by Zhuang Bifan
Hence, Lin Li thought about the inverted tower in the Sky Castle, which was not just a simple library. When he first met Geresco's incarnation in the inverted tower, he was taught a lesson. However, it was just the first floor of the inverted tower, and he did not take the risk to explore the higher floors at that time.
Although he did not explore it, Lin Li was well aware that the inverted tower was definitely a genuine treasure left behind by Geresco. The gains that Lin Li had made on the first floor were already extremely valuable. Even the three Arbitrators of the Supreme Council would definitely be jealous.
Even to Lin Li, a Sanctuary powerhouse, the countless precious magic books were still extremely useful. They would definitely be more beneficial to the other mages of the Tower of Dusk. Those magic books would pave a smooth journey to success for the mages and lead them to the Sanctuary-realm.
The guidance of Geresco's incarnation was enough to make any Sanctuary Master go mad. Geresco was named as the God of Mages because he was the leader of human magic civilization. Getting the personal guidance of the God of Mages was definitely something that all mages dared not imagine.
Besides, that was only one of the benefits that he had obtained on the first floor of the inverted tower. Lin Li dared not be certain that the items on the second floor would be more valuable than the first's, but he was sure that the items on the second, third, and last few floors of the inverted tower would definitely not be less valuable than those of the first.
Chapter 1030 - Barbarous Arena
When Lin Li was in the Endless Void previously, he did not continue to explore the inverted tower, partly because of the time constraints, and partly because he felt that he was not capable enough. This time, Lin Li had already successfully reached level-27, and with the guidance of Geresco's incarnation, there had been shocking changes in his strength. Hence, when the rate of his improvement reached the doldrums, Lin Li felt that it was time for him to further explore the inverted tower.
Thus, when the representatives of the various forces of the Breezy Plains once again went to the Tower of Dusk in a bid to get Lin Li to step out and take charge of the alliance, Lin Li had already stepped through the door of the inverted tower.
The first floor, which had been emptied to the point where only empty bookshelves were left, no longer had anything valuable for Lin Li. He directly walked past the bookshelves, and arrived in front of the stairs leading to the second floor of the tower. The invisible barrier that had once blocked the crowd from passing through was indeed no longer able to stop Lin Li. He successfully stepped onto the stairs as if he was passing through a water curtain.
Before Lin Li reached the second floor, he could already sense the subtle and ancient aura that was surging towards him from above as soon as he stepped on the stairs. At the instant that he sensed that aura, Lin Li began to hallucinate, feeling as if he was suddenly in the prehistoric times.
What could it be? Lin Li's curiosity was immediately aroused, but he did not speed up in his tracks. He continued to slowly make his way up the stairs with some anticipation.
When Lin Li reached the end of the stairs, he was greeted with the sight of a spacious hall. There were no ornaments in the small hall, only a crystal ball hanging on a stone platform in the center. There were numerous complicated mageweaths carved in the stone platform, and the crystal ball was not extremely rare, either. It was just a superior-grade crystal ball.
Lin Li was not surprised to see this. However, there was indeed a vortex door opposite the hall, which was what was emitting the ancient aura. Lin Li knew that the truly valuable item was inside that door. However, there was no way he could know what the crystal ball was used for.
Looking at the vortex door, Lin Li knew that it usually meant that there was another space or world behind that door. However, he did not hesitate because of it. If it was designed by the Immortal King or Osric, he would have to plan carefully, but since it was left behind by Geresco, it meant that it might not be a lethal trap.
Hence, Lin Li did not hesitate any longer. He walked over from the stone platform and the crystal ball before stepping through the vortex door.
After stepping through the door, a spacious area appeared in front of Lin Li, and there were smooth lines carved on the ground, forming a massive array. There were giant stone pillars that towered over him in the surroundings. There were many rather beautiful ancient but smooth carvings on the stone pillars. They enclosed the space and made it a nearly circular field.
