by Zhuang Bifan
Afterwards, Lin Li stopped bothering about the laws of ice after he gained some enlightenment about the Rules of light and darkness. At this point, he had a certain understanding of the interdependence between light and darkness. Not only was there no conflict, they could even strengthen each other. That gave rise to the lethal Light and Darkness Sword.
However, at this stage, Lin Li still could not make a breakthrough in the field of Light and Darkness magic, even though he had read the Light Bible in the Brilliance Shrine where he learned about Holy Light Magic from Rosario, and also read the Darkness scripture in the Darkness Shrine and learned about Dark Magic from Sendros. However, Lin Li could only feel that he had a deeper grasp of the power of Light and Darkness—he still did not achieve a real breakthrough in the field of Light and Darkness magic. That was also the very reason that Lin Li had been stagnating at the peak of level-23. It seemed that there was an invisible barrier that was preventing him from crossing the threshold to level-24.
Rogge's words might seem inexplicable and ridiculous to some people, but Lin Li felt that his simple sentence was the key to his breakthrough to the next realm. However, although it sounded simple, it was still difficult to execute it. If he really wanted to break through using those words, he wouldn't be able to do so within a short period of time.
Nefa, who was being idle and waiting at the side, could tell that Lin Li was actually enlightened by Rogge's words even though he was feeling disdainful towards him. He had no choice but to admit that the young mage Lin Li was extremely talented in magic, so much that he actually felt jealous. Recalling that he had plotted against Lin Li previously, he felt a little regretful, but he thought about the Flame Dragon Lothar, and stopped regretting his decision because he felt that Lin Li might not necessarily survive encountering the Flame Dragon Lothar.
Sensing that Lin Li seemed to have had a moment of epiphany at this moment, Rogge smiled with gratification and relief. However, he also felt a little regretful because if they were in a different environment, Lin Li would perhaps be able to break through the Legendary-realm with his epiphany. Unfortunately, it was not the time for him to feel emotional, because they were about to face the Flame Dragon Lothar anytime soon. Lin Li's attitude would actually bring him even more lethal dangers. Rogge could only hope that Lin Li would gain more enlightenment! Rogge sighed, but did not stop stimulating the branch of the Tree of Eternity.
The slender branch of the Tree of Eternity on the ground quickly began to grow countless hair-like roots from the cut that was made at the bottom, which roots then plunged into the red lava on the ground continuously. If it had been an ordinary plant, it would have been burned into ashes by the high temperature before it even touched the lava. However, the roots of the branch of the Tree of Eternity not only plunged into the lava fearlessly, it also caused the lava to turn into a hard, black rock as if it had lost its heat. The hard, black rock was then crushed under the power of the roots and turned back into black soil. With the growth of the branch of the Tree of Eternity, the process continued, and it soon expanded to the surrounding areas, creating a large fertile ground.
The branch of the Tree of Eternity which was initially slender also expanded like a balloon during the process. The main branch became a thick trunk, and the smaller branches also became longer and thicker, giving rise to more twigs and smaller branches which subsequently turned into sprouts. The sprouts could be seen spreading outwards at a visible speed, and their color slowly turned from light green to emerald. The leaves had also formed a huge crown in the blink of an eye.
With the continuous expansion of the black soil, the roots that originally grew from the branch of the Tree of Eternity suddenly emerged from the ground one after another, and quickly became thicker. There were more branches and sprouts, and the branch gradually turned into a buff tree. The lava on the ground of the red fire Elemental World had turned into black soil, and redness in the space was quickly devoured and replaced by green. Within just a brief moment, a dense forest was formed, exuding vitality that filled the entire area. The aura of the fire Elemental World seemed to be unable to penetrate the world of greenery, either.
At this moment, Lin Li had already snapped out of his trance; he was well aware that he could no longer allow himself to continue to feel at ease. Otherwise, he might not even know how he died. However, after sobering up, Lin Li was already facing a whole different world, and he could not help but be shocked as he observed everything in the surroundings. He almost thought that he had arrived in another world.
