Chapter 126: Legendary Genius, Identity Exposed

Chapter 126: Legendary Genius, Identity Exposed

In the quiet room, Su Nan sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes tightly closed.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly snapped his eyes open, a fleeting azure light flashing in them.

"Phew."

He let out a long breath, a pleased smile spreading across his face.

Opening his interface, he saw that his mental energy had risen to 44.11.

Just as he had anticipated, after absorbing and purifying the divine energy extracted from the god's remains, his mental energy had surged by 2.85.

There was no denying that divine energy was incredibly effective in boosting mental energy.

"With this, the speed at which I can construct the star rings should increase significantly."

Originally, Su Nan had estimated that it would take at least forty to fifty years to successfully construct eighteen star rings.

But with the method of using divine energy to boost mental energy, he might be able to advance to the rank of a true wizard within twenty years.

"Of course, that's assuming I can find a new source of divine energy."

The Starfire Cult had already been destroyed, and the god's remains, stripped of their faith and divine grace, had been reduced to a mere corpse, hard but devoid of any other special properties.

The only use for it now was as experimental material.

Perhaps it could be useful for future experiments in physical enhancement.

Su Nan had considered keeping the Pope and controlling a few high-ranking officials to manage the Starfire Cult, using the faithful to provide faith energy that could be converted into divine grace.

However, the god's remains were far too sinister. Whether it was the divine blood or holy relics, they would forcibly alter the perception and will of anyone who came into contact with them, turning them into fanatical believers dedicated to the revival of the Star God.

Such a group of lunatics would be impossible to control and would only create a new batch of enemies for him.

Without using divine blood and holy relics, it would be impossible to develop a religion based solely on doctrine.

After all, in a world where extraordinary powers existed, mere words were not enough to cultivate loyal followers who could provide faith energy.

After much deliberation, Su Nan decided to abandon the idea and extract all the divine grace from the god's remains, securing it for himself.

As for divine energy, it was not exclusive to deities. Many ancestral spirits, totemic spirits, and divine creatures also possessed divine energy.

Although their concentration was weaker, that was not a problem. The synthesis cube could enhance the concentration.

"Speaking of which, divine creatures often have the blood of ancient beasts, and the concentration of this blood is quite high. If I can find a divine creature, I could extract the blood to create a blood seal."

Su Nan recalled the blood seal he had learned from Aiwegeni's experimental notes.

It was a practical and powerful combat technique.

The only issue was that it required the blood of ancient beasts.

However, he had been too busy dealing with the underground world and the Starfire Cult to have the time to search for descendants of ancient beasts.

"The underground world seems to have a fair number of descendants of ancient beasts. After this war is over, I'll take some time to search for them."

"I can also post a request for clues at the Forest Cottage."

After completing his daily meditation, Su Nan left the room.

Now, the proficiency he gained from practicing the star ring meditation technique every day had soared to over 4,500.

At this rate, he should be able to construct the fourteenth star ring before the next Blazing Fire Month (July).

Leaving his residence, Su Nan headed straight for the main building in the backyard.

He was currently in Sharp Mountain City, located on the border of the White Tower Province. Just over ten kilometers northwest was the territory of the Red Leaf Province.

The Flashlands and the White Tower Province's armies had gathered in Sharp Mountain City, ready to invade the Red Leaf Province as soon as their supplies and provisions were in place.

As he walked along the path in the lord's mansion, he passed by numerous guard posts and fully armed patrol squads, making the place heavily guarded.

When he entered the courtyard where Count Kui and Duke White Tower resided, the security level increased even further.

In addition to the numerous knights, there were dozens of stone golems scattered throughout the area.

On the rooftops, over a dozen dual-blade spiders were perched.

At the entrance to the main building stood a steel golem, towering like an iron tower. Whenever someone passed by, it would move its iron head, its gaze fixed on the person until it confirmed they posed no threat, at which point it would turn its head away.

This made the servants who passed by feel uneasy, fearing that the giant might suddenly punch them into a pulp.

Entering the main building, Su Nan saw Count Kui and Duke White Tower sitting in the hall, seemingly in the middle of a discussion.

Duke White Tower was in his sixties, but due to his status as a Great Knight, he looked like he was in his early forties, in the prime of his life.

