Warlock of the Magus World

by Stayrr

What happens when a scientist from a futuristic world reincarnates in a World of Magic and Knights? An awesome MC is what happens! A scientist’s goal is to explore the secrets of the universe, and this is exactly what Leylin sets out to do when he is reincarnated. Dark, cold and calculating, he makes use of all his resources as he sets off on his adventures to meet his goal. Face?

7. 172

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One Year

After fiercely negotiating the price, Leylin finally cut the price down to eighteen thousand magic crystals and bought the slaves.

Furthermore, right in front of Lucia within the shop, Leylin used his own spirit brand and branded the six slaves' minds.

That meant from thereon, the fates of these slaves were all grasped within Leylin's palm.

Also, the nature of the soul brand was such that they had to be completely obedient to Leylin. Even if they were asked to kill themselves, they had to do so without a moment's thought!

One could go so far as to say that if Leylin felt a sudden urge, these slaves' brains could simply explode like a watermelon.

"Haha… I'll stop bothering you and be on my way then!"

Once they were on the street of their villas, Crew silently judged the two gorgeous female Knights behind Leylin with a mischievous twinkling in his eyes as they returned to their respective homes.

"That old geezer!" Leylin was speechless as he shook his head, before bringing the six slaves into his villa.

"This is my villa. You'll be staying here from hereon, and you can choose your rooms in the back. Nobody is allowed into my bedroom and the basement! Understood?"

Leylin turned and swept his eyes over his six newly-bought slaves as he ordered.

"Understood, master!" The six of them split up and left.

"Damien, you stay behind!" Leylin stopped the level 3 acolyte.

"Master, do you have any more orders for me?" Damien questioned respectfully.

"From today onwards, you are the butler of this villa and will be in charge of managing this place when I'm not around. Also, regarding the villa's defense spell formation, I'll give you the authority to modify it. Your task is to tidy up the entire villa, and stock up on items needed for everyday use…"

Leylin began to give a series of instructions.

In a trading centre such as Nightless City where the Magi were in charge, there were many things that only a Magi could do. A typical Knight or Grand Knight didn't have a sea of consciousness, so how could they even control their spiritual force, chant incantations and the like?

In order to maintain the operation of his villa even after Leylin left, an acolyte-level butler was indispensable.

"Also, tell me how you became a slave." Leylin was slightly curious.

At the mention of this, Damien's expression darkened and he trembled, a look of suffering appearing on his face.

It was clear that his past was an extremely painful experience for him.

However, due to the control of the soul brand, he still had to adhere to Leylin's command. "I was from the Steel Fort and was born in a regular little town. I was fortunate enough to be tested to have an affinity for magic and was accepted by my mentor into the Moonlight Shadow. Master may not have heard of it, as it is but a small Magi organisation. Even though I had to allow my mentor to experiment on my body, I was still lucky enough to survive and even became a level three acolyte…"

Until this point, Damien's expression was still normal, but a traumatised look emerged on his face.

"Right after that was… the war! That darned war! As the powers lording over our district, the Wetland Gardens Academy began to support the expansion of other small organisations just because our leader was against them. Moonlight Shadow was conveniently used in the war, and my mentor, as well as many other seniors, died in battle. I was held captive and eventually became a slave…"

Leylin nodded in agreement. In the unwritten rules of the Magus World, Magi were typically not allowed to hold acolytes captive and use them as slaves, or else there would be no order in society.

But there was one situation where the Magi was evidently not protected by any laws or agreements — it was when they were the prisoners of war!

The prisoners of war and sub-human acolytes from established academies were the chief sources of magician slaves!

Leylin watched Damien, who was somewhat indignant and sorrowful, and suddenly felt a surge of fear.

At the beginning, if not for Abyssal Bone Forest Academy warding off the attack from the enemies, he wouldn't be able to escape at all and his fate might have been to be killed by an official Magus or captured as a prisoner, and later be sold off as a slave.

"That's why I'm so desperate for power! Only by possessing strength can I take control of my future!"

Leylin waved Damien away with a gesture of his hand.

"Familiarise yourself with the surroundings first. I want to go out and will only be back in the evening."

……

The villa that Leylin was renting was extremely spacious, and there were rooms specifically meant for the servants to live in. Having six slaves moving in wasn't crowded at all, and on the contrary, added a bit of life into the villa.

Damien revealed his abilities as an exceptional butler and kept Leylin's villa neat and tidy. This allowed Leylin to relax and discard thoughts about odd jobs that needed to be done around the villa, and focus on brewing the ancient potion, Tears of Mary, in the basement.

Countless days later, Leylin went to the old witch's shop alone and passed on to her the two portions of Tears of Mary that she was entitled to, based on their contract. They also set a timing for their next transaction.

After obtaining the ancient potions, no matter how hard the old witch tried to conceal her excitement, Leylin was still able to see her become feverish with elation.

She also stated that she was more than capable of handling even more spirits and that Leylin should prepare himself for that.

From the looks of it, in order to obtain more of these precious potions, she was willing to gather and prepare the ingredients at all costs.

Leylin was quite pleased with this temporary ally of his.

Though he didn't know the reason why she needed the potions so urgently, this was a situation that benefited him too.

After the two of them came to a consensus, Leylin returned to the villa and took care of all the matters in the villa. He then proceeded to the outside of the city and returned to Four Seasons Garden's headquarters on a Dragon Crown Nighthawk.

After joining Four Seasons Garden, besides the allocated amount that all Magi were entitled to, the great amount of resources in the library was something he something he coveted.

However, as a member of the organisation, he obviously was unable to stay in Nightless City all day long unless he was retired.

The missions this month were simple and could be completed in a few days, which gave him a lot of free time that he decided to spend in Nightless City.

At the moment, he had to return to Four Seasons Garden and take on the monthly tasks. Unless he wanted to renounce the portions he was allocated and the little power he had, he had to follow this sort of lifestyle.

If he were a typical Magus and were to use this way of life to slowly amass enough knowledge and resources for him to break through, it would take more than a hundred years!

But Leylin was different. Not only did he possess a high-grade meditation method, he was also extremely knowledgeable about the path one would need to take to become a rank 3 Magus. In addition, he had also stocked up and done preparations to ensure he had the best materials and ingredients!

In order to gain power and wealth, one needed to come up with alternative methods that might be frowned upon by others. He had never been a principled person.

Leylin had two main sources providing him with materials. One of them was the Four Seasons Garden, and even though the portion allocated by them was meagre, it still was a constant flow and the items were gained based on merit.

The other source was the dark Magi organisation he had recently joined. While it was slightly dangerous, the profits were plentiful.

With these two sources, one from an honest organisation and the other from an unscrupulous group, the rate at which he gathered his resources and increased his strength was far from what anyone could predict.

"Next, I'll have to lay low, gather all my resources, and wait for the second transition of my bloodline."

Leylin had planned everything for the next few years well ahead.

The current him was just like the Dragon Crown Nighthawk he was sitting on — before it flew, it would silently save its energy, anticipating a time in the future when it could soar through the skies!

……

Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, one year had passed.

The mountain that was the Four Seasons Garden's headquarters was still standing strong and proud as always. Magi travelled through the passages within the mountain, looking like ants as they travelled around.

"Leylin! The theory of the ecology that you tested in the secret plane aroused my interest. How about it? Shall we have a discussion about it?"

At the moment, in a room for rest and relaxation, a male Magus with fire-red hair was speaking with Leylin.

"Of course! I also hold an interest in the experiences and thoughts Magus Truman had while taking care of the Lava Goldfish."

Leylin looked about the same as he did a year before, the main difference being the blackness in his eyes that seemed to have another layer of depth to them.

"I was planning to take a trip to the library anyway. We can talk there!" Leylin invited Magus Truman.

"But of course! I'm very familiar with your reputation as the child of the library," Truman teased.

In answer, Leylin merely gave a light chuckle and did not take his comment to heart.

In the span of this one year, he had been lying low most of the time, completing his missions without complaints and receiving his allocated resources every month, mostly living in seclusion.

The place where he spent the most time in was the Four Seasons Garden's giant library.

The Four Seasons Garden was on a much larger scale than Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, and the records and resources in the library were abundant.

In addition, with Leylin's status as an official Magus, he had access to much more materials than what acolytes could get their hands on.

Though some high-grade knowledge and potion formulas needed to be exchanged for using the specified amount of contribution points, the resources that the Four Seasons Garden provided free of charge was extremely helpful for Leylin.

He spent about half a year gathering the information he had access to and saving them into the A.I. Chip, thereby largely enriching its database.

In order to prevent others from noticing the strangeness in his actions, Leylin would sometimes spend time in the library despite having saved all the information that was in there. For this pretense, he had rejected the invitations of countless beautiful female Magi. That had gained him several nicknames that were along the lines of 'the insensitive wooden block' and 'the child of the library' which quickly spread.

The Four Seasons Garden's library was constructed within a huge hill, and acolytes could often be seen entering it.

As official Magi, Leylin and Truman naturally received special treatment and received an isolated room in order to facilitate their discussion. There was also a soft sofa and multi-coloured snacks within the room.

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The Venom Wyvern

"The theory of ecosystems has long since existed. For example, many Magi find that growing wild grasses alongside Tortoise-Backed Mountain Grass will increase the yields of both by 30%!"

Leylin sat on the sofa and began to articulate upon his theories.

"All I did was expand on this ring of connection. Adding multiple factors, it would proliferate to tens or even hundreds of species, forming a large ecosystem and increasing the outputs of various resources inside the secret plane…"

Truman's eyes seemed to be giving off light. "What a novel theory! Being able to choose the most compatible ecosystem for the millions of resources in the natural world — I admire your knowledge and background in this area!"

Leylin just gave a faint smile. He was obviously unable to analyse that much data on his own, so the A.I. Chip did most of the work.

The research that he had made public was only on a superficial level.

He was prepared to employ the many key experiments and procedures in his very own secret plane in the future and was unwilling to help Four Seasons Garden increase their output for free. After all, he was no do-gooder.

"However, I am also curious about the Lava Goldfish that you're rearing, Truman." Leylin remarked with an anticipatory look in his eyes.

Lava Goldfishes were a unique species in the Magus World. Usually, they thrived in lava, which made them extremely difficult to breed.

As for their fish scales, they were necessary ingredients for many alchemy procedures. The blubber and flesh were a kind of nourishment which could recover a Magus' energy and enable them to be revitalised after a weary meditation session. Hence, it was highly sought after with an extremely high price.

"Actually, it's no big deal. These Lava Goldfishes' habits are very predictable. Once you understand them, then you can make a relevant section inside the secret plane…"

Of course, Truman only briefly stated the methods.

"I hope to use this information of breeding the Lava Goldfishes to exchange for your theory of ecosystem. Moreover, as the value of your information is above mine, I am willing to top up 5000 more magic crystals!"

Truman made a sincere request.

"It's no problem at all!" Leylin nodded and smiled. The purpose of releasing this information was to exchange it for resources and knowledge with other magicians.

After a year of hard work, he had finally managed to grasp the general methods in operating a secret plane. Apart from that, he also learned about some of the habitats that the most expensive plants needed to thrive in. If he was given a secret plane to govern now, it would definitely not be in deficit, and actually, make profits.

Although Leylin was a dark Magus and participated in plundering operations that the organisation he was in arranged, he never excluded the possibilities of extracting more magic crystals using a light Magus' methods.

"Speaking of which, Leylin, you're done with your missions for the month. Do you have any plans? I have a good friend whose experiment requires a high levelled Potions Master, so if you were to go…"

Truman sent Leylin an invitation.

Apart from their duties inside Four Seasons Garden, many magicians often had a part time job through their connections in the organisation, earning additional magic crystals and resources.

Of course, some did it purely as their interest or hobby, or merely just to help a friend out.

"My apologies! The mission for this month was extremely taxing. I wish to take this well-deserved break to recuperate in Nightless City!"

Leylin rejected Truman's invitation tactfully.

Right now, he no longer prioritised these tiny organization's resources or connections. Moreover, he was in the crucial period of boosting his prowess, so he did not have that much time to bother about other trivial matters.

"That's really regretful…" Truman's face reflected the disappointment that he felt. Only after exchanging several more words with Leylin and their specialised information did they separate.

"Lord Leylin!"

After parting with Truman, Leylin went to the landing pad of the Four Seasons Garden. The acolytes here all recognised Leylin and they bowed to greet him.

"How is Hawke's current condition?"

Leylin walked to a cage with a giant creature within it. A pair of large red eyes stared back at him. The beast opened its jaws and revealed rows of razor sharp fangs that resembled swords, with a crimson tongue that had reverse scales.

"Lord, your mount's appetite is great. Yesterday, it had even eaten a whole red bread pig. Its temper was rather nasty, though this could be due to it being caged for a long period of time…"

The acolyte who was in charge of these mounts was obviously skilled in his work. He was also extremely diligent as he replied Leylin.

Creak!*

A scarlet rune appeared on Leylin's finger, forming the shape of a key and entering the keyhole of the metal cage.

"Roar!"

With an impressive roar, a green wyvern charged out of the cage.

This creature had sharp talons and claws, and its whole body was covered in murky green scales. On its back was also a pair of large green wings. The membrane of the wings shone with a green lustre under the light.

[Venom Wyvern. Strength: 13.5, Agility: 19.8, Vitality: 11.2, Spiritual Force: 9.8. Special abilities: 1. Acidic breath: A corrosive poison will be spat on the mouth, with an area of effect of 20 metres. Average power: 16 degrees. 2. Toxic Rip: The Venom Wyvern's claws and fangs have toxic properties, with a huge numbing effect on the spiritual force.]

The Venom Wyvern's stats were displayed by Leylin's A.I. Chip.

"Rawrrr!"

The gigantic Venom Wyvern continued to roar. At the same time, there was a fawning look in its eyes that was incredibly humane as it lowered its head and rubbed gently against Leylin's body.

"Alright! Alright! I will give you an upsize for your meals when I get back!"

Leylin could not help but laugh as he rubbed this Venom Wyvern which had the mentality of a puppy missing its owner.

"Hawke, bring me to Nightless City now!"

Leylin got onto the back of the Venom Wyvern in one leap.

"Rawrr!" The Venom Wyvern snarled and the wings on its back jolted, unfolding segment by segment until they were fully extended, and were at least three times larger than its body.

With a fierce hurricane, the Venom Wyvern spread its wings and swooped into the air.

"Hah… They're finally gone. Just having that Venom Wyvern standing here is enough to make me feel uncomfortable," a female acolyte who was feeding a Dragon Crown Nighthawk, gave a long sigh of relief.

"With that guy around, all these Nighthawks lost their appetites!" The female acolyte patted the Nighthawk in front of her that was eating cheerfully, seemingly just as relieved as her.

"That Venom Wyvern's power is probably close to that of an official Magus. How strong must Magus Leylin be to be able to tame it?"

The male acolyte following behind Leylin had a very contrasting opinion from the female acolyte and his eyes reflected his envy and admiration for Leylin.

The Venom Wyvern's flying speed was twice as fast as the Dragon Crown Nighthawk had been. It was thus much more convenient for Leylin to travel between Nightless City and the Four Seasons Garden.

Upon reaching the Nightless City's landing pad, Leylin issued some orders for the acolytes to take care of his Venom Wyvern and gave Hawke another red bread pig before returning to his villa.

"Master!" Damien and a few Grand Knights bowed respectfully.

Leylin looked around, finding that the villa was still in the same state as it was before he had left. The human slaves that he had bought later on were carefully cleaning the staircase railing and all the pieces of artwork.

Damien was wearing a butler's uniform, looking impeccable as he stood behind Leylin.

"Master! After you left, your neighbour, Magus Crew came over once. Also, I've already paid the continuity fees to the communal centre. Here is the inventory."

After which, Damien gave a report of what he had done in this period of time.

"Okay." Leylin paid no mind to his words and nodded along. This Damien seemed to have undergone specialised training while he was a slave and was very proficient in these matters. Leylin had branded him and there was no way that he could revolt, so Leylin could place his trust in him.

"That's enough for now. Make me some dinner and milk tea!" Leylin ordered indifferently.

"Hawke can be used for transportation and can sweep away most acolytes, but he won't be useful in battles with official Magi."

After a moment, Leylin, who was lying comfortably on a couch with pretty maids servicing him with their soft little hands, reflected with a hint of regret.

In the south coast, some Magi had top grade magic creatures as pets. These pets matured quickly, to the point that after their master advanced, it was possible for their own strength to reach the level of an official Magus.

In battle, how much help would an assistant with the same rank render?

Unfortunately, no matter how much Leylin searched and gathered them, he couldn't find these high-quality pets, and could only purchase a Venom Wyvern to use as a mount.

Magi and their pets had to agree upon a strict spirit contract, and there were some that even required them to share their life force!

Leylin was obviously not going to waste his chance on this Venom Wyvern and used the simplest and cruelest spirit brand to forcibly control it. It was going to be a temporary mount, and he was planning to substitute it with a better option at the next best opportunity.

"But it's a shame!"

Leylin turned his hand and a crystal that was like an amber revealed itself in his palm. In the middle of the crystal was a drop of green liquid that had a unique aura emanating from it constantly.

"The Venom Wyvern's blood essence has a trace of the bloodline of the ancient creature — the Thousand Venom Dragon!" The A.I. Chip prompted.

That was why he had purchased the Venom Wyvern.

While he was in Nightless City, Leylin had constantly been collecting creatures that might have ancient bloodlines in them and tried to purify their blood with the A.I. Chip.

However, a majority of his experiments were a failure, and the blood essence in his palm was the best result he had.

"A.I. Chip, have you found out the reason?"

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The Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect

In order to obtain the bloodlines of more ancient creatures, Leylin had conducted numerous experiments. However, none of them were successful.

The best result was what was in his hand — the quintessence of some ancient creature.

To most Magi, this was probably a precious treasure, but for Leylin, this was far from enough.

[Beep! After 124 practical experiments and a comparison with 9718 simulated experiments, the conjecture is that the Host's concentration of bloodline essence is not enough. Unable to unearth deeper purification. Recommended to look for the blood essence of creatures with the power of rank 3 Magus and above as stimulus to purify bloodline.]

The A.I. Chip gave a prompt answer.

"As expected…" Leylin had already surmised this conjecture, and now it seemed to tally with the A.I. Chip's calculations.

After a long period of time, the ancient bloodline in the mystical creatures in the south coast had been thinned out so much that if not for the amazing ability of the A.I. Chip, Leylin would not even be able to refine this blood that was full of impurities.

To obtain a pure ancient bloodline, it was necessary to gain blood samples from even stronger monsters.

The A.I. Chip had gathered that at the bare minimum, blood samples from a rank 3 creature had to be obtained.

That meant that as long as Leylin was able to obtain the blood of a monster that was rank 3 or higher, the A.I. Chip would be able to purify and extract a perfect sample of the ancient bloodline.

"But… A creature that is rank 3 or above?" Leylin smiled wryly at his thoughts, "I'd probably die just from a snort from them! I'd obtained the blood from the Black Horrall Snake that originally had the strength of a rank 3 Magus. Thankfully, its might had weakened to the equivalent of an acolyte, and that alone was a giant stroke of luck. It's as if a tasty meat pie had fallen from the heavens! "

The Giant Kemoyin Serpent's bloodline that Leylin was in possession of was purified from the Black Horrall Snake previously found in the Dylan Gardens.

That Black Horrall Snake was a powerful creature that rivalled the strength of a rank 3 Magus at its adult stage!

The Black Horrall Snake back then had definitely matured into an adult. However, due to the limiters inside the secret plane, coupled with prolonged hunger — and perhaps also with the other methods from the great Magus Serholm — it caused the Black Horrall Snake's state to deteriorate in its slumber, eventually turning pitiful enough to be attacked by a group of level 3 acolytes.

This was obviously a present that the great Magus Serholm left for his inheritor. It was an intentional setup and not a coincidence.

The great Magus Serholm was a rank 4 Warlock, and as compared to Leylin who was a rank 1 Warlock, he was the sun while Leylin was but a firefly.

"These things are dependent on luck. At most, I'll take more notice in the future. It's not the time to think about this now!"

Leylin pulled up his stats.

[Leylin Farlier. Rank 1 Warlock. Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 7.1, Agility: 6.7, Vitality: 8.5, Spiritual Force: 58.9, Magic Power: 58 (Magic Power is in synchronisation with Spiritual Force). Elemental essence conversion: 70%. Status: Healthy]

In this year, he had been continuing his trade with the old witch. Using the processed spirits she had gathered, he had obtained a large quantity of the ancient potion- Tears of Mary!

With the help of the ancient potion, Leylin's spiritual force shot up rapidly.

Leylin had spent quite some time in the Four Seasons Garden and through the exchange of contribution points, he had gathered the formulas of potions that could increase an official Magus' spiritual force.

However, he found that those potions' effects were nothing compared to the ancient potion.

With its help, Leylin increased his spiritual force at a shocking rate, as if he had no limits.

Presently, he had no choice but to use concealment methods to hide his tremendous spiritual force. He stayed indoors whenever possible, avoiding areas where rank 2 Magi might appear. He didn't want there to be any chances of others finding out.

Unfortunately, even with the A.I. Chip constantly upgrading the concealment method, it was not possible to hide his spiritual force entirely.

The moment he had a break, Leylin would rush back to Nightless City to hide and avoided all social interaction.

After reaching a certain level in terms of his spiritual force, Leylin had once again used the crystallised Darkness energy particles to push his elemental essence conversion to 70%!

However, after his elemental essence conversion reached 70%, Leylin received a notification from the A.I. Chip that his body and spirit had developed a resistance towards such crystals. Unless he found more precious resources to raise his elemental essence conversion in the future, he could only rely on meditation and time and progress at a slower rate.

"Potions made by ancient Magi are really different!"

A look of satisfaction crossed Leylin's face. "The agreement with the old witch cannot be broken. Moreover, finding new ways to conceal my spiritual force is becoming a matter of urgency."

In all honesty, he should be collecting the spirits himself. Directly branding the spirits of slaves who helped out would ensure that this matter was kept secret.

However, the preparatory stages for the brewing of the Tears of Mary required someone with the might of a rank 1 Magus. Moreover, it had to be a Magus who was specialised in spirits.

As for Leylin, his current attainment in the knowledge of spiritual force and spirits only allowed him to brand level 3 acolytes. It was basically impossible to brand an official Magus.

Anyway, the old witch had made her vow in front of the Trial's Eye, so she could be trusted for the time being.

"However, the amount of spirits provided by the old witch seems to have decreased. In the past few trades, she also seemed distant and unfocused and didn't even participate in the activities organised by the dark Magi organisation. It seems there's something of extreme importance going on. I'd better check on her tomorrow and hope that there won't be any trouble…"

This ally of his was recently acting strangely, inciting worry in Leylin's heart.

"Master! Your dinner's ready!"

Damien's voice sounded while he was deep in thought, enjoying the service from his maids.

"Alright! I'll be right there!"

Leylin opened his eyes, the blackness in his pupils gaining another depth in them…

After a day of entertainment and rest, Leylin was feeling refreshed. Wrapped in a black cloak, Leylin covered even his face and paid a visit to the old witch's shop.

"What happened to you?"

The moment Leylin saw the state the old witch was in, he wrinkled his eyebrows.

The first time he'd seen her, the old witch looked like a dead person. The scent of death and decay was even more apparent now, and she looked like she was a corpse which had just crawled out of an old tomb. The undulations from her spiritual force were also extremely feeble.

This condition immediately alarmed Leylin.

For Magi, injuries on one's physical body were insignificant, but if one's spiritual force showed signs of weakening, that immediately meant that one's might was decreasing.

The old witch was still Leylin's ally, and he didn't want his supplier to suddenly disappear.

"Nothing much! Just a recent experiment that's approaching its crucial stage!" Her body was already as weak as it could get, and just speaking resulted in her panting. However, the light in her eyes was even more radiant, as if on the verge of burning up.

Leylin had seen such a fervent heat in a person's gaze before– in his previous life, in the eyes of lunatics and crazy people.

"You'd better not keep anything from me. Remember, we're allies. Haven't we been working well together in this past year?"

Leylin obviously didn't believe her vague explanation.

"When it's time, I'll definitely tell you everything."

The old witch gave a mysterious grin. "Also, I've found the spiritual force concealment method that you requested the previous time."

"What? What?!" This was so unexpected that a smile surfaced on Leylin's face.

He had always been searching for this content on the sly and attended a few of the dark Magi's bazaars and meets to exchange resources, but to no avail.

He wasn't expecting much when he employed her help, and it was a pleasant surprise that she had actually gotten what he wanted.

"This is information regarding the compression of spiritual force. Take a look!" She passed a green leaf to him.

Leylin reached out and took it, and then placed it on his forehead.

A cool feeling was emitted from the leaf and permeated Leylin's skull, going straight into the depths of his brain.

[Spiritual force data interface has been detected. To accept the connection or not?] The A.I. Chip's voice intoned.

"Accept!" With Leylin's command, a massive stream of information entered Leylin's sea of consciousness. It was constantly broken down, recorded and analysed by the A.I. Chip.

"Overall, the compression of spiritual force is to stack the spiritual force together continuously, arising in a different frequency of energy waves. From there, one can achieve the purpose of concealing their spiritual force…"

After browsing through for a while, Leylin smiled in satisfaction.

"This piece of information is very useful to me, but it seems to be incomplete. Where is the rest of it? Take it out! What do you want? Magic crystals? Potions? Resources? Just give the word!"

Leylin appeared to be extremely rich and overbearing.

"Hehehe… Just with the first half of this information, your spiritual force will be untraceable to all rank 1 Magi. Once you have the second half, even a rank 2 Magus won't be able to discover your spiritual force energy waves. Although you can definitely afford it, I wish to make a trade with you using another method…" The old witch said with a cryptic laugh and hooted.

"What method?" Leylin's brows furrowed, guessing that it was going to be extremely troublesome.

"I will give you the first half of the information now as a gift of thanks for being my ally!" The old witch appeared to be extremely generous, "As for the second half, I need you to do something for me!"

It was obvious that the old witch was using the second half of the information as bait to have Leylin help her with a certain matter.

"I need to know the specifics."

Leylin did not refuse, but he did not agree either.

"Hehe… Don't worry, I won't ask you to hold back a rank 2 Magus or anything like that. I just want you to accompany me to explore some ruins."

The old witch revealed her true motive.

"Exploring ruins? What ruins?" Leylin probed curiously.

"The remnants of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect!"

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Brass Ring and Jaye

"The Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect?!"

Leylin's looked lost for a second, and immediately made a sound of astonishment. "Do you mean that sect that's full of lunatics who think that spirits are the ultimate resting state of all living beings and like to massacre and sacrifice human flesh from time to time? Do you mean that wicked Magi sect?"

"Exactly! The Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect was just a small sect in the south coast during ancient times. I didn't expect you to know of them!"

The old witch gasped at Leylin.

"The ruins of this kind of crazy sect is definitely going to be annoying. There might be some troublesome curses or mechanisms in there…"

Leylin was very clear about his abilities.

A year ago, he could barely win over a Magus with 50% elemental essence conversion and was considered an elite within the tier of rank 1 Magi.

After a year of constantly increasing his spiritual force and elemental essence conversion, the current him was at the top, second only to those who were on the verge of breaking through and already met the requirements in terms of their spiritual force and elemental essence conversion.

This might was considered quite good in the entire south coast and he could be ranked highly here,but, if he had the misfortune of bumping into a rank 2 Magus, all that awaited him was death. At the most, he had a little hope of escaping with all his might, but what were his chances of survival? The A.I. Chip chip calculated that it was less than 10%!

In ancient times, elite Magi organisations were sure to have rank 4 Magi taking charge, and it was obvious that there were multiple rank 2 and 3 Magi.

The mechanisms left behind by Magi with such levels of strength were definitely not something Leylin could ward off, even though thousands of years had passed.

"Don't worry, we're just seeing a small part of it! I've also invited a few other friends. I just need one item from there, and all other gains will be left for you to divide amongst yourselves!"

The old witch gave her word.

"It looks like this item must be of massive importance to her. If that's the case, it might be possible for me to…"

After hearing her words, Leylin's eyes darted around as he considered.

"I need to think this over."

Out of cautiousness, Leylin decided to obtain more information first before answering her.

"Alright, but make it quick. I plan to leave in five days, so contact me using the secret imprint before then!" The old witch gave a quick nod and passed a dozen spirit spheres to Leylin.

"This is the latest batch of spirits! However, I need 20% more of your potions this time. I'll exchange some items to make up for this! How about two hundred thousand magic crystals and a Wolf Spirit Flower?"

Leylin glanced at the old witch, whose spiritual force undulations were waning.

If she was the one using all those spiritual force potions, she definitely would not be in this state. From the looks of it, all the potions she had obtained had been given to someone else.

"Sure!" After giving it a thought, Leylin agreed.

In order to increase the efficiency of the Tears of Mary and break through the nature of spiritual force, which always hit a bottleneck, he would always meditate for a period of time first. When the increase in his spiritual force slowed, he would then use the potion.

Based on the A.I. Chip's calculations, this combination was the best method to consume the potion.

Hence, he still had some Tears of Mary in his possession.

……

Five days later, on a flat ground in the eastern part of the Nightless City.

A shining bright moon hung in the sky, reflecting a silvery lustre on the earth.

The silhouettes of the trees dancing in the wind continuously projected malevolent shadows on the ground, just like monsters of various shapes and sizes.

Whoosh!*

Countless black figures converged, forming the shadows of 3 figures on the ground.

Two of the three people had worn a thick layer of black robes and used a veil to cover their faces. It seemed to give off the vibe of something eerie and crafty.

"Old Devil! When is Blood Rogue coming?" A cloaked figure spoke to the person that did not put on a veil but had a small demon mask on instead.

"Soon!" The voice of an old woman sounded from under the mask.

"By the way, I don't have a problem with you getting Blood Rogue to come since he's from our organisation and he's quite strong. Who's this person though?"

The cloaked person projected to the old witch, evidently dissatisfied.

"Don't worry, she's a good friend of mine. She's definitely trustworthy!" The old witch guaranteed.

"She'd better be. If not, no matter how tempting your rewards are, I'll take my leave!"

"Don't worry, she's…" She projected to him once more.

"I see!" She told the cloaked person some information, and it immediately became silent.

Minutes later, a blood-red flame soared at the site and a silhouette covered in a crimson cloak directly appeared on the ground.

"My apologies, I'm a little late!"

Leylin spoke and glanced through the people around.

He was obviously familiar with the old witch, and he had also seen the cloaked man in the dark Magi organisation before. He went by the nickname Brass Ring. As for the other, Leylin had no idea who it was.

"Blood Rogue, you're here! Let me introduce you, you already know Brass Ring, and this here is Jaye, a good friend of mine!"

The old witch first gave a brief introduction.

At this moment, Leylin, who had gone back to his experiment lab and tested the spiritual force concealment spell that he had gotten from the old witch, coveted the latter half of the spell even more.

Moreover, regarding the ruins of an ancient organisation such as the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect, Leylin was also somewhat interested in them. Hence, after a period of consideration, he finally agreed to the old witch's invitation.

However, as she had invited others, Leylin naturally made a deal with the old witch and came here with his identity as Blood Rogue in the dark Magi organisation.

Since he was using that identity, he naturally couldn't ride his Venom Wyvern.

The present Leylin's face was all red, and he had the appearance of a malevolent demon. There were even horns on his demon mask.

"Blood Rogue! Long time no see!" Brass Ring acknowledged his comrade.

Leylin's had gained a reputation from his identity as Blood Rogue from the few operations within the organisation. It could also be said that he was infamous, and coupled with the way the bald Venom Snake had suddenly vanished with no warning, Brass Ring was slightly fearful of this Blood Rogue.

Dark Magi respected power, and Brass Ring naturally would not underestimate Leylin.

"Brass Ring! And Jaye, hello!" Leylin greeted and smiled.

"Alright, since we're all here, let us set off!"

The old witch nodded her head and her figure disappeared in the darkness. Following which, after various flashes of light, there was no one left on this patch of ground, and darkness once again enveloped the area…

The old witch led Leylin and the others on a hastened journey. As they were all official Magus, their travelling speed was extremely quick, far surpassing the speed of horses. In the span of two days, they had already traversed across the entire Teljose plains.

Following which, Leylin and the others walked towards an extremely ordinary looking town.

This western styled town was no different from others, and the total headcount would not exceed ten thousand people.

As for the professions in this town, lumberers and farmers comprised the bulk of it. On the paths, there were even rubbish and dung strewn.

"It smells quite bad here!"

Brass Ring grumbled.

From the strange attire of the four of them, it was obvious that they could not enter the small town in broad daylight. The old witch first let them hide outside while she went in by herself.

After that, they strutted in without fear to the sight of numerous people who were in a deep sleep along the roads.

"This…" Leylin breathed in with his nose, "The pollen of the Sea Anemone Flower, and the liquid secretion from the Pungent Rat's joints! This dosage is enough for them to stay asleep for at least three days and three nights!"

"Hehe… And even if someone were to chop off one of their legs or kill them, they wouldn't even wake up. That's enough for us to conduct our exploration…"

"Is three days enough? Isn't it more convenient to just kill all of them? We can even take this opportunity to obtain a few bloodthirsty spirits and the like." Brass Ring casually brought up.

This was the way a typical dark Magus thought. They revelled in bloodshed and violence and preferred to slaughter in order to solve most of their problems.

"After the exploration, I'll let you do anything you want with them, but now, you have to listen to me!" The old witch stared at Brass Ring, a strange undulation emitting from her body.

Teng Teng!* Brass Ring had to retreat a few steps. "Are you mad? You want to use this in this situation? Are you looking to die?"

"Don't provoke me, or you'll absolutely regret it!" Her voice was hoarse.

At this moment, Brass Ring suddenly came to the realisation that the old witch in front of him was one of the elders in the organisation. She had connections and her powers were unknown, and if not for an incident many years ago, her power would be much stronger now!

At this moment, the other Magus called Jaye stood behind the old witch and expressed her support for her.

"Alright, alright! Let's make a compromise and not act this way!"

Leylin began to resolve the dispute, "Among the light Magi's standard operating procedures during times of calamity, a town whose civilians had all fainted or were all massacred are two different matters altogether. The first scenario would only have acolytes dispatched to investigate, as for the second scenario, there will be official Magi dispatched!"