The forest in front of him was not inferior to the Emerald Forest that was inhabited by the elves. In fact, it was much more beautiful; its only flaw was that there were no birds in the forest. Otherwise, it would be a beautiful and amazing paradise that offered a perfect scenery.
Chapter 805 - Explosion
"This is only a small amount of the power of the Branch of the Tree of Eternity, and this is all I can do. This state can only be maintained for at most a day, after which everything will be restored," Rogge explained with some regret after seeing that Lin Li was looking at him in shock. He then turned his head to say to Nefa, "We only have a day's time. If we can't let the Flame Dragon Lothar go into hibernation within a day, we…"
"Don't worry, I won't court death together with you," said Nefa, whose eyes were filled with inconcealable worry, even though he appeared to be indifferent. To observe the surroundings, he had no choice but to look around as if he were appreciating the beautiful scenery created by the Branch of the Tree of Eternity.
Rogge shook his head helplessly and turned to look at Lin Li again. He said, "If things really escalate to that level, I'll send you back to Anril first, and get you to help the Darkness Shrine make preparations. I hope they can survive this terrible disaster."
Lin Li knew his own abilities; hence, he didn't say any foolish things about dying together. Instead, he nodded and said, "Please rest assured, High Priest. If things really develop to that extent, I'll do what you say."
The battle was nigh, and there was somber tension in the air. The three of them sat on the ground, and no one was in the mood to talk. Although they were in the forest that was full of vitality, there was an aura of death everywhere because of the lack of the chirping of birds and the roaring of beasts. The lush greenery did not feel refreshing for them at all, and although there was no fire element present, everyone was filled with frustration that could not seem to go away.
The Flame Dragon Lothar was the top powerhouse amongst the ancient dragons, and was a terrifying existence that was almost on par with the Dragon Aspects. Now that they were about to face a strong enemy, even Rogge, who wanted to attack the Flame Dragon Lothar, could not help but feel nervous. His life was secondary, but if he couldn't even stop the Flame Dragon Lothar, who in the Darkness Shrine would be able to really save the Darkness Shrine?
Rogge glanced at Nefa who was beside him. Previously, Nefa took the opportunity to release the prehistoric magical beasts there while he was in deep sleep, which resulted in a huge blow to the Darkness Shrine. However, he still did not have what it took to destroy the Darkness Shrine; hence, the Darkness Shrine had the chance to rise again. However, this time, the end and destruction of the Darkness Shrine would be foreseeable if the Flame Dragon Lothar were to barge into Anril.
Rogge shifted his gaze onto Lin Li, who had awakened him, and sighed secretly in his heart. He thought, This young mage is so young, and yet already so competent. He's so talented in magic, and I even see some of Geresco in him. However, he's still in the growing stage, after all. If Geresco was the one here with us now…
At the thought of Geresco who had once fought alongside him, Rogge couldn't help but be a little distracted. Although he was known as the powerful mage who was second only to Geresco back then, who knew that he and Geresco were actually words apart? If Geresco had been there now, he would have probably already entered the Fire Elemental World and sent the Flame Dragon Lothar into hibernat
ion.
At this moment, even Roger couldn't calm down, let alone Lin Li and Nefa. Nefa had always been reluctant to participate in this battle which they had no chance of winning, and he had even cursed Rogge hard deep down. If it weren't for the fact that Rogge mentioned in the end that he knew about the Dragon of Destruction, Nefa would rather lose the Branch of the Tree of Eternity than take part in the battle that was almost sure death for them. Although his younger brother, Tutankhamun, was waiting to kill him in Anril, he could just find another space to hide in.
To his dismay, the Immortal King, Geresco, and his own younger brother didn't want to let him become the new Dragon of Destruction. If he were already the Dragon of Destruction now, why would he be afraid of the Flame Dragon? He thought, Forget it, I'll just run away if I can't fight when the time comes. What would that Flame Dragon do if it broke into the world of Anril? What would it have to do with me!?
Before the battle started, Nefa had already secretly developed an idea to escape. However, he was a little reluctant to give up on the information Rogge had revealed.
