Chapter 165: Bronze Body

Chapter 165: Bronze Body

"Drip!"

With each droplet of the azure liquid falling into the container, a faint fragrance permeated the air.

Stimulated by this scent, dried-up seeds scattered on the floor and in the cracks began to sprout anew.

Before long, the entire room was filled with lush greenery.

"It took more than a month and consumed materials worth at least a thousand Magic Stones, but I've finally succeeded in refining it."

Karl picked up the container, a sense of relief in his voice:

"Concentrated Life Elixir..."

"Speaking of which, with my current alchemy skills, I should be able to call myself a First-Circle Alchemist, right?"

"I'm a bit specialized, only able to refine a few First-Circle potions, and even then, I don't think there's any alchemist who can do it all."

"Taste it!"

He swallowed the liquid in the container in one gulp, and before he could savor the flavor, pure life energy surged from his stomach and intestines, flowing through his limbs and every part of his body, all the way to the tips of his hair.

"Hmm!"

Karl grunted softly.

This surge of life energy was so immense that even he, a legendary knight, couldn't help but blush.

It was somewhat similar to oxygen intoxication, leaving him dizzy, his heart racing, and his blood rushing through his veins.

Calm mind!

Focus!

Thunder God's Fury!

Karl's eyes narrowed, and his rationality returned as his flesh and the battle energy within him began to circulate according to a specific technique.

Divine Demon Transformation!

The pure life energy stimulated his body, providing an endless supply of support for his Divine Demon Transformation cultivation.

The technique, which had long stagnated, began to improve at a visible rate once more.

One week later.

Karl, bare-chested, practiced his punches and kicks in the secret room. His simple movements contained an unstoppable force, and compared to before, his techniques had become more intricate and refined.

"Haa!"

Celestial Phantom Fist!

Shadows appeared in the room, as if he had cast a clone technique, and multiple Karls emerged simultaneously.

Each shadow performed different actions.

Palm strikes, punches, smashes, and elbow strikes...

"Boom!"

The air trembled violently.

The shadows suddenly converged, and Karl's body steamed with heat, his chest heaving rapidly.

"No wonder it's a sacred technique passed down by the Temple. The techniques are incredibly complex, and even with the absolute control granted by the Divine Domain Fragment, I've only managed to grasp the basics now."

"Luckily!"

He clenched his fist, his eyes glinting:

"The Abyssal Squid's bloodline involves darkness and dreams, which provides a certain boost to the Celestial Phantom Fist. Otherwise, I might have needed more time."

"Again!"

The feeling of growing stronger each day was addictive, even driving away some of his worries.

...

The Endless Sea.

This vast ocean held many secrets, some even unknown to the gods.

In one region, perpetual fog enveloped the area, and anyone who ventured within would become lost.

At the heart of the fog, a massive whirlpool loomed, like a giant mouth ready to devour everything.

"Whoosh..."

Most of the whirlpool retracted inward, but at regular intervals, it would spew out something.

Mermaids!

From the whirlpool emerged mermaids, wreaking havoc along the coastline.

With each expulsion, dozens or even hundreds of mermaids were flung in all directions, swimming towards the shore as if summoned. They joined the mermaid hordes, ravaging the coast and attacking other creatures.

On this day.

An arrow-shaped fishing boat sliced through the water, appearing near the fog, with a great knight standing on it, observing the mermaids swirling around. Ignoring the agitated mermaids, he looked up at the sky with fervent eyes, kneeling on one knee:

"Honorable Mevia, this is where the mermaids appear, and I believe it's also where the evil god hides."

"We've been investigating for a full year, and we've finally found this place."

The sky was a deep blue, with no one in sight, and no response.

But as his voice fell, a dark cloud began to gather in the sky, rapidly expanding.

Darkness engulfed the surroundings.

Unlike ordinary clouds, this darkness seemed to possess the power to annihilate all beneath it.

Algae withered, dead fish floated to the surface, and the mermaids swimming nearby lost their lives.

Only the wooden boat and the great knight on it seemed to be protected, unaffected by the darkness.

Death!

It enveloped everything.

"Boom!"

A loud noise echoed from within the fog, and a giant eye emerged from the depths of the whirlpool, gazing up at the dark cloud in the sky.

This eye was beyond imagination, with a diameter of hundreds of meters. Its pupil was as deep as a black hole, swallowing all light and sound, leaving only silence and despair. The iris was not the usual white but an eerie purple, exuding an ancient and sinister aura.

The giant eye was surrounded by layer upon layer of smaller eyes, resembling an ancient ring-shaped mountain range or a fortress, each with scars and marks like battle wounds, recording its countless years of existence and battles.