"For the sake of our safety, Brass Ring, it's better for you to hold it in!" Following which, Leylin turned around and asked the old witch, "Time is indeed a concern. Old Devil, I'm sure you can tell us some things by now, can't you?"

The old witch looked at Leylin deep in the eyes before reluctantly agreeing. "Alright then!"

"… This is a small scale secret plane that I stumbled on during my travels. It should be an experiment lab of sorts. The area will not exceed 100 mu, so we can definitely finish exploring it within 3 days!"

"Small scale secret plane?" A flash of disappointment was shown on Leylin's face.

In the south coast, the secret planes were also categorised.

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A Banshee

In the south coast, the storage type secret plane Leylin had previously raided and the laboratory type secret plane that the old witch found were all classified as small scale secret planes.

The area of these kind of secret planes usually didn't exceed a 100 mu and were only used to perform experiments and to store supplies. If one does not take into account of the items stored inside and only look at the area of the secret plane, its worth would be at the bottom.

Above that were the resource type secret planes, the area of that type of secret planes is usually larger than 100,000 mu. The area is large and the topology is varied and suitable to grow resources necessary to Magi.

The highest rank of secret planes are those that have spells that can adjust the living environments of both plants and animals, and can be controlled by a single Magus!

These are only under normal circumstances, there are also places like Dylan Gardens which Leylin previously found. Even though the area was small but it was personally arranged by the fourth level warlock great Magus Serholm, thus its value couldn't be compared to the normal planes of its kind.

"It's a shame! If it was a resource type of secret plane, we could occupy it in secret then alter it, hehe… then we would be filthy rich!"

Brass Ring was stroking his chin as if he was caught in some fantasy.

"Keep dreaming!" The old witch sneered icily, interrupting Brass Ring's fancy dreams.

"The bigger the area of the secret plane, the higher the cost of construction. As for the resource type secret planes which was larger than 100k mu, even for some ancient Magi organisations, there weren't many that could afford to construct it…"

"All the present resource type secret planes that belongs to the large organisations are all remnants from the ancient Magi which have been altered slightly, that's all! If there really was a resource type secret plane being discovered here, the likes of us wouldn't be able to stomach it. Even if we added our whole organisation plus the Boss that is backing it, it still wouldn't be enough!"

"Let's go! Even if it's just a laboratory type of secret plane, there must still be a lot of valuable stuff inside. We're also handing over a lot contributions to the higher ups. It's enough for you to trade for a lot of resources!" Leylin said.

For these kind of small scale secret planes, every large Magi organisation has set up missions.

No matter if it's Four Seasons Garden or the dark Magi organisation which the old witch belonged to, they all have the power to take it over. After which there naturally will be a lot of rewards for the finders.

If this was a resource type of secret plane then Leylin would put in some thought in order to pocket it himself.

Since it's only a laboratory type of secret plane, he didn't put much thought into pocketing it. After all even if he was to occupy it because it's so small he couldn't actually alter it that much. At most he would only have a small scale secret base to hide.

"The entrance to the secret plane is on the west side of this town, inside a two story wooden building!"

The old witch seemed quite familiar with the surroundings as she brought the three of them to a two-storey building made out of wood.

Compare to the small town, this place was even more remote. Weed were growing all around the villa and there were even two mole like animals quickly scurrying by.

"Originally this place was a lively street, but since 13 years ago the residents in this place kept dying one by one. Sometimes the town residents could hear sound of a woman wailing outside their homes, that's why the rumors spread about it being a cursed or a haunted house. The surroundings ended up being overgrown!"

The old witch opened up the rusted gates while feeling rather satisfied with herself.

"I found this place during one of my explorations, after a couple of months of investigation, I'm sure that the unusual situations around here is cause by the deterioration of the defensive spells around the entrance to the secret plane, unwillingly leaking radiation …"

"According to calculations, after 13 years the defensive spells should have totally deteriorated. Leaving the entrance to the secret plane exposed…"

"Thusly I pretend to be an ordinary person and bought this building, plus I added a facade on the outside so other Magi couldn't discover this place."

Leylin was listening to the old witch while he was exploring the inside of this building.

The bottom floor wasn't that big, it only contained 2 to 3 buildings. The hall was filled with a thick layer of dust and broken furniture. In the corner was a spiral staircase filled with holes. It was the only thing connecting these two floors.

Beneath this obvious state of decline, Leylin could feel a strong aura of negative energy.

This aura was extremely malevolent, and it carried with it a smell that Leylin was familiar with.

"Spirits! And they're spirits that have been driven crazy from being vengeful!" The corner of Leylin's mouth curved, "This old witch really found a nice place!"

"Follow me! Be careful not to touch the black mold on the walls, those are trigger points!"

The old witch was in front leading the while, bringing the three behind as they climbed the squeaky stairs to the second floor. She seemed extremely familiar with this place.

The area on the second floor was smaller than the large hall on the first, where the corridors only allowed 2 people to walk side by side.

By chance Leylin was walking beside Jaye, because the other person was entirely wrapped in a cloak and didn't speak much. Leylin couldn't even distinguish the other person's gender.

"This oil painting is the entrance to the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect's secret plane!"

By the end of the corridor, the old witch was pointing towards an oil painting that was hanging on the wall as she turned around and spoke to Leylin and the rest.

Leylin's focus involuntarily shifted to the oil painting.

This oil painting depicted a richly dressed noble woman, using a delicate fan to cover half her face.

Due to time and age, there were a lot of dust on the walls. Even around the oil painting were a ring of thick dust.

The whole oil painting used green as a base color, and it didn't seem to fit the picture.

Besides, maybe it's because of the angle and line, but if he stared at it long enough, Leylin felt that the fan the noble woman was holding in the oil painting moved slightly.

Suddenly, the young woman inside the oil painting blinked her eyes!

"Is this oil painting alive?"

Leylin cried out involuntarily.

"You're finally awake?" The old witch advanced as she cackled.

"Foreign intruders, speak the password!" The woman inside the oil painting blinked again as information directly entered each Magus that was present.

"Password? Your masters have all perished, and right now we've come to take everything inside the secret plane!"

The old witch was staring at the woman in the oil painting, "If you choose to comply, there might be a place for you inside my storage room!"

"Password incorrect!" The woman inside the painting said. Leylin was keenly aware of that the fan which the noble woman held inside her hand closed slightly.

"It's only a being conjured by spells, yet it dares to disobey me!"

The old witch's eyes emitted green lights, and a ring of green fireballs emerged flying directly toward the oil painting.

Bam!*

As the green fireballs burned the oil paint, the noble woman's fan closed entirely exposing the face behind it.

Leylin didn't expect that under the beautiful half of the noble woman's face was a nose and mouth composed entirely out of bones.

This appearance was as if the flesh and blood below the noble woman's eyes had instantly disappeared.

A feeling of discrepancy and wrongness suddenly assaulted Leylin's thoracic cavity.

Scree!*

Following that, the shrill sound of a woman flooded the whole corridor.

The green fireballs started to crumble, turning into small spark of green fire. Following which it directly extinguished in the fluctuation of the air.

[Beep! Host is being attacked by sound waves. Resemblance to banshee wail 67%. Abnormality in muscle coordination, spiritual force circulation rate lowered by 89%…]

The A.I. Chip projected the status with red color in front of Leylin's eyes.

"Banshee wail? Could it be that there is a genuine banshee trapped inside that oil painting?" Leylin was startled, immediately a layer of crimson membrane appeared outside his body and isolated the sound.

Even though his ears still hurt, but his body has regained his mobility.

At the same time, a couple of blood red tentacles like intestines protruded from the oil painting and they headed for Brass Ring.

"Damnable thing!" Brass Ring cursed as his body protruded countless bone spikes. The red intestines was directly pierced and was severed.

"Bone Spike Arts?!" Leylin was startled, "He actually solidified this kind of innate spells onto himself, is he a masochist?"

Bone Spike Arts was a rank 1 spell, and was quite formidable. But its activation process was quite a hassle. It needed to be grown from a Magus' own skeleton then pierce the Magus' own muscle before attacking his opponent.

This kind of spell was literally hurting oneself before hurting your opponent, only maniacs and masochist would pick this.

"I'll tear you damnable thing to pieces!". One could see that Brass Ring was quite enraged since he was forced to use his innate spell.

Presently, his whole body was covered with bone spikes. It gave one the impression that he was like a white sea urchin.

At the same time, a green light spread from below his neck to his whole body, initiating blood staunching and similar effects.

"Stop!" The old witch's body started to emit countless translucent spirit bodies, and every one of them circulated around Brass Ring's body, making his speed drop.

"There is a spell effect on this oil painting, if you tear it apart the whole entrance to the secret plan will also collapse!"

The old witch's expression turned serious, "Let me do it!"

When the previous Banshee wail had struck, the bodies of both the old witch and Jaye emitted a black colored membrane. It seemed like neither of them suffered any injuries.

"Your Banshee wail was pretty good, it is a shame that the matching spell formation has been half collapsed due to the passage of time. What's left isn't something than can affect us official Magi…"

The old witch looked upon the Banshee within the oil painting with pity, as she stroked the surface of the painting with her hand.

Following which tiny dark purple dots originated from the old witch's palm and spread continuously. Like someone was adding a coat of paint.

"Come forth! My baby!"

The old witch said softly, her voice sounding tender and flirtatious.

As soon as these words were uttered, the Banshee within the painting turned fearful, as if she had encountered her natural enemy.

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The Spirit Devouring Moth

After the black purple colour extended throughout the entire oil painting, the banshee disappeared without a trace.

"That's a pretty good entrapment method! Did you buy this just for this purpose?"

Leylin approached the old witch, "I'm rather interested in this banshee. Can you sell it to me later? I'll buy it at twice the market price!"

"Once we're done exploring the secret plane and we find what I want, I can just give it to you!"

The old witch flashed Leylin a glance.

At the present, in the middle of the oil painting a small dot of silver light suddenly appeared.

The silvery light grew bigger and bigger and the surrounding void started to ripple. Finally, it settled into a corridor filled with a silvery sheen.

Resentment, wailing! A strong aura of dark spiritual power poured out constantly from within the corridor.

A faint mist started to rise around the whole wooden building and the sound of people of all ages started to sound all around.

This kind of scenery, if the old witch didn't previously put everyone in the town into slumber, would most likely have caused quite a commotion in the town.

"Even though there is no chance of encountering any ancient Magi inside the secret plane, but there are still some lingering curses and traps that are still working. We better be careful… considering that the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect was a Magi organization famous for researching spirits, one must prepare accordingly."

The old witch warned specifically.

"By now you should reveal to us what you're really looking for right?" Leylin locked the old witch with his gaze.

"Heuheuheu… relax, you'll all know when that time comes!" The old witch just cackled manically as usual.

"Speak the truth. Old Devil if you still won't we all will feel insecure…" This time, Brass Ring sided with Leylin, "If you don't tell me now, I won't be able to keep my former promises…"

"You guys…" The old witch was quite anxious but suddenly broke into a coughing fit. Her originally crooked body seemed to bend even more as if her waist was about to break.

"Sigh… Alright then!"

After a long while the old witch recovered her breath but her complexion was turning paler.

"It's an altar-like thing. There is only one of it in the whole laboratory. You won't be able to miss it!"

The old witch spoke with an impatience.

"Then what? Only this much information?" Brass Ring immediately asked.

"What else do you think there is?" The old witch's eyes emitted green light as her gaze bore into the body of Brass Ring, "I only found some clues from some ancient information that this altar might be inside this secret plane, how could I know any more specific facts?"

As if he was afraid that the old witch would again lash out at him, Brass Ring chose wisely not to ask any further questions.

"Then what's the altar's function?" After Brass Ring went silent, Leylin asked instead. "Don't tell me that you don't even know how to use the altar and still went to look for it."

"Of course not!" The old witch tried to calm her expression but still chose to speak at last, "That altar is a product made by the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect during their later periods, and is called the Spirit Altar. It has great benefits towards alleviating my current conditions. There is even a chance that it might directly cure it…"

"If you all help me get to it, then Blood Rogue's materials, Brass Ring's thunder fire stone, Jaye's gasping lakewater will all be given, not one gram less!"

The old witch guaranteed once more.

Leylin didn't completely believe it — it was apparent that the old witch had some other tricks up her sleeve.

"You and I are old friends, if I won't help you then who will?" Among the rest of the three Jaye was the first to speak. The voice was neither masculine nor feminine and carried a weird pitch.

"Alright! I was just asking!" Brass Ring also started to concede.

"What about you Blood Rogue?" The old witch looked over Leylin.

"If you are not planning to exploit us and make us risk our lives for your cause, I don't have any other objections!" Leylin sneered.

"That's good!"

The old witch looked at the corridor which emitted silvery light and said, "Alright, the corridor should be completely stabilised by now, let's us proceed!"

Following which the old witch's eyes radiated a fervent hunger as she stepped into the corridor.

Leylin and the rest looked at each other and followed.

The dazzling silvery light suddenly expanded and swallowed the four people completely.

"Buzz buzz!"

Leylin scanned his surroundings.

What he saw was a black corridor which seemed to be constructed by some unknown metal. The wall could strangely enough reflect their shadows.

But the shadows appeared twisted and seemed to emit a bone-chilling laughter.

"Illusion materialization technique?" Leylin smiled coldly. Black light flashed in his eyes and he was able to break out of the illusion immediately.

Following which he heard some buzzing sounds.

Following the sound a large grey cloud appeared. Once it got closer, Leylin discovered that this dark cloud consisted of densely packed, moth-like organisms.

Fur grew on these organisms, and the image of a huge eye was depicted on each of their huge wings. It seemed quite eerie.

"Careful! Those are the Spirit Devouring Moths!" The old witch raised the alarm.

"Don't touch the dust that they carry, otherwise your spirit and mentality will be continuously corroded!"

At the same time the old witch opened her mouth and emitted a shrill scream. Sound waves could be seen exploding forth like an artillery shell.

Boom!*

Half of the grey clouds disappeared, and at the same time, a huge amount of dust billowed down like it was snowing.

Whoosh!* As he heard the old witch mention the name of Spirit Devouring Moths, Leylin was already on alert. Now a scarlet red membrane of light enveloped his body and kept the dust at bay.

[Host's body is being attacked by an unknown powder. The powder has a sticky quality!] [Activating the defense potion smeared on Host's body. Adjusting frequency, emitting shockwaves… Adhesive powder substance's effect removed!] A prompt from the A.I. Chip emerged in front of Leylin's eyes.

"Such a bother!"

Leylin had read about this adhesive quality in the Four Seasons Garden's library before. This type of attack would stick onto the opponent's body, and if the layer of light was removed before the powder was completely gotten rid of, the powder's magic would be activated and begin the second attack.

"Crimson Palm!"

Leylin's hands suddenly turned red as he struck an offensive pose. Both his hands clawed in front of him.

Bang!*

Two crimson talons' image flashed through the void. It surrounded the Spirit Devouring Moths from both left and right and pressed towards the center.

Countless moths were directly torn into tatters by the blood talons, torn wings and grey dust like kept fluttering.

[Host's Crimson Palm's theoretical power: 20 degrees. Real power: 34 degrees, Crimson Palm reached boundary of limits, adding additional power!]

Along with the sound from the A.I. Chip's prompt, the phantom crimson claws in the air suddenly trembled, and blood-red flames burst out from his two hands, burning up all the falling bodies.

Without even emitting any smoke, the Spirit Devouring Moths were directly burnt to ashes in the crimson flames.

"Is this the signature move of the Blood Rogue — the Crimson Palm? Why is it so powerful?"

Brass Ring looked at Leylin with shock.

Within the dark Magi organisation, Leylin was a newcomer who went by the name Blood Rogue, and the spells that he often used were quickly revealed.

Brass Ring was aware that Leylin had such a technique, but he never knew that it had such a mighty offensive power!

"You have made great progress recently!"

The old witch secretly transmitted to Leylin.

From what Brass Ring had seen from the battle between the old witch and the Spirit Devouring Moths, he reckoned that these creatures were crafty and difficult to handle. Leylin, however, had used just one spell and completely demolished the opponent, which shocked the old witch.

It seemed that from the very beginning, this ally of hers had been developing at a frightening speed!

"This might… Is your elemental essence conversion more than 50%?" The old witch transmitted her voice to Leylin.

"What do you think?" Leylin answered indifferently.

"Hehe… the stronger you are the more it will benefit me. After all, compared to Brass Ring, I would rather trust you who signed a contract with me!"

The old witch made another promise while she spouted words she herself didn't believe, "As long as you help me, not only will I give you information about concealing your spiritual force, I'll also give you another million magic crystals. Hell, I'll even give up my position as an elder in the organisation to you!"

"A position like that is transferrable?" Leylin was a little shocked. The group that he was in, the Thousand Meddling Leaves, didn't have any real leader. The rank 2 dark Magus backing them was only in contact with a few of the elders.

The organisation had gatherings and trade fairs every once in awhile, letting the members have chances to find good opportunities.

The moment an elder felt that the lead a member had found was worth acting on, he or she would gather the members and launch a looting operation. The elder and members who had first found out about this chance would be able to get a bonus after the plundering.

It was obvious that once one became an elder, he or she would have a place as a leader in the dark Magi organisation. His or her status would be different.

"This situation would be impossible in a typical organisation, but what can I do when I have a dark Magi organisation backing me?" The transmitted voice of the old witch sounded bitter.

"Actually, besides me, the other elders have been changed quite a few times already. My condition hasn't been the best lately, and the number of people waiting to trample on me have increased…"

Her explanation made a lot of sense, but Leylin didn't really believe it.

"Alright! Since I've received your deposit, I'll do my best in the coming expedition!" Leylin agreed.

This entire exchange was very quick, and as they both came to an agreement, the blood-red flames that had just been ignited in mid-air, had been extinguished.

The old witch took on her role as the leader and guided them in. Minutes later, the four of them came to a fork in the path.

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Vengeful Spirit — Loathsome Evil

In front of Leylin and the rest of the exploration team.

A passage made of jet-black metal had opened up to three pathways, each leading to a different direction.

At each of the entrances, there were no obvious signs at all, causing a wave of foreboding to go through the four of them.

"Since it's a laboratory, how can there not be a sign for it?"

Brass Ring took the initiative and asked.

"There might have been one that had been destroyed by someone, or the Magi here had another method of communication that we're unaware of!"

The old witch shot a glance at Brass Ring. "What's wrong? We've come all the way here, are you thinking of backing out of our deal?"

"Of course not!" Brass Ring shook his head like it was the most obvious thing to do.

Not only were the rewards that the old witch offered extremely generous, there was a large possibility of there being large amounts of profit from within the secret plane. Neither of these were things that Brass Ring was willing to give up on.

"In that case, should we split up into teams and search, or do it by ourselves?" Leylin asked a very practical question.

"Of course, we're going to go in as a group! This is the ruins left behind by ancient Magi! Traps and other defense mechanisms are not easy for us to dismantle even as a group! It's much too dangerous for us to act alone!"

As the initiator of this operation, the old witch was resolute and made the decision for them.

"We've set up everything in the town already, and in the next ten days, there will certainly not be any people compelled to enter. This is enough time for us to clear up everything in the laboratory!"

After hearing her words, Jaye quickly agreed. Leylin thought it through for a while and also nodded.

"Alright then!"

Hearing Leylin's agreement, Brass Ring had no choice but to curl his lip and approve of this suggestion.

The four of them chose the path that was on the far right and entered.

Step step!*

Black leather shoes and the metal flooring met, the friction causing a very piercing sound.

"Be careful. The methods of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect are much more difficult to deal with than Spirit Devouring Moths…" Leylin reminded as he glanced at the surrounding walls.

A bright sound was constantly travelling through the passage, and there were also some echoes.

Leylin suddenly paused.

Only his figure was left in the entire passage. The old witch, Brass Ring, and Jaye had all disappeared!

"What happened?" Leylin fixed his attention on the red reflection on the metal wall.

"Did I unconsciously activate some trap? Even the A.I. Chip didn't detect it!"

A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "Looks like this expedition isn't going to be so simple…"

Ding!*

Leylin's sudden stop seemed to have triggered some sort of mechanism, and behind him, the metallic walls seemed to have lives of their own as they converged, thus blocking his retreat.

"Crimson Palm!"

Both of Leylin's palms turn blood red once again, crimson flames burning from the claws as he pressed them directly on the converging walls.

Sssii!*

As if cold ice had been directly thrown onto a blazing inferno, a sizzling sound of evaporating water was heard.

Under Leylin's hands, the unknown black metal turned completely red and constantly melted, forming puddles of liquid metal that stained the floor.

Over ten seconds later, the metallic walls that had suddenly emerged had a hole that was about one metre deep, and yet there was no sign of the end.

It seemed that in that moment, Leylin's path of retreat had been completely blocked by the black metallic wall.

[Based on the data taken so far, estimated thickness of metal wall: 45-47 metres. There is also a huge amount of the Manker Alloy found in the middle. Estimated time required for Host to entirely break through: 30 Minutes 56 Seconds!]

The A.I. Chip projected blue lines of data in front of Leylin.

"Half an hour. That's much too long!"

Leylin wasn't so naive to think that the Magus who had designed the trap would be so kind as to give him time to escape.

Sure enough, the longer amount of time Leylin stayed in there, the black metal in front of him also started to distort and gather in the centre as if it had a life of its own.

The passage became increasingly narrow, to the point that only one person would be able to pass through.

"I can't let this go on any longer. Otherwise, I'll be stuck in the middle of a huge metal sphere. It'll take too much magic power and spiritual force to get out!"

Leylin glanced at the wall that had a large hole in it and rushed forward.

Zoom!*

With the help of his burly physique and his magic, Leylin's speed was already past the limits of a regular human. All that was left of him were a few long after images.

The passage ahead seemed to sense Leylin's approach and converged at an even quicker rate!

"Hah!" Leylin breathed in deeply and quickly spat out a few punctuated syllables!

In a split second, the blood-red layer on his body expanded, the flames' range achieving half a metre, emitting a fervent heat.

Leylin seemed to have been possessed by some ancient flaming creature, and with his body cloaked in crimson flames, he darted quickly towards the small crack left between the black metal!

Bang!*

The entire passageway jolted slightly, and the sound of corrosion sounded.

Right as the metallic walls were about to converge, Leylin had forced his way out, leaving behind a human-shaped gap. Droplets of liquidised black metal were still dripping incessantly.

Leylin's charge had lasted for almost an entire minute, and he only stopped the flames when his field of view opened up.

"What a troublesome passage!"

Leylin looked at the black passage behind him that had completely closed up. This sort of passageway might not be able to kill a Magus, but it was able to make the opponent waste large amounts of spiritual and magic force, and just the slightest bit of hesitance would entrap the Magus within it. It would consume a lot of magic power to fire a spell, and by the time the Magus' spiritual force and magic power had been mostly used, coupled with the curses and traps, it was enough to inflict serious damage, or even kill the intruder!

"This trap should have several parts to it, which implies that this is the area where the next part will be activated!"

Leylin surveyed his surroundings.

This used to be a garden or a place where plants were cultivated. It had a large area, and streams of man-made sunlight shone upon the land. Those were the Sunbeam Moss, which were tenaciously exhibiting their usefulness. There was also evidence of plants wilting.

"Though this is just a small-scaled garden, it seems to have been well taken care of. It's such a waste that it was abandoned…"

Leylin constantly swept his eyes over the garden.

His time at the Four Seasons Garden's secret plane had allowed him to identify a few plants from their remnants.

"The Three Horned Flower, Spirit Breaking Grass, as well as the Half Bodied Bat, Upside Down Lizard– These four are the main cultivators of this garden!

"The Three Horned Flower pollinates with the help of Half Bodied Bat, and the excretion from the Inverted Lizard is the best fertilizer for the Spirit Breaking Grass! In the middle of the region where the Three Horned Flower and Spirit Breaking Grass are located, there also seems to be a Star Fruit. This is what the Half Bodied Bat and Inverted Lizard feed on!

"This method of growing them…" A light flashed in Leylin's blue eyes.

"This can increase the output of the Half Bodied Bat by 50%, the Inverted Lizard by 40% and the Three Horned Flower and Spirit Breaking Grass by 10%…"

Constructing a garden outside a laboratory must have been to make it convenient to make potions and other items that would be useful in experiments.

The reason why Leylin was calculating the output of the plants and animals so carefully was because he wanted to probe and find signs of experimentation.

Just based on these clues, brilliant Magi could deduce the scope of experimentation and the laboratory's uses in ancient times.

With the knowledge that the A.I. Chip had gathered from the Four Seasons Garden's library, Leylin's knowledge was very profound. With the added aid from the A.I. Chip's calculations, he would also be able to make a fairly accurate guess.

"A.I. Chip! Search for similar ancient potion formulas that primarily require these four ingredients!"

Though the number of formulas that Leylin had received were few, the ingredients required to make ancient potions were made public. Only the steps to brew the potion had been written in code on the formula, and as a result, the A.I. Chip had gathered quite a lot of information.

[Beep! Entering simulated data! Searching database for compatible potions!]

The A.I. Chip loyally intoned.

Rows of data flowed, finally stopping on a few columns.

[Spirit Fusion Potion. Similarity: 79% Effect: Able to boost fusion between different spirits by a large margin, producing a new consciousness from a fused body.] [Rejecting Spirits Removal Potion. Similarity: 56%. Effect: Able to eliminate confusion between spirits while fusing and stabilise the new spirit body.] [Wolfiporia Potion. Similarity: 34%. Effect: Able to boost the power of the spirit by a large margin! Side effects: Spirit's consciousness will be expelled to a certain extent.]

Leylin examined the information pertaining to these potions, and the look on his face became more serious.

A period of time later, he sighed slowly. "These potions all complement each other. From the looks of it, I seem to have discovered something amazing!"

"Oooh…"

Just when Leylin was thinking of exploring further, a low and hoarse voice sounded, and an enormous and warped figure appeared in the line of Leylin's sight.

It was a huge monster that was about 10 metres tall.

There were numerous frightful wounds that were sewn together, and it looked to be the result of putting different body parts together.

This stitched up monster's right hand was twisted in a weird shape and had eight fingers. In the palm of its left hand was a large axe that was dotted with rust.

Other than the two large arms, there were many slim arms grown on its upper body and back which were continuously trembling.

"This is a type of vengeful spirit… the Loathsome Evil!"

Leylin sucked in a cold breath. "Such a huge physique! How much blood and flesh had to be sacrificed for its body to still be so solid?"

[Alert! Alert! High levelled creature approaching with a strong contamination of spirits! According to the Host's level, the threat is at a Grade 5!]

The A.I. Chip frantically warned.

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Fierce Battle

The Loathsome Evil was a creature that Leylin had seen in ancient books. It was a type of life form that had been created by Magi.

Its exact origin was unknown, but Leylin could very clearly remember that in ancient books, the Loathsome Evil had been described as a fiend.

This type of lifeform had an exceedingly powerful body and vitality. What was even more frightening was the spirit pollution constantly emanating from its body.

Ordinary people were simply unable to withstand the pollution caused to their spirits and usually died en masse.

As a result, the appearance of a Loathsome Evil generally marked the destruction of cities and the loss of countless lives.

The most frightening record had been when an entire army of over a hundred Loathsome Evils appeared!

This terrifying army had destroyed two ancient Magi's headquarters and caused the deaths of approximately twenty percent or more of the population of the south coast.

Ultimately, only with the aid from an unknown ancient Morning Star Magus was that terrible army completely destroyed.

"I didn't expect the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect to have created this Loathsome Evil! Then again, the timing is just right!"

Within Leylin's eyes, there appeared a flash of understanding.

Based on the annals of the Magus world's history, after the disaster caused by the Loathsome Evils, the Spirit Slaying Sect sank into a weird state of affairs. First, they proclaimed their conviction that a supreme Magus had descended, and then they ruled this world. Soon after, they carried a very large scale blood and flesh sacrifice and thereby disappeared from this Magus world.

Now, it was clear to him that the thriving Spirit Slaying Sect had offended the Magi of the south coast, so the Magi had all joined hands to destroy this sect.

At this moment, the Loathsome Evil that had been wandering around noticed Leylin.

Through its eyes, one of which was big and the other small, its thirst for blood was self-evident. Even its huge, bloated body was trembling in excitement.

A light green haze permeated the entire garden.

"Spirit Pollution!" Leylin's expression became grim, as he recognised the most dreadful attack from this Loathsome Evil.

"Kemoyin's Scales!"

With a single thought, a fine layer of scales covered his body. The scales were jet-black and densely packed as they crept up Leylin's arms and even his face.

Under the protection of the scales, Leylin's current appearance was vastly different. There was even a hint of amber light in his eyes.

These scales did not give him a fiendish image, but rather, with the influence and charm that a Warlock's bloodline gave him, there was a sense elegance to his appearance.

Even a regular human would think there was a wild aesthetic to Leylin.

If Leylin was a sub-human and part of the Snake family, he'd even be treated as a precious tribute to the queen snakes of various families, though Leylin would definitely be unwilling to go through with it.

After activating his innate defense spell, Leylin was still unsatisfied and used his palm to stroke his neck.

A dark red light exploded from his neck, and like the scales, descended until it covered his entire body, forming something that seemed like armour.

Leylin was especially cautious when dealing with this fearsome Spirit Pollution. Not only had he activated his innate defense spell, he'd even used his trump card, the Fallen Star Pendant.

Not only did the might of an ancient Loathsome Evil surpass that of a rank 1 Magus, Leylin was unsure of what the Spirit Slaying Sect's Magi had done to increase its strength, making it even more troublesome.

Leylin wasn't willing to risk anything—harm done to one's spirit was much more difficult to treat than flesh wounds!

At that moment, other than the red membrane layer, Leylin had also had activated his two main items for defence—Kemoyin's Scales and the Fallen Star Pendant.

Just as Leylin had finished his preparations, the light green haze had reached his location.

Bzzt!*

The moment the haze enveloped him, Leylin suddenly felt faint. Immediately after, the red light in his sea of consciousness rippled, and the crystal in the centre sent out a wave of spiritual force, dispersing his giddiness.

Chik Chik!*

The moment Leylin's outermost crimson layer of protection came into contact with the haze, the sound of an object being corroded could be heard. Within a few seconds, it was completely broken through.

Next, the phantom armour from Fallen Star Pendant started producing unbearable sounds, the energy from its reserves constantly being consumed.

"It hasn't gone through my defences, but to think that this was the effect of the spirit pollution!"

Leylin trained his eye on the Loathsome Evil that was gradually approaching, the fear in his expression becoming increasingly apparent.

"Roarr!"

Two thick arms suddenly grew from its back and touched the ground, supporting the Loathsome Evil.

With a burst of power, the Loathsome Evil's speed rapidly increased, and it dashed towards Leylin, slashing at his waist with the axe in his left hand!

Before that massive power reached him, the air in the atmosphere seemed to be compressed into crystals that hurtled towards Leylin!

With a gleam in his blue eyes, Leylin ducked through the crack in the axe by twisting his body at an unbelievable angle.

"Latent Fireball!"

After dodging this attack, Leylin looked around and saw that the garden had been almost completely engulfed by the green haze. Unless he killed this Loathsome Evil, it would have been impossible to pass through.

In any case, Leylin didn't believe that the ancient Magi would let him leave so easily.

Hence, Leylin struck back fiercely, using the spell that had the most might!

Boom!*

Along with the syllables that flew out of Leylin's mouth, a large number of black fireballs suddenly appeared around the Loathsome Evil's figure.

These fireballs quickly merged into a single mass, its volume expanding to ten times the usual size, and exploded in front of the Loathsome Evil.

Black flames engulfed the Loathsome Evil, and many of its slim arms were broken off from the explosion.

Just from a single little black spark landing on the ground, a hole was melted that was so deep, one could not see how far down it went.

[Attacking target in the centre! Power of Latent Fireball: 51. Added bonus from elemental essence conversion: 21. Target's defense in its front has been destroyed! Received data readings!"

A prompt from the A.I. Chip sounded out.

Out of all the spells Leylin possessed, the Latent Fireball was a magic that was second only to the Eyes of Petrification. Currently, with the added bonus from his elemental essence conversion, its degree of power was a terrifying total of 51!

Even an ancient monster like the Loathsome Evil could only tremble under the might of these flames!

[Beep! Loathsome Evil. Strength: 34. Agility: 19. Vitality: 40. Spiritual force: 25. Special Abilities: 1. Spirit Pollution. The Loathsome Evil will always be surrounded by Spirit Pollution similar to that emitted by ancient Magi. Once a spirit is infected, the creature will be cursed for eternity, and eventually wither away! 2. Devour: Loathsome Evil can heal injuries by consuming large amounts of flesh. At the same time, devouring large numbers of spirits will help the Loathsome Evil to evolve into stronger creatures!]

Seeing the data that the A.I. Chip had analysed, Leylin looked at the monster howling in pain within the dark flames with a sense of admiration.

"This power is comparable to that of a Magus with a 50% elemental essence conversion. If an army of Loathsome Evils is formed with an even more powerful leader taking charge, it'll definitely be difficult for Magus organisations to handle it. They would need to escape…"

Leylin was admiring the Loathsome Evil, but this was still a battle, and Leylin instantly cast another Latent Fireball.

Countless black fireballs emerged from the shadows and rushed towards the large mass of flames, causing it to burn even more vigorously.

Although Leylin possessed an interest in this Loathsome Evil, he would only extract some tissues and fluids from it after its death. He was definitely not planning on catching it live.

Hence, after seeing that the Latent Fireball was effective, Leylin immediately produced large numbers of the black fireballs, determined to kill off the Loathsome Evil in one go!

"Grah!"

The Loathsome Evil within the flames roared terrifyingly as it trembled on the floor, the many slim arms on its body melting and falling off.

Boom!!!*

The black flames burnt through the Loathsome Evil's belly, and instantly, innumerable spirits escaped out of its stomach.

These spirits' faces were those of females and males of all ages, and most of these spirits were weirdly shaped. If they didn't have an extra hand on their faces, there would be an extra three legs on their bodies. Some even had various organs and structures stuck on their bodies and looked extremely similar to the Loathsome Evil.

The similarities between all of these spirits was a lifeless look in their eyes as if they had lost all intelligence.

