by Zhuang Bifan
"It's been 1,300 years. I've long waited for this day. I can finally take back what belongs to me!" Mephistos, who showed his whole body, threw his head back and roared as though he was venting.
It was definitely a pleasant moment for anybody that was suppressed for more than 1,000 years. Excitement and agitation… All sorts of feelings interlaced when the wait of 1,300 years to reap rewards had finally ended. This made the soul flames that enveloped his body flicker constantly.
"Me… Mephistos…" Hutton covered his mouth forcefully, fearing that any noise would attract Mephistos' attention. His current mood was like he had just placed his clothes in the sun to dry after the rain but another rain cloud overshadowed the sun completely. Despair, especially despair that came after hope, was something unbearable that was far beyond anybody's tolerance.
Now, he could only fight, but could he win? Hutton turned around and saw the feeble Mage Felic. Could it be that this miracle creator in his eyes could create even more miracles?
Up till this point, Hutton suddenly thought of everything he had experienced since entering the Abyss. How could they be pleasant scenes if not for this young president that was constantly creating miracles? Thinking about this point, he could not help but be in a dilemma again. It was as though everything that happened was unexplainable to him—except for encountering the Azteks. Be it locating the Throne of Darkness or going through the Ancient Arena, and then the encounter with the overwhelming Lord of Darkness, if it were not because of this Mage Felic, it was as though he would not have accomplished anything. The arrangement that the family had passed down was not like a treasure passed down to future generations, but instead more like a trap with no way out.
"Grrrr!" Mephistos let out a roar that echoed in the whole space, and the soul flame covering his body was restrained. "Lord of Darkness, have you already become so useless? You actually got beaten up to your last breath by a little mage that had just entered the Legendary-realm!" Seeing the current state of this enemy that had suppressed him for 1,300 years, his heart was indescribably elated.
It was as though the Lord of Darkness understood the mockery within Mephistos' words, for it dragged its body and replied with a furious roar. It was just that when it was heard by Mephistos, that roar no longer had any threat. It was just so amusing and comical.
"Little human mage, you really prepared a decent gift for me." Cyan soul flames appeared on both Mephistos' hands. He turned his face slight and looked at the feeble Lin Li. Everything was progressing smoothly, and it was all within Mephistos' calculations. Originally, he planned to let them weaken the Lord of Darkness by a bit and save himself some strength. He had not thought that this young human mage would've actually fought with the Lord of Darkness till both were worn out, and all he needed to do now was to reap the rewards.
Reaping rewards was the most exciting thing, especially after waiting for a millennium. Especially so when he could collect the rewards without doing anything—just like now. "Lord of Darkness, you've humiliated me 1,300 years ago. Now, it is time for me to return the favor. Your soul shall enjoy eternal sorrow and pain within the storm!" Mephistos brutally roared and clapped the soul flames in his hands furiously. Immediately, a wave was produced in the space.
The soul flame was like thunderclouds covering the entire sky above everybody's head. The cyan flames burned the void overhead. Actually, none of this could be seen by the n.a.k.e.d eye, but it was reflected in the audience's souls. With that, there was a suffocating pressure and a soul-tearing pain.
Nobody thought that the Lord of Souls, Mephistos, would be so impatient. He actually did not investigate further, and used a powerful spell even though he was facing two enemies that were heavily wounded to try settle things within the shortest time.
"Roar! Offer your souls and become my, the almighty Lord of Souls Mephisto's, strength. This is the highest honor I confer to you!" Mephistos excited roar and the cyan fiery clouds in the sky produced a giant vortex. The tearing force became even more irresistible.
"Ah!" The final hope in Hutton's heart had been completely shattered by the descent of the Soul Storm. That pain of soul being torn apart made him curl up on the ground. All of the muscles in his body were tense, shivering while waiting for the final moment to arrive.