He lived up to this description, as he had reportedly fathered two sons and a daughter last year, making significant contributions to the growth of his family.

In fact, this was a common trait among many noble Great Knights.

They would try to have as many children as possible while they still had the ability, to leave behind more high-quality bloodlines and strengthen their families.

Thus, when a family produced a Great Knight, it was often a sign that the family was about to flourish.

If the war hadn't suddenly erupted, the Lady of the Flashlands might already be pregnant again.

Kui shared similar thoughts with most noble Great Knights.

However, he actually hoped that Su Nan would start a family and leave behind a bloodline with the potential to become a wizard. Unfortunately, he couldn't persuade Su Nan, so he had to give up on the idea.

Seeing Su Nan enter, Duke White Tower instinctively stood up to greet him.

Faced with the powerful wizard who had single-handedly destroyed the Starfire Cult and changed the course of the war, even a Duke like him didn't dare to be disrespectful.

"Good day, Lord Su Nan."

"Good day, Duke White Tower."

The two exchanged greetings.

Kui then smiled and said, "Su Nan, you came just in time. We were discussing how to attack the Red Leaf Province."

"Any strategies?" Su Nan asked casually as he took a seat.

"Actually, it's not really a strategy," Duke White Tower chuckled, looking very confident. "We'll just march straight in; we have a very high chance of winning!"

It wasn't surprising that Duke White Tower was so confident. After all, the military forces of the Flashlands and the White Tower Province now completely overwhelmed those of the Red Leaf Province. Even without any specific strategies, they could easily defeat the enemy by sheer force.

"Father-in-law is right," Kui nodded in agreement, then changed the subject. "The only issue is the hidden three-ring Legendary Knight in the royal family, as you mentioned."

After reading the secret records from Aweigen's study, Su Nan learned that the royal family had produced a remarkable genius fifty years ago. At the age of eighty, this person had ascended to the rank of a three-ring Legendary Knight, causing a great sensation at the time.

However, that person had disappeared for some unknown reason.

According to the Starfire Cult's investigations, the three-ring Legendary Knight seemed to be living in seclusion in the royal palace of Starlight City.

If not for the existence of that powerful figure, the Starfire Cult would have taken more aggressive actions to force the royal family to agree to their demands.

To be honest, Su Nan was skeptical about this information.

After all, a three-ring Legendary Knight's lifespan was only about 120 to 130 years.

If that person was still alive, they would be over 130 years old, and even if they weren't dead, their power would have weakened to an extreme.

Unless they had broken through to the fourth-ring Legendary realm.

But if that were the case, they would have directly suppressed the Starfire Cult, rather than playing games with them. If they wanted immortality, they could have simply taken it by force.

The power of a fourth-ring Legendary Knight was comparable to the most elite third-level wizard apprentices.

Even Aweigen, who could wield divine grace, wasn't a match for a fourth-ring Legendary Knight.

Su Nan speculated that if that person was still alive and their power hadn't diminished, they must have used some means to extend their lifespan.

Regardless, knowing that such a figure might exist, Su Nan decided to take precautions early.

This was also why he had come to Sharp Mountain City at this time.

If that person was still around, they would likely reveal themselves soon.

After all, the war was drawing to a close.

"If I'm not mistaken, that person should be Lord Evans."

Duke White Tower's expression turned nostalgic.

"That was when I was still young. I was just a squire, training my body and not even familiar with breathing techniques. Lord Evans, however, was already the youngest and the only three-ring Legendary Knight in the duchy."

"My grandfather and the other noble children of his generation couldn't match his talent. From the moment they started training, all of them lived in his shadow."

"But then, for some unknown reason, Lord Evans suddenly vanished. I asked my grandfather about it, but he was always very secretive and never told me the reason."

Kui sighed, "I never imagined that the duchy had such a legendary figure."

"However, there's no need to worry," Duke White Tower smiled. "After all, we have Lord Su Nan on our side."

"Even Lord Evans, I believe, would not be a match for Lord Su Nan."

Kui nodded in agreement.

His confidence in Su Nan's strength had been built through repeated victories. No matter how powerful the enemy, he believed Su Nan could handle it.

Su Nan simply smiled in response.

He was actually quite curious to meet this Evans.

Deep into the night, in the Forest Cottage.