Although Lin Li was weaker than Rogge and Nefa, he was in a better mood compared to them because he knew that he was just a bystander in this battle. Apart from having to be careful not to be affected by the battle, he basically did not have much to do. Of course, Lin Li still admired Rogge's determination in the end. That respectable old man had been living there for hundreds of years, and now had to risk his life to fight for the survival of the Darkness Shrine. That was something that Lin Li could never do.
However, respecting him was a separate manner. Lin Li wouldn't put his life at stake just because of the respect he had for Rogge. If it were within the scope of his means, he wouldn't mind giving them some help. However, he definitely couldn't intervene in such a high-level battle. Even if he were to activate his three pieces of the debris of the stars, they might not be enough to hurt the Flame Dragon.
However, the experience also made Lin Li a little more alert and conscious. In this crazy world, Legendary powerhouses were considered nothing at all, and the powerhouses of the Sanctuary-realm might not be fearless all the time, either. Rogge was not in the least bit inferior to the arbitrators of the Supreme Council in terms of strength, and should be considered the strongest human, standing at the top of Anril. However, he wasn't confident about winning the battle. The Highlord Osric was formidable too, but his mausoleum got plundered in the end, while his perfect body was taken away, leaving him only with the Ghost of the Sky Castle. There were too many unknown and powerful existences in the world, and even the gods and deities might fall one day. If one were to think that they could dominate Anril after entering the Sanctuary-realm, he or she would probably not be far from death.
While the three of them were thinking about the matters that they were vexed about, there was a sudden tremor that spread through the entire world. The ground beneath their feet was like a small boat that was swaying amidst the waves, about to capsize anytime. The ground was covered in intertwined roots, and there were black cracks that formed in the ground during the violent tremors. The tree roots of varying thickness seemed to be getting tighter like bowstrings. There were also crisp sounds when the roots were being pulled.
At the same time that the grounds were shaking, a massive Fire Elemental Storm suddenly appeared outside the spot which used to be the channel to the Fire Elemental World. Apart from the main body of the branch of the Tree of Eternity, all of the other towering trees in the surroundings were instantly engulfed by the flames, which turned them into massive torches. Amidst the Fire Elemental Storm, an extremely terrifying aura filled the entire world in an instant, and a massive oppression seemed to have descended on the temporarily existing forest.
At the instant that the tremors began, the three of them leaped up from the ground, glanced at each other, and yelled in unison, "It's here!" Apart from the Flame Dragon Lothar, what else could result in such an abnormal phenomenon?
Although the three of them were immersed in their own thoughts previously, they were instantly free from distraction now that the battle was about to begin. They cast all their emotions aside, be it worry or fear, and even Lin Li who did not have much to do with the battle was no exception. Be it Rogge or Nefa who were in the Sanctuary-realm, or the Legendary-level Lin Li, they all knew that the stronger their enemy, the calmer they would have to be. Otherwise, they would only end up dying faster.
The three of them leaped up into the air and avoided the horrifying Fire Elemental Storm. Lin Li then looked out of the channel of the Fire Elemental World to see that it was already covered in red. The giant tree that had stemmed from the branch of the Tree of Eternity was the only one that was still standing and emitting a green light which was going against the Fire Elemental Power. The hundreds of trees around that giant tree had all been charred, and the ones in the outer radius had also withered to varying extent.
Before the three of them could take action, the massive force of oppression immediately descended on this world. Lin Li, who was the weakest, almost lost control of his Power of Flight at this moment, and almost fell from midair. As for Rogge and Nefa, they were not performing that much better despite being Sanctuary-level powerhouses. Their bodies, which were originally suspended steadily in the air as if they were standing on a flat ground, began swaying uncontrollably under the massive and violent pressure.
Lin Li who had finally regained his balance after having a hard time was also in shock at this time. The massive and unbearable oppression was probably not inferior to that of the perfect body of Osric that he'd encountered previously. Besides, it was coming from the Fire Elemental World channel. At this time, Lin Li was even more certain that he really couldn't intervene in that battle, because his strength was way too inferior. Intervention would just be courting death for him.