"Don't tell me… This is a base where the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect creates Loathsome Evils?" Seeing this scene, Leylin compared his current conjectures with his previous guesses and came up with a conclusion.

These spirits mindlessly dithered around the Loathsome Evil and seemed to hardly be afraid of the black flames. They passed through without any trouble, and Leylin's expression darkened.

"This! Could it be that…" Leylin suddenly had an idea.

He immediately threw out several potions, and even mixed in pink pearls that were sure to cause damage to spirits!

However, it was too late.

With a high pitched cry from the Loathsome Evil, the surrounding spirits promptly blew up!

Boom!*

The old witch's method used to explode spirits seemed to have appeared once again!

However, this explosion included potentially hundreds of spirits exploding at the same time. Its power far outstripped what the old witch had shown the previous time!

The black flames on the Loathsome Evil's body were extinguished in the explosion.

The waves from the frightening explosion hit Leylin.

Poof!* The defensive layer from the Fallen Star Pendant suddenly flashed and fell apart like a soap bubble.

Leylin was sent flying, as if he had collided with the head of a train, and destroyed countless buildings as he fell back. There was a long line on the ground, tracing the path that he had been pushed back.

"Why didn't I detect such a frightening skill?" Leylin was startled and even a little angry.

[Detecting a force field that has been partitioned in a second defensive layer within the target's belly!]

A prompt from the A.I. Chip emerged once again.

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Sneak Attack

Although the A.I. Chip's ability had been upgraded and strengthened by many-fold, but within this strange Magus world, it was still not as good as he desired.

Due to the earlier mistake, Leylin was not in the mood to go and investigate.

And by now, the Loathsome Evil had already approached him to attack!

On the present vengeful spirit Loathsome Evil's body, the majority of its hands had been cut off and it still had many burnt black patches and within its belly, a large hole had been cut open. This exposed its intestines and other unknown organs.

But these did not affect the vengeful spirit Loathsome Evil's mobility.

On the contrary, to one's eyes, the Loathsome Evil appeared to emit a scarlet radiance. Compared to before, it seemed to have become more fiendish.

The veins on its body seemed to be intertwined and protruding out, and they were like cyan snakes that were twisted about each other as this Loathsome Evil came at Leylin.

Many of its body flesh and fat had become abnormal because it had been burnt, but its speed was faster than before.

"F*ck!"

The scales on Leylin's body trembled a bit and the dust and pebbles sticking to it fell to the ground.

Although the recent spirit explosion was violent, but after it passed through the defense of the Fallen Star Pendant, its damage power was reduced and then it was entirely resisted by the Kemoyin Scales on his body.

For the present, although Leylin's body received a tremendous jolt, he almost had no other injury.

At this moment, the giant Loathsome Evil attacked with a flying speed, while it unceasingly spread out waves of the spirit plague.

"Shadow Concealment!"

When Leylin saw this scene, his mouth continuously chanted the spell. At the same time, the scales on his body emitted a dark lustre. As this dark light passed through him, his body became rather transparent.

Soon, the giant Loathsome Evil collided with the shadow of Leylin and went past and shattered a rotten flower pot that was behind Leylin, which burst into pieces.

During this time period of more than a year, Leylin, using the accumulated contribution points, exchanged them for many spell models. So here, Leylin utilised the Shadow Concealment spell of which he had a profound impression.

Before, within the Dylan Gardens, the Black Horrall Snake's attacks made it an unforgettable event for Leylin.

If it hadn't been for his natural cautiousness and also the fact that the additional firepower from his comrades, the outcome of the battle with the Black Horrall Snake would have turned out different.

After that time, he began to be interested in the Darkness element stealth spells. Eventually, when he was exchanging his contribution points within the Four Seasons Garden, he happened to discover these spell models.

[Darkness element's Shadow Concealment. Rank 1 spell. Its effects are: After the Magus cast this spell, he could hide within the crack of the shadow world and he would be immune to the attacks that happen in the real world. Time of concealment: 20s Elemental essence conversion bonus: 14s. It consumes a spiritual force of 10 and magic power of 10.]

This spell was entirely complementing his elemental affinity. Besides, the Kemoyin's Scales on Leylin's body also seemed to have magnified the effect of this spell.

Therefore, Leylin had expended a great deal of effort into learning this spell.

And after this spell, he had no longer any weak points with regards to his agility and concealment.

Leylin thoroughly took in the sensation of being in concealment.

This was a very strange feeling — time flowed as if it had been slowed by a tenfold. The surrounding atmosphere also felt very constricting. Each of Leylin's movement needed to consume even more strength than when he was in normal environments.

Leylin glanced at the Loathsome Evil.

It was now giving vent to its fury on the land surrounding it, as it had lost its original target.

The Loathsome Evil, by chopping with its huge hatchet, carved out many ditches in the surroundings, causing them to be in a complete mess.

Leylin noticed that the body of Loathsome Evil had a strange green tint to it — no, that's not it all, even the surrounding scenery, land and atmosphere was being polluted by a shining green mist. This green mist was very dense — it even made Leylin feel dizzy and he felt the sensation of wanting to throw-up.

Leylin's body felt as if it was hovering in mid-air; it slowly floated towards the Loathsome Evil.

The Loathsome Evil seemed to sense something and brandished the enormous hatchet in its left hand; as it did so, the enormous orange yellow hatchet swung at Leylin's waist.

If Leylin was currently in his physical form, he would already have been chopped into two halves.

But the current him was just a shadow in reality. When the enormous hammer swung past, his body just wavered.

The giant Loathsome Evil frantically brandished its hatchet. It often struck at Leylin's body, but not even a single piece of the clothing Leylin wore was torn.

It came closer… and closer!

Leylin kept himself in the sliding position and hovered above the Loathsome Evil's. When he looked down, he could see the constantly secreted yellow pus of the Loathsome Evil and the disordered teeth in its large mouth.

Swish!*

With a flash of a black shadow, Leylin directly appeared in front of the Loathsome Evil.

Currently, Leylin's pupils had already changed to an amber colour, seemingly giving a peculiar gaze.

"Look into my eyes!" Leylin spoke with a strange tone as it brought a hissing sound with it. It was as though a snake was speaking.

Innate spell — the Eye of Petrification!!!

That voice seemed to carry a weird power. The Loathsome Evil couldn't help but look into Leylin's eyes with a bizarre expression.

Creak! Creak!*

A greyish white halo started to shoot out from the Loathsome Evil's eyes and its face seemed to be constantly expanding.

"Roar!"

When the petrification effect had affected the entire head of the Loathsome Evil, it suddenly raised its head and roared.

Following the roar, the Loathsome Evil's flesh bulged. There was also two enormous solid flesh that suddenly appeared on its shoulder. It looked like it had grown two arms.

While its flesh was transforming, the greyish skin on the Loathsome Evil face's shedded. It was like a snake shedding its skin.

[The target's physique is too large. It is starting to develop immunity to the petrification! Based on current situation, remaining time it will stay rigid: 3 seconds!]

The A.I. Chip gave out a notification.

As expected, the movement of the Loathsome Evil slowed down. It opened its mouth and maintained an eccentric smiling expression. It was like a machine that had not yet been wound up, making it stop in a peculiar condition.

"This is a great opportunity!"

Leylin's eyes lit up. Numerous black fireballs entered the Loathsome Evil's mouth, causing continuous explosions within its body.

"Falling Star Pendant! Activate the remaining power!"

Leylin shouted and a faint red light ray appeared beneath his neck.

When the light ray consolidated in Leylin's hand, it formed a long blade.

Leylin stared at the Loathsome Evil and with a roar, the muscles on its arm bulged, expanding a few folds. It instantly made changed from a lean youth to a muscular man.

Leylin's body was filled with an explosive power at this moment.

He raised the blade with both his hand and leaped highly and performed a jump slash against the neck of the Loathsome Evil that was still burning with black flames!

Gurgle! Splat*

The yellowish green pus splattered everywhere. Simultaneously, the enormous head of the Loathsome Evil directly rolled onto the ground.

After losing its head, the Loathsome Evil's four limbs were still moving. It was as though it was trying to flee.

Leyin's eyes was serene as he constantly tossed out streaks of purple medicine that landed on the enormous body and head of the Loathsome Evil.

Boom!*

A purplish red flame started to violently ignite.

The flame enveloped the Loathsome Evil's body and head.

Crack! The head of the Loathsome Evil split apart and a group of grotesque-looking spirits appeared.

However, Leylin was already prepared for that as he tossed a pink gemstone into the flames, while constantly chanting.

The unconscious spirits were attracted to the pink crystal. They forgot to self destruct and just surrounded in front of the pink gemstone with their faces expressing reminiscing expression.

"Success! With the previous calculations by the A.I. Chip, the Derkoff Spirit Enticing Spell has been upgraded!"

Excitement flashed past Leylin's face. He then rapidly carved runes and incantations on the ground around the flames, and constantly tossed various materials into the flame.

Finally, the purplish red flame already changed completely into a pure purple colour. The group of spirits were constantly dissolving, they were melting like heated wax.

At this moment, a lot of the spirits wanted to self-destruct!

"Activate!" Looking at the densely-packed spirits, Leylin's lips curled up into a smile as he chanted the incantation.

Boom! A red halo lit up from the array, restraining all of the spiritual energy within the flame.

That light ray seemed to restrict the spirits from self-destructing. The spirits within expressed frantic expressions despite them being emotionless existences, and not a single one of them could self-destruct as they did before.

Mournful and piercing screams constantly rang in his ears.

Leylin could even feel the most painful wail from the Loathsome Evil.

While the purple flames were constantly burning, a strange smell constantly spread.

The Loathsome Evil's corpse that was at the center of the flame had already stopped moving. Moreover, under the effect of flames, from its fat body, a fatty, oily and viscous liquid began to flow down and around the surface of its body.

This fluid was extremely viscous and its colour was an odd black.

As that black, oily liquid constantly flowed, the corpse of the Loathsome Evil gradually became smaller, as though it was shrinking.

The ten-meter-long, enormous body started to shrink to the height of an ordinary person and finally became a monkey-like form with wrinkled body.

"This……"

Leylin looked transfixed at the constantly shrinking head of the Loathsome Evil.

When the head was completely dehydrated, an ordinary head appeared before Leylin's eyes.

Even though the skin was filled with creases, Leylin was able to recognise that this was a head of a western, middle-aged man, aged roughly 30 years or near about.

"It looks like the main ingredient in making this Loathsome Evil's body is a human body. Moreover, the manufacturing of its huge body is by inserting an enormous amount of crazed spirits into the human body and making them fuse together….."

This method made Leylin felt as though the human body was a womb and was nurturing something.

"The fusion rate with the human body was extremely high as those Loathsome Evils were originally human spirits. It's unknown how the Spirit Slaying Sect was able to solve the problem in fusing the spirits into the body. It's the key skill!"

Leylin's thoughts constantly revolved.

He had a feeling that this wasn't the final stage in the experiment on this Loathsome Evil.

The frantic spirits would finally breakout from the body after undergoing constant fusion with the body of the Loathsome Evil. They would get much stronger as they grow, creating a more sinister being in existence!

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Living Organism No. 1

Leylin was watching the process of the Loathsome Evil coming together.

The spirit within the array was finally incinerated as the purple flame gradually extinguished.

Swish! The entire light ray from the spell formation completely shattered.

Leylin walked into the formation.

The smell of something burning wafted in the air, along with a repulsive stench that could make one feel nauseous.

"This odour is just like when something from the sewers is burnt!" Leylin frowned and walked to the center.

The human corpses had long since been burnt to ashes.

On the ground, in the middle of the charred and indented formation, a glistening object caught Leylin's eye.

Lying in the pit were fragments of green crystals, sparkling and splendid like little diamonds.

Leylin covered his hand with a layer of scales and grabbed ahold of the little diamonds.

"Quite light, but very solid!" Leylin kept applying pressure using his palm to the point that his joints popped, but even with his strength of 7.1, he was still unable to do anything to the little diamonds.

"…" All of a sudden, a low chant of salutations entered Leylin's ear, seeming to have been produced from within the green diamonds.

Filled with curiosity, Leylin brought the diamonds closer to his ear.

"Thank you, young man!"

In an instant, a dazzling white light seemed to fill the entire flower garden. In the white light, Leylin looked at tens of thousands of phantom human figures.

The countenances of these phantoms seemed familiar; they were the spirit bodies of earlier, but they had assumed their original form of a human.

The phantoms were both male and female. Some of them were dressed like Magi and acolytes. However, at this moment, they expressed gentle smiles as they slowly faded in the white light.

"En!" Leylin looked at the surroundings. As if it was due to the death of the Loathsome Evil, the green coloured plague quickly retreated, once again revealing the flower garden.

As for the spirit bodies from earlier, they had all disappeared without a trace, as if he were just dreaming.

However, Leylin knew that he wasn't hallucinating.

At this moment, the A.I. Chip's voice rang out.

[Scan complete! Item identified as spirit crystals! This is the essence remaining after the ignition of a huge amount of spirits!] In ancient compendiums, these were one of the many favourite currencies that many experts in different planes liked to use.

"Spirit crystals!" Leylin understood.

He had heard about this item before, but only high-level Magi could effectively use them.

It was impossible for a mere rank 1 Magus to break the surface of a spirit crystal to extract a spirit's power from within.

"No matter what, it will definitely be useful in the future!" Leylin picked up the green coloured spirit crystals littered on the floor, carefully placing them inside a small pouch. He even used a gold thread to seal the pouch, before placing it back in his robes.

The green spirit plague had completely vanished. Many fine cracks that looked like lizards littered the black rock walls at the edge of the garden.

Leylin walked in front of the cracks, and gently knocked on the fractured wall!

Crash!*

Numerous stones fell, and large clouds of lime were thrown into the air. There was a deep hole in the wall, which was flickering with pitch black light rays.

A black glint of light flashed through his eyes.

He quickly plucked off a strand of his hair, and his mouth began to move as he chanted mysterious incantations.

The long black hair fell to the ground and constantly expanded, eventually turning into something that resembled a black snake.

This small snake had densely packed scales and a pair of red little eyes that looked like jewels. It was pocket sized, and did not look malevolent; on the contrary, it was rather adorable.

The little snake first coiled around Leylin, hissing its tongue. It licked Leylin's shoes and then slithered into the pitch black crevice.

Leylin shut both his eyes, maintaining a connection with the little snake through a thread of spiritual force. Images and sounds were projected before Leylin's eyes.

The lighting in the surroundings was very dim, but it wasn't a problem for the little black snake.

Through the eyes of the black snake, Leylin could see that the interior of the crevice looked like an ore mine with huge amounts of roots creeping in the surroundings.

The roots intertwined across the walls as if they were covering the surroundings of the cave like a fishnet.

The little snake continued to traverse into the cave. After slithering for about a kilometer, the little snake reached a yellow tree root that was like a wall that blocked its path.

"This is… a Misleading Mist Tree Root, an ancient defensive system to deter intruders!"

Leylin's heart was filled with glee. With the appearance of such a mechanism, it showed that he was nearing the experiment lab.

"Intruder! Answer one question of mine, or else you'll be ripped into pieces!" from the large trunk of the tree, the face of an old man emerged. The old man stared into the little snake's eyes as if it could see Leylin, who was controlling it.

"Ask!" Leylin gave off a wave of spiritual force through the little black snake. "Please state your question!" Leylin gave off his spiritual energy force directly through the black little snake.

"What has the face of a diamond, eyes like pearls, and in the winter, the maker of this object gives it a chance to reincarnate?"

"Hmm…" Leylin lowered his head, looking to be deep in thought. Though, in actuality, he was commanding, "A.I. Chip! Search database!"

[Beep! According to the clues provided to the Host, items that fit the description are: 1. Gemstone Starfish. Similarity: 97%. 2. Ocean Bed Sunflower: 78%. 3…]

The A.I. chip instantly gave the result.

"It's the Gemstone Starfish!" The snake said in front of the Misleading Mist Tree Root.

"Correct!" The Misleading Mist Tree Root let out an ear piercing holler. Like pulling out a radish from the ground, the tree's roots were uplifted, revealing the pathway behind it.

"As a reward, you now have the authority to go through!" The countenance of the old man on the Misleading Mist Tree Root revealed a smile.

"A reward, huh? I don't think so!"

The small snake shook its head and climbed through the passage.

Pa!* In an instant, a giant tree root, like a huge palm, blocked the small snake's path ahead.

"I have permitted the Magus behind you to go, but not a magical creature like you!" Anger welled up on the old face of the root.

"Young Magus, are you belittling me?"

"It is a part of me, so I believe it has the right to enter!" The little snake raised its head, making eye contact with the giant face.

"No! You must personally come over!" The Misleading Mist Tree Root was stubborn in this aspect.

"If that's the case…" The little black snake lowered its head as if pondering over something.

Suddenly, the little snake coiled up and immediately darted through the passage.

Pa!*

Suddenly, there were numerous bolts of black lightning that flashed into the originally peaceful pathway .Those flashes looked alive as they struck towards the little snake.

In the sea of sparks, the little snake was burnt to a crisp.

"It's a trap indeed! Grade 51 and higher Black Prison Thunder, and there's so much of it. The tree root really invested a lot in this attack…"

Outside the entrance to the garden, Leylin looked towards the mud tunnel and smiled mockingly.

This Misleading Mist Tree Root was just a trap in the first place! Even if an intruder got the answer correct, he or she would still be lured into a trap.

It was a pity that after so many years, there was something wrong with the Misleading Mist Tree Root's intelligence. Leylin felt that something was wrong because it seemed to be much too anxious.

No matter how good a trap was, once it was found out, it was just another joke.

At this moment, a strong tremor came from the tunnel that Leylin stood in front of. There was even an ancient voice, "I'll kill you! I'm going to kill you, intruder!"

The walls of the ore mine seemed to be propped up by the roots of the tree. As they struggled to come out, it caused a huge chain reaction.

"This creature's vitality and strength are most likely above that of the Loathsome Evil. Moreover, as it is a plant, its life force is extremely tenacious, and it has resistances against spiritual force attacks. It'll be much more difficult to deal with than the Loathsome Evil, so if I was to fight it on its own territory inside the ore mine, as long as it would be willing, it could bury me alive at any time!"

Leylin pondered before raising his head, grinning mischievously.

"It's a pity, however, that such a plant organism like that has a strong weakness to something I have recently developed in the lab! I'll use it now!"

Leylin took out a nitrogen crystallised test-tube from the sack that he carried. There were no potions inside the test-tube. There was only a black organism on the bottom with a pair or translucent wings as if it was an insect.

After looking at this item, Leylin's expression became serious.

"I don't know if letting this thing out will be good or bad, but I have to give it a try…."

Leylin muttered to himself.

This was an item that he had unintentionally created.

Inside the test-tube was a type of termite found only in the Magus World. Leylin had discovered it while getting rid of the pests inside the Four Seasons Garden.

As the sequence of genes was different from other termites, they were extremely strong, and hence, were taken back by Leylin, who had later discovered a secret.

These termites had an extremely strange gene that will exponentially increase their life force and reproductive capabilities.

That speed was already beyond what was natural. Judging from Leylin's knowledge, this should have been made up of poisons and cells from another world.

After many instances of failing, Leylin could only increase the abilities of these termites with the help of the microscopic capabilities of the A.I. Chip, turning them into a weapon to deal with plant organisms!

It seemed like now was the right time to use it.

"Come! Let me see what happens when the strange items of the Magus world are coupled with modern scientific skills!"

[Host is about to release Living Organism No. 1! According to the settings, please input the parameters for self-destruction!]

At this time, the A.I. chip replied again.

"5 minutes!"

Leylin put a thread of his spiritual force into the test-tube, after which, he put several drops of another red potion into it as if making his final preparations.

After that, he looked at the shaking tunnel. The Misleading Mist Tree Root was still writhing around, trying to reach him.

"Enjoy your death now!"

Leylin sneered, opened the test tube, and directed the termite into the hole.

1. Refers to the relative level of danger to the Leylin's current stats.

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Experiment Lab #1

"A.I. Chip! Record the data, and create a folder on the experiment's results!"

While Leylin released the termite, he pressed on his temple with one of his hands, making a bright blue light shoot out from his eyes, and shine directly into the hole.

Under Leylin's observation, the termite directly climbed on top of a tree root after being freed.

The termite was like a speck of dust compared to the enormous Misleading Mist Tree Root, so it didn't arouse the attention of the massive tree.

[Living Organism No. 1 showing violent growth, and starting to propagate!]

In the graphic shown by the A.I. Chip, the termite, which was represented by a red dot, stayed on the yellow brown roots for a while, before its life force begin to increase tremendously, turning into a bright crimson red dot. Furthermore, many small dots began to appear in the graphic, scattering throughout the roots.

It seemed to have a domino effect. When the red light intensified, it grew from covering a root to instantly covering the entire wall, and drew close to the Misleading Mist Tree Root.

"What is this…Argh…"

Following which, the Misleading Mist Tree Root's screams could be heard throughout the garden.

Leylin could still hear the dense, hair raising, terrifying screams while he was at the entrance of the hole.

As for the termites, they had now filled the entire body of the Misleading Mist Tree Root.

What seemed like billions of termites began to open their incisors, and mercilessly chomped down on the roots. Within only a couple of minutes, the Misleading Mist Tree Root was riddled with holes.

The Misleading Mist Tree Root's screams become weaker, until it finally came to a stop.

……

Buzz Buzz…*

The sound of flapping wings could be heard. A large cloud of termites was seen flying out from the hole. They were like locusts, devouring the remaining plants in the garden.

After devouring all of the plants, the flying termites began to buzz in fury.

[Alert! Alert! Intense energy waves emitting from the organisms' spiritual force. Previously inputted spiritual force has failed, termites entering a frenzied state!]

As the A.I. Chip called out, all of the flying termites began to mysteriously stop as they turned to Leylin, looking at him with bloodshot eyes.

"As expected, impromptu experiments are always filled with surprises. However, it's a pity that time is up!" Leylin was smiling.

When the A.I. Chip's countdown timer of 5 minutes reached 0, all of the termites, which were still flaunting their might, fell to the ground, losing all signs of life.

In the blink of an eye, there was a thick layer of termite corpses on the ground.

This was the security system that Leylin had inputted. It seemed to have an excellent effect.

"These things are filled with unknown characteristics! It seems that I'll still need a lot of experiments on it before I can use it practically….."

After which, Leylin picked up several of the termites' corpses to keep as specimens, before walking into the mud tunnel, which had mostly collapsed.

Very soon, he came to where the Misleading Mist Tree Root originally stood. It was a pity, however, that it was now only filled with mud and the remnants of a husk. All traces of the huge tree root's countenance had also disappeared.

"A lot of effort must have been put into this trap!"

Leylin looked at the black tunnel that the Misleading Mist Tree Root had used as bait. The inside of the tunnel was littered with many charred termite corpses.

From the looks of it, they didn't die from the self-destruction coded into their genes, but from the trap laid inside the tunnel.

As for where the Misleading Mist Tree Root once stood, there was another bronze coloured path.

The pathway seemed to be formed using ceramic. It looked extremely crude, but had a unique, good feeling about it.

As for the path, there was even a line of ancient Byron characters, "Tunnel to Experiment Lab #1! Top secret! Only authorized personnel allowed!"

The blood red words made Leylin shudder.

"This material……"

Leylin touched the bronze coloured ceramic wall. He felt that the material used to make this wall was extremely sturdy. Also, it gave him a similar feeling to the Blood Sobbing Alloy inside the Dylan Gardens. They were both used to isolate spiritual force energy waves.

"If this is really what I think it is, the item that is locked in here must be remarkable!"

The insecurities in Leylin's heart reached the max.

He cocked his head and pondered, not daring to enter recklessly. Instead, he found an empty space, and took out various items from his robes, creating a strange formation. The appearance of this formation was extremely strange, looking like an inverted "J." Afterwards, Leylin also carved a similar rune on his robes.

"It seems that I'm really fearful of death!" Leylin's insecurities lessened after arranging the formation. He mocked himself as he entered the tunnel.

The bronze coloured pathway wasn't long, and Leylin quickly reached its depths.

There was a small hall and in front of it, there was a black metal door, which was extremely tall, and over 4 meters wide.

On the metal door frame, there were various magic runes with the words 'Experiment Lab #1. Supervisor: Edward' written on it.

The words on the metal door were obviously very old, as there was some dust on it, and it looked slightly beaten.

When Leylin was in front of the doors, two figures entered his field of view

After seeing them, Leylin took the initiative to go forth. "Old Devil and Jaye, where's Brass Ring?"

The old witch and Jaye were the ones that had appeared in front of Experiment Lab #1, while Brass Ring's location was unknown.

"We stepped into a trap set up by the ancient Magi that caused us to become lost! In the trap, every time when we thought our partners were beside us, we had actually been separated and had gone further apart…"

The old witch replied, "When the trap activated, and the four of us entered the different pathways, I was met with a sound illusion that was arranged by the ancient Magi….After an intense battle, I found this place, and met up with Jaye. Her experiences were similar to mine….."

Leylin nodded his head, after which he briefly stated his encounters. As for his abilities and spells, he had naturally glossed over the narration of that area.

He then said, "In this case, we should just wait for Brass Ring…"

"We don't have to anymore! I can sense that Brass Ring is already dead!" Jaye spoke abruptly, causing Leylin to feel somewhat shocked.

This fellow, who seemed like a female, had seldom spoken ever since the group was formed. She also seemed to be rather close to the old witch, yet her energy waves were not very strong, just at the level of an average rank 1 Magus.

But now…

Leylin could not help but to look at Jaye.

Even though Jaye was still wearing a black cloak, her cloak was tattered. It seemed to bear traces of her battle.

Apart from that, the energy waves from Jaye's body were fluctuating at an unsteady rate. Sometimes, they had the strength of a peak rank 1 Magus, while at other times, it felt like a fledgling rank 1 Magus who had just advanced. At other times, it would intensify greatly, keeping Leylin guessing.

"Jaye had learned and remembered an extremely special rank 1 spell. We were able to estimate the timing of the death of the magus, so we decided to wait for you here!"

Jaye seemed rather antisocial, and she would not speak unless it was of the utmost importance. Everything else was explained by the old witch.

"Is that right?" Leylin was a little doubtful, as the rank 1 magic of the Magus World was extremely peculiar. There was an unknown amount of Magi that built on spells that their ancestors had created or modified in order to create many different unique spells to be passed down, so Leylin wasn't able to make a decision regarding what the Old Witch had said.

"Since you're here, let's take a short break before attempting to enter this Experiment Lab #1!"

The old witch seemed rather zealous. "I have a feeling that the altar I need is right inside!"

Leylin was somewhat speechless. This old witch appeared too impatient.

However, he still walked forward, and touched the black metal door.

Upon contact, an icy cold feeling could be felt as first, before a hotter temperature was felt. As for the sturdy metal door, it gave off a feeling of being indestructible.

From the runes and incantation on the door, Leylin could feel that this room was not used for experiments, but as a prison of some sort.

There was a brass keyhole at the center of the black door. The ethereal keyhole made Leylin's hair stand on end, and he felt a bone freezing chilliness.

"I can't fully understand the runes on this door, but I'm still able to make out the general meaning of some of the high levelled runes. There is a high levelled solidifying rune, and a metal memory rune. To break open this door, we will have to spend a lot of energy. Perhaps, we should try to find the key!"

Leylin suggested.

"There's no need for that! It's here with me!" The old witch cackled, withdrawing an extremely thick yellow bronze key from her robes.

This key was rather curvy, as if it was a ladle, but it was a perfect fit for the keyhole on the door.

The old witch took the bronze key, and inserted it into the door.

"Wait a minute!" At this moment, a figure appeared in front of her.

"Blood Rogue, what are you doing?" The old witch looked at Leylin, who was blocking her, rage evident on her face.

Jaye immediately stood behind the old witch at this moment. The magic rays emitted from her body caused Leylin's eyelid to twitch.

"It's nothing much, I just feel that the danger within has somewhat exceeded my expectations. I wish to withdraw!" Leylin was extremely calm.

"According to the information I've seen, this Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect has been the advocate behind the scenes of many ancient calamities. Moreover, it had been undergoing extremely dangerous spirit research…"

Leylin's expression was extremely sincere as he continued to talk. "Therefore, I suggest that we temporarily stop this exploration, and attempt to explore again after gaining much greater powers…."

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A Mountain of White Bones

When the old witch heard Leylin's words, she started at the black haired handsome youth before saying with a dry and hoarse voice.

"I've known you for almost two years and didn't know that you were such a cowardly Magus."

Leylin had given her the impression that he was extremely crazy and daring. He would do anything to reach his goals and did everything without restraints.

"A Magus's life is extremely long so two years isn't a long time. Moreover, to give up after knowing it's dangerous isn't a cowardly action….."

Leylin smiled.

"That is to say that you are unwilling to continue on no matter what?" The old witch asked.

"…." Silence was his response.

Pang!* The old witch didn't say anything, but Jaye, who was behind her immediately made her move.

A green-coloured hurricane instantly swept past the area Leylin was.

Pa!* Constant clear sounds were heard.

Following that, a black flame exited the hurricane, which burned half of the small hall and was heading towards Jaye.

"Hmph!" Jaye coldly snorted. Her cloak fluttered without any wind as black energy particles were raised.

When the flame and the energy particles collided against each other in the air, an intense explosion occurred.

Jaye's body shook and was forced three steps back. The aura from her body became unstable.

"Enough!" The old witch shielded Jaye, with green light rays being emitted from her eyes.

With Leylin's high leveled observation skills, he knew that she was frantically warning him. He currently didn't want to go against this old witch so Leylin smiled before moving to the side and eradicated the energy waves that was being emitted from his body.

"Jaye, you too. I'm great friends with Blood Rogue. You don't have to be so wary of him." When the old witch saw that Leylin moved to the side, the green rays from her eyes also dimmed before she said that to Jaye who was behind her.

"I understand!" Jaye answered softly.

"Blood Rouge, even though we haven't been together for long, we should know each other's personality. State whatever terms you have!"

The progress of the situation was slightly beyond what Leylin had expected.

He originally thought that with the powers that he had displayed and unintentional fight against the old witch, she should reasonably make him leave or explore other places.

Leylin was a reasonable person. He knew that the experiment lab was dangerous and there wasn't anything worth his attention so he naturally didn't want to risk it.

However, currently, the Experiment Lab 1 obviously needed his help in opening or to get there so the old witch had to lower her temper.

"To prove your sincerity, you've to firstly give me the second half content on the data regarding the compressing spiritual powers!" Leylin straightforwardly stated a condition.

"No problem!" The old witch tossed a green leaf towards Leylin without a single thought.

When Leylin caught it, the A.I. Chip pointed out that it had received a lot of information and images.

From the A.I. Chip's judgment, this data should be the remaining portion of the data she had given from before.

"I shall also include this! How is that? Will that suffice you to risk yourself?"

When the old witch saw that Leylin had caught up in muttering to himself irresolutely, she tossed a black bag at him.

"These items can also tempt some of the peak rank 1 Magus and has high success rates. What do you say?"

Leylin opened the bag and looked slightly moved.

Following that, he looked at the old witch. "I'll accompany you and risk my life with you on behalf of these two years of relationship. However, if I find that something is wrong, we'll retreat straight away and I won't continue to participate in this in the future….."

"That's naturally the case!" The old witch agreed.

After that, she walked past Leylin to insert the bronze key into the lock.

Clang! Dong!*

Clang! Dong!*

The sound of gears turning could be heard as the old witch turned the key.

The sound was weak at the start, but it got stronger after that. Finally, the entire hall was filled with sounds of gears coming into contact with each other.

Creak!*

Streaks of cracks appeared on the black metal door. After a few cracks appeared, it rapidly segregated into countless little black metal pieces. The black metals flew to the sides, revealing the scene of the Experiment Lab #1.

Corpses! What Leylin could only see was countless white human bone remains.

The densely packed bones were layered, forming a small mountain of white bones.

After that, a rotting odour that had been there for many years, accompanied by the scent of death, rotten flesh and negative energy particles that were so dense and couldn't be separated, turned into a black wave rising forth towards the three of them.

This was the Experiment Lab #1 inside the secret plane of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect. It actually formed a scene of the massacre of numerous people.

A black light flashed from Leylin's body to confront the huge, energy-filled wave, making him happily gulp in a few mouthfuls of air.

This was the best environment for someone like — a dark Magus that specialised in the cultivation of Darkness energy particles! Not only would the consumption of his spiritual force and magic power were lower when casting his spells in this environment, but the degree of power his spells could produce would be slightly stronger.

"As expected….It's the same as the records!"

The old witch and Jaye were already prepared as they opened a scroll, where a fiery red shield enveloped them.

The ash-colored negative energy particles constantly surged against the exterior of the shield, but they were burned out by the fire energy particles.

Once the wave had receded, the old witch seemed to not have sustain any injuries. She currently was just staring fixatedly at the mountain of white bones with excitement shown in her eyes.

"According to the information recorded, the altar I need is at the summit of this mountain of white bones."

The old witch climbed up, using the white bones as her path.

Crack!*

The white bones that had existed for an unknown period of time crumbled into powder under her steps, forming an extremely thick layer.

Leylin and Jaye followed slowly behind her.

While Leylin walked, he fiddled with the bones on the ground. Even though many bones had utterly rotted, there were still some complete bones.

Currently, Leylin was detailedly observing a white bone that was slightly thicker than the ones in the surroundings.

"From the shape of this bone, it should be human's right thigh!" Leylin gauged the weight of the bone in his hand.

"It's very heavy and this bone clearly had transformed as this isn't something an ordinary person will have!"

"A.I. Chip! Investigate its content!"

A faint blue light was emitted from Leylin's eyes.

"Beep! Beginning sample data collection and comparing the carbon elements within the bone!"

The A.I. Chip gave its answer, "This right thigh bone is from a person of the Knight rank. Its age is about 5341 years……"

"The Knight rank?"

Leylin surveyed his surroundings.

At the bottom of this mountain of white bones, its perimeter was the largest and had the most number of bones, but the majority of them were ordinary human bones. There were very few Knight ranked bones.

Following the climb up, there appeared to be Knight ranked bones everywhere. Leylin even found a Grand Knight's bone.

When they were halfway up the mountain, it was completely filled with Knight and Grand Knight's bones. There were even some acolytes' bones.

A Magus's body had a certain concentration of radiation. It was easy to see that even from the bones.

