Chapter 332: Wildfire of Conquest

Chapter 332: Wildfire of Conquest

Last night’s encounter with the Phantom King had only occurred at the consciousness level.

Yet the oppressive aura from that Lich King-tier existence still left deep, imprinted scars upon his spirit.

However, this experience unexpectedly strengthened his spiritual resilience.

He could clearly sense his capacity to withstand high-dimensional information had significantly improved.

"Master, you seem to be in good condition today."

Ai Lan’s voice came from outside the door, her emerald-green figure appearing at the room’s entrance:

"You slept twice as long as usual last night. Have you been overworking yourself lately?"

"One could say I gave my mind a brief holiday", Luo En replied briefly, revealing no further details.

Some knowledge was simply too dangerous to share, even with his most trusted assistant.

After quickly performing his morning purification rituals, he prepared to head toward the restricted section of the library.

Cassandra’s granting of associate professor-level privileges yesterday would allow him access to those previously unattainable secret records.

Knowledge about Ancient Alchemist class advancements and those long-lost ancient techniques were precisely what he urgently needed to uncover.

The moment he stepped out of the Mobile Workshop, Luo En immediately sensed subtle changes in the air.

It was an intoxicating scent, faintly reminiscent of blood.

The crystal display panels lining the streets no longer showed academic research findings.

In their place were breathtaking otherworldly landscapes, each frame silently proclaiming tales of conquest.

On the first display board, three blood-red suns hung in a copper-green sky.

The ground was a forest composed of living bones.

Those "trees" were actually colossal vertebrae, hundreds of meters tall, their surfaces covered in writhing vascular networks.

In a clearing within this sinister forest, a group of arachnid entities crouched before a conqueror, offering glowing "Bone Marrow Crystals" with their eight slender arms.

These native creatures’ appearances were revolting.

Their heads bore single massive compound eyes, while their bodies resembled flayed spiders, internal organs clearly visible.

"I heard this ‘life marrow’ can amplify potion effects several times over…"

A young apprentice with dark spots on his face murmured, his eyes swirling with intertwined greed and fear.

The second display board showed an even more twisted world.

There was no solid ground—everything existed in a semi-liquid state, constantly shifting in shape and color.

At the center of the image, dozens of transparent, house-sized jellyfish-like beings floated in thickened air.

Their internal structures revealed complex organs slowly writhing within.

These creatures extended tentacles to hand pulsating "Heart Fruits" to mages standing on hovering platforms.

Each time these heart-fruits pulsed, the entire display flickered faintly, as if the screen itself were being affected.

"A physiological enhancement material…"

An apprentice wearing thick goggles muttered beside it:

"They say consuming one could boost physical strength to match ordinary Dragonkin, but the cost is…"

He didn’t finish, but many apprentices gathered before the screen already understood that price.

The user’s appearance would gradually transform into those jellyfish entities, until finally losing all semblance of humanity.

Another display showed a frozen world shrouded in Eternal Aurora.

In this realm, frost giants nearly fifteen meters tall knelt before the conquerors.

These giants used stiff fingers to cautiously present fragments of "Soul Ice Crystals", exuding chilling auras.

Even more horrifying, the giants in the images were clearly unwilling.

Each had a slender metal probe embedded in their necks—some control device.

Whenever the probes flashed, the giants mechanically repeated their tribute gestures, their ghostly flames dimming further.

"Complete enslavement…"

A scholarly-looking High Apprentice whispered: "This has long surpassed mere conquest, becoming…"

"And what would you call it?" A senior apprentice nearby scoffed coldly:

"Survival of the fittest is the universe’s iron law. These exotic races are inherently inferior lifeforms. It is their honor to contribute to the development of mage civilization."

The gathered apprentices fell into a tense silence.

Some eyes burned with excitement, as if already envisioning their own conquests;

Others showed unease at such brutal plundering;

Still others maintained cautious neutrality, silently observing and contemplating.

"Are these scenes… real?" A young girl timidly asked.

"Of course they’re real", the senior apprentice’s tone grew more arrogant:

"My cousin works as a materials analyst in the conquest forces. He told me these are just the most ordinary few among over a dozen worlds conquered by Cassandra Tower Lord.

The truly valuable spoils would never be publicly displayed."

He lowered his voice conspiratorially:

"They say Tower Lord has even conquered a dimension composed entirely of time. The natives there can manifest memories as physical objects. Imagine if we mastered that technology…"

The young apprentices’ eyes gleamed with chimera-like mixtures of greed, fear, and sick excitement.

As Luo En stepped onto the street, these cacophonous discussions abruptly ceased.

All gazes turned toward him, yet no one dared a direct stare.

Like startled animals, the apprentices scattered, but he could feel countless eyes tracking him from behind.

"It’s Lao En, that lecturer…"

"The temporary vice-prodigy of the New Star Plan…"

"I heard Cassandra Tower Lord personally hosted a private banquet for him…"

Whenever he turned, everyone quickly bowed their heads, feigning intense focus on the displays.

