearing up the items on the test bench, Richard took out a metal box from the cabinet below. Opening the lid, there were only two things inside the box: one being a silicone-like filler, the other¡ªthe Wuxiang that Richard had obtained in the Wuxiang Valley. The Wuxiang was placed in the center of the filler but didn¡¯t match the contours of the filler at all. Moreover, compared to the Wuxiang he had previously, it had notably increased in size. "Has it consumed everything already?" Richard muttered, taking the Wuxiang out of the box. Soon after, an alchemy array emerged on his palm, and within a moment, a rune appeared on the Wuxiang. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After the rune was branded, the Wuxiang, as if it had been given a command, quickly began to change. During this process, Richard did not provide any guidance, merely injecting magic power monotonously. Soon, the Wuxiang transformed into a metal magic wand, and a nearly complete rune array even appeared on the wand. Looking at the newly transformed Wuxiang, a satisfied smile appeared on Richard¡¯s face. Concerning the study of the Wuxiang, Richard had obtained preliminary results. This metal sphere, which seemed like ordinary metal, was actually a gestalt creature. It wasn¡¯t a creature of flesh, but rather a metal creature akin to nanorobots. Whether it was due to the small size of its population or an innate defect of Third Level Gestalt Creatures, Wuxiang lacked intelligence and merely possessed the instinct of a creature. Thus, under the guidance of biological energy, it transformed into different forms. However, this creature didn¡¯t only consume energy. Its diet consisted of various metals, ranging from the simplest iron to the highest quality fine gold secret silver. Through experiments, Richard had identified Wuxiang¡¯s favorite materials and mixed them in proportion to form an alloy. Moreover, Richard discovered that Wuxiang could remember the items it consumed. From the shape of the items to their enchantments, it remembered everything. However, this memory required multiple feedings to perfectly replicate. For instance, the magic wand currently mimicked by Wuxiang was the result of feeding it five times. As the difficulty of enchanting the feeding materials increased, the number of feedings needed also increased. But as Wuxiang¡¯s size grew, so did the effectiveness of its memory. Richard had no doubt that if Wuxiang could reproduce sufficiently, it could even mimic an entire Floating City. Overall, feeding Wuxiang was a highly profitable venture. After all, Wuxiang¡¯s various data were extremely outstanding; its magic conducting properties were only slightly inferior to mithril, and it was as hard as pure gold when hardened. With various enchantments, although it was inferior to treasures like the Balancing Hand, it held a significant advantage over general rare materials used in Magic Equipment. If Wuxiang were to be segmented, it would make the best material for Magic Equipment. But currently, Richard had not yet found a way to segment Wuxiang. After setting up the food for Wuxiang, Richard then put it back. He then continued the research on gland cultivation that he had been studying for over a decade. Following the guidance of the World Mushroom, the Secret Realm, following the ether undertow, headed straight for the world causing changes in the ether flow. Thirty-six years after the evolution of the World Mushroom, the Secret Realm stopped less than 10,000 kilometers away from the New World. Millions of fungal tendrils extended from the walls of the Secret Realm, firmly anchoring the projection of the Material World in the Void. Richard and Ulysses stood in the Star Realm, quietly watching the massive, glowing object in front of them. "Bad luck, it¡¯s a miniature world," Ulysses lightly said, assessing the world. Richard retorted, "Finding a world is good enough, and you¡¯re still picky." "Ah, you don¡¯t understand," Ulysses replied. "If it were a Miniature World, with our combat capabilities, we almost wouldn¡¯t need to hide; a surprise attack could finish off the World Master. Then, your path to becoming a Level 4 Creature would be smooth..." "Stop! Becoming a Level 4 Creature?" Richard looked puzzled at Ulysses, "You¡¯re planning to make me ascend to godhood using your methods?" Ulysses nodded slightly, "Yes. Without becoming a Level 4 Creature, you can¡¯t communicate with your Wizard Dimension. If you can¡¯t communicate with the Wizard Dimension, you¡¯ll almost never find the way home. The Star Realm is vast; you surely can¡¯t blindly fly around trying to find your way home, right?" Ulysses¡¯ words left Richard stunned. Indeed, leaving the Secret Realm wasn¡¯t his ultimate goal; his ultimate goal was to get home. "You¡¯re right, but can you just casually talk about your method of ascension?" Ulysses shook his head, "Have you forgotten? I once told you, there are three and a half paths to becoming a god: one, a God of Rules; two, a Racial God; three, a Professional God. For these three paths, you need to sign a contract with the Divine King before I can tell you, otherwise I¡¯d also be violating the Destiny Contract. The remaining half path, however, I can tell anyone." "Oh? What¡¯s special about this half path?" Richard asked curiously. "Of course, there is," Ulysses replied. "Firstly, this path isn¡¯t complete; you can only become a god through it, but if you want to continue on this path... sorry, there¡¯s no road ahead. Thus, it¡¯s called a half path. Secondly, the ritual for this path is extremely difficult, so difficult that if you become a god through this ritual, the Divine King would directly send you a civilization invitation, hoping you¡¯ll join the Gods Civilization." "How difficult is this ritual?" Richard looked serious; this ritual was critical to whether he could return home, no matter how challenging, he had to overcome it. Ulysses also looked earnest as he replied, "Richard, your ascension ritual requires a Pope, several Bishops, tens of thousands of Priests, hundreds of millions of Believers, and most importantly, One Ring¡ªa feat sufficient to shock the world." This response left Richard baffled; what kind of condition was that? A world-shocking feat was a vague requirement. And how would one measure such a world-shocking deed? It couldn¡¯t just be because he said it was world-shocking. Ulysses explained, "Richard, you should know that each world has a World Consciousness. The composition of this world is the collective consciousness formed by the countless intelligent beings of this world. If you want to shock the world, you need to make this collective consciousness feel astonished. To achieve this, you need to make eighty percent of the intelligent beings in this world hear of your deeds and believe them to be nearly impossible. This is the most difficult part of the ritual." Chapter 539 - 3: Conquer the Entire World with the Power of One Chapter 539: Chapter 3: Conquer the Entire World with the Power of OneUpon hearing this request, the first word that flashed through Richard¡¯s mind was "impossible." To have eighty percent of the intelligent life in the whole world hear about one thing was already very difficult, but now he was also expected to shock these people with it. How could this be possible? But soon, Richard realized there was a huge loophole. "No, wouldn¡¯t that mean I¡¯d be spreading a lie? Anyway, as long as it shocks those people, that should do the trick," he mused. Ulysses gave a slight smile and replied, "My friend, you indeed found the loophole in this ritual. But have you ever considered that if you could spread a falsehood far enough to twist a world¡¯s collective consciousness, then the act of spreading itself becomes an incredible feat." Richard was momentarily taken aback, then laughed at himself in self-deprecation. Indeed, if he could change a world¡¯s collective consciousness just by spreading word, then this act in itself would already meet the criteria. "It seems there are no shortcuts," he said. "The path of evolution has always been one step at a time." Looking at the world before him, Richard¡¯s heart suddenly filled with soaring ambition. He was about to embark on a madcap endeavor unprecedented in the history of the Wizard World. He would complete his ascension in an Otherworld. If things went as planned, he would conquer this world single-handedly for the next few centuries. "Ulysses, I think I¡¯ve gone mad," Richard said, laughing loudly as he beheld the world. Ulysses, perched on Richard¡¯s left shoulder, responded with equal bravado, "Isn¡¯t that just like you Wizards, restrained yet greedy, logical yet mad. This is the foundation of your civilization¡¯s culture, my friend." ... In terms of invading worlds, there is a very counterintuitive fact: the bigger a world, the easier it is to infiltrate. For instance, hundreds of thousands of Black Wizards had slipped into the Wilderness Great World. But aside from the Heavenly Mechanism Saint Sect, not a single Wild Beastman in the Wilderness Great World had noticed anything amiss. On the other hand, in smaller worlds, since the area of the world isn¡¯t large and the Power of World Origin is mostly concentrated with one or two World Masters, even the slightest disturbance to the World Barrier can be detected by them. That¡¯s why Wizards invading medium-sized worlds and smaller must enter the world first and then gather intelligence from within. Of course, there¡¯s also the element of pride among the Great Wizards. For dealing with worlds below medium-sized, gathering intelligence in advance is essentially considered a waste of time. The Great Wizards are confident they can simply steamroll over native World Masters. Regardless, while the World Barrier is indeed formidable, there are ways to bypass it and enter another world. Apart from the risky method of disguising oneself as a Star Realm Meteorite and slowly moving through the World Barrier, infiltrating via a traitor is also a viable method. After pinpointing the world, Ulysses threw a Demon Contract through the veil. Although the World Barrier existed within the veil too, a Demon Contract is not a living being, so the World Barrier would not obstruct it. After throwing the contract, Richard and Ulysses began to wait. Essentially, a Demon Contract is bait for fishing ¨C but for the fish to bite, it has to take the hook on its own. ... In Bruno City¡¯s Thirteenth District, Ben dragged his exhausted body onto the road home after a busy day. Bruno City was an industrial city filled with non-stop mechanical noise, sporadically exploding steam pipes, and chimneys reaching to the skies, continuously belching thick smoke¡ªthe main tones of this city¡¯s foundation. Pedaling on his old bike, which was nearly falling apart, Ben pondered what to eat tonight while calculating how many more years he¡¯d have to toil in this damned place to afford an apartment in the suburbs. After crunching the numbers, Ben came to a ridiculous conclusion. At his current savings rate, he¡¯d need only a hundred and twenty years to buy that apartment. That is, assuming apartment prices don¡¯t go up. "I really am stubborn, why stick around here?" Ben laughed at himself. "Back in my hometown, building a house would only take ten years, and finding a woman just five. The air back home is even better than in this hellish place where you could live on air alone." Yet even as he cursed himself, the thought inside Ben¡¯s heart remained unchanged. His parents had spent their life savings so he could attend the National Mechanical College, hoping he would lift himself from their small place and make something of himself. It took him twelve years to leave that small town. To return now, tail between his legs? Not a chance! Soon, Ben arrived at his small home in the Thirteenth District. It was a tiny house shared by four, which he and three other Mechanics from different factories rented together - a mere sixty square meters. As a Mechanic, Ben¡¯s salary was enough for a relatively comfortable dwelling, instead of living like the laborers at the factory whose quarters were worse than pigsties. He had once seen the workers¡¯ communal dorms: fifty people living in a room the size of a classroom, with air so foul it made the factory¡¯s atmosphere seem fresh by comparison. Honestly, even though these slave laborers have undergone simple biological modifications by the Green Forest Group, the conditions were appalling. Sometimes Ben even felt that those laborers were no longer of the same race as him, just as he was different from those noble and graceful nobles. The inside of the house was partitioned with wooden boards to ensure that every mechanic had their own independent space. Ben¡¯s room was the smallest because his room had a window. Returning to his room, Ben lit an oil lamp and then collapsed onto his bed. The mechanics at the factory operated in two shifts, and the twelve-hour workday nearly drained Ben of all his energy. But soon Ben mustered up some spirit and went to the washroom to freshen up. Then, from under his pillow, he pulled out a book titled "Intermediate Mechanics: Pistons and Pumps." To become a mechanic, empty talk wasn¡¯t enough; one had to pass the kingdom¡¯s mechanics examination to obtain a mechanic¡¯s certification before they could start working as a mechanic. The certificate had four levels: from low to high they were low, intermediate, high, and special level. Special level was the limit for a mechanic, and beyond that was the domain of the mechanical scholar, which was a different system altogether. Looking at the dictionary-thick book before him, Ben comforted himself, "Studying mechanics is still better than those studying biology. The stuff those transformation doctors have to learn stacks up twice as high as them." After reading in bed for an hour, Ben¡¯s eyelids were fighting to stay open, and he set the book aside. Struggling to wind the alarm clock before he closed his eyes, Ben immediately fell into a deep sleep. However, his dreams tonight were odd; he did not dream of his deceased parents, he did not dream of the wildflowers of his hometown, nor did he dream of becoming a special-grade mechanic and buying an apartment in the Garden City. Tonight, he dreamed of a strange creature, a being cloaked in black robes who stood nearly twice his height. The creature was handsome, with full and healthy skin, but it looked utterly devoid of green, as if suffering from albinism. The strange creature handed him a piece of paper, telling him that this paper could change his fate. How laughable, the thing that could change his fate was resting right next to his pillow. Ding, ding, ding... The noisy alarm clock woke Ben from his sleep, and having dreamt all night, Ben felt his head was splitting with pain. "Damn, what a strange dream." Rubbing his eyes, Ben threw back the covers, ready to wash up and head to the factory. But as he moved his arm, he suddenly realized he was gripping something tightly in his hand. Ben rubbed his eyes again, sure he wasn¡¯t mistaken. It was an incredibly ornate leather-bound scroll; the scroll¡¯s edges were filled with golden patterns. "Is this... the scroll from the dream?" Ben felt he should panic, given that something from his dream appeared in reality, but he turned his head and stuffed the scroll under his pillow before rushing into his clothes and into the washroom. The possibility of being late and having his wages docked for a day terrified him more than dream objects materializing into reality. The work of a mechanic was relatively safe compared to that of a laborer. But this safety was relative; after all, mechanics dealt with faulty machinery all day long. Any part that broke off from those giant-beast-like machines could puncture the body of a mechanic. If a steam pipe burst, the high-pressure steam could cook a mechanic to perfection within thirty seconds. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But what job in this world wasn¡¯t dangerous? Ben consoled himself in this way. Repair machines, inspect pipes, then drag his weary body back home, day after day, year after year. With the passage of time, Ben gradually grew from a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old into a sturdy twenty-year-old. And just a month ago, he had successfully passed the intermediate mechanic exam, Becoming an intermediate mechanic meant he could ask for a raise from the factory owner; regardless of the outcome, it was still something to be happy about. But all of that vanished into nothingness with the sound of a pipe bursting. "Eighty percent of the body¡¯s skin is scalded, and the estimated treatment cost is ten thousand." "Ten thousand? He isn¡¯t worth ten thousand if you sold him!" Amidst the safety supervisor¡¯s roars, Ben¡¯s heart sank to the depths. Ten thousand dollars, and his hourly wage was merely three dollars. Ten thousand dollars meant he would have to work nonstop for more than half a year, even if he didn¡¯t eat or drink. But he couldn¡¯t possibly stop eating or drinking; he had to pay rent, water bills, and all those miscellaneous taxes. Just taking the intermediate mechanic exam had drained half his savings, and now he could barely scrape together a thousand dollars. Even though he was a mechanic with health insurance paid by the factory, the insurance payout was capped at two thousand dollars. And those bone-crushing insurance investigators would go out of their way to ensure you didn¡¯t receive the maximum amount. As for the factory... the factory was even less likely to pay. Mechanics weren¡¯t in short supply in Bruno City, even if he was an intermediate mechanic. Soon enough, Ben was carried back home by the factory workers, which was the only thing the factory would do. Looking at the gloomy sky outside the window, a sudden rage began to boil within him. Why had fate treated him so cruelly! What had he done wrong? But quickly, that rage turned into overwhelming tears streaming from his eyes. His life was over. In a state of despair and crying, Ben drifted back into sleep. This time, he encountered that strange man again. The man calmly said, "Ben, sign this, and your fate will change." Ben, clenching his teeth, left his name on the patterned contract. In the material world, Ben¡¯s pillow concealed a leather contract that suddenly bore two new names. One name was Ben Victor, and the other was Richard. Chapter 540 - 4: A Bizarre World Chapter 540: Chapter 4: A Bizarre World"At last, a fish has taken the bait." In the Secret Realm, Richard looked at the Space Rift in front of him, his lips curving into an unstoppable grin. "I¡¯ve waited five years, and now I can finally enter safely." Ulysses, perched on Richard¡¯s shoulder, flapped his wings a bit tiredly. "So many contracts sent out, and finally, someone has taken the bait. Making these contracts has almost killed me." "Ha-ha, stop complaining; let¡¯s go in," Richard laughed, "You¡¯ve been in the Secret Realm for so many years, aren¡¯t you bored to death?" "Psh, you¡¯re the one with no patience, barely a few decades and you already can¡¯t sit still..." Amid their banter, the man and the bird entered the world. Inside the world, Ben suddenly woke from a dream. The effects of the painkillers had worn off, and the pain gnawing at his body from all over was almost unbearable. But quickly, the pain vanished, replaced by a numb tingling itch. "Hmm?" Ben opened his eyes, a look of surprise on his face. Why did the pain suddenly stop? Next to him, Richard retracted his World Tree Staff, sizing up the bandage-wrapped otherworldly creature. "This thing kind of looks like a goblin, doesn¡¯t it?" Richard thought to himself. Even though the creature was swathed in bandages, its green skin, huge hooked nose, and somewhat drooping long ears reminded Richard of evil creatures he had seen in comics in his past life. However, as far as this world was concerned, the little guy in front of him definitely wasn¡¯t the kind of creature from those comics that specialized in targeting female knights. Richard sent out his spiritual power, and the appalling environment of Bruno City came into full view. "Steam technology, huh?" Richard mused to himself as he observed the massive factories outside the window. The Wizard World also dabbled in steam technology; many of their Alchemy Machines were powered by steam. However, this world¡¯s development path seemed a bit different from theirs; this world did not have Alchemy, so they had developed steam technology to a quite advanced level. Additionally, he noticed some other issues. "There¡¯s something wrong with this world¡¯s energy environment," Richard said to Ulysses on his shoulder. "The energy in this world seems a bit too frenzied." In Richard¡¯s perception, the energy environment of the world in front of him was severely flawed, with energy being very active in a given space. Active energy wasn¡¯t a big problem for higher-level creatures, but for lower-level ones, it directly resulted in a sharp increase in the difficulty of absorbing energy. Judging from the current energy environment of this world, the creatures capable of entering the evolutionary sequence must be pitifully few unless the creatures of this world had some special method. While Richard was observing around, the itchiness on Ben¡¯s body had already faded. He was surprised to find that, after the itchiness went away, he felt somewhat rejuvenated. It was like returning to his eighteen-year-old self. He sat up and then saw Richard standing by his bed. "...Hmm?" Ben rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things. The strange creature from his dream had actually appeared in reality. The scenes from his dreams flashed before his eyes like frames from a film reel, and he remembered that in the dream, out of anger and unwillingness, he had signed a contract with this beautiful man who resembled a noble. Noticing that Ben had spotted him, Richard turned to look at the little green-skinned guy, ready to ask for some information through a Spiritual Message. But before that, he needed to come up with a name for this type of creature. "He looks like a goblin and is good with Steam Machinery; this is definitely a Goblin," Richard thought to himself. "I¡¯ll call them Goblins then." Having decided on a name, Richard spoke up, "Goblin, tell me what this place is." Hearing the voice inside his head, Ben was taken aback for a moment. Although he didn¡¯t know what the phrase "Goblin" meant, it seemed to be addressing him. So he immediately replied, "My lord, this is Bruno City in the Mechanical Kingdom, Thirteenth District." Upon hearing Ben¡¯s reply, Richard stood startled, not so much at what Ben had said but at realizing he had overlooked something. He didn¡¯t know the language of this world at all. "This is going to be a bit tricky." Richard rubbed his forehead with a slight headache then looked to his shoulder and said, "My Subordinate God, I leave the task of teaching this Goblin to you." Learning a language in a short time wasn¡¯t difficult, but that was based on having teaching materials. Richard had entered this world alone and had no one to prepare materials or a Crystal Ball of Inheritance for him. "My Main God, this is your first Believer in this world. In our place, this ¡¯Goblin¡¯ is your Pope." "Well, it¡¯s not my fault that I can¡¯t preach." "Alas, you refused to learn from me before. It¡¯s fortunate that I am not asleep right now, or you¡¯d be waiting to die trapped in this world." After complaining, Ulysses draped himself in a layer of majestic Holy Light. Subsequently, he began conversing with Ben through Spiritual Messages. During the conversation, Ulysses packaged himself and Richard as Prophets. He also took the opportunity to inquire whether there were any peers in this world. The inquiry yielded an unexpected result: they did indeed have peers in this world. "The Complete Lord and two Sons of God?" Richard¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, "So, that means we have three peers, right?" "No, no, no, it¡¯s two peers," Ulysses shook his head, "The legend goes that the Complete Lord transformed into the Supreme Sacred Mountain tens of thousands of years ago to resist the invasion of the Evil Demon and subsequently suppressed it. After his death, his power was inherited by the two Sons of God. These two Sons of God established the current two great Kingdoms and became Divine Kings who possess both the divine and the kingly." At this point, Ulysses¡¯s tone became exceedingly disdainful. A mere native World Master dares to claim the title of Divine King? "It¡¯s going to be a bit tricky with peers around," Richard voiced his headache, "Dealing with an old-established Church that has been running for tens of thousands of years, are your methods sufficient?" "Sufficient?" Ulysses¡¯s tone turned gleeful as if he had heard a joke. "This sort of corrupt Church that knows nothing of internal cleansing, stealing their Believers couldn¡¯t be easier. The only thing we need to be careful about is secrecy, not to expose ourselves to the Church¡¯s view before we have grown to a certain size." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing Ulysses so confident, Richard suddenly struck a serious pose, and said righteously, "In that case, this glorious and arduous task is yours." "... Eh? Go to hell," Ulysses flapped his wings wearily, "I told you a long time ago that I need to sleep soon. Although you found a body for me, at most this will reduce the duration of my sleep, not prevent it. I can feel that the day of my slumber is not far away. I¡¯ll lay the groundwork for you during this time, but you¡¯ll have to develop the Church on your own." Ulysses wasn¡¯t lying to Richard about learning to preach, he really was about to sleep. Barring any unforeseen events, once he awoke, his strength would return to the limit of the Fourth Level. At that time, he only needed to reshape his Rule Body and complete his rules to return to being a Level 5 Creature. "This... Alright then." Richard sighed helplessly, unable to take the shortcut he wanted. After Ulysses preached, Richard was able to communicate unhindered with his own Believer. In the conversation with Ben, he gained a deeper understanding of this world. "Cybernetic enhancements, biological modifications... this world is quite fun." After hearing Ben¡¯s descriptions, Richard couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the diversity of the vast universe. In this small world, he actually witnessed the battle between two branches of the Alchemy School from the Wizard World. There are two types of power systems in this world: one favors mechanical cybernetic enhancements, and the other flesh modifications. And both have been completely popularized. Slaves in the factory undergo simple flesh modifications to better adapt to the harsh factory environment. Factories that are more assembly-line oriented, on the other hand, perform cybernetic enhancements on their workers. After the enhancements, mechanical bodies are stronger and less prone to damage. Once adapted, the precision of low-level enhancements is almost indistinguishable from normal arms, and the precision of high-level ones is many times more delicate than human hands. Above civilian usage, military enhancements are even more extravagant. According to Ben, those Knights who have undergone military modifications can withstand taking steam baths in scalding vapor, and the weaponry mounted on their bodies is as formidable as cannons. Legend has it that there are even higher-level modifications above those of the Knights. But he, merely a Mechanic, knew this only from visiting the Royal Capital to take the Mechanic¡¯s examination and chatting with other Mechanics. After determining the general state of the world, Richard and Ulysses deliberated and decided not to preach initially. To know oneself and the enemy is to be undefeated in hundreds of battles. They needed to first ascertain the position of the two competing Churches before moving forward. If the two Churches were merely occupying the ecological niche of religion and helping to gather wealth, then they could commence preaching boldly and confidently. But if the two Churches also had the role of collecting the Power of Faith, they would have to be more cautious. However, before that, he needed to help out his first Believer in this world. "Ben, now you need to make a choice." Richard shone in a gentle Holy Light, his voice seeming mild yet carrying a hint of authority. "Do you wish to undergo flesh modification?" Ben looked up at Richard, knelt on the ground, and responded with the most sincere words of his life, "My Lord, I am willing." Richard nodded slightly, "Alright then, follow me to the cast shadow of the Divine Country in this world." With that, Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift and led Ben into the Secret Realm. Seeing the azure sky within the Secret Realm (tinted by the World Mushroom), smelling the fresh air sweetened a little (compared to Bruto City¡¯s air, even car exhaust would seem fresh), Ben knelt down once again. In Richard¡¯s perception, his connection with Ben became even more intimate. Richard stroked his chin, thinking to himself, "So this is what makes a Fanatic? It seems the task of preaching isn¡¯t as daunting as I thought." Chapter 541 - 5: The Master of All Machines Church and the Artificial Body Priest Chapter 541: Chapter 5: The Master of All Machines Church and the Artificial Body PriestIn Ulysses¡¯s mouth, both he and Richard were true Divines, sent down as Prophets, Sages, Saints. So, the means available to them would be very close to those of the mortals. But in fact, Ulysses didn¡¯t need to patch this up, because their two rivals had already defined transformation as a kind of Divine Grace. Therefore, when Richard spoke of flesh transformation, Ben had no doubts. He thought this was just right. A Saint sent by the Divine should be like this. Under Richard¡¯s guidance, Ben laid down on Richard¡¯s usual dissection table, his heart full of excitement. Richard administered a bit of anesthetic to make him unconscious and then started pondering the transformation plan. This transformation was not Richard¡¯s own idea but a suggestion from Ulysses. According to Ulysses, as Richard¡¯s first Believer in this world, he must display enough miracles in front of Ben to secure his faith. Then use Ben as a starting point to preach among the general populace. And the simplest way to demonstrate a miracle was the enhancement of strength. Elevating Ben from a mortal to a Level 1 Creature was such a miracle. Additionally, a Church definitely needed the support of force. Richard was a Prophet, the embodiment of God. If he had to handle everything himself, his authority would diminish imperceptibly. Therefore, it was very important to cultivate a few high-level forces to serve as Church Guardians. Modifying Ben¡¯s body directly addressed these two points, killing two birds with one stone. Looking at Ben on the operating table, Richard was flooded with many ideas. But he had little understanding of the goblin Race, and rash transformation could easily lead to complications. "Forget it, let him sleep here for now. Ulysses, let¡¯s go for a stroll." