End Of The Magic Era

by Stayrr

The world that nurtured the civilization which reached the pinnacle of magic was on the verge of destruction. The last survivor transmigrated to the past, when the magic civilization started growing, as countless mages were still fumbling their ways through the thorny paths of magic knowledge. He, who came from the end of the magic era, aim to reach the pinnacle of magic.

6. 161

Read End of the Magic Era - Chapter 161 - Setting Out online free - Light Novel Full

Thinking about it, Hoen's face suddenly became pale.

He finally understood…

Recently, the most sensational matter in the Cloud Tower was definitely the Fanrusen Formula being cracked. Star Sage Jouyi had spent over twenty years on it and finally proved that for thousands of years, Noscent's mages had always tread an incorrect path. This had a hard to assess impact on the entire Cloud Tower, on the entire Noscent's world.

Although Hoen had just returned from the Pale Plane, he still felt the impact when he was in Okland, thousands upon thousands mages were praising Sir Jouyi, thanking him for using his wisdom to point out a bright path for them, the hostile Black Tower's mages included.

Now, Sir Jouyi's influence had reached the peak in Okland.

But another rumor spread inside the Cloud Tower, they all said that the biggest contributor to Sir Jouyi's breaking the Fanrusen Formula was a young mage.

At that time, Hoen naturally didn't think much of it.

Sir Jouyi already was the biggest authority on the Fanrusen Formula in the Andlusa Kingdom, no one could compare with him. If Sir Jouyi couldn't solve it, then who could? Don't mention a nameless young mage, even peak Archmages from other major mage forces would concede defeat in front of Jouyi.

Thus, when Hoen used those to reason with the Cloud Tower's mages, a few friendly High Mages threw sympathetic gazes at him…

Hoen remembered what they said at that time…

"So regretful, you missed the chance to witness a miracle."

Now, Hoen finally knew who was the young mage that helped Sir Jouyi unlock the Fanrusen Formula and let many of the mages of the Cloud Tower witness a miracle.

Indeed, it was the Mafa Merlin before his eyes.

It could be said that the only reason why he was able to get the seat of Head of Magic Department was because of Mafa Merlin making a move and solving the Fanrusen Formula decades earlier, otherwise he might have stayed in the Pale Plane for a long time. When Sir Jouyi broke the Fanrusen Formula, he sent him back from his mission of collecting basic datas and after his return, Hoen sat on the seat of Head of the Magic Department..

But because of anger, he rushed over and not only wanted that person to undo Leon's Mana Shackles, he also wanted to seal his mana for three years.

'Thank god, thank god…'

'Fortunately Sir Jouyi appeared…'

'If not for Sir Jouyi's timely's appearance, I would have already made a move… And based on the battle matrix analysis, I would die as a 9th High Mage at the cost of three Spiritual Magic Tools.'

Thinking about this, cold sweat fell off Hoen's forehead.

"Fuck off to the Cloud Tower!" Jouyi waved his hand as if he was swatting a fly, "If I see you in Thousand Sails City again, I'll let you know the consequences…"

"Yes, yes, yes, Sir Jouyi, I'll immediately leave Thousand Sails City…" Hoen wiped the cold sweat off his forehead while carrying Leon Merlin out of the Gilded Rose's lobby. While passing by Lin Yun, he said filled with fear, "My apologies, Great Mage Merlin…"

After saying this, Hoen and Leon immediately left the Gilded Rose…

"Teacher, why did Sir Jouyi…" After the two left the Gilded Rose, Leon was unable to stop himself.

Leon Merlin still couldn't understand why Star Sage Jouyi now appeared in the Gilded Rose, and why Jouyi was shielding Mafa Merlin to that extent.

After all, Mafa Merlin's father was just a small merchant. Although he had some reputation in a small town like Thousand Sails City, he was nothing in Okland. Not to mention that this small merchant had already died. Nowadays, Mafa Merlin's identity wasn't even acknowledged by the Merlin Family. Besides the Nether Iron Vein in his hands, there was nothing worth showing.

Even if Leon was a fool, he would still know that a Nether Iron Vein wasn't worth more than a few cabbages to someone like Jouyi.

What did he have that was worth Jouyi shielding him?

Leon Merlin thought about it, but he couldn't understand.

"Shut up!" As a result of opening his mouth, he was glared at by Hoen.

Originally, Leon Merlin could be said to be the most optimal successor to Hoen's legacy. But for some reason, Hoen suddenly felt that this disciple wasn't pleasing to the eyes…

Seems like he would have to consider another one after returning. Although Leon Merlin's talent was good, his character and eyesight were truly bad…

'Didn't you see Jouyi's attitude? Why are you asking such a dim-witted question…'

'Okay, it's decided. After returning to the Cloud Tower, I'll first remove Leon's Mana Shackles, but I have to find someone else to follow my legacy. I can't choose Leon, if he gets my legacy, his achievements wouldn't be too great based on his insight and character.'

Leon Merlin didn't know that his trip to Thousand Sails City not only resulted in him having his mana sealed, but he also lost a huge opportunity.

At the same time, in the Gilded Rose's lobby, Lin Yun just glanced at Jouyi and then laughed, "Hahaha…"

Being looked like that by Lin Yun, Jouyi let out two embarrassed chuckles.

Because he knew that his thoughts had already been seen through.

Hoen was a 9th Rank High Mage after all, even if he could be described as a cornerstone of the Cloud Tower, otherwise Jouyi wouldn't have put him at the seat of the Head of the Magic Department after he finished his task. That was one of the most important seats, specialized in the Cloud Tower's planar expansion project.

To any force, planar expansion was very important. For him to put Hoen at that seat showed how much importance he placed on Hoen.

It could be said that as long as Hoen could have some achievements at that seat, there would come a day he would enter the Council of the Cloud Tower. Even after thousands of years, there would be the chance to fight over the seat he left behind.

But that idiot went to provoke Thousand Sails City's Merlin on a whim.

Thinking about this, Jouyi suddenly felt his head hurt. Maybe to others Merlin was just an ordinary 5th Rank Great Mage with some outstanding skills, someone who didn't even join a force. But Jouyi knew that this young 5th Rank Great Mage's true abilities were far beyond that.

Just the amazing computing power he displayed on the Fanrusen Formula was far from what a 5th Rank Great Mage could possess. Furthermore, Merlin finished the battle matrix at nearly the same time as him. This showed that Merlin's ability with spell matrices were comparable to himself.

The height that such a person could reach would be far from being limited to the Archmage Realm.

At that time, it would be Hoen's turn to regret

After all…

Many years later, Hoen would have already become one of the top few of the Cloud Tower's Council. Every word and actions would decide the fate of countless mages. But when he would suddenly find that the young mage he had offended many years before was already standing at a height he couldn't reach, what kind of mood would he be in?

If Merlin's character was relatively lenient, he wouldn't have to worry about anything, but if Merlin actually held a grudge, at that time, let alone Hoen, maybe the entire Cloud Tower would be out of luck.

Moreover, after being in contact with Merlin for a bit, he could already see this young Great Mage's character, and the latter would most likely happen.

Thus, he flew into a fit of rage earlier.

As long as Merlin vented, he wouldn't go find troubles for Hoen later.

It fortunately looked successful.

After Jouyi's two embarrassed chuckles, he didn't mention the matter that just happened and just called Lin Yun and Solomon and prepared to rush to Oddrock City this very night.

"Why so anxious?" Lin Yun suddenly became startled. The Magic Hand's gathering was on the 15th, but it was only the 13th at the moment, so what was the reason behind Jouyi's being in a hurry?

"Oddrock City is very far…"

"Don't play with me…" Lin Yun brooded. If someone else said that, then he might still believe it. But who was the one saying it? A peak Archmage a step away from the Heaven Realm. Using Flight to carry two individuals to Oddrock City would only take the time for a meal, 'I wonder why you look to be in such hurry?'

"You are too troublesome. You just beat one of my people, I didn't look for you to settle the bill yet." Jouyi said in a fit of rage.

"…" Lin Yun almost puked blood, 'When did I beat one of your people?'

'Hoen came first, and his Wind Python almost strangled me.'

'Moreover, the one who smashed the piece of paper on Hoen's face, wasn't it you?'

Unfortunately, it wasn't good to argue with someone with Jouyi's age and status. When Lin Yun saw his rage, he didn't dare to let the dispute go on. He explained some stuff to Faleau and William and immediately followed after Jouyi and Solomon, leaving the Gilded Rose.

By the time they go out of Thousand Sails City, Lin Yun understood why Jouyi would say that Oddrock City was very far.

It was because the peak Archmage's fast way of transportation was actually a carriage!

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Indeed, Lin Yun didn't see wrong, it truly was a carriage!

Jouyi wasn't polite with Lin Yun at all, he called a carriage from Thousand Sails City and even made Lin Yun pay the fee. It shook on its way to the "far" Oddrock City.

When it was late in the evening, the carriage stopped at a small village near the Lullaby Forest.

Lin Yun gingerly went down, planning to find a hotel for the night.

Nothing could be done about it, he was the youngest of the three, moreover, Solomon was sick, and Jouyi was the master of the Cloud Tower. In any case, this could only fall on Lin Yun.

But Lin Yun discovered that Jouyi followed him down the carriage.

"It's okay, you can go back." Lin Yun then saw Jouyi throw a small pouch of golds to the driver.

"Thank you thank you…" The driver reached out to grab the golds while displaying a pleased expression. There was at least a hundred golds in that pouch. Not to mention Thousand Sails City's fees, this was enough to buy ten such carriages.

"Sir Jouyi, this is…?" Seeing the driver leaving, Lin Yun was puzzled, 'What is Jouyi up to?'

He used such a primitive way of moving to get there, but after reaching this small town, he used a pouch of coins to send it back. Wasn't it superfluous? Could it be that he would call another carriage tomorrow? Or are they going to be using Flight to hurry on their way?

Thinking of this, Lin Yun couldn't help looking at him with a strange expression.

If it wasn't for Jouyi being old, Lin Yun would have asked if he was playing around, could he not fell this process annoying?

"I want to meet someone, you two follow me."

"Ah?"

"Ah what? I won't make you run for nothing…" Jouyi threw a displeased glance at Lin Yun. Although he didn't know the meaning of the boy's gaze, Jouyi could guess that this was definitely not anything friendly.

"Where are you going?" Hearing that he wouldn't be there in vain, Lin Yun's tone suddenly changed. After asking, he didn't forget to ask, "Oh yeah, can I borrow Black Death Rune for another three months?"

"…" Jouyi didn't say anything, but his expression was pitch black as he led the two through the small village.

Soon, the three entered the Lullaby Forest.

The Lullaby Forest was located between Thousand Sails City and Oddrock City. Although this place wasn't Edge Rift, being occupied by a powerful Rock Troll clan, there was still many magic beasts walking through the forest. Most of which were magic beasts over level 20, and if one was lucky enough, or unlucky depending on the cases, they might even meet a level 30 magic beast. Although Thousand Sails City and Oddrock City had numerous mercenaries,only the first five ranked Mercenary Groups of each town would hunt in the Lullaby Forest.

Naturally this was only for ordinary Mercenary Groups.

To the three that came tonight, it was just another matter altogether.

Of the three that came tonight, one was a 9th Rank Archmage, one was a 9th Rank High Mage, and the weakest was a 5th Rank Great Mage. But that weakest just proved in Thousand Sails City that he had the strength to force a 9th Rank High Mage to death.

This kind of group would rarely be found in the Andlusa kingdom. If they formed a mercenary group, maybe even the Silver Moon Mercenary would be forced to be crushed.

Naturally, they wouldn't be that bored.

The three entered the Lullaby Forest, Jouyi in the lead, Solomon in the middle and Lin Yun closing the formation. Like a charging bull, they charged their way through the Lullaby Forest, and on the way,Lin Yun only did one thing, that was to maintain the Light's illuminations. Everything else was left to Jouyi to handle.

At this time, besides a Runic Shield darkening and brightening at times on this peak Archmage's body, there was not the least bit of indicator showing a spell being cast. But with this, Not a single magic beast approached within thirty meters of Jouyi ever since he entered the Lullaby Forest.

Lin Yun saw a few magic beasts hidden in the thickets suddenly turning to ashes when they approached the thirty meters boundary.

This kind of omnipotent omnidirectional power made even Lin Yun alarmed. A few times, Lin Yun even pondered how long could he last if he was like one of those magic beasts, 10 seconds? Five seconds?

Jouyi used such a frightening method to leisurely stroll through the Lullaby Forest…

There was no need to mention Solomon…

Lin Yun had to keep the Light on, but besides coughing and walking, Solomon didn't move a single finger.

It's been a hour when Jouyi stopped near a thicket.

"Finally."

"Where is this?" Lin Yun followed Jouyi's sight and could see a wooden house a few hundreds meters away. The tree house seemed somewhat old-fashioned and had clearly went through many mending. It was covered with traces of wind and tears. And at the moment, the entrance to the wooden house was devoid of a door. In the evening wind of the Lullaby Forest, it issued a long grinding noise.

'No way, there is someone actually living here?'

The first thought appearing in Lin Yun's mind was that the master of this tree house was truly courageous. Although this Lullaby Forest had no Dragon Den or Tiger Lair, there were still some Level 30 magic beasts roaming around from time to time. Living in such a place needed more than just some courage.

'Hold on…'

Just as Lin Yun was secretly admiring, he suddenly felt something wrong. That exceptionally old-fashioned tree house seemed to be filled with very strange mana fluctuations.

Indeed, these mana fluctuations were truly too strange. They wouldn't give a very powerful feeling at first, but it felt as if they were everywhere. Lin Yun only stood a few hundreds meters away from these mana fluctuations, yet he could feel them slowly coil around him, moreover they were slowly invading his own Magic Array.

Fortunately, Lin Yun had the Magic Array.

After rousing the Magic Arrays, these strange mana fluctuations disappeared, but that pervasive feeling remained lingering in Lin Yun's heart. These mana fluctuations gave a feeling of déjà vu to Lin Yun.

"After going in, remember to talk less." Jouyi didn't answer to Lin Yun's question, warning him with a low voice instead, before leading the two to the wooden house.

Jouyi reached the wooden house and reached his hand to open the invisible wooden door. Lin Yun then felt a pungent assaulting his nose…

"Flame Flower?" Lin Yun was suddenly started. This smell was 100% coming from a Flame Flower.

That was a first rate magic material, and a very rare one. Many alchemists believed that Flame Flowers were already extinct in Noscent and could only be found in planes rich in fire elements.

Lin Yun was also skeptical about this.

Because in the following era, there has never been a Flame Flower appearing in Noscent, nor was there any potion concocted from it.

He didn't expect to come across the smell of one in a wooden house in the Lullaby Forest.

"Fuck, how come you are here again Jouyi, didn't I tell you to not come and bother me again, otherwise don't blame me for being rude…" Just as Jouyi opened the door, a very impatient angry voice passed out from the inside…

"…" Lin Yun suddenly held his breath. Jouyi was a peak Archmage, only one step away from reaching the Heaven Rank. The owner of that voice dared to use that tone with Jouyi, how bold was he?

Lin Yun then found out that…

That person not only dared to say that, he also dared to act.

Just as his voice fell, a beaker was thrown over. Even a bang was heard as it disappeared under his foot.

"Haha, hey, Osul, you don't need to be so violent when an old friend is visiting…" Lin Yun didn't expect peak Archmage Jouyi wouldn't even get angry… No, this wasn't just not getting angry, this time, Jouyi could simply be described as shameless.

Seeing Jouyi's flattering smile, Lin Yun even suspected that if a tail grew, Jouyi would wag it happily.

'Damn! Is that the morals of a peak Archmage?'

Lin Yun felt his entire world being overturned.

'But, Osul… Why does it sound familiar?'

While Lin Yun was secretly puzzled, a grizzled older man walked out from the room. At first look, the old man was almost 60. He was dressed in a washed out pale gray robe with visible stains. It shouldn't have been washed in months.

Although the mana fluctuations coming out from Osul were quite powerful, they were still far from Jouyi's Extraordinary level fluctuations.

"Fuck…" After the old man came out of the room, he instantly noticed Lin Yun and Solomon, afterwards, that old man's expression became heavy, "Jouyi, you bastard. You are disturbing my experiments again and even brought two people. Do you really think that I cannot take you on?"

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Chapter 163: Dusk Fire

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

"Haha, I just came to visit an old friend, do you have to react like that?"

Seeing Jouyi like this, Lin Yun couldn't help feeling suspicious. 'Does that man have some dirt on Jouyi? Why else would such a peak existence shed his integrity and don a smiling face?'

"Visiting an old friend?" Lin Yun guessed right. Jouyi's words caused a huge reaction from Osul. The latter angrily looked at him and roared, "You are saying that? How many magic materials have I lost to you in the past few years! Last time you came, it was a bottle of Dragon Transformation Potion! The time before that you took two Time Potions! And there was another one before that… Hey Jouyi, did you think this place was your private alchemy laboratory? Fuck off for me, don't you dare think of taking even one more potion from me!"

"…" When Lin Yun heard that, he couldn't help glancing at Jouyi awkwardly. That Star Sage's accomplishments could be said to be glorious…

Two Time Potions, those weren't something an ordinary Master Alchemist could compound, just like the Ghost Potion that Lin Yun had taken out at that time. As long as he could compound the Time Potion, that would be equivalent to having a foot at the peak of the Master Alchemist Realm, just below a step away from being an Artisan. In the entire Andlusa Kingdom, the Master Alchemists capable of compounding the Time Potion could be counted on one hand.

And this was only with regards to the technical aspect.

The Time Potion needed a total of five magic materials, four of which could easily be found in the alchemy market. However, the last one had already become extinct during the middle of the 3rd Dynasty.

That was the Frost Witch Tear.

It was rumored to be a mysterious fruit that only grew in lands of extreme coldness. And its growing cycle was extremely long. One Frost Witch Tear needed at least several hundred years to completely mature, and it also contained a fragment of the Ice Law. A few Extraordinary Realm sealing spells were needed to use the Frost Witch Tear as a magic material.

However, very few Frost Witch Tears were produced. Let alone in Noscent, even among the various planes, only the Black Horn chamber of commerce's Glacier Plane could produce a few Frost Witch Tears. Moreover, those Frost Witch Tears would already be used by the Black Horn chamber of commerce the moment they reached Noscent. Over the years, there had never been a Frost Witch Tear flowing into the market.

And Lin Yun had never heard any rumors of Time Potions being crafted…

He hadn't expected that he would actually hear of such a shocking piece of news in a wooden house in the Lullaby Forest. Star Sage Jouyi actually took three Time Potions… No wonder that man would be so vigilant towards Jouyi. This truly wasn't Osul being stingy, Lin Yun would have already unleashed the watchdog to see if he would still say such rubbish.

At this time, Lin Yun looked at Jouyi with a faint hint of admiration.

Unfortunately, Jouyi wasn't enjoying this admiration, he was now busy apologizing.

He actually spent a lot of effort before managing to pacify Osul.

"So, what did you come for this time?"

"Haha, nothing, nothing, I mainly came to ask if you would like to go to the Magic Hand gathering the day after tomorrow"

"Do you have such good intentions?"

"Erm…" Jouyi looked at Osul guiltily while awkwardly fiddling with his thumbs. "I also need to ask, do you have a bottle of Shelter Potion?"Let alone Osul, even Lin Yun felt that the morals of that Star Sage had truly reached the limits. The Shelter Potion was also a peak Master Realm potion. It was even more valuable than the Time Potion. One such bottle could be exchanged for a Spiritual Magic Tool, but that wasn't how Jouyi asked… He asked if he "had a bottle" while giving a frivolous feeling like he was asking if he had any cabbage.

"No, I don't have any!"

"Liar, I obviously smelled a Flame Flower…"

"That was for compounding Heaven Awakening Potions!" Osul was getting emotional, nearly yelling at Jouyi.

But he hadn't expected that Jouyi's eyes would suddenly shine at his words. "Haha, I knew you had Heaven Awakening Potions…"

Lin Yun almost laughed when he heard that.

No wonder that Star Sage acted like that after entering the wooden house. Turned out he was after the Heaven Awakening Potion…

This was actually quite normal. A Heaven Awakening Potion was the sign of an Artisan. A peak Archmage like Jouyi could fight for a day while using the power of a Heaven Mage after drinking it. Just this increase in power was enough to be regarded as gamebreaking.

Moreover, the impact it would have on Jouyi, who had already touched upon the limit to Heaven Rank, couldn't be estimated.

Using walking as an analogy…

The current Jouyi was walking on a path full on unknowns, and he didn't know how long that path was, nor what was at the end of the path, or even if he was walking on a side path or the main path. But after drinking that Heaven Awakening Potion and gaining the power of a Heaven Rank Mage, Jouyi would know where the path ended as well as how to get there in the most cost-efficient way.

It could be said that as long as he had a bottle of Heaven Awakening, the trouble to reach Heaven Rank would be lessened at least one or two times.

"Fuck…" Osul looked at Jouyi for a long time before cursing him.

At this time, how could Osul not understand that Jouyi had no interest in some Shelter Potion, rather, he was interested in the Heaven Awakening Potion that he had just compounded. 'That scoundrel must have known from the start. If he told me right away, I wouldn't have acknowledged it, so he went around it.'

'Fuck, I really need to get rid of that crook…'

"Osul, you aren't going to be like that, are you…" Jouyi was calm and collected now. He was smiling at Osul while not forgetting to add a few sentences. "When we found the Dusk Fire, I didn't even frown as I gave it to you. The only requirement was that I could get a few alchemy potions from you from time to time. I truly didn't expect you to be the kind of scum that would go back on his words after being helped… The Dusk Fire let you reach Artisan level from previously being a Master Alchemist, yet you don't even want to part with a few bottles of Heaven Awakening Potions…"

"A few bottles!" Osul looked as if his tail had been stepped on. He almost jumped up as he said, "Don't even speak of a few bottles, I don't even have one bottle!"

"You said there were some…"

While the two old men were arguing, a shocked expression suddenly appeared on Lin Yun's face.

He had finally recalled who that Osul was.

He was the renowned Saint Osul. One of the few in the Planar Colonization Era of Noscent's history that were titled as Saint Alchemists.

It was said that this Saint Osul had compounded countless potions during his time and was considered Noscent's most prolific potion crafter in Noscent history. Many people said that it was because Saint Osul had a True Spirit Magic Tool in his hands, the Dusk Fire.

The Dusk Fire was a True Spirit Magic Tool tailor-made for alchemists. It didn't carry a lot of power by itself, but the Magic Tool Incarnation was a spirit that could produce magic flames, and it was innately an expert at operating all sorts of magic flames. When used for compounding, it would make alchemist save half the work.

It could be said that the reason Osul could become famous as Saint Alchemist during the Plane Colonization era was mostly this True Spirit Magic Tool.

But the Dusk Fire's Incarnation shouldn't have awakened yet.

It was supposed to awaken three hundred years later, which is when Osul became a Saint Alchemist. In other words, Lin Yun could cooperate with this future Saint Alchemist so that they would get along!

This was a win-win situation in Lin Yun's eyes.

If everything went smoothly, Osul would be able to advance a few centuries earlier while Lin Yun would obtain a 2nd rich private plane.

Naturally, that was if Osul was willing to cooperate.

While Lin Yun was secretly plotting, Osul had already been cornered by the Star Sage. After saying "follow me" he turned back into his laboratory with the three people in tow.

"This is the Heaven Rank Potion you want!" Osul pointed at a beaker on a refining table, introducing it with a depressed tone.

"Eh…" Even though Jouyi's achievements in the field of alchemy weren't high, he still displayed an awkward expression after seeing that beaker.

The beaker was holding some golden liquid, sparkling like real gold. The Flame Flower's unique smell assaulted their noses as it slowly spread from the beaker. It was just like the description of the Heaven Awakening Potion in the book.

The only difference was that no mana fluctuations were released from the beaker.

The Heaven Awakening Potion was a potion used to rouse potential. It was composed of all kinds of magic materials, and each kind contained a shocking amount of magic power. There would be only one situation where it would end up turning into a substance devoid of mana fluctuations, which was if Osul failed to compound the Heaven Awakening Potion.

"How about you try and drink it?"

"Eh, no need to be so polite…" Although Jouyi longed to obtain the Heaven Awakening Potion, he still wouldn't have the guts to try a failed potion. If it turned out to be poisonous, wouldn't he have only himself to blame?

"Sir Osul, this isn't necessarily a failure…"

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Chapter 164: Primal Chaos Theory

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

No one had thought that Lin Yun would actually step up at this time.

"Merlin…" Jouyi's expression changed when he heard him. He had been friends with Osul for a few hundred years, so how could he not know that the character of that old fellow wasn't very good? Now that his Heaven Awakening Potion was a failure, he needed a place to vent. And Merlin speaking up now was a perfect opportunity for that old fellow to vent.

Sure enough, before Jouyi could even finish his sentence, Osul's face turned dark as he frowned.

"Who are you?"

"Merlin, come quick, I'll introduce you. This is Osul, one of the three great Artisans of the kingdom. He has reached great heights in the field of alchemy." Noticing that the atmosphere was souring, Jouyi hurriedly acted as a mediator, flattering Osul while throwing a meaningful glance at Lin Yun.

Jouyi was afraid that Lin Yun would create problems for himself out of ignorance so he clearly introduced Osul's identity.

After this, Jouyi gave a somewhat critical look to Lin Yun. That young Great Mage was clearly a very intelligent person, why would he make a fool of himself here?

Osul was one of the three Artisans of the kingdom, and his success in the field of potioneering could be said to be second to none. He had already assessed the Heaven Awakening Potion as a failure, so why would he appear and say that this was not necessarily a failure?

Isn't that calling an Artisan's judgement into question?

Jouyi felt that this young Great Mage was impetuous, perhaps because of his great accomplishments at his young age. Solomon did tell him that this youth had some astonishing talent in the field of alchemy. Maybe he wanted to use some shocking ideas to leave a deep impression in Osul's mind.

With that deep impression, it would be easier if he wanted to ask Osul for pointers later on.

Unfortunately, this was the wrong method.

Jouyi inwardly sighed. A youth being ambitious was understandable, but being too impetuous, too extreme, this was somewhat dangerous. 'Well, after this matter, I'll find some time to get Osul and Merlin acquainted. We are all going to Oddrock City anyway. After being in contact for a few days, they will be friendly enough and Osul should be willing to give him some pointers. But as for now, I can only mediate this and calm Osul down first…'

But just when Jouyi was hesitating on what he should say, Lin Yun said with a smile, "Hello, Sir Osul. I am called Mafa Merlin and I come from Thousand Sails City. I also have some understanding on the field of alchemy and followed Sir Jouyi this time to ask for pointers."

"Haha, I can't give you any pointers," Osul immediately snorted in response.

Osul was around the same age as Jouyi. They were both old monsters who had lived for a few centuries, and he was also one of the three Artisans of the kingdom. He had seen all kinds of alchemists during his life.

He had seen who knows how many alchemists like this fellow deliberately throwing out a shocking point of view in hopes of using sensationalism to get his attention. At first, Osul still patiently gave them some pointers, explaining their analyses and letting them know the mistake in their point of view…

But over time, Osul found out that doing this was simply useless.

To these alchemists, their point of view wasn't important. They didn't care whether they were right or wrong. All they were concerned about was whether they could be noticed.

Many times, Osul would be interrupted while he was patiently explaining to them the errors of their ways, only to be asked whether they could become his disciple.

Osul found it both funny and sad every time it happened.

It would be better to pack up and go on a journey if your own disciple made such a low-level mistake, so how could he give them more opportunities to pester him?

The problem was that these alchemists simply didn't understand this argument.

Nothing could be done about the first few times, but as it happened more often, Osul would feel more and more annoyed. Since long ago, he would only sneer when he met those kind of people and not bother to talk to them.

In Osul's eyes, this Mafa Merlin was certain this kind of alchemist.

Thus, after sneering, he only kept a dark expression and didn't bother to look at Lin Yun, only coldly telling Jouyi, "Okay, Jouyi, you can see the Heaven Awakening Potion. I still have some work to do so I won't keep you."

These words seemed to be addressed to Jouyi, but in reality, they were for Lin Yun's ears, and they were quite rude. It meant: 'I don't welcome you here, hurry up and leave with Jouyi…'

"Hey, Osul, you are a bit too…" Jouyi's face angrily turned red. Although he already knew that this old fellow's character wasn't good, he didn't expect that it could be that bad…

But well, that old fellow was venting. With the blow he suffered from the failure of the Heaven Awakening Potion, he wasn't in any state to listen to an opposing opinion. Jouyi thought of leaving with Merlin first and finding a way to make Merlin apologize to him at the meeting of the Magic Hand.

As Jouyi's thoughts reached this point, he discreetly pulled at Lin Yun, planning to lead him out.

But he hadn't expected him to remain firmly in place.

Not only did the young Great Mage resist the tug, but he even took a step forward, standing right in front of Osul.

'Fuck, this isn't good…" Jouyi immediately knew that something bad would happen when he saw this. If Merlin said any more, he would see how ill-tempered Osul could be.

Unfortunately, it was too late to stop it.

When Lin Yun stepped forward, Osul's already dark face turned even more unsightly. His gaze was already filled with anger.

Jouyi couldn't help feeling anxious. This was the wrath of an Artisan! Not to mention a 5th Rank Great Mage, even a 5th Rank Archmage might not be able to handle it.

But Lin Yun seemed not to be bothered by it as he walked to Osul with a gentle smile.

"Sir Osul, not having the least bit of mana fluctuation doesn't mean that the Heaven Awakening Potion is a failure…"

"Ridiculous," Osul immediately snapped. 'Sure enough, he is just another one of those, throwing stupidly shocking erroneous opinions while making them sound plausible, only wanting to prove to me that he is talented and has some good ideas.'

If it had been before, Osul might not have paid attention to him after responding, but this time, Osul was truly angry. After calling it ridiculous, he didn't just let Lin Yun's idea slip by.

"Explain yourself!"

This time, Osul made up his mind. He would let him talk, and if what he said was no good, then he couldn't be blamed for being rude when people didn't put an Artisan in their eyes. How could alchemists that wanted to play the gallery call an Artisan into question?

'What do you think you are doing? Challenging the prestige of an Artisan? Since that's the case, I'll let you go on and see what you can say. Don't even think of hiding behind Jouyi if there is one mistake.'

But he didn't expect that this Mafa Merlin would actually be bold enough to say such rude words after being asked to explain himself.

"Sir Osul, you haven't even learnt the Primal Chaos Theory?"

"Merlin!" Jouyi suddenly jumped up. He couldn't be considerate at this time and his berating interrupted Lin Yun's following words.

'Too outrageous…'

Although the previous times he questioned him were excessive, it could still be explained. If he was thick-skinned enough, he could even describe it as an alchemy debate.

But those words…

That was truly too outrageous. Using this tone in front of an Artisan, asking if he didn't learn the Primal Chaos Theory…'What are you doing? Ridiculing an Artisan? This is like slapping him in the face… Let alone you, even an Archmage wouldn't be able to bear the aftermath!'

As he thought of the consequences, Jouyi couldn't help complaining inwardly.

'Had I known earlier that it would become like this, I would have directly used Flight to take him and Solomon to Oddrock City. How could I be so foolish to insist on taking them to Lullaby Forest. In the end, there weren't any Heaven Awakening Potions, and Osul might be offended. And most alarmingly… Osul won't let Merlin off.'

If he had to make a move, he would definitely not be able to sit while a genius like this Merlin fell here, but like this, his friendship of a few hundred years with Osul would end here.

