by Zhuang Bifan
Lin Li estimated that his strength had risen by two levels, and he could clearly feel that it was not just his strength that had increased. There was even a breach in realms. This sensation was too distinct. The difference between a magic shooter and an archmage was like two separate worlds. With the status of an archmage, looking at a magic shooter was like an a.d.u.l.t looking at a child…
Lin Li even felt that with his current strength, he was rather confident of defeating Argus if he were to be assassinated by him again. Furthermore, it'd be through a battle purely based on strength, and not through some other means.
Unfortunately, such a thing could only be thought of. Argus had already been destroyed. Even if Lin Li wanted to battle him fairly again, it was not going to happen.
"What the hell, you're really an archmage…"
"Do you believe me now?"
"Yes, yes, yes…" Connoris' voice was full of exhilaration. The turn of events was too stimulating for it. From being filled with hope to being full of despair, and again from being full of despair to being filled with hope. Swinging back and forth was like being sent from heaven to hell, and then from hell back to heaven. If it had a choice, it would not want to experience it again…
"That's great…" Lin Li nodded, and did not further excite it. "From now on, you are my private property. I am Felic, nice to meet you Mr Connoris."
"Me too…" For unknown reasons, the smile on Lin Li's face made Connoris feel somewhat guilty…
"Oh, yes. Connoris, I heard that all sorts of magical materials were being produced in the Demon's Abyss. Could you bring me to take a look one day? It might even be useful when I help to create your body…"
Chapter 197 - Floating Castle
After inscribing his Spiritual Brand on the heart, Lin Li did not go anywhere else, not even to the showroom that Connoris had mentioned. He knew that it would be useless even if he went there. The entire Eternal Furnace had been cleaned out. Other than the fire dragon's magical crystal and Connoris, the half hammer half demon weirdo, everything else had been sent to Osric's Mausoleum.
Before leaving the Void Crack, Lini Li left a trace of mental strength inside the gigantic heart. This allowed him to control the Eternal Furnace at any time and from anywhere. It did not matter where he was—he could summon the Eternal Furnace as long as there was the existence of the Void Crack within the vicinity.
For Lin Li, this was the best reward.
Compared to having full control of the Eternal Furnace, breaking through the Archmage realm and finding a guide for the Demon's Abyss were somewhat insignificant. Even though the Eternal Furnace was now empty, the most essential thing was still there, and it was the technique to build the Sky City. Along with fire dragon's magical crystal that maintained the functioning of the Eternal Furnace, the Eternal Furnace would still be Eternal Furnace with these two things. With sufficient time, Lin Li would able to reconstruct a real Floating Castle.
The reappearance of the Sky City of the High Elves sounded impossible, but for a master of all professions like Lin Li, the issue was not about technique—he just lacked time and materials.
Without a doubt, this would be a long process. The reconstructed Eternal Furnace would take up an astronomical amount of time and gold, but it would immediately solve all of Lin Li's troubles when completed. Even the Marathon Family or the Shadow's Nest would not pose a single hint of threat anymore. Within the current Felan Kingdom, a floating castle from the Dark Ages would be invincible, and this included the legendary Sky Knights. There would not be a single power that could threaten this floating castle.
Furthermore, this was a floating castle that was drifting within the Void Crack.
Under the control of the trace of mental strength that had just fused in, Lin Li could summon it anytime and anywhere. Think about it: when the reconstructed Eternal Furnace appeared above Jarrosus, what kind of expressions the people of Shadow's Nest would show?
Lin Li's face had a smile when he left the Eternal Furnace. He stood on top of the red pedestal, and recited a spell quickly before turning around to jump off…
This was the first time Lin Li used the Levitation Spell, so his mana control was still slightly jerky; when he came down from the Eternal Furnace, he looked as wretched as someone that fell into water. No matter how wretched it was, without a doubt, he was still using the powers of an Archmage.
The proof was the look on Argus's face…
Looking at the figure that slowly descended, Argus' expression was as though he had just swallowed a dead rat. His mouth was so slack that an egg could be shoved into it, and his eyes were wide open just like a goldfish that was blowing bubbles.
He was unable to maintain his composure.
Even children knew what the Levitation Spell meant.
This meant extreme control of mana. This meant thorough understanding of magic rules. This also meant the power of an Archmage!
Argus had always been proud of his achievements. He'd even thought that he was a true magic genius of Felan. He was only twenty-eight years old when he broke through to the Archmage realm. Such an achievement was something that even Andoine could not compare to.
As for Gryffindor that had appeared from the Guild of Magic in these past few years, Argus did not hold any regard for him. From Argus's point of view, he was just a lucky flower which bloomed in a greenhouse that was exposed to a dense magical atmosphere from a young age. The people that he saw every day were of the Archmage level, and there were archmages patiently guiding him, helping to solve all doubts he might have. Yet, under such an enviable environment, he could only approach the border of the Archmage realm, which was far from Argus' level. Honestly, Argus looked down on Gryffindor.