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a snap of his fingers, the World Mushroom swallowed them into its body. "I¡¯ll have the Mayfly Essence ready for him during this time. Let¡¯s first cultivate him into a Level 1 Creature." "Yes, Master." After exiting the Secret Realm, Richard¡¯s form flashed and he appeared in a corner of the street. He applied an Invisibility Technique to himself, then started observing the goblin Race he named. The goblin¡¯s were very short, with even mature goblins only about 1.2 meters tall. Unlike the robust Dwarves, the goblin Race seemed much weaker. Even the seemingly strong goblins, by Richard¡¯s estimation, had strength barely comparable to that of an ordinary adult man. However, the factory had not yet closed, and the streets were somewhat empty, so he did not rule out the presence of more and stronger goblins inside the factories. Walking along the street, the filthy air filled with dust and sewage flowing on the streets made Richard slightly frown. He could responsibly say that the air he was breathing was mildly toxic. If one breathed such air for a long time, even a Wizard Apprentice would become weak or even end their life prematurely. "In such an environment, there are so many goblins living as if nothing is amiss. This Race has impressive Life Energy," Richard internally marveled. But it made sense. Creatures in high-energy environments generally exhibited vigorous Life Energy. High energy environments pose threats to life, as active Energy penetrates cells, impacting the Life Core of cells. If Life Energy weren¡¯t vigorous, extinction would be inevitable. Of course, species that survive on high reproductive abilities also exist. They compensate for the short lifespan of individuals with their large population numbers as a countermeasure. Passing through the West District where the worker Mechanics resided, Richard arrived in the East District of the city. Like monstrous beasts, gigantic factories incessantly emitted various mechanical noises, and workers buzzed about the production lines non-stop. These workers were almost naked, their emaciated bodies covered in iron-hard muscles. Richard noticed that the workers¡¯ modifications varied. Those who worked in high temperature had larger noses than the ordinary goblins, which allowed the scorching air to cool in the nostril, thereby preventing the burning of the lungs. For the goblin workers in dusty environments, their noses possessed more nasal hairs than normal. This targeted transformation seemed professional, but to Richard, it felt like a makeshift measure¡ªtreating the head when it aches, and the foot when it hurts. "Instead of modifying the workers, it would be better to change the machines, change the environment." In Richard¡¯s view, modifying workers was a waste. Regardless of the modification, their lifespans would undoubtedly decrease. Unless goblins had lived in such environments for thousands of years and their bodies had evolved to adapt. Otherwise, all modifications merely reduced damage. However, the technological trajectory of this world was mostly dead-ended, so Richard did not blame them, only feeling a slight pity for the goblin Race¡¯s misfortune. The factory district was huge, handling everything from ore refinement to finished metal processing. Carriages of fuel entered the factory through steam locomotives, and the hot flames melted the smelted ore into molten metal. Then the steaming metal flowed from the furnaces, turned into steel rolls, and once cooled, was transported by specialized steam locomotives via rail to the nearest processing plants. Goblins had come far on the path of steam technology. Some of their intricate designs surprised even Richard. Any path taken to the extreme produces works that can leave one in awe. But as Richard observed these factories, a somewhat peculiar structure entered his view. It resembled a church, but from within it, two massive chimneys belching out billowing black smoke extended. The church¡¯s decorations were also filled with artistic gears and levers. "Our colleagues do have some accomplishments in the arts," Ulysses commented. There are two major churches in this world, the Master of All Machines Church and the Lord of Flesh Church. The two major evolution paths of the goblins are also led and developed by these two churches. The Master of All Machines Church developed industrial and prosthetic limb technology, while the Lord of Flesh Church developed medical and biological modification technology. The deities of these two churches are the Sons of God, the kings of the two major kingdoms. "Let¡¯s go in and see if we can catch a subject for experimentation." Richard and Ulysses nodded to each other and then, in a flash, appeared beside the church. Inside the church, Richard felt a strong Power of Faith. This also allowed Richard and Ulysses to relax slightly. One of the key points in distinguishing rough-spun deity from systematic ones is the location of the Power of Faith. The Temples of the Gods Civilization, or to say, the Divine Statues, all condense their Power of Faith on the statues, with very little within the building of the church, which is often deliberately done by the gods for certain effects. But the church before them seemed as though every brick was filled with the Power of Faith. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t how a systematic deity¡¯s church should be. Having confirmed that the opponent was indeed unsystematic, Richard and Ulysses applied an Invisibility Technique to themselves and swaggered into the church. The interior of the church had a similar decorative style to the exterior, with the only difference being that the devices inside the church were mostly made of brass or steel. With a sweep of his spiritual power, Richard took in the entirety of the church. There weren¡¯t many people inside, only the priests, deacons, and a few servants. But to Richard¡¯s surprise, save for the servants, both the priests and the deacons had reached the status of Level 1 Creatures. "Interesting." A flash of surprise crossed Richard¡¯s face, and then with a flicker, he arrived in a prayer room next to the boiler, below the church. The sound of machinery filled the prayer room, but the priest of the Master of All Machines before Richard was praying with total focus. The priest¡¯s body had many mechanical modifications; both of his arms had been transformed into metal prosthetics, and his torso¡¯s skin had also been replaced with metal plates. He wore a metal helmet similar to a gas mask on his head, and carried a metal backpack. At this moment, the muffled sound of breathing was continually coming out of the filter port on the helmet. However, what most caught Richard¡¯s attention was that the set of gear on the priest was not just simple steam machinery. It was mixed with new technology. "I¡¯ll try this guy¡¯s level, you keep an eye on the surroundings." "Understood." Ulysses vanished into the Void, and Richard immediately released his Invisibility Technique, deliberately making a slight noise. Tap. "Who¡¯s there!" The priest sprang to his feet, his sharp gaze slicing through the protective goggles as if they were blades, sweeping behind. But upon seeing a tall figure in a black robe, whose face was not visible, he hesitated for a moment. Somewhat warily, he asked, "Which lord are you?" Richard answered with silence and a light, drifting straight punch. Bang. The seemingly effortless punch carried the force of a sledgehammer, the priest blocked with his prosthetics, but the tremendous force still sent him flying backward. Boom! The priest¡¯s body crashed heavily against the metal wall of the prayer room, the two metallic arms nearly completely scrapped by the colossal strength. Sparks, steam, and dissipating energy leaked continuously from the prosthetics. But to Richard¡¯s surprise, the priest did not faint. He struggled to fall from the wall, continuously spitting out fresh, red blood. "Who are you exactly! An invisible assassin from the Lord of Flesh Church? A Transformed Knight from the Royal Court? No, you¡¯re even stronger than them." Richard did not answer but gave a fair assessment. "Having withstood that strike, your abilities have already surpassed that of the ordinary natives. So, I¡¯ve decided to take you as my sample." With those words, the priest suddenly felt darkness before his eyes, and a spiritual assault instantly shattered his consciousness. Richard approached the wall, producing a simple Alchemy Array in his hand. Under the influence of alchemy, the indentation in the wall was filled in, and the exposed piping on the inside was repaired. Just as Richard was about to leave the church with the priest to return to the Secret Realm, Ulysses¡¯s form suddenly materialized on his shoulder. "Richard, take a look over here. I¡¯ve found a place beneath this church that resembles your laboratory somewhat." Chapter 542 - 6 Crystal Stone Technology Chapter 542 -6 Crystal Stone Technology The underground part of the Church was hardly smaller than the surface section, apart from the boiler that symbolized the Divine Power of the God of All Mechanisms, the Church¡¯s underground area served many purposes. In this world, the two churches were not hindrances to progress but were pioneers leading the Goblin Race on the path of evolution. Besides preaching, the priests of both churches were also researchers of the wisdom of the God of All Mechanisms. In terms of this world, these priests were Mechanical Scholars, surpassing even Mechanics. Therefore, mostly, the underground part of the Church of the God of All Mechanisms was filled with research labs dedicated to the priests. Bright gas lamps illuminated the entire laboratory, making it clear and unlike some stereotypes, this type of laboratory involved in human research and flesh transformation was not a dark, evil place. On the contrary, places requiring delicate surgery needed to be exceedingly bright. At the center of the laboratory was a metal surgical table, above which hung an extremely complex mechanical structure. Richard, using his spiritual power to investigate the interior of this mechanical structure, discovered that it was a mechanical arm. Considering the position of the controlling joystick, Richard suddenly harbored an odd thought. This mechanical arm was meant for the person lying on the surgical table. ¡°To perform surgery on oneself, these priests are truly ruthless,¡± Richard said, slightly shocked. Although wizards would also perform surgery on themselves, they controlled instruments with their souls or even used avatars. But these Goblins were directly controlling mechanical arms to perform surgery on themselves with their physical bodies. This was considered wild even among wizards. At the furthest end of the laboratory was a workbench, next to which stood something resembling a machine tool¡ªwithout the aid of Alchemy, using materials without damage was nearly impossible. However, when Richard saw this machine tool, it seemed familiar. He opened the Secret Realm Rift and searched in his own Secret Realm. Soon, he found a Crystal Machine Tool he had acquired from the Star Realm Fortress. Comparing it to the machine tool in the laboratory, although the one in the laboratory was quite rudimentary, it showed a strong imitation. ¡°It seems we haven¡¯t drifted too far; the journey back shouldn¡¯t be long.¡± Richard spoke with a hint of joy in his voice, as the existence of the Pioneer¡¯s heritage in this world meant he was still within the domain of the Pioneers from ancient times. Although he didn¡¯t know how far from the Wizard Civilization, at least it wasn¡¯t as dramatic as Ulysses being stranded in the Wizard World, with a whole civilization in between. After setting aside the machine tool, Richard thoroughly examined the entire laboratory. During this process, he found many mechanical design blueprints. These blueprints and the steam machinery were completely different, and profoundly precise and intricate. In these blueprints, there were often one or two Crystal Stones used as core structures or energy conversion structures. And after dismantling those Crystal Stones, Richard became even more convinced of his thoughts. The natives of this world indeed had inherited a certain degree of the Pioneer¡¯s heritage. His journey home was not far. ¡°But even though they had inherited the Pioneer¡¯s heritage, these Goblins have also researched some things of their own.¡± Richard looked at a blueprint in his hand; the use of Crystal Stones in its structure was particularly ingenious, greatly reducing the complexity of metal prosthetics. Complexity is a neutral term for any machine, and it does not mean the same thing in different contexts. However, undoubtedly, a highly complex precision machine was not suitable for use as a conventional weapon. Especially not metal prosthetics, a weapon likely used in close combat. And these Crystal Stones were probably the Goblins¡¯ own research achievement. After recording the blueprints with the Image Capturing Crystal Ball, Richard left the laboratory and the church quietly, returning everything to its original state. Bruno City was large, with all sorts of supporting facilities available. From hospitals to schools, any public facility a resident might need could be found here. Richard spent an entire day exploring the city and casually acquired two anatomy atlases. Mechanics and Transformation Doctors were coveted professions in any kingdom in this world. Consequently, books about machinery and biology were relatively easy to acquire in this world. At least, for Richard, that was the case. With his findings, Richard entered the Secret Realm inside Ben¡¯s small room. Inside the Secret Realm, the priest Richard had knocked unconscious had awoken. At this moment, he was stunned by the beauty of this world and the strength of the creatures living in it. In Richard¡¯s Secret Realm, even the basic Fire Lizard Workers possessed the strength of Level 1 Creatures. And with the presence of Mayfly Essence, these Fire Lizard Workers¡¯ abilities were steadily increasing. If things went as expected, they would all eventually become third-level creatures. In Richard¡¯s plans, his Secret Realm was like a university, responsible for researching technology and nurturing talent. The Fire Lizards were a race with great potential. With the presence of Giant Dragon Alchemy and Dragon Blood, this race had massive potential for improvement, both technically and in combat prowess. Once Richard became a Great Wizard, these Fire Lizards would become his vassal race and join him in his conquests across the Otherworld. Upon seeing Richard¡¯s appearance, the priest suddenly became vigilant. Although his prosthetic limbs were already crippled, he still assumed a posture ready to attack. However, to Richard, this was no different from a pet hamster acting cute. The Priest saw Richard walking towards him unconcernedly and his two prosthetic limbs immediately made a bursting noise. Two arrows flew towards Richard¡¯s face in an instant. Then they were deflected. In front of Richard¡¯s transcendent body, the Priest¡¯s attack was no different from tickling. Those arrows, capable of penetrating steel, were like ordinary dust in front of Richard¡¯s skin. ¡°High-pressure steam arrows, a quite practical design.¡± Richard walked over to the Priest, grabbed his backpack from behind, and tossed him onto the operating table. The Priest¡¯s struggle was futile against Richard. ¡°Exactly which noble family are you from? I am a Bishop of Bruno City; you have no right to lay hands on me!¡± Richard took out a vial of anesthetic from his pocket and glanced at the continuously yelling goblin. ¡°Stop shouting. I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. If you must continue, wait until I finish my research to talk. For now, you¡¯d better pray that your Master of All Machines can protect you from dying in the upcoming research.¡± Having said that, Richard injected the anesthetic into the Priest¡¯s body. Three seconds later, the Priest stopped making any noise and silently fell to the ground. ¡°The world is finally quiet,¡± Richard remarked relaxedly. ¡°It seems that the years in the Secret Realm have greatly influenced you,¡± Ulysses¡¯ voice came from over Richard¡¯s shoulder, to which Richard turned and asked, ¡°Influence? What influence?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? You are now very lenient towards these aliens. Those days that could be called exile, they made you more tolerant towards these creatures.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Richard pondered for a moment, ¡°I actually hadn¡¯t noticed that. I remember I used to be quite tolerant towards aliens.¡± ¡°Would you have let this goblin keep yelling before?¡± ¡°¡­No, alright, I indeed have changed a bit.¡± After reflecting, Richard had to admit Ulysses was right. His drifting days had changed his heart. Perhaps subconsciously, he realized that if he couldn¡¯t complete the deification ceremony, this world would become his second home. Ulysses continued, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad change, a God¡¯s heart should always be broad. Petty Gods never achieve much. But you must understand one thing, leniency is not weakness.¡± ¡°Am I weak?¡± Richard fixed the Priest on the operating table and casually made an incision in his abdomen. Ulysses¡¯s tone became somewhat helpless: ¡°So far, no. Next time you cut, let me know first, I¡¯m not a vulture; I don¡¯t like to watch these things.¡± ¡°Hahaha, definitely next time.¡± ¡­ ¡°The Mysterious Disappearance of Bishop Osiris,¡± this was the front-page headline in today¡¯s Bruno City newspaper. After a month of investigation, the Bruno City Police Department along with the Master of All Machines Church¡¯s Bruno branch confirmed the disappearance of Bishop Osiris. As a regional Bishop of the God of All Machines Church, the disappearance of Bishop Osiris caused a huge stir in the upper circles of Bruno City. As widely known, Bishop Osiris, as a student of the Bishop of Tyr, was destined to replace his teacher and become a member of the Cardinal Court. But now, this future influential figure vanished right under the God of All Machines Church¡¯s watch. This was no ordinary disappearance; decisive action had to be taken! The headquarters of the Master of All Machines Church reacted fiercely, releasing a notification the same day. The Master of All Machines Church would dispatch a squad of Defender Knights to investigate this matter. The disappearance of a regional Bishop leading to the sending of Defender Knights made many high-ranking officials in Bruno recognize the influence of the Bishop of Tyr. Although the Master of All Machines Church and the Royal Court honor the same leader, even the lower-ranking mechanics know that the Court and Church have always been at odds. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Royal Court nobles are staunch supporters of the Royal Faction, yet the Master of All Machines Church, while declaring the Eternal God King as a living deity, still holds the Complete Lord as the supreme deity in its scripture. This notion is also present in the Lord of Flesh Church. Legend has it that in the initial scriptures of both major Churches, the Complete Lord was not completely fallen as now portrayed. The two Sons of God were just temporarily occupying the position, waiting for the Complete Lord¡¯s return. But with the long evolution, the original scriptures have disappeared, and in the current scriptures, the Complete Lord has completely fallen, and the two Sons of God are the new deities. And now, the Royal Court shows no response to the Master of All Machines Church dispatching Defender Knights to investigate a regional Bishop¡¯s disappearance. Meanwhile, in the East District of Bruno City, a religious group called the Miracle Sect is spreading among mechanics and workers. Chapter 543 - 7 Ben’s Transformation, The Power of My Contemplation Chapter 543 -7 Ben¡¯s Transformation, The Power of My Contemplation In the Secret Realm, Richard stood in front of the operating table, placing a quivering, fresh heart into Ben¡¯s chest. After a month of learning and research, Richard had gained enough understanding of the Goblin race, and the transformation surgery for Ben was naturally scheduled. Richard approached the transformation of his first believer in this world with great diligence. Under the cultivation of mayfly essence diluted a thousandfold, Ben¡¯s body broke through Level 1 Creatures on the seventh day after entering the Secret Realm. However, because the breakthrough occurred in the Secret Realm, Ben had not undergone the World Origin¡¯s authentication. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After the transformation was complete, he would still need to reconnect with the World Origin to stamp his identity. Otherwise, there would be no difference between him and Richard in the recognition of the world. Once having become a Level 1 Creature, the Goblin race¡¯s characteristics began to manifest. After his body developed for the second time upon becoming a Level 1 Creature, Ben was now about one meter sixty in height. Next was his astonishing Life Energy. In Richard¡¯s tests, Ben¡¯s body had a remarkably high recovery rate for some basic external injuries. For some shallower wounds, the cut would start healing before Richard¡¯s scalpel even left Ben¡¯s body. A robust Life Energy was a good thing for the transformation, as many times, transformation surgeries did not go smoothly, and a strong Life Energy could significantly increase the survival rate of the patient. After completing the connection of the heart to the surrounding blood vessels, Richard used mycelium from the World Mushroom to suture the wound, and then casually waved the World Tree Staff to release a Healing Technique. Stimulated by the Life Energy, Ben¡¯s wounds healed quickly, and he awoke from the anesthesia. Upon awakening, Ben looked around the environment with a somewhat puzzled and overwhelmed gaze. The effects of the anesthetic had passed, but Ben¡¯s body had not yet adapted. But when Ben¡¯s gaze shifted to Richard, he suddenly shuddered and immediately tried to kneel to the ground. Richard lifted a finger, and an invisible force held Ben¡¯s body up. ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formalities, get used to your body first.¡± Ben stood up straight, his face radiant with fervor. He examined his body and said in surprise, ¡°Have I become a Noble?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, lucky boy.¡± A voice came from behind Ben, and when he turned around, he saw a Goblin with mechanical arms for limbs and wearing the golden helmet of the Master of All Machines Church watching him. ¡°You are¡­?¡± Years of life had instilled in Ben an instinctive respect for this attire of the Goblin, completely forgetting for a moment that he was now a heretic. The Goblin¡¯s answer made him shiver violently. ¡°I am Osiris, the regional lord of Bruno City.¡± At that moment, Ben suddenly realized that he was now indeed a heretic. After shivering, his eyes became fierce, and the muscles on his body unconsciously swelled, filled with a formidable strength. ¡°What a remarkable transformation,¡± Osiris observed the changing Ben and exclaimed sincerely. ¡°Ben, stop.¡± Ulysses, wrapped in Holy Light, flew to Ben¡¯s side, ¡°Bishop Osiris has converted, he is now your brother.¡± Converted? Brother? Ben was somewhat baffled by Ulysses¡¯ statement, and the swollen muscles on his body returned to normal. ¡°Master Crow, are you saying Bishop Osiris has converted to our Lord?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ulysses declared confidently, ¡°Bishop Osiris has seen through that phony guise and has now converted to the true path.¡± Listening to Ulysses¡¯ introduction, the expression beneath Osiris¡¯s helmet twitched uncontrollably. Although he had already recognized that the so-called Master of All Machines was merely a Level 4 Creature, years of belief had become ingrained within him. Ulysses¡¯ calling the Master of All Machines a phony felt intrinsically awkward to him. Osiris didn¡¯t take long to flip, to be precise, it happened just three days before. Once Richard learned the Goblin language, he immediately began to communicate with Osiris. Richard wanted to get some intelligence on the Master of All Machines Church from this Goblin, because Soul Searching was a gamble; he did not know whether he would extract secrets of the Master of All Machines Church or memories of Osiris going to the bathroom. Osiris also wanted to know the purpose of this strange noble in front of him. With different motives, the two had a conversation that lasted six hours. Through the exchange, Osiris was deeply shocked by Richard¡¯s erudition. He was astonished that this creature, who looked like a noble, was so knowledgeable about machinery and possessed even more advanced technology. Richard was also surprised that he had casually caught such a Big Shot. Osiris¡¯s status was anything but ordinary; the regional lord was merely where he had gilded his career. In a couple of years, he would advance from a regional bishop to a regional lord. By then, there would only be two levels above him, one being the Red Cardinal where his teacher resided, and the other being the Pope. Therefore, Osiris knew a lot that common priests did not, such as a branch of the Master of All Machines Church that believed the world was not unique and beyond this world lay other worlds. After the exchange, Osiris was convinced by Richard¡¯s scholarship and confirmed his identity from beyond this world. And Richard¡¯s classification of biological levels had opened up a door to a New World for him. The Master of All Machines was just a lucky individual chosen by the world. So, he decisively flipped. In Osiris¡¯s life, there had been many such choices. Each one capable of altering his destiny. In this series of choices, Osiris had made all the right ones. Thus, he went from being the son of a lowly slave worker to becoming the sole student of Tai¡¯er, the Red Cardinal. And this time, he had made a decision that would affect the rest of his life. ¡­ ¡°Glory to the Main God!¡± Ben said excitedly, bowing his head to Ulysses. ¡°Enough small talk,¡± Richard walked over to Ben, ¡°Get used to the body and see how effective the transformation is. This one cost me a lot¡­ It drained a lot of my Divine Power.¡± Although Richard did not enjoy posing as a holy man, he had to take his role as a Prophet seriously in order to make a breakthrough. Ben¡¯s transformation was highly complex. First, Richard conducted a blood fusion, merging the bloodlines of the Wild Beastmen and Ben¡¯s Goblin heritage to ensure that Ben could use the martial arts of the Wild Beastmen. Then Richard implanted multiple auxiliary organs in Ben¡¯s body. Some of these organs were designed to enhance his physique, some to increase strength, others to improve the resilience of his bones¡­ In short, Richard implanted all the auxiliary organs he felt would be useful into Ben¡¯s body. The last and most important modification involved Richard using Enhanced Cells from before his transcendence to cult status, to cultivate a heart. He replaced Ben¡¯s original heart with this new one. Ben moved his body in response, his arms swinging with the sound of rushing wind. Richard found a target for Ben to punch to test his strength. As instructed, Ben punched the target forcefully. [Attack Type: Physical blunt impact] [Attack Strength: 1400 Energy Level] ¡°Huh!?