"Merlin, you are too unreasonable. How can you call Sir Osul's knowledge into question? If you want to ask for guidance, you need the proper attitude. Quickly apologize to Sir Osul. You are young, so Sir Osul wouldn't lower himself and bicker with you if you apologize…"

Jouyi berated Lin Yun from the side while sizing up Osul's expression.

He didn't dare to relax his vigilance at this time, out of fear that Osul would do something aggressive. It wouldn't be as simple as a young genius falling, it would be an unbearable loss to the Cloud Tower, to all mages.

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Chapter 165: Thoradin Catalyst

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

When Jouyi saw Osul's face becoming more and more incensed, his heart sank. 'This is truly troublesome,' he worried.

This time, Jouyi was already thinking about subduing Osul if he made any moves. Although he would hurt the feelings of the Artisan, they were both a few hundred years old, and he would always have the chance to explain later.

When he saw Osul taking two steps towards Lin Yun with an ugly look on his face, he thought that he was about to harm him. But Osul stopped and frowned as he asked, "You can fix it?"

'What?' Jouyi had already moved forward to stop Osul, but he suddenly stiffened when he heard those words. As he looked at the two of them, his eyes were filled with unconcealed doubts.

'When did Osul become so self-restrained?'

Whatever the case, this finally let Jouyi sigh in relief. As long as Osul didn't become hostile, there would still be a way out. As he thought about this, Jouyi secretly gave Lin Yun a meaningful glance, wanting to make him take advantage of this opportunity to hurriedly apologize.

But he was surprised when Lin Yun immediately shook away his meaningful glance.

"Haha, of course I can't…"

"…" Jouyi felt like cursing. 'Fuck, if I weren't here, do you think you could speak so much with Osul? Do you think that there is any meaning in bothering an Artisan?'

Lin Yun didn't feel nervous at all. He didn't even care about Osul's worsening expression, and after chuckling, he added, "But an Artisan like Sir Osul shouldn't forget the 4th Formula of the Primal Chaos Theory."

Osul was distracted for an instant, before displaying a disapproving expression. "You are talking about the Thoradin Formula? That's impossible, although the Thoradin Catalyst could activate many effects, it can't reconstitute an already failed Heaven Awakening."

"What if you add Holy Sand?"

"Impossible!" Osul didn't think for long before shaking his head at Lin Yun's opinion. "Holy Sand contains the purest holy energy, it simply cannot blend into the Thoradin Catalyst!"

"Haha, Sir Osul…" Lin Yun's voice was neither slow nor fast as he calmly explained, "Who told you that Holy Sand must be blended into the Thoradin Catalyst, couldn't it be the other way around?"

Silence filled the wooden house after these words. Osul looked at Lin Yun with an extremely strange expression for no less than a minute, before suddenly jumping up…

"Fuck!"

Jouyi never thought that the Artisan that he'd known for hundreds of years had such a lively side. He watched as Osul rushed to his refining table and moved his hands as if he were performing tricks, grabbing four or five magic materials, one of which was a small bottle of golden sand that emitted a golden light and a holy aura when brought out, making everyone feel warmth welling up within them.

This was Holy Sand, rumored to be a rare material transformed from the first ray of dawn. Such a small bottle of it could easily be exchanged for at least one Spiritual Magic Tool.

Artisan Osul's work was like an alchemy textbook, accurate and smooth, almost machine-like. He completed the special Thoradin Catalyst in a short three minutes.

This Thoradin Catalyst was special because Holy Sand was used as a medium for it.

"Merlin…" Osul held this special Thoradin Catalyst but didn't dare to mix it with the Heaven Awakening Potion. After calling out to Lin Yun, he found out that he wasn't being respectful enough for someone asking a question, and thus changed his way of address after some hesitation. "That is… Great Mage Merlin, is it really effective?"

"Won't you know if you try it?"Even Jouyi couldn't keep listening to Lin Yun's words. That was a Heaven Awakening Potion, which was worth a True Spirit Magic Tool! There would be only one chance to save the potion, yet he didn't seem to be taking it seriously.

Unfortunately, no matter how much Jouyi stared at Lin Yun, the latter didn't say a word.

Osul could only hope for the best as he poured the special Thoradin Catalyst into the compound that was devoid of mana fluctuations.

They now had to wait…

The Thoradin Catalyst was like that: it took a very long time to stimulate the effects of a potion, not to mention that this particular catalyst was very special, as it used the purest Holy Sand as a medium, increasing the time needed to take effect at least once over.

Osul naturally knew of the Thoradin Catalyst's properties and thus was prepared to wait. But this Artisan couldn't help being nervous as time slowly passed. After all, this was testing a brand new method. If he succeeded, it would lead to him making a huge breakthrough in the alchemy field.

As the seconds passed, more and more drops of sweat appeared on Osul's forehead. This Artisan had never felt that time was passing so slowly, even wishing that he could make it move faster.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes…

One hour, two hours, three hours…

By the time rays of light shone from the horizon, a weak mana fluctuation was emitted from the Heaven Awakening Potion.

"Come on!" Osul, who had been pacing in the wooden house, instantly jumped up when he felt this mana fluctuation.

"Don't worry, let the Thoradin Catalyst's effect stabilize." Lin Yun, who had been recuperating with his eyes closed, suddenly interjected.

"Yes yes, yes…" Osul had been about to rush over, but he stopped himself. With a voice that didn't have the same impatience as before, he happily said, "I was too excited, I was too excited…"

"Haha…" This was the third time Lin Yun chuckled at Osul since he entered the wooden house.

But this time, Lin Yun's chuckle didn't feel as annoying and ear-piercing as before to Osul. He attentively watched the Heaven Awakening Potion as if he was afraid the beaker would sprout wings and escape.

The mana fluctuations of the Heaven Awakening Potion gradually became stronger…

It was only a trace at first, but it gradually stabilized at the Extraordinary Realm. At this time, Osul no longer looked at the Heaven Awakening Potion because he knew the Thoradin Catalyst had already produced results. Next, the mana fluctuations would gradually increase until it reached the true level of a Heaven Awakening Potion.

This was like rising from Hell to Heaven for Osul.

After all, Osul had used over half of his collection for this bottle of Heaven Awakening Potion over the past few months. He had been full of confidence at first, but he had then met another failure in the end.

This was the 3rd time Osul failed to compound the Heaven Awakening Potion.

The moment the Heaven Awakening Potion failed, Osul started wondering whether there was a mistake in his knowledge of alchemy.

Otherwise, why would he fail three times in a row?

But now that there was a trace of mana fluctuations being emitted, he knew that he'd succeeded.

The successful compounding of this bottle of Heaven Awakening would inevitably give him a huge breakthrough in the field of alchemy.

And this all was because of that young Great Mage Merlin reminding him that he should use the Thoradin Catalyst. It was he who told him to use the Holy Sand as a medium.

"Merlin… Great Mage Merlin, I really don't know how to thank you…" Osul stood there rubbing his thumbs, bewildered. He was nervous and excited at the same time, not at all like an Artisan towering on the field of alchemy. He actually looked like an Apprentice Alchemist who had just started to tread the path of alchemy.

"Haha, it was just a small effort, nothing more." Lin Yun smiled, feigning modesty.

When it came to the field of alchemy, Lin Yun, as a Master, couldn't compare to an Artisan like Osul.

But Lin Yun had over 30,000 years of knowledge on Osul.

Who knew how many prodigious talents had appeared in those 30,000 years? They summarized all kinds of experiences and developed all kinds of skills that simply couldn't be reproduced in a single era.

Was it difficult to use Holy Sand as a medium in the Thoradin Catalyst?

Of course not.

Any Master Alchemist could accomplish such a simple task. But this Thoradin Catalyst had only appeared for less than a hundred years, and no one had thought of this particular use yet.

As time went by, the alchemists would have a better grasp on the Thoradin Catalyst and there would naturally be some geniuses who would try to change the recipe, and that would be when new techniques would rise.

The only thing Lin Yun did was to tell Osul about this technique in advance.

But to Osul, Lin Yun's small effort was like opening a door to the path to the peak of alchemy. It could be said that as long as Osul was willing, he could follow Lin Yun's train of thought and have even bigger breakthroughs with the Thoradin Catalyst, giving him huge accomplishments that would shock all of Noscent.

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Chapter 166: Alliance

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

"Great Mage Merlin, you… You are too modest…" Osul's tone unconsciously became more polite. It was a very small change, but it showed how much Lin Yun's status had changed in Osul's mind now.

After all, in the beginning, Osul was very impatient and felt that Lin Yun was trying to get his attention to become his apprentice.

But now, Osul knew that he had guessed incorrectly.

Because it was no longer necessary.

He still had yet to see this young Great Mage's skill in the field of alchemy, but the technique he'd suggested wasn't something an ordinary alchemist could grasp… No, not just ordinary alchemists, even an Artisan like himself was shocked by this technique.

An alchemist that mastered the Primal Chaos Theory to the point that he could innovate from it… Even if he didn't have many accomplishments in the field of alchemy now, that would only be because he was too young, so he hadn't spent enough time fumbling with research.

Given enough time, a few decades perhaps, it wouldn't be long before he became a Master Alchemist or an Artisan. It would only be a question of when.

How could such an alchemist try to use such opportunistic methods just to become an apprentice?

Thinking of this, Osul couldn't help feeling embarrassed…

His words had been too bad. The other side had most likely seen through his way of thinking and had thus chuckled at him.

"Osul, this Merlin…" After the mana fluctuation appeared in the potion, Jouyi's face was filled with shock. His expression didn't change and it took a long time for this Archmage to recover.

"Jouyi, I really have to thank you this time." Osul interrupted Jouyi and said with excitement all over his face, "You can take this bottle of Heaven Awakening Potion."

"Eh?" Jouyi was all smiles when he heard that. "Then I won't be polite, Osul. I rarely see you being this generous…"

"Do you even know how to be polite? But I truly have to thank you this time. Had you not brought Great Mage Merlin, I would have certainly thrown this bottle of Heaven Awakening Potion away, and moreover…"

Stopping here, Osul looked at Lin Yun.

"Great Mage Merlin, thank you." After saying that, under Solomon and Jouyi's dumbstruck gazes, he deeply bowed to Lin Yun.

"Sir Osul, this was truly a small effort, you shouldn't take it so seriously." Lin Yun hurriedly reached over to help him right himself.

But he hadn't expected that Osul would stubbornly shake his head. "No, Great Mage Merlin, this might be a small effort to you, but it is very important to me. If you hadn't mentioned it, I might have spent a few decades or maybe even a hundred years before finding out that the Thoradin Catalyst could be compounded in such a way. We are both alchemists, you obviously know how important this knowledge is to an alchemist…"

"I only found out by chance." Lin Yun smiled and accepted his gratitude.

In fact, Lin Yun knew that the alchemists of this era were like this. Their thirst for knowledge surpassed everything. Knowledge such as what he gave on the Thoradin Catalyst had priceless value to an alchemist.

"Haha, Great Mage Merlin, you are too modest…" Osul shook his head with a chuckle. Although he didn't say much, how could he not know how discoveries would happen in the alchemy world? Any small discovery would have to be made through trials and errors.

'Great Mage Merlin might be showing modesty by saying he made the discovery by accident, but wouldn't it be ignorant to actually believe so?'

Overnight, Osul seemed to have become a completely different person. His impatience and narrow-mindedness had disappeared, and now this Artisan was like a true host, politely receiving his guests, and especially Lin Yun. He was treating him with respect and honor, always asking 'Great Mage Merlin, how is it?' After being urged by Lin Yun quite a few times, he started calling him Merlin, but his tone was completely different from before.

There was no need for Jouyi to convince him anymore; hearing about the Magic Hand's gathering, he immediately volunteered to travel together.

The four men called for two carriages in the small town. Jouyi and Solomon rode in one while Lin Yun and Osul rode in the other, all the way to Oddrock City.

Riding with Lin Yun was Osul's suggestion. This Artisan wanted to discuss various potioneering techniques on the way, and the more he chatted with him, the more he admired his counterpart. It was at that time that Osul learnt that this youngster's knowledge regarding alchemy was even deeper than he had thought. At first, the two probed each other, but in the end, it turned into Osul asking for guidance from Lin Yun.

It was inevitable, as the skills and knowledge that Lin Yun had mastered were far superior to those of this era…

Even if Lin Yun tried his best to avoid spoiling Osul, he would occasionally let something slip out that left this Artisan stunned. Then, he wouldn't stop asking for clarification and guidance and Lin Yun had no other way to quiet him down but to say a few things. Osul benefited a lot from this trip.

Naturally, Lin Yun's gains weren't small either…

Osul was a genuine Artisan, after all. Even if he couldn't compare to Lin Yun in alchemy theory, he had a few hundred years of experience and was like an encyclopedia. All kinds of details, all kinds of practical experiences… These were precisely what Lin Yun, who had top tier theoretical knowledge but not much experience, needed the most. The journey from Lullaby Forest to Oddrock City took about a day, but it was like spending a month in a laboratory for Lin Yun.

By the evening, two carriages stopped outside an ash gray tower.

"Ash Tower?" Lin Yun felt a familiar mana fluctuation. It was the same as what he felt from that Great Mage who died in the Poison Fog Canyon. It seemed to radiate a shocking amount of heat, yet it was deathly silent. Lin Yun knew that this was the Ash Tower's unique Magic Conducting Rune.

"Yes, the gathering of the Magic Hand will be held inside the Ash Tower." Solomon proudly smiled. As the biggest enemy of the Sage Tower, Solomon would usually fall under siege within a few minutes of entering the Ash Tower.

But it would be different for these few days.

It wasn't like they had any choice, since Jouyi was Solomon's teacher.

As the master of the Cloud Tower, Jouyi usually wouldn't care about the struggles between the Sage Tower and the Ash Tower. However, during the few days of the Magic Hand's gathering, who would ever dare to harm the disciple he brought with him?

Even if the Ash Tower were a hundred times more courageous, they still wouldn't dare to make a move on Solomon for the next few days. That wouldn't just be offending a peak Archmage's dignity, it would be provoking the entire Magic Hand!

Who would be able to bear the consequences?

Thus, Solomon could strut around in the Ash Tower for now…

"Merlin, the Magic Hand's gathering will last three days. Tomorrow morning, Jouyi and I will invite you to become a member of the Magic Hand. Like this, you'll be able to exchange knowledge at tomorrow's gathering. Of course, I personally recommend that you exchange some potioneering knowledge…" As the four entered the Ash Tower, Osul didn't forget to add a few sentences.

In that Artisan's eyes, Lin Yun was most suited for alchemy. After all, such a young Great Mage had already dipped into the knowledge of the Artisan Realm. This was something extremely rare in Noscent's history. He was a genius that could enter the Artisan Realm with some polishing. Becoming a Saint Alchemist in the future wasn't impossible.

Naturally, Jouyi definitely didn't approve.

'If you make a talented Great Mage with such a monstrous computing ability focus on potioneering, then who would be able to help the next time they come upon a problem like the Fanrusen Formula? You, Osul?'

"Haha…" Lin Yun chuckled, not being swayed by Jouyi and Osul's hints. He didn't nod or shake his head.

Because he already had a plan for this gathering.

Regardless of whether it was alchemy knowledge or magic knowledge, Lin Yun didn't lack any. What he truly lacked were all kinds of magic materials.

That Strongest True Spirit Magic Tool alone was enough to make a few dozen Lin Yuns become destitute even after pooling their resources. Now that he had such a good opportunity, if he didn't manage to get some to shore up his needs, Lin Yun wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

The four of them walked into the Ash Tower and were soon welcomed by a few High Mages. These were the higher-ups of the Ash Tower, but facing the high ranked people of the Magic Hand, they could only resign themselves to welcome the guests.

But these few high-ranked executives were relatively tactful. They knew that it was the important gathering of the Magic Hand, and thus, when they noticed Solomon, they only lowered their heads and pretended not to see him.

"Merlin, wait with Solomon here, Jouyi and I will go look for a few people and talk about you joining the Magic Hand."

"Okay."

After the two left, the two of them found a bench and sat down.

"Merlin, you really opened my eyes this time…" After sitting down, Solomon couldn't help shaking his head. He was reminiscing about the first time he saw him in the Sage Tower's library. He had never thought that in less than a year, that 1st Rank Mage would reach such a stage.

Fortunately, Solomon was quite open-minded and wasn't jealous of Lin Yun's miraculous rise. He could only inwardly sigh at fate, at those who mocked Locke Merlin's son, saying that he would forever remain an Apprentice Alchemist. What kind of expressions would they make if they saw him now?

When it came to magic, he was powerful enough to force a 9th Rank High Mage to die with him.

When it came to alchemy, he had made an Artisan bow his head.

Thousand Sails City was already too small of a stage for the current Merlin.

"Haha, High Mage Solomon, whether it is now or later, Solon will remain one of my best friends."

"Haha, in that case, the Sage Tower and the Gilded Rose should cooperate more…"

The two men's laughs seemed incongruous, but they each knew what the other wanted.

Solomon wanted Lin Yun to back Solon.

Lin Yun wanted the Sage Tower to cooperate with the Gilded Rose.

The two weren't easy to deal with. Two "Haha" were all it took for an alliance that would pressure the entire Thousand Sails City to be born.

"Oh? Isn't this Mafa Merlin?" But just as the two finalized their deal, a lofty voice echoed in their ears.

Lin Yun looked over and saw a mage in his twenties.

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Chapter 167: A Trivial Matter

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

"Haha, Mafa Merlin, you couldn't fit in Thousand Sails City so you ran to Oddrock City? I heard about your dad dying at sea and the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce going bankrupt, leaving you all alone… You are truly pitiful…" The young mage in his twenties kept talking, spraying saliva everywhere.

The problem was that Lin Yun truly didn't know him, which made him feel rather angry.

'I don't know you, why are you coming over here to run your tongue?'

Lin Yun took a step back to avoid the saliva attack while giving Solomon a doubtful glance.

"He is Harrison Burns, the son of Kerry Burns…" Seeing Lin Yun's confused look, Solomon knew that this young Great Mage still had issues with his memories.

In fact, this was a public secret in Thousand Sails City. Almost everyone knew that Locke Merlin's son had been growing at a frightening pace this past year, but his memory seemed to have sharply declined… He would often look at people and ask who they were…

"Who is Kerry Burns?"

"…" Solomon twitched. He had clearly underestimated the degree of forgetfulness of this young Great Mage. Thus, the number one High Mage of Thousand Sails City had no choice but to remind him, "The leader of the Blue Moon, one of the seven chambers of commerce of Thousand Sails City. Like your father, he was involved in the alchemy business. When the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce grew bigger and gained a monopoly over the alchemy business, he diverted the core of his Blue Moon chamber of commerce to Oddrock City. Try to remember…"

Solomon's impatience could already be seen from his last words. He was a peak High Mage, the master of the Sage Tower, wasn't it too much to ask him to explain these trivial matters?

"Eh…" Lin Yun knew that it was a bit annoying, so he could only scratch his head at Solomon's comment as he searched through Mafa Merlin's memories.

In fact, that Kerry Burns was truly unfortunate…

Originally, the Burns family had been operating the alchemy business in Thousand Sails City for hundreds of years. But in Kerry Burns' generation, Locke Merlin had appeared. In twenty years, the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce rose up from nothing into a colossus that pressuring every other chamber of commerce. The Blue Moon chamber of commerce's market was slowly eroded away day after day, up until it completely broke away from the alchemy market, being reduced to a stepping stone for the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce.

As for this Harrison…

He was the eldest son of that Leader Kerry. He showed some good magical talent as a child and became a Mage in a dozen years. He then left to study at Okland Magic School for three years. He was already a 9th Rank Mage when he returned to Thousand Sails City.

Considering his age, he had been considered excellent among the younger generation, far above Mafa Merlin and Mason Monchi. At the time, many people compared him to Ryan Monchi.

But unfortunately, Harrison was far from being as good as Ryan…

Ryan came from the Monchi Family, one of the major forces of Thousand Sails City. Even after the rise of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce, the latter didn't constitute a threat to the Monchi Family's status.

But Harrison was different. He came from the Blue Moon chamber of commerce. At that time, the Blue Moon chamber of commerce had already been pressured by the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce, and if not for Locke Merlin refusing to ruthlessly exterminate them, the Blue Moon chamber of commerce would have already had to declare bankruptcy.

When Harrison came back, he had become a 9th Rank Mage and was naturally proud and arrogant. Seeing the Blue Moon chamber of commerce in such a pitiful state instantly made him angry. He directly looked for an excuse to teach a lesson to Mafa Merlin.

One was a 9th Rank Mage and the other was a 9th Rank Magic Apprentice. The outcome need not be mentioned.

In short, Mafa Merlin returned covered with cuts and bruises and complained to Locke Merlin.

This Leader of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce used all his power to sweep everything like a wind scattering dead leaves and spent the next month driving the pitiful Blue Moon chamber of commerce into a desperate state.

Just as the chamber of commerce was about to go bankrupt, Kerry Burns was no longer able to sit still so he took Harrison to the Merlin father and son and made the 9th Rank Mage, Harrison, bow his head to a 9th Rank Magic Apprentice and apologize.

Only then did Locke Merlin let the Blue Moon chamber of commerce off. But at the same time, he told Kerry Burns that he didn't want to see Harrison in Thousand Sails City again.

It was because of this that Kerry Burns transferred the business of the Blue Moon chamber of commerce to Oddrock City while Harrison became a member of the Ash Tower, leading to him becoming a Great Mage in less than two years.

"I remember who you are now…" Seeing Lin Yun's frown, Harrison felt elated.

That year, it was because of this Mafa Merlin that he'd had to apologize and his father's Blue Moon chamber of commerce had been forced out of Thousand Sails City.

The Blue Moon had developed well in Oddrock City, and he had also become a Great Mage of the Ash Tower. He had gradually forgotten about everything that had happened in Thousand Sails City.

But he didn't expect to meet Mafa Merlin here today.

This was a dramatic reunion. The humiliation caused by Locke Merlin back then would be repaid a hundred times to his son.

Harrison sized up Mafa Merlin.

He was wearing a brand new black robe, and besides the handiwork being pretty good, it didn't have many mana fluctuations. Moreover, he seemed to be empty-handed, not even having a magic staff. It seemed to him that the rumors about the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce going bankrupt after Locke Merlin's shipwreck were indeed true.

Otherwise, how could Locke Merlin's son fall to this point?

After all, when the father was still alive, he opened an alchemy shop in the expensive Victorious Return street just to make it easier for his son to learn magic.

Looking at him now…

Harrison couldn't help sighing. The arrogant young master of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce had actually fallen to that degree.

"Well well, Mafa Merlin, what are you doing in the Ash Tower?" Harrison's voice carried a thick feeling of superiority. Someone unrelated might think that Harrison was the master of the Ash Tower.

"Only a trivial matter." Lin Yun naturally wouldn't let Harrison know that his "trivial matter" was actually to participate in the Magic Hand's gathering.

But Harrison interpreted that ambiguous attitude in a different way…

"Eh…" Harrison's voice dragged on for a long time, as if he feared that others wouldn't know that he had already understood.

But of course, he only thought he understood…

He thought that Mafa had come to Oddrock City this time because he'd heard the news that the Ash Tower was recruiting and wanted to try his luck.

This was quite normal.

The Ash Tower was one of the two major mages forces in the eastern part of the kingdom. It would recruit many Magic Apprentices and low-rank Mages trying their chances every year. Everyone knew that by joining the Ash Tower, their status would greatly increase. They would also have a chance to be taught personally by a Great Mage and come into contact with the deepest magic knowledge.

The various generous benefits that were typically offered were things that Magic Apprentices and low ranked Mages never even dreamt of.

Harrison couldn't help sneering. If he had come before, he might have had a chance to get in.

But he couldn't even dream of it this time.

The one standing before Mafa now was the one in charge of recruiting low-rank Mages and Magic Apprentices.

"Well, Mafa Merlin, joining the Ash Tower isn't easy…"

"Ah?" Lin Yun froze. 'When did I say that I wanted to join the Ash Tower?'

"What do you mean, "Ah?" My words aren't to be trifled with. Do you know how many low-rank Mages try to join the Ash Tower every year? Do you know how many succeed? It's not just me talking big. The treatment offered by the Ash Tower is the best in the eastern part of the kingdom."

"…" Lin Yun couldn't help turning to look at Solomon when he heard that.

'Fucker…'

Solomon suddenly felt like cursing when he heard that person. 'This bastard of the Burns Family. I just wanted to watch the play, but you had to offend me as if it's nothing? What do you mean by best treatment in the eastern part of the kingdom, do you think I don't know the ins and outs of the Ash Tower?'

Unfortunately, Harrison simply didn't know that he had just drawn the ire of a peak High Mage…

Harrison's thoughts were very simple. He was daringly bragging about the Ash Tower to annoy Mafa. The better the Ash Tower looked, the more humiliated Mafa Merlin would feel, and when he refused him, Mafa would be devastated.

"I tell you, the Ash Tower's Mages get a Life Potion every year, don't you know about the Life Potion? Having a Life Potion is like giving you a second chance at life when you are injured. Moreover, you have one opportunity to enter the Ash Tower's library every year. You can find the deepest magic knowledge of the whole region there. It is a temple of knowledge that all mages yearn for, do you understand now? With the opportunity to visit the Ash Tower's library, you would be able to become a Great Mage in three years…"

Lin Yun didn't say anything, but Solomon was trying his best not to explode.

'Fuck, little bastard of the Burns, are your eyes in your ass? Can't you recognize who is standing before you? That's the boss of the Gilded Rose, the quantity of alchemy items produced each month is way more important than what you will ever get to see in your entire life!'

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Chapter 168: Ten Slaps

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

'Forget it, I can see that you are quite pathetic. I won't reveal that this person even gave pointers to an Artisan last night, or you'll be scared to death…

'Also, what Life Potion? Do you really think Thousand Sails City is a rural area? Who doesn't know that it is just a health recovery potion? What second life? As if that is the truth. You should know that because of a healing potion, Mason Monchi was forced to eat two glass bottles in front of him!

'Ah, and you are talking about the Ash Library? Fuck, he is participating in the Magic Hand's gathering tomorrow and participate in a knowledge exchange with peak mages of the Andlusa Kingdom, so why would he care about the Ash Tower's library, do you think it is that special?'

Solomon had entered the Ash Tower in an upright manner today, and he'd even reached a cooperative agreement with Lin Yun, making him feel exhilarated.

But before he could enjoy that feeling, Harrison jumped over and started yapping about the Ash Tower. He wouldn't stop talking about how it was the greatest in the eastern part of the kingdom, as if the Sage Tower were already extinct.

"Naturally, it's not as if you don't have a chance…" Harrison looked over and threw the bait that he had prepared for a long time.

"Eh?"

"I am the one in charge of recruiting this time!" Harrison proudly said as he pointed at himself with his thumb. "With one word, you can immediately join the Ash Tower and have all the generous treatment I talked about."

"Haha…" Lin Yun chuckled listlessly. He had watched over the Heaven Awakening Potion the previous night and had now hurried to Oddrock City through the day, chatting with Osul on the way. Lin Yun was looking forward to sleeping, so how could he care about Harrison's rambling about recruitment?

Unfortunately, Harrison interpreted Lin Yun's listless expression as extreme shock. He inwardly snorted, 'That's right! I'm not the same Harrison that lowered himself before you because of Locke Merlin!'

"But with one word, I can also make you forever unable to enter the Ash Tower. Mafa Merlin, do you want to try it?"

"Uh, Harrison, right?" Lin Yun saw Harrison getting more and more excited and knew that he wouldn't stop blabbering. In order to find a chance to go to sleep early, Lin Yun had no choice but to interrupt him. "If you have something to say, go ahead…"

"Haha, something to say?" Harrison sneered.

'Sure enough, you are the prideful young master of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce. You came wandering to Oddrock City now that Locke Merlin died at sea and the Flashing Gold went bankrupt, yet you still dare to put on airs in front of me. Ridiculous…

'Who do you think you are? You are merely a low-rank, destitute Mage. If not because your father humiliated me that year, I wouldn't even bother to glance at you. But since you said that…'

"Good, Mafa Merlin, I'll give you a chance…" With these words, the smile on Harrison's face disappeared. "Do you remember that time in Thousand Sails City when your father forced me to apologize to you? I had to say 'please forgive me' three times…"

"That happened?" Lin Yun honestly couldn't remember.

"Haha, I've always been someone who could carry a grudge. I'll repay those who help me and I'll humiliate tenfold those who humiliated me. Mafa Merlin, I won't ask much from you. As long as you kneel down in front of me in this hall and say "please forgive me" ten times, I'll write off everything that happened before, and I'll even let you join the Ash Tower!"

"Not happening…" The drowsy Lin Yun couldn't help laughing when he heard Harrison's words.

"Mafa Merlin, I already gave you the opportunity, it's up to you to grab it…"

"So what if I don't kneel down?"

"Haha, it'll be very simple," Harrison sneered. 'You are not qualified to bargain with me.' He then continued while pointing at the door, "Your only remaining choice is to fuck off from the Ash Tower and never again step foot in Oddrock City!"

"Then you'll be the one in trouble…" Solomon muttered on the side. 'He is someone that is going to join the Magic Hand's gathering. If you kick him out, let alone you, the whole Ash Tower will be in trouble…'

Sadly, Harrison hadn't paid attention to Solomon's mumble, as he was looking at the motionless Lin Yun, remembering the humiliation he'd had to go through.

"Now, fuck off from the Ash Tower for me!" After saying that, Harrison raised his hand, a Fireball brightly shining in his palm.

"…" Solomon instantly rested his forehead against his hand. 'The Burns Family is truly unlucky. They were first driven away out of Thousand Sails City by Locke Merlin, and they are now rushing towards a disaster thanks to this Harrison…'

Sure enough, just as the Fireball appeared, Lin Yun instantly used a Counterspell.

Lin Yun already had five Magic Arrays, and his casting speed would pressure all mages below the strength of a 5th Rank High Mage, never mind a Great Mage like Harrison. Even if Harrison were a High Mage, he wouldn't be able to overcome Lin Yun's Counterspell.

Lin Yun's Counterspell directly cut off the flow of mana from Harrison and the recently roused mana fluctuations were instantly suppressed. Right after, Lin Yun rushed in and grabbed Harrison by his neck and slapped him.

This slap echoed loudly, silencing the entire hall.

Everyone's gazes fell onto Harrison.

Some held astonishment, some puzzlement, but at this time, everyone seemed to be dumbfounded as they wondered what happened.

"You dare to hit me?" Harrison's eyes turned red. He was slapped in front of so many people… Anger and shame bubbled up as a roar came from the depths of his throat. He was like a fierce beast struggling to get free, wanting tear away the hand that held his neck.

But Harrison's struggles were fruitless as another loud sound echoed.

Lin Yun had backhanded him, slapping him again.

And with this, a commotion rose up in the originally quiet hall.

A few mages who managed to recover first came over with frowns. Harrison was a mage of the Ash Tower, but he was now getting slapped by someone while still on their turf. This wasn't a matter only related to Harrison, this was an insult to the entire Ash Tower.

"Young man, I advise you to let go of Harrison while you can. Otherwise, the Ash Tower will make you regret it…" The first mage to talk was a middle-aged High Mage, and from the mana fluctuations he emitted, he should be around the 2nd or 3rd rank.

Perhaps due to his eagerness, he released a Rock Cage at the same time. The ground distorted under Lin Yun's feet, and a dozen of sharp rocks suddenly burst out, splashing soil everywhere as they firmly trapped Lin Yun.

