Roar!
A deafening dragon's roar echoed through the heavens. The next moment, a massive shadow suddenly soared into the sky!
Its colossal wings spread wide, like an endless black curtain that blotted out the sun and covered the entire sky!
The flight was a primal yearning buried deep within human genes.
At this moment, Lynn stood with his hands clasped behind his back atop the broad back of the black dragon, letting the fierce winds whip his robe into a wild dance.
All around him stretched an endless expanse of sky, an open and unobstructed firmament carrying the boundless freedom of the heavens.
Though he had flown in airplanes in his previous life, this feeling was entirely different.
This was a true flight!
Beneath him, the black dragon sliced through the clouds and wind, its massive wings stirring the air with every powerful stroke. The speed was astonishing as it shot toward the distant horizon.
The frigid winds of the high-altitude skies lashed at him, yet Lynn's eyes gleamed with brilliance. This sensation was intoxicating.
But he quickly suppressed his excitement, regaining his composure.
At this moment, there were two people and one tree on the dragon's back.
Besides Lynn, the others Alder and Maple Tree were both formidable wizards who could soar through the air using their abilities without external aid.
Thus, Lynn restrained his emotions, lest Alder notice his exhilaration. But his worries were unnecessary.
Alder was meditating with his eyes closed, still recovering his strength, and had no attention to spare for Lynn's expressions.
"Turn left ahead!"
Lynn lowered his gaze to the minuscule landscape below, feeling the guidance of the golden scale in his hand as he precisely directed the black dragon forward.
At this moment, the Furnace Army had split into two groups.
Lynn, Alder, and the others flew ahead on the dragon, while the Furnace's wizard apprentices and ordinary wizards were rushing forward on the ground, closely following behind.
Alder had questioned why they didn't bring the main force along.
But from Maple Tree, Lynn had learned that the otherworldly being had not only taken its original body but was also something akin to a half-nature wizard.
Although it hadn't mastered supernatural plants, even Maple Tree couldn't determine whether it might regain its strength in such an environment.
Thus, they had to race against time and eliminate it before any unforeseen changes could occur!
According to Maple Tree's plan, the wizard world formation controlled by Alder would be the key to the battle.
The black dragon soared through the clouds and mist, riding the winds with breathtaking speed.
Like a shadow slicing through the sky, the black dragon sped across mountains, forests, and plains until it finally descended beside a vast, endless lake.
At that moment, the golden scale in Lynn's hand suddenly shone with an even more dazzling light.
He furrowed his brow slightly, his gaze calm as he looked downward.
By the lakeshore, several figures stood in an irregular formation, forming a peculiar shape.
From a high-altitude view, that shape was unmistakably a set of scales!
And that wasn't all…
"Well, well… quite a few familiar faces."
Lynn's voice was utterly indifferent, devoid of any emotion.
His gaze locked onto the irregular scale formation at the lakeshore, where six figures stood apart from one another.
To his surprise, four of them were people he had encountered before!
From left to right, he recognized all but the figure on the far left.
The second person was Sonya, who had been forcibly transported into this place.
Lynn had thought she had perished after failing to break through as a full-fledged wizard. Yet now, she stood here, very much alive!
"Is this space's anomaly at work? Someone who should have died from a failed breakthrough… has somehow survived?"
Lynn's thoughts spun rapidly as his gaze shifted to the third person.
It was none other than Aestry, the woman who had once ridden with him on the black dragon's back.
The fourth person was a third-level great wizard from the Furnace.
Lynn didn't know his name, but he had seen him before among the Furnace's forces.
The fifth was an even more prominent figure: the Master of the Furnace himself!
The legendary Spirit-Eyed Wizard that Alder had spoken of!
The sixth was the otherworldly being that had stolen Maple Tree's body!
All six figures by the lake, except for the otherworldly creature, were in a trance-like state as if controlled by some invisible force.
Their bodies swayed unsteadily, their eyes dull and unfocused, trapped in what seemed to be a deep nightmare.
Lynn was all too familiar with this sight. He flexed his fingers, and in an instant, his ring flickered with a ghostly glow.
A tattered bell appeared in his palm.
This object was both the controller for Little Green and a device with the power to confuse minds.
And right now, the state of those by the lake was exactly like those affected by this broken bell!
"It looks like… It's been waiting for us."