Lin Li could tell from the surrounding scenery that it should be a venue that was somewhat like an arena. However, why would Geresco spawn this arena? Lin Li did not think that Geresco would leave behind any useless things as treasures in this tower.
Lin Li carefully observed the arena, from the huge array formation to the decorative paintings on the stone pillars around him. Sensing the ancient aura that was emitted from the arena, an unbelievable possibility suddenly popped up in his mind.
Could this be the legendary Barbarous Arena that exists in myths!? Even with his current state of mind and wide horizons, Lin Li couldn't help but feel his heart race when he thought of that possibility.
The Barbarous Arena was not the kind of arena that was used for duels or entertainment. In the ancient legends, the Barbarous Arena was just as famous as the Tree of Eternity. However, it was easy to prove the existence of the Tree of Eternity, while the Barbarous Arena was said to be illusory.
Legend had it that in the Frozen Highlands of Anril, there once lived a very powerful race of people. They could not use magic or the so-called Combat Energy, but their bodies possessed a great power that would make even dragons bow down to them. Due to their brutal power, the other races called them barbarians, while they claimed to be descendants of the Titans.
Truth be told, many of the races in Anril called themselves descendants of the Titans, and even the dwarves claimed that they had the bloodline of the Titans. Hence, the barbarians were actually not recognized by the others. They simply refused to believe it.
The barbarians chose to live in the harsh environment of the Frozen Highlands, not because of any oppression by other races, but because they believed that only by surviving in harsh conditions could they maximize the power of the bloodline of the Titans in their bodies. Another more important reason was that the Barbarous Arena was in the center of the Frozen Highlands.
It was said that the Barbarous Arena was even more ancient than the Tree of Eternity as it dated back to before the Dark Age. The arena had already existed before the Tree of Eternity was born. Even the barbarians did not know when the Barbarous Arena appeared in the Frozen Highlands. However, it was said that the arena had once been the battleground of the gods.
The Barbarous Arena was extremely important to the barbarians who had been training their strong and elite warriors there for several generations. It was also used for the selection among the strongest warriors to become the king of the barbarians.
Whenever each barbarian reached the age of 12, they would have the right to enter the Barbarous Arena. Besides, it was mandatory for them to enter the arena to train. No one knew what power the Barbarous Arena used for its operation, but whenever someone entered it, an opponent of equal strength would automatically appear inside.
No one knew where the opponents were from, and why they would appear in the Barbarous Arena. In fact, no one knew what opponents they would be facing. It might be a human, a High Elf, a magical beast, a demon, a wyrm, or something else. In short, there were endless possibilities.
The fact that the Barbarous Arena had such incredible power was the very reason that people always thought that it was just an illusory existence that existed in myths. Even Sanctuary powerhouses who had already mastered the World Laws might not be able to understand the mystical power of the Barbarous Arena.
Moreover, the power of the Barbarous Arena seemed to be limitless. If an ordinary person entered, their opponent would definitely be ordinary. If a
Sanctuary powerhouse entered, his opponent would be a competent Sanctuary powerhouse of equal strength. Legend had it that even if a true deity entered, an opponent who was his match would appear too. Perhaps that was the origin of the claim that the Barbarous Arena was the battleground of the gods.
Lin Li carefully looked around, and the more he looked at it, the more he felt that it was the Barbarous Arena that he had heard of. If this was really the Barbarous Arena, it would indeed be qualified to be placed in the inverted tower by Geresco.
Just as Lin Li was speculating whether this was the legendary Barbarous Arena, a large wave of mana suddenly surged out at a spot not far in front of him. The space also became heavily distorted. Immediately afterwards, a wyrm appeared, and it turned from a translucent, illusory figure into a solid one in the blink of an eye.
Roar! A loud and clear dragon roar immediately resounded in the arena with the emergence of a wyrm.
Looking at the wyrm that appeared out of thin air, Lin Li's pupils suddenly constricted because the wyrm that appeared was not like the ones that he usually saw. Instead, it was a king of the wyrms that had Sanctuary-level mana waves.