However…

Lin Yun acted as if he hadn't seen it and slapped once again, his right hand seemingly disappearing in a strange way, passing through the Rock Cage tightly surrounding him and reappearing on Harrison's face.

Moreover, as if to take revenge for the Rock Cage, that slap was particularly fierce. Only a loud sound was heard as a few of Harrison's teeth flew out…

This was a naked provocation, and this angered the mages of the Ash Tower.

But no one dared to act on that anger. Of the mages present, many were Great Mages or above, and there were three High Mages. How could they not see the depths behind that 3rd slap? It had directly passed through the seal of the Rock Cage. Just that power wasn't something an ordinary Great Mage could do. At this time, even the eager High Mage didn't dare to act again, hoping not to escalate the situation.

But Lin Yun wouldn't be polite with them…

With no one to disturb them, the slaps kept landing on Harrison's face one after the other, and only a continuous melody of slapping could be heard. As many as ten slaps fell on Harrison's cheeks, bloodying that Great Mage's nose and swelling his face, and at least half of his teeth fell down. Only then did Lin Yun stop to take a rest.

Ten pleas of "please forgive me" had been switched to ten slaps… Lin Yun felt that Harrison should be relatively satisfied.

But then, a voice came down from the 2nd floor. "Solomon, stop your man."

"Eh?" Lin Yun looked up and saw an old man wearing an ash-colored robe, and he seemed familiar.

That's right, he was the one who competed over the Hell Destroyer Incantation.

"Kid, it's truly rare to be that powerful at your age. But let me advise you, it's not good to be too harsh. Do you think that Solomon can protect you forever? Now, release Harrison and I'll act as if nothing happened…"

"Sure, I'll do as you say…" Lin Yun smiled, but at the same time, a high temperature suddenly spread out.

"You are bold!"

The old man angrily shouted, but it was already too late. Just as Lin Yun released Harrison, a Fireball flared up and an explosion resounded as it heavily smashed into him.

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Chapter 169: Top Floor

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

The force from such a powerful Flame Impact at such close range wasn't something Harrison could withstand. Only a scream pierced the air as the young Great Mage flew out of the Ash Tower's entrance and fell heavily to the ground while wreathed in flames.

A few mages of the Ash Tower, but they couldn't help feeling fear when they passed Lin Yun…

By the time they rescued Harrison, the High Mage wearing an ash-colored robe had slowly walked down the hall. Lin Yun and Solomon remained still.

Especially Solomon.

Solomon had come today with a high authority pass. It was too bad for the Ash Tower. Who asked them to host the Magic Hand's gathering?

Now that Jouyi and Osul were there, the Ash Tower's mages wouldn't dare to make a move against him even if they were a hundred times more courageous. Thus, Solomon only looked at that High Mage without blinking as he curiously asked Lin Yun, "Merlin, this isn't like you…"

"Haha…" Lin Yun chuckled but didn't explain.

Because Lin Yun already knew that Solomon wasn't wrong. This truly wasn't like him. With someone like Harrison insulting him, he normally would have just exploded his head like a watermelon.

But in that split second, Mafa Merlin's memory flashed before Lin Yun's eyes.

It had been a thorough humiliation. Mafa Merlin had wept, struggled, and pleaded, but Harrison wouldn't let him off. It was just like a cat playing with a mouse, continuously teasing and humiliating him. Various low-level spells struck Mafa's body one after the other…

Harrison only knew that he had been driven out of Thousand Sails City after that time, but he didn't know that Mafa had been stuck in bed for three months, having nightmares every night and moving like a walking corpse all day long.

It was those memories that made Lin Yun change his plan.

Not to mention the High Mage telling him to stop, even an Archmage wouldn't have been enough to make Lin Yun refrain from casting this Flame Impact.

"Better let me take care of this…" Solomon shook his head, knowing that it was time for him to act as he stepped forward.

At this time, the High Mage had drawn closer and all the mages around made way for him.

"Solomon, step aside…"

"You are funny, if I step aside when you tell me, won't I become a laughing stock?"

"I don't care if others laugh at you, but for you to be able to enter the Ash Tower this time is entirely due to the reputation of your teacher, Star Sage Jouyi. Don't blame me for being rude if you still don't know what's good for you," Dylan said with an icy tone as he stood less than ten meters away from the two.

"Dylan, don't you feel that your words are very interesting?" Unfortunately for him, Solomon wasn't the kind to comply. "We have been fighting for decades. When have you ever been polite to me?"

"Solomon, the youth you brought over is not bad. He already has the strength to defeat Harrison at such a young age, showing that he is a rare talent. But don't you forget that this is the Ash Tower. He seriously hurt Harrison in front of so many people, so he should have been prepared to pay the price.

Even Solomon had no choice but to admit that Dylan's words were reasonable…

As the master of the Sage Tower, how could Solomon not understand this? Regardless of what Harrison did, as long as he stood within the Ash Tower, the Ash Tower had a duty to set things right for him and get him out of his predicament. Otherwise, who would be willing to join the Ash Tower in the future?

Moreover, Harrison was a Great Mage. There were plenty of those in the Ash Tower, and Dylan might not even remember his name, but Dylan had to let others see the attitude of the Ash Tower.

Unfortunately, Solomon had his own troubles.

And they weren't small.

Dylan simply didn't know the identity of the one who injured Harrison.

He was someone that Solomon's teacher personally recommended to the Magic Hand, not to mention that there was also Osul. This Artisan definitely wouldn't fail to support Merlin. If Solomon didn't protect Merlin properly, the consequences would be too horrible to contemplate.

Thus, Solomon didn't even pause to think before resolutely shaking his head.

"Impossible…"

"You…" Dylan's face froze. Solomon's firm attitude was completely unexpected to Dylan. He had already said this much, but Solomon still insisted on protecting this young man. He had the expression of someone ready for a war.

"Dylan, I won't lie to you. Merlin is someone I cannot hand over. If you must act, then let me see how much progress you've made in the past twenty years."

Just as Solomon said that, peak High Mage mana fluctuations were unleashed. In a flash, the entire hall was filled with a heavy pressure. A few of the weaker mages couldn't help shrinking away in fear.

Dylan frowned, sullenly looking at Solomon, trying to see through his intentions.

The hall was filled with hostility for a long time.

"Solomon, come up!" But a voice came out of the 2nd floor at this time, from where Dylan had been earlier.

This time, it was Star Sage Jouyi.

Jouyi didn't even look at Dylan. He just beckoned Solomon to get to the 2nd floor while indicating him to take Lin Yun along with him. But such a simple movement immediately made the hostile atmosphere in the entire hall disappear without a trace.

"Solomon, you'd better stick around this young man to protect him," Dylan threatened.

When Dylan had heard Jouyi's voice, he knew that he had lost the best opportunity.

Although he had the strength of a peak High Mage and might be slightly stronger than Solomon, he simply didn't have the qualifications to speak when facing a peak Archmage like Jouyi. Let alone him, even among the peak mages of the kingdom gathered in Oddrock City, there wouldn't be more than three that were able to contend with him. As for the others, even his own teacher, Shadow Ashes Kave, was still a bit inferior.

Thus, Dylan could only grit his teeth and mutter those words before leaving with the seriously hurt Harrison.

"Thankfully, that bastard was scared away…" Solomon let out a long sigh of relief when Dylan's shadow disappeared.

If the two mages had a fair fight, Solomon would only have a 20% chance of winning. He couldn't do anything about it, as ever since he almost died in a volcano, Solomon had been plagued with an injury and hadn't been able to progress for two decades. During that time, he had seen the 5th Rank High Mage Dylan slowly overtake him and then leave him far behind. It would be a lie to say that Solomon wasn't worried.

It was possible that he would die when Dylan entered the Archmage realm. His teacher had no direct relation to the Sage Tower, so the battle between the two major mage forces would be one-sided…

But fortunately, there was this Merlin in Thousand Sails City.

As he thought of this, Solomon eased up a bit. As long as Merlin was still there, as long as the Gilded Rose was standing, the Sage Tower wouldn't be eliminated by the Ash Tower.

The two of them took the stairs to the 2nd floor and found Jouyi already waiting for them.

"Merlin, we already came to a decision on the matter of you joining the Magic Hand, it was thanks to Osul this time. I never expected the opposition to be so strong," Jouyi explained while leading the two to the top floor of the Ash Tower. "Oh, right, Merlin, I originally thought of letting you take a few spell matrices of the Fanrusen Formula tomorrow to exchange for knowledge and familiarize yourself with people. But it looks like you can't do as you please for now. Although Osul and I put enough pressure on the matter, you might have to take out some profound magic knowledge tomorrow and thoroughly leave them speechless."

"Okay, I'll think of a way." Lin Yun nodded. He didn't mind Jouyi's suggestion.

Originally, Lin Yun had come to the Magic Hand's gathering to trade magic knowledge for resources. He had the Soul Walker and the Strongest True Spirit Magic Tool, those two gluttons.

The Soul Walker was actually not that bad; he would be satisfied as long as he had enough mana crystals.

But the "Doom" Magic Staff was actually a bottomless pit. 28 arrays, 17 augments, this was enough to make a Heaven Mage go bankrupt.

If he wanted to make them recover their true power, Lin Yun could only find ways to get more resources.

Even if Jouyi hadn't told him, Lin Yun had already been ready to share some time-transcending magic knowledge to the gathering.

The three men quickly reached the top floor. That area had temporarily been expropriated by the Magic Hand, and even the Ash Tower's own mages weren't allowed to enter this area.

The gathering of the Magic Hand would officially start the next day. After being urged by Jouyi, the three returned to the rooms they were assigned so that they could rest.

Meanwhile, a young mage knocked at the door of Dylan's study.

"Cha… Chairman… That Mafa Merlin… He went to the top floor…"

"Ah?" Dylan frowned and suddenly got up.

The top floor of the Ash Tower had been commandeered for use by the Magic Hand. Besides those participating in the gathering, only their disciples could enter.

'Could it be that Mafa Merlin isn't Solomon's disciple, but Star Sage Jouyi's?'

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Chapter 170: Heaven Rank Mage Relic

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

Dylan's expression worsened.

In the Ash Tower's hall, Dylan had told Solomon that he should stay close to that youth to protect him properly. He meant to imply that if Solomon ever moved away from him, even just a bit, the Ash Tower's revenge would fall on him.

This was something Dylan had to do.

Harrison's injury wasn't just his own problem. It also related to the reputation of the Ash Tower, to Dylan's reputation. If he really let that youth leave Oddrock City unharmed, what would happen to the reputation of the Ash Tower? What would be the point of Dylan having so many subordinates?

In fact, Dylan had already started planning as soon as he'd turned and left. If Solomon ever wasn't in a situation where he could keep watch over the young mage, Dylan would have someone make a move to exact their revenge on that youth. Dylan simply didn't care about Solomon's reaction. The Ash Tower had already been at war with the Sage Tower for so many years, the two had fought over ten times.

In other words, Dylan was unable to do anything because of Jouyi, but it didn't mean that Solomon could protect someone while in the territory of the Ash Tower.

But now, Dylan learnt that this youth might be Jouyi's disciple…

This changed things… Jouyi was different than Solomon, a genuine peak Archmage, an existence that already touched upon the Extraordinary realm's power. If he was unhappy, then let alone Dylan being unable to endure, even Dylan's teacher, Kave, would be unable to handle it.

After all, it was the day of the Magic Hand's gathering, the gathering of the strongest mages of the Andlusa kingdom. If the Ash Tower killed Jouyi's disciple at this moment, it would definitely blow up…

Dylan didn't dare to act further without thinking. He dispatched the young mage, telling him to keep monitoring them. Dylan himself softly chanted an incantation and issued an image transmission request through the crystal ball. The crystal ball's light flashed in response as a strange expression appeared in Dylan's eyes… It could be described as deferential respect.Late at night, Lin Yun finished his daily meditation.

'The speed is too slow…' Lin Yun inspected himself. His 6th Magic Array was already starting to form, but it would take a long time before it was complete.

Lin Yun had touched the Reincarnation Eyes several times in the Prince Tomb. Each time he touched it was equivalent to experiencing a reincarnation. After over a month, he had accumulated no less than a hundred thousand, half of which had been used to increase his count of Magic Arrays to five, while the remaining half still hadn't been consumed.

This was because the 6th array was no longer as simple as just piling runes together. Lin Yun had to incorporate these runes into his magic system and make them fuse with his own magic. There was no shortcut unless he met something as amazing as the Reincarnation Eyes. Lin Yun had no choice but to use patience and willpower to carry out a war of attrition.

In fact, any Magic Conducting Rune needed a large amount of time invested. Let alone a complicated Magic Array, even the lowest and simplest Magic Conducting Rune such as Ice Spark would take at least a year or two, and possibly even up to four years for ordinary mages to complete it.

Lin Yun's speed was already heaven-defying…

But for Lin Yun, who had formed so many Magic Arrays in less than two months, this speed was somewhat unbearable. After a day of meditation, Lin Yun was already thinking about giving some benefits to the Merlin Family in order to get the chance to enter the Ancestral Land.

Perhaps he would be able to find clues related to the Magic Array there.

"Merlin… Merlin…" At this time, a voice deliberately trying to be quiet came from the hallway. Lin Yun listened carefully and discovered that it was Solomon's voice…

But why did the voice of this esteemed peak High Mage sound so secretive?

"Come in, High Mage Solomon…"

"Shhh, whisper…" Solomon rushed in on tiptoes, still carrying a vigilant expression. That aged faced made Lin Yun feel rather puzzled.

"High Mage Solomon, what are you doing?"

"Shh, shhh… Don't say my name so loudly, lest someone hears it!" Solomon fussed while looking around. No one would ever think that this person sneaking around was Thousand Sails City's Mage Guild Leader!

"Yes yes, I won't mention your name…" Lin Yun rolled his eyes and remained silent.

After making sure that there was nothing unusual in the room, Solomon relaxed a bit and whispered, "Merlin, do you know why it is called the Ash Tower?"

"Ah?" Lin Yun almost bit his tongue.

An esteemed peak High Mage, the Leader of the Sage Tower, Thousand Sails City's strongest mage, had mysteriously sneaked into his room in the middle of the night in order to ask him this?

Whether he knew why the Ash Tower was named as such?

Lin Yun wanted to ask if something was wrong with him.

"I'll tell you. The Ash Tower is called the Ash Tower because…" Solomon didn't know what Lin Yun was thinking about, so he kept going with his mysterious and furtive expression. "The last Heaven Mage of the 3rd Dynasty spent his last days here."

"You are talking about the Hell Destroyer?"

"Yes yes yes, that one…" Solomon picked up a cup of water from the table and took a long sip, and he then continued, "It is said that when Rudolph passed away, a small flame was lit from his hand and burnt the entire tower to ashes. Many years later, Rudolph's three disciples rebuilt the Ash Tower…"

"Oh?" Lin Yun was somewhat interested.

"In the past, people felt that Rudolph's three disciples rebuilt the Ash Tower in order to commemorate their teacher. Haha, who would have thought that it was only for the relics of the Heaven Mage…"

"Relics?"

"Indeed, Rudolph was seriously injured in the Dusk War and knew that his life was at its end, so he buried everything under the tower. In order to get these relics, his disciples rebuilt the Tower of Ash…"

"How do you know?"

"Haha, this is all thanks to you…"

"This is thanks to me?"

"Have you forgotten that in the Black Horn Auction, you paid for half of a badly damaged incantation?"

"…" Lin Yun felt like cursing. No wonder Solomon spent so much energy. He had thought that Solomon wanted the Hell Destroyer Incantation, but it turned out that just like himself, Solomon was interested in the scroll itself.

"You don't need to be so upset, only the master of the Sage Tower could see the secrets of this scroll because the Sage Tower's inheritance also came from Rudolph…"

"Then why are you looking for me?"

"Naturally, to invite you. Those are the relics of a Heaven Mage, could it be that you aren't interested? You don't have a good relationship with the Ash Tower. If the Ash Tower holds a Relic, its strength would immediately advance by leaps and bounds. In that case, would your Gilded Rose have a good time?"

"Turns out it was like that…" Lin Yun attentively watched Solomon for a long time. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. No wonder Jouyi came to the Magic Hand's gathering. Solomon had actually made such a discovery, finding out that there was at least a Heaven Mage Relic hidden under the Ash Tower…

Lin Yun thought about it, and his heartbeat accelerated.

But what made Lin Yun's heart beat faster wasn't the Heaven Rank Relic he talked about.

After coming from 30,000 years in the future, how could Lin Yun not know of the many relics left behind by Heaven Mages, especially those of the 3rd Dynasty? In the era of gravediggers, the relics of the Heaven Mages would rarely be left alone.

As long as Lin Yun wanted, he could recite the locations of seven or eight relics.

But unearthing them was another problem altogether…

Prince Barov's tomb was a perfect example. The last two times he went in, he barely came out alive, but to this day, Lin Yun had only reached the Reincarnation Eyes. As for the core of the tomb, Lin Yun had yet to get that far.

It was common knowledge that world-shaking items were buried alongside a prince, but the question was whether Lin Yun dared to go farther in. Not to mention the fact that Lin Yun was only a 5th Rank Great Mage, even if he were a 5th Rank High Mage, he still might not have the courage to enter the center of the tomb.

What truly got Lin Yun's attention was the story about the flame that Solomon mentioned.

Lin Yun had been envious of Osul's Dusk Fire for some time.

The Dusk Fire was an innate Magic Flame Spirit. Although it was unable to offer a large boost in strength, it had a value for alchemy that couldn't be estimated. It could be said that Osul's ability to become a Saint Alchemist in the future could largely be attributed to that Dusk Fire.

Unfortunately, the Dusk Fire was already in Osul's hands.

Lin Yun knew that even if he imparted Osul with heaven-defying secrets of alchemy, he still wouldn't be willing to trade the Dusk Fire. Thus, Lin Yun didn't expect to acquire the Dusk Fire as his own. He only mentioned that if there was the opportunity, he would hope to borrow the Dusk Fire.

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Chapter 171: Flame Spirit

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

In exchange, he would make the Flame Spirit of the Dusk Fire awaken ahead of time.

This was a profitable deal for both of them. Lin Yun needed the Dusk Fire to open a fertile plane, while Osul urgently needed the Dusk Fire's Flame Spirit to awaken ahead of time. Thus, the two hit it off and reached a deal in the carriage.

To be honest, Lin Yun hoped to have his own Flame Spirit.

Of Noscent's six great Magic Spirits, the Flame Spirit was the one with the most uses, especially an Upper Rank one, which would be almost omnipotent. Not only did it have a formidable fighting strength, but it could also improve an alchemist's level of alchemy by one whole rank. Naturally, a Flame Spirit of such level was rarely seen. Even the Dusk Fire in Osul's hands was only a High Rank Flame Spirit.

But after hearing Solomon's words, Lin Yun actually felt that there might be a Flame Spirit buried under the Ash Tower. Even if it wasn't Upper Rank, it would very likely be High Rank…

At that thought, Lin Yun's heartbeat accelerated.

"How about it, Merlin? Do you want to take a look at it with me? If we get to Rudolph's Relics we can share the spoils equally."

"Haha…" Lin Yun stared at Solomon for a long time but didn't answer. Rather, he asked with a strange smile, "Looks like there are many alchemy arrays in Rudolph's vestiges…"

"…" Solomon suddenly stopped smiling. Indeed, there were many arrays inside Rudolph's vestiges.

Otherwise, Solomon wouldn't have come over to seek him out in the middle of the night.

Originally, the best candidate to explore the place would have been Thorpe of the Sage Tower, a High Mage only one step away from entering the Master Alchemist realm. And more importantly, Thorpe was truly on his side.

The problem was that Thorpe couldn't come…

Oddrock City was within the range of influence of the Ash Tower…

Solomon was only able to enter Oddrock City because his teacher was participating in the Magic Hand's gathering, but if Thorpe came, wouldn't the Ash Tower start complaining? How could two of the three big shots of the Sage Tower enter the Ash Tower?

Thus, the only one that fit the situation was Merlin.

Speaking of which, Merlin was a good candidate, too. Whether it was magical strength or alchemical prowess, he was completely superior to Thorpe. The only problem was that Merlin was never one to suffer a loss. Even if Solomon was the one to find Rudolph's vestige, he would have to share half of the gains.

Lin Yun thought about it for a bit and decided not to refuse. "Half each, but I get to choose first."

"Deal!"

Solomon then explained a bit about Rudolph's vestige. The entrance was located on the lowest floor of the ash Tower, in the basement that was used to store all kinds of magic materials, and the rune to open the door was on the Hell Destroyer scroll. It was a rune made of seven characters. Lin Yun only listened to it once before recording it to heart.

"Oh, right, someone seemed to be monitoring you."

"I know. It's fine to leave a substitute." Lin Yun nodded. As soon as he started walking up the stairs, he had known that a young mage had been following him. He probably had been dispatched by Dylan, but since the young mage didn't take any overt action, Lin Yun also felt disinclined to make a move.

"Good." Solomon directly cast a Clone spell and a copy of Solomon appeared in the room.

Lin Yun also softly whispered an incantation and summoned a Water Elemental, and the Magic Array quickly rotated. The Water Elemental soon adopted Lin Yun's physical characteristics. Even Lin Yun's mana fluctuations were identical. As long as no one entered the room, nobody would find out about these substitutes.

"Merlin, if I had invited you to join the Sage Tower earlier, would you have agreed?" Solomon couldn't help sighing when he saw that Water Elemental.

This Water Elemental didn't feel as realistic as the clone and was also more troublesome than his own Clone spell, but it shouldn't be forgotten that the person before him was only a 5th Rank Great Mage. Being able to use a Water Elemental instead of a Clone spell was already a very amazing achievement.

No wonder his teacher, Jouyi, kept praising this young Great Mage to no end. Just from this, it could be seen how Merlin's magic simulation ability was far better than that of a High Mage, even as a 5th Rank Great Mage. This already couldn't be described as mere talent. Solomon even felt that this young Great Mage was born for magic. Maybe one day, Thousand Sails City would have its first Heaven Mage.

Unfortunately, he hadn't agreed to join the Sage Tower.

This wasn't the first time Solomon felt regretful about this.

Each time he looked at this young Great Mage, Solomon would feel as if he had just met him, feeling surprise and shock every time. And this also made Solomon sigh as he thought about what might have been. If he had made a move earlier, Merlin might have joined the Sage Tower.

"This is hard to say…" Lin Yun didn't know how he should answer at this moment.

Solomon sighed once again and cast a Mage Eye to check outside the room. After confirming that there was only one young mage, he cast an Invisibility spell and muttered, "Let's go, we will meet up at the entrance."

After saying that, Solomon directly left the room.

"This is bullying…" Lin Yun scratched his cheek. Invisibility was something unique to High Mages. Although he could use the Magic Array to simulate it, he wouldn't be able to maintain it for more than thirty seconds.

But naturally, this minor matter wouldn't stump Lin Yun…

He took out his Book of Death, put his hand on the first page, and quickly cast Haste. And one of the five empty Ultimate Spell Slots quickly lit up.

After finishing this, Lin Yun cast a Shadow Walk and suddenly turned into a faint shadow. Although he didn't completely hide himself, it was no different from being invisible among the shadows. Moreover, Shadow Walk had an advantage. As long as Lin Yun was amidst the shadows, the mana fluctuations would tightly converge, and even a High Mage like Dylan wouldn't be able to notice.

At the same time, he poured mana into the Book of Death and activated the upgraded spell.

Lin Yun's speed rose greatly, and with the effect of Shadow Walk, Lin Yun almost effortlessly avoided the surveillance of that young mage. It took less than a minute for him to pass through layers upon layers of guards before reaching that basement.

Lin Yun waited for a moment in the basement until Solomon arrived.

"So fast?" Solomon was started when he saw Lin Yun.

Solomon originally thought that unless he met Dylan himself, he would be completely unimpeded on his way down, so it would be impossible for Merlin to overtake him.

But he hadn't expected that Merlin would already be waiting for him when he arrived in the basement. Moreover, it looked as if he had been waiting for a fair bit.

'Fuck, I really should have tied him to the Sage Tower back then!' Solomon fiercely cursed inwardly before whispering the rune to open the secret entrance.

The two then saw an alchemy array slowly appearing on an empty wall.

"This is…" Lin Yun frowned when he saw that array.

"What is it?"

"Nothing…" Lin Yun wasn't sure, so in the end, he could only shake his head and warn, "But after going in, you had better be careful…"

"Can you break this alchemy array?"

"I'll try." Lin Yun crouched in front of the array and carefully looked over every magic circuit while frantically rousing his Magic Arrays as he started analyzing the alchemy array's layout.

Seconds slowly passed, but Lin Yun's frown actually grew more severe.

"How is it?" Solomon looked more and more anxious as he waited on the side, urging him two or three times during the process.

"Don't rush me, it's fine…" Lin Yun impatiently waved his hand.

In fact, there was no trouble breaking the alchemy array.

This alchemy array was only Master level, and breaking this kind of layout wasn't an issue for a Master Alchemist like Lin Yun. What truly troubled him was the alchemy array itself.

When he saw the alchemy array, a thought appeared in Lin Yun's mind. 'Planar Path!'

That's right, the entire array's layout was a custom-made Planar Path!

But then, Lin Yun found out that the source of that Planar Path was too huge.

No no, it wasn't a huge mana crystal, but rather, it was the entire Ash Tower…

The mana source of this array was the Ash Tower itself. In other words, if the alchemy array became active, the Ash Tower would be supplying the mana for it. This was abnormal. There was only one explanation…

This Planar Path was unstable!

This was the real reason Lin Yun didn't dare to activate it.

It was extremely dangerous to set foot on an unstable Planar Path. One moment of carelessness and one would be torn apart by the spatial cracks.

Lin Yun was a bit uncertain at the moment.

Was it worth getting through so much danger for the possibility of getting a Flame Spirit?

The Magic Arrays never stopped working, and the entire alchemy array had been dissected by Lin Yun as he kept analyzing it over and over.

"Eh?" By the 6th analysis, Lin Yun finally made a new discovery.

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And it was a big discovery…

'Turns out it's a Demiplane…' Lin Yun didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he patted the dust off his hand.

He had actually been confused by an alchemy array.

And it wasn't because the array was too profound…

It was because the array was too simple.

And it was a Master Alchemist level array!

Lin Yun had never heard of a Demiplane being attached to a Master level array, this was like using fodder to feed a large Dragon, this was abuse!

Only those peak Heaven Mages had the power to open a Demiplane. They would use countless arrays to open their own worlds from nothingness. These worlds stood outside of Noscent since their inceptions, not receiving any binding from the laws. The laws of these worlds were an embodiment of the master's will, and these worlds also depended on their masters to function.

What kind of frightening power was needed to keep a world working? Even transmitting it couldn't be handled by a Master Array.

Thus, Lin Yun hadn't even considered it…

Until later, when Lin Yun had analyzed that alchemy array for the sixth time, and he suddenly discovered that the crucial magic patterns of that alchemy array didn't seem to be completely aimed at opening a Planar Path. Although it had some spatial stabilization magic patterns, more of them were used for mana transmission and rune transmission.

What kind of plane would use mana transmission and rune transmission? Only a Demiplane…

Everything became clear to Lin Yun then.

That's right, a Demiplane was most likely hidden behind that Planar Path, or else this array's crucial magic patterns wouldn't have used mana transmission and rune transmission, and neither would the array have been connected to the Ash Tower. After all, a tower like the Ash Tower was already a true fortress. When fully operational, it could only be described as an extinction-level firepower. That power supplying the mana of a Master Array was simply unimaginable.

The only explanation was a Demiplane.

But if it was a Demiplane, then a Master Array wouldn't be enough…

Arriving at this point, Lin Yun frowned once again.

After all, Rudolph was a Court Mage in the 3rd Dynasty, his authority was sky-high. As long as he wanted, he could invite an Artisan that was proficient in arrays, so why would he use a Master Array to connect to his Demiplane?

"Merlin…Merlin…" When Solomon saw Lin Yun standing up, he was looking forward to hearing the results.

But he waited a long time and Lin Yun was still daydreaming…

Solomon couldn't wait any longer and waved his hands in front of Lin Yun's eyes, calling out to him several times in a row before Lin Yun managed to recover.

"Eh? What's going on?"

"You're asking me?"

"Oh…" Lin Yun completely recovered after hearing Solomon's question. He took two steps back and pointed at the array on the wall. "This array can open a Planar Path. If you are truly interested in Rudolph's vestige, you should use the rune to go in and take a look. But you shouldn't spend more than an hour, or else you might be lost in that plane forever."

"Planar Path?" Solomon was startled. The Sage Tower had attracted talents for over a thousand years, and three Archmages had even graduated from it, but it had always remained trapped within Thousand Sails City. Besides being restricted by its mortal enemy, the Sage Tower, it was also because they didn't have their own plane.

Solomon, who came from the Cloud Tower, knew the importance of having their own plane…

Why was the Cloud Tower able to stand together with the Black Tower, why was it above the countless mage forces of the Andlusa Kingdom?

Wasn't it because the Cloud Tower had no less than seven private planes? Each of them supplied the Cloud Tower with a large amount of natural resources, and resources were important to any power. Regardless of how long a power had been around, regardless of how much territory it owned, if it couldn't keep up sufficient resources to support itself, its long reign would become history and the large territory would be taken by others.

Nurture of talents, skill development, everything was inevitably linked to being backed by resources.

Solomon never imagined that he would find a Planar Path in the Ash Tower…

As he thought of that, Solomon couldn't help stamping his feet. 'Those bastards are so lucky, they actually have a Planar Path below the Ash Tower. If one day they find it, wouldn't they receive the support of this plane's resources? Wouldn't the Sage Tower end up in trouble then?'

"Merlin, do… do you have a way…" This outcome was definitely not what Solomon wanted to see, so this High Mage forced himself to try to ask, despite feeling embarrassed.

But Solomon didn't even finish asking when Lin Yun shook his head. "I don't."

"I didn't even finish asking!" Solomon interjected.

"You don't need to finish asking. You wanted to ask if there was a way to destroy this array and make it so that the Ash Tower can never find this Planar Path, right?"

"Right, right, right… How about it, can you come up with a way?"

Lin Yun shook his head and patiently explained, "Impossible. High Mage Solomon, even if I destroy this array, it's impossible to destroy the plane itself. As long as the Ash Tower finds the existence of this plane itself, it won't take much effort to arrange another alchemy array to take advantage of it…"

"Then what can we do? If… If the Ash Tower gets hold of this Planar Path, wouldn't the Sage Tower be in extreme danger?"

"This is something that you should leave for me to worry about," Lin Yun cryptically muttered.

"What?"

"Since I have the right to choose first, do you think I can afford to leave a whole plane for the Ash Tower?"

"…" Solomon's expression suddenly darkened. 'Damn, to think the right to loot this plane first would be his priority…'

In the end, Solomon almost cursed as he whispered the opening rune while grinding his teeth.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Yun only felt the space twisting around him. If he didn't pay attention, it would seem like it was the same feeling as when he opened the Bone Plane.

But Lin Yun knew that there was some difference between both sides, such as the mana flow. This was the opening of a Demiplane, and the mana flow far surpassed that of the Bone Plane because of the Ash Tower being linked with the array. The large amount of mana released in that split second couldn't be compared to a few Abyssal Magic Diamonds.

After the space distorted, the surroundings cleared up.

Solomon then let out a peal of unrestrained laughter.

