Chapter 458: The Beginning of the Descent

Chapter 458: The Beginning of the Descent

As the group of black-robed figures surrounded Prince Sedrin and continued forward, the leading elder in black robes glanced at two other elders and nodded. Understanding his gesture, the two elders promptly turned and departed.

The leading elder then lifted his gaze to the front, revealing a profound smile.

In the distance ahead stood a towering tree resembling a banyan, hundreds of meters tall, with a green semi-circular canopy—the Mother Tree Andahill of the Elven race.

As they drew closer, the sheer size of the tree became even more apparent. However, the green swirling canopy at the top of the tree, hundreds of meters high, had noticeably faded and thinned.

Evidently, this was due to the destruction of the two Crystal Towers, which had significantly reduced the energy supply to the crystal barrier.

But the elder's gaze wasn't focused on the Mother Tree; it went beyond it, through the green canopy, and into the sky.

In the distant sky, a faint golden light flickered.

Meanwhile, in the secret warehouse of the Valzich Ruins.

Ren examined the large furnace core, a precision energy device the size of a millstone with intricate metal pipes of various sizes on its surface. It resembled an engine magnified five to six times.

Moriah fiddled with it for a while, furrowing her brows and shaking her head. She sighed and said, "It's no use; it's completely unstartable. I brought a Magma Heart with me, but it can only serve as a catalyst for a medium-sized furnace core. I'll need time to modify it."

"Ren, this will take some time. Can you help me keep watch in the hall and take a look at the two scrolls and the black leather diary?"

"There are some words in the diary that I think will be very inspiring for every Peak Crystallization Wizard."

"Dawn represents the rising sun and infinite possibilities. When we return, we can discuss and try things out, especially you." Moriah patted Ren's shoulder and smiled.

"No problem, Patriarch," Ren agreed, his mind immersed in the advanced meditation technique. Hearing that he could both keep watch and read the scrolls, he readily nodded.

In fact, if Ren had paid closer attention to Moriah, he might have connected this to something.

If a legendary-tier energy source like the Magma Heart could work, then the epic-tier energy source in his possession—the Abyssal Fire Crystal—seemed even more suitable.

In the hall, Ren carefully read the black leather diary.

Although it contained only sporadic notes, as the writings of an ancient Patriarch of the Valzich School of Magic, a high-level wizard who might have reached the Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard peak, even these brief words held great inspiration for Ren.

They were like the final piece of a puzzle.

"The fourth layer of the Advanced Meditation Technique is different from the previous three. The first three layers emphasize the purification of psychic energy, so learning them a little earlier or later doesn't make much difference."

Ren reflected on this statement and agreed.

He had begun studying the third layer of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation Technique after reaching the Third Rank Crystalized Wizard, at 1% Crystallization.

Learning it later wouldn't have been a problem; it would just mean being stuck at 1% Crystallization for a while.

But the fourth layer was different. It was crucial for advancing to the Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard, so it needed to be learned and mastered during the Peak Crystallization period.

This was the first challenge mentioned in the black leather diary.

"When psychic energy approaches perfection, the fourth layer of the meditation technique is needed to compress it further. This is the most challenging part."

"Finally, during this process, the model for the Fourth Rank Talent Sorcery must also be outlined."

These two sentences in the black leather diary pointed out the second and third challenges in advancing to the Dawn Wizard rank.

The combined difficulty of these three challenges was unimaginable.

Ren had a sudden realization, "No wonder even a brilliant genius like the Dean of Winter Fortress Academy, Bartalof, is stuck at Peak Crystallization, waiting for an opportunity to enter the Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard."

"However, with the Dragon Soul Potion and other preparations, Bartalof should be able to attempt the Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard realm again."

Initially, Moriah had wanted Ren to read the black leather diary to approach the advancement to the Fourth Rank Dawn Wizard with caution. However, after reading it, Ren became even more eager to try.

Before reading the diary, Ren wasn't entirely confident, but now he had a clearer understanding of the advancement process.

