Chapter 280: Seizing the Opportunity

Chapter 280: Seizing the Opportunity

November 10, 2024

High above the mountains, a group of sorcerers hovered in the air, each standing over a thousand meters apart, gazing towards the direction of a cave.

Those participating in the search for the Toxic Sovereign's head were all from major sorcerer forces, while others from smaller sorcerer factions were excluded, only able to observe the progress from a distance.

Su Nan and Li Ze were no exception, gazing into the distance while conversing in low voices.

"The divine corpse fragments we obtained in this battle should allow us to trade for a significant amount of resources with the Codex of Wisdom, enough to build several large and medium-sized sorcerer towers," Li Ze estimated the gains from this operation.

After the battle with Blackthorn Tower, she became increasingly aware of the Starlight Alliance's shortcomings in sorcerer tower construction and was determined to quickly make up for this deficiency.

This was also a shared understanding between her and Su Nan.

Currently, the Starlight Alliance earns substantial profits annually from the price difference between Lesser Mana Stones and Mana Stones, sufficient to support the expansion of its military forces and the promotion of Mana Technology.

The only slow progress was in the construction of sorcerer towers.

One reason was the limitation of resources.

Many of the resources required to build sorcerer towers are rare, and the Codex of Wisdom does not provide them for trade. They need to be collected slowly or synthesized by Su Nan himself.

The other reason was the limitation of manpower.

The Starlight Alliance still lacked a sufficient number of sorcerers.

Puppet crafting, potion crafting, magical item manufacturing, and other tasks require the involvement of sorcerers, leaving limited manpower available for sorcerer tower construction.

Of course, the Starlight Alliance could also assign its sorcerers to gather resources and build sorcerer towers themselves.

However, this would significantly slow down the process.

It might take two to three centuries to see any results.

The Starlight Alliance is currently in a phase where rapid development and expansion are crucial, and there is no room for such a lengthy process.

Therefore, the fastest way is for the Starlight Alliance to centralize all resources and focus on building sorcerer towers.

In fact, out of the eighteen sorcerer towers currently owned by the Starlight Alliance, only the Starlight Wizard Tower was built by them, while the other seventeen were captured from enemies.

If not for the high risk, Su Nan would have considered engaging in battles with other sorcerer forces to capture more sorcerer towers.

The sorcerer tower belonging to the Starlight Alliance is still under construction.

At this moment, Su Nan suddenly sensed someone approaching. He turned and saw two people flying towards them.

One of them was a familiar face—Bryce, whom he had met in the Star Tower of the City of All Things. Bryce was affiliated with the Thousand-Headed Bird, another organization under the Codex of Wisdom, just like the Starlight Alliance.

"It's been a long time, Su Nan," Bryce greeted with a broad smile before introducing the person beside him.

"This is Gavin, the leader of our Thousand-Headed Bird's operation."

"I've heard a lot about you, Lord Su Nan," Gavin smiled and nodded at Su Nan, his eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny and curiosity.

After all, there had been no shortage of rumors and legends about Su Nan's exploits during this period.

Especially within the small circle of the Codex of Wisdom's affiliated organizations, Su Nan and the Starlight Alliance had become renowned.

Su Nan smiled and nodded in return.

According to Cyril's intelligence, the Thousand-Headed Bird's leader for this operation was also a True Spirit Heir, named Gavin, and it was clear that he was the person standing before them.

"Blackthorn Tower has always been brutal and merciless, and many of our Thousand-Headed Bird's sorcerers have fallen at the hands of those black sorcerers," Gavin laughed heartily. "Lord Su Nan, by dealing them a heavy blow this time, you've truly brought justice and joy to our hearts!"

Su Nan understood why Gavin had suddenly come over—he had come to express his gratitude.

It seemed that the Thousand-Headed Bird held a deep grudge against Blackthorn Tower.

"We were only retaliating," Su Nan said with a faint smile.

"Regardless, by defeating the army led by Elliot, you and the Starlight Alliance have surprised many," Gavin continued with a few more words of flattery before changing the topic.

"However, Blackthorn Tower is known for its vengeful nature, and they will not let go of the massive loss you inflicted upon them."

Su Nan's eyes flickered as he said, "Lord Gavin, do you think Blackthorn Tower will initiate a war?"

"With the Codex of Wisdom backing us, Blackthorn Tower won't dare to openly declare war," Gavin said with a meaningful tone. "But they will undoubtedly engage in some underhanded tactics. It's better to be safe than sorry. If the Starlight Alliance were to clash with Blackthorn Tower, we at the Thousand-Headed Bird would be more than happy to lend a helping hand."