It was a Silver Wyrm that was not very large but seemed extremely athletic from head to toe. Its body was covered with scales that glistened like a silvery armor. It did not seem terrifying, but it seemed more like a sheathed sword that was so sharp that others dared not look at it.
Among the massive group of ancient wyrms, the Silver Wyrm had always been known as the Assassin of wyrms as it had incredible speed that other wyrms could not compare to. It was also known for its flexible and agile fighting style. Moreover, the Silver Wyrms also held the power of space, which made it impossible for others to ward off their attacks.
Hence, although the level that the Silver Wyrm showed seemed to only be at level-26, Lin Li dared not be careless at all, especially since the powerful defensive abilities and massive power were part of its strength. Level did not mean anything at all.
Besides, the Barbarous Arena had a characteristic where it would automatically match those who entered with opponents that were similar in strength to them. Although the Silver Wyrm was only at level-26, it had been released in the Barbarous Arena, which meant that its combat power was not inferior to that of Lin Li, a level-27 powerhouse. In fact, it was probably stronger.
After entering the Barbarous Arena, the Silver Wyrm seemed to have felt a little confused about suddenly appearing in an unfamiliar environment. However, in the blink of an eye, its bloodshot eyes became clear again. It had already noticed Lin Li who was standing close by. After roaring, it began attacking Lin Li without hesitation, perhaps because it regarded Lin Li as the culprit who caused it to end up there, or because it had gained some unknown information.
Chapter 1031 - Continuous Battles
Its silver body was considered smaller among the wyrms, but compared to humans, it was still rather large. However, its large body turned into a silver lightning which immediately dashed towards Lin Li, issuing the loud sounds of the rapid expansion of the air.
When the Silver Wyrm appeared, Lin Li already understood the workings of the Barbarous Arena. Hence, he had long kept his guard up. Looking at the moving body of the Silver Wyrm, Lin Li immediately reacted. An ice wall that was thicker and heavier than a city wall immediately appeared in front of him. At the same time, his body vanished behind the ice wall.
The silver lightning struck the ice wall, but it did not make any sounds of a violent impact. The Silver Wyrm's figure appeared behind the ice wall, which also exploded into a thick fog. As the fog faded, a massive hole gradually appeared.
The ice wall was not an ordinary ice wall, but rather was cast by Lin Li, a Sanctuary powerhouse. It was as hard as diamond, and would never melt. Even if the ice wall was struck continuously by Legendary magic spells for a year, they might not even leave any trace on it. Although a powerful strike from a Sanctuary powerhouse could shatter the ice wall, it would be several times harder to penetrate it.
The Silver Wyrm did not use any Space Power, and instead relied on its powerful body and its lightning speed to bore a massive hole in the ice wall. Even Lin Li couldn't help but have a change of expression as his heart was filled with immense excitement.
At Lin Li's level, it was not easy for him to find an opponent. There were very few Sanctuary powerhouses in Anril in the first place, and it was even rarer for there to be any that could fight Lin Li. Those who had stepped into the Sanctuary-realm thanks to the magic tides recently were only pseudo-Sanctuary powerhouses who were not qualified to become Lin Li's opponents at all. Sanctuary powerhouses like the three Arbitrators of the Sanctuary-realm could not always train with Lin Li, either. Although there were Sanctuary powerhouses who were of the same strength as Lin Li, the lives of Sanctuary powerhouses were very precious. Who would fight him toe-to-toe for no reason?
Hence, to Lin Li, having an opponent of equal strength who could go all out and fight with him was much more valuable than any massive amount of wealth.
Nonetheless, he was facing an opponent of equal strength. Hence, Lin Li soon suppressed his excitement and his expression returned to normal as he became composed again. He raised the Helios' Scepter in his hand, and engaged the wyrm calmly.