The old witch and Jaye were indefinitely bewildered from the start and took in a cold breath after seeing these bones.

"From the form, there must be at least 20,000 or more acolytes' bones buried here and an unknown number of bones belonging to official Magi…"

Leylin released the breath he was holding. "It's really something on a large scale that can be collected only in ancient times!"

Similarly, he also knew why the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect was annihilated.

No matter what was the reason, killing these many Magi would definitely attract the crowd's rage. This was different from massacring ordinary people, which resulted in them being severely punished!

The three Magi couldn't help, but to slow their steps after realising this.

As expected, while they neared the summit, they found numerous official Magi's corpses!

At the summit, there were often partially rotten corpses and the robe on them could be seen distinctly. Some weren't rotten as much so they looked as though they were just sleeping.

Moreover, from the radiation emitted from the remnants of the ancient magicians, it was way beyond that of the acolytes. Some of the remaining aura even made Leylin fearful of them.

"There unexpectedly are some bones that hadn't entirely rotted….." The old witch exclaimed.

"The environment was extremely sealed and they seemed to have had anti-rotting measures. Moreover, these Magi aren't ordinary people so from the circumstances….."

Leylin calmly replied.

He was currently stepping on a female Magus's charming face. That Magus' face had extremely perfected structure with fine eyelashes. Her beautiful eyes could be seen clearly. It was imaginable that this Magus was a rare beauty in the ancient time, but Leylin stepped on her face without any hesitation. It looked just as if he was stepping on stones.

At the current position, the mountain of white bones had become a mountain of corpses and if Leylin and the rest wanted to continue, there had to constantly step on the corpses of the ancient Magi.

"This is blasphemy! Bare naked profaneness! These crazy fellows of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect, they disrespect the honor of the Magi!"

It was beyond Leylin's expectation that Jaye, who was the most antisocial in the group, was the first to condemn their crimes.

"That's right! However, in ancient times, power decides everything! These Magi were caught by the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect so they had to bear with the outcome……"

Leylin said.

As a Magus, it was natural to feel a tinge of regret for his fallen fellow Magi. However, in the current Magus World, was this not commonplace?

"Stop bickering. We're here!"

The old witch that was heading forth in a daze suddenly stopped. Her voice was rueful, but it contained more ferventness and longing!

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The Awakening

Upon hearing her words, Leylin looked up in surprise.

Unconsciously, they had already reached the peak of the mountain of white bones.

Here, it was completely deserted except for the white altar at the peak of the mountain.

If one looked closely, it could be seen that the altar was made entirely out of human bones. These bones emitted energy fluctuations that far exceeded that of a rank 1 Magus and below, and just the aura made the air stifling, even for Leylin.

On some bones that were wider, there were strange runes handwritten in blood.

These runes were extremely complicated. Some were similar to 3D images, and Leylin had never seen any of them before.

What struck him the most was how, even though the runes had existed for over five thousand years, the blood was bright red and still looked fresh, as if ready to drip to the ground.

They were arranged in a strange manner and seemed to form a map.

Leylin took a closer look and realised that he recognised several of the areas in the secret plane. Filled with ecstasy, he immediately got the A.I. Chip to record everything down.

At the very centre of the altar, there was an odd skull used as a sacrifice.

The skull was similar to that of a human's skull, but on the cranium, there were two black, bent horns like that of a goat.

Also, in the middle of the two horns, there was a small round hole that seemed to serve no purpose.

"Is this the spirit altar you were looking for?"

Leylin glanced at the old witch, but her eyes were already fixed on the altar. She was murmuring words in a language that he did not know, and seemed to have forgotten about the existence of the others with her.

What made Leylin more surprised was Jaye, who was beside him. Even with the cover of the huge black cloak, Leylin could tell she was shivering badly.

This discovery worried Leylin, and at the same time, a sense of unease in his heart was intensified.

"It's here. Right here… My darling, I can now help you…"

While mumbling incessantly, the old witch produced a fragment of a piece of parchment and threw it towards the altar.

At the same time, Jaye, who had been shaking all this while, suddenly made her move!

Streams of translucent, faintly green rays of light descended from the heavens and formed a large net, aiming for Leylin. The surrounding air produced a hissing sound, and there seemed to be some undulations in the scenery around them.

"What are you doing?"

Leylin bellowed, though his expression did not undergo much changes.

It was apparent that he had been expecting something like this, and had thus made some preparations.

Boom!*

On Leylin's head, countless black strands of hair seemed to have lives of their own as they wriggled to counter the approaching green net.

Pu Pu!*

The instant the half transparent green net and the black strands of hair met, large amounts of white gas emerged, and the sound of corrosion constantly erupted in the air.

With a wave of his hair, Leylin's figure flickered and he shifted over ten metres away from his original spot.

"Madori Defensive Spell Formation!" Jaye, who was in the black cloak, was well aware that Leylin's power surpassed hers. She had acted first in order to gain the upperhand.

While Leylin was dealing with that large net, Jaye had already fixed up a defensive formation around the spirit altar!

"Activate!" Along with Jaye's words, translucent black rays rose around the spirit altar, keeping the altar, Jaye and the old witch protected inside.

"Latent Fireball!" With a flash of Leylin's eyes, countless black fireballs emerged from the shadows, rushing towards the black dome!

Bang!*

The numerous black fireballs converged and its volume expanded by more than ten times. With the added bonus of Leylin's elemental essence conversion of 70%, its might had become exceedingly horrifying.

Under this level of attack, an ordinary Magus' innate defensive spell would be completely destroyed within seconds!

The black flames spread, and even with Jaye within the dome trying her very best to maintain it, it was still vibrating vigorously, as if on the verge of breaking.

However, Jaye was unperturbed and chanted a few incantations.

Buzz buzz!* From the bottom of the altar, a circle of black light emerged, merging with the defensive spell formation.

Peng!*

With the addition of this circle of light, the entire defensive spell formation immediately became more radiant. Its colour was black to the extreme, and it was almost impossible to see the figures behind the formation.

Flames from the Latent Fireball burnt at the surface of the dome for over ten seconds.

But when facing the reinforced defensive spell formation, they could do little but succumb and disperse.

"This…"

Seeing how Jaye seemed to be able to take advantage of the powers of the laboratory, Leylin hastily moved a few steps backwards.

The old witch was sure to have hidden a lot of information from him. Thinking back to the spirit explosion that she had previously used and what had happened with the Loathsome Evil, Leylin was certain that the old witch had found out about these ruins much earlier, contrasting with what she had said. She must have already reaped a bountiful harvest from within the ruins before this expedition.

"Give up! This is the core of the secret plane. After borrowing a portion of its strength, it's impossible to break through this defensive formation unless your power has reached such heights that you're able to destroy this entire secret plane!"

From within the black dome, Jaye's faint voice was transmitted over. However, there was no hint of joy in her gaze and her eyes were not on Leylin but rather on the witch. There were dozens of complicated emotions on her face- anticipation, joy, and also… fear!

Upon coming into contact with the altar, the yellowed fragmented piece of parchment burst into flames.

These flames were a light yellow and extremely pure. They started off as small as a bean and gradually crept to engulf the entire parchment, the flames turning light blue.

At the same time, the altar seemed to come to life and began to tremble.

From the gaps between the bones of the altar, fresh red blood trickled down. Dark rays were emitted from the eye sockets of many skulls.

"Old witch! You'd better calm down. It's obvious that there's an extremely strong and evil being trapped within the altar. I don't care if you made a pact or some contract with it, but the strong won't bother making transactions with the weak."

Outside the spell formation, Leylin recalled what he had seen and hastily spoke.

"Of course, I know what's in there! I knew about it 157 years ago! If not for it being in hibernation, and the conditions to awaken it being too harsh, I would have summoned it a long time ago… As long as I summon it, I can…"

The old witch's facial muscles twisted, her expression crazed as she gestured wildly.

This exposed her knowledge about the ruins.

"You need to think this through. This is an evolved being that escaped out of the Loathsome Evil's body and is much more sinister and vicious. It's something the likes of you definitely can't control."

As Leylin persuaded her, he'd already left his original position and backed away to where they had climbed up, a ring of Darkness energy particles around his two legs.

"I know better than you how vicious it can get! Even though I can't control it, I know how it was assembled and basically everything there is to know about it. As long as we give enough offerings, with the power of this spirit altar, I can definitely…"

Her eyes were crazed as she spread out her arms and yelled, "Come out! The collective body of vengeance, the manipulator of spirits and bodies! The supreme king, Gargamel!"

"Gargamel?!" Leylin's heart lurched.

Before he had come here, he had seen plenty of records regarding the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect and naturally knew about this Gargamel. It was a being that the sect had worshipped.

They believed that a spirit was the last resting place for all beings, and the Gargamel was the one in charge of all these spirits!

It was apparent that this was a Gargamel that had already taken shape after the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect's immense efforts in cultivating it! However, for some reason, this Gargamel had been sealed here by the Magi of the sect.

The old witch had obviously received the inheritance from the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect and obtained many benefits. She had also been working hard to unseal the Gargamel.

Leylin believed he had a rough understanding of this whole situation.

The black ring of light around his legs flashed and, wrapped in energy particles, his body's speed reached its limits and he instantly disappeared away from the mountain.

Even though he had no idea why the old witch had swindled him and Brass Ring into coming here, it definitely wasn't anything good!

Leylin felt it was better if he retreated as soon as possible.

As long as he was out of this secret plane, even if the old witch and Jaye attacked together, Leylin was certain he could take care of them.

"A smart move, but it's a pity that it's too late…" Jaye, who was nearby, gave a low sigh.

At this very moment, the piece of parchment on the altar had already been burnt to ashes and, with a cry from the old witch, streams of black gases streamed out of the gaps within the bones of the altar.

Weng Weng!*

An ancient devil was awake once more.

An aura that caused one's heart to palpitate in fear arrived on top of the mountain of white bones.

Ice-cold! Evil!

Leylin felt as if he had returned to his childhood, powerless while surrounded by a group of direwolves.

He hated being made aware of how fragile his life was.

Just with the leakage of this aura, the secret plane vibrated slightly.

A vast amount of black gas converged and gradually solidified, forming a gigantic translucent figure.

The figure brought the skull on top of the altar to its face, treating it as a mask. Its two completely red eyes seemed to be looking down on every one of the Magi present as if they were mere ants.

Leylin's heart plummeted, and he could not gather any strength.

"Jiik!" The black figure bellowed towards the heavens.

With the tremendous sound waves, the black defensive spell formation that had caused Leylin much trouble instantaneously gave way, and the old witch and Jaye were forced aside from the pressure.

Pu!*

As the old witch flew backwards, mouthfuls of blood spurted out like water gurgling in a spring.

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The Gargamel

"Respected Lord Gargamel… Cough cough… please accept our offerings"

Jaye, who was at the side, suffered quite a deal from the energy waves. However, she was still better off than the old witch and was somewhat able to stand.

Observing these circumstances, she was partly kneeling in a bizarre position, while tossing a severed Magus' head in front of the black shadow.

"Brass Ring!"

Leylin's pupils contracted as he recognized whose head it was. It seemed that Brass Ring didn't die because of the secret plane's mechanisms after all, but was instead ambushed by the old witch and Jaye.

Right now, Leylin stood to the side with cold sweat forming on his body, not daring to move an inch.

Although the black shadow atop the altar didn't look his way, he could clearly feel an extremely vicious and unyielding spiritual force completely locking him down.

Leylin had a premonition that if he took a single step forward, he would be struck by the full power of the Gargamel!

Crunch! Crunch!*

Immediately after receiving the head of Brass Ring, whose expression still held traces of disbelief, the black shadow put it into its mouth and started to chew.

An absolutely horrifying grinding noise could be heard reverberating from the top of the skeleton mound.

"Ji Ji!" After the black shadow swallowed the head whole, it gave off a sound of satisfaction. Moreover, a scarlet tongue licked its lips, apparently with a desire for more.

"Ah, a spirit that fulfills the conditions! State your wishes!"

An ancient and cryptic voice sounded directly into Leylin and the others' consciousness, spoken in a language Leylin had never heard before. Strangely, Leylin could understand the meaning of each word that was being spoken.

"I want…" Jaye slowly opened her mouth.

"Let my daughter Jaye come back to life! Give her a new body filled with life!" The old witch, who had fallen to the side, suddenly grew frantic. As she threw herself in front of the Gargamel's shadow, "If you can fulfill my desire, I will pay any price necessary!"

It could be a misperception, but after the old witch spoke of those words, Leylin seemed to notice a hint of… ridicule in the Gargamel's gigantic eyes

"I need… I need more offerings…"

The giant shadow licked its lips, "According to the principles of spirit transformation, a male magus cultivating in the Darkness element is a necessary offering!"

"I got it!" Old witch retrieved a couple of crystal balls filled with spiritual powers, and in addition, pointed towards Leylin.

"As for the offering, it's that Magus!"

As the black shadow stated its conditions. Leylin felt his heart sink as he furiously activated his hastening spells.

His silhouette looked like it was cloaked inside a black tornado as it charged down the hill.

However, the speed of the black shadow Gargamel was far beyond Leylin's expectations.

Facing Leylin's escape, the black shadow simply extended a translucent palm and grabbed!

Screech!* *Whoosh!*

The black tornado was torn apart, revealing Leylin's body.

Leylin felt like the air was instantly solidifying, and that it was constantly pressing in from all four sides.

In an instant, a band of silver light descended from the sky and coiled around Leylin's waist.

From this band of light emerged an enormous amount of tyrannical spiritual force. The quality of this spiritual force was higher than anything that Leylin had ever encountered before. Just a tiny bit was enough to completely shatter his elemental essence converted spiritual force.

The spiritual force was a fundamental part of a Magus and was also the primer for casting spells.

With spiritual force having been shattered, Leylin naturally could not cast a single spell.

The silver band of light retracted, and Leylin was forced to follow its movements to ultimately arrive in front of the altar.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Four black shackle-like tentacles emerged from the altar and bound Leylin's limbs tightly together.

The present Leylin's body was spread eagle as he was presented to the black shadow Gargamel.

"Spiritual force materialisation! This evil spirit Gargamel must be at least at the level of a rank 2 Magus!"

Leylin's face was deadly pale as his mind raced, trying to gauge the strength of the black shadow.

At the same time, the A.I. Chip was operating at full speed in order to calculate the energy that the Gargamel was emitting, and from there, predict its stats and weaknesses.

Spiritual force materialisation was an advanced technique that only rank 2 Magi were qualified to practice!

Spiritual force lacked shape or substance, and the various colorful spells that Leylin had seen were actually just the appearance of elemental particles that were in the air. As for the spiritual force, it acted as a catalyst and initiated the process of casting spells. However, all of these things could not be observed with the naked eye.

After a Magus reached rank 2, he could directly draw his spiritual force from his sea of consciousness out into the real world, and materialise it into the most basic energy particle. This was something that could be seen by even the most ordinary person!

When dealing with Magi below rank 2, who were unable to materialise their spiritual force, that ability made it basically impossible to lose!

After all, for Magi who could materialise their spiritual force, their condensation of spiritual force far surpassed that of a rank 1 Magus. With the weak spiritual force of a rank 1 Magus, it was impossible to hold out against attacks produced by the spiritual force of a rank 2 Magus, which resulted in the situation where a rank 1 Magus' power was nothing compared to that of a rank 2 Magus.

The silver band of light that the shadowy Gargamel used was a materialisation of spiritual force that could be seen in the real world!

"A rank 2 Magus? To think that the contingency plans that I had the A.I. Chip prepare in case of an emergency would have to be used now…" Leylin's thoughts whirled about as he turned to watch the witch carefully.

"Can you tell me the truth now?" Leylin's voice was muffled as if he had lost all hope. "After all, we're still allies!"

"Other than the agreement on the making of the potion and how we were to divide them, there wasn't any condition that said we couldn't injure one another!"

The old witch was still trembling incessantly as if she was about to topple to the ground and die any second. At the same time, however, she was extremely zealous, and her cheeks were flushed.

"I'm willing to do anything for Jaye, much less sacrifice an ally like you that has wicked intentions!"

"Jaye! She's your daughter?" Leylin stared blankly. Immediately he turned his head towards Jaye, the black-cloaked person.

Jaye nodded her head and removed the black gown she wore.

A translucent image of a girl appeared in front of Leylin. The image had the appearance of a very young and pretty woman, and on her pretty face, one could still see some traces of how the old witch looked when she was in her youth.

"Spirit bodies?" Leylin was stunned once more. He thought back to how Jaye had been silent the entire time, and how she even wore a thick pair of gloves. Of course, there should also have been other secret methods that were used, or else Leylin and Brass Ring, who had spent some time with her, would have discovered the abnormalities of Jaye's body long before.

"My poor daughter permanently lost her physical body after an accident during an experiment. All that I can do is to constantly transfuse spiritual force into her and prolong the amount of time that she can stay in this world…"

The old witch's eyes were glazed over as if she was reminiscing the past.

"Even though Jaye is already dead, I have never given up on my wish to bring her back to life! By a stroke of fate, I remembered some materials about the ancient Spirit Slaying Sect that I had obtained when I was young. Their spirit transferring technique is definitely able to resurrect my daughter and help her regain a physical body!"

"So you've been collecting spirits and continuously trying to unseal this Gargamel?"

Leylin coldly inquired.

"That's right!" The old witch frankly admitted to it. "It is also thanks to your potions. Without them, Jaye's spirit would not have been strengthened enough to allow her to withstand the transfer…"

It seemed that all of the Tears of Mary potions that the old witch had received from Leylin had gone to Jaye.

As a result, Jaye's spirit was able to increase from that of an ordinary person to the level of an official Magus.

"Also, in order to summon the Gargamel and resurrect Jaye, a few conditions need to be met!" Having planned this for decades and on the verge of seeing it succeed, the old witch was obviously in the mood to say everything that was on her mind.

For some reason, the shadowy Gargamel did not make a move, and just waited as she spoke.

"I need to initiate the process of summoning the Gargamel through the use of an official Magus who meets several stringent requirements, such as those in terms of aptitude and physique. In order to resurrect Jaye, these are the offerings required. Do you know how long it took me to look for you two offerings? Do you have any idea how long I waited for this moment?"

The old witch's expression became crazed. Without even waiting for Leylin to speak, she thundered, "53 years! To fulfil these conditions, I waited 53 whole years!"

"In these 53 years, my darling Jaye suffered a lot…sob…sob… "

At the climax of her narration, the old witch's tears flowed down her face, while Jaye stood silently to one side.

"All of my efforts have been rewarded. Now, my beloved daughter, Jaye, will be resurrected!!"

Leylin silently listened on. Now, all was clear to him.

Leylin was not angry about the fact that he and Brass Ring would be offerings.

He'd never thought himself to be treasured by the heavens, where he would somehow be able to profit from unfortunate situations or turn misfortunes into blessings.

Since he could scheme against others, others could obviously do the same.

All he could do was to consider all of his options in advance and make sure that every step went as perfectly as was possible. This was so he would not be schemed against or made use of.

"Honourable Gargamel, based on the rules for replacement, I present to you this Magus as an offering. In return, I want you to help my daughter regain a physical body."

The old witch was gasping for breath as she placed several bizarre items on the altar while she made her request.

"This replacement is allowed!"

From under the skull mask that the shadow was wearing, it seemed to be looking at Leylin and the others with a faint trace of mockery in its expression.

The old witch who was kneeling on the ground, as well as Jaye, who seemed confused, did not notice this.

"As much as I want to stay behind and watch the show, I'm sorry!"

Leylin grinned as the large arm of the Gargamel approached him.

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Suction Spell Formation

"A.I. Chip, activate the suction spell formation with maximum force!"

Leylin violently roared inwardly.

Meanwhile, his muscles swelled and a fine layer of black scales appeared on his body.

His eyes changed to an amber colour and appeared to have a beast-like vertical pupil in them.

Scales of Kemoyin and the Eye of Petrification!

During this life-or-death situation, the current Leylin used both of his innate spells!

Leylin's vertical pupils focused on the chains and shackles that were binding him instead of the Gargamel.

This Gargamel, at the very least, had the power of a rank 2 Magus and its spiritual force exceeded Leylin's by several times. Using the Eye of Petrification on it would not be enough to close this difference in strength.

And even if Leylin got closer and used the Eye of Petrification on him, it would still only cause him an unfortunate consequence; the Gargamel would devour his spirit!

Pa! Pa! Pa!*

The chains and shackles that bound him turned gray under the gaze of the Eye of Petrification.

They disintegrated all over the ground as Leylin flexed his arms.

At the same time, a reverse symbol 'j' became bright and visible on his clothes.

A strong attraction force acted on Leylin's body and pulled him away so hard that he was almost flying as he moved backwards.

The speed of this 'flight' was 4-5 times more than when he had used a spell to flee.

The old witch and Jaye only saw a black flash; Leylin had already vanished without a trace in front of their eyes.

"No…" The old witch issued a hissing roar.

Jaye wore a complicated expression on her face, as if she had lost all hope, and heaved a despairing sigh.

"The materials for the replacement has disappeared. But the ceremony has already started and must not be interrupted. Start using other materials instead…"

The Gargamel only watched from a distance the spot from where Leylin had vanished but did not chase after him. Instead, he said a few words that caused the expressions on the old witch and Jaye's face to drastically change.

"No…"

Together with the unceasing spell which was being dispelled, a shriek filled with hopelessness and despair rang out, piercing through the entire mountain of white bones.

……

Bang!*

A huge explosion erupted and the spell formation laid on top of the white ground in the garden shattered.

Meanwhile, a black human shadow was drawn to this place and created a deep indent as it smashed into the ground due to the huge gravitational force.

"Cough Cough…"

At the bottom of a huge pit, Leylin fiercely spat out a mouthful of sand and pebbles. Upon seeing the strange angle his right arm was in, he smiled wryly.

"The A.I. Chip recovered only a portion of the ancient suction spell formation, and using it so rashly obviously resulted in this situation. If not for my innate spell, I'm likely to have suffered far more than just a broken arm."

Despite the grimace on his face, he jumped out of this large pit quickly and observed his surroundings. This was the place where he had fought with the vengeful spirit, the Loathsome Evil, and also where he had arranged his spell model.

"This suction spell formation was truly set up perfectly!"

Leylin sighed regretfully, and immediately commanded, "A.I. Chip, analyse the map and find the most optimal route to exit the secret plane!"

Previously, upon the spirit altar, Leylin had seen something similar to a map of the secret plane.

Due to his cautiousness, he had immediately asked the A.I. Chip to make a record of the map and compare it with the map made from routes he had travelled. As expected, the result was that he obtained a complete map — the entire map of the secret plane!

The suction spell formation here was an ancient spell that he had upgraded himself.

He had only seen the original model of this spell in the ancient books at the Four Seasons Garden, and many parts of it were already badly damaged.

Even with the A.I. Chip's help he only had one complete portion, which only held 30 to 40% of the original power of the spell formation.

But this 30 to 40% power was enough to cause Leylin much happiness and was one of his hidden trump cards.

This suction spell formation model was able to create a powerful gravitational force, which would forcibly pull magic artifacts or lifeforms that had previously been engraved onto a place where the suction spell formation had been set up.

Due to its utilisation of many ancient techniques the force of attraction was very powerful, and its speed was extremely high! Even a rank 2 Magus would be helpless against it.

If previously Leylin had the assurance of 10% success in fleeing from a rank 2 Magus, then after he had properly set up the gravitational spell, this probability of success could increase to 40% or even more!

[Map imported and the optimal route has been found!]

The A.I. Chip computed quickly and the map of the secret plane was projected clearly in Leylin's field of view. In it, a red line marked the route from Leylin's current position to the oil painting, which was the entrance to the plane.

Jiji!* Just then, from the Gargamel's location, a loud, weird noise could be heard. Then a black shadow became larger and larger and finally unfurled itself within the sky.

Crash!* It was as if the entire sky in the secret plane had been ripped apart, exposing a pitch-black hole, and many blood red lightning bolts and thunder hacked at this black shadow.

The shadow wore a strange skull mask and struck out at the constantly roaring lightning and thunder.

The repercussions of this fight, caused everything to be turned to dust wherever it landed. And the battlefield slowly expanded, reaching to the location where Leylin was.

"Run!"

Seeing this apocalypse-like scene, Leylin did not think for long, and immediately broke into a run.

On the way, the ground began to split open, and many trestles and stone sculptures fell to the ground. This scene was as if the world was ending.

Leylin ran with lightning-fast speed and his body was constantly covered with the Scales of Kemoyin. At high speed, all that could be seen was a long, black afterimage.

Swish!*

Leylin quickly passed through a metal tunnel, and ahead of him was a dead-end. A thick layer of metal had completely sealed this passage.

But Leylin's expression did not vary in the least; flickering constantly, he rapped at a few points at the wall.

Rumble rumble!* Along with a loud noise of a machine, The metal in front of Leylin split open with a deafening mechanical noise, exposing a silver passage.

Written in the ancient Byron language was a sign on one side of the tunnel that read: "Tunnel made for emergency exit, specifically for lab employees!"

Leylin's blue eyes flashed and, without hesitation, he rushed through this passage.

The silver passage quickly flashed past Leylin.

Immediately, the A.I. Chip's voice intoned, causing Leylin's footsteps to halt.

[Discovered hidden compartment. It wasn't recorded in the map previously. Do you want to continue through that way or not?]

"Hidden compartment? And the map on the spirit altar did not have a record of it? The level of secrecy of this compartment must be very high."

Leylin glanced at the passage behind him with concern, sprinted forth, and a small door suddenly appeared on the silver wall.

The room behind the door was very narrow. It was a compartment of a few square meters in area and at its center was a very simple and mysterious ancient spell formation.

This spell model was built entirely using a black stone and on its surface were all kinds of symbols which Leylin could not understand. All around this spell model were tall obelisks.

Leaning on one of the obelisks was a corpse.

This corpse was wearing a black gown that was lushly and delicately embroidered. More importantly was that even after such a long time had passed the clothes still had a bright and beautiful luster.

"This definitely was a very important person!" Seeing this corpse, Leylin inwardly exclaimed.

"A.I. Chip, record the patterns on the spell model" Leylin issued an order then he crouched down next to the corpse, and began fumbling about its clothes.

Some miscellaneous items and a torn diary made of parchment paper fell into Leylin's hands.

[The spell model's formation and the runes have already been recorded.]

After hearing the A.I. Chip's intonation, Leylin immediately left the secret compartment. All of these took place in less than 15 seconds of time.

Leylin tapped on another wall of the secret compartment, then he quickly ran away.

And behind him, with a rumbling noise, the secret compartment door closed and a white light was emitted throughout the entire passage. Nobody could tell he had been in there.

……

Rays of bright sunlight shone down.

It was already daytime in the small town, but, because of the old witch's potion, the populace was in a state of deep sleep.

This situation had already been discovered by the surrounding villagers and the rumors spread about very fast.

Of course, due to the fact that there were limitations in communication and reasons of time, the extent to which these rumors were spread was very small and did not attract the interest of even an acolyte.

Now, the small town gained the reputation of being a ghost town.

At the end of the passage, the oil painting emitted a silvery light. Then this light turned brighter and brighter, and finally revealed the entrance of a passageway.

Whoosh!*

From this entrance emerged a black shadow in very sorry shape.

Leylin used his left hand to wipe his cold sweat and turned around to see the passage to the secret plane.

"That was way too dangerous! If not for the defense mechanism that the Magi of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect set up for in case the Gargamel lost control, I wouldn't have been able to get away…"

To say that the Gargamel was very powerful was not a lie; the current Leylin was definitely not its match.

The being formed from the gathering of evil souls were simply insane. They were known for their temperamental nature, and Leylin wanted nothing to do with such terrifying and dangerous entities.

"Latent Fireball!"

After looking at the entrance to the secret plane, a flash of determination passed through his eyes and he threw black fireballs at the entrance, thoroughly destroying it.

Although there were many good things inside this secret plane, but when compared to his own insignificant life, Leylin certainly knew which he would prefer.

And compared with the fact that the Gargamel could come out at any time to finish him off, the other items inside the secret plane at once became dispensable.

Leylin looked at the surroundings and after removing all traces of his having been here, he departed from this place without looking back.

And if the entrance was not destroyed, then the Gargamel could come out from within the secret plane.

Leylin estimated that, with the strange and savage power of the Gargamel, it could immediately find the weak point of the secret plane and tear it apart and escape!

But by that time, Leylin would be a long distance away. What did this have to do with him?

Furthermore, in the entire Magus world of the south coast, Leylin was not the only Magus around. For instance, the head of the Night Lighthouse that he had met earlier was more than capable of suppressing this Gargamel!

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Emergency Situation

The speed at which Leylin escaped was extremely quick, and after just half a day, the tall, thick walls of the Nightless City were within sight.

At this point, his right hand had already completely healed. The frightening vitality of a Warlock was proving its worth.

Only after entering the Nightless City did Leylin breathe a huge sigh of relief.

The Gargamel was the result of the concentration of evil intentions by the Ancient Spirit Slayer Sect. Although it was unknown why that Gargamel had been sealed there by the Magi of the sect, based on the calculations from the battle with it, Leylin could say that this monster's strength was equivalent to that of a rank 2 Magus!

Although Leylin couldn't hold his own against it, there were a couple rank 2 Magi in the south coast that could. At the very least, the leaders of large scale Magus organisations and powers definitely had at least this level of power.

At that moment, within the Nightless City, the trading centre of the south coast, there were quite a few Magi with this kind of strength.

Leylin was sure that if the Gargamel were to chase after him, the Nightless City was sure to have the means to stop it!

However, he had another plan in mind.

The old witch was trapped in the secret plane together with that terrifying culmination of evil. From the looks of it, her chances of survival were meagre.

However, it was a fact that she held the position of elder in the dark Magus organisation that Leylin was affiliated with—Thousand Meddling Hands. Her status was obviously higher than that of an average member, and she was also able to contact the hidden rank 2 Magus heading the group!

With her death, there would be loose ends that needed to be tied up.

If possible, Leylin would obviously want to take possession of everything the old witch owned.

In a light Magus organisation, this would naturally be impossible. However, in the case of Thousand Meddling Leaves, as long as he revealed a bit of his might, it would be enough to subdue the ambitious Magi who wished to take over this position.

"Hello? Is this Leylin?"

At this moment, a secret imprint that resembled a four-coloured ring emerged from Leylin's waist. A man's voice was transmitted from it.

"Hello, Lord Decarte!"

Leylin could make out the owner of this imprint. It was the head of the Potioneering team, Decarte! His tone naturally became respectful.

Previously, all of the missions that Decarte needed Leylin to complete had been issued to him by Leylin's current leader, Martin

"Ugh, the secret imprint seemed to have had some sort of interference, and I couldn't contact you at all. Did you go somewhere far away?"

Decarte's questions were transmitted to him from the secret imprint.

"Yes. I'd accepted a friend's invitation to explore a small ruin…" Leylin's answer was half true.

"No wonder! Many of these ruins left behind by Magi will automatically block out all forms of communication. In there, a secret imprint is merely a useless decoration…" No matter if Decarte actually believed him or not, the voice from the secret imprint sounded convinced.

"My apologies for making my lord worry about me. Might I ask what you require of me?" Leylin was puzzled as he spoke to the imprint.

"Yes, there's something that I need. A few elders and the head have issued orders that Four Seasons Garden has entered the highest state of alert. All Magi will have their vacations cancelled! Upon receiving this message, you must report to the headquarters within 24 hours! All who do not do so will be viewed as traitors, and will be punished by the law enforcers!"

Decarte broke out the earth-shattering news.

"What?"

Leylin was in shock, causing him to take a few steps back.

The Four Seasons Garden wasn't stupid, and issuing such an order could only imply one thing. Something was going to happen to the entire south coast.

"I'll be there in time! Can you tell me what has happened?"

Leylin sucked in a few breaths of air and calmed himself down before inquiring.

"The whole situation is a little complicated. You can ask Martin about it when you're back. There's only one thing I can tell you—war! A war is approaching…"

"I don't have any more time left. Just remember to come here as quickly as possible! In war, the weak ones who don't have organisations to rely on are usually the first to die!"

Pop!* With his last word, the secret imprint dispersed into countless bright sparks, drifting through the air around Leylin.

Decarte's sounded serious, which caused Leylin's heart to sink.

When compared to these strong organisations, the conflict at the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy was but a small matter.

To have caused the Four Seasons Garden's Potioneering team head to be so flustered, there was only one possibility—that an incoming war was going to rock the Magus World!

Leylin suddenly remembered some information about Magus' history.

After the ancient times had passed, it was the current period. During this current period, two huge wars had occurred. These two events had affected the Magi, and basically all species in the entire south coast. The Magi suffered massive casualties, and the humans were obviously more affected, with numerous empires annihilated.

These two wars were named the First and Second Great Magus Wars!

Now, it seemed the Third Great Magus War was about to begin!

Leylin's scrunched up his brows and wrinkled his forehead.

For him, it was entirely possible to accumulate information and resources, and with the A.I. Chip, he would be able to constantly break through his bottlenecks and improve further.

As a result, Leylin had hoped to be able to develop in a more peaceful and stable environment until he would reach a bottleneck.

In the previous great wars, acolytes were cannon fodder. Even official Magi fell and died in swarms, resulting in the alternate name of the wars: the Magus World's Death Grinder.

Leylin wasn't sure that he would be lucky enough to escape unscathed!

Wars of this scale affected the entire south coast, and nobody had been able to escape. As long as one was a Magus, he or she would be involved in it.

Unless… If he left the south coast and passed through several extremely dangerous regions, and set off for a new place, he would be safe.

"I shouldn't scare myself. It might just be a conflict between the Four Seasons Garden and another Magus organisation!"

Leylin, who had been standing by the city gates, suddenly smiled gently and walked right inside.

He'd thought it through. No matter what happened, it had absolutely nothing to do with him.

After all, he was a member of Four Seasons Garden's Potioneering team! Unless Caesar's entire hunting team was annihilated, research personnel like him wouldn't need to be on the battlefield.

If this was a war with other Magus organisations, with the Four Seasons Garden's background, it would be impossible to be thoroughly annihilated. If he were to defect now, it would be an extremely foolish decision that would offend the Four Seasons Garden for no reason.