Su Nan looked deeply into Gavin's eyes, realizing that he wanted to form an alliance with the Starlight Alliance against Blackthorn Tower.

However, this was good news for the Starlight Alliance.

Outside the Crystal Plane, the Starlight Alliance still lagged behind top-tier sorcerer forces like Blackthorn Tower, and an alliance with the Thousand-Headed Bird would alleviate some of the pressure if they were to face Blackthorn Tower directly.

"In that case, I shall respectfully decline."

As Su Nan agreed, a deeper smile spread across Gavin's face.

"As allies on the same front, it's only natural that we help each other."

After reaching a cooperative agreement, the atmosphere between the two sides became increasingly friendly, and their conversation grew more pleasant.

But at that moment, a powerful surge of energy particles erupted from the distance!

In an instant, all four of them turned their heads towards the source.

"Such powerful Divine Energy!" Gavin's eyes widened in shock.

"Is it a Divine Creature?" Bryce asked, puzzled.

Su Nan shook his head, his expression turning solemn. "A Divine Creature couldn't possibly possess this level of Divine Energy."

Even he, upon sensing that Divine Energy, felt a chilling sensation down his spine.

"You're right," Gavin agreed with Su Nan, "That's definitely not a Divine Creature."

As a fellow Third Tier Crystalized Wizard, he could sense the overwhelming power and terror of that Divine Energy.

Perhaps some Divine Creatures could reach this level, but they wouldn't appear on the Crystal Plane at this moment.

Something must have happened at the cave!

Following the eruption of Divine Energy, over a hundred powerful energy particle surges erupted from the cave.

It was clear that the wizards involved had taken action.

However, what surprised Su Nan and the others was that within a moment, seven or eight energy particle surges suddenly vanished!

Su Nan and Gavin exchanged a glance, their expressions turning grave.

It was evident that in that instant, at least seven or eight wizards had been severely injured or even killed.

Among the wizards involved in the operation, the weakest were Second Tier Wizards, and there were seven or eight Third Tier Wizards among the True Spirit Heirs. Yet, in an instant, they had suffered such heavy casualties, indicating the magnitude of the trouble they were facing.

Su Nan took a deep breath, knowing that his suspicions had come true.

Without hesitation, he turned to Li Ze and said, "Order the army to retreat. The further they are from here, the better. Once the Plane Seal is lifted, immediately open the Plane Gateway and leave the Crystal Plane!"

Li Ze was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. She nodded solemnly.

"I understand!"

Recalling Su Nan's previous actions, she vaguely realized that he might have anticipated this situation.

Once again, Su Nan's foresight was proven, and she had no objections to his orders.

Li Ze quickly turned and headed back to the Star Alliance's temporary base to execute the retreat order.

Gavin and Bryce exchanged glances, puzzled.

Something unexpected had indeed happened at the cave, but at that moment, over a dozen wizard factions had gathered in the forest.

With millions of troops and thousands of wizards, unless a True Spirit Sorcerer intervened, what trouble couldn't they suppress? This hasty retreat seemed like an overreaction.

However, Su Nan paid no attention to their changing expressions, his gaze fixed on the direction of the cave.

He was now certain that something unexpected had occurred during the final stages of the battle.

And if this incident had sparked the outbreak of the wizard civil war, it was undoubtedly extremely dangerous.

The sudden disappearance of those seven or eight energy particle surges further confirmed this.

What intrigued him was the nature of this unexpected event. As a precaution, Su Nan decided to have the Star Alliance army retreat first while he stayed behind.

It would be easier for him to escape alone.

Just as Su Nan issued the order, the situation in the distance changed again.

Numerous figures soared into the sky, fleeing in all directions.

Behind them, thick emerald mist rose, transforming into beastly jaws and sharp claws in mid-air, swiftly attacking the surrounding figures!

"What is that?"

As they watched the trees wither and disintegrate upon contact with the green mist, Gavin and Bryce furrowed their brows.

"Roar!"

A deafening roar echoed as a towering, ferocious figure emerged from the mist, flashing behind a wizard and striking with its claws!

Pshh!

The wizard, struck by the claws, flashed with multicolored magical lights, indicating multiple layers of protection.

But in the blink of an eye, all defenses shattered, and the claws pierced deep into the wizard's body.

The wizard managed a brief, agonized scream before melting into a pool of goo!

"What kind of monster is that?"

Gavin's expression turned to one of horror.