Most terrifying of all, this giant eye seemed to possess a power to see through everything, and as it appeared, the entire world trembled.

"God of Death's Embrace..."

The giant eye's pupil constricted, and an invisible wave of thought surged outward:

"Filthy, inferior semi-god bloodline..."

"You're not much better yourself." Mevia's voluptuous and powerful body appeared in mid-air, looking down with her head bowed:

"Eye Demon..."

"In the end, it's just a strand of a demon god's will. Even if it has gained some power through unknown means, it's still at the late stage of the first tier, unable to break through the restrictions of the Moon Goddess."

"Mevia." The giant eye trembled, and its thoughts began to slow:

"We can join forces."

"Your world has already been abandoned by the gods. The collapsing divine domain is constantly devouring the world's origin, and perhaps even before the arrival of the extra-planar deities, this world will be completely destroyed."

"If we join forces, by sacrificing enough origin power, I can bring my true body into this world. At that time, the entire world will belong to the Eye Demon, and you will be the first under the Eye Demon's body..."

"No!"

"First God!"

"If the demon gods were trustworthy, the divine domain wouldn't have ended up like this." Mevia shook her head gently:

"Speak!"

"How did you regain consciousness?"

The giant eye did not respond but stared at Mevia's body with its enormous eye, and a beam of light piercing the heavens suddenly appeared.

Divine Spell—Evil Ray!

Mevia, struck by the divine spell, remained expressionless as her body dissipated like smoke. Then, a black spear, imbued with the aura of death, descended from the sky, piercing the giant eye's pupil and embedding itself deeply.

"Boom!"

Violent ripples swept through the sea for over ten miles.

"The demon god's will has been extinguished. Pass down the order to kill the shark people and restore order to the Port of Freedom."

The thick fog dissipated.

Mevia's voice, carrying fatigue, echoed in the air, lingering for a long time.

Several months later.

Swift City's Secret Chamber.

"Haa!"

With a vigorous shout, Karl stomped his foot, and the rock-paved ground beneath him shattered like tofu. Visible shockwaves radiated from his body, striking the walls and ceiling with immense force.

"Bang!"

The entire secret chamber trembled.

Not just the chamber!

The houses outside and even the peak of the entire mountain shook under the immense force.

"Success!"

Karl raised his hand and examined his slightly tanned skin, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Divine Demon Transformation, Third Layer!"

"Bronze Body!"

The third layer of Divine Demon Transformation was a hurdle. Once mastered, it signified the completion of a certain realm, and one's strength would increase significantly.

The first three layers were the Bronze Body.

At this moment, Karl's body seemed to be cast from bronze, no longer an ordinary mortal flesh.

"This is much harder than bronze!"

He pinched his skin, which appeared similar to a normal person's, but in reality, even the so-called divine weapons couldn't pierce it.

"I wonder how resistant it is to witchcraft?"

He took out a gravity seal commonly used by wizard apprentices and threw it, altering the gravity within its range.

Triple Gravity!

"Ugh..."

Karl squinted as he stood within the range of the witchcraft, his body twisting slightly before returning to normal.

"Ineffective!"

"My body automatically resists the influence of witchcraft. The zero-circle witchcraft is almost imperceptible to me."

"Then..."

69shu.bar

"Pff!"

A first-tier initial rune of the linked fireball was activated.

Three enormous fireballs appeared in mid-air around Karl, their heat rapidly hardening the soil.

"Come!"

Karl shouted, and the three fireballs, capable of shattering city gates and melting mountains, struck his body simultaneously.

"Boom!"

The flames exploded.

The figure within the flames stretched out his arms, as if bathing in a stream, allowing the scorching magma to slide off his body.

"First-tier initial witchcraft is almost ignorable, but mid-tier witchcraft can have an effect."

"First-tier late-stage..."

"...can still injure me. And this is just a rune; if a wizard cast the spell, the effect would be even greater."

Karl shook his head:

"That's normal. Compared to wizards of the same level, knights are generally weaker. Moreover, my cultivation is only at the mid-tier of the first circle. I've merely taken a shortcut to enhance my physical strength, but my foundation is still lacking."

"However..."

"In close combat, I should be able to defeat a first-tier initial wizard with three punches."

"Gold..."

He shook his head lightly, muttering:

"Gold is from the Green Family and undoubtedly possesses top-tier heritage witchcraft artifacts. Although he's only at the mid-tier of the first circle, he can be considered a late-tier wizard. In a head-on confrontation, the odds of victory might not be that great."

"But if it's close combat, I have a good chance!"

