"But I don't intend to absorb it! I'm just going to use it as fuel and burn it all at once, then use the burning force to push my Meditation Method to the next level!"
Leilin smiled faintly, extending a finger to tap the center of the Flame Crystal.
Buzz!
In a cascade of flowing light, the entire Spiritual Power Crystal instantly came alive, transforming into a massive sheet of silver-white flames that blazed fiercely, engulfing Leilin's entire body within...
Outside the crimson barrier.
The Wizards outside naturally had no idea what was happening inside, but at the moment Leilin destroyed the Secret Realm's core consciousness— Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The colossal metal gate at the center of the
Crack! Crack!
The metal gate emitted sounds like melting ice, and enormous chunks of metal rolled off its surface like boulders.
This sight was so dramatic that even the two Second-rank Wizards inside the tornado stopped fighting, turning their attention to the spectacle.
Finally, under the disbelieving stares of both Black and White Wizards, the colossal metal gate shattered and crashed to the ground, sending up a massive cloud of dust!
"The Secret Realm entrance is self-destructing! Dammit! That Leilin must have destroyed the core!"
Corben roared from within the tornado, charging straight toward the crimson barrier's defenses.
Reisman's eyes flashed, but he remained in place, making no move to stop him.
Outside the crimson barrier, Number Two and Number Three stood holding metal greatswords taller than themselves, the Brand Runes on their bodies blazing with brilliant light. Around them lay the corpses of various Wizards.
These were all Wizards who had attempted to rush forward and stop Leilin from collecting souls — both Black and White Wizards alike — but under the combined assault of the two Brand Swordsmen, they had all been cut apart on the spot.
Brand Swordsmen had always been one of the most devastating offensive professions of the ancient era! And Number Two and Number Three had fully replicated that fearsome track record.
Ordinary Semi-elementalized Wizards were no match for them at all, not even slightly stronger ones. Once they combined instantaneous Brand spellcasting with martial techniques, enemies were dispatched with ease!
Powerful physical bodies, masterful combat skills, combined with the ability to cast spells instantaneously, made Number Two and Number Three into something like meat grinders on the battlefield. To completely finish them off would require at least a peak First-rank
But how easy was it to find a peak First-rank Wizard?
Leilin had already made a point of sweeping the peak First-rank Wizards from the field. Leaving aside the Black Wizard elites who had been reduced to ash, even Xishan and the Giant had been gravely wounded and knocked unconscious. For a time, Number Two and Number Three had been rampaging across the battlefield completely unopposed.
But no matter how formidable Brand Swordsmen were, before advancing to the Second rank, they were no match for Second-rank Wizards.
As Corben came charging in, Number Two and Number Three exchanged a glance, their faces settling into expressions of resolute self-sacrifice.
"For our master!"
They cried out in unison, and the Brand Runes on their bodies flared tenfold in brilliance in an instant as they surged forward to meet Corben head-on.
"You're overestimating yourselves!" Corben sneered, raising his hand to unleash two black destructive hurricanes.
Smack! Smack!
The corrosive hurricanes slammed into Number Two and Number Three, leaving only a few white marks without even breaking the skin.
"Hm? What kind of modification is this?" This time, even Corben was somewhat taken aback.
But he had no time left. At that moment, Number Two and Number Three had begun to swell grotesquely, like two fully inflated balloons, as they arrived right in front of Corben.
Boom! Boom!
Two tremendous explosions erupted.
As Brand Swordsmen, when facing an enemy they couldn't hope to defeat, they had one final resort — to completely detonate the Brand Runes on their bodies, forming a single, devastatingly powerful attack!
The principle behind this attack was to detonate the Brand Swordsman's Life Energy, the energy particles absorbed by the Brand Runes, and even their very soul all at once! The self-destruction of a First-rank Brand Swordsman could pose a threat to even a Second-rank Wizard!
When Leilin had modified these two Brand Swordsmen, he had specifically amplified the power of this one-time burst!
And this ultimate trump card of Brand Swordsmen was an extremely obscure ability — even Corben, a Second-rank Wizard, had never heard of it. As a result, completely unaware, he took both attacks head-on!
Two enormous crimson-red clouds roared and spread outward, swallowing Corben entirely.
The edges of these crimson clouds radiated corona-like scarlet flames. Anything they touched — whether Wizard or stone — was melted directly into fiery magma.
"What kind of spell is this?! It's nearly comparable to an ordinary Second-rank spell!"
The surrounding Wizards' eyelids twitched wildly as they scrambled away from the area like they had seen ghosts.
Rumble! The crimson clouds shimmered with brilliant light, radiating powerful and terrifying energy. After several minutes, the two vast clouds of vapor finally dissipated, revealing the silhouette of a dark-robed Wizard.