It's over, it's really over this time. Fear and despair took over Hutton's whole mind, and he suddenly felt powerless. Facing the battle of the Legendary level, he was too weak, weak like an ant that was constantly stomping on an elephant's head. The elephant wouldn't even notice its existence…
"Hey, stop acting. If you continue acting, we are all goners!" Connoris shouted at Lin Li in panic. His hopes of escaping were resting on this kid's shoulders. If he were to be finished, Connoris would definitely not have a good ending when he ended up in Mephistos' hands.
Lin Li, too, was suffering under the Soul Storm, but he had to wait for an opportunity—an opportunity to make a move. Whether this opportunity was correctly grasped by him could be said to be the most crucial part of this plan. If there were any slight mistake, it would end in self-destruction. The current Lin Li was now like walking on a tightrope. On his left was the Lord of Darkness, and on his right was Mephistos. If everything proceeded smoothly, then there'd be nothing to discuss. But if anything were to go wrong, Lin Li would definitely die without leaving any remnants even if he now had Legendary-realm powers. The battle between Legendary powerhouses was too dangerous. Every move had a cataclysmic power. To enter the vortex without ample preparation was no different from courting death…
The Lord of Darkness roared continuously, venting the anger and unwillingness within. However, that level-18 curse made from demonic runes was like 10,000 mountains crushing its body, making it impossible for it to stand straight. It could only allow Mephistos' Soul Storm wreak havoc above it.
Mephistos had been suppressed for 1,300 years, so his powers were far from his peak's. Other than taking back the position of the ruler of the Abyss of Tharlen, it was more important for him to regain his powers. In his eyes, the Lord of Darkness that had been severely injured by Lin Li was the best source of power. If he devoured the Lord of Darkness' soul, not only would it immediately replenish his strength, but he would also master the laws of darkness, allowing his power to completely change.
Mephistos shifted the eye of the Soul Storm to the Lord of Darkness while holding onto this thought. The two human mages were irrelevant to him. Even if one of them had already reached the Legendary-realm, the Lord of Darkness was better when compared.
The Soul Storm was wreaking havoc in between the void and stars. Light, Darkness, and Ice. The magical domain created by three magical elements was like a cottage shaking and crumbling in a storm. Mephistos' powers grew stronger and stronger. Every swirl of the Soul Storm was directed at the depths of the soul. This was a fatal test for any living being. Even with Lin Li's strength, he could only desperately raise his mental strength to protect the Soul Brand.
For a mage at Lin Li's realm, f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y raising mental strength was already something very harmful. Every time he compressed, his mental strength, it would bring great harm to his body. Such harm would require a lot of time to recover from.
But Lin Li had no choice. If he were not to be desperate at this time, he would no longer have a chance to when Mephistos had completely swallowed the Soul Brand.
The Soul Storm was like a vortex in the sea, deep and gloomy yet irresistible. Initially, it only covered an area of 100 meters, but as Mephistos' powers grew, the area of the Soul Storm grew larger. In just under 10 seconds, the raging Spiritual Force had already covered the whole world constructed by the stars and the void.
"What the hell…" Connoris' voice was filled with panic. A being like himself that had survived for countless eons, he would be beyond redemption if his Soul Brand had been completely consumed.
"Its over…" The distant Hutton's face grew pale. The powerful Spiritual Force was like a chain that locked down Hutton
's body. He could not even summon the strength to cast a low-level spell at this time. The only thing he could do was look at Mephistos wreaking havoc with a face full of despair.
But for Lin Li, this overwhelming Soul Storm made him see a dawn of victory.
"Now!" Lin Li's acutely sensed the change in the Soul Storm. When Mephistos' placed its center on the Lord of Darkness, Lin Li furiously released the bindings fettering the Lord of Darkness.
"Roar!" The Lord of Darkness's body immediately become light. The powers that disappeared re-emerged in its body. This happy feeling that enveloped it made it roar into the sky. It stood up while making use of this opportunity, and the sword in its hand was raised again.