If the Third Great Magus War was to happen, the entire south coast would become a battlefield, and no area would be safe.

Decarte's words were a reminder as well as a warning.

Great wars never began with both sides going all out. It would start with them using small groups and neutral parties to eliminate all other elements, and then they would be able to fight freely, without fear of others taking advantage of the situation.

Wandering Magi and indecisive small organisations were definitely the first to be used!

Leylin didn't want to lose his backing and live a life where a crisis was always imminent.

As a result, it was necessary for him to return to the Four Seasons Garden.

Leylin was confident that he had hidden his skills well. In the eyes of the Magi in the Four Seasons Garden, Leylin was merely a newly advanced Magus who was talented in Potioneering and training!

If the leaders of Four Seasons Garden were stupid enough to get Leylin to be cannon fodder, then at the most, he would just leave and cut all connections between them.

Leylin was confident he would be able to leave the Four Seasons Garden's headquarters without alerting the rank 2 Magi there.

After thinking this entire matter through, Leylin achieved a calm state of mind. Only then did he have the mood to survey his surroundings.

At this moment, Leylin discovered a difference in the Nightless City!

The Nightless City's large gates had all been opened wide. Giants, which were usually rarely seen, could be seen wearing animal hides that did not fit them, and holding huge wooden stakes. They were entering the city in twos and threes.

With every step they took, the ground slightly shook.

The number of people in the Nightless City had increased by around 50%, causing a few passages to become congested.

However, whether they were regular humans, acolytes, or even some official Magi, their expressions were dark. In particular, there were a few official Magi who had a deep sense of distrust in their eyes when they saw unfamiliar Magi.

In the first zone of the Nightless City, shops that used to be bustling despite their unorganized placement saw a sharp decrease in price of raw materials. Defensive items, potions, and the like, on the other hand, were experiencing an increase in price. Many shops had already put up signs saying they were sold out.

Though Leylin had expected this, seeing this scene in person definitely had an effect on his mood.

All this was evidence of the scale of the impending war that would affect the entire Magus World. Leylin would definitely not be able to escape this!

Leylin's footsteps seemed to become a bit heavier as he passed through several gates and entered the third zone of the Nightless City.

In the region where the villas were located, the originally lively place was somewhat deserted. There were no signs of the cheerful Magi who used to hang around the various gardens. Several flowers that used to be tended to in the flower terrace were listlessly lowering their heads, with some even showing signs of wilting, which gave off a bleak atmosphere.

"Master!"

Once he returned to his own villa, Damien, the level 3 acolyte who worked as his butler, welcomed him.

"I'm fine! Did anything strange happen in the Nightless City recently? Tell me everything you know!" Leylin immediately asked while he threw his cloak to Damien.

"Yes! Damien was just about to do so!"

There was a worried expression on his face.

"A day before, rumours about the start of a third Magus war started spreading around the Nightless City. At the beginning, nobody took it to heart, but as time passed, the fact that no organisation stood up to refute this claim has Nightless City in a frenzy…"

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Branding Experiment

Damien expressed a slightly apprehensive expression.

"Many Magi simply left. Huge numbers of people are in the streets buying items to increase their powers. It's as though they are trying to use up all of the magic crystals at their disposal…"

"That strange phenomenon only gradually abated after the public center dispatched people to patrol the streets….."

"Moreover, your good friend Magus Crew also moved out this afternoon. Before he left, he left a message for you!"

"What message?"

"The night is approaching. Be careful in everything you do!" Damien said something that sounded like a proverb.

"What does that mean?" Leylin frowned. "When did that Crew start to like being a prophetic Magus? The things he says are never clear!"

Leylin pondered for a moment, and finally told Damien, "From the information I've gathered, there will probably be a relatively large war that is imminent……"

Even though he already had some guesses, when Damien heard this information, his body trembled uncontrollably. He was originally caught and became a slave because of a war. Even though he was under a spirit branding, that bitter experience was just like a brand that was deeply engraved in his memories, making it impossible for him to forget.

"That's right, call Number 1 to 5 over here!"

Leylin casually instructed Damien, who rapidly suppressed his shaking body, and withdrew at an extremely fast pace.

After a few minutes, five armoured Grand Knights with greatswords appeared before Leylin and knelt to perform a perfect Knight's greeting!

"Master!"

The extremely thick armour didn't affect their movements in the slightest way, and every movement of those five people carried a killing intent. It could be seen at a glance that they were strong veteran Grand Knights that had experienced countless battles.

"You may rise!" Leylin commented softly as he looked at those five people.

They were naturally the five Grand Knight slaves that he had purchased at the slave market in addition to Damien.

With the spirit branding, Leylin could order these five Grand Knights to die and they would obey without any hesitation.

They originally had names, but for convenience's sake, Leylin gave all of them new names with numbers, starting from 1 to 5.

Leylin had put in considerable amounts of effort on the five Grand Knights. He constantly fixed their conditions during the past year. He didn't even mind spending a lot of his resources to brew precious potions for them to consume.

Currently, the five experimental bodies' were unconsciously giving off energy waves filled with life force. They were already beyond the Grand Knight's rank and were beginning to advance to a higher realm.

"What are the results of the secret techniques that I taught you previously?"

Leylin asked.

"Master! After using the secret techniques along with the potions from before, Number 2, 3 and I felt life force start to flow through us, which was something that had not happened for a long time. Our vitality also became increasingly stronger."

The big man on the far left stepped out of the line and said, "But when Number 4 and 5 used the secret techniques, the brand on their bodies shook and gave off scorching hot energies that interrupted their training…….."

This Grand Knight slave, known as Number 1, gave an extremely detailed report.

In the past year, Leylin had been constantly modifying the brands of the five through the modifications made by the A.I. Chip. This had allowed him to gain a lot of fruitful experiment results.

The 'secret techniques' that were previously taught to those five Grand Knights were just improvised data from the information about Branded Swordsman.

"Is that so?" Leylin's gaze became stern. "Remove your clothes!"

The five slaves removed their body armour without any thoughts after hearing their master's order.

Crash!* Metal armour made a racket as they hit the ground. The Grand Knights had removed the heavy armour in just a couple of seconds, revealing completely unclothed bodies.

Moreover, Number 4 and 5 were female Grand Knights, but they weren't at all embarrassed as they stood before Leylin with their well-developed bodies and private parts completely exposed.

Those five had the strength of Grand Knights. Their bodyline was supple, but was well developed. Every inch of their flesh hid an astonishing explosive power.

Their bodies were akin to perfectly sculpted statues.

However, there were elements that offset their aesthetic appearance from being perfect.

Leylin didn't cared about the two Grand Knight beauties; his gaze was completely focused on the interweaving brand on their body.

Leylin scrutinised their bodies.

He noticed that the bodies of his Grand Knight subordinates were covered with deep, black brands.. Near these brands were some twisting scars. It seemed as if a branding iron was the source of the brands and scars.

With close observation, the brands looked like a centipede climbing. while their chest and lower abdomen regions formed an extremely peculiar rune.

Some of the brands seemed to be broken and were unable to link together.

"A.I. Chip! Scan those brands and compare the current conditions of these Grand Knights to the previous observations in a new file!" Leylin thought.

As he said this, a blue light shone in his eyes and swept horizontally across those slaves.

[Beep! Mission established! Commencing the scanning!] The A.I. Chip followed the tasks that Leylin ordered.

Rows of numbers and three 3-D images appeared before Leylin and were constantly being updated.

"En! It seemed that the training method that I created isn't bad. These Knights' physical qualities have had drastic improvements and are also able to train their life force. Their previous stagnant powers are starting to rapidly improve!"

Leylin was extremely satisfied after looking at the results of the three male Grand Knights.

"The training method of the Branded Swordsman conflicts with the brands on their bodies?"

Leylin carefully looked through the A.I. Chip's results while constantly walking around the slaves in order to attentively observe the position of the brands.

"Where is the source of the previous problem? Is it here?"

Leylin placed his hands below the lower abdomen of Number 4 without ascribing and thoughts to what he was doing. After having placed his hand there, he felt a warm sensation and could feel that underneath the smooth and supple skin, there were muscles that were slightly twitching now.

"Yes…Yes, that's the place, Master!" said Number 4 with a slightly shaky voice. This female Grand Knight had a good appearance and an exceptionally curved, bountiful body

"If that's the case!" Leylin caressed his lower jaw.

"A.I. Chip! Amend the parameters for the two female knights to the p-grade content and change the index to the third grade before testing again!"

This kind of calculation was an easy task for the A.I. Chip. After a short moment, the A.I. Chip had already concluded its calculation and reported it to Leylin.

[Beep! According to the calculation, the brandings of the swordsman are different for males and females. The markings must follow a carved inscription!]

After looking at the A.I. Chip's conclusion, Leylin's expression did not change since he had expected such a result.

"So it really was the case! Kroft had gotten hold of a part of the Branded Swordsman information, but there is an extreme lack of information concerning the brandings. The runes inscribed on males had been deduced by the A.I. Chip. Moreover, those marks aren't suitable for females, which resulted in the two female Knights being unable to train!"

"It seems that I must purchase a large quantity of male Grand Knight slaves to try to create a Branded Swordsman!"

Leylin planned to himself.

To him, using males or females didn't have any differences. He just needed to head to different sections of the slave Market for them.

However, regarding the most crucial rune inscriptions for the Branded Swordsman, he could only amend the model to suit males. While it was not impossible to create something out of nothing for a female version of the model, it would take a lot of time. Leylin didn't want to spend the A.I. Chip's precious calculation skills on this matter.

"Since this is the case, there's only one troublesome problem in manufacturing Branded Swordsman, which is the problem in combining the markings' powers."

Leylin rubbed his lower jaw with flames burning in his eyes.

The ancient Branded Swordsman were similar to the bloodline Warlocks and elemental bards, which were among the stronger professions of the sub branch of the magi. Their specialties were their physical defence and offensive powers, which were regarded as their enemies' nightmares.

Moreover, the combination of the Branded Swordsman and magicians was an eternal nightmare for many worlds.

If the Branded Swordsman could perform crowd control, then the Magi behind them would have the time to prepare the formidable power of magic in order to change a given situation.

Moreover, the power of an official Branded Swordsman was equivalent to that of at least a rank 1 Magus!

Leylin just needed to form an army with Branded Swordsmen. The quantity didn't need to be large; 20 of them would be sufficient. With such forces, Leylin would no longer have an opponent at the rank 1 Magus level and he was also confident enough to be able to fight against a rank 2 Magus!

"However, regarding the problem of the powers, the runes of the Branded Swordsman is the pivotal point. Even if it was the A.I. Chip, it could not guarantee perfection without countless experiments and accumulation of data. Moreover, there's also a problem in controlling the Branded Swordsmen after they evolve to a higher realm…"

Leylin lowered his head as he muttered to himself irresolutely.

He was only a rank 1 Magus now, so he could at most control level 3 acolytes and Grand Knights.

However, in a similar fashion as the Magi and Warlocks, the ancient Branded Swordsmen could break through the ordinary realm to reach an extraordinary one.

This power wasn't something that Leylin could currently control by using the spirit brand.

Thus, a safer and more effective controlling method had to be researched and implemented on those Branded Swordsman!

Only with this method could the loyalty of his soldiers be guaranteed!

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The Great Magus War

In the dimly lit basement.

A faint red ball of light floated in midair, constantly emitting blood red rays of light, which caused the lighting of the basement to be slightly gloomy, and gave off a horrifying atmosphere.

The previous Grand Knight, Number 1, was lying flat on the enormous white metal experimental table.

His eyes were tightly closed, and his eyelids were constantly moving, as though he was being tortured in his dreams.

Moreover, the black brands on his body seemed to be alive, constantly lengthening and shortening as it wiggled. Moreover, it slowly protruded from his skin, giving off dark red rays of light as he breathed.

"The ancient Branded Swordsman used the magic runes and arrays crafted onto their bodies to enable them to store the world's natural energy particles into their body. Those particles could also be completely released during critical moments, turning into a terrifying spell! Moreover, the Branded Swordsman's physical abilities were far beyond the limits of ordinary people, reaching an unfathomable stage because a large amount of energy particles constantly reformed their bodies!"

Currently, it could be said that Leylin was the top person in the south coast regarding the knowledge of the Branded Swordsman.

With a white scalpel and tweezers in his hands, Leylin finally looked at Number 1, who was still unconscious.

"Even though I'm slightly eager to gain instant benefits, I can't consider it any further!"

Leylin sighed as he said that. He still needed to get numerous results from the experiments conducted on the five Grand Knights using the A.I. Chip in order to gain accurate parameters before he could inscribe the final energy pathways.

However, time was pressing.

The news concerning the war's imminence had arrived so suddenly that it messed up most of Leylin's original plans.

Initially, Leylin was certain that he would make the second transition in his bloodline by the time the Branded Swordsman's experiment succeeded. At that moment, with his increase in power, it wouldn't be impossible for him to battle against a rank 2 Magus.

A rank 2 Magus was at the level of the principal of the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, who possessed great magical powers.

If he could calmly wait and silently accumulate power, Leylin could quickly reach the peak domain that the majority of rank 1 Magi couldn't reach in their entire lifetime.

However, everything was in ruins due to the dreadful news of the war.

At this moment, all Leylin could do was quicken his research in hopes that by the time the war came, he could produce Branded Swordsmen. He didn't expect them to have the full might of the ancient Branded Swordsman but possess at least 50-60% of their original power, which would be sufficient to ensure his life during the chaos of the war.

Leylin took a deep breath after he sorted through his thoughts.

At that instant, he completely calmed down, dispelling all distracting thoughts from his mind.

An indifferent light flashed past his eyes as Leylin carved at Number 1's chest with the assistance of the A.I. chip.

……

"Roar!" An enormous Venom Wyvern, accompanied by a distinct loud cry, dove down from the sky. It abruptly spread its wings when it was a couple of meters above the ground.

Whoosh!* Enormous green wings covered the sky, casting a large shadow on the ground.

After spreading its wings, the enormous Venom Wyvern's speed of descent drastically decreased, entering a gliding state. After gliding for a couple of meters in the air, it steadily landed on the Four Seasons Garden's general headquarters' landing pad.

Bang!* The enormous beastial claws collided with the platform. When those sharp claws contacted the floor with such a large amount of momentum, it left several meter-deep markings.

Swish! A Magus who was wearing a white robe embroidered with plants directly jumped off the back of the Venom Wyvern.

"Lord Leylin!"

The surrounding Four Season Garden acolytes hastily went forth to bow to him.

There were two other armoured men that also jumped off from the Venom Wyvern's back after Leylin disembarked. There were enormous greatswords the size of a door attached on their backs.

"These two are my followers. According to the school's rules, I've the rights to bring two servants to live with me! Register them for me!"

Leylin told one of the acolytes, "You also to feed Hawke, and increase the amount of red bread pigs by two heads. It recently entered a state of binge eating prior to maturity, so it requires a lot of food……."

"Your wish is our command, lord!" That acolyte deeply bowed as he commanded the rest of the subordinates behind him to start washing and cleaning the Venom Wyvern

The acolyte seemed to have rapidly recorded something down. After a short while, he passed two metal tablets to Number 2 and 3, who were behind Leylin.

The two tablets were completely black, and on the surface, there was a scarlet rune marking. The marking consisted of an inverted triangle within a circle, with a coiled black snake in the centre.

This was Leylin's secret imprint.

"This will be your access pass. Take good care of it, as the replacement procedure is extremely troublesome! Moreover, there are some restricted areas that you're forbidden from entering, as we are currently in a state of emergency. If you do, you'll be caught by the guards as a spy!"

That acolyte's expression was very stern, which made Leylin apprehensive.

"That's acceptable!" Leylin nodded before leaving this place along with Number 2 and Number 3.

"Is the situation already that severe?" Seeing the Magi rushing around on the way, combined with the warning from that acolyte, Leylin's heart was slightly heavy.

Leylin, who had gotten a lot of information from the previous experiment, rushed to reach the general headquarters of the Four Seasons Garden the next day.

After all, he didn't want to get into a conflict with the Four Seasons Garden.

While he was still conducting experiments regarding the Branded Swordsman, he had brought Number 2 and Number 3 with him to make some adjustments to them using the result from experiments conducted on Number 1. Currently, Leylin had a higher understanding in his research on the Branded Swordsman!

Under the calculations from the A.I Chip, Number 2 and Number 3 would definitely become good assistants for Leylin after they became Branded Swordsmen.

Leylin had made great progress regarding the problem in controlling them.

He used the white termite as the main ingredient to make modifications to the two Grand Knights and used potions to increase the degree to which the brand was carved into their spirits.

He should be able to control their consciousness to make them completely enslaved, under those two control measures.

As for the Grand Knights Number 4 and Number 5, they were completely crippled, as the branded runes on their bodies were not compatible with them. The branding of runes wasn't like drawing, where you could just erase your mistakes. Runes would be forever carved onto the body, and would also reside deep inside the spirit, forming a connection. This was the only way that the Branded Swordsmen could activate the natural energy particles!

Since it was Leylin's first time operating, and he was lacking in experience and information, he had already carved the wrong runes onto the previous two female Grand Knights.

Currently, there wasn't a way for Leylin to erase those runes, so they would forever lose their chances in improving and, would stay at the rank of Grand Knight for the rest of their lives.

Leylin would naturally not bring those two burdens with him. He had instructed Damien and the two female Grand Knights to defend his villa in the Nightless City as a future supply base.

Truthfully, Leylin was still in the darkness regarding the information of the war.

He knew that war was imminent, but didn't know why it was occurring. Who were the opposing forces? Everything was shrouded from him.

However seeing how the Four Season Garden was acting as though it was going to meet a formidable enemy in combat, he could guess that the enemy, this time, wasn't a simple one.

Information gathering was one of the reasons why Leylin decided to come to the general headquarters of the Four Seasons Garden.

After arranging for the two Grand Knights to stay at the residential area of the Four Seasons Garden, Leylin briskly walked to the main lounge of the Potioneering team.

It was rare for the two mischievous stone statues to not be creating trouble, so Leylin passed through them quickly.

Creak!*

When the door opened, the lounge was still as flourishing and vast as before. A long, white birch table and chairs were orderly arranged. There was a white tablecloth on the table, on the side of which delicate flowers had been stitched.

Different teams in the Potioneering team sat at their respective positions, and constantly chattered among themselves.

The only difference, this time, was that the table wasn't filled with food, but was instead occupied by various documents and crystal balls that were being perused for information.

The master's position in the lounge wasn't filled. It seemed that Decarte must have been busy, and couldn't come here for the time being.

Leylin surveyed the area, and found the where Martin's team was.

When he met Martin for the first time, that old fellow was positioned extremely far from the host's position. However, now that Leylin had joined and completed some missions, that old man's position had moved quite a bit forward. This was something that Martin had constantly bragged about to everyone.

However, even though he was sitting here, the excitement of being in this seat couldn't cover the worry expressed on Martin's face.

After seeing Leylin, Martin's wrinkle covered face displayed a smile. "Leylin! Over here!"

He pointed to the seat beside him.

Leylin smiled, and after greeting the few Magi that he knew, he walked over to sit beside Martin.

"I'm really glad that you could make it! You should know that due to this dreadful war, our tasks have become much more arduous……."

Since they were extremely close to each other, Martin started to express his complaints to Leylin.

"Sorry! I'll definitely work hard in the Potioneering aspect, so can you tell me the details regarding the war? I was previously exploring before I received the Lord leader's secret imprint, so I'm currently still at a loss as to what is happening!"

Leylin's face showed a textbook example of confusion.

"Oh! Look at my manners!" Martin patted his large forehead.

"Which part shall I start talking from?"

Martin stroked his beard and expressed a pondering expression.

"To be honest, the source of this battle is related to the previous two Magus wars….."

Martin commented slowly, his expression becoming serious.

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Eternal River Secret Plane

"Leylin, did you know how the two Great Magus Wars began?"

Martin suddenly asked.

"It seemed to be because of the differences in values between light and dark Magi, as well as some anticipated benefits." Leylin combined the factors he had read about in books and added his personal take on it.

"Benefits! Everything was for the sake of benefits!"

Martin waved his hand, his expression increasingly agitated.

"Saying that there was a difference in opinion is just a superficial reason, but when it comes down to it, it was all for benefits! When I find out who said this, I'll copy it down and engrave it in my room!"

Martin quickly proceeded, "In reality, no matter if they were light or dark Magi, they were on the path of pursuing the truth! As long as they were not obstructed, no matter which areas the light Magi occupied, or what massacres the dark Magi were responsible for, the Magi couldn't care less."

"The real reason for the two Great Magus Wars was to obtain resources! The meagre resources in the south coast were not enough for the many of the Magi here…"

Leylin listened quietly as Martin explained the truth behind the Great Magus Wars.

At this moment, a cold smile emerged on his face.

"The so-called Great Magus Wars were actually just for the sake of obtaining more materials, which were not even abundant in the first place. It was a battle started by the highest tier of Magi on both the light and dark Magi's ends, and was a way to 'clean up' the Magus World. After the war, there were massive casualties on both the light and dark Magi's sides, and the remaining resources were enough for the Magi who had survived to advance. This is how the generations of families came to be on the south coast."

As Martin was narrating, Leylin saw a rare look of heartache on his face.

From the looks of it, Martin did not approve of these methods and reasoning, and it was highly likely that he was somehow directly affected by the wars.

Leylin immediately thought back to his previous world.

In his previous life, the fall of any empire was said to be caused by corruption and an incompetent monarch, amongst many other things.

The way Leylin saw it, the real reason for their fall was due to benefits and resources!

In ancient times, the land was the base of life. As time passed, the population rapidly grew, and since there wasn't family planning, people kept on having babies and used them for manual labour. That was the norm!

With an increase in population, but with the same amount of land available, not everyone was able to own land to support themselves. For this reason, the entire empire naturally declined.

Of course, during this process, high officials and landowners had their lands taken over, which hastened this decline.

……

After that, the confusion and deaths caused by the war caused the population to be diminished by about 60 to 70%, and the land and territory were left open for the remaining survivors to use. With this foundation, a new leader could govern well for a century or two and then decline. The cycle would continue…

Leylin believed that the south coast's Magus World was in such a situation.

Even with various measures, the number of Magi was still on the rise, and the south coast's rate of production of materials was hardly enough to support the rate at which Magi advanced in strength.

Many had to see their dreams crushed due to the lack of resources available.

This bitterness and hatred were passed down from generation to generation, resulting in a state where the ruling Magi began to feel afraid!

Hence, a few of the top guilds in the south coast were unafraid of the losses that might be incurred, and initiated wars, disposing of less powerful Magi organisations.

In those wars, winning was useless! Surviving was the best form of victory!

Once he thought that through, Leylin sucked in a breath of cold air.

Compared to the huge empires in his previous life that could not forge ahead any longer, the south coast Leylin was in was just a small part of the Magus World. It could almost be said to be a rural country area.

Even so, those wielding power in the south coast would rather constantly exhaust their own power by raiding to reduce the risks and resentment of their people, than expand their territory. There was only one reason for this!

Just as how it had happened with the Great Magus Wars, the desire to expand would often result in the opposite reaction, where gains did not make up for the losses. No leader was willing to lose their Magus underlings.

"What sort of dangers lie beyond the south coast?"

Leylin sighed inwardly. He had intentions on travelling all around the Magus World and climbing up to bigger heights. However, from this situation, it seemed rather impossible to even leave the south coast.

"However, this does explain why the south coast has always been so sealed off. Rarely are there Magi that stop over, with the only exception being the great Magus Serholm!"

Leylin's eyes flashed as he seemed to come to a realisation.

"So does that mean that this impending war is also meant to lessen the population of official Magi?"

At this point, Martin and Leylin had both lowered their voices and transmitted their thoughts. Leylin had also taken the liberty of setting up a few spell formations that would isolate sound waves.

"That's not it!" Martin slapped his head.

"I just had a lot of feelings regarding the previous Great Magus Wars!"

Old Martin behaved as though he was an old man, and Leylin had the urge to bash him up.

"Hahaha…" Seeing Leylin's reaction, he laughed in a carefree manner.

"I apologise. I have this problem where in critical moments, I usually like to make jokes to ease my nerves." Martin gave a tiny grin as an apology, but all Leylin saw was a despicable old man.

"Alright, let's get back to the topic. The reason for this war is a dispute over benefits!"

Old Martin's expression became milder, but Leylin still listened intently.

"About two days ago, a group of Magi who were out exploring in the Eternal River Plains found a Magus' secret plane!"

Martin told Leylin some information.

This group had been searching for some ruins and had accidentally activated the secret plane, resulting in the leakage of this news, which could set off wars. This wasn't anything new on the south coast.

However, to be able to elicit such a huge response from Old Martin, even making him think that the Third Magus War was arriving, this secret plane must be very unique.

"A secret plane? Is it a resource type plane? How big is it?" Leylin got right to the key points.

"I don't know! From the information provided by Magi who had gone in, it's about ten million mu! The density of elemental particles in there is of the highest quality, A!"

Listening to Martin's statement, Leylin could not help but gasp in admiration.

Even a large-scale light Magi organisation like the Four Seasons Garden only had a secret plane the size of a little more than a million mu. Just from the site of exploration, the secret plane was already much bigger than what the Four Seasons Garden possessed.

Such a huge benefit was enough for the peace-loving light Magi, who were usually buried in research, to covet and be willing to kill to obtain the secret plane.

"Worst of all, such a huge secret plane has a large number of entrances. It seems that after the exploration group activated one of them, the other entrances were also automatically opened. Based on the news I've gathered, there are at least 7 other entrances."

Old Martin was acting mysteriously about this.

Leylin just gave a huge sigh. "The Eternal River Plains are just at the border between the dark and light Magi's territories. The undulations from the entrances to such a large scale secret plane will definitely be detected by official Magi, even if it were a thousand li away."

He finally knew the reason for the wars. Even though it wasn't the worst situation, it wasn't all that good either.

"Exactly! Some dark and light Magus organisations got there first, and upon seeing the secret plane, started killing each other from their desire to gain possession of it. In the end, nobody received any benefits, and they later passed on the information they had learned to the organisations behind them! This information spreading from layer to layer resulted in a civil war between the various Magi."

"In the end, the dark Magi managed to take control of three entrances, while the light Magi took control of the other four. In the huge secret plane, a bloodthirsty battle to steal away various precious resources and territories ensued. The war this time will be inside the plane, and Magi from all over will fight within. Of course, the most important part will be to gain possession of the territory within…"

Leylin heaved a sigh of relief.

Compared to the two other wars that affected the entire south coast, this was going to affect the Magus World the least. The number of dead humans would be minimal, and for Magi like him, as long as he did not choose to enter the secret plane, he would naturally be safe.

At most, there would be an increase in tasks related to Potioneering.

Of course, nearing the end of the war, there was sure to be a large number of casualties within the organisations, and Leylin might even have to be sent to the frontlines.

However, if that truly were to happen, Leylin would immediately choose to escape, and obviously wouldn't be forced into the fight.

Ding* Just as Leylin was about to enquire more from Martin, a clear sound resounded within the hall.

Despite there being no wind, the multi-coloured fabrics in the hall rustled, and rays of rainbow coloured lights shone within the room.

A distinct sound resonated across the hall.

"The team leader is here! Get up and greet him!"

Martin pulled Leylin along.

Leylin rolled his eyes and stood unwillingly.

As the team leader of Four Seasons Garden's Potioneering team, Decarte's power was unquestionable. He was already at the peak of rank 1, and was ready to break through to rank 2 at any moment.

He also had many achievements in Potioneering and was said to be a great master in the subject.

However, not only was this man old fashioned, he was also crazy for anything lavish that could show off his status.

As a result, this person who liked to have dinner with his underlings, have conversations and issue missions in the stately, formal hall, could not tolerate the slightest bit of rudeness towards him.

A number of Magi had been punished for this reason.

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Issuing Missions

Below the stage, numerous Magi bowed.

On the podium, red flames blazed.

A Magus in white robes and a green headband leaped up from the flames energetically, looking like a flame sprite.

"My lord!" Leylin and the other Magi bowed together.

"Hmph!" Decarte nodded in an aloof manner and swept his long cloak before taking a seat at his assigned place.

"Everyone!" Decarte's voice was very gentle, though he had a weird accent. Having stored a large amount of data, Leylin knew that this was an accent that Magi nobility used in the ancient times. Other than showing off one's status, there was nothing special about it. Only the most traditional families practised this way of speech now.

"I believe those in charge of you have already spoken to you. If not, you can ask them about it. I have only one thing to say here!"

"Four Seasons Garden will take over one of the entrances to the Eternal River secret plane on behalf of the light Magi. The battle and hunting teams have already been brought into the plane in batches to vie over the resources within against the dark Magi. Our Potioneering team may not be directly involved in killing the dark Magi, but we have the role of brewing potions and definitely can't hinder the other teams!"

At this point, Decarte's eyes shone as he scanned the area.

All Magi present trembled with fear.

"Is this the power of a Magus at the peak of rank 1?"

Though Leylin could withstand such might, he knew he definitely wasn't Decarte's match yet.

He looked at his stats.

[Leylin Farlier. Rank 1 Warlock, Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 7.1, Agility: 6.7, Vitality: 8.5, Spiritual Force: 58.9, Magic Power: 58 (Magic Power is in synchronisation with Spiritual Force). Elemental essence conversion: 70%. Status: Healthy]

As a Magus on the verge of breaking through to rank 2, Decarte's spiritual force had definitely gone past 70 and might even be near 80. His elemental essence conversion was sure to have reached a high percentage and was much more than 80%, which was the requirement to break through.

Leylin suspected that Lord Decarte could have advanced a long time ago but had held himself back in order to increase his elemental essence conversion as much as possible before trying to break through!

Leylin knew that he had a large number of tricks up his sleeves, but the most he could do was catch Decarte unprepared. It was certain that the experienced Decarte could beat him up thoroughly.

"Alright, now I'll issue the missions. Callum, your research on the Tree Secretion Potion is temporarily on hold. From hereon, spend all your time on brewing the Rotting Bee Swarm potion!"

Decarte began to issue the missions.

A Magus with a gold helmet that covered his face stood and greeted him.

Leylin knew of Callum. He was said to be the number one in the Potioneering team, and the team he led was very capable. They had managed to complete a series of difficult missions, and his own Potioneering abilities were awe-inspiring. Based on Leylin's calculations, without the use of his trump card, the A.I. Chip, he might not even match up to Callum.

Leylin had heard a bit about the Tree Secretion Potion that Callum's team was in charge of. The formula had already been mostly figured out, and there was one more step till the potion could show its real effects.

However, because of the war, this experiment had to be postponed.

"Good. I'll compensate your losses a while later!" Seeing Callum so cooperative, Decarte's expression brightened.

"Next up is…"

Decarte changed all of the teams' existing missions.

Their previous missions had to do with research and fortification, but these were all abandoned in favour of refining potions that had immense killing power.

Martin's team, which Leylin was in, received a mission to brew the Heart of Lava.

This Heart of Lava Potion was a type of offensive potion that had a large area of effect.

Though its might was a little weak at around 20 degrees, it had a wide range and was a necessary item in large-scale wars.

Besides Martin's team, other Potioneering groups also received this mission.

This potion was not easy to brew, but Decarte cared little for the grimaces on his subordinates' faces and allocated a fixed number for each team to make. He also mentioned that if the monthly quota was not met, not only would their benefits and allocations be decreased, they might also be deprived of some of their current authority.

Martin's expression was bitter, and Leylin's heart lurched when Martin looked at him with hope.

Decarte's attitude seemed to imply that Four Seasons Garden did not have the upper hand in the fight for territories within Eternal River secret plane. Hence, they needed a large number of these offensive potions.

If that was the case, it was a definite possibility that people who were usually working at the back, like alchemists and potion masters, would be sent to the frontlines to increase Four Seasons Garden's strength.

With such high odds of this happening, Leylin needed to make some preparations for himself.

After all, he wasn't so stupid as to give his life for Four Seasons Garden.

"Leylin, we're counting on you!"

Martin had a look of fervent hope as he patted Leylin on the back. His teammates had the same expression.

"Alright! However, this mission is extremely important and I can't guarantee anything…"

Leylin forced a smile.

Time passed quickly, especially while one was busy brewing potions.

Usually, Leylin obviously would not reveal his true abilities in making potions.

While brewing them, he purposely failed a few times in order to hide his ridiculously high rate of success.

However, there was an upside to this whole situation. As Potioneering was a job that demanded one to be meticulous, the environments Potion Masters were in had to be suitable. Hence, they often worked alone.

Leylin also had a private laboratory of his own, and while he was brewing potions, even his own team members did not dare interrupt him.

This gave him the opportunity to do as he pleased.

Firstly, Leylin used a frighteningly short amount of time to brew enough potions to fill the quota. The rest of the time was used on researching the Branded Swordsman, the information he had obtained from the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect's secret plane, and other subjects of interest.

Within Leylin's private laboratory.

Burettes, beakers, and other laboratory containers holding colourful liquids were scattered atop the pure white experimenting table. Some of these liquids were solvents that effervesced.

Beside the table, Leylin had his eyes tightly closed, his facial muscles twitching.

At the same time, rings of energy and spiritual force rippled and were constantly being compressed. The atmosphere began to undulate with the tiniest ripples as if it were also being compressed.

The large spiritual force that Leylin possessed was constantly lowering along with the fluctuations, and there even came a point where his spiritual force was undetectable.

A good while later, Leylin opened his eyes.

Currently, his eyes were clear and pure. The layer of darkness from before was nowhere to be seen.

The energy waves he usually gave off had vanished and he seemed to be a regular human. The only identifiable aspect was the deep and immeasurable dark shadow that flashed in his eyes occasionally.

"The spiritual force compression method I obtained from the old witch is surprisingly effective!"

Leylin used the A.I. Chip to scan himself, but even the A.I. Chip could only give a few vague numbers and was unable to effectively analyse the state of Leylin's body.

Leylin prevented the A.I. Chip from using all its efforts on calculating data, and he had not authorized the usage of an atomic microscope either. However, just this kind of result was enough to make him happy.

From the A.I. Chip's calculations, this spiritual force compression method matched up the spiritual force energy waves from his body and then compressed them. This would then adjust the spiritual force energy waves and hide his true strength.

Just the first half of the information that the old witch had provided was enough to conceal his strength from other rank 1 Magi.