¡± Richard was taken aback by the reading. He glanced at Ben, who was still moving around, then back at the target data. ¡°The target must be broken. How can it be that high?¡± According to Richard¡¯s estimates, Ben should have been able to produce an attack in the range of 800 to 1000 Energy Levels without training, at most 1200 Energy Levels. But the target data far exceeded his expectations. Richard did not believe he had made a miscalculation. After checking the target again, Richard found no fault with it. Somewhat puzzled, he said to Ben, ¡°Ben, try once more.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Sage.¡± Ben threw another punch, which Richard observed closely with his spiritual power to confirm that Ben did not employ any technique. And yet, the target still displayed 1400 Energy Levels. ¡°Weird, truly weird. Ulysses, come take a look.¡± Upon hearing Richard¡¯s call, Ulysses, who was writing teachings, put down his feather pen and flew onto Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ben, hit it one more time.¡± ¡°Master Sage, is there a problem?¡± Ben asked, confused. ¡°No problem, it¡¯s just that testing is like this; you need multiple tests to find the upper and lower limits.¡± ¡°Oh, indeed.¡± Ben punched yet again, and the force of this punch was even higher than before, reaching a full 1500 Energy Levels. In a Spiritual Message conversation with Ulysses, Richard asked, ¡°Ulysses, do you see anything?¡± A faint light vanished from Ulysses¡¯ eyes, his tone carrying a hint of awe. ¡°Goodness, Richard, you¡¯ve struck gold here. This lad can unconsciously harness Miracle Power to enhance himself!¡± Miracle Power? Upon hearing this term, Richard was momentarily stunned, but he quickly recalled what the so-called Miracle Power was. ¡°You mean, he can tap into that Power of Mystery?¡± The Power of Mystery is what Curse Wizards tap into when casting certain Curse Witchcraft¡ªa form of energy that, according to studies from the Gods Civilization, seems to be the remnants left in the Star Realm by Level 9 Creatures upon transcension. By tapping into the Power of Mystery, Curse Wizards can cast witchcraft that completely defies the laws of reality and logic, such as the Eternal Transformation Technique, which can turn a Giant Dragon into a rabbit. ¡°Yes, that very power,¡± Ulysses nodded slightly, ¡°However, I wouldn¡¯t advise telling the lad. I¡¯ve seen races that can wield Miracle Power before, and their strength is very idealistic. If they can firm their beliefs, then they can perform feats far beyond their current strength with the help of Miracle Power. But if they fall into self-doubt, the Power of Mystery could shackle them instead, limiting their ability to exert even a third of their strength.¡± Richard nodded thoughtfully, having preempted Ulysses¡¯s advice. There were similar witchcraft in the Curse School, such as the Bear Power Skill, which Ali had told him about, that basically involves a ritual convincing oneself of possessing the strength of a giant bear and then using the Power of Mystery to amplify it. Therefore, Curse School wizards were all somewhat versed in self-hypnosis witchcraft. Now, Richard was contemplating one question: where did this Talent come from? In his studies of the Goblins, there had never been a discovery of this sort. Richard murmured to himself, ¡°Is this the true Talent of the Wild Beastmen? No wonder there are so many examples of diligence compensating for lack of natural ability.¡± Chapter 544 - 8: Missionary Work Chapter 544 -8: Missionary Work Ben¡¯s data were pretty excellent, except that his spiritual power lagged behind, causing some control issues that were neither too big nor too small. His overall strength had already reached the middle rank of Level 1 Creatures. With just a bit of training, Ben¡¯s combat abilities could surpass those of the former Osiris. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Keep in mind, Osiris, as the student of the Bishop of Tyr, had cybernetic augmentations that were considered top-notch within the Master of All Machines Church. Otherwise, his prosthetics would not have withstood a probing strike from Richard without being completely destroyed. After testing the data, Richard handed over the Magic Equipment that had been prepared in advance to Ben. ¡°This is the Healing Staff. It can heal wounds and cure diseases caused by bacteria. From now on, you are the Pope of the Miracle Sect. The Crow God will guide you on what to do.¡± Ben knelt on the ground, raising his hands above his head to receive the Healing Staff. Beside him, Osiris silently recorded this moment. As a former Bishop, he knew all too well what this handover would signify in the future scriptures of the Church. After passing the Healing Staff to Ben, Richard left the Secret Realm with Osiris and Ben. Back in the world, the filthy air polluted by industrial waste instantly caused both goblins to frown. Without comparison, there¡¯s no hurt. If they had not experienced the Secret Realm, they might never realize just how dismal their living environment actually was. Picking up a newspaper casually, Richard¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. ¡°Osiris, your teacher has been making great efforts to find you. The Protective Knights have been dispatched.¡± Osiris took the newspaper and, upon seeing the news that the Church¡¯s investigation team would soon arrive in Bruno City, felt a headache coming on as well. ¡°My teacher only has me as his student, so it¡¯s normal for him to react strongly. But given the current situation, he most likely thinks this is a show of force by political opponents. My teacher belongs to the Church Faction, and he has always opposed the Church becoming a lapdog of the Royal Court. Over the years, the Royal Court Faction¡¯s influence has grown stronger, and the Church Faction is losing its grip on the Church.¡± Power struggles are an indispensable part of any large organization. Even within the Truth Council of the Wizards, the battle between the Alchemy Shaping Power factions never ceased. It¡¯s just that, because the Wizard Civilization was always expanding, the cake kept growing, so the struggles were hardly noticeable. When the Wizard Civilization could no longer expand, or when it expanded to a certain size, fierce power struggles would inevitably emerge. However, Richard was not interested in the power struggles of the goblins. He just wanted to solve this trouble. ¡°The Church plans to expand in Bruno City. Do you have any way to make this team beat a retreat?¡± Osiris shook his head, ¡°No, the appearance of the Protective Knights signifies the Pope¡¯s approval of my teacher¡¯s stance. But their arrival is no obstacle to you, Master Sage, in expanding the Church.¡± Richard¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°The Protective Knights don¡¯t investigate heresies?¡± ¡°They do. They don¡¯t just investigate; they will eradicate any heresies,¡± Osiris replied blandly. ¡°But the Protective Knights are a group of snobs. They won¡¯t care if there are any issues with the worker class. In the eyes of the Church, Mechanics are the congregation. Ordinary workers are nothing more than a breeding ground for producing Mechanics.¡± Osiris¡¯s tone was very calm, but his words were decidedly cold. Richard was indifferent to this, even feeling somewhat pleased. Because the Master of All Machines Church didn¡¯t care about workers, it meant that the workers were a huge cake that no one shared with him. Faith only relates to the quantity and strength. Whether nobles or commoners, as long as they had not stepped onto the Evolution Road, their value was the same. The faith energy produced by an Emperor wouldn¡¯t be more than a slave¡¯s. Since the Master of All Machines Church had given up on this segment, he was quite happy to impolitely take it for himself. ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡± Richard suddenly asked. ¡°I think your identity could be quite useful. How many people like you are there within the Master of All Machines Church?¡± Osiris was stunned momentarily, then shook his head, ¡°I do not know, but I am sure my teacher would join under your banner, sir.¡± ¡°Oh? Like father, like son, huh?¡± Richard teased. ¡°No, my teacher and I are different,¡± Osiris said with respect on his face. ¡°My teacher has always wanted a technological revolution. He believes we have taken the wrong path. For the sake of a technological revolution, my teacher would even sell his soul.¡± ¡°That¡¯s devotion, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the kind of man my teacher is.¡± ¡°So, what are you planning to do?¡± After a long silence, Osiris slowly spoke, ¡°I plan to make clandestine contact with my teacher next, and the rest will depend on how he arranges things. If all goes as expected, this team of Protective Knights should become my teacher¡¯s sharp blade against the Royal Court Faction.¡± Richard¡¯s face showed a hint of amusement. ¡°These Protective Knights aren¡¯t cheap. Are they really to be used as expendables?¡± Osiris replied calmly, ¡°As long as the Church can be thoroughly controlled, let alone a team of Protective Knights, even if a whole Protective Knights Order were to perish, what does it matter? Protective Knights can be recreated, but opportunities to tackle the Royal Court Party, once missed, are hard to come by again.¡± ¡­ Not all factory workers lived in the dormitories of their workplaces. In the cheap apartment blocks that were home to most workers, located a couple of streets away from where Ben and the other Mechanics lived, eight or nine people would often live together in a single room. Even married workers had to share a house with other families. These houses lacked essential facilities such as toilets, sewage systems, and dumpsters, and various diseases were frequent visitors here. Upon seeing the living conditions of these workers, Richard fell into silence¡ªhis residence in the Heisen Territory was better than this. At least they could dig a toilet at home. ¡°I feel like with your capabilities, you could build a somewhat better living area for these workers,¡± Richard said, turning to Osiris. ¡°Under these conditions, the lifespan of a worker is significantly reduced, and disease and plague are constant visitors. Doesn¡¯t this affect your factories?¡± Osiris shook his head, ¡°There will always be people entering the city. As for the impact¡­ the factory owners are all shortsighted mortals. They only see the immediate profits. And the nobles of the Royal Court don¡¯t even see us as human.¡± ¡°The Church isn¡¯t making a move?¡± ¡°Why should the Church make a move?¡± That¡¯s right, if the Church doesn¡¯t care about the faith of the slaves, naturally, they wouldn¡¯t be interested in their living conditions either. Richard turned his head to look at the other side, where Ben was listening blankly to the conversation between Richard and Osiris. ¡°Ben, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± Ben shook his head honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t this situation touch you at all?¡± Ben replied blankly, ¡°This is just how it is at my home. Everyone squeezes into one room, it¡¯s so warm in the winter even without a heater.¡± Richard felt somewhat helpless in the face of Ben¡¯s response. He looked at the cheap apartments in front of him and slowly began, ¡°You¡¯ve become numb to this status quo, and that¡¯s not a good sign. Especially you, Ben.¡± Ben felt a bit confused by Richard¡¯s admonishment. To him, these living conditions were perfectly normal, so much so that they seemed like a natural right. That¡¯s how he got by, and so did his parents before him. This situation had started so long ago that it had become accepted as a rule of the world. ¡°Ben, have you ever thought about getting these workers a place to live like yours? It might still be crowded, but at least each family could have their own room.¡± Ben was startled by Richard¡¯s words and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re really joking. Where are all these houses for them to live in going to come from?¡± ¡°There¡¯s always the option to build more.¡± ¡°What about their work? If they live too far away, getting to work would be¡­¡± ¡°There can be steam locomotives for commuting.¡± Richard looked calmly at Ben. Although he didn¡¯t feel much about the current state of affairs, his reason told him that changing it could not only earn him a great deal of faith but might even complete his ritual once and for all. ¡°Ben, I am a Sage, and my purpose in this world is to change it. This era has been tainted for too long, so long that you all take it for granted. You are limited by your own vision and fail to see that this world could be different. But that¡¯s alright because I am here.¡± Richard¡¯s tone was very serious as he spoke, and a faint glimmer of Holy Light began to radiate from him, unnoticed by anyone when it had started. ¡°Ben, I have granted you power. Though it¡¯s not much, it¡¯s enough to change many people¡¯s lives. These changes, trivial compared to the vast world, but everything must start somewhere. Ben, do you have the courage to change this world with me?¡± Ben looked at the Holy Light emanating from Richard, and the word ¡°yes¡± almost burst forth from his lips. But as he saw the calm gaze of Richard, Ben suddenly halted. With a dejected tone, he said, ¡°Master Sage, I don¡¯t know.¡± Richard patted him on the shoulder. ¡°If you don¡¯t know, then let¡¯s just try. Do your best, and have no regrets.¡± Osiris, standing to the side, noted down this scene. Many years later, this moment was captured in a mural, along with many other legendary deeds, and the members of the Miracle Sect referred to this painting as¡ªDivine Revelation. ¡­ Banaby was a worker, employed at a metal smelting plant called Aus. Each day, he watched as the molten metal poured from the Melter, forming coils of steel or ingots, which were later loaded onto steam locomotives after cooling. Among many jobs in the city, Banaby¡¯s wasn¡¯t the most strenuous. However, the smelter¡¯s mineral dust, the incompletely filtered toxic air, and the perpetual noise still led to his occupational illness. Pneumoconiosis, chronic poisoning, hearing loss¡­ these afflictions did not spare Banaby even with factory improvements. Yet Banaby felt indifferent. That¡¯s just the life of a worker, no different from his grandfather¡¯s time. But an illness is still an illness, and Banaby soon couldn¡¯t work. Pneumoconiosis left him gasping for air, hearing loss made his ears feel plugged, and chronic poisoning sapped his strength. The once capable Banaby, who could move steel ingots with his coworkers, became a waste of space. His savings were insufficient to treat his occupational diseases, and he was reluctant to dip into them for health care. His eldest son was set to take the Mechanic¡¯s exam next year, and passing it would change their lives. Failure would mean his savings could still support two more attempts. The thought of his son not needing to live as lowly as he had once did made Banaby¡¯s breathing feel easier. However, his body degraded faster than anticipated, and he was soon dismissed by the factory. Following that, he could only lie on the ground, gasping for breath. His body couldn¡¯t sustain his activities any longer. As he lay on his blanket, Banaby¡¯s life flashed before his eyes. Just before death, a question suddenly nagged at him. What did his boss, Mr. Aus, do on a regular basis? He hardly saw Mr. Aus¡ªmost days, it was that toad-like, damned supervisor. He had only seen Mr. Aus once; in his memory, Mr. Aus dressed impressively, he spoke like a ¡°Big Shot,¡± even his stature was taller than theirs. Banaby murmured to himself, ¡°With such height, Mr. Aus must be very strong.¡± Soon, Banaby felt overwhelmingly tired. He knew his time was running out. There was regret in his heart, that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see his son become a Mechanic with his own eyes. But just as he was about to close his eyes for the last time, a commotion kept his eyelids from shutting. He heard his eldest son crying next to his ear, ¡°Dad, Brother Ben has come, he can surely cure you!¡± Chapter 545 - 9: Investigation Team Chapter 545 -9: Investigation Team Bruno City Station was under a tight lock down, with numerous goblin guards sealing off the entire station. Every entrance and exit had at least two guards on watch, and barricades were set up within a three-kilometer radius of the station. All goblins entering this area were strictly ID checked by the guards. These guards carried steam packs on their backs and wore anti-steam masks on their faces. They all wielded Beta-model V high-pressure steam nail guns. Thanks to iterative upgrades, this tool originally designed as a nail gun, could fire sixty alloy nails per minute, each capable of piercing through steel. Under such stringent supervision, the usually bustling Bruno City Station had turned eerily quiet. Inside the station, the Mayor of Bruno City, Adlan, glanced at his pocket watch. Behind him, every factory owner in Bruno who was present all arrived. These factory owners wore neat suits, their finely crafted leather shoes were wrinkle-free and dust-free. They wore specially made perfumes, and the platforms around them were spotlessly clean. Well-trained servants had covered the ground with red carpets and scattered fragrance throughout the station. Each gram of these perfumes cost as much as a worker¡¯s two or three days¡¯ wages, yet here, barrels of perfume were used just to spare the mayor and the numerous factory owners from smelling the ¡°foul stench of commoners.¡± ¡°It should be time,¡± Adlan whispered. The next moment, a dull sound of train wheels rolled into his ears. Rumble, rumble, rumble¡­ Whoosh! Accompanied by a piercing train whistle, a steel serpent approached from a distance, storming into the platform with unstoppable momentum. This train, instead of slowing down as it neared the platform, was not decelerating at all! The spectacle turned the factory owners pale, with many unconsciously stepping back. The fierce winds stirred up by the train whipped up a storm in the station, leaving the factory owners disheveled. The carefully prepared suits and hairstyles were all but ruined. Only Mayor Adlan remained unmoved in his original spot. Even under such wild behavior from the train, he didn¡¯t take a single step away. His demeanor remained graceful, his expression serene, and astonishingly, not even a speck of dust landed on him despite the raging winds. Adlan adjusted his clothes and elegantly walked towards the train entrance. It was only then that the factory owners realized that the armored giant beast had steadied itself on the platform within a few seconds. Rumble, rumble, rumble¡­ The side of the train car was pulled open, and twelve tall figures in cloaks stepped out from twelve carriages simultaneously. One figure approached Adlan and performed a greeting of the Master of All Machines Church. ¡°Defender Knight Elvin.¡± ¡°Mayor of Bruno City, Adlan.¡± As the tall figures gathered, the many factory owners finally got a clearer view of these giants. The bodies of these Defender Knights had been entirely converted into mechanics, their black cloaks hiding the external armored plates which did not reflect any light under the illumination. They wore helmets from the Master of All Machines Church, topped with hoods. Each Defender Knight carried a long box on their back, housing a Holy Sword forged by the church. Rumors had it that these Holy Swords could slice through metal as smoothly as a dinner knife through butter, so durable that even a bombardment by steam cannons a thousand times wouldn¡¯t leave a mark. ¡°Regarding Bishop Osiris, I wonder if your Grace has discovered anything new recently,¡± asked Elvin. Adlan smiled apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my men are incompetent. Despite days of investigation, they haven¡¯t found any clues.¡± Elvin nodded, saying nothing more. ¡°Please, lead us to the site.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± ¡­ A green light shot out from the top of the wooden staff and entered Bernard¡¯s body. Under the stimulation of Life Energy, Bernard¡¯s nearly deceased body suddenly revivalled with life. His eyes snapped open, wanting to discern what exactly had happened. When he turned his gaze to his side, he saw a tall man in a patched grey robe standing next to him, holding a very ordinary-looking wooden staff. Bernard suddenly remembered something¡ªan event from a few days ago when he¡¯d been idling. He had heard a worker at the Aus Smelting Factory mentioning that a saint had appeared on 13th Street. This saint nearly offered free healing to workers no matter how severe their injuries, and all could be cured by his hands. So, he was alive again? Before Bernard could speak, a strong sense of suffocation surged up into his brain once more. Noticing this, Ben showed a trace of compassion. The staff given to him by Richard could heal wounds and kill germs but it couldn¡¯t regenerate limbs or clear sediment-filled lungs. ¡°Brother Ben, my father he¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t fully cure your father¡¯s illness,¡± Ben gently shook his head, ¡°I can detoxify him and heal some old injuries, but his lungs are clogged with dust. Unless we replace his lungs, there is no other way to treat him.¡± Upon hearing Ben¡¯s response, Bernard¡¯s eldest son¡¯s face flashed with despair. ¡°Brother Ben, a lung transplant is necessary?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no other way.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s alright, curing the old wounds is also good.¡± The son forced a smile, then turned to rummage in a corner of the room. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bernard wanted to stop him, but the suffocation made it impossible for him to speak. Before long, the eldest son came before Brother Ben with a handful of coins, mostly small change with the occasional one-dollar coin. ¡°Cultivator, my family isn¡¯t wealthy, this money¡­¡± ¡°Stop, child,¡± Brother Ben said seriously, pushing away the eldest son¡¯s hand offering the money. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t take your money. If I wanted to make money, you wouldn¡¯t have even seen me. I just need you to come listen to my sermons. If you find what I say reasonable and keep our Lord in your heart, that would be even better.¡± The eldest son tried to insist, but he was no match for Ben. Ben blocked his hands with one hand. ¡°Do not insult me with money anymore, otherwise I will get angry.¡± Seeing Brother Ben so serious, the eldest son finally gave up on giving the money. He put the money back and said respectfully, ¡°Cultivator, I will definitely attend your sermon.¡± Ben nodded, then left the room silently without another word. Outside, Ulysses stood in the Void, quietly observing every move Ben made. Ben¡¯s emotions were visible to him; after several acts of salvation, Ben¡¯s numb heart had finally started beating again. Pity, sympathy, sorrow, anger¡­ all these emotions were building up inside Ben, making him ever more silent. And this was exactly what Richard and Ulysses had wanted. A sect cannot merely have deceitful hypocrites; genuine Saints are also an indispensable part of a sect. Richard was a Wizard. He was tolerant towards Goblins, an Alien race, but he would never show the heartfelt pity that a Saint would. Ulysses was even more excessive than Richard; as a Racial God, he viewed the suffering of other races as a mere joke. Therefore, they needed to nurture a Saint to uphold the teachings of their sect, and Ben was their first attempt. ¡­ In the Prayer Room, Elvin slowly brushed his hand against the walls. As a Defender Knight, his bionic limbs were crafted by the best craftsmen of the Master of All Machines Church using the most confidential technologies. His arms had multiple interfaces, almost compatible with any kind of prosthetic augmentation produced by the Master of All Machines Church. To investigate the reason behind Father Aus¡¯s disappearance, he had proposed and acquired a detection augmentation for assistance. With such meticulous exploration, Elvin quickly found the spot Richard had repaired. However, Elvin didn¡¯t notice anything unusual and kept on exploring. But soon, Elvin stopped. With a thought, an emitter extended from his arm; a deep red laser emitted from the emitter easily cut through the wall of Prayer City. Coincidentally, that section of the wall was where the steam pipe, which had previously started leaking, was located. ¡°As expected.¡± Seeing the steam pipe repaired by Richard, a look of recognition appeared on Elvin¡¯s face. In front of him was a rusty steam pipe, showing signs of leaks in many places due to being poorly maintained over the years. But on this corroded pipe, there was a spot that clearly looked different from the rest of the pipe. This spot had little to no rust or very faint rust compared to the nearly corroded parts around it; it looked almost as if someone had taken a little piece from a new pipe and attached it to this old one. Elvin gently touched that spot and a look of surprise emerged on his face. In his experience, there were generally only two ways to repair a pipe: replace it or weld it. But this spot showed no trace of welding. It was as if some miraculous force had caused the metal to deform itself, removing the rust and seamlessly merging it together. It was incredible, almost like something only the Master of All Machines could accomplish. Having such a capability, making the wall repairs utterly flawless, must not be a difficult task either. After welding the wall, Elvin turned and entered the Church laboratory. There, several of his team members were searching every corner of the lab. ¡°No need to search anymore; I¡¯m certain someone was here in the Prayer Room.¡± Hearing their leader¡¯s conclusion, the other Defender Knights stopped their movements. ¡°Who could it have done it?¡± Elvin shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but their methods are quite unique; it doesn¡¯t seem like the style of those monsters from the Church of the Lord of Flesh.¡± Hearing their captain¡¯s assessment, the present Defender Knights fell silent. The best case would be that it was the work of the Church of the Lord of Flesh, as the two churches had been adversaries for tens of thousands of years, and adding a bit more hatred wouldn¡¯t matter. But if it wasn¡¯t the work of the Church of the Lord of Flesh, then matters would become complicated. Within the entire Kingdom, there were only two forces capable of silently abducting a Bishop: the Royal Court, and the Church. The conflict between Bishop of Tyr and the Royal Court Faction was something even these Defender Knights had heard of. Getting caught in between their struggle was definitely not something desirable for them. ¡°What should we do, Captain?¡± a Knight asked in a low voice. Elvin shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I feel the situation is probably more complicated than we think. Although the Royal Court Faction has been gaining momentum, the Cardinal Court is still in the hands of the Church Faction. As the leader of the Church Faction, it would be foolish for the Royal Court Faction Chapter 546 - 10: Bishop of Tyr Chapter 546 -10: Bishop of Tyr Cults are a very common problem in this world. The future holds no hope, and the life lacked comfort for workers, who were the hotbed for the birth of cults. All sorts of miscellaneous cults and underground societies were very commonplace among the worker population. This was the reason Bernard¡¯s eldest son sought out Ben for treatment. These workers who nobody cared about could only afford to hire Ben. But a few Protective Knights felt that Elvin¡¯s decision to pin the blame on the cults and to muddle through the situation was unreliable. Bishop of Tyr was not a fool. He had sent them to investigate, and if they ended up concluding that a cult had murdered Bishop Osiris, such deception was unlikely to pass muster. Looking at their dubious gazes, Elvin slowly spoke up, ¡°If we don¡¯t pin it on the cults, then we might as well wait for our doom. The Royal Court Faction has been very aggressive lately. Even the Grand Master seems to be leaning subtly towards the Royal Court Faction. If we could really find any clues in this matter, it would be fine. But now, it¡¯s impossible for us to find any clues. More than a month has passed; any clues there were would have expired by now. I¡¯m even beginning to suspect that Bishop of Tyr might send someone to kill us, then disguise the act as that of the Royal Court Faction, thereby waging war against the Royal Court Faction and, in the process, winning over the Grand Master.¡± ¡°But cults really aren¡¯t feasible,¡± said a Knight helplessly. ¡°How could those disorganized mobs quietly kidnap a mechanical body bishop? Bishop Osiris was not some weak and useless being; his mechanical body was definitely of the Church¡¯s top standard.