by Zhuang Bifan
Furthermore, the gargantuan strength of the Dark Decay never ceased to erode Hutton's mental strength, which made chanting more and more difficult as though he was trying to walk through a swamp. Each Arcane Missile took more effort to conjure, and the Flame Shield on his body became weaker and weaker…
Stephen was in no better state at the moment. The Flame Shield was of no use against the piercing Bone Spears at all, and Stephen had no choice but to force the time it took to replenish his mana to a minimum so as to keep up with the speed it took to replenish his Flame Shield. However, everyone including him knew that this was not sustainable for long, as it caused great damage to his mental strength every time he did that, and might even cause him to drop by one level.
"Hutton, think of something, we have to leave this place!" Stephen's voice was filled with panic; the Death Energy of the Dark Decay basically forced one into hopelessness. Stephen had never felt so afraid before in his life—it was like he had stepped into quicksand, and the more he struggled and cried for help, the deeper he sank…
"It's no use, Stephen, we can't run…" Hutton gave a forced smile. He was much calmer compared to the panicking Stephen. This whirlpool-like darkness had sealed the Abyss Arena; it was hard to even move, much less escape.
"Then… Then what do we do?"
"Wait for Mage Felic to do something."
"Bloody hell, what kind of situation are we in? Yet you still…" Stephen was so agitated that he almost could not catch his breath as he struggled to keep up the Flame Shield while angrily pointing at the center of the Abyss Arena. "Look for yourself, that guy can barely defend himself! How do you expect him to save us?"
Stephen was pointing at the only bright spot in the center of the Abyss Arena. The mage Hutton regarded as their savior was standing there unmoving and trying all he could to maintain the Illuminating Spell…
"Ridiculous…" Stephen laughed in anger, for he could not comprehend what this was about at all. After all, they could not even withstand the Death Energy with Flame Shields; what made this fellow think that he would be fine with an Illuminating Spell? Was he crazy or just stupid?
"Wait and see."
"No, we can't afford to wait anymore…" Stephen said with a panicked look as he retrieved a purple Crystal form his pocket.
Hutton used Arcane Missiles to shoot at the spirits while turning back to explain himself to Stephen. "These two Rainbow Manticore Kings are very unusual. If I'm not wrong, they must be sharing a soul as in the legend. Magical beasts sharing the same soul are much more powerful than their birth level when they use their innate magic, and I reckon that they are already at Legendary-level. You and I are not enough to go against them, we can only wait for Mage Felic to do something…"
Unfortunately, it was in vain…
This was because all of Stephen's attention was on the purple Crystal in his hand. He remembered clearly that the powerful Greater Demon once told him that when he was in danger, he could crush the Crystal, and the Greater Demon would help him once.
Stephen originally wanted to save this chance for the end…
He had been picturing a scene in his mind ever since he got hold of the crystal… Once the three of them found the throne in the Palace of Darkness, he would suddenly crush the purple crystal and summon the powerful Greater Demon. How exciting would it be to see the expression on Hutton's and Felic's face…?
A pity that he could not afford to wait any longer. The strange magic released by the two Rainbow Manticore Kings rendered him hopeless, and if he waited any longer, he might even lose the chance to crush the crystal. Was he going to wait for that Felic like Hutton, then?
"Pfft…" Stephen spat angrily. All he knew was to summon the Humerus Wyrm, but this fool did not know how to use it! Surely a powerful Greater Demon would be better than that? Wait and see, after the Greater Demon saves me from this damned Necromagic, I'll ask for his help once again to snatch the Humerus Wyrm from this fool…
Of course, it will be even better if the Greater Demon's willing to get rid of these two as well…
But even if the Greater Demon was not willing, Stephen had other ways to do it too. After all, the Darkness Prophecy Spell scrolls were still in his hands. Even if he had to use a scroll to get rid of them, he would. This concerned the relics left behind by Geresco, after all, so he could not afford any mistakes.