With the second half he obtained from the old witch during his time in the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect's secret plane, this effect was multiplied.

The current Leylin was certain that even rank 2 Magi would be unable to detect the concealment of his strength.

Having this ability right before the impending war made it even more precious!

"This method can be used as one of my hiding skills. When coupled with Shadow Stealth, the effects seem to be even better…"

The A.I. Chip began to calculate fervently while Leylin was deep in thought.

After about half an hour, Leylin got up and rang the golden handbell on the experimentation table.

Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!*

The crisp sound of a bell resounded.

Creak!*

Moments later, a secret door opened, and two Grand Knights dressed in armour walked in.

"Number 2! Number 3! How are you feeling now?"

Leylin surveyed the two who had grown taller and had a change in their physique. Anticipation flashed in his eyes.

"There's some pain from swelling as if something is inside drilling holes in my body…"

"Master! I feel the same as Number 2. Also, my body alternates between being cold and warm, and there are sudden surges in strength. I would break whatever I was holding unintentionally when that happened…" Number 3 knelt on one leg as he reported.

"Is that so? Lie on the experimentation table and let me see!"

Leylin commanded.

Number 3 took off all his armour and quickly laid on the ice-cold table.

At the moment, the brand on his body was becoming increasingly clear. What was most obvious was the few strange looking brands that were broken, which had been kept in place with red devices

"I'm unable to replicate the methods of recreating the Ancient Branded Swordsman now, so I can only settle for second best. As long as I forcibly link the brand and let Grand Knights temporarily use this power, it still works!"

Leylin thought to himself.

To fully replicate the methods in creating the powerful Branded Swordsman, a large amount of time was needed.

The current Leylin had to make do and substitute it with other means.

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The Library's Hidden Room

In this pre-war period the entire Magus World on the south coast was in a chaotic situation.

Though Leylin had always stayed within the Four Seasons Garden's headquarters, he had not completely broken off all contact with the outside world.

Every day, he could obtain information about the south coast from his butler Damien, who was still in Nightless City, as well as from other channels.

The appearance of the Eternal River Plains' secret plane had galvanized the south coast!

All Magi, whether it be the organisations, wandering Magi, or even fugitives, were all rushing towards the Eternal River Plains.

The Eternal River Plains' secret plane was said to be the largest plane found on the south coast to date.

It had an area of as much as ten million mu and even exceeded the total area of all resource-based secret planes that had previously been found.

Many Magi wanted to reap some benefits from this magnificent discovery.

For this kind of secret plane, just a small part of it was enough to cover several decades of expenses for the average Magus! Magi organisations that could set up such a plane were sure to be outstanding, even in ancient times.

Magi who could obtain an inheritance of this level could definitely break through their bottleneck and allow them to have a chance at advancing to rank 3 or become a rank 4 Morning Star Magus!

Such a huge temptation not only made the idle Magi crazy with desire, even older Magi who had retired a long time ago had decided to act and were rushing towards the Eternal River Plains.

Due to their great numbers, the Magi rushing for the secret plane eventually had conflicts with the large Magi organisations guarding the entrances.

Dramatic scenes—chaos, murders, alliances, and betrayals—were incessantly acted out on the stage that was the Eternal River Plains.

Many small Magi organisations and individual Magi even made an alliance to contend against the large dark and light Magi groups.

In such a disorderly situation, Leylin needed to raise his strength to protect himself as quickly as possible.

Although the Branded Swordsman created in such a short amount of time were only usable once and might be of inferior strength, that was enough for Leylin.

During critical moments he could only rely on himself. As for the other organisations and powers… hehe.

The current situation in Four Seasons Garden wasn't very good.

The huge influx of Magi into the Eternal River Plains had resulted in a weakening of the security in the area. Four Seasons Garden not only had to deal with attacks from within the secret plane but also had to send out some Magi to maintain order at the entrance. Their numbers were simply not enough.

A prominent example was the obvious decrease of Magi in Four Seasons Garden. The rank 2 Magi leaders could rarely be seen.

It was clear that Four Seasons Garden's defense abilities were gradually becoming weaker.

Leylin even had the thought of giving this information to Thousand Meddling Hands and gain some benefits from their weakness.

However, this plan was quickly rejected by Leyin.

Other than the restrictions he had from the previous contract witnessed by the Trial's Eye, the rank 2 Magus guarding the secret plane was still around. Taking over this type of secret plane required at least the rank 2 dark Magus that was controlling Thousand Meddling Hands to act.

Leylin was merely a normal member who had, at most, gained some notoriety. He was not yet qualified to be in direct contact with such a strong being.

Though the old witch had promised Leylin her position as an elder, she was trapped within the secret plane. This promise thus became invalid.

Though Leylin found it a pity, he wasn't particularly regretful.

In that situation, it was already a miracle that he could escape. Considering the circumstances, it was not practical to think about anything else.

Leylin was still curious. How were the old witch and her daughter in spirit form, Jaye, doing in the secret plane?

And that Gargamel! As an evolution of the Loathsome Evil, this terrifying creature not only had the frightful strength of a rank 2 Magus, it also had many unpredictable techniques.

The destruction of the entrance to the secret plane would not obstruct it for too long.

If it were to be let out, the situation on the south coast would be much the same as it was now, or perhaps even more chaotic!

If that Gargamel found traces of Leylin, it definitely would not let him off. After all, he had basically made a fool of it.

Hence, Leylin had an increasingly intense desire for power.

"The Branded Swordsman! As long as I complete this experiment, I would instantly gain two underlings with the power of official Magi. They would be unafraid of death, and there can be an unending stream of them to serve me!"

Leylin's blue eyes flashed in excitement.

"A.I. Chip! Scan the data!"

[Beep! Mission established, beginning to collect data required. Microscopic scan ensuing!] The A.I. Chip loyally executed Leylin's commands.

[Beep! Target's Data. Strength: 29, Agility: 24, Vitality: 35, Spiritual Force: 19. Has been branded with runes: Flame Extension (for Male use) Effects: Able to store large amounts of flame elemental particles on the surface of the body and use it in battle. Each attack will have an additional damage from flames. All elemental particles can be set off at one go, and the effect is similar to a rank 1 Magus' Lava Fireball. Estimated power: 30 degrees!] [The brand's power is operating normally. Parts of it have mild defects, and is estimated to be completely damaged in 1540 hours.]

With the A.I. Chip's microscope that could analyse on an atomic level, all information about Number 3's brand was presented in front of Leylin.

"This means that instantly formed Branded Swordsman only have a lifespan of two or so months?" Leylin stroked his chin. "There are also some flaws in terms of agility and spiritual force too…"

"However, as cannon fodder that can only be used once, this is enough!"

Leylin thought to himself.

After which, he made plans to exchange all the contribution points he had gained from his work at Four Seasons Garden for grown male Grand Knight slaves.

On the bodies of these two instantly formed Branded Swordsman, Leylin had also made some preparations beforehand to ensure they were completely under his control.

However, due to limitations in terms of his spiritual force and other areas, the A.I. Chip had calculated that he was only capable of controlling five Branded Swordsman at a time!

Only if a few out of the five Branded Swordsman died, leaving a vacant spot, could Leylin put his abilities to use and fill the spot with other Branded Swordsman.

This was not the optimal situation, but for Leylin now, this was the best he could do.

As a rank 1 Magus, Leylin was able to control five considerably powerful Branded Swordman. If rumours of this got out, it would definitely shock the entire south coast!

"Compress!"

After gathering data and finishing his experiments, Leylin pressed a strange looking rune onto Number 3's back.

Instantly, a large amount of fire elemental particles lingering around Number 3's body dulled, and the energy waves from his body began to weaken until he was at the level of a Grand Knight.

This was the technique he had made sense of using the information about spiritual force compression method the old witch had given him.

By using external forces to control the energy waves in the target's body, others' senses would be confused.

The Branded Swordsman was Leylin's secret trump card and he naturally didn't want to be discovered so quickly. Hence, putting on an act and concealing his strength was necessary.

Next, Leylin repeated what he had done to Number 3 on Number 2's body.

After ordering these two Grand Knights to stay in the laboratory, Leylin left for the Four Seasons Garden's library.

Usually, there would be a few official Magi or acolytes reading up or conversing. Though there were a lot of people, it was orderly and surprisingly quiet.

The library was now extremely quiet, but it just seemed desolate.

Desks and chairs that would always be filled were unoccupied, and there were the occasional leaves and petals from the garden landing on the seats. It was deathly still and lonely.

"My Lord!" An old manager was still at his post in the library. Upon seeing Leylin, even the decorative items on his body seemed to brighten up, and he bowed in greeting.

"No need for that! There seems to very few people now." Leylin leaned against the counter and spoke casually.

"All acolytes have left after receiving missions. I've never seen so few people in Four Seasons Garden before!" The old manager gave a bitter smile.

"Missions? Now? Could it be to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane ?" Leylin found that inconceivable.

In the battle between Magi, acolytes were naught but cannon fodder. Other than large-scale spell formations which might be somewhat effective, the acolytes were normally just easy kills for Magi.

This maneuver by Four Seasons Garden was just irrational.

"Of course, they aren't going to go that deeply into the secret plane!" The old manager quickly explained to Leylin.

"Though many of those heading to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane are official Magi, there are also numerous wandering acolyte who have no fear of death. They had thoughts of going in to try their luck! The great Magi naturally did not bother with them, and now it's our turn to be sent out…"

"After all, the Eternal River Plains' secret plane is humongous. With a bit of luck, level 3 acolytes might not meet with opposing official Magi and make off with plenty of resources safely. Hence, there are some fearless level 3 acolytes who accepted the missions our Four Seasons Garden issued to explore the secret plane."

It could be seen that the old manager was well informed, as Leylin himself was unaware about some of what he had said.

"Thank you!" Leylin continued, "Set up an entrance card for me. I want to go to the library's secret room!"

Leylin then placed his identity token on the counter.

The old geezer processed everything quickly, and not long after, he returned the token and gave a translucent crystal card to Leylin.

"The price to read in the secret room is 10 contribution points per hour. Please take note of the time and leave before all your contribution points are used up."

The old geezer explained some important matters to Leylin.

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Turin Language

Similar to Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, there were restricted areas in the Four Seasons Garden's library.

The place Leylin wanted to go to was the Four Seasons Garden's secret storage room.

In this private room, large amounts of knowledge regarding various subjects were open to official Magi. The fees were extremely expensive, and even the current Leylin was in pain over the costly price.

Although he could copy the information with the A.I. Chip, that still took time.

Leylin had calculated that even if he used up all his contribution points, it would barely give him enough time to record half of the information available in the room.

He had originally planned to amass enough contribution points first and then record all the information at one go.

But now…

Leylin went straight to the second floor of the library and waved his transparent crystal card at an old bookshelf.

Kreeeen!* The bookshelf moved backwards, revealing a small passage.

Behind the passage was a small library with strangely shaped books placed on the rows of black wooden bookshelves within.

Some of the books even had pairs of arms and legs, and if not for the iron chains restraining them, they might just stealthily escape.

As he had a goal in mind, Leylin ignored them.

"A.I. Chip! Scan the catalogue. Search keywords: Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect, Emergency Passages…"

To find the content he needed from within this extremely extensive library, a lot of time would be wasted. Luckily for him, Leylin had the A.I. Chip, and within a few minutes, he found the information he wanted.

"I see…"

Following the A.I. Chip's instructions, Leylin came to a corner and flipped through a very old book.

It was extremely thick and heavy, and the cover was an ashen grey. The A.I. Chip judged that this book was made of a very special ancient stone material.

This method of bookmaking belonged to an interesting group of tiny sub-humans—the Stone Men!

This was a race that had an appearance extremely similar to that of humans, but the main difference was the thick layer of calcite on their skin, which looked very much like someone casting a stone-skin spell.

Leylin read through this large book made of stone. On one of the pages, a strange spell formation had been carefully recorded.

"It's this one! It's more than 90% similar to the spell formation in the secret plane of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect!" Leylin's expression brightened up.

Right before his eyes, the A.I. Chip brought up a picture of the ancient spell formation that he had obtained from the secret plane. He then compared it to the spell formation that was recorded down, and came to a conclusion that the two had a similarity of over 90%!

"That's astonishing!"

Leylin continued analysing it, looking increasingly cautious.

Only now did he realise the true purpose of that spell formation—teleportation!

In the secret room that Leylin had found a corpse in while escaping, there still existed an ancient teleportation formation!

This type of teleportation formation could instantaneously teleport a few Magi to a distance further than several times the length of the south coast. However, due to the geologic faults and the extinction of crucial ingredients, the current south coast no longer had traces of these formations.

The Stone Men then were the best slaves that the ancient Magi used to construct the teleportation formations. It was because of this reason that there were records of this race.

"So in the space between levels in the emergency passage, there's actually an ancient teleportation formation?"

Just the thought of it made Leylin breathe more quickly.

The south coast was surrounded by regions filled with varying levels of danger. In some places, rank 2 or 3 Magi would only be sending themselves to their death if they went there!

It was because of the existence of such dangers that the Magi in the south coast would rather have an internal strife every once in a while to reduce the number of Magi than venture outwards. They were unwilling to expand the territory and gain more resources.

Even if Leylin wanted to leave the south coast and look for traces of the central mainland, he had no way to leave!

However, with the appearance of the ancient teleportation spell formation, Leylin saw a glimmer of hope!

If he had tremendous luck and found a new land, how much profit would Leylin receive as the controller of the transportation pathway to there?

"No, I can't do this! Calm down! Calm down! Whether this ancient teleportation formation can still be used or not, and where it leads to are all unknown. To make effective use of it, I have to answer all of these questions!"

Leylin stroked his chin and calmed his emotions.

He then produced a tattered diary from within his robes. "I might be able to find an answer with information from this diary."

In the secret compartment within the emergency passage, not only did Leylin find the ancient teleportation formation, but he also found what seemed to be the remains of a high-ranking Magus of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect. In addition, he also found some miscellaneous items and this diary on the deceased Magus' body.

The first thing Leylin did upon returning was to order the A.I. Chip to record all of the information in this tattered diary.

Unfortunately, the language used in the diary was not one that the A.I. Chip was able to interpret. This made it difficult for Leylin to decipher the information within!

"Those strange people in black gowns who like to enslave spirits preferred to use an odd language and characters to issue commands. As long as we didn't understand, we would be punished cruelly, which forced us to learn the name of that damned Turin Language!"

In the Stone Men's books, Leylin found this written account.

"No wonder the A.I. Chip couldn't interpret the contents of the diary. So it was the Turin Language!" Leylin suddenly understood.

The Turin Language was an exclusive language used in ancient times, which used special sound waves and light rays to transmit information. Even its characters contrasted hugely compared to other existing languages.

There were no records of this Turin Language in the A.I. Chip's database.

"Turin Language?"

Leylin went around the bookshelf, and in a corner, he finally found a few books that seemed to be written in the Turin Language. There was even a book that gave a concise introduction to interpreting this language.

"A.I. Chip, scan it!"

In his excitement, Leylin hurriedly opened one of the books and ordered the A.I. Chip to record it down…

"My Lord, it's already time for dinner. Are you planning to enjoy a dinner party here? Your contribution points are almost completely used up at this point…"

Leylin was immersed in the sea of knowledge and was using the A.I. Chip to translate and restore the information in the diary.

In summary, there was a crazy Magus who kept using spirits to create the Gargamel. In the end, the experiment backfired on him. This was truly a tragic story.

What made Leylin most gleeful were the few images similar to the ancient teleportation formation that he found at the back of the diary.

Based on the images, as well as some speculations on the A.I. Chip's part, Leylin would be able to test whether the formation was still workable.

Now in a marvellous mood, Leylin didn't bother with the old manager and glanced at his crystal card. "I got it. I'll be right out!"

Disregarding the old man, who was bowing so deeply his head touched the floor, Leylin jogged out of the library.

"A.I. Chip! Based on the information from just now, how complete was the previously recorded ancient teleportation formation?"

Leylin asked a little nervously.

[Beep! Mission established, sorting through information regarding teleportation, and comparing…]

The A.I. Chip's mechanical voice sounded.

On the virtual screen in front of Leylin, large numbers of words and images flashed past, with the formation that had been previously recorded placed in the very centre.

[Beep! Comparison results: Completion of teleportation formation: 98.8%. Situation on other end of formation unknown, unable to calculate!]

The A.I. Chip's answer made Leylin grin even more brightly.

Though there was still a troublesome Gargamel in the secret plane, Leylin felt that it would be in a hurry to escape. The secret compartment was hidden well, and there was a high chance that it was still well preserved.

The most important thing was the source of energy!

"Even ancient teleportation formations needed a source of power! A.I. Chip, what does this formation need to be usable?"

Leylin asked.

[Magic crystal essence, or some object that contains a dense amount of energy particles!] The A.I. Chip intoned.

"Magic crystal essence huh? The magic crystal cards aren't enough?" Leylin asked.

[Beep! The energy contained within is not enough, will require a purifying process to condense the energy. Projected ingredients: 10,000 magic crystal cards or more!]

The A.I. Chip's reply made Leylin's legs wobble.

"Ten thousand magic crystal cards? A single card has a value of over a thousand magic crystals! Ten thousand magic crystal cards would mean that I will need over ten million magic crystals?!"

After a year of amassing resources from the light and dark Magi, the magic crystals and materials he had amassed only amounted to a value of less than five million!

And this A.I. Chip said that it needed twice that amount!

In addition, the A.I. Chip only needed magic crystal cards. Leylin needed to exchange large amounts of resources, magic items, knowledge, potions, and the like for magic crystals. This exchange would result in him racking up huge losses due to his pressing need for them.

"So many magic crystals… I'm afraid there will only be that amount stored in a few large scale Magus organisations' resource-based secret planes."

Leylin then shook his head. "This isn't the time to think about that. There isn't anything that requires me to risk my life, and even if it's the Third Great Magus War, it is still limited to within the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, and won't have much of an impact on the outside world!"

Currently, in the Third Great Magus War, the main reason for the fighting was a dispute over the rights to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, so the various disputes and conflicts had been taking place within it.

According to Leylin's guess, this slice of the cake was way too big, and no single organisation would be capable of devouring it whole. It would definitely be shared with the various large magisteriums and guilds.

As for what Four Seasons Garden and the other guilds had to do, it was to do their best to fight for a larger share!

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Blackmail

While freely strolling through the streets, Leylin heard an odd sound travel into his ears.

"We're in such a dangerous situation, and yet you're still so relaxed… It looks like I need to make a suggestion to Decarte for him to give you a more challenging job."

The tone of this voice was icy, giving Leylin the impression he had attracted the attention of a ravenous wolf.

Leylin gave a helpless laugh and scratched his nose, after which he turned back and gave a bow. "Lord Caesar!"

In front of him was a Magus clothed in a black robe. There were several blood-red threads that decorated the robe, and bloodlust constantly emanated from him.

What was most unforgettable was the eye on his forehead!

This three-eyed Magus was naturally Caesar of the hunting team. He was an elitist, and firmly believed in one's origin, so after Leylin entered Four Seasons Garden, he just didn't like Leylin and constantly caused him trouble.

"Wasn't his entire hunting team deployed into the Eternal River Plains' secret plane? Did something happen that required him to rush back and report?"

While Leylin made his conjectures, he explained himself to Caesar. " I, your subordinate, have completed all missions required for me to receive my monthly allocations, and have decided to take a walk to settle my mind."

"I see! Hehe, you're very capable. There might be a position that suits you better…"

Unexpectedly, Caesar did not inconvenience him, and only said something profound before leaving.

Leylin was left standing on the road, deep in thought.

"What did he mean by that?"

Soon enough, Leylin found out the meaning to Caesar's words.

During dinner, a banquet was held in the hall. Members of the Potioneering team gathered in the hall and enjoyed a sumptuous meal.

Hazelnut chicken, roasted suckling pig, honey wine, and other delicious commonplace dishes were everywhere, arranged like trash on every corner.

At the centre of the table, there were also various delicacies that were only available in the Magus World.

Bubble fish! Dolosen Snake! Butter Yak! In addition, a lot of treasured ingredients that Leylin didn't even know the names of were arranged neatly there.

The alluring smell of fine wine spread in the air, tempting everyone's palate.

"There must have been much blood shed by the acolytes in preparing these dishes."

Leylin picked up a piece of baked bubble fish, and while his taste buds enjoyed the new experience, he heaved an inward sigh of content.

This bubble fish was a high energy creature in the Magus World with a strength of a level 2 or 3 acolyte.

The Four Seasons Garden's magic kitchen specifically issued requests for acolytes to gather the fish.

Behind this feast, there were the blood, sweat, and tears of countless acolytes who had gone on dangerous expeditions. The results of their efforts, which had garnered them some insignificant returns, eventually turned into gourmet food on the official Magi's tables!

"It's for this reason that I hope to become the person who will deprive others, and not get deprived myself!"

Leylin had a resolute look in his eyes while still maintaining a kind smile about his lips. He took another roasted pig trotter and put it on his plate.

With the nearing of his bloodline's second transition, Leylin could feel abnormalities in his usual condition.

The most obvious one was a heightened appetite, particularly for the flesh of considerably strong, high-energy creatures.

After the sumptuous dinner, Decarte knocked on a golden cup on the table.

Ding-ling!*

The entire room instantly turned silent. Leylin and the other Magi stood, waiting for the Potioneering team's leader to issue missions and inform them of any arrangements.

"Everyone! Before we get into the important matters, let me announce something!"

Decarte looked at the Magi present and cleared his throat.

"Today, the hunting team's Caesar looked for me, hoping to have a few Potion Masters join him! You must know that in the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, there are frequent battles, resulting in a lack of healers. Many Potion Masters can use potions to achieve the same effect as healers."

Hearing Decarte's words, Leylin's heart suddenly lurched.

"Now, I'll announce the list of people to be sent there. They are Wilkenson, Saladin… and lastly, Leylin!"

As expected, Decarte increased his volume and read out Leylin's name last.

In that instant, Leylin felt countless pairs of eyes staring at him.

Within these gazes were thoughts of curiosity, worry, and most prominently, schadenfreude.

His ostensible team leader was sighing heavily by the side. After Leylin left, with Martin's abilities, it would be impossible to tackle the heavy workload that resulted from the war. However, Martin did not have the courage to dispute it, since this was the decision of the Potioneering team's leader.

"Oh, my heavens! Leylin! What do we do?"

His partner, Oak, seemed to be completely stunned and gaped at Leylin.

"Don't worry! Even if I am sent to the battlefield, I'll most likely be working at the back, and won't be in any real danger!" Seeing that there was someone who genuinely worried for him, a smile appeared on Leylin's face.

In reality, was there any place on a battlefield that was absolutely safe, especially when he was directly under that three-eyed Magus, Caesar?

The moment he heard Decarte announce his name, Leylin immediately thought about Caesar's cryptic smile.

"The aforementioned Magi have five days to prepare, after which they will be required to go to Four Seasons Garden's branch at the Eternal River Plains' secret plane and report. Otherwise, you will be seen as a traitor!"

Decarte seemed to be warning them at the end.

After offending the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy and the Lilytell family, which were both large dark Magi powers, Leylin had no wish to become enemies with an even stronger white Magi organisation.

If it came to that, he would no longer have a place on the south coast.

……

A day later, Leylin hastily organised everything and brought his two Great Knight servants along. They set off for the Eternal River Plains.

The sun shone mercilessly in the sky.

Smoke and dust flew above the ground, and not far away, the air seemed to be distorted.

This torrid heat meant there were almost no people walking on the main street.

Thud Thud Thud!* At this moment, three quick horses hurtled past destroying the calmness and quiet atmosphere on this road.

"Master! There's some shade in front. Shall we take a break there?"

Number 2 reined in his horse and asked Leylin, who was riding behind him.

"Let us take a rest. Although we can still manage, the poor horses can't anymore!"

Leylin pointed to the horses, which were on the verge of frothing at the mouth.

Behind him, there were a few idle horses, on top of which were boxes and the other luggage they needed had been tied down. They looked listless, with their ears pressed to their heads, and the light in their eyes dim.

If Leylin was travelling alone, he naturally could travel on the Venom Wyvern.

However, he had to bring his two Grand Knight subordinates and even had to haul around a large amount of luggage. With this large amount of things, it naturally exceeded the burden that the Venom Wyvern could carry.

The Nightless City didn't have any airships that could directly transport people to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, so Leylin could only rely on the most primitive method, which was traveling on horseback.

As for the Venom Wyvern, Leylin commanded it to scout the area in the sky and accompany them on their journey.

"Master! Here's some water!"

Leylin found a clean rock for himself to sit on. Number 3, who was behind him, passed him a large leather pouch.

"En!" Leylin drank from it.

Although the temperature did not impact his vitality very much, the ice cold water washing down his throat gave him a very refreshing sensation.

"Hmmm?"

Suddenly, a gray fog covered the area surrounding the shade of the trees they were under.

Under the dim light, the various branches of the trees looked like the hands of monsters, as if wanting to grab hold of Leylin and the group.

At the same time, a drowsy feeling began to enshroud the three of them.

"Who is it?" Number 2 and Number 3 expanded their muscles and were ready to emit energy waves.

Leylin's icy glare stopped them, and they stiffly collapsed onto the floor.

"Hei Hei… Blood Rogue, these two Grand Knights of yours have been modified well! They can actually defend against my hypnosis!" The voice of a little boy travelled over.

Leylin's brows furrowed as he heard the name 'Blood Rogue'.

He was still dressed as a normal Magus, yet this dark Magus from the Thousand Meddling Hands had actually seen through his disguise. From the looks of it, despite his efforts to conceal his identity, part of what he had done had been too high profile, resulting in the discovery of his identity.

It was very likely that even the Four Seasons Garden had similar suspicions about him!

It was because of this that Decarte was glad to see Caesar deploy Leylin elsewhere, and even chairman Reynold did not have any objections.

"Boy! What's the matter?"

Since he had been found out, Leylin asked bluntly.

"Hehe… This is about Old Devil. She is an elder of the organisation after all, and it's not known whether she is currently alive or dead. 'Boss' had instructed us to investigate thoroughly. According to what I know, her final appearance was to invite you and Brass Ring to participate in an expedition…"

"You're correct! However, Brass Ring had perished inside! As for Old Devil, she is currently not able to leave! As for the secret plane's location, I have no comments about that!"

Leylin did not believe that they would be this concerned about her whereabouts. It was more likely that they were coveting Old Devil's position as an elder!

As expected, after hearing Leylin's answer, the boy snickered. "You're the Blood Rogue, after all! The way you work is straightforward and clear-cut! Let's stop talking about Old Devil and move on. I currently bring you a mission from Boss!"

With the mention of this boss, the boy sounded more serious.

"What's the meaning of this? Since when does the Thousand Meddling Hands force missions on their members?" Leylin wrinkled his brows. From the looks of it, the all-powerful dark Magus behind the Thousand Meddling Hands had finally been lured to the surface.

"Of course, there wasn't anything like this before! However, it's all different now! I believe that you will definitely do something for the organisation in order to protect your identity. Am I right, Leylin—or shall I say, Blood Rogue!"

The boy began to threaten him, a hint of arrogance apparent in his tone.

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Impetuous

"What mission?" Leylin asked expressionlessly. However, if there were people around him who knew him well, they would be able to tell how annoyed he was.

"The main purpose of you going to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane is to pass on information from the internal unit of Four Seasons Garden. At crucial moments, you are to coordinate with us and destroy the defense formations within!"

The boy sounded incredibly arrogant, making Leylin more annoyed.

"That means I'd be an undercover, right? How about that agreement I signed? If I betray Four Seasons Garden I'll definitely be punished by the Trial's Eye, no?"

"That… The boss will take care of it for you!" The boy was obviously insincere.

"In other words, you're not giving me any benefits and want me to give up my life for you! Do you guys think I'm so easy to bully?"

Leylin suddenly laughed sarcastically, a red colour flashing in his eyes.

Rumble!*

Immediately after he spoke, Leylin brazenly attacked!

Countless fireballs the size of human heads hurtled towards the boy's direction.

The intense flames swept everywhere, and the mist was quickly evaporated, revealing the figure of a little boy in a darkened corner.

"Are you crazy?" The boy roared, outraged.

"You're the crazy ones! How dare you threaten me!"

Leylin coldly replied, his two hands becoming completely red as they clawed forward mercilessly.

Crimson Palm! Blood Rogue's famous move!

Huge blood-red claws swept across the air, grand flames burning atop the phantom claws.

With the added bonus from Leylin's elemental essence conversion, this spell had already reached a strength of almost 34 degrees!

"F*ck!"

The little boy was in bad shape after the bout of fireballs being thrown at him despite rolling and trying to dodge the attack. He was dusty all over and looked like a clown.

After seeing Leylin using Blood Rogue's move, his entire face changed.

Who knew Leylin would be so crazy and so powerful? His might far surpassed that of a semi-converted Magus.

The little boy had thought that he had blackmail material on his hands. He knew of Leylin's identity and the moment he told Leylin he expected that Leylin would obediently do as the boy ordered, just like a loyal dog, which would allow the boy to gain some additional benefits.

But he never imagined that Leylin would not hesitate and attack with no qualms!

Upon seeing those claws, the boy made a strange sound and quickly tugged at a strange pendant from his chest and threw it on the ground.

Chi Chi*

Numerous ice crystals emerged, forming a sparkling and translucent ice mirror in front of the little boy.

Bang!*

The huge, sharp phantom claws had traces of crimson flames and crashed against the mirror, producing an immense sound.

Weng Weng*

Flames and ice crystals flew everywhere.

Each time an ice crystal fell, a thick layer of ice would form on the ground. Anything that came into contact with the crimson flames corroded, whether they be trees, moles or even rocks. Everything turned into a pile of grey powder!

"You thought a high-grade scroll could save you? How naive!"

Leylin strode forward, chasing after the boy.

"This is a magic scroll with instantaneous casting that I spent 250 thousand magic crystals on!" An expression of regret and rage formed on his face, and his muscles were twitching.

"You dare to… You actually dare to… You will pay!"

As he yelled, he produced a magic item that was emitting strong energy waves, ready to attack!

"Imprison!"

At the same time, Leylin made a low howl, and on his right arm, a metal hoop that seemed to be a decoration suddenly gave off light and shone on his body.

The boy who had been targeted by the Hoop of Imprisonment was like an insect stuck in amber, completely immobile and unable to use the magic item in his hands.

"You dare to threaten me?"

Leylin advanced, kicking the magic item out of the boy's hands and lifted him with one arm.

"You… There are still many others behind me that know your identity. The moment I die here, you'll… Argh!"

The little boy forced out words from the gap between his teeth, but all that answered him was a vicious slap to the face.

Pa Pa* *Pa Pa!*

Leylin's strength was 7.1, and this merciless slaps to the boy's face made both his cheeks swell up instantly. Some of his teeth fell and his mouth was full of blood, rendering him unable to pronounce properly.

After slapping the boy, Leylin grabbed him by the neck and raised him to eye level.

"Don't even think about blackmailing me, or you'll die a terrible death!"

"You think I'm afraid of having my identity exposed? Hehe… At most, we'll part ways and I'll wander around. Before that, however, I will kill you, no matter who is backing you!"

A dark, menacing look arose in Leylin's eyes, shaking the boy to the core.

Too scary! This boy was thoroughly terrified!

He was now extremely regretful. This Leylin was basically a lunatic and dreaded nothing. He had a premonition that if he continued with this unyielding attitude, Leylin would definitely kill him!

At this moment, it was as if he had been drenched from head to toe by a bucket of cold water—his head cleared up immediately.

"Uh… Lo-Lord Leylin! I apologise. Please forgive me for my offense!"

As his mouth was very swollen, his words weren't clear but the meaning was understandable.

"What did you say? Louder!" Leylin mocked with a sneer, tightening the strength in his hand.

Hearing a strange sound emitted from his neck, the boy, who even had his innate spells suppressed completely, gave up.

He trembled violently, tears and snot dripping down his face. "Lord Leylin! Lord Leylin, I was wrong! Please forgive me!"

Leylin peered at him curiously, making him feel as if he was facing an imminent catastrophe.

Suddenly, Leylin released his hand and the boy fell to the floor.

He breathed in fresh air in huge gulps, an unexpected sense of blessed relief in his heart.

Of course, his head was still lowered lifelessly and he did not dare meet Leylin's gaze.

"People only reveal their true self when in the face of death…" Leylin looked at the pitiful state the boy was in and sighed to himself.

"Get lost! Have the person backing you to speak to me!"

At the same time, Leylin bent and picked up the magic item the boy had dropped.

It was something like a dagger. Based on the A.I. Chip's probe, the level of energy within had reached that of a middle-grade magic artifact.

"Also, this magic artifact will now belong to me as the price of offending me!"

If not for the fact that a rank 2 Magus was behind this boy and also wanting to avoid having a falling out with Thousand Meddling Hands, Leylin would have killed him long ago.

However, he had released the boy, but Leylin definitely wanted him to pay the price in pain. If not, this sort of person would keep appearing in front of him.

Seeing the boy who was escaping, scared witless, Leylin contemplated.

This resource-based secret plane's size was unprecedented in history and was an enormous chunk of fleshy meat. Even a rank 2 Magus operating the Thousand Meddling Hands from the shadows had been lured out.

And behind the rank 2 Magus, there were definitely other large organisations from the dark Magi region.

After all, with just a Thousand Meddling Hands, all they could do was reap the convenient benefits. How else would they have the chance to participate in such a large-scale battle?

"This is like a game of chess. How annoying!"

Leylin had a feeling that if he went to the secret plane, he would definitely be embroiled in a troublesome spiral of events.

Unfortunately, the pressure given by the dark and light Magi gave him no choice but to move like a chess piece, based on a pre-decided route.

"You want to make use of me? I wonder if you're ready yet."

Looking at the sky in the distance, Leylin smirked.

The Thousand Meddling Hands' reaction was extremely quick. That night, Leylin saw the person backing the boy.

The orange rays of light of the setting sun constantly became duller, until the black curtain of night shrouded the area.

Just as Number 2 and Number 3 were preparing to set up tents, Leylin shot a glance at a white owl on a large tree nearby.

"I'm going to take a walk alone. You don't have to come with me!"

"Yes, master!" Number 2 and Number 3 answered in unison.