¡± ¡°Ordinary cults won¡¯t do, but the Abyss Sect can.¡± Elvin took a pocket from underneath his cloak, and as it swayed, one could faintly hear the sound of Crystal Stones clashing. ¡°Abyss Blood Crystals, these are spoils of war I kept from when I wiped out an Abyss Sect stronghold.¡± Upon hearing the name Abyss Blood Crystals, several Protective Knights were startled, with some even unconsciously adopting a defensive stance. ¡°Captain, you¡¯re insane! You dare to keep this stuff!¡± a Knight said in horror. ¡°Once tainted by this, not even the Grand Master can save you.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Elvin replied calmly. ¡°That¡¯s why I added some protections.¡± With that, Elvin took out three crystal tubes. Inside the tubes, crimson crystals sparkled with a sinister glimmer under the gaslight. ¡°Abyss Blood Crystals also require a medium to tempt creatures to consume them. As long as they are sealed, Abyss Blood Crystals can still be made into ornaments.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re suggesting, Captain is¡­?¡± asked a Knight, who Elvin had sent to investigate the cults, hesitantly. Elvin¡¯s voice was as calm as ever, like that of a real machine, as he explained his plan. ¡°It is to give these to them. A lurking Abyss Sect should be enough to handle Bishop of Tyr.¡± ¡°¡­This will lead to the death of many people, Captain,¡± said a Knight reluctantly. Elvin looked at him, his tone without the slightest fluctuation. ¡°Then come up with a solution that offends no one. If you can, I¡¯ll certainly follow your command.¡± The Knight fell silent. The situation at hand was a dead end. If they enforced the law impartially, they would definitely offend Bishop of Tyr, and might even provoke him to act, turning them into the rally cry against the Royal Court Party. But if they obeyed Bishop of Tyr, the Royal Court Faction would inevitably become their enemy. And if the Royal Court Faction ultimately won the struggle, they would still end up with a bitter fruit. Compared to these biased decisions, pinning it on a cult was undoubtedly the best solution. The plan would not offend the Royal Court Faction and would also allow Bishop of Tyr to let them off. The price was merely the lives of some slave laborers. In comparison to the futures of these Protective Knights, the lives of these slave laborers were exceedingly cheap. ¡°If there are no objections, then go ahead and do it.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± ¡­ When Ben was playing the role of Saint in the East District, Osiris also was not idle. Using some channels exclusively available to the Bishop of Tyr, Osiris, after a series of disguises, arrived at an estate outside of the Royal Court. On the surface, this estate belonged to a well-known merchant within the Kingdom, but in reality, it was under Bishop of Tyr¡¯s control. When faced with trouble or certain research issues, Bishop of Tyr would travel by private carriage to this estate to spend a period indulging in pleasures. Although the Master of All Machines Church and the Lord of Flesh Church were mortal enemies, typically, attitudes at the higher echelons of both were quite ambiguous. Bishop of Tyr had a body shell made by the Lord of Flesh Church, and when indulging in pleasure, he would shed his steely shell and return to his original flesh body, savoring the primal pleasures of bodily instincts. Not long after Osiris arrived at the estate, Bishop of Tyr came to the manor. A luxurious steam carriage passed through the gates of the estate, stopping in front of the foyer. With a click, the carriage door opened, and a servant, right on cue, approached and lay on the ground. Soon, Bishop of Tyr, no more than 1.2 meters tall, stepped on the servant¡¯s back and descended from the carriage. ¡°Take me to see him.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Passing through the foyer, Bishop of Tyr arrived at a corner. After shifting a decorative painting in the corner, a mechanical sound followed through the wall into Bishop of Tyr¡¯s ears. The ground caved in and the Bishop of Tyr arrived at a subterranean passage. Following it to the end, he came to a room forged from alloy. In the room, his prized student Ansen was leisurely swirling a glass of red wine. Upon seeing his teacher arrive, Ansen stood up from his chair and respectfully performed a salutation. ¡°Teacher.¡± The Bishop of Tyr sat down across from him, his voice calm as he asked, ¡°Your disappearance was quite untimely. What happened that you left without a trace for a month?¡± Ansen sat back down and responded in an equally indifferent tone, ¡°It was an irresistible force. Rather than the reasons for my disappearance, I think you should first take a look at this.¡± Saying that, Ansen detached his left arm and handed it to Tyr. Tyr frowned slightly, somewhat unclear about what his student was trying to convey. Because of his absence, he had misjudged the situation, causing the tensions between the Church Faction and the Royal Court Faction to escalate, almost to the point where no moderates could survive. In Tyr¡¯s view, this was not a good thing. But upon receiving Ansen¡¯s prosthetic arm, Tyr¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He incredulously weighed the arm in his hand and then, with astonishing speed, disassembled the prosthetic into several major components. Looking at the simple yet intricate mechanical structure inside the arm, Tyr was momentarily lost in bewilderment. ¡°What is this?¡± Tyr asked, pointing at the prosthetic in shock, ¡°There¡¯s no Crystal Stone core, and the mechanical structure is so simple. How did you accomplish this?¡± The moment he received the arm, Tyr noticed the change in the prosthetic¡¯s weight. The prosthetic was too light. Even if all its internal parts were made from the lightest alloys, it would almost be impossible to weigh this little. Moreover, he keenly observed that his student was not carrying an energy backpack. Without the support of an energy backpack, how could these prosthetics operate so precisely? He had just seen his student casually swirling his wine glass. But the answer his student gave was quite strange. ¡°Teacher, do you remember the theory of the Ovis Sect?¡± The theory of the Ovis Sect? Bishop Tyr searched his scattered memories for a long time and finally recalled the theory related to the Ovis Sect. ¡°The world is not the only one¡­ You mean this thing¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It comes from the Otherworld.¡± Ansen answered bluntly, ¡°During the days I was missing, I was taken away by a being from the Otherworld. There, I encountered a technique called Alchemy, which is ingeniously refined. It can change the properties of metal and accomplish with a few Runes what we need complex structures to do.¡± Tyr did not reply immediately after listening. He disassembled the prosthetic further until it was broken down into individual parts. He examined the parts over and over in his hands, and finally, he spoke, ¡°What does he want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but as of now, he only seems to want to establish a Church, a Church that is open to everyone.¡± Tyr was startled upon hearing Richard¡¯s intent. Establish a Church? And one that¡¯s open to everyone? Why did that kind of Church seem so familiar to him? ¡°That idea is quite dangerous,¡± Tyr replied, ¡°But the Abyss Sect has the same idea.¡± Ansen heard what his teacher was implying and responded, ¡°He is not from the Abyss Sect. His sect¡­ It¡¯s hard to describe. The Abyss Sect is so hard to detect because its members never resist. Under the power of the Abyss, they become energetic and comply with their roles, thereby evading the Church¡¯s scrutiny. But his church is different. He seems to plan to change the status quo and improve the lives of those enslaved workers.¡± ¡°A reformer?¡± Tyr summarized in his mind. ¡°But you also know the influence of the Abyss Sect on the Church. The Church has always been in favor of erring on the side of executing rather than sparing when it comes to cults.¡± Ansen shook his head slightly, ¡°Teacher, I think you misunderstood something. My visit is not to establish cooperation with you; I¡¯m here to recruit you into the faith.¡± Tyr was taken aback by Ansen¡¯s words. Invite him to join a cult? Invite him, the Red Cardinal who is second only to one and above thousands in the Master of All Machines Church, to join a cult? Had he gone mad, or had the world? But looking at the prosthetic dismantled into pieces, Tyr felt a flicker of temptation. A new path lay before him; was he to give up? Impossible, he couldn¡¯t give up on the technological revolution. But for him, a Red Cardinal, to become a follower of a cult, that was just foolish. A bold idea suddenly struck Tyr¡¯s mind. With his influence, perhaps he could capture this being from the Otherworld. If he could capture that being, the technological revolution would be his, and the cult would be eradicated¡ªa win-win. ¡°I would like to meet him,¡± Tyr said out loud. ¡°No problem,¡± Richard¡¯s voice came from behind Tyr. Tyr¡¯s face changed as a burst of noise came from the prosthetics on his body. Before he could react, the prosthetics suddenly locked up and became immobile. As a bishop of the Master of All Machines Church, his prosthetics were made from top-tier technology and the finest materials. In terms of combat ability, even the grandmaster of the Protective Knights couldn¡¯t touch him. But now, he lost all his combat ability in an instant. Richard removed his hand from Tyr¡¯s body, and without any protection against Alchemy, Tyr, who was substantially modified into a third-level creature, could even be singled out by a Second Ring Wizard. Ansen moved from his chair and vacated the seat directly opposite Tyr. Richard sat in front of Tyr, smiling as he said, ¡°Hello, Bishop of Tyr. I am the Sage of the Miracle Sect. Now, I think you should abandon the idea of capturing me.¡± Chapter 547 - 11: Subjugation Chapter 547 -11: Subjugation Looking at the noble who seemed to have albinism in front of him, fear instantly filled Tai¡¯er¡¯s heart. How long had it been since he last felt fear? Ten years? Twenty years? Since he had become a Red Cardinal, fear seemed to have become a stranger to him. He was a fierce vanguard of the Church Faction, fear should not have manifested in him. But now, he was afraid. He felt a pressure from this man like nothing he had ever experienced before; the intangible oppression almost made him lose the desire to resist. When did this man enter? How long had he been here? Had he been in this room all along or had he come in with him? What was the trick he used to make his prosthesis stop working? One question after another popped out of Tai¡¯er¡¯s mind, but he now had no energy to speak. Watching the silent Tai¡¯er, Richard seemed to remember something and snapped his fingers to disperse the imposing aura around him. Although he was not yet a Level 4 Creature, his aura was no different from that of a normal World Master. After dispersing his aura, Bishop Tai¡¯er finally found the strength to speak. ¡°This is ¡®Alchemy,¡¯ isn¡¯t it? To instantaneously turn my prosthesis into scrap metal, what an astonishing skill, it could indeed be called a miracle.¡± Richard shook his head with a smile, ¡°This is indeed one application of Alchemy.¡± ¡°Can I learn it?¡± Tai¡¯er asked. ¡°You can learn it, but whether or not you can master it depends on your own talent.¡± Hearing that he could learn it, Tai¡¯er¡¯s heart trembled fiercely. He made an effort to calm himself and said in a steady tone, ¡°Then Master Sage, what are the requirements to join the Church?¡± ¡°There are no specific requirements, just that you are willing to pray to our Lord and willing to help with the development of the Church.¡± ¡°Just that?¡± Tai¡¯er¡¯s tone was somewhat surprised, ¡°But aren¡¯t you planning to change society?¡± Richard leaned forward, his sharp gaze piercing through the mask¡¯s visor, through Tai¡¯er¡¯s eyeballs, and stabbing into his heart. ¡°No, I have no intention of changing this world, but I believe my followers will naturally change this world. No one wants to squeeze with seven or eight people in a small room, no one wants to work without undergoing biological transformation, no one wants to struggle for survival, no one wants to fight their whole life only to end up closing their eyes on a dirty straw mat. Before, they lacked power. But now, I will give them power.¡± Richard leaned back in his chair, his tone calm but with a hint of expectation. ¡°In the past they had no choice. But now, I have given them one. If they choose to continue living this way, I won¡¯t fight for them. But if they are willing to change, I am more than willing to provide some guidance and help.¡± ¡°What power can you give them?¡± Tai¡¯er countered,¡± Can you turn those workers into Knights? The Master of All Machines Church conducts a major inspection every three years with the purpose of selecting suitable candidates to transform into Knights. I think, given your insight, you should know the gap between ordinary people and Knights, ten thousand ordinary people are not as important as one Knight. Can you really turn these ordinary workers into Knights?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Richard retorted. ¡°I spent seven days evolving a mechanic from a normal human into a Level 1 Creature. Then, I spent three more days modifying him to allow him to match a Second-level Creature with the essence of a Level 1 Creature. Although this involved considerable expense, not everyone needs such vast resources. Tai¡¯er, how many Knights do you have? A hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand? But do you know how many workers there are? Countless! Your technological limitations only allow you to tap into a fraction of that power, and I need just a little more than you to win. And that is not difficult.¡± Ansen also interjected timely, ¡°Teacher, Master Sage is telling the truth. I witnessed him elevate a mechanic, who had not undergone any enhancement, to a Knight.¡± Tai¡¯er fell silent. He suddenly felt fear again, although he had always been seeking change, but when change truly arrived, he became timid. He felt that this man calling himself a sage was a devil; every word he spoke seemed to carry magic. His words sounded absurd, but he couldn¡¯t help believing that they were true. The number of workers was countless; just tapping into one-thousandth of their power would crush the Royal Court and the Master of All Machines Church like insects under a wheel. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But¡­ what about the two Eternal God Kings? Compared to the Eternal Trace God King, both the Royal Court and the Master of All Machines Church were also insects. Looking at the man before him, Tai¡¯er felt his heartbeat accelerating. Although his mind was still weighing the pros and cons, deep inside, he had already made a decision. Tai¡¯er asked, ¡°Can you first remove the shackles on me? I feel that even if I exert myself to the fullest, I won¡¯t be able to match you.¡± ¡°Sound judgment,¡± Richard stated. As soon as he had finished speaking, Tai¡¯er noticed Richard produced a slender iron spike from his hand. The spike pricked his prosthetic body, leaving behind an imperceptible dent. In the next moment, Tai¡¯er felt a mysterious power coursing through his prosthetic. Under this power, the stuck gears started moving again, and the frozen levers began to function. As the energy backpack fed energy and high-pressure steam into the prosthetic limbs, Tai¡¯er instantly ¡°came to life.¡± Tai¡¯er moved his prosthetic limbs; the fluid movement almost made him believe that his previous restraint was just an illusion. He looked at Richard and then knelt on both knees, bowing deeply. ¡°Master Sage, please lead me on the righteous path.¡± ¡­ In the East District of Bruno City, two short figures cloaked in capes entered a tavern. Taverns, in most worlds, are places of mixed company. In this hub of diverse identities and personalities, curious tidbits always floated around. ¡°Old Gruly, you¡¯re still alive?¡± Inside the tavern, an old Goblin with dark, shriveled skin expressed his surprise joyfully at someone nearby. Next to him, another old, yet considerably healthier, Goblin drained his beer and opened his arms wide to his long-time friend. ¡°Old Gunt, you old rascal, if you¡¯re still kicking, how could I possibly precede you in death?¡± The two old Goblins embraced and then found a table to sit down. ¡°Old Gruly, did you win the lottery by walking past a dog poo? Last I heard, you were immobile. But look at you now¡­ Damn, you look fantastic!¡± Saying so, Old Gunt slapped Old Gruly hard on the back. Old Gruly signaled for the tavern wench to serve more drinks and then, with a mysterious expression, told Old Gunt, ¡°Lottery my foot, those things are just to bamboozle us laborers. The winners are always insiders. I was saved by Brother Ben.¡± ¡°Brother Ben?¡± Old Gunt¡¯s expression subtly changed. Recently, the name Brother Ben had spread like a plague in the East District. Some said he was an elect of the Complete Lord, sent to save the laborers suffering in this world. Others claimed he was an envoy of the Alien God, come to replace the Complete Lord and reshape the world. Yet others speculated that he was an elect of the Abyss, a veiled Abyss Messenger. Anyone he saved would eventually become a slave to the Abyss. Amidst the myriad rumors, one common belief was that Brother Ben truly was saving people. But the East District was large, and the laborers, exhausted from a day¡¯s toil and nursing aching backs, seldom ventured out, making the name Brother Ben a widely known urban legend. Many knew the name, but few had seen the man. ¡°Was your condition really cured by Brother Ben?¡± Old Gunt was somewhat skeptical. He knew of Old Gruly¡¯s ailment, an occupational disease from the Meuse Chemical Plant. Once contracted, unless one underwent long-term blood transfusion and organ replacement, it was a death sentence. But looking at Old Gruly now, he appeared healthier than a healthy Goblin. ¡°Of course it was,¡± replied Old Gruly. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the nonsense outside; Brother Ben is a good man. If you ask me, he¡¯s a saint, sent by the Complete Lord to save us laborers.¡± Old Gunt pondered, then asked, ¡°What does Brother Ben look like?¡± ¡°What does he look like¡­ I¡¯m not quite sure. Brother Ben is very tall, almost like a Noble. When he was treating me, I was busy bowing; I didn¡¯t have the chance to look at his face.¡± ¡°And what was he wearing? What did he dress like?¡± ¡°When he treated me, he wore a grey robe with patches on it. But don¡¯t rely on that to find him. If you¡¯re looking for Brother Ben, find a tall man holding a wooden stick. The wooden staff he holds is a treasure given to him by the Sage; it¡¯s with that staff he heals.¡± Old Gunt nodded thoughtfully, then rubbed his belly. If Brother Ben could cure diseases, might his own illness be cured as well? Old Gunt was unaware that during their conversation, two pairs of eyes were quietly observing them from the shadows. Soon, two figures in black cloaks left the tavern. After meandering through the complex streets of the East District and ensuring they were not followed, the two black-cloaked figures pulled down their hoods, revealing the distinctive metal helmets of the Master of All Machines Church. ¡°Brother Ben, it looks like we don¡¯t need to fabricate a cult ourselves, Imilo.¡± The Goblin named Imilo replied, ¡°Loren, this cult seems a bit unusual. Curing with just a wooden stick feels like something out of a play. Even the priests of the Lord of Flesh in the Church can only accelerate healing; they can¡¯t cure diseases.¡± Loren laughed dismissively, ¡°What do these simpletons know of the world? A minor disguise and our prosthetics could look just like real human arms. Don¡¯t overthink it; cults sound mystical in rumors, but none can withstand a barrage of Steam Arrows.¡± Chapter 548 - 12 How can mere alloys compare to flesh blessed by God? Chapter 548 -12 How can mere alloys compare to flesh blessed by God? Having gathered all the necessary information, the two Defender Knights silently returned to the Cathedral of the Master of All Machines. There, they dismantled their disguised prosthetic limbs and replaced them with their usual combat limbs. In the Order of the Master of All Machines, Defender Knights possessed the most advanced mass-produced prosthetics in the world. These limbs were covered in black Armored Plate and contained multiple plugin interfaces. Depending on their combat style, Defender Knights would equip their battle prosthetics with different plugins to assist them in combat. The two Defender Knights assigned to investigate the Cult were both renowned for their agility. Equipped with Steam Burst Plugins and Energy Impact Devices, they were able to move with the speed of Thunder and the lightness of swifts in battle. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After they had switched back to their combat prosthetics, they opened their weapon boxes. Inside, two pitch-black two-handed greatswords sparkled coldly under the light of the gas lamps. The Protecting the Holy Sword was the standard-issue equipment for every Defender Knight, made of the Abyss-cutting Alloy ¨C the most resilient material crafted by the Church of the Master of All Machines. It can withstand a million tons of force with only a slight bend, and the sharpness of the blade was such that it could slice through a flying Steam Arrow without suffering any damage. In an ancient past, warriors from the Artificial Body Cult, the precursor of the Church of the Master of All Machines, fought alongside the Complete Lord wielding the Protecting the Holy Sword. Even the mightiest of Abyss Demons would be cleaved in two by these blades. ¡°Do we need to use the Holy Sword for this mission?¡± Loren couldn¡¯t help but ask, staring at the Holy Sword. Imilo stood the Holy Sword upright in front of him, then performed an elegant flourish. The greatsword, which would normally require two hands for ordinary people to use, was as light as a Single-handed Sword in his grasp. ¡°There¡¯s a saying in the Far East: ¡®Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses all its might.¡¯ I have a feeling this target won¡¯t be easy, so it¡¯s safer to bring the Holy Sword along,¡± he said. Loren scoffed, ¡°Imilo, you¡¯re always so cautious. Even if this Brother Ben is an Abyss Sect¡¯s bishop, without a horde of minions to overwhelm us, he stands no chance against us.¡± Imilo didn¡¯t reply but casually sheathed the Holy Sword into the scabbard on his combat limb. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I hope that Brother Ben has the good sense to cooperate with us. He might still enjoy his days a bit longer. I really don¡¯t look forward to impersonating a Cult leader to infiltrate their ranks.¡± ¡°Ha, hopefully he¡¯s wise enough.¡± ¡­ Inside a cheap apartment in the East District, Brother Ben was surrounded by Goblins, with an Old Goblin in front of him whose heartbeat was nearly stopped. Ben gently waved the Healing Staff. As Energy surged into the Magic Wand, a green beam of light entered the patient¡¯s body. In the next instant, the signifying black-green complexion of the Old Goblin abruptly opened his eyes, and his skin started to regain a more vibrant shade of green. The surrounding Goblins erupted in cheers at this sight. ¡°It worked, old Charlie has come back to life!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I knew Brother Ben could save old Charlie.¡± ¡°Praise the Lord of Miracles and the God of Crows.¡± The healed Old Goblin looked around in confusion but, upon seeing Ben next to him, promptly struggled to sit up and bowed respectfully. ¡°My noble Lord.¡± Ben chuckled softly, crossing his arms in front of his chest in response, ¡°Old Charlie, I¡¯m no noble. I am Brother Ben. I have healed your ailment with the grace of God.¡± Finishing his words, Ben whispered to a nearby Goblin, ¡°Although old Charlie has recovered, his lifespan hasn¡¯t increased. So you should be prepared.¡± The Goblin who was informed nodded, crossed his hands over his chest, and replied, ¡°I understand, Brother Ben. May our Lord¡¯s glory shine on you forever.¡± Upon leaving the apartment, Ben reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll. Inside the scroll was a quill pen. Unrolling the scroll, Ben used the quill to strike out a name. ¡°Let¡¯s see, who¡¯s next¡­ Number 13 on Ninth Street.¡± The scroll was filled with addresses, all belonging to families that had joined the Miracle Sect. After several days of miracles and proselytism, the Miracle Sect was spreading rapidly among the worker population of the East District. Countless Goblins came looking for Ben each day, hoping he could heal their relatives. Although Ben was somewhat tired, he felt very happy about it. His long-term exploitation had nearly numbed his heart, but after a few days of preaching, his suppressed emotions were reawakening. In other words, he had now found a cause he could truly devote himself to from the bottom of his heart. Thinking thus, Ben entered an alleyway. The East District wasn¡¯t as well-organized as the West District or the outskirts; numerous illegal construction projects created much confusion. This resulted in many places that should have been passable being blocked while supposedly inaccessible areas might have a narrow path leading through. As he proceeded through the alley, Ben suddenly sensed something wrong. A prickling sensation, like needles on his back, made him uncomfortable all over. Ulysses, invisible in the Void, watched the hidden Defender Knights with some headache, ¡°Didn¡¯t Osiris say we wouldn¡¯t attract attention? And yet here we are, noticed.¡± Both Defender Knights were Second-level Creatures, and their body equipment consisted of the even more powerful combat prosthetics. If Ben had to fight on his own, in a matter of moments, Ulysses would have had to collect his corpse. ¡°Never mind, this opportunity can serve as a practice for Ben.¡± Ulysses emerged from the void and, after rendering himself invisible, quietly moved next to Ben, ready to assist in a moment of danger. Clink! Clink! The crisp sound of mechanical movement reached Ben¡¯s ears. He looked behind alertly, only to see a black-robed giant unexpectedly blocking the alley he had come through. The giant was entirely clad in black, complete with a black cloak. But thanks to the enhancements received from Richard, Ben¡¯s abilities had greatly improved. He could clearly make out the helmet of the Master of All Machines Church under the giant¡¯s hood, and the pitch-black armor beneath his cloak. ¡°A Defender Knight?¡± Ben spoke up. ¡°Oh, not bad, recognizing us yet still being able to remain so composed,¡± Loren looked at the short figure before him, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. Although he hadn¡¯t wisely kneeled down and begged for mercy, the fact that he was able to maintain his rationality meant the subsequent cooperation would undoubtedly be much easier. Upon seeing Loren, that feeling of a thorn in his side did not vanish. He sharply turned around, only to see that at some point, another Defender Knight had also blocked the other end of the alley. ¡°Two Defender Knights, what an honor,¡± Ben said with a composed smile. ¡°Kid, we have something we need you to do,¡± Imilo holding a long sword, slowly approached Ben, ¡°I advise you to stand still and not make any movements. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t mind finding someone else to cooperate with.¡± ¡°Cooperate?¡± Ben almost laughed out loud, ¡°Two Defender Knights wanting to cooperate with a leader of a cult like me, I would have certainly taken it for madness in the past.¡± But the next moment, Ben¡¯s chuckling expression abruptly tightened. A sound of a beating drum-like silent heartbeat reached the ears of the two Defender Knights. Imilo¡¯s expression did not change, and suddenly there was a loud noise from his feet. White steam erupted from underneath him, the tremendous force making Imilo¡¯s speed faster than a bullet. On the other side, Loren also charged towards Ben. Since he was closest to Ben, he didn¡¯t use the steam burst. Even so, the Defender Knight¡¯s mechanical prosthetics were enough to make his speed surpass that of many other Knight Level prosthetics known for their speed. For a Level 1 Creature, this situation was checkmate. Even a One Ring Wizard, in such a situation, could only escape by using spatial powers. Ben had only become a Level 1 Creature for a month, and had only been able to move freely for a week. In this one week, Richard had only taught Ben a version of the Faceless Holy Scripture that he had modified. Besides that, Richard hadn¡¯t taught him any means of combat. At this moment, Ben had no way out. However, just as Ulysses was about to make his move, a layer of Energy Barrier, shining with Holy Light, appeared around Ben. The Black Sword struck the Energy Barrier, pausing momentarily before going deeper, and Loren¡¯s fist did the same. But in such a brief pause, Ben¡¯s body slipped past the blade, breaking out from the encirclement like a fish gliding through the water. Thump, thump, thump¡­ The drum-like heartbeat continued to pound in Ben¡¯s ears, his Third Level heart within his chest beating rapidly at this moment, supplying any Energy his body demanded. Before his energy circulation was depleted, his body wouldn¡¯t feel the slightest fatigue. A sneer squeezed onto Ben¡¯s face: ¡°The prosthetics of a Defender Knight, not so impressive after all.