Chapter 652: Royal City of Duze

According to Melinda, whether one had begun to touch the power of laws was a massive dividing threshold among sixth-rank Sun-level Wizards.

And the Wizard Thrones on the Central Continent had all obtained primordial power from the extraplanar worlds they had conquered, beginning to touch a particular law — which was why they were called "Thrones"!

The Flame Throne had obtained the blessing of a world's primal force within the Flame World, beginning to touch the law of fire.

Once it had fully comprehended the power of fire, that would be the moment it raised its Throne high and ascended to become a seventh-rank Law Wizard!

The insights and memories of law-power possessed by a Wizard of this caliber were of incalculable benefit to Leilin Farell and the other Moon-level Wizards — this went without saying.

"The Flame Throne's period of weakness? How long will it last?"

This was what Leilin was most concerned with.

"At least a month, and potentially as long as nearly three months!" Melinda smiled like a little fox. "And due to certain well-known reasons, the Moon-level Wizards under the Flame Throne — Karol, Eugene, and the others — have fallen one after another, which will absolutely cause great trouble for the Flame Throne's defenses this time…"

Leilin fell silent. Those two fifth-rank Moon-level Wizards had died at his own hands, of course. But Melinda had been even more ruthless — she had personally eliminated the Flame Throne's last peak Moon-level Wizard.

Looking back now, the deliberate way she had slowly stripped away the enemy's wings, saving the killing blow for last — everything Melinda had done carried a distinctly calculated flavor.

"I've invited all of you here today so that we may slay the Flame Throne in one stroke! Does anyone have further questions?"

As she spoke, terrifying ripples radiated from Melinda's body — she had clearly reached the peak of the Moon level, and her voice shifted from its previous childlike innocence to something cold, like winter frost.

"I have no questions! As long as I can take revenge on the Flame Throne, I'll do anything!"

Clark was the first to roar out.

"My brother's decision is my decision!" Joanna gazed at her brother, tenderness shining in her eyes.

"Heh heh… As long as the crystallized law insights from the aftermath can be distributed fairly, what's the big deal about making a move?"

The Spirit Wizard within the mirror let out a cold laugh as well.

"And you, Master Leilin? The Flame Throne seems to still be dwelling on you, you know — it even masterminded multiple strikes against the Ouroboros Ring…"

Melinda was clearly well-informed about all of this, which secretly irked Leilin somewhat.

However, on the matter of striking down the Flame Throne, their goals aligned and they shared common interests. So Leilin nodded as well: "I'll join as well. But how can you guarantee that the spoils will be divided equally? Can you ensure that each of us gets what we want?"

As he finished speaking, Leilin's piercing, gleaming eyes fixed directly on Melinda.

Under that gaze, Melinda could only smile ruefully. "I can't guarantee that this operation will succeed, after all — the opponent is a Sun-level Throne! But I can guarantee that whatever we obtain will be divided equally. We can even sign an Eye of Judgment contract! With our current power, the Eye of Judgment we summon will be an independent, sentient avatar — it won't miss a single loophole that any of us might try to exploit."

"In that case, I have no further objections!"

Leilin shook his head. Fifth-rank Moon-level Wizards already carried a form of contractual force in their every word and action. Combined with the binding of the Eye of Judgment, he couldn't think of any way to circumvent it.

After all, the Eye of Judgment they could summon now was a high-grade construct with autonomous judgment — it even held the authority to connect back to its main body at any time.

Against an Eye of Judgment of this caliber, the Filth Bird's feather solution was no longer effective, unless one also summoned the opponent's avatar to descend — but that would cause far too great a disturbance.

"Good! Since everyone agrees, I'll lay out the plan!"

A streak of light flew from Melinda's hand into midair, forming a translucent screen that hung before them.

"I have intelligence. The enemy has actually not been hiding in its lair这段时间 — it's been concealed in some interplanar rift on the outskirts of the Flame World, where it has constructed a vast labyrinth. Our priority this time is a direct assault on the Flame Throne's stronghold — the city of Duze! There, the enemy's Astral Gate and the coordinates to the Flame World are located. After that, we force our way into the Flame World and destroy the Flame Throne in one sweep!"

Melinda made a fierce, sweeping gesture, carrying a ruthless, iron-willed presence.

She surveyed the room. "Right now, Duze City may not even have a single Moon-level Wizard inside — only a group of the Flame Throne's Morning Stars standing guard. So once we take the city, we can seize all the accumulated wealth of a sixth-rank power…"

After hearing Melinda's plan, every Wizard's eyes except Leilin's had already lit up.