Unfortunately, just as he was silently plotting, the bit of light in the center of the Abyss Arena suddenly became brighter!
"How… How is that possible?!" Stephen thought he was seeing things. The Illuminating Spell had had only a faint light, so how could it become so bright suddenly?! This level of brightness was comparable to the sun's! How could it be from an Illuminating Spell!?
It seemed like the faint light had turned into the blinding sun in the blink of an eye, and this blindingly bright sun was even growing brighter still…
Stephen was frozen in his spot, and did not know what to do with the Crystal in his hands, either…
"Mage Felic is finally doing something…" Hutton mopped at the sweat on his forehead as he watched the light grow brighter, a relieved expression on his face.
But even though he had every confidence in Lin Li, he still could not understand how the light that seemed to come from the sun was conjured up…
This was against the rules of magic—how could an Illuminating Spell be so blinding? Not even a Legendary-mage would be able to use an Illuminating Spell in such a shocking manner. This was no longer a problem of mental strength, as there was no way one could distort the spell in such a way in the face of the rules of magic that were set in stone—not even if they had the strongest mental strength and the most abundant mana.
Moreover, this light was shining within a Legendary-level Necromagic, which was even scarier. Hutton was very sure that the Necromagic was of Legendary-level as only magic of such caliber would suppress Stephen and him, two high-ranking Archmages, so badly. Even mage apprentices would know that once Legendary-level Necromagic was used, it would not permit the existence of even the faintest trace of light, as the powerful Death Energy would instantly devour any trace of it, the sun included1.
Hence, Hutton could not understand how this Mage Felic who stood on the back of the Humerus Wyrm at the moment was able to achieve this…
One could not blame Hutton for being so dumbfounded. After all, this was too unthinkable. Hutton aside, no other mage would be able to comprehend this, and the only ones who would were Lin Li's teammates who'd once charged into the Well of the Sun with him and Lin Li himself…
This was a loophole in the Dark Decay that Lin Li found after countless research and experiments over two months. No matter how much of a genius Hutton and Stephen were, there was no way they would be able to understand it immediately.
The Dark Decay was the closest to being a Magical Domain out of all level-20 Necromagic spells, or in other words… the Dark Decay was actually a Magical Domain that incorporated a few basic Rules.
Once a fight reached the level of a Magical Domain, mental strength and mana became secondary as the fight truly depended on one's understanding and grasp of Rules. While Lin Li might not exactly be waiting for death given his abilities if it were another Magical Domain, there was no way he would be able to gain an advantage, either. Well, even though Lin Li was the closest person to reaching the Legendary-realm, he was still beneath it, and there was definitely a gap between him and the Legendary powerhouses.
Luckily, the Dark Decay was only nearing a Magical Domain, and incorporated but a few basic Rules. When dealing with the soul of the High Elf back then, Lin Li had spent a million gold coins on an Eternal Light Spell scroll to destroy the Dark Decay. Now, although he did not have the Eternal Light Spell scroll, he had something that even the Eternal Light Spell scroll could not compare with: the Debris of the stars!
The Holy Light was incredibly powerful and direct. In a split second, it tore through the endless darkness and allowed a mere Illumi
nating Spell to light up the whole Abyss Arena.
Then, everything else was simple…
Back in Syer Town, when Ujfalusi's Magical Domain was broken, not only did the Humerus Wyrm start to melt, but Ujfalusi himself also fell from the Legendary-realm. From this, it was evident that the damage done to the creator of the domain was massive when the Magical Domain was destroyed.
Even though the Dark Decay was not a true Magical Domain, the damage done to the two Rainbow Manticore Kings was still severe when it was broken.
All they heard was a pathetic cry before the two Rainbow Manticore Kings fell to the floor. While sharing a soul gave them incredible strength, it also meant that they had to suffer together. The damage from the destruction of the Dark Decay was so severe that they lost their combat ability almost immediately as they lay helplessly on the floor, watching as the Humerus Wyrm walked towards them…
Then, a thunderous "BOOM" was heard.