¡± The two Knights exchanged a look, seeing a hint of disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes. How did this cult leader manage to escape? But as professional warriors, the two Defender Knights didn¡¯t dwell on the details and launched their attack once more. Bang, bang, bang¡­ One Knight burst from the ground, while the other stepped on the walls to attack Ben from the air. At this moment. Every escape route for Ben was sealed off. Boom! Dust flew everywhere. The next moment, sharp blade light tore through the dust. From within the dust, the two Defender Knights lunged once again, missing their target. Ben¡¯s figure stood behind them, somewhat surprised as he looked at his left shoulder. ¡°Ben, well done,¡± Ulysses¡¯s voice was filled with approval, ¡°Now I will bestow upon you a blessing, slay these lackeys of the false beings.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Crow,¡± The two Knights watched as Ben performed a salute to nothingness, soon after, he was enveloped by a layer of Holy Light. Ben got into position, gesturing at the two Defender Knights to come forward. ¡°Come and fight, you lackeys of the false beings!¡± On hearing those words, Loren¡¯s expression turned cold: ¡°Hah, seeking death!¡± The next instant, there was a loud explosion in the palm of his hand, a specially crafted alloy arrow piercing through dense steam, almost instantly arriving in front of Ben¡­ and then it could not move an inch further. Ding! The alloy arrow, capable of penetrating a meter of solid steel, shattered upon impact against Ben¡¯s head. In the Void, Ulysses laughed scornfully. ¡°Something with only an Energy Level of three thousand trying to break through the Divine Blessing? Ben, don¡¯t worry about those attacks, just go ahead and make your move.¡± Seeing the Steam Arrow proved futile, the two Defender Knights finally realized the gravity of the situation. Before they could react further, Ben¡¯s figure dashed through the dense steam, closing in on them. There was no roar, no words, Ben swung a silent punch, and with a thud, Loren¡¯s midsection armor caved in, and he was sent flying backward in an instant. Imilo swung the Holy Sword fiercely, but it might as well have been made of wood when it struck Ben¡ªit did not even leave a scratch. Incomprehension, panic, fear¡­ a flood of negative emotions burst forth, spreading in the hearts of the two Defender Knights. ¡°What the hell are you, and why can your body withstand the Holy Sword!¡± shouted Imilo in terror. Ben looked at him, his expression fervent. ¡°How could mere alloy compare to a body blessed by God.¡± Chapter 549 - 13: Abyss Blood Crystal Chapter 549 -13: Abyss Blood Crystal With divine blessing boosting him, Ben fought harder and harder, and the power of his fists grew stronger and stronger. In the end, each of his punches left a deep red dent in the Defender Knight¡¯s armor. Bang! The external armor, already dented like the surface of the moon, ultimately couldn¡¯t bear the burden and Ben¡¯s fist, like a sledgehammer, punctured the armor, shattering the knight¡¯s heart. On the other side, Imilo, who had already given up resisting, was pacing around frantically as if he had gone mad. In his field of view, this alley seemed never to have an end. No matter how he walked, he could never find his way out. Seeing that Ben had already dealt with one, Ulysses flapped his wings and lifted the Illusion from Imilo. Though he wasn¡¯t great at Illusion Technique, bullying a Second-level Creature was still no problem. As the illusion was lifted, Imilo, seeing himself pacing in place, looked slightly bewildered. But with a heavy punch, he instantly remembered why he had been running. ¡°Evil Demon! Evil Demon!¡± Terrified, Imilo dashed towards the alley¡¯s exit, even dropping the Protecting the Holy Sword. But he didn¡¯t get far before Ben, his face twisted in frenzy, caught him. Violent punches, like raindrops, fell onto Imilo¡¯s body, and during the struggle, a pocket slid from his waist, revealing a crystal tube inside. The next moment, the sky seemed to darken. A powerful, overwhelming force descended upon Ben and Imilo. ¡°Ben, stop, we need this guy alive.¡± Ulysses uncovered himself, the Black Flames enveloping his body making him look like a fierce beast devouring the heavens and the earth. He held the crystal tube from the bag before him, and with a thought, a ball of Flames was born in the air. Under the high heat of the flames, the tube gradually melted away, revealing the Abyss Blood Crystal it contained. Ulysses looked at the Blood Crystal and suddenly burst into a strange laughter. ¡°Ha ha ha ha, Abyss trash! Didn¡¯t expect to encounter you here!¡± In the sound of this laughter, both Ben, and Imilo beneath him, were trembling non-stop. They could feel that the terrible pressure was growing larger in the laughter, as immense as a tidal wave approaching them, as heavy as a mountain pressing down on their heads. Suddenly, Ulysses eased off the pressure. He flew before Imilo and asked, ¡°Goblin, tell me, where did you get this? Speak, and I might let you live.¡± Looking at the crow no bigger than his palm, Imilo couldn¡¯t harbor a single thought of defiance. He thought to himself, perhaps this time, he had not encountered a swindler or the Abyss Sect, but a real god who had not left his mark in the world. ¡°Sir, this is an Abyss Blood Crystal. Abyss Sect uses it to transform Abyss Demons.¡± ¡°Transform Demons? They still need to use this Abyss Blood Essence to transform demons?¡± Imilo¡¯s answer confused Ulysses; in his memory, Abyss Blood Essence had always been a high-level nourishment for Abyss Demons. Although he indeed had heard that Abyss Demons sometimes used Abyss Blood Essence for transforming other demons, those were tactics from the early days of war. After such a long war, Abyss Demons had been progressing. Nowadays, Abyss Demons generally use Abyss Blood Pools for mass transformations. Any ordinary creature thrown into the Abyss Blood Pool would transform into an Abyss Demon. Although there were formidable beings who could retain their sanity after being transformed into Abyss Demons, the retention of that reasoning became a kind of torture under the influence of their bodies. The transformed would have to watch helplessly as they fell into becoming Abyss Demons. ¡°Kid, what is this Abyss Sect you speak of?¡± This time, Imilo did not need to answer; Ben could respond to Ulysses¡¯s question. ¡°In the Ancient Times, the Complete Lord battled with Abyss Demons, using his own body to suppress them under the Abyss. However, the suppressed demons were not completely dead, they tempted the goblins using special means. These goblins, once tempted, would spontaneously pass the power of the Abyss Demons to more people, and these goblins contaminated with Abyss Power are what formed the Abyss Sect.¡± ¡°Ha!? That Complete Lord suppressed the actual Abyss?¡± Ben¡¯s explanation was one of the most widely known mythological stories of this world. Initially, Ulysses had thought this ¡®Abyss¡¯ was ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Pioneer¡¯s legacy¡­ then this Abyss rabble would either be an expedition sent out before they fully mastered the Abyss Pipeline System, or a faction who lost a power struggle, pursued by a Great Demon, forced to flee the Abyss as exiles.¡± These two possibilities, if it were the former, it would still be manageable, as they had not accessed the Abyss Pipeline System, and even if they broke the seal, it would just be an Abyss Erosion confined to one world. But if it were the latter, then the trouble would indeed be considerable. The minds of Abyss Demons are very chaotic, often making irrational decisions. If during the battle, they suddenly connected to the Abyss Pipeline. Without the backing of civilization, the war would basically be declared a failure. ¡°Ah, what a troublesome world,¡± Ulysses sighed, then grabbed Imilo and flew into the Secret Realm. ¡°Ben, continue preaching.¡± Ben respectfully addressed the space rift, ¡°Yes, Lord Crow.¡± ¡­ Bishop of Tyr¡¯s estate. Richard looked at Tyr, who was kneeling on the ground, and was momentarily stunned. That was quite an abrupt submission. Yet, Richard was rather pleased to have subdued Tyr so smoothly. He rose to his feet, his body emanating a gentle Holy Light. He bent down, gently placing one hand on Tyr¡¯s head. ¡°Lost lamb, I will guide you to the right path.¡± Upon saying this, a halo appeared above Tyr¡¯s head. This halo, called Holy Favour, was a Divine Art specially created by the Gods Civilization to subjugate strong entities with dissenting hearts. Its effect was similar to a Curse. If Tyr remained loyal to the Miracle Sect, the Holy Favour would not harm him; instead, it would allow him to borrow Richard¡¯s power. But if Tyr betrayed the Miracle Sect, the Holy Favour would transform into the most vicious Curse, draining Tyr¡¯s energy, life, and even soul, all returning to Richard. Tyr rose, and the halo of Holy Favour disappeared. Richard took out a book titled ¡°Basic Alchemy¡± from his pocket and handed it to him. ¡°This is the basics of Alchemy. First take a look. If you can use it directly, there will be no need for transformation surgery. If not, come find me.¡± Tyr raised his hands above his head and eagerly accepted the Basic Alchemy, then began to greedily read. Richard appreciated this behavior; he had no objection. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Wizards are not a race but a profession. Wizards are scholars who seek the truth, as long as the spirit of exploration is present and actions are taken in its pursuit, any race can be called wizards. This is also one of the underlying logics why Bloodline Witchcraft thrives among wizards without causing their dissolution. Tyr sped through Basic Alchemy in six hours. After reading it, he felt incredibly moved. ¡°This¡­ is amazing. It¡¯s like something out of a play. A few Runes, a complex geometric figure, some simple energy manipulation, and mental techniques can achieve almost undamaged material alterations.¡± He sketched the simplest pentagram Alchemy Array on the table and followed the book¡¯s directions to mobilize energy and spirit. As energy was injected, the Alchemy Array gradually lit up. But soon, the lit Alchemy Array began to experience unstable energy fluctuations. With a ¡°bang,¡± the Alchemy Array exploded, leaving a scorch mark on the metal table. Richard watched the scene and shook his head slightly, ¡°It seems it won¡¯t work, your energy and the Alchemy Array aren¡¯t very compatible.¡± Bishop Tyr looked at the scorched table, his face not showing dismay but rather determination as he felt invigorated. During the experiment, he had felt his spiritual power enter the table. In that moment, the hard metal felt like part of his body, which he could knead and flatten at will. ¡°Do you need transformation surgery?¡± Richard suddenly asked. ¡°No, Master Sage,¡± Tyr suppressed his excitement and replied as calmly as possible, ¡°I think this Basic Alchemy can occupy me for a long time. I plan to try and see if I can use the powers of the goblin to perform Alchemy.¡± Richard nodded slightly, a knowing smile appearing on his face. Clever people are always confident. Tyr¡¯s ascent to the Red Cardinal was not solely based on his political skills. The Master of All Machines Church is a research institution disguised as a religious organization, and apart from political cunning, presenting noteworthy inventions is essential for advancement. And achieving the position of Red Cardinal, Tyr¡¯s mechanical skills were unsurpassed by ordinary people. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then continue your research. By the way, do you have any data on goblin transformations here? The data I¡¯ve collected is from folk sources, I need something more in-depth.¡± Tyr¡¯s previous words had sounded an alarm for Richard. If his followers were to change this world, force was indispensable. Therefore, before the real resistance began, it was best to prepare a complete set of transformation surgeries to deal with the crackdown by the Royal Court. Chapter 550 - 14 This World Really Sucks Chapter 550 -14 This World Really Sucks ¡°A deeper level of information? You still need information?¡± Tai¡¯er was somewhat astonished. In his view, Alchemy was nothing short of a miracle, and any creature that could master such technology would find performing transformation surgeries as simple as pie. ¡°Of course I need information,¡± Richard replied, puzzled. ¡°You¡¯ve studied transformations for so many years; the information you¡¯ve accumulated must be more detailed than what I could gather on my own. Transforming a body is precise work. If you don¡¯t pile on the materials, then all you can do is focus on the details. Otherwise, the transformation surgery would be nothing more than reckless endangerment of life.¡± Tai¡¯er was stunned for a moment, then he quickly understood. Alchemy was a technology, not some divinely gifted black-box ability. It was the crystallization of wisdom concluded from research by countless generations of Wizards. Since it was a technology, naturally, information was needed as support. ¡°I understand. Please follow me,¡± he said. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Following Tai¡¯er, Richard left the secret room and came to a separate building at the back of the manor. Upon entering, Richard was greeted by towering bookshelves and neatly arranged hardcover books. ¡°With all due respect, Master Sage,¡± Tai¡¯er said reverently to Richard, ¡°my library should contain all the publicly released techniques from the inception of the Artificial Body Cult to the current Master of All Machines Church. I believe you will find all the information you need within.¡± ¡°All publicly released techniques?¡± Richard took note of that qualification, ¡°So there are some that have not been made public.¡± Tai¡¯er nodded and smiled, ¡°As researchers, everyone likes to keep some tricks to themselves.¡± Richard also smiled upon hearing this; indeed, it was the same everywhere. Looking at the massive collection of books before him, Richard waved his hand, indicating that Tai¡¯er should go attend to his own affairs. He was going to need a long time to study, and having Tai¡¯er accompany him would be pointless. ¡­ Although many of the Goblin¡¯s technologies seemed extremely primitive in Richard¡¯s eyes, after so many years of development, even the most backward technology had its merits. The origin of Goblin prosthetic technology was unknown, but it was clear that the technology had existed and matured during the time when the Complete Lord walked the earth. The prosthetic technology of that era wasn¡¯t as extreme as it now; its main purpose was to enable crippled Goblins to recover normal function. However, as the Abyss Demons invaded, the technology began to deviate. People realized in battle that the Goblins¡¯ frail bodies simply couldn¡¯t compare to the stronger bodies of Abyss Demons. Apart from regenerative capabilities, Goblins were thoroughly outclassed in physical qualities by the Abyss Demons. It was from that point on that Goblins began to replace their flesh with prosthetics crafted from metal. Thus, the precursor to the Master of All Machines Church¡ªthe Artificial Body Cult¡ªwas born. Members of the Artificial Body Cult initially only replaced parts of their bodies with prosthetics. But as the war progressed, they started adopting more extreme practices. From initially replacing parts of their bodies with prosthetics, to keeping only some flesh while mechanically transforming the rest, and eventually, completely replacing their entire bodies with prosthetics, preserving only the heart and brain¡ªtwo organs necessary for surviving. Had it not been for technological limitations, Richard had no doubt that these Goblins would have transformed themselves to resemble Alchemy Wizards¡ªmaterializing their Souls, constructing artificial magic circuits within, and thereby completely prostheticizing their entire bodies. In the end, they came up with the teaching now followed by the Master of All Machines Church¡ªflesh is weak, machinery is eternal. So much so that now, all the Defender Knights and regional Bishops and above in the Master of All Machines Church are completely transformed. Aside from the brain and heart, their entire bodies consist of artificial components. This kind of transformation had considerable advantages. Freed from weak flesh, the senses of the Artificial Body Priests could be vastly expanded. Things they couldn¡¯t see before, they could now observe through their prosthetics. Things they couldn¡¯t perceive before, they could now clearly sense. But the disadvantages were evident; the Goblin technology was inadequate. Upon encountering higher life forms, their prosthetics were at no advantage compared to the Church of the Lord of Flesh¡¯s Priests. Instead, due to technological reasons, their reactions might be slower than normal third-level creatures by an instant. Though that moment was trivial, it could be fatal in battle. To compensate for this flaw, the Bishops of the Master of All Machines Church never operated alone. Each time they moved, they were accompanied by a large number of Knights and transformed servants. Through sheer numbers, and enough firepower, they compensated for the shortcomings in individual strength. However, with Richard¡¯s arrival, this drawback was naturally nullified. But as Richard was immersed in a sea of books, a call from Ulysses roused him from his studies. ¡°Richard, come to the Secret Realm. There¡¯s big trouble in this world.¡± Big trouble? Richard was slightly startled. There weren¡¯t many things that could constitute a ¡®big trouble¡¯ for Ulysses. What was hidden in this world? ¡­ Inside the Secret Realm, Ulysses was carefully observing a Blood Crystal from the Abyss. Suddenly, a rift appeared in the Secret Realm, and Richard stepped through it. ¡°What¡¯s the problem, what big trouble?¡± Ulysses presented the Abyss Blood Crystal to Richard and explained, ¡°This is Abyss Blood Essence, one of the high-grade supplements of the Abyss Demons.¡± Hearing this introduction, Richard¡¯s hand that touched the Blood Crystal trembled slightly. He was well aware of just what kind of existence Ulysses referred to as Abyss Demons¡ªthe fearsome civilization of the Abyss Demon Civilization, which had waged a two-thousand-year war with the Gods Civilization. Now, high-grade supplies for the Abyss Demons had appeared in this world, the implications of which were self-evident. Richard held the Blood Crystal in his hands and examined it. This Blood Crystal, rather than being a crystal stone, was more like flesh pretending to be a crystalline structure. Within this crystal, there were vast amounts of energy and a considerable number of dormant cells. These cells were asleep, protected by the crystal shell and nourished by a huge supply of Life Energy, and they could survive for thousands of years. ¡°Is this world about to be invaded by Abyss Demons?¡± Richard asked with furrowed brows and a somewhat somber expression. If this world was to be invaded by the Abyss, then he could only switch to another world to continue the ritual. ¡°No, it¡¯s a bit better than that,¡± Ulysses replied. ¡°The Abyss has already finished invading.¡± Upon hearing this ¡°good news,¡± Richard¡¯s hanging heart finally died. ¡°What kind of good news is that,¡± Richard couldn¡¯t help but complain. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s good news,¡± Ulysses explained, ¡°that bunch of Abyssal riffraff has been sealed, and the Abyss Demons that invaded aren¡¯t connected to the Abyss Main World by an Abyss Pipeline. If this isn¡¯t good news, then there is no good news.¡± Richard¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as he asked, ¡°What is an Abyss Pipeline? And a native world can seal an invasion from the Abyss?¡± Ulysses shook his head slightly, ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but from what I see, that bunch of Abyssal riffraff must have been suppressed by the Complete Lord. And as for the Abyss Pipeline¡­ you can think of it as your Teleportation Gate. The Abyss is so troublesome because this pipeline system can transport Abyss Demons and Great Demons from other worlds continuously, just like a Teleportation Gate.¡± ¡°So you mean to say, these Abyss Demons are currently being sealed.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Richard lamented, ¡°This is really cursed. Why am I always dealing with seals lately?¡± Ulysses didn¡¯t offer any consolation upon hearing this; instead, he delivered more troubling news. ¡°Stop complaining and get ready. If nothing goes wrong, the Abyss Demons will probably break the seal soon. These Blood Crystals are highly pure, which shows that the strength of the Abyss Demons isn¡¯t weak. They haven¡¯t broken through the seal yet, either because the seal is too strong or more likely because this allows them to secretly corrupt this world.¡± Richard probed, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that now, not only do I have to be hostile with the two churches of this world, but I also have to deal with potential Abyssal agents?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Damn, this world really sucks.¡± But gripes aside, Richard wasn¡¯t planning on giving up on this world unless things completely fell apart. In the vast expanse of the Star Realm, looking for a world by drifting was not an easy task. He was lucky this time to have found one, but whether he could be lucky again was questionable. After contemplating for a moment, Richard spoke, ¡°Ulysses, continue to preach in this city with Ben. I will have Tai¡¯er send a trusted individual to the church side to ensure that no one from the Master of All Machines Church will disturb you.¡± Ulysses nodded slightly, a flash of appreciation in his eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± After a pause, Richard added, ¡°Furthermore, when preaching, pay close attention to those robust Goblins. I¡¯m currently learning Goblin Artificial Body knowledge. In a while, I¡¯ll create a Transformation Surgery and start transforming these Goblins.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. Additionally, I plan to teach these Goblins some Divine Arts, what do you think?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, ¡°My friend, you don¡¯t need to ask me about something like that. As long as it¡¯s beneficial for the development of our order, go ahead.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach them. It won¡¯t do for a Priest of a church not to know Divine Arts.¡± With the arrangement finalized for what was coming next, Richard prepared to leave and continue reading in the library. But Ulysses stopped him. ¡°Richard, how should we deal with this little guy?¡± Ulysses tossed Imilo in front of Richard. At this moment, Imilo¡¯s limbs were permeated with mycelium, with every gear and joint firmly fixed by the fungal filaments. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°A Defender Knight. This Blood Crystal was found on him.¡± ¡°Found on him?¡± Richard was slightly surprised, ¡°Has the Master of All Machines Church been infiltrated as well?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case,¡± Ulysses replied indifferently, ¡°They plan to use these Blood Crystals to artificially create an Abyss Sect, and then pin the disappearance of Osiris on the Abyss Sect.¡± Richard frowned. Creating an Abyss Sect to pass the blame? These Defender Knights really are shameless. It¡¯s not someone else¡¯s backyard after all. ¡°Keep him alive for now; I could use some tangible teaching materials.¡± ¡°What if other Defender Knights come to cause trouble?¡± Richard opened the Secret Realm Rift and called over his shoulder without turning back, ¡°If they can be captured, capture them; if not, kill them. There¡¯s no need to recruit such trash into the order.¡± Ulysses watched Richard¡¯s retreating figure and bowed his head slightly. ¡°Understood, Divine Lord.¡± Chapter 551 - 15 Transformation Surgery Chapter 551 -15 Transformation Surgery Returning to the library, this time Richard stayed for three months. Three months of relentless, sleepless effort allowed Richard to review the entirety of the library¡¯s content. Most of the outdated and useless information was deliberately forgotten by him, but the parts he found useful were all memorized. Simply finishing the reading was just the beginning; Richard immediately embarked on the process of assimilation and absorption. Of course, during this process, Richard was not oblivious to the outside world. Ulysses regularly compiled the Church¡¯s developments into documents for him. After discovering that two companions had gone missing, the Protector Knights squad immediately began searching the East District. The Miracle Sect naturally came under their scrutiny, and Richard¡¯s solution was to kill them all and then disguise the act as being perpetrated by someone from the Royal Court Faction. In front of Ulysses, the World Master, these Protector Knights, who were at most Third Level, had no capability to resist. The scene of the battle was left to Ulysses¡¯s manipulation. Under Tai¡¯er¡¯s technical guidance, the scene of the Protector Knights¡¯ deaths was cleverly disguised as the work of a Red Cardinal¡¯s trusted aide. Consequently, the head of the Protective Knights gravitated from leaning toward the Royal Court Faction to remaining neutral. After resolving the issue with the Protector Knights squad, the internal conflicts within the Master of All Machines Church intensified once more. However, without the head of the Knights favoring any side, the power of the Royal Court Faction remained suppressed by the Church Faction, which meant that the regional lord in Bruno City continued to be a man of the Church Faction, more precisely, one of Tai¡¯er¡¯s people. This naturally facilitated the rapid expansion of the Miracle Sect. Accelerated intentionally by Ulysses, the Miracle Sect spread among the junior workforce like a plague. Within just half a year, all workers in Bruno City had become followers of the Miracle Sect. During this process, Ulysses selected many goblins for promotion to Priests and taught them some basic Divine Arts, such as the Water Purification Technique and the Plague Exorcism Skill. Ben, who had initially spread the faith, was promoted to Pope and began studying the doctrines and practicing Martial Arts. A religion inevitably comes with its doctrines, the ideology it propagates. As Pope, Ben had to be knowledgeable and adhere to the thoughts of the Miracle Sect. The doctrine of the Miracle Sect can be summed up in two sentences: Believe that a miracle will eventually happen and, in the meantime, persevere relentlessly. They believe that on the day the world ends, the Divine will save their souls. This doctrine differs from the one Richard knew in the Wizard World, tailored specifically for the goblins. Its main purpose was to coincide with the transformation surgeries that Richard planned to carry out next. The bloodline of the Wild Beastmen could allow the transformed goblins to communicate with the Power of Mystery and to manipulate reality to a certain extent. This meant that if these goblins devoutly adhered to the doctrine, their strength would inevitably be augmented. For the Miracle Sect, this was unquestionably a very beneficial development. It took Richard about half a year to summarize and digest the knowledge, during which time he was able to forget most of the less useful information, thus simplifying the design of the surgeries. At the end of the day, retrieving information also took time. After assimilating the knowledge accumulated over the years by the Master of All Machines Church, Richard had a clear idea for the transformation surgeries. The integration of the Wild Beastmen¡¯s bloodline was essential, as the goblin¡¯s race was somewhat frail. Although Richard greatly detested deterministic views based on innate talents, it was undeniable that different races¡¯ bloodlines indeed have varying proficiencies in combat. Giant Dragons are naturally stronger in combat than goblins. Building on bloodline transformation, Richard planned to supplement with limb prosthetics, thus enhancing combat capabilities while reducing the costs of the surgeries. Ben was the only one, and likely would remain the only one. Richard did not have enough time to cultivate assistive organs for every goblin or to custom-design a heart for them. For prosthetics, Richard required them to be multifunctional, meaning they retained the attributes of an arm but also had additional slots for upgrades. Besides that, Richard also designed a set of Alchemy Power Armor. This armor contained only a small amount of Wizard Technology internally; most of its parts could be produced by the goblins themselves. The impact of this Power Armor served two purposes: it enhanced the strength and agility of the goblins allowing them to wield heavier weapons and it increased their defense to ensure that their frail bodies weren¡¯t injured by ordinary goblin weapons like steam-powered nail guns. Additionally, this layer of Power Armor would have a certain level of psychological suggestion. Although the steel defenses were weak, wearing it could inspire confidence. Since they could harness the Power of Mystery and manipulate reality to some extent, the actual defensive capability of this Power Armor would far exceed its physical properties. Moreover, the transplantation of auxiliary organs was indispensable. Increased strength, accelerated reactions, enhanced bones¡­ Once the entire transformation surgery was finalized, Richard began to standardize the procedure. He could not possibly perform the transformation surgery on all goblins by himself, so training a group of technicians proficient in transformation surgery was essential. All this preparation took another two months for Richard. However, it was relatively quick. Transforming bodies was a meticulous task, and without Tai¡¯er¡¯s data, it would have taken him at least ten years to research this surgery, and even then, it might not have reached its current level of readiness. With the procedure in hand, Richard returned to the Secret Realm. Inside the Secret Realm, the Fire Lizard Craftsmen had already completed the machines for making Alchemy Power Armor parts while he was standardizing the surgical procedure. ¡°Master, the machines have been manufactured,¡± Calion respectfully said. Richard nodded slightly, ¡°Good, prepare for production.