As a force that boasted a sixth-rank Sun-level Wizard, the Flame Throne's millennia of plundering across the Central Continent — even if only a small portion of the physical assets were stockpiled in Duze — would be more than enough for these fifth-rank Wizards to make a fortune.

"Time is of the essence! We leave now!"

Melinda placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest, her voice reverting to its original little-girl pitch. Paired with her serious expression, the contrast was so pronounced that Leilin nearly laughed.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

But the other Wizards didn't have Leilin's idle thoughts. Several streaks of emerald-green flame flashed, and Melinda and the others vanished completely from the underground chamber. Only endless darkness descended once more.

…

Duze — this was the capital city of the Flame Throne's domain. Its broad, massive walls were reinforced with countless magical strengthening runes and even dedicated alchemical cannons, carrying the weight of deep history as they proclaimed the glory of the Flame Throne to the world.

Countless itinerant Wizards, along with scholars drawn by its reputation and others, streamed through Duze's gates every day. Most newly arrived Wizards regarded this colossal Wizard city with a sense of awe.

For this was Duze — protected by a Sun-level Wizard, the Flame Throne himself, a city that had been declared unconquerable!

Compared to the Sky City, Duze lacked its dazzling levitation technology and vast reserves of knowledge, but its land area was several times larger. Its districts were extensively partitioned, with the Flame Throne's power structures sitting at the very center.

A mass of golden flame — like a sacred fire — burned ceaselessly at the heart of Duze, broadcasting the city's honor and grandeur to all surroundings!

But today, all of Duze's glory and all of its grandeur would be reduced to history!

Rumble!

First came earthquakes. Gravel on the ground began to bounce erratically, the tremors growing stronger and stronger until they reached the buildings, the rocks, and the mountains. The entire earth seemed to soften, undulating like ocean waves in an endless swell.

Crash!

Vast dark clouds surged across the sky in an instant, blotting out the sun entirely. Blinding white serpents of lightning rolled through the layers of cloud, and the void itself seemed to fracture.

A terrifying magical force, brimming with boundless power, descended upon the city!

"This is… a magical attack!!!"

In that moment, countless Wizards across Duze raised their heads, staring at the spectacle in bewilderment. Only one trembling old man seemed to realize what was happening, and his entire body shook violently.

Pfft! He immediately transformed into a beam of white light, wrapping it around several still-confused youngsters nearby, and fled the city — disregarding Duze's aerial prohibition order entirely.

"Wizards actually dare to attack Duze City directly! Something catastrophic is happening!"

The old Wizard's mind raced with shock. His rich life experience instantly made him grasp the danger involved.

Any force bold enough to defy the Flame Throne's authority and launch a direct challenge could not be fools. If they had come here, they must have been supremely confident.

And the Flame Throne was, after all, a sixth-rank Wizard — one of the pinnacle existences of the entire Central Continent! Either one of these two sides could crush the old Wizard with a single finger.

They wouldn't even need to fight personally — the shockwaves alone could leave him without a corpse.

So the old Wizard's first instinct was to flee, carrying his descendants away from the place that was about to become a battlefield.

"Wh-what's happening, Grandfather?" one of the youngsters was still dazed.

Then he cried out in shock: "How is this possible…"

Following his gaze, one could see that the terrifying earthquakes and thunderstorms had engulfed all of Duze City like a natural catastrophe, rampaging unchecked.

Wizards below the Morning Star rank had no power to resist such calamities. They fell in droves.

In the face of the fury of high-level Wizards, these low-ranking Wizards were as insignificant as ants. As for the even lower apprentices or ordinary people, it went without saying — the losses were catastrophic.

Only those who, like the old Wizard, had the presence of mind to flee Duze immediately managed to barely escape the disaster zone, looking back at the scene within the city with lingering terror.

"The Flame Throne's capital is under attack! Oh, heavens! In the name of Truth — am I dreaming?!"

Several children screamed in shock.

"Quick — look!"

Following the child's pointing finger, the old Wizard saw five figures in the sky, hovering like gods.

The violent lightning around them dissipated on approach, forming an eerie vacuum.

And a dozen or more figures had already appeared in midair, surrounding the five on all sides. But despite their numbers, the encircling party clearly radiated fear.

"A battle like this… probably only beings above the Morning Star rank have any right to participate…"

The old Wizard sighed inwardly and flew even faster.