Compared to Gryffindor, Argus was another extremity. He came from the lowest class in society, and was orphaned at twelve years old. If not because he'd suddenly discovered his talent for magic, he might have been the same as most of the orphans, becoming a thief or hooligan in the messiest streets of Alanna.
Although he had talent for magic, he'd never had a chance to enter the Guild of Magic. Argus became an adventurer when he was fourteen, struggling between life and death every day. Within ten years, he had hunted thousands of magical beasts. He had broken through during a hunt when he was in a dire situation, and this shaped the current Argus. Whatever he had achieved had been stained with red blood, be it from a magical beast, or from his own body…
Was Gryffindor able to match up to such an accomplishment? Not only was he not able to match up, there were only a few mages in the whole Felan Kingdom that could match up to it.
But when Argus saw Lin Li gently descend from the Eternal Furnace, he was dumbfounded…
Argus was much clearer than anyone else who this young mage was. In fact, they had dueled just not too long ago.
Indeed, Argus admitted that this was a real genius.
He already had the power of a level-13 magic shooter when he had not even reached twenty years old. Such a talent had already surpassed Gryffindor's, and even Argus was surprised.
But that was merely a surprise…
Argus did not even imagine that just after two hours, this level-13 magic shooter would have leapt forward such a large distance and broken through to a realm that many mages had failed to reach, becoming a real Archmage. Argus felt that even if he fully recovered, he might not be able to win against this fella in a fair duel.
"F*ck!" Argus looked down, spewing vulgarities. "I also do not want to fight against this guy…"
He even decided that once he returned to Alanna, he would severe ties with the Marathon Family.
No matter how powerful Wilhelm was, he was just a mortal. Offending him would be better than offending a person that broke through to the Archmage realm within two hours. Who knew what else this fella was still capable of.
"Mr Felic, you've returned…" Thinking till this point, Argus welcomed him with a smile that was full of flattery.
"Not bad, Argus. You'
ve improved." Lin Li smiled. He was very clear about what this fella was plotting. In fact, this was the effect that he had wanted; otherwise, there was no need to fly down with the Levitation Spell. There was still half a bottle of Levitation Potion in his pocket…
"Sean, what are you looking at?" Lin Li turned around, and saw Sean look at him with a dull expression.
"No… Nothing…" Sean had a shock. After he stammered in denial, he then weirdly asked, "Mr Felic, you seem to look different…"
"What's the difference?"
"I don't know. It's just different…."
Lin laughed. Seemed like Sean did not waste time during this period. He could instinctively tell Lin Li's level of strength. Two months ago, this fella was still ignorant. Within less than two months, he had improved tremendously. It appeared that the master that was guiding him was not someone average.
"Forget it, let's go."
"Ah?"
"We have completed the task at the Fire Plume Ridge; we are returning to Alanna now." After Lin Li finished speaking, he glanced at the Eternal Furnace that was in the sky before bringing along the two men across the plains to walk towards the Gates of Ashes.
"Boom!" Just when the three of them entered the Gates of Ashes, there was a loud sound from the skies. Instantly, the cave started to shake violently, and there were large rocks crashing on their heads amidst the dust. This caused them to be extremely distressed.
"What the hell!?" Lin Li spat out. He thought, F*cking mercenary corps and f*cking salamanders did not take any aphrodisiac, so why are they taking so long to finish the battle?"
"Sean, lead the way!"
"Understood!"
Luckily, there was still Sean as the guide. Although the three of them stumbled, almost getting crushed by the falling rocks along the way, they still made it out of the damned cave. After seeing the sunlight again, Lin Li stood at the entrance of the cave, and deeply breathed in the hot air that was unique to the Fire Plume Ridge. He was feeling better than ever.
The place that they came out from was near the peak of the Fire Plume Ridge. It was very close to the battle that was in full swing. Without even looking back, they could see the rising flares of the battlefield.
"Will it ever end…" Lin Li looked over, and saw a field of flares rising up.
The current Fire Plume Ridge peak was like Hell. There was a field of black magical beast carcasses, while thick fresh blood was flowing towards the ridges, evaporating into a dense mist of blood under the searing temperature. The thick scent of blood could be smelled from afar.
The six great mercenary corps suffered large casualties. There were more than a thousand adventurers when they ascended the mountain, but now there was less than half left. Furthermore, many of them had severe injuries. From where he stood, Lin Li could see clearly that the ground had piles of coke mixed with blood. As a magician, Lin Li knew that this was the remains of humans being burnt by a powerful fire spell…
From atop the spacious peak, there came a deafening roar from the blinding flares.
"Oh my God…" Lin Li only took a glance before realizing what he had just seen. It was the main culprit that caused the earthquake, a beast that had legendary strength. The legendary Salamander.
Chapter 198 - Driven Into A Corner
The six great mercenary corps were still holding on. From Lin Li's position, he could clearly see the heavily armored warriors of Silver Storm using their shields to restrain the Salamander's movements to a limited area. They used their sharp swords to slash it, causing blood to splatter from its body that was covered in flames.