¡± Calion paused, then added, ¡°Master, we are running low on materials.¡± ¡°Materials not enough?¡± Richard was startled, ¡°How could there not be enough materials? Have all the materials I moved from Wuxiang Valley been used up? That shouldn¡¯t be.¡± Calion smiled awkwardly and explained, ¡°My lord, the materials you brought back definitely haven¡¯t been used up. Even if we were wasteful, we couldn¡¯t possibly have used up so much material. But just because they haven¡¯t been used up doesn¡¯t mean they can be used for production. The alloy required by this machine, those materials you brought don¡¯t include it.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Richard became even more puzzled, ¡°Didn¡¯t I specify Third-Level Alloy in the materials? You can buy a kilogram of it with just one Magic Stone, how could it be missing?¡± Calion explained, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s too common that we¡¯ve run out of it. My lord, none of the materials you brought back are of low quality, so how could there be such inferior materials among them?¡± Only then did Richard realize that he now had an abundance of advanced materials, but lacked the lower-grade ones. But thinking about it, it made sense. When he stockpiled materials, he always thought of acquiring the good ones. After all, he had the Wizard World as his support back then. He could buy loads of cost-effective materials with just some Demon Crystals, so naturally, low-grade materials never caught his eye. Now, without the support of the Wizard World, detached from the Wizard Civilization system, some things that used to be common suddenly revealed their frighteningly hidden potential. Many things weren¡¯t inherently cheap, but because he was a wizard, they were cheap. ¡°This is indeed a problem,¡± Richard said somewhat vexedly, ¡°Let¡¯s manually produce a few prototypes for now. We can substitute with higher-grade materials.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Using divine connections, Richard summoned Ulysses back to the Secret Realm. ¡°Ga, have your items been sorted out?¡± Ulysses asked as soon as he saw Richard. Richard nodded slightly, ¡°It¡¯s done. Gather those people I mentioned; I want to pick a few to make prototypes. Also, arrange for the Church to see if we can recruit a few factory owners or the like among the Goblins. We¡¯re not short on advanced materials now; we lack the lower grade ones.¡± ¡°Recruiting factory owners?¡± Ulysses paused, ¡°There might be some problems with that. Our main parishioners are lower-class workers and most mechanics, recruiting these factory owners might create divisions. Moreover, these factory owners themselves are difficult to convert into believers.¡± ¡°Then replace a few of the factory owners,¡± Richard said nonchalantly, ¡°Find a few reliable church followers to undergo a makeover, then have them replace those factory owners.¡± Ulysses¡¯s eyes brightened, ¡°Ga, that¡¯s a good idea. The rich of this world don¡¯t have divine protection; just replace them directly. I¡¯ll arrange it right away.¡± ¡­ Under Ulysses¡¯s summoning, six exceptionally sturdy Goblins were soon selected to be the first batch of transformed Goblins. All of these Goblins were workers who had undergone several physical examinations in the past but were ignored by the Master of All Machines Church as unfit. Looking at the six sturdy Goblins, robust as Dwarfs, Richard nodded slightly. ¡°You are very impressive, it¡¯s hard to imagine that the Master of All Machines Church overlooked you; they¡¯re truly blind.¡± The Goblins stood stiffly, although Richard¡¯s praise delighted them, the tension of meeting the Prophet kept them rigid. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was the Prophet, the embodiment of God walking on earth. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous,¡± Richard said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re going to take a nap, and when you wake up, the divine transformation will be complete.¡± With that, Richard snapped his fingers. Spores of the World Mushroom emerged from the ground, injecting anesthetic into the six Goblins¡¯ bodies. In no more than a breath¡¯s time, all six Goblins had fallen into a deep sleep. Richard waved Ansen over. ¡°Watch closely, learn well, and teach it to the technical priests below you afterward.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Sage.¡± The transformation surgery lasted a month, with the cultivation of auxiliary organs consuming most of the time. The manufacture of prosthetic limbs, seemingly the most complex to bystanders, was actually the easiest step in the transformation. The expert craftsmanship of the Fire Lizard Craftsmen was sufficient to handcraft the most intricate mechanical limbs within the transformed Goblins. After the transformation was complete, Richard woke up the Goblins. The Goblins moved their unfamiliar bodies and looked at each other in confusion. The transformation had removed their left arms, replacing them with mechanical limbs. They were taller than before, with one even reaching one meter seventy, a giant among Goblins. Power surged through their bodies, leaving no doubt they could punch through a steel plate. ¡°This is Divine Grace?¡± The bodies of the excited Goblins trembled, their hearts filled with immense honor. Now, even if they were to face a steam cannon¡¯s barrage, they would charge forward undaunted. ¡°My lord, how should the Church address these people?¡± Osiris, standing beside Richard, looked at the transformed Goblins loudly praising the Divine and suddenly asked. The address¡­¡± Richard thought for a moment, then replied, ¡°Call them Cultivators. Since all the priests will be transformed, just directly call them Cultivators.¡± Ansen nodded and noted down the name Miracle Monks in the Holy Word Record. Chapter 552 - 16 The Royal Court Faction Goes to War Chapter 552 -16 The Royal Court Faction Goes to War The appearance of the Miracle Monks ensured the Miracle Sect¡¯s military strength, but to control this power, besides strict selection, Richard added an additional step of Mind Suggestion. Through the Magic Equipment engraved with Mind Suggestion, all Miracle Monks will have a seed of loyalty to the Church planted in them. This seed of belief will grow and take root as the Miracle Monks develop, becoming deeply entrenched. Furthermore, removing this seed requires the cooperation of the Miracle Monks themselves. That is to say, unless the Miracle Monks face a situation that causes their personality to generate thoughts contrary to the seed of belief, relying solely on external force will not only fail to remove the belief seed but will also strengthen it. And Richard certainly wouldn¡¯t let the Church fall into a state that even devout priests cannot tolerate. Under Richard¡¯s guidance, Ansen quickly learned the entire process of Transformation Surgery and its preparation. After mastering all of this, Ansen left the Secret Realm and established a transformation laboratory in Bruno City, specifically for transforming Goblins. ¡­ Under the shadowless lamp, a Goblin lay on the operating table. His left arm had been removed, and Ansen attached a cold-colored metallic artificial left arm to the severed end. ¡°Nerve connection complete, test for responsiveness.¡± Ansen¡¯s voice was very steady; he had performed this type of connection surgery many times over the past few days, and had become skilled enough to almost do it with his eyes closed. ¡°Yes, Master Bishop.¡± The surrounding Goblins connected the artificial limb with energy pipelines, and the next moment, a faint energy fluctuation emitted from the limb, with runes inside being lit up. Ensuring that the arm was undamaged, the Goblins began to wait. Ansen¡¯s surgeries were usually quicker than expected, so the anesthetic on the Goblin on the table hadn¡¯t worn off yet. Taking advantage of this downtime, Ansen removed his surgical gown and quietly flipped through a book on Basic Alchemy in the corner of the operating room. Ansen was now the Technology Bishop of the Miracle Sect, his main responsibilities including Goblin transformation, Alchemy Power Armor production, and technological research. Of course, judging by the current level of these Goblins, it seems unlikely that they would make any innovations in the next few centuries. Richard¡¯s mastery of Alchemy was not low; the items he produced were the best synthesis of the current Goblin technology. Soon, the Goblin on the operating table woke up. He looked dazedly at the ceiling, immediately trying to stand up. ¡°Stop.¡± Ansen, reading his book, came over to the Goblin, ¡°Move your left arm.¡± The Goblin on the table did as instructed, slowly lifting his left arm. ¡°Move your fingers,¡± Ansen continued. The fingers of the artificial limb gently swayed a few times. ¡°Make a fist and then release¡­Good, push him down, the connection was successful.¡± Ansen showed no extra emotion about the successful surgery. He had performed hundreds of such surgeries; on average, four surgeries per day. Besides a few problems with the initial ones, the rest were all successful. This surgery was his last one for the day, so after confirming the connection was complete, he left the operating room. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Walking up a long staircase, Ansen entered a common apartment room. This was his residence in Bruno City, a very ordinary, inexpensive apartment. Compared to the luxurious rooms at the Master of All Machines Church, this simple low-cost apartment looked exceedingly humble. By the current state of the Miracle Sect, Ansen could have moved into a better room. But he declined this arrangement. He was a researcher, and as long as living conditions were not too harsh, they made no difference to him. Placing the Basic Alchemy book on the table, Ansen turned and left the room. Outside the room, the faint sunlight filtered through the leaden clouds, bringing a unique color to Bruno City. On the street, huge construction machines were demolishing old apartment buildings. Unlike the previous city transformations, the residents living in them did not feel sad; on the contrary, they cheered around the rubble. Because they knew, after this old apartment building was demolished, they would soon be able to live in new apartments. Then each family would have its own room, no longer having to squeeze together in a small room. Was this the mayor growing a conscience, wanting to benefit these workers? Clearly, this was not the case. The Goblins operating the machines wore black robes adorned with a pentagram on their chests. This was the symbol of the Miracle Sect. Inspired by Richard, Ulysses had selected a group of loyal believers to replace nearly all factory owners in Bruno City. In the face of absolute power, even though these factory owners had Knights and even high-level Knights as guards, they had no ability to resist. After replacing these factory owners, the actual control of Bruno City fell into Richard¡¯s hands. The social structure of the goblins was peculiar, with the ruling Royal Court rarely involving itself directly in the development of their cities. The development of the cities was almost entirely decided by the city councils. And in Bruno City, all the council members were factory owners. Thus, replacing the factory owners was synonymous with replacing the council members, and thereby taking control of the city. Having gained control of the city, the Miracle Sect naturally had to do something. With Richard¡¯s approval, the renovation of old buildings began vigorously. The cultivators of the Miracle Sect intended to provide every worker¡¯s family with their own separate rooms. Although, compared to the purpose-built vacation destinations of the Garden City, Bruno City¡¯s environment still resembled a dump. But now, this dump was finally starting to clean up. Walking through the streets, where construction was ongoing, Ansen found a bakery and bought a loaf of black bread. Then, he grabbed a large mug of beer from the tavern next door. Even though Ansen¡¯s physique now meant the lead-tinged tap water posed no harm to him, his habits as a former Mechanic made him prefer beer. ¡°Lord Ansen, buying beer again?¡± The regulars at the tavern, upon seeing Ansen, raised their glasses. They did not know Ansen was a Bishop of the Miracle Sect, just that he was a cultivator with the sect. But being a cultivator was enough. In Bruno City, the cultivators of the Miracle Sect were as Divine beings walking the earth. The Miracle Sect treated their diseases, built their houses, and increased their salaries. Never before had any organization or power done so much for them. And all they asked for in return was faith and honest work. Ansen raised his glass to toast with them in the Void, and then drained his mug. He was not offended by these workers¡¯ adulation; his parents were among these very people, and had his luck been any different, he might still be one of them. He and those Priests from Artificial Body Priest families had fundamental differences. Back home, Ansen sawed off a piece of the black bread with a saw and began to read and study. Basic Alchemy was not complicated, but many of its procedures were specifically designed for Wizards. Being a goblin, mastering this technology meant either hybridizing or developing a set of alchemy operations unique to goblins. His teacher, Tai¡¯er, had chosen the latter, and so did he. But as he immersed himself in knowledge, a call interrupted him. ¡°Ansen, come to the Secret Realm.¡± Startled, Ansen promptly closed his book, took a scroll from the desk drawer, tore it open, and a fissure leading to the Secret Realm was born from the scroll. Upon entering the Secret Realm, Ansen saw his teacher discussing with the Sage and Raven God. Upon noticing him, Richard called out, ¡°Ansen, you arrived just in time. How is the Church¡¯s transformation surgery going?¡± Ansen replied respectfully, ¡°Very smoothly. Except for some minor issues with the first few, the rest of the surgeries have gone very well.¡± ¡°How many have been done?¡± After a quick calculation, Ansen responded, ¡°About two hundred fifty.¡± Richard nodded and turned to Tai¡¯er, saying, ¡°I think that number should be sufficient.¡± Ansen sensed something was amiss and asked Tai¡¯er, ¡°Teacher, what¡¯s happened?¡± Tai¡¯er looked at Ansen with a grave expression. ¡°The Royal Court Faction has declared war on us. So far, four district bishops have been assassinated by their assassins, and the Protective Knights show signs of division. The Royal Court has not yet made a move, but their Knight Order has already departed from the barracks.¡± Tai¡¯er¡¯s news made Ansen shiver. Had the Church Faction and the Royal Court Faction truly reached a breaking point? ¡°Ansen,¡± Richard continued, ¡°how are your Technician Priests doing? We must increase the number of Miracle Monks going forward.¡± ¡°Currently, around ten Priests can complete the entire Transformation Surgery, though two of them are not proficient.¡± Richard nodded slightly, ¡°That should be enough. Go to Dunling City in the next few days; Ben has already completed the Church¡¯s expansion there. Teach the transformation technology to the priests there.¡± Now that Bruno City was completely occupied by the Miracle Sect, the Church¡¯s expansion naturally proceeded. With Bruno City as the center, the Miracle Sect expanded along the nearby shipping routes to Brooke City. Ben, in charge of Dunling City, had the fastest transformation; the Miracle Sect had swept the local Cult clean and successfully took over the ecological niche of the workers¡¯ religion. Ansen crossed his arms in front of his chest, bowed, and said, ¡°Your will, Master Sage.¡± ¡°Also, gather these monks,¡± Richard added. ¡°Although the war started by the Royal Court Faction is small, it¡¯s quite suitable for giving the monks battle experience.¡± Small? Listening to Richard call a war that might mobilize several Knight Orders and tens of thousands of Knights small, Ansen couldn¡¯t help but feel a surreal sense of absurdity. If this was small, what would be considered a large war by the Sage? Chapter 553 - 17 Pre-war Deception Chapter 553 -17 Pre-war Deception ¡°In a world where great power returns to oneself, the struggle for power is no longer a matter that can be resolved solely through scheming and intrigue. The battle between the two sides starts with the most basic assassinations and escalates to the point where both sides openly set up for civil war.¡± ¡°The Royal Court Faction chose to go to war, and naturally, the Church Faction wouldn¡¯t remain silent. After receiving news of the assassination, Tai¡¯er relayed the message to the Red Cardinal, who was also from the Church Faction, while mobilizing his private army to retaliate against the Royal Court Faction.¡± ¡°On the day after the Royal Court Faction¡¯s assassination attempt, three regional lords from the Royal Court Faction were killed. The official cause of death declared was pipeline explosion, but in Master of All Machines Church, a steam pipeline bursting was nearly as common as gas explosions in the city of Winterwood or Russian tsars always dying from strokes.¡± ¡°After the start of the assassinations, personnel from both sides began to take precautions.¡± ¡°No matter which faction they belonged to, priests chose to leave their churches and take refuge in their fortified estates.¡± ¡°In this world where great power returns to oneself, the Master of All Machines Church, a transcendent power, would naturally not be some out-of-the-world organization aloof from worldly affairs.¡± ¡°The Master of All Machines Church ignited the industrial revolution and was also one of the greatest monopolies in this kingdom and even in the world. It controlled a considerable part of the world¡¯s mineral resources and several monopolistic companies including the arms industry.¡± ¡°Therefore, priests of the Master of All Machines Church were generally very wealthy.¡± ¡°With the Church¡¯s research grants, the discounted prices for raw materials after starting factories, and the exclusive train company belonging to the Master of All Machines Church¡­ all these conditions made almost all bishops of the Master of All Machines Church factory owners.¡± ¡°Even Ansen, who was immersed in research, owned a small metal processing factory under his name.¡± ¡°Hence, the priests of the Master of All Machines Church generally built a fortified estate outside their churches, stocked with mechanical servants and Artificial Knights. Normally, these could be used for research or vacation, but when a situation like the present arose, the estate would instantly transform into a solid fortress.¡± ¡°At this stage, the high-ranking members of both sides would typically meet once to ensure the scale of the civil war would not be too great, to avoid affecting too many cities.¡± ¡°After all, everyone is a person of status, and the lives of such people were much more valuable than those of slave laborers.¡± ¡°But this time, neither the Church Faction nor the Royal Court Faction had a Red Cardinal willing to meet.¡± ¡°This was the first civil war in the history of the Master of All Machines Church where both sides were bent on a fight to the death.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is this the Miracle Monk you created? It looks¡­ quite unusual,¡± Tai¡¯er said, somewhat insincerely praising as he looked at the fully-armed Miracle Monk. In his opinion, Richard¡¯s transformation was very conservative. The goblins didn¡¯t have as strong a physique as Richard, and after solving the nervous system transmission issues, full-body artificial transformation was the best option. If the cost of such a transformation was considered too high, it could be reduced accordingly. After all, the quality of warriors is more important than the quantity. Richard glanced at the goblin addicted to transformation and replied indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them. After practicing Martial Arts, your knights are nothing but trash compared to them.¡± Due to the fusion of the Wild Beastmen¡¯s Bloodline, the Miracle Monks had gained the ability to learn Martial Arts. As an almost completed evolutionary path, Martial Arts¡¯ potential, although not as great as that of a Wizard, could easily crush the goblins. Due to the invasion of the Abyss, the evolutionary paths in this world had become quite distorted. The Master of All Machines Church had chosen mechanical ascension, tirelessly researching stronger prostheses for years, while the neighboring Lord of Flesh Church had chosen a path akin to genetic ascension, researching how to enhance the body daily. The two major evolutionary paths of this world also lacked the Alchemy Bloodline of Wizard Alchemy. But without Alchemy, could it still be called the Alchemy School? Therefore, even an incomplete evolutionary path like Martial Arts was enough to dominate this world. ¡°Trash? Isn¡¯t that a bit of an exaggeration?¡± Tai¡¯er said in disbelief. ¡°Even the most common Artificial Knight, with its artificial limbs and mastery of combat techniques, can close in and kill a squad of rigorously trained elite guards in a single breath. Your Miracle Monks were previously just ordinary people, and even with newfound strength, they couldn¡¯t possibly have mastered it in such a short time.¡± Richard¡¯s lips curled into a scornful smile. ¡°They might bully the mortals a bit. The biggest distinction between Level 1 Creatures and mortals lies in the transformation of their spiritual power, which allows them to control energy more intricately. By controlling energy, we can display a range of abilities that seem miraculous.¡± With that, Richard casually waved his hand, and a Fireball appeared in the air. Seeing this, Tai¡¯er was once again stunned. He wasn¡¯t astonished by the Fireball; summoning a Fireball could also be achieved with Crystal Stone Technology. He was shocked that Richard had used nothing but a casual gesture, and the energy fluctuations had transformed into a Fireball. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°But you took the wrong path.¡± Richard dissipated the Fireball, sighing softly. ¡°I saw in your library that in the ancient past, there were monks among the goblins focused on refining themselves. These individuals were called old-fashioned and out of touch with the times in your history, but in reality, they were on a correct, yet difficult path.¡± Tai¡¯er fell silent. In the past, he had indeed considered whether the goblins had taken the wrong path, but what he pondered was the technological trajectory¡ªlike changing from steam engines to internal combustion engines. Now Richard was telling him that not only had they chosen the wrong technical branch, but the entire direction of their evolution was mistaken. It was indeed difficult to accept. ¡°You need not be saddened,¡± Richard said indifferently. ¡°Because ninety-nine percent of the races in this world, even if they embark on the right path, do not have combat abilities that match yours. Although the correct path is indeed correct, it is incredibly arduous. Every race that has carved out a path for themselves on it, without exception, is a great race that has set foot in the stars.¡± The stars? Tai¡¯er couldn¡¯t help but look up at the sky. Setting foot in the stars¡­ those were words that truly made one¡¯s blood boil. ¡°Master Sage, since you are so confident, I will not say more.¡± Tai¡¯er bowed and said, ¡°I will go prepare the train and gather intelligence.¡± To Richard, this war might seem like a minor skirmish, but even minor skirmishes had their uses. Although his Miracle Monks had undergone transformations and possessed considerable strength, they had never set foot on a battlefield or seen blood; their combat effectiveness was just an empty figure. So this opportunity was perfect to let these Miracle Monks gain some experience. They could add some battle experience and accumulate some confidence along the way. Their kind of idealistic abilities needed robust confidence to harness their full potential. After Tai¡¯er left, Richard turned to the side of the Miracle Monks. These monks were once slave laborers, and the best among them was no more than a lowly Mechanic. In Goblin society, they belonged to the lowest tier of the pyramid. The Artificial Knights were not even on the same level as them, and were figures that should be addressed as ¡®Sir¡¯ or ¡®Master¡¯. Now they were going to fight the Artificial Knights, and without any ideological awakening, it would inevitably lead to an inability to bring their combat power into play. Therefore, Richard planned to give a pre-war speech, or more accurately, a pre-war pep talk, to bolster the confidence of these monks. ¡°I and Tai¡¯er have spoken, and you all have heard, you are about to go to slaughter, to battle. Your upcoming enemies will be those knights before whom you once had to kneel, the Artificial Body Priests. I don¡¯t want to ask you whether you have confidence or such nonsense because I am certain you can win, and this has nothing to do with confidence.¡± Richard¡¯s voice was very cold; it was the cruel rationality unique to a Wizard. But to the Miracle Monks¡¯ ears, that chilling voice carried an unusual significance. Unlike Tai¡¯er, the Miracle Monks were truly Believers, and moreover, Fanatics. They truly believed Richard was the incarnation of a God. So to them, Richard¡¯s emotionless voice took on a different meaning entirely. It was as if the Divine were speaking through Richard¡¯s mouth, proclaiming His oracle. They were bound to win this battle! Unaware of the inside story, Richard was about to boost the monks¡¯ confidence with a set of data comparisons. But before he could even speak, he saw the monks¡¯ muscles bulge, and Magic Power in the air started rushing into their bodies like water into a sponge. Under Richard¡¯s astonished gaze, within just one minute, the Physique of these monks had grown by at least five points. No, it was only a few words he had uttered. Suppressing the urge to unravel the mystery behind this transformation, Richard continued: ¡°You may think those Artificial Knights are formidable, but I can tell you with certainty that their artificial bodies are junk. The weapons you will use next, each one crafted by a Divine Craftsman, have each been blessed by the Divine. Compared to these weapons, those prosthetics of the Artificial Knights are just scraps of metal.¡± Saying that, Richard snapped his fingers. Two hundred pieces of Magic Equipment fell from the sky, landing precisely in the hands of each Miracle Monk. These pieces of equipment looked like fists, but they had launch ports on both the knuckle-side and palm, with a prosthetic interface at the end. ¡°This is the Annihilation Fist,¡± Richard introduced, ¡°Inside it are thirty-six Annihilation Bombs that can be fired from the launch port on the back of the hand. There¡¯s also a Flamethrower in the palm of this weapon that can be used three times. The strength of the Flamethrower is enough to deal with any enemy.