This strange atmosphere reminded Luo En of certain wildlife documentaries—

When apex predators appeared, other creatures instinctively maintained distance, neither daring provocation nor complete neglect.

Several Full Mages maintained outward calm, though their eyes revealed tangled emotions.

Reverence, jealousy, curiosity, and a subtle fear.

But this fear wasn’t directed at Luo En himself—it stemmed from the Conquerors and Cassandra behind him.

As he continued toward the library, Luo En observed further unsettling changes.

Mages who once focused solely on pure research now gathered around information boards, inquiring about requirements to join conquest forces.

Previously deserted bookstores specializing in "Otherworld Geography" and "Large-Scale War Spells" now had long queues at their doors.

Luo En even spotted several normally refined theoretical researchers arguing intensely about various plunder techniques and enslavement methods.

"I heard the ‘Spirit Shackle’ spell can completely control an exotic race’s mind…"

"But that spell… the controlled being’s personality might become contaminated…"

"Who cares? As long as the exotic races don’t retaliate against us, does it matter?"

These conversations echoed Earth’s history of colonizers and slave traders.

Under immense profit’s temptation, the boundaries of civilization and morality blurred, exposing humanity’s darkest aspects.

More concerning, young apprentices were forming small groups, discussing expedition plans for participating in conquest projects.

Though their current strength fell far short of interdimensional conquest, these dangerous thoughts had already begun germinating.

The entire Crystal Spire’s atmosphere was undergoing fundamental transformation.

Former academic rigor yielded to adventurous agitation, pure knowledge pursuit replaced by utilitarian plundering desires.

Knowledge remained valued, but now bore sinister implications.

No longer a beacon illuminating civilization’s path forward, but a tool for conquest and enslavement.

Luo En calmly analyzed this transformation within his mind.

From a sociological perspective, this represented the classic shift of a civilization transitioning from inward development toward external expansion.

When internal resources grow scarce, external plunder becomes the sole means to sustain progress.

Yet the problem lay in the transformation’s suddenness—almost no time for adaptation.

Cassandra had artificially created a "conquest frenzy" by showcasing colossal conquest results, driving even rational academics toward greed.

This situation presented both opportunities and dangers to Luo En.

On one hand, in such an environment, his formidable strength and abundant academic reserves would make gaining recognition and resources easier;

On the other hand, when the entire society descends into madness, maintaining rationality itself becomes a dangerous "heresy."

……

The entrance to Crystal Spire’s library loomed before him—a formidable stone gate.

It was constructed from some emotion-reactive living mineral.

As Luo En approached, the dormant runes across its surface began awakening.

The hues shifted from a dull gray to an amber-orange warning glow, finally stabilizing into the golden hue symbolizing high privileges.

The guardian stationed at the entrance stood as a three-meter-tall crystal construct.

Its body consisted of semi-transparent azure crystal, within which a swirling, radiant manacore floated in the chest cavity.

Even more unsettling was the construct’s "face"—a polished mirror surface reflecting the observer’s deepest fears in real-time.

When Luo En gazed into the mirror, he didn’t see his own visage, but rather a writhing figure entangled by countless tendrils—his worst fear concretized: a future consumed by uncontrolled states.

"Identity verification in progress…"

The construct’s voice scraped like grinding crystal shards: "High privileges detected. Initiating deep scan."

What followed was an excruciating process of verification.

The construct first scanned Luo En’s mana signature, then subjected him to an invasive spirit probe analyzing his cognitive patterns.

This scrutiny lasted nearly five minutes, each second amplifying the suffocating sensation of being utterly exposed.

He could feel the construct searching for specific "marks"—the faintest traces that might link him to forbidden dangers.

Thankfully, his previous night’s encounter with the Phantom King had left no visible scars on his spirit structure.

A Lich King-tier entity, after all, possessed perfect capabilities to conceal its influence.

The mirror-like face abruptly turned toward Luo En, its voice laced with mechanical bewilderment:

"Your spirit structure exhibits an exceptionally rare multi-layered defense pattern.

This level of complexity… even among associate professor ranks, it’s considered anomalous."

The manacore’s rotation noticeably accelerated, emitting a low, resonant hum:

"Privileges Rank: Associate Professor Tier.

Special Annotation: Nova Plan participant.

Spiritual contamination resistance: Requires real-time testing to determine metrics."

The construct extended an arm composed of crystalline segments.

Sinister runes pulsed across its surface, directing toward a shadow-swallowed door deep within the library:

"Proceed to the contamination resistance evaluation chamber.

Warning: This is a mandatory procedure for accessing restricted zones. Any attempt to bypass will be deemed a direct threat to the School’s security."

As Luo En followed the construct through the hidden door, the air’s quality transformed instantly.

