"Triple Spirits in Unity! I never expected that there would still be wizards cultivating this ancient secret technique — and that they actually succeeded!"
A look of shock appeared on Leilin's face.
However, through the Chip's simulation and analysis, Leilin was able to clarify his current level of strength.
Right now, dealing with ordinary semi-elementalized wizards was as easy as cutting melons for him — he could be considered at the pinnacle among Tier-One wizards.
But if he were to face those true wizard geniuses, like Xishan, who had already reached the threshold of advancement yet deliberately suppressed his level, he would still fall slightly short.
Fortunately, wizards like Xishan were rare even across the entire South Coast.
And his great enemy, that elder of the Lillitell family, was just a notch below Xishan.
As things stood, if Leilin fought one-on-one without resorting to any tricks, he would probably still not be a match for the other party.
But that was perfectly normal. After all, Leilin was not far from advancing to Official Wizard, and many wizards at this stage were still greenhorns.
For Leilin to possess his current strength was already quite remarkable.
"But! As long as I endure a while longer — once my Spiritual Power and elementalization both reach the peak of Tier One, supplemented by the sorcerer bloodline enhancement, I'll be able to defeat and even kill him..."
Leilin calculated silently, and from his eyes emanated a dark, profound light.
This sight immediately sent a shiver through the old man standing beside him…
…
Boom! Boom!
A violent tremor radiated outward from the ground. Then, a fissure cracked open across the earth, and a milky-white spring, carrying an alluring fragrance, surged upward ceaselessly from the gap.
The peculiar aroma instantly spread in all directions. The surrounding vegetation seemed to receive some sort of nourishment, growing at a visibly rapid pace.
Squeak, squeak… A tawny mole darted out from a nearby patch of grass. It cast a shrewd glance around, then immediately pounced to the edge of the spring and began drinking frantically.
Thud! Thud!
Heavy footsteps sounded, growing more and more numerous until they converged into wave after wave of animals surging forward.
Among them were ordinary species — wolves, leopards, pythons — but far more numerous were all manner of bizarre, monstrous creatures.
There were half-spider folk with humanoid upper bodies and arachnid lower halves, and enormous mountain giants the size of hills. What inspired the most dread among the beasts was a mass of dark mist at the very center of the horde.
The black fog blanketed a vast area. Along its edges, countless dark, thread-like tendrils extended outward like feelers. Any animal that drew even slightly near — whether tiger, leopard, half-spider, or two-headed serpent — was silently devoured by the black fog.
After the fog passed, nothing remained in its wake but a pile of white, brittle bones.
Chapter 160. The Mysterious Phantom Spring (Part 2)
Even though the milky-white spring water emanated a powerful allure of life force, the animals uniformly kept their distance from the black fog, maintaining a clear perimeter around it.
The numerous animals that gathered at the spring immediately began fighting each other for a chance to drink the milky-white water. The black fog alone had claimed a massive patch of territory for itself.
Roars! The sounds of tearing and biting rang out continuously!
A bloody battle among the beasts erupted right then and there, all over the right to drink from the spring.
Of course, all these bizarre creatures steered well clear of the direction of the black fog, and the mole that had been there at the very beginning was long gone…
Roughly ten li away, a team of Wizards clad in Black Bone Forest attire was pressing steadily forward.
Among them, a Wizard adorned with countless green pendants stood motionless, his body bristling with what appeared to be countless plant tendrils burrowing straight into the earth below.
Suddenly, the Wizard halted, a flicker of delight crossing his face.
"What is it, Black? Did you find something?"
The team leader addressed the scout Wizard named Black.
"Yes! Approximately fifteen li in that direction, I've sensed intense fluctuations of life force and the aura of earth veins… It's a newly erupted Phantom Spring… And there are many faint life signatures lingering in the area — likely nearby creatures drawn in by the spring."
Black pointed in the direction of the spring and spoke with great certainty.
"Well done! Let's move — we can't let those wretched beasts drain the spring dry!"
The Wizard team leader's face lit up with joy. Discovering a Phantom Spring was a significant contribution indeed!
"However…" Black's expression showed obvious hesitation. "Among those life signatures, there seems to be one rather large one…"
"So what? Could it possibly stand against five of us formal Wizards working together?" one of the team members immediately chimed in. "What are we waiting for?"
The entire team set off in the direction Black had indicated, and all Black could do was smile bitterly, knowing that in situations like this, nothing he said would make a difference — and besides, as his teammate had said, there was seemingly nothing here that could stand in their way. As long as they didn't run into any Wizards from the Four Seasons Garden, that was!
By the time the Wizard squad arrived at the Phantom Spring, what greeted their eyes was precisely this scene — countless animals battling fiercely over the spring water.