"Hahaha, Merlin, you can use your right to choose, hahahaha…"

No wonder Solomon laughed like that. What appeared before the two wasn't a plane, but rather, it was a piece of land floating in the void. It was only a few kilometers wide. As they stood there, they could see a meteor streaking across the sky, lightning tearing through the void, with a red sky and endless darkness below. Time and space were in chaos. The plane felt like a speck of dust compared to the Bone Plane.

The entire plane felt empty. There was no life, no Laws, and even the four basic elements, earth, water, fire, and wind, were missing.

Seeing this, it was no wonder Solomon had suddenly laughed. This was a small plane with no value.

At this time, let alone Solomon, even Lin Yun himself felt somewhat stunned.

Indeed, Lin Yun already knew that this Demiplane would most likely be average at best.

After all, Rudolph was a peak Heaven Mage and wouldn't have opened this Demiplane for long. It could be said that the entire Demiplane was merely in its embryonic form, and a thousand years had passed since the Dusk War. During these thousand years, Rudolph hadn't been here to maintain this Demiplane, so it would have definitely worsened.

But Lin Yun truly hadn't thought that it would be this bad…

When a Demiplane was first established, the first step would be to set up the living areas of the four elements. This was the foundation of all Demiplanes, because without these four basic elements, a Demiplane wouldn't remain stable. It might be destroyed in the Netherstorm, or be swallowed by the chaotic passage of time and space.

In other words, the Demiplane that Lin Yun just set foot on was no different from a newly established Demiplane…

"We should first check whether we can find Rudolph's relics…" Fortunately, Lin Yun didn't have much expectations for this Demiplane. After being stunned for a bit, he threw the disappointment to the back of his mind. In any case, this trip through this plane was free. Even if there was no reward, it would only be akin to taking a walk…

It was actually Solomon who was nervous.

Solomon had made a lot of preparations this time, after having spent several hundred thousand golds on the Hell Destroyer scroll and a few dozen days and nights to crack the scroll, before finally figuring out the secret hidden underneath the Ash Tower. Solomon had done everything for the chance to find Rudolph's relics.

These relics were too important for the Sage Tower. It was the most likely opportunity for him to make the Sage Tower rise…

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Chapter 173: Library

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

The entire Demiplane was only a few kilometers long. It was truly like a grain of dust compared to an ordinary plane. It only took the two men five minutes to search through the entire Demiplane.

They found a tower amidst the desert.

This was the only place emitting mana fluctuations in the entire Demiplane. If Rudolph truly left relics behind, they were most likely stored there.

"Quick, quick, let's check it out!" Solomon stood in front of the tower, his eyes lit up and an impatient expression on his face, clearly ready to go inside.

"Hold on, don't be in such a hurry…" Lin Yun quickly pulled Solomon back.

"What is it?"

"Look at this…" Lin Yun pointed at the gate, where a dark golden veined pattern was flickering. "If I'm not wrong, it should be an Elemental Summon enchanted by the Heaven Mage himself. What kind of Elemental would come out of it?"

"Damn…" Solomon looked at it and almost broke out in a cold sweat. As a peak High Mage, how could he not see that this was a an Elemental Summon?

And a Heaven Rank Elemental Summon wasn't to be trifled with…

If the one summoned were an Elemental King, he would certainly suffer. For a Heaven Rank Mage, an Elemental King with the strength of an Archmage would be used to guard the house. But to a 9th Rank High Mage and a 5th Rank Great Mage, such a being would be an invincible existence.

"Merlin, do you have an idea?"

"I need some time…" Lin Yun nodded and slowly crouched down, rotating his Magic Arrays once again to start analyzing this Elemental Summon enchantment.

Fortunately, Rudolph didn't leave behind this Elemental Summon to guard against other mages; that much was certain. Although the pattern on the ground used complicated spell enchantment and mana patterns, it wasn't hidden, so it didn't accomplish much when it came to defending from the intrusion of other mages.

Let alone Lin Yun, who had the Magic Array that was well suited to cracking enchantments, even an ordinary High Mage would be able to break it as long as they had enough time.

Lin Yun didn't need much time before he was able to crack the Elemental Summoning. He then whispered a few Nesser Runes and the characters on the ground melted at a shocking speed, just like ice exposed under the midday sun.

"Go."

"Looks like you didn't take up the loot priority for nothing…" From watching Lin Yun decipher the array outside, Solomon could still say that his own level of skill in alchemy wasn't nearly good enough and he normally didn't see any problem with it, but he was thoroughly convinced this time.

He knew to some extent how much trouble that array on the ground could have been. It was an Elemental Summon enchantment left behind by a Heaven Mage after all.

Even though it was out in the open, it still wasn't something that could be broken so easily. It would have taken himself at least 3 hours.

But in the hands of that young Great Mage, it only took ten minutes…

At this time, Solomon had no choice but to admit that he truly deserved the loot priority.

"Haha…" Lin Yun absent-mindedly chuckled, and remained quiet.

He was lost in his thoughts.

Why would Rudolph put this Elemental Summon enchantment here?

It definitely couldn't guard against other mages…

If it had been for that purpose, the array wouldn't have been arranged like this. Not being hidden at all meant that it had no defenses.

But if it wasn't to guard against other mages, what was it guarding?

Was it to guard against lifeforms born from the Demiplane?

'This… Was he that far-sighted?'

After all, the four elements didn't exist in this Demiplane, so countless years would need to pass before a lifeform could be born. Did Rudolph have so much free time that he prepared an Elemental Summon in advance?

"Wait…" As the two were about to enter, a thought appeared in Lin Yun's mind, 'What if that Demiplane hadn't been created by Rudolph?'

'A Demiplane born naturally?' When this possibility occurred to him, it made him jump up, startled.

There were an endless amount of planes scattered through the void. Even the mages at the peak of the magic era didn't dare to say that they understood the secrets to the endless planes. Demiplanes weren't something that could only be established by Heaven Mages. Among the Demiplanes, some were also naturally born.

But there were very few of them…

In Noscent's long history, there were no more than five mages who possessed a naturally born Demiplane. They were all legendary existences, becoming outstanding figures in the Plane Colonization Era because of their Demiplanes giving them superior advantages.

Lin Yun clearly remembered the Great Astrologian, Agalon.

That man came from the Starry Sky College. He had never really studied magic before turning forty. At around 38 or 39 years old, he was only a 5th Rank Mage.

But at 39, Agalon found a totally new Planar Path in an experiment.

At that point, Agalon had two choices. One was to sell this completely new Planar Path in order to obtain great wealth. By then, a new Planar Path was worth at least three Level 30 mana crystals, which was enough to buy two of the current Gilded Rose.

And the other choice was to explore it himself.

Thus, Agalon, who loved travelling and adventuring, quickly made his own decision, choosing to explore this new plane by himself.

And as a result, after Agalon passed through the Planar Path, he found a naturally born Demiplane on the other side.

And that choice, which he had made due to his hobby, created the Great Astrologian that shocked the entirety of Noscent!

Agalon's rise was too frightening.

At 39, Agalon was still a 5th Rank Mage, but at 40, Agalon became a 9th Rank Great Mage, and at 43, he was already a High Mage. He reached the Archmage realm by 50, and at 70, Agalon finally stood in the Heaven Mage realm.

That was when Agalon finally displayed his frightening power to others.

In that year, Agalon and a peak Heaven Mage who had already established his own Demiplane had a fight that shocked all of Noscent. It was due to that fight that people learnt how frightening naturally born planes were. Giving close to unlimited mana reserves, and nearly invincible bodies… This was the power of a full world.

If the Elemental Summon array left behind by Rudolph was truly there to guard against the intrusions of the lifeforms born from this plane, then Lin Yun would be at least 50% certain that this was a naturally born Demiplane.

But this was still a mere conjecture.

At least until now, Lin Yun had yet to discover any trace of life in this Demiplane, it was to the point that even the four elements were missing. If not for the mana fluctuations emitted by this tower, Lin Yun would have already thought that this was a dead plane…

"Merlin, take a look, quick!" Just as Lin Yun was lost in his thoughts, Solomon's voice came over.

"Ah, What?" Lin Yun followed the direction Solomon was pointing at. In the center of the tower's lobby, there was a huge carved array.

Lin Yun's breathing stopped.

"Fuck, True Spirit level!"

This was the first time Lin Yun had seen a True Spirit level array since he came to this era.

Fortunately, this True Spirit level array was used to seal something. Besides the stifling mana fluctuations being spread outside, it didn't react to their intrusion. But even so, Lin Yun still anxiously reminded Solomon, "By all means, don't get close to this array…"

"I know…" Solomon nodded, fear showing on his face. Although he didn't know what kind of array it was, but those stifling mana fluctuations made Solomon particularly afraid.

Solomon knew that if these mana fluctuations burst out, even tens of him would be unable to resist.

The two carefully walked past the True Spirit level array and quickly went through the second floor via the stairs on the right.

Solomon's eyes then shone.

Because arranged in front of him was a huge library!

"I understand! I understand…" Solomon stood at the door to the library, excited. This was the knowledge left behind by a Heaven Rank Mage. It would raise the level of all the mages if he could move it to the Sage Tower.

But when Solomon tried to walk in, a soft sound echoed from inside.

"Careful!" Before Solomon could react, Lin Yun had already fiercely pulled him from behind, making him retreat a few steps.

A light sound was heard as an ice cold light almost cut his hair as it brushed past his eyes…

Solomon was covered in cold sweat.

That was a 6th Tier Spell, Frost Ray…

If not for Merlin pulling him back, this Frost Ray would have froze his head in half in an instant.

That was too close.

Solomon's heart was furiously beating as he glanced inside the library, trying to see what trap let out such a fierce spell.

What fell into his eyes were two alchemy puppets…

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"Puppets!" Solomon's face darkened.

Solomon originally thought that the Frost Ray had been cast from a trap and had been considering how to break it. But after glancing over, Solomon understood that it would be more troublesome than a trap…

Frost Ray was a 6th Tier Spell…

Two puppets enchanted with Frost Ray, this firepower was no worse than a 9th Rank High Mage like himself.

This was worthy of a Heaven Rank Mage.

At this time, Solomon couldn't help inwardly admiring him. Only those existences who stepped in the Extraordinary realm could consider a 6th Tier Spell as nothing and casually enchant it in alchemy puppets.

After all, enchanting a spell came at the cost of runes. A 6th Tier spell like Frost Ray needed no less than several hundreds runes. Besides someone unconventional like Lin Yun, those existences who stepped into the Extraordinary realm might be the only ones who could spent so much on puppets.

"And those are Mage Breaker models…" And the annoying part was that Lin Yun had to explain to him.

"…" Solomon panicked when he heard that, 'Damn, enchanted Frost Rays weren't enough, they are also Mage Breaker models?'

Mage Breaker alchemy puppets, these were true mage killers. Their magic resistance was frighteningly high. A low level spell was nothing more than a tickle to them, and their enchanted spells would inevitably have mana burn. This mana was very nauseating. Once hit, the target would feel its own mana igniting to the point of making any mage feel like dying.

Solomon was even more afraid of making a wrong move now.

Two puppets enchanted with 6th Tier Spells and of the most disgusting Mage Breaker model, this had already surpassed Solomon's abilities. With his current strength as a 9th Rank High Mage, handling one puppet was possible, but he didn't think his chances of success were more than 30% if they both rushed at him…

"Merlin, we are in trouble…" Solomon said, depressed.

"Yeah, it's a bit troublesome…" Lin Yun nodded, agreeing with him, 'This is quite troublesome, if I had known, I wouldn't have given that spatial ring to William and Faleau

At that time, he thought that since they were taking that group of Mages to fight in the Bone Plane, they would need the Soul Essences stored in the Spatial Magic Tool. But he hadn't expected that he would enter a Demiplane while coming to participate in the Magic Hand's gathering in Oddrock City. Let alone that he would encounter such powerful puppets…

'What can I do…'

'I can't bring these two puppets back!'

'Do I have to dismantle them? That's too wasteful…'

At this time, Lin Yun's face had also darkened…

"This is Rudolph's library…" Solomon was only a step away from the library, but how could he dare to step in? He knew that this single step would immediately trigger the two puppets' attacks. But Solomon didn't want to give up either, as he said, this was Rudolph's library, the knowledge inside was enough to make the Sage Tower reach a whole new level!

"Merlin, what do you say? Should we stake it all? You and I can both take one… No no no, you don't need to take too much risks, as long as you can stall for time and wait for me to deal with the other one, I'll be able to back you up, how about it?"

Solomon didn't pause as he said everything, Lin Yun asked with an amazed expression, "What stake it all? You are talking about these two puppets?"

"Yes yes, these two puppets. I know that making a 5th Rank Great Mage like you facing such a powerful puppet is quite awkward, but I'll owe you a favor. It doesn't need to be for long. As long as you can stall for twenty minutes… Twenty minutes… Hey… Hold on, what are you up to!"

Before Solomon could finish his words, his eyes suddenly opened wide.

The young mage he was trying to convince gave him a strange smile before entering the library.

"Fuck!" Solomon suddenly cursed.

Indeed, he wanted Merlin to make a move, but he never asked for him to make a move so fast! Those were deadly puppets with 6th Tier Spells, mana burn, and magic resistance. What could he do if he went unprepared?

'No good, no good, I have to help Merlin…'

'Forget it, I'll go with the bare minimum.'

After Solomon quickly incanted a few low tier spells on himself, he followed with a Runic Shield and rushed towards the library.

"Ah?"

The 9th Rank High then froze, his expression went through a multitude of changes. From lifeless to doubtful, from doubtful to shock. Solomon felt like a mouse trapped between a cat's paws.

The two puppets were already collapsed on the floor and the young mage was stepping on one of the puppet with a foot, trying to dismantle the puppet with force.

Moreover, he was cursing as he dismantled, "Shit, this is too heavy. I can't carry it back…"

"Me… Merlin?" Solomon looked like a ghost as he watched this scene, he was frighteningly pale. Even his voice couldn't help shivering…

"Ah? What is it?"

"How… How did you do it?"

"I shut down their mechanical system?"

"…" Solomon almost spat blood, 'Aren't alchemists too broken? Facing two puppets, I almost burnt my brain thinking of a plan, not even finding a decent one, and when I finally decide to risk it, a single alchemist went in and shut down the two puppets!'

"What? You lost interest in the rewards?" Lin Yun wiped the sweat off his forehead as he casually asked Solomon.

"Right, right, I'll take a look first…" After being reminded by Lin Yun, Solomon recovered. At this moment, he didn't bother to ask how Lin Yun shut down the puppets and rushed to a bookshelf to look at the loot.

After reminding Solomon, Lin Yun got busy.

To Lin Yun, these magic books inside the library didn't have too much importance, and even if there was a need, he could always ask Solomon to make a copy.

What truly mattered were these two puppets.

'The Runic Magic Iron frame definitely can't be taken away…'

Runic Magic Iron was a rare magic material. The yearly output of the Andlusa Kingdom was barely enough to make ten puppets. This was also one of the reason why Mage Breaker models were so rare. Among the major forces, only those with a plane that could produce Runic Magic Iron had Mage Breaker models.

Fortunately, the mechanical system could still be dismantled.

This mechanical system could be studied. Lin Yun intended to make the group of alchemist at the alchemy workshop emulate it and see if they could use it on mining puppets.

A few alchemy arrays could actually be dismantled, but they were useless to Lin Yun. As long as he had enough materials, Lin Yun could draw a dozen such arrays anytime.

The only things left were the four arms.

These four arms had Frost Rays enchanted onto them, as long as enough mana was supplied, it would form a complete cross-fire defense system which would be perfect for the camp in the Bone Plane.

"Merlin… Merlin, come over quickly, look at what I found…" Just as Lin Yun finished dismantling the second puppet, Solomon's voice could be heard.

"What did you find?"

"Take a look…"

Solomon handed him a black book. What caught Lin Yun's eyes were the burnt letters of – Mana Vine Breeding – on the cover.

"Mana Vine, Merlin, Mana Vine…" Solomon attentively watched the black book while smiling and squirming.

"Yes, Mana Vine…" Lin Yun casually flipped a few pages. This black book was indeed explaining how to breed Mana Vines. It looked like Rudolph considered this Demiplane important, otherwise he wouldn't have started gathering knowledge on Mana Vines while the four elements were still missing.

Mana Vines were a very mysterious type of plant. Almost every mage wanted to breed some Mana Vine because they could automatically absorb mana from the void. Usually, the poorest the void environment was, the more mana they could gather.

Moreover, after absorbing mana from the void, they would automatically transform and purify it before forming a pool of mana under the Mana Vines, storing all the mana.

Just this was enough to make Mana Vines priceless. Just thinking about it, having a few Mana Vines inside a tower, absorbing mana day and night before storing it in a pond… This was a never ending source of mana.

Unfortunately, Mana Vines grew in a very harsh environment. Harsh to the point that it was impossible for them to survive in Noscent. No Mana Vine had appeared in Noscent for the past millennium.

But from this it could be seen that Rudolph's Demiplane was most likely a naturally formed plane.

Because only a naturally formed plane would give Mana Vines a chance to grow.

But it seemed that Rudolph didn't find any Mana Vine Seed, otherwise this Demiplane wouldn't be in this death-like state. Just a Mana Vine alone would be enough for the Demiplane to not have to rely on the Ash Tower, and that array outside simply wouldn't need to exist.

Naturally, Rudolph being unable to find the seed of the Mana Vine didn't mean that Lin Yun couldn't find it either…

In fact, Lin Yun was fairly certain that the plane he could open with the Dusk Fire had at least one Mana Vine Seed. In the days of mana exhaustion, a few Heaven Mages joined hand to invade that plane and seized that Mana Vine Seed. But unfortunately, that seed wasn't able to survive in Noscent.

"Send me a copy later."

"Sure." Solomon straightforwardly answered. Although a book like – Mana Vine Breeding – was precious, it didn't have a huge importance to the Sage Tower. It would at best be used for the breeding methods, to test whether they could be used to breed other magic plants.

'Eh? What is that…' After returning – Mana Vine Breeding – to Solomon, Lin Yun wanted to return to the puppets and see if he could dismantle something else, but a red colored book caught his attention.

It was – Key Points for Elemental Spirit Capture –.

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Chapter 175: Unexpected Guest

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

"Ha?" Lin Yun suddenly froze. It was a truly neglected magic book. Almost no mages would be able to encounter an Elemental Spirit during their lifetimes. Unless they truly had the need for it, most mages wouldn't bother even skimming through that knowledge.

Based on this, Lin Yun was almost certain that Rudolph had already discovered an Elemental Spirit, and it was most likely in this Demiplane…

Lin Yun thought about it and took – Key Points for Elemental Spirit Capture – from the bookshelf before casually flipping through a few pages. Sure enough, the several pages explaining how to capture Elemental Spirits had been frequently searched through before. There were clear signs of wear and some finger traces could be seen among some lines.

Seeing this, Lin Yun knew that he didn't have to keep looking any farther.

There was definitely a Flame Spirit in that Demiplane, and it was most likely an Upper Rank Flame Spirit. He deduced it from Solomon's story about the whole Ash Tower being burnt to cinders. If everything had been burnt to the ground, even the Heaven Mage's relics would have become ashes.

"It's unfortunate, there are so many precious magic books, but they can't all be taken away…" Solomon's spatial pockets weren't much more spacious than Lin Yun's, and sadly, there were too many books in the library. Solomon spent ten minutes filling the two spatial pockets with about three to four hundred books, but this was like a drop of water in the ocean compared to what was left in the rest of the library. If he didn't look closely, it wouldn't even be possible to tell that the stock of books in the library had decreased.

"You should be happy with what you have…" Lin Yun twitched as he casually put the book in his pocket.

"How about this, Merlin, let's continue exploring. I have a feeling that we will get more rewards if we keep exploring deeper…"

"The danger would definitely increase…"

Lin Yun's words made Solomon hesitate. "This…" He paused to think. It was true, the Demiplane Rudolph left behind did have a lot of danger. Just the entrance of the tower had an Elemental Summon. A mere library actually had two Mage Breaker puppets defending it. Who knew what danger they would meet if they kept searching?

But Solomon was quite unwilling to give up…

This was a heaven-sent opportunity. It wouldn't be easy to come back if he missed it. And that group of scoundrels from the Ash Tower wouldn't be passive. Once they found out the secret of the Demiplane, that Dusk Tower would certainly come whining, too.

"How about we try a bit more? Twenty minutes. After twenty minutes, we will return, regardless of what we gain!" Solomon wanted to leave, but he was still a bit unwilling.

"Okay, twenty minutes it is." Lin Yun nodded and didn't try to dissuade Solomon.

Because Lin Yun knew that the true danger of the tower was actually underground, or else it wouldn't be covered by such a fierce alchemy array.

It could be understood just by looking at this library.

It seemed huge, but when Lin Yun glanced at the book, he only saw common knowledge. To Solomon and the Sage Tower, this information might be very important, but those were just ordinary books to a Heaven Mage. The only particularly important one might be the – Mana Vine Breeding – and – Key Points for Elemental Spirit Capture –.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been two puppets guarding this library…

After they left the library, they made a circle around the 2nd floor. On the way, Lin Yun broke seven or eight arrays, but they didn't find anything major.

As they were getting discouraged, the two planned to stop the exploration and head back, when Solomon suddenly exclaimed, "Merlin! Come check!"

"What?" Lin Yun followed Solomon's finger and couldn't help being surprised.

Flames were suddenly seeping out of a hidden door, about a hundred meters ahead of them…

Mana fluctuations were slowly leaking, neither large nor fierce, but Lin Yun could feel that the Fire Elements within were incomparably pure. These were a sort of mana fluctuations that Lin Yun had never met before. It felt as if he were suddenly looking at actual flames instead of just sensing mana.

'Could it be…' When Lin Yun thoughts reached this stage, he hurriedly fished out – Key Points for Elemental Spirit Capture – from his pocket and flipped to the pages mentioning Flame Spirits.

"Merlin?"

"Don't press me, I have to check something first…" Lin Yun checked three times before feeling sure that he had grasped the key points and raising his head from the book. "Okay, let's go."

Those mana fluctuations were too strange. The two didn't dare to be neglectful and stood in the hallway, buffing themselves with all kinds of spells and abilities. Fire Resistance, Elemental Sharpness, Quickened Casting, strengthening themselves to the limits. Once they were done, they slowly walked to that hidden door.

"Wait…" Just as the pair arrived a dozen meters away from the door, Lin Yun felt an icy aura spreading over.

This was definitely abnormal.

When the flames were seeping out of the hidden door, they actually carried out incomparably pure fire elements. But how could the incomparably pure fire aura suddenly turn icy?

Lin Yun remained on guard.

He sent a Mage Eye over. When the Mage Eye reached the door, Lin Yun's eyes widened.

Because he noticed a middle-aged mage fighting!

'Dylan!' Lin Yun's jaw almost dropped to the ground. A few hours ago, he had almost fought with Dylan in the Ash Tower, and to his surprise, Dylan was now fighting a group of Frost Elementals.

A huge array was set up inside the room, it was a Teleportation Gate that covered nearly the entire room with its blue, flickering radiance. Now, a lot of ice elements were spreading from the center of the room, one after the other, rushing out of the Teleportation Gate…

Those were Frost Elementals…

They were Elemental lifeforms with strength equivalent to that of Great Mages. One or two wouldn't be an issue, but more than twenty… That definitely wasn't something to be trifled with. The concentrated attack of over twenty Frost Elementals wasn't something a High Mage could easily deal with.

Moreover, there were far more than twenty Frost Elementals in that room.

At first glance, Lin Yun counted over a hundred, and packed together, they made the room look like an ice world.

Fluttering ice and snow, whistling gales…

Dylan was simply drowning in an ocean of Frost Elementals.

Indeed, even if the power Dylan displayed was quite formidable, rousing the fire elements in the atmosphere, his staff continuously flickering as he kept incanting all kinds of spells, each of which would make a Frost Elemental collapse, there was just too many of them…

The huge array on the ground felt as if it had to lead straight to the Elemental Plane, incessantly summoning Frost Elementals, one after the other, faster and faster. Its rate already surpassed Dylan's casting speed.

"Fuck…" Lin Yun couldn't help cursing when the Mage Eye entered the room.

Sure enough, just as Lin Yun cursed, Dylan retreated.

Then, the three individuals froze in the hallway.

Staring at each other…

"How could you be here!" In the end, Dylan was the first to recover.

"Right, how could we be here?" Lin Yun awkwardly chuckled.

This was too awkward…

This was the domain of the Ash Tower. The two had snuck inside, but were caught red-handed by the master of the Ash Tower…

Although Dylan didn't dare to offend Jouyi or the Magic Hand, he was still the master of the Ash Tower in the end…

"Right, how could we be in here?" Solomon shamelessly passed the hot potato.

But in his mind, Solomon was cursing Dylan and his ancestors. 'How can that bastard be so loathsome? I barely managed to convince Merlin to accompany me in this exploration, thinking of getting so benefits, but in the end, a bastard like you showed up?'

In his worry, Solomon's thoughts became rather drastic.

'Damn, what should I do now? Do I have to kill you?'

But even if Solomon wanted, he unfortunately couldn't.

Solomon clearly understood that he only had around a 30% chance of beating Dylan in a fight. Even if Merlin joined in, it would only increase the odds to perhaps 50%, by Solomon's estimate. Dylan wouldn't be able to kill them, but he could easily escape. Once he returned to the Ash Tower, the two would definitely be in huge trouble…

Dylan actually didn't need to do anything. He only had to disable the array outside, and at that time, the two of them would be stuck in the Demiplane forever.

"Merlin, let's go! Quick!" Solomon made a prompt decision, giving up on the Demiplane's riches!

Although the heritage of a Heaven Mage was very precious, it wasn't worth risking their fate for it.

But after saying this, Solomon still couldn't help secretly cursing, 'Fucking Dylan, how is your nose so sensitive? Are you a dog? How come you aren't meditating in your room? Why did you follow us to this Demiplane instead? …Forget it, regardless of why Dylan followed, we still have to leave first…'

If the two could get away, then they might be able to use the array as a threat to get some benefits from the Sage Tower…

Solomon's heart recovered as he thought of this, vigilantly guarding against a potential attack from Dylan while quietly pulling Lin Yun behind him.

"Let's go…"

"No, wait…"

At this time, Lin Yun's eyes were still fixed on Dylan and the previous awkward smile had already disappeared, replaced by a faint sneer.

"That's a very good disguise you have there…"

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"What disguise?" Solomon asked.

The 9th Rank High Mage looked at Dylan carefully, before turning to look at Lin Yun while full of doubt. 'What does he mean? Is Merlin trying to say that this Dylan is an impersonator? That doesn't seem right…

'I've been struggling with Dylan for decades, we even fought over ten times. It could be said that I'm more familiar with Dylan than the mages of the Ash Tower. That person before us, whether it is his motions, expressions, or even mana fluctuations, they are all exactly the same as Dylan's.' On this, Solomon was certain that he wasn't wrong.

"Merlin…" Solomon would usually remain silent and not say anything out of respect for that young Great Mage, but this couldn't happen now. The situation wasn't very good, so after a slight hesitation, he asked, "Aren't you mistaken?"

"Won't you understand if you keep watching?" Lin Yun didn't explain. He only smiled before fishing out – Key Points for Elemental Spirit Capture – from his pocket…

"Let me see… How to capture Upper Rank Flame Spirits…" Lin Yun said, before also reminding "Dylan", "What are you watching me for? Your army has already arrived!"

"You…" Dylan was startled and angry, but he hastily turned due to Lin Yun's reminder and noticed over a dozen Frost Elementals breaking through the wall of flames blocking them and forcing their ways towards him.

Although there were only a dozen Frost Elementals, they would have a steady flow of reinforcements. At this time, Dylan didn't dare to neglect them and hastily started chanting his incantations, getting ready to fight the dozen Frost Elementals.

At this time, sparks flew within the world of ice and snow as the intensity of the battle was enough to leave any High Mage dumbstruck. The Frost Elementals were almost suicidal, hindering Dylan's every move. And despite the latter only taking a short time to deal with the first dozen Frost Elementals, unfortunately, many more Frost Elementals were already surrounding him.

Lin Yun's side was completely different. Those rushing Frost Elementals didn't seem to care about Lin Yun, and not even a single attack flew his way. But Lin Yun was getting busy. He first put up an Ice Wall before starting to browse – Key Points for Elemental Spirit Capture –.

"Oh, right, what's your true name?" Lin Yun looked at a few pages, looking as if he had failed to grasp the crux of what he needed to know before raising his head to ask.

"My true name…" Dylan suddenly froze when Lin Yun asked him that question…

As a result of that distraction, a Flame Barrier was cast a second too late and three Frost Elementals suddenly found a gap. A sharp sound was heard as the three Frost Elementals ruthlessly aimed at Dylan's chest.

Dylan managed to mend his Runic Shield with great difficulty before being able to stop their attack. But as he was flustered, he immediately started cursing, "Fuck, what do you have to do with my true name!"

"I'm just asking, nothing more…" Lin Yun's lips twitched before he returned to being immersed in the book."Ah, I remember, isn't it Llanliss? Or was it Eliss? Doesn't matter, I can just try them…" As Lin Yun said that, he attempted the incantation written in the book, using one true name after the other.

Naturally, these attempts didn't work.

Llanliss and Eliss definitely weren't his true name…

The incantation itself had the power to bind Elemental Spirits. Even if the true name was incorrect, that kind of power wouldn't change. And with Lin Yun acting shamelessly, using true name after true name, that incantation had been chanted over ten times, with ten true names being used. The dozens of chants were enough to put Dylan on edge.

"Shut up!" Dylan, who had been busy being surrounded by more and more Frost Elementals, suddenly lost his mind under Lin Yun's incessant chanting. After making quite a few mistakes, Dylan was thoroughly flooded by Ice Elements.

At that time, numerous Ice Elements had piled up in the entire hallway, and the visible blue mana fluctuations could be seen converging, almost freezing the air as various Ice Spells indiscriminately rained over. Even Dylan, a 9th Rank High Mage, had completely lost the ability to counterattack. He was completely relying on the Runic Shield for defense.

"Don't be in a hurry, I remember the names of a few dozen of Upper Rank Flame Spirits. Just wait, I'll try them one by one. Who knows, maybe the next one is the one…"

"Enough!" Dylan was going berserk.

"That's your attitude? Then I'll try other incantations…" Lin Yun wasn't fazed by him, as he simply turned another page.

"You…" Dylan's words abruptly stopped. He restrained his anger and tried to use the calmest voice possible to ask, "What do you want in the end?"

"What do I want? I should be asking you that. What are you trying to do? You, an Upper Rank Flame Spirit, disguised yourself as a human and want to scare us?"

"I didn't want to scare you, I only…"

"Only what? Only wanted to use us to show you the way…?" Lin Yun's smile carried a hard-to-conceal ridicule. "Deliberately activating the array to be besieged by Frost Elementals before trying to scare us back to Noscent as Dylan, all that to get access to the Planar Path. Your idea was very good…"

"I… I don't know what you are talking about!"

"Haha, don't deny it so fast, wait till I'm done talking. Then I'll have plenty of ways to make you recognize it…" Lin Yun sneered as he continued, "If I'm not wrong, you definitely saw Dylan, which is why you can transform into him and imitate his mana fluctuations. You even know that the one Dylan wants to kill the most is the High Mage standing behind me, Solomon. Thus, you revealed killing intent towards Solomon. Unfortunately, you didn't know that Dylan wouldn't dare to kill Solomon today…"

Each of Lin Yun's words made Dylan panic. After those few sentences, Dylan already made eight casting mistakes. This was simply impossible for a 9th Rank High Mage. Thankfully, the Runic Shield was still powerful enough to hold. Regardless of whether it was taking physical attacks or magic attacks, it displayed a shocking defensive ability.