If it was a mentally sound person, the target with the highest priority would be the one that threatened him the most. In this case, it would be Lin Li that grasped the ancient demonic runes that could suppress the Lord's powers. However, the current Lord of Darkness was a killing machine running on basic instincts. It could not be reasoned with. Whoever was attacking it would have to suffer its rage. Thus, Mephistos who was trying to swallow it became the biggest target in its eyes.
"What!?" Mephistos saw the Lord of Darkness stand up. Coupled with the tragic experiences of the past, it immediately gave him a shock, but he calmed down after a while. He would not imagine that Lin Li was using the ancient demonic runes to suppress the Lord of Darkness. He only thought that the Lord of Darkness used some sort of desperate means to recover a bit of strength.
"Stop struggling, your powers belong to me!" he shouted hideously. The soul flames on his body abruptly erupted. The vortex in the Soul Storm became smaller through compression, but the soul tearing power became stronger, and it was directed at the head of the Lord of Darkness.
The Lord of Darkness was inside the Soul Storm, but its majestic body did not move. Its destructive aura constantly rose, and the sword in its hand was acc.u.mulating terrifying power.
"BOOM!"
The Lord of Darkness' cataclysmic strike slashed at Mephistos' Soul Storm. With this strike, Mephistos' complexion finally changed. The destruction it brought reminded him of an identical strike that had shattered his soul 1,300 years ago.
Even though the destruction this time was not like before, this heaven-splitting strike split apart Mephistos' Soul Storm from within.
"Sh*t, you actually plotted against me with a human!" Mephistos yelled in exasperation. At the same time, he lifted both his fists and the soul fire on his body abruptly exploded. "I want to trap your soul and use the Soul Fire to burn it for thousands of years!"
Seeing that the Lord of Darkness and Mephistos were fighting each other and causing loud booms as their bodies moved, Lin Li finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Hehe, they are fighting. Although the Lord of Darkness isn't as powerful as before, there shouldn't be any issues for it to fight against Mephistos, who had been suppressed for over 1,000 years, on its home grounds." Connoris sheepishly laughed. As Lin Li's accomplice, seeing that notoriously cunning Lord of Souls Mephistos falling into Lin Li's trap gave him a sense of achievement.
Lin Li did not carry on the conversation. Although he was still pale, he was constantly watching the battle between the two rulers—past and present—of the Abyss of Tharlen. Such a scene was not something that could be seen every day. The two powerhouses—even though one had lost all reason, and the other had his shattered soul sealed for 1,300 years—weren't something that an average Legendary-realm powerhouse could compare to.
Chapter 469 - The one with the last laugh
Lin Li reached the Legendary-realm at the age of 20. In the aspect of magical talent, he could be said to be a genius among geniuses. Many people even compared him to Geresco. However, there was one thing that was not related to talent involved, and that was experience. In fact, the amount of time that Lin Li had spent practicing magic was also used for acc.u.mulating experience. This included individual research as well as learning from people like Andoine, Old Grimm, and Apophis. One should know that these people had easily researched magic for at least 100 years. Apophis was even an old monstrosity that had lived for over 1,000 years. In terms of combat experience, it was simply more than many people that had experienced eating and battling with masters ever enjoyed, and it was also one of important avenues where he gathered experience.
How could Lin Li, who grew up this way, not know that witnessing a high-level battle was important for improving his own abilities?
The battle of the two rulers of the Abyss of Tharlen undoubtedly was at a genuinely high level. For Lin Li, the potential benefits that this battle brought about would definitely be better than his researching magical techniques in solitude for months.
Hutton, who was already prepared to die, wiped off the sweat on his face. His body was already drenched in sweat. He glanced at the two rulers of the abyss, and turned his bewildered face to look at Lin Li. He could not describe what exactly he was feeling. He just inwardly screamed, Could it be that this was also his plan? If it is so, then that man is simply too terrifying, be it his schemes or abilities!
President Felic was a person that could not be made an enemy even if he could not be a friend. Hutton thought of his worthless brother, and could not help but feel hatred. If it was not because of the issues he'd caused, I would be able to become closer with this Mage Felic by quite a bit just from this expedition into the Abyss. Seems like I'll have to teach that worthless fellow a lesson when I return before he causes a disaster for our family one day.