The Humerus Wyrm's claws landed heavily, and the two Rainbow Manticore Kings were reduced to a puddle of flesh and blood before they could even utter a sound.
It is the aura of the Dragon of Destruction… The moment the black magical crystal landed in his hand, Lin Li knew he was right. It was the aura of the Dragon of Destruction coming from the magical crystal, an aura that Lin Li was incredibly familiar with. He had fought the Dragon of Destruction so many times back in the Endless World, so how could he not be familiar with this Dragon Aspect's aura? The second the magical crystal was in his hand, Lin Li knew that this trip to the Abyss of Tharlen was not in vain…
This was power left behind by the Dragon of Destruction, and once he entered the Legendary-realm, he would be able to use this power to master Evilness and Darkness Rules and incorporate them into his own Magical Domain.
After all, the strength of a Magical Domain lay in whichever Rules were incorporated into it. Just take the Dark Decay for example: it merely had a few basic rules in it, so how could it compare with Darkness and Evilness? Once he was able to incorporate these two Rules in his Magical Domain, it would be no less powerful than Sendros' Magical Domain…
Unfortunately, the self-proclaimed Soul Trader Connoris was too crafty, and would not let him in on too many secrets, or he would have been able to master the Soul Rule from him. Once he incorporated these three major Rules, he would easily surpass Sendros.
RIght, Soul Rule…
Lin Li suddenly remembered that Mephistos proclaimed himself to be the Lord of Souls. Who knew if this Legendary-level Spirit Walker held a part of the Soul Rule…?
Looks like it's a good time to talk to Stephen… The sudden thought reminded Lin Li of it.
It did not escape his notice that Stephen had sneakily retrieved a Purple Crystal from his pocket when Lin Li was destroying the Dark Decay using the Holy Light.
Perhaps others could not feel it, but Lin Li did—the aura coming from the purple Crystal was that of the Lord of Souls! It was three... Could be a typo before or author got confused and changed it. Or one is stronger and author is being vague by excluding it here.I think that only means sun's rays.
Chapter 460 - Or else there would be a lot of trouble
"How… How could this be…"
Hutton and Stephen were still in extreme disbelief when Lin Li walked towards them. The shock was terrifying. The Legendary-level Necromagic had been broken instantaneously, and that was not what people would expect an Archmage to be able to achieve.
It was obvious that the frightening Necromagic had formed a Magical Domain. Only a stronger Magical Domain would be able to balance it out. No powerful magical equipment or casting technique could cover that unbridgeable gap.
The two young men were both very talented Archmages in the Breezy Plains. Coming from a family of magic and the Dark Blade, their knowledge and experience was not a little behind that of the old men who had been around for more than a century. The different exposure and information they had would be beyond the imagination of common men.
However, even the two knowledgeable young Archmages had no idea how an Archmage would have the ability to break a Magical Domain. That was absolutely a subversion of their general knowledge. Even the most foolish mage apprentice would know that that should be impossible.
Those impossibilities were displayed before their eyes. The young Archmage that was standing on the back of the Humerus Wyrm had just used an Illuminating Spell to counter a Legendary-level Necromagic, and slain two Rainbow Manticore Kings instantaneously.
"There is no perfection in this world, let alone for Magical Domains. Once people find any fault with the seemingly perfect Magical Domain, it will become like a bubble with a multitude of colors, bursting upon gentle contact…" Lin Li's voice was very gentle. No one knew whether he was speaking to Hutton and Stephen or just to himself…
The time the battle lasted was extremely short. It ended as quickly as it started, and was neither thrilling nor intense at all. As compared to the many battles Lin Li had experienced before, it was definitely not worth mentioning. Strictly speaking, the battle did not really concern Lin Li. The Dark Decay shattered like glass immediately after the Holy Light was released.
To Lin Li, however, that neither thrilling nor intensive battle had a very special meaning…
Lin Li had always been dealing with difficult battles with mere strength even when his opponents were in the Legendary-level, such as Ujfalusi and the Lich in Scar of Death. This was his first battle where he dealt with a Magical Domain directly.