At this time, there were close to two hundred Frost Elementals surrounding Dylan. And with Dylan making all kinds of mistakes, the Runic Shield could be said to be the only thing protecting his life.

But even so, Dylan couldn't keep holding on.

At this time, Lin Yun said, "If you want to refute me, it's pretty simple, just use a non-Fire System spell."

"I…" Dylan immediately made another mistake.

"Pretending to be Dylan while only using Fire Spells, do you think we are fools?"

"…" Solomon's face suddenly turned red. 'Pah, I'm not as cunning as you, how the hell could you tell that this was a Flame Spirit pretending to be Dylan?'

But while Solomon cursed inwardly, he had no choice but to show an "it was obvious from the start" expression on his face.

Nothing could be done about it, he couldn't admit that he was a fool, could he?

"Speak… What do you want!" At this time, the Upper Rank Flame Spirit pretending to be Dylan no longer attempted to refute him.

Because he simply couldn't try to refute anymore.

Two hundred Frost Elementals were besieging him, and one human was there holding the – Key Points for Elemental Spirit Capture – while trying to figure out his true name. Each incantation would bring a short binding effect. This wouldn't normally matter, but in this situation, it was simply pouring oil on the fire. Even a proud Upper Rank Flame Spirit had no choice but to show some flexibility.

"Serve me."

"Impossible!" The Flame Spirit coldly snorted, "As a king among Elemental Spirits, how could I serve a mere Great Mage? Change your condition, Human. I admit that you are very clever, but honestly, you still aren't worthy to make me acknowledge you. Wait until you reach Rudolph's level of power, you might be able to convince me to serve you then."

"You are wrong again…" Lin Yun shook his head, not getting angry because of the Flame Spirit's dismissive attitude. "But worthiness is not decided by strength. Rudolph, despite his power as a Heaven Mage, didn't manage to escape you after falling. You even burnt his corpse to ashes. I do not want this kind of servant, I want complete acknowledgement!"

"You are insane…"

"Haha, do you really think that I don't know what your true name is?"

"Ridiculous, even Rudolph didn't know my true name. Is a mere Great Mage like you really trying to guess my true name? Human, I'll give you a final bit of advice, don't waste your time with scheming and changing the condition, or else you'll get nothing in the end."

"Really? Syudos, that's what you'll go with…" Lin Yun flipped to the last page of the book. There was only one spell, which used blood energy to bind an Elemental Spirit. This was the most direct, and also the most dangerous method to bind an Elemental Spirit in the book.

Succeed, and a soul contract would be signed with the Elemental Spirit.

Fail, and the caster would die from his blood being drained to the last drop.

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"I… I don't understand what you are talking about!"

After Lin Yun said the true name, Syudos, the Flame Spirit's voice became more flustered. And not only was it more flustered, but it quickly began to feel endless fear and despair. "No… No! Fuck! What do you think you are doing? Stop, now!"

Unfortunately, no one could stop the Blood Binding once it started…

Lin Yun slightly cut his left wrist, letting blood drip on the hallway's floor as he chanted a long incantation in Nesser in a deep and hoarse voice. It sounded like an ancient ritual.

"Impossible… How could you know my true name!" The Flame Spirit's voice wasn't as arrogant as before. He had already stopped caring about the battle against the Frost Elementals, only keeping up a few basic defensive spells as they swarmed over him.

Because these Frost Elementals were no longer his most threatening opponent.

Even if they drowned him, he would only have to return to the sealed array. There was no difference between a millennium or ten thousand years to an immortal Flame Spirit. But if the Blood Binding was successful, he would have no opportunity to get free.

As he recalled the effects of a Blood Binding, the Flame Spirit started struggling frantically.

With an explosion, Dylan's silhouette disappeared, turning into a clump of raging flames. Blazing mana fluctuations spread out and a few Frost Elementals around him instantly evaporated, transforming into a white mist. It felt like lava was flowing down the entire hallway as the flames spread everywhere, sharply elevating the temperature.

Facing the threat of the Blood Binding, the Flame Spirit almost burst with full power, rousing the fire elements to a boil, making it seem like even the air was burning.

Unfortunately, half of the Blood Binding had already been completed.

The dripping blood on the floor had turned into a scarlet mist, outlining some sort of complicated mana pattern in the air. As Lin Yun's incantation progressed, that mist turned into blood-colored chains, coiling around Syudos one after the other…

"How could I know your true name? Simple… I guessed."

"…" Syudos, who had already returned into his Flame Spirit Incarnation form, nearly fell down when he heard that.

'Guessed… Guessed…'

Fortunately, Syudos was already a Flame Spirit Incarnation, or else he might have spat blood. Dylan spent decades, three people from the council spent a few hundred years, Rudolph spent a thousand years, but none of them managed to find out his true name… but the person before him had guessed it!

'Is there any fairness in the world?' he thought.

"This is impossible, this is impossible!" Syudos was completely unable to accept such a cruel reality. He frantically struggled amidst the Frost Elementals and the blood chains, but unfortunately, no matter how much he struggled or roared, it was all for naught. It was like he was stuck in quicksand; the more he struggled and roared, the faster he would sink.

"I guessed right." Lin Yun smiled, not explaining. He only urged the blood shackles to tighten around Syudos.

Lin Yun wasn't toying with him.

He really had been guessing what Syudos' true name was.

Syudos couldn't believe it because he still didn't know. 20,000 years later, Noscent would progressively suffer from mana exhaustion, and at that time, even the Upper Rank Elemental Spirits would be unable to keep surviving on their own. They had no other choice but to attach themselves to a master, hoping that their master would supply them with the mana they needed to keep existing.

Lin Yun clearly remembered that in Noscent's history, there had been about 500 Upper Elemental Spirits with known true names. Out of those spirits, about four hundred appeared during that period.

The appearance of a large amount of Upper Rank Elemental Spirits gave the mages an opportunity they had never dared to think of before: studying the Upper Rank Elemental Spirits' system. Thus, one true name after the other had been analyzed. The distinctive traits, the abilities, the timeframe, and what matched with the Upper Elemental Spirits' true names. And in the end, they completed an – Upper Rank Elemental Spirits Compendium –, greatly simplifying the capture of Elemental Spirits.

Naturally, this book was stored in the decaying library.

Why was Lin Yun talking so much to Syudos?

It was in order to probe Syudos…

Changing into Dylan explained that this Flame Spirit had a shapeshifting ability at the very least. Burning Rudolph's corpse showed that this Flame Spirit's flames could reach a shockingly high temperature when they burst out. After gradually going through the process of elimination, there were few Upper Rank Flame Spirits left. And from the way he spoke, it seemed that he had already reached some sort of agreement with Dylan, and thus he would have probably been unable to escape the Ash Tower even if he was able to escape this Demiplane.

At that time, he had narrowed it down to only three true names.

If Lin Yun still couldn't find this Flame Spirit's true name at the point, then he might as well jump off the plane.

From start to finish, it took him only took a few minutes to find Syudos' true name.

At that time, the situation was already decided.

In fact, Syudos wasn't completely unprepared for that attack. After turning into his Spirit form, Syudos' strength had risen up one whole level, being infinitely close to the Archmage level. But at that time, the siege of the mass of Frost Elementals, along with the bane of Elemental Spirits, the Blood Binding, formed a pincer attack that Syudos couldn't handle. Although he burst out with power a few times, evaporating dozen of Frost Elementals, the blood chains on his body were getting tighter and tighter. Moreover, there were only two or three at first, but now, there were no less than twenty blood chains coiling around his body from which blood energy leaked out and infiltrated his body. When that power completely infiltrated his body, he would be finished.

The haughty Upper Rank Flame Spirit finally gave up.

"What… What do you want in the end?"

"Syudos, acknowledging me as your master is your only choice."

"Okay…" After a short silence, Syudos loosened his expression for the first time. "I can serve you, but only for a hundred years!"

"No no no, Syudos, you still haven't understood me. I don't want an Upper Rank Flame Spirit that can betray me anytime, that would mean nothing to me. I'd rather break your true spirit. Like that, you could still become a magic material. I feel that this kind of magic material could be crafted into a peak Spiritual Magic Tool. It might even evolve into a True Spirit Magic Tool with sufficient good fortune…"

"Fuck, Are you blind? I'm only worth a peak Spiritual Magic Tool? Do you know what Upper Rank Spirit Elementals are?" Syudos flew into a rage.

"A Spiritual Magic Tool wouldn't burn down its master's corpse…" Then, Lin Yun continued with a cold snort. "You know what I want…"

Lin Yun was excited, sure that the answer was coming.

But after grunting in dissatisfaction, Syudos didn't say anything else. Lin Yun waited for a long time, and when he lost patience, he urged power into the blood chains. In a flash, a hundred blood chains tightened around Syudos, like a wide net. The blood energy surged in his body like a tide, continuously corroding him. The originally dazzling flame had already turned into a faint scarlet layer.

"Two hundred years… No, three hundred years. Moreover, I swear to not betray you!"

At this time, Syudos didn't dare to remain silent and offered three hundred years instantly.

"Too late." Unfortunately for him, Lin Yun didn't relent, and the final blood chain coiled around the spirit. Lin Yun chanted the last part of the incantation and the blood chains lit up with a scarlet light. Syudos, who had originally been spread out like a sea of fire, was compressed into a small ball by the hundreds of blood chains.

"No!"

Syudos was only able to let out a desperate shriek before being turned into a ball of fire and dragged back to Lin Yun's body.

When Lin Yun pulled the ball of fire within his body, his five Magic Arrays began to rotate frantically. Several thousand runes formed an inescapable cage to lock Syudos in the middle of the five Magic Arrays.

'As expected of an Upper Rank Flame Spirit…' After making sure Syudos couldn't struggle, Lin Yun wiped the sweat off his forehead. It looked like Lin Yun had controlled the outcome of the previous confrontation all along, but Lin Yun himself knew how dangerous the situation had been.

It could be said that ever since he decided to use the Blood Binding, Lin Yun had been walking on the edge of a cliff.

Even when the Blood Binding successfully caught Syudos, Lin Yun still wasn't out of danger. But fortunately, Lin Yun had no lack of Magic Arrays and set several thousand runes in motion to build a cage that could tie Syudos securely. Otherwise, if Syudos broke out, wouldn't Lin Yun follow after Rudolph's fate and become a pile of ashes?

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But unfortunately, Syudos had been too unwilling and hadn't given the answer Lin Yun wanted.

Lin Yun had always wanted to know what Rudolph had done for Syudos to hate him so much. Not only did he struggle free of his binding when the Heaven Mage died, but he also burnt his corpse to ashes. After all, Rudolph and Syudos had been together for a few hundred years, perhaps even as long as a millennium. Why would Syudos do something so excessive?

Unfortunately, Lin Yun had already used his five Magic Arrays to suppress him…

That Upper Rank Flame Spirit would have to wait at least a month if he wanted to say anything. By that time, Lin Yun would have already carved all kinds of runes on his body, thoroughly fusing it with himself, no longer fearing a repeat of Rudolph's tragedy.

But before that…

"Well, High Mage Solomon, should we…"

"Let's return, let's return…" Solomon didn't wait for Lin Yun to finish and quickly called for a retreat. The spirit disguising itself as Dylan had startled Solomon greatly, and he no longer had the courage to continue exploring this Demiplane.

Fortunately, Lin Yun had successfully caught Syudos making the array stop gushing Frost Elementals. It took the two of them about ten minutes to clear away the Frost Elementals in the hallway, and then they left this Demiplane that hid countless secrets…

But Solomon didn't notice that when Lin Yun opened the Planar Path, he said five unknown characters…

These five characters came from the Book of Death. One was used for localization, three for opening the Planar Path, and Solomon would have never expected the final one to be a delayed burst character. After a few minutes, that character would cause an explosion and destroy the Planar Path, thoroughly cutting off any hope for others to enter this Demiplane.

In other words…

Lin Yun only used five characters to seize the Demiplane that Rudolph left behind. From now on, the Book of Death would be the only key to open this Demiplane.

Just like he had said earlier: "Do you think I can afford to leave a whole plane for the Ash Tower?"

After the two returned to the Ash Tower, Lin Yun asked for – Mana Vine Breeding – from Solomon and went back to his room to transcribe a copy of it. This was the most important book to Lin Yun among Solomon's over four hundred magic books.

In this era, a Mana Vine might only be akin to icing on the cake for a mage tower, but to Lin Yun, having a Mana Vine was truly indispensable.

Lin Yun had already gained the Demiplane that Rudolph left behind. Although Lin Yun had only explored a part of the plane, and he only had a Planar Path in his hands, there would inevitably be a day when he fully controlled the entire Demiplane. He might even tread on Astrologian Agalon's path.

This was why the Mana Vine was truly indispensable. The mana that a Demiplane needed to grow was far more than what a mage could provide.

Rudolph's situation was the perfect example. Even an esteemed Heaven Mage like him still left this Demiplane to become desolate. It wasn't that Rudolph didn't want to take care of it, but a Demiplane needed too much mana to sustain it. If anything, just stabilizing the four elements would need a peak Heaven Mage's mana. If that mana wasn't provided by the Mana Vine, but by Lin Yun, then who knew how many years it would take for that Demiplane to truly grow?

Naturally, it was too early to say this now.

Before he could completely explore the Demiplane, Lin Yun wouldn't dare to make excessive moves. Especially with that True Spirit rank array in the lobby… Lin Yun was very vigilant about it. That was a True Spirit rank Array, with power comparable to that of an Archmage. Even a fool would know that it was suppressing something dangerous.

Lin Yun felt that he needed to become a 5th Rank High Mage at the very least before he could approach that array. It would be better to keep his distance before that.

Moreover, he didn't have a Mana Vine in his hands.

Just before dawn, Lin Yun completed the copy of – Mana Vine Breeding –, and he finalized his future plans on one side while going to sleep with a yawn.

But not long after, just as the sun was shining in the sky, Jouyi came over…

"Merlin, get up quickly."

"So early?" Lin Yun drowsily got up and opened the door. Jouyi was standing in front of him, with a sleepy Solomon next to him.

"Why do you both look as if you haven't slept?" Jouyi looked at Lin Yun and then at Solomon before suspiciously asking.

"…" Solomon almost choked on his own saliva. 'How can I answer that? I can't tell Teacher that I haven't slept at all yesterday because I spent the night plundering our hosts?'

Fortunately, Lin Yun was shameless enough to give an unquestionable explanation. "Maybe we aren't used to the climate…"

"Climate?"

"Yes, yes, we're not acclimatized…"

"Forget it…" Jouyi shook his head. Although he knew that this was a fake excuse, it was beneath him as a peak Archmage to dig deeper. Thus, he gave a warning look at Solomon and stopped arguing with them, only nodding at Lin Yun. "Almost everyone in the Magic Hand is present, follow me there."

"Oh, okay…" Lin Yun hastily sorted himself before following Jouyi to the 10th floor of the Ash Tower, the Banquet Hall.

As the host of the Magic Hand's gathering, the Ash Tower had obviously made enough preparations. Although the decorations in the Banquet Hall weren't extravagant, they used a considerable amount of money to make a low-key, cozy, and harmonious setting that mages liked. Puppets served as waiters, several hundred Light enchantments were used as illumination, and even the most unremarkable goblet was a premium product from the Crystal Workshop. The whole Banquet Hall was filled with a dense aura of mana…

"This is Mogg, the Master of Whistle Island. He is called the Hurricane Envoy, and is an Elder of Oddrock City's Fenn Family who had already become an Archmage several hundred years ago… He might be a bit older than Osul and me. That person is the Shadow Master, Dylan's teacher. He was the one who opposed you joining the Magic Hand the most yesterday…" After walking in the hall, Jouyi greeted a few people while softly introducing them to Lin Yun.

'It truly is the Magic Hand…' Lin Yun felt a bit apprehensive as he heard the status of these people. They were top mages of the kingdom, and it could be said that this was a group of people standing at the peak of the magic world. They had enough power to rule countries…

"Oh right, Mercury Tower's Nolan. You have already met his disciple Karon."

"Oh…" Lin Yun followed Jouyi's line of sight and noticed an old man with a white beard and white hair. He had a kind smile as he nodded towards him.

The Master Alchemist of the Mercury Tower, Karon, seemed to have told his teacher Nolan quite a few good things after coming back from the Cloud Tower. He most likely told him about Lin Yun's help on the Fanrusen Formula, or else he wouldn't have shown a youngster he was seeing for the first time such acknowledgement.

"Jouyi, long time no see." As the two were speaking, a middle-aged mage walked over.

The middle-aged man seemed to be in his forties. He was rather handsome and had a tall build. His hair was meticulously combed, and although he looked pale, his smile seemed very friendly. Lin Yun couldn't help having a good first impression, comparing him to Jouyi next to him.

Naturally, the results of the comparison couldn't be argued.

Jouyi's gray robe was not only wrinkled, but it was also stained. When compared to the middle-aged man in front of him, he looked like a beggar.

"Harren, move a bit, I still have stuff to do…" After seeing the new arrival, Jouyi, who had just been greeting people with a smile, seemed upset and his face darkened. He took Lin Yun to walk away from him.

"Sir Jouyi…" Lin Yun was curious, but after calling out to him, he hesitated, not knowing whether he should ask.

"That's Harren, the Chairman of the Black Tower's Council. He had already been a 9th Rank Archmage a hundred years ago. Don't be deceived by his young appearance, he is already a few hundred years old, but he had absorbed the essence of a Dark Azure Tree in the Dark Azure Plane in his earlier years, gaining the ability to maintain his appearance, dressing gorgeously every day as a 9th Rank High Mage, feeling pride instead of shame… Such a shameless ghoul…"The two walked around the Banquet Hall and quickly found Osul…

"Osul, how is it?"

"There aren't that many issues, I've contacted all the members since yesterday and discussed with them. Most of them agree to Merlin becoming a member of the Magic Hand, but there might be some questions he needs to answer first, to make sure he mastered sufficient knowledge of magic. You know that this has been a standard rule."

"Yes." Jouyi nodded and patted Lin Yun's shoulder. "You'll be on your own in a bit."

"That's not a problem." Lin Yun wasn't worried. Those that had the slightest chance to stump him in magic theory had yet to be born.

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Chapter 179: Gathering

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

"That's good, Merlin, you wait here with Solomon, I'll go with Jouyi and confirm with those who agreed yesterday. We will go all-out and make sure that you can enter the Magic Hand!"

"Thank you." Although Osul didn't say anything about making a deal, Lin Yun knew that in order to get him accepted in the Magic Hand, the two elders had definitely put forth a lot of effort. These kind intentions made Lin Yun grateful.

After watching the two of them leave, Lin Yun chatted with Solomon.

Naturally, the topic of discussion was Rudolph's Demiplane.

After returning, Solomon couldn't sleep properly. Those magic books were all the relics of a Heaven Mage! Just casually taking one out would be enough to shock the entire region. But they had now fallen in the hands of the Sage Tower. Solomon could already see the Sage Tower relying on that huge wealth to rise up to the point it could pressure the Ash Tower and unify the entire eastern side.

The allure of such a beautiful future kept Solomon up the entire night. Excitement had been showing on his face all this time, and when he chatted with Lin Yun, his face would sometimes go slack with an inexplicable smile.

"Okay, stop laughing…" This was the third time Lin Yun had stopped Solomon. It wasn't that Lin Yun wanted to spoil the man's fun. It was just that this 9th Rank High Mage didn't know how to be careful. It was fine to be happy, but there was no need to inexplicably burst into laughter at random moments.

"Okay, okay, I won't laugh, I won't laugh…" Solomon nodded repeatedly while chuckling.

"Forget it, laugh if you want to laugh…" In fact, even Lin Yun wanted to laugh. This was a masterless Demiplane suddenly falling into his hands, who would not be ecstatic in this situation?

Lin Yun couldn't help rejoicing. Fortunately, he had the Bone Plane's Book of Death. Otherwise, even if he entered an ownerless Demiplane, he still wouldn't be able to take it for himself.

"Hey, Merlin, it looks like someone is looking for you…" While Lin Yun was thinking, Solomon gently nudged him before indicating the center of the Banquet Hall.

"Ah?" Lin Yun looked over and saw Dylan walking over from the distance.

"How could it be Dylan again?" Lin Yun immediately frowned. He just stole a Demiplane from the Ash Tower, so Lin Yun was embarrassed to some extent.

"Mafa Merlin, you are not welcome here. Get the hell out of here immediately." Dylan walked over but didn't even look at Lin Yun. He only pointed at the door of the Banquet Hall as he coldly uttered those words.

"Is the Ash Tower in charge of this gathering?" Lin Yun had a shocked expression on his face.

"No!" Dylan was startled. Everyone knew that this was the Magic Hand's gathering. The Ash Tower was only the host, providing the place and service. The rest wasn't up to the Ash Tower. Dylan was able to enter because of the reputation of his teacher.

Even if Dylan was bold, he wouldn't dare to recognize this gathering as being the Ash Tower's. What would the Magic Hand's people think in that case? Each and every one of these mages was a peak existence of the kingdom, and they all had strong tempers.

'Fuck, that Mafa Merlin is too cunning…' Dylan couldn't help grinding his teeth as he thought, 'You know this is the Magic Hand's gathering, yet you pretend to act stupid in front of me. If I wasn't careful and said that this was the Ash Tower's gathering, then the Magic Hand would definitely make me suffer…'

"Eh? Turns out it's not…" Lin Yun nodded and asked with a strange expression, "Then why are you telling me that I'm not welcome here?"

"You…" Dylan was being played by Lin Yun, and he felt his heart tighten. He took a deep breath and said in a calm tone, "That's right, this is the Magic Hand's gathering, but as the host, the Ash Tower has a duty to stop unrelated people from entering this Banquet Hall. You should clearly understand that the only ones able to enter here are the members of the Magic Hand and their disciples. Don't think that just because you know Sir Jouyi, you can casually come in such a place. I'll let you know, Mafa Merlin, there are some places one can't enter as they please."

"Ah?"

"Okay, Mafa Merlin, stop playing dumb, leave immediately or you'll regret it." With those words, Dylan pointed at the door to the Banquet hall once again. Compared to earlier, Dylan seemed even more resolute about it now.

Because Dylan knew that this Mafa Merlin wasn't Jouyi's disciple…

Dylan's teacher was Shadow Ashes. In those years, Dylan followed Shadow Ashes and participated in four Magic Hand gatherings. Dylan was very clear that if a mage of the Magic Hand brought in a disciple, he would definitely introduce his disciple to everyone upon arrival.

And this time, when Jouyi brought Solomon and Mafa Merlin into the Banquet Hall, besides greeting a few of his acquaintances, he didn't bother to introduce Mafa Merlin.

Moreover, Dylan had also investigated this fellow.

The previous night, after that young mage gave him a report, Dylan immediately mobilized the intelligence division of the Ash Tower to check Merlin thoroughly.

The son of the Leader of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce, quickly rising after his father's death. The Gilded Rose under his control had already become one of the peak forces of Thousand Sails City and he even had the power of a 5th Rank Great Mage. Even if it was still a rumor, he had apparently defeated a 1st Rank High Mage.

To be honest, when Dylan saw that report, he was startled.

This abrupt rise was too frightening.

After Locke Merlin's death, the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce had already gone bankrupt. It could be said that this Mafa Merlin had rebuilt everything from scratch, and in a short year, the Gilded Rose had become a peak force of Thousand Sails City, and he himself had become a 5th Rank Great Mage… And he was only approaching his twenties! There weren't many Great Mages under twenty in the entire kingdom!

'The only good thing is that there doesn't seem to have been much contact between Mafa Merlin and Jouyi.'

It could be seen from the fact that Jouyi had always been in the depths of the Cloud Tower, studying the Fanrusen Formula. In this decade, let alone meeting a young Great Mage from Thousand Sails City, even his Disciple, Solomon, had a hard time meeting Jouyi.

In this case, who had the most contact with Merlin?

This could only be Solomon, who was in the same city…

Seeing all this, Dylan already more or less understood. 'The Sage Tower and the Gilded Rose are among the peak forces of Thousand Sails City. There is most likely some business deal between the two forces, and when Merlin learnt that Solomon's teacher was Jouyi, how could that young Great Mage not be excited? He definitely got greedy…

'And thus, during a deal, he hoped that Solomon would help introduce him. That seems quite reasonable.'

Dylan thought about it and felt that this was the most likely explanation.

After realizing this, everything was simpler…

'Jouyi is participating in the Magic Hand's gathering, and when passing through Thousand Sails City, the young Great Mage got the opportunity to see the legendary Star Sage through Solomon's introduction. He then got a bit greedier and requested Solomon to let him accompany them.

'Unfortunately for him, Solomon doesn't seem to have told this young Great Mage that the Magic Hand's gathering is a very exclusive one.'

Naturally, Dylan could also turn a blind eye if he wanted to. Solomon was also Jouyi's disciple, and if he drove out their acquaintance, Jouyi's temper might flare up.

But the one who brought him was Solomon…

And Solomon was the nemesis of the Ash Tower!

Solomon being able to enter the Ash Tower now was entirely because the Magic Hand gathering was being hosted here. This was like letting Solomon slap the Ash Tower, but now, he finally had an opportunity to return this slap! How could Dylan let this opportunity slip by?

As for Mafa Merlin himself, Dylan didn't put him in his eyes. A 5th Rank Great Mage, no matter how quick his rise was, was still unworthy of a 9th Rank High Mage's attention. The difference in power between the two sides was too great. If Jouyi hadn't appeared, Dylan would only have needed two fingers to easily squash the other side.

And Dylan was settling for just driving Mafa Merlin out.

'Yes, please resist, Merlin, that way I won't have to do anything myself. The more you refuse to leave, the bigger this will blow up! It would be for the best if the entire kingdom gets to know that Solomon of the Sage Tower was an idiot who brought a 5th Rank Great Mage to the Magic Hand's gathering. I bet that by that time, even Jouyi would pretend not to know this disciple.'

Thus, when Dylan appeared, his tone was very rude, but he didn't immediately get physical. He let the other side have a chance to talk. Dylan wanted him to make noise, and the more noise the better.

Sure enough, that young Great Mage didn't disappoint him.

"Haha, High Mage Dylan, I'm very curious. How will I regret it if I don't leave?"

"How?" Dylan was inwardly enduring, unwilling to let his pride show as he cast a glance at Solomon. "That's definitely not something good to talk about. But I'm certain that whoever took you in will have to take responsibility…"

"…" To the side, Solomon was getting a cramp from trying not to laugh. After he had been giggling and laughing since the previous night, it was very exhausting to resist the urge to burst out in laughter now…

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Chapter 180: Giant Hand and Frost Lance

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

Dylan's words were clear.

"Whoever took you in will have to take responsibility…"

Solomon didn't have to think much about it to know that Dylan was aiming at him.

The thing was that Solomon knew who that this "whoever" actually referred to Jouyi…

Thus, Solomon didn't say anything and just waited to see whether Dylan would actually try to make Jouyi take responsibility.

Unfortunately, Dylan still didn't know anything. Dylan was looking forward to it, waiting for that young Great Mage to make a commotion, to drag Solomon down with him, to watch as Jouyi ignored them…

"High Mage Dylan, you said that this was the Magic Hand's gathering, not the Ash Tower's. I don't really understand, what right do you have to make me leave?"

"Ahah…" Dylan saw the other side's reaction and knew that it was already good enough. He was losing his cool, as expected of a youth.

'Why do you think I would stand here and speak so much nonsense if I wasn't able to make you leave? If you were a cunning fox like Solomon, you simply wouldn't ask such a childish question. Solomon would have immediately recognized the situation and looked for a way to leave with dignity. That would be the correct choice.

'But you are arguing with me, what's the point in that? The more you argue, the worse you'll look at the end of it all. Not only will someone throw you out, they will also throw Solomon out, and the one to do it might be Jouyi himself…

'Sadly for you, youths can't understand the meaning of retreating to move forward. If the journey is too smooth, one tends to feel very pleased and will definitely forget oneself. What do you think the standing of a 5th Rank Great Mage is around here? Not mentioning those peak existences from the Magic Hand, even Solomon is at least a 9th Rank High Mage, that's an existence that can easily crush you into pieces, and yet he is only standing on the side.'

"Great Mage Merlin, it looks like you want to disturb this gathering…" When Dylan said that, a smile appeared on his face. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary, and even Solomon was still waiting for his old enemy to become a laughingstock.

"Ah?" But Lin Yun had suddenly felt that there was a slight inconsistency in the surrounding mana fluctuations, making him a bit vigilant.

As expected, as soon as Lin Yun frowned, Dylan stretched his hand out.

There was no other sign at all.

Only a stifling mana fluctuation. And before Lin Yun could react, Dylan's pale right hand was already becoming bigger. It carried a heavy sound as it swatted towards Lin Yun, just like he was swatting a fly.

That was the power of a 9th Rank High Mage…

He simply didn't need to use any spells, he only condensed mana within his palm to crush a 5th Rank Great Mage.

But Lin Yun wasn't an ordinary 5th Rank Great Mage.

Just as that large hand fell, Lin Yun put up an Ice Wall. In a flash, an explosion thundered out, along with shattering sounds. Four walls of ice that were covering four directions had been smashed apart by the hand. All that could be seen within ten meters was shattered ice.

This had all happened shockingly quickly. Only a few moments passed between Dylan's smile and Lin Yun's Ice Walls shattering. Everything had happened in an instant, and even Solomon had been late to react.

But in these few moments, Lin Yun had cast an Ice Wall followed by Elemental Incarnation, turning into a blue Frost Elemental. He contorted himself and got out from the countless ice shards.

"Want to run?" After swatting down, Dylan saw chunks of ice but no blood splatter. He already knew that the young mage had escaped, but Dylan didn't seem surprised or hurried. He reached with his mana-infused hand to grab at Lin Yun, who was escaping at a shocking speed, just like a hawk trying to grab a mouse.

Dylan was a 9th Rank High Mage…

He was very familiar with the Elemental Incarnation spell, so how could he not know of the flaw of the Frost Elemental being its slow movement speed? Thus, Dylan didn't think too much about it as he swung, the huge palm making a beeline for the Frost Elemental.

'Truly young, thinking of contending against a 9th Rank High Mage with a Frost Elemental Incarnation? It's impossible to make up for the gap in power. It's like an adult warrior facing a newborn baby. Even if the baby burst out with all its strength, the most he would be able to do would be to scratch the warrior.

Naturally, thinking of Jouyi's reputation, Dylan couldn't use all his power in this attack. Otherwise, a slight pinch might completely kill the fellow.

Lin Yun in his Frost Elemental form could be seen flickering twice across the Banquet Hall, each time displacing over a dozen meters. But at the same time, the giant palm was stretching like lightning, and it caught up to Lin Yun in a blink.

As long as Dylan grabbed him and exerted the slightest bit of force, Lin Yun would be squashed like an ant.

But just as that palm was about to coil around him, a light burst out from the shadows.

"Fuck…" Dylan coldly snorted. The mana condensed within his huge palm was rapidly dissipating. An ice shard was stuck in Dylan's palm and blood was slowly dripping down from it.

That was a Frost Lance!

In that split second, just as he was facing death, Lin Yun had readied a Frost Lance and forcibly pierced Dylan's giant palm, even injuring him!

The effectiveness of his casting was simply terrifying when likened to a typical 5th Rank Great Mage.