With his systematic approach, having a specific execution plan made things much easier.

As Moriah worked in the secret warehouse, Ren activated three combat puppets with the Animation Spell in the hall to keep watch. Then, he resumed his attempts at the fourth layer.

After several hours and six more attribute points, Ren finally succeeded in outlining the intricate model of the fourth layer of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation Technique, consisting of 256 will runes, in one go.

At that moment, a strange sensation emerged within him, and the intricate three-layered crystal in his mental sea also changed.

The circular base of the three-layered crystal expanded in diameter and thickened, appearing even more stable.

The mental sea, which was already close to an icy crystal state, now seemed to have completely transformed into a collection of tiny diamonds, devoid of any moisture.

A system prompt followed:

[You have practiced the fourth layer of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation Technique, and your understanding has improved!]



[Your skill, Advanced Steel Heart Meditation Technique, has improved. Experience +11]



Ren also noticed a change in the description of the Steel Heart icon on his Dragon Vein Wizard (Legendary) profession panel.

The new description read:

Advanced Steel Heart Meditation Technique lv10 (1/20000), with the special effect 'Metal Control lv4'.

【Metal Control lv4 (Passive) Effect: Your control over metal-type energy particles is greatly increased.】

"Not easy! Finally, success!"

"The system description for lv4 Metal Control has changed from 'significantly increased' to 'multiplied'."

"Hmm, this is..."

Suddenly, Ren's eyes widened in surprise! After reading the system prompt and the change in description, he casually glanced at his attribute panel and noticed a significant change in his psychic energy value:

Psychic Energy: 186 (97% Crystallization)



It wasn't the increase in psychic energy that surprised him, as he had just allocated 10 attribute points to it, making the current value of 186 quite normal.

The critical point was that the Crystallization progress had surged by 3 points!

This was the most challenging peak period of Crystallization, and even a single percentage point increase required a long and arduous cultivation.

Clearly, there was only one reason for this sudden surge! It was the fourth layer of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation Technique that he had just mastered, which rapidly enhanced the Crystallization progress.

This also indicated the incredible effectiveness of the fourth layer of the Advanced Meditation Technique in purifying and compressing psychic energy.

"Makes sense, if it didn't have this effect, how could I push my psychic energy to the extreme when attempting the Dawn Strike Technique?"

"Too bad, just 3 points short, otherwise..."

However, suddenly, a flash of lightning crossed Ren's mind, as if he had thought of something. A smile appeared on his face.

"The fourth layer of the Meditation Technique corresponds to levels lv10 to lv12, but I'm only at lv10 now!"

"In other words, there's still great potential for purifying psychic energy!"

If he could raise the Advanced Meditation Technique to lv12, the purification and compression effects would undoubtedly be further enhanced.

Without hesitation, Ren immediately invested 2 skill points into the lv10 Advanced Steel Heart Meditation Technique.

As the technique progressed from lv10 to lv12, a torrent of memories about the fourth layer of the Advanced Steel Heart Meditation Technique flooded Ren's mind.

In an instant, Ren felt as if he had spent decades in a mysterious space, diligently practicing the fourth layer of the meditation technique.

After a few minutes, when Ren attempted to visualize the fourth layer's model again, he was delighted to find that the time required for the visualization had nearly halved. Most importantly, the effect of compressing and purifying psychic energy had once again significantly improved!

The Crystallization progress now displayed a stunning 100%.

"Wow! As expected, the impact of dimensional reduction is incredible!" Ren couldn't help but feel overjoyed and exclaimed.

Using the fourth layer of the meditation technique to enhance the Crystallization process was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut or a high-caliber gun to shoot a mosquito!

At that moment, the thin plate in Ren's embrace began to vibrate again.

"Captain Ren, I'm above the Valzich Ruins..."

A familiar but rarely heard voice came through the thin plate.

Hmm?

Was it Bianse?

This signal was much clearer than the previous ones, and Ren couldn't help but connect it to the few intermittent keywords he had heard from her earlier.