During the battle between the rulers of the Abyss of Tharlen, the whole space was constantly shaking, and the clashes of energy produced ear-rupturing explosions. It was just that during this constant clashing, the cyan soul flames of Mephistos looked like snow slowly melting under the rays of the sun.
"Damn. I'm not convinced, I'm not convinced!" Mephistos' roars tore through the entire space. It was just a few exchanges, and the soul flames on his body dimmed considerably already. He could not understand why the Lord of Darkness would scheme with a human mage against him.
Mephistos gathered all of his strength, and his entire body was like a sun radiating cyan light. Now, it was no longer an issue of reaping rewards. Facing the pressure of the Lord of Darkness, he no longer had a way to retreat. Only by fighting with all of his might would there be a way out.
"Roar!" The Lord of Darkness let out an angry roar. It did not give a single chance for its opponent to catch his breath as the sword in its hand slashed at Mephistos. It was a single cataclysmic strike that seemed enough to destroy the whole space, and it landed heavily on Mephistos.
Time seemed to have stood still for a moment, and afterward came a loud "boom". Mephistos' body was like a shattered mirror, and he was once again blasted into smithereens.
"Hutton, I'll leave these fragments to you. Use the Summoning Lamp to collect them. Not a single one can escape."
Lin Li did not wait for Hutton to reply after speaking. He jumped onto the Humerus Wyrm and soared into the sky. After that, the light and darkness magical domains appeared again.
The tone of Lin Li's command would have made Hutton resentful if it'd been at the beginning of their expedition into the Abyss of Tharlen. However, after going through so much, Hutton had seen Lin Li enter the Legendary-realm and saw him scheme against two rulers of the Abyss of Tharlen. His heart could not produce any form of resentment.
This was respect for the strongest.
Just as the voice fell, an incomparably strong mental strength surged into Hutton's mind. Countless memory fragments as well as a transcendental incantation were etched clearly into his mind.
This was the strength of a Legendary powerhouse. Once humans entered this realm, it also meant they were half a step into the domain of deities. Many methods deemed unimaginable by humans were available to them—just like what Lin Li just did. He directly used mental strength to affect Hutton. No matter how hard the incantations were to comprehend, they were all mastered by Hutto
n in an instant.
When the incantations entered his mind, Hutton also used the Levitation Spell. His whole body was flying like a gigantic bird. The Summoning Lamp in his hands steadily gave off a dazzling radiance along with the recitation, and countless soul fragments appeared in the radiance. When each rune came out of Hutton's mouth, large amounts of soul fragments would be s.u.c.k.e.d into the Demon Magic Lamp. Looking from afar, it was like countless moths were flying straight into the fire…
This time, Lin Li would not have to expend so much strength when facing the Lord of Darkness. In fact, with the ancient demonic runes that Connoris had provided, he did not have to exchange many blows with the Lord of Darkness at all.
The storm clouds were rolling above his head, and snowflakes were floating down, immediately turning Lin Li's surroundings into an icy world. It seemed like there was a life form gathering the snowflakes. Angels of Light and Dark with black and white wings appeared beside Lin Li one by one. Their bodies had conflicting auras of Light and Darkness, yet it all harmonized so naturally it did not look out of place at all.
Everything seemed to have repeated itself. Lin Li raised the magic staff in his hands high up and countless Angels of Light and Dark surged upwards, binding the Lord of Darkness on the ground. When the Lord of Darkness let out a roar of despair, Lin Li slowly recited the 18 ancient demonic runes.
"Roar!" The Lord of Darkness roared gloomily. It did not know what that human did, but the power within its body escaped its control again. No matter how it summoned it, not a single shred thereof could be invoked.
Lin Li maintained the Magical Domain and asked, "Connoris, how do I keep this guy in the Dragon Crystal of the Dragon of Destruction? Hurry up and say something."