Looking down at his body, Karl shrugged helplessly:

"My body's defense is sufficient, but my clothes aren't. I need to get a sturdy piece of clothing; otherwise, it's not very elegant to have my clothes torn every time I take action."

"Stepping out of the secret chamber, Karl encountered two carrier pigeons wandering inside the room. He approached and untied the notes attached to their legs, his face lighting up with a smile upon reading them.

"Double the joy!"

"Mellen truly has the best connections in the Dark Market. It was a wise decision to entrust him with the sale of the Zealant Potion."

There were two notes. One was from Aya, and the other from Mellen.

Mellen had brought good news from the Dark Market. After half a year of sales, the Zealant Potion had been exchanged for ninety-two Divine Favors and some Witchcraft materials, which would be delivered soon.

Unlike Swift City, this small place had few Peak Knights, and even near the City of Death, there weren't many qualified to consume the Zealant Potion and advance to the Great Knight rank.

Even if there were, it was unlikely they could offer Divine Favors.

The Dark Market was different. Those who ventured there came from all over, and they all held significant status and wealth.

When faced with a potion that could help Peak Knights advance to the Great Knight rank, they were more capable of affording the price.

"It's a pity we couldn't maintain a steady supply. There's even a potion similar to the Zealant Potion within the market..."

"Ninety-two!"

"That's quite a number."

As for Aya's message, it was related to the Port of Freedom.

"The lord of the City of Death has defeated the remnants of the Demon God. He's now calling upon various cities to dispatch troops to clear out the mermen."

"Hmm..."

Karl stroked his chin.

He wasn't particularly interested in the mermen cleanup, but the lord's manor in the Port of Freedom was known to possess numerous Divine Favors.

"Without the remnants of the Demon God, there won't be an endless birth of mermen, and there won't be any danger. We can't miss this opportunity."

"Let's head back and make preparations."

...

Dream Marketplace.

Karl returned to the Wonder House of the Blind One, where, in addition to Old Blin, there was also a handsome young man.

"Welcome, customer."

When dealing with outsiders, Old Blin wouldn't reveal Karl's identity. He gestured towards the young man:

"This is young master Harvey of the Walker family!"

"The Walker family?" Karl's eyes flickered:

"One of the families that manage the marketplace?"

"Yes."

Young master Harvey nodded, his eyes filled with curiosity:

"Are you the legendary knight Old Blin spoke of? I've never heard anyone mention you before."

"I've been secluded in my training and haven't been socializing much." Karl casually replied, then turned to Old Blin:

"What's the meaning of this?"

He had come to buy something from Old Blin, so why was there an unfamiliar young man present? This was against the rules.

"Ahem!"

Old Blin coughed twice, explaining:

"Although young master Harvey was born into the Walker family, he lacks the aptitude for wizardry and has chosen the path of knighthood. So, he asked me to find him an experienced legendary knight as a mentor."

"I think you're a good fit."

"Wait a moment!" Before Karl could speak, Harvey frowned:

"Grandpa Blin, I trusted you to find me a mentor, but are you sure he's the right one?"

Any renowned legendary knight would have a reputation forged through countless battles.

"I'm certain."

Old Blin nodded:

"The path of knighthood is not an easy one. In my over a hundred years, I've met many people, and he is the most suitable mentor for you."

"Alright!"

Harvey sighed and nodded:

"I believe you wouldn't deceive me."

"Respected legendary knight, although I don't know your name, I wish to become your apprentice. This is the humble request of a latecomer on the path of knighthood."

He knelt on one knee and raised his hands high, holding a sparkling crescent-shaped amulet.

Karl recognized this item.

Crescent Blade Amulet!

It could significantly increase the defensive capabilities of a legendary knight and reduce the damage from various nature-based witchcraft.

It was a heritage witchcraft artifact specifically designed for legendary knights.

It was a tier above the worn-out energy amulet in Karl's possession, and theoretically, it should work even in the late stages of the first tier.

Karl swallowed his initial refusal.

"What do you think?" Old Blin smiled:

"I said I could find what you wanted."

"Hmph..." Karl shook his head in exasperation, looking at Harvey kneeling before him. After a moment's thought, he said:

"You're very sincere."

He took the amulet and rubbed it between his hands for a moment before sighing helplessly:

"I can't refuse your offer. You can come to my place every Saturday afternoon for lessons."

"However..."

"You'll have three months. If I'm not satisfied after three months, the lessons will end. During this period, you can also refuse my offer, but the item is non-refundable."

"Three months?" Harvey frowned subconsciously, then relaxed:

"Agreed!"

"But I have one request. I hope to witness your strength before the formal lessons begin."

Saying this, he stood up and drew his knight's sword from his waist.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end