After that, this legendary beast roared, and flailed its tail, which caused a deafening sound to tear through the air. Then, a Fire Storm descended…
"AHHH…"
Screams were heard incessantly, so much so that even Lin Li who was far away could hear it clearly. The strength of a legendary beast was too terrifying. With just one Fire Storm, several adventurers have been killed almost instantaneously. Yet, the members of the Silver Storm did not retreat even a single step.
… This was because they had no way to retreat
Less than ten meters behind the Silver Storm was the mage's unit of the six great mercenary corps. Within that area, hundreds of mages were reciting spells hastily, allowing the Fire Storm to land on the Elemental Shield. It appeared that the Elemental Shield's brilliance started to dim, but not a single one of them dared to stop reciting.
It was because they knew that this recitation would give them another shot at the Salamander. If they were to stop reciting and allow the Salamander to finish off the Silver Storm, then only death would await them.
The Silver Storm closed in even more, and their sharp swords tore open deep wounds on the Salamander. The magicians at the back started to recite their spells even faster.
Something bad is happening… Lin Li could clearly see that the two small eyes of the Salamander started to radiate intense crimson light. The six great mercenary corps were in trouble, for this was the sign that the Salamander was furious. He had come across this legendary beast once; he of course knew how terrifying it was in its fury. If he were to exaggerate a little, it had the force of a cataclysm.
With his current strength, provoking the Salamander would mean death.
Unless…
… he had the opportunity to use that weakness.
However, such chances were too rare. Even for someone that had hunted a Salamander like Lin Li, he had to admit that a chance occurred less than once within a hundred times. To able to encounter it once was just sheer luck.
"Run!" Lin Li glanced at the battlefield and the salamander, and made his decision without hesitation.
But when he turned around, he heard panting.
Lin Li turned and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a middle-aged man in his forties carrying his sword while leaning on the rocks and breathing heavily.
The middle-aged man seemed like he had just gone through an intense battle. The leather armor that he was wearing had been drenched in sweat and blood. There was a wound stretching all the way from his waist to his lower abdomen, blood oozing out endlessly. The meticulously crafted leather armor had been covered in dirt and ash, causing it to be in a mess. For unknown reasons, Lin Li felt that that this middle-aged man was very clean when he first saw him.
This weird feeling caused Lin Li to be stunned for a moment, but he quickly realized he had such a feeling because of the man's arms. Even though his whole body was a wreck, his arms were totally clean, including the sword his right hand held onto tightly. There was not a single trace of blood on it.
"Hello…" Lin Li scratched his head awkwardly. The six great mercenary corps were putting their lives on the line, yet he was just hiding and watching. Even with Lin Li's shamelessness, he could not help but feel remorse. I was too careless, I need to conceal myself better next time…
"Aah, hello…" The middle-aged man smiled. It could be due to the injuries that he seemed to be in pain while smiling.
This was a troublesome place; another second spent here meant another second of danger. Lin Li hurriedly exchanged greetings, and thought of escaping with Sean and Argus. However, just as he turned around, he heard a loud "BOOM" even before he could raise his leg.
In the moment when the loud sound was heard, Lin Li felt something had crashed into his c.h.e.s.t. In front of him, the world had turned into a burst of colors, and countless stars were flashing. His mind was blank, and he could only hear a buzzing sound. The ground that was covered in blood was shaking, and the sky was dyed red. It looked like the end of the world.
The searing flames were raging, and large meteors were ripping up the skies with flames trailing behind them, descending with an aura reminiscent of utter destruction.
"Aaaaaaah!"
The shrill screams came in waves. There were more than a hundred Silver Storm warriors, but in the blink of an eye, more than ten of them were knocked out. Even the steadfast Silver Storm
started to panic in the wake of this legendary Fire Power. Nobody could stand up against meteors, much less defend against the legendary spell, Fire Storm, with their shields. The only thing they could do was to run and distance themselves from this area that was filled with death.
"Boom… Boom…" The deafening sounds were incessant. The whole area seemed to be trembling. Countless meteors landed on the Fire Plume Ridge and stirred up a magnificent flare. Initially, there were a hundred or so Silver Storm warriors, but less than half of them escaped from the Fire Storm. Piles of coke on the battlefield gave out a charred smell, which was mixing with the thick scent of blood. It brought tears to their eyes.
"What a cursed thing…" Lin Li rubbed his nose. He did not want to continue watching. The hundred of Silver Storm were considered the best adventurers in Alanna, not in the least inferior when compared to the army of the Felan Kingdom. Yet, when they fought against a legendary beast like the Salamander, they were sacrificed like cannon fodder.
Just when he wanted to escape with both his companions after recovering from the shock with difficulty, Lin Li realized that the sword-wielding middle-aged man started to emit a strong aura. There was a silver Combat Energy, appearing as though a silver flame was tightly hugging him. The middle-aged man was no longer the same normal person as before. The aura emitted from his body was unique to the strongest people. Lin Li had felt such an aura before from a few people. For example, Andoine, Old Grimm, and Aldwin. Even Macklin could not give Lin Li such a sensation.
"F*ck!" Lin Li fell backwards and landed on his b.u.t.t. F*cking hell, this guy is Sword Sage of the Storm!
Almost immediately, Lin Li's complexion changed.