After the Silver Wyrm missed, it also immediately exerted its Space Power, while its massive body moved nimbly in the space. It chased after Lin Li's figure, and launched a series of frenzied attacks like the Space Shuttle, Space Shackle, Space Trap, and many other peculiar attacks at him.
The Silver Wyrm was like the master of the space in the arena. Lin Li's powerful offensive spells were immediately devoured by the spatial black hole, while the bizarre yet lethal attacks passed through space without any hindrance. They appeared around Lin Li without warning, and even his Domain World could not stop them.
However, Lin Li was not getting beaten up passively. He did not get abused by Geresco's incarnation and learn those combat techniques for nothing. The gemstone on top of the Helios' Scepter shone brightly, and he continuously cast powerful magic spells that bombarded the Silver Wyrm ferociously without mercy.
The battle between the two Sanctuary powerhouses was definitely groundbreaking, and the roaring noises were incessant. When the two powerful forces collided, it resulted in horrifying spatial rifts. If such an intense battle had happened in Anril, the space would have long collapsed and crumbled. The aftershocks of the battle were probably enough to destroy a city countless times.
However, despite the intense battle, the Barbarous Arena was not damaged in the slightest. The inconspicuous ground and the stone pillars that had been existing for numerous years did not chip despite the powerful impact of the Silver Wyrm's and Lin Li's horrifying magical bombardment.
The exciting battle caused Lin Li to unknowingly fuse the knowledge that he had learned from Geresco with his body, and the mana in him was fully triggered, just like a river that was flowing calmly turning into a raging flood. Under the support of the endless mana, Lin Li cast the magic spells continuously, but he was not purely pouring out mana.
After all, Lin Li was now facing an opponent whose strength was similar to his, and who was perhaps even much stronger than him; it was not something that could be suppressed with a magic storm. Unlike magic storms that were formed with a large number of magic spells, Lin Li was continuously casting a large number of magic spells without stopping. However, he planned every magic spell—each had a specific purpose.
The momentary intersection between darkness and light, the intertwining between the biting cold and blazing flames, and the various Elemental Laws were exhibiting incredible power and function under Lin Li's control. After just a few minutes of fighting, Lin Li gained control of the battle's rhythm. Although the two of them seemed to be on par with each other, the Silver Wyrm had actually fallen into a trap under Lin Li's coercion.
As Lin Li controlled the pace of battle, scars gradually began to appear on the Silver Wyrm's body tha
t was covered in shiny scales. In the end, when the Light and Darkness Sword pierced the space and the massive mouth of the Silver Wyrm, it stopped moving, and its massive body gradually became transparent. In the end, it vanished without a trace.
Holding the Helios' Scepter in his hand, Lin Li quietly looked at the place where the Silver Wyrm vanished, and he quickly recalled the battle just now while analyzing the gains and losses. The experience that he had gained from such an evenly matched battle was a massive amount of wealth, and every bit of enlightenment would mean a substantial increase in his abilities.
About a minute after the Silver Wyrm vanished, a powerful magical wave appeared in the space opposite Lin Li. Next, a massive wave of mana emerged from the space again, followed by a Fire Demon that was covered in flames. With the appearance of the Fire Demon, the entire arena seemed to have become a furnace as the heat that could melt steel filled the entire space.
Compared to the Fire Demon King that Lin Li had encountered back in Osric's mausoleum, this Fire Demon was countless times stronger, and the surging mana wave showed that it had already reached the middle of level-27. In the Endless Abyss, such a powerful Fire Demon was definitely more dominant than a Lord of the Abyss. However, it somehow appeared in the Barbarous Arena.
After appearing, the Fire Demon roared in exasperation, and began attacking Lin Li ferociously without hesitation. The Domain World that the Fire Demon exhibited was a world of lava where the ground was covered in lava, while the sky was like an inverted sea of fire from where large and small lava fireballs were constantly dripping down like rain. With a loud roar of the Fire Demon, the entire world of lava began burning up, and streams of lava formed a massive wave that smashed against Lin Li in a groundbreaking manner.