Maple Tree's voice whispered in Lynn's ear, carrying a chilling undertone.
By now, whether it was one man, one tree, or one dragon, all understood that the guidance of the scales was no mere coincidence it was a deliberate lure by the otherworldly being.
But since they had already come this far, how could they possibly turn back now?
Whoosh
The black dragon flapped its wings lightly, descending beside the lake, sending ripples across the water's surface.
From the dragon's back, Lynn and Alder leaped down, their gazes steady as they locked onto the six figures before them.
"Hand… over… the sacred relic… and… you… can… leave…"
A hoarse voice trembled through the air, its tone stiff and halting.
The otherworldly creature had seized Maple Tree's body, but it was clear that it had yet to fully grasp the wizard's language. Its speech was clumsy and awkward.
Yet, to both Maple Tree and Alder, this proposition was nothing short of a joke.
One was here to reclaim his stolen body, while the other was determined to eradicate this "landscape" once and for all. How could they possibly be swayed?
Even Lynn, though momentarily tempted by the deal, would never betray his allies especially when they held the upper hand.
"Kid, don't waste time talking tell the Enforcer Wizard to make his move!"
Maple Tree's voice urged Lynn to alert Alder.
Alder's eyes gleamed with deep intensity as he gazed at the otherworldly being. Though he still harbored some caution, he followed the plan without hesitation!
Behind him, a golden sun erupted into brilliance, radiating a blazing light as though a true celestial body had descended upon the world.
The golden radiance illuminated the heavens and the earth, while a series of powerful, transcendent auras surged from Alder's form as if he embodied the very laws of nature.
But at that moment
"Hmph! Courting… death…"
A chilling glint flashed in the otherworldly being's eyes. It flipped its hand, revealing a prism-shaped crystal!
The crystal was an inverted triangle, gleaming a vibrant emerald green, radiating an overwhelming life force as if it contained the essence of the entire world.
"The Spirit of the Azure Sky!"
Both Lynn and Maple Tree's expressions changed drastically as they cried out the name in unison!
"…Will that thing… allow him to break free and restore his full power?"
Lynn hurriedly inquired about the maple tree, his tone carrying a faint trace of solemnity.
However, the maple tree hesitated slightly, its expression shifting unpredictably, clearly uncertain of the answer itself.
Boom!
In the next moment, the Azure Sky Spirit suddenly soared into the air, proactively answering Lynn's question!
A dazzling emerald radiance shot into the sky, illuminating the entire lake and bathing the land in a shimmering green glow.
However, it did not restore the foreign being's power to that of a full-fledged wizard but instead unleashed an incredibly terrifying suppressive force!
One after another, towering green beams of light descended like an imprisoning cage from the heavens, enveloping the world and sweeping directly toward Lynn and Alder!
The instant the green light engulfed them, Lynn and Alder's expressions changed drastically!
Because within that glow, an overwhelming suppressive force was contained!
Lynn, relying on the wizard-level strength bestowed by Yfgríd, should have been as immovable as a rock.
Yet at this moment, he began to slowly sink, as if an invisible shackle had bound his power.
In his spiritual domain, Yfgríd had not completely transformed into a seed, but it exhibited a near-withered state, as if all life had drained away!
And Alder's situation was even worse than Lynn's!
Earlier, he had barely managed to adjust himself to peak condition using his hidden reserves of energy, but now, under the Azure Sky Spirit's suppression, he instantly reverted to his original state!
No…
Even worse than before!
The suppressive force of the azure light reached its peak upon him as if binding his entire body with invisible chains, making it impossible to summon even the slightest trace of magical energy!
"Vital Echo!"
Lynn's eyes sharpened, and without hesitation, he activated Yfgríd's last remaining spark of vitality.
But in an instant, the green halo entwining his body shattered with a thunderous crack!
At the same time, the roots of Yfgríd, which had remained connected to the earth beneath his feet, withdrew completely and returned to his spiritual domain.
All of Lynn's abilities had been stripped away, and he was reduced to the level of a mere third-tier apprentice!
And in that brief stalemate, Lynn's eyes narrowed.
The foreign being had not launched an attack!
After summoning the Azure Sky Spirit and letting it hover in midair, it did not strike.
Instead, it suddenly spread its arms wide and began chanting a series of ancient, cryptic incantations.