Ren's eyebrows rose as he immediately realized what was happening.

"Bianse, above the ruins?"

"Why not Claire or Olenna?"

"Could it be that they've encountered trouble, and only Bianse managed to escape?" Ren's eyes narrowed, instantly connecting the dots.

Ren's figure flashed, and he appeared at the door of the secret warehouse room, not bothering to interrupt Patriarch Moriah, who was deeply engrossed in the restoration work. "Patriarch, my friends might be in trouble. The Swordsmen's Airship from their side seems to have arrived above our ruins. I need to go out and meet them."

"Oh? Wait a moment, I'll come with you." Moriah paused his work, his expression turning solemn.

"Good!"

Soon, the two emerged from the hidden cave entrance, and they immediately spotted an airship hovering in the nearby sky.

However, the first sight of the airship caught Ren off guard. "Isn't this the Long Horizon Airship we captured from Bostaf?"

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"I'm Ren!" Ren immediately took out the thin plate and said.

"Great, Captain Ren, I'm Bianse. Oh, I can see you now," Bianse's excited voice came through as the airship slowly moved towards their position.

Since they weren't far apart, Ren quickly spotted Bianse waving at him from the ship's railing.

Bianse cast a Swift Wind spell on herself and gracefully leaped down from the twenty-meter-high airship, a feat easily accomplished by a Paragon Scout like her.

"Captain, Miss Anna and the pureblood elves have received a call from the Elven Mother Tree, Andahill. They are now on their way to Ferdinand City," said Bianse, her close-fitting leather armor accentuating her voluptuous and tall figure, with a hint of anxiety in her voice.

"What? A call from the Elven Mother Tree!" Before Ren could respond, Moriah, standing beside him, exclaimed in shock.

Ren, on the other hand, looked pensive, wondering why Anna would insist on going to Ferdinand City, knowing that it was a prime target for the cult's attack.

The call from the Elven Mother Tree was clearly the key.

"Patriarch, do you have any insights on this?" Ren couldn't help but ask.

Hearing Ren address Moriah as 'Patriarch' caused Bianse, standing nearby, to pause for a moment, showing a hint of respect towards Moriah.

However, after a brief perception, she found it strange that Moriah's aura, though powerful, seemed to be on par with the captain's.

"Indeed, according to ancient records, the Elven Mother Tree, Andahill, has survived for over ten thousand years. When it calls upon the elves to gather, it's because it has sensed an overwhelmingly powerful enemy approaching, one that even the Mother Tree itself cannot repel."

"In connection with the Mother Tree Sect you mentioned earlier, it's possible that this time, the Void Mother Tree worshipped by the sect will directly descend." Moriah spoke in a grave tone.

"Directly descend?"

"Reyn's expression changed abruptly."

"There's a possibility, but at the very least, it will be a powerful avatar."

Bianca nodded in agreement, "That's the same conclusion reached at headquarters."

"A few minutes ago, Lady Olenna sent me a message. She received urgent intelligence from the Imperial Swordsmen, stating that the Mother Tree Sect has mobilized almost their entire force for this attack on Ferdinand Forest!"

"A Grand Theologian and two High Theologians have all arrived in Ferdinand Forest."

"In other words, the Mother Tree Sect alone has three Epic-level powerhouses. The enemy must be planning something big!"

"Patriarch, it seems I won't be able to accompany you in exploring the ruins. I must leave immediately."

"Wait! Reyn, even if you're incredibly strong, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle three Epic-level powerhouses, let alone an impending deity!" Moriah stopped Reyn, speaking in a low voice.

Just as Reyn was about to say something, Moriah waved her hand, continuing,

"I'm not stopping you from going; I just want you to wait a moment. Why don't we take that big guy with us?"

Moriah smiled mysteriously after speaking.

"Hmm? Patriarch, do you mean you can repair the large furnace core in a short time?" Reyn was a bit confused.

After all, Moriah had just said that repairing the large furnace core wasn't something that could be done quickly.

"No, but I can replace it." Moriah pointed to the long-range airship above them as she spoke.