Following the white owl, Leylin came to the side of a curved river. On a white and large rock, a figure could be seen standing erect.

Around him was a thick green fog emanating throughout, blocking his face entirely.

"Giant?" Leylin asked, surprised.

For his first mission, Leylin had worked with Giant, whose prowess indicated the peak of a rank 1 Magus. He had never thought that this would be the one supporting the little boy!

"He's already told me everything that happened just now. He was a little too much, so I hope to apologise on his behalf! You may take the bloody dagger, a magic artifact, as compensation!"

Giant's voice was low and soothing and did not speak up for the little boy which made Leylin so shocked.

"I know a bit about you. The organisation definitely will treat those who contribute to us well! As long as you do this job well, I'm telling you that you can get about 50% profit! We can even mediate between you and the Lilytell family, so that you can return to Abyssal Bone Forest Academy. Of course, you can choose other dark Magi organisations. Our door is always open to you…"

The Giant's offer exceeded Leylin's expectations.

To allow him to suppress the situation with Lilytell family and return to Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, this Thousand Meddling Hands' power was probably far from what he could imagine.

"What about the contract with the Trial's Eye?" Leylin asked for information about what he was most concerned about.

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Acquaintances

"I signed the contract under the witness of the Trial's Eye, promising not to do anything that would harm Four Seasons Garden's interests! If I go back on that agreement, I would undergo judgment…"

This was Leylin's largest concern.

If he had the choice, he didn't want to harm Four Seasons Garden since they had treated him quite well from the beginning.

"That's easily solved! Here is a solution of Filthy Birds' wings. As long as you have it, you can nullify your contract with the Four Seasons Garden!"

Giant threw a bottle of grey solution towards Leylin.

"You even have items that are already extinct!" Leylin caught the bottle and let the A.I. Chip test the authenticity of the item. The results made him gasp.

With such a degree of preparation, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that this had been premeditated long ago.

"Hehe… This isn't mine but belongs to the 'Boss' behind me. He especially left this for you from his own collection!"

Giant did not claim the credit for himself and used a straightforward tone, which made Leylin slightly fearful.

"So, what's your answer?"

"Acknowledging the strength of others is the instinct of all dark Magi. I first need to verify your strength!" Leylin pondered for a moment and then spoke.

"You will see…" Giant's voice began to be less discernible.

Large amounts of green mist shrouded the surrounding area, enveloping Leylin within.

Some time later, the mist dispersed and Leylin left, his expression serious. He seemed to be worrying about many things.

"I never thought it'd be him…"

Following which, Leylin calmed himself and returned to his accommodations, as if nothing had happened.

After a night passed, Leylin continued on his journey.

The Eternal River Plains were situated at the border between the light and dark Magi's territories. Security there was the most chaotic.

Here, even within the city, armed confrontations, robbery, murder, and other crimes happened daily. At times, there would even be the occasional battle between Magi!

In this situation, the guards of the city were more like professional corpse carriers and were in charge of clearing the roads everyday.

After Eternal River Plains' secret plane had been discovered, a large number of Magi flowed in, causing even more chaos in this place.

On the way, just the number of people who were looking to seek revenge was above 15. This meant that every once in awhile, there would be someone with such a motivation.

If not for Leylin and his group wearing clothing that gave them an air of mystery, even Magi like them might meet with some trouble.

After walking out of a city of regular humans, Leylin suddenly started, seeming to have seen some familiar figures.

"Master, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with those acolytes?"

Number 2 and 3 approached him and enquired.

"It's nothing!" Leylin answered casually. Even if it was them, they were from two different worlds. Leylin wasn't planning on maintaining any contact with them, and passing them by. This might be the best for them.

Sometimes, however, fate was such a strange thing that could not be hindered.

Just as Leylin was hastening his travelling and leaving the gates, he bumped into those acolytes from earlier.

"Leylin! Hi! Leylin! Is that you?" Within the group of acolytes, a tall young man standing in the front was yelling excitedly.

They had been quite a distance away previously, but now that they met, the acolyte opposite to Leylin had instantly recognised him.

"Long time no see!" Leylin watched the acolytes, who were moving forward attentively, and couldn't help but give a gentle smile in greeting.

After strengthening his body, Leylin's physique and sight had vastly improved. He could easily see that out of all the acolytes, the one who had shouted was very tall and a had a head of long golden hair, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a high nose bridge.

There was also a female acolyte with an exquisitely curvy body, silver hair and eyes like rubies. She constantly emanated an exotic charm.

Leylin immediately recognised these two acolytes. They were the people he hadn't seen in ages—George and Bessita!

"But isn't George an acolyte at the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower? Why is he together with Bessita, who's from Wetland Gardens Academy?"

This thought went through his mind for a split second before he was interrupted, as George had brought Bessita and the others to approach him.

"Leylin, it's really you! I thought I'd gotten the wrong person!"

George was a good friend that he'd made on that first journey in the beginning, and just like before, he affectionately gave Leylin a bear hug.

Bessita, on the other hand, was twiddling her fingers at the side, seemingly embarrassed.

At the beginning, she had caused much trouble for Leylin. Of course, after Leylin had viciously beat up her 'flower guardian' as a threat to her, this woman had become very silent.

However, she was still able to pass the magician aptitude test and enter the Wetland Gardens Academy.

"Hi, Leylin." Bessita looked to be rather indifferent.

"Come here! Leylin, let me introduce you. This is Alexander!" George pointed at a youth with reddish-brown hair.

"This here is Lana! And the beauty in pink clothing is our long distance attacker— Shiera!"

After that, George introduced the two female acolytes beside him. Lana was alright, but Sheira aggressively pinched the flesh on George's waist. He immediately let out exaggerated sounds of pain; it looked as if these two had a less innocent relationship.

Leylin couldn't help but glance at Sheila more closely. She wore pink hunter gear that exposed a pair of milky white thighs. She was tall and carried a green wooden bow, looking to be a good match with George.

Even Leylin had to admit that George had pretty good taste.

"Leylin, why aren't you introducing your two friends here to us?" After saying that, George mock punched Leylin's chest, which stunned him a little.

He looked at his own attire and then responded.

For the sake of convenience while travelling, Leylin and his two Grand Knights had on civilian clothing. After obtaining the old witch's spirit force compression method, he would also habitually conceal his energy waves, which indicated that he was an official Magus.

His two spiritually bound slaves were treated the same way.

Hence, George and the others, who were still acolytes, obviously were unable to discover Leylin's concealment and treated him as a regular acolyte.

"These are my two friends. We met on the way and appeared to be going to the same place. They aren't very talkative and are a little antisocial!"

Leylin threw a sculpture of a wyvern into Number 2 and Number 3's hands. "Take this and leave first. We'll meet at our destination!"

Upon receiving their master's secret instructions, Number 2 and Number 3 nodded and left on horseback.

"Leylin, it's best if you're warier when interacting with them. I always feel uncomfortable around them…"

George looked at the figures of Number 2 and Number 3 as they left, and he whispered to Leylin.

"Don't worry, I know my limits!"

Leylin nodded.

"Haha… Let's not talk about this anymore. Leylin, we haven't met in six or seven years, huh? This time, we have to drink to our heart's content!"

George naturally put an arm around Leylin's shoulder, and one could hear his excessive and proud laughter from miles away. "Guess what? Two years ago, I advanced and became a level 3 acolyte! Even my mentor complimented me for this! But it's not much; it can't be helped that I only have a fourth-grade aptitude."

Due to this chance meeting, Leylin and George dispelled all thoughts of leaving the city and returned inside. They found a small bar and prepared to reminisce.

After two beers, Leylin had gleaned everything he wanted to know from George.

George was obviously still a student of Ennea Ivory Ring Tower, and so was his girlfriend, Sheira.

Bessita, Lana, and that guy called Alexander were all acolytes from the Wetland Gardens Academy.

The reason for their trip here was to complete missions issued by their respective academies. George and Bessita knew each other well, so the two little teams naturally travelled together.

"We're in deep trouble. We were actually allocated a defence mission in which we must enter, as well as establish a presence in the Eternal River Plain's secret plane!" George had a look of prolonged suffering on his face, and when they got to this topic, even Sheira and Bessita looked gloomy.

The secret plane was under the control of official Magi, and a few acolytes like them wouldn't be able to create a tiny disarray within. They were but cannon fodder, and could die at any time.

Leylin glanced at these people. In this group of five that had temporarily been banded together, George and Bessita were level 3 acolytes, and the other three had reached level 2. In general, their total power was similar to the group of five acolytes that he had destroyed outside the Zither Moon Town.

"Oh, right! How about you, Leylin? Your aura seems pretty strong. You must be a level 3 acolyte, right?"

George seemed to be asking without any intent. Bessita, who was using a straw to drink her beverage, visibly strained to hear his answer.

"I was lucky enough to advance to a level 3 acolyte a few months ago!" Leylin chuckled.

"It's not easy to advance to a level 3 acolyte! Come! Let us drink to our future as Magi!"

George hid none of his thoughts and yelled, attracting the attention of the surrounding people.

"Cheers!" Six glasses of beer clinked together.

After a bout of drinking, George asked, "Leylin, where are you now? In the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy? Only after entering my academy did I find out that the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy was a dark Magus academy that was at odds with us. It's even forbidden for us to communicate with them."

"What? Abyssal Bone Forest?! That Abyssal Bone Forest Academy?"

The moment the words came out of George's mouth, Lana and Alexander were like kittens who had had their tails stepped on, and jumped in shock.

Sheira didn't say anything, but the gaze in her eyes was more guarded when looking at Leylin.

"Alright! Alright! Don't be this tense! Leylin and I are good friends; he is different from other dark Magi…"

Only then did George realise the slip of his tongue, as he stood and awkwardly gave a closure on the topic.

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George and Bessita

Leylin rubbed his nose upon seeing the cautious expressions of the few people around him.

In the Magus world, dark Magi and light Magi were archenemies. And in the Eternal River Plains, which was surrounded by the opposing forces on each side, not attacking after finding out Leylin was a dark Magus showed the immense trust they had in George.

"I left the domain of the dark Magi a few years ago and now live in Nightless City."

Leylin thought and spoke a half-truth, "I'm currently studying at Four Seasons Garden."

"See? I knew it! Leylin, you're brave and honest. How could someone like you be a cruel dark Magus?"

George laughed out gleefully.

Shiera and the others appeared very embarrassed.

The number of Magi that had been killed by Leylin was not public knowledge, but those Magi would have been furious after hearing George's words.

"Oh, by the way, Leylin, are you going to the secret plane?"

The Eternal River's secret plane was a major event that triggered an earth-shaking response among the Magi of the south coast. The information regarding the secret plane had spread very quickly, and George and the others were not entirely clueless about it.

Leylin saw George's anxious look and the other acolytes' trading gazes, and he immediately understood.

It seemed that George thought Leylin to be one of the acolytes, who were naive and wanted to try their luck within the secret plane.

Of course, this wasn't surprising since after news about the secret plane spread, acolytes and Magi alike from all over started to convene at this location.

The whole journey was laced with danger. Some died en route, and others would struggle at the entrance and be unable to enter, while others were lured or coerced by the larger powers and became cannon fodder.

There was an extremely small minority of acolytes who would be successful in acquiring some resources from the secret plane and return to Nightless City and other Magi cities. This resulted in a reaction from the magicians in the cities, which in turn incited more acolytes to adventure into the plane.

It was clear that George and the others also considered Leylin to be just like these acolytes.

"Leylin…" George turned silent, seeming to be carefully considering his next words. "The danger inside the secret plane is not something that we acolytes can handle. Only the official Magi, who are the main forces inside the plane, can stay within for long durations of time."

"Many of my friends suffered inside. You're still young and need not…"

"Just let him go!" Bessita suddenly spoke up.

"If he's lucky, he can get some resources and even advance!"

George furrowed his brows. How could one count on such a thing as luck? Bessita was speaking of it too lightly.

"Actually, I was issued a mission by the academy. I have no choice but to go inside the secret plane." Leylin sardonically stated.

"I see… No wonder then. I warned you only because it doesn't seem to be in your nature to undertake such a dangerous task." George patted his close friend's shoulder in empathy and forced a smile.

"In this situation, we are probably all in the same boat and might even be assigned to the same location. After all, within the secret plane, the light Magi have gathered and created an alliance."

After hearing that Leylin had been forced to come to the secret plane just like them, Shiera, Alexander, and the others revealed expressions of sympathy. Leylin's situation was one they could empathise with.

These kinds of missions were usually suicidal by nature. Only those who had no backing or acolytes who had offended important people would be dispatched by their academies to complete these missions.

When he turned, he saw a hint of an expression on Bessita's face. Something that seemed like… delight?

"Is this girl still brooding over what happened last time?"

Leylin inwardly grinned and actually found this a novelty.

At his current level, he had already left Bessita far in the dust.

Many Magi had died at Leylin's hands; what trouble could a lowly acolyte cause?

No matter how she bared her fangs and made threatening gestures at Leylin, she was akin to a small kitten playing with him.

"Since we're all going the same way, how about you join us too, Leylin?"

At this moment, George put forth a proposal.

"Sure!" Leylin gauged that he still had quite a bit of time and, considering the speed at which George and his friends were travelling, he could reach the Eternal River Plain's secret plane well before the deadline. Thus, he agreed.

His relationship with George was quite good, so he could help out if the need arose.

Besides, there were still some matters that needed to be resolved between him and Bessita.

"Very good. Since Leylin's a level 3 acolyte as well, our combined battle strength has increased by a lot. Even if we meet a bandit, there's no need to be afraid." George seemed very excited.

The other acolytes did not refute him.

"Bandit? You're actually afraid of bandits?" Leylin asked, rather stunned. In his mind, the so-called bandits were just peasant farmers with grass pitchforks and fishing spears.

"Oh, you don't know about this?" George seemed to be even more amazed than Leylin. "I can't believe you came this far when you're so overwhelming ignorant about the whole situation!"

Immediately, George carefully explained to Leylin, "If it was a bandit group composed of only ordinary humans, then there's no need for us to worry. Shiera can single-handedly kill all those who come. However, the situation at the Eternal River Plains is different. Due to the number of acolytes travelling there alone, bandit groups that specifically target magicians have appeared. There are even rumours that official Magi are behind these bandit groups."

Due to large increase in the number of magicians travelling to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane, the public security in that area was extremely chaotic. Some scattered dark magicians naturally had the idea to fight for the resources.

However, as these dark magicians were mostly acolytes, their strength was inadequate when compared to Leylin.

If they were official Magi, the greedy dark magicians would be unwilling to attack, but if they were mere acolytes, then the they would not be as hesitant. Compared to the light Magi, who had grown in a protected environment like flowers in a greenhouse, acolytes on the dark side who had matured under the law of the jungle were obviously more powerful in battle. With their superior fighting instincts and their manipulation of timing when attacking, they were far more capable than their light acolyte peers.

Most of the acolytes in the area, especially those who were leaving, might be carrying some precious resources from the Eternal River Plains' secret plane. If bandits ran into any of these acolytes, it would be enough for them to make a fortune!

There were several dark magician acolytes that had these thoughts.

Hence, the way to the Eternal River Plains' secret plane was full of danger.

Many acolytes who were dreaming of panning for gold usually died before reaching the secret plane.

Leylin thought back to how he had not run into any big bandit groups during his journey.

Occasionally, he had encountered a few inexperienced local thieves that had been dealt with by Number 2 and Number 3.

These two men had already advanced after receiving the incomplete runes of Branded Swordsmen and all ordinary men or acolytes were easily dealt with with a few sword attacks.

"So that's what's happening. It seems that I've been rather lucky." Leylin massaged his temples and laughed.

"I can't help saying this, but man, your luck is too good! However, this has just been the outlying areas. As we continue to travel further into the Eternal River Plains, there will be more of these kinds of bandits. As the light Magi will focus all their energy on the secret plane, some entrances might have a generous amount of warnings placed, but other regions will just be disregarded…"

George had a good grasp of Leylin's character and knew that this friend of his was not what he seemed to be on the surface. He was sure to have some trump cards.

He wasn't wrong either, since Leylin knew how to adapt to circumstances and act accordingly.

The stronger Leylin was, the more secure his band of comrades would be. If he continued asking further, it would only result in Leylin being pressured to leave, which did not work well for their situation.

It was but a mere assumption, but since Leylin could advance to a level 3 acolyte so quickly and receive solo missions, that meant he definitely had a great trump card. Poor George didn't even consider the possibility that Leylin had already advanced to an official Magus.

After all, there was a wide chasm between a level 3 acolyte and the realm of official Magi.

Even if it was the most amazing genius, promoting to the Magus realm before 30 years of age was in itself a most outstanding speed of advancement.

George, who knew that Leylin only had a third-grade aptitude, did not bother considering that all.

"Good! Now that you're a member of our group, let's enjoy a toast." George, as always, was very welcoming and put an arm around Leylin's shoulder, patting Leylin's chest with his other arm.

"At least we're not lacking good wine nor beautiful women. Do you see that red-clothed beauty beside the bar counter? She's making bedroom eyes at you. If you just go up and speak to her, I bet she'll she'll be yours tonight! And then… heh!"

George hadn't said much and had already reverted to his lecherous nature. Beside him, Shiera's face changed and the next moment, George let out a sharp scream and begged for forgiveness.

"Haha…"

Seeing this, the acolytes from the Wetland Gardens Academy and Leylin were unable to keep a straight face.

Leylin obviously did not hit on anyone in the end, since George had been joking around to liven up the atmosphere.

The result of this drinking session was surprisingly good. At least, after seeing Leylin produce the insignia of Four Seasons Garden, the relations between Leylin, Alexander and the rest of the acolytes all turned for the better.

Bessita appeared to be very happy to welcome Leylin as their new comrade.

The group rested in the small town for a while, before setting off early in the morning and resuming their journey.

The missions assigned by Ennea Ivory Ring Tower and Wetland Gardens Academy all had time limits. George and the others had to report to a designated area within a stipulated time. If not, they would be labeled as criminals and be on their school's wanted list.

They were mere acolytes! If something like this were to happen, they would be finished for the rest of their lives!

Hence, after receiving the mission, they could only obey the arrangements of the organisation no matter how unwilling they were. There was little choice but to enter the Eternal River Plains' secret plane and accept the unknown fate their future held.

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Jamu

The azure blue sky was covered with white clouds, and there seemed to be no end to this wonderful sight.

Beside a ramrod straight street, a winding, clear stream flowed. On the bed of the creek white pebbles and green fish could clearly be seen.

"As long as we go through this Pome Alley, we'll reach our destination. It's an entrance to Eternal River Plain's secret plane located in Marat Canyon. It only takes a day for us to get there, so we can afford to stroll there! Should we find a place and take a rest?"

George looked at the yellow map drawn on parchment paper and produced a compass. He checked his bearings and spoke to Leylin and the others as he looked back.

"Stop? If it's that near, then wouldn't it be better if we went and rested there?"

Sheira glared at George.

This situation had already occurred multiple times within this small group. Every time George had a suggestion, Sheira would vehemently shoot him down, and George would usually automatically give up.

It was such a regular occurrence that even Leylin had become used to it.

Perhaps only this kind of woman would be able to control a playboy like George. Leylin noted that George seemed to be enjoying this situation.

Bessita, on the other hand, had been silent the whole time. She did not give her opinion on anything, and were it not for her being the only level 3 acolyte from Wetland Gardens Academy, she might have been forgotten.

"Alright, alright! Let's be on our way!" Just as expected, upon hearing Sheira's voice, George quickly raised both his arms and surrendered. Leylin rolled his eyes at him.

Leylin was a little surprised as he looked at the other route in front of them.

With Leylin's current spiritual force, he could clearly tell that not far away, there was a team of acolytes. They were rushing in their direction and seemed to be heading for Marat Canyon as well.

Based on their speed, it seemed that they were going to encounter Leylin's group soon.

Their might was obviously greater than George's group by one or two levels. Leylin could also feel the undulations created by magical artifacts on the leader's body.

Although it was just a low-grade magic artifact, that alone was already very valuable.

Only truly talented acolytes and the successors of large families were in possession of magic artifacts. The battle might of these acolytes was definitely at the peak of level 3, and besides official Magi, they feared no one!

About three minutes later, Sheira's face changed.

"Be careful! Bourbon discovered that there are acolytes nearing us!"

As the one in charge of long-range attacks, Sheira was naturally also the sentinel. Bourbon was an unusual owl that she was raising that could share its field of vision with her within a specific range.

"Acolytes?"

George's expression darkened and he cursed. "F*ck! I hope our luck isn't that bad. Alert!"

Meeting foreign acolytes in the open wasn't something that could be ignored. There was a possibility that conflict between them could occur, and in such a scenario, the weaker party would usually be the victim.

George issued an order; Bessita and the others quickly understood that they were in danger.

They gathered together and a few of them set up a simple defensive spell formation. The entire process was executed smoothly, indicating that they must have prepared and practiced beforehand.

While the acolytes were waiting nervously, a cloud of dust was nearing them.

Tak! Tak!*

Along with the sound of footsteps from several horses, a team of five people appeared in Leylin's line of sight.

The leader was dressed in a white robe and had a broadsword on his back. Leylin found that the undulations emitted from a magic artifact originated from that large sword.

"It's such a large magic artifact. Interesting!" Leylin stroked his chin.

Usually, magic artifacts were much smaller due to the precious resources they had to be constructed from. Though this huge magic artifact was only of a low grade, this was Leylin's first time seeing one that was so large.

After recognizing such an eye-catching signature item, Bessita, and the two other acolytes from Wetland Gardens Academy first had an expression of disbelief, and then shouted, "It's Jamu! It's Senior Jamu!"

"Oh! Are you acolytes from Wetland Gardens Academy?" Leylin glanced at the three acolytes who left the defensive spell formation and went to receive the newcomers.

A hint of a smile appeared on Bessita's face.

With the added bonus of her natural beauty, her smile caused the acolytes behind Jamu to be stunned for a moment.

Clop! Clop!*

The group pulled on their reins, and with a wave from their leader Jamu, the five dismounted; their actions were precise as if they were from the military.

"Are you acolytes from the academy?"

Jamu, the leader, was a tall man with fair skin. He was a head taller than George and had blue hair. There was a red mole between his brows.

"Yes! Senior Jamu, we even met once at Professor Clarentino's cocktail party…"

Upon seeing such a famous character, Alexander and Lana were rendered speechless and could do naught but hide behind Bessita.

Bessita, on the other hand, was very enthusiastic and chatted with Jamu, occasionally pointing towards Leylin and George.

Ten or so minutes later, Jamu approached George and Leylin.

"George! And this is Sheira…?"

Jamu raised his chin, arrogance evident in his eyes, "I've heard about you from Bessita. As thanks for helping them, I permit you to follow behind us to Marat Canyon."

Jamu looked at them condescendingly, as if pitying them.

"Senior Jamu is one of the ten strongest in the academy in terms of battle power! With him around, we don't have to worry about our safety!"

Bessita was boasting about his strength at the side, her entire body almost pressed against Jamu's.

"You…" George still had his own pride after all and immediately wanted to say something, but Sheira stopped him.

"He's right! Pome Alley has always been an area where bandits are frequently seen. Without Bessita and the others, I doubt we'll be able to get through safely." Sheira murmured into George's ear.

After hearing his love's words George became gloomy, and he eventually forced a smile, "In that case, thank you Senior Jamu!"

"Hmph!" Jamu nodded reservedly and looked at Leylin.

"As for you, the dark Magus from before! During these sensitive times, our group does not welcome you!"

"You can't do this! Leylin is an acolyte from Four Seasons Garden, and has long since broken all ties with Abyssal Bone Forest Academy!" George hurriedly brought up.

"What credit do magicians who grew up in that sort of environment have to speak of? Who knows, perhaps his status as an acolyte of Four Seasons Garden was gained with unethical methods!"

Jamu laughed icily.

"I do think there's a large chance of him being a spy deployed by dark Magi, and we need to check his belongings!"

Behind Jamu, a freckled acolyte yelled.

"Bessita! What do you think?"

Leylin watched her with a hint of interest.

"I'm sorry Leylin! Though we once walked the same path, the safety of our companions is the priority now."

Bessita seemed to be in a tough spot struggling with this decision.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Jamu crossed his arms.

While Alexander and Lana didn't think Leylin was an enemy, but in front of Jamu, they didn't dare say anything.

As for George, Shiera had pulled him back.

"For some useless revenge?" Leylin stared at Bessita. "How stupid!"

"But it seems like I don't have to take care of you myself!"

"What do you mean?" Jamu was confused by Leylin's words and Leylin's attitude irked him. A bright radiance caused by magic appeared instantly from Jamu's body, which made the atmosphere become serious.

Whoosh!*

An acidic flying dart shot out, striking the arrogant freckled acolyte.

Sssii!*

Along with the terrifying sound of corrosion, the acolyte melted into a pile of flesh, and red and green liquid under the gaze of the surrounding acolytes.

In the middle of the pile of flesh, several broken pieces of bones stayed upright.

"An enemy attack!" Bessita's flustered voice sounded, and because it was so piercing, she sounded a little hoarse.

Swish! Swish! Swish!*

In no time, Jamu, Leylin and everyone else were surrounded by around twenty bandits.

"Akai!" "You hateful brute!" "I'll kill you!"

The three acolytes behind Jamu were outraged at seeing their companion die in such a tragic manner. Several waves of magic rushed towards the robed bandits.

"Hmph!"

The leader of the bandits stepped forward, a ring of black light dispersing from around his body.

Pak! Pak!*

The acolytes used their spells against that black light, but like soap bubbles colliding against each other and bursting, their spells were all deflected..

"A magic artifact! A defensive magic artifact!"

Jamu narrowed his eyes at the realisation and stood in front of the three acolytes, protecting them.

"They're not people you can deal with. Retreat first!"

"I am Jamu! What is your name?"

Clang!* Metal scraped against metal as Jamu unbuckled the broadsword from his back. He held it with one arm and faced the robed bandit leader and asked for the enemy's name.

"Hehe…"

Amidst strange giggles, the leader made his move.

Boom!* A layer of the ground separated; soil and rocks were suspended in the air, converging into the shape of a beast. Its jaws were wide open as it snapped at Jamu.

"Hah!"

A silver-white light flashed in the air as Jamu waved his hand.

A single line sliced towards the beast!

The surrounding greenery was destroyed in an instant; a gap separated the trees into two groups.

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Plant Type-Transfiguration

Weng!*

The silver white light was extremely thin, and as it sliced at the beast formed from rock, not a single undulation was produced.

Bang!*

The stone beast suddenly halted in mid-air, and with a gentle booming sound, the beast cracked, and was reduced to fragments of rock that rained down.

"The Wetland Gardens Academy's 'Broadsword Jamu' is indeed formidable!"

The leader chuckled, seeming to be very familiar with Jamu.

"Who in the world are you?" Jamu frowned. Not only did these bandits have acolytes in the group, the bandits' leader even had a magic artifact and knew so much about him. No matter how he thought about it, this leader wasn't just any random bandit looking for a target!

He could smell something fishy and quite possibly dangerous going on here.

"Do you really think I'd tell you?" The bandit leader answered nonchalantly. "There should at least be a transmitting spell formation on you. The moment I expose anything about myself, the Wetland Gardens Academy will automatically have a record of it. Am I wrong?"

While he spoke, rays of black light emerged in the area surrounding him.

The black lights converged, forming warriors in armour. Their skulls were jet black.

"These are my darkness fighting troop that I especially prepared for you! Each dark warrior's might is at at least 15 degrees! How about it? Enjoy the experience!"

Amidst the manic laughter, the black armoured warriors roared and rushed forward, trapping Jamu between them.

Seeing the more than ten dark warriors, Jamu's face fell.

Although this large magic artifact of his was very powerful, its energy consumption rate was equally enormous. It was obvious that this bandit was intending to use cannon fodder and force him to use up his magic and spiritual force.

No matter how amazing an acolyte was, once his or her magic and spiritual force were depleted, he or she would only be trampled on.

"Kill off the other acolytes. All items will belong to you!"

The black robed bandit leader hid behind the rows of dark warriors to stay protected and pointed towards Leylin and the other acolytes.

"Kill!" His underlings, the dark Magus acolytes, roared and rushed towards Leylin.

"Damn it! Try to prolong the fight. Once Senior Jamu takes care of the opposing leader, we'll be safe!"

Bessita clenched her teeth and spoke to the acolytes behind her.

At the same time, she glanced towards Leylin's direction.

"Let's form an alliance! Otherwise, none of us will be able to survive!"

"Hmph!" George knew her suggestion was reasonable, but couldn't help but snort in reply.

He wasn't stupid and naturally knew what had just happened.

He really didn't want to form an alliance with such a woman.

However, his rational side told him that this was the best way to get out of this difficult situation.

"George!" Sheira cast a worried glance at George. She had already readied her bow, which had been on her shoulder, and positioned it at her front.

"Leylin! Let's do it!" George saw that the bandits were quickly closing in and unwillingly bellowed.

The muscles on his body bulged bit by bit, and in an instant, he turned into a giant that was more than three metres tall. At the same time, his skin had turned green, matching with the veins on his muscles that looked like connected earthworms. Leylin suddenly thought of the Incredible Hulk, a figure he was familiar with in his previous life.

"Roar!" After transforming into the green giant, George pounded on his naked chest and bellowed out a thundering roar.

He stomped on the ground, and with huge momentum, shot towards the incoming bandits like a lead bullet which had left a gun barrel.

Pa!*

With a wave of George's giant palm, a bandit was sent flying. Blood splattered all over, and the sound of bones breaking could be heard. Even the piercing screeches of horror were overshadowed by this grisly sight and sound.

"What amazing power! Besides some flaws in speed and rationality, every other aspect is perfect!" Leylin watched George, who was freely utilizing his might, from a corner, his blue eyes flashing.

He never expected George to have majored in transfiguration!

However, this decision was easy to relate to, as Magi usually held high positions, and prioritised lengthening their lifespan.

For the average magician, advancing to the level of a Magus to gain a longer lifespan was much too difficult. Hence, by transplanting the organs of various powerful creatures and modifying one's body, one would be able to strengthen and increase his or her vitality. This had gradually become the norm amongst magicians.

The study of transmutation had thus become very popular amongst many.

Strictly speaking, the changes that a Warlock would undergo could actually be considered an extension of transmutation as well. At the very least, they were rather similar at the beginning stages.

Hence, when Leylin was at the Four Seasons Garden, he had concentrated on collecting all knowledge related to transmutation. With the aid of the A.I. Chip, his knowledge in transmutation was at a level close to official Magi who had spent most of their life researching on this subject.

With just a look, Leylin could identify the creature George had used.

"Out of all the plants that can be transfigured, a Green Metal Tree? This is a popular choice amongst acolytes since it's easy to work with and augments offensive prowess. Its defensive properties are not bad, and there are many ways in which one can advance. There aren't too many restrictions!"

At this moment, the green giant that George had transformed into was in the center of the battlefield, grabbing an unlucky individual's thigh. The poor man was used as a huge club and was swung around by George at any bandits who neared him.

This "human weapon" brushed against the ground from time to time, producing traces of bright red bloodstains. From the looks of it, the acolyte that George had caught was in a rather terrible situation.

Chi! Chi!*

Meanwhile, there were several green arrows being shot by Sheira's bow from behind George. She covered for George and helped him fend off attackers.

"Hm. They have good rapport!" Leylin nodded, looking incredibly relaxed.

Around him, there was a layer of invisible waves that could manipulate one's mind. All acolytes who entered the domain he had set up would unconsciously choose to ignore him, and would instead fight amongst themselves.

Such a strange situation had obviously attracted the attentions of many.

"Look at him! The enemies aren't going after him at all. He has got to be a spy!"

The three acolytes behind Jamu saw this odd situation, and immediately yelled.

"Uhh…" Leylin touched his nose.

His laid back appearance was rather eye catching in this desperate battle.

Before George and the others could react, the winner on the side of the battlefield where Jamu was had been decided.

"You're forcing me to do this! Burst form! Activate!"

After waving his sword in quick succession, he scattered the bunch of dark acolytes that approached and steeled his mind while looking at the numerous dark warriors around him.

He pressed a few points on his body, as if stimulating some special state.

In a split second, his blue hair exploded strand by strand, and immense energy undulations were emitted from his body.

Weng Weng!*

The white broadsword in Jamu's hand also produced a rumble.

"Whirlwind, Second form!" Jamu shouted.

From within the sword, a violent, green hurricane emerged!

The tremendous hurricane shrouded Jamu's body, and he rapidly spun along with it.

The green hurricane was like a spinning top, with the surface being the edge of the broadsword. Like the wind, it swept through the battlefield, along with the hordes of dark warriors.

Peng!* *Peng!* *Peng!* *Peng!*

The dark warriors that had been swept up in the green hurricane looked like they were caught by a large, shapeless hand and forced into a vortex. They scattered into countless black pieces that flew about in the air.

The violent hurricane instantly destroyed the dark warriors' layers of defense and quickly approached the bandit leader.

"Night Devil!"

The bandit leader produced a black ring and yelled, the gaze in his eyes frantic for the very first time.

Peng!*

Numerous black rays emanated from the ring and formed a large black shield in front of him. There were fine black barbed tips on the surface, with the sheen of a metallic luster.

When the attacks from the hurricane struck against the black shield, a gigantic energy shock wave engulfed the area.

Boom!*

Along with the loud noise, the explosion left a deep crater on the surface of the ground. An entire layer of the ground had been turned up, exposing plant roots and countless stones.

Even the side of the battlefield that Leylin was on was affected!

Whether it was the bandits or the acolytes near Leylin, everyone was in a pitiful state.

After the blast wave had died down, dust flew all over like a curtain and covered the battlefield.

The two opposing forces stopped all actions, and focused their gazes on the centre of the area.

After a moment, the dust dispersed and revealed the area.

In the middle of the crater, innumerable crevices had split open like cobwebs under the two combatants' feet. Jamu's two hands were fixed firmly on his silver white broadsword, pressed against the surface of the black shield.

"Hah! Hah!"

Jamu was panting roughly, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

It was obvious that the violent explosion had taken a toll on his physical strength.

"Hehe… I acknowledge your strength, but so what? You've probably used up all your spiritual force at this point, no? I wonder how much energy is still left in the reserves of that large sword of yours."

The bandit leader snickered.