Dylan was in disbelief. A 5th Rank Great Mage under the age of twenty was actually able to cast a Frost Lance to retaliate in those conditions.

No, he didn't just cast a Frost Lance…

Dylan didn't even have time to check the condition of his injury before feeling a chill deep within his bones. He raised his head in shock and caught sight of that young 5th Rank Great Mage already spreading his hands, with several dozens to a hundred Frost Lances filling the hall, flickering with a cold light.

"How can this be!" Dylan's face turned deathly pale. So many Frost Lances… Even if the other side was in his Frost Elemental Incarnation state, such a feat couldn't be instantly completed. Was he using some fearsome Magic Tool?

Unfortunately, there was no time for Dylan to think.

Whistling sounds were heard as dozens after dozens of Frost Lances shot over at him like a storm.

Sharp breaking sounds could be heard endlessly.

Dylan went all-out and cast a Runic Shield. Among the seven bright lights, endless runes continuously appeared. Those were the runes that Dylan had accumulated for decades. The quantity and the defensive power they contained were enough to make any opponent despair.

But this time, Dylan was actually losing confidence against that volley of Frost Lances.

He was even worried as to whether or not he would be able to counterattack.

A 9th Rank High Mage was actually worried about a 5th Rank Great Mage's offensive.

Before now, even if Jouyi himself had told Dylan this would happen, the latter wouldn't hesitate to sneer.

But Dylan was really starting to get anxious.

Facing that volley of Frost Lances, Dylan cast one Runic Shield after the other. The sound of the lances hurling down was like continuous, heavy rain.

It only took ten seconds for that volley of Frost Lances to end. They all struck against the Runic Shield, but to Dylan, these ten seconds were like ten years.

That feeling of not knowing the outcome was the most painful torture for him.

He still didn't dare to open his eyes when the last Frost Lance shattered. He was afraid that if he opened his eyes, he would find out that a Frost Lance had already pierced his stomach.

Time slowly passed, the entire Banquet Hall was frozen. There were no sounds aside from Dylan's heavy breathing.

After some time, Dylan finally opened his eyes…

"Thank god, it's nothing…" After finding out that he was uninjured, Dylan actually felt like he had gotten a new lease on life. That kind of feeling wasn't what one would expect from fighting a 5th Rank Great Mage, it would be more appropriate if his opponent had been an Archmage.

"How about it, High Mage Dylan, do you still think that you can throw me out?" Lin Yun had already cancelled the Frost Elemental Incarnation and was now ten meters away, holding one last Frost Lance that hadn't been thrown while smiling at Dylan.

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Chapter 181: Slap

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

Lin Yun would have loved to shoot that Frost Lance too… If he did, Dylan would look ten times worse than he did now.

But he had no time left…

A few mages had already walked over. There was Osul, Shadow Ashes Kave, who Jouyi had introduced earlier as Dylan's teacher, and several other mages at the peak of the kingdom.

"What's going on?" The 9th Rank Archmage who came over didn't have a good expression. Although Kave had already retreated from his seat as Council Chairman of the Ash Tower, he could still be partially considered a former master of the tower. How could he not feel embarrassed about what happened in the Banquet Hall?

"Teacher…" Dylan saw his teacher and respectfully greeted him.

Kave threw a fierce glare at Dylan. Although he didn't say anything, this expression alone showed how dissatisfied this 9th Rank Archmage was.

This was the Magic Hand's gathering, after all.

Countless peak mages of the kingdom had come to attend. But in the end, his only disciple wanted to show off and ended up almost losing to a 5th Rank Great Mage!

This also hurt his own reputation…

"What the hell happened!" Kave's expression grew even more severe as he said this.

"It's like this, Teacher…" Fear appeared on Dylan's face when he noticed Kave's extreme displeasure. He had been carefully serving under his teacher for a few decades and was now already the Ash Tower Council Chairman, but he still didn't dare to relax, afraid to anger Kave. Cold sweat dripped down Dylan's forehead.

He was even more cautious as he tried to explain, afraid of making a mistake. "That… That Great Mage Merlin was brought in from Thousand Sails City by Solomon. I already explained to him that today is the Magic Hand's gathering and that besides esteemed characters such as yourselves and your disciples, no one can casually join in. But he insisted anyways, and thus, thus…"

"Yes?" Kave's expression slightly alleviated when he heard this, thinking that Dylan had a reason at the very least and wasn't just bullying a 5th Rank Great Mage meaninglessly.

Otherwise, his reputation would take a huge blow…

A 9th Rank High Mage wanted to bully a 5th Rank Great Mage, yet failed miserably at it. If news of this spread, the Ash Tower would certainly lose some reputation.

But it was a bit different since he had a reason to make a move. In that case, Kave could step forward and deal with the matter.

"Is he right?" As he thought about that, Kave's eyes fell on Lin Yun. This time, his gaze wasn't just filled with dissatisfaction…

Lin Yun felt a bone-chilling pressure when Kave glanced at him, making it feel like he was in the middle of a snowstorm. He knew that this 9th Rank Archmage was already harboring some killing intent towards him.

"More or less." Lin Yun knew that facing this killing intent, he would neither have time to escape, nor an opportunity to fight back. He would be thoroughly crushed.

But this wouldn't happen here.

"Teacher, you see!" Dylan grasped onto his last hope. How could he easily let go when the other side was basically admitting to it? Dylan seemed delighted as he pressed his case. "He is too unbridled! Too condescending! How could I not try to put him in his place!"

"…" If there weren't so many people were watching, Kave would have already slapped him. At this time, Kave really wanted to ask Dylan if he knew that the reason for his actions wasn't the important part, but rather, the fact that he had failed?

'Do you have to talk if no one is talking? No one thinks that you are a mute!'

In the end, Kave simply ignored Dylan, his eyes focused on Lin Yun. "I shall remind you. This is the Magic Hand's gathering. Intruding upon this place means provoking the entire Magic Hand. Do you know the consequences of doing so?

"I'll be honest, you cannot afford to bear the consequences. And the family, clan or force behind you also cannot afford to bear the consequences…" After talking up to this point, Kave gave a disappointed look at his disciple. "Right, which force does that young Great Mage come from?"

"He is called Mafa Merlin, he comes from Thousand Sails City's Gilded Rose!"

"Very good, Mafa Merlin…" Kave chuckled, and was about to continue when he was suddenly stumped. "Hold on, Mafa Merlin?"

"Yes, Teacher, he is called Mafa Merlin…" Dylan nodded while smiling. One could tell that he was rejoicing from Merlin's calamity. 'How does it feel to be glared at by a 9th Rank Archmage?'

"Slap!"

But in the end, just as he was rejoicing, the sound of a loud slap echoed in the Banquet Hall…

"Teacher…" Dylan was foolishly covering his cheek while looking at his teacher with a confused expression. "Teacher… Why?"

"Mafa Merlin!" Kave was looking at Dylan with eyes that were almost emitting fire. And when he saw Dylan's confusion, Kave became even angrier. He raised his right hand, planning to slap him once again. But fortunately, he quickly remembered that there was quite the audience still looking at the show from the sides.

Thus, he lowered his already raised right hand…

But even so, Kave's expression was downright murderous he scowled at Dylan for no less than a minute. Kave then said, "Fuck off downstairs and check the guest list!"

"Yes, yes, yes…" Dylan didn't dare to raise his head as he awkwardly left, gloomily heading for the door.

Kave's furious expression still persisted even after Dylan left. 'That disciple is truly unable to accomplish anything, he only knows how to spoil everything. An esteemed 9th Rank High Mage was unable to defeat a 5th Rank Great Mage… That would already be disastrous for one's standing, but he hadn't even verified the identity of the person he was after. He is truly ruining my reputation…'

Who was Mafa Merlin?

He was a new member jointly recommended by Jouyi and Osul. One of the important points of the gathering was to vote on whether this young Great Mage had the qualifications to become a member of the Magic Hand. His name was clearly written on the guest list, and it was inexcusable for Dylan, as the host, to make such a low-level mistake!

Ordinarily, Kave wouldn't have gotten so angry about it.

But by coincidence, he had been the one who had argued against this recommendation the hardest.

In Kave's eyes, because that young man was only a 5th Rank Great Mage, regardless of how profoundly knowledgeable he was, regardless of how much he contributed to the Fanrusen Formula's research, his rank was set in stone. How could he be qualified to sit together with these numerous Archmages?

At that time, Kave even used Dylan and Solomon as examples.

He explained how Dylan and Solomon had sufficient magic-related knowledge and other qualifications as 9th Rank High Mages, yet they were unable to become full members of the Magic Hand because they had yet to advance to the Archmage realm.

But the argument he had just used… Was torn apart by Dylan.

How could this not make Kave feel angry and indignant?

Jouyi chose this time to walk up with a wide, comforting smile on his face. "Haha, Kave, it's a trivial matter, a trivial matter, no need to get angry over it…"

"…" Kave almost spat blood.

'Shit, do I need you to comfort me? If it had been Solomon instead of Dylan, would you still say it was a trivial matter? You might have gotten so angry that you would lift the Ash Tower…

'Moreover, you are the one who recommended this Mafa Merlin… Why are you saying those words now? What do you mean, "no need to get angry over it"… Didn't you come to watch me becoming a laughingstock?'

The more Kave thought about it, the more his blood boiled…

But he couldn't say anything back. Mafa Merlin had been recommended by two people, after all, and Kave didn't dare to offend both…

There was no need to mention Osul, as only a handful of people could afford to offend this Artisan. As for Jouyi… Even though they were all 9th Rank Archmages, Kave knew that there was a relatively wide difference in power between those in the 9th Rank. Jouyi had already touched upon the Extraordinary Realm and might be able to take the last step anytime. Even if Kave were more courageous, he wouldn't dare to become directly hostile with Jouyi.

This was a hot potato.

"Haha, it's nothing, it's nothing…" Kave chuckled as he suffered inwardly…

"Well, I'll take advantage of this opportunity to make an introduction, Merlin, come over…" Jouyi saw Kave's distorted smile and nodded, feeling quite pleased. He beckoned at Lin Yun, and after the latter drew closer, Jouyi solemnly introduced him. "In the past month, many people sent me letters, wanting to know how I managed to break through the Fanrusen Formula. Now, I can finally let everyone know that I wasn't the one who cracked the Fanrusen Formula, but rather, it was this young Great Mage, Merlin…"

"How could this be!" Jouyi's words created a huge stir in the Banquet Hall. Although many of them had heard rumors that this Great Mage Merlin had been in the center of the Fanrusen Formula's cracking, making a huge contribution, they had only taken them as exaggerated rumors…

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Chapter 182: Dilemma

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

Clearly, Mafa Merlin had been jointly recommended by Jouyi and Osul due to some achievements he had attained while working on the Fanrusen Formula. Otherwise, a peak Archmage and an Artisan wouldn't have recommended him together.

But in everyone's eyes, his achievement would at most have been suggesting some new train of thought during the research, or perhaps performing a particular calculation that had been causing trouble. They felt that the "huge contribution" was most likely an exaggeration from Jouyi and Osul.

Originally, everyone had only assumed their proposal was something routine.

But now, everyone felt weird.

What was this situation!

Jouyi's words seemed to suggest that this young Great Mage was the one that personally cracked the Fanrusen Formula.

Their first reaction was to wonder whether Jouyi was a bit too drunk…

Why else would he say something like this?

Who didn't know that during research, the contribution of the participants would be mentioned as achievements, but "cracking" the greatest obstacle was something that only the leader of the research could take credit for?

Unless some people achieved incredible results far beyond what all others did during the research, only then would it be accurate to say that they "cracked" it.

The one in charge of the Fanrusen Formula was Jouyi, but now, Jouyi himself said that Merlin had cracked the Fanrusen Formula.

What was happening?

One person couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Sir Jouyi, I have a question!" The one who interjected was a 5th Rank Archmage. Lin Yun remembered Jouyi introducing him earlier; he was called Erjin. He came from the frozen wasteland in the northern part of the kingdom.

"Ask away."

"As everyone knows, Sir Jouyi, you have spent decades on the Fanrusen Formula. It could be said that in the entire Andlusa Kingdom, there are no mages that can understand the Fanrusen Formula better than you. I'm very curious, what kind of achievement did Great Mage Merlin attain during the research for you to praise him this much?"

"Haha…" Jouyi only chuckled before fishing out a piece of paper from his pocket as he replied, "This is a very good question. I cannot give you a concrete answer, because Merlin's contribution to the Fanrusen research simply cannot be explained in a short time. If you must know, then I suggest you take a look at this piece of paper. This is something Great Mage Merlin spent an hour to compute…"

"Thank you, Sir Jouyi." Eljin nodded and took the piece of paper before studying it.

At first, his expression was still quite calm, but the more he looked into it, the more his expression changed.

In the end, cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

Eljin didn't even care about the Magic Hand's gathering as he suddenly fished out a quill from his pocket and looked for a table to check something.

"How could this be…" As Eljin's went deeper and deeper into the calculations, he grew more and more agitated.

After no less than ten minutes, Eljin carefully collected the piece of paper…

He then nodded to Merlin. "My apologies, Great Mage Merlin."

"You are too polite…" Lin Yun only smiled.

Eljin's reaction attracted the attention of every mage that was present. Almost everyone was looking curiously at Eljin, and several Archmages that were acquainted with him even walked over to take a look at the piece of paper…

Those able to participate in the Magic Hand's gathering were all peak mages of the kingdom. Ordinary mages couldn't understand the way that these lofty figures looked at things or their insights. They only needed to study the piece of paper for a bit to understand the pros and cons.

The kind of computing ability shown by the work was too frightening…

Not to mention a 5th Rank Great Mage, 5th Rank High Mages and even 5th Rank Archmages wouldn't possess such terrifying computing ability. Although the pieces of data on the paper were dull and complicated, to all these Archmages, these dull and complicated pieces of data hid horrifying calculations, efficient and accurate, like a machine.

At this time, everyone understood why Merlin could resist a 9th Rank High Mage despite being a 5th Rank Great Mage.

It was all because of his frightening capacity for performing computation.

To mages, computing ability and fighting strength were closely linked. The more formidable the computing ability, the more efficient and accurate the casting. It wasn't surprising for a Great Mage with such incredible computing to be able to breach the limits of ranks and withstand a High Mage.

But that Merlin's rank-skipping was a little too excessive…

It looked like this was the real reason behind Osul and Jouyi recommending this young Great Mage…

"Jouyi, what can a piece of paper explain?" Just as a few Archmages wanted to nod in acceptance, an ill-timed voice suddenly interfered.

That voice was icy cold, and it addressed Jouyi quite rudely.

In the entire Andlusa Kingdom, only one person dared to talk to Jouyi like that: the Council Chairman of the Black Tower, someone that also touched upon the Extraordinary realm, the one Jouyi called the "Ghoul", Harren!

Indeed, the one who interjected was Harren.

This Black Tower Chairman slowly came out of the crowd, his eyes sweeping past Lin Yun, not feeling that a 5th Rank Great Mage was worth his attention. Even if this 5th Rank Great Mage had managed to withstand a 9th Rank Great Mage, even if this 5th Rank Great Mage had terrifying computing ability…

And in fact, let alone a Great Mage, among the thirty people in the room, Solomon was the only one out of the twenty Archmages that was worth Harren's attention.

"Jouyi, as a senior member of the Magic Hand, you should know what the Magic Hand has always pursued, sharing and exchanging magic knowledge. Take a look, who among the members of the Magic Hand doesn't have their own unique understanding? Yet you want to push forward a Great Mage who only has some decent computing abilities, this is simply ridiculous…"

"Harren, you feel that this is ridiculous?" Jouyi glanced at the Black Tower Chairman with a somewhat annoyed expression.

The other Archmages of the Banquet Hall tacitly agreed to retreat a few steps, consciously leaving enough space for these two Archmages.

They'd gotten used to it, as this kind of scene was too common.

These two would fight at every gathering, sometimes with words, sometimes for real… It was better to leave them someplace so that the others wouldn't accidentally get hurt.

"Haha, Jouyi, you don't think this is ridiculous? Look, the members of the Magic Hand are all at least 1st Rank Archmages. To be able to reach this rank, who would have computing ability worse than him? As long as you find one, I'll agree to let Mafa Merlin join the Magic Hand!"

"I…" Jouyi started to say something, but he trailed off.

Harren's words could only be described as sinister.

Those that saw that piece of paper knew that the young Great Mage's computing ability was definitely far superior to that of most Archmages present. How could Jouyi not know this? But Jouyi couldn't say those words…

How could he? Could he point at an Archmage and tell everyone that he fell short of a Great Mage.

That would be a huge joke…

Archmages also had their reputations to think of!

Jouyi knew it, but he couldn't say it in front of everyone, or it would be like slapping someone in the face and they wouldn't be able to stand it.

"Kave…" After sneering, Harren nominated Kave. "You say something, can someone with merely decent computing join the Magic Hand?"

"Right, Kave, you say something!" Jouyi didn't show weakness either.

"This…" Kave almost cried on the spot.

'How can I be so unlucky? I was just shamed by a disappointing disciple, and now I am being drawn into the middle of the fight between the two of you. Are you bullying me? The choices are clearly either supporting Jouyi to offend Harren, or supporting Harren to offend Jouyi…'

The problem was that Kev couldn't afford to offend either…

The two of them were existences that touched upon the Extraordinary realm, each of them being backed by one of the two major mage forces of the kingdom. Whether it was in strength or in backing, they were existences that Kave, who had been forced to move away to the eastern part of the kingdom, couldn't afford to provoke. Offending either of them would be enough to give Kave nightmares.

While Kave felt like crying, he noticed Harren's right hand moving behind his back, making a strange gesture.

"Sir Jouyi, Sir Harren…" Seeing that gesture, struggled for a bit before his hesitation disappeared. "Since the both of you are showing me so much respect, I'd like to offer my humble opinion. I feel that just having decent computing ability isn't enough to join the Magic Hand…"

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Chapter 183: Are You Deaf?

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

After saying that, Kave secretly raised his head to look at Jouyi a bit guiltily. Nothing could be done about it, as his words clearly expressed the intention to set himself against Jouyi, against the Star Sage who had already entered the Archmage realm several hundred years ago, against a peak existence in the entire Andlusa kingdom…

But after Kave glanced at Harren again, that hesitation disappeared, replaced by fervor and greed.

"The pursuit of the Magic Hand has always been the sharing and trading of magic knowledge. No one cares about innate skills and no one care how much he contributed in the research of the Fanrusen Formula. We are only concerned whether he has sufficient knowledge of magic."

At first, Kave's voice was still somewhat shaky, but the more he talked, the more steady he became, because Kave himself had been opposed to Jouyi and Osul's recommendation to begin with.

At the time, Kave hadn't been fighting it so resolutely. With Jouyi and Osul there, one threatening him and one luring him with benefits, Kave had quickly started to yield.

But it was completely different now.

There were so many people in the Banquet Hall and only Kave knew what was behind Harren's gesture. It meant that he was willing to share the information about the Black Tower's unique Magic Conducting Rune, the Dark Sun, with the Ash Tower. That was one of the core secrets of the Black Tower. The powerful Dark Sun was one of the main reasons that the Black Tower could stand side by side with the Cloud Tower at the peak of the kingdom.

Kave was simply unable to refuse this offer.

"If I'm not wrong, when Sir Eljin became a member of the Magic Hand, he brought to us the long lost Extreme Winter Meditation Law. When Sir Mogg joined the Magic Hand, he directly made public the secret Storm Heart Magic Conducting Rune. As for myself, I'm sure everyone remembers that research report on magical flames. Thus, I want to ask you, Mafa Merlin, you want to join the Magic Hand, but what did you bring?"

In truth, Kave was expressing thoughts that many had been thinking. And many of them let out sounds of approval.

But Harren didn't say a word.

From start to finish, Harren only looked at Jouyi with a smile that wasn't a smile.

To Harren, a Great Mage was incapable of becoming a member of the Magic Hand, this was simply impossible.

Harren only cared about dealing with Jouyi.

Usually, Harren would turn a blind eye to this kind of trivial matter, especially with Osul promising all kinds of benefits. But it was out of the question this time, because in Harren's eyes, this was the best opportunity to give a blow to Jouyi's reputation!

After all, the Magic Hand gathered all these Archmages of the kingdom, creating a huge, incredible power, and it could be said that as long as the Magic Hand said a word, the entire kingdom would shake.

But in the past few years, Jouyi's status in the Magic Hand had been rising higher and higher. How could Harren not feel anxious when he noticed that?

With time, the Magic Hand might become a tool that Jouyi could use to suppress the Black Tower. By then, Harren would only be able to regret not acting earlier…

Fortunately, he found an opportunity today.

A chance to land a blow on Jouyi's reputation.

'It's great that you are putting so much effort into recommending a Great Mage. I'll give you trouble without even acting personally. I only needed to promise some benefits for Kave to help me deal with you. I'll see how you can keep your reputation when Kave humiliates you. And as for that Great Mage, he will be unable to recover from that setback and will lose himself to despair.' That young mage was basically cannon fodder. Getting involved in the struggle between two Archmages was very dumb. He would only have himself to blame for any consequences.

Here, Harren gave Kave a meaningful glance.

"You aren't very smart, Mafa Merlin…" Kave instantly understood and looked at Lin Yun with a smile. But that smile felt somewhat unkind. "A mage's greatest sorrow is not being able to understand oneself. You want to join the Magic Hand? Sure, but let me ask you. What accomplishment do you have outside of the bit you did with Fanrusen Formula? Have you come up with a widely accepted theory? Have you ever earned the right to name a formula?"

"Not for the time being."

"Good, not for the time being…" Kave nodded, a visible sneer plastered on his face. "If that is the case, I don't need to ask more. You haven't done any of that, and you haven't even led any magic research yet. Mafa Merlin, I am baffled. Where does your courage come from? Take a look. Aside from disciples, who in this Banquet Hall doesn't have to be addressed as Sir? Are you qualified to stand next to them?"

"Jouyi, do you see that?" After Kave's words settled in everyone's minds, Harren slowly stepped out, his eyes staring at Jouyi. As for Lin Yun, he still didn't pay him any mind.

Because he was unworthy of Harren's attention.

"Harren, you're insisting on opposing this?" Jouyi's expression was very unsightly, not because of Harren and Kave's opposition, but because these two foxes echoing each other were humiliating that young Great Mage, and doing that only in order to attack his own reputation.

Jouyi didn't care about their attack on his reputation, but he couldn't put up with Harren and Kave involving this young Great Mage just for that purpose.

"Jouyi, your words are a little wrong. Am I the only one opposing him? Take a look, how many members of the Magic Hand are in favor of accepting this Mafa Merlin? This isn't my opinion, this is the will of the majority. Jouyi, I don't think you'd be so stubborn as to go against the majority?"

"I…" Jouyi opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Indeed, there were some opposing voices in the Banquet Hall. Even if he had the will, he wouldn't be able to persuade everyone.

"Haha, good, Jouyi, the gathering will soon start, you should lead your kid out…" Harren knew that he had already won. As long as that young Great Mage left the Banquet Hall, Jouyi's reputation would definitely fall.

Jouyi was able to have such a lofty reputation because besides being a peak Archmage, all the strategic decisions he made for the Magic Hand never ended in failure.

But Jouyi had finally made a mistake.

Just once was enough.

After this, no matter what Jouyi said in the future, he wouldn't be able to avoid being doubted by others. What if was wrong again?

Once, twice, thrice…

After a few times, Harren would supplant Jouyi's position in the Magic Hand.

"Harren, it's not up to you to decide when the event starts!" Jouyi's expression was very indignant, but he was powerless to counter Kave and Harren's arguments.

Jouyi was truly regretful now…

He regretted overestimating his influence in the Magic Hand. He originally thought that with Osul and his own joint recommendation, Merlin would be able to join the Magic Hand without any problems. But he hadn't expected that Harren would use this to attack his own reputation and Merlin.

If he had known earlier, he would have waited for Merlin to become a High Mage. By that time, Merlin would have inevitably obtained shocking achievements. In that situation, there would have been no problem for him to enter the Magic Hand.

By then, even if there were ten Harrens opposing it, it wouldn't have had any effect.

But now…

Jouyi looked at Lin Yun apologetically.

But as he looked at him, Jouyi realized that there was no change in that young Great Mage's expression. He had been faintly smiling this whole time, as if Kave and Harren had been talking about someone else.

'Hm?' This smile even made Jouyi recall that miraculous night when that young Great Mage calculated a dozen core spell matrices of the Fanrusen Formula.

Jouyi's heart was moved. 'Don't tell me…'

"Sir Kave, are you deaf?" Sure enough, as Jouyi looked at him, Lin Yun asked with a smile.

"What did you say!" Kave was startled.

An insignificant 5th Rank Great Mage dared to ask a 9th Rank Archmage if he was deaf!

So arrogant!

Because of the matter with Dylan, Kave had already been very angry, but Lin Yun's question made him become outraged on the spot. Jouyi and Harren didn't take him seriously, but that was normal. They were peak Archmages who touched upon the Extraordinary Realm. But how could Mafa Merlin act like that?

'Do you think that you have the same qualifications as Harren and Jouyi, looking down on me like that?'

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Chapter 184: Plagiarism

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

"Mafa Merlin, are you provoking an Archmage?" Kave's eyes were already filled with the flames of anger. Anyone familiar with the 9th Rank Archmage knew that this was a bad habit that appeared when he was extremely angry. Many people secretly squeezed their hands, feeling cold sweat for the poor Merlin.

After all, this young Great Mage had been brought here by Jouyi. No one was willing to see an accident happening to such a promising mage because of Kave.

"No, of course not…" Lin Yun remained unmoved. His smile didn't change as he looked steadily at Kave. "I'm just very curious. Since Sir Kave is not deaf, why would you be so eager to conclude that I am not qualified to stand here?"

"Why?" Kave's voice suddenly became louder. "You are still asking me why? You didn't put forward any widely acknowledged theory, you never earned the right to name a formula, and you haven't even taken charge of a magic research project. What do you think you are? How could you stand together with numerous Archmages?"

"Sir Kave, you are forgetting yourself…" Lin Yun regretfully shook his head as if he felt sorry for Kave, and he then asked with an expression filled with ridicule, "But didn't you hear? I said, 'Not for the time being'!"

"I heard it!" Kave flew into a rage, almost roaring back.

"You see, you are saying that you aren't deaf, yet you are speaking so loudly. Sir Kave, you should know as an Archmage that having damaged ears would be very unfavorable for magic research because it might cause you to make some minute mistakes…"

"My research has nothing to do with you!" If not for Jouyi standing there, Kave would have already flung out a Fireball to scorch that chattering mouth.

"How could it have nothing to do with me?" This was what Lin Yun had been waiting for. "I already said I couldn't for the time being, do you know the meaning of that expression? In other words, it meant that I couldn't at that earlier point…"

"You are saying that now you can?" Kave couldn't hide his snickering smile.

"Sir Kave is very clever," Lin Yun praised with a nod. That expression, that attitude, it was like an elder praising a youth.

"…" A vein was pulsating on Kave's forehead, his heart filled with thoughts of murder. An insignificant 5th Rank Great Mage actually dared to use that tone to speak with an Archmage? If not for Jouyi, that Mafa Merlin would have already died ten times!

Kave couldn't say much more at this time.

Because all of the youth's words, even when he mentioned deafness, had been refined and courteous in tone, speaking politely the entire time. In these circumstances, even if Kave wanted to make a move, he didn't have any justification.

"Good, good, worthy of a talent being recommended by Jouyi. In a few minutes, you made great achievements in some sort of magic research. Mafa Merlin, you had better use this opportunity to enlighten everyone as to what shocking achievements you attained just now and let us judge whether you have the qualifications to stand here with us."

"Okay."

"Ha?" Kave froze. His words had obviously been sarcastic. Everyone there was an Archmage. Who among them didn't know how time-consuming it was to conduct complicated research? Who would say that they could easily come up with unprecedented formulas that would take decades of research in a mere handful of minutes?

'What achievement? This is a joke. Let alone minutes, you couldn't do something like that even in a few decades…'

Kave was clear about this…

No matter how talented this Mafa Merlin was, he was only two decades old. At this age, even if he had started learning magic since the day of his birth, he couldn't have taken in that much magic knowledge. That would defy common sense. Magic research needed time and a deep background with sufficient knowledge. Two decades were clearly not enough! Merlin hadn't had time to build this deep pool of knowledge, yet he was arrogantly declaring that he now wanted to publish some theory or formula?

Kave had originally felt some regret about implicating Jouyi with his words.

But he hadn't expected that while he was secretly regretting, that young mage would nod and straightforwardly agree with his sarcastic comment.

What did that mean?

Kave took some time to react…

'Could it be that this young Great Mage truly wants to let everyone judge whether he has the qualifications to join the Magic Hand?'

This was a bit irrational…

"Sir Jouyi, sorry to bother you, but do you have a pen and some paper?" While Kave was still in shock, Lin Yun had already walked over to Jouyi.

"Merlin, you are…" Jouyi fished out the tools from his pocket while speaking worriedly.

"It's fine, rest assured." Lin Yun nodded at Jouyi before spreading the paper on a table nearby very quickly. He then wrote one rune after another at an extreme speed.

It only took him a few minutes to fill the first piece of paper.

"Eh!" Jouyi who glanced at it suddenly seemed delighted. This was an unprecedented formula. Although there were some key parts of the formula using some never seen before characters, causing to the formula to seem incomplete or damaged, a learned person could see that this wasn't someone lacking the ability to completely lay out the formula, but rather, it was a common way to maintain secrecy.

This method wasn't rare, as almost every mage would use it or something similar if it involved unique magic knowledge that they owned. Mages could use some special characters instead. Only they would be able to understand the true meaning of these characters. This was also the reason that magic inheritances were so precious. If one wanted to obtain a mage's true magic inheritance, they would have to learn their secrets, like the meaning of any magic characters that they used to encode their writings.

"Fuck…" Kave looked at it from a distance and felt startled. This was indeed an unprecedented formula. It would shock all of Andlusa if it were published.

'Isn't this too irrational? How could such a young mage unearth such a remarkable formula? Did he plagiarize someone?'

Kave latched onto that thought.

'Yes! This must be it! But even if he plagiarized it, I don't have any proof…' Kave couldn't help inwardly complain, 'If I had known, I wouldn't have said so much. It's too late to go back on my words now… What can I do? Do I truly have to let that Mafa Merlin slap me in the face?

'No! I have to prove that he plagiarized someone! Only then can I redeem my reputation!'

But here, he hit a stumbling block.

'There is no evidence… Do I have to fabricate some?'

As Kave racked his brain, he found that Lin Yun had completed the first page and started writing on the second page at the exact same speed, quickly noting down character after character, thus completing the 2nd page, the 3rd page, the 4th page…

The entire Banquet Hall was silent, and everyone looked at Lin Yun in alarm, as if they weren't looking at a young Great Mage, but a true miracle…

This was already the 5th formula…

And not a single part had ever been seen in Noscent!

Although the Magic Hand gathered every peak Archmage of the kingdom who had been researching magic for several hundred years, none of them had ever seen such a scene. Five entire formulas had appeared! This was quite a shock!

Moreover, before they could recover, Lin Yun started writing the 6th formula…

'Damn, there are more!?'

This time, the only one who wasn't paying attention was Kave.

Because Kave was deep in thought, trying to figure out how to prove that it was plagiarism.

After thinking for a long time, he came up a way.

