Control and Discovery
The translucent figure being bound by the vines had a pair of deathly still eyes. Even though the assassination had been unsuccessful, there were no undulations whatsoever despite his life being at risk.
*Rumble!* A terrifying force from his truesoul formed five different rings of light.
“Radiant Moon Arcane Art…” His voice was hoarse, as if he had not spoken for a long time. The surrounding Morning Star Magi also gritted their teeth, power pouring forth from their point masses to support their Morning Star Arcane Arts.
This Radiant Moon evidently had made contact with these Morning Star Magi at some point and arranged a counter-attack!
*Pak!* Leylin instantly came before a Morning Star Magus, a giant serpent figure from his hands ruthlessly piercing through the other party’s innate defences, causing him to cough blood while quickly retreating.
The backlash from a Morning Star Arcane Art being interrupted caused that Magus to howl in agony.
“If the ten or so Morning Stars were to attack me together, I might find it slightly troublesome, but now?” Leylin looked towards Melinda. A terrifying rank 5 energy storm was swallowing the region around her.
However, Leylin could sense Melinda’s aura. She was fine.
“After so many years, it's only these few Magi that are loyal to the Blazing Flame Monarch? How pitiful.” As Leylin’s eyes scanned past the area, the Morning Stars could not stand the immense pressure and the rings of light from their Arcane Arts collapsed behind them. They held their heads and escaped.
*Rumble!* Radiant Moon soul force spread brazenly about the battlefield. A few rays of light suddenly pierced through and dispersed the energy storm, revealing the figure of that rank 5 Radiant Moon Magus.
Although there was a cross-shaped wound on him that was corroding into his body, a terrifying Radiant Moon Arcane Art had taken form in his hands. “Void Flames…” The Radiant Moon murmured under his breath.
A formless flame energy emerged from the void that caused even Leylin’s expression to change. ‘Melinda and Joanna, those two idiots. How could they let their opponent finish his Arcane Art?’ he cursed, fingers pressing on the grey ring causing fog to permeate the area.
Melinda saw her opponent casting Void Flames from in front of her, but surprisingly her expression was as if she’d gotten away with something.
She began chanting, seriousness emerging on her face. Her right hand pointed in the direction of the Void Flames.
“Adhering to the ancient agreement of the truesoul, Void Flames! Devour everything before me for my sake…”
The formless flames crackled and flowed backwards, enveloping the very Magus who’d cast them within. Boiling heat spread through the area as the sound of an innate spell crumbling mixed with cries of disbelief and pain.
“Impossible… Why can you manipulate the Flames… You… You’re…” He was cut off at this point, devoured by the formless flames. His blood and flesh separated from his skeleton, and in the end even his bones melted down.
The energy from a truesoul being destroyed spread out, this Radiant Moon Arcane Art even targeted the soul!
Seeing the opponent’s figure being annihilated, Leylin removed his palm from his ring, pupils shrinking, ‘Controlling a Radiant Moon Arcane Art and causing it to act on the user? This is more difficult than interfering with it. Unless…’
*Swish!* Seeing that their Radiant Moon had fallen and the Blazing Flame Monarch still wasn’t showing himself, the remaining Morning Star Magi completely lost their will to battle on. Air exploded and light flashed as they fled or teleported away.
“This Radiant Moon should have been the Blazing Flame Monarch’s last line of defence…” Having done all this, Melinda seemed to be in a strange state. She seemed sorrowful yet relieved, as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
“The rule of the Blazing Flame Monarch hereby ends.” Melinda sighed, hand making a grabbing action towards the heart of Düz City.
*Rumble!* A large white palm appeared in the air, grasping the holy fire right at the centre. Under such an attack, even the tower genie was completely wrecked instantly.
Düz City quieted down, and the light from its large-scale defensive spell formation dimmed.
“Could it be… Is Düz City is going to have a different master from today on?”
“What about the Blazing Flame Monarch? Where is he?” The surviving Magi let out noises of disbelief.
Yet all of them had one premonition from the extinguishing of the holy fire. Today would be a turning point in the history of the central continent!
……
Groups of Magi wearing robes with lightning patterns on them arranged the defences outside in an orderly manner, gathering resources and the like. Occasionally, a few old people worked on decrypting the warehouses’ defensive formations.