The atmosphere felt compressed under an invisible weight, each breath requiring deliberate effort.

Faint heartbeats echoed from the walls, as though the entire structure were the internal organs of some colossal beast.

The testing chamber was a perfect circular space—sterile, devoid of decoration, with jet-black walls and floor.

Suspended at the center floated a massive crystal orb, two meters in diameter, churning with nauseating dark mist.

These vapors weren’t static—within the sphere, they spiraled in intricate, ever-shifting patterns.

Each rotation released faint yet dangerously potent Spirit Shockwaves.

"This apparatus…" Luo En activated his Transcendent Perception, scrutinizing the orb.

Through his special vision, the surface bristled with a dense Rune Network, the runes continuously absorbing and transforming ambient mana.

More alarmingly, he sensed an imprisoned Consciousness Fragment writhing within the sphere’s core.

"Have you discerned anything?" The construct seemed to notice his expression shift.

"This isn’t merely a testing device", Luo En analyzed calmly.

"The orb contains a genuine Abyssal Creature’s spirit fragment, its potency regulated through the Rune Network. This design… is both ingenious and perilous."

"Keen observation", the construct’s tone carried subtle praise.

"These spirit fragments originate from high-tier creatures slain by the Abyss Exploration Team.

Their residual hatred and chaotic consciousness are refined for testing mages’ contamination resistance."

It paused before continuing:

"The test will proceed in two stages.

Should you experience adverse effects at any point, signal immediately to terminate."

The manacore began pulsing rhythmically, each flicker dropping the room’s temperature:

"Special note: Previously, an overconfident associate professor believed himself immune.

During testing, latent contamination within him activated.

Upon completion, he was devouring his own fingers, weeping while laughing, ‘At last, I’ve tasted true delight.’"

This detail sharpened Luo En’s expression.

Spiritual contamination’s true terror lay in its ability to twist victims’ perceptions and values.

Contaminated individuals rarely recognized their state, instead perceiving their twisted condition as "normal"—even "beautiful."

Moreover, he found the construct’s intelligence and emotional expressiveness unusually… organic for an artificial construct.

"I understand the risks", Luo En acknowledged, advancing toward the testing orb.

As he approached within three meters, the first stage initiated silently.

The orb’s mist erupted violently, unleashing a wave of soul-churning spiritual pressure.

This wasn’t mere fear or anxiety—it manifested as a fundamental denial of existence itself.

Countless voices whispered in unison:

"You should not exist…"

"Your efforts are meaningless…"

"Death is the only liberation…"

"Why resist? Why not embrace the void?"

Was that all?

For Luo En, who cultivated The Murmuring of the Star Devourer, this level of spiritual assault was negligible.

His meditation techniques, forged through communion with high-ranking entities, had long conditioned his spirit structure to withstand multidimensional oppression.

"Stage One passed. Duration: seventeen seconds", the construct recorded.

"This speed ranks Outstanding among associate professor tiers. Initiating Stage Two testing."

The orb’s hue shifted from dark gray to deep violet.

The mist thickened, completely obscuring the interior structure.

Stage Two’s spiritual assault grew more complex and insidious.

It no longer sought mere negation or despair but aimed to fundamentally twist Luo En’s perception itself.

Hallucinations materialized before his eyes:

His form becoming a writhing mass of tentacles devouring companions, while he felt unparalleled satisfaction;

Ai Lan’s jade-green figure decaying into a putrid, melting mass, her voice thanking him for "liberating" her;

The entire Central Lands crumbling beneath his feet, innocent lives perishing as he laughed triumphantly atop the ruins…

These illusions sought to convince him that destruction and depravity were true "joy", that rationality and order were mere self-deceptive chains.

Yet these twisted temptations couldn’t shake Luo En’s core rationality.

His spirit resilience, forged through Time Hound pursuits and the Devourer’s threats, allowed him to distinguish reality from hallucination effortlessly.

More crucially, his obsessive pursuit of self-control provided unshakable spiritual anchors.

No matter how alluring the illusions, he would never relinquish mastery over his fate.

"Stage Two passed. Total duration: one minute and ten seconds", the construct’s voice carried palpable astonishment.

"Testing complete. Total time: one minute and twenty-seven seconds."

A pause followed, laden with disbelief:

"Contamination Resistance Rank: IV. A high rating among associate professors. You may safely access most restricted zone contents."

The construct hesitated, processing complex data:

"According to historical records, only six associate professors have achieved Rank IV. Three later ascended to Dusk Sun Rank mage, one became an Archmage, another the Abyss Exploration Team’s captain…"

It left the sixth case unsaid, but Luo En sensed an ominous undertone from the manacore’s dimming glow.

Upon test completion, an previously invisible door materialized on the wall.

The door itself was living artwork—crafted from autonomous, breathing material threaded with writhing vascular networks.

As Luo En approached, the vessels quickened their pulse, as though welcoming a long-lost guest.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end