¡± Any Artificial Priest is usually accompanied by hundreds of mechanical servants. If it¡¯s a regional lord bishop, having a thousand mechanical servants is quite common. Having a good weapon to mow down these minions is obviously very important. Goblins have low resistance to high-temperature weapons. Even Tai¡¯er couldn¡¯t withstand a continuous scorch of two thousand Energy Level flames. The Flamethrowers mounted on these Annihilation Guns all reached two thousand Energy Level. Even if faced with a bishop like Tai¡¯er, the Flamethrower would be highly effective. Of course, if they truly encountered an enemy at the level of a Red Cardinal, Richard¡¯s Fire Lizard Battle Group would take action. These Fire Lizards that had fought in Plane Wars and experienced the trial of a civilization¡¯s war could easily surround and kill a native third-level creature without much effort. ¡°Of course, it is also a melee weapon by itself, but I don¡¯t recommend you do that.¡± Richard paused for a moment. Under the puzzled gaze of the many monks, he continued, ¡°Because the fist on your right arm is even more fearsome! The Cultivation Method you practice can make your Flesh and blood stronger than steel.¡± Saying this, Richard took out a steel plate from his pocket and placed it in front of the nearest monk. ¡°Strike it. With your right fist.¡± The monk looked at Richard, then activated the Moving Mountain Barbaric Bull Power and threw a fierce punch. The next moment, with a ¡°clang¡± sound, the steel plate, two centimeters thick, was punctured by the monk¡¯s punch! Richard held the steel plate in hand, addressing the Miracle Monks, ¡°This is the great strength God has bestowed upon you! Through training, your Flesh can surpass any prosthetic!¡± Chapter 554 - 18: First Battle, Overwhelming Victory Chapter 554 -18: First Battle, Overwhelming Victory Upon seeing the punctured steel plate, the Miracle Monks fell silent for a moment. They had all been slaves before and their understanding of steel surpassed that of ordinary people. They were all too aware of the amount of strength that steel plate could withstand. Yet now, they could punch through such a steel plate with a single blow. They couldn¡¯t help but look at their own right arms, and upon realizing that this was their own strength, the Miracle Monks suddenly burst into roars. Energy fluctuations appeared on their bodies again, but sadly, this time there was no growth in physique like before. Even the most optimistic abilities had limitations. If boosting one¡¯s physique were so easy as to be fooled a couple of times, the Wild Beastmen would have shattered the Demon Lord and vied for control of the starry skies long ago. A bit of bluffing brought a qualitative improvement to the strength of the Miracle Monks. However, bluffing alone wasn¡¯t enough, so Richard called over the Fire Lizard Battle Group to give them crash training. Tai¡¯er was gathering intelligence and preparing logistics, which was sure to take up quite some time. With time on their hands anyway, why not train? After bluffing the Miracle Monks, Richard headed to the laboratory located beneath the World Mushroom. There, Inhardt was conducting a rather cruel experiment. In the sealed maze, Inhardt, scythe in hand, chased a goblin like a cat after a mouse. The goblin was robust and the energy fluctuations on its body had reached the level of a second-level creature. But in front of Inhardt, it could only scurry away like a mouse. Suddenly, the goblin stopped running because there was a sword stuck in the ground before it. ¡°Found it!¡± The goblin rushed to the long sword with excitement, pulled it from the ground, and turned to point it at Inhardt. ¡°Evil Demon, you¡¯re finished!¡± With that, the goblin vanished in a flash with the sword in his hand as quick as lightning. The next moment, a ¡°zzz¡± sound of friction was heard as Inhardt¡¯s carapace was sliced open by the sword, leaving a fine crack. Then, Inhardt¡¯s body surged with a sudden burst of speed, and her scythe accurately beheaded the goblin. ¡°How¡¯s the experiment test going?¡± Inhardt turned around, and Richard had somehow appeared behind her. She bowed slightly to Richard and replied, ¡°My Lord, in this period I have conducted one hundred and twenty-six experiments, and after statistical analysis, this specimen has reached its threshold of capability.¡± ¡°Reached the threshold?¡± Richard¡¯s eyebrow raised slightly, ¡°The Defender Knights of the Master of All Machines Church are somewhat mediocre, huh.¡± The goblin that had been fleeing all this time was actually the Guard Knight Imilo, captured by Ulysses. After Richard completed the transformation surgery, he removed his artificial body and replaced it with a new one. Then Richard modified him with a basic Wild Beastmen bloodline transformation, as well as brainwashing. After the brainwashing, Imilo¡¯s memories became blurred. He only remembered that he was on a mission when he fell into a maze. And there was a monster in the maze, constantly chasing after him. He had to find his lost Holy Sword in the maze to defeat the monster. Richard had a simple purpose for designing this experiment; he wanted to determine whether the Goblin¡¯s ability to communicate with the Power of Mystery was related to the concentration of the Wild Beastmen¡¯s bloodline. If unrelated, then what was the limit of this ability? If related, what was the appropriate concentration, and upon reaching the optimal concentration, what was the ability threshold? According to his current research results, the ability to commune with the Power of Mystery had nothing to do with bloodline concentration. As long as the bloodline concentration reached five percent, one could have the ability to communicate with the Power of Mystery. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And now, he had determined a goblin¡¯s limit of capability. Next, it would be time to replicate the experiments and find patterns. ¡°Turn it into a live specimen once it¡¯s reached the threshold. I¡¯ll bring back some new specimens in a few days.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Leaving the maze laboratory, Richard returned to his main laboratory. Here, something that resembled a Melter was humming away. The Melter was connected to a receptacle, and the box was now filled with black crystals. Richard removed the receptacle, took out a crystal, and said with some pride, ¡°Efficiency¡¯s not bad after the modification.¡± This Melter was the goblin¡¯s Crystal Stone Melting Machine, an essential component for producing high-level prosthetics, sourced from the Pioneer¡¯s legacy. Through Tai¡¯er¡¯s connections, Richard had acquired a Crystal Stone Melting Machine a while back. After understanding the technology within, Richard had attempted modifications. So far, Richard¡¯s modifications had greatly improved the efficiency of crystal production. Taking the crystal to the test stand, Richard began to use Magic Power to engrave enchantments onto the crystal stone. These crystals had excellent properties. The Goblins had invented prosthetic technology relying solely on their physical properties. As a Wizard, Richard naturally couldn¡¯t overlook these crystal stones. He was now attempting to create a piece of Magic Equipment that would be epoch-making for the goblins. If he could succeed, it would greatly help the propagation of his future great deeds. Time passed day by day, and a month after Tai¡¯er had left, he finally returned to the Secret Realm, bringing the Miracle Monks and the Fire Lizard Battle Group out of the Secret Realm. During this month, the battles between both factions were quite restrained. But both sides knew that this was but the calm before the storm. With the cover of the Royal Court Faction, the direct Knight Order of the Royal Court had already vanished into the rail system, resembling a spider¡¯s web. On the Church Faction¡¯s side, in alliance with the Miracle Sect, their Priests spread through the railways, igniting the cities of the Church Faction¡¯s Priests with a wildfire¡¯s ferocity. This power struggle had fully evolved into a war. ¡­ Victor Green, the Bishop of Lu¡¯en City. As an Artificial Body Priest of the Royal Court Faction, from the moment the Royal Court Faction declared war, he had already been in his fortress manor in the suburbs. He stored five hundred Knight Servants in this manor, selected from the best of the factory slaves. They were the greatest accumulation of wealth since he became a regional bishop. After his live modification, each of these Knight Servants possessed the strength to match a Knight, their only flaw being their short lifespans. About every five years, he had to dismantle the prosthetics from the Knight Servants and transfer them to younger bodies. Beyond his mechanical servants, he also had his own Knight Guards. Each of these Guards¡¯ prosthetics was handcrafted by him, and even when compared to the Defender Knights, these Guards¡¯ artificial limbs were in no way inferior. The only thing they lacked was a Protecting Holy Sword. Apart from these, inside his manor, there were many loyal guards. The heavy weaponry in the hands of these guards could instantly turn an Artificial Knight into scrap metal. According to his own calculations, it would take at least five hundred Artificial Knights, along with a series of heavy artillery, to break through his fortress. But moving so many people and so much weaponry would not escape his notice. Beneath his manor lay a secret tunnel leading to an unmarked station on the map. By giving the correct password, he could use this station to travel to any city governed by a Priest from the Royal Court Faction. In every aspect, Victor felt he had done the best within his capabilities. Late at night, as usual, Victor sat in his study, leisurely drinking coffee from the Far East, listening to the broadcast. Even Artificial Body Priests needed entertainment. Thanks to Crystal Stone Technology, Goblins had already developed broadcast technology similar to radio. The Crystal Stone Report had become widespread among society¡¯s upper echelons. It was rumored that some Artificial Body Priests were even experimenting with how to transmit images using this technology. ¡°What utter nonsense,¡± Victor scoffed, setting down his coffee and mocking the broadcast, ¡°These lowlifes sure have wild imaginations, concocting ridiculous tales that darkness has seized control of the two great Churches.¡± With a wave of his hand, the Guard Knight beside him switched the broadcast frequency to a music channel. Listening to the melodious music from the broadcast, Victor couldn¡¯t help but stand up and start dancing a couple¡¯s dance, as if he had a lady partner. He had heard that Nobles from the Royal Court often held balls, where noble ladies would seek their preferred dance partners. If the partner was good enough, they might even develop a relationship further. Victor¡¯s body had undergone many modifications, but his reproductive organs had not been removed. Of course, even if they were, that wouldn¡¯t stop him from being attracted. Just the thought of those tall, slender noble girls, and Victor¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t wait to wipe out the Church Faction entirely. Bang. A muffled sound reached Victor¡¯s ears, causing his eyebrows to slightly furrow. Bang, bang, bang! Victor¡¯s brows tightened, and the image of the noble girls in his mind began to change. Bang, bang, bang¡­ ¡°Who is making that noise!¡± Enraged, Victor opened his eyes to see where the sound was coming from. Before he could take two steps, his Guard Knight suddenly stepped in front of him. Bang! A loud noise accompanied by a flash of white light appeared. As the white light dissipated, Victor saw a peculiar Goblin wearing Steel Armor, with one arm as a prosthetic and one bare arm. Upon seeing Victor, the Goblin¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°The target¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± commanded Victor. The Guard Knight, upon receiving the order, immediately retaliated. The artificial arm, finely tuned by Victor himself, erupted with a volley of well-coordinated strikes. Then, a fist as heavy as a sledgehammer pierced through the steam, ferociously aiming for the Goblin. If that punch landed, not only would a suit of steel armor be indented, but even solid special steel would suffer a dent. Bang! Another muffled sound entered Victor¡¯s ears. Within the steam, the Guard Knight still maintained the punching pose, evidently having punched right through the Goblin. His design for the prosthetic arm was indeed effective. Slightly smug, Victor was about to return to his desk to have the other Knight Servants provide support when he heard a surprised voice from within the steam. ¡°Knights truly are different, their punches are stronger than those mechanical beasts.¡± With that said, a grating sound of metal twisting followed, and the Guard Knight¡¯s mechanical arm was twisted into a corkscrew. The Guard Knight decisively disconnected the swinging right arm and then abruptly raised the left arm. Boom! Another burst of steam exploded. However, before the echo faded, a distinct sound of metal shattering was heard. Clang! Then, a towering figure walked through the steam, breaking the mechnical spine of the Guard Knight with a punch. Victor stood to the side, his gaze slightly vacant. He clearly saw that half a Steam Arrow was lodged in the armor of the figure¡¯s chest. If he remembered correctly, shouldn¡¯t his Steam Arrows be capable of penetrating half a meter of regular steel? Chapter 555 - 19: The Great War On the railway, the pitch-black train quietly stood by the desolate platform, waiting for the giant python prey. This was a station sign built in the suburbs; in the past, there was a small town that thrived due to mineral veins corresponding to this station sign. However, as the veins depleted, the town gradually fell into decline. This station sign was also on the verge of abandonment. In the past thirty years, not a single train had stopped at this platform. But today, the platform welcomed its most distinguished guest since its establishment¡ªa special train for the Red Cardinal. "Milord, all is well; the rebel Victor has been captured." Inside the train, Tai''er sat in a carriage at the center of the train, quietly listening to the report from the front lines of the battlefield. "Good, bring him over. Additionally, what is the extent of your personnel losses? How many severely wounded need treatment?" Tai''er''s voice carried an expected affirmation, as it was normal for Miracle Monks, a group of warriors executing their mission for the first time and even taking lives for the first time, to sustain injuries after taking over a heavily defended fortress estate. At least that was how Tai''er saw it. "Milord, you might not believe this," a voice of awe came from the Crystal Stone Communicator, "but none of the warriors you brought had any casualties; the only few injuries were caused by them deliberately facing the high-pressure steam gun. This operation was like a picnic. Our biggest difficulty turned out to be finding that Victor." Listening to his subordinate''s report, Tai''er fell into silence. After a moment, he spoke, "Since the mission objective has been achieved, retreat. I am waiting for you at the suburban platform." After finishing, the communication was cut off. Tai''er looked at his left hand and sighed lightly. "To have suffered so much and exerted such effort to obtain this fine artificial body. To think it was all a mistake is simply laughable." Rumble rumble rumble... Suddenly, a dull sound came from outside the train. Upon hearing this sound, a hint of doubt and suspicion arose in Tai''er''s heart. The railways of the Kingdom were managed by the Master of All Machines Church and the Royal Court, but compared to the personnel of the Master of All Machines Church, the number of Nobles from the Royal Court was too few, making it hard for them to even perform supervisory roles. Thus, the railways of the Kingdom could almost be said to be the private property of the Master of All Machines Church. Now that the Master of All Machines Church was in civil war, the railway naturally became one of the contested infrastructures. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, unlike the treatment of Priests, both factions were relatively gentle in their approach to those who did the actual work. The importance of the railway to the Kingdom was comparable to veins within a body; without the people doing the actual work, the entire railway system of the Kingdom could potentially fall into paralysis. As a Red Cardinal, Tai''er naturally had his own subordinates within the railway system. The scheduling of this railway was temporarily changed half an hour ago, and all trains that needed to pass through this railway were either altered or suspended. Additionally, to be safe, the scheduling of the two nearby railways was also changed. But now, a train unexpectedly arrived. Woo! The train suddenly blew its whistle, and immediately after, Tai''er''s Crystal Stone Communicator vibrated. Tai''er answered the call, and an elderly voice came from the Crystal Stone Communicator. "Tai''er, it has been a long time." ... Dunling City. A streak of thunder slashed across the dark sky, and soon, accompanied by a series of muffled booms, large raindrops began to fall from the heavens. Watching the heavy rain outside the window, Ben casually closed the window. Although his body no longer caught colds from getting wet, and his bed was no longer beside the window, years of habit still compelled him to instinctively close windows when he saw heavy rain. Inside the room, Ben sat next to the desk, silently practicing the modified Faceless Holy Scripture given to him by Richard. After sufficient study of Martial Arts, the Faceless Holy Scripture, the Sect Martial Arts of Wuxiang Valley, had been modified by Richard. Compared to the original, the modified Faceless Holy Scripture was weaker in power. However, the fatal side effect of depleting the soul when fully activated had been removed, which was a mix of advantages and disadvantages. True Qi flowed through the meridians, passing through Ben''s internal organs, even including the auxiliary organs implanted by Richard, which were within the True Qi route. Warmed by the True Qi, Ben felt a warm sensation throughout his body. The Faceless Holy Scripture was a Martial Arts that integrated three paths, but the one it used to circulate True Qi was not the Qi Path, but the Essence Dao. Instead of being enhanced during circulation, the True Qi was consumed due to nurturing the body. Under the nurturing of True Qi, Ben''s cells began to grow more active, and even the Life Core was stimulated by this activity, undergoing extremely subtle changes. These changes were very insignificant, but accumulated over days and months, even the smallest changes could turn into observable significant alterations. In the Void, Ulysses quietly observed Ben. As Pope, Ben''s strength was nothing more than that of Level 1 Creatures. Even though his combat ability far surpassed that of ordinary Level 1 Goblins, Ulysses still chose to protect him secretly for safety. Ulysses could feel the soul tiredness emanating from his soul becoming more and more pronounced. He estimated that in just a few years, he would fall into slumber. He had to ensure that the Church would be able to develop in a healthy manner long after he fell asleep. Ulysses fundamentally distrusted the idea of having Richard, the Wizard, manage the Church. Even though Richard was now trying his best to play the charlatan, that distinct cold rationality belonging only to a Wizard made it necessary for him to have layers upon layers of buffs to avoid breaking character in his role as a Priest. After all, Richard was a nonbeliever. He had no idea what a believer should be like, nor what state they should be in after receiving divine revelations. To him, the Gods Civilization system was merely a tool to get home. His roots still lay in being a Wizard. Suddenly, Ulysses''s lazy gaze sharpened. As a Divine second only to Richard within the Miracle Sect''s Divine System, he could feel that the number of his Fanatics had abruptly decreased. As a seasoned God, he instantly sensed something amiss¡ªsomeone was slaughtering his Believers. "The Bishop of this city is from Tai''er''s rank, isn''t he? Could a force from the Church Faction have broken through?" The Holy Light gleamed in Ulysses''s eyes. As a God, he could project his gaze through his Divine Statues. As he activated his power, at this moment, all the Miracle Sect''s Divine Statues became his eyes and ears. Under the watch of his Divine Statues, Ulysses saw a host of Artificial Knights besieging the Miracle Sect''s Priests. These Artificial Knights, whose bodies had been transformed into mechanical suits, acted like true robots. Even as their comrades melted under the luminous aura of Divine Arts beside them, they did not miss a beat in firing their Steam Arrows. "Artificial Knights? Hah, Tai''er, after such a long search, I never expected you to attack the least likely and should-not-be attacked individuals." A trace of cold light flickered in Ulysses''s eyes, and in the next instant, all the attacked Miracle Sect Churches blazed with Holy Light. The Priests saw the Divine Crow from the Miracle Monks perched on the left shoulder of the Miracle Sect''s master alight, its body burning with a gentle yet savage Holy Light. A voice emanated from the beak of the Divine Crow, "God declares, all nonbelievers shall die!" ... "Lord Belte, long time no see," said Tai''er calmly to the Crystal Stone Communicator. Belte Garrett, the current Pope of the Master of All Machines Church. By rights, he should be in the palace of the Church Court at this moment, devotedly studying the secrets of machinery or negotiating with some Nobles about the offerings for the next decade. At worst, he should be indulging in nocturnal pleasures in his manor, wearing the Flesh body created by the Church. He certainly should not be here. A bad premonition flickered in Tai''er''s mind. As expected, Pope Belte''s first words struck Tai''er like thunder. "Lord Tai''er, give it up." Tai''er remained silent for a while. Logically, the Pope of the Master of All Machines Church should have been the staunchest supporter of the Church Faction, since no one liked having a group of overlords looking down on them. But now, Pope Belte was telling him to give up. Had the world gone mad? "Lord Belte, may I know why?" Tai''er tried to keep his voice steady. This situation, where he was fighting on the frontline only to have his chief commander suddenly surrender, left his mind in turmoil. "Because of an oracle," replied Belte, "The great Master of All Machines has bestowed upon me an oracle, declaring that a great war is imminent. We must unite to defeat those of our kin corrupted by Evil Demons." "Just because of a single sentence?" Tai''er felt on the verge of breaking. When pushed to utter exasperation, people often laugh. The nominal leader of the Church Faction, the Pope of the Master of All Machines Church, was surrendering because of just one sentence. "That''s an oracle!" Belte''s voice suddenly grew stern, "Tai''er, you have strayed onto the Evil Path. The study of machinery is to bring us closer to the Divine, not to go against them!" Hearing this, Tai''er was stunned, and then he could no longer contain himself. "Haha, very well! My dear Lord Belte, my exalted Pope! How did I never notice just how devout a Believer you were before?" But amid his laughter, a deep sorrow welled up in Tai''er''s heart. He knew that Pope Belte was dead, and the one talking to him was nothing but a body controlled by the Royal Court Faction. As the Pope of the Master of All Machines Church, Belte was the least devout. He''d always used the church''s scriptures as nothing more than padding to level out table legs. He would never say such a thing. "To think that the Royal Court would even resort to using an ancient legacy," Tai''er thought bitterly to himself. The Royal Court had many ancient legacies at its disposal, and the current Crystal Stone Technology was born from those ancient legacies. Brainwashing a Goblin with a legacy was not an inconceivable act. At that moment, Tai''er suddenly felt that having his entire body turned into an Artificial form wasn''t so great, to the extent that he couldn''t even cry if he wanted to. "Lord Tai''er, give it up; you''re a talented young man. If you return to God''s embrace, He will forgive you." Hearing this voice, Tai''er felt only disgust; wearing the body of his friend, his elder, his guide, and speaking such revolting words, had the Royal Court''s Nobles also fallen so far? "Give up? Give up your mother''s head!" Tai''er, holding the Crystal Stone Communicator, roared, "You bastards from the Royal Court Faction! In the name of the Miracle Sect''s master, I swear. I will pull each and every one of you out of your fortresses, cast you into the Melter to become statues, and make you eternally kneel and repent before Lord Belte''s grave!" Chapter 556 - 20 Nobles Chapter 556 -20 Nobles Listening to Tai¡¯er¡¯s roar, a cold voice tinged with arrogance emitted from the Crystal Stone Communicator. ¡°Dull-witted scum, since you are so bent on dying, go ahead and die.¡± After speaking, a thunderous boom resonated, and the train Tai¡¯er was on suddenly shuddered. A heaviness settled in Tai¡¯er¡¯s heart, for as a Red Cardinal, he knew what that sound signified. ¡°They even brought the Gustav steam cannon?¡± The Gustav steam cannon, the dying creation of the former Pope of the Master of All Machines Church, a war weapon manufactured using Crystal Stone Technology and steam supercompression techniques, its power adequate to turn a life pastor of the Blood and Flesh Court into mush. On the battlefield, this weapon was typically deployed as a strategic tool, its sole purpose being to eliminate the War Beasts bred by the Blood and Flesh Court. Yet, unexpectedly, the Royal Court Faction had resorted to using such a weapon to deal with him. ¡°They must really think highly of me,¡± Tai¡¯er smirked coldly. ¡°But unfortunately, it¡¯s being used in the wrong place.¡± Pulling out a scroll from the pocket at his waist, Tai¡¯er decided to play his final card¡ªthe Summoner. Upon tearing the scroll, a Space Rift appeared inside the carriage. The Royal Court Faction had arrived fiercely, fully prepared. No matter how much they planned, even if they stripped Tai¡¯er down to his underwear colors, they would never guess that Tai¡¯er could summon a false World Master. But just as Tai¡¯er¡¯s rift opened, a figure clad in a black robe transcended and arrived in the carriage. ¡°Tai¡¯er, there¡¯s a problem inside your¡­¡± Boom! A loud crash emanated from outside the carriage wall, and immediately after, the carriage¡¯s thickened special armored plate was torn apart in an instant. A searing solid special metal bullet flew in from outside the train, striking Richard, who had just emerged from the Secret Realm. ¡°What is this?¡± Richard slightly furrowed his brows, one hand holding a Magic Book, the other resting on the Magic Barrier. Above his head, a massive metal sphere enveloped by magic power hovered on the Magic Barrier. He looked at Tai¡¯er beside him, ¡°What is this thing? Have I intruded into your weapon testing site?¡± The stunned Tai¡¯er shook his head repeatedly. ¡°No, no, no, Your Excellency, the Royal Court Faction has attempted an assassination on me; what you blocked was a cannonball from the Gustav steam cannon.¡± ¡°Cannonball?¡± Richard turned his head to look at the cannonball above his hand. ¡°A solid cannonball? Are you still using mortars?¡± Tai¡¯er cowered, nervously saying, ¡°Your Excellency, this thing is explosive; this one might be a dud.¡± Richard¡¯s spiritual power reached out, within the cannonball, condensed high-pressure steam was crazily pressurizing the surrounding metallic walls. It hadn¡¯t exploded yet purely because Richard had restricted it with magic power. ¡°You¡¯ve really turned steam into quite the plaything,¡± Richard quipped. Casually sending the cannonball back its original way, Richard told Tai¡¯er, ¡°There¡¯s trouble within your ranks. Many of the Artificial Knights mobilized are rounding up the Church.¡± Tai¡¯er was taken aback, then a chill rose in his heart. Had he agreed to surrender just then, he feared the same fate awaited him as Belte. ¡°Your Excellency, the nobles of the Royal Court have made their move.¡± Tai¡¯er tried to briefly convey what he knew to Richard, but before he could say a second sentence, he noticed Richard frown and violently grab at the air. Buzz! A tall figure clad in Crystal Power Armor materialized from the Void, rapidly retreating. Richard remained unaffected, merely emanating a gentle Holy Light. ¡°I said, kneel!