These lightning patterned Magus robes were the signature of Jupiter’s Lightning. Besides them were Magi with a Gemini sign on their robes, doing the same thing.
Seeing Melinda and Clarke so brazenly ordering their organisations to plunder the area, Leylin was left speechless.
He hadn’t considered these matters when they’d set out. Even if he wanted to dispatch the Warlocks of the Union, he didn’t have the authority yet. As for the Warlocks of the Ouroboros Clan? They were too low-ranked, and would only serve to embarrass him.
Melinda approached Leylin and stared at the Magi of Jupiter’s Lightning outside, her eyes undecipherable, “My subordinates will set up defensive spell formations and guard them, which will help us gain some time.”
She had helped Zegna build Jupiter’s Lightning, and now the whole organisation was in her hands. If Zegna were still alive, he might have died of rage.
The Magi with a Gemini symbol on them belonged to Clarke and Joanna. Seeing the bulging sacks under their clothes, it was obvious that they had obtained many treasures.
Düz City was the core of the Blazing Flame Monarch’s territory, and the precious items within were innumerable. If not for the Blazing Flame Monarch currently being in a weak phase, staying somewhere else to avoid danger, Leylin and the rest would not have taken the area down so easily.
With the action of five Radiant Moons, the change in leadership of Düz City had occurred smoothly.
Besides Leylin and the rest who had obtained some great items, even their subordinates had gained ample rewards.
*Awoo…. Roar…* At this moment, Leylin saw a monster formed of several gigantic beasts charging forward, showing berserk determination and bloodlust.
“What is that thing?” Leylin stared at what seemed to be a giant mutated slime formed from gelatin and was stunned.
“That’s the biological laboratory of the Blazing Flame Monarch. I let out all the experiments being imprisoned there.” Melinda took out a mirror and tidied her long hair, not really caring about this.
“Such a dangerous thing…” Leylin was speechless. Some of these monsters were evidently as powerful as Morning Stars. One of them was laying low, and Leylin could sense its desire for slaughter.
Once let out, a calamity would descend on this region. Even Morning Star Magi would be in trouble if they were besieged by these creatures.
“It’s not our organisation nor our territory. Is there a need to worry about this?” Melinda blinked at Leylin, seeming innocent.
“Alright! Come with me, everyone. I’ve already analysed the coordinates of the Fiery World from the astral gate!” Joanna’s voice sounded, and all the Magi gathered at the heart of the room.
A flaming astral gate was there, already activated. This was the gate in Düz City’s astral laboratory, and the coordinates had been decoded from it. It was also why Melinda was confident in bringing Leylin and the rest to their final target, the place where the Blazing Flame Monarch was hiding.
The Blazing Flame Monarch was currently at their weakest. Leylin and the rest had already plundered Düz City, which would completely offend the Monarch anyway. If they didn’t want to be attacked in revenge, the only way was to strike first and eliminate the Monarch!
‘Perhaps this was also why this woman had us break Düz first, to compel us to follow through.’
Leylin shot Melinda a glance. The female Magus seemed to be very calm now, but he could see a trace of emotion in her eyes.
“The opponent has hidden the coordinates to the Fiery World within a pile of wrong data, but I still managed to find it!” With a tap by Joanna, a few sparks flew towards Leylin and the others.
[Beep! Discovered spiritual force information, determined to be astral coordinates! No records in database.] The A.I. Chip immediately intoned. All the information in the spark was immediately transmitted to Leylin.
Melinda nodded, “The coordinates to this world was one of the prizes from this operation. We’ve agreed before on everyone having it.” Immediately after, the spark was flicked into the astral gate.
Blue flames flickered violently, forming something like a door. A terrifying boiling heat was transmitted from behind the astral gate.
“The last step in our operation shall be completed in the spatial crack of the Fiery World. Let’s go!” Melinda was the first to step into the astral gate.
“We’ve all left behind puppets or clones here. If the situation is off, we can immediately open the astral gate and return,” Joanna spoke slowly, “Outside there’s the chaos from the beasts, and we have subordinates keeping watch. We have ample time for warnings.”
Having said this, she walked in together with Clarke.
“Let’s go!” Leylin watched Jin who was in void form and rubbed his nose. They stepped into the radiance of the astral gate together.