With the sounds of his laughter, the black light from the shield began to suppress the sword.

The strain could be seen on Jamu's expression as the broadsword was gradually forced backwards by the shield.

"Jamu—Senior Jamu!" The acolytes who had come with Jamu murmured worriedly, their voices breaking.

"Jamu won't actually lose right? He's the number 1 genius acolyte of the academy…"

Bessita's little face had turned pale as she scanned the surroundings.

"Hehe… I'll bring your head back, hang it in my bedroom, and treat it as my most treasured collection item!" The bandit leader snickered complacently.

"Unfortunately, you're the one who's going to lose! Furthermore, I'll be the one stepping over your body as if I'm stepping over stones!"

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A Dark Magus!

Jamu's face turned red and he suddenly shouted, "Third Form!"

An instant later, blood oozed from his skin.

The great amount of blood soaked into his clothes, staining it red. His whole body currently looked as if he had just been fished out of an ocean of blood.

With his blood bubbling up, a shocking amount of terrifying spiritual force was also sent out from Jamu's body suddenly.

The large sword in Jamu's hand immediately turned a bright red color, and its radiance momentarily grew by several metres.

Peng!*

The bandit leader's black metal shield was broken into pieces by the blood-red sword.

Following which, Jamu swung the sword in his hands and aimed a fierce chop at the black-garbed bandit leader.

Sssii!*

The black-garbed bandit leader was sent flying by the attack, and the black ring-shaped magic artifact on his body shattered into pieces in mid-air. It then turned into fine dust, which drifted off with the wind.

"Good work, Jamu!"

"You truly are worthy of being called Senior Jamu!"

Witnessing this scene, all the other people from the Wetland Gardens Academy immediately began to cheer.

Jamu, on the other hand, immediately turned around with his sword aimed at the remaining bandits.

Apparently, he had planned to dispose of all these enemies in one breath; after all, the third form also placed a heavy burden on him and had other troublesome after effects.

"Jamu is the best…" Bessita said, seeing Jamu's unusual power. She blushed, stars flashing in her eyes.

"Pieces of trash! You have forced my hand!"

Suddenly, a strange hoarse voice could be heard.

After hearing this voice, the bandits, who had been arrogant up until a moment ago, kneeled down as if they had seen God, their bodies slightly trembling.

Following this voice, a huge black palm appeared in midair and slammed at Jamu, just like someone swatting a housefly.

Thump!*

The black palm merely swatted, yet the blood-red sword in Jamu's hand was sent flying. Soon after, a fist struck out. Jamu's chest caved in, and he spurted out a large amount of blood as he was thrown back.

"An offi…official Magus?"

Lying on the ground, Jamu's expression was one of incredulity, and then he lost consciousness.

"Official Magus?" Bessita's expression paled, and she felt limp and collapsed as if the bones in her body had been removed. "We are finished!"

Although they had heard that there was a dark official Magus hiding in one of the many bandit groups, they had not anticipated that they would encounter this particular one.

This was a high and mighty Magus! Would he even put their small group of acolytes in his eyes?

Unfortunately, the reality was cruel, and what one least expected would always happen.

The dark Magus was clothed in a black robe with golden accents, and with a black fog obscured his appearance, he instantly appeared in front of them.

Awooooo!* George issued a loud howl and faced the dark Magus head-on.

Though powerful, George's gigantic green form caused side effects such as losing rationality for an indeterminate period randomly. This effect was more obvious when the body was transformed.

He instinctively rushed towards the middle of the battlefield, heading for the dark Magus who was immensely pressuring him.

"George! Don't!" shouted Shiera, with a look of despair on her face.

"A lowly acolyte dares to attack this mighty Lord Magus?"

The dark Magus sneered. A dangerous green phosphorescent claw from an unknown beast latched onto George.

Puchi!*

Suddenly, raging black fireballs struck this strange claw.

The raging black fireballs seemed to fill the sky and dyed it a dark black.

This was merely a green claw, and though it tried to persist within the black flame, it was burned to ashes within a few seconds.

"Who was that?" The dark-gowned Magus asked in rage.

"Ai…" was the reply he heard, a soft and gentle sigh.

Immediately, Leylin's body flashed past in a dark ray of light, appearing in front of George, who had transformed into the green giant.

At this moment, however, there was some drool flowing from one side of George's mouth—he had completely lost his rationality. Seeing Leylin, he attempted to grab him.

The green giant's arms had flexible and sturdy muscles, causing violent gales when they moved.

While facing this attack, Leylin calmly extended his right hand.

Bang!*

The huge fist was directly blocked by the pale, slender palm of Leylin.

At this moment, Leylin's body was like an infant's when compared to that of the green giant, but even so, Leylin still resisted the green giant's full strength attack.

This scene appeared to be all too hilarious, but not a single person present was laughing.

"An offi…official Magus?"

Alexander's jaws snapped wide open—thus resembling a toad—and he said, "Leylin is an official Magus! My heavens…"

"How foolish were we?" Lana and the other acolytes also were gaping foolishly.

As for Bessita, this woman had basically become paralyzed on the ground—in short, she was unable to say anything!

The only one who looked happy at all was Shiera.

Currently, George was on the ground, bound by many black chains which sprouted from the ground underneath Leylin.

Following which, the transformation of George's body seemed to be undergoing a change; it began shrinking while emitting steam. He gradually shrunk, and later regained the build of an ordinary man.

"George!" Shiera hurriedly approached and helped remove the black chains from George's body.

George was in a coma, and his body was involuntarily twitching. He looked terrible; his face still had large patches of green, and his lips had lost their colour.

"Ley…..My Lord, I request that you save him." Shiera clasped George's face, a harried look on her own face.

"No need to worry!"

"This is only a biological rejection from the cells of a Green Metal Tree. It is very easy to solve."

A milky-white beam emitted from Leylin's palm, which was then irradiated onto George's face.

When the milky white beam turned into thin white rays that bored through George's nose and ears, the green patches on his face vanished at a very quick speed. A few seconds later, George assumed a serene expression, like an ordinary sleeping person.

After handling George, Leylin slowly stood up and saw the Magus in the black fog waiting at the side.

"I truly didn't expect that I would run into an official Magus here."

The voice of the dark Magus, whose face was wrapped in fog, sounded out. This voice belonged to neither a male nor a female; it was clearly a fake voice.

"I, too, didn't expect that I would meet a dark Magus while taking a stroll after concealing my identity," Leylin stated flatly.

Even though he had participated in a lot of raids and other such missions with the Thousands Meddling Hands, that was only for dealing with goals that had a degree of difficulty similar to raiding the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower.

As an official Magus, resorting to being a bandit and robbing acolytes was something he couldn't do.

It seemed that the dark Magus who was facing Leylin was poverty-stricken. His strength, spiritual force, and the energy waves fluctuating from his body seemed comparatively weak. He must have recently broken through. His spiritual force and elemental essence conversion were also very low.

"In that case, I will give you some face and let them all off!" The dark Magus quickly spoke up.

Due to the lack of benefits, no Magus in their right mind would battle an enemy at the same level as themselves.

"Thanks!"

Leylin replied in a faint voice.

While he was considering that the enemy might go on ahead, the other dark Magus said, "Additionally, I have some exclusive information regarding the Eternal River Plains' secret plane. Do you want to hear it?"

"News about the Eternal River Plains' secret plane?" Doubtful, Leylin glanced at this dark Magus, sizing him up.

Based on the enemy's strength, it would not be possible for him to have gathered any information. When he came across such lucky opportunities, Leylin generally maintained extreme caution.

"Not bad!"

However, Leylin still agreed, wanting to see what this dark Magus was trying to pull.

"You should leave first!"

The Magus in a black robe spoke to the horde of bandits, who were lucky to have survived.

"Yes, my lord!"

All of the bandits present immediately moved around wildly in their fright, and before one could blink, they had already disappeared.

Heavens! They had believed they would be raiding only a group of acolytes, and they did not think that they would unexpectedly find an official Magus within this group.

Moreover, seeing the attitude of their true leader, the other party's strength must have truly been very terrifying.

If a person like Leylin were to be in a bad mood, killing the bandits would be as difficult as dealing with an ant.

Thus, these bandits helped the fallen acolytes get up, and disappeared like the wind, leaving a mess behind.

"You all wait here for me!"

Leylin saw that after he had spoken, all the acolytes in his group bowed their bodies, including Bessita.

These acolytes had picked up this habit within their academies. Towards a Magus, they were required to show extreme respect and caution. Otherwise, they would be severely punished.

Seeing this scene, Leylin inwardly smiled and immediately left with the black-fog-masked dark Magus.

"Can we speak here?"

After the dark Magus had reached a faraway place, Leylin shouted, making the dark Magus halt.

"Finally, what is the news that you have? If what you say is really valuable, then no matter how many magic crystals or whatever else you want in exchange, I will not be stingy with it…"

"It is not very secure here. I need to bring you to a place where no one will be able to eavesdrop." The dark Magus began explaining.

"Is that so?" Leylin was suspicious, but he still went along with this dark Magus.

"We're here now."

The dark Magus led Leylin to a strange pile of scattered stones

"I set up an isolation spell formation here that will ensure that all we say will stay private, and nobody will be able to listen in on our conversation."

The Magus, whose face was concealed by dark fog, and could not have his or her gender identified, went straight for the middle of the pile of stones. Leylin, on the other hand, hesitated and stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong? Do you not believe me?"

The Magus surrounded by black fog questioned.

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Detonation

"As much as I would like to enter, I would like to first know why I am seeing offensive and restraint runes inside the spell formation. Not even one isolation energy rune is in the formation…"

Blue light flashed in Leylin's eyes as he stopped in front of the formation and looked at the Magus within the black fog.

"To think that you would still find out after all!"

The Magus in the dark fog smiled wryly, and his voice turned much gentler. It belonged to that of a young woman.

Leylin actually recognised this voice.

"It can't be helped since I've never really swindled anyone before!"

The woman forced a laugh and dispelled the black fog that concealed her.

The fog dispersed, revealing an ordinary female face. Though she wasn't that pretty, her eyes were extremely gentle and there seemed to be ripples within them, making her unforgettable.

On her chest was a large necklace of gems and pearls strung together, each sparkling with every colour under the sun.

"Jenna?! It's you?" Leylin immediately recognised the identity of this Magus.

This young lady was the first Magus that he had befriended in the Nightless City, and Leylin's impression of her at the time was not bad.

However, it seemed like this pure looking young lady was, in fact, hiding something from Leylin.

"We finally meet again, Leylin!"

This young lady, who seemed to come from a large family, smiled brilliantly.

"Let's not talk about the things of the past. Shouldn't you first explain the traps laid inside this spell formation?"

Leylin pointed at the spell formation with a solemn expression.

He had been travelling in secret, and even though he had been on alert, he had been followed by this young woman in disguise and did not realise it at all. He had no clue as to what methods she had used to conceal her tracks, and what intentions she harboured.

"Regarding this problem…"

Jenna lowered her head, as if ashamed. "This is…"

In a split second, a multi-coloured burst of light erupted from the necklace around Jenna's neck, rapidly approaching Leylin.

Leylin, who had always been alert, had previously set up several spell formations on his legs to assist him in moving more quickly. They were quickly activated, and his body turned into several black shadows, that instantly disappeared.

Rumble!*

Rainbow rays of light enveloped the ground and formed a rune on the floor. Under the light, all plants, and even the soil began to wither.

"Gotcha!" At this scene, a smile appeared on Jenna's face.

Leylin, who was in the middle of moving, was shocked.

At that moment, a dim spell formation suddenly appeared, and lit up under his feet.

Countless white pillars of light rose, forming a cage that locked Leylin up within.

"Did she plan ahead and set this up beforehand? No! It's something more powerful than that!"

Inside the cage, Leylin shook his robes, and several fireballs crashed into the cage, the black flames burning fiercely.

However, these pillars of white light were extremely sturdy; the Latent Fireball could only cause the light pillars to tremble. It seemed like much more power was needed to break this spell formation.

A person who was able to lay such a spell formation was not a simple character.

Leylin carefully looked at this female Magus, suddenly feeling that he had underestimated her.

No matter if it was that obvious spell formation trap that was laid as a bait to attract Leylin's attention, or grasping the right opportunity and making an instantaneous decision to strike, it was not something any ordinary light Magus could do.

This particular prediction of where Leylin was going to land made Leylin even more afraid.

If it was the power of divination, low leveled magicians were helpless against it.

"Why?" Leylin, who was trapped in the white pillared cage, asked.

He'd only seen Jenna a few times before he entered the city. After that, they had limited contact, and no matter how he questioned himself, there wasn't a reason for them to be in a battle to the death.

"I'm sorry, but you are the catalyst that will bring war and draw fresh blood in the south coast. To protect the peace here, I have no choice but to sacrifice you…"

Beads of tears dripped down her face. Leylin could not determine whether or not they were crocodile tears.

"So just because of some illusory prophecy, you want to get rid of me after thinking that I will bring danger to the south coast?"

Leylin's face darkened. No matter who it was, after being confronted with such a ridiculous situation, they would also be driven mad.

Leylin had thought of many situations earlier. Was it revenge? For the benefits of an opposing faction? However, he had never even thought of such a possibility being her motive.

However, since it had already been confirmed, what Jenna had cast before was a type of prophecy spell.

"You don't need to struggle anymore. This is a cage that I prepared especially for you using fragments of the future that I obtained. Not only is it made entirely out of light elemental particles, I've also included innumerable high-level spells that are fire resistant. Even with your most powerful attack, it's impossible to break out of there!"

Jenna suddenly closed her eyes and then quickly opened them; her pupils were white.

"For the sake of world peace, please leave this place!"

Jenna said indifferently, her originally common face unexpectedly radiating a holy feel.

As the words left her mouth, the white pillared cage trapping Leylin began to close in. Countless white threads of light separated from the pillars and enveloped the interior of the cage.

These white threads were like thin silk produced by silkworms, wrapping themselves around Leylin's body as if they wanted to wrap him in a large cocoon.

"Hehe…"

Leylin paid no heed to the threads surrounding his body and suddenly began to chuckle.

"What are you laughing about? If you have any last wishes, you can tell me. By my reputation as the Guardian family, I promise I'll help you achieve it!"

Both of Jenna's arms were placed on her chest, and she made a strange gesture with her hands.

"No need for it! Looking at your hypocrisy makes me want to puke!" A nauseating feeling surged up from within Leylin's chest.

Back in his previous world, he was already strongly disgusted by things such as world guardians, protectors of the peace, and the like. In the name of righteousness, these groups would sacrifice a person for the sake of the greater good.

After having seen such a scene in the world he now lived in, an intense killing intent, something that he had never felt before, stirred within him.

"There will be a day where the world will understand our methods, and world peace will reign forever!" Jenna did not mind Leylin's words and instead replied with a maxim.

She then pointed at the cage.

"Purify!"

Tsssss!* The white rays of light enveloped the entire cage, and Leylin suddenly felt as if he =had been placed in a furnace. He had a strange feeling that he was going to be melted down.

He specialized in dark elemental particles, which were the direct opposite of light elemental particles. He had no idea where Jenna had gotten this spell formation, but its might was incredibly formidable and even Leylin wasn't able to endure the pain it caused.

"I still have something to say!"

Despite the huge pressure on his body, streams of black smoke coiled around Leylin's body, which was resisting the corrosion of the white light. This scene made Leylin look quite pitiful.

"Sinner! Speak your last words!"

Jenna advanced slowly.

"I…"

Leylin's lips moved slightly.

"What? Have the light elemental particles already corroded him to this extent?" Jenna got even closer and pressed her ear to the side of the white pillared cage.

"You slut! You think that this world is operated by your family?"

In a moment, Leylin's body was covered by fine black scales, and his eyes had an amber vertical pupil resting within.

Leylin bellowed, "Hoop of Imprisonment! Detonate!"

Boom!*

In an instant, a brilliant silver light exploded from Leylin's arm.

This metal hoop, which had been resting on Leylin's left arm, immediately exploded upon Leylin's command.

The giant shockwave immediately caused part of the cage to burst open. The explosion did not stop there and even extended to where Jenna was.

"Argh!"

Jenna grabbed her face as she was sent flying backwards.

The white thread, which had been restraining Leylin before, immediately exploded. Even the white pillared cage was clearly damaged.

"Eyes of Petrification!"

Leylin's eyes were focused on the area where the cage was caved in.

Tssss!* An ashen layer of stone began to spread on the white pillars.

"Latent Fireball!"

Leylin pressed both of his hands together, and large amounts of black flames emerged from the shadows. He pulled his palms apart.

The black flames instantly separated and were evenly distributed on his palms.

"Go!"

Leylin clenched both hands and ferociously struck at the area of the cage that had been petrified.

Rumble!*

The white light expanded, and in a moment, reached the height of several dozen metres, as if wanting to break through the clouds. After which, it withdrew and was engulfed by the black flames.

As for the heart of the flames, a figure with tattered clothes and fine black scales walked out slowly from it.

[Host's body has suffered from Light elemental corrosion. It has a restraining effect with the Host's energy particles, creating a neutralising effect. The damage has increased; currently, 34% of the Host's skin is burnt. The Host's left arm has suffered from the explosion of a magic artifact, causing dysfunctionality. Immediate treatment recommended!]

The A.I. Chip's prompt appeared in front of Leylin.

His current condition wasn't all that good. Not only were there multiple burns all over his body, his left arm was slanted strangely in front of his chest, revealing a huge wound. One could even see slightly charred bone.

Leylin had brazenly blown up a middle-grade magic artifact, and since he was in a cage, he was the one who had suffered the most. Hence, even with the Fallen Star Pendant and Kemoyin's Scales' defensive properties increased to the maximum, he still suffered major injuries.

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Necklace

"No! That's impossible!"

Jenna, who had collapsed at the side, was holding on to half her face. Seeing Leylin escape, she shouted in disbelief.

"How did you get out? In the future I saw, there wasn't anything like this!"

Jenna yelled, her facial muscles twitching slightly.

"I know. It has to be! You must be the traitor going against fate!" Jenna's register suddenly became extremely high.

"Who I am is not important! The important thing is that you will have to die horribly today!"

The killing intent on Leylin grew stronger. Ever since he stepped on the path of a Magus, this was the first time he suffered such a big defeat!

The injuries he sustained on his body and his left arm, which was on the verge of breaking, were not easy to treat. His upcoming mission in the secret plane had now become more precarious.

At the thought, the fury in Leylin's heart became more vigorous.

"Bitch! I want you to know the price of offending me!"

Leylin roared, and used his right arm, the only one that was still in good condition, to viciously claw at Jenna!

Streams of rope-like black smoke emerged from the ground, followed the ground, and climbed towards Jenna.

"Guard!" Jenny grasped the large, thick necklace around her neck.

A red gem brightened and a huge lava fireball generated in front of Jenna, rushing towards the black smoke.

Boom!*

A huge energy wave was emitted, the scalding molten lava scattering in all directions, creating large black holes in the ground.

"Even if you have all the spells prepared in that necklace today, it won't be able to save you!"

Leylin's eyes glinted coldly.

Several black fireballs were shot out instantaneously, and merged into the air as one collective fireball! The immense energy waves momentarily exploded with might which reached 51 degrees that immediately burnt a huge pit in the ground.

"Latent Fireball!"

Leylin pointed at Jenna.

The giant fireball seemed to set like the sun, projecting over Jenna's position.

Before the black flames descended, more sweat trickled on Jenna's face, which was ever paler than before.

"Frost!" Jenna gritted her teeth, spitting out a character of the Byron language from her mouth.

At that moment, the necklace around her neck continuously emanated ice magic energy waves as it produced a series of white rays while the pearls emitted light one after the other.

The white rays formed a dozen huge ice shields in front of Jenna.

The large, translucent white shields could clearly reflect the surroundings. The black fireballs from before flew down from the air, and in a flash, struck these ice shields.

Water vapour was being emitted.

A distance away from the fireballs, the water vapour quickly condensed into water droplets and ice chunks that fell to the ground.

After everything had settled down, the frost shields that were in front of Jenna and the Latent Fireball had already disappeared without a trace.

In the mist, a black figure appeared within.

Leylin, whose body was lined with the fine Scales of Kemoyin, immediately charged to where Jenna was.

Sssii!*

The layer of icy defense coming from Jenna's necklace was immediately crushed by Leylin's right hand. At the same time, he knocked Jenna away with his body.

Pa!* Leylin's shoulders crashed with a huge impact on Jenna.

Chi Chi!* A layer of milky white light appeared on Jenna's robes, enveloping her whole body.

This was Jenna's innate defense spell. It had finally erupted at the most crucial moment.

Pa Pa!*

Jenna flew backwards like the head of a train that had left its tracks, bashing into many trees along the way.

"This woman…"

Leylin focused his attention on Jenna. After that exchange, he could tell that she was merely a newly advanced Magus. In terms of elemental essence conversion, she was far from his match. If not for having a powerful magic artifact in possession, as well as that incredible gift for divination, she would long since have died at Leylin's hands.

As long as she was given time to set up formations, she could quickly come up with methods that were specifically catered to her enemy's weakness, like that incredible white pillared cage that had trapped him. Even a rank 1 Magus at his peak would be in trouble!

"Enemies with prophesying spells are the most troublesome. I was fortunate enough that her prophecy did not go as planned, but it's unlikely that I'll get so lucky again!"

Leylin's eyes turned cold as ice.

The thought that there was an opponent that was operating behind the scenes with prophesying skills left a bad taste in his mouth. Having this happen once was one time too many.

Never had his killing intent reached such an urgent degree.

"Shadow Stealth!"

Leylin tenaciously glared at Jenna, who had crawled up. The scales on his body flickered and gradually became translucent, and he vanished into the air.

He had decided to go all out when dealing with Jenna, and he made it his mission to ensure that this damned woman remained here forever.

Seeing Leylin disappear into the air, Jenna's expression became even more serious. She currently felt Leylin's determination to kill her. She was born intelligent, and with her high-grade meditation technique and her strengthened sixth sense, her instincts told her that if she made the slightest mistake then she would be the one that died today!

For the first time, such a terrifying experience had taken control of Jenna's spirit. Deep down in her heart, her willpower, which could not be shaken, had slowly given in.

For the first time, Jenna felt that it was a very bad decision to come out here alone to assassinate Leylin!

This fear and regret were like a poisonous snake which was continuously gnawing at her already weak mental fortitude.

At this moment, a pink heart shape gem exploded inside Jenna's necklace.

Jenna seemed perplexed at first, but very soon her will was strengthened.

"It's a hallucinatory spell, with some psychological coercion!" Jenna's face turned red. "Despicable!"

Boom!*

A black figure appeared in front of Jenna.

With his right hand clenched into a fist, Leylin struck the defensive membrane from Jenna's innate spell.

Pa!*

This innate spell was not in its best condition from its previous consumption, and with Leylin's iron fist, it was shattered into countless white spots, dissipating into the air.

Leylin's right hand was able to grab Jenna's right arm without any obstructions.

Ka-Cha!* A bone crunching sound was made, and Jenna's right arm had been torn off by Leylin.

"Arghh!" The muscles on Jenna's face contorted in pain. She clenched her teeth and the silk on her robes seemed to writhe with life, bandaging her wound quickly.

At the same time, a large pushing force was emitted from her body, as if wanting to leave Leylin's attack area.

"Thinking of running?"

Leylin's pupils focused on Jenna. "Eyes of Petrification!"

Instantly, a mysterious light emitted from Leylin's amber eyes as he targeted Jenna.

"Petrification magic?"

Jenna made a sound of bewilderment. Petrification magic was something that had long since been extinct in the Magus world. Now, this was a spell that only creatures with ancient bloodlines had as an ability!

Next, creaking sounds emitted from Jenna's body, as if her muscles had become stiff.

A layer of stone began to spread from Jenna's face.

Ka-cha! Ka-cha!*

In front of Leylin, Jenna turned into an ashen stone sculpture.

Ding!*

When the grey-white colour had completely enveloped her, a light vibration came from the bulky necklace.

The whole necklace floated in the air, where the faint voice of an old person sounded, "Ultimate Guard of Life! Activate!"

Light! Dazzling light shone and enveloped the region in an instant.

After Leylin opened his eyes, the stone statue in front of him had already crumbled. Jenna who was within had disappeared, leaving behind only a pile of petrified skin.

After casting this final spell, that bulky necklace lost all of its powers.

Ka-Cha!* *Ka-Cha!*

A layer of petrified stone suddenly emerged on the surface of the necklace. The necklace had turned into stone, fallen to the ground, and shattered into pieces.

"This is a substitution spell!"

Leylin's expression turned even more solemn. "This necklace contained so much power and even concealed a final body-substitution spell! An extremely large organisation must be behind Jenna!"

After realising this situation, the killing intent in Leylin's heart grew even stronger.

"You won't be able to run from me!"

Leylin inhaled deeply, where blue light appeared in his eyes immediately and scanned the surroundings.

"Several dozen seconds later, Leylin's brows furrowed and hurried towards a certain direction.

"I… I have to hurry and leave!!"

Jenna grabbed at the stub of her torn arm and rapidly traversed through the woods.

"The family heirloom necklace was destroyed, yet I wasn't able to get rid of him…"

Jenna was very dejected. The necklace from before was an heirloom, and for it to be destroyed while it was in her possession was a huge blow to her.

"Damned heretic! Traitor of fate! There will come a day that I will punish you!"

Jenna pledged inwardly.

"Found it!" Something that sounded like the devil's voice rang in her ear, and a vicious hot air brushed against her.

Jenna quickly pounced to the side.

Boom!*

A huge explosion sounded at the place she had been at, sections of the ground and plants flying everywhere.

Meanwhile, Jenna suddenly smelt something very sweet and immediately after, her entire body became numb and she collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

"This is the end!"

Leylin walked to Jenna, who had breathed in large amounts of chloroform, and raised his right arm expressionlessly.

"You- You can't kill me! Do you know who I am?"

Jenna struggled, stuttering out her thoughts.

Without waiting for Leylin to ask, she quickly answered, "I am the successor of the Guardian family. I'm on good terms with the light Magi domain and various large organisations. The moment you kill me…"

"I don't care who you are!"

With his right hand armed with black flames, he clawed downwards!

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Curse

Boom!*

A green hurricane rapidly advanced towards Jenna and formed a green shield that protected her.

Leylin's flaming right hand collided with the shield, producing a tremendous noise.

"Uncle- Uncle Manla!" She produced a wide smile.

Along with the loud noise of the wind, a burly, blonde man appeared in front of Leylin.

"Manla?" Leylin recognised this Magus, who had he had previously met once before.

"After receiving your transmission, I rushed over. Thank goodness I made it in time!" Manla stood in front of Jenna, glaring menacingly at Leylin.

"You actually dared to harm my niece to this extent! My family will definitely not…"

Rumble!*

Before Manla could even finish his sentence, Leylin wasted no time and sent out numerous black fireballs towards him.

From Leylin's perspective, since they were already enemies, it was natural for him to eradicate them all. Who would bother with listening to what they had to say?

"Be careful, Uncle Manla! He's very strong and his elemental essence conversion has surpassed 50%!"

While Jenna was yelling out warnings, Leylin was already manipulating latent fireballs to attack Manla's green hurricane.

Under the attack of the fireballs, which had a might of 51 degrees, Manla was basically forced to retreat step by step.

"So powerful!" An expression of shock appeared on Manla's face.

Shortly after, like a ghost, Leylin suddenly appeared in front of him, a clawed hand encased in crimson flames grabbing towards his face.

Pop!*

The sounds of bubbles being burst echoed and the defensive spell on the surface of Manla's body was easily destroyed in the face of Leylin's Crimson Palm. It was taken care of so easily, like paper being ripped apart.

Leylin's palm didn't stop moving and grabbed ahold of the burly man's chest.

Slash!* A bloody piece of flesh was ripped out by the dragging of the claw, and the surrounding skin was left slightly charred.

"This won't do! The difference in power is too much. If we stay here, we'll definitely die!"

Manla immediately pulled Jenna up, turned, and ran!

Rationally speaking, Manla was a semi-converted Magus whose elemental essence conversion was at least 50%. In the Magus community on the south coast, he would be considered the cream of the crop. However, he had the misfortune of meeting an evildoer like Leylin, who was much too powerful even when his spiritual force and elemental essence conversion were being suppressed. In terms of hand to hand combat, Manla couldn't win either.

"Tiwoose Fererian!"

The moment they started to escape, Manla threw out a silver magic scroll.

Nine green tornados formed, and like a wall, they hindered Leylin from giving chase.

"You're thinking of running?"

Darkness flashed in Leylin's eyes, and after muttering a few incantations, he pointed forward with his right hand.

Black fog immediately converged to become a black python, which headed for the two of them.

This snake was like an illusion, passing through the green tornados. When it arrived in front of Manla, its crimson eyes were fixed on Jenna, and it bit towards her.

"What the hell is this?"

Manla produced another tornado.

Hua la!* The black snake ducked and passed through without trouble, and then opened its mouth, viciously biting Jenna's neck!

Two black pinholes instantly emerged on Jena's fair neck. They transformed to form a strange, twisted rune.

"Jenna?"

There was a white light surrounding Manla's hand as he tried to brush the snake away.

However, with a swipe of the python's tail, it shifted and bit Manla's arm. The same rune was branded there as well.

After these two attacks, the snake hissed and turned back into the black fog, which entered Manla and Jenna's bodies.

"This seems to be a curse! It's going to be troublesome!"

Manla's face fell. He couldn't feel anything different from the formation of the curse, but instincts told him that it was going to be inconvenient.

"Jenna, hold on!" Manla yelled crazily, the green hurricanes still spreading. His entire body seemed to turn into a gale, and disappeared into the forest.

Seeing Manla escape in that direction, Leylin did not move.

His body seemed to have shattered like porcelain, with large volumes of blood suddenly gushing out.

"It seems like I can't endure it any longer, the injuries are too severe." Leylin was half kneeling on the floor. He suddenly became dizzy, and his vision began to blur.

If possible, he obviously wanted to give chase and kill the two off. However, with his current physical condition, it was impossible for him to continue battling.

"However, the curse that I put up at the end… Hehe… cough, cough."

Leylin laughed evilly but started to cough violently, spitting out large globs of black blood.

"Light elemental Magi will always be the archenemies of dark elemental Magi. Just a cage made of elemental particles was enough to reduce me to this state…"

Leylin laughed bitterly and his figure quickly turned into black smoke, disappearing into the forest.

Currently, he was in urgent need of a place to treat his injuries.

Although he'd told George and the acolytes to wait for him, Leylin couldn't even take care of himself, much less the others, so that matter was naturally thrown to the back of his mind.

……

After ten or so hours, in a temporarily set up tent.

In the twilight, an oil lamp illuminated the area a dull yellow. Hay was spread across the floor, and Leylin sat atop of it. In his right hand was a test tube with a potion within, which he was constantly tilting towards the injuries on his left hand.

This test tube was rather large, and in the translucent liquid, one could see something that looked like a baby's face. It was encased in the liquid, and continuously let off little bubbles.

Tssssss!*

After the potion was dripped into the wounds, large amounts of white gas were emitted, along with the sounds of corrosion.

"Ugh!" An intense pain struck Leylin's nerves; he seemed to have been struck by lightning, his muscles involuntarily twitching.

Leylin bit down hard, and large droplets of cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

After that intense wave of pain, his wounds started to get numb.

This numbing effect was very strong, feeling like tens of thousands of ants had crawled and gnawed on his bones. Leylin's pale face reddened as he sucked in sharply.

At the same time, in the areas where Leylin's left arm was injured, various veins and muscles squirmed and began to regenerate.

First, the fractures in the bone were completely healed, and the flesh and veins followed soon after. After a few minutes, Leylin tested out his left arm.

At this point, the injuries on his left arm had been completely healed. Leylin's arm was slender and fair, but under that beautiful appearance, there were muscles that held much explosive power.

It was impossible to tell that this arm had been on the verge of breaking off just minutes prior.

Leylin tested out his left arm again with some actions and smiled in satisfaction.

"I'm lucky there was some liquid left over from the Flourishing Flower! If not, the injuries on this arm wouldn't have been able to be taken care of so easily."

The Flourishing Flower was an important ingredient used by Magi in operations to regenerate limbs.

No matter what kind of injury it was, as long as there were enough Flourishing Flowers, it would be very likely that one could recover.

The Flourishing Flower that Leylin was holding was something he had gained during his days as an acolyte. He had exchanged some of them in the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy for incomplete information about the Branded Swordsman.

Excluding the injuries on his arm, Leylin had also used several potions to treat his wounds. He was now able to move freely and fight in less vigorous battles.

"I've mostly recovered. I guess it's time for me to go to the Marat Canyon!"

Leylin was a fairly cautious person. In the secret plane at the Eternal River Plains, it was dangerous beyond belief, to the point that even Magi were considered fodder! As a spy from the Thousand Meddling Hands, if he were ever to be discovered, he would be chased to the ends of the world!

In this situation, if he were to sustain any injuries, Leylin knew that there was little chance of him surviving, much less being lucky enough to reap benefits.

Leylin had already considered leaving and going somewhere else if his injuries couldn't be treated.

After all, he still valued his own life over making profits.

However, the situation was not so dire. Though he had made enemies with a possibly high ranking Magus family with the abilities of divination, he didn't think much of it.

"I believe they aren't feeling very well right about now, yes? My curse won't be taken apart very easily."

Leylin smirked icily.

Though he had not been able to kill his opponents, he had successfully cursed Jenna and Manla with a spell that was unique to him.

The formation of this curse originated from a curse in the great Magus Serholm's Book of Giant Serpent. Leylin had started the foundations of that curse and had made the appropriate changes to it.

After adding in every method he could think of, the curse was so different from the original that even the great Magus Serholm would be unable to undo it.

Like a password, it was complicated and difficult to make sense of.

If one were not the original maker of the password, and instead tried to use brute force to get through, the object protected by the password would be destroyed.

Jenna and Manla seemed to have high standings within their family, and most likely wouldn't be given up on so easily.

Leylin's next task was to use the power of the curse to find out who his enemies were.

As he had been followed and almost killed on the basis of some useless prediction, Leylin was quite annoyed.

However, there was still a family backing them, and he did not want to shed all sense of cordiality without making sense of the situation before him.

This was why Leylin had chosen not to chase them and had instead placed a mark on both of them.

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