'No evidence? It's fine. I'll make my own! I, Kave, am a 9th Rank Archmage, a peak existence in the entire Andlusa kingdom. My prestige and reputation can't be compared to that of a 5th Rank Great Mage. The entire situation will be reversed as long as I go forward and say that the formula this 5th Rank Great Mage is writing is a copy of my own work!

'Who would they believe? A 9th Rank Archmage? Or a 5th Rank Great Mage?'

With this supporting him, Kave slowly calmed down. After clearing his throat with two coughs, he shouted, "Mafa Merlin! You shameful plagiarist!"

After uttering those words, he didn't say anything else and only looked at Lin Yun with a gaze full of dignity and pity.

In Kave's eyes, his words should be enough to end this farce.

They were all Archmages, and everyone was smart enough to understand. After hearing those words, wouldn't someone come and ask him why he accused Mafa Merlin of plagiarism? At that time, he would only need to say a few sentences to convince everyone that Merlin had stolen this work.

Kave then waited, full of self-confidence.

But what awaited him were contemptuous looks…

Even Harren wanted to spit at him right now. 'You aren't just deaf, aren't you blind, too? Can't you see the seven new magic formulas!'

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Unfortunately, Kave was unaware.

Nothing could be done about it, Lin Yun's writing speed was too fast and Kave was simply absent-minded, missing the other six new formulas. To this moment, Kave was still thinking that this young Great Mage had been writing the same formula.

Kave was full of confidence, thinking that one formula was nothing, with his reputation and the prestige he gained over decades, he could completely reverse the situation.

He might even obtain some benefits…

Such as expropriating this formula.

Kave looked at it before and although the key points to the formula used some special characters, he felt that this wouldn't pose too much trouble. The difference in magic knowledge between a 9th Rank High Mage and a 5th Rank Great Mage was an unbreachable gap. As long as he spent some effort, cracking these special characters wouldn't be very difficult.

Thus, Kave didn't have any qualms bringing this up.

"Sir Kave, once you say something, you cannot take it back…" Lin Yun had already finished writing the 7th formula and put Jouyi's quill down while all the other Archmages looked at him in shock.

"Phew…"

The moment Lin Yun laid down the quill, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Too frightening…

Lin Yun's crazy performance gave rise to a kind of misconception, as if Lin Yun would just keep writing formula after formula… Fortunately, Lin Yun stopped after writing seven of them.

If this had been before and someone displayed magic knowledge in such a generous way, the Archmages present would have unanimously asked him to continue. But now, they only wanted to ask Merlin to reign in his ability.

They were frightened after all.

The seven new formulas just appeared like that and gave a strong blow to all the Archmages, stunning them on the spot. This action could only be described as too crazy. They were really afraid that there would be an 8th, and then a 9th.

Looking at Lin Yun's resting hand, one Archmage stealthily wiped the cold sweat dripping down his neck while secretly rejoicing that it was finally over.

Unfortunately, Kave neglected these details.

This 9th Rank High Mage had been immersed in his own world. Although he didn't have time to break these special characters, he was convinced that he would have have no issues in the ensuing confrontation.

Only because of the difference in status.

The gap of over twenty ranks would crush this Mafa in the clash.

Kave even assumed the arrogance of a 9th Rank Archmage, "Mafa Merlin, I'll give you one more chance. Leave the Ash Tower now and I can think of it as if nothing ever happened…"

"Sir Kave is too polite…" Lin Yun spread the pieces of paper on the table and then raised his head with a smile directed at Kave.

"Looks like you want to resist to the bitter hand…" There was a sneer on Kave's face as he walked towards the center of the Banquet Hall, "Since it's like this, don't blame me for exposing you. Mafa Merlin, do you dare let everyone know where you were yesterday from 1am to 3am?"

"What does it have to do with plagiarism?" Lin Yun was suddenly startled, 'Was the Demiplane exposed?' But Lin Yun's nerves had already been tempered through the end of Noscent, even though he was startled, nothing showed on his face.

"Haha, you don't dare to answer?" Kave's smile slowly vanished, "Let me explain on your behalf. During the night, between 1am and 3am, you quietly infiltrated the Ash Tower's secret research room and stole this extremely important magic formula. You think you can trick everyone?"

"Sir Kave, I did tell you that you can't take your words back. You cannot make irresponsible remarks…" Lin Yun almost cursed, 'Damn you were only framing me, I was almost scared and nearly told the truth…'

"Good, Mafa Merlin, give up your pathetic struggles. Ask any of the Archmages present what kind of person I am. My reputation, my morals, how could you compare to them as a mere 5th Rank Great Mage?" After Kave said everything full of confidence, his gaze swept past numerous Archmages.

By Kave's estimate, a dozen Archmages should back him up.

But Kave didn't think that none of the Archmages he looked at would support him. Rather, they all lowered their heads as if they were discussing with each other. No one was willing to look him in the eye.

What kind of situation was this?

Kave didn't know what to do…

'Did Jouyi's influence in the Magic Hand reached this degree? To make it so that no Archmage would be willing to speak for me? Isn't this a bit too freakish?'

'No way, no way, even if Jouyi's power was this great, Sir Harren wouldn't be scared, right?'

'Why is Sir Harren also lowering his head?'

Kave would have never expected that Harren would be currently cursing all his ancestors…

'Fucking Pig-like teammate, how could I be so naive…'

'There are a few dozens Archmages in the Banquet Hall, why did I have to choose a swine like Kave?'

'Fuck, he has already written seven new formulas, yet you don't want to admit defeat at this time? You would only need to give him some praising words, talk about his bright future, say bullshit about thinking highly of him and it would have pulled us out of this awkward situation!'

'This wasn't your fault, who would have expected him to write seven completely new formulas. This is a disaster that no one could have prevented. Even I, Harren, am not an unreasonable person, I wouldn't take my anger out on you, Kave, for this disaster.'

'But you are good, Kave…'

'What do you think you are doing now? Do you feel happy trying to take one formula away from someone who wrote seven in such a short time?'

Harren didn't feel any guilt!

But neither did Kave…

'Shouldn't everyone be supporting me? Why are you all lowering your head? Especially you Harren, you are the mastermind, why are you lowering your head now?'

Unfortunately, Kave was like an arrow that had been shot, he had no choice but to go forward. After sweeping a glance around the Banquet Hall,even though he didn't get the support he had imagined, he could only brace himself.

"Mafa Merlin, I'm advising you. Stubbornly resisting has no benefits. Your only choice is to immediately explain your crimes. In consideration of Sir Jouyi's reputation, I won't haggle with you…"

"Kave, you shut the fuck up!" Jouyi had been provoked several times today and was already holding back his anger. Now he was obviously on the winning side, yet Kave was still talking about considering his reputation. Every Archmage present could naturally guess what Jouyi's reaction would be…

A vein twitched on his forehead as he grabbed those seven pieces of paper and walked to Kave, "Kave, tell me, which one is the stolen formula of your Ash Tower!"

"Which one?" Kave froze, wondering why nothing was going according to his plan.

'Hold on, why is there so many pages?'

As Kave's thoughts reached this point, he suddenly felt cold. An outrageous possibility appeared in his mind…

'Could it be…'

As he thought about it, his face suddenly paled. If that was really the case, he would be finished. His reputation would never recover…

Impossible, impossible…

At this time, Kave already didn't dare to lay claim to this new magic formula, he only hoped that things weren't as serious as he thought.

Unfortunately, this bit of hope had been thoroughly crushed by Jouyi.

Because the next instant, Jouyi placed one page after the other in front of him, asking, "Is it this one? Or this one? Or this one…"

The seven pieces of paper as light as feathers were like seven heavy slaps. Each time they slapped Kave's face, everyone seemed to hear a loud slapping sound echo.

The entire banquet Hall was incomparably still. Besides Jouyi's angry roars, only the desperate and helpless breath of Kave could be heard.

Some Archmages couldn't help averting their gaze, not having the heart to look. They knew that Kave had already cleanly trashed his reputation.

An esteemed 9th Rank Great Mage had wrongly accused a 5th Rank Great Mage, moreover he even thought of expropriating his knowledge… This couldn't just be described as shameless, he was a failure of an Archmage…

If this spread, this would be the biggest scandal of the kingdom.

At this time, even Harren, the mastermind behind this, only wanted to say that he really didn't know Kave.

"You don't even know what these seven formulas are, yet you claim that one of them is the result of the research of your Ash Tower? Kave, you truly have good prospects…" After saying that, Jouyi pointed at the seven pieces of paper, "Look at them yourself and see what these seven formulas are!"

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Chapter 186: 8th Formula

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

"…" Kave picked up a page and stood there in a daze, alone. At this time, Kave had already understood. These seven new magic formulas had never been seen in Noscent.

He could now understand why everyone would look at him strangely and lower their head when he looked at them for support. This wasn't due to Jouyi's influence, it was because they couldn't bear to look at his humiliation…

And he was still continued to trash his own reputation.

Now that he finally got his wish and things reached this stage, the reputation he had slowly build up over the years was wrecked.

But who could he blame?

He could only blame himself for underestimating Mafa Merlin…

Indeed, he had pulled too much attention to Mafa Merlin…

He had only lost himself a bit while thinking of countermeasures, yet he wrote seven new formulas? He was only a mere 5th Rank Great Mage in his eyes. With outstanding computing abilities and outstanding magic abilities, but who would have expected him to have such profound magic knowledge?

How could he be this fast?

Kave couldn't understand this part…

Unfortunately, no one cared whether Kave understood. The previous disturbances made Lin Yun the leading role of the Magic Hand's gathering.

To be exact, it was those seven new formulas that took the spotlight…

As Archmages of the Magic Hand, they all had superior insight. If Lin Yun had taken out those formula somewhere else, it would at most made people exclaim in admiration.

But it was different today, no ordinary mage was standing here today.

They were like sharks who smelled blood when they saw the formulas, pouncing over in a hurry.

The Archmages who had been arguing whether Lin Yun was eligible to join the Magic Hand or not were now incomparably enthusiastic, calling him "Merlin" with an affectionate tone as if they were old friends.

No one mentioned the qualifications anymore…

If a Great Mage who wrote seven new formulas in a row wasn't qualified to join the Magic Hand, then who was?

The Magic Hand's goal was the sharing and trading of magic knowledge.

It didn't matter who you were to these mages standing at the peak of the kingdom, as long as you grasped the knowledge they beseeched, even if you were a mere goblin, they would still take you in the Magic Hand.

Now that Lin Yun already proved that he met the requirements, he already became a part of the Magic Hand in their eyes. This kind of approval was a hundred times more effective than Jouyi and Osul's recommendation.

"Merlin, is it possible for you to transfer the right to these seven formulas? Rest assured, our Whistle Island is always fair. We will take out the entire set of Hurricane Meditation Law to trade for these seven formulas. This is Whistle Island's core magic knowledge, you can only find it in the Whistle Island…" The first to offer a trade was the master of Whistle Island, Hurricane Envoy Mogg.

Although this 7th Rank Archmage wasn't equal to Kave, his insight was far superior to him. He was an old monster like Jouyi after all, it's just that he wasn't as talented and had been stuck at the 7th Rank for over a hundred years.

Mogg identified Lin Yun's seven formulas as a complete set of Meditation Laws.

The benefits and drawbacks of Meditation Laws had always been decided by the amount of formulas.

The more formulas, the more amazing the Meditation Law.

The Hurricane Meditation inheritance had been passed down for so many years, but it only consisted of six formulas, while the Meditation Laws Lin Yun had taken out was actually a seven formula set. After being improved for a few centuries, it wouldn't be impossible for it to reach eight or nine formulas.

Moreover, these Meditation Laws weren't targeting a specific rank.

From what they could see, the seven formulas ranged from Magic Apprentice to Mage, from Mage to Great Mage, from Great Mage to High Mage, each stage had its own specialized Meditation Law. From the arrangement, it was totally possible for a qualified Magic Apprentice to rank up till 9th Rank High Mage.

Such a Meditation Law was rare in Noscent…

Thus, Mogg didn't even think and revealed his own cards.

"Sorry, Sir Mogg, I currently don't need Meditation Laws, in fact, I am very interested in resources…" Lin Yun directly rejected him.

Lin Yun already knew the Hurricane Meditation Laws…

The meditation efficiency was average with its six formulas. When Lin Yun saw it in the library, he skipped it. Nothing could be done about it, meditation efficiency was everything in the future, an average Meditation Law was very likely to let Lin Yun's body be lost to the Netherstorm.

Strangely, Mogg wasn't offended by the refusal, he was rather happy about it.

"Resources? Hahaha, Merlin, you found the right person. Our Whistle Island might not have much of everything else, but we have resources…"

Whistle Island was sitting on five large private planes, the natural resources within were abundant like an endless sea. They have gathered a huge amount of resources for the past thousand years.

If Lin Yun insisted on trading for magic knowledge, Mogg might have a headache. After all, besides the Magic Conducting Rune Storm Heart, Whistle Island could only trade the Hurricane Meditation Laws. But Mogg wasn't confident in using a 6-Formulas set to trade for a 7-Formulas set of a Meditation Laws.

But he hadn't expected Lin Yun to say that he wanted resources.

This time, Mogg was emboldened, no no no, he was filled with confidence.

Mogg was confident that there were few Archmages in this Banquet Hall who could compete with him in natural resources, it might only be Jouyi, Harren, Osul, and a few others…

"Don't be in a hurry, Sir Mogg, can you wait a bit…"

"Ah?" Mogg froze, 'Did I say something wrong, why do you want me to wait?'

But Mogg then saw Jouyi coming over.

"Merlin, choose between South Nolun and North Nolun…"

Mogg held his breath, 'Damn, Jouyi is willing to go that far?'

What was Nolun…

That was one of the most fertile territory of the Cloud Tower. That place was located in the northern part of Okland. The southern part would be blistering hot all year round while the northern part was permanently covered in snow. The south and the north were two extremes. But these extremely strange environments made Nolun strangely fertile. North Nolun produced all kind of magic materials while South Nolun contained a large amount of magic metals veins. The south and north combined would bring ten millions golds of profit every year to the Cloud Tower. Moreover, it was easily guarded and hard to attack. The Cloud Tower only needed to station a few troops to operate the entire Nolun.

Yet Jouyi was actually offering half of Nolun!

Let alone Mogg, even the remaining Archmages wanting to compete for the seven formulas remained silent. They couldn't compete anymore.

"What is half of Nolun…" As everyone fell silent, Harren suddenly walked over, "Merlin, what do you think of a plane?"

The Archmages in the Banquet Hall were shocked once again.

A plane…

Harren was mad!

What did a plane mean? How could Harren not understand? No matter how precious a Meditation Law was, it couldn't be as valuable as a plane!

"Sir Harren, the plane you are talking about should just be a Planar Path?" Lin Yun politely smiled, as if he had completely forgotten that this Sir Harren was setting himself against Jouyi by trying to prevent Lin Yun from joining the Magic Hand.

This was very normal.

Business was business. Grudges and hate would vanish in the face of profit. If Harren truly wanted to take out a plane, Lin Yun would definitely be willing to shake hands with him.

"Haha, correct, that plane was just found by the Black Tower, we only have coordinates at the moment and the Planar Path had yet to be established. If Merlin is interested, I can give you the coordinates. You can decide yourself where you want to open the Planar Path. Naturally, the Black Tower will take responsibility for the manufacturing costs…"

"Please wait a moment, Sir Harren…" Lin Yun was still smiling as he nodded politely.

"Of course, of course." Harren displayed his graceful manners, but Jouyi next to him couldn't help muttering, "Damned ladyboy…"

"Everyone, please allow me to say a few words." Lin Yun slowly walked to the center of the Banquet Hall, cleared his throat a few times before talking, "This Meditation Law is a set of eight formulas."

Lin Yun's voice wasn't loud, but his words were like a bomb that silenced everyone.

"God…"

"How could this be! 8th Formula!"

"Quick quick, Merlin, write down this 8th Formula!"

Lin Yun smiled as he looked at these excited Archmages. It took five minutes before they managed to calm down… Until Lin Yun threw another bomb.

"Moreover, the 8th Formula of this Meditation Law set isn't fixed…"

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Everyone laughed when Lin Yun's words came out…

"Haha, Merlin, that was a good one…"

"Haha, indeed, a good one. How could there be a Meditation Law with an unfixed formula…"

"Wouldn't that be like being able to have a different Meditation Law Set with each formula?"

At this time, the entire Banquet Hall was filled with kindhearted laughter. A few Archmages even made some harmless jokes with Lin Yun.

But they couldn't keep laughing for long…

Because they found out that Lin Yun was very serious.

'No way…'

Those who were the most familiar with Lin Yun, like Jouyi and Osul, suddenly felt nervous when they saw his expression. Although there was still a smile on his face, it was slowly stiffening.

The others seemed to have noticed the changes in those two and felt something wrong. The laughter gradually faded and the gazes of over a dozen Archmages fell on Lin Yun.

These Archmages had nerves of steel. They wouldn't even frown if a meteor fell from the sky and crashed in the center of the Banquet Hall. But at this moment, over a dozen Archmages stood still, looking at Lin Yun with worry and anxiousness.

The Banquet Hall became quiet once more.

It took some time before Mogg managed to ask, "Is it… Is it really not fixed?"

"Yes." Lin Yun nodded with certainty and said, "I currently have three formulas that could be added to this Meditation Law Set. In other words, I have three completely different Meditation Law Sets…"

The Banquet Hall burst with noise once again.

It was to the point that no one heard what Lin Yun said afterwards. Everyone was immersed in this shocking news… Three distinct Meditation Law Sets, each containing eight formulas. Only one such set had appeared in the past century…

That Meditation Law Set came from the famous Starry Sky College.

Indeed, it was that famous Starry Sky Aria.

But now, three such Meditation Law Sets had appeared in the Magic Hand's gathering!

Moreover, they came from a young Great Mage…

All the Archmages felt as if they couldn't process this information.

"Merlin, give me a set!" Jouyi was the first to react. While the others were still dumbstruck, the master of the Cloud Tower already rushed to speak first. But this time, he didn't mention North Nolun or South Nolun, because he already knew that all of Nolun still couldn't compare to such a Meditation Law Set.

That was the meaning of an 8-Formula Meditation Law Set…

Something so valuable couldn't be exchanged for with just Nolun.

"Sir Jouyi, just South Nolun is fine…"

"South Nolun?" Jouyi froze…

After all, Jouyi had offered half of Nolun earlier for a 7-Formula Meditation Law Set. But with the addition of an 8th formula, this Meditation Law Set already became a many times more expensive, yet the other side only asked for South Nolun.

Even a fool would know that Jouyi was getting a great deal…

After recovering, Jouyi understood… That young Great Mage was expressing his gratitude for the consideration he had shown him…

When that occurred to him, Jouyi felt somewhat ashamed. He had indeed thought of trying to help this young mage, if only because of the fact that he was a genius that would appear only once in a millennium. This was the reason he treated that young Great Mage favorably to the point that he wouldn't hesitate to convince Osul to recommend him as a new member of the Magic Hand.

But in reality, he didn't have much success at helping him…

Speaking of Osul, Merlin himself had helped him by saving that bottle of Heaven Awakening Potion, causing Osul to joyfully open up to him. Then in the Banquet Hall, he was the one who confronted Harren and Kave with his 7-Formula Meditation Law Set, making both of them thoroughly yield.

Although Jouyi wanted to help Merlin, he truly didn't do much.

But now, the young Great Mage didn't even think about it and paid him back with an 8-Formula Meditation Law Set.

"Merlin…"

Jouyi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he was suddenly interrupted by a smiling Lin Yun. "Sir Jouyi, regarding South Nolun's defenses, could the Cloud Tower…"

"Haha…" Jouyi knew that this was showing consideration for his reputation. Everyone knew that South Nolun and North Nolun had always been easily guarded territories that were very difficult to attack. As long as a few troops were stationed, they would have well-fortified defenses. Although the Gilded Rose couldn't compare to the Cloud Tower in terms of financial clout, couldn't it hire about ten Great Mages and ten Great Swordsmen?

Why would he still ask the Cloud Tower for help…

Merlin was only saying this to bolster Jouyi's reputation.

But Merlin already made it clear: if he kept being modest about it, the others would laugh at him. Jouyi only chuckled, and immediately answered.

"Alright."

The two shook hands, startling a dozen Archmages!

What kind of situation was this!

Before they could even recover, one of the set had already been traded away. This was too quick, were the rest even being considered as potential clients?

Then, a dozen Archmages rushed over like a swarm of bees…

No, it looked more like a horde rushing for their lives.

The young Great Mage had been very clear. He only had three of these unfixed 8th formulas. In other words, he could only take out three Meditation Law Sets. Just now, Jouyi took one away in one breath, if two more breaths passed, wouldn't there be nothing left?

In the end, Harren was the first to walk in front of Lin Yun…

The dozen other Archmages didn't dare to offend him. Harren was just like Jouyi, an existence that touched upon the Extraordinary Realm. Standing behind him was the Black Tower, a force that could shake the entire Andlusa kingdom, one of the two peak mage forces of the kingdom alongside the Cloud Tower. Although all those present were Archmages, not many would dare to offend Harren.

"Great Mage Merlin, I'll get straight to the point, I can add something to my previous offer."

"Oh?"

"Within three years, the Black Tower will help you sweep that plane of obstacles and you and your Gilded Rose can just wait to receive it…"

"…" Harren's words caused everyone in the Banquet Hall to hold their breaths.

Harren's offer could only be described as crazy.

Providing the coordinates and shouldering the cost of establishing the Planar Path aside, the latest condition of clearing the plane within three years was like cleaning and packaging the plane to gift it.

That was an entire plane…

This showed how powerful Harren was…

Depending on what the circumstances dictated, he wouldn't hesitate to give up or go all-out.

Indeed, Harren first thought of using the young Mage to deal a blow to Jouyi's reputation, but when he found out that he'd picked a pig-like teammate, Harren didn't hesitate to give up on Kave and instead cordially talk business with Lin Yun, as if nothing had ever happened.

Even bringing up a whole plane now to trade for a full Meditation Law Set.

Because he knew that this Meditation Law Set was too important…

The eight formulas weren't that important by themselves, as they wouldn't be too different from the core Meditation Law Sets of both major forces. But the Cloud Tower and the Black Tower were bound to have formidable research teams. After obtaining the Meditation Law Set, they could likely push their core Meditation Law Sets to nine formulas, or even ten formulas.

With such a Meditation Law Set, the power of the two forces would advance by leaps and bounds.

This was a deathly battle for the two irreconcilable mage forces.

Regardless of whether it was the Black Tower or the Cloud Tower, they couldn't let the other side be the only one profiting from a Meditation Law Set. Nothing would happen at the start. But after decades, hundreds of years, the research team of the other side would have finished using this set to complement their core Meditation Law Sets to nine or ten formulas, and it would be too late by then…

A powerful Meditation Law Set would not only nurture new mages faster, but it would also increase the power of the entire force. In most cases, what determined if a force of mages had enough growth potential was whether or not they had enough powerful Meditation Law Sets.

Since the Cloud Tower already held one of these new Meditation Law Sets, the Black Tower absolutely couldn't return empty-handed.

For this, Harren would spare no costs!

It was really too bad, as Jouyi had a deep friendship with that young Great Mage. The reason that young Great mage could join the Magic Hand was Jouyi and Osul's recommendation. Harren was at a great disadvantage compared to him.

He could only raise his offer…

Moreover, he had to raise it quite a bit, offering a whole plane.

Sure enough, when that price came out, even Jouyi's gaze became strange. Harren believed that no one in this world could refuse such an offer. It was a full plane, the chance for any mage to rise up!

But then, that young Great Mage answered…

"My apologies, Sir Harren…"

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Chapter 188: Ruins of the Sun King

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

"Eh?"

When Lin Yun's answer came out, over a dozen Archmages, including Harren and Jouyi, were all stunned. Some of them were wondering whether they had misheard him. That was too irrational… He was offering a full plane, the opportunity for instant success.

They thought that Merlin had been too nervous and answered wrong.

"My apologies, Sir Harren, three years is too long…" While they were all feeling confused, Lin Yun elaborated on his answer.

This time, they all understood clearly…

Afterwards, the entire Banquet Hall burst into an uproar once again.

'He refused! He actually refused!'

Harren took out a whole plane, but he was refused by that young Great Mage!

'This… This is crazy!'

'How could anyone refuse such a deal? You were presented with a whole plane, yet you are actually giving it away on the basis that three years is too long…'

Some of the Archmages thought in shock, 'A planar conquest would normally be counted in decades… Even the Pale Plane that the Cloud Tower discovered two centuries ago has yet to be completely conquered. Harren dared to promise you to conquer that plane in three years due to his confidence in the Black Tower's strength, yet you actually think that three years is too long?'

At this time, many Archmages started to doubt whether that young Great Mage knew what owning a plane truly meant.

Otherwise, how could he decline like this?

"Great Mage Merlin, may I ask why?" Harren was still maintaining a very graceful pose, worthy of Jouyi nicknaming him 'ladyboy'. After being refused by Lin Yun, he didn't act offended and only asked with a smile.

"It's complicated…" Lin Yun awkwardly chuckled.

Nothing could be done about it, as he couldn't tell the true reason.

He couldn't let Harren know that he already had a few planes and had his hands full with them, so he didn't have the time to deal with an unknown plane.

This explanation truly couldn't be used…

Otherwise, let alone Harren going berserk on the spot, even the other Archmages would be spitting at him. In this era where planar coordinates were invaluable, using such an immoral reason was simply flaunting his wealth, and he would deserve to be spit at.

But it was a fact…

Let alone the plane coordinates he learnt of during the end of the magic era, even just those he'd earned through various channels after arriving here were plenty enough.

First was the Bone Plane…

And now, although Lin Yun had yet to conquer the entire Bone Plane, he held the Book of Death and could open the Planar Path anytime, anywhere. William and Faleau were also occupying the black wasteland. As long as he was patient, he would sooner or later conquer the Bone Plane.

This was Lin Yun's foundation. There was no need to speak of other planes, as all his energy and resources would be spent on the Bone Plane first.

Moreover, the depths of the Bone Peak were linked to the neighboring Demon Plane. The two planes were already overlapping, and a Planar Path would be established sooner or later even without external help. What Lin Yun needed to do now was to consolidate his strength so that when the time was ripe, he would be able to force the entrance to the Demon Plane open in one go. Lin Yun estimated that the Demon Plane should be as fertile as the Bone Plane…

Moreover, Lin Yun already talked with Osul about borrowing the Dusk Fire, a key needed to open the Shattered Sun Plane.

But this would be later on. Lin Yun didn't have enough power to enter the Shattered Sun Plane at the moment. He needed to be a 5th Rank High Mage at the very least to make sure that he could survive there.

And he couldn't forget about the Demiplane left behind by Rudolph.

All these planes…

Lin Yun had three and a half planes waiting to be conquered, and that was without the planar coordinates he still had from the decaying library.

Lin Yun only hated the fact that he couldn't clone himself to take care of multiple planes at the same time.

As for the plane mentioned by Harren, Lin Yun could only refuse. He wasn't going to let them explore a plane before him and then hand it over, and he already had a lot on his plate.

Moreover, Lin Yun already knew what he wanted from the Black Tower…

Compared to that unknown plane, that was something Lin Yun truly wished to get.

"Sir Harren, I heard that the Black Tower found ruins from the 3rd Dynasty a few months ago."

"Oh?" The disappointed Harren suddenly frowned when he heard that. "How did Great Mage Merlin learn about it?"

"Haha, I incidentally heard about it when chatting here."

"That's right, three months ago, the Black Tower indeed found a ruin of the 3rd Dynasty on the East Coast. We finished removing the traps a few days ago and now, three Master Alchemists of the Black Tower are taking care of the arrays. They should be able to excavate it within a month…" After saying this, Harren threw a strange glance at Lin Yun. "Why? Great Mage Merlin has some understanding of the ruins?"

"I've learnt a bit about it, and if I'm not wrong, this should have been left behind by the Sun King from the middle of the 3rd Dynasty."

"Haha…" Harren knew that since the other side was able to talk about the Sun King, his understanding of the ruins definitely wouldn't be shallow. The origin of these ruins had only been made public within the Black Tower a month ago. There would only be two reasons for the other side to be able to talk about these ruins. He either had been paying attention to these ruins for a long time, or he had a spy inside the Black Tower.

If it had been someone else, Harren would have already become hostile upon realizing this. Whichever reason it was, this was a grave provocation towards the Black Tower.

But Harren only chuckled as he faced that young Great Mage and remained silent…

Not only did he remain civil, but he was even very happy.

He finally felt like he had the upper hand in this gathering…

This was like someone delivering a pillow when he wanted to sleep…

This was the situation Harren was the happiest to see.

'Let's talk about the Sun King Ruins since you are so interested.'

Sure enough, Harren soon noticed greed within the young Great Mage's eyes. "I didn't expect that the Black Tower actually discovered the legendary Sun King Ruins…"

"Haha, it looks like Great Mage Merlin is very interested in these Sun King Ruins. How about you come over when it is completely excavated? Thousand Sails City isn't very far, after all, so I can receive you when the time comes."

"Sir Harren, forgive me for speaking bluntly. I see that you are very interested in the Meditation Law Set, and it turns out that I am very interested in the Sun King Ruins… I feel that we can come to an agreement."

'Sure enough…'

Harren inwardly laughed, remaining calm and collected. "This might possible, but I have to ask, Great Mage Merlin, which relic of the Sun King are you interested in?"

Greed flashed in Lin Yun's eyes once more as he said, "I want the entirety of the Sun King Ruins…"

"This…" Harren showed some embarrassment.

The other Archmages listening couldn't help holding their breaths, 'The entirety of the Sun King Ruins? Isn't that too greedy?'

"Of course, I know that this request is a bit too excessive, so how about this, Sir Harren. You can choose which of the two Meditation Law Sets I have in hands that you want to get."

"This…" Harren hesitated for a few minutes before reluctantly nodding, "Okay…"

In fact, Harren was inwardly laughing…

Others might not know the situation within the Sun King Ruins, but how could Harren not know?

In the past three months, the Black Tower had actually excavated the ruins while removing the traps. Now, the most precious resources, knowledge, and equipment were already in their possession.

But in order to maintain secrecy, the Black Tower didn't make this information public. Even in the Black Tower, only a few high ranked mages knew about it.

The Sun King Ruins seemed untouched to the outside, but in reality, the most valuable relics had already been taken by the Black Tower. It could be said that the famous Sun King Ruins were now just an empty shell.

Harren never expected that he could trade such an empty shell for an 8-Formula Meditation Law Set.

"Then I wish us a delightful cooperation." Lin Yun extended his hand with a smile.

At this moment, Harren never could have thought that Lin Yun would also be inwardly laughing at him…

Harren thought Lin Yun didn't know that the Sun King Ruins had already been emptied…

But Lin Yun had already read about the Black Tower's excavation in the books of the decaying library.

This was a classical excavation added to many textbooks.

But it was as an example on what not to do…

In the era of crazy excavations, almost every alchemist would exhort their disciples while teaching them, "If you don't study well, then you'll end up like those idiots of the Black Tower, letting go of the watermelon to pick up sesame seeds while being proud of it for over a thousand years…"

Indeed, the teaching material was the excavation of the Sun King Ruins…

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Chapter 189: Covert Auction

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

For more than a thousand years, the Black Tower had always believed that the excavation of the Sun King Ruins had been a perfect success. There had been no losses during the excavation and all the valuable relics had been moved back to the Black Tower.

But a thousand years later, a young mage tore apart the Black Tower's reputation.

It was only then that people learnt that the Black Tower's excavation was unsuccessful and imperfect. This had been such a big mistake that they regretted for more than a thousand years.