"Cough, cough..." Corben's current appearance was quite wretched. His dark robe was tattered and torn, making him look like a beggar. His left hand, in particular, was twisted at an unnatural angle and bore obvious burn marks — clearly, he had suffered no small damage from Number Two and Number Three's self-destruction.
"Damn it!" Corben was seething with fury. Since becoming a Second-rank Wizard, he had never suffered such a serious loss, and especially to fall at the hands of two previously insignificant juniors — how could he possibly keep his composure?
Corben was now in a state of panicked rage. If the souls of Number Two and Number Three hadn't already been destroyed in the self-destruction, he would certainly have extracted their souls and subjected them to the deepest agony and despair.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, the crimson barrier array underwent another transformation!
The entire light array was contracting inward and expanding outward repeatedly, pulsing powerfully like a heartbeat.
On the surface of the array, the original
With each beat of the entire red heart-like array, a powerful pressure that made Corben's eyelids twitch began to gradually form, growing ever stronger.
This aura made even Reisman, who had been watching the show from the side, look grave.
"A Second-rank aura... That Leilin is advancing to Second rank!!!"
Corben's eyes bulged. "How is this possible?!"
But he knew full well that regardless of how Leilin had met the requirements for advancement, right now, at all costs, he could not be allowed to successfully advance!
Corben's remaining right hand reached into his robe and produced several spell materials, his mouth continuously murmuring mysterious syllables.
With the incantation, wave after wave of powerful energy ripples radiated outward from Corben's body.
"That's a Second-rank spell!!"
Several formally ranked Wizards watching from afar cried out in alarm. At Corben's level as a Second-rank Wizard, casting ordinary First-rank spells was already at the level of silent incantation — he barely needed to speak the words. The fact that he now required spell materials to assist his casting could only mean one thing: he was about to cast a powerful Second-rank spell!
In the Wizard world of the South Coast, First-rank Spell Models were already extremely rare. An ordinary Third-rank Apprentice had to accumulate contribution points for at least five years to acquire one.
If First-rank Spell Models were this difficult to obtain, then Second-rank Spell Models were even harder to come by.
Often, even Second-rank Wizards didn't possess many Second-rank spells. Each one they cast was powerful enough to level an entire small village!
And what Corben was now casting was exactly this kind of devastating offensive spell.
As Corben continued his chanting, the various spell materials before him heated up and fused together, forming an enormous weapon resembling a Knight's lance. The lance's surface radiated a metallic sheen along with a green halo.
Wretched skull phantoms emerged one after another from midair, converging upon the lance.
"The Spear of Wailing? Corben actually used even this Second-rank spell! Looks like he's truly been provoked!"
Reisman, watching from the side, smiled and dispersed the blue-gold spherical lightning in his hand. "Looks like I won't need to act after all!"
For him, while Corben was an enemy, Leilin — who had destroyed the Secret Realm core — was no friend either. With Leilin about to die at Corben's hands, Reisman naturally had no intention of helping him.
If anything, if Corben proved unable to handle it, Reisman himself might even step in to kill Leilin first!
The enormous green Knight's lance howled through the air, the green skulls upon it roaring and shrieking, producing tremendous concussive sounds as it appeared before the crimson array in an instant.
Sizzle!
The crimson barrier shuddered violently, and then red and green light interwove as they surged skyward. The surrounding air warped and rippled as berserk, savage energy waves spread outward in all directions.
Boom!
After the green and red lights had expanded to their limits, they snapped back violently. A colossal explosion materialized, tongues of fire sweeping outward.
The surrounding buildings, already battered and ruined from the earlier battle, crumbled further in this explosion, reduced to rubble.
The reconstruction work that Leilin and Xishan had carried out over the past few days was completely destroyed in the aftershock of this explosion.
Pfft! Pfft!
The Hades Ritual — the soul-collecting array — finally could not withstand the assault and collapsed entirely. What followed was Leilin's last line of defense: the crimson barrier.
The dark red membrane trembled, and then fine black cracks appeared across its surface.
Crack! Crack!
The entire barrier shuddered violently and exploded!
The green lance, carrying terrifying force, pierced straight into the very center of the array!
Amid the brilliant light, a human figure could be faintly seen at the center, with wisps of silver-white flames upon their body that quickly sputtered out.
"Scarlet Hand!"
The figure at the center spoke softly. Then, both of their hands transformed completely into a vivid, dazzling crimson.
Two enormous phantom claws wreathed in blood flames reached out to meet the green lance.
The claws seized the lance, and a piercing screech rang out without cease.
The blood flames and green light entangled with each other, and then annihilated completely.