Another gathering after three months.

The attendees included Night Owl, Red Heart, Rose, Skeleton, Scepter, Black Forest, and Su Nan himself.

Everyone was present except for the one member who never showed up.

"Speaking of which, what's the name of the remaining member of the Forest Cottage, and why does he never attend the gatherings?"

Su Nan couldn't help but ask the question that had been on his mind for a while.

Night Owl chuckled, "His name is Wanderer. He loves exploring and adventuring, and it's quite common for him to be absent for years due to unexpected events."

"Last time he appeared, he said he was exploring the underground world. He hasn't shown up at a single gathering in the past three years. He might have already died somewhere down there," Skeleton said with a hint of schadenfreude.

The underground world?

Su Nan pondered, realizing that the name "Wanderer" wasn't chosen randomly.

After the pleasantries, the gathering moved on to the trading phase.

With more participants this time, the process took over half an hour.

When it was Su Nan's turn, he got straight to the point, "I need leads on the descendants of ancient beasts."

The descendants of ancient beasts?

Everyone exchanged puzzled looks.

Such beings were either incredibly powerful or lived in remote, uninhabited areas, making them extremely difficult to find.

Su Nan held up a finger, "A valuable lead is worth thirty magic stones."

"I'll keep an eye out," Rose immediately said.

The others also agreed.

It was just a lead, after all, not a task that required them to capture the beasts themselves. Thirty magic stones for a lead was a good deal!

"Also, I need information about the Immortality Society," Su Nan added.

The room fell silent at his words.

Night Owl asked in a serious tone, "Did you encounter someone from the Immortality Society?"

Su Nan nodded slightly, "A third-level wizard apprentice who manipulates insects. He likely has the blood of a bug beast."

"That guy is called Ugo. He's a third-level wizard apprentice with bug beast blood, and he's a very ruthless and despicable person," Rose chimed in.

"Is the Immortality Society another organization of wizard apprentices like us?"

"Pretty much."

Night Owl nodded.

"The Immortality Society was founded by a group of wizard apprentices with similar beliefs."

"However, their beliefs are vastly different from ours."

"The Immortality Society's wizard apprentices are obsessed with achieving immortality. They believe that with enough lifespan, they will eventually become wizards, so they pursue various methods to extend their lives, no matter the cost."

Black Forest snorted, "The Immortality Society is a bunch of lunatics. They'll do anything for immortality. The beastification disaster that Herb caused is just a regular day for them."

"But those lunatics have always been active in the northwest domain of the continent. Why would they suddenly show up in the Starlight Duchy?"

Black Forest suddenly realized he had said too much, laughed awkwardly, and fell silent.

The others also remained quiet.

The Starlight Duchy was located in the southeastern domain of the continent, thousands of miles away from the northwest domain. It was natural for Black Forest to be curious.

But how did he know that Su Nan had encountered Ugo in the Starlight Duchy?

Su Nan's gaze swept around the room, taking in everyone's reactions. He immediately understood.

It seemed that the members of the Forest Cottage already knew his identity.

Su Nan had been prepared for this.

The events in Blackstone City and the Golden Rock Province were significant, but they were only local to the Starlight Duchy and not particularly noteworthy in the larger context of the southeastern domain. It wasn't surprising that the Forest Cottage members, spread across the Starlight Continent, hadn't caught wind of it immediately.

However, when he used magic stones to lure them into collecting divine blood amber, it drew their attention to the Starlight Duchy and the Starfire Cult. With the recent events of destroying the Starfire Cult and overthrowing the royal family, it was impossible for them not to know.

If they still couldn't guess his identity, the Forest Cottage members would be incredibly dull.

But Su Nan wasn't concerned.

With his current strength and numerous trump cards like the Golden Apple, magic pattern cores, and high-level rune gems, he was confident he could handle even a group of wizard apprentices.

At this point, he was less worried about his identity being exposed.

Ultimately, to rapidly increase his power, he had to take bold actions, and exposure was inevitable.

As long as he had enough strength, he wouldn't need to fear the consequences of his identity being revealed.

"Cough."

Night Owl cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"In any case, the Immortality Society is a group that acts without restraint. Being targeted by them is not a good thing."

"Player, you should be careful."

"I will," Su Nan nodded calmly.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end