"&&...&%@@!"
This mysterious language left both the maple tree and the immobilized Alder utterly baffled they couldn't understand a single word.
But Lynn's mind trembled violently!
"…It seems to be saying 'Let the sacred relic return and protect this land.'"
Almost instinctively, his fingers tightened around the golden balance scale at his waist, his gaze turning ice-cold.
Had it not been impossible to store this object in his spatial ring, he would have concealed it long ago!
Clang!
The golden balance scale trembled slightly in Lynn's grasp, swaying ever so faintly as if responding to the foreign being's summons but Lynn forcibly suppressed it!
However, the foreign being's methods were far from over.
Spreading its arms, its pale face took on an eerie fervor.
And in the next instant, from the Lord of the Furnace onward, everyone in a leftward sequence suddenly mimicked its pose arms outstretched, faces turned skyward mirroring the foreign being's stance exactly!
Even more horrifying
They all began chanting the same incantation in unison!
"&&...&%@@!"
Boom!
At that moment, the golden balance scale erupted in a radiant, blinding brilliance, like a scorching golden sun breaking free from Lynn's grasp and soaring into the sky!
"Kid, you're all stuck at third-tier apprentice strength now! Quickly activate the Azure Sky Meditation Technique and fight for control over the Azure Sky Spirit! I'll teach you the incantation…"
Finally, at this critical moment, the maple tree spoke, struggling to convey its thoughts.
The light from the Azure Sky Spirit had not only suppressed Lynn and Alder but had even affected the maple tree itself.
A series of cryptic, ancient incantations suddenly flooded into Lynn's mind, like a rushing current.
Even his mentor, Rosalind, had never learned the secrets of controlling the Azure Sky Spirit!
But now, in this once-in-a-lifetime situation, Lynn had lucked out he had directly acquired the incantation for mastering the sacred relic of the Azure Sky lineage!
The incantation itself was not overly complex anyone who had practiced the Azure Sky Meditation Technique could easily grasp it.
Buzz
Lynn took a deep breath, releasing his spiritual power, and following the incantation's guidance, he extended his reach toward the floating Azure Sky Spirit!
Zzzt
The Azure Sky Spirit trembled slightly, as if sensing something familiar, and swayed faintly.
Lynn's efforts were taking effect!
But at that very moment
The foreign being's pupils shrank abruptly, its gaze turning icy cold!
It immediately halted its previous reverent prayer stance, abruptly turning to glare at Lynn, then unleashed an even more ferocious surge of spiritual power to wrest control of the Azure Sky Spirit from him!
"Lynn! Alder's power cannot resist a sacred relic from the Wizarding World, which is why he was completely imprisoned by the Azure Sky Spirit! Right now, you're the only one who can fight for it!"
The maple tree's voice was anxious, urgently shouting a reminder.
If the Azure Sky Spirit had not been a sacred relic of the Wizarding World, then when Alder had activated his hidden reserves earlier, any foreign energy intrusion would have been repelled by the world's laws!
But now, with Alder completely suppressed and unable to move, the only one left to act was Lynn!
Lynn took a deep breath, cold sweat beading on his forehead!
His spiritual power surged wildly, engaging in an intense battle against the foreign being for control within his spiritual domain!
This struggle drained his mental strength rapidly, but just then
The maple tree's additional reminder made Lynn's heart jolt!
His peripheral vision caught sight of the slowly floating golden balance scale!
In that instant, an idea flashed through his mind, and Lynn's eyes turned razor-sharp!
A head-on confrontation would only lead to his defeat!
Although they were both third-tier apprentices, Lynn's spiritual power was only thirty points, while the foreign beings were far greater!
If he continued to fight head-on, he would undoubtedly lose!
In that case…
He had to gamble everything!
In the next moment
Lynn's spiritual power suddenly halted he voluntarily severed his connection with the Azure Sky Spirit!
"…?!"
The maple tree's consciousness froze, utterly stunned!
I couldn't believe what Lynn had just done!
It had assumed Lynn would fight to the bitter end but he had given up on the struggle?!
However, before the maple tree could question him, Lynn suddenly did something even more shocking!
He slowly raised both arms, palms open, adopting a posture as if embracing the heavens!
And then
From his lips, a mysterious incantation emerged!
"&&...&%@@!"
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