He recognized that Sorcerer; it was a Third Tier Liquidized Sorcerer of the Wild Spirit, yet he was killed by that monster without even a chance to fight back!

What exactly was the origin of that monster? Realizing the severity of the situation, Gavin couldn't afford to stay any longer. He informed Su Nan and hurried back to the temporary base with Bryce.

The monster flashed through the sky and, in the blink of an eye, killed over a dozen Sorcerers.

Those Sorcerers possessed formidable power, enough to conquer weaker Second and Third Tier Sorcerers from a minor Plane, but they were as fragile as ants under the monster's might, easily crushed like chopping vegetables or slicing through melons.

"That monster..."

Su Nan watched from a distance, his expression shifting.

The monster emanated a powerful Divine Energy, yet it was distinctly different from ordinary Divine Creatures, and it carried an extremely evil aura!

It was like a Divine Abomination!

Su Nan suddenly realized, and a vague memory surfaced in his mind.

Despite their vastly different appearances, the monster's aura was very similar to the Divine Abomination he remembered.

No wonder Roning and Bo Ben fled in disarray; even the weakest Divine Abomination was not something Second and Third Tier Sorcerers could handle!

"This Divine Abomination must have been born from the head of the Toxic Sovereign."

Su Nan was quite knowledgeable about Divine Abominations and quickly deduced its origin after a moment's thought.

However, this realization only led to new doubts.

Aside from the mother body, the birth of a Divine Abomination required a massive energy source to provide energy for it to absorb and mutate.

This energy source was far beyond what ley lines or elemental pools could offer.

It even surpassed the elemental furnace of the floating city.

As far as he could recall, the energy sources that accompanied the birth of Divine Abominations were often limited to a few.

The Starrealm Singularity, the Eternal Crystal Core, the Abyssal Source, and the Law Power Vein!

The first three energy sources couldn't possibly appear in the Crystal Plane, so if you excluded the other options, only one answer remained!

The Law Power Vein!

Even Su Nan's breathing became rapid at this moment.

In simple terms, the Law Power Vein was a convergence point of Law Power.

Once a Plane developed a Law Power Vein, it would gradually transform into a main Plane over time, eventually giving rise to multiple sub-Planes and ultimately forming a Plane Cluster.

For this reason, the Law Power Vein was often considered the prototype of a Plane Cluster.

Su Nan never imagined that a Law Power Vein would appear in the Crystal Plane.

At the same time, he understood why this incident had become the catalyst for the Wizard Civil War.

The Crystal Plane, with its potential to develop into a Plane Cluster, was undoubtedly a precious treasure.

From the moment the Law Power Vein was discovered, the Crystal Plane had become highly coveted, a prize that various Sorcerer forces were determined to possess.

By seizing the Crystal Plane, they could, in time, acquire an entire Plane Cluster.

This was an irresistible temptation for any Sorcerer force!

It was likely that the ownership of the Crystal Plane had sparked conflicts among the Sorcerer forces, eventually escalating into the Wizard Civil War!

However, if that were the only issue, Su Nan would have merely sighed and not become overly agitated.

After all, it was obvious that the Star Alliance couldn't covet the Crystal Plane at its current state.

He could simply observe from a distance and prepare for the upcoming Wizard Civil War, taking advantage of the situation.

But the Law Power Vein was different.

It was a convergence point of Law Power, containing a vast amount of primal Law Power.

If one could get close to it, they would significantly enhance their comprehension and control over the Law.

Even for True Spirit Sorcerers, the benefits would be remarkable!

For a Third Tier Sorcerer, getting near the Law Power Vein would greatly enhance their Mental Condensation.

Even better, if one could take this opportunity to extract a thread of primal Law Power and store it, waiting to absorb it after breaking through to the Third Tier Crystalized stage, it would undoubtedly shorten the time needed to comprehend the Law Power.

As for the damage to the Law's origin, who cared about that?

"The True Spirit Sorcerers outside will soon learn of what's happening here. With the involvement of the Law Power Vein, a mere dispute is no longer relevant. They will definitely intervene at the first opportunity."

"Removing the Plane Seal will take some effort, and I don't have much time left. If I'm going to act, it has to be now!"

Su Nan looked into the distance; the Sorcerers from the Azure Alliance, the Celestial Tower, and the Dark Throne had already closed in on the Divine Abomination, beginning their siege.

Seeing that both sides were preoccupied with the battle, Su Nan's gaze intensified, and he soon made up his mind.

A rare opportunity, let's do it!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end