Naturally, Harren couldn't know about this.

Thus, Lin Yun could only try hard to stop himself from laughing.

The deal for the second Meditation Law Set was done while both of them were restraining their laughter.

Thus, two of the three Meditation Law Sets had already been traded, and the remaining one made all the other Archmages' eyes turn red. A dozen of them were standing there and looking at each other, before their gazes filled with unconcealable flames. At this time, they were all thinking that since the Cloud Tower and the Black Tower had bought their sets, the remaining one should belong to them.

The problem was that there were too many of "them"…

Lin Yun's next words were most frightening…

"I wish to trade this remaining Meditation Law Set for some mana crystals…"

"…" When Lin Yun said this, Jouyi and Harren both recovered. They couldn't help sympathizing and rejoicing. Fortunately, they'd already made their own deals, or else they would have had to compete with those dozen red-eyed Archmages… Using mana crystals, even…

They would have ended up being ripped off…

Jouyi's South Nolun and Harren's Sun King Ruins were transactions based on both seller and buyer taking what they needed. They were somewhat worthwhile as they didn't have any competitors…

But now, they were using mana crystals as a form of currency…

Trades between mages had always been based on mana crystals. The Archmages present had all been famous for decades or centuries and had major forces behind them. Who didn't have a large stockpile of mana crystals among them? With this, it wouldn't be like the one-on-one transactions that had just happened. This was turning the business deal into an auction, and with a dozen Archmages participating in that auction, it would be a bloody war…

Eljin was the first to voice an offer. "Sixteen Spirit mana crystals."

Only mana crystals at the 30th level and above were qualified to be called Spirit mana crystals.

Spirit mana crystals were very pure and could be absorbed by ordinary mages. When used as mana sources, they could be used in all domains of alchemy. The only problem was that Spirit mana crystals were very rare. Magic beasts over level 30 were already Archmage level. Even if the Archmages from the Magic Hand were willing to hunt them, they would still need to take some huge risks.

Those sixteen Spirit mana crystals made up the entire savings that Eljin possessed, and he was ready to empty them for the Meditation Law Set.

"Eighteen."

"Twenty."

"Twenty-five."

"Twenty-seven."

"Thirty."After Eljin bid sixteen Spirit mana crystals, he didn't even have time to relax before several Archmages outbid him one after the other. By the time he recovered, the highest bid for the Meditation Law was already at thirty Spirit mana crystals.

"…" Eljin felt like spitting blood on the spot…

'Damn, those are Spirit mana crystals…'

'Each one is worth at least 5,000,000 golds… Those thirty Spirit mana crystals are worth over 150,000,000 golds. That is enough to buy a small city in the Andlusa kingdom. This is too crazy, these guys would usually hesitate to even buy a few potions, why won't you hesitate today, why are you willing to spend so much today, are you trying to be generous?'

That price was truly frightening. Not only was Eljin unable to bear with it, the other Archmages couldn't handle it either. Some Archmages also had to give up, inwardly scolding those profligate scoundrels while looking at the Meditation Law Set with regret.

After a few bids, the price of the Meditation Law Set already reached forty-five Spirit mana crystals, and only three of the Archmages remained. Out of those, Whistle Island's master, Mogg, was the fiercest.

This 5th Rank Archmage owned five huge private planes. Whistle Island had an endless amount of materials and solid financial resources that were not far behind the two top mage forces. He missed the previous two opportunities and found out that there was only one chance left, so how could he not fight for it as if his life was on the line?

Soon, Mogg made a bid that made the Elder of the Fenn Family give up. Although this 7th Rank Archmage had the support of the entire Fenn family, he still couldn't compete with Mogg on the financial side.

The last Archmage still in the running was actually Nolan of the Mercury Tower…

Among all these Archmages, he was the only one that Lin Yun couldn't see through. He seemed to be an ordinary 9th Rank Archmage like Kave, but Lin Yun always felt that the master of the Mercury Tower, Karon's teacher, wasn't as simple as he looked.

In fact, Mogg had a similar feeling at this moment…

Nolan's performance was too strange…

Each time he bid, he would only raise the current bid by one. Regardless of how much Mogg bid, Nolan would unhesitantly outbid him by one.

This was very embarrassing.

After defeating the Fenn Family Elder, Mogg clenched his teeth and directly bid fifty…

But that still didn't work…

Nolan didn't spend any time to think and directly bid, "Fifty-one."

'Fuck…' Mogg almost burst out. He truly wanted to ask him whether he was deliberately planning to make fun of him…

Unfortunately, Mogg didn't dare…

Just based on strength, the other side was a 9th Rank Archmage, and also one of the three Artisans of the kingdom. And based on his identity and status, he could stand shoulder to shoulder with Harren and Jouyi…

Nothing could be done about it, so Mogg could only brace himself and keep going.

"Fifty-two."

"Fifty-three."

"Fifty-four."

"Fifty-five."

Mogg really wanted to curse as he kept increasing the price, thinking that they might reach a hundred at this rate.

Fortunately, such a case didn't appear.

When Mogg called out his offer of sixty crystals, Nolan, who had been unwilling to let go for so long, suddenly turned silent…

"Okay, I give up…"

"Sixty-tw… Wait, you give up?" When Mogg saw Nolan opening his mouth, he subconsciously wanted to shout "sixty-two", but he managed to react while in the middle of saying it.

"Yes, I give up…" Nolan nodded, a smile on his face, not showing the disappointment of a loser.

But after saying these words, he threw a glance at Lin Yun.

'Sure enough…' Lin Yun sighed when he saw Nolan's glance. 'That old man had his own plan…'

Usually, with Nolan helping him raise the price to sixty Spirit mana crystals, he should express his gratitude.

But Lin Yun thought about it and felt disturbed.

'Damn, that old man didn't spend any mana crystals himself and still made me owe him a favor!'

How could that not bother him?

Regardless, Mogg finally won the last Meditation Law Set with sixty Spirit mana crystals.

This was a price any ordinary mage would never dream of for it. Sixty Spirit mana crystals meant a minimum of 300,000,000 golds. If unloaded on the market, this amount could crash the financial system of the kingdom. If used to buy equipment, it could buy at least ten True Spirit Magic Tools. If used to get rid of an enemy, it could be used to hire a full team of Archmages.

This was an irresistible price.

Mogg's expression was very careful. He held those pieces of paper as if they were a rare treasure, afraid to let even a fold appear on them. It had cost him sixty Spirit mana crystals! Even with the financial ability of Whistle Island, he had still used a third of his wealth.

Naturally, Mogg wouldn't randomly carry sixty Spirit mana crystals on himself.

Moreover, even it was Whistle Island, it was impossible for them to take out sixty Spirit mana crystals at once. At most, they would be able to produce forty or fifty immediately and the rest could only be given as an equivalent value of magic materials.

Fortunately, Lin Yun wasn't very picky about magic materials right now.

With the huge factory named the Gilded Rose behind him, more magic materials could always be used.

With the last Meditation Law Set falling into Mogg's hands, the curtains finally closed on the sensational event brought about by Lin Yun. The gathering regained the rhythm that it normally had in the previous years. Half a dozen Archmages brought their latest research materials, hoping to be able to exchange for the magic knowledge they needed in this gathering.

Unfortunately, the previous three Meditation Law Sets had caused too much of a commotion. Many of those who hoped to get some help with their magic research were given the cold shoulder at this moment. It couldn't be helped because most Archmages were still immersed in those three Meditation Law Sets. How could they care about the knowledge exchange now?

It was to the point that Lin Yun, Jouyi, Harren, and Osul were able to pick up a lot of bargains…

Especially Osul, who managed to buy a set of data that a Master Alchemist of the Mercury Tower spent several years computing at a very low price…

Naturally, compared to the three Meditation Law Sets from Lin Yun, this was only a small episode.

Three days later, the gathering of the Magic Hand ended. Lin Yun was sitting on the carriage once again, leaving Oddrock City with his bounteous wealth.

With a total value of sixty Spirit mana crystals in his hands, Lin Yun's many plans could be set in motion.

Such as taking care of the Doom Staff, which was fated to become the Strongest True Spirit Magic Tool!

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Chapter 190: A Path No One Ever Took

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

As they reached Lullaby Forest, the three people stayed there for a month after Osul's invitation.

During that month, aside from having some interaction with Osul regarding alchemy, Lin Yun would also spend time studying the 8th character of the Book of Death. Lin Yun finally cracked it after half a month, and just as he had expected, the 8th character's might was far superior to that of the preceding seven.

This was the true power of the Book of Death…

The 8th character was named "unlimited" by Lin Yun…

This came from a time when Lin Yun left Osul's wooden house at night. He found a pack of Shadow Wolves, and the moment the 8th character appeared, Lin Yun truly got the feeling of being unlimited.

It was a state that couldn't be described with words… There were no more incantations, no more gestures…

Under the unlimited state, with just a thought, the corresponding spell would appear. Moreover, these spells wouldn't be affected by a need for mana, completely freeing him from the possibility of mana exhaustion. The pack of Shadow Wolves around level 18 was instantly annihilated by him.

Only after the unlimited state wore off did Lin Yun dazedly looked at his hands. That state was too incredible, too unimaginable.

After all, spellcasting itself was very cumbersome and complicated, but when in that state, those complex things lost all meaning. He didn't even need to think about what to do, he only had to cast one spell after the other…

It was too simple…

But this simplicity had a very high price.

When Lin Yun opened the Book of Death, he found out that the five Ultimate Spells stored within had instantly dimmed, and the huge amount of Soul Fires had been consumed clean.

After all, the Soul Fires were supplying energy for the five Ultimate Spells.

At this time, Lin Yun couldn't help feeling a bit of a headache. The death energy of over a thousand Skeleton Warriors had been used to supply these five Ultimate Spells, but that same energy had only been able to support seven seconds of the unlimited state.

And this was only for the 8th character.

By the time he cracked the later characters, wouldn't the Soul Fires needed to use them soar astronomically?

'Looks like I really have to conquer the Undead Plane. The Bone Plane's Soul Fires won't even support the unlimited state, let alone the rest of the Book of Death's characters.'

He estimated that only the terrifying high-level Undead beings roaming the Undead Plane could keep up with the astonishing consumption of the Book of Death.

Lin Yun finally understood at this time why Bane would always think about conquering the Undead Plane for several millennia.

It wasn't that Bane wanted to challenge his limits, but rather, the black hole that was the Book of Death forced him to challenge the Undead Plane…

Lin Yun pondered about his future path while quietly returning to Osul's wooden house.

But just as he opened the door, he was caught by Osul in the middle of conducting one of his experiments.

For the past month, Osul had been acting like what could only be considered an addict…

As one of the few Artisans of the kingdom, there weren't that many people that could discuss alchemy with him. And now that he had found the unconventional Lin Yun, how could Osul let him off? He would grab Lin Yun to chat every day until midnight. Only when Lin Yun kept yawning exaggeratedly would Osul unwillingly be forced to let him rest.

He couldn't help it since it was far too rare for him to find such a suitable conversation partner.

Although that young Great Mage was only a Master Alchemist, his theoretical alchemy knowledge was very deep, to an extent that Osul had rarely seen in his life. And he would often offer some thought-provoking opinions that would give Osul a flash of insight, despite being an Artisan that had been immersed in alchemy for hundreds of years.

It was the same earlier that day. When the sky started to darken, Osul had let go of the yawning Lin Yun, but when he returned, Osul strangely asked, "Oh, Merlin, how come your mana fluctuations feel a bit more powerful…"

"Oh?" Lin Yun thought of something and hurriedly returned to his room.

Sure enough, as he returned to his room, he noticed that his 6th Magic Array had formed without him noticing.

No, not just the 6th Magic Array, even half of the 7th Magic Array had already formed. Given enough time, he would most likely become a 7th Rank Great Mage!

'What happened?'

Lin Yun couldn't understand, but he did think of a possibility.

'Was it caused by the unlimited state? That's right, thinking about it, that might truly be the case…'

The unlimited character in itself was condensed from an endless amount of runes, forming that character filled with frightening power. Deciphering the unlimited character was another way of carving the Magic Array.

Lin Yun tried rousing his 6th Magic Array.

And sure enough, besides the runes he had obtained from the Reincarnation Eyes, the 6th Magic Array contained a few runes he had never seen before.

After a careful comparison, Lin Yun found out that these runes were shockingly similar to some parts of the unlimited character.

After figuring that out, Lin Yun couldn't help being surprised, prompting him to take out the Book of Death again.

But this time, Lin Yun no longer tried to decipher the characters on the Book of Death, and he instead memorized them before trying to use the thousands of runes stored to start a simulation.

Lin Yun's first simulation could only be described as awkward…

It was sure to happen, as this was a path that no one had ever taken before. In Noscent's long history, not one Magic Array owner could merge such mysterious characters within the Magic Array.

The simulation failed, as expected…

But Lin Yun wasn't the least bit discouraged, he quickly started again, and again…

By the next evening, Lin Yun had already conducted over a hundred simulations, but they all failed.

Yet he still wasn't worried.

Since he chose to walk on a path no one ever took before, he was ready to face the thorns covering that path.

It was a path fated to be filled with danger…

But Lin Yun believed that as long as he kept pressing on, he would reach the end of the path sooner or later. And the scenery he would be able to see then would be something that no other mages, even those from ancient times, would ever be able to see.

Days slowly passed, and the second half of the month soon reached its end. During that time, Lin Yun rarely interacted with Osul, causing this Artisan to complain a few times. Almost all of Lin Yun's time was used to simulate the Book of Death.

Failure, failure, another failure…

This half a month had been spent in failures.

But Lin Yun knew that he was walking on the right path because he could feel his magic power increasing every day at a shocking speed and his Magic Arrays being refined one after the other. Half a month later, Lin Yun possessed nine refined Magic Arrays, becoming a 9th Rank Great Mage!

And this was all due to the Book of Death…

After staying in the Lullaby Forest for a month, the three men returned to Thousand Sails City. Jouyi and Solomon went back to the Sage Tower while Lin Yun rushed to the Gilded Rose. The three men separated after reaching the city.

When Lin Yun reached the Gilded Rose, it was already evening, but the store was still incredibly lively. Lin Yun found William in the alchemy workshop only to learn that the major forces of Thousand Sails City were busy expanding and that the Gilded Rose was crushed by the huge number of orders.

At first, the old butler had raised the price in order to make some of them cancel a few orders…

This was the method most alchemy shops, and sellers in general, would use when they were unable to increase the production. Many of them would choose to raise the prices so that they could lose some orders while possibly gaining extra profits.

But raising the prices didn't help this time!

The old butler raised the prices of most items by 30%, but it still didn't matter! The orders came flying like snowflakes during a storm. Every major force was becoming crazy, fighting as if there was an arms race, frightening the old butler into sending some people to check if something was happening!

After asking, he learnt that something truly was happening!

Moreover, his young master was also involved…

It was the joint exploration of the Vaughn Treasury. Nearly every major force of Thousand Sails City would participate in this exploration. And in order to gain more benefits from the exploration, almost every force chose to spend whatever was necessary to prepare.

It was then that the old butler learnt that raising the prices wouldn't be enough.

He could only force himself to expand the Gilded Rose once again…

But he didn't need Lin Yun this time to find someone important in the Alchemist Guild.

The Gilded Rose's reputation was too widespread right now. By posting a recruitment flyer, he had over a hundred Alchemists apply the next day, completely surrounding the Gilded Rose.

The old butler went in bluntly and recruited a bit over eighty Alchemist after doing a quick selection. It could be said that besides the Alchemists whose skills were too poor or those with ulterior motives, the old butler recruited everyone.

After this recruitment, the Gilded Rose's team of Alchemists had almost doubled…

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Chapter 191: Merlin Family's Summons

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

And that wasn't all…

Afterwards, groups of Alchemists would go to the Gilded Rose, and the old butler wasn't one to balk at having more Alchemists, so by the time Lin Yun returned, the Gilded Rose had over two hundred Alchemists…

Just based on the quantity, they were now comparable to the Alchemist Guild…

Naturally, the old butler knew that these Alchemists couldn't be given heavy responsibility. They weren't familiar with the setup of the Gilded Rose, and they had yet to prove themselves trustworthy, so the old butler made them work in an assembly line. They seemed to be busy every day, but they were kept doing repetitive work without being able to get close to the core skills of the Gilded Rose.

"The Alchemists of Thousand Sails City value themselves so little?" Lin Yun was dumbstruck when he heard all of this.

"Haha… No one forced them to work for the Gilded Rose…" William laughed while looking quite gleeful.

He wasn't being arrogant; the Gilded Rose's reputation had already overshadowed many old forces like the Viper Nest. Along with the old butler being known for giving generous salaries, all kinds of Alchemists trying their best to join the Gilded Rose.

Let alone working in assembly lines, even if they had to work as apprentices, they still wouldn't frown…

"And what about the chamber of commerce's mercenary group?"

William had been waiting for a long time for Lin Yun to ask that question…

And now that the question had been posed, a proud smile appeared on his face…

But after hearing his words, Lin Yun had no choice but to admit that William had all the rights to be proud. William had done a very good job with the mercenary group.

The Great Mages that Lin Yun had been waiting for appeared, and not in a small number.

That group of 5th Rank Mages had stayed in the Bone Plane for half a month before, and in the past month, several hundred thousand Soul Fires had been turned into mana by the Black Death Rune. The benefits for a mage were simply unimaginable…

From what William said, the mana had already congealed into a liquid state. When leaving his tent in the morning, he would feel the damp atmosphere, and just breathing in would rouse his mana. Meditating there for a day was like meditating for a month in Noscent.

Moreover, Lin Yun had tailored a set of Meditation Law for them.

The speed at which that group of 5th Rank Mages had advanced could only be described as incredible.

There were already about thirty Great Mages now.

Following Lin Yun's instructions, these Great Mages had already returned and started accompanying the Gilded Rose's caravans.

These were all Lin Yun's arrangements. The Black Death Rune and the Soul Fires were a shortcut targeted at Mages, and once they became Great Mages, the mana accumulation wouldn't be as important as before. At that time, carving Magic Conducting Runes was more important.

And the Black Death Rune and the Soul Fires didn't help much with carving Magic Conducting Runes.

Naturally, Lin Yun had also made arrangements for the Magic Conducting Runes of those Great Mages. He was just waiting for everyone to leave the Bone Plane before teaching them methods to carve Magic Conducting Runes. In the future, the Gilded Rose would have a mercenary group with peak Magic Conducting Runes.

After making sure everything was fine with the Gilded Rose, Lin Yun locked himself in the alchemy laboratory once again, controlling the Gilded Rose's development remotely while continuing his simulation with the Book of Death's characters.

Time passed, and the day of the expedition to Vaughn's Treasury drew nearer.

Lin Yun completed his work for the day but was stopped in the lobby by William just as he was about to return to check on the Obsidian Flower's growth.

"Cousin…" William started to say something, but he hesitated.

"What's up?" Lin Yun was surprised, as he knew that his cousin wasn't one to be modest. 'Did he eat something that went bad? Why did he come to find me and then just look at me as if he is constipated?'

"Well, Cousin… Grandfather, that is, your grandfather's brother… Uhm, oh right, he is the Head of the Merlin Family…"

"Get to the point!" Lin Yun felt a vein twitching on his forehead…

"Ah, to the point, to the point…" William's expression became a bit grim as he suddenly pushed on, "In short, the Merlin Family sent someone to deliver me a message. The head of the family personally wrote the letter and he hopes that you can take a trip to Okland next month. The Head will arrange for you to enter the Merlin Family Ancestral Land and formally announce your return to the Merlin Family…"

As he said all that, William's voice became quieter and quieter…

William had been in Thousand Sails City for a while now, so how could he not know that his younger cousin had no interest in joining the Merlin Family?

But not relaying the information wouldn't do either. It was a letter written by the head of the family, and even if he was already part of the Gilded Rose, he was still a member of the Merlin Family in name. Since the head of the family personally wrote him a letter, William truly didn't dare to refuse to pass it along.

"Oh, and I have to say this first, I have no intention of acting as their representative. You can go if you want to go, and if you don't want to go, you…" William started to say, unwilling to become the target of Lin Yun's anger.

"I'll go, why shouldn't I?"

In the end, before William could finish his sentence, Lin Yun had already agreed.

"Ah?"

"What? I said I'll go…" Lin Yun already had nine Magic Arrays, so as long as he could spend a bit more time, he would reach the peak of Great Mage realm. He was already looking for an excuse to go to the Merlin Family's Ancestral Land.

But he hadn't expected that the Merlin Family actually cooperated, giving him a pillow when he wanted to sleep…

If he missed this opportunity, then he would have to force his way into the Ancestral Land at some point.

As for returning to the Merlin Family, Lin Yun didn't care about that.

He had never been worried about what William considered to be a very thorny problem.

If the Merlin Family was willing to show him enough sincerity… Then he wouldn't mind returning to the Merlin Family. It was only a matter of meeting a few relatives. Of course, if the Merlin Family wanted to make him hand over the Nether Iron Vein and the Gilded Rose, then after leaving the Ancestral Land, if he just left while ignoring them, would they try to get him back?

"Boss, the Alchemist Guild sent someone to deliver a letter, please take a look." Just as he was trying to leave the Gilded Rose, Remy rushed over with a sealed letter.

"Oh?" Lin Yun opened it, and as expected, it had been written by Lys himself. There wasn't much written in the letter, just a few sentences that roughly explained that the troops gathered for the exploration of what they thought to be Vaughn's Treasury were almost ready and that if Lin Yun had time, he should visit the Alchemist Guild for a meeting, where he could learn of all the forces coming along.

"Cousin, come with me."

"Me?" William froze.

"Yes, you." Lin Yun nodded as he turned to go.

Lin Yun called William along because he remembered that there were two Magic Tools in Vaughn's Laboratory that were suitable for William.

And at the moment, only William and Faleau were trusted and powerful enough to assume heavy responsibility.

Faleau was in charge of the core skills of the Gilded Rose, and his future development path would be in the field of alchemy, while William would be one of the two leaders of the mercenary group. William was also far stronger than Faleau, so Lin Yun planned on taking William along to the joint exploration of Vaughn's "Treasury"' to give him the chance to get those two Spiritual Magic Tool.

But those two Spiritual Magic Tools had strange personalities. Even Lin Yun couldn't guarantee that William could gain the acknowledgement of these two Spiritual Magic Tools.

Everything depended on William Merlin himself…

Half an hour later, Lin Yun took William and entered the Alchemist Guild.

Molin wasn't the one who welcomed Lin Yun this time.

Bassoro and Granger went out to meet Lin Yun in person and politely invited him to the reception room at the top floor. There were already many people sitting there, and Lin Yun could recognize most of the famous people in Thousand Sails City there. Sasu of the Silver Moon Mercenaries, Sauss of the Viper Nest, Monchi of the Monchi Family, Solomon of the Sage Tower… Seeing the two new arrivals, many people took the initiative to greet them, and Lin Yun also nodded in response.

"Merlin, come here, let me introduce you…" Lys had been sitting next to the fireplace while discussing with a middle-aged man. Upon seeing Lin Yun, the leader of the Alchemist Guild promptly got up to welcome him.

"Come, come Merlin, let me introduce you. This is Master Alchemist Fran from the Mercury Tower, one of the disciples of Artisan Nolan."

"Hello, Master Alchemist Fran." Lin Yun smiled as he politely extended his hand.

"Mafa Merlin, I know of you, Seth's disciple…" But Fran remained sitting motionlessly, without any intention of extending his hand to Lin Yun and not concealing the sneer on his face. "Looks like you didn't study under Seth for long, you didn't even learn basic courtesy. Even Seth would treat me very respectfully."

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Chapter 192: Two Reasons

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

"Oh?" Lin Yun slowly withdrew his hand and his smile gradually faded away from his face as he looked at Fran.

"Merlin, Merlin, there is something I need to tell you…" When Lys saw that situation, he was suddenly startled. He hurriedly moved in between the two while secretly pulling at Lin Yun's sleeve, pleading with his eyes.

"…" When Lin Yun saw Lys acting like this, he felt a bit embarrassed, as he didn't wish to cause trouble for Lys. Leader Lys had always been nice to him, so Lin Yun couldn't reject him.

Thus, his cold expression slowly eased up.

"Come, come, Merlin, I have a few words to tell you…" After managing to persuade Lin Yun, Lys didn't dare to let the two talk to each other any further so he dragged Lin Yun to an empty corner of the room.

"Merlin, do me a favor, don't lower yourself to argue with Fran, he… He has some mental issues." Lys didn't say more as he criticized Fran.

'He certainly must have some mental issues, or else he wouldn't cause trouble for Merlin… How can we have a joint exploration if a Master Alchemist dies before it even starts?'

It wasn't recent news, so almost every member of the expedition knew of Merlin's destructive power…

'This Fran is really… The Mercury Tower sent you over for technical support, not to let you kill yourself… Why would you try to rush to your death?'

"Okay, I understand, Leader Lys. I'll let you handle this." Lin Yun understood Lys' situation. A Master Alchemist from the Mercury Tower had come, and a disciple of Artisan Nolan at that. Regardless of what Lys thought, he had to keep this guest safe.

This was why Lin Yun didn't make things difficult for Lys. He smiled and looked for an excuse to leave when he saw Solomon waving at him, which was exactly what he wanted. "Leader Lys, please excuse me," he said, tilting his head at Solomon.

"Oh, okay…"

Lin walked through the reception room to reach a small area with a few chairs spread in a circle. Solomon was sitting at the head seat, and Lin Yun recognized the Viper Nest's Bell, the Black Horn Auction House's Cadgar, the Silver Moon Mercenaries' Barry, the Crystal chamber of commerce's Darian… All were peak mages of Thousand Sails City and Lin Yun understood with one glance that this was a gathering of peak mages with Solomon at the core.

When he saw Lin Yun coming over, Solomon pulled up a chair and set it next to himself. "Merlin, come sit here."

"Okay." Lin Yun greeted the mages he was familiar with while sitting next to Solomon.

But Solomon's actions startled some mages, making them have seem thoughtful as they greeted Lin Yun.

Only Thousand Sails City's peak mages could sit in that circle. The weakest of the weakest was on the level of the Viper Nest's Bell. Even Ryan Monchi, who had become a Great Mage at his young age, wasn't qualified to sit there. It reflected power and status.

It looked as if Solomon was only getting a chair, but the fact that he let Lin Yun sit next to him was like expressing that this young mage already had the qualifications to be next to him… Or the strength.

In the past, those mages wouldn't have thought that way.

But it was completely different now.

In recent days, Mafa Merlin's achievements had spread far and wide. Now, few people would think of him as only the son of Locke Merlin, because in their minds, Mafa's recent achievements far surpassed those of his father, Locke Merlin.

The sudden rise of the Gilded Rose had already become legendary in Thousand Sails City. There would be someone in nearly every tavern narrating the story of the Gilded Rose while adding some extra details, recounting everything as if they had experienced it themselves.

But to these major forces of Thousand Sails City, what really mattered had always been Lin Yun's own strength.

At first, they only knew that this young Great Mage had single-handedly charged into the Poison Fog Canyon to take back a few Apprentice Alchemists belonging to the Gilded Rose, while also using a method that could only be described as rude and unreasonable to force Sauss to open a trade route for him.

Many people were shocked back then, but afterwards, they only felt that this young Great Mage had a promising future, more promising than Ryan's.

That was all…

But they soon felt that something was wrong…

Because it didn't take long for them to learn about the 9th Rank Great Mage from the Watson Family being beaten back by him, forcing everyone to pay more attention to him. That was a 9th Rank Great Mage, someone that might soon become a High Mage if given a bit of time, yet he had been sent running back with his face swollen. Didn't that mean that Mafa Merlin had strength near that of a High Mage?

But before they could react, the Watson Family sent a High Mage!

They had all been sure that Mafa Merlin would be in trouble.

But that High Mage was also sent back to Okland by Merlin, and this cause huge tremors to spread among the major forces of Thousand Sails City. They started warning all their subordinates to be careful when dealing with the Gilded Rose, and that they definitely couldn't annoy Mafa Merlin, because he was at least strong enough to defeat a High Mage.

Then, Cadgar, Monchi, and Sauss brought them even more eye-opening information.

Star Sage Jouyi himself acknowledged that Mafa Merlin already had the strength to take down a 9th Rank High Mage with him if backed into a corner!

The 2nd rate and 3rd rate forces of Thousand Sails city might only feel that Mafa Merlin was strong, but the true peak forces already knew that the strength of that man far surpassed the Great Mage realm to the point that no one knew his true limits. They only knew of the estimate that he could contend with a 9th Rank High Mage.

Thus, Solomon letting Lin Yun sit together with him only startled them for a bit. When they recovered, the tones they used when addressing Lin Yun were more enthusiastic and deferential.

"What happened, Merlin, why do you seem to be in such a bad mood?" Even though Lin Yun had been a bit far away, Solomon's eyesight was very good and he noticed quite a few things.

"It's nothing, just that Master Fran being unfriendly." Lin Yun didn't hide it.

"Haha, Fran?" Solomon threw a glance at Fran before saying, "It's pretty normal for Fran to be unfriendly towards you…"

"Oh?" Lin Yun wrinkled his brow. It seemed that Solomon knew some hidden information.

"There are two reasons." Solomon leaned against his chair to get into a more comfortable position before raising one finger. "The first reason is that there has been news coming from Okland saying that the Merlin Family already publicly revealed your existence and planned on finding a suitable time to let you return to the family."

"The Merlin Family…" Lin Yun frowned. He didn't care much why Fran was targeting him. Fran was only a 5th Rank High Mage, and no matter what he tried, he would be far from being a threat.

'No, when we are in the Vaughn Laboratory, I should find a chance to get rid of him.'

In fact, the moves from the Merlin Family baffled Lin Yun.

The Merlin Family was a millennium-old family, how could they be in such a rush that they would let William Merlin try to convince him while openly announcing the news? Did the Merlin Family care about him that much?

Or was it for another reason?

"Fran doesn't get along with the Merlin Family, this is an open secret in Okland."

"No wonder…"

"Furthermore, Fran had originally applied to be the one in charge of breaking the arrays, but because the price he was asking was too high, he was turned down by Lys…" Solomon couldn't help chuckling as he stopped there. "Do you know what Fran asked for? Half of the harvest from the entire trip to Vaughn's Treasury…"

"…" Lin Yun originally thought that asking to have loot priority on magic materials was biting off more than he could chew, but he had never expected that someone would be even hungrier. 'Half of Vaughn's Laboratory, are you not afraid of bursting from being too full…?'

"And there you are, a descendant of the Merlin Family taking his deal from him, it would be strange for Fran to greet you happily…"

"So it was like this." Lin Yun nodded with a smile and quickly threw Fran to the back of his mind.

But that wasn't the case for Fran, on the other side of the reception room.

At this time, Lys and Fran were sitting next to the fireplace.

"Lys, I have to say, you made a big mistake. I wondered who it was, but it turns out to be that Mafa Merlin who studied under Seth. You were actually convinced by a kid… You'll regret it after reaching Vaughn's Treasury…"

"Haha, Nolan, the price you asked was far too great, I couldn't convince the others…" Lys was still smiling, but he had already cursed Fran and all his ancestors in his heart. 'Damn, I actually wanted to believe in you, but who would accept the price you demanded?

'All of Thousand Sails City's major forces dispatched their troops and spared no effort to come to Vaughn's Treasury, yet you wanted to pop in, break the arrays, and leave with half the harvest! And you want me to explain that to the others?

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