Nor was the victory of the battle or that Legendary magical crystal too important. To Lin Li, the real reward was the process of the battle. The interaction between the Holy Light and the Dark Decay allowed Lin Li to gain a light taste of the Legendary-realm.
That slight feeling was not to be belittled. In fact, the current Lin Li had already reached the limits of an Archmage. His mental strength, skills in magic casting, as well as his knowledge in magic theory were at the maximum any Archmage could achieve. Even without the use of magical equipment and the Humerus Wyrm, Lin Li was already the most invincible man under the Legendary-realm…
Furthermore, when he was at the Scar of Death, he once used the All-Knowing Potion to break into the Legendary-realm temporarily to aid his battle with the Lich. That gave him valuable experience. Not to exaggerate, Lin Li already had one of his hands on the door leading to the Legendary-realm. If he were to give it a gentle push, Lin Li would be able to enter the dream realm.
That last step, however, had been troubling Lin Li for a very long time despite the fact that he had acc.u.mulated the maximum level of knowledge and skills set. The earlier battle enabled Lin Li to discover his deficiencies the moment he witnessed the clash between the Dark Decay and the Holy Light.
That slight inspiration was like a bright lamp that lit the path ahead of him. Lin Li knew that that was the first time he felt so enlightened and clear about the road to the Legendary-realm.
Apart from Lin Li, nobody else was aware of the benefits he'd gained from the battle just now…
That was a period of epiphany. Although Lin Li was still an Archmage who still could not make use of the force of the Magical Domain, he understood that he was dangerously close to the realm. All he needed now was time. A day would suffice for Lin Li to relate his life experience and knowledge together, and follow the clear path towards the Legendary-realm!
But before this could happen…
There would be a need to defuse the time bomb: Stephen.
After using the Power of Dispel to get rid of the Vengeful Spirits, Lin Li called the Humerus Wyrm back into the Magic Lamp. "Alright, now that the trouble in the Abyss Arena is settled, let's head out from the entrance opposite us towards the Throne of Darkness."
Lin Li's action brought out a spark in Stephen's gaze. Things seemed to be like Stephen had predicted: Felic's ability to summon the Humerus Wyrm was not due to personal strength, but with the help from a lamp-like magical equipment.
It was
rational for Stephen to be so certain about his predictions. Generally, the contract between a mage and a summoned creature was determined by the abilities of both parties. Under normal circ.u.mstances, an Archmage would never have a chance to summon a Legendary-level creature due to the huge disparity in ability. Even if the bond was signed by force, the Legendary creature would be able to escape the restraint easily. Unless powerful magical equipment was involved to forcefully draw the difference in abilities together, it would be nearly impossible for one to establish such a contract.
In Stephen's eyes, Felic had relied on that magical equipment to summon such a majestic Humerus Wyrm.
For Stephen, who had been eyeing on the Humerus Wyrm, that was most delightful news. If Felic used his personal strength to complete the summoning process, it would be extremely difficult for him to snatch the Humerus Wyrm. Apart from killing the summoner to destroy the contract, he would need to be recognized by the Wyrm as well.
However, if the process had relied on magical equipment, things would be much simpler. The Humerus Wyrm would immediately become his possession as long as he could get his hands on the equipment…
The thought of such a possibility brought sparks to Stephen's eyes.
"Oh, yes, you two…" Lin Li walked towards them for a few steps before stopping again. "From my past readings, we have to walk through a passageway after exiting the Abyss Arena. There would be countless Vengeful Spirits of deceased demons of the Abyss under the control of the Lord of Darkness present in the passageway. They would be waiting to tear apart any creature that dares to thread on the path…"
"Then… Then what should we do?" Hutton asked anxiously. He had just survived a confrontation with numerous Vengeful Spirits, and had yet to recover from the formless terrors. Lin Li's words worried him.
"I have a way to deal with these Vengeful Spirits. But…"