Back when Lin Li had faced the perfect body of Osric which had level-26 to level-27's power, Lin Li had a group of Legendary-level companions. However, that perfect body had been only manipulated by a tiny Soul Imprint of Osric's. It wouldn't even use any powerful magic, and simply relied on its formidable physical strength. It was also limited by the crystal coffin. The limitations were also the reason that the perfect body did not exert level-26 to level-27's strength. That had given Lin Li the chance to win during the dangerous situation.
However, they were now facing the Flame Dragon Lothar, which was not restrained like Osric's perfect body had been. Instead, it was a bona fide powerhouse of the Sanctuary-realm. Although the level did not mean everything, ignoring the difference in level when everything was true to level would simply be courting one's death.
While the three were watching and keeping their guard up, the Fire Elemental World channel was also continuously expanded and torn under the irresistible power. Next, a massive figure wrapped in golden flames squeezed out of the channel tyrannically, and the oppression in the air that was initially already terrifying enough became purer and more brutal with the appearance of this figure.
"Roar!" With a groundbreaking dragon's roar, the massive figure wrapped in golden flames finally surged out of the channel and announced his arrival to the entire world. It then flew up into the sky and looked down at everything on the ground beneath it.
Chapter 806 - You Might As Well Sleep
At this moment, the entire world seemed to be shuddering under the unparalleled pressure. The Laws that constituted the world also seemed to be m.o.a.ning as if they could no longer tolerate the existence of such a powerful entity.
The Flame Dragon Lothar! At this moment, Lin Li gritted his teeth while a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead, and he finally managed not to embarrass himself under the brutal pressure. The strength of the Flame Dragon Lothar might not be comparable to that of Highlord Osric, but it was definitely much stronger than Osric's perfect body. After comparing the aura of the Flame Dragon Lothar to that of the perfect body that he saw at that time, Lin Li obtained some horrifying results. The strength
of the ancient Flame Dragon Lothar was probably already at level-28. In the face of the powerful aura exuded by the Flame Dragon Lothar, the auras of the two Sanctuary-realm powerhouses, Rogge and Nefa, were almost completely suppressed and overshadowed. That was evidence of the massive gap between them in strength.
"Roar! The noble and great Flame Dragon King Lothar has awakened. You damned Titans, serve up your hearts obediently!" exclaimed Lothar who had just awakened, and was obviously extremely excited. After rushing out of the Fire Elemental World, he did not pay attention to the surrounding environment at all, and simply began yelling with excitement.
What surprised Lin Li was that the language used by the Flame Dragon Lothar was not the ancient dragon language, but the language of the Titans. Fortunately, Lin Li had already studied the Book of Eternity for a long time, and had dabbled in ancient dragon language, as well as the language of the Titans. Hence, he could somehow figure out the meaning of Lothar's words.
However, after finding out what Lothar was saying, Lin Li began to feel a little puzzled. Did this Flame Dragon turn silly after sleeping for too long? The Titans had disappeared from the world of Anril for many years, and after the prehistoric times, there was still the long and arduous Dark Age. It had been more than a thousand years since the end of the Dark Age. Has this Flame Dragon been sleeping since the prehistoric times? He shouldn't be said to be the most powerful one among the ancient wyrms, then. He should just be the one that's best at sleeping.
"The Titans have long left this world, and so have the ancient wyrms. Even the High Elves have already died more than a thousand years ago. For you, there are no longer any enemies that are worth fighting in this world. You might as well go back to sleep," Lin Li shouted loudly to the Flame Dragon Lothar which was in the sky while resisting the terrifying oppression.
Lin Li wasn't afraid of attracting Lothar's attention, since he was a level-23 Legendary-mage who was probably less significant than a mosquito in Lothar's eyes. Even if Lothar had noticed Lin Li, he would probably be too lazy to even retaliate. Moreover, the three of them were there to stop Lothar. Even if he never noticed the three of them, Roger and Nefa would definitely not sit back and do nothing when he left for Anril. As for the sneak attacks, there was no need to think about it at this juncture unless there was a Sanctuary-level assassin with them.