¡± In the next moment, the fleeing tall figure suddenly jolted, as if weighed down by a tremendous burden, staggering. After less than a second of swaying, the figure couldn¡¯t support itself and fell heavily to the ground. A series of Rune Chains flew out from Richard, turning this tall figure in Crystal Power Armor into a piece of green ice. The two approached the block of ice, and Richard, peering through the green frost, made out the face of the attacker. ¡°¡­ No wonder you call me a noble,¡± Richard said softly. Inside the ice block, a humanoid creature, who aside from having green skin and somewhat elongated ears bore no differences from a human, remained motionlessly sealed. Tai¡¯er watched the sealed noble, shivering involuntarily. He knew the nobles controlled powerful Ancient Relics, but he had never imagined these relics had such formidable capabilities. Had Richard not been by his side, he feared he would have been slain without ever seeing his assailant. Casting this sealed noble into the Secret Realm, Richard casually waved his hand, tearing open the entire armored wall of the carriage. Outside the carriage, a train adorned with gold and gemstones quietly stopped just five meters away on the track beside Tai¡¯er¡¯s train. Click, click, click¡­ Instantly, as Richard appeared, a series of mechanical sounds emitted from the train. Soon, after the train¡¯s walls were opened, a tall noble barely shorter than Richard, with a puzzled gaze, peered at Richard. ¡°I remember all the brothers from all families, but I have never seen you before. But I am sure, you are not one of those depraved ones from the Blood and Flesh Court.¡± ¡°Who are you? Where do you come from? Why are you interfering in this matter?¡± Richard looked at the noble before him. Upon first seeing this race, he could determine that this race was definitely a creation of the Pioneers. There was no other explanation; that beautiful face, the golden proportions, and the nearly absolute symmetry¡ªall were characteristics of Pioneer Creations. ¡°I am who I am, that is a good question,¡± Richard said calmly. ¡°I am a Sage and a Prophet of the Miracle Order, a walking embodiment of the divine in this world.¡± ¡°Prophet?¡± The noble, hearing this title, felt his confusion deepen. He did not sense the common ¡°stench of the peasantry¡± from Richard. On the contrary, Richard possessed an aura that compelled him to kneel. Had the pressure not been so faint, he might have thought the Divine King had left his throne. ¡°Could you please clarify?¡± the noble asked. ¡°To which family do you belong, and which Ancient Sage¡¯s bloodline flows within you?¡± ¡°I have already answered one question,¡± Richard replied with an unquestionable authority in his tone. ¡°Now it is my turn to ask.¡± The noble, under this authority, paused for a moment before nodding submissively. ¡°What would you like to ask?¡± ¡°Why did you attack my church?¡± ¡°Your church?¡± The noble was momentarily puzzled again, but quickly realized which church Richard was referring to. ¡°Are you referring to that despicable cult? That was not my decision; it was those scum who made that choice on their own. They said it was a power that does not obey the king, a vile and despicable force that needed to be uprooted. I merely authorized them to mobilize the legions.¡± Listening to the noble¡¯s explanation, Tai¡¯er felt a shiver in his heart. If this was not the noble¡¯s doing, then there must be an unknown traitor of high rank within the Church Faction. Richard nodded slightly, ¡°Very well, then I won¡¯t kill you.¡± With those words, Richard¡¯s figure flashed behind the noble before he could react, and an overwhelming sensation of drowsiness swept over his brain. Just before falling asleep, he faintly heard a phrase. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Compared to the Wild Beastmen, the ultimate creation, this race¡¯s resistance is still somewhat lacking.¡± Richard threw the noble into the Secret Realm and casually grasped from the Void, pulling out a mechanical figure. As an Alchemy Array emerged in his palm, the Artificial Knight attempting a sneak attack immediately locked up in all its joints. Richard glanced at the knight¡¯s limbs with some regret. ¡°Such good material used to produce such trash, what a waste.¡± There weren¡¯t many Artificial Knights in the train, but each one was at the Red Cardinal level. Such a level of Artificial Knight could rival a Third Level Fire Lizard. However, regretfully, in Richard¡¯s view, they were no different than mere chicks. Freezing the last of the Artificial Knights, Richard pulled out a Divine Statue pendant from his pocket and handed it to Tai¡¯er. ¡°Carry this. I can save you when necessary.¡± Tai¡¯er excitedly accepted the pendant and immediately hung it around his neck. However, just as Richard was about to enter the Secret Realm to study this noble race, Tai¡¯er suddenly spoke up: ¡°Sir, I forgot to mention earlier. When the Royal Court Faction tried to persuade me, they mentioned a great war. They said the Divinity has issued an oracle demanding our unity to combat our kin corrupted by the Abyss Demons¡­¡± Tai¡¯er did not finish his sentence when he realized a strong oppressive force burst from Richard. ¡°Already aware of it?¡± Richard looked towards the direction of the Royal Court, his brow slightly furrowed. ¡°But if they knew, why hasn¡¯t there been any movement?¡± Tai¡¯er, noticing Richard¡¯s unusual expression, cautiously said, ¡°Sir, I personally think this pertains to the Abyss Sect. It doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± Richard glanced at him, his expression half-smiling: ¡°Is the Abyss Sect common under your governance?¡± ¡°Well¡­ not exactly, we are quite efficient in cleansing the Abyss Sect. However, I¡¯m not sure about the Blood and Flesh Court next door.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow. ¡°So you say next door is more tolerant towards the Abyss Sect?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not exactly the case,¡± Tai¡¯er explained. ¡°It¡¯s just that the research next door easily tempts the Abyss Sect. The prowess of the Abyss Demons in matters of flesh often leads to self-degradation among the Flesh Priests. Next door has had quite a struggle removing these Fallen Priests. Sometimes, they even need our people to intervene.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Richard appeared a bit surprised, then thoughtful, and muttered to himself, ¡°It seems I will have to make a trip next door.¡± Fighting the World Master might be troublesome, but it was ultimately a battle against the natives. However, allowing the Abyss to grow would mean battling against a civilization, and Richard was not yet confident that he could lead the natives to defeat a civilized army. ¡­ In the early morning, following a night of heavy rain, Dunling City welcomed a rare clear day. One after another, the bodies of Artificial Monks were carried out of the church of the Miracle Order, then loaded onto trucks. Most of the bodies were incomplete, as the more valuable parts had been stripped by the mechanics of the Miracle Church. The Miracle Church in Dunling City had suffered minimal losses during the night; a total of twelve modified Miracle Monks had died in battle. The bodies of these monks were properly buried, and their names were recorded in the holy scripture. The surviving priests began repairing the church, but unlike before, this time the church did not conceal its identity, and the symbol of the Miracle Order was openly mounted atop the church¡¯s spire. Chapter 557 - 21 Heading Towards the Pioneer Relics Chapter 557 -21 Heading Towards the Pioneer Relics In the Secret Realm, Richard looked at the marvelous Crystal Armor in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration. ¡°What a marvelous thing, I never expected you to still have such good stuff.¡± Beside him, the two Nobles he had captured, now named by Richard as Earth Goblins, were controlled by the filaments of the World Mushroom, appearing like puppets on strings. Richard was a very gentle Wizard; he always tried to minimize unnecessary slaughter. ¡°Do you have many of these things?¡± Richard¡¯s voice was very gentle, sounding like a patient and encouraging teacher. However, in the eyes of the two Earth Goblins, his smile seemed like the smile of a devil. As Nobles, they considered themselves well-traveled and knowledgeable. Whether it was the fierce Sea Beasts from the Far East, the terrifying Sand Monsters from the Southern Desert, or the Ice sprites from the Extreme North, they had seen them all and even captured some to display in the Royal Court¡¯s zoo for public viewing. But they had never seen such a grand and huge creature like the World Mushroom. Its body, as large as a small hill, instinctively struck fear into them. And the means of the World Mushroom were even more chilling. They were elite among the Nobles, but in front of the World Mushroom¡¯s seemingly fragile filaments and tendrils, they were like toys, easily manipulated and molded. What terrified them even more was that this horrifying creature actually called that albinism-like Noble its master. Who exactly was this Noble? Or rather, what was he? ¡°We have many,¡± said an Earth Goblin who had attacked Richard, forcing composure, ¡°in the Royal Court, there are countless armors like this.¡± Hearing this, the Earth Goblin beside him also echoed, ¡°This armor is just the lowest grade; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be used against these lowly species. In the Royal Court, such armors¡­ ah!¡± Before the Earth Goblin could finish speaking, an indescribable pain spread throughout his body, feeling as if someone was brushing back and forth on his nerves with a wire brush. Richard calmly said, ¡°I do not like lies, so you better not lie. If you cooperate, you might even be able to go back someday. If you do not cooperate, then your only fate will be to hang on the wall as specimens. Now, tell me, how many of these armors do you have?¡± After speaking, Richard raised his hand, and the World Mushroom stopped its torment. With the pain gone, the two Earth Goblins¡¯ bodies still trembled incessantly, and they looked at Richard with fear deep in their bones. Fear of pain is the instinct of every being, and when they encounter pain that surpasses those instincts, creatures tend to escape through fainting. But under the manipulation of the World Mushroom, these two Earth Goblins could not faint. They had to endure that indescribable pain completely. Without faith that transcended life and death, no creature could endure such pain. Clearly, these two ¡°Nobles¡± who referred to Earth Goblins as lowly species did not possess such faith. ¡°There are probably over five hundred sets of such armor, but only ninety-four, no, ninety-three are usable!¡± one Earth Goblin hastily replied. Richard nodded slightly and asked, ¡°How many of these Crystal Creations do you have? Are they considered precious?¡± ¡°Precious, certainly precious!¡± the other Earth Goblin hastened to answer, ¡°All these things are ancient legacies, the creations that emerged in this world before the Complete Lord suppressed the Abyss. Neither we nor those corrupt fools have many of such creations.¡± ¡°Corrupt fools?¡± Richard raised an eyebrow, he had noticed this term before. ¡°It¡¯s the Nobles of the Blood and Flesh Court,¡± explained the Earth Goblin. ¡°These guys have abandoned their noble bloodline and are playing with body modification with those lowly species. The Divine Gifted Bodies they had are twisted beyond recognition.¡± ¡°Divine Gifted Bodies?¡± Richard was shocked, ¡°Your bodies are modified afterward?¡± The Earth Goblin straightened up, his face brimming with immense pride. ¡°Our Divine Gifted Bodies are from the Complete Lord. In ancient times, our ancestors fought side by side with the Complete Lord against the Abyss Demons. As a reward, and also to enhance our fighting power, the Complete Lord gifted our ancestors with the Divine Gifted Bodies.¡± The Earth Goblin¡¯s answer left Richard somewhat puzzled. ¡°Divine Gifted Bodies from the Complete Lord? Not from the Supreme?¡± ¡°Supreme?¡± Faced with this title, the Earth Goblin was utterly confused. ¡°I have never heard of the Supreme.¡± The Earth Goblin¡¯s answer sent a shock through Richard¡¯s heart. He waved his hand, and the World Mushroom put the two Earth Goblins to sleep. Then, Richard conducted a thorough examination of their bodies. After the inspection, Richard drew up a chart. Looking at the chart and the symmetrically beautiful body structure on it, Richard murmured to himself: ¡°Strange, this body is indeed the work of the Supreme, that cannot be faked. Could it be that the Complete Lord was a remnant of the Supreme? Or, did the Complete Lord inherit the Supreme¡¯s life essence transformation technology?¡± Richard woke the two Earth Goblins and asked them many more questions about the Divine Gifted Bodies. However, the answers the Earth Goblins gave were very vague and unclear; the ancient events after thousands of years of transmission had become mere mythological tales. In the myths, these Earth Goblin ancestors fought shoulder to shoulder with the Complete Lord against the Abyss Demons when they invaded. In battle after battle, the Complete Lord realized that relying on Goblins alone could not defeat the Abyss Demons. Hence, he bestowed blessings in the Divine Palace, gifting these Earth Goblin ancestors with Divine Gifted Bodies, as well as numerous ancient relics. Later, the Complete Lord suppressed the Evil Demons but died himself, and his power was inherited by two Sons of God. Under the leadership of the Sons of God, they purified the already corrupted land with flames and subsequently established the two great kingdoms of today, namely the Mechanical Court where Richard currently resided, and the Blood and Flesh Court next door. ¡°Divine Palace¡­¡± Richard pondered for a moment, a thought flashing through his mind. Could this so-called Divine Palace be a Pioneer biological laboratory, containing a complete set of equipment for transforming the origin of life? And the so-called bestowal of blessings was actually the use of this equipment to transform the origin? Otherwise, there was no need for the Divine Palace to be a location in the myth. The more Richard thought about it, the more probable the idea seemed. Otherwise, how could a native World Master transform Goblins into powerful Earth Goblins? Although he hadn¡¯t studied these Earth Goblins in detail, merely dissecting one allowed him to see that their strength and agility far exceeded that of ordinary goblins by more than tenfold. This data even surpassed that of the general Dragon Blood Species. Moreover, the regenerative abilities of these Earth Goblins had not been weakened but had been enhanced instead. This clearly exceeded the capabilities that a native should possess, even for a Wizard; such transformation would require the involvement of a Physique Crown. ¡°Do you have any records of this Divine Palace?¡± asked Richard. One of the Earth Goblins shook its head, ¡°No, there are very few records about the Divine Palace. The myth says that the Divine Palace is at the World¡¯s Summit. If we go by that statement, then perhaps the Divine Palace is at the Golden Summit.¡± ¡°Golden Summit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the highest mountain we¡¯ve surveyed, with a height of twelve thousand kilometers.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to the north of the Blood and Flesh Court.¡± ¡°Blood and Flesh Court¡­¡± Richard¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly; it seemed he had no choice but to visit the Blood and Flesh Court. He opened a Secret Realm Rift and while walking through, said: ¡°World Mushroom, put these two Earth Goblins into hibernation.¡± ¡°As you wish, my lord.¡± ¡­ In Dunling City, Ulysses stood on the spire of the church, overlooking the whole city. A rift opened beside him, and Richard, robed in black and holding the Balance Hand Wand, stepped out. ¡°The church was built so quickly?¡± Richard said with some surprise, looking at the immense structure beneath his feet. ¡°It¡¯s fake, take a closer look.¡± Richard donned the Dimension Eye and under the scrutiny of the energy waves, the true appearance of the entire church instantly revealed itself. The huge structure below his feet was nothing but an old building, and the spire was just a hastily constructed scaffold. ¡°Is this a miracle?¡± Richard asked. Ulysses glanced sideways slightly: ¡°Not bad, you can already see the intent, my Main God lord.¡± ¡°Knock it off,¡± Richard retorted with a laugh and a curse. Following last night¡¯s attack, Richard and Ulysses decided to bring the Miracle Sect out into the open directly. The Miracle Sect was now branded with Tai¡¯er¡¯s force, and its hidden location had been nearly exposed. Continuing to hide was pointless. Better to openly reveal themselves so that the Believers would know the Miracle Sect was not a Cult and thereby attract a wider following. As for the attitude of the Eternal God King¡­ frankly, Richard no longer cared about his attitude. Attacking a base of the Miracle Sect was akin to attacking a Temple in the Main God¡¯s world, a signal of waging war against the corresponding Divine. After displaying the miracle last night, Ulysses was ready to confront the Eternal God King. To boast a little, if their combat power wasn¡¯t constrained within a world, no two Fourth Level World Masters could beat Richard and Ulysses. Even within a world, if they could lure one of the World Masters into a Secret Realm, they could win the fight. However, this plan was extremely difficult to implement, almost impossible to succeed. Yet strangely, the Eternal God King showed no reaction last night, as if he was completely unaware of the attack. ¡°I¡¯m planning a trip to the Blood and Flesh Court,¡± Richard said, looking down at the city below, somewhat distractedly. ¡°Oh ho, my Main God lord, are you planning to proselytize in the Blood and Flesh Court?¡± Ulysses replied with an exaggerated tone of satisfaction, ¡°My Main God lord is finally taking up preaching himself, congratulations indeed.¡± Richard glanced at him and nonchalantly pulled out a bunch of blueprints from his pocket. ¡°Hand this over to Tai¡¯er¡¯s people, and make sure they cover the whole Mechanical Court with these things.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ulysses took the blueprints, glanced at them briefly, and saw a huge tower drawn on the paper. Richard looked down at the city below and replied, ¡°This is a signal tower, which is used in conjunction with something I call a Crystal Stone Projector. As long as this tower is spread throughout the whole world, I can then make sure that achievements spread across the entire world within ten minutes!¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 558 - 22 Abyss Sect The land of the goblin world was not considered vast, at least not compared to the small worlds Richard had seen before. In the map of the goblin world, a significant portion of the land consisted of islands, both large and small. These islands were not uniformly distributed, with most of them located on the side controlled by the Mechanical Court. In contrast, the neighboring territory of the Blood and Flesh Court almost formed a complete piece of land. It took Richard two days to fly from the Mechanical Court to the Blood and Flesh Court. Unlike the Mechanical Court, which was dotted with factories everywhere, the factories in the Blood and Flesh Court, although numerous, did not reach the extreme level of the Mechanical Court. However, this did not mean the Blood and Flesh Court was normal. Richard, while invisible, arrived above a city, which was not large and according to his rough estimate, was home to just hundreds of thousands of goblins. Yet, this small city housed as many as a dozen transformation hospitals and that didn''t even include the smaller clinics. Among these hundreds of thousands of goblins, not one had avoided undergoing biomechanical transmutations, as far as Richard could tell, there were no unmodified goblins. The modifications among these goblins ranged from basic limb strengthening to organ modifications, such as eye enhancements, to full body transformation, completely changing their appearances to hardly resemble goblins anymore. The variety was staggering and encompassing all possibilities. Richard wondered whether it was the advancement in transformation medicine that led to the widespread transmutations, or vice versa. But he was certain of one thing, this was not a good phenomenon. Physical changes had a huge impact on one''s spirit. In the Mechanical Court, the Artificial Knights and Artificial Body Priests did not treat the lower-class workers as people, showing absolutely no empathy towards their own kind, due to their excessive modifications. Enhanced senses and cold artificial bodies prevented them from empathizing with their unmodified kin¡ªat the moment of full body transformation, they essentially became a different race. If adding artificial components could cause such a change, one could only imagine what direct flesh modifications would do. Even if mechanical limb feedback was realistic, it certainly could never match the authenticity of flesh feedback. However, this lack of realism could help goblins maintain their sanity as goblins. But when the artificial limbs were replaced with flesh, this sense of unrealism vanished. Goblins could easily be changed by their new bodies, altering everything from habits to personality compared to before their transformations. In severe cases, these modifications could cause goblins to lose their self-awareness as goblins and start seeing their own kind as alien. However, at present, it hadn''t reached that extreme among these goblins. Most of them underwent body modifications to cope with work-related demands in their lives. Those who opted for more extensive physique modifications were typically wealthy youths. After landing, Richard strolled through the city to confirm that the working conditions in the Blood and Flesh Court were consistent with those in the Mechanical Court. He then picked up a map planning to leave. Evangelizing wasn''t urgent at the moment, as his main purpose this trip was to investigate the Abyss Sect and the mythical Divine Palace. According to the map, the highest peak in the goblin world, Golden Summit, was located in the northern part of the Blood and Flesh Court. From the city where he was, it would be a two-thousand-kilometer flight north. "Not too far," Richard muttered while looking at the map. "Before I head there, though, might as well take care of these little pests first." Richard pocketed the map and shifted his gaze toward a nearby structure¡ªor rather, a group of buildings. There stood a block of cheap apartments that, to Richard''s senses, seemed to be constructed of steel and concrete but were, in fact, filled with flesh, almost like a demon''s womb. "Is this the power of the Abyss Demon?" Richard mused, his figure flashing to the entrance of the apartment building. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to barge in. He discovered that this flesh-disguised building had the ability to isolate space. He could not use Shadow Shuttling to enter. There were no guards at the front door of the apartment, only two savage-looking giant dogs with bulging muscles as though they were small bulls. They bared their shiny, sharp teeth, from which foul-smelling saliva dripped down, forming tiny holes on the cement ground as it sizzled upon contact¡ªits corrosive saliva had eroded the surface. As Richard appeared in front of the apartment, the two giant dogs were about to pounce. But before they could move, a soul-deep terror made them collapse weakly onto the ground. Casting a glance at the hunting dogs, a hint of surprise flickered in Richard''s eyes. "To think the Abyss Sect has placed two second-level creatures as guards; they really do put on quite a show." Entering the apartment complex, Richard immediately sensed an extremely corrupt Qi. He could feel that this air must contain a large number of what Ulysses referred to as Abyss Spores. Abyss Spores, the lowest form of life in the Abyss biome. After growing, these spores would transform into the primary producers of the Abyss biome¡ªthe Abyss Moss. However, despite being at the bottom of the biome, the entire Abyss biome was essentially built on these tiny spores. The Abyss Erosion of environments was entirely based on these Abyss Spores. "Yet, these Abyss Spores seem quite weak," Richard observed using his spiritual power, noting the spores'' half-dead vitality, starkly different from how Ulysses had described them. In Ulysses'' description, Abyss spores were just like yeast, able to grow on anything they contacted. If ordinary people didn''t treat them with holy water, inhaling even a single spore could lead to parasitic infestation and transform them into Abyss corpses. But the spores before him now were hardly capable of transforming people into corpses, Richard seriously doubted they could even grow in the lungs. Life energy was too weak. Inside the building, large swathes of flesh covered the walls. Daubs of graffiti intermingled with purple-red blood vessels conveyed an indescribable sense of eeriness. Tap tap! With a nimble sideslip, Richard dodged the drool falling from above. The deeper he went into the building, the more pronounced the fleshy transformation of the architecture became. By the floor Richard now reached, walls were no longer visible; the long corridors resembled the intestines of a giant beast. "Trying to digest me?" Richard looked at the potent digestive fluid falling like raindrops from above and calmly raised his magic barrier. However, the digestive fluid was just the beginning. As the fluid appeared, the fleshy walls around Richard began to contract. From the smooth flesh walls, numerous bone-spiked tentacles started to extend, lashing against Richard''s magic barrier like whips. Unfortunately, these whips strong enough to tear through steel couldn''t even stir a ripple on Richard''s composite magic barrier. With a casual wave of his hand, a gust of fiery red wind evaporated the digestive fluids. Under the fury of the Fire Element, the surrounding flesh walls turned scorched black, and those flailing flesh tentacles were burned into char. "That looks much better," Richard said lightly. Following the flesh corridor downward, Richard soon encountered a creature that might be an Abyss Demon. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In front of Richard, at the end of the flesh corridor, stood a humanoid creature with horns, blood-red skin, and its arms and body covered in large amounts of bone armor and spikes, eyeing him warily. More precisely, its gaze could almost be described as fearful. "Who are you?" Richard didn''t respond, but instead reached out his hand, and a massive Magic Hand appeared out of thin air, firmly grasping the Abyss Demon in its palm. Caught off guard by the attack, the Abyss Demon immediately began to struggle after being trapped in the Magic Hand. Its body involuntarily began to elongate, with more bone spurs and plates growing from within. Its muscles bulged, and a pair of huge wings sprouted from its back. In just a few seconds, the Abyss Demon had swollen from over two meters tall to nearly five meters, with a body as robust as a giant''s. "Roar!" The Abyss Demon let out a ferocious roar and its body shook violently, trying to break free from the grasp of the Magic Hand. But the Magic Hand wasn''t a real hand; it was a force field. Being trapped in the Magic Hand wasn''t like being bound by iron rings; it was more like being stuck in a swamp, where escaping through sheer brute strength was nearly impossible. After the Abyss Demon''s outburst, the undamaged energy structure of the Magic Hand wrapped around the Abyss Demon like a swamp. Its mighty strength was as ineffective as trying to cut water with a blade in the Magic Hand. "A bit too weak." Richard frowned slightly as he watched the Abyss Demon unable to escape. The magic hand he used was just a basic Magic Hand, potent only because Richard''s spiritual power was strong enough to manipulate a substantial amount of magic power. But even so, this method was only suitable for bullying third-level native creatures. A three-level creature from a civilized background could easily break free from this hand. However, Richard suddenly remembered that Ulysses had once mentioned that Abyss Demons had the ability to transform other races into Abyss Demons. Presumably, this creature was one of those transformed Abyss Demons. "That''s perfect, just right for a specimen." Rune Chains flew out from Richard''s body, coalescing into a layer of icy blue on the surface of the Abyss Demon. Under the cover of ice, the Abyss Demon''s struggle gradually weakened until it turned into an ice sculpture, and Richard threw it into the Secret Realm. As he ventured deeper, Richard faced several attacks. For instance, the surrounding walls suddenly sprouted sharp teeth like those of a lamprey, trying to grind him into pieces. Or releasing a large amount of deadly smoke in the air, attempting to poison Richard to death. Eventually, the Abyss Lair simply sealed off the path, denying Richard access to its core chamber. But unfortunately, all these efforts were in vain. The blood-red flesh walls suddenly turned black and turned into char, followed by blinding flames bursting from behind the walls. Richard, maintaining his magic barrier, walked out of the charred corridor, looking around with interest. He was now at the core chamber of the Abyss Lair. In front of him, a purple-red tumor, over a meter high and connected to many thick blood vessels, was quivering. Looking at this tumor, Richard''s body unexpectedly experienced a slight thrill. "Oh, the Life Rule!?"