Chapter 357: Advancing
Chapter 357: Advancing
"Hmm..."
Linen sheathed his longsword, a look of surprise crossing his face as he examined the blade.
"The power of this sword is much greater than I imagined. It's probably not far from becoming a Fourth-Rank Artifact."
A Second Circle Wizard, using all his might and equipped with several life-saving trump cards, was completely ineffective against the annihilating sword's strike.
Substitution!
Teleportation!
...
As the annihilation power descended, all countermeasures crumbled, and Creigh died on the spot.
Linen sheathed his sword, and the barrier that had enveloped the entire courtyard was also shattered, alerting the city's patrol guards.
However, the first to arrive was the guardian of the academy, the legendary Third-Eyed White Raven, a Second Circle Peak legendary creature.
"Senior White Raven!"
Linen stood amidst the ruins, having just collected his spoils of battle. He bowed to the White Raven flapping its wings:
"Someone ambushed me here, but thankfully, the feather you bestowed upon me saved me from a dire situation."
"Gwa... Gwa..." The White Raven's third eye blinked repeatedly.
"I came because I sensed my power being triggered, but the situation seems more complex than that."
Its vertical eye blinked, and it whispered:
"The Roll Family?"
"Yes."
Linen stepped aside, revealing the unconscious Mandy behind him.
"Mandy's shop is funded by the Roll Family. These people are likely connected to them as well."
"Gwa... Gwa..." The White Raven squawked repeatedly.
"What bad luck!"
"I don't want to get involved in matters concerning the Roll Family. When others arrive, please don't mention my presence here."
"Farewell!"
With that, the White Raven flapped its wings, transforming into a white streak of light and flying towards the core of the academy.
Linen opened his mouth, then shook his head with a hint of helplessness.
He understood the White Raven's actions.
The Roll Family, after all, was one of the nine ancient wizard families, their influence was terrifying.
Even a mere association was enough to make it avoid any involvement, so it didn't intend to inquire further, fearing entanglement.
But...
Was it already too late?
"Swoosh!"
Just as the White Raven departed, a figure appeared through a portal, their cold gaze sweeping the area.
Upon spotting Linen and the unconscious Mandy, their expression softened slightly.
"Miss Julia!"
Linen hurriedly bowed and gestured for Susan to transform into a Human Skin and attach herself to his robe.
"Hmm."
Julia, expressionless, nodded.
"What happened?"
"There was a mishap with the goods you arranged," Linen shrugged.
"A Second Circle Wizard removed the restrictions on the goods, injured Mandy, and even attempted to absorb the bloodline power within me."
"Fortunately..."
"This is Viper Academy, and their plan failed."
"Creigh." Julia recognized the man on the ground, her eyes cold.
"He's a servant beside my half-brother. I knew Theodore would show up."
Linen remained silent.
"Well done!"
Julia took a deep breath and nodded.
"Thankfully you're unharmed. Otherwise, I might have been forced to make concessions to Theodore."
"Now..."
"Hmph!"
"Was that the Third-Eyed White Raven from Viper Academy just now?"
"Yes."
Linen bowed.
"Senior White Raven asked me not to reveal his presence here, fearing unnecessary trouble."
"Hmph!" Julia's face showed disdain.
"Living for over a thousand years, yet still so timid. Nonetheless, it helped me resolve a problem."
She didn't believe Linen had killed Creigh, especially since Creigh had been a Second Circle Wizard for a long time.
Even with Creigh's strength, very few in Viper Academy could have defeated him.
The Three-Eyed White Crow was one of them!
As a Second Rank legendary creature, its lifespan far exceeded that of Same Rank Wizards. Having lived for thousands of years, it even possessed a portion of the Academy's authority. With the White Crow's capabilities, killing Creigh would not be difficult.
Linen didn't explain, but he had intended to guide the conversation in this direction anyway.
"The goods are still here."
Julia turned her head and asked, "The bodies are a bit rotten, but they should still be usable, right?"
"It won't affect much."
"That's good."
Julia heaved a sigh of relief. "Apart from these three goods, I've also prepared some auxiliary potions for you, which can enhance your psychic power. You must reach the required level within half a year."
"Of course," Linen bowed. "You can rest assured, Miss Julia."
Half a year...
First Rank Peak!
No!
He had to reach Second Rank!
Three corpses lay on the ground, and Linen transformed into a Horned Fire Scaled Serpent, circling the bodies and spinning around them.
"Ssss..."
He hissed, his mouth spitting out a serpent's tongue.
As the Great Flame Bloodline Technique was activated, thin strands of crimson smoke rose from the bodies.
Bloodline Power!
The Fire Scaled Serpent opened its mouth wide, devouring the bloodline power stored within the corpses to strengthen itself.
As time passed...
The horn on the Fire Scaled Serpent's head grew larger and more prominent, resembling a fiery red coral.
But that wasn't all.
On its abdomen, several slender dragon claws began to emerge, and its scales became denser and harder.
A Dragon!
"Roar!"
Linen roared towards the sky, and his body coiled lightly, rising into the air and hovering.
Ascend!
This was clearly an innate ability of the Dragon bloodline.
Second Rank Mid!
As the bloodline advanced, Linen's psychic power surged. His cultivation, originally at the late stage of the First Circle, visibly accelerated towards the First Rank Peak, even challenging the Second Plane.
"Not enough!"
His eyes flashed, and Linen opened his mouth to expel a blast.
"Huff..."
The Second Rank Mixed Flame appeared in the air, splitting into three streams and descending upon the corpses on the ground.
He intended to refine the flames within the bodies.
The Fire Tiger, Flame Spider, and Fire Fox were all late-stage First Rank legendary creatures, each with unique innate flames.
With his previous experience and being a higher-ranked flame, the refinement process was swift.
Half a month later...
A flame the size of a millstone hovered above Linen's head, and a pure white flame slowly blossomed.
"Second Rank Mid!"
"Just a little more..."
But this was easily manageable for Linen.
The mixed flame he acquired earlier was from his original body, and he hadn't used his points yet. He could exchange them at the Academy for a Second Rank magic flame.
Emerald Abyss Fire!
The Second Rank magic flame, born in the depths of an extremely cold glacier, possessed a unique ability to freeze souls.
"Flame Heart, fuse with me!"
With a low roar, the Fire Scaled Serpent, already resembling a young dragon, opened its mouth wide and unleashed a powerful flame.
A month later...
Linen transformed back into his human form and sat in a chair, eyes closed, silently sensing the changes within his body.
Bloodline: Second Rank Mid.
Flame: Second Rank Late.
The Great Flame Bloodline heritage—the higher the bloodline level, the faster the cultivation speed. The Flame Heart—the higher the rank of the flame mastered, the greater the assistance in cultivation.
When these two were combined...
Linen's cultivation soared, and his psychic power visibly increased.
First Rank Late!
First Rank Peak!
And then...
Second Circle!
"Huff..."
Linen exhaled a turbid breath and slowly opened his eyes.
(End of Chapter)
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