"Although the long-range airship uses a medium-sized furnace core, its interior utilizes a Flame Heart, which has a higher energy tier than a Magma Heart. By extracting it and placing it in the large furnace core, we can activate the Destroyer."

"Of course, even though it still can't operate the Destroyer at full power, it can at least unleash fifty percent of its combat strength."

"Wait, Patriarch, you mentioned I have a piece of Abyssal Fire Crystal here, right?" Reyn suddenly remembered something and took out a box from his waist pouch, handing it to Moriah.

"What? Why didn't you mention this earlier? Of course, it's possible." Moriah's eyes widened as she looked at Reyn.

"I remember now. Didn't you get it from the Flame Canyon? I recall the school mentioned it in a message a few months ago. I was busy preparing for the exploration of the ruins, so I didn't pay much attention."

"Yes, Patriarch, it was from that time."

"Then it's simple."

Ferdinand City.

The two departing black-robed elders, both Deputy Grand Theologians of the Mother Tree Sect, quickly returned to a well-prepared campsite after passing through the underground tunnel and leaving the palace.

In the center of the camp, there was a massive ancient tree on the verge of death. On its thick trunk was an aged face, contorted in pain.

If an elf were present, they would immediately recognize it as the War Tree, second only to the Elven Mother Tree, inexplicably bound in this place.

But even more chilling was that, at this moment, all the green leaves growing on the massive tree's branches had been replaced by elves of various ages and sizes, both male and female.

Each branch painfully pierced the chest and abdomen of an elf, and the crimson blood slowly flowed down the branches, gathering on the trunk, and continued to flow downward towards the roots.

Strangely, the elves, who should have been in excruciating pain, had their eyes closed, faces filled with smiles, and arms outstretched, as if welcoming something.

Smiles and blood.

Welcoming and piercing.

This created an atmosphere of fear, trembling, and eeriness!

Surrounding the bound War Tree were dozens of black-robed figures with golden tree emblems on their chests. When they saw the two Deputy Grand Theologians approaching, the one in the lead immediately stepped forward and respectfully said,

"Deputy Grand Theologian Perseus, Deputy Grand Theologian Parkson, all preparations are complete!"

"Very good, then let's begin!" The elder named Perseus nodded.

"Hehe, everyone, including the elves, the Empire, and other sects, all thought we needed to break through the third crystal to start the formal prayer. How wrong they are!"

"It seems that my lord will be the first deity to descend as a main avatar!" The elder named Parkson chuckled, sounding rather proud.

A main avatar represented a deity's avatar that contained more than thirty percent of their true divine essence.

With the command of the two Deputy Grand Theologians, a grand prayer ceremony commenced! One by one, the black-robed figures began to chant loudly. If one looked down from high in the sky, they would see that there were a total of five such campsites, forming a massive inverted pentagram sorcery array.

"Boom!"

Five blood-green pillars of light shot up into the sky, one after another, at an angle! In the sky thousands of meters high, the five pillars of light converged into an even thicker pillar, shooting straight up into the heavens!

Its target was the faintly glowing golden point.

The next second, a magnificent golden tree shadow appeared in the sky, occupying half of the sky.

A special, surging energy field covered a vast area of several square kilometers.

At this moment, all the elves within a large area below the golden tree, whether epic or ordinary, felt as if their hearts had been struck hard, their faces filled with expressions of bewildered panic as they looked at the golden tree that had suddenly appeared in the sky.

And the crystal barrier, which had already dimmed significantly, now emitted a series of cracking sounds, like shattering glass.

Inside the palace, several elders wearing flower wreaths and fern-covered shoulder armor, responsible for the defense of the last three crystal towers, couldn't help but change their expressions upon witnessing this scene.

As Druid elders, they naturally understood what this signified.

"This power is too strong. If all five crystal towers were intact, we might be able to resist, but with only three remaining, it's..."

"The crystal barrier is about to shatter! We must think of a solution!"

"What other options do we have now